#Angela Heck

[letterboxd-loggd]

Tales from the Gimli Hospital (1988) Guy Maddin

July 10th 2023

[cryptidcrocuta]

I have absolute brainrot over the idea that dalloc's twintail plugs are homage to miku and she's a big fan

bonus:

[babychosen]

hmmm..... i wonder

[editor-the-benjamin]

Grace: Love thy neighbor, except if your neighbor is Clivesdale.

Grace: Eff Clivesdale. Eff em straight to heck.

[kanerallels]

Everyone's out there talking about how they're flashing back to their middle school years because of Percy Jackson and Shadow and Bone trending, meanwhile for me it's because I saw the new Eragon book at Target and was briefly suckerpunched back into my 13 year old self who was obsessed with that series

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

Favorite Tony + Angela Moments Per Episode - 1x17 (Part 1)

[tame-a-messenger]

Well. If we don’t get Angela and Damien content at least we got Angela AS Damien content and I live for her impression of him it’s so dumb /pos 😭

Writing another ask I had the biggest of Brain Blasts....

Angela doing her “Damien” is EXACTLY like Shayne doing his “Courtney “FREAKING” miller” 

Like, show me the difference. Oh right, you CAN’T

[galwithalibrarycard]

In the season 1 episode The Woman at the Airport, Angela calls Brennan from the Jeffersonian while B&B are in LA. And she has one screen with Brennan’s full face, one screen that’s a closeup of just Brennan’s eyes, and one that’s a closeup on Brennan’s lips. That’s gay, Angela. Having a video feed that makes it easier for you to stare at your best girl friend’s lips is gay behavior.

[bojackhorsemanobviously]

):

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

EXCUSE ME????

I mean I was loving the wopez this episode and the entire plot was super cool and I love angst but AAAAHHHHHHHHH

[doolallymagpie]

would love to see more character concept art for the bureau because weaver’s designs are very fun

someone actually did a bit of research on 50s-60s fashion *glares in irritation at bethany esda*

if only they’d leaned into the aesthetic more and gone with some TF2-esque retro vibe...

[youremyheaven]

Vedic Astrology Observations

1. Punarvasus tend to be very spiritual if not religious. They find peace in prayer. Another thing I've noticed is that they are very sexually conservative (probably because of their cat yoni). Mariah Carey, Punarvasu Moon was a virgin when she married her first husband and waited until marriage to be intimate with her second husband as well. She was engaged to James Packer for 18 months and they reportedly never had a physical relationship.

Miranda Kerr, Punarvasu Moon was in a relationship with Evan Spiegel for 3 years and waited until marriage. Drew Barrymore, Punarvasu Moon has said that she's been celibate since her divorce in 2016.

2. Mariah Carey, Punarvasu Moon speaking of the nature of light & time , her memoir has multiple chapters titled with light-related names and even sooo many of her songs , including Butterfly (Punarvasus are connected to butterflies)

3. Moksha gana nakshatras embody the trickster archetype. They also often argue or provoke people simply for the heck of it. 2/3 Moon ruled naks (Rohini & Hasta) are Moksha gana and it makes sense as to why they fuck with people just because they can, they have nothing to gain from it and it serves no purpose, they're evil for the heck of it. They'll go to any length to ruin you even if they ruin themselves in the process.

Moksha means liberation in Sanskrit (Sanskrit is a classical language like Latin that is pretty much only used in a scholarly context) and is one of 4 purusharthas or motivations assigned to the 27 naks. The others are artha (wealth) kama (pleasure) and dharma (duty). Moksha would be located at the very top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, which means an individual with Moksha gana naks has transcended all the other base level motivations of accumulating wealth, seeking pleasure and doing one's duty. What is left to do now? If an individual is evolved, they actually seek liberation through their spirituality but if they are not, not only are they unbothered by any ordinary human motives, they lack the ability to devote themselves to anything ordinary because they simply dont care about getting a job or building a house or whatever. this means they also kind of exist beyond normal social norms?? go up against a Moksha gana native/Moon dominant person and the kind of arguments they'll use against you will reveal this nature of theirs. like they will have zero issue using your every vulnerability and insecurity against you just to win an argument or put you down. they hate to look "weak" so they will tear you apart just because they can, with no regard for any history you share. there are people who defend this by saying "oh well i was mad" babygirl everybody gets mad, but if someone isnt raising their voice, being petty or singling you out and bringing up your past to make you crumble, its not because they're incapable of it, its because they have principles.

Moksha gana naks love to play devil's advocate.

4. Rahuvians have bad memory, they probably repeat the same stories in different ways every few weeks lol

5. Saturnian women often marry billionaires according to Claire Nakti and I recently found some more examples of that:

** Mariah Carey, UBP Sun was engaged to Australian billionaire, James Packer who used to date Miranda Kerr, Pushya Rising (both these women are also Punarvasu Moon), Miranda is now married to the CEO of Snapchat.

** Lisa Manobal, UBP Sun is dating Frederic Arnault, a French billionaire

** Elle Macpherson, UBP Sun was in a relationship with Arpad Busson with whom she had 2 kids (he's not a billionaire but he does have a net worth of $500 million)

6. Nominative determinism, literally "name-driven outcome", is the hypothesis that people tend to gravitate towards areas of work that reflect their names.

but i thought i'd use it in the context of astrology and how most people are subconsciously given names that reflect their nakshatras

ex: Angelina Jolie

the name Angelina is an expansion of Angela which is derived from the Greek word Angelos which means "Angel" or "messenger". Angelina has Revati Moon which is a deva ("godly" nakshatra) and Jolie is the French word for "pretty" and Angelina has Venus in 1h and is Pushya Rising (these were two of the biggest beauty indicators according to Claire's research)

(its so cute to me that her name is literally Angel Pretty bc damn right she is)

Yara Shahidi (Revati Moon)- Yara is the name of a water spirit and in Portuguese it means "Water lady" (Yara has stated that her name means one who is close to your heart, but names can have several different meanings) and Shahidi means "witness" in Persian. I feel like all of that really ties together with Revati being in pisces rashi and the last nakshatra that is "witness" to everything else etc

[holymusicalmothman]

Happy Birthday, Pretty Girl

Spencer Agnew x Hecox!Reader

Word Count: 2.6 (good lord, that’s a lot for me)

TWs: Five year age gap, female reader, I gave reader my own bday cause why not it’s my bday today, reader is under 5’5”, coworker relationship (idk man like I said in my lil sneak peek, I was stoned for most of writing this),

Smosh Masterlist

*******

Friday Night -INT: Buca di Beppo

Birthdays are important. It’s a day to gather with loved ones and celebrate. Or just be glad you made it another year.

You loved any chance to spend with your friends. Granted, you worked with most, if not all, of your friends. And your job was fun. But still! It was always made you happy to get together outside of work.

And what a get together it was. Your brother, Ian, had helped you with getting as many of your coworkers as possible to meet up at Buca after work on the Friday before your actual birthday.

You were sandwiched into a seat between Angela and Chanse at the moment, taking a selfie with your birthday buddy. Your birthday and Chanse’s were only a few days apart and you had no problem sharing the spotlight.

Angela smacked you in the arm suddenly. “He’s here.”

You and Chanse looked at her. Her stare only grew more insistent. As if she was implying something that should have been obvious.

“He’s here.” She repeated.

“Girl, who’s here?” Chanse questioned.

Angela threw a quick glance over her shoulder before leaning closer and lowering her voice. “Spencer.”

You glanced from your friend to the aforementioned man as he approached the table. Only to whip your head back around to Chanse as you heard a gasp leave him.

“You told Angela but you didn’t tell me?” Faux offence was written all over his face.

“No. I told Tommy, who accidentally told Ang.” You jerked your head towards Tommy, who had sat across from the three of you with a glass of wine while you had been distracted by Spencer.

“And you didn’t even mean to tell me.” Tommy admitted. “It just slipped out behind the scenes during Smosh Under the Influence.

The moment flashed quickly through your head as you felt Angela stand suddenly. You gave her another curious look as she moved to the other side of Chanse.

She leaned across him to quietly whisper at you, “This way he sits by you.”

“Oh my god.” Chanse muttered.

Your felt your cheeks and ears grow warm as the recently vacated chair next to you was soon occupied by none other than Spencer Agnew.

You and Spencer had known each other for years. You were 20 to his 25 when you met, you having not officially joined your brother’s Youtube Channel until then. You had bonded with him over a shared love of video games, Morrowind being a shared favorite.

You were friends. Close friends. But you, just like you had said in your drunken confession to Tommy, had fallen hard.

It wasn’t weird for you to hang out with Spencer. You’d carpooled with him to various off site filming locations (granted there was other people in the car but still! It counted!), you also often escaped to the editors hub to hide when you were tired or you’d have Sunday afternoons spent over discord with a shared cozy game of Minecraft.

But oh how you wanted more.

Heck, you had seen the fan edits of you and him online. There were several Reddit threads that were trying to figure out if you both were pulling a Shayne and Courtney. The fans’ reaction to the idea was about 80% positive. There will always be someone who doesn’t approve. But the overall reaction had you hoping that maybe one day there would be something.

“Hey there, birthday girl.” Spencer gave you that smile of his and you felt yourself smiling back before you even thought about it.

“Hi, Spence. Glad you could come.”

“I wasn’t gonna miss your Birthday Dinner,” he said, deep blue eyes looking directly into yours. “In fact, I was wondering…”

He trailed off sounding nervous and you felt Tommy gently press the outside of his foot to the outside of your own as well as a Chanse grab your (shirt/dress) from your right as they both pretended to listen to something Amanda was saying. Both unseen gestures, but you knew they were listening to your conversation and you were grateful for their support and excitement.

Unfortunately. Ian happened. Your wonderful, kind, not at all going to be strangled later brother.

“Hey, do you wanna do gifts while we’re waiting for our meals or after?” He had walked over and leaned right between the two of you, forcing you to break eye contact.

Tommy sighed and threw back the rest of his wine and Chanse groaned. The moment was gone. Whatever feeling had been lingering in the air had evaporated.

“After, Ian.” Was all you said. As he retreated, he glanced between you and Spencer and you could almost see the lightbulb go off as he figured it out.

Conversation continued. You spent the rest of the night with your friends, making sure to talk with everyone, but always drifting back to Spencer’s side. You had caught a thumbs up from Anthony at one point and you rolled your eyes. Of course Ian had told him.

It was almost 11 pm and most of the Smosh family was filtering out into the parking lot. You were still inside, making sure nothing was left behind and were just about to turn to leave when someone caught you by the hand.

It felt like a movie scene in your mind as you turned back to Spencer.

“Hi.” Your voice sounded soft in your ears and there was a twinkle in his eyes.

He didn’t release your hand as you turned to face him fully, taking a step closer.

He looked down at your conjoined limbs. “I was wondering…”

“Yes?” You took another step, choosing to make a bold move and lace your fingers through with his.

A moment passed.

“Your birthday. Not today, the actual day. Can I take you out to dinner?” He said quietly, a nervous energy running through him as he continued to stare at your hands.

He finally looked back up at you. “As a date.”

The air left your lungs and your smile turned into a full blown grin.

“Yes! Yes, absolutely!”

The nervous undertone vanished and a grin took its place. “I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“Yes, I’d love that.” Your heart was through the roof with excitement.

“Cool.” He said trying to sound cool, but the excited grin gave him away. “Can I walk you to your car?”

A light giggle left your lips. “I came with Ian, but yes.”

As you walked out of the restaurant, you kept Spencer’s hand in yours, the warmth in your cheeks cooling as the outside air greeted you.

You spotted Ian leaning up against his car talking to Anthony and you headed over. Spencer released your hand as you reached the car.

Ian turned from Anthony, both of them saying bye to each other, not having noticed the two of you until then. Anthony gave you and Spencer a wave before leaving.

“Ready?” Ian asked. You nodded and he hopped in the car.

“I’ll see you soon, Spence.” In a bold move, you leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before getting into the car, too.

When you peeked at his receding figure in the rear view, him cheeks were red and he had a giddy grin. He shook his head, looking at the car driving away before he headed to his own.

***

Friday Night INT: Hecox Sibling Home

As soon as you were home you took off for your room. Ian had barely taken the keys from the ignition and you were gone.

You were usually pretty grateful for the fact you shared the house with your brother. Added a sense of safety, saved money, and it definitely helped that you both worked at Smosh.

But in that moment as you shut your bedroom door and whipped out your phone all you wanted to do was scream.

There was a new group chat that was formed. Chanse, Tommy, and Angela were in it and Tommy had simply said, “Well?” Angela and Chanse had each sent a “👀”.

A laugh escaped you as you went through your nightly routine and got in bed. Chanse had added “Storytime miss maam.”

You: He asked me out.

Angela: TEV BUCKS TOMMY.

Angela: *ten

Tommy: 😳😳🫡🫡

Chanse: Andddd?!??

You laughed to yourself again as you quickly relayed the details to your friends.

You heard a knock and Ian stuck his head in. “Got a sec?”

“Yeah, what’s up?” You said, sitting up as he took a seat in your desk chair.

“You okay? You vanished as soon as we got home, I just wanted to make sure you’re ok.” He confessed.

You smiled. You had such a great older brother. Granted, he was definitely still a brother. But he looked out for you and you appreciated it.

“It was honestly the best night, Ian. Thank you for helping me round up everyone.”

“Of course. I know you just had a whole dinner, but do you want to do something on your actual birthday? Just the coolest Smosh siblings?”

“We’re the only Smosh siblings,” you laughed. “And I’m ok. I actually have a date that night.” The last part was admitted a little more softly than the rest.

Ian’s eyebrows shot up. “Who is it? Is it Spencer?”

While you were sorta surprised that he got it on the first guess, it made telling Ian that you have a date with a coworker less nauseating. You nodded at his question.

Leaning back in the chair, Ian continued, “You’ve liked him for a while, huh?”

You nodded again, a slight smile on your face.

Ian looked as if he were in deep thought for a moment before nodding. “That’ll be good. He’s a good guy.” He stood and stretched, ready to head off to bed. “Night, dude. I’m proud of you.”

“Night, Ian.”

Monday, Almost 7 pm -INT Hecox Sibling Home

“Ian! He’s gonna be here any minute!” You said as your brother had you cornered in the kitchen.

“Exactly! You’re gonna stay in here and I’ll get the door.”

You rolled your eyes. Were all older brothers like Ian? Both oblivious and caring and annoying all in the same go.

After a few more moments, there was a knock at the door and Ian was dust in the wind. All you could do was shake your head and follow after him.

Ian had a giant smirk on his face as he leaned against the wall by the door.

“You can answer it yourself, I know you want to. Have a good night. Shoot me a text if you’ll be home after 11, that way I don’t think you’re a robber.” And with that, he left you alone at the front door.

You took a deep breath before pulling it open.

Spencer had spiffied up just for you, you could tell. The jeans were dark and paired with a well-fitted button down that brought out the blue in his eyes.

A single red rose was held in his hand, which he offered to you.

“You look incredible.” He said softly.

Your face warmed. “You too.” You reached out for the rose, your fingers brushing against his as you accepted the flower. “Thank you.”

The tips of his ears turned red as he glanced away smiling. He offered you his arm. “May I?”

You laughed. “You may.”

The playful energy carried into Spencer’s car, the conversation casual and light.

“Am I allowed to know where we’re going?” You asked him.

He smiled. “I hope you won’t mind me taking you to two different stops? I have something planned.”

“I trust you.”

If possible, his smile seemed to get bigger and as he drove, he offered his upturned palm to you in a silent invitation.

You couldn’t even imagine refusing.

Spencer parked in front of a small pizza joint and looked at you. “Stop Number One.”

It was a simple, serve-by-the-slice kind of place. But it smelled better than any chain pizza shop you’d ever been in.

“I take it you’re about to tell me that this is the best pizza you’ve ever had?” You asked him as the two of you got in line to order.

“Yup.” Spencer drew the word out so that the ‘p’ made a pop sound. “And this is gonna sound basic, but their pepperoni pizza is my favorite.”

“I think I’ll take your reccommendation then.”

You both stepped to the counter and Spencer ordered. As you reached for your purse, intending for paying half at the very least, he gently stopped your arm by snagging your hand and quickly paying.

“Nice try, pretty girl. You’re not paying for a thing.”

Your face heated for what felt like the millionth time that night. You wondered briefly how someone could sound so casual and confident but their hands felt so clammy. But you knew that you were in the same boat.

As the two of you found a seat with your food, you told him the joke you had found online the other day.

“Hey, did you hear the weather forecast in Tamriel this week?”

“No, what is it?” There was that smile again.

“Today, rain. Tomorrow, wind.” You finished off your lame joke and anxiously took a bite of your pizza (it was really good).

“What do you call a khajiit that has lycanthropy?” Spencer fired back, taking a bite of his own pizza.

“I dunno, what?”

“An Elsweyrwolf,”

You both laughed. It was easy to be around Spencer. Yes, you were nervous as all get out, but it was a first date and he was probably feeling the same. But as the two of you sat and chatted over your pizza slices, you realized just how easy it really was.

Eventually it was time for Stop Number Two.

A Retro Arcade.

Spencer bought the two of you passes to play and you both roamed the 80s and 90s arcade games.

“Play Galaga with me?” You asked.

“Game on, birthday girl.”

***

Friday, almost 11 pm EXT Hecox Sibling House

Spencer pulled up to the curb and parked.

“Can I walk you to your door?” The tender tone was back.

You nodded and the both of you walked in comfortable silence to the front door.

“I had a great time tonight, Spence. Best birthday ever. Thank you.” You said to him.

“I also had a fantastic time tonight and wouldn’t be opposed to having many more of them, if you’d like?” His dark blue twinkled with hope.

“Are you saying you want to keep going on dates with me?” Your voice grew soft, almost a whisper but not quite.

“Amongst other things,” He stepped closer.

“What kind of things?” Your eyes flickered down to his lips and then back up.

“Well, I want to call you my girlfriend, but I don’t want you to think we’re moving too fast.” He paused, your noses brushing gently as you slowly gravitated towards each other.

“You can call me that.” Now you were whispering.

He grinned and let out a quick huff of air, almost a happy laugh. “I also really wanna kiss you.”

“Okay.”

His hands reached instantly to cup your face and pull you that final inch to him. It was tender and sweet and you had faint memories of dreaming of storybook kisses as a child. This was one of those fairytale sort of kisses. The first kiss that everyone wants. When you parted, you didn’t go far, choosing instead to press your face into his shoulder and laugh breathlessly as he wrapped his arms around you.

You both stood in that cozy, comfortable silence for a moment.

“I was serious.” Spencer said. “I want to call you my girlfriend.”

“And I was serious too. I want you to call me that. I’d like to call you my boyfriend. It doesn’t feel too fast, Spence. If anything it sort of feels like it should have happened forever ago. It feels right.”

His arms tightened and he pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

“I’m gonna let you head inside, I’ll see you first thing in the morning, yeah?”

“Bright and early.” You smiled at him, making your way inside. “Night, Spence.”

“Happy Birthday, pretty girl.”

[twoelectrichearts]

I watched the entire walkthrough of the Stranger Things VR game. I obviously saw so many posts about the Byler content we got from it. I wanted to see the M*leven content as well though because I’m trying to understand what their shippers see in it. I was expecting to see some M*leven moments, like them interacting together and stuff, especially in Eleven’s chapter, but. there. isn’t. any. Did I miss a scene of them together? The only scene is where Henry is trying to taunt Mike and get in his head by insinuating that losing El and wondering what could’ve been is what he fears most but it doesn’t work. Henry doesn’t know what Mike’s afraid of and asks Will. Hmm… wonder what his fear is. Anywaaaaays… El and Will each have chapters. Mike doesn’t. There’s Byler moments in Will’s chapter. There’s no M*leven moments in El’s. It’s shown that Mike saves Will from Henry. It shows how incredibly important Mike is to Will and how much Mike means to him. It does that in El’s chapter as well. Not with Mike though, with Max. Who does Will need? Mike. Who does El need? Max.

I feel crazy because like where is the M*leven moments?? If season 5 is anything like this and I’m meant to root for M*leven over Byler then I’m just?? I don’t even know. I’m really trying to understand. I’m so confused. I feel like an idiot because I’m not getting it. I don’t see it in the show. I don’t see it in this game. My other favorite ship is Shawn and Angela from Boy Meets World. Yes, a straight ship. No M*leven shipper can accuse me of not liking M*leven because it’s a straight ship and just liking Byler because it’s a mlm ship. That’s not it. It’s because they just make sense to me. The way they are with each other and how deeply they care for one another is beautiful. It’s beyond friendship from Will’s side, and it seems to be beyond friendship from Mike’s side based on what I’ve seen. Could I be wrong? Of course. All I know is that if the writers want me to root for M*leven, they’re doing such a bad job. I can’t get there with them. There are so many incredible straight ships in shows and movies. Heck, you have Jopper, Jancy, and Lumax in Stranger Things being some great examples. M*leven is just not one of them. Byler is so well written and would be such an important, groundbreaking endgame ship. But sure, let’s have M*leven, a badly written straight ship, be endgame instead. Especially about a show for the outcasts, misfits, marginalized, etc. That would be the cherry on top for a show like this.

[julieverne]

Okay so

Maura Isles would never have gotten rid of Bass.

In season 1 we see him in the first and last episodes. She's so worried about him that she takes his heavy ass to work instead of leaving him with his usual sitter. She shields his body with hers (from memory) and he saves her life (she'd have been found if she wasn't crouching to check on her tortoise).

She calls him buddy. She calls him sweetie.

He's her only friend prior to season 1, where Jane and Maura start tentatively friending. He's a misunderstood stand in for her own psyche, for her own maladjusted attempts to fit into society.

She's had him since he was a baby. They grew up together; they both appear to be in their thirties. She's had him for life.

An aside here; I have a bird nearly my own age that I've had for fifteen years. I am disabled and considering giving her up for her sake but finding her a home is difficult because she hates other birds, and fostering her out is hard because people keep carnivores and she also hates men. Recently she started self-canabalising due to my heath condition reducing the amount of time I could spend with her. But I know how much work she is, and how hard it is to find someone who gives parrots the amount of attention they crave. I love her, and if I could give her to a good home I would consider it for her sake. But for mine? Her sweet fluffy face floofing out in scratch anticipation, her little chicken chuckles and honks and sneezes, her little beak taps on my arm before she clambours up it - these fill my days and I would be bereft without her. I suffer, when I travel, because I keep my heart in that bird.

So the insinuation in Jan Nash's season 5 of Rizzoli and Isles that Maura has sufficient human contact and no longer needs her lifetime companion is just rude, on behalf of both Maura and fans of the show.

The assumption that Bass, a house tortoise, with one/two caretakers (the sitter and Angela would also be familiar to him) would adjust to being in a zoo - okay, fine, Maura's working hours are terrible and she's never home, and she's not the most affectionate person with anyone but Jane and sometimes Jo, but to insinuate that simply because he's not a mammal that he has no feelings or routine - that shoving a tortoise into a muddy puddle and not talking to him - is an appropriate way to treat an animal that has been a family member for three decades - is disingenuous.

As for Maura allowing it to happen? She's settled in Boston, she has a permanent house guest that is familiar with him, and she's not the kind of cruel person to abandon something she loves on a whim. The only reason she'd have given him up - and this should have been mentioned in canon - was that he was having behavioural issues, from hormonal to boredom, that he was too large for Maura to safely handle - he's a hecking chonk even at the start - or that something about her home was found to be damaging to tortoise habitation (backed by several sources and cited in professional scientific articles).

Maura loves fiercely and often. She feels abandoned - by her birth and adoptive parents, and Bass was there to see her through, on the nights Jane wasn't there.

Considering Bass was only seen in three episodes of the show (Pilot, When the Gun Goes Bang Bang Bang, Killer in High Heels), the production cost would have been nil if they'd never had him onscreen again. Jo was also only in a handful of episodes, and dog actors are expensive, but dogs don't live as long, so they could have written her out any way other than 'we found her owners after Jane spent five long years bachelor bonding with her dog', but Jane's the kind to give up on people and things, so it's not as hurtful.

Maura has internalised her octracisation by society and harboured it in a tortoise. People don't understand tortoises. She too is misunderstood, so she vibes with Bass on a surface level, but after so many years, he deserved better than 'the zoo'.

Anyway that's my mini Bass thesis I'm tired.

And I added some pictures because he's actually very cute.

There's a thing about people who aren't neurotypical; we bond with things the average person considers ugly, emotionless or cumbersome, because we're often considered those things. Maura sees herself, the outcast Queen of the Dead, in Bass. And being abandoned herself, she would never abandon him.

[sage-lights]

met you at the right time (this is what it feels like)

word count: 2287 Their friends at Smosh were starting to take note of the way Amanda and Angela acted with one another, and it was confusing the heck out of them. Or Amanda and Angela are very happy as a "secret third thing."

Chanse didn’t know when it started, or if this was any different than how Amanda and Angela had always been. But he first took notice of it during an otherwise unremarkable lunch at the Smosh office.

As much as he loved working at Smosh, he had to admit the filming schedule was often brutal. Their call times were usually between eight and nine in the morning. But after a shoot went overtime earlier in the week, Selina had asked the cast to come in at seven today to compensate and ensure they filmed all the videos they had planned for this shooting block. This morning, he rushed through his usual routine, skipping breakfast with barely enough time to make it out the door.

All of this to say, Chanse was starving. It was all he could think about during the last “Try Not to Laugh.”

After what seemed like an eternity, it was finally time for their lunch break. The office had ordered deli sandwiches for everyone, and while Chanse was usually not one to turn down free food, there was a container of last night's leftovers in the fridge calling his name.

While waiting for his lunch to reheat in the microwave, he twirled around the kitchen a bit and checked what flavors of Celsius and La Croix were still stocked. He soon grew bored and leaned against the island counter, people-watching instead. From his position, Chanse had the perfect view to observe all his coworkers milling around the main meeting area.

Near the end of the long tables where the catering was set up, Chanse spotted Angela and Erin engaged in an animated discussion. Judging by Angela's comically shocked expression, he assumed it was about the insane Tinder message Erin had shown him that same morning. He chuckled—straight men are a whole other breed of crazy.

Erin and Angela arrived at a table near the mural at the back of the room where Amanda, Kiana, and Selina were already eating. As expected, Angela sat right next to Amanda—they might as well carry a “Reserved” sign with them everywhere to perpetually save the seat next to them.

The microwave behind him dinged, and Chanse grabbed his lunch before joining them.

“Hey, y’all!” Before Chanse even sat down, Erin swept him into the conversation.

“Oh, my God, Chanse! Remember the Tinder date I was telling you about?” He nodded, “I’ve got updates.”

“Already? Damn, it’s only been a couple of hours!”

“I told you, he’s. Insane.”

Angela scooted her chair back and stood, “Let me get a drink before you continue. Got a feeling you’re not even halfway through the story.”

“Yeah, you go do that,” Erin halfheartedly shooed Angela away, “Because I want you guys to be sat for this story!”

She returned to their table holding a drink in each hand and passed Amanda a grapefruit La Croix before cracking open her own berry-flavored Celsius. Amanda muttered a soft “thank you,” and Angela responded by gently patting Amanda’s leg. Throughout the whole exchange, they didn’t look at each other, didn’t acknowledge the strange act of domesticity. Like this was just considered the norm for them.

Chanse looked around, but no one else seemed fazed. He shook his head, wondering if anyone else had even noticed it.

Angela glanced over, and he caught her gaze, giving her a skeptical look. She stared at him, confused, before turning back to Erin.

He didn’t know what to think anymore.

This was something to file away for later. Angela was definitely getting questioned about it on the ride home.

—

Arasha knew she should be paying attention to the notes their director was reading. Especially since the live show was coming up so soon and the sitcom format they were trying to pull off had some very technically complex elements to it.

She tried for a while, her eyes flicking between her friends and the director. But she couldn’t focus on the director’s words when there was a much more interesting scene playing out in front of her.

She’d been squished between Amanda and Angela enough times to know they were naturally touchy people. Angela would randomly lean on her shoulder for brief moments, Amanda would place a hand on her leg while laughing, and Arasha often found herself playfully hitting her friends’ arms to emphasize certain parts of her stories.

However, Arasha sensed a difference between their general touchiness and whatever was happening with Amanda and Angela now. The intentionality of their movements set it apart; she knew they were both fully aware of their actions. She just wasn’t sure if they realized how differently others interpreted them.

Arasha tried again to focus on the director’s notes, but her eyes still drifted to the couch in front of her. The conversation about character choices and blocking faded into the background.

Amanda leaned against the armrest with Angela settled remarkably close to her. As their coworkers asked questions and pitched ideas back and forth, Arasha watched the two of them whisper amongst themselves. She remembered the way Angela and Amanda had shared a look during last week’s rehearsal, the silent communication that seemed almost intimate.

Now, watching them whisper and laugh together, Arasha felt her suspicions solidify. It was very reminiscent of how they were acting during Under the Mistletoe. Now that she thought about it more, she definitely should’ve clocked this behavior much earlier.

Maybe live shows just brought out something within them. Then again, Angela and Amanda have always been close, both figuratively and literally. But this time around, they didn’t have the guise of alcohol to hide their physical affection behind.

Angela reached over to the other side of the couch and grabbed the white chunky knit blanket, draping it over her and Amanda’s legs. She swung her feet onto the couch and tucked them underneath the blanket before leaning back into Amanda’s side. The taller woman sat up to wrap her left arm around Angela’s shoulders and pull her in impossibly close.

Here they are, the middle of the workday, cozied up with one another as if they were in the comfort of their own apartments.

They must know this isn’t how platonic friends act with one another, right?

—

Courtney didn’t make a habit of prying into other people's lives. They knew just how much all her friends and coworkers valued their privacy and it would be hypocritical for her to speculate considering how long their relationship with Shayne was kept private from their online audience.

But she couldn’t help the curiosity swirling in her mind as Amanda talked about a fan edit she watched recently.

They were sitting on the Smosh Mouth set, microphones in front of them on the wooden table, and cameras capturing every moment. Courtney watched Amanda as she described the edit, reenacting parts of it for them.

What was interesting, however, was that Amanda made a blatant request for more. And knowing their audience, Courtney was sure that Amanda would soon to be flooded with dozens of edits across Instagram and TikTok.

Sure, Courtney would concede that they had watched their fair share of edits—she remembered sitting in the old Defy office years ago reacting to them with Olivia. She might have also indirectly encouraged edits of herself and Shayne in an old SmoshCast episode. And plus, she would be remiss if she ignored the fact that they just made a comment about how all the girls on the cast look at each other with pure adoration and love.

But still, never had Courtney ever asked for edits of herself to be made. It got her thinking, to say the least.

As the podcast recording wrapped up, Courtney’s mind lingered on Amanda’s request. Casually, she brought it up again.

“So, about that edit you mentioned…” Courtney began, her tone light but inquisitive. Amanda’s eyes lit up, and she pulled out her phone  to it to show them.

Courtney knew you couldn’t trust everything you saw on the Internet. People could manipulate photos and videos to fit their narratives. But as she watched the edit of her close friends, she started to believe it too.

Observing Amanda rewatch the edit, Courtney saw a familiar look—soft eyes and a small smile. It was the exact expression Shayne had given them countless times.

Hm, there was definitely something more there.

—

The entire cast and crew were gathered at a karaoke bar now, drinking and singing their hearts out. Even after weeks of rehearsals and an hour and a half long live show, it seems that with this group, the urge to perform just never went away.

Courtney spotted her friends tucked away in a booth, and by the looks of it, Chanse and Arasha are arguing intensely over something. They slid in next to Arasha, lightly bumping her with their hip so she’d scoot over.

“Who’s winning?” they joked, taking a sip of their cocktail.

“Look at Amanda and Ang over there,” pointed Arasha, “They’re so in love and they don’t even know it.”

Chanse looked shocked, “You just said that you don’t think they’re going to get together!”

“Emphasize on the ‘they don’t even know it,’ Chanse!”

Courtney chimed in, “Give them some credit guys! I bet you they’re not as clueless as you think they are.”

“$10 says it’ll take them a months to realize they’ve got feelings for each other,” Chanse insisted.

Courtney scoffed, “five months, tops.”

“You guys forget,” Arasha cut in, “they’re both idiots. It’ll take them at least until end of the year, if not longer.”

“You’re insane!” exclaimed Courtney.

“What? Already doubting your prediction?” Arasha said with a cheeky grin.

“Nope.”

Chanse smirked, clearly scheming already. And the girls know that a scheming Chanse was a dangerous Chanse.

Courtney looked pointedly at him, “No interfering! If we’re doing this, we’re playing fair.”

“Fine,” huffed Chanse, “If we’re playing the long game, then I think we should up the stakes.”

Arasha laughed, “$20 good enough for you?”

“I’m thinking more like $25 from each loser.”

“Jeez, Chanse. We’re not made of money here!”

“It’s go big, or go home, Arash.”

If there’s one thing you need to know about the cast, it’s that they’ve all got a serious competitive streak. There’s no way any of them were backing down from a challenge.

“Okay, I’m in.”

Chanse looked over at Courtney, “You too?”

“Fuck it,” Courtney sticks their hand into the center and her two friends join, sealing the deal.

Courtney hoped that Amanda and Angela would figure out their feelings soon, for their own sake. Though selfishly, winning $50 from the whole ordeal wouldn’t be a bad bonus.

—

Shayne laughed when Courtney informed him of the bet they had going with Chanse and Arasha, and told his wife that that Arasha would likely end up winning the prize money.

He had gotten much closer to both Angela and Amanda over the past couple of years working together, and was immensely grateful that Smosh Mouth had given him the capacity to work with Amanda in a way he hadn’t had the chance to before.

Despite his extroverted on-screen persona, Shayne was much quieter in reality. He preferred to be a spectator rather than a participant. So, not to toot his own horn or anything, but Shayne thought he knew them pretty well by now.

Amanda was an open-book, though she wasn’t often vulnerable. She told crazy stories from her life before Smosh, grand tales of the otherworldly adventures she’d been on, and gives great advice when you ask her for some perspective.

But she often didn’t talk about her feelings. Amanda mentioned it off-handedly in Smosh Mouth episodes and conversations outside of work that she doesn’t like to let her personal life affect her ability to do her job properly. Shayne admired her in that manner, no one could ever claim Amanda was anything less than a true professional.

Angela was the complete opposite. Shayne related to her in the ways they were both private people, preferring to discuss their work or whatever TV show they had watched recently. He didn’t find small talk to be shallow, at least in this scenario where he’s not trying to seem cool to a stranger. Both of them just didn’t think to talk about themselves often.

What separated Angela from Shayne was her innate vulnerability. It was difficult to not wear your heart on your sleeve when you were as earnest a person as Angela was. Their coworkers liked to tease her occasionally for it—you couldn’t tell her anything without getting a shocked Pikachu face in return.

However, together, they balanced each other out nicely. When they were around one another, Shayne noticed how Amanda’s walls would slowly start to crumble away, and Angela got excited to recount the mundane details of her day.

Honestly, they seemed perfectly content just the way they are now. Something a little more than best friends, but a little less than lovers. And hey, if it works for them, who was he to tell their friends to act differently?

—

(Angela was scrolling through TikTok before bed with Spork happily curled up on her chest, petting him softly to lull him to sleep. Hopefully, this time, he won’t sneeze in my face after I’ve already exfoliated and moisturized, she thought to herself.

A video of a random girl lip syncing to a song she vaguely recognized popped up. The text above her read “yk your friendship is elite if people think you’re dating.”

Without missing a beat, Angela sent it to Amanda.

angela: literally us

amanda: HAHAHAHAH SO REAL

Angela smiled like an idiot to herself. God, she loves Amanda. So much.)