#Lisa Strum

[waterhousse]

I Saw Her For the First Time

I saw her for the first time, and I was lonely for the last time

Pairing: modern!ellie williams x reader

Summary: you’re practically the girl of her dreams. it’s a shame her friend saw you first.

Author’s note: HELLO i’m back at it again with pure fluff. i didn’t know exactly how to label this one so i just put modern ellie but it has a little bit of guitarist ellie and also nerdy ellie. hope you like it !

Photo creds: elliesxgun and vamp4r3 on pinterest :)

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• • • •

ellie was absentmindedly playing a made-up melody on her guitar, softly strumming away as she listened to the conversation her friends were having. lisa, her roomate and vocalist of her band, was telling everyone about the new girl she had been talking to. it was the first time she heard your name.

"she's hot,” was dina's final veredict once she was done scrolling through your profile. she passed the phone to jesse, who immediately agreed.

“i know. she’s really cool and funny but she’s really into comics and fantasy movies and i don’t know shit about that.”

"so, she's a nerd."

"basically, but a pretty one. it’s just that ninety percent of the time i don't know what the hell she's talking about." lisa's complaint was followed by a tired sigh as she threw her head back on the couch. then, she looked to her side, where ellie was. "she reminds me of you, actually."

she instantly frowned, "are you calling me a nerd?"

“i mean…” jesse trailed off before dodging the water bottle ellie threw at him.

"you like all those things, right? maybe you could help me with her."

"help you how, exactly?"

"well, i kinda already told her i like all of what she mentioned so whenever that comes up you'll take over and say whatever makes me look cool."

"what's in it for me?"

ellie sat emotionless as her friend began listing everything she could do for her in exchange for her help, such as deep cleaning the apartment or buying her favorite snacks every day.

she let out a low whistle, “someone's desperate.”

“dude—”

“why can’t you just talk to her about something else?”

“because i already told her i liked all of that stuff! keep up.” lisa rolled her eyes. “tell me if it’s not worth it.” she quickly typed in your instagram username and passed the phone to her.

ellie’s eyes almost widened at the sight of you, but she managed to mask her reaction just in time. she silently scrolled down your instagram profile, clicking on the posts that caught her attention the most.

"so, what do you think?"

"uh, she's alright."

you were more than alright.

"you have such high standards,” dina huffed.

yes, and you apparently met them all.

lisa snatched the phone back from her hands as the group began discussing a new topic; ellie’s picky taste in women, even when they practically threw themselves at her. it had been a while since her friends last saw her on a date or even having a crush.

ellie threw her head back with a groan as she stood up from the couch, “are you going to keep talking about me or are we gonna rehearse?”

their band was a regular on friday nights at one of their town’s most popular bars. over the time they had been playing there, they had gathered an audience of people that went to see them. ellie would hate to disappoint them, or maybe she just hated when the conversation was centered around her.

“i think we’re gonna keep talking about you,” dina joked as she picked up her bass.

once rehearsal was over, lisa practically ran to her phone to check if she had any new messages from you. apparently, she had asked to go on a date next week and you had said yes.

“you’re gonna to have to teach me everything you know,” lisa mumbled to ellie with her eyes glued to the phone as she quickly typed her reply to you.

“great, just how i wanted to spend my free time.”

even though ellie had no real interest in doing that favor to her friend, she stuck to her word. whenever the “nerdy topics”, has lisa had called them, came up, she took over the conversation. that part of the plan wasn’t awful, in fact, ellie secretly enjoyed the moments she got to talk to you, but she had to keep reminding herself that you weren’t actually talking to her, but lisa.

it had been a confusing last couple of days.

“just try to not let those topics come up in the conversation and if they do, just agree with everything she says,” ellie advised lisa, because not even her intensive teaching could help the poor girl to memorize anything. “re-read the conversations i had with her. that could work. especially the one we're having right now."

“you’re trying to sound like me, right?”

“sure, i’m making some spelling mistakes and everything.”

“fuck you,” lisa laughed from the bathroom. “alright, tell her i’m on my way.”

“remember to read the last few messages in case she brings them up.”

“thanks, el. see you later!” and with that, she was out of their shared apartment.

ellie sighed, dramatically plopping down on the couch. she swept her gaze over the living room in hopes to find something to do to keep her mind occupied, but nothing seemed appealing enough. she used her phone for a bit, but she couldn’t fully concentrate on what she was seeing.

after tossing and turning for a while, she ended up falling asleep. it wasn’t until two hours later she was suddenly woken up by lisa’s voice mixed with somebody else’s. the sound of the door shutting closed was what made her fully open her eyes, instantly setting them on the two people that had just entered the apartment.

“sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up,” lisa apologized, but ellie didn’t even acknowledge her. instead, she looked past her friend to the person behind her.

you were standing there, an apologetic and slightly embarrassed look on your face. “i didn’t mean to intrude, i’m sorry.”

ellie sat up straight, her fingers combing through her short hair in an attempt to make herself more presentable. “it’s fine, don’t worry.”

an adorable smile formed on your lips, “you’re ellie, right?”

you didn’t wait for her confirmation and proceeded to introduce yourself while she thought about how crazy it was that you didn’t know how many times you two had already spoken.

ellie remained silent, watching you smile shyly at her. then, she realized she hadn’t said anything in a while and it was probably really weird. “it— it’s really nice to meet you.”

“i’m going to the bathroom, i’ll be right back,” lisa said before gesturing you to take a seat on the couch.

hesitantly, you sat down next to ellie. there was another moment of silence in which you looked at her with uncertainty, fearing she might be uncomfortable with your presence. you didn’t know if it’d be best for you to talk to her or to just wait for lisa to come back, not wanting things to get even more awkward.

when ellie returned one of your quick glances, you decided to say something.

“sorry about coming here without letting you know first. i can’t go home yet, my roommate has a guy over,” you admitted with a grimace.

ellie nodded, laughing softly at the reason you were there. “i don’t mind, really.”

“thanks, anyway,” you grinned.

“so, how’d the date go?”

“uh, good.” your answer wasn’t completely honest, ellie could tell. she narrowed your eyes at you, not wanting to pry but at the same time dying to know.

“are you sure about that?”

“you’re her friend, i can’t gossip about her with you.”

“we’re actually not that close.”

you playfully bumped your shoulder into hers before your eyes set on her for a few seconds. she tilted her head as she returned your gaze, silently trying to convince you to talk.

“i don’t know if you’re very persuasive or if i’m just too weak.”

ellie’s smile widened as you sighed, giving in.

“i had a great time,” you began, searching for the right words to say, “but we didn’t hit it off as well as we did through text.”

“that’s weird.” her mumbled words were followed by an awkward chuckle.

“yeah, i know. don’t get me wrong, though, she’s great, but it felt like i was hanging out with a friend. that spark, i guess, you hope to feel on a first date just wasn’t there.”

ellie nodded as she took your words in. “i’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

“oh, it’s fine. we talked about it on the way here. it’s all good. actually, she invited me to see you guys play on friday. you’re the guitarist, right?”

“yeah,” ellie smiled proudly, sitting more comfortably on the couch. “we’re really good. well, you’ll see for yourself. don’t wanna get your expectations too high.”

“it might be a little too late for that,” you replied just as lisa came back.

there was a smile on her lips, she had managed to hear the last bit of the conversation. “we’re great, actually.”

you hummed, “we’ll see.”

“hey, want me to show you the records i was telling you about?”

“can you tell me where the bathroom is, first?”

“sure, it’s the door at the end of the hallway. come to my room afterwards.”

“got it.” you nodded as you stood up from the couch, ellie’s curious eyes following you.

she looked away just in time, because lisa’s gaze fell upon her the moment you were out of sight. “what do you think?”

“she’s cool. plus, she friendzoned you so i gotta give her more points for that.”

“she did not friendzone me!” she protested in a hushed voice. “we friendzoned each other, it was a mutual decision.”

“sure, lis, whatever you say.” ellie went to her room immediately after that, not giving her a chance to defend herself.

she was feeling strangely happy about the outcome of lisa’s date. her friend had always been a player, taking advantage of her ‘rockstar’ status. ellie had done that, too, but lisa loved to be involved with multiple people at the same time. with the short interactions ellie had shared with you, she knew you deserved better than that.

ellie opened her bedroom door as she hummed a melody, not expecting to have company. you were by her bed, closely inspecting one of her action figures. she stood under the doorframe, momentarily frozen at the sight. then, a soft chuckle escaped her lips, alerting you of her presence.

“i’ve been meaning to get this for a while—” you began saying, stopping yourself mid-sentence once you looked up and realized that it was ellie the one standing there and not lisa. “oh, hey. what’s up?”

ellie just smiled as she made her way to her bed under your confused stare. “nothing much,” ellie casually replied as she threw herself on the bed. “just love the comfort of my room, y’know?”

your eyebrows rose slightly, immediately leaving the action figure where you found it, “your room? i’m sorry! there were stickers on the door of lisa’s favorite characters—”

ellie laughed as you kept apologizing. she propped herself onto her elbows, waiting for you to be done with your rambling.

“i promise i didn’t touch anything else.”

“it’s okay, i don’t mind,” ellie answered with a half-smile.

“so, this stuff is all yours?” you asked, sweeping your gaze around the room. it was decorated with a bunch of fantasy movies posters and, on the shelves, there were different book collections as well as many other action figures of, coincidentally, most of your favorite characters.

“uh, yeah.”

“i see…” you hummed before your eyes met hers again.

ellie swallowed hard, her confidence quickly fading away. “lisa and i have practically the same taste,” she was quick to explain, hoping you wouldn’t catch the pathetic quiver on her voice.

“right… okay, i’ll see you friday, then?”

“yeah, see you friday.”

you gave her one last smile before stepping out of her room. it wasn’t until she was alone that she became aware of her racing heart. she laid back on the bed, bringing her hands to her face as she let out a heavy sigh.

that night, ellie fell asleep trying to convince herself that you hadn’t figured out she was behind some of lisa’s texts, that you hadn’t been capable of reading her that well after that short conversation.

ellie woke up the next day ready to avoid thinking about the issue as much as she could, but the universe seemed to conspire against her.

the band was having a break from rehearsal, each of them sprawled around jesse’s garage. ellie had taken her friend’s place behind the drums, absentmindedly playing a beat that faltered when dina brought up your name in a conversation she wasn’t even participating in.

“she’s coming to see us play even after you fucked up the date? woah, maybe i underestimated you.”

“i didn’t fuck up the date.” lisa rolled her eyes.

ellie snickered from her place, “then why were you back at the apartment at, like, 10 p.m?”

“whatever. we both decided it was best for us to stay as friends.”

“i believe you, don’t worry.” jesse gave her a pat on her back before mouthing ‘i don’t’ to ellie and dina, who secretly laughed. “okay, ladies, let’s get back to work. we don’t wanna make ourselves look bad infront of lisa’s new friend, right?”

“yeah, she’s got pretty high expectations,” ellie mentioned as she picked up her guitar. the smile on her face didn’t go unnoticed by her friends.

“you talked to her?”

she looked up at dina’s question, who was staring at her, intrigued. ellie frowned, her guitar pick between her teeth as she tied her hair up in a short, low ponytail.

“yeah, why? i’m not some antisocial freak, y’know?”

“every time i take someone home you lock yourself in your room until they leave,” lisa snorted.

“this time i was caught by surprise. i wasn’t expecting you to come back so early,” ellie chuckled at the last part.

“fuck you, ellie,” lisa complained. “y’know what? let’s just get this over with before i stick this microphone up your—”

“okay, fine, fine. calm down.”

rehearsal went by smoothly with the four of them behaving as profesional as they could, sometimes jesse went off beat to annoy them or ellie would zone out in the middle of a song. still, they had mastered their set and they were definitely ready to play, but there was a deep, strange feeling inside ellie.

it took her a while to figure out she was nervous about the upcoming show. it had been a while since that happened to her, so it was extremely weird for her. the anxiety stayed with her until the following day, and it had actually gotten worse.

ellie ended up going on stage with that horrible feeling still present in the pit of her stomach. she tried to remind herself that it was just another show but, at the same, she knew it wasn’t. knowing you’d be in the audience had definitely affected her, but she didn’t want to look further into what that could possibly mean.

maybe she didn’t come, the thought came to mind in an attempt of calming herself down. perhaps if she repeated it enough she’d fool herself into thinking it was actually true.

she was obviously wrong.

you were there, tapping your fingers against the drink you had ordered. just as you were taking a sip, the lights dimmed and the loud chatter became whispering voices that were soon interrupted by the sound of a guitar.

four spotlights shone brightly on the band and you quickly recognized the other two members you had yet to meet. dina on the bass and jesse on the drums. lisa was at the front, she moved confidently on stage, but your eyes inevitably fell on the girl behind her.

ellie was bobbing her head to the beat of the song, eyes glued to the floor. your mouth opened slightly at the sight, it was hypnotic seeing her play. you inhaled deeply, unable to tear your gaze away from her.

it wasn’t until the ending of the second song ellie first looked up. it was only a quick glance at the crowd, but her eyes coincidentally landed on you, making her do a quick double-take. her eyebrows rose, not expecting to find you so soon.

ellie unconsciously licked her lips as she took you in, trying her best not to mess up the song. she forced herself to look away from you and swept her gaze around the place, searching for anything else to focus on. it was in that moment when a girl waving frenetically at her from the side of the stage caught her eye. she was a regular, friday after friday she’d tried to make ellie look at her for more than five seconds but she never succeeded.

your eyes hadn’t left her, so you had been watching the interaction with immense curiosity. you tried to see who that other girl was, but you lost sight of her. when you looked back at ellie, you met her eyes again. there was an amused, teasing grin on her face, which made you laugh.

ellie played the rest of the set practically on autopilot, because she had her full attention on you. to her, you were the only person on the audience. she was performing for you, proudly showing off her skills and with her nerves long forgotten.

your experience wasn’t much different than hers. to you, ellie was the only member in the band worth watching. not that the others were bad or anything of the sort, but there was just something about ellie that made it hard for you to look away. she was too entrancing. the slight smirk she had while playing, the way her hands looked and the prolonged eye contact that she broke from time to time only to close her eyes and get lost in what she was playing.

your world went silent once they got off stage, even though the sound of the people talking around you was incredibly loud. with your head still buzzing, you decided it was best for you to go outside to get some air.

you didn’t mind how cold the night was. you stayed there for what it seemed to be an eternity, getting too caught up in your own mind to realize it had only been a couple of minutes.

your peace was interrupted with the sound of a notification. it was lisa, asking you where you were. outside, you replied and waited for her to come out.

you didn’t expect her showing up with the rest of the band.

lisa was the first to appear in front of you, the huge smile on her face as she went to hug you caused a smile of your own to form. dina and jesse were next, greeting you with nods of acknowledgment and friendly smiles.

“hey! what’d you think?”

“you guys were great!” the compliment left your lips just as your eyes settled on the person who had stayed behind. “hey, ellie.”

her head shot up at the mention of her name, seemingly surprised you had chosen to address her. “hi,” she said before quickly looking away.

before you had the chance to read into ellie’s awkward response, lisa spoke up, drifting your attention away from the guitarist.

“wanna come to our place? it’s movie night.”

the invitation was definitely tempting, but you weren’t sure if dina and jesse would be okay with it. even ellie could be opposed to it, judging by the way her eyes appeared tone avoiding you at all costs.

“uh, i mean, if you guys are okay with me being there—”

“of course we are, c’mon,” jesse immediately replied, placing an arm around your shoulders. “now, tell me all about how you friendzoned lisa…”

you chuckled lightly as you let him guide you to the car, briefly glancing over your shoulder hoping to meet ellie’s eyes. she didn’t look at you once, which made a feeling of uncertainty creep up onto you.

dina, jesse and lisa were the ones who talked the most during the ride. their lighthearted conversation helped to put yours’ and ellie’s racing minds at ease, at least for a bit.

you were still wondering why ellie was avoiding you so blatantly. you were so incredibly caught up in your own thoughts that you failed to notice the pair of green eyes that were watching you through the rear view mirror.

from her place on the copilot seat, ellie’s gaze flickered from you to lisa before looking back ahead.

she could easily ignore you, right?

once you arrived af the apartment, everyone quickly settled on the couches and browsed different streaming sites in search of a movie to watch and criticize.

“this looks shitty enough, what do you guys think?”

“i already watched that,” ellie spoke up for the first time since you were there.

“you have to much free time on your hands, el. i’m sure not even the actors in it watched it.”

the (already poorly done) plan of trying to act normal in your presence quickly fell apart when the sound of your laugh made her look at you and, oh, how she wished she hadn’t.

“i’ve watched it, too. it is pretty shitty, by the way,” you said, not noticing her stare.

ellie’s lips slightly parted as she looked at yours. the same feeling that had taken over her on stage came back to her and she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from you.

god, she was fucked.

“ellie, go bring some blankets and pillows,” lisa told her from the comfort of the biggest couch, waking her up from her trance.

“why don’t you go?”

“i’m too tired.”

“i can help, if you want,” you offered, your eyes meeting hers for the first time since your awkward interaction outside the bar.

ellie was going to tell you that you didn’t have to, but she accepted your help before her mind could catch up with her mouth. you silently followed her to her room. it was the biggest one, so, therefore, she had the biggest closet where they stored a lot of stuff, including extra blankets and pillows.

“here you go, this is the warmest one.” ellie handed you a blanket. “if lisa tries to take it from you, just tell her to fuck off.”

you chuckled, “got it.”

you took the liberty to look around as she searched for the rest of them. her room was definitely a glimpse of who ellie was, you instantly could tell she was an artsy person combined with a nerdy side. various sketches were laying on her desk, as well as books about astronomy and many, many books about dinosaurs. she had a pile of them stacked on her nightstand.

you walked towards them, leaving the blanket on top of her bed.

“you like dinosaurs?”

well, she couldn’t ignore you when you were alone. that would be just plain rude.

“everybody likes dinosaurs,” she replied, standing on her tiptoes to reach the last pillow. she didn’t know why she had put them so high.

“to this amount?” you picked one of the books and glanced through the pages. ‘The Great Dinosaur Debate’, it read on the cover.

ellie walked over to you, “is it my fault that they’re interesting?”

you looked up from the book, a playful grin on your lips, “you’re a nerd.”

“look who’s talking.”

“how would you know if i’m a nerd?”

“lisa talks.” and we have, too, actually. several times, she completed the sentence inwardly.

you rolled your eyes, “at least i don’t pretend to be cool on stage.”

“i’m not pretending, i am cool. the best of both worlds, right?” she gloated with an arrogant smile.

you left the book back on the pile and grabbed another one, “you know, i’ve always wanted to learn more about dinosaurs. maybe learn from someone who knows a lot would be nice,” you casually mentioned, hoping ellie would take the hint.

“oh, i have a lot of books i could lend you. these guys know everything.”

she didn’t.

you tilted your head to the side, unable to erase the smile off your face. it was difficult to believe the ellie standing in front you was the same ellie who was on stage an hour ago.

“sure, i’d love that.” with that, you grabbed the blanket ellie had given you and a bunch of pillows and went back to the living room. ellie followed you closely, throwing each of her friends a blanket.

they had finally decided on a movie, so once you and ellie were back they pressed play.

it was a cheap movie about the end of the world and the actors were almost as bad as the special effects. ellie would‘ve found it hilarious if she had been able to focus on it.

you were sitting on the floor with your back against the couch, wrapped up in the blanket she had given you. from where she was, ellie had a perfect view of your side-profile and, even though she felt like a creep, she couldn’t help her gaze from falling on you. especially when you laughed at her friend’s jokes or chimed in with one of your one.

it was practically torture.

once the movie ended, she felt like she could finally breathe again. dina turned the lights back on and, naturally, the first thing ellie did was look at you. it surprised her to find that you were already looking at her.

“i thought you had fallen asleep. you didn’t talk once.”

“i was just too caught up in the movie.” she averted her gaze from you to her shoes, knowing damn well she couldn’t tell you what the hell the movie was about.

unaware of her white lie, you nodded as you continued folding the blankets everyone had left on the couch. “want me to help you take these back to your room?”

“uh, yeah— yes. sure, let’s go,” ellie pathetically tripped over her words before leading the way.

you followed closely, your mouth curving into a small smile at her answer.

silence enveloped the two of you when you entered her bedroom for the second time. you handed her the neatly folded blankets and watched as she stored them.

“i didn’t get a chance to tell you how well you played tonight,” you spoke up, making her glance back at you for a second.

“you think?” she smiled before putting away the last blanket.

you hummed, “couldn’t keep my eyes off you.”

ellie’s heart skipped a beat at the memory of your eyes following her every move. it was a miracle she had her back facing you and you didn’t witness the way an obvious flush spread across her face. “i take it i exceeded your expectations, then?”

“yeah, absolutely.”

sending you a coy smile, she clasped her hands together behind her back. “told you so,” she said as she walked past you.

you went back to the living room, where you found the rest of the group vivaciously talking about something that, apparently, didn’t concern you or ellie by the way they went quiet when they saw you two approach.

“guys? i think i’m gonna go. it’s getting pretty late—”

“ellie will drive you home,” jesse quickly said, making the aforementioned look up at him, disoriented.

“huh?”

“yeah?” you looked at her, lips pulling into a small smile.

who could say no to that face?

jesse threw ellie the car keys, mouthing ‘you’re welcome’ while you hugged dina and lisa goodbye. she frowned, silently inquiring what did he mean by that before setting her gaze on you.

“you ready?” ellie asked from the doorframe, waiting for you.

the cold breeze from the night hit the both of you the moment you stepped outside. given how late it was, the neighborhood was deadly quiet. the only thing interrupting the silence was the sound of your footsteps.

ellie held the passenger’s door open for you and gifted you a smile when you thanked her, slightly touching her arm. she let out a shaky breath before getting in the car herself.

after giving her your adress, she started driving in silence. her knuckles were turning white due to the tight grip she had on the wheel.

trying to be as discreet as possible, ellie glanced at you from the corner of her eyes but, once again, she met your gaze.

“what?” she couldn’t help but ask, a smile slowly forming on her lips.

you laughed softly, taking your eyes off her and looking down at your fidgeting hands. “oh, nothing.”

“right…” ellie set her eyes back on the road as she turned on the radio.

the quietness of the night got interrupted by the sound of ‘i want to know what love is’ by foreigner. both of you instantly looked at each other when you recognized the song and burst out laughing.

“woah, setting the mood?”

it surprised you when her sheepish tone changed into a slight teasing one, matching yours, “i don’t know, is it working?”

“maybe, maybe.”

the laughter gradually quieted down, letting the cheesy song’s chorus fill the silence. you shot ellie a quick glance, smiling to yourself as you listen to the lyrics.

“it is great song, though,” you commented.

“classic,” ellie added, eyes on the road.

“absolutely.”

you arrived at your place not much longer after that, since your building wasn’t that far away from hers. ellie turned off the engine and looked at you just as you turned your head to her.

“thank you for driving me and for giving me the warmest blanket. especially for the blanket.”

“you’re welcome.” the smile that ellie sent you back was a little too sweet for you to be able to function properly.

you forced yourself to look away from her, not wanting to look like a creep. unfortunately, you appeared to be destined to embarrass yourself that night one way or another. when you tried to unbuckle your seatbelt, it got stuck. you struggled in silence for a bit before giving up and looking at ellie, who had obviously noticed what was going on and was staring at you amusedly.

ellie leaned over, laughing softly at your helpless expression. “i told jesse a million times to sell this piece of crap and buy a new car,” she murmured, shaking her head.

she was close, way too close. your eyes automatically placed on her, as they always seemed to do ever since you met her. a small smile appeared on your lips when you heard her mutter a series of curses under her breath.

“there.” she returned to her seat, giving you the space you needed to regulate your breathing but, at the same time, the space you didn’t want. you happened to like having her close.

“thank you,” you grinned, but your smile faltered a little when you realized that you had to leave. maybe you were being overly dramatic, but you didn’t know when you were going to see her again, so you couldn’t help but feel disappointed that the night had come to an end. “see you around, ellie. thank you for driving me.”

“see you.” her voice was barely above a whisper.

ellie waited for you to be inside your building before leaving. you waved at her one last time, making a smile appear on her lips.

she didn’t put on music on the drive back home. it was just her alone with her thoughts. it was funny, they all seemed to revolve around you.

she went to sleep that night feeling guilty. it wasn’t right for her to be thinking about you that way. it didn’t matter it hadn’t worked out, lisa had liked you first. you were off-limits.

so the world kept spinning, time kept passing, life kept going, and ellie kept trying to forget about you. it wasn’t an easy task, since you had managed to infiltrate even her most random dreams. if that weren’t enough, you started hanging out with the group more often. jesse and dina had both taken a liking in you, too. she obviously couldn’t blame them.

ellie started making up excuses to miss said hangouts, which made her feel bad but she figured some time away from you would help dissolve whatever feelings were brewing inside of her.

she considered she was doing a pretty decent job, but that was until she ran into you on the street.

“ellie!”

you looked as radiant as always, maybe even more since your beauty seemed to be heightened by the fact she had tried so hard to forget about it. it hit her harder than she imagined.

“hey! uh, what’s up?” her reply came out in pathetic stutters, but you didn’t seem to mind.

“oh, nothing. just on my way home. doing some grocery shopping?” you pointed at the bags ellie was holding, to which she nodded.

“yeah, yeah. we were out of sugar n’ stuff.”

“i feel like i haven’t seen you in forever. you missed movie night at dina’s.”

“yeah, i know. i’ve been busy.”

the hectic sounds of the crowded street didn’t hide the fact that a deafening silence followed ellie’s short answer. you stood there, waiting for her to say something else, or even look you in the eyes.

“listen, um, i gotta go. i’m late for… something. see you around?”

stunned, you watched as she hurriedly walked past you. you tried to make sense of what had just happened, trying to recall if you could have possible done something to upset her, but nothing came to mind.

ellie turned around the corner cringing at her own behavior. she felt awful and spent the entire walk home trying to shake off the embarrassment.

lisa, who was already at the apartment, curiously observed her friend as she helped her put away everything she had bought.

“you okay, dude?” she asked her once she caught ellie staring a little too long at the wall.

“yeah, why?”

“are you sure? you’ve been acting weird lately.”

she sighed, “i’m good, i swear.”

“really? because a little bird told me you seemed off today.”

ellie shot her friend a glance, knowing that little bird was you. “oh. yeah, about that…”

what was she supposed to say? that she practically ran away from you because she couldn’t handle being around you without feeling fucking butterflies in her stomach and that it made her feel terribly guilty and the same time it scared the shit out of her?

“it’s nothing, lisa. i was just in a hurry—”

“do you have a problem with her or something?”

“what? no, of course not.”

“then why do you keep running away from her? you never hang out with us when she’s there.”

“i already told you it’s nothing.”

“we honestly thought you liked her. maybe we’ve been wrong this entire time?” she asked more to herself than to ellie.

ellie let out an awkward chuckle, “i do. she’s cool. why wouldn’t i like her?”

“no, me and the guys had this theory. we thought you liked her as in like her, as more than friends.”

ellie averted her gaze from lisa to the floor, “what?” she asked in a high-pitched voice. “no, i don’t.”

“oh my god, i knew it. you were so making eyes at each other when she came to see us play—”

“we weren’t—”

“—then, i told the others and they noticed the same thing. that’s why jesse told you to drive her home.”

suddenly, her friend’s behavior started making sense and she could not be more mortified. had she been that obvious?

“y’know, she asks me about you all the time, then she plays it off by asking about dina and jesse too, but i know she doesn’t really care about them.”

ellie’s stomach fluttered at the new information, but she shook her head. “that doesn’t mean anything.”

“is that why you’re acting weird? you like her but you don’t think she feels the same? cause let me tell you, she obviously does,” lisa told her, searching to meet her eyes. seeing ellie stayed silent, she spoke up again. “i don’t mind, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“lisa…”

“ellie…” she mocked her, unable to hide her amused smile. “so that’s what happened? you were worried i’d get mad if you liked her?”

ellie nodded, finally looking at her. “i felt bad.”

“aw, aren’t you a big ol’ softie underneath that permanent scowl?” lisa laughed, making ellie roll her eyes. “if i knew that was the thing holding you back i would’ve told you to go for it a long time ago. i just didn’t want to pressure you, i know you don’t like to talk about that stuff.”

“it’s not the only thing that’s holding me back,” ellie mumbled as she scratched the back of her neck, gaze cast downward.

“ellie she likes you, i mean it. when we were on stage she didn’t look at the rest of us once. not even when i fell, she probably didn’t even notice.”

“you fell?”

“exactly. you two were in your own little world. it’s cute, actually. so, if you’re really interested, ask her out.”

it was painfully obvious how interested ellie was but, even with lisa’s blessing and words of reassurance, she wasn’t entirely convinced you liked her back. there was the possibility you were too nice, that’s all. so, she decided to do something she never thought she’d do.

ellie left it to the hands of fate.

no matter the outcome, the universe would send some kind of signal if she should ask you out. what she didn’t expect, was that the universe would act so quickly.

only two days passed before ellie saw you again.

for some reason, she had decided to walk home after band practice. she was too caught up in her own world to notice anything happening around her, but the sound of a familiar voice snapped her back to reality.

you were talking to a dog that seemed to be attentively listening as if he understood what you were saying. “you can’t pee on strangers. or anyone, for that matter.”

a short, soft laugh escaped her lips at the situation. ellie put her hands in her pockets, a wave of nerves suddenly washing over her at hesitation grew within her. letting out a small sigh, she gathered all her courage and straightened her back. ellie began approaching you with a determined look on her face.

“hey.”

your head shot up, the corners of your lips tugging up in a smile as soon as you saw who it was. “ellie, hi!”

the dog beside you immediately jumped at her, attacking her with several kisses as his tail moved at an impossibly fast speed. ellie chuckled as she kneeled down to pet him.

“oh, i’m sorry!”

“it’s okay, i don’t mind.”

“he must really like you. he doesn’t let strangers pet him.”

“yeah?” ellie smiled up at you before returning her gaze to the dog in front of her.

eh, not really. he’s actually the friendliest dog to ever grace the earth but you’re pretty and you make me nervous. “yeah,” you grinned.

“what’s his name?”

“chip. he’s my niece’s, actually. i’m just talking him for a walk while she’s at school,” you explained, trying not to look to affected by her presence. it was hard.

ellie hummed, deep in thought. suddenly, she looked up at you again, “want some company?”

her question took you by surprise, especially after your last encounter. “uh, yes, i’d like that.”

the two of you began walking at a slow pace, sometimes stopping to wait for chip who got distracted by something that caught his attention. ellie asked how your day was going, and once you were done telling her you asked how hers was. it was a calm conversation, the total opposite of how you two were feeling inside.

“i wanted to apologize for leaving so quick the other day.”

“oh, you don’t have to. it’s fine, really.”

“no, it’s not. i’m sorry, it’s just— um, have you talked to lisa?”

you glanced at her, “not recently, why? did something happen?”

“no, no. i was just wondering.”

“you were wondering because…?”

ellie chuckled awkwardly, realizing what she had gotten herself into. she could play dumb and avoid the conversation, but that would be not listening to the universe and that would be a very dumb thing to do, wouldn’t it?

“you’re just friends, right?”

you gave her another quick side-eyed glance, “yes, why?”

“you don’t like her that way and she doesn’t like you that way either, right?”

you let out a short laugh, “yes, ellie. our date wasn’t what we expected so we decided to just stay friends. i already told you that.”

“then let me show you how it’s done.”

you whipped your head around and stared at her as your surprised expression began to morph into a giddy grin. “what?”

“let me take you on a proper date. are you free tomorrow?”

“really?”

“if— if you want, of course.”

in that moment, ellie knew she had made the right choice and internally thanked the universe for pushing her to do so. the way your face lit up at her words was priceless, and it was also a sign that you were as interested in her as she was in you.

you gleefully accepted her request with a warm smile, one that almost knocked the air out of ellie. she promised to text you so she could tell you the details, and she stuck to her word because once you arrived home there was a message from her waiting for you.

you began texting right away. more precisely, you sent hundreds of voicenotes throughout the day and she happily listened to them, replying with an equal amount of texts and lame reaction pictures (which you loved).

“you’re okay with this, right?” ellie asked lisa for the hundredth time as she was about to leave for your date.

her friend, who was sitting comfortably on their couch, rolled her eyes for the hundredth time, too. “ellie, i swear to god if you ask me again—”

“alright! alright.”

“have fun, dork.”

“yeah, yeah,” she muttered as she grabbed the keys to jesse’s car, who had kindly let her borrow it for the date. “don’t wait up, i know how to keep a girl entertained.”

“fuck you!” ellie heard lisa say before she closed the door behind her. she went snickering to herself the whole way to the car, but soon her cockiness evaporated and, instead, a feeling of uncertainty replaced it.

she began second guessing every decision she made the closer she got to your house. was her outfit nice? was her hair okay? was the bouquet of flowers too much? was the date idea she had planned the most nerdy thing ever thought? the answer to that last question was probably, but there was no time to change it, she was already waiting for you outside.

she shuffled her feet as she moved from side to side, her grip on the stems of the flowers tightening. once she heard someone coming, her head shot up. her lips instantly curved into a smile when she saw you. you had the biggest grin on your face as you approached her. ellie’s smile widened even more when she noticed what you had on your hands.

flowers.

“we’re too cheesy, aren’t we?” you scrunched up your nose, slightly tilting your head to the side as ellie laughed. you proceeded to exchange bouquets, your fingers briefly brushing hers. “these are beautiful, thank you.” the compliment left your lips in a tone so sweet it had ellie melting. “alright, should we go?”

“you’re not gonna leave them to put them in water or something?”

“that’s for when i get back. i wanna show them off first. unless the super secret date location isn’t flower-friendly?”

“oh, no, you can take them. it’ll be fine.”

ellie’s chosen date destination was the museum. it was nerdy but, fortunately for her, you were thrilled once you found out. you kept telling her how excited you were while you waited in line, swinging the flowers around as you gesticulated.

there was a small smile on her lips as she attentively listened to you talk about your first experience in a museum and how you’ve always wanted to go to one again, but never got around to it.

it was strange to think about when ellie first saw you in a picture. you caught her attention right away. now, you were in front of her, gifting her your presence and your kind smiles.

everything was going great, but the constant reminder that she wasn’t being completely honest with you caused a persistent feeling of guilt to set on the pit of her stomach.

“i have to tell you something,” ellie said after a moment of silence.

your eyebrows instantly scrunched together at her tone. “everything okay?”

“you said lisa seemed different in person than through text. she probably knew nothing about the movies and characters she said to like when you talked about it on your date, right? well, that’s because it was actually me behind those texts. just when those topics came out, you know, it wasn’t me always. so, basically, i feel really bad about not telling you sooner. you probably think this is weird, right?” ellie let out an awkward chuckle after her (way too long) rambling.

you stared at her in silence, processsing the great amount of information she had given you in just five seconds. suddenly, you laughed.

“it really threw me off when lisa said she loved anakin and legolas’ friendship. then i saw your room. i knew something was fishy, though i never would’ve have guessed i actually talked to you and you weren’t just telling her what to say.”

ellie hid her face behind her hands, laughing at lisa’s huge mistake. “i can’t believe she got aragorn and anakin mixed up.”

you chuckled, “yeah, and that wasn’t the worst one.”

“oh my god,” she groaned. “wait, so, you knew?”

“kind of. i didn’t ask lisa about it because i didn’t want her to be embarrassed or anything, so i just assumed something like that had happened.”

“and you’re not mad?”

“i wouldn’t be here if that were the case, but thank you for telling me,” you said, smiling sweetly at her and reaching for her hand to give her a quick little squeeze. “c’mon, we’re holding the line.”

much to ellie’s dismay, your hand slipped away from hers. she couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed at how brief the contact had been. still, having told you the whole truth, ellie was practically floating behind you.

“by the way, i wanted to tell you something, too,” you started, making her look into your eyes. “going on dates with two different people in such a short time is not like me, y’know? especially if those people are friends.”

“okay…”

“i just don’t want you to get the wrong idea of me.”

“what, that you’re homie hopper?”

“ellie!” you laughed in disbelief.

“i’m kidding,” she playfully rolled her eyes. you watched as her teasing smirk turned into a soft smile.

ellie had never been an affectionate person. in fact, having someone constantly touching her wasn’t something she craved and seeing couples that were too into public displays of affection made her sick. then, she met you.

standing so close to you was torture. every fiber of her being screamed to get closer and, for the first time, she initiated contact. seeing you two were next in line, she took that opportunity to grab your hand and lead you into the museum. she didn’t turn around to see your reaction, but she didn’t have to. you squeezed her hand and intertwined your fingers, indicating that you wouldn’t let go.

you walked side by side at an unhurried pace, taking the time to soak in everything you saw. the rest of the world could have disappeared and neither of you would have cared. in that moment, all that existed were each other and the hushed conversations you shared. the both of you were so caught up in your own little bubble that often forgot there were people around and you had to apologize every time you laughed a little too loud.

ellie knew a lot about everything, you were in complete awe of her. you were certain you could listen to her tell you a million random facts and never get tired of it. the best part was when you finally reached the section where everything dinosaur-related was displayed.

“you said you wanted to learn about them, didn’t you?” she asked with a playful smirk. “you still have time to want to take it back, because i will not be able to shut up once i start.”

you shook your head, smiling fondly at her. “i will listen to every word.”

and you did. sometimes you asked her questions, leading her to talk even more than she intended. it worried her that you could get annoyed, but she could see the genuine interest in your eyes whenever she looked at you.

time flew by much faster than you would’ve wanted. many conversations were shared throughout the whole date. some were meaningful and some weren’t, but each and every one of them would stay engraved in each other’s memories.

you would always remember ellie’s biggest regret, her favorite candy, the first time she fell in love, the age she learned how to ride a bike and how much she hated reality shows.

she would always remember the first time someone broke your heart, that you preferred tea over coffee, your favorite cartoon growing up and your irrational fear of mannequins.

both of you would always remember the comfortable silences you shared during the art section and the way both of you giggled whenever you caught each other’s eyes.

now, standing outside of your building under a starry sky, you already felt nostalgic about a night that wasn’t even technically over yet.

“thank you for today. it totally exceeded my expectations, and they were really, really high, by the way.”

“yeah?” ellie smiled widely before biting down her bottom lip.

“yeah.” you nod, grinning. “i had a lot of fun.”

“me too.”

you kept staring at each other, unable to erase the dumb smiles off your lips.

“did i score a second date?”

“you even scored a third one.”

ellie laughed at your answer, momentarily looking down at her shoes. when she met your gaze again, she felt time slowing as well as her breath. you were the one who took the first step, quite literally, standing closer to her whilst she seemed to be completely still.

your eyes met for a brief moment before you finally closed the gap between you and enveloped you two on a very eagerly awaited kiss. the contact made ellie come back to her senses and she reacted almost instantly, making you smile against her.

you had been waiting for that moment to come since beginning of the night and, yet, you still weren’t ready for the way it made you feel. it was overwhelming, in the best way possible.

“i’d invite you over but, unfortunately for you, i’m a lady,” you murmured as your fingers intertwined on the back of her head, the bouquet of flowers hanging upside down on her back.

ellie grinned against your lips before giving you one final kiss. “goodnight.”

you had said your goodbyes. the next step was for ellie to leave, but she found herself glued to the floor. your soft smile quickly became a teasing smirk when you realized she had no intention to move.

“did you forget how to walk?”

her next move pleasantly surprised you. she raised one of her hands to the back of your neck and pulled gently to draw you into another kiss. it felt so natural, so right.

“i think it’s time for our second date,” she mumbled, smiling dazedly.

“now?”

she was still so close.

“please.”

you weren’t sure how it was possible for you to hear her whispering voice over the loud beating of your heart.

“let’s just— let’s drive around and see where we end up.”

you grinned, immediately nodding at her proposal.

who could say no to that face?

[writemarcus]

Who’s Bringing The Fire This Time

6 writers, 10-minute plays, a 4-night run, the 13th season: how this eminent New York festival celebrating Black dramatists has multiplied its impact.

BY BRITTANI SAMUEL

The Fire This Time Festival has a thing for historical touchstones. Its name is a contemporary riff on James Baldwin’s searing Civil Rights-era nonfiction collection The Fire Next Time. It was founded by executive producing director Kelley Nicole Girod in 2009, the year President Barack Obama was inaugurated our first Black commander-in-chief. And this summer, after COVID-induced cancellations of theatre festivals across the nation, FTTF makes its triumphant return in another season rife with political strife.

Mounting a new-play festival in the midst of widespread illness, political dissent, human rights protests, anti-police movements, and more may seem burdensome for other 10-minute play festivals, but it falls right in line with the purpose and precedent set by The Fire. Throughout the pause of the last two years, Girod’s mission has remained the same: to provide a space for early-career theatre writers of African and African American descent to write and produce the evocative material that burned in their hearts but rarely ended up among their playwriting submissions. For more than a decade now, the festival has been a playground for writers like Antoinette Nwandu, Jocelyn Bioh, Jordan E. Cooper, and other outspoken artists who push our stories forward.

The legacy continues this year with six dramatists from all parts of the country and all cultural corners of the African diaspora: Agyeiwaa Asante, Rachel Herron, Fedna Jacquet, Marcus Scott, Phillip Christian Smith, and Lisa Rosetta Strum. At the helm are Zhailon Levingston (Chicken and Biscuits) and Tracey Coyner Lee (Sistas: The Musical!), who return as co-directors. This week, July 7 to 10, a program of 10-minute plays by these writers will be presented by FRIGID NYC at the Kraine Theater, both in person and via live stream.

Earlier this year, before an Omicron variant surge briefly re-shuttered productions in New York, I spoke with the six scribes about what it takes to write fearlessly and with fire.

BRITTANI SAMUEL: Let’s go around the room. Tell me a little about your play and when you brought it into the world.

RACHEL HERRON: My play is called Red Red Wine and I wrote it at the beginning of the pandemic. It’s set on two Black women in the very specific world of wine; one of them is rising to the top as a master sommelier. I used to work in fine dining and love everything food and beverage, but you never see Black women in that space on film, television, anywhere. I always like to make things that aren’t necessarily about race, but since we’re seeing Black people in the space, it is educating and equalizing. It takes a turn, though; I tend to have a very dark sense of humor and think I’m quite motivated by stories of revenge. I wanted to also touch on topics like assault and violence and what it looks like when Black women refuse to take it anymore.

PHILIP CHRISTIAN SMITH: My play is called Mt. Sinai. I actually have multiple myeloma. At one point, I was sitting in my chemotherapy chair during the pandemic (I had the corner, which is the best room), and they sat an older Black woman about 70 years old in one chair and another older Black woman about 70 years old in the other. The two of them hit it off like gangbusters and had a conversation in front of me for three hours. I just knew that might make a good play. It reminded me of listening to my mother’s aunts when I was a little boy, so I thought: I’m gonna write something for them.

AGYEIWAA ASANTE: My play is called Wildest Dreams. I was literally scrolling on the internet during the pandemic and came across what I think was a Buzzfeed post about people who were getting married on plantations. I became really interested and started asking questions like, what does it mean to do that? How do we acknowledge the land we are on and what has happened on it? How do we make it better?

LISA ROSETTA STRUM: My play is called By the Way. I was on this long-standing Zoom call (remember those?) every Friday night with friends, and we encroached on some incredible territory about our lives, vulnerabilities, everything. It was a wonderful time for reflection and people were telling stories about friends who evolved into lovers, married people that were getting divorced. I was fascinated, thinking about what happens when two people don’t have any other place to go; they have to just deal with each other in ways they’ve never had to before.

FEDNA JACQUET: My play is Gurlfriend (Black Is Black) and this is definitely a pandemic play. My fiancee moved into my apartment and built me an office in the coat closet because everything was shut down. I locked myself in, and this was one of the first things I created. I have a fascination with home: What is it? What version of you meets home? When does that change? The home you thought of when you were five—is it still real? Even though it’s not current? Who’s allowed in? Who’s not?

MARCUS SCOTT: My play is Wookies in the Wilderness. Everything began for me around the time George Floyd and countless other taken lives were in the news; there were protests outside of my window. So when I sat down, a couple of things were going through my head: One, I was getting a bunch of calls from white colleagues suddenly asking, Is there anything I can do for you? I got tired of that quickly, and a little resentful. But two, I was getting phone calls from friends telling me I should get survivalist books and prepare as if we were entering a mini apocalypse. And I did. Then I sat down and wrote a play about Boy Scouts, because I was basically in survival mode.

BRITTANI: It’s fascinating to hear how you all arrived here. Marcus, let’s roll back to you. You credit George Floyd’s murder and the resulting protests as being the impetus to create the work. But why was the work right for this festival?

MARCUS: In quarantine, I was freed of the mindset of writing stories other people will “like.” Similar to Rachel, I have a very dark sense of humor; a lot of it skews twisted. Wookies in the Wilderness is actually part of what I’m calling my rage plays, these very angry stories I wrote in the span of about two months. I wanted to share a piece about the trauma I was feeling, in the case that others in the audience of this Black festival were feeling it too.

LISA: The Fire This Time has always been a place that has nurtured Black playwrights of diverse thought and ideas. The variety of voices here is unmatched; we are not a monolith. This company has always protected us so we can feel safe about the stories we have to tell.

BRITTANI: I know you have not started rehearsals as yet, but hopefully they will be another taste of the long, creative, collaborative careers you will lead in this industry. What are you most looking forward to?

FEDNA: The audience. Full stop. I was an actor at this festival years ago; this and the Classical Theatre of Harlem were my introductions to New York. I remember the energy the audience gave, they were so here for it—laughing, crying, just on the edge of their seats. Sometimes people come to festival shows to morph your work or critique it; people have all different kinds of motivations. But this specific audience wanted to hear what was new and who was fresh. People in our community come to have a good time and they show it.

AGYEIWAA: If I could have any other job in the theatre, it’d be a professional audience member. I can’t wait to be loud in the audience—it’s so much a part of the experience!

BRITTANI: By now we’ve cycled through many waves of a global pandemic and, I’d argue, a new wave of Black revolutionary thought when it comes to the theatre industry. Have you all taken a moment to think about the historical context in which you are presenting this work?

MARCUS: When I first came to New York a lot of institutions were talking about this idea of “post-Blackness,” largely because of Obama’s presidency. I’m excited that the six of us are coming in and repositioning that mirror. We’re speaking to the reality of what we saw on Jan. 6, not a “post-Black” fantasy.

FEDNA: There’s something about having a moving vehicle; that’s what the festival is. We are not in the same movement from the ’60s, the ’70s, or even the 2000s. And The Fire This Time catches us by always staying fresh, by committing to new voices every year. That’s what keeps the work relevant and why audiences keep coming back.

BRITTANI: One of the many joys of reading these plays is discovering how many of them intersect with queerness, nationality, class disparity, etc. When you’re writing, how much are you thinking about identity, representation, responsibility—all of the things that weigh a little heavier on Black artists?

MARCUS: I never feel pressure until I’m submitting, to be honest. I’ve seen countless plays by white authors, where it’s just them being white sitting on a couch. This is the festival that Katori Hall came from, Dominique Morisseau, Jordan E. Cooper. The only pressure I feel is to live up to their great work.

AGYEIWAA: I’ve always overthought this. When I was 12, I was like, “I don’t know what boys think.” I don’t know how to write boys! They’re these weird other creatures.

BRITTANI: You weren’t wrong.

AGYEIWAA: Not at all. And when you grow up Black in America, you’re steeped in African American culture. But I’m speaking to you from Ghana right now. I’m in my grandparents’ home. I have this direct relationship with my personal history, but also acknowledge the privilege of growing up around African American culture, and when I do decide to write African American voices, I’m careful with it. I never feel that just because I’m Black, I can tell every story well. I still have to be specific; there are intersections to acknowledge.

RACHEL: I want to be a disrupter and change everything on its head. I grew up in a predominantly white community doing horseback riding, playing the violin, all this stuff where I was the only one, right? I had a great time, but there was always a feeling of, well, I really am the only one and am representing something so much larger than myself just by being here. I didn’t sign up for that. I didn’t want that. I just wanted to be there because it was fun! But that tension is always there, whether it’s internal or happening in conversations around you.

BRITTANI: Lisa and Fedna, you’ve acted in this festival before. Many of you are multidisciplinary artists. Do you notice your other skills showing up on the page, and do you think they will come up in the rehearsal room?

LISA: I notice it when I’m writing, which I’m fairly new to professionally. I always ask, if I was the actor, would I actually want to do this? I think of movement and try to write as conversational as possible. I also think about whether or not I would sit and watch the show, and take it from there.

PHILLIP: I’m in graduate school again, right now. So I’m out here, collecting MFAs. If you’ve got an MFA for me, just put it in the chat! I’m the only actor in my class, so it’s great to flex those muscles. I hear you, Lisa, about the actor brain kind of coming in. It makes it easier to talk to your cast, get into their emotions and speak their language.

BRITTANI: What do you make of The Fire This Time Festival’s legacy, especially now that you’re a part of it?

RACHEL: It’s so important to showcase that all of our plays are different. Like Lisa said earlier, we are not a monolith. There does not have to be one slot for us; we can create stories that are nuanced and varied so give us the entire season! It will be different, yes, but the festival proves people will come to see it. I’m just ready. It’s our time and I feel like we should take it.

Brittani Samuel (she/her) is a NY-based writer, critic, and the co-editor of 3Views on Theater. Bylines can be found at places like Observer, Glamour, OkayAfrica, and InStyle. She can be found at BrittaniSamuel.com or on Instagram at @brittaniidiannee.

[tomatopers]

❝ I'm. . . late?! ❞

in honor of me also forgetting vday :,) here is my first post for this acc !! I also need to remember to make an intro post n stuff, and hopefully i'll make some friends on here eventually </3 i see ppl interacting with their anons/followers and it's sooo cute when will that be me !!!!

They forgot Valentine's Day... surely the nineteenth is just as special? Diluc, Zhongli x GN!Reader (separate)

Diluc watched you silently from a window, the sunny scene outside feeling worlds away from his own dim office. You were sitting on the stone wall surrounding the Dawn Winery, pretending to read one of his boring novels while pointedly ignoring him. He was very often unaware of his stumbles, this being his first relationship, but wouldn't he would catch on soon enough?

Sure it was immature to still act huffy at this age, but Valentine's day was 5 days ago! Not one! FIVE! You had to witness Lisa flirting with the Acting Grand Master for hours, which wasn't uncommon in the slightest, but the librarian seemed to make use of all her cheesy lines on the holiday.

The stone was frigid beneath your bare legs, and you were reminded that the sun hadn't yet begun to do its job this early in the month as your legs grew numb. Perhaps on this fifth day of snubbing your lover, you'd spend the night at a bar- maybe even in Venti's company, or Kaeya's. That last ditch effort to get him to notice your huffy behavior never failed.

The worst part of this whole affair was that you couldn't even be disappointed or properly upset in peace. How could you, when this was clearly not an intentional mishap? Diluc worked diligently, and was far more dependable than most; Though, this trait of his only served to deepen your guilt. Perhaps you should apologize for this childish behavior... Maybe talk it out like proper adults...

6 o'clock found you on a barstool at Angels' share, a little early for drinking but the glass in your hand was clearly not your first. Kaeya sat to your right, an arm resting on the counter as he lent an ear to your woes. Venti stood to your left, strumming his lyre quietly and pitching in jests during the quieter moments.

The door opened at 7 on the dot, and you turned around despite knowing who stood behind you. The backlighting of the evening sun made his hair glow like fire, exaggerating the irritation on Diluc's face to resemble anger. You stood up, slightly tipsy but no less aware, and grasped Kaeya's shoulder to steady yourself before walking forward.

"Good evening, Master Diluc. What brings you here so early?" He seemed to glare at you before casting a glance at Charles. The bartender visibly jumped, quickly bowing a greeting before averting his eyes as Diluc grabbed your wrist and tugged you out of the bar. His grip, though firm, wasn't the slightest bit painful- even now, in whatever bitter mood he was in, Diluc always treated you with the utmost care.

You felt even more guilty for acting the way you did.

He released his hold on you in a more private space, tucked behind a couple trees, and waited. Just as you knew he would seek you out immediately after work, he knew you'd soon crumble under his stare and explain what you wanted. Those red eyes, sometimes blazing with anger or warm with love, were now passive and unreadable.

"Well?"

You felt heat behind your eyes, feeling the tears before they could escape down your cheeks. How stupid. It was hard to form a sentence between sniffles, so you stood and cried as he enveloped you in a hug. Maybe you had more than a few drinks back at the bar...

When your tears were all but spent, you gripped his hand in embarrassment, unable to meet his gaze. "...I'm sorry."

"What for?"

You sighed, "I've been such a child about this, it honestly wasn't even that important yet I-"

"If it bothered you, then it's important. To me."

There it was again, the ever chivalrous Diluc and his overflowing compassion when it came to you. Despite the temptation to lie and play it off, you sheepishly admitted, "It's just that, uh- a few days ago, it was Valentine's day... and we didn't really um- celebrate together... But! It's okay! You do so much already and I honestly don't need to do anything for some silly holiday when we can do stuff like that any day and.."

Looking up, you trailed off into a confused silence. Diluc's face was red, and he was the one now avoiding your eyes. "I'm- My apologies. I admit, it did slip my mind, but that is no excuse. It's more than a silly holiday, and as such, I would be honored if you would allow me an attempt to make it up to you." You burst out laughing, and he looked relieved. You really had no reason to be upset, not with this cute of a lover.

"I would allow you all the attempts possible, Mr. Ragnvindr. All the attempts and more." He smiled and took your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as you followed him out of the alley. "Shall we visit that famous traveling chef then, darling? I heard he's in town. Or the Good Hunter, for something casual? Or perhaps we could buy you one of those gorgeous necklaces they have at the-"

You pulled him in by his collar, feeling him stiffen at the kiss before relaxing. "Diluc, sweetheart, I was thinking something closer to home? I can make dinner, and," you gestured at the setting sun, "the night is still young, I'm sure we can have some... fun, in that great big house of yours."

He turned an even brighter red, trying to cover his blush with the hand you weren't holding. "...That would be perfect."

It was rarer for Zhongli to go a day without speaking to you than it was for him to remember his wallet. That's why it was evident to even those around you that there was something amiss. You worked at a teahouse, and that just happened to be where Zhongli's favorite tea was sold. When you weren't working, you'd help out at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, or stroll with him along the boardwalk. Plenty of time together, to say the least.

When the regulars witnessed you not serving the consultant's tea, as you always did, it immediately became a source of chatter- Some of the older women were having quite a laugh about young lovers' quarrels, though your relationship with Zhongli was far past the "young love" stage. As you walked from table to table, it was hard to ignore his stare practically burning holes through you.

The first whole hour of his visit must've passed this way; your every movement under the scrutiny of the ex-archon, your coworkers, and half the guests in the teahouse. Your work wasn't any different than usual, no. In fact, you might even be more productive now that you weren't stopping to chat with Zhongli whenever your hands were free. The owner of the place would never admit it, but he too was curious of the predicament under his roof.

Your scheduled break was minutes away, the one you would typically spend at Zhongli's table, but you clearly didn't intend to do so today. For a being such as him, it was inevitable that certain things would slip his mind, but Valentine's Day? You had planned out the entire day as a surprise, the holiday had even fallen on one of Zhongli's leisure days, but he called in the morning to tell you he'd be assisting the Traveler and would not come by. It wasn't even a brief task! He was gone for five days!

It wasn't like you hadn't told him anything, either. "Oh illustrious Rex Lapis, God among men, I beseech your presence in my humble abode on the final day of this week." He had chuckled at your attempt of mimicking the speech of those who cowered before him in his days of glory, taking your hand with a smile and a kiss. It was going to be perfect! But the plans were discarded, and the cake you made still sat untouched in the fridge...

Xingqiu walked in with his usual cheerful wave, heading to the back corner where he'd spend a couple hours reading; As though he noticed your restlessness, he smiled and offered you a seat to join him, "I'll take you up on your offer to regale me with the stories from your trip overseas, if I may?" You smiled back, "Of course! I'll bring the tea and join you."

You spent your break with the young man, and the following remainder of the shift passed with ease. At some point, Zhongli had disappeared- had he gotten upset? Most likely not, such a small matter was far from enough to garner his irritation. It was more likely that work had called for his presence. Maybe he'd notice shop owners taking down their holiday wares on his walk and remember his oversight.

You hung up your apron, bidding the staff goodnight before descending the stairs to head home. Someone was standing at the entrance to a darker alley, one tucked away from the streetlights and the watchful eyes of the Millelith. Quickening your pace, you were about to pass by when a voice, his voice, stopped you in your tracks.

"My dear, won't you tell me what has drawn your ire?" Zhongli stepped forward, his confused expression revealing his failure to decipher the issue alone. "I am unaware of any shortcoming, but I assure you it was far from intentional-"

"..."

He walked closer, "Pardon?" You looked up at him, hoping you didn't look pathetically sad. "It was Valentine's Day, the day you left for that trip with the Traveler. That's why I had invited you over." His face fell, his immediate regret making it nigh impossible to retain your frustration. "I will not make any excuses, beloved, it was entirely my fault that we could not celebrate such a wonderful day together-"

"It was, yes."

"-and I believe I grasp the value of celebrating love with a romantic partner, so while it won't compare, please join me for dinner tomorrow, where I can properly demonstrate my affections. I recall you liking when I cook, and surely such a thing is enjoyable together."

You pretended to consider the matter, before laughing and accepting his outstretched hand. "I would love to join you, and I hope I may occupy your time through the night as well." You saw his gaze sharpen for a moment before he swept you off your feet and into his arms.

"If I didn't know any better, my love, I'd think you were trying to tempt me."

"Whatever gave you that idea, darling?"

Without setting you down, he pressed a kiss to your forehead. "I believe you wouldn't protest to spending tonight together, as well?" You could feel the laughter rumbling through his chest, could see the smile splitting his face even with your face hidden behind your hands from the embarrassment. "My most adorable lover, I shall never again miss an opportunity to exhibit the extent of my affection for you."

[hobie-enthusiast]

Hobie with a friend or s/o that feels safe drawing and practicing instruments (just overall being creative) around him 🥺?

Thank u op for feeding us so we’ll with all the hobie content btw !!!! MWAH ❤️❤️

THE CREATIVE MIND !

— hobie brown x creative!gn!reader

— fluff, creative reader, pet-names, hobie being a menace, hcs and then a blurb for artist reader at the end

— hobie and his encouragement with his s/o, who loves expressing their creativity with him

— SO SORRY FOR HOW LONG THIS TOOK but here it is anon muwah

— Hobie first noticed how much you kept to yourself

— Of course you talked with people around you, but you weren’t very open about what you liked to do

— He loved playing his guitar, Gwen loved playing the drums, Miles loved drawing and sketching, but what did you enjoy?

— Turns out it was a combination of all those things

— When Hobie starts to get closer to you, he notices the little things that you don’t hide around him anymore

— Splatters of paint, marker markings, blistered fingers, all signs of the creativity you hold behind closed doors

— Just as friends, Hobie may ask about what you do, but will never push if you don’t want to say

— He’ll lead into some conversations about it if you do

— Loves listening to you talk and talk about what you do once you get comfortable around him

— Then his friends try to beg to know what you do, what’s the secret hobby you hold so dear?

— And to that he keeps quiet

— Because he loves the fact that you trust him so much to let him know about how well you can do what you do

— If the two of you are dating, god he’s your biggest supporter

— He loves motivating people to go against their limits and rules to achieve their greatness, and he does the same with you

— Every-time you show him a new project, he praises it like the Mona Lisa

— “‘s amazin’, swee’heart. got myself such a talen’ed par’ner.”

— “Belongs on display, ‘s for sure.”

— if you’re an artist, he commissions you all the time

— Stickers for his guitar, art on his walls, even doodles on his hands

— He wants to proudly sport your work wherever he can

— If you play an instrument, he’ll constantly ask to practice and play with you

— Even if you play something like the trumpet, he’ll find a way to jam out with you

— It means a lot to him to share music with who he loves

— If you are a writer, he’ll always ask to see what you’re typing up

— Hobie’s everyone’s biggest supporter, and that’s never an exception for you

— He adores everything you create, no exceptions

Your legs dangled off the edge of the couch as you take your pencil to your sketchbook. On the opposite chair, Hobie was strumming guitar, scribbling and marking his music. It was like a peaceful creative time you shared.

You take a peak up at your boyfriend before looking back down, sketching the features of his nose onto your paper. For the past hour you had been sketching him, multiple poses of him lying there, with his guitar, and him just smiling (which was a closed smirk but better than nothing). You were finishing a sketch of him messing with his guitar, drawing up his hair and piercings.

“Mm..” Hobie sighs before making that focused face he does, bringing out the crease on his forehead.

You smile and draw that out onto the sketch, enjoying how blissfully unaware Hobie seemed. You had numerous sketches of him, but he didn’t need to know.

As you stare down and take glances up, Hobie finishes with the current song he was messing with. He looks over at you, noticing how focused you seemed on your sketch. It was mesmerizing watching you work so passionately.

Quietly, he got up, sneaking over to your seat on the couch. He wraps his arms around you, peaking over your shoulder. “Whatcha workin’ on?”

You slam the book shut. “Nothing!”

“Oh? But I wanna see..” Hobie responds, reaching to grab your sketchbook.

“No no! It’s nothing!”

You shoot up to run to your shared bedroom, holding the book away from Hobie. He chases after you and shoots a web to grab the book. As much as you try to pull it back, he ultimately wins, taking the sketchbook in his hands.

“Le’s see..” He speaks, turning to the page you were working on. “Oh.”

You groan, throwing your head into a pillow. “Hobie..”

He’s quiet for a while, admiring your work. You make him look so.. incredible. All the pencil strokes bring out a different feature of him, and he’s never thought he looked this great.

"These are incred'ble, swee'heart." He says after a while, glancing up at you. “C’mon, don’ be shy. ‘s good stuff.” He assures you as he takes a seat next to you.

You snatch the book from Hobie, swatting him with it. “Ever heard of privacy?!”

“Mm.. ‘s good t’ know ‘s how ya see me.”

“Well.. it’s not even done.” You say with a sigh. Then, you get an idea. “Wait! I’ve got an idea.”

Hobie’s eyes raise. “Hmm?”

You turn back to open the page you were working on, grabbing a pencil and a red marker from the nightstand next to your bed. You look up at Hobie before looking back down, sketching something.

“Just stay still..” You request, sketching out some new features you can now notice from up close. “I wanna finish..”

Hobie chuckles, crossing a knee over his leg. “Mm.. ‘right, ‘ll be ‘ur muse.”

In turn, you give a smile, gently kissing his cheek before continuing to work on his profile. You sketch every little crease, freckle, blister he has on his face. Any scar or bruise he has from his hero ventures, you include. You start to get lost in your book as time moves on.

Your boyfriend just sits there, admiring the way you look so focused. He’s grateful you feel comfortable around him, to where you can allow yourself to indulge in your creativity. He loves how people express themselves, you especially.

When you start adding some colour, you see Hobie scoot next to you. “So talen’ed, ya know that?”

You smile gently, leaning into his shoulder. “I appreciate that, Hobie.” You respond as you continue putting in some highlights.

Once it’s done, Hobie sits back and praises your work like there’s no tomorrow. Many compliments, pet-names, and red blushing messes later, he’s pulling your leg to convince you to let him take them, hang them up.

Once you do agree, he also asks you to make him some stickers for his guitar. “Need some good stuff f’ my gui’ar. Make it flashy t’ fight facis’s.”

Once you do make them, trust, he’s going to brag to everyone he knows and is friends with who made the beautiful artwork displayed on his guitar.

[pink-tk-a-latte]

FISCHL HCS bc she’s so lee but I can’t think of a fic for her rn 💜

A LOT of people tickle her when her tyrannical yapping becomes too much. Mona especially, bc she’s sick and tired of Fischl’s chuunibyou tomfoolery and thinks it’s funny how she screams and gets all indignant with one pinch

Traveler (Lumine in my case) just likes being a nuisance and will tickle her while she’s loquaciously orating, and they'll keep playing along with her act just to be a tease ;)

Like "Oh? Seems the element of laughter is super effective against the Prinzessin der Verurteilung!"

Or the Traveler remains mostly terse while Fischl is babbling and screeching her head off so it becomes silent ler vs. chatty lee tehe

When she's tickled Fischl absolutely loses all ability to form words, even German and fantastical ones, like it’s BAD and the contrast is HILARIOUS

She'll go from "Retreat, perverted miscreant! Mine eyes of darkness behold thy villainous intentions and exhort thee to stay away! S-Stay away..." to "STAahfahfhsahaHAf NAOOOOO!!"

Also her laugh is squeaky, girlish, whiny, and snorty and not at all dignified or macabre.

Bennett prob doesn’t tickle her as much, mostly cuz he never thinks to, but when she unleashes the onslaught of a thousand fingers once again one day he FINALLY thinks to tickle her back.

Ofc, with his luck, he gets all the wrong spots and gets wrecked as a result. It’s probably Razor accidentally sweeping his hair across her neck that reveals it to him.

She's on the ace spectrum. That's not tk-related but it's still an hc!!

Occasionally Fischl will ask to be tickled but because of her verbose language no one can understand what she's saying TT

Lisa I bet tickles her whenever she comes to the library, especially when she would come alone and shrunken in on herself and in such strange attire. She also quotes lines from Fischl’s favorite storybooks and theatre scripts while wrecking her lmaooo

(SUMMER FANTASIA WAS EPIC anyway) Xinyan would sporadically poke her or “strum” her sides whenever she seemed down or distant, leading to a lot of tk fights. Kazuha too, except his attacks would be more deliberate and malevolently soft.

Fischl also def babysits Klee sometimes and tickles her when reading or telling her stories cuz Klee is adorable ♡

Fischl and Xingqiu would be such good friends ANYWAY I'm sure it came up once when they were reading together. Fishxing are both so competitive and prideful so their attacks often end in fights often end in begrudging draws.

Oz definitely rats her out to anyone who seems affectionately exhausted with her antics. Whatever happened to loyalty??

There seems to be a common hc that Genshin characters with skin exposed in their outfits are more ticklish on those spots, and who am I to change that? Anyway, she’s most ticklish under her arms, in the crooks of her elbows and knees, and on her legs, sides, and back/shoulder blades (also where her vision is!) like she has so much fishnet and nylon in her ensemble she’s got to be so tickly (haha get it fischnet??)

On the ler side of things, she’s got long nails, archers’ hands, and an electro bird, so… >:)

[archivehub]

Title: Lion Scouts Summary: Steven, Connie, and their four kids go hiking in the North Wydaho wilderness. Word Count: 513

A tiny, wee bit late, but here it is! For Glow Week day 6, I used the prompt "Vacation."

The short is also beneath the cut:

“You know, almost fifteen years ago, your mother and I hiked down this very same trail!” Steven beamed from beside his wife. A gargantuan bag containing an assortment of survival gear rested against his back.

“Yeah? Well it’s boring,” Lisa moaned from over her parents’ shoulders. Her arms were firmly crossed as she paced alongside Lion. “There’s just a bunch of trees and squirrels. If I wanted to see those, I could go into our backyard.”

“I think the trail’s beautiful,” the girl’s younger brother, Gregory, twinkled from behind her. He yanked his yellow-red, hand-me-down ukulele off his back. “I’m getting so much inspiration for my next song,” he grinned before strumming a chord on his instrument.

“If you start singing, I think I’m gonna puke,” the boy’s twin sister, Priya, shivered from his left side. “I already hear enough singing at home; I don’t need to hear any more on vacation,” she snorted, elbowing her brother in his abdomen.

“I think some music would be great right about now,” Grace, the eldest sibling, yawned from atop Lion’s back. “I’m normally all for a good hike, but”—she quirked an eyebrow—”middle-of-nowhere North Wydaho?” She darted her eyes around her surroundings; her most exciting observation was a mossy rock. She tittered, “What are we doing out here?”

“Taking a stroll down memory lane,” Steven sing-songed.

“This was one of your father’s favorite stops on his three-year-long road trip,” Connie lectured as she readjusted her scabbard’s strap. She reminisced, “During my first spring break from college, I joined him out here for a whole week.” She booted a sizable stone from the path. “It was…” she smiled timidly, “romantic.”

“Barf!” Lisa mock-gagged; her siblings all snickered.

The family made their way into a miniature, grassy clearing from which a plethora of nearby landmarks could be made out. Chief among them was a moderately sized, vaguely-heart-shaped lake.

“It’s just as I remember it!” Steven gasped. “Kids, this was our camping spot! We slept here every night for seven days straight!” He sprinted to a nearby boulder which he lifted effortlessly with one arm; beneath it, a pair of familiar initials were carved, encased in a crudely drawn heart. “See? We marked it as ours and everything!”

“Woah, cool,” Grace remarked.

Steven pointed toward a small stream. “That’s where your mother and I searched for crayfish.” He tapped his foot atop a small collection of ovular stones. “Here’s where we made dinner every night.” He whipped around, nearly causing his backpack to topple. “And over there”—he pointed in the direction of a respectable mound—”was where we helped a group of marmots dig a new burrow after a badger destroyed their old one!”

“Badgers are rad,” Lisa smirked. “Should’a let it keep the burrow.”

Swiveling on his heel once more, Steven took immediate notice of the heart-shaped lake in the near distance; he went starry-eyed. “Oh my stars!” he squealed, bouncing on his knees. “Connie, Connie, look! It’s the lake where we—”

The woman slapped a palm over her husband’s mouth. “Not around the kids!” 

[manias-wordcount]

Thigh riding Yae Miko or Lisa? You can decide ! (:

What Happens After Hours... (Lisa x Reader)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗧. 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗶 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗯𝗰 𝗶 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗿 + 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘆𝗮𝗲 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁. 𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘆𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗵𝗲

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 !!! 𝘀𝗲𝘅, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

The library doors get locked at night ever since the increase in hilichurl activity outside of Mondstadt.

There were a few protests, of course. From the avid reader who wanted to spend their life away with their favorite stories. From late-night thinkers who get their ‘A-ha!’ moment when the city is quiet and still with sleep. And the occasional bored resident- hoping for something to lull away the slow crawl of the night. But all of their protests were weak at best. In the end, it was Miss Lisa’s decision. And what Miss Lisa says, goes. She knows best, after all. Besides, she needed a little time away from work too! 

But more than that, it was a decision to be cautious. A hilichurl would have a hard time making it to the library, sure. And there was not much one could do except take a book or two. Maybe even make a mess of such a carefully sorted place. Or maybe, someone or something with far worse intentions for such precious books might come along and ruin things for everyone. So why risk the mess? During the day people will be able to come and go as they please. No harm, no foul. And for a couple of hours after the sun sets and before it rises, it’ll be closed. Locked up tight. And with no one inside. Well…

“Lift up your skirt, sweetie.”

Almost no one. 

“Mm…” Your head feels just a little bit fuzzy. You’re fully aware of where you are and what you’re doing but the thought of it admitting it in your head makes your body warm with embarrassment. It takes all of your willpower to give up and give a submissive little nod at the request before following through like the good girl you are. The good girl you’ve always been. “O-okay…”

Your eyes flicker down to find the edge of your skirt. You don’t want to move your hands from their previous position. Wrapping your arms around her shoulders gave you the most support. The most stability. Just something to squeeze when things got rougher than expected. But she was looking at your expectantly and before you even know it, your fingers are closing in and squeezing the very fabric that hides any last shred of your decency left. You get a coo in response as your lift your bunched skirt up to your waist. 

“There we go, sweetheart.” It’s amazing how much Miss Lisa’s approval affects you. Right now, she’s pleased. You can tell by the way her fingers and strumming along your hips in an overly affectionate matter. But your attention is teetering and tottering on two different things right now. The way she keeps trying to meet your eyes with a purr and proud smile. And the shiny little mess your cunt is leaving on her plush thigh. “Now we can see all of you!”

You cry out softly as she rolls your hips, forcing your sensitive cunt to brush against her. She’s been at this for a while. Tonight there was no teasing. No drawing out the sexual tension that had been building all day with flirty touches and steaming glances. The minute she had walked back and sat down at her desk after locking up the library for the night and closing the binds, she was on you. She practically pulled your panties off with her teeth once she got the chance. And now you just can’t how long it’s been since she placed you on her thigh and told you that you couldn’t stop riding it until she said so. 

As if she’ll ever relent at this rate. 

You gave up on mercy a long time ago. You can’t remember how long it’s been since your legs started growing tired from this straddling position. Back and forth and back and forth. She rolls your hips to an unheard rhythm that she only knows, but you’re quick to match her movements when you can. Unfortunately, it’s left you chasing an orgasm that you’re not sure you’ll see tonight. The feeling is growing in your stomach sure, but what you’re getting right now isn’t enough. It’s far, far, far away from enough. And she knows how to satisfy you. She’s done it time and time again. Fucking you on practically every surface on sight in the process. Now today is just another day of mindless pleasure as she has her way with you for as long as she wants. Again. Again. Again.

The thought brings a whine to your throat. When it escapes, it travels around the room so loudly. So shamelessly. The embarrassment grows inside of you, but your prize for letting your body respond naturally to her is a kiss on the cheek and a fuzzy little compliment that fills your head with rainbow-colored clouds. It feels so weird being so vocal after a full day of hiding your moans and gasps and cries. A lip caught between your teeth, silencing you at this hour, is seen as the enemy for Miss Lisa. But as she holds you here, making your poor, twitching little pussy know nothing but the feeling of dragged-out pulses of pleasure, you can’t help but want to melt into this treatment. This touch, this woman. 

Anyone could have walked in right now. And she’s told you that. Whispered it in your ear as you’re cumming on a strap or her fingers. But the truth is, would you care at this point? Would you? That’s one thought you’re sure of as she takes the opportunity to grind your clit especially hard into the meat of her thigh at the moment. One question you know you could answer even if the sticky, wet feeling of your arousal making a mess of your and her legs. It’s that you don’t. You don’t care if someone found a way to unlock the doors and see you in this way. Let them. You don’t care. And it’s all because of her. 

The attention makes you feel special. The attention makes you know you’re special. Invincible. Important. 

Loved. 

You’re the reason she locks up the library at night now. It’s good timing with the hilichurls, sure. But you took the night shift with her not long before the attacks started happening. It was easy for her to feign concern when really, all she wanted to do was to get an extended taste of fingering you over your sorting cart. Another hour of throwing one of your legs over her shoulder as you lean against the shelves. And even no matter how long she wants you for. No matter when or what time or where she wants you for. You’ll do it. Because what Miss Lisa says, goes. 

And after all… Miss Lisa knows best, doesn’t she? 

[caylenqueen]

MC: I ran into Lisa in the kitchen at 1 AM last night and when I asked them what they were doing, they just shrugged, said “these are my roaming hours,” and wandered off, strumming vaguely on their guitar.

[mzannthropy]

Another question bc I love hearing about your hcs: What do you think the DJATS couples do for Valentine's Day. Specifically, Camilabilly, karengraham, Simonebernie,and Warrenlisa.

I admit I'm coming up empty for Warren x Lisa and Simone x Bernie. I wish them well, like, I hope they were very happy, but I can't just think of anything, sorry! I think the most important thing is that they cherish each other and their love. I can see Warren taking Lisa to his boat for the first time, candlelight and champagne and all that, but it doesn't necessarily have to be a Valentine's night.

Karen x Graham - I don't ship that. It matters to me too much that there is a female character who chose a single life (and had an abortion too). She's the reason why I was initially more impressed than I should have been with DJATS (book) when I first finished it. Well, she and the last scene with Camila and Daisy in the hotel room, the scene we never got to see on screen.

Billy x Camila - I like to see Billy strumming on his guitar, singing her a song. Camila liked the musical side of him, he literally chatted her up by promising to write her a song, so there is no reason why he wouldn't continue playing for her. What I definitely like to think about is the two of them taking a trip to the beach, maybe a picnic. Or a stroll in the moonlight. Or a picnic on the beach in the moonlight, with a guitar. Billy must have written Silver Nail for Camila (bc who else?)

[koemiii]

Venti x fem!reader

AVITOIC(N.);; THE STRONG DESIRE TO FLY, OR TO BE UP IN THE AIR

FEATURING; Venti

DESCRIPTION; Royal AU;; where reader is a princess and is going to be married to someone she doesn’t know. Reader is going to marry someone from the Edelsteinstadt-Fontaine (which is currently undergoing a national crisis. Fontaine is torn into two different republics rn.)

CW. Minor swearing, forced marriage, crying

NOTES; part two to be uploaded!! hehehehee i love venti(who doesn't)

It felt ethereal. Everything felt so ethereal. Flowers surrounded you and ‘Belüftung’, whilst seatherny was playing in the background. The anemo vision wielder hoped all of this was just a dream, hoping that this was reality. This is the only place where the girl can be herself, not a princess, not an eccedentesiast, but her very own self. With these seemingly unharmful thoughts lingering in the princess’ mind, the corner of the aspectabund young lady’s lips curved up into a seraphic smile. To ‘Belüftung’, she was simply comely. To them, this is their heaven, their utopia. 

Sitting under a tree watching the sunset, while the animals playing with each other, ‘Belüftung’ smiled too. It was all so idyllic, full of happiness. Then the smile on the girl’s lips turned into a frown. Oh no, She must be thinking something about her arranged marriage, the male thought. His big, turquoise hues reflected the Princess’ pretty face so clearly as if they’re made from gemstones. He took off his beret and gently placed it beside him. Her hands were in his, but not anymore now. The bard’s slender fingers, after years and years of lyre strumming, was now between the girl’s chin and tilting it softly, making his loved look at him. ‘Look, I get you’re sad, but it’s all going to be okay, all right? There’s nothing wrong with you,’’ The archon murmured, forehead to forehead, holding you tightly.  

The so-called ‘Belüftung’, who’s name is actually Venti, is now pressing his lips to the sobbing girl’s temple, whispering reassuring words to you. ‘I promise I’ll be at your wedding place by tomorrow’s dusk, alright? I know how uncomfortable you’ll be, but please, remember I’ll always be there for you.’ He whispered in your ear, not letting you go. The princess did the same too, still sniffing, hands wrapped around Venti’s back tightly, whispered her gratitude to her partner, ‘Thank you, Barbatos, je t’aime.’ Pulling back form the hug, you gave Barbatos a genuine smile, which something the eccedentesiast haven’t done in months, or years. He retuned your smile with a same one, ‘And thus, we’ll meet each other in real life and not in the Dream anymore, my muse.’

With a swoosh of wind, the girl woke up with a hint of mixed feelings, not to mention that today’s her 18th birthday and her wedding day, which she didn’t agree to. As the fifth ray of sunbeam began to pour into the room, the girl rubbed her eyes, enjoying the silent but delicate aura in the room. Not long after, someone knocked on the door and silently turned the doorknob and found their way into your room. The currently unknown figure closed the door swiftly, and you see your only friend in the palace-Lisa, the librarian in your family’s palace.

She bowed, although you told her she didn’t have to do that. ‘Your Highness, may I be so bold to say a few humble words,’ She breathed, hands trailing amongst the golden-edged footboard, ‘First and foremost, happy birthday, my dear...friend,’ She gave you a smile, somehow to be relieved that you approved the title as her ‘best friend’, of course, she’s a mere librarian- and look at you, a princess, a soon to be queen! 'I have something to tell you, Your Highness, I deeply apologize for overhearing what the chamberlain said to your Father, you're marrying the King from Edelsteinstadt, and as you know... he's 72 years old,' Her breath hitched as if she doesn’t want to accept your fate like how you do. “Anyways, thank you so much for your information, I truly appreciate it, if it weren’t you I wouldn’t have know what to do, they didn’t tell me either— I mean, just how could they do that? I’m th—their own daughter…just, how could they,” the fear of no knowing what the future would do to you, not knowing what the old man could and would do to you, feeling the tense and the pain beginning to spill out, tears brimming your eyes, you hoped all of this is just a dream. It's all so, so so so overwhelming. Broken whimpers and sobs could be heard in the whole room. Heels clicking, you feel a sudden weight on the bed. The libarian genttly patting your back, drawing messy circles to soothe you. It surely calmed you down, as you blew your nose into the handkerchief.

As the maids began to pour in the room, Lisa sat up and pretended to tell you something, she had to fake it.Something so ''intimate'' is strictly forbidden amongst the royals. Letting a librarian sitting on the Princess' bed and rubbing circles on their back? Far too intimate, they claim. Sitting up as you sliently bid an informal farewell to Lisa. You are very, very sure that Venti will come save you from this disaster, you put all your trust into him, becasue he is going to be your very soon fiancé, the one who you truly loved.

[razorblade180]

Up to speed

Collei:Umm Amber? I have to tell you something important. It’s…about Aether.

Amber:You saw him kiss a girl?

Collei:He kissed an- what? You already knew?

Amber:*smiles* Don’t worry about it. Thanks for feeling like you should tell me though. It’s fine. We’re in a open relationship. Even I have a girlfriend.

Collei:What!? That’s a thing!?

Amber:Tighnari makes you learn the scientific name of mushrooms but didn’t teach you the word polyamorous?

Tighnari, upstairs: Why would she need to know?! The job is learn nature and save people.

Amber:Hehe, guess I touched a nerve. Anyways, everything is okay. We have rules set up. Besides Mondstadt, Aether has two partners per nation.

Collei:Two? Wait, why not Mondstadt:

Amber:Well….

xxxxx

Sucrose: *hugging Albedo* Mine!

Aether:You didn’t even-

Sucrose:I will cry on command!

Aether:Okay! I’m sorry I brought it up!

xxxxxx

Venti:Hello traveler~ *strums lyre*

Aether:…Listen, it sounds intriguing, but I kinda get the feeling it would all just be fun and games.

Venti:Ehe, that’s fair.

xxxxxx

Aether:…..

Lisa:*putting books away*

Aether:Hey Amber?

Amber:Listen, I get it. Everyone gets it. I’m not even self conscious, but come on. That’s like if I picked Kaeya.

Aether:Oof, yeah you’re right.

[present]

Amber:Mondstadt is a mine field in more ways than one.

Collei:Sounds exhausting.

Amber:It would be if anyone was focused on it. Aether is looking for his sister first and foremost. We kept spending time together doing things and…emotions bloomed. You’ll hear more or less from anyone else. You’re on Keqing’s team. You didn’t know they were together?

Collei:Now that you mention it…

xxxx

Aether:*manifests dendro* I wonder what team I should create.

Keqing:Aether, look at me. Look right into my eyes. *holds face* Do not try and be cute right now. It’s our moment. We can be great!

Aether:Hmmmm I don’t know…

Keqing:…*whispers* You can teach me all about spread reactions.

Aether:*red*…That’s cheating. I was only teasing but since we’re discussing reactions…

Collie:What are they saying?

Kazuha:Nothing worth repeating.

xxxxx

Amber: *snorts* Sounds about right. Anyways, everything is fine. Let me guess, it was Kokomi?

Collei:How’d you know?

Amber:Outside of myself and Yanfei, she’s the only that enjoys that kind of public affection. We all try not be nosy but I can’t help notice little things like that.

Collei:Now I feel like I should apologize to Aether. I didn’t confront him about it but I did start thinking some…not so nice things.

Amber:That’s more restraint than when Ayato saw Aether with me and not Ayaka.

xxxxxx

Ayato:TREACHEROUS WHORE! PREPARE YOURSELF!

Aether:Ayato please! Stop the rain!!!

xxxxxx

Amber:Thank the gods Thoma was there. If you want to know anything more, then it’s probably best you ask him.

Collei:I think I’ll observe for now. Honestly this topic feels a little embarrassing. Like one those Light Novels, but less cringey. Hmm, I guess all this means one day I might see him with someone from Sumeru.

Amber:He likes spending time with Tighnari and crushing for a moment, but Aether also took into account it might be weird for you to have myself and your master potentially in the same relationship.

Loud footsteps coming from above and move down the stairs.

Tighnari:Why was I left out of that conversation!? I mean I would’ve said no but I should be aware of these things!

Amber:Don’t think about it. I honestly probably said a little too much hehe, whoops. Let’s keep that last part between us.

Collei:Well if he finds qualities of you two attractive, and from what I gathered from the others I met, Aether must really intelligent and kind people that always have their wits about them!

[Meanwhile in Sumeru]

Nilou:*holding branch* Since when does this jungle have quicksand!?

Aether:*pulling* You tell me. You live here!

Paimon:Pfft, and you always try to convince Paimon to use my legs for once. Looks like you should try floating for once.

Aether:I swear I’m going to put you in a pot one day.

[quillium]

Synopsis: When the boy comes to his statue, Barbatos speaks to him. Hearing of the destruction of his world foretold in the stars, the archon takes fate into his own hands, and awakens the new gods. AU.

__

It is evening when the boy approaches his statue. Barbatos listens with half an ear, smiling as he dazzles the tavern with his music.

The boy prays for family, shares Barbatos’ ability like a child shares a blanket with a mother, and murmurs to his guide, I need to leave soon.

Barbatos, still strumming his lyre and singing to the crowd, sends his voice with the wind. Why?

And the boy, the alien, says nothing, but Barbatos, weak as he is, is not entirely powerless. He can hear the silent prayer, though it was not intentionally sent--the boy fears the destruction of Teyvat.

Well now. Barbatos knows this place’s history--has lived through it, the mass destruction.

He is too old for a repeat.

Barbatos nudges the wind to guide the traveler to Mondstadt, his city of freedom, and makes eye contact with the red haired boy serving drinks behind the bar.

__

“How would you like,” Venti asks, cheerful as he downs his tenth drink, “to be a god? Not an archon, of course... perhaps once you’re older. But just a little god.”

“Drunk already?” Diluc asks snidely.

“No,” Venti pouts. “You could, you know. It’s rare for humans to ascend, of course, but it can be done with a little help---especially as a vision user---”

“You want me to be a god?”

“Not just you. It’d be all vision users of this age, really.”

Diluc half-snorts.

“Rude.”

Diluc turns away from him.

“Well,” Venti asks, pouting, “would you?”

Diluc scowls, “you really are drunk.”

“No,” Venti’s eyes sparkle, “I’m ready to push us into the new era.”

__

“Two-fer-one,” Venti says, spinning into a chair next to Barbara and Jean, “ascend beyond mere mortality, gain cool new perks like increased power, longer lifespan--”

“Why,” Barbara asks, incensed, “are you here, you heretic bard?”

“Rude, rude. I am not a heretic. I’m basically the opposite of a heretic. Anyways, ascension. Thoughts? Feelings?”

“I,” Jean says primly, “am perfectly content being human.”

“What if,” Venti leans forward, eyes glowing, “you could do more? Protect more, help more, ensure Mondstadt is always as free as it’s meant to be?”

Jean shakes her head. “I don’t believe I have such capabilities.”

“You do,” Venti says fiercely, “you’re Vanessa’s successor, after all.”

__

“What a silly question,” Kaeya laughs, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re lucky we’re in Mondstadt, or you’d get struck down just for asking that.”

Venti grins, teeth and gum. “I’d like to see the others try. Besides, they should learn from me and do the same.”

A bit of uncertainty crawls into Kaeya’s expression as he tips his head to the side. “What are you saying, bard?”

“I’m asking,” Venti says, “if you’re ready to bring in the next era.”

Kaeya leans in despite himself, easy smile faded to something more serious. “And what does that look like?”

“Why,” Venti leans back, smiling, “What fun would it be if I decided that?”

__

“I’m a librarian,” Miss Lisa says primly, “I’ve no interest in such things.”

“There isn’t much duty,” Venti says, “and you’ll be far from alone.”

Miss Lisa looks down at him over her spectacles, and says, smile wide, “This is only hypothetical, of course.”

It’s not a question.

Venti treats it like one: “Miss Lisa, aren’t you ready for the next age?”

Venti is.

__

Barbatos goes to an old friend.

“The new era is coming,” he says. “Your vision is a bit different from mine, but no less lovely.”

“I’ll keep humans as they are,” Rex Lapis says, “they’re best in this form, I think. You’ve prepared yours for ascension, I see.”

“Not yet,” Barbatos shrugs, “It will be decades yet before some of them are ready.”

“And the Traveler?”

Barbatos smiles.

[thebowerypresents]

Damien Rice Launches New American Tour at Kings Theatre

Damien Rice – Kings Theatre – November 29, 2023

I’ve followed the Irish troubadour Damien Rice for years and if you have the chance to see him live it is highly recommended. He creates an intimacy that’s often unmatched by other singer-songwriters, and it’s this talent that has the likes of Ed Sheeran and Niall Horan claiming his influence. Although he hasn’t produced much music since 2014’s My Favourite Faded Fantasy, the often reclusive artist released a haunting cover of Sia’s “Chandelier” in 2021 and more recently 2022’s “Songs for Berta,” a collaboration with Sandrayati and JFDR to honor Honduran environmental activist Berta Cáceres. Rice spent the summer touring Spain and Italy by sailboat, and now he’s in the United States for a short tour that kicked off at a sold-out Kings Theatre on Wednesday night. 

The stage was lit with floor lamps, enshrouding the singer in shadows as he moved to the edge of center stage to tell a tale of 13-year-old boy who must navigate the world of temptation. In true balladeer fashion, the story led into an introduction of “The Professor & La Fille Danse,” from the 2004 B-Sides release. Rice mostly pulled material from his debut album, O, and its follow-up, 9. Former longtime collaborator Lisa Hannigan had an unmistakable stamp on those albums with her supporting vocals, but last night the Brazilian cellist Francisca Barreto beautifully filled those singing duties on “Volcano” and “9 Crimes.”

Between songs, Rice shared stories and musings on life and music, describing the latter as an “emotional toilet,” wherein the rotten feelings are released and (hopefully) processed into positivity. The singer-songwriter hadn’t prepared a setlist so he fielded an endless stream of song requests, which led to playing the rare track “Insane.” Toward the end of the performance, Rice encouraged fans to rise from their seats and get closer to the stage while he strummed the upbeat “Coconut Skins” and shared the new song “Behind Those Eyes.” After a brief exit, Barreto and Rice returned to encore with “Cold Water” against a vibrant blue illumination to their background. Fearing the show’s real conclusion, fans shouted for more songs leading to Rice rocking out on “I Remember” as flashing floor lamps pulsated before fan-favorite “The Blower’s Daughter” sent everyone off into the cold, humming into the night. —Sharlene Chiu | @Shar0ck

Photos courtesy of Ken Grand-Pierre | www.kenamiphoto.com

[rndyounghowze]

Young Howze Theatre Awards 2023 Nominees

Our Award Show is March 26 at 5PM EST. If you see your name here please email us at rndyounghowze@gmail.com You can support our work by donating on Venmo @rndyounghowze. We are still looking for ASL interpreters! If you know of any service that could help please let us know!

Solo Awards

"All By Myself Award" For Solo Performer Of The Year

Megan Quick in “And Toto Too”

Anabell Ramirez in “Book of Sirens” 

Timothy Mooney in “Man Cave” 

“Flying Solo” For Solo Show Of The Year

“And Toto Too” by Megan Quick 

“Book of Sirens” by Pro English Theatre

“Man Cave” by Timothy Mooney 

 “Good Adoptee” by Suzanne Bachner

"Campfire Award" For Storyteller of The Year

Daniel Kinch in “Story of the Falling Don”

Erika Eileen Wade in “Da Rhythm Da Blues”

Mina Liccione in “Growing Up Ringside”

Mind-Blowing Awards

"Mind-Blowing Stage" For Stage Writing Of The Year

“Monsters of American Cinema” by Christian St. Croix

“La Race” by Bleu Beckford-Burell 

“Sherlock Holmes Valley Of Fear” by Nick Lane

“Lavender Men” by Roger Q Mason

“Whickams Christmas at Pemberley” by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon

"Mind-Blowing Shortie" For Short Form Writing Of The Year 

“Wookiee in The Wilderness” by Marcus Scott

“By The Way” by Lisa Rosetta Strum

“Faulty Lock” by AJ Maryn 

“Waterlillies” by Christine Hillary Lee

"Mind-Blowing Devising" For Devised Production Of The Year 

“From Number to Name”

“Posthumous”

“Afterlife Job Fair”

“Artemisias Intent”

Artists Of The Year

"Extensions" For Movement Artist Of The Year

Mita Ghosal for “Selected Fabrics”

Alicia Diaz for “Puerto Rico y Richmond”

Lena Adele Wolf and Clemence Debaig for “Discordance”

"Action" Award For Film Director Of The Year

Thomas Cote in “Memories of Over Development”

Yannis Sainte-Rose in “Tuff Guy”

Olivier Sagne in “Lovena”

Iida Valme in “Mirage”

"Dress Up" Award For Costume Designer Of The Year

Wendell Carmichael in  “Lavender Men”

X Hill in “Cymbeline Project”

Gail Russell “Wickhams: Christmas At Pemberley” 

"Mix It Up" Award For Sound Designer Of The Year

Adrian Bridges in “Artemesia’s Intent”

Stepy Kamei in “One Bad Day”

Leonie Bell in “Arrow Of Time”

"Maestro Award" For Outstanding Musical Composition

Diana Oh for “The Cymbeline Project” 

Nathan Leigh for “POV: You Are An AI Achieving Consciousness”

Maurice Soque Jr. for “Non Player Character” 

Director Of The Year

Taylor Reynolds in “La Race”

Lisa Scheps and Brian Cheslik in “Last Five Years”

Alex Borovenskiy in “Book Of Sirens” 

Nick Lane “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide”

Short Form Director Of The Year

Destiny Whitaker in “All Out Of Spoons”

Zhailon Levingston and Tracy Conyer Lee in “Fire This Time Festival 22”

Cayle Komara in “Waterlillies”

Creative Of The Year 

Christian St. Croix

Scarlett Kim

Roger Q. Mason

BIPOC Hero Award

TBA

“Magician” Award For Press Contact Of The Year

TBA

Shows/Festivals Of The Year

Festival Of The Year

“Fire This Time Festival”

“Frigid Fest”

“Talking It Out Fest”

"You Oughta Be In Pictures" For Film Of The Year

“Memories of Over Development” 

“Undine”

“Lovena”

"Billy Bard" For Digital Shakespeare Production Of The Year

“Rome-Oh No They Didn’t” 

“Romeo and Juliet” by Sister Shakes

“Breakneck Romeo and Juliet”

Show Of The Year

“Lavender Men”

“The Cymbeline Project”

“La Race”

“POV: You Are An AI Achieving Consciousness”

"360" Award For VR Show of The Year

“Queerskins” Ark”

“Anakwad”

“Non Player Character”

“Discordance”

"Free Fall” Award For Immersive Production Of The Year

“Section 230”

“Posthumous”

“POV: You Are An AI Achieving Consciousness”

“Afterlife Job Fair”

"Grace Notes Award" For Musical Production Of The Year

“Non Player Character”

“Lizard Boy”

“The Last Five Years”

"Can You Hear Me Now" For Audio Production Of The Year

“You’ve Reached Justin” By Christian St. Croix

“One Bad Day” By Stepy Kamei 

“Arrow Of Time” By Allyson Dwyer

Performers Of The Year

"More Than Merely Players" Award For Outstanding Dramatic Performer Of The Year

Krissy Lemon in "The Last Five Years"   

Mariah Freda in "Artemesia's Intent" 

Susannah Perkins in "Arrow Of Time"

Ben Holbrook in "Arrow Of Time" 

Blake Kubena in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" 

"Fools These Mortals Be" Award For Outstanding Comedic Performer

Imani Waweru in “Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley”

Monique "Momo" Holt in “The Cymbeline Project”

Cristofer Jean in “The Cymbeline Project”

Stacey Sargeant in “La Race”

Melanie Leon in “Afterlife Job Fair”

"Capture" Award For VR Performer Of The Year

Debbie Deer in “VR Christmas Carol” 

Brendan Bradley in “Non-Player Character”

Lena Adele Wolf in “Discordance” 

[onecornerface]

ChatGPT adds new scenes to “Scott’s Tots” (The Office)

-Me: “Write a new scene for "Scott's Tots" (episode of "The Office" American version), where things become even more cringey for Michael and the audience.” -ChatGPT: INT. DUNDER MIFFLIN SCRANTON BRANCH - DAY Michael walks into the conference room with a large stack of papers in his hands. He takes a deep breath and addresses the group of students from Scott's Tots, who are all eagerly awaiting his arrival. MICHAEL: (clearing throat) Hello, Scott's Tots! It's so great to see all of you today. (He looks at the faces of the children and sees their excitement.) MICHAEL (CONT'D): (whispering to himself) Oh God, this is going to be so much worse than I thought. Michael shuffles his papers nervously and begins to address the group. MICHAEL (CONT'D): So, as you all know, I made a promise to you ten years ago that I would pay for your college tuition. (The children all nod their heads in agreement.) And, well, I'm here today to tell you that I'm sorry, but I can't do it. The room falls silent, and the children look at Michael in disbelief. MICHAEL (CONT'D): I know this is a terrible thing to say, and I feel terrible about it, but I just can't afford to pay for all of your college educations. The children begin to cry, and Michael tries to console them. MICHAEL (CONT'D): Now, now, don't cry. I know this is a disappointment, but I promise I will make it up to you somehow. One of the children, a girl named Lisa, stands up and approaches Michael. LISA: Mr. Scott, I don't understand. You promised us that you would pay for our college educations. How could you do this to us? MICHAEL: (voice cracking) I know, Lisa. And I'm sorry. I really am. But I just can't afford it. Suddenly, the door to the conference room opens, and in walks a group of reporters, holding cameras and microphones. REPORTER 1: Mr. Scott, we heard about your promise to these children. What do you have to say about breaking that promise? MICHAEL: (shocked) Oh my God, how did you guys even find out about this? REPORTER 2: We have our ways, Mr. Scott. Now, answer the question. MICHAEL: (flustered) I...I don't know what to say. I feel terrible about it, but I just can't afford to pay for all of their college educations. The reporters continue to barrage Michael with questions as the children look on in horror. The scene ends with Michael slinking out of the conference room, humiliated and defeated, as the reporters continue to shout questions at him. --

--

--

-I wrote a second prompt: “Good, but make it even more cringe.” -ChatGPT: INT. DUNDER MIFFLIN SCRANTON BRANCH - DAY Michael nervously walks into the conference room where a group of students from Scott's Tots are eagerly awaiting his arrival. He's holding a guitar and wearing a brown leather jacket. MICHAEL: (clearing throat) Hey there, Scott's Tots! How's everyone doing today? (He strums his guitar, but it's out of tune.) The children look at him with confusion and mild discomfort. MICHAEL (CONT'D): So, as you all know, I promised you ten years ago that I would pay for your college tuition. (He pauses for effect, but no one cheers.) And, well, I'm here today to make good on that promise. The children's faces light up with excitement. MICHAEL (CONT'D): (whispering to himself) Here goes nothing. He starts to play his guitar and sing, but his voice is off-key and shaky. MICHAEL (CONT'D): (singing) Scott's Tots, they are the best, gonna send them all to college, yeah that's my quest! The children exchange awkward glances, unsure of how to react. MICHAEL (CONT'D): (singing) You'll all be doctors, lawyers, and engineers, thanks to me, your hero, Michael Scott! He finishes the song with a dramatic flourish, but the children are silent. MICHAEL (CONT'D): (awkwardly) So, um, yeah. I'm really sorry, but I can't afford to pay for your college tuition after all. The children's faces fall, and Michael can feel the awkwardness and disappointment filling the room. MICHAEL (CONT'D): (frustrated) What? What do you want me to do? I'm just a guy trying to make a difference in your lives. One of the children, a boy named Jeremy, stands up and confronts Michael. JEREMY: Mr. Scott, you promised us that you would pay for our college tuition. How could you do this to us? MICHAEL: (defensive) Hey, I tried my best. I really did. But things didn't work out, and I just can't do it. You can't blame me for that. Suddenly, the door to the conference room bursts open, and in walks a group of dancers, dressed in bright neon spandex suits. MICHAEL: (excitedly) Oh, hey guys! You're right on time. The dancers start performing a routine to a song that Michael had written for the occasion, complete with synchronized high kicks and pelvic thrusts. The children look on in disbelief, and Michael starts dancing along with the group, trying to distract them from the disappointment of his broken promise. The cringe-factor is palpable as Michael flails about, trying to keep up with the dancers, all while the children look on in stunned silence. The scene ends with Michael panting and sweating, as the dancers finish their routine and leave the room, leaving behind a group of traumatized and disappointed children.

[fennekin123]

Keahi x Venti headcanons

Yes I’m doing this and I cannot be stopped—

First things first, Keahi would definitely be nicknamed ‘Windblume’ by Venti, it’s a universal fact that Venti calls his partners that, no exceptions-

They’re definitely going to be cuddling on the hands of the anemo archon statue in the city.

Heck, Keahi goes and sits on them every night, he’s just gonna chill on the hands because it makes him happy.

They like playing music together, well mainly Keahi quietly hums a random song he remembers while Venti is just strumming his lyre along to it.

They’re going to sign “I love you” to each other A LOT-

Like even when Venti is performing with a crowd and Keahi just so happens to be in the audience, he’s gonna sneak in that “I love you” hand sign to them.

Imagine if Venti didn’t know about the hand sign before and Keahi would learn about him not knowing it and proceeds to do the “I love you” hand sign to Venti at any chance he gets when they weren’t dating, and Venti is just confused on what it meant.

That is until he decided to go to Lisa’s library to learn more sign language, he finds the “I love you” hand sign and his face would be red as a tomato-

He would keep this a secret from Keahi until after they start dating, signing back at them with the hand sign then signing “I knew for awhile~” with Keahi’s face turning pink.

If you see these two in the Angel’s Share tavern, you’ll notice that Keahi is way more sober than Venti, and you can bet Venti will start drunkenly flirt with him.

Keahi would often carry Venti around, mostly when Venti is too drunk to walk properly.

Venti is most definitely going to make songs about them and sing it in public for everyone to hear, and once Keahi realises this, they'll be flustered.

These two will definitely be at Starsnatch cliff making flower crowns using Cecilias, and Venti will sometimes be seen wearing one, same with Keahi.

surprise kisses in public? Venti has no shame in doing that, Keahi gets flustered every time-

Keahi would play with Venti's hair and Venti would enjoy every moment of it.

dragon rides on Dvalin? Absolutely (and Meraxes would sometimes tag along in her dragon form, as she doesn't normally get to when she's really busy).

They would both love to stargaze on Starsnatch cliff, pointing out constellations that they see and just admiring the night sky.

They will both love going camping together, eating food they hunt for, humming little songs for fun, etc. And there will be a lot of smooching involved-

They love kissing each other on the lips, but they mostly do that in private, as it feels like the right moment, but they do sometimes kiss each other in public, kind of like a small gesture of love when they can’t be alone. Although, Venti does get mischievous at times and does it to Keahi unexpectedly to get a flustered reaction out of him.

If Keahi is going out to do commissions, Venti will tag along, it’s like a small adventure date to them.

Those are all the ones I have for now, but there may or may not be a part 2 to these headcanons (if I think of more ideas that is)