#glee updates

[cryscendo]

the ABCs of KEH: F IS FOR… FASHION

Every moment in your life is an opportunity for fashion. (insp)

[beekeeperspicnic]

The Beekeeper's Picnic Papercrafts are here! Including...

Paper Dolls - Make paper standees of Holmes, Watson, Mycroft and their little  neighbour Tilda in a variety of outfits! There are over 20 separate  items of clothing. Here's a little tutorial I made...

Colouring Sheets - Colour Holmes and Watson out for a stroll, or famous scenes from the stories The Gloria Scott and The Devil's Foot.Print them onto paper or card to colour with pencil crayons, or print  on watercolour paper and have a go at painting them! You could also  open the PDF in your paint package of choice and try some digital  colouring! (Just credit me for the lineart, please!)

Postcards/Prints - Print out a map of the village of  Fulworth and postcards from the Diogenes Club, 221b Baker Street, and  the famous cliffs over Fulworth Bay (famous for making an excellent  picnic spot! Also that whole jellyfish thing.) 

If you are a kickstarter backer who pledged at Creative Crafter or above, you can claim your rewards here.

If you'd like to buy the Creative Crafter package now, then this is the place to go!

[ilostmymojo]

Hello, Pikmin community, please accept my humble offering.

[chussyracing]

what has been happening in the world of motorsports?

it's very long, so all updates and rumours are under the cut

DRIVERS (and others) MARKET

Esteban will leave Alpine at the end of the year (he will confirm his future in f1 „soon“)

Checo Perez got a contract extension in RBR for 2025 and 2026 (meaning that yes, he will be in the team for the first year of new rules)

since there are whispers about Newey already being signed for Ferrari, there are also rumours about Enrico Cardile looking at potential offers (like the one from Aston Martin) as his role could be diminished by Newey coming

very much a rumour (by DailyMail as well) but Ollie to Haas has been confirmed by them

Yuki extended his contract with RB for 2025 season

FIA passed the rule that drivers can be 17 to achieve Superlicence needed for outing in F1 and the only person it could probably apply to right now is Kimi Antonelli who turns 18 in August, so we may see him in an F1 car sooner than that (on the other hand it can also apply to the FP1 junior outing as well)

another thing that supports is are quotes from Toto (that they told Carlos they want to focus on young drivers and he understood) and form James Vowles (that Carlos is their main target for signing)

there are also unconfirmed rumours that Williams offered Carlos a 4 year deal (2 years with 2 years extension possibility) and that the deal could get announced around Barcelona GP

Guanyu is rumoured to look into Alpine seat possibility (remember he was in their junior academy)

Horner cleared up that the new contract extension for Checo is not actually 2 year but rather 1+1

Sauber (or rather Audi) signed Stefano Sordo as performance director in preparation for 2026

Adam Kenyon has been promoted to Head of Aero of Williams and according to James Vowles he has been with he team since 2021 and was “quietly promoted” in March this year already, they just didn’t announce it with a lot of noise

there are reports that Ferrari dropped the negotiations with Newey around Monaco and since he visited Aston Martin factory

Helmut Marko confirmed that if they cannot find a seat for Liam Lawson for 2025 he has a clause in his contract making him a free agent open to all the teams

Montoya said that Logan already has been told he won’t continue racing for Williams in 2025 and this is what is behind his bad results this year (but when does anyone listen to what Montoya says anyway)

OTHER SERIES

Jamie Chawdick became the first ever female to win an Indy NXT race (after also becoming the first female pole sitter)

after Este speaking about getting dead threats, the same happened to Theo Pourchaire in IndyCar for a crash during Detroit GP (Arrow McLaren stood behind him, the same cannot be said about Alpine)

on the other hand… um. he was hired after David Malukas got injured and he was supposed to drive for the rest of the season, and now they fired him and hired Nolan Siegel instead after he apparently just posted about being excited to drive this upcoming weekend (nobody speak to me about how Ferrari treats Carlos for not extending his contract when you see this please)

Marc Marquez will join Bagnaia in Ducati for 2025 in MotoGP

Arthur Leclerc won his first race with his Scuderia Baldini and rest of the team in GT3 series (with a car sponsored by LEC which based on his race suit is his personal sponsor)

Ferrari won 24 hours of Le Mans AGAIN for the second year in row, this time with car #50 and car #51 coming in p3 for a double podium (Nyck de Vries was p2 with Toyota, Ferrari #83 was running in contention for a win or podium at least until the engine died, Alpine suffered double DNF with both cars)

JUNIORS

McLaren reserve driver Hirakawa tested MCL36 yesterday

Jack Doohan did his FP1 session for Alpine in Esteban’s car in Canada and coincidentally Bruno Famin (Alpine TP spoke about him being on their list for the 2025 Alpine seat)

Ollie Bearman will be doing another FP1 session in Nico’s car in Barcelona for Haas

Jak Crawford tested 2022 Aston Martin car

Kimi Antonelli tested W13 in Barcelona

Kacper Sztuka was dropped from Red Bull junior academy after just 4 race weekends and there is a real concern if he will be able to finish the season without the financial backing that the F1 backing brought him

RULES AND FUTURE OF F1

Red Bull Ring will have temporary gravel traps between T9 and T10 (so it would avoid track limits trauma from past two years in F1 but it would also stay safe for MotoGP)

F1’s revenue increased by 45% in first quarter of 2024 in comparison to 2023

the 2026 rules were announced by FIA: cars will be narrower and shorter and lighter, DRS will be replaced by MOM (manual overtake mode) which just sounds like push to pass tbh as it gives you more energy for some time, there will be new aero modes – basically active aero parts (so again similar to DRS but both on front and rear wing and those will be manually activated and it won’t be depended on how close you are to the car in front) and there are new safety measures with stronger hoop after Guanyu’s crash in Silverstone and better/more lights for visibility and of course no front wheel deflectors thank god, there will be less ground effect and less exhaust engine power with electric engine adding more power

FE also will get some new rules: new gloves with better protection (after a series of hand injuries with current generation of cars) and same rules as in F1 about superlicence were updated

side note many F1 team principals apparently already protested certain parts of the new rules (and also some drivers, Lando said that fans can forget about more than one team running for a victory with new rules and George said it could be dangerous with crazy speeds on straights and very slow ones in turns)

also Domenicali admitted that these regs might be the last with hybrid cars, instead they would focus on 100% sustainable fuels and better “traditional” sound and lighter cars in the upcoming years after that

oh and Newey spoke about the new regs as well and said that FIA was “heavily influenced by one or two manufacturers” when making 2026 technical regulations

and Mercedes and Renault are against alternations to the agreed engine regulations for 2026

Ferrari tested the 2025 Pirelli tyres in Mugello last week

FIA is thinking of doing two sets of testings (instead of just three days like it was in recent years, doing 6 of them instead) which would probably be 3 days in Barcelona and 3 days in Bahrain for 2026 as the teams would need to collect more data with the new regulations coming into place

F1 TEAMS

the investigation against Stake Kick Sauber F1 Team in Switzerland was dropped “after determining that Sauber’s international presence and the inaccessibility of Stake’s services in Switzerland rendered the sponsorship compliant with regulations”

formulauno reports that Ferrari’s Imola upgrade package cost them about 35% of development budget, so more big changes were meant come in Silverstone but the team pushed forward and is expected to bring them in Barcelona already (so maybe new floor? maybe diffusor area where we lose a lot to RBR?) – this upgrade package could be fit to both cars depending on how they do (and if they can do 3 copies)

Mercedes should also bring new floor to Spain with more gains expected from them, Red Bull, VCARB and McLaren are also expected to bring some upgrades

Williams had a fanzone in Montreal and opened another in Barcelona

Red Bull is apparently asking for legality check of the front wings of Mercedes (and probably McLaren and Ferrari and there is a speculation that Aston Martin has a similar front wing in works)

there are speculations about Renault dropping out of F1 after rumours that Alpine is asking for possibility of Red Bull Powertrains as their engine supplier from 2026 onwards

speaking for Alpine, they had some upgrades that obviously helped them quite a lot, but according to Esteban, they have been swapping one chassis (the older one) that is 3kgs heavier and he had it since Miami and he expects them to swap it for the rest of the whole season…

Zak Brown was saying how RBR is toxic right now and he expects more people to leave them

Mercedes is under a wave of criticism because they kind of erased Lewis’ trophy from Chinese sprint from this year on social media (person opinion: I don’t think it was purposeful maybe but definitely very unfortunate under the current circumstances)

slight drama with Alpine (again) from Canada: despite starting much lower with the overweight chassis and grid drop penalty from Monaco, Esteban was running in front of Pierre towards the end of the GP and the team asked him to swap with Pierre who was behind, Esteban didn’t want to but after a lap or so he let Pierre in front, at the end of the race when Pierre couldn’t catch up with Daniel in front, Esteban asked if they can swap back like usual and got negative response

also McLaren could have won the race in Canada and fumbled it because they didn’t call Lando to pit although he was in front of the pit entry when the safety car came out (so it wasn’t bad luck with safety car as some fans called)

RB or VCARB or whatever will be changing their name again because it is pretty confusing right now (Horner said that when they called Yuki about his contract extension with RB he was hopeful for a second that RB means Red Bull)

it is in the stage of rumour for now BUT Alpine is apparently looking for a way out of the deal with Renault as it is open secret they make the weakest power unit out of all factory teams and instead is looking for a new engine supplier to become a customer team (also there is a rumour that this and the fact that Flavio Briatore has been linked to the team are the main reasons that Esteban was looking for a way out), there is also a real concern of selling the team (to Andretti for example) but  Renault CEO said that won’t be happening

F1 DRIVERS

Charles invested in Chrono24 which is marketplace for luxury watches (funny side note: Christiano Ronaldo invested in the same company last year)

Charles was the first torch bearer of Olympic flame as it passed through Monaco, making him second F1 driver to do so after Lewis (and Nico Rosberg was there in the crowd to watch Charles lol)

apparently Lewis is staring in Camilla Cabello’s new music video

Charles will be taking part in Jules Bianchi karting marathon in September

Carlos will have a special edition of a cap for his home race in Spain

Max will have a special helmet for Barcelona, Red Bull Ring, Spa, Zandvoort and Monza which is fully orange as “they are European races with a lot of orange fans” (…bro. monza… um)

Max said he was contacted by teams in WEC for a possibility of him taking part in 24h of Le Mans in a hypercar, Pierre also said he would like to do it one day but remains focused on F1 now and Charles also said it could be something he would like to do after F1 because it calls for a lot of training he cannot afford with current 24 races long F1 calendar

gentle reminder that Checo will have a 3 places grid drop penalty in Barcelona because his team purposedly told him to bring the damaged car to the pits although they knew it would be considered driving under unsafe conditions, just because they were afraid of it ruining Max chances of winning

apparently Kelly Piquet had to post about receiving hate online and Max also spoke out about it under her post (no comment)

Jacques Villeneuve had some pretty brutal things to say about Daniel Ricciardo (mostly that he doesn’t belong in F1 right now and is taking up space for someone talented) and Daniel answered that he probably hit his head too many times

oh also Charles’ issue in Canada was system one, not engine one which is why they remain optimistic with his pool of used engines, on the other hand the issue was up to 80 horse power units and about 1.5s per lap so…

Charles won the overtake of the month trophy for his pass on Lewis from the outside in Miami

Charles posted a new vlog on YouTube (and I have yet to see it AHH)

Carlos revealed in an interview that he has co—owned a burger restaurant with his friends for a year now (Boogie Burgers)

Liam Lawson recorded a song in the studio (it is unknown to me if he is on the vocals or guitar as well tbh but… damn these drivers are just collecting sidequests at this point)

Valtteri Bottas won a 114 km long gravel cycling race (fun fact: there is an incredibly funny headline I didn’t screenshot talking about Carlos getting inspired by Valtteri’s win as a fellow driver without a seat and buying a new bike)

OTHER F1 RELATED UPDATES

the Apple original F1 movie with Pitt will be released internationally on 25th June 2025

Canadian GP organizers were called to stewards after track invasion after the end of the GP (but there were other issues which Stefano Domenicali had to apologize for: flooded parts of the facilities, fans who paid tickets getting a fence in front of them covered by black cloth, fans being sent home on Friday with information that the sessions were cancelled)

F1 wants to involve AI more in the industry and we already saw AI made trophy for the Canadian GP (and apparently last Merc post about Doriane is labeled as made by AI too)

Stuart Pringle spoke up as a Silverstone managing director about the lack of sales for the tickets and mentioned that after years of Mercedes dominance as a British team with a British champion, the Red Bull dominance has hurt them the most (but as everyone else spoke up, it might as well be their sketchy prizes tactics)

Barcelona had a live roadshow with multiple drivers doing donuts/showrun in f1 cars (Carlos, Checo, Jack Doohan…)

F1 Exhibition will also visit London after being successful in Madrid, Vienna and Toronto

FIA launched a new campaign focusing on preventing concussion

[youremyonlyhope]

"YES! That's my Alex! HA. Lea Michele don't got no Tony. Alex got a Tony! Lea Michele got the virus. HA."

My mom, laughing in schadenfreude at the TV.

[charlotte-of-wales]

what we know from the book so far:

- William got physical with Harry in 2019 in NottCott

- Charles asked William and Harry to not make his final years a misery after Prince Philip’s funeral

- claims William and Kate laughed when he told them about the n*zi costume and encouraged him to wear it. 

- he is said to talk about whatever was going on with Meghan and Kate prior to the wedding, so far it was revealed that Meghan told Kate she had baby brain because of all the hormones. Meghan was reprimanded for talking to Kate like that considering they were not close. 

- he calls William ‘Willy’ throughout

- William and Harry ‘begged’ Charles not to marry Camilla. Harry claims meeting her for the first time was like an “injection” and he wondered if she would be like the evil stepmother in the stories. Claims Willy was suspicious over “the other woman” for a while. 

- he calls William his archenemy and polar opposite 

- Harry, William and Charles held a meeting after Prince Philip’s funeral close to King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson’s graves (fucking ironic if you ask me)

- claims the Queen was the one to call him and tell him “grandfather passed away”

- Harry comes for William’s baldness (as if he has a full head of hair) and says the similarities to their mother have faded

- great piece of dialogue here y’all:

William: “You left, Harold”

Harry: “Yeah, and you know why”

William: “Honestly, no. Harold.....not really”

- I need actual confirmation that William calls him Harold now. 

[fallevs]

✨️ the masterlist no one asked for ✨️

Although I've been a member of this fandom for only a few years and have been publishing stories for even less time (because I have written quite a few, but some of them are well hidden in my pc), I thought it would be fun to create a masterlist, in case anyone wants to take a look at the nonsense I create.

Under the cut you will find the stories with tags and triggers

Invisible Strings verse:

Don't let me go (cause I'm tired of feeling alone)

9,868 words

Relationship: Kurt/Blaine

Tags: Platonic Romance, Fluff and Angst, Blangst, Sadie Hawkins Dance, Gay Bashing, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hate Crimes, Violence, Trauma removed, Age Difference, Alternate Universe, Hospitalization, Verbal Humiliation, Nurse!Kurt

Sequel: A moment of forever

6,897 words

Relationship: Kurt/Blaine

This is slightly angsty, but mostly fluff and melancholy.

Neighbors Apart

19,514 words

Relationship: Kurt/Blaine

Tags: Mutual Frustration, They can't stand each other until they do, Falling In Love, Idiots in Love, Neighbors!Klaine, Fluff and Crack, Some Humor, A little bit of angst, Eventual Smut, Anal Sex, Inspired by an italian movie, Blink and you'll miss it blood mention, Blink and you'll miss it Kurtbastian, Antarctica, Saving the whales, Saving the turtles, Alternate Universe, Manhattan

Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

Klaine Secret Santa Gift Exchange 2023

4,145 words

Relationship: Kurt/Blaine

Tags: Alternate Universe, Soulmates, Dreams, Dreams vs. Reality, Light Angst, Poetry, Love Poems, Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, Writer!Blaine, Florist!Kurt, Nostalgia, Melancholy, Memories, Epistolary, Diary/Journal, Language of Flowers

My Name Has My Father's Voice

10.636 words

Kurt and Burt centric, Kurt/Blaine

Tags: Character Death, Cancer, Terminal Illnesses, Father-Son Relationship, Hospitalization, Not Canon Compliant, Glee Season/Series 04, Takes place after Christmas, Finn is well and alive, Angst and Tragedy, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Suicidal Thoughts, Based on a real experience, Vomiting, Crying

Headphones Recommended

9,212 words

Relationship: Kurt/Blaine

Tags: Online Romance , Cute, Meet-Cute, Cute Ending, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Insomnia, Jeremiah is an ass, And Sebastian can't stand him, Some Humor, Tumblr Prompt, Teacher!Blaine, He teaches art history, I don't know why... but I can imagine him doing it, Massage Therapist!Kurt, Asmrartist!Kurt, ASMR, Fluff and Humor, Mentioned Quinn Fabray, Lesbian Kitty Wilde, ASMR Triggers

[simplysummers]

A Glance Through The Hourglass

Summary: Unbeknownst to everyone, Sebastian Smythe knew how it felt to look out into a colourful world and see nothing but grey. It wasn’t something he shared with most, something he hid through his promiscuous image, something he planned to take to his close-calling grave, but when his plans to rid himself of his burdens and inner aches failed, he was tossed back to Dalton’s walls with a new image and perception, one nobody, not even he, seemed to understand.

Kurt doesn’t know if he wants to understand, but after finding out he and Sebastian have a lot more in common than he thought, he may not have much of a choice.

'Hey Bas I'm meeting up with a friend to grab a coffee in J commons. You coming?’

Jeff's simple question seemed to knock his heart into an irregular rhythm, and a familiar tremble rupture it's way through his neck and wither through his sore muscles.

His doctors had said such occurrences were to be expected after quite a traumatic event; the panic, the need for constant clarification, and the lack of trust. His mind had only just adjusted to the nauseating fact that dozens of people were now aware of the internal pain the sixteen year old had been holding secretly so close to his heart for over six years, and especially within the last six months.

The shrink had said that a natural reaction to Sebastian's situation would be to consistently worry over control, and furthermore over the jurisdiction of the action itself, it was completely estranged to Sebastian, not only as somebody who had held onto composure like a lifeline his entire existence, but the professional terminology and long winded diagnoses the doctors had been using barely made any sense, leaving the teenager to scrounge for whatever scraps of information he could yank together.

His new therapist had also explained that although his mind would feel as though it were travelling through a ‘bustling metropolis of thoughts’, most bad but few good, his brain would pick an associative notion or memory to focus on specifically, due to the fact that the human brain wasn’t capable of doing much else, no matter how much Sebastian insisted it felt as if his mind were New York City central compartmentalised, pretty much all of the time.

Unfairly, after reassessing Jeff's friendly text message, Sebastian's busied brain had eventually settled upon the fresh image of his mother, waking him gently to take his painkillers and presenting him with a scarily similar question the morning before he had returned to school, a little over a week ago.

He couldn't quite remember exactly how she had articulated the phrase, but he knew she had been meeting with his Aunt Anneliese and very predominantly offered their company to him, insisting his father’s twin sister was desperate to see her 'favourite nephew', a similar joke to that of something Jeff would say.

It was a simple tease in an attempt to get a smile out of her 'sickly' son, especially considering Sebastian was his Aunt's only nephew, but instead of filling him with brief laughter, the joke had left him feeling as if he were suddenly surrounded by confusion and disassociation- his mother had never made such a jested comment before, she was a surgeon, usually so firm and serious to match her consequential occupation, simply not wired to crack jokes with her teenager.

He couldn't help but scoff as he recounted the thought, a pathetic teary scoff that held no merit of attitude, but instead of clear confusion in disguise. He knew he shouldn't be mulling over why both of his parents had suddenly changed in his presence, it was pitifully obvious. After his father had found his only son bleeding at the bottom of the large oak tree in their lavish backyard, and his mother had been pulled out of surgery to see her own son being rushed through the double doors at the end of the hallway, still scrubbed in and with no explanation as to what had happened since she’d left for work that evening, there was no reason to wonder as to why they were suddenly showering him in attention, they had almost lost him, and must've felt like it was all their fault.

It wasn't...it wasn't their fault at all, and the simple thought that his distracted yet loving parents were blaming themselves for Sebastian's attempt to take his own life had brought him to juvenilised sobbing throughout the first few nights of recovery. They were trying so hard, trying to fix something they played little to no part in destroying, and it stung to know they were changing for him when he didn't really deserve the efforts.

Continuation

[kurtsascot]

fic masterlist

wips:

klaine!clueless au

complete:

treading water 90k+ words, multichap, kurt pov, explicit

tropes/important tags: angst, kurt being dumb, blaine being smitten

fic playlist

feel my heart's intention. 17k words, blaine pov, explicit

tropes/important tags: enemies to lovers, coworkers, bisexual blaine

rate my professor 7k words, kurt pov, mature

tropes/important tags: professors!klaine, mutual pining, oblivious!kurt

distraction 7k words, blaine pov, explicit

tropes/important tags: age gap, manager!kurt, musician!actor!blaine

unexpected 4k words, blaine pov, teen

tropes/important tags: pining, oblivious!blaine, meet ugly adjacent

spring break and the snowbank 4k words, blaine character study, teen

tropes/important tags: early!klaine, kurt teaching blaine to drive, canon compliant-ish

getting older 2k words, blaine pov, teen

tropes/important tags: canon compliant, blaine being insecure, glasses

[voidpetoftheday]

Day 23: Update on Pegasus (2)

Final form!

[pocketsniper]

Info about Info

[cherishmimi]

Quinn attempts to unravel her past in therapy, while the launch event for her new collection looms. Eventually, things come to a head. 

[i-miss-faberry]

Quinn, eating dinner with Rachel: I’m not saying I’m in love with you-

Rachel: Okay, see, when you start sentences like that it makes me wonder why I married you.

[esperantoauthor]

Rating: T Chapters: 13/14 Tags: romance, emotional hurt/comfort, high school AU, friends to lovers, POV multiple

Summary: “As he glanced at the calendar, Burt Hummel contemplated—not for the first time—how little he had in common with his only child.” Burt Hummel doesn’t know how to connect with his son but when he discovers that Kurt has a serious problem, Burt will do anything to help him. Told from multiple perspectives, this is a story about what happens when a problem goes undiagnosed, and what happens when it finally is.

📖 CHAPTER 13 NOW AVAILABLE ON AO3 📖

cover art by @gleefulpoppet | beta-read by @blurglesmurfklaine

[todaydreambelieversfic]

Chapter 3

Kurt plopped onto his couch. Today had been exhausting and exhilarating all at once. He could feel his smile etched into his face.  He and Blaine got to the second chorus and April callled cut, storming the stage and capturing Kurt in an enormous hug and declaring that he was their flying green bitch. He wasn’t sure if April had mixed up her words or if Mrs. Rhodes was just being affectionate.  At this point, it didn’t matter. He had scored his first Broadway role. He was also the first male to ever play Elphaba.   He had wanted the role since he had seen the musical the very first time. His former glee club teacher had told him that he could never be Elphaba because he was the wrong gender. Mr. Shu could suck it.   

He was so excited that he couldn't stay still. He rose to his feet, humming ‘As Long as You're Mine,’  practically skipping into his kitchen. He grabbed a Keurig pod and put it into the holder. He poured the water into the machine and placed a mug under the spout. He pressed start as his mind replayed today’s events again. 

He listened to the steady drip of his Keurig as his humming turned into singing. He needed to go over the script tonight so he’d be ready for rehearsal tomorrow, but he was too excited.  He wanted to share it with the world. However, he was told quite bluntly that if he announced his involvement that April would use the staple gun they keep in the staff room to neuter him and promptly fire his ass.  He wasn’t going to take any chances.  He began singing “Defying Gravity” as he wiped down his counter.  He was floating on air. So what if he had to remain silent about his casting.  He was happy. Mostly.

His mind flashed back to what had occurred on stage between him and Blaine. Electricity. Pure chemistry.  At one point Santana asked if she needed to create a diversion so that they could sneak off behind stage and screw like rabbits because she couldn’t take all the endless eye-fucking. Kurt wasn’t even sure that was a thing. But he was sure that it definitely made things awkward, especially since Blaine lived above him with his boyfriend.  A boyfriend that he loved deeply, at least it certainly sounded like it with their nightly sexcapades. He was shocked that it wasn’t currently happeni-

“Grip it tighter, Blaine.”

And there it was.

Kurt sighed. He was honestly relieved that their song was interrupted when it was.  It was supposed to end in a passionate kiss. Blaine had barely opened his mouth to sing when Kurt felt beads of sweat form on his hairline. His hands had become clammy, and he was trembling. Because at that moment, he realized that he was thoroughly fucked.  

“Yes, that’s it!” 

And this was the reason that he was screwed. He would have to perform this scene with Blaine on stage, rehearse it day in and day out.  They’d have to perform it eight times a week, most likely with Sam in the front row cheering his boyfriend on and glaring daggers at him. He’d have to kiss a man that he was falling for; and then go home and hear his perfect boyfriend pound into him over and over, night after night. 

“YES! FUCK!

Kurt trudged from the living room and into his bedroom.  He collapsed directly onto his bed and buried his face into his pillow. He laid there for several minutes, willing himself not to scream or pull his hair out.  God, he needed to move apartments.

He sighed deeply and even contemplated skipping his skin care routine and turning in for the night. Then he heard a beep.

 His Keurig. He had nearly forgotten. Oh well. A glass of lemon tea might help calm his nerves and help him relax. He sighed and rose from his bed, smoothing the wrinkles from his bedspread he just made when he collapsed onto it in frustration. He plodded over to the counter in his kitchen and grabbed the full mug.  

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Kurt yelped in surprise at the banging on his door and promptly dropped the mug.  "SHIT!" 

“Kurt? Is everything ok in there?”

“Blaine? Yeah, hang on. Be right there.” Kurt called. He walked to his door and unlatched the chain. “Pardon the mess.”

“Do you have a cat that likes to send your dishes hurtling to the floor or do you just have a personal vendetta against glass?” Blaine smirked as he reached for the paper towels on the counter and brought some over to Kurt, who was dabbing at the wet mess on the otherwise spotless floor.

“Seems to be the latter as of late,” Kurt pouted. “Although the cat scenario would make me seem less clumsy,” he said as he wiped up the remaining tea off the floor.

“No worries. The day we moved in, I dropped a couch on Sam,” Blaine laughed. “You broke some glass. I nearly broke his ankle.”

“I guess when you put it that way, I don’t feel so bad,” Kurt chuckled. “Did you need me for something?” he asked as he grabbed the broom and the dustpan and began to sweep up the broken glass. 

“I just thought I’d come down and see if you wanted to rehearse. You seemed overwhelmed today during rehearsal.” His neighbor smiled as Kurt finished sweeping up the mess.

“I can’t be that great of an actor if you sensed that.  I was trying to be a little less obvious,” Kurt said as he emptied the dustpan into the trash can and returned the broom to its place in a tiny closet.  

Blaine shook his head. “You’re a great actor, but I sensed it because I was a little flustered too. April does that sometimes. You’ll really be getting into character, really vibing, and then she calls cut! You were really getting into it, and I could tell you wanted to finish. Do you want to run back through it? Finish it?”

“You wouldn’t mind?” Kurt asked as he motioned for Blaine to take a seat at the table as he did the same. 

"Of course not?" Blaine smiled. "We're in this together."

"And Sam?"

“Are you kidding? He’s the one who sent me down here.  He heard you rehearsing and said you might want some company.”

Kurt blushed. “He heard me? I guess I should’ve suspected.  There’s not much insulation between our floors. I hear all kinds of things going on up there,” he said as he glanced down at the slate gray tile floor, his cheeks hot with embarrassment. Was Blaine aware that he could hear him and Sam in the throes of passion?

Blaine cocked his head. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. You two aren’t particularly quiet,” Kurt said, biting his lip.

“Casualty of apartment life in the big city, I guess,” Blaine shrugged, missing Kurt’s mortification at his response. Apparently he was aware of it, and it didn’t phase him in the least. “Anyway, I thought I’d come down and offer my assistance since we’re co-stars now.”

“So, what do you want to rehearse?” the brunette asked as he went back to the counter and pulled out two Keurig pods. He pulled out two mugs from the cabinet. “Would you like some lemon tea?”

“That depends. Will it too meet an untimely end on the floor,” Blaine grinned cheekily.

“No, it could end up in your lap if all your words are so snarky,” Kurt laughed heartily. “I never claimed to be coordinated.”

“I’ll alert the cast and crew,” Blaine chuckled as he raised his head, his gaze meeting Kurt’s. 

Kurt poured water into the machine and hit the brew button.  He motioned over to Blaine as if to ask if he wanted to take a seat.  Blaine walked over to the table and Kurt pulled the chair beside him out so that Blaine could sit down.  Kurt giggled. “So, how did you get cast as Fiyero on Broadway? That’s a pretty big feat.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Blaine chuckled. “It’s not a complicated story. I figured you already knew the gist of it, with your nepotism comment and all.”

“No. I didn’t realize you were a Broadway actor,” Kurt replied. “I thought that you were just the piano player.”

“Ouch,” Blaine pretended to be offended then he smiled gently. “Just a piano player, huh?”

“An incredible piano player,” Kurt replied, blushing. “But yeah. I’ve never seen you in anything. I think I would remember if I had.”

“Is that so? Blaine playfully batted his eyelashes. “And why is that?”

“‘I’d remember anybody with a head that big,” Kurt laughed. “So, why did you think I’d recognize you? What have you starred in thus far.”

“Oh, absolutely nothing on Broadway. I’m finishing college. I’ve done a few small roles off Broadway, much to Coop’s chagrin. 

Kurt  scratched his head in confusion. “Coop? Cooper Anderson?”

“AKA my big brother, and Broadway actor Extraordinaire.”

“HOLY SHIT!” Kurt blurted. “Cooper is your brother?”

“Yep,” Blaine said, popping the p. 

“I can’t believe your brother is Cooper Anderson!” Kurt clapped with excitement. “I loved his commercials, and I watched some bootlegged videos of him in the revival of The Boys in the Band.  He’s the most gorgeous man in North America.”

 “Yeah, and he’ll tell you that too,” Blaine said, rolling his eyes, but Kurt could tell there was affection behind the annoyed look. “My brother and I met Rachel Berry in Ohio where we both grew up, and we all participated in community theater in Columbus. When they graduated, Rachel and Coop auditioned for NYADA together.  She got in. He did not, but he started modeling and acting in commercials.”

Kurt didn’t say anything.  He just nodded as if to encourage Blaine to continue with his story as he arose from his seat and walked over to the Keurig, which had beeped. Kurt added more water and the second pod as Blaine continued to talk.

“Rachel and Coop went to high school together and they starred in their school musicals together. They even dated, but it didn’t work because they are too much alike.  Rachel auditioned for parts while she was at NYADA, and she got the part of Fanny Bryce in Funny Girl. She convinced Cooper to audition for an ensemble role in the show and he got it. He’s been in several shows with Rachel since then. He auditioned for one of April’s shows and she just loved him. They bonded partly because they are both from Ohio. He introduced her to Rachel, and they started to collaborating to put on an all-white version of 'The Wiz'. They worked on it for awhile, and it opened up to horrible reviews and was critically panned. So Rachel suggested they try 'Wicked' for a chance at redeeming all of their reputations.” Blaine chuckled as Kurt brought him a steaming mug of lemon tea. “Thank you,” Blaine said as he took a  small sip. Kurt took a seat once more and nodded for Blaine to continue.  

“Anyway, when I graduated, I auditioned for NYADA and I got in. Rachel recommended that I audition for some small parts like she and Coop did, and I got a few small parts off Broadway, but I didn’t really land anything big until now. “

“Did Rachel put in a good word for you?” Kurt asked.    

“Kinda. April wanted Cooper, but Coop wants to go to LA and try movies. Rachel recommended me to April, and the rest is history.”

“So I was right about nepotism,” Kurt grinned.

“Hey, I went into the audition with a false name. I wanted to get the role on my own merit and I did. April didn’t know that I was Cooper’s brother until after I got the part.”

“I’m just teasing.  If you made it into NYADA, you have to be incredible. I auditioned and I didn’t get in, even though I nailed my audition.”

“I bet you did,” Blaine smiled. “But Madam Tibbedeaux is a tough critic.  She failed me once because I did a duet instead of a solo for a performance.  She said I broke the rules.”

“Sounds like you kinda did, but sometimes you gotta throw your plans out the window and just trust your gut.  It sounds like that was the wrong time to do it, but you learned from it, right?” Kurt chuckled. 

“I did,” Blaine replied, smiling fondly at Kurt. “Tell me about you though. “Are you in school? You said you didn’t get into NYADA.”

“No. I go to NYU, but it’s ok. I audition a lot. It hasn’t really gotten me anywhere yet, until now, since I don’t have the hookup like you do,” Kurt teased..”

“Hey, I could’ve helped you out if you’d told me you were an actor. All that time you helped us unpack and you didn’t say anything,” Blaine replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“But you did. April said you requested me.” They were interrupted by the Keurig once more. Kurt quickly got up and retrieved his tea and came directly back to the table.

“You were the best. Besides, the only other person that came in that could do the part had onion breath. No thanks,” Blaine laughed. 

“DAMMIT!”

Blaine looked up at the ceiling. ” Wow! You weren’t kidding.  You can hear everything.”

Kurt looked down at the steaming liquid in his mug and took a sip of his tea. “Oh, you don’t even want to know. But usually I just hear a lot of music,” Kurt lied, feeling the heat on his cheeks. “I’ve heard you play through the ceiling, both of you. I’m more partial to your songs as opposed to Sam’s.  I mean, “Red Solo Cup is stupid,” Kurt said, rolling his eyes. “You have more of an eclectic taste. I especially enjoy your Disney and Broadway covers, especially ‘Sugar Daddy’ from Hedwig.”

“I didn’t know that you could hear that.” Now Blaine really was blushing as he finished his tea.

Kurt laughed. “I told you that I can hear a lot.”

Blaine’s head dropped to his hands in mock shame. “Well, at least you couldn’t see me in my high heels, fishnets and denim skirt.”

“I’d pay to see that,” Kurt laughed.

“You don’t have to. I’d let you see it for free,” Blaine smirked as he pulled up a picture on his phone. 

“Wait, you aren’t kidding?” Kurt laughed. “God, when was this?”

“Halloween last year. It’s my dream role,” he laughed. “That or Harry Potter in that Starkid musical. That just sounds like a blast.”

“Oh my God, that would be awesome. I’d love to be in a Very Potter Musical show too. But I’d probably be cast as Fred Weasley.”

“I know she’s not in that version, but you would so be Professor McGonagall,” Blaine replied with a knowing wink.

  “Oh my God! How did you know she was my favorite!” Kurt practically squealed.

“Because she’s amazing! And so are you,” Blaine replied. “Alright, are you ready to rehearse?” Blaine asked, rising from his chair.  He pushed it back under the table as Kurt stood up and stretched.

“Yeah.  Where did you want to start?” Kurt asked as he walked back into the living room. “Did you want to work on ‘As Long As You're Mine’ right now?”

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Blaine replied.

Kurt felt his cheeks flush as heat went through his face. He nodded. “From the top?”

“As opposed to the bottom,” Blaine chuckled. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Definitely, not from where I’m standing, anyway,” Blaine said, flirtatiously as he glanced at Kurt’s ass briefly and leaned in toward Kurt. “Did you want to start on the floor? Like we did at your callback? Get into character?

Kurt could feel himself start to perspire. Worse, when Blaine put his hand on his waist and slowly got down on his knees so he could get in his starting position for the number, Kurt felt his pants get tighter. Shit. This would get awkward fast. Blaine cupped Kurt’s face.  

Kurt pulled away and turned around awkwardly. “Um, I- we could try one of the other songs.  I’m not sure it’s a good idea to work on this one right now,” Kurt said, biting his lip and backing away a little.  He was getting aroused and the last thing he needed was for Blaine to notice or make the situation worse.  As close as they had to be during this scene, it could get really awkward fast.  

Blaine nodded. “Ok. But we don’t share very many songs together.  Actually, this one is it,” Blaine pouted.  

Kurt squirmed, willing his mind to think of unsexy thoughts because his body was still riled up just from the thought of being close to Blaine. “Yeah, but it’s so - intimate,” Kurt admitted, bashfully turning red. “And I just don’t know how comfortable I feel like we barely know each other and then we have to-”

Blaine took Kurt’s hand in his and nodded. “Yeah, I get it. That makes sense, and if you aren’t comfortable doing this yet, we can practice it another time. But you did great today.”

“It was different. I was on the stage and running on an adrenaline high. I mean, I was trying to impress Rachel, April, Cooper, and-um you.”

“You did,” Blaine said earnestly. “You’re great. But I will warn you that April gets a little personal. You heard her today, and we didn’t even get that deep into the song. She’ll want us to really go for it.”

“Oh God! Like how personal?” Kurt groaned.

“This is an intimate song, with several kisses and we’ll have to be really close,” Blaine replied. “Like this,” Blaine said, stepping in. “Are you ok with that? If I’m making you uncomfortable, we could work on something else for a while.  Work up to it eventually.” 

“No, it’s ok. I just need a minute,” Kurt said, taking a breath. “Are you sure Sam is ok with this? I mean, he’s right upstairs.”

“I could call him to come and give us feedback,” Blaine suggested. “He’s done that before, when I’ve rehearsed. We’ve even read together when I have auditions. Sam’s surprisingly up for almost anything.”

Kurt turned red. ”Um, no. Definitely not. Let’s just try to get the vocals down. We can work on the choreography later.” 

“Whatever makes you most comfortable,” Blaine nodded. “Tell you what. Let me just start the track.” Blaine pulled up the track on iTunes on his phone. “I downloaded this to rehearse with. I’ll let you take the lead. I’ll follow you, ok. You start the song, so I’ll just follow you.

The music started and Kurt took both of Blaine’s hands in his own as the music began. Kurt opened his mouth to sing.  

Kiss me too fiercely

Hold me too tight

I need help believing

You're with me tonight

Kurt moved in toward Blaine, dropping one of his hands and cupping his face. Blaine then took his now free hand and placed it on Kurt’s waist. Kurt nodded as if to say this was ok. 

My wildest dreamings

Could not foresee

Blaine’s other hand slid into Kurt’s hair, removing a strand from his face. 

Lying beside you

With you wanting me

Kurt moved in closer, caressing Blaine’s hand that had moved from his hair to his cheek. Kurt’s other hand wrapped loosely around Blaine’s neck. 

And just for this moment

As long as you're mine

One of Kurt’s hands slid across Blaine’s shoulder and down his chest. The other was still cupping his cheek.

I've lost all resistance

And crossed some border line

Kurt slid his fingers down Blaine’s jaw and traced down his neck. He leaned in so their bodies were closer still. Blaine slid his hand around Kurt’s trim waist.

And if it turns out

It's over too fast

I'll make every last moment last

As long as you're mine

Kurt leaned in so his and Blaine’s bodies were nearly pressed together. He could feel Blaine’s breath on his skin. ‘Kiss him before his solo. Kiss him!’ his brain cried. He cupped Blaine’s jaw, leaned in and…

CRASH! “OH SHIT! FUCK!”

Blaine jerked away as he reached into his pocket. His phone was vibrating. 

Blaine pulled away from Kurt immediately. He grabbed his phone from his back pocket. “It’s  Sam! I need to answer this.  Sorry. Sam, I heard you screaming. Are you ok? You did what? OH MY GOD! I’ll be right there.”

“Blaine? What happened? Is Sam ok?”

“Yeah, but I need to go,” Blaine said, rushing out the door, the door almost slamming behind him.

Kurt ran his fingers through his own hair and pulled. What the hell was that? He nearly kissed Blaine. His boyfriend was in the apartment above him and they had their hands all over each other. 

It was the song, Kurt rationalized.  It was even written in the script that Elphaba and Fiyero were supposed to kiss right at that moment. He was just getting pulled in by the music. The melodies weren’t responsible for the sensory overload he felt everywhere, from the tingling in his fingers and the places on his skin where Blaine had touched him to the scent of coffee and raspberry still in his nostrils where Blaine had been so close to him. The music wasn’t what was making him more aroused than he had ever been in his life.

He was being pulled in by lust and desire for Blaine. Gorgeous, perfect Blaine.

“DAMMIT SAM!” Kurt heard Blaine cry out, but he didn’t hear anything else. He didn’t want to. He grabbed his noise-canceling earbuds and shoved them into his ears. He didn’t need to hear anything from his neighbors tonight.  Blaine loved Sam, and Kurt almost caused Blaine to cheat.

But it wasn’t cheating. Blaine was acting. He had his perfectly-sculpted model boyfriend. He didn’t want Kurt. He was pretending. The problem was that Kurt wasn’t. Tonight, he’d lie in his bed and not sleep, replaying every moment that they were in each other’s arms, replaying the lyrics over and over in his mind, feeling every line throughout his body and soul because they were all true.

Except none of them were. Because the lyrics said as long as you’re mine. And Blaine wasn’t his. He was Sam’s. 

Kurt wanted to scream and cry all at once.  He knew how Elphaba must’ve felt, longing for Fiyero although he was engaged to Glinda. Kurt clenched his fist.  Blaine was Sam’s, not his. He couldn’t be responsible for Blaine cheating, even if Blaine said Sam was cool with it.  Because he himself wasn’t ok with touching and kissing a man day in, day out when he was so overcome with desire and lust for him.

Kurt knew what he needed to do. As much as he wanted the part, he needed to march directly up to April and tell her the bad news. She would need to find a new Elphaba because he was turning the role down.

[cryscendo]

glee tarot deck - X. the wheel of fortune

upright: good luck, cycles, change, a turning point

reversed: bad luck, breaking cycles, resistance to change

The Wheel is designed to remind the querent that life is ever-changing. Good times will come and go, as will bad times. If the querent draws The Wheel, they should be aware of the fact that change is indeed coming. It won’t always be a positive change, but you should embrace it and learn to adapt regardless.