#i think i just spend too much time w shakespeare to actually enjoy it. bc i know that the school is supposed to be framed like a cult or w/e

[lungthief]

i’m so sorry to those of you who enjoy this book but i am Struggling my way thru if we were villains

[thechildoflightning]

JKSF Jobs

I got asked awhile ago by the lovely @mewithanie if I could write about everyone’s jobs in jksf if it sparked my interest. It did spark my interest, but I couldn’t figure out how to make it into a one-shot or story, so take a tumblr post bullet-style explanation instead!

Read on to find out all about the jobs Patton, Roman, Logan, and Virgil hold in just keep stumbling forward (baby im waiting for you)

tw: suicide (oc), PTSD and trauma (mentioned only), mentions of drugs, alcohol, and school shootings.

Patton

Runs a non-profit

Non-Profit pairs up with schools

Non-Profit is an art therapy center focused on increasing connection within teenagers and allowing them an appropriate outlet for emotional turmoil

Patton’s group generally gets placed on ‘high-risk’ campuses or campuses that have incidents happen at them

‘High-risk’ in this case is defined by higher than normal suicide rates, low attendance rates, high-levels of illegal activity (generally drug and alcohol use), high rate of poor mental health, more than average amounts of cheating, etc

Instances involve things like excessive inappropriate school-wide behavior (ie. all the kids getting drunk and disorderly at a school event) as well as shocking incidents (student death from suicide, overdose, drunk driving, or things such as school shootings)

Some kids come by choice, others are referred through a suspension exchange program

Pretty much, a kid gets suspended but can choose to go to the group’s meetings instead of facing suspension

Kids get referred for suspensions that deal with violence, drug use, alcohol use, excessive absences, and so forth

The idea behind it is that suspended the kid will only negatively impact the kids record and give no reason to change behavior, while the group can help get to the root of the issue and work towards solving/improving that instead

Other kids go by choice bc they’re looking for extra support, a healthy outlet, advice, etc

They have weekly after school meetings (per each district, with one focal school in each one. The program is currently seven districts wide)

They also have lunch drop-ins were you can come make art, chill, get a snack, pet a therapy dog, and other stuff

One of Patton’s first schools was the same school Virgil works at

Patton generally leads the entire non-profit and has delegates to deal with the different districts

He handles the school/district that Virgil is at, though he attempts to go to as many things at the other districts as he can

Does a lot of outside work promoting the program to school and school boards, but is starting to delegate a lot of that work to others so he can focus on the kids instead of the bureaucratic shit

Has had to cut back on individual involvement and delegate more as the work and stress from running an entire non-profit has taken a large toll on his health related to chronic illness

He is Not Happy about this fact, but it’s for his health and he needs it. His spouses help support in any ways that they can.

Roman

Theater Boi

He is a director for a local theater company that is actually not half-bad

Enjoys the heck out of it

Went into college planning to become an actor

And boy does he love acting and the truth is? He was good enough. He could have become an actor. 

But somehow he finds it even more magical running everything behind the acting (and so so much more work, god he never realized how much Work This Was)

So he joins a theater company and he slowly works his way up

At first he comes in as assistant choreographer 

He’s young and they don’t think much of it, but the show genuinely improves by his individual suggestions and work and wait, who the fuck is this kid and how do we hang onto him?

He makes his way up quite quickly, sliding his way into assistant directly and then co-director and then suddenly the director’s leaving and now he’s the director

It happens fast and it’s very very exciting but he’s also honestly a little overwhelming and he’s never been good at managing large tasks without procrastinating bc executive dysfunction (see this post and this one about Roman and ADHD)

And now he is The Director and an entire production is depending on him. Everything. All of it. And it was what he was looking for but it’s a lot.

The first time he’s on his own, it goes okay

It’s by far not the best the company has done, but it’s also not the worst and the company is pretty supportive of his jump to director and the people who have been there longer help him learn to delegate tasks

And so he tries again, and he does better, and he just continues to get better from there

There’s just one hiccup: the scenographer

Basically the scenographer Does Not Like Roman and it creates Conflict

(In my head I sorta imagine the boss character Joan played when they were playing Thomas as Roman as Joan as the boss character in that one part of “Can LYING Be Good?”)

Luckily, Deceit later takes that position, and him and Roman work way better together and pull off some pretty bomb ass productions

Roman has been asked to join other companies before- specifically travelling companies and work on Specific Productions- which is very cool and very exciting but he decides he’d rather do what he’s doing now bc 

a) he enjoys the rhythm of his work. b) larger productions are more stress. c) he doesn’t want to be gone from his spouses. And d) he gets a lot of positivity and meaning out of what he does now and doesn’t see a reason to change that

Every summer he also runs the local chapter of Shakespeare in the park. 

He does act in these as well bc it’s completely volunteer based. Deceit also acts in these with him and these two theater dorks have way to much fun together

They may or may not of kidnapped Trixie for one of the productions (with Virgil’s consent of course)

Logan

Logan works for a company that considers themselves as a “research and problem-solving team for the improvement of marine environments”

Basically, Logan researches issues that negatively impact marine life and helps come up solutions to improve or solve these issues

Most of what he does is cycle through data that other researchers collect and figure out what that data means and how it connects

He looks at a lot of abstract numbers and pulls them together to state exactly what the numbers are reporting 

From there he brings that research to a board that forms a hypothesis and then comes up with potential solutions

These solutions are often considered very progressive and liberal and as such cause a lot of debate

Solutions range from legal changes (laws reducing companies waste, laws to prevent oil spills, protection laws around certain species/habitats, etc) to inventions (boats that clean the ocean, replication of habits to help support species that can’t live outside of a certain ecosystem, etc)

The company Logan works for has had numerous very successful projects and many of these projects were successful bc of Logan’s involvement

Logan’s spouses are very very proud of this fact

Logan is modest af and brushed it off

Logan’s had quite a few articles published in scientific journals and his findings/theories/work have also made it to national news in the past

Logan himself has actually been asked to present some of his stuff on the news multiple times. He refuses each time and someone else goes in his place.

Does this mean that person gets a lot of credit that should be assigned to Logan? Yes. Does that person feel bad? They do and try to give credit to Logan. Does Logan care? No, no he does not. 

Logan could care less about credit, he just cares about marine ecosystems and That’s Literally It

Seriously, people ask him things like “does he understand the ‘political implications’ of his job” or “Are you okay with your team constantly stealing your work” and he’s just like “Fish are cool. Leave me the fuck alone.”

Logan has also done more hands-on experience which has included cool adventures that included scuba diving trips to study coral reef damage, spending days in heavy wetlands, and swimming with sharks

His spouses think that this is the coolest thing and Logan agrees a 1000%

He usually works on research because that’s Where He’s Comfortable, but the occasional planned (it has to be planned) research trip is always exciting

Logan also has so much passion for his job. So much passion. It’s sort of an agreed upon deal in the house that when Logan comes home he will generally Need To Infodump because his job is The Coolest

Because of this, a time period between him getting off work and them eating dinner is designated Logan Infodumping Time

Generally this happens while they cook (because as mentioned a few times, Logan is the best cook)

Even if his spouse aren’t helping w/ dinner, they usually try to stick around and listen because a) Logan is Cute when talking about things he enjoys. b) he talks about interesting stuff. c) even if they don’t find it interesting, Logan’s enthusiasm is infectious and they just Have To Listen

Virgil

Virgil is a high school English teacher

He generally teaches sophomore regular English and junior AP English

Classes can shift slightly depending on the year

Virgil was at first a very distant teacher and didn’t connect with his students

Like his students thought he was a fine teacher bc he wasn’t too strict and didn’t assign a bunch of hw, but no one really liked him either

About his fourth year teaching, a kid at Virgil’s school got suicide baited and ended up taking their own life

It was a Big Deal (and is also how Patton found his way to Virgil’s campus)

After the event, there were lots of discussions and groups at the school, and each teacher talked to their classes

Virgil’s discussion was,, impactful to say the least

He talked to the students frankly about the issue and opened discussion to the topic while making sure to keep it respectful and calling students out on shit while at the same time helping support everyone who was struggling

He ended it with a small speech about self-worth, what it meant, and the struggle to achieve it, especially when everyone around you is pulling you down

It spreads like wildfire throughout the school and suddenly Virgil is a very well-liked teacher because He Gets It, y’know

(to clarify- his student’s do not know about his suicide attempts or personally history regarding his PTSD and experiences, that said, they all know there’s something different about this teacher. Something that makes him understand in a way others don’t)

He also has just this snark that students fall in love with

(One of his class’ learning targets for an entire week was just “We’re going to stick it to The Man. How you ask? Well we’ll find out!”

There was also a situation one year when one of Logan’s articles turned up in a multiple choice quiz and No One, including Virgil knew the answers (Virgil did have the answer key but it Did Not Make Sense)

He had to actually call Logan to figure it out

Turns out, most of them was the quiz maker’s mistake because he was asking questions about “author’s tone” and “author’s purpose” and Logan’s just like,, I didn’t meant to have any tone? I don’t understand tone? My purpose was I like fish? Why are they saying it’s to educate the average person??

(pretty much they analyze Logan’s article from a neurotypical standpoint, which Logan Is Not, so it doesn’t work. Virgil scraps the quiz.)

[queer-starling]

Flower ask: also all of them. you get to suffer with me >:3€

oh darlin’ we’re in it now huh

Alisons: Sexuality?

homogay

Amaranth: Pronouns/Gender?

she/they | all gender will be shot on sight

Amaryllis: Birthday?

sept 23rd

Anemone: Favorite flower?

monkshood

Angelonia: Favorite t.v. show?

stranger things or ghost adventures

Arum-Lily: What’s the farthest you’d go for a stranger?

like? distance? a couple miles probably

Aster: What’s one of your favorite quotes?

“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little lifeIs rounded with a sleep.” William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Aubrieta: Favorite drink?

wild cherry capri sun

Baby’s Breath: Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

ima change that to ‘kiss the last person u thought abt kissing’ bc YES

Balsam Fir: Have you ever been in love?

*jenna marbles voice* hell yeah!!

Baneberries: Favorite song?

waiting for the end - linkin park 

Basket of Gold: Describe your family.

chaos

Beebalm: Do you have a best friend? Who is it?

i have too many to list !!! brandi, kasey, you, liz, ivy, nick , just to name a few!!

Begonia: Favorite color?

blue uwu

Bellflower: Favorite animal?

foxes !! and opossums

Bergenia: Are you a morning or night person?

night time babey

Black-Eyed Susan: If you could be any animal for a day, what would it be?

either a fox or an opossum or a raven, i think

Bloodroots: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

i wanted to be a vet !!!

Bluemink: What are your thoughts on children?

theyre ok as long as theyre not screaming and/or mine

Blazing Stars: What are you afraid of? Is there a reason why?

i don’t liike vomit bc. nastey (trauma i think) and i don’t like old ppl well. i dunno why? they’re just so old and fragile and helpless and sometimes they’re really mean and idk i think it’s like something to do w death or something LMAO idk. also i just hate the idea of becoming old and having to rely on other people ?? hhh

Borage: Give a random fact about your childhood.

i was bullied a lot

Bugleherb: How would you spend your last day on Earth?  

realistically? probably playing dead by daylight with my girlfriend ADFSGRHYUTR

Buttercup: Relationship Status?

happily taken 

Camelia: If you could visit anywhere, where would you want to go?

ireland, scotland, alaska, greece

Candytufts: When do you feel most loved?

whenever my friends or family tells me they love me but esp when u text me goodmorning or when we say our goodnights sorry im gay haha

Canna: Do you have any tattoos?  

i have. uuuuhh 6

Canterbury Bells: Do you have any piercings?  

no!!! i want some tho :(

California Poppy: Height?  

i think im like. 5′5 or something? give or take an inch ?

Cardinal Flower: Do you believe in ghosts?

oh absolutely. my house is haunted as we speak

Carnation: What are you currently wearing?  

bmth hoodie and pajama pants w foxes all over them. i just woke up lol

Catnip: Have you ever slept with a nightlight?

yeah i always keep one on in the bathroom

Chives: Who was the last person you hugged?  

my sister bc she came home from college yesterday

Chrysanthemum: Who’s the last person you kissed?

ask me in like. a little over a month from now ;)

Cock’s Comb: Favorite font?

FONT??? the animal crossing font

Columbine: Are you tired?

oh absolutely

Common Boneset: What are you looking forward to?

thanksgiving, christmas, seeing my gf, magfest

Coneflower: Dream job?

idk if it’s a job but i just wanna own like. a ranch that takes in all sorts of animals and takes care of them

Crane’s-Bill: Introvert or extrovert?

introvert 

Crocus: Have you ever been in love?

ooooh yeah

Crown Imperial: What’s the farthest you would go for someone you care about?

i mean. depends on what they want/need. distance wise? i’d travel the known universe for u  

Cyclamen: Did you have a favorite stuffed animal as a child? What was it?

he was a plaid teddy bear his name was Stanley!!!! i miss him :( but now i have Little Moon God as my favourite stuffed animal 

Daffodil: What’s your zodiac sign?

Libro

Dahlia: Have you done anything worth remembering?

Working in Yellowstone is something I’ll never forget

Daisy: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

well. hmm. i was gonna say flying to yellowstone but maybe driving to north carolina by myself bc driving long distances alone to places i haven’t been before gives me hella anxiety (i’m better now)

Daylily: What would you do if your parents didn’t like your partner(s)? 

i don’t pay rent in this house to listen to their opinions lmao. 

Dendrobium: Who is the last person that you said “I love you” to?

you, i think, when we said goodnight last night!!! EDIT: you this morning!!

False Goat’s Beard: What is something you are good at?

being bad at dead by daylight

Foxgloves: What’s something you’re bad at?

dead by daylight

Freesia: What are three good things that have happened in the past month?

(little over a month now but uhhh) GOT A UH ......GIRL.....FRIEND ...... GOT TO VISIT GIRLFRIEND ........ and got the windshield finally replaced in my car 

Garden Cosmos: How was your day today?

i dont know! so far ive laid in bed now im at my computer answering this. not too bad. my shift is only 4 hours today. 

Gardenia: Are you happy with where you’re at in your life?

for the most part, i’m pretty content, yeah

Gladiolus: What is something you hope to do in the next year or two?

MOVE OUT 

Glory-of-the-Snow: What are ten things that make you happy/you’re grateful to have in your life?

my friends, my mom, my sisters, my girlfriend, my bastard dog

Heliotropium: What helps you calm down when you feel stressed?

metal   

Hellebore: How do you show affection?

what does this mean. physically, i’m very affectionate, i just. don’t show it alot bc anxiety/i overthink. that and i constantly tell ppl i love them and what they mean to me 

Hoary Stock: What are you proudest of?

whoever is reading this

Hollyhock: Describe your ideal day.

wake up next 2 a cute girl. take way too long to get up. go climb mountain w cute girl. vibe on mountain w cute girl. go to waffle house 2gether. gome home and vibe. play video games or watch a movies/tv w cute girl.  

Hyacinth: What do you like to do in your free time?  

i like to make art or play bideo jame

Hydrangea: How long have you known your best friend? How did you meet them?

oh gosh i dunno. the ones i’ve known the longest are kasey and brandi, and i’ve known them both around/over a decade i think. we met in middle/highschool!

Irises: Who can you talk to about (almost) everything?

you, ivy, liz

Laceleaf: How many friends do you have?

so many 

Lantanas: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?

idk man but i remember when you said u had a crush on me and then i posted a selfie and u were like ‘OH NO SHE’S CUTE” and like ??? idk i think that was definitely the first compliment to ever shock me LMAO 

Larkspur: What do you think of yourself?

6.9/10

Lavender: What’s your favorite thing about yourself?

my tattoos

Leather Flower: What’s your least favorite thing about yourself? 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGGViLwHEUk

Lilac: What’s something you liked to do as a child?

i liked to play zombies ate my neighbors on the sega genesis !!!!

Lily: Who was your best friend when you were a kid?

eliza !!!! we lost touch a few years after i moved away :(

Lily of the Incas: What is something you still feel guilty for?

ima be real everything makes me feel guilty

Lily of the Nile: What is something you feel guilty for that you shouldn’t feel guilty about?  

aaaaaa the whole abi/moon incident 

Lupine: What does your name mean? Why is that your name?

my name is fox. it means i like foxes

Marigold: Where did you grow up? Tell us about it.

northern virginia babey !!!! that place fucking sucks!!! but everyone who lives up there thinks they’re hot shit. 

Morning Glory: What was your bedroom like growing up?

i had a bunkbed and i think the walls were pink 

Mugworts: What was it like for you as a teenager? Did you enjoy your teenage years?  

😬 i’m just gonna say i’m much happier now and i’m coping with life and shit a lot better  

Norwegian Angelica: Tell us about your mom.

she’s sweet and funny and i love her so much!! she always does the Most for everyone, sometimes to the point where she isn’t concerned abt herself and i see where i get it from. but yeah my mom is great, my dad doesn’t deserve her 

Onions: Tell about your dad.  

source of a lot of trauma and why i have so many issues regarding men. i don’t wanna talk about him anymore LOL he doesn’t deserve the attention

Orchid: Tell about your grandparents.

my dad’s mom is becoming senile and i think she’s racist and queerphobic. my mom’s parents disowned her a few years ago so we don’t talk to them anymore 

Pansy: What was your most memorable birthday? What made it be so memorable?

i dunno. i don’t try to remember my birthdays. whenever i can go to busch gardens for my birthday i usually have a lot of fun there. 

Peony: What was your first job?

if you don’t wanna count working w my mom as a florist, target was my first job back in 2016. i found my name tag the other day , actually

Petunia: If you’re in a relationship, how did you meet your partner(s)? If you’re not in a relationship, how did you meet your crush/how do you hope to meet your future partner(s), if you want any?

WELL, i know you followed me on here first. and then twitter?? but we didn’t really start talking until stranger things 3 came out (thank u stranger things) PHYSICALLY, we didn’t meet until fursonacon (haha. i remember when u texted me that u got to the hotel and i came down to help n i saw u unloading yr car and it was then that my brain was like OH NOOOOOOOO and my heart was like OH YEEEEAAAAAAAH) 

Pincushion: How do you deal with pain?

physical, mental, or emotional? i play a video game or listen to loud music

Pink: Where is home?[

somewhere in appalachia i can feel it in my stupid soul 

Plantain Lilies: If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would stop/change? 

idk man i’m pretty content w where i’m at now so 

Prairie Gentian: Who is someone you look up to? Describe them.

chester bennington 

Primrose: Describe your ideal life.

i have a waife and we have many great pets and we live in a log cabin in the mountains or in a nice victorian in a small town or something IDK but we’re happy and that’s all that matters 

Rhodendron: What is something you used to believe in as a child?

God

Ricinus: Who’s the most important in your life?

my mom, me best friends, my girlfriend

Rose: What’s your favorite sound?

my girlfriend’s laugh because it’s THE cutest shit and then when she giggles??? oh my heart 

Rosemallows: What’s your favorite memory?

oct 23rd, 2005, we brought Fat Boy Zack home !!!!

Sage: What’s your least favorite memory?

July 22nd, 2016. i was 2200 miles away

Snapdragon: At this moment, what do you want?  

to be holding my girlfriend >:(

St. John’s Wort: Is it easy or difficult for you to express how you feel about things?

hhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Sunflower: What is something you don’t want to imagine life without?

those i hold dear

Sweet Pea: How much sleep did you get last night?

enough, i guess? 

Tickseed: What’s your main reason to get up every morning?

my girlfriend

Touch-Me-Not: How do you feel about your current job?

it’s fucking BORING and TOO EASY and they don’t pay me ENOUGH but i can get away with so much shit there so ima still go, ima still go 

Transvaal Daisy: What’s your favorite item of clothing?

all of the flannels currently in my possession

Tropical White Morning Glory: Describe your aesthetic.  

mountains, woods, forests, cabins, autumn, cryptic, occult, victorian, edwardian

Tulip: What would be the best present to get you?

if someone gets me a gift i’m legally required to execute them

Vervain: What’s stressing you out most right now?

this 40hr workweek i got coming up 

Wisteria: How many books have you read in the past few months? What were they called?

i have not read in So Long

Wolf’s Bane: Where do you want to be in life this time next year?

Moved out away from here lol, we’ll see

Yarrow: Do you know what vore is?

:/

Zinnia: Give a random fact about yourself.

i’m a furry

that was SO LONG im sorry i also put you through that but THANK YOU ENJOY READING ILU

[nikanndros]

Alright, so I have Ideas™ about a convoluted Moulin Rouge Laurent/Crime Lord Damen AU, so bear with me, bc I’m probably never going to write this.

Um, TW: Violence, prostitution, the Regent being gross via implied CSA (but I’ll try to go into minimal detail for that), anything else let me know oh but Laurent!Satine doesn’t die so there’s that at least. Also a warning bc this was written in the early hours and has not been proofread at all.

Okay, so I’m real into Dual plots, so we’ll start with Damen, who is in this crime empire of some sort, I don’t know a lot about organised crime but the Akielos family is a Big Deal. So they make most of their money from the usual stuff: ‘protection’, drugs, etc. but they also have a name in prostitution, but the high-class kind. Their escorts are perfectly trained and come in all shapes and sizes etc, and in return for giving their lives and bodies (and most of their earnings) to the Akielos Family, they get to choose their own customers. So it’s shady, but like, not as bad as it could be. youtried.jpg

Except, our boy Kastor isn’t happy with being swept to the side and Damen being the inheritor so he’s been trying to get a following of his own (and Jokaste is helping him, but more bc she’s one of the escorts and she knows beauty runs out eventually and she’s got to move up in the world or get thrown away eventually. And Damen won’t marry her, so yeah, Kastor). And then surprise! Theomedes dies suddenly and totally mysteriously like wow, he was so healthy, how did that happen? (Murder!!). 

And Kastor is all: Suprise, bitch! This is a coup @ Damen, but he manages to escape with his life bc Jokaste has feelings of remorse and gives the poor guy a hand. So then it’s like the Crime Family equivalent of a civil war, Kastor’s got half the territory loyal to him, Damen has the other half, shit is going down.

Anyway, so at this point, it’s basically just mayhem: Damen’s trying to reason w Kastor and keep things together, and Nikandros is like, “We need to expand our territory,” so they can beat Kastor and regain control. 

This leads Damen one night to Vere, the notorious burlesque club that happens to one of the places Damen wants to take over. 

(Now time for a readmore, bc this is just the prologue, baby, it’s time for Laurent’s story)

Laurent AKA The Starburst Prince is the Sparkling Diamond equivalent of Vere, he’s the dancer everyone comes to see, and he’s beautiful etc etc. 

His backstory is Laurent and Auguste got orphaned, and The Regent (as is his title in Vere, what a fucking loser) took them in and maneuvered Auguste into getting shipwrecked (but I can’t kill Auguste off bc I’m weak, so let’s say he’s off with Pirates having his own adventures and trying to make his way back home to his beloved baby brother). Anyway, the Regent is gross, and he raises Laurent in Vere, where’s he’s taught things like dancing and singing and seduction and awful things happen. But then Laurent turns sixteen and he’s too old for the Regent, so the Regent is like ‘time to earn a living as a dancer’, but Laurent being Laurent is like “uh, go fuck yourself, buddy, I’m out” EXCEPT(I am so sorry) The Regent is of course prepared for this and oh look, out of the goodness of his heart he’s adopted a ten year old orphan Nicaise, who Laurent probably befriended prior to this when sneaking out etc. and The Regent is like, ‘if you leave then Nicaise will be your replacement and I’ll have to train him like I trained you bc I’m a sick fuck’. So Laurent stays, and he dances, and he Plans.

Unfortunantely, Laurent is stunning and an amazing performer and he quickly becomes the most popular dancer. Which brings us to present day - Laurent is 19, Nicaise is still too young, and the Regent is like, “it’s past time for you to make your proper debut, Laurent” and is pretty much like, time to earn some real cash and fuck one of the rich regulars.

Alright, so it’s like a big thing!! The Starburst Prince is going to choose someone to ‘deflower’ him and obviously it’s like a jam packed night of dudes tryna flash their cash and get a look in with Laurent. This also happens to be the night that Damen is checking out the club, anonymously. 

Anyway, just imagine something kind of like the Sparkling Diamonds scene at the start of Moulin Rouge, Laurent does some hella performance, everyone is like fuck yeah!!! Damen is obviously the human equivalent of the heart eyes emoji. And then the Regent cuts in during one of the costume changes or whatever to inform Laurent that he needs to pick a particular guy in the audience who is filthy fucking rich, let’s make it Torveld.

Except. Except. After everything that has happened to him since he lost his parents and Auguste, all the loss of agency, his only friend getting used against him, and essentially becoming a pretty play thing for the Regent, Laurent had somehow actually thought The Regent would let Laurent choose whoever he wanted for this night (as long as the person was willing to pay enough). And now he’s absolutely furious in that way that makes him wanna be a little fucking reckless. 

So Laurent goes out there, takes a good fucking look around, and picks the most intimidating dude he can see out there - bc his uncle can hardly argue with a guy whose bicep is the side of his head - and that dude is Damen. (Who is trying to keep a low profile, jfc Laurent). 

Laurent chooses Damen and pulls him onto the dancefloor and Damen is just like ??? but also <3 <3 <3, (And Nikandros is off in a corner somewhere, sighing loudly, like ofc this would happen, sometimes he has nightmares where he’s just like drowning in a sea of blonde hair, get your fucking fetishy shit together Damen). And The Regent is like Mad As Fuck, but also pretending that this is fine. Torveld is like, cool whatever and finding someone else to catch his interest. This would probably be Erasmus, but also like, pal pick someone your own age.

Anyway, they dance and it’s v sensual but also v romantic, and Laurent is kind of shocked but in a good way because Damen is letting him lead and he’d kind of just assumed this brute of a man would immediately take control but no. And Damen has no idea whats actually going on, so the dance finishes and he just like, thanks Laurent and probably says something disgustingly earnest about how lovely Laurent is, like “Tonight, I will dread sleep with the knowledge that not even my wildest dreams could compare to this” idk I’m not Shakespeare.

and Laurent is like, uh no pal, you’re not sleeping tonight, i’ve just like publicly invited you back to my room, will that be cash or cheque??? And Damen is used to the whole Escorts can choose who they get with kind of thing, so he’s like, Yeah, down for this. So they go back to Laurent’s gaudy room that is essentially a gilded cage. And Laurent is like okay seduction time.

except this part he’s never actually done before, and he’s actually quite awkward, and he keeps going between like all charming and like overcompensating masculine posturing. Damen is just “are we about to have sex or are we about to fight??”

Damen’s not entirely inept though and “Have you ever done this before?”

Laurent: What did you think this being my debut night meant?

Damen: Are you nervous?

Laurent: Please, you don’t scare me.

And Laurent just, kisses him, and it’s like the most hostile kiss of Damen’s life, like Laurent is trying to prove that he’s not scared and that he’s like down to fight any time any place m8. But Damen kind of gently pulls back and “Wait, I don’t know your name?”

Laurent: Were you dropped on your head as a child? I’m the headliner, the Starburst Prince.    (except he says it like it means something hideous, he’s not bragging)

Damen: No, that’s a title, don’t you have a name?

Laurent: Does it really matter?

Damen: I’d like to know who you are. I’m Damen.

And Damen is so god damn gentle and earnest that Laurent finds himself saying his name without registering he’s even doing it, and then Damen is sitting down on a chaise with him - an appropriate distance away - and they end up talking and laughing and Damen finds Laurent’s under the bed novel collection and they discuss them, and maybe Damen rolls up his sleeves and ends up telling this fantastical tale on how he got the scar on his bicep. 

Then it’s truly into the night and their both leaning back on the lounge and smiling at each other, and Laurent: “I’m glad I chose you to come back with me tonight”

“Why did you pick me?”

And Laurent explains a very condensed version: he had to pick someone, the regent tried to make the choice for him, he got mad. but it’s enough for Damen to know that Laurent actually doesn’t want to be here, he has no choice. Damen gets up and “Thank you for tonight,” he says, “I enjoyed every moment.”

“You’re leaving?” Laurent asks. Part of him actually suspected Damen was trying to lure him into a false sense of security by being charming before he pounced and yet here he is: leaving.

“I’m more than happy to pay, still,” Damen says. “The company of your sharp tongue is worth every cent.”

((It’s a Moulin!Rouge AU, it’s allowed to be a bit schmoopy))

“Stay,” Laurent says. “I’m not adverse to spending an evening with you.”

“I don’t want anything that you don’t wholeheartedly want to give me.”

“I’ve never allowed myself to want much in this life,” Laurent says, “But...”

And he stands up, and he’s almost at a height with Damen, and all the years dancing have made Laurent broad shouldered and lightly muscled, and Damen is really seeing him. Not as a courtesan, but as young man, who is witty and fiery and sharp and strong, but also a little vulnerable. And this time Laurent kisses him and it’s gentler, softer.

“Don’t make me say it,” Laurent says, quietly. “Let me show you.” 

And then they bang, but like, romantically, and for purposes of the story they are both pretty darn in love by this point. And they spent the entire night together learning each other both mentally and physically, then it’s dawn, and Damen has to leave (Poor Nikandros is just waiting out the front of Vere, checking his watch and hating his life). And when Damen is at the door, Laurent puts a hand behind his neck and pulls him down, and just as their lips are about to meet, he says “Come back to me tonight,” and then he’s pushed Damen out and closed the door. 

....ANDDDDDD this is getting way longer than expected, so let’s call this the end of Part One, and I’ll work on Part Two tomorrow.