#it's just a phone interview not a zoom interview so i can pace like a maniac. which helps lmao

[wickedhawtwexler]

another interview today let's gooooo

[meduarts]

Managing Life (Part 4/?)

Summary: Marinette has been Audrey Bourgeois' secretary ever since she voiced out her dream of having her own business. Audrey thinks that she should learn more about the nooks and crannies of running a fashion business. However, fate has other plans for her, and honestly, what can our resident guardian could do to counter fate?

Disclaimer: I do not own MLB or DCU.

Pairings: Dick Grayson/Marinette Dupain-Cheng

A/n: Well, here we are with another update. Special thanks to @mysnis for giving me the idea for this chapter in particular!

<Previous Chapter> <Next Chapter>

<Beginning>

Marinette had just finished the online meeting about the progress report from the main Style Queen branch in Paris. She huffed tiredly as she began to relax her overly stiffed body, a result from sitting for 5 hours straight for the meeting. She was going to lay on her bed when her phone started to ring.

She checked on who was calling her and to her surprise, it was Audrey. Curious, she picks up the call. "Madame? Do you need me to bake you more baked goods?" She asked in concern.

"Non non! Everything is perfect as usual! I'm just here to inform you that you have an interview with Brucie, tomorrow morning! I already made sure that your morning schedule is clear!"

"W-wait, What?" Marinette replied dumbly.

"Do I need to spell it out for you, Marinette? Tomorrow morning, you have an interview with Bruce Wayne. He was looking for a new secretary and you are currently looking for a new mentor! Fate, non?"

"F-fate?? Wait! That dinner! I knew you were planning something! Did you pimp me out to him???" Marinette accused while ruffling her hair nervously.

She could hear Audrey's signature shrill laugh from the other side of the connection, "Oh please, Pimping sounds so crude! I merely just help out my darling protege to find a mentor! Anyways, be ready tomorrow morning, Brucie kindly told me that his Butler shall pick you up at 8 A.M sharp! Wear one of your designs and don't bother getting your portfolio and resume together because I already sent a copy to him! Entendue? Good! Have a good night's rest, my dear! Ta~' Then she hung up.

Marinette looked at her phone in disbelief, she was utterly speechless. She has an interview with Bruce Wayne. She has an interview with Bruce Wayne. INTERVIEW! BRUCE WAYNE!

The young secretary's mind went overdrive and crashed immediately. Negative thoughts about the things that would happen and imaginative scenarios about how she would fail the interview, making a mockery of herself in front of one of the most powerful men in Gotham began to pop into her mind. She didn't even notice that she was hyperventilating were it not for the kwamis shouts around her.

"Breathe, Marinette!" Exclaimed Tikki in her ear.

Marinette began rebooting and she made sure to do the breathing exercise that her therapist had mentioned. Once she is calm enough, the fact that she has an interview tomorrow morning made her anxious again. She bolted out from her bed and began pacing.

"Oh, this is a disaster! Completely a disaster! I-i'm nowhere ready! Merde, what if I fall, what if I accidentally spill water on his expensive suit?! WHAT IF I MADE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE???!!" She panics.

The kwamis looked at each other, exasperated at their silly Guardian. They watched in amusement at Marinette's tirade.

"What if I made him hate me?! I might have to fake my death, change my identity and move somewhere remote! To bora-bora or somewhere in Southeast Asia?! Perhaps, Indonesia?! Yeah, that sounds like a good failsafe, I could even change my name, dyed my hair, and even get cosmetic surgery to alter my look! Maybe I should become a hermit in Tibet instead! YES! That's a good idea!"

Plagg sighed frustratedly at his kitten, and he decided to put a stop to this ridiculous rant. He zoomed in front of Marinette and slap her nose, "Get a hold of yourself, kitten. It's getting ridiculous.".

It worked instantly, the girl sucked a deep breath before letting out a huge sigh. "Sorry..." She mumbled softly. "I spiralled again, didn't I?" She meekly asked Plagg with a sheepish smile.

Plagg gave her a droll look, "Ya think? You even talked about getting plastic surgery and becoming a hermit in Tibet."

Marinette blushed in embarrassment, "Yeah, I don't know where that came from."

The other kwamis floated around Marinette, some were giggling and some were looking at her with an exasperated smile. Duusu flew forward and hugged Marinette's cheek. "It's going to be alright, peafowl! You are good at your job and I'm sure that the Wayne man was impressed with your achievements!"

"That's right, Marinette! I'm sure that you'll do fine in your interview! Besides, we're always there for you so you're never alone!" Tikki agreed.

Nooroo shyly floats forward, "I-if it made you feel better. I-i'll be honored to accompany you! P-perhaps my calmness could help!" He offered meekly.

Marinette smiled warmly and reached forward so that Nooro could perch on her palm. She brought him closer and gave the butterfly kwami a gentle kiss. "Thank you, Nooroo. You're such a dear." She complimented which made the said kwami blush.

Marinette then looks at the assembled kwami and smiles brightly at them. "Thank you, all of you. I don't know where would I be without you all."

"Crash and Burn?" Plagg snarks. "A complete mess?" Trixx added. "Rich but not as elegant!" pipes Kaalki. Tikki and Wayzz moved to them and gave all three a whack.

"Don't listen to them, Guardian. I'm sure without us you would be okay." Wayzz argued.

"But I'd be lonely. Either way, I'm glad that we could meet. I'm glad that fate brought me to you. I love you guys." Marinette said and they all share a big hug.

She doesn't know what will happen tomorrow, but with the kwami around, she felt like she could do anything. With her resolve set, she started to form a plan on how to tackle the interview tomorrow.

She can do this!

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"I can't do this~" She whined miserably while hiding her face behind her hands. Currently, she's on her way to the Wayne Enterprise HQ. As Audrey had said Bruce's Butler, Alfred Pennyworth, picked her up at exactly 8 A.M. She wasn't late which was a good sign, she even made sure that she wore her best-designed dress! But after a few minutes sitting in Bruce Wayne's car, her anxiety had come back with gusto.

Alfred clears his throat to catch Marinette's attention. When the nervous girl looks up he gave her a warm smile. "What seems to be the problem, Ms Dupain-Cheng?" He asked kindly.

Marinette chewed her lips while her hands were fiddling together trying to keep herself grounded. "I-it's nothing, Mr Pennyworth. I'm just being silly, that's all."

Alfred hummed thoughtfully, "It must not be that silly since it's making you so nervous. Perhaps, I could give you a bit of advice if you want to talk about it?" he offered kindly.

The girl shrinks but then she felt an encouraging pat from her breast pocket. She looked downwards and was greeted by Nooro's encouraging smile. She let out a shaky sigh, "Well...I'm just nervous about this interview. Mme Bourgeois told me last night and I haven't prepared anything yet! I'm afraid of giving M Wayne the wrong impression. Not to mention, I had coincidentally met him at the park before and I did this stupid thing where I get to be this ridiculous know-it-all! Maybe I shouldn't do this interview." She whined to herself. Alfred smiled softly as he briefly glance at the ruffled-looking girl from the rearview mirror.

"Ms Dupain-Cheng, I think it is best if you take a deep breath and think about your next step and only the next step. You will never know whether you'll succeed or fail, right? Just one step, Ms Dupain-Cheng. Only one step." Advised the old butler while giving a knowing smile from the mirror. Marinette replied with a sheepish smile of her own.

She looks at her hands again and took a peek at Nooroo who was giving her a wide smile. She nodded to herself, took a deep breath, closes her eyes, and tries to clear her mind. Taking Alfred's words to heart she plans in her mind. She was going to do her best in the interview, she plans on what she was going to speak as an introduction and then she opened her eyes with renewed vigour.

She looks at Alfred and smiled brightly, "Thank you for your advice, sir. It definitely works." Her hands raised to her chest to cup the butterfly pendant that she had worn that day. "Just one step..." She whispered again for courage, then a whisper of a familiar voice added.

Do the next right thing.

She could feel her eyes beginning to water, somehow she could feel Master Fu's encouraging pat on her shoulder. A strange but familiar warmth surged to her whole body and she could feel her nerve starting to lessen. She will do the interview to her best ability. After all what's the worst thing that could happen?

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The worst thing did kind of happened.

So, after thanking Alfred for driving her to Wayne Enterprise and for the advice Marinette walked bravely to the huge building. Everything was going well so far, she told the receptionist about her appointment and the nice lady showed her the way to Mr Wayne's office.

The worst thing happened when she walked out of the elevator and ran into someone, hard. Her nerve came again during the elevator ride and once the door opened she bolted out from the confined space, and barreled into someone, sending them both to the ground with a loud thud.

"O-oh my gosh! I-I'm so sorry! I-i wasn't looking." She stuttered apologetically as she moved away from the person.

The one whom she stumbled to turns out to be a man who seemed to be the same age as she was. The man shook his head and held out a hand to stop Marinette's stuttering. "It's...fine." He said politely with a smile. He picked himself up and look at Marinette with a calculating gaze. "Who are you?" He asked politely.

"I-i'm Marinette. I-i was here f-for the interview? W-with Mr Wayne?" She said unsurely. She could feel herself being judged under those scrutinizing eyes of his and Marinette unconsciously flinched.

The man hummed noncommittally. "The office is just down the hall. Good luck, I think you'll need it." He said with a bored tone.

That set Marinette off from her previous nervous self. "And what makes you think I'll need it?" A hint of sass bleeds through in her tone. The man blinked, clearly unexpected to see a change of tone from Marinette.

"Oh, I'm not implying anything! It's just..." The man trailed off his words, his eyes darting around the room trying to think of a more polite way to voice his 'concerns'. "Look, I'm sure you are a very competent person, it's just I know Bruce and I don't think he's looking for someone like...you?" He finished unsurely.

Marinette was appalled, no she was furious, sure she had sent the guy flying with her nervous stumble but she couldn't help it. Her nerves got the better of her! However, that doesn't give him any right to judge her so lowly!

Before she could even give a seething remark the man pats her shoulder and gave an empathetic smile, which to Marinette looked so condescending that she wants to punch that smile off his face. "Anyways, good luck and I'm sure that there'll be another path for you." He 'advised' helpfully and leave Marinette seething and glaring murderously on his disappearing back.

Oh, she'll show him. If before she just wants to give her best for this interview and just leave everything to fate, now she's determined to get that job. She'll show him how much of a terrifying secretary she could be.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick couldn't believe his odds to stumble upon the girl that he had met as Nightwing. The one that had confused his mind with the way the reports told how she had handled the Riddler and his goons. When the girl had sent him to the ground with her powerful stumble and had stuttered out her apology he was ready to believe that what happened with the Riddler had been a fluke.

There was no way that someone like her could do what the reports had stated. Yep, Dick now has a firm belief that what she had done was certainly a fluke. When she introduced herself and told him that she was here for the Secretary/PA interview with Bruce he winced inwardly.

The girl will be eaten by the wolves, where in this case the wolf is Bruce, but he digresses. So he wished the girl good luck and it seems that she had taken it wrongly. Dick had to find the right words to not hurt Marinette's feelings and after saying his piece he thought that he had done a pretty decent job to shoot down any hope for working as Bruce's PA.

He knows his adopted father and he knows that Bruce doesn't appreciate a scatterbrain of a secretary, even if she's quite pretty. He left the girl in the hallway thinking that it'll be the last time he'll ever see her again.

Short answer from the universe? He was wrong. He was so wrong.,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marinette waits outside of the CEO's office, still stewing from that guy's condescending attitude. Not even Nooroo's gentle pat could calm down her rage. She hopes that she won't see that guy soon because as much as she prides her ability to control her emotions she wouldn't count herself to not slap the guy silly.

"Ms Dupain-Cheng, Mr Wayne is ready for your interview." Called the lovely secretary who gave her an encouraging smile.

Marinette shoot out from her seat and nodded excitedly. "Thank you! I'm ready now." She said as she pats down her skirt to smooth any wrinkles away. She marched confidently to the office and greet the familiar man with a bright smile.

"M Wayne! We meet again!"

"Ah, Marinette. I can call you that right?"

She nodded with a confident smile as she approach his desk and waited next to the chair in front of him waiting for his permission.

"Oh! Please, sit-sit! I'm sure you already know what we're going to do today?" He asked with a pleasant smile. Marinette took a seat and gave a small shrug.

"I have to say, M Wayne. Madame Bourgeois informed me on such short notice that I'm afraid my preparation would not be as much as I wanted." She explained elegantly.

"Really? Audrey gave you such short notice? Do you want to reschedule the interview?" Bruce offered fully expecting her to accept the new agreement, instead, Marinette shook her head.

"Oh, no. I'm ready." She confidently declined. "I have a point to prove." She added with a smirk. Bruce chuckled and with that, the interview starts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marinette didn't know how they even moved to this topic but right now, instead of interviewing, Marinette is eagerly pointing out the flaws of Batman's hero costume as well as the early Robins costume. Thankfully, Bruce didn't seem put off instead he was listening very intently and even took some notes from her rant. It was pretty surrealistic.

The interview had started out great and it didn't feel like she was being interviewed for a job position, to be honest. They talk about her ability to plan on her feet and anticipate unexpected occurrences. They talk about how she manages Audrey's schedule and made sure the company runs smoothly if one of the others is not present in HQ. Bruce even asked about how she handles difficult business partners or clients and considering the pleased smile on his face she felt like she nailed this interview. At one point, Bruce had asked about her fashion business and Marinette had excitedly explained how she started the business when she was thirteen during the heights of Hawkmoth's reign of terror. All in all, she would consider this a success!

While she was going to move on to talk about the atrocious colour shade that the first Robin had, Bruce Wayne's secretary had come inside the office to inform them about the fitting appointment that they had in one of the reserved meeting rooms. So, they ended the interview there and leave the office while discussing a new topic which is about capes.

"I'm just saying M Wayne, I just think that they should invest in an easily removed cape system. Imagine if the enemy manages to get their hands on the cape? Disaster!" She rants as Bruce frowned thoughtfully.

"You may have a point. Anyways, perhaps we should shelve this conversation for another time. We're here." He said as he opened the meeting room to show that there was already someone inside. "Ah! You're here, perfect. Marinette, I'd like to introduce you to my son. Richard Grayson."

Before either person could introduce themself they both gasped dramatically and pointed at each other with a different variety of shock.

"YOU!"

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[d-criss-news]

Evan Rachel Wood, Darren Criss on Stepping Into ‘Little Shop of Horrors’: “We’re Both These Little Theater ’90s Nerds”

The 'Westworld' actress and 'American Crime Story' star open up about deciding to take the stage together, personal connections to their characters, and their love for Howard Ashman and Alan Menken.

It’s early afternoon on a Friday when Darren Criss and Evan Rachel Wood pick up the phone, just five days before the duo is set to debut as the new Seymour and Audrey in off-Broadway‘s Little Shop of Horrors. Both are on their way to the Westside Theatre stage for their first top to bottom run-through, taking over the complicated but beloved characters based on Roger Corman’s 1960 horror comedy and deftly adapted for the stage by theater legends Howard Ashman (book and lyrics) and Alan Menken (music). Now in its fifth year, several notable names have left their mark on this U.S. revival of the dark goings-on of a Skid Row flower shop: Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Conrad Ricamora, Corbin Bleu, Constance Wu, Maude Apatow, Tammy Blanchard, Lena Hall. But none quite like this, as an intentional leap together among friends.

As the interview begins, Wood — who is already at the theater — openly wonders whether she should take the elevator down to where she’ll soon meet co-star and friend Criss, before quickly interjecting that “you might lose me for two seconds.” Meanwhile, Criss declares he opted to skip the subway after realizing he was running behind, as he briefly turns on his Zoom camera to reveal himself in the backseat of a car.

Later, his voice will drop out for a few minutes, before reappearing, sounding winded. “I have my ear pods in, and so I just got out of the car talking to you guys, and you cut out,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “Then I looked at the car driving away, so I just sprinted down the block to grab it.” This frantic energy is reminiscent of what you can find within this kind of scrappy, fast-paced, off-Broadway musical environment in the final days before curtains go up. As replacements, Criss and Wood will do so with less time to rehearse and no preview audiences on which to test their performances, but that doesn’t seem to phase either of them. Instead, with their easy and fun rapport, the duo celebrate the challenge of what it means to be passed this mantle for a three-month run, beginning Jan. 30. On Tuesday, Wood will make her New York theater debut, a long-awaited moment for the actress who grew up with a father (Ira David Wood III) as an actor, playwright and theater director in her hometown of Raleigh. With her early stage ambitions sidelined by a burgeoning film career — later including movie musicals like Frozen II and Across the Universe — the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated Wood will finally return to her performance roots, a year after news of her attachment to a possible Thelma & Louise musical adaptation for Broadway.

Little Shop of Horrors will also mark Criss’ first return to New York’s musical theater world since a multi-week replacement run in 2015 as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. On the phone, he’s adamant that, absent traditional musical theater training, he’s fooled the world into thinking he’s more than an “actor trying to act like he knows how to sing.” But with several EPs, a Christmas album, Billboard-charting work with StarKids Productions, and roles in musical-driven screen projects like Glee and Hazbin Hotel, it’s hard not to believe that the Emmy and SAG award-winning performer, like Wood, will be right at home. Ahead of their debut, the duo spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about sharing the stage, the impact of Little Shop of Horrors across the stage and screen, their love of Ashman and Menken, and why these roles are personally resonant and remain culturally timely. Darren, you said in a previous interview that you had been begging Evan to come do theater in New York for years. How did you make that happen now and for you both together? CRISS Let me just start by saying as much as I can before she can hear me. I’m in a regular habit of just exalting Evan for her talent. I’d done this before I even had the great privilege of getting to know and become friends with her. I’m always talking about how wonderfully talented she is and how I’ve always really loved her voice and her breadth of ability. When I meet people who are these wonderful triple threats that have a really strong theatrical background — people who can sing and don’t have as many opportunities as I wish they did — I get off on the idea of people who didn’t know that they could do this thing finally getting to see that they could do this thing.

Evan has done a lot of singing in her life. She’s literally a Disney princess for Frozen II and there’s obviously Across the Universe. But knowing that she has this really strong theatrical background, I’ve always been hell-bent on getting her on a stage. As a friend, she has popped up on many gigs with me in my personal life just for fun and parties I’ve thrown. She showed up for me on the Christmas album. She’s said yes to me far more many times than I frankly deserve. So when this came around, a lot of my colleagues — a lot of my friends — have been Seymour, and who loves theater that doesn’t love Little Shop of Horrors? It would be a really fun time for me, but the thing that would make it really, really special is if I had got the chance to do it with an Audrey that not only I thought really could bring something spectacular to the role, but on a personal level, this is off-Broadway. We’re all doing this scrappy theater thing in a basement together. If we’re going to live on top of each other might as well be someone but I’m also personally very fond of and have a wonderful relationship with. So short story that’s way too long, I went to Evan and said “Hey, I have an idea. Would you be available to do this?” and thank my lucky stars, she said yes. I’m just a pig in shit, getting to do this with her. It’s an absolute joy. Evan, what’s your response to that glowing review, but also, why did you want to make this show your off-Broadway New York theater debut?

WOOD Funny enough, I have been so close to being on Broadway a handful of times and something has always come in the way of scheduling or something falls apart. It was actually my dream as a kid. I went back and read some old interviews of mine when I was around 12 or 13, and I completely had forgotten that my dream was to go live in New York, go to NYU, and do theater in New York. That was where my sights were set before my life sort of got derailed for a moment. So it’s always been in my sights. It’s gotten increasingly harder over the years to make it work, especially if you have kids, to be away from home for such long periods of time. Usually, the theater commitments are an amount of time that I was just never able to do and so the timing was perfect because I was thinking to myself, “God, I wish I could go to New York and do a play, but maybe not a six-month run. Maybe something around three months. A classic musical that’s going to be really fun.” Darren called me maybe a week later and said, “I’d love for you to come and do it with me,” and it was like an instant yes. To piggyback on what Darren said, I feel very similarly about Darren and that whenever he’s asked me to do something, I just know it’s going to be great. I know it’s going to be fun and I fully believe in everything that he does and his talent. We’re both these little theater ’90s nerds that just hit it off in so many ways, and we collaborate well together. I just felt like we would like this project. It’s made so much sense for both of us that it was a no-brainer.

Little Shop of Horrors is one of those musicals that even people who aren’t big fans of musical theater and attend regularly are aware of, both in terms of story and music. Among the many adaptations of this, whether it was a professional or high school staging or even any of the movie versions, was there one that made you want to do this show? CRISS I’ll say this. As hip of an aura as I’ve tried to give off, make no mistake, I think the biggest gateway to this property for everybody is hands down the movie. I was not seeing off off Broadway theater in the 1980s. I wasn’t there, and that’s why I love movie musicals so much. As much as I love going to the theater, being able to go to a Broadway show is a very specific and privileged situation tied to being in New York City. But whether it’s a liked or celebrated movie, it is still going to be the most accessible thing in perpetuity for everybody. So definitely the movie and those songs. Before you can really understand the complexities of the thematic, Faustian elements and high dramaturgical elements of the story — and before you even get the comedy — you get the music. Especially when you’re really young and your parents are playing you things that you go, “OK, well, kids can get behind music.” It doesn’t take much to understand that the music from that show is beloved. I mean, this music and this show are like proto-Disney Renaissance. It’s like what got [Jeffrey] Katzenberg to ask Alan Menken and Howard Ashman to help them out. It was like, “We want to do some Disney musical fairy tales.” Now, because of the show, we have The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast.

I grew up in the ’90s, as me and Evan tend to relate upon a lot. With The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and these films that I loved so much, as I got older, I really wanted to know more about the people behind them. I became obsessed with, and I talk a lot about, Howard Ashman and how much of an influence he’s had on the musical theater genre ever since the popularity of those films. So I wanted to go back to the start of that, and that’s when I started to dive into Little Shop and discover how this was the sort of nexus — the genesis — of everything. WOOD Yeah, same. I grew up watching the film and being so terrified by it, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. I grew up doing theater. My father runs a theater in Raleigh, North Carolina, and so that was my childhood. I was always listening to show tunes, and as Darren said, the classic Disney albums, acting out plays in my living room and Little Mermaid was certainly one of them. Ellen Greene’s performance always stuck with me, and I am also a major Howard Ashman-Alan Menkin nerd for similar reasons as Darren. Those were all things that drew me to it. I was really terrified about and still am terrified about being eaten by the plant because it was like a deep seated childhood fear of mine that I had to conquer to do this show. It’s stuck with me since childhood. It’s not as bad as you would think. But it’s still pretty scary. Also just a fun fact, I was cast as Audrey in the seventh-grade school play, but I couldn’t do it because I was doing movies. (Laughs.) So I got pulled out of school, but I was almost Audrey in seventh grade.

CRISS You aged into it well. This is a much more appropriate time in your life being Audrey than in seventh grade, so worked out just great. (Laughs.) I just have to say, this production, we both have our careers going on and different dragons that we’re chasing in our professional and personal lives that committing to a big Broadway production is a huge investment. What’s so wonderful about this is, the way the show is set up, we can kind of come in for just a little bit. It’s really high output but like low stakes — and I don’t want to say that to be reductive of the production. I mean that the show is beloved. There are people that know this show but have never seen it, and have heard of it and know the songs without ever even having tried to listen and know the songs. So it’s so culturally ubiquitous, that it’s a very, welcome accessible thing for all kinds of folks and that might cross-pollinate between me and Evan’s demographic of people who might be interested in us. Also, it’s been running for long enough that I feel protected. I’ve seen this production several times. Evan and I went just last night. It’s something that you don’t have to figure out. One of the hardest parts about getting a show up on its feet is like, does it work? Do we want this song in? We got to do with an audience and you really have to workshop stuff for a long time. Shows take years before they’ve reached mainstream Broadway, so the fact that all that legwork is taken out is a no-brainer for us. It’s just this really like warm snuggle from something that we really love.

You’re right in that this is not a traditional production experience for you, as you’re coming in after others, and you have less rehearsal time, no previews. What have the challenges or exciting elements of that been for you so far? WOOD I don’t know about you, Darren, but I feel like one of the reasons why I said yes to doing this with you is because this is kind of where you and I thrive — in the fast-paced chaos. I need a challenge sometimes. I need that adrenaline and I need that fast pace, especially if I’m coming in to do theater. That’s where I grew up, and that’s what I’m used to. That’s where home is for me. So coming back into the theater into the organized chaos of it all feels right. My brain loves it and thrives off of it. When somebody says “Oh, this is a really hard number to learn,” I think, “This is going to be my favorite number.” (Laughs.) I love figuring something out, and picking it apart piece by piece and putting it back together, then conquering it. There’s just such satisfaction that comes from doing that there, Darren, and I think it’s similar for you. CRISS It is kind of a party trick some people are quick studies of, for better or for worse. I think this kind of pace suits us. I think it’s something that we wear pretty well, and I think we do that a lot in our own lives. But to do it together is pretty fun. I’ve thrown Evan into all kinds of things where she’ll just show up knowing a whole song last minute. That’s not too dissimilar, and it’s not like we’re learning new music. We know these songs.

In the theater world, you learn a track. It’s literally a track — there are little railroad tracks set around the stage because there’s no follow spots. The lights are where they are. You don’t have to do hours of tech rehearsal, figuring out where the lighting cues are. They’re there. It is our job to jump into a machine that is already very well-oiled and running. So in that regard, you’re kind of free from having to worry about that stuff. But you can just focus on your characterization and nuance within these very, specific directives. I’ve done a few put-ins. I think this is probably your first, Evan, for a show that’s already going. Correct me if I’m wrong. WOOD I did learn, for the record, Baz Luhrmann in one night and performed it the next night. CRISS Case and point. So yeah, doing a put-in — I’ve done it a few times for Broadway — it’s nice because then you can just focus on the little things that you really want to play with and not worry about these big macro things. What’s funny is that people always say, “Oh, I love Broadway music. I love Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.” The word Broadway is often conflated with the music from narrative storytelling, whether it be from films or TV. This show was always an off-Broadway darling. It was only really on Broadway for a little bit in 2003. Beyond that, it’s the movie and this off-off-Broadway show, which started in the ’80s and ran for a pretty long time. Then in just so many regional and school productions. But it’s actually only been on Broadway for a minority of the time.

WOOD And that was intentional, right? It was really important to them to keep it off Broadway because that was the spirit of the show. It was on Skid Row. It wasn’t supposed to be a big huge glitzy production. CRISS When you contextualize it, it’s a famous show now, but if you’re in the ’80s, and you’ve got some big Broadway musicals happening uptown, and you’re trying to tell your friends, “Yeah, I saw this thing downtown. You got to come. It’s kind of this doo-wop that’s based of this Roger Corman B-movie. There’s a plant that’s a puppet but it’s hard to explain. You just got to come down and see it.” (Laughs.) Trying to contextualize that, it makes you realize this really is a weird thing, man. It’s a weird, off-the-beaten-path, outlying renegade show. You’ve both done musicals in different mediums, which is, obviously, a different process. Was there anything you brought in with you about doing it on-screen to your performances now? WOOD It’s kind of the opposite for me. I’ve carried theater into my film work because I started in theater, so I learned how to do things fluidly and without stopping. There’s a lot of stop and start in TV and film and sometimes that’s nice. But sometimes it’s frustrating, especially when you come from a theater background. There’s something so satisfying about telling the story from beginning to end and playing the entire arc of the character in one go. There’s just a certain energy and an aliveness that comes with that that you can’t have when you have the camera in the room and it’s constantly moving and starting and stopping and changing.

CRISS I would say the same thing. I don’t know if this math checks out, but I think I’ve spent in my collective hours working in any kind of performing art more time in a theater than I have on a set. That might not be true, but in my mind, it feels that way. I constantly feel like I’m bringing what I know in the theater to film and television. I’d always prefer to be doing theater, but these days, listen, I’ll work anywhere, anyhow. As long as, hopefully, it’s positive, and additive to the world in some way. The theater, without getting on a total spiritual kick, it is a holy place. It’s an ancient art form. It is catharsis. It is sharing something with people in real-time before your very eyes. It’s why, despite the fact that we have TV and film and every possible AR, VR medium to displace our reality, theater is still around. It’s why we go to church, why we go to temple, why we go to the mosque — so we can experience something that we collectively want to believe in. We’re strangers and we want to elevate ourselves to something that’s bigger than the sum of our parts. I realize I said I didn’t want to get into a whole spiritual thing with it, but there you go. That can only happen after the fact, months if not years after you do it in a film set.

Evan and I are about to do our first put-in rehearsal, which is to say, we’re going to do the whole thing top to bottom, but there will be a key character missing, and that is the audience. The audience is one of the main characters of any show. And as much as you’d not want to break the fourth wall — that they’re not supposed to be there — of course, they’re there. Of course, that’s why we’re there — to have that kind of sacred communion with an audience giving you the privilege of their presence. You have a responsibility and a duty to make sure that you are sharing some kind of worthwhile experience with them. So getting to renew that experience every night, to me, is the most noble vocation that you can have as an artist.

WOOD I learned how to sing before I learned how to act because I wanted to do musical theater. So this is my favorite thing to do. Of all the mediums is being able to marry the singing and the acting together. Always my first love. CRISS I’m still learning how to do those two things, which is why Evan Rachel Wood is in this production — to teach me how to do those things. (Laughs.) Part of why shows like Little Shop go on for so long — why they can get this many revivals or adaptations — is that there’s something timeless about the story and its characters. For you, what is most timeless about Seymour and Audrey? Amid all the other actors who have taken on these roles, what are you most connecting to? WOOD From what I understand, everybody that’s come in to do the show brings their own energy and spin on it. Especially with Audrey — Ellene Greene, her performance is so iconic. The look, the voice, the songs. So stepping into that is figuring out how I pay homage to the parts of this character that people love and expect to see, but also bring my vibe and energy to it. That’s exciting to figure out what my Audrey looks like. For me, it’s also hard not to relate to her and her struggles because, unfortunately, those are very timeless — poverty, abuse, patriarchy. She’s sort of a victim of all of those things. Not to get too real for a second, but I am a domestic violence survivor playing this character who is going through similar struggles, who has these similar feelings and dreams of getting out and going to a better place and getting far, far away from her past. They’re all very real things, but they’re in this setting of campiness and horror. What’s amazing about the show for me is that it is fun. It is campy. There are man-eating plants. But there’s such sincerity to it as well. Especially with Audrey, Seymour, and their relationship. There are so many beautiful real moments between the two of them. Themes of poverty and capitalism are still just so prevalent that that’s why it’s so timeless because these things just are not going away.

CRISS I’m glad Evan mentioned her own experience and what that brings to the show. I think, for my money, pathos is a dish best served sweet. Comedy and fun are a wonderful support system for really heavy themes. WOOD Exactly. CRISS I think I’m that I’m more likely to take something more seriously if it’s not shoved down my throat. This is a comedy and to me, there’s not a lick of fat on this thing from Howard Ashman who was just such an extraordinary dramaturg. He took this really silly B-movie, and managed to hone in on the very ancient themes. You’re asking what makes Seymour so timeless. It’s a Faustian tale. This is the one of the oldest fables asking what is the price of greatness. What is a man willing to do, willing to give up, willing to trade to get what he wants? WOOD He literally sells his soul. CRISS Yeah, he sells his soul. The plant is Mephistopheles in this parable of Little Shop. But, of course, if you’re going go downtown and say, “I’m going to do a show. It’s like a Faust thing, and Mephistopheles shows up,” you can see people’s eyes glaze over. Well, how about it’s this guy, there’s music that is evocative of what was popular in the late ’50s, but the plant sings. It’s sci-fi, but it’s horror, but it’s fun, and it’s comedy. Now you have my attention, now I’m subscribing to the fun and the music. But by the end of it, I’m experiencing a classic, traditional, academic tale in a really fun way. When you said there’s been millions of iterations of this show, my mind went to, there’s been millions of iterations of this story. This is probably just one of the funniest ones I can think of.

There is ancientness to this tale. I’ve realized recently I’ve made a lot of my roles, especially in the Broadway world, about people who would do anything to accomplish greatness. To varying degrees of evil or good or compromise, people are always trying to figure out what it is they have to do, and what they have to give up. What line they would cross to get it. A lot of times people are kind of conflicted [watching Little Shop of Horrors] because you are rooting for this guy doing this thing, but he’s doing something terrible. Does that make you complicit? Are you a bad person for wanting this? All those things are the bread and butter of good old-fashioned drama.

[xsweetcatastrophe]

You Broke Me First

Part 9

"Pick up, pick up..." Zoe mumbled, while pacing back and forth.

Finally, the screen on her phone changed to her sister's flustered face. "Sorry, I was getting Sophie out of the bath," She said, sounding out of breath. "But the second her feet hit the floor, she takes off like the road runner and how she's running naked around the house getting water everywhere... sometimes I think she's part dog" she said, starting to ramble.

"Ok can this be about me for a second because I'm about to spiral" Zoe interrupted.

"ok, do I have to pour a glass of wine for this?"

"I think you might need the bottle"

"Oh boy, okay let me tell John to wrangle Sophie and put her to bed then"

for the next 25 minutes Zoe told her sister everything; from the interview, to the morning after, to the day at work, to the fake date, to the kiss outside her apartment.

"Are you kidding me?!?! Zoe, you can't catch feelings for him, so get that out of your head right now" Her sister said, pouring herself a glass of wine.

"Jen don't you think I already know that?! I was hoping there would be one article and a couple pictures of us out and this would all blow over in a week. Doesn't look like it" Zoe whined.

"I thought I had an exciting week with Soph pooping on the potty for the first time. You always gotta one-up me don't you?" Jen replied smugly.

"I would gladly change Soph's dirty diapers for the next 5 years than deal with this" Zoe said, collapsing on the couch.

"Listen. Don't get caught up in it. Keep your feet on the ground and every time you speak to him, remind yourself it's just for show. It's a job. You get attached too easily and this is just going to end badly for you in the end" Jen said.

"What did I even call you for? you're telling me things I already know" Zoe said, getting annoyed.

"Ok, lets change subjects then... did you book your flight?"

"flight for what?" Zoe said, confused.

"Ok, Rude. Sophie's birthday party, remember?" Jen said, annoyingly.

"OH - yea, sorry. I have the site that tracks the prices of flights and I check it every day, I'm on top of it" Zoe said.

"Ok, Just checking... Hey, I love you, you know that right? And I worry about you a lot" Jen said, her voice softer.

"I know. I love you too"

Jen and Zoe had a great relationship; where Zoe sometimes felt disconnected from her mom due to bickering back and forth, she ran to Jen. Jen had a maternal side of her that showed in the way she cared for her younger sister. Maybe it was because there was such a large age gap; Jen being 7 years older. Maybe it was because where Jen and her mom gravitated towards each other more, Zoe and her Father were closer. Now that Zoe's dad wasn't here anymore, Jen tried her best to fill in the void Zoe felt. Jen always felt her dad protected Zoe from everything. With him gone, Jen figured she can't step in and protect Zoe from everything, but she can hold her hand and go through it with her, no matter what it was. Sometimes she felt like she was letting her down, especially living in another state.

The girls said their goodbyes and promptly hung up the phone. Zoe sighed, feeling the temperature start to rise in her small apartment. She opened all the windows and brought out the fans, turning them on and shutting off the lights. She made her way to the bathroom and showered, washing the day off of her. She blasted the cold water for as long as she could before she got out; she was about to have a warm night so she wanted to cherish the cold for as long as she physically could.

Zoe stepped out and made her way to the bedroom, not bothering with a towel. As she was standing by her dresser grabbing a pair of underwear, she became aware that her windows were open and there were just a gang of photographers camped outside. She grabbed a pair of underwear and a big T-Shirt and got dressed quickly, hoping no one was outside with one of those super zoom camera lenses peeking into her window.

She decided to sleep in the living room since it was a bit cooler. She passed out on the couch, not before adjusting a fan to point it directly at her.

Zoe woke up to someone banging on her door.

She jumped up, confused and startled. "One minute!" She yelled, making her way to the door. She stopped short, realizing she didn't have pants on.

"One minute!" She yelled again, running to her bedroom and grabbing a pair of sleep shorts. She ran back to the front door, running her fingers through her hair thinking it might help.

She opened the door to a man standing there with a large box and a cliipboard.

"Zoe Parker?" He said, checking his clipboard.

"Yea.. hi?" She said, hesitantly.

"Where do you want it?" He said, motioning to the large box next to him.

Zoe looked at him, confused. "Sorry, there's been a mistake. I didn't order anything."

The man looked at his clipboard again. "Is... C. Murphy here? he placed the order yesterday and requested expedited delivery. I was told this had to be my first stop today" He said, checking his papers.

Zoe's stomach dropped.

"Oh. Yea, he's not here sorry.... what is it?" She said, looking at the box. It was just a brown cardboard box, not the product box so there was no pictures on the outside.

"It's a floor air conditioner."

Author's note: filler chapter, sorry

Tags: @lau219 @wolfieellsworld 

[goomysnotebook]

*•.¸♡ ℒ𝒶𝓉ℯ 𝓃𝒾𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒸𝓁ℯ𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 ♡¸.•* (Raihan x !Reader, part 2)

A/N: The part two to the popular Raihan x reader story from the lost wattpad archive that I wrote when I was 14 back in 2020! Enjoy :D

Reader is written as gender neutral and custom to you :)

Words: 1859 ---

“It’s incredible!” The commentator’s voice boomed over the crowd’s cheers. “Goodra managed to fight through the paralysis, landing a critical hit in the process!”

“Lapras, you can do it! Just one last ice-” The young challenger was cut off by the thud of his partner hitting the ground.

The commentator’s voice sounded through the speakers once again, “That’s another incredible win for the Hammerlocke gym leader, Raihan!” The crowds were going even wilder.

The camera zoomed in on Raihan shaking hands with the trainer. Before cutting to the commentator, “That’s it for tonight folks, in just a week the champions cup will take place. So don’t forget to tune in on Friday for the challengers’ last chance to win the dragon badge!”

“That was amazing!” You exclaimed when Raihan came backstage. You’d been sitting there ---together with Lucario--- watching on the small flat screen. “I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.”

Raihan plopped down on a chair close by. taking a big sip from his water bottle ---He was wearing the same jacket that you’d gotten to lend that stormy night. He’d told you to keep it, but you were way to insistent on giving it back---. “That last kid was really strong, smart too-” He said, “-Getting his Weezing to use defog after knocking out both Gigalith and Sandacondra. I actually don’t see too many people doing that.” Raihan looked at you, his voice somehow even friendlier than before, “I tried to not make too much of a mess out there.”

“Thanks, wish the crowd would do the same.” Rolling your eyes combined with a self-deprecating snicker.

Raihan chuckled, “I could ask them to maybe be a bit more considerate on Friday.” Kinda getting lost in your (E/C) eyes for a second. He got a bit sad, the sweet and caring (gender) he’d gotten to know these past two weeks had such a crappy job.

“That’d be pretty nice,” you replied to his comment.

A knock, followed by the sound of Raihan’s manager’s voice was heard coming from the door. Telling him to hurry up!

“Just a second!” He shouted in response. Standing up, he started to make his way towards the door. Your gaze trailing him. Stopping he turned towards you and asked, “You have the day off tomorrow, right?”

You nodded, “Yeah, how so?”

Raihan leaned back against the door, “I was wondering if you wanted to maybe go and grab a coffee or something?”

“Sure, why not.”

“Great!” It looked as if a huge weight had been lifted off of his chest. “Cya tomorrow then,” He said before exiting the back door.

You soon did the same. But instead of exiting backstage to get interviewed. You entered the arena to start your shift.

Raihan was leaning by the corner of the battle café. Fidgeting with his rotom phone, looking up regularly to scan the crowds.

His mind was all over the place. Playing out every scenario possible. Why was he this nervous? You were just supposed to meet up and grab a coffee ---as friends--- after all.

Taking a deep breath. He straightened up and scanned the packs of people roaming the streets. Hoping to get a glimpse of you.

“Excuse me. Sorry. Pardon. Can I just…” All things you said while awkwardly zig-zagging your way through Hammerlocke’s crowded sidewalks. Squeezing past locals and tourists alike, ---Lucario following right behind--- you got a tell of the time by glancing at one of the passerby’s phones. 1:36 pm.

“Shit,” You said underneath your breath. Picking up your pace a bit. You were supposed to meet Raihan outside the battle café at 1:30.

Having watched the replays from yesterday’s interviews. You kinda lost track of time; having you run a bit late.

Even with his hood up and sunglasses to cover his face. You could easily see that it was Raihan standing at the edge of the building. He really stuck out like a sore thumb ---even with his plain clothing--- due to his extreme hight. It kinda baffled you that no one seemed to notice the tamer of dragons standing there.

“I’m so sorry, I kinda lost track of time,” you admitted ---being a bit out of breath from running--- when you came up to him.

“Oh, no worries!” He said, “Wanna head inside?” Slightly gesturing towards the door.

You nodded. Raihan following close by as you started to pace towards the opening.

If it had had legs, Raihan’s heart could have outspeed Deoxys at this point. He was forever thankful for the hood and glasses hiding his reddened face as you stood in line waiting for your turn to order.

Get yourself together, Raihan! He thought. Stop being this nervous, nothing bad’s gonna happen. You’re just out with a friend. It’s nothing different from when you’re out with Leon and Sonia. Just-

He got snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of your voice. “Raihan, what did you wanna order?”

“Oh, erm. I’ll take a number three,” he quickly responded.

“What flavor, vanilla, or caramel?” The barista asked.

“Vanilla.”

The barista looked down at the little piece of paper, “So, one number eight; Eiscue-tea, and a number three; Snomspésso ---vanilla flavored?”

“Correct,” You said confirming the order.

Raihan was just about to tick up his credit card when you handed over some pokédollars to the barista.

“I’ll call you up when the orders’ ready.”

“$5 right?” Raihan asked reaching for his wallet.

You put down your mug on the table and said, “Oh don’t worry. It’s on me.”

You were able to see the surprise on his face, ---you were seated in the corner, so he’d taken off the hood and glasses---. He was just about to open his mouth to protest.

But you cut him off before he had the chance to start, “I insist,” you said. Taking a sip of your tea.

“Fine,” he said taking a grip of his coffee mug.

Time really does fly while you’re having fun. Sitting there chatting about everything under the sun with Raihan. Even though you’d only really known each other for a couple of weeks, you were chatting like you’d known each other forever; sharing embarrassing, funny, sad, and scary stories from your childhoods.

Raihan told you about his gym challenge; how it was being the sworn rival to the undefeated champion. How he’d met Duraludon.

It was nice listening to his stories, or more precisely. It was nice listening to him. You could probably sit there for another couple of hours just listening to his voice.

But sadly that wasn’t a possibility. Reminding you that there was a world outside the one created by Raihan’s enchanting voice, was the barista informing you that they were closing soon.

“I could walk you home,” Raihan offered as you made your way out of the building.

“That’d be nice,” you responded, You didn’t really live in the nicest part of town. The higher crime rate also meant cheaper rent, ---you’d move out as soon as you got a higher paying job---. So having the Hammerlocke gym leader walk you home, it made you feel a lot safer.

“Shit, I forgot my glasses at the cafe,” Raihan said. You’d only walked about a block, “Will you wait here?” He asked, “I’ll hurry.”

“Yeah, no worries,” you said with a smiling nod.

“Thanks, I’ll hurry!” He reassured once again. Setting off back to the cafe.

Raihan exited the cafe once more, this time with his sunglasses. Getting closer to the place where he left you.

He was already running before the scream even registered as human.

Rounding the corner, the silhouette of a Grimmsnarl appeared in front of him. Sounds of drunken laughter mixed with your whimpering cries for help. Were all drowned out by the sound of his booming voice, “Let go of them.”

The anger and fear pulsing through his body only grew greater; seeing you on the ground shielding your fainted partner, made him see red. He didn’t need to see the trainer, the Grimmsnarl was all he needed to know who the attacker was, William. Probably to get his revenge --- you did get him fired after all.

“Let go of them!” Raihan demanded once more --Duraludon standing tall next to him.

The man --- who was at least a foot shorter --- almost falling over as he turned around. His speech slurred, “Mind your own god dammed business, buddy,” making eye contact you could easily tell that there was more than just alcohol pulling the strings of his actions.

“Run along before I call the cops,” Raihan said, trying his best to regain his calmness.

William scanned Raihan and Duraludon. His face turning slightly pale. Somewhere in his drunken mind, he knew that he was in trouble. Big trouble. Looking like he was about to say something, William swallowed his words. Eyes shifting down to the ground.

He brought up a pokéball, calling back the Grimmsnarl. William muttered something incomprehensible, shoving his hands in his pockets. Spitting on the ground right in front of Raihan.

Raihan trailed William’s stumbling steps down the block with his gaze. When he was out of sight, Raihan turned back towards you. “We need to get him to a pokécenter, now,” he said looking at Lucario.

Glancing over at the broken pokéball in your hand. Raihan picked up Lucario --- carrying him on his back --- and you swiftly started to make your way towards the pokécenter.

“What happend?” Raihan asked. --- You were sitting, waiting. Lucario had been rushed into the backroom for emergency treatment ---. He took a hold of your hands. Looking up you could see the worry flooding his eyes. “(Y/N), what happend out there?” He asked once again, his voice soft.

All of the fear that you’d been bottling up from tonight’s crazy events just became too much. While trying to speak, everything that came out was a strangled whine. Unable to articulate your thoughts, you just burst into a sob.

Raihan moved his chair a bit closer. The grip of your hands got a bit tighter. “I’m here, don’t worry everything will be fine.” He said.

“He came out of nowhere…” The words only a faint whisper between the tears, “I-I…”

Raihan pulled you closer --- letting you rest your head against his chest. you cried into his shirt. Raihan gave you a big comforting embrace.

“I tried my best-” You managed to choke up, “-but he --- he’s just too strong.”

“Don’t worry,” Raihan said softly, “As long as I’m here, he won’t be able to harm you.” His firm grip around you --- feeling his warmth. It was like that stormy night on the bus, “I promise.”

He let go. Feeling the cold seep in once again made you wanna reach for his arms. He grabbed Lucario’s broken pokéball off of the table. “We’ll get this fixed tomorrow.”

His warm smile said more than a thousand words. If the circumstances had been different you’d wished for this moment to never end.

You leaned back into his arms. Resting his jaw on the top of your head, he whisperd once more, “I promise.”

[itsallyscorner]

Ik someone else already asked for like a delivery part (and honestly, that would be amazing. Like imagine the girls reacting to Baby Mix casually dropping it in their chat). But, also imagine Tom and Y/N haven’t released anything to the public and Perrie (my loose-lipped queen) let’s it spill over a virtual interview or something, how chaotic would that be????

Anyway, I truly loved your Baby Mix stories. You’re combining two of my favourite things so effortlessly. Thank you💜💜💜

Hello my love! So sorry for the long wait, I hope you don’t mind! Thank you for requesting this and being so patient with me❤️ I’m so glad you’re enjoying the Little Mix reader! stories🥰 I haven’t written a delivery part yet but I already had an idea of how I wanted to write this so...here ya go! Happy reading🤎🧸

💌.

Meet Aunty Pez

She would be the best aunty in the world, ugh🥺 Also I’m so sorry I haven’t been active, school has been keeping me busy, but hopefully it’ll ease up soon! Sending all my love to all of you💞

At 3:14am, on an early Monday morning, the bundle of joy that you and Tom have been waiting nine months for has finally arrived. After hours of enduring pain and labor, Amelia May Holland was born. Weighing at 7.5 lbs, she had the same bright chocolate colored eyes as her father, gorgeous brown hair, a mix of your and Tom’s nose, and thankfully she inherited your lips. She was a precious little thing, always cradled in the arms of either of her parents, since they both couldn’t believe she was finally in the real world with them.

The sun casted soft rays of light into the hospital room you and your little family occupied. The warm light added to the peaceful atmosphere you were all currently in. You were sat against the hospital bed, cradling Amelia in your arms, while you and Tom stared at her in fascination. You lean your head against Tom’s shoulder, eyes never leaving your baby girl, who’s nose momentarily scrunched up.

Softly chuckling, you glance at Tom, “Not even a day old and she’s already doing a habit of yours.” The gentle smile grows even wider on Tom’s lips, a sense of pride rushing through his veins.

“Well she’s definitely her father’s daughter.” He hums, his arm around your shoulder pulls you flush against his chest. Tom hides his face in the crook of your neck, placing feather light kisses onto your skin trailing down to your shoulder, where he rests his chin.

“I can’t believe we made her. Isn’t she the most gorgeous baby in the world?” He speaks in a hushed voice, cautious of startling his newborn daughter awake. He gazes at Amelia with a fond expression on his face, large fingers gingerly reaching out to softly stroke the back of his baby’s hand. She’s only been here a few hours and she’s already wrapped him around her dainty little fingers. He would go to extreme measures to do anything for her and to make sure she lived the best life she can. She was to be treated like a princess in his eyes; because she was his princess and you’ve been bumped up to be his queen.

“She’s all we’ve ever wanted.” You turn to face Tom over your shoulder. The whole morning, ever since you gave birth, the two of you spent most of the time admiring Amelia and would burst into tears at how proud you were of each other. Not only had you both just made the most precious baby in the world, but this was a new chapter in your lives. A new experience of life with a stronger bond, full of love, and years of memories that’ll be looked back on in the future.

Tom shifts his gaze to you, the look in his eyes changing to adoration. He tenderly kisses your lips, repeating the actions a few more times before speaking. “Thank you so much for this. Thank you for being an amazing wife and giving me a family. I love you so, so, so, so, much. You have no idea.” He brushes his nose against yours, shutting his eyes, to savor the meaningful moment.

“I wouldn’t be doing this with anyone else but you. You’re gonna be such an amazing dad.” You beam at him. Tom softly chuckles, leaning his forehead against your temple, “God, I hope.”

“You will, you’ll be the best one in her eyes. I already know it.” You reassure him, pecking the corner of his mouth. You turn your attention back to Amelia, who was still sleeping peacefully in your arms.

“So when should we tell everyone?” Tom asks, resting his chin on your shoulder again. You lean the back of your head against his shoulder, making yourself comfortable in his arms.

“I think we should tell our family and friends first. I’m not ready to share her to the public yet, I want her to only be ours for now.” You quietly explain. You feel Tom smile against your skin.

“Of course, darling. Whatever you’re most comfortable with, that’s what we’ll go with.”

(Y/n)🌻: sent a photo

We thought Amelia might want to pop in and say hello to her favorite aunties for the first time!❤️

Perrie🦋: oh my goodness! Congratulations🥳🥳 I’m over the moon for the both of you!!

Oh she’s precious! Look at those cheeks!! I can’t wait to meet her🥺

Jade💜: OMG WE SHARE THE SAME NAME!!

I’m so happy for you and Tom!! You guys are going to be the most amazing parents in the world!❤️

Leigh-Anne😻: Baby Amelia, you are the most adorable baby I’ve ever seen!!!😍 Babe, you and Tom have some really good genes👀

Congrats you two!! I’m so proud of you both❤️❤️❤️

Jesy💖: Thank god Amelia got (y/n)’s genes for her lips!!😂😂 I can’t imagine another loose-lipped Holland!

I’m so happy for you guys!! I can’t believe you’re already a mum, darling🥺 We love you so much and can’t wait to see you and Baby Amelia❤️

(Y/n)🌻: You guys🥺🥺 I can’t wait to see you all and get out of this hospital! This bed isn’t doing anything for my back😭

Perrie🦋: You must be so exhausted lovey, how are you doing? I hope everything went well during delivery!

(Y/n)🌻: Very painful, I felt like I was about to pass out omg😭 The doctor kept on telling me to push, I didn’t know if I was shitting myself or pushing the baby out😭

Tom’s been amazing the entire time. Bless him, I think I broke his hand while I was pushing :(

Jesy💖: Omg!! What was Tom’s reaction to childbirth?!!

(Y/n)🌻: If you thought he couldn’t get even paler, you thought wrong! He was as white as the walls in the room😭😭 He was a good sport through it all though!

Also, Amelia’s crying. I’ve got to go, I’ll talk to you girls soon!! And good luck with the interview today, you guys are gonna smash it xx

Perrie🦋: Don’t worry about us! You’re officially on maternity leave now! We’ll send your regards for the interviewer❤️

Leigh-Anne😻: Look at our baby mama! We love you❤️❤️❤️

Jade💜: Say hello to baby Amelia and that Aunty Jade loves her🥰

Jesy💖: ^Kiss ass, she’s not even a day old and the competition for best Aunty has already begun smh.

Bye darling, we’ll catch up with you soon❤️

You smiled at your screen before turning it off and placing it onto the table beside your bed. Tom was pacing the room, cradling Amelia against his chest. He was gently rocking her back and forth, alternating from shushing her to humming some sort of tune underneath his breath. You sat back and admired the curly headed boy that’s claimed your heart. Not only was he the love of your life but he was also the father of your child. Sure you guys were young, both in your late 20s, but the daddy role definitely fit Tom perfectly.

Tom must’ve felt your stare because he turned around and sent you a tired smile. He walked towards your bed and motioned for you to lay down. Using one had to cradle Amelia, he used the other to help you get comfy in the hospital bed. Still with one hand, he fixed your hair on the pillow so that it was away from your face. His large calloused hand cradled your jaw, “Get some sleep, darling. I know how tired you are.”

You pouted at him, “But what about Amelia?” He shook his head, his thumb stroking your cheek, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll try and get her to sleep. You just close your pretty eyes and get some rest in.”

“What if she’s hungry?”

“If she doesn’t fall asleep, then I’ll wake you up. Just please get some sleep, love. You haven’t taken a proper nap since this morning and I know you’re already close to knocking out.” He reasoned with pleading eyes. You sigh finally giving in, lazily nodding in response. Tom beams at you and leans down to place a tender kiss onto your lips.

“I love you both.” You mumble against his lips. He pecks your lips once more, “And we love you too, mummy.” The moment you closed your eyes, you were out like a light.

You managed to take a nap for about half an hour until you felt a few pats on your shoulder. You were immediately awake, turning your head to look for Amelia. You looked at the hospital bassinet, where you could see her sleeping peacefully.

“What’s wrong?” You ask Tom. He was sat beside your bed with his phone held in his hand watching something.

“I’m so sorry for waking you, but you should see this.” He apologized with a pitiful smile. He scoots closer to the bed so you can look at the screen. Your brows furrow together in question as you stare at Tom; it was the girls’ interview.

“Just watch.”

“Hello ladies! Thank you for joining me today!” The interviewer started. A round of “hellos” and waves were seen on the recorded Zoom session.

“Thank you for having us!” Leigh-Anne said.

“Yeah, it’s always a pleasure to be on your show, Zach.” Jade gushed. Zach made a show of flattery making them all laugh.

“I mean I guess I should start by asking how are all of you?”

Jesy was the first to answer, “I’d say we’re all doing pretty good, aren’t we girls? You know—just trying to get by especially with all that’s going on in the world.”

Perrie agreed, “Yeah, we’re lucky enough to be healthy and have the privilege to work. So I’d say we’re very blessed and making the best out of situation.”

“That’s great for you girls. AND speaking of making the best of the situation, thank you for giving us entertainment! I’ve been watching The Search and I’m absolutely obsessed.” Zach began, complimenting the show. He continued, “Although I did notice, that there’s only four of you at the moment, and in the show. How is it like to not have (y/n) around?”

Jesy pouted, the other girls having familiar reactions at the lack of your presence.

“As much as we miss her, it’s best for her and the baby to stay home and away from the public. When it comes to your career or family; family comes first, so it was totally understandable.” Jesy explained.

Jade chirped in, “Well, she’s not completely missing out. She’s had a few virtual appearances on the show and we’ve all been in contact, we always know what she’s up to.”

“How’s she doing? With the baby preparations and all?” Zach asked the girls. Their faces immediately brightened with joy, especially Perrie how squealed and clapped her hands in delight.

“Oh she’s doing wonderful, we were just texting her! She’s officially on maternity leave!” Perrie cheered. On the screen, Jesy eyed Perrie warily.

“Officially on maternity leave?”

Perrie smiled widely, “Yes, she is! She sent us a photo of the baby in our group chat and my goodness! Their baby is so cute, I just want to pinch her little cheeks!”

The three other girls’ eyes widened at the things coming out of Perrie’s mouth too stunned to say anything.

Zach squinted at Perrie, “Wait she’s already had the baby?”

“PERRIE!”

“Yeah, today actually.” The blonde answered proudly.

“PERRIE SHUT UP!”

“STOP TALKING!”

Perrie stopped, looking at the three girls offendedly, “What?”

“Oh my god, she did not.” Leigh-Anne facepalmed herself. Jade’s jaw was slack and Jesy’s eyes were wide with horror.

“Babe, do you know what you just did?” Jesy questioned Perrie, fingers pinching the bridge of her nose in stress.

You paused the video, taking in what just happened.

Tom eyed you carefully, “Your phone’s been blowing up consistently. Pez even called me to apologize, she feels really bad (y/n).”

You frowned knowing that Perrie was most likely upset at herself. You’ve been friends with Perrie for years now. It was common knowledge amongst you and the girls that if something big and secretive were to happen, you were to never tell Perrie. Not that you all wanted to leave her out on propose, she just didn’t know how to keep her mouth shut. When Perrie found things that made her happy or excited, she didn’t know how to contain her happiness. So it wasn’t completely a surprise to learn she’s told the world you and Tom were finally parents.

Tom noticed that you were still quiet, “Are you mad, darling?”

You shook your head, “No—no, I’m not mad at her. I know Perrie can get too excited sometimes.”

“So you’re okay with this?” Tom asked you, knowing that just an hour ago you said you wanted to keep Amelia away from the public. His hand reaches for yours, grasping it.

You tilted your head at the ceiling, “Yeah, I guess I am? I mean it’s not like she said Amelia’s name or anything. All she told them was that I gave birth already.” You paused and turned to look at Tom.

“Plus, I think she’s saved us the trouble of figuring out how to tell the world about Amelia.” You send him a smile. He reciprocates the action and brings your hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “We don’t have to tell them anything more. All they have to know is that you’ve given birth and our little princess is healthy. Also that we’re very happy. The rest of the details will only be for us. For now.”

“For now.” You confirmed squeezing his hand. You glanced at your phone and motioned for Tom to give it to you. Scrolling through your contacts you clicked on Perrie’s name, “I guess we should call her and thank her.”

You clicked on the FaceTime icon and not even a second later, Perrie immediately answered the call.

“I am so sorry.” She apologized, hand covering her face. You chuckle at her and shake your head, “We’re actually calling you to thank you Pez.”

Her face contorts into confusion, “What do you mean thank me? I just exposed the two of you during a live interview.”

Tom poked his head into frame, “Well one, you’ve announced that Amelia’s here already, so that’s one thing off our list. And two, you just saved me months worth of relief during interviews. Now that everyone knows we have a baby, I don’t need to be scared of accidentally slipping it out when I have to do promos!”

The blonde looked between both you and Tom I’m disbelief, “Are you kidding me? If I knew you two would’ve responded this way I wouldn’t have been spending the last hour beating myself up for it.”

You laughed smiling at her. Perrie beamed at the both of you, “For just delivering a baby, you look gorgeous hun. You’re glowing.”

“Aw thank you, lovey.” You look at Amelia from the corner of your eye. “Do you wanna see her?” Perrie eagerly nods at the camera. Tom takes the camera and rounds your bed to the bassinet. Aiming the camera above Amelia he said, “Amelia, meet Aunty Pez.”

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[21burritoseavey]

control - daniel seavey imagine

a/n: i hope you enjoy this one, this is probably the longest one i’ve ever done but i still hope you like it. oh also if anyone wants to be tagged in a post just let me know:)

warning: this imagine does describe/mention anxiety. I know that anxiety can look different for everyone but what happens in this imagine is kinda how I have experienced it. It’s nothing too crazy but be mindful and read at your discretion:)

Early in the morning I still get a little bit nervous

Fightin' my anxiety constantly, I try to control it

 4:58am

Daniel awoke suddenly, his bright blue eyes snapping open. He felt the uncomfy tightness in his chest, rising and falling with every rapid breath he took, and his eyes darted around the dark room, paranoid that the terrorising monsters of anxiety had escaped from his dream world into reality. The silence of his bedroom and distant chirping of crickets outside said otherwise. Daniel swiftly shifted his gaze to his nightstand, the alarm clock read 5:00, signalling another rough night of sleep for him the third time that week.

 Even when I know it's been forever I can still feel the spin

Hurts when I remember and I never wanna feel it again

 He sighed tiredly before relaxing back into his bed, trying his best to smother his shallow breaths into his sheets. Daniel was wide awake, and mere seconds later, he slowly lifted his blankets to the side, draping his legs on the edge of the bed and got up cautiously. He walked slowly to the bathroom with quivering hands and approached the mirror in his en suite, grimacing at the sight before him. 

 Messy hair, damp forehead, ruffled clothing. 

 Don't know if you get it 'cause I can't express how thankful I am

That you were always with me when it hurts, I know that you'd understand

 Daniel reached for the collar of his sweaty t-shirt before pulling it off, distaste etched in the features of his tired face. He tossed it in the basket, huffing lightly as he leaned onto the vanity. He stared blankly into the mirror and let his mind wander from thoughts about work to music to Y/n. Y/n, he thought again, furrowing his brows as he contemplated calling her. His phone sat plugged into the charger near his nightstand, easily reachable. Daniel knew that Y/n wouldn’t mind listening to his unwavering rambles about his nightmares like she typically did, but he still didn’t move from his place behind the mirror. Before anything else could stumble into his mind, Daniel quickly turned the tap on, the cold water flowed easily from the faucet and he rinsed his face quickly, washing the remnants of his horrors away. 

 9:23am

 Incoming call from Y/n/n

Daniel almost grinned eye to eye as he read Y/n’s name on his phone screen and he quickly accepted the facetime, instantly seeing her sunshiny face light up his screen.  

“Heyyy!” Y/n said tenderly from her comfy spot on her bed. Daniel’s expression softened as he heard her loving voice through the phone. 

 “Good morning, honey.” Daniel said sweetly as he pulled out a chair from the kitchen island and sat down. 

“How did you sleep?” Y/n yawned.

I don't wanna lose control

Nothing I can do anymore

Daniel paused for a moment, pondering what he should say next, “I slept well.” Daniel grinned before continuing “Did you just wake up, honey?” He chuckled gently. 

“Yeah...” Y/n smiled as she rubbed her eyes. She perked up quickly “Are we still coming over to my place later?” Y/n asked sweetly, gazing expectantly at Daniel.

 Tryin' every day when I hold my breath

Spinnin' out in space pressing on my chest

I don't wanna lose control 

 “Yeah...of-f course” Daniel said as steadily as he could as he felt the anxiety boil up in his chest again. “Uh, I gotta go, I have a long day-” Daniel said with a tight smile, “I’ll talk to you later, I love you so much Y/n.” She smiled widely before replying. 

“Okay, I love you, Dani.” Daniel tuned into the warmth of her voice before fading out with a quiet goodbye and hanging up. He set his phone down tiredly and got up from his seat to make some breakfast. He worked quietly but quickly, avoiding the reeling thoughts in his head. 

Daniel couldn’t get his mind to stop, to just relish in the gift of presence like his girlfriend did. He admired her a lot in that way, in her ability to disregard any negative thoughts and go on with her day with the same soft, happy mood, gentle and steady.  In truth, Daniel couldn’t shake the gut wrenching, shameful sense of feeling like a burden. Y/n was the person he felt safest with, but recently, he found himself intentionally suppressing his uneasy thoughts, which only left him with guilt and a distressing pit in his stomach. 

 3:42pm

The band had been doing interviews since 11am that morning and Daniel felt particularly exhausted from his rough and frankly non-existent sleep the night before. “Okay, listen up. You guys have two more fan meet and greets, okay?” Randy reminded the group while they sat on Daniel’s living room sofa. 

 Sometimes I still think it's coming but I know it's not

Tryin' to breathe in and then out but the air gets caught

 The boys all agreed casually, replying with an asynchronous chorus of “okay”, but Daniel’s face only grew in panic and he shifted nervously from his spot a few paces away from everyone else. It was safe to say Daniel’s anxiety was majorly challenging him today, throwing him into a prison of worry and holding him hostage. He stared deeply into the blank monitor in front of them, his own loneliness reflected at him. The vibration of his iPhone notification piqued his attention and he read the simple message from Y/n with a grin “I miss you”. His eyes remained downcast and he dropped his phone in his back pocket again.

 'Cause even though I'm older now and I know how to shake off the past

I wouldn't have made it if I didn't have you holding my hand

 It felt like just minutes- no, seconds after they had finished their lunch break but the team were already preparing for the next zoom meet and greet. Daniel sighed deeply and approached the rest of the band before sitting down on the sofa beside Corbyn. 

“Okay guys, you ready?” Randy asked, barely waiting for an answer before entering the zoom call. Daniel’s breath hitched in his dry throat, and he felt his body tensing and his heart pounding. He wasn’t ready. Daniel tried to cling onto any steady breath, but there wasn’t one. He felt himself spiralling into even more anxiety and his body abruptly dropped to the carpeted floor. 

I don't wanna lose control

Nothing I can do anymore

Tryin' every day when I hold my breath

Spinnin' out in space pressing on my chest

 “Dani?” Corbyn asked quickly, kneeling down beside Daniel. His sudden tone of concern sparked almost everyone’s attention. Daniel merely clasped his hands over his head, failing to slow down his heavy breathing. 

“Daniel? Hey? Daniel-” The guys stumbled out with jittery voices.  Daniel heard their concerned words on repeat but couldn’t get himself to respond. His poisonous anxiety flowed through his blood and soon he found himself heaving through heavy lungs. The boys all scrambled to get Daniel water or a cool towel or anything as Daniel sat sorrowfully on the floor with his knees up to his chest and his arms wrapped around his body. The group’s concern for their best friend’s wellbeing only made Daniel feel even worse and all he wanted in that moment was to leave. The overlap of panicked voices.

 The abundance of eyes he knew were on him and the distant echoes of the fans’ voices through the screen all sent Daniel into suffocating overwhelm. In one swift motion, he lifted himself off the floor with all the might he could muster and ran to the bathroom. 

The boys stood there stunned and Randy rushed to get his phone “Who should we call? Y/n?” Randy asked swiftly. 

“Y-yeah, I’ll call her” Jack said quickly, grabbing his phone from his pocket and he dialled her number. 

 4:11pm 

I need you to know, I would never be this strong without you

You've seen how I've grown, you took all my doubts, 'cause you were home

 Y/n leaned her head on the bathroom door and she tried to call Daniel’s name as calmly as she could without letting her own nervous tears fall. “Dani” she said quietly, pushing her ear against the door as if to hear what he was doing. The sound of Daniel’s muffled sobs could be heard from the other side of the door. Her heart broke at that very moment, and she instantly felt sorrowful tears fall silently down her cheeks before she tried again.  “Daniel, please, can you just open the door” Y/n said quietly, but Daniel heard and to Y/n’s surprise, he opened the door cautiously. 

 I don't wanna lose control

There's nothing I can do anymore

 Daniel’s red teary eyes and quivering body were immediately noticed by Y/n, and she looked at him with concern carved in every part of her face. Daniel’s frustration and anxiety balled inside him, ravaging his mind with painful thoughts and emotions, finally erupting in front of Y/n. She shuffled over quickly to wrap her arms around him as he cried heavily into her shoulder, panting from pure exhaustion. Y/n gulped down her tears as she held Daniel tightly, whispering quiet reassurances as he let all his emotions out. Daniel clinged onto the material of his sweater she wore, and he let himself be calmed by Y/n’s presence. The sheer touch of her skin made Daniel’s sobs soften with each deep breath he took. Y/n looked down at him sweetly in her arms, “I love you, Dani” she said kindly, with the most genuine affection. 

Daniel took a trembling breath before replying tiredly but easily “I love you too.”

(i swear i always end it the same smh, i wrote this so late)

[holidaywishes]

Dusk Till Dawn

  Requested: 👍

  Summary/Request: 22 of the music prompts with Matthew Tkachuk please? “but you’ll never be alone / i’ll be with you from dusk till dawn” (dusk till dawn, zayn & sia) for @chuckythepest

  Warning: fluff, maybe some angst, soft smut (I’ll be honest, I changed my mind about having a bit of smut in here or not and it’s not much but it’s there, so...)

  Author’s Note: I’m sorry it’s taken me a little bit longer to write but hopefully it gives you what you’re looking for. I’ve never listened to this song so much in my life; I had it playing on repeat as I wrote this so I could really get a feel of what to write. My friend is a huge Matthew Tkachuk fan, really a huge Flames fan in general, but I have to admit I had to watch a lot of interviews to get a feel for the guy. I also wasn’t sure if I wanted it to be an angsty fic or a fluffy one because the song kinda has both vibes so honestly, it’ll be an adventure for the both of us. If you enjoyed this one, here’s the entire list of prompts. Feel free to send your requests through! Stay Golden, loves <3! 

  masterlist

  the other masterlist

xx

  You had been on a vacation with a few of your friends in Cancun for about a week when you got the news that everything was going into lockdown

  “What does this mean?” your friend, Beth, asked as she paced around the hotel room

  “It means that everyone has to stay inside for a bit” you said

  “No, what does that mean for us?” she asked again

  “I guess it means that we have to isolate when we get home” another of your friends, Jenna, replied as she dropped onto the bed

  “I wouldn’t have left if I knew we were gonna come back to a total nationwide, international lockdown!” Melanie, your childhood friend shouted frantically

  “Okay, everyone calm down...” you sighed, “we knew this was a possibility, as much as we might want to say that we didn’t, we knew that we could get home and everything would be shut down”

  “So what do we do?” Beth asked

  “We...” you stammered, not having the answers but trying your best to stay calm, “we listen. We do what we’re told -- isolate, quarantine, get tested, all of it -- and then hopefully it’ll be over soon.” Your words were like a curse because as soon as you got back to St. Louis, the world seemed crazier than it ever was. Months went by and nothing changed. People were still getting sick, still dying, and there were still people who thought it was all a hoax. Birthdays were spent apart, friends stopped making an effort to keep in touch and it made everything feel... cold and sad. The only thing that seemed to make any sense was your friendship with Matthew.

  “What’s up kid?” he texted one day after a particularly hard week and you just about broke down in front of your phone screen

  “I lost my job...” you sent back

  “Ah shit, I’m sorry”

  “It’s fine but thank you”

  “It’s not fine”

  “I mean, no, but it’s not like it’s just me. Half of the world has lost their jobs”

  “That doesn’t mean you have to be all fine about it”

  “Matt, seriously, it’s fine”

  “You say that now and then two days from now you’ll get pissed about someone else getting promoted”

  “I wouldn’t do that”

  “Not on purpose but stress can do things to a person...”

  “I’ll be fine but thank you for caring so much”

  “Anytime!” you smiled at his concern before changing the subject, checking in with his family, asking him about what was going to happen with the season, “I have no idea... everything is still shut down until further notice”

  “I hope things get better by Christmas”

  “At the rate things are going, I don’t think they will”

  “Way to stay positive, Tkachuk” you scoffed to yourself

  “It’s what I do 😜” the conversation didn’t last long after that and you went on a spiral of looking and applying for jobs; everything came crashing down when you’re grandpa got sick and you couldn’t visit him. You called the hospital every day, not wanting your grandpa to be alone, but they wouldn’t let you in, ‘protocols’ they said

  “I don’t know what to do, Matt” you sobbed over the phone

  “Relax,” he tried, “we’ll get you in there”

  “They won’t let me in!” you argued, raising your voice in anger, “he’s dying and they won’t let me see him...”

  “I can make sure you see him.”

xx

Matthew’s P.O.V

  You were trying your best to get (Y/N) into the hospital to see her grandpa but it was taking a lot more effort than you thought

  “Please,” you begged the doctor, “he doesn’t have anyone else. She’s not getting any answers and she just wants to see him, even if it’s to say goodbye”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t break the rules for your girlfriend” the doctor replied

  “No--” you stammered, trying to backtrack, “she’s not my girlfriend. She’s my best friend and she wants to see her grandfather”

  “I can’t break protocols for one person. We’re doing everything we can to keep him healthy and if we invite guests inside, it puts our patients at risk,” the doctor explained, “maybe we can set up a Zoom call”

  “If he dies and she isn’t there, she will blame herself for the rest of her life”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t have a choice...” you angrily hung up the phone, throwing it to the side while you thought up a plan before calling (Y/N).

  “The doctor said no...” you said solemnly

  “What?” she whimpered, “Matt, he can’t be alone there. In a hospital, he needs to be with people who love him”

  “They said they have protocols,” you added, “but we can sneak in there...”

  “Sneak into a hospital?” she scoffed, “Matthew, we’re not spies. We can’t sneak into a hospital during a pandemic”

  “Just trust me”

  “What happens if we get caught? If we get in trouble?”

  “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it”

  “I can’t le--”

  “Just trust me” you interrupted, convincing her that everything would be okay and ending the call. You made your way to the hospital where (Y/N)’s grandpa had been checked into and asked around about how someone could have visitors

  “They’d have to be tested before they came and then retested, temperature checked, when they got here,” a nurse explained, “and then they’d have to sit behind a barrier with a mask on. It wouldn’t be any different than most other places -- we’re following the same guidelines and restrictions, we just have to be 10 times as careful because we have lives at stake”

  “But if a family member did all that, the tests and followed the guidelines, they could come visit?” you asked, feeling like you might be getting close to a solution

  “Hypothetically?” she started, “it’s possible but there would be a time limit. Maybe 10 minutes maximum and even that’s pushing it”

  “I can work with that!” you smiled under your mask and rushed out of the hospital, texting (Y/N) about what needed to be done, the two of you rushing to a testing facility as fast as possible and waited impatiently for the results. When both of your results came back negative, you told her you’d make a call and get her in to see her grandpa; she hugged you tightly before a tear fell from her eye onto your exposed collarbone. “He’s gonna be okay” you whispered

  “Thank you,” she replied, keeping her arms wrapped around your neck, “for doing all this for me”

  “I know how much he means to you” you smiled at her when she finally let go of you, her eyes softening at your words. You and (Y/N) met when your dad was drafted to St. Louis and had been friends ever since, celebrating each others successes as the years went by. Her grandparents raised her after her mom died and her dad took off, she was only six years old; her grandma died two years later so it was (Y/N) and her grandpa against the world. They were inseparable and she would’ve done anything for him -- including letting you sweet talk a group of nurses to get her into a hospital during a global pandemic. You watched as she made her way down the hallway, the lack of visitors and laughter making everything suddenly feel real, she stopped in front of a large glass door clutching onto the coat that she held in her hands as she waited for someone to let her in. A doctor finally let her in but stayed close by, pulling her out after 10 minutes had passed, not a second more, “come on, man,” you begged, “let her have a little bit more time”

  “I can’t” he replied before looking at (Y/N), “I really am sorry.” She nodded at the doctor before looking back toward her grandpa’s room and tucking herself into your side as you made your way out of the hospital. You started to drive her home but after miles of silence, she asked if you could take her to the park where the two of you used to sneak out to

  “Yeah, sure” you agreed, keeping your voice soft and letting her rest her head against the window for the remainder of the ride. When you pulled up in front of the park and parked the car, you looked at (Y/N) noticing a stream of dried tears on her cheeks before she swung open the car door and ran to the swings. She did this every once in a while, tried to ignore her pain and focus on putting a smile on someone else’s face by pretending she was fine. You could always tell that she wasn’t fine but you couldn’t always bring her out of it, “(Y/N)...” you sighed

  “Come on, Matty!” she called, pushing herself on the swing to see how high she could get, “let’s see if you can get higher than me!”

  “(Y/N).. we don’t have to do this. We could just sit and talk if you wanted to...”

  “Why? I wanted to come to the park to play, not to talk,” she challenged, “if I wanted to talk, I would’ve gone home or to your place...” you exhaled as you walked toward the free swing beside her, your eyes following her as they tried to catch a glimpse of her face; trying to gauge whether or not she was crying. She didn’t stay on the swing too much longer, instead choosing to jump onto the Merry Go-Round

  “You’re gonna spin on this now?” you scoffed

  “No,” she answered with a laugh, laying down on the cold metal, “you’re going to spin me and I’m gonna see how long it takes me to get dizzy.. Just like we used to do.” You obliged, letting the sound of her laughter fill the air while the old playground equipment squeaked below her. As you kept spinning her, you noticed that her once happy laughter had been replaced by whimpers and you fought to slow down the Merry Go-Round

  “(Y/N)?” you asked as you rushed to her, “what’s wrong? what happened?”

  “He’s all alone, Matt...” she cried, “you should’ve seen him, he was so weak and I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay but I don’t think he’s going to be okay...”

  “Shhh,” you tried to calm her sobs, letting her head fall onto your shoulder, “I’m here”

  “I don’t want him to be alone... I don’t want to be alone” she sobbed

  “You’re not alone...” you whispered and she looked up at you, her eyes flooded with tears, “you’ll never be alone...” you could tell by the way she looked at you that she wanted you to kiss her but you couldn’t bring yourself to do anything, fearing that she was too vulnerable and you’d be taking advantage of her. So, you continued to hold her instead, for as long as she needed but when she lifted her head up from your shoulder to look at you once more, she made the first move, pressing her lips onto yours as dusk set in and the two of you were the only sound either of you could hear. Your lips moved in sync with hers as your hands laid firmly on her sides; rolling her onto her back slowly so she didn’t hit her head. Her hands roamed to the top of your zipper, pushing the slider down before you tore it off your body quickly, leaving her lips for just a second to throw the fabric behind you. As much as you wanted this to happen, you were still being careful and she could feel your hesitation

  “What’s wrong?” she asked

  “Nothing,” you lied, “I just want to make sure you’re okay with this. That you’re not just doing this because you’re upset...”

  “I know what I’m doing, Matt” she smiled.

xx

  When Matt started to drive you home, you asked him to redirect you to the park the two of you used to go as kids; so you could feel a little less like the world was falling apart

  “Yeah, sure” he said softly before your head fell against the window as you waited for him to pull up to the park. You had managed to keep your crying quiet enough that, when he saw you, Matt was surprised to see the stream of tears on your cheeks. You pressed your lips together before you rushed out of the car toward the old swing set, jumping on and trying to get as high off the ground as possible

  “(Y/N)...” Matt sighed and the tone of his voice was all too familiar so you ignored it

  “Come on, Matty!” you laughed when you called to him, “let’s see if you can get higher than me!”

  “(Y/N).. we don’t have to do this. We could just sit and talk if you wanted to...” he tried but you shook your head. You just wanted to forget what you’d just seen, forget about what was happening, forget that you might have to be alone again and you really didn’t want to be alone again

  “Why?” you urged, “I wanted to come to the park to play not to talk. If I wanted to talk I would’ve gone home or to your place...” he finally walked to the swing next to you and began pumping his legs to meet your height before you could feel him watching you, leading you to hop off the swing and head to the next piece of equipment from your childhood; the Merry Go-Round.

  “You’re gonna spin on this now?” Matt scoffed as he followed you to the metal death trap that you climbed on

  “No,” you replied, chuckling at his question before lying down, your exposed skin meeting the cold metal below you, “you’re going to spin me and I’m gonna see how long it takes me to get dizzy.. Just like we used to do.” He compressed his lips and did as you asked, spinning you quickly and you laughed as you got increasingly dizzy with every turn before your grandpa’s face popped into your head; tears overcoming you as whimpers left your lips. Matt quickly dug his feet into the ground to stop the Merry Go-Round

  “(Y/N)? What’s wrong?” he rushed to you, pulling you close to him, “what happened?”

  “He’s all alone, Matt,” you cried as you remembered your grandpa in the hospital. He was all you had and the idea of him not being with you terrified you, “you should’ve seen him, he was so weak and I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay but I don’t think he’s going to be okay...” you shook your head frantically at the thought

  “Shhh..” he hushed you, letting your head fall on his shoulder, “I’m here”

  “I don’t want him to be alone... I don’t want to be alone” you sobbed

  “You’re not alone,” he whispered and you felt his body move closer to yours, just to close the space between you, your eyes continuing to brim with tears, “you’ll never be alone.” Whether it was your fear of being alone, of losing the only person who had ever loved you, or if you just wanted to be close to someone, anybody, you looked up at Matt with soft eyes, hoping he’d make a move. But he didn’t. He just held you and, as nice as it was, it wasn’t what you wanted. You lifted your head once more, this time moving your lips closer to his as the sky filled with the dark hues of dusk, his breath brushing across your skin before your lips connected with his. He pressed his hand against your waist as he kissed you slowly, your lips parting just enough for his tongue to inch into your mouth before he shifted his body to lay your back onto the Merry Go-Round, holding your head with his free hand so you didn’t hurt yourself. Your hands found their way to the zipper of his hoodie, sliding it down and pushing the fabric from his arms and he left the kiss just for a second to easily throw away his hoodie, leaning back over you while you waited for him to continue kissing you but he pulled away

  “What’s wrong?” you asked, sitting up as he did and you leaned against his back

  “Nothing...” he said but you could tell he was lying, “I just want to make sure you’re okay with this. That you’re not just doing this because you’re upset...” 

  “I know what I’m doing, Matt” you scoffed and he turned his head back to you

  “I know you do,” he smiled, kissing your nose playfully, “I just want you to know that you don’t have to”

  “I want to” you replied, placing your hand on the side of his face to bring him closer to you, pressing your lips against his and twisting his body back on top of yours. You melted into each other, your breathing in sync as you undid the button of his jeans, setting him free before his hands drifted to push your leggings down. His lips trailed to your neck as he pushed himself into you, eliciting a quiet moan from you and a growl from him when you dug your nails into his skin. You tried not to make too much noise, worrying that the park was still too close to the neighbouring houses, but every once in a while you whined out a curse word

  “Fuck,” Matthew moaned out before you could, “oh god” he grunted against your neck as he continued to pump in and out of you, your back arching to gain more friction

  “Shit,” you whimpered, “fuck.” His speed increased and you giggled when you heard the Merry Go-Round start to squeak

  “Shh” he chuckled

  “I’m sorry” you laughed back, trying to focus more on the pleasure than the noise and after a few minutes, Matt released inside you and rolled to the side. You curled up beside him, placing your hand on his chest before you fell asleep next to him. You woke up with the dawn, letting Matt sleep while you watched the Sky lighten

  “Good morning” he cooed, kissing your shoulder as he sat up

  “Good morning,” you smiled, turning to lay a kiss to his lips, “we should probably get out of here before someone rats us out” he laughed but nodded in response, grabbing his hoodie from the ground and wrapping it around you. You watched him drive smoothly through the streets and you smiled to yourself

  “What?” he smirked

  “Nothing,” you replied, “I just... like you a whole lot”

  “That so?” He chuckled to himself

  “Yeah”

  “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I like you a whole lot, too.” He reached out his hand to interlock his fingers with yours and a flush of heat ran through your body. He had managed to make you forget about everything for a while and you were grateful to him for that but you were still scared that you’d end up alone in the long run. “Hey,” he said, seemingly catching your eyes fall to your lap, “I meant what I said last night”

  “What?” You replied, furrowing your brow

  “You’ll never be alone. I’ll always be here for you”

  “Thank you,” you smiled, dropping your head on the headrest, “for everything.”

  “Any time” he smirked, bringing your hand up so he could kiss it while the two of you drove silently back to his house.

[girls-love-girls1200]

67. Lisa x Reader

*The Job of a lifetime*

2000+ words

Warnings: cursing

When you had first shared your plan to move to the capital with your mother, for some reason the first words that left her mouth were: “Spring days in Seoul are the most enjoyable period of the year, when the cherry trees blossom and the air is crisp.” Her eyes melting into small crescent moons, a kind smile illuminating her soft features, she knew it meant that from that moment on she would find herself alone in your once always loud and full childhood home, but she didn’t mind, in fact she was proud, the youngest of three leaving the nest just after graduation. Ever since you were a toddler your mom had done everything possible to make sure you and your two brothers could live a life that made you happy, money and success had never meant much to any of you, it was always about doing something you loved. That’s why your mom had spent fifteen years of her life picking you up from dance class in her rusty old green beetle from Monday to Friday, attending every recital, sewing your clothes together, applying cream to your bruised legs. She knew that’s how you wanted to live, always on your tiptoes, sometimes on your knees, often on your backside, and so she supported you.

Now her kind words were replaying in your head on a loop, your heartbeat ringing in your ears echoed by your feet hitting the concrete at full speed. You struggled to find a reason as to way karma was battering you so hard, on the morning of probably the most important day of your life so far, not only had you poured spoiled milk onto your cereal, you had also been left stranded by your bus because of a punctured tire. You hated running, you truly believed there was a specific ring in hell for those who enjoyed the satanic activity of jogging, yet on this day you were running like no woman had ever run before. By some divine miracle you had managed to push through to the final interview round for a position as first dance assistant to one of the most renowned choreographers in the country, hundreds of extremely talented dancers had applied for the sought after position, today only twelve were left, eleven if you didn’t make it before the doors to the dance studio closed. By a stroke of luck you reached those doors as attendance was being called, bowing as you entered the room you zoomed pass the examiners, swiftly joining the eleven other girls, their gazes on you like starving vultures, you tried to control your breathing as you sat down on the last free plastic chair, in the corner where the huge dance mirror met the wall, you held your tattered dance bag to your chest, trying to regain your composure.

You dared to lift your eyes from the ground only as your name was called, a crystal clear voice cutting through the tense atmosphere, raising your hand you tried to muster up some confidence, failing as soon as your eyes met the ones of the owner of said voice. Lisa Manoban, in a simple white crop top and high wasted jeans her lean figure seemed to glow, a strict expression plastered on her stoic face, she scanned you from head to toe, you thought you heard her kiss her teeth at you as she sighed, “Give me one reason not to kick you out this second for arriving late.”

Tilting your head slightly you bit back a smile, Lisa’s eyebrows lifting in surprise,

“You haven’t seen me dance.”

A sharp gasp came from one of the girls sitting next to you, Lisa’s lips pressing in a thin line, eyes piercing through you, she gave you a quick nod, sitting down herself on the wooden floor,

“You’re going last Y/SN.”

You couldn’t hide the small smile that appeared on your face as you heard your surname coming from her mouth, and unknowingly to you, it had also caught someone else’s attention. Being last was never fun, your nerves rising as you carefully observed every girl stand in the middle of the room, performing a freestyle dance to a song of Lisa’s choice, you could read the anxiety in their eyes as the most complicated tunes poured out of the speakers, unrecognizable beats filling the space, Lisa’s eyes wouldn’t leave their body for one millisecond, her dark pupils following every single movement, as if she was looking for something very specific. Once the girl finished, she would be sent back to her place with a court nod, not a word coming from the stone-cold figure of Lisa Manoban.

It didn’t seem to go any differently as you stepped up to the small white X taped onto the floor, your fingers trembling as they played with the laces hanging from your sides, your mom had helped you pick out the outfit last night via video call, her encouraging words coming back to your mind, you took a few steady breaths as the older woman in front of you pressed play on her phone, you closed your eyes as the melodic notes typical of south Asian music filled your ears, your feet seemed to move even before your mind told them to, letting your nervousness fall off your body in fluid movements you focused on the strange melody that seemed to run through your veins, your focused gaze falling on Lisa after every twirl, you felt your body as light as a feather as you made the small space around you your own, ending your moves inches away from Lisa and her team. As the music came to halt you found yourself on the ground, slightly out of breath, your fingers hanging delicately from your collarbones, you smiled widely, bowing twice before making your way back to your seat, aware of a pair of eyes glued to your figure.

A woman in her late fifties took you quite by surprise as she invited all of you to wait outside, the selected candidate would be informed straight away. You all made your way out, a few girls breaking down in tears as soon as the door was shut behind you, others calling their parents, you made your way to the water dispenser just at the end of the corridor, pouring yourself a cup, you couldn’t help but chew on your lower lip, your nerves slowly coming back, the cool water alleviating your stress ever so slightly, you hadn’t even finished the cup when a tall figure appeared next to you, patting you on the back, Lisa didn’t even stop as she made her way out of the building, her words making you lose your grasp on the half empty cup of water that slipped through your fingers,

“See you on Monday in my studio, 9 am sharp Y/n, you’re late, you’re fired.”

Your name was echoed by the same woman who had asked you to leave the room, her gaze falling on you as also did that of eleven girls who had just missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

Monday morning you opened the doors to your dream job precisely at half past eight, wanting to avoid at all costs any sort of tardiness, you knew you had a lot to make up for, you greeted the two young girls at the reception desk with a big smile, you introduced yourself briefly, which seemed to take them by surprise before making your way to the fourth floor, a welcome email had described pretty well what your job entailed, where you had to go and the hours you were required to put in, passing by your boss’s office you were quite surprised to see it empty, as you knew classes didn’t start until half nine. Curiosity got the best of you as you started exploring the various studios and classes on the floor, all of them more modern than any dance studio you had ever practiced in, that was to be expected knowing how much these kids payed to enter the dance academy. As you walked along the empty corridor the faintest of sound reached your ears, following it once again driven by sheer curiosity you opened another door onto the biggest practice room you had seen yet, in the middle of it a slim figure sat on the ground, long legs sprawled out in front of her, enveloped in a pair of black cargo pants, you could tell she was out of breath by the way her back raised at a fast pace, head hanging low, a cascade of raven hair falling along her shoulders.

“Doesn’t tying your hair up sound like a good idea while practicing?”

The older girl didn’t even flinch at the sound of your voice, her head moving slightly to peek at her watch, not even sparing a quick glance in your direction,

“You’re early, I wasn’t expecting that.”

Shuffling in front of her you held your hand out, your eyes searching for hers, she finally looked up at you, the faintest of smiles on her face as she grabbed onto your hand, your palm almost tingling at the feeling of her warm skin against your own.

“I’m full of surprises miss Manoban.”

Struggling to keep up with her fast pace, you followed her all the way to her office, your gaze following her every movement as she sat down gracefully, wiping her slightly damp face with a small white cloth, she pulled out a lipstick from one of her drawers, reapplying it carefully, she smacked her lips twice before leaning back into her chair, her intense gaze scrutinizing your still standing figure from head to toe.

“You know Y/N, you’re the first ever dancing assistant in the history of the academy not to actually have graduated from here, some people aren’t very pleased with that, so I hope you will prove yourself.”

Taken aback by the sudden statement you smiled at the teacher, almost feeling sorry for her, you could see the hardships she had gone through just by looking into her chocolate eyes,

“You see miss, I have nothing to prove, I am not here to prove myself, I’m here to work hard, and earn your respect, but let me get this straight, I don’t have to show to anyone that I deserve to be here, because I could tell, that those eleven girls at the interview last week had no idea what having to build yourself up from zero means. If people actually got into the academy because of talent and perseverance, then rest assured that I would have been top of the class, but since one can enter only because of money, background and privilege, I have had to find other ways to learn.”

Lisa’s eyes widened at your words, her mouth opening slightly before she shook her head, keeping her opinion to herself she got on her feet, her hands resting on her hips, her whole aura expressing pure confidence,

“That’s why I chose you Y/n, I think you and I will get on great.”

Sauntering towards you her arms crossed in front of her chest, she stopped just mere inches away from your face, the smallest of smiles painted on her kind features, her long fingers delicately moving a strand of your hair behind your ear, your cheeks burning at the closeness,

“And you can call me Lisa.”

Working with Lisa proved itself harder than you had first imagined, although the job itself was physically demanding it was Lisa’s attitude that seemed to tire you out the most, the girl was the most hot and cold person you had ever met. She could go from messing around with you in her office for an entire hour to becoming an impenetrable fortress during her lessons, never allowing herself to smile in front of the younger students, her stone cold face and harsh criticism making it very easy for them to dislike her.

It’s because of that exact reason you found yourself staying in the almost empty studio with a handful of kids after midnight, not feeling comfortable enough to ask Lisa for help they would come to you, knowing the older woman would only accept perfection, some of the kids needed an extra hand, a friendly smile and some encouraging words to achieve that. The late hours unfortunately started to take a toll, your mom had been the first to point it out, she had come to visit you one weekend and immediately noticed how your cheeks seemed more hollow than the last time she saw you and you were dragging your feet more than you used to, laughing it off you blamed it on the city’s food, because nobody could ever cook like your mother, of course she hadn’t bought it, but you had managed to send her back home before she got too inquisitive on the matter.

The second person to notice your exhaustion was none other than your boss. Lisa had come to pay a lot of attention to you in the last couple of months, more than she would ever like to admit, she had noticed how your feet suddenly didn’t seem as light as they were a couple of weeks prior, your twirls weren’t as precise, and your smile not as bright as the first time she saw you dance. The situation unfortunately escalated one morning in the middle of august, the city heat had rendered life quite unbearable, and the fatigue that rattled your bones felt heavier than ever before. Lisa had asked you to help her come up with a new routine for one of her advanced classes, and so you found yourself spinning around the studio at seven in the morning, Lisa’s eyes trained on your figure, she was about to tell you to slow down when she noticed your moves get sloppier, your legs shaking, your vision started going blurry and just before your legs gave out underneath you, strong arms wrapped around your waist, her sweet scent overpowering your confused senses as she slowly pulled you to the ground with her. Lisa tried her best not to go into panic mode as she held your limp body in her arms, she rested your back against her chest, one of her hands stroked your soft hair gently as her other passed you a bottle of water.

“It’s okay Y/N just drink some water, don’t try to get up yet.”

As your vision got clearer, so did your mind, and soon enough you were very aware of Lisa’s heart beating against your back, her fingers shaking ever so lightly as she caressed you.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Your soft voice made Lisa’s insides tingle, resting her forehead against your shoulder a sudden wave of emotions seemed to crash onto her, all she could think about, all she could hear, see and feel was you, her lips millimetres away from your bare shoulder blades. Overwhelmed, she got up on her feet, ignoring your lost gaze trailing after her,

“Damn Y/N you need to look after yourself, I can’t always be on the look out for you, making sure you don’t pass out during my lessons. Just imagine the shit show if you were to leave me to do these classes on my own.”

She hated herself for the venom that spewed out of her mouth sometimes, she didn’t quite know why her mind seemed to find the worst way possible to deal with her emotions, it was usually bratty teens that would face the rear end of her bitterness and that didn’t affect her as much, but in that moment, as you struggled to lift yourself off the floor, tears brimming in the corner of your sweet eyes, Lisa absolutely loathed herself.

“If you weren’t so busy being an ice-cold bitch and actually let your students be students I wouldn’t have to spend every fucking night working extra hours to make up for your lack of professionality.”

Your words bounced off the mirrors of the practice room, Lisa froze in shock at your revelation as you stormed out of the studio, regretting your harsh words as soon as you had said them, you told the girls at reception that you would be taking a couple of days off due to personal reasons. Once at home you gathered your thoughts, realizing the only reason Lisa’s words had gotten to you was because you really, really liked her, you loved being by her side every day, spending your lunch breaks together in her office, dancing so close to her that your bodies almost became one. You had fallen, pretty hard, and by the way she had spoken to you earlier, you figured it was a one-sided kind of thing, and that hurt pretty bad.

You spent the entire day doing absolutely nothing, you wanted to rest but your thoughts were racing at a hundred miles per hour, it was late at night when you actually managed to settle down, wearing your favourite sweatpants and a sports bra you hacked away at a tub of vanilla ice cream, watching some random nature documentary on Netflix. The insistent ringing of your doorbell interrupted your much needed chill time, and unwillingly you trudged to the front door, your face turning pale as the person who had occupied your mind for the entire day stood in front of you, her usual Jansport bag hanging from her shoulder, black bangs sticking to her forehead due to the heat outside, her chocolate eyes staring apologetically out you.

You tried to shut the door immediately, trying your hardest to avoid the imminent confrontation, but Lisa jammed her foot inside, a small yelp escaping her as the door trapped her leg. Swinging it back open immediately to check if she was alright, Lisa took advantage of your moment of weakness and stormed in, trapping you between the wall and herself, her eyes staring directly into your own.

“Let me apologize please.”

The fast rise and fall of her chest gave away the fact that she was just as nervous as you were, her pearly white teeth sunk into her lower lip, your pupils following her every move, Lisa took a big breath, trying to steady her nerves,

“I’m sorry, the kids explained to me what has been going on, and I’m truly sorry, you were right, I was being unprofessional.”

Her sincere gaze suddenly became hard for you to hold, your head lowering as her face inched closer,

“But there’s a reason for that Y/N.”

Her fingers shook ever so slightly as they caressed your face, reaching your chin she tilted your head, her lips so close to yours you could feel her warmth breath,

“I like you like crazy.”

You couldn’t stop yourself even if you wanted to, closing the gap between your two faces, your lips enveloping Lisa’s soft ones, fingers tangling in her silky waves, you sighed into the kiss, eliciting a small hum of appreciation from the taller girl, whose arms wrapped around your waist tightly, her cold fingers grazing the small of your back. You pulled away from her just when breathing became an issue, your lips tingling. Lisa’s fingers desperately searching for yours, bringing them to her lips and placing the softest kisses on each of your knuckles, a huge smile spread on your face, your cheeks almost hurting.

“I think I might like you too.”

[underachievers-please-try-harder]

Interview // Clairo

For The Guardian. Read online. 

Exuding all the effusive pride of a new parent, Claire Cottrill is showing me photos of Joanie, her rescue dog and the muse for her forthcoming album, Sling. “She’s actually really bossy,” the Massachusetts-raised artist better known as Clairo chuckles over Zoom, holding her phone close to the laptop screen so I can see the Instagram post more clearly. “But she’s so funny. We have such a special bond.”

According to a DNA test, the sandy-furred pup is mostly chow chow and great pyrenees, with a little bit of boxer and lab in the mix, which accounts for the fact she has tripled in size in the six-and-a-bit months since her adoption. “She was a little wolf baby; a peanut!” the 22-year-old singer-songwriter exclaims, mooning nostalgically over one particular image depicting the then seven-week-old puppy peeking out of some bushes.

Dog ownership might have become quite the ultimate lockdown cliche, but for Cottrill committing to a pet represented a rare opportunity to lay down some roots. Certainly, pre-pandemic she hadn’t had much chance to pursue a life of quiet domesticity; not since the autumn of 2018 at least, when the lo-fi bedroom pop of Pretty Girl went viral, just weeks after she started college in Syracuse.

Its winningly DIY video racked up more than 1.5m YouTube views pretty much overnight (it now stands at almost 75m), and Cottrill was heralded as a vital new voice, and part of a wave of creatively autonomous, emotionally articulate Gen Z artists, alongside the likes of Billie Eilish and Rex Orange County.

Cottrill’s rapid rise – not to mention her signing with the Fader label and Chance the Rapper’s management team – was not without controversy. A small but vocal subset on Reddit circulated the rumour that Cottrill was an “industry plant”, a conclusion they arrived at following their discovery that her father Geoff was previously chief marketing officer at Converse and co-founder of its affiliated recording studio Rubber Tracks. She has recently addressed the allegations directly, telling Rolling Stone, “I definitely am not blind to the fact that things have been easier for me.”

Largely though, Cottrill has sought to prove her detractors wrong through the quality of her compositions. First came Diary 001, an esoteric, six-track set mining skeletal hip-hop and the wipe-clean grooves of PC Music-inspired pop. That was followed in August 2019 by Immunity, the full-length debut she co-produced with ex-Vampire Weekend man Rostam Batmanglij. More revelatory than Diary 001, it detailed a suicide attempt (Alewife) and her struggles with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (I Wouldn’t Ask You) with striking candour. Sonically, it paired tender, electronics-tinged introspection with swooning guitar-pop. Sofia, which now boasts 280m streams on Spotify, catapulted Cottrill into another league of fame entirely, leading to collaborations with Charli XCX, Mura Masa and Arlo Parks, plus arena tours in support of Khalid and Tame Impala.

Cottrill was busy with the latter when Covid hit the US. On hearing the news, she headed straight to Atlanta, Georgia, to see out lockdown with family, a period of isolation originally scheduled to last a fortnight but which went on for eight months.

Just how intense was it spending the best part of a year holed up with her parents? “It was awesome,” she insists, now back at the Brooklyn apartment she shares with fellow musicians and former college pals Claud and Josh Mehling. “My older sister came home as well. And I found it interesting that no matter how much you’ve progressed as an adult in your own life, the family roles revert back to exactly how it was as a kid.”

First and foremost, enforced confinement provided the opportunity for Cottrill to deepen her relationship with her mother.

“The conversations I had with my mom about motherhood, and the things she sacrificed for us, are really important to me,” she says. “Also, it’s like you don’t actually know who your mother is before she’s Mom, before she’s Wife, because there isn’t a huge documentation of who she was as an individual. And I realised that I might be in the period of my life now where I’m in my individual phase: before I am Mom, before I am Wife, or whatever I end up being. It was a bit scary to recognise that I could eventually have a family, and then this whole identity that I’ve had on my own for a long time can, in some ways, disappear.”

These existential ideas form the basis of Cottrill’s much-anticipated second album. Recorded in the autumn of 2020 at Allaire Studios – situated on a mountain top in upstate New York – Sling finds Jack Antonoff co-producing. Perhaps more significantly, the record also features backing vocals from Lorde – on Reaper as well as the lead single Blouse – an alliance that led to Cottrill returning the favour on the New Zealander’s latest, Solar Power.

“I met Lorde [when I was] on FaceTime with Jack,” she says of the link-up. “He was like: ‘Hey, I’m with a friend, can we say hi?’, and it was Lorde. And I freaked out, of course, but she’s the nicest person ever.

“We talked a lot about how cool it was in the Laurel Canyon era, where people would secretly do background vocals on each other’s music – like Joni Mitchell with Carole King – rather than as a way to benefit the business side of things. Back then it was just like: ‘I love your voice: will you lend your talent to my song?’ So that’s what I asked her, and I was just lucky enough that she wanted me on hers as well.”

The legacy of Laurel Canyon looms over Sling, which swaps the sparse electronic flourishes of Immunity for lush, acoustic folk, often embellished with swooning vocal harmonies, delicate strings and the warm swell of brass. Reference points for the record included Hejira-era Mitchell, the Carpenters and Harry Nilsson, alongside less obvious touchpoints, such as cult jazz musician Blossom Dearie. Most influential, perhaps, was Innocence & Despair by the Langley Schools Music Project, which features a choir of 1970s school kids covering hits of the day, and has since been hailed as a significant piece of outsider art.

“To me, that record merged my two worlds for Sling,” Cottrill explains. “I wanted that warm 70s feeling, but also I was thinking so much about kids, and especially the clumsy, sweet kid that Joanie embodies.”

There is a darker side to the record too, as Cottrill grapples with the reality of life navigating an industry that she memorably describes – on Bambi – as “a universe designed against my own beliefs”. On Blouse she describes her experiences being sexualised by record execs, while on Management she parodies the industry’s fascination with youth in lines like “She’s only 22”.

“[The attitude is] ‘There’s a lot more that we can squeeze out of her before she’s done.’ Because I think that what this industry does a lot is drain young women of everything until they’re not youthful any more.”

For Cottrill, as much as Sling is an album, it is a document of her endeavours to reassess what it is she wants from life. And adopting Joanie was only the first step: in two weeks’ time she plans to move into the house she recently purchased, in a tiny Massachusetts town in close proximity to both the Berkshire and Catskill mountains.

“It’s so awful that it took something like lockdown happening for me to reevaluate how I wanted to move forward. But it’s now about putting my mental health first, because I deserve to have nice things that I do care about. [Things] outside of music, like a house and a dog.”

As we say goodbye, I get another glimpse of Joanie, who has been snoozing throughout the interview. Sprawled on the floor at the end of Cottrill’s bed, blissfully unaware of her significance in our conversations, it’s a pretty fitting encapsulation of the pace of life that Cottrill has finally embraced.

[miraculous-mari-netta]

Salty salt

I’m playing around with the idea of multimouse being used against Lila because why not

“Hey viewers! Welcome back to the Ladyblog, bringing you all the info on the best superhero! Today there was a battle between the heroes and kwami-buster on the roof of the TV station!” Alya gestured to the blurry footage on a screen behind her. “Although there weren’t cameras on the scene, some news helicopters managed to capture a few images!”

“You can’t see much here besides Chat Noir standing towards the left. But if you zoom in closer—“

“You can see a new superhero! All we know is this hero is small, which is most likely their special power. I’m guessing it’s a mouse superhero. Oh, and this new hero is a girl. Isn’t she awesome?”

Lila watched the video on her phone, observing the new hero. Perhaps mouse-girl could make a good story.

“Alya!” Lila ran up to the lady blogger the next day at school. “I saw your post about the mouse superhero!”

“Isn’t she so cool?” Alya said excitedly. “I just wish there was more footage available, but I checked every possible source. There’s nothing.”

“Oh, that’s terrible.” Lila faked sympathy, knowing that she could get away with lying about this easily. “I actually happen to have an inside scoop on the fight on the TV station...”

“What? Really?!” Alya whipped out her phone, “this is gonna be great for the ladyblog!”

“No, it has to stay a secret. We can’t have this information get into the wrong hands.” Lila explained, pushing her phone away.

“Oh. Okay, tell me!”

Lila leaned in, “The mouse superhero’s real name is Mousette, and you were right— her super power is shrinking.”

“I knew it!” Alya gasped, “sorry. Continue.”

“I know her secret identity, but obviously I can’t tell you that.” Lila explained. “Ladybug actually introduced me to her recently. Mousette doesn’t fight that often because her power is only needed for special villains.”

Alya nodded, already planning out how she’d tell Marinette. “Wow, Lila. This is crazy! Thanks for telling me.”

“Anything for my favorite blogger!” Lila walked away, knowing that Alya would spread the news of Lila’s new “friend”

“Wow, she really said all that?” Marinette asked, barely paying attention. She couldn’t believe Lila had the guts to lie about a barely known superhero.

“Yeah, isn’t it crazy? I wish I had Lila’s life.” Alya huffed, sitting down on a bench. “I wonder if she can get me an interview with Mousette.”

“Multimouse...” Marinette mumbled, sitting next to her.

“Huh?” Alya asked.

“Nothing. Oh shoot— I need to go uh...make eclairs with my dad! My mom couldn’t help him today so I need to go home.” Marinette lied as a plan to take down Lila formed in her mind.

“See you later, girl.” Alya waved before turning to her phone, most likely about to post about Mousette.

“Tikki, I have a plan to shut down Lila.” Marinette paced back and forth across her room. “But I need to use the miraculouses.”

“You know you’re not supposed to use them for personal purposes.” Tikki sighed. “Then again... Lila is making akuma attacks more difficult for you...”

“I’ll go get them from Master Fu. I promise I’ll be smart about this, Tikki.” Marinette smiled at the kwami before leaving the house.

“I know Jagged Stone’s manager! He asked me to do a concert with XY but I had to do a charity event for my parents.” Lila explained, taking her seat at the back of the class.

The rest of the students filed in, except Marinette. She hadn’t responded to Alya’s texts, so everyone assumed she was just late. Again.

Little did they know, one of many Multimice was position in the back of the class, out of sight. She crouched on a bookshelf, watching the students. Multimouse put the fox pendant around her neck and quietly unified the powers and became Multifox. She silently created a mirage outside of the classroom. It was a simple one— a fake akumatized villain who was basically just a shadowy figure, similar to Oblivio. She created an illusion of Multimouse— a large one that hadn’t used its power yet as well.

The dark figure burst into the classroom, quickly followed by Multimouse— or Mousette in this case. The two fought for a few seconds before the creature knocked the hero to the ground and threw her necklace aside. Mousette was then revealed to be—

“MARINETTE?” The whole class gasped, realizing their friend was actually a superhero!

The mirage quickly grabbed the mouse necklace again and retransformed. She took down the shadowy villain, and pushed it out the classroom door.

“Ladybug is nearby and will take care of the akuma.” She said firmly. “I suppose... you all want an explanation.”

The illusion of Marinette detransformed from Mousette, and stood in front of the class.

“The reason I’m late so often is... because I’m the mouse superhero. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell any of you, but it was for your own safety. But now that you know, I guess it’s fine.” The illusion finished, looking kindly at her friends.

“But Lila, I thought you said you were friends with Mousette.” Alya turned to Lila

“It’s Multimouse, actually...” Marinette added.

“I— um...” Lila stuttered.

“Don’t worry Alya, it’s not her fault. She has a disease that makes her unable to control what she says. Like when she got me expelled.” Marinette smirked as Lila froze.

“Yeah. Yeah that’s right.” Lila smiled, composing herself.

“But if you have a disease that makes you lie, then why should anyone ever believe what you say?” Adrien turned around to look Lila in the eyes.

“He’s got a point.” Alya said quietly.

Slowly but surely, the class turned to Marinette for everything— I mean she was a superhero after all. Lila’s lies lost their power as her “disease” was always in question. Multimouse became a bit of a celebrity, especially in Francois DuPont high school. Lila attempted to claw back power by jumping on the trend.

But clearly nobody bought it. Especially Chloé.

[sinfully-chubby]

Your Beautiful to Me - Tony x Plus size Reader

Warnings: Upsetting words, hurt and comfort, smut, some fluff, ok maybe a lot of fluff near the end, Clothes sex, dry humping (?), kink hinted at maybe.

Word Count: 2,589

I hope you all enjoyed this small writing. I know it might sound similar to all the other stories I have on here, but I am trying (｡•́︿•̀｡). I hope you enjoy it none the less.

Sitting in yours and Tony's shared room, you are on the bed scrolling through Netflix looking for something to watch. When you finally found a show to settle on, you pushed yourself to lay down pulling Tony's pillow down to the end of the bed to lay on. While watching the the show, you heard you phone notification go off. Looking at your phone you see a notification from twitter clicking on the notification you see someone had commented on a photo you had posted a few months back. When you saw the comment you frowned, this wasn't the first comment you've seen nor was it going to be the last.

'Y/n would look so much better if the lost a few pounds.'

Shaking your head you click out of the app and place you phone down going back to watching the show. These kinds of comments didn't bother you all that much anymore, usually you would just brush them of ignore them comments like these bothered you now and then, but ever sense you hadn't gotten with Tony you had learned to not give much of a fuck on what others thought. Sometimes you took to heart what they said and even tried to lose weight, but most attempts failed after while and you would come to accept yourself each time. You are pulled out of your thoughts by hearing another ding from your phone. Unlocking your phone you see a notification from some interview weekly thing that you followed mostly to keep up with what Tony did that day plus you just found interesting to watch people get interviewed. Clicking on the link you notice the title of the video and raise your brow at the title 'Tony Stark Lashes Out At Audience Member'.

Waiting as the video loads you pause your show to watch the video. Once it loaded you watched as the interview started off slowly with them asking about when he might have his next biggest break through and what it would be. Then they started to ask him questions about your relationship.

'So Mr. Stark even though we already so much about you we don't really know much about you girlfriend and what she does. Do you care to explain?'

Watching Tony shift his seat he smiles at responds.

'When I first met Ms. y/l/n she had come into an interview to take up the position as assistant. After Ms. Potts took up position as CEO of Stark Industries a few years back, most assistants couldn't keep up with the fast pace plus I think some were scared because of the risk, but Ms. y/l/n was quick to jump on the opportunity for the position.'

You smile at the memory of that day. You had never been more excited to work for Tony Stark even if it was working as an assistant.

'When did your relationship with Ms. y/l/n progress Mr. Stark?'

Smiling you wait for his response to the question

'Y/n and me got together about a few years after the attack on the city. As I said before when I first met her she was just taking the job as my assistant.'

There is a bit of a pause you could tell he was actually thinking of what to say next.

'Ms. y/l/n is quite the assistant let me tell you, very demanding always telling me what I need to get done you know the usual stuff assistants do, but there was just something so great about her.'

For the next five minutes as Tony explains the relationship you two have and how it came to be, of course leaving out a few 'details' of what kicked started it. To say the least there were a lot of sexual innuendos. It wasn't long into his tale when you heard someone in the crowd shout something. Staring wide at your phone you kept watching as Tony slowly looks out towards some guy in the crowd who is standing up from his seat and from the looks of it getting told off by some more quiet audience members.

'Would you mind running that by me again sir."

You felt you throat swell up and a knot in your stomach, you had heard what they guy shouted and you frankly didn't want to hear it again. When the camera zooms in to get a closer look at the guy he repeats himself saying it even more slowly than before.

'I said she's a fat pig and only good for a quick fuck.'

Within the split few seconds the words left his mouth you see what looks like someone punching the guy, but before anything could happen the cameras cut off making you jump at the suddenness of it all you leave the stream and place your phone down. This wasn't the first time you heard shit like that and it definitely wasn't going to be the last. Grabbing your phone again you put it on the charger and lay down pulling the covers from underneath your body and cocooning yourself into the semi warm blankets. Grabbing Tony's pillow you bury your face and close your eyes. You don't realise you are cry until you feel Tony's pillow start to feel wet. You end up falling asleep within an hour.

When you wake a few hours later you hear the door to the room opening. Sitting up in bed you see Tony looking disheveled with a growing bruise on the side of his cheek.

"Tony what happened." Throwing his coat to the floor he climbs into the bed and lays next to you pulling you against him and burying his face between your breast. You smile slightly and comb you hands through his hair.

"I saw what happened during your interview Tony." You here him groan at that.

You didn't want to bring it up, but you knew if you didn't talk about what happened it would keep bothering. You feel Tony shift a little pulling himself away a tiny bit to look you in the eye.

"You saw what happened, but why do we need to talk about it?"

The moment he sees your sad frowning face he knew that this was something you needed to talk about. So sitting up in the bed he looks at you as you sit up. Once you are situated you inhale and let a slow breath as Tony reaches for your hand slowly rubbing his thumb over the top of your hand.

"Because it upset me Tony and I hate the fact that's how some people see are relationship. How they see me."

Remembering how you felt after the interview had cut off earlier, was how upset the comment had still made you. Comments like these had mostly lost there hurtful bite to them along time ago, but today showed you that hit's at your relationship with Tony hurt you. It always made you question if you were good enough for Tony or if Tony was with you out of just having someone to fuck. You had doubts that any of that was true, but before you had even meet Tony you had heard stories about how much of playboy he was. Though you did believe it for a while after meeting him, though that changed the more he seemed to change. You had seen this man go through a lot before and after you had started working with him.

"Love look at me."

Confused you focus on trying to look at Tony not realizing you had started crying. You take in a deep breathe hearing the slight hiccup come out of your mouth. Wiping away your tears Tony kisses your cheek kissing away the tear before pulling back and looking you in the eyes foreheads touching.

"I love you so much y/n, and who cares what some prick thinks. You mean the world to me and I will punch any asshole that dares to say anything like that again."

Giving a small smile you laugh a small bit feeling only slightly better. Wiping away the rest of your tears you lean forward and gave Tony a quick kiss before pulling away foreheads touching once more.

"Someone like that man today doesn't know how good or lucky I am that I have you here in my life."

Pulling you into a deep kiss you can feel Tony's arms wrap around your waist pulling you closer to him as softly lays you back down against the bed. Pulling away he whispers to you.

"And I'm going to show everything I love about you starting here."

Leaning down he kisses a path along your neck and shoulders before kissing you right along you chin then your lips again as he drags his hands down your body. Sliding them under your big lose shirt his hand climbs up the sides leaving a some what ticklish feeling behind. Tongues sliding against one other Tony and grabs one of your breast in hand rubbing his thumb against your nipple as he places himself between your thighs pushing hips down against your slowly heating center.

Feeling his erection rubbing against you, you moan moving your hands from his forearms you wrap your arms around. Slowly rocking his hips back and forth you wrap on your legs around his waist thrusting your hips more firmly against his erection and moaning at the feel of the hard press if it against the layers of clothes covering your pussy. Lift your short up over you breast Tony leans down sucking a nipple into his mouth as he continues thrusting against you, making you moan even louder with all the sensations you were feeling. Running your fingers though his hair you throw you head back against the pillow as you feel the slow build up of your orgasm approaching.

"Tony~"

"I can't hold on much either sweetheart."

Letting out a moan Tony responds with his own groan in return before pulling away. Grabbing the hem of your shorts he pulls them down your legs releasing one of your legs while the shorts sit on your other leg hanging off your ankle. Opening his pants he quickly pulls them down half way to release his erection. Grabbing a old of his dick Tony pushes it through the fold of your pussy gather the wetness there.

"Please hurry up and put it in Tony."

Chuckling down at you Tony gives you a quick kiss.

"A little impatient are we."

Letting out small groan you reach down between the both of you brushing his hand away from his dick as you take a hold of it giving it a couple of strokes before sliding it across your opening before placing his cock at your entrance.

"Put it in me now."

Letting out a grown at your forwardness. Pushing in Tony and you let out a small moan in usion as he slowly pushes in all the way base. Staying still for a bit, Tony lets you adjust to him before slowly starting a slow rhythm of thrusting in and out of your pussy.

Clinging to the sheets you let moan out his name as he picks up his pace dick thrusting against your g-spot. Moaning you calw at his back pushing him to go faster.

"Tony~."

Knowing you needed it a little more Tony leans away a bit and reaches down with one of his hands to play with your clit. grabbing at the sheets you tug on them as Tony fucks into your sopping wet pussy. Feeling you walls tighten around his cock Tony smirks down at you.

"You getting close sweetheart?~"

Letting out another moan You let go of the sheets with one hand and grabbed the back of Tony's head once again shoving his head down, this time into a deep kiss tongues tangling together as you reached your other hand round his head to claw at his back. Pulling away you nip at his lip while smirking face flush red as you whisper to him.

"Make me Cum Sir~."

Moaning out your name Tony thrust harshly into you a few more times making you throw your head back as you were finally pushed over the edge, cumming around his wide cock. Following soon after Tony's cum spilled inside you, thrusting inside you through the after shocks.

Out of breath you and Tony sit there slowly coming down from your highs. Kissing you passionately, pulling his softening cock out of you. Pulling away from the kiss you both take a beep breath rolling off to lay next to you Tony pulls you close to him kissing at your neck and shoulder.

"I love you y/n."

Smiling you turn over to face him shifting around so you are both comfortable. Reaching and hand up you slid you hand up his chest staring at the glowing arc reactor embedded within his chest.

"How are you doing there Tony."

Grabbing a hold of your hand he pulls it up to his lips kissing at your knuckles.

"I'm fine I just need some rest."

Nodding your head you close your eyes ignoring the sticky mess between your legs.

"Y/n."

Opening your eyes you see Tony staring at you with a small smile.

"Y/n I don't ever want you feel like your not as important to me, and yes even though I had nothing to do with why you felt that way. I still feel like I should apologize because you don't deserve that and the people don't deserve you."

Feeling like crying all over again you shake your head as you kiss Tony. Sometimes it felt like you didn't deserve Tony, but sometimes maybe some people didn't deserve either of you. Pulling away you sit there basking in the afterglow together.

"I love you Tony, I'm glad you talked to me about this. What that man had said had hurt me a lot and I wish that people were kinder, but with you here to help I feel like it will eventually stop hurting as much."

Smiling He kisses you once more. Pulling away a thought pops into your head

"Tony whatever happened to the guy?"

"Don't know and I don't rally care. All I do know is after I punched him in the face I just kept going until someone came and pulled me off of him."

Letting out a sigh he holds you tighter as you smile at him and run your hand up and down his forearm.

"He's probably gonna press charges."

"I have no doubt in my mind that he will."

Tony sighs once more.

"He did I guess deserve what he got though."

That caused Tony to snicker a little.

"Yeah he did, I doubt people were all to happy about what happened."

Shrugging your shoulders you snuggle up as close as you can to him.

"We'll worry about that when we wake up later right now all I want is to cuddle and fall asleep."

Snicker at that he shifts a little getting comfortable and closing his eyes as well. Yes there would probably be a lot happening within the next few days, but at least the would hopefully get through it together.

[englandsgray]

Sherlolly Self-Interviews 2020

Well hi 👋

Ignoring the internal image of Gilderoy Lockheart smiling smugly while flashbulbs pop and saying ‘In my autobiography, Magical Me...’ 🙈😆 I shall take the opportunity of this lovely event to introduce myself as a writer of Sherlolly fanfiction on AO3...

I am English and somewhere over 30.  I watched the show as it aired, and lost my heart as quickly to Molly Hooper as to Sherlock Holmes.  The kiss is British television history.  Series 4 is my favourite.  Moriarty on the beach is life.  The Holmes brothers break my heart every time.

I am extremely lucky to have been provided some questions to answer here by @ohaine and @mybrainrots - huge, huge love and thanks to these two lovelies, and not just for this.  I admire you both so much as writers, and your support means the world to me ❤️ Thanks too, to @sherlollyappreciationweek!

Where did you begin to write, and have you written for other fandoms?  I wrote my first fanfic when I was eleven years old - a 100 page ramble about The Monkees.  Oh yes.  Then in 2018, I fell for the characters of the Disney Pixar film Cars and began writing and publishing.  So far so random!  Writing in this fandom sprang from binge-watching all four series of Sherlock during lockdown.  I remembered reading Louise Brealey talking about being disappointed Molly didn’t get chance to ‘roundly kick Sherlock’s arse’ and agreeing with her wholeheartedly.  That, over a few weeks, turned into my first fic - Who You Really Are.  

You’re a recent (and welcome!) arrival to the Sherlolly ship, and I was wondering if writing in an established, less active than it used to be fandom has been a challenge?   Thank you, firstly.  My experience of this fandom has been incredibly positive - the sense of welcome has been wonderful.  I will admit I was terrified posting the first fic - there are hundreds of times more stories posted daily in the Sherlock fandom as in the one I had some experience of.  But I needn’t have worried, it’s been a blast.  I will also admit, that it’s no small thing to be surrounded by such brilliant writing and the long-standing passion which goes with it.  But I find that inspiring in itself, and I’m very glad to be here - how supportive the fandom are makes me feel like I always have been!       

What’s your favourite place and way to write?  My aesthetic is Lin-Manuel Miranda in his in-law’s laundry room 🤣 I wrote my first ten-thousand words on the notes app on my phone before my other half told me to stop being ridiculous!  I switch between the laptop, my phone and longhand (I’m a sucker for a nice notepad and a Uni-Ball Eye) and, more often than not, not sat up properly at a table.   

Since you’ve (done something I’ve never managed successfully and) written a novella length fic... how did you organise/keep track of all the details and where you wanted the story to go?  Did you outline/plot in advance?  First of all - I would love to see a novella length fic from you @mybrainrots!  The final scene of Who You Really Are came to me very early on and I knew I wanted the fic to fit within TFP - a lot of it takes place in the timeframe of the final montage.  At first, it was going to be much more about Sherlock’s relationship with the ideas of sentiment and love (the phrase ‘I’m not sentimental about you, I love you,’ haunted me for a while) and I spent some time researching the psychology and playing with scenes from throughout the series - one of my favourites I didn’t go on to use was inspired by the final scene of THoB.  Using scenes from the canon gave an automatic structure, and I was always aiming for the final one I wrote early on - the two of them on the beach (everything is about the beach, with me!)  As I went along and started, inevitably, to slow down, I mapped out the chapters with a short note of what I wanted to be in each, then would add notes or phrases as they came to me - often emailed from my phone!  I had to force myself through a tricky section set in Baker Street at one point, but it came together in the end.  I did plot The Pathologist’s Skeletons on paper first, as I found with a casefic which remains a WIP, that I can get confused and lose focus when it comes to details and how to reveal them in a way which stays paced and interesting.  I’ll certainly do that from now on with longer stories and cases.  How did you keep up enthusiasm for the work?  I want to write an original novel, so I am forcing myself to work through the knotty bits and blocks as a learning experience.  Not everything is destined to be finished or finessed, of course, but I’m finding this process is building my confidence that I can overcome problems and slow periods.  I also find I know when I need some external inspiration - some of my favourite scenes have come to me while out walking the dog or sitting on the beach.  I’ve also been inspired by books or other series or things going on in the world, as we all are, and sometimes that’s pushed me on.  Plus, of course, I’m a newbie - I’m very much in the honeymoon period of my writing, even though I’ve loved Sherlock for ten years! (Ten years! Bonkers.) 

You’ve got a knack for writing Sherlock’s thoughts and capturing his voice.  That said, which character do you find easiest to write?  Which is the hardest?  Thank you so much.  I absolutely love writing Sherlock and Mycroft, and I’m sure that’s because they suit my somewhat over-the-top writing style!  I find Molly and her POV really difficult.  I want the scenes I write from her perspective to sound completely different to Sherlock, but that means writing in a style which doesn’t come as naturally to me.  I’m a long way off happy with that at the moment, but I’m enjoying the challenge.

Is there a scene or character that specifically inspired you to start writing Sherlolly?  The whole of TFP, but especially from the moment Sherlock arrives at Musgrave onwards.  I am desperate to see what a Sherlock Holmes who has been reacquainted with his own heart would look like.  I find his emotionality in those final scenes hugely compelling (Mycroft’s office is one of my favourite moments from across all four series) and, as I have always believed in him and Molly, I practically jumped up back in May after watching it and said ‘right, where’s my notebook?!’.

There’s a lovely peaceful, quiet feeling to your fic ‘We’re All Right At The Moment’.  Can you tell us what inspired it and if you’ve thought of doing the backstory that goes with it?  Thank you!  Like everyone, I would go back to January of this year and start again in a heartbeat, but I am hugely fortunate to be able to say that I have a lot to be grateful to the UK lockdowns for.  I might never have begun writing in this fandom otherwise, for one, and I have had a brilliant time so far and met some lovely people. Honestly, I don’t feel able to do any sort of justice in my writing to what has happened in the world in any broader sense than drawing on my own experiences of staying at home and enjoying my family.  This particular super-short fic sees Molly cutting Sherlock’s hair at home in Baker Street.  I wrote it in the evening after I had cut my other half’s hair and had been reminding myself that despite how horribly worried I was - and still am - about everything, we were all right in that moment, and to focus on that as much as possible.  I wanted to try to capture that, if for no reason other than to look back on this entire experience and remember something lovely, so I am so pleased to hear you felt the fic did that.  It was only after I finished it and reread it, that I realised it is ambiguous as to whether Molly is worried about Sherlock contracting the virus, or whether she is remembering him being treated for it... As I say, I don’t think I could write more about these extraordinary circumstances - perhaps it’s just too close at the moment - so I don’t plan on extending it.  But you know how it is, the plot bunnies hop where they will... 

Do you have a Sherlolly music playlist?  What are your top five favs from the list? Here’s a run down of (6 🙊) songs I have been getting emotional over in the last little while, leading my brain to assign their significance to my favourite couple...

Kissing You - Des’Ree - It’s so 90′s, it’s a bit cheesy, it’s oddly disturbing.  It helped me write A Request, Made Properly, and that gave me an excuse to have Sherlock kiss Molly in the snow.

How Long Will I Love You? - Ellie Goulding - part of the playlist, but also in remembrance of a friend who passed away recently.  Life is very short, love is forever.

High and Dry - Jamie Cullum - It’s made me emotional for a very long time.  The original is my partner’s version of choice, this is mine.  

Think About You - Delta Goodrem - Okay, this one isn’t emotional, and it’s not my usual vibe!  Blame the zoom exercise class I do!  But oh my goodness, it’s Molly.  Bless her.

Blinded By Your Grace (P.T.2. F.T. MNEK) - Stormzy - One of the best ever, I reckon.  Spent an awful lot of time thinking about angels and demons, grace and what it takes to save someone, while writing my latest - The Pathologist’s Skeletons.  This has been in my head most of the (blimmin’) time!

Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding - I didn’t know I was a fan of Ellie until I wrote this list... I don’t subscribe to the theory that the love Molly wants or that which Sherlock has to offer is any lesser because it isn’t ‘normal’ or expected. I don’t think romantic entanglement would come easy to either of them. But it’s still love and it would be beautiful.

Thank you so much for reading.  Thanks and love to @ohaine and @mybrainrots. And thank you @sherlollyappreciationweek for the event and for everything you do ❤️

Feel like I should sign off with a quote from the show...

“You’re not a puzzle-solver, you never have been. You’re a drama queen!” Dr John Watson (Moffat & Gatiss) 2014 😜

X

A fav fic of mine by @mybrainrots

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7563193

A fav fic of mine by @ohaine

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10562904

My stuff:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnglandsGray/works

[littledrummeraussie]

pick you up if you fall to pieces.

Word count: 1700+ Author’s Note: This has been sitting in my folder for 2 days. Just a short quick comfort story for the heartbroken hero.

masterlist.

Ashton’s been on edge for days now and you couldn’t blame him for it. The numbers just weren’t right, and everyone knew it, yet it seemed like nobody really cared. It started just before the album came out with a shipment error and thousands of copies being sent out to their fans. If the whole pandemic wasn’t enough, the guys also needed to somehow save the album they’ve been working on for the last two years. For the first week it seemed like things will work out, they’ve been promoting CALM from the safety of their own homes, doing livestreams and Zoom calls, singing, dancing and making fun of each other and themselves for hours.

But then you saw Ashton getting phone calls, and one after the other made him more anxious and grumpy, making him lose his good mood that he had after the first successful numbers came in. He was frowning as he disappeared in his office for hours, deep in conversation with his friends about what they could do to work out the situation. It was clear that no one really could do anything about the uncounted copies, even though both them and their fans and friends were fighting tooth and nail to make their chart position move up to #1.

He was still scooped up in his office when your phone pinged next to you on the counter, signalling a new tweet – from Ashton himself. You weren’t sure if you wanted to check it or go and knock on his door instead, finding out for yourself what he had in mind after hours of brainstorming with the guys. But before you could make the decision, he appeared in the kitchen, hair messy and eyes tired, a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Ash took a water bottle out of the fridge, gulping down every last drop in one go, then leaned over the other side of the counter, arms crossed in front of him, forehead resting on them as he sighed heavily. You knew he had a lot on his mind, and you were ready to listen to him – but only if he was ready to talk. When another minute passed and he still did not look up you reached over to lightly squeeze his hand. His gaze was still fixed on the countertop, but he opened his fist and let you lace your fingers together.

”Was I too much?” he asked quietly as you rubbed your thumb over the skin of his hand. ”Or maybe it wasn’t enough… I should have said something else…”

”I don’t know, Ash,” you shook your head, and that made him look up, eyes wide and questioning. ”I did not see it. I don’t know what you’ve done.”

”The video?” he frowned, and you shrugged a little. ”The one I posted…”

”I can watch it, that’s fine. But I’ve thought you could tell me instead. I know it doesn’t change the facts, but… at least it’s not a camera you’re talking to.”

Ashton pulled his hand back to run his fingers through his hair, and you rounded the counter to wrap your arms around his waist, pressing a kiss against his cheek. His muscles were tense, his heart pounding, skin slightly sweaty and hot. You were sure he’s been pacing his office for the last half an hour, working up his courage to share his thoughts with the world. Whatever he said in that video didn’t matter to you in that moment – he deserved a break and some tender loving care.

”Wanna come outside with me?” you asked, pushing yourself up on your tiptoes, hooking your chin over his shoulder. ”We still have a few sunny hours left. We could just soak in some sunshine and then maybe watch the sunset as well. You’ve been spending so much time inside you’re starting to lose your tan…”

Ash finally let out a laugh, turning around in your arms to kiss your forehead. He wrapped his arms around you, pushing his face against your neck as he cuddled closer, letting you hold him. You ran your fingers up the nape of his neck, brushing through the dark curls, hoping to soothe him a little.

”I could definitely use some time away from my social media and phone,” he mumbled against your neck, and you squeezed his shoulders.

”Then this would be a perfect time for that,” you answered, and Ash just nodded.

You took his hand and led him outside, settling down on one of the sun chairs in the garden, pulling Ashton down next to you. He hesitated for a second, but then laid back against you, sighing as he rested in your arms, eyes closed and head pushed under your chin. You lightly ran your fingers through his curling hair, tucking a lock behind his ear.

”I’m just… tired of fighting,” he started whispering a few minutes later. ”Why can’t things work out just once? It’s like someone cursed our whole album release…”

”I know, love. It does seem like things are a little bit against you all. It’s not fair. You’ve worked so hard on this, you deserve to be charted accordingly.”

”It’s just a number, but still…” he tapped his fingers on your knee, going through the rhythms of Lonely Heart as he spoke.

”It’s a number, Ash, yes. It’s also your job, and you’ve all put your hearts and souls into the album. Just because someone else did their job poorly shouldn’t mean you get treated like this. Like it’s not a big deal,” you kissed the top of his head, resting your cheek on his hair.

”Not even sure what should we do at this point. Should we blame someone? Should we sue them? Should we just let this go and be happy with being #2?” his sighs were heavy, and you could almost hear the gears ticking in his brain.

”What’s the worst that could come out of this?” you asked, squeezing his shoulders to help him relax a little. ”What can they do to you?”

”Sabotage, maybe,” Ash shrugged a little. ”Losing media coverage. Less interviews, less performances, less promotion. Losing our platform, really.”

”Which means losing potential new fans and opportunities, right?” you continued, and he just nodded. ”How does this make you feel?”

”Besides the obvious?” he let out a bitter laugh. ”Mad. Angry. Stressed. Hopeless. Just done.”

”Anxious?” your fingers were back in his hair, lightly brushing through it.

”I felt like I’m gonna throw up while making that video,” Ashton confessed, hands slightly shaking where they rested on your thighs.

”Did you draw the shortest straw? What did the guys say?”

”It seemed like the best thing to do. But it didn’t make it easier, talking through the whole thing with them,” he pushed himself away from you to sit up, burying his face in his hands. ”Shit, Y/N, I don’t know what I’m doing.”

”Your best, Ashton,” you sat next to him, pushing your leg against his, letting him know you were still there. ”You’re doing your best, and no one is blaming you for standing up for your band.”

”I feel like a coward. It took me days to finally say something, and why? Because I was scared that if I do anything it will cost us our good partnership with the media,” he rubbed his face tiredly. ”All the while our fans are fighting for us day and night, and I– I wish I could be as brave as them.”

”Ashton,” you reached out to lightly turn his face towards you, rubbing your thumb over his scruffy cheek. ”It takes a lot of courage to do what you guys do every single day. The moment your name gets out and people start to recognize you… you might as well just put a big target on your own back and let them hate on you. Some will support you, some will do anything to prove you are not good enough. But your fans love you. Remember how they always say that you guys have saved them? Kept them going when they were ready to give up? How you sharing your stories and struggles gave them courage as well to brave the world? They are giving back to you on their own way now. You’ve been brave for so long – it’s okay to take a break and let someone else do the hard work, even just for a day.”

”Will tomorrow be kinder?” he sighed, pushing his face against your palm as you lightly scratched the short hair on his face.

”I don’t know, love, I really don’t,” you shook your head. ”And I’m not gonna pretend that I know the answers. How to solve this or what will happen in a day, or in a week. But I know you made an absolutely amazing album and that people love it and care about it enough to fight for it. That’s an accomplishment, if you ask me. Having such caring fans who would follow you to the end of the world. Sounds like a prize to me.”

”They really are everything to us,” he hummed in agreement, lacing your fingers together. ”I’m really thankful for them. They are the ones who deserve to be #1.”

”They are definitely family at this point,” you smiled at him, and Ash returned it with his own soft smile.

”Yes, they are. Family,” he wrapped his arms around your back, pulling you to his side. ”The most amazing one.”

As you lay back on your chair again Ashton cuddled back to you, letting the sun warm your skin as he relaxed, slowly letting go of the tension he was holding inside. His eyes were closed, a small smile playing around the corner of his mouth as you lightly stroked his hair, making sure to give him all the comfort you could in this hard time. The lights started to slowly fade as the sun was going down behind the hills, and the scene made you think of a line from one of their songs.

”Ash?” you caressed your finger over his ear, and he slowly blinked up at you, already a little sleepy.

”What’s that?”

”I love these twilight moments with you,” you smiled, kissing his temple, and you could feel his smile return.

”Thank you, love,” he pressed a kiss against your shoulder, snuggling back closer. ”Thank you for always being my sunshine.”

[dreamingofmilk]

Thirst Tweets

Sam Wilson x Reader

Synopsis: Sam Wilson reads his thirst tweets and you get a little flustered. 

Warnings: Cursing

ENJOY!!

You finally made it.

After years and years of hard work, tireless nights, and early mornings, you finally landed your dream job, a videographer for Buzzfeed. The position allowed you to meet so many new and interesting people. Not to mention the money.

It was your first day in the studio after two weeks of training and dumb HR videos, and you couldn't keep the smile off your face. Your fingers kept flipping and playing with your new ID badge. The security guard probably thought you were a serial killer or something since you were smiling so hard. It was hard for you to believe that you had finally made some of your biggest dreams come true. This job would be the key to becoming the next Alfred Hitchcock or Stephen Spielberg. 

You always knew you wanted to work in film. As a child you found movies fascinating, but not for the same reasons most children did. You were interested in the cinematography, the transitions between scenes and the editing. Of course you didn’t know anything about it as a child, but you quickly immersed yourself in it and learned everything you could. You busted your ass through high school to get accepted into one of the best film schools in the country and shortly after graduation, you landed this job. All of the stars were aligning and everything felt like it was fate. Sometimes you can't believe your luck. 

You had no idea how your first day would be, or what your first video would be. In the end it really didn’t matter to you, you were excited just to be in a space with so many people who were like-minded and so talented. After grabbing a granola bar from the snack table, you made your way toward your boss, Yolanda. Your bright eyes taking in everything you could from the plain light blue set. You had grabbed your folder which had information about what you were filming, but you hadn’t had much time to really look into it. All you knew was that it was an interview of some kind. And because you worked at Buzzfeed that didn’t really tell you much. 

Yolanda briefly glanced up at you and a big smile spread across her thin face. She turned back to her phone and waved you over to where she was standing. “Y/N! There’s my little protege. Come here for a sec!” You picked up your pace and tried to calm yourself even though you were practically vibrating in front of her.

She chuckled softly and shook her head. She could read your energy so easily. “I remember that feeling exactly. The excitement of your first day on the job, between you and me I threw up from the adrenaline. And while I understand the excitement you have I know it’s not the best start. But appreciate the feeling for as long as you can kid. It’s the best.”

You nodded, “Can you tell me what exactly we are shooting today? I wasn’t able to get a good look at the folder before I had to come down.” You wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Knowing the subject would help you start to plan out everything in your head. Hopefully in the future they will get you the folder before the day of the shoot. 

Yolanda smiled, “No one told you? We’re having the Falcon read his thirst tweets!”

You froze. How the hell did Buzzfeed manage to pull that off? Sam Wilson was bigger than any celebrity, nobody could even come close to the man. Everyone loved him, and he seemed to really love his fans as well. You knew Buzzfeed had influence in the industry, but you had no idea they had enough pull to land an Avenger.

You were beyond excited mainly because they trusted you with something that was such a big deal. But also because you’ve had the biggest crush on this particular winged avenger for a couple of years. 

“Oh my God, Yolanda thank you so much for this opportunity! I promise I will not let you down!” You bounced slightly on the back of your heels. 

She was shaking her head before you even finished. “I have complete faith in you Y/N. That’s why I hired you. I don’t hire people I don’t think I can’t trust to get the work done. I know you are going to do great.”

You had a thousand questions, but if Sam Wilson was coming here you had to focus. As well as calm down. . “When will he be here? I need to prepare and check on everything.” 

“He should be here in about half an hour.”

You choked. HALF AN HOUR! How in the hell were you supposed to double and triple check everything in half an hour? You immediately scrambled to your equipment and got started. You’d be damned if you had any mishaps in front of Sam freaking Wilson. 

Luck was on your side. You had just finished giving everything another once over when a booming voice startled everyone.

“CUT THE CHECK!” And with that, Falcon walked onto the set. You already knew the man was attractive, but the pictures and videos you’d seen didn’t do him justice at all. He was HUGE. Easily a foot taller than you and his arms were like telephone poles hanging from his shoulders. His signature gap-toothed grin was wide as he greeted everyone in the room. He made it a point to shake everyone’s hands as he passed them. So he definitely had manners.

Your heart rate jumped as he got closer to where you were standing. By the time he stood in front of you, your mouth was dry and your palms were sweating. 

He smirked as he reached out his hand. “Well hello there beautiful. What’s your name?”

You struggled to keep your composure. “Y/N. I’ll be one of your videographers for the shoot.” 

He reached out his hand, but when you reached out to shake it, he grasped it lightly and brought it to his lips. He slowly leaned down, staring into your eyes, and brought your hand to his lips. Your brain completely short circuited as soon as his lips made contact. Oh man, This man was dangerous.

He hummed as he straightened up, but he didn’t let go of your hand. “Well it is great to meet you Y/N. I see I’m in capable hands.” 

You could feel the heat in your face, but you tried to keep your composure. The fangirl look was not cute. “Thank you. I’ll take care of everything, don’t worry about any of it.”

He smirked and moved in closer to you. Realizing you only came up to his ribcage did some things to your insides. The man was just ridiculously big, this thought ran through your head repeatedly. It made you wonder what else about him was big. 

“Oh, I believe you. You look like a girl who would take care of me.”you almost fell over.  It should be illegal for a wink like that to exist honestly. One quick flick of his eye and you were ready to drop your panties for this man. It’s a wonder how anyone is able to fight him. 

Sam made his way to the chair on the backdrop. He had already been through makeup and wardrobe so it was almost time to start the shoot. One of the crew members brought the infamous blue container and handed it off to Sam. He grinned as he took a peek inside. “Oh, there’s a lot of these!”

There were a few more minutes of everyone setting up their equipment and then the director gave the signal to start filming. “Alright everyone, ready in five, four, three” She silently showed two and one, then threw her hand into the air and mouthed “action”.

Despite your nervousness, you were on autopilot. Your hands and body knew all of the motions and picked up your mental slack. Sam seemed completely at ease, not the easiest thing when you had at least 30 people staring at you behind blinding lights. He started to make his introduction.

“Hey everyone, I’m Sam Wilson, also known as The Falcon and I am at Buzzfeed to read your thirst tweets.” He picked up the blue container, making a show of it being extremely heavy. “And from the looks of it, y’all are really thirsty.” He grinned and sent a wink directly into the camera. Your camera. 

Once you’ve recovered from yet another winkgate, you start to notice all of the things a videographer would. You already knew Sam was photogenic, he managed to make it on the paper somehow pretty much weekly, but you never truly appreciated how much the camera loved him. His skin did not wash out in the lights and the smooth brown skin did something to you. He was a naturally charming guy and his personality was incredibly likeable. You already knew this video would be a huge hit on Youtube. 

Sam pulled out the first slip of paper, and started to read it out loud. “I’d let Falcon fucking destroy me and ask if he was free the next day.” He smirked, and made sure to look right into the camera again, his eyes full of mirth. “Babygirl, I wouldn’t destroy you. A meal should be savored, not torn into.” He smirked again, then kept going, “Unless you want me to tear into you. If so, I’d be happy to oblige.” 

You felt your entire body clench as he spoke. Oh he was nasty. This was going to be one hell of a shoot. You were well aware of how nasty people were on Twitter, especially when it came to the Avengers. Sam’s tweets were always especially nasty. He was such a flirty person, so he always attracted some of the freakier people. 

He smiled really bright for the camera. “Let’s read the next one. It says ‘I want Sam Wilson to explore my guts.’” He let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. “Oh y’all are really nasty. Ok bet, I’m with it.” He leaned forward and beckoned the camera closer with his fingers. Y/N zoomed in as much as she could and still kept the frame. Sam grinned. “Sweetheart didn’t you know they call me Indiana Jones? I’ll explore every inch of them guts. I’ll find the treasure and I’m taking it with me, you hear me? I’m gonna find every secret passageway and get through all the traps. I’m leaving a souvenir too.” 

One of the crew members yelled really loudly, ”Whew!” while fanning themselves and everyone laughed. It did nothing to curb the sexual tension in the room though. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that Falcon was with the shits, everyone kind of expected him to be more PG, like Cap. They couldn’t have been more wrong. 

Sam started laughing, “Y’all are making this so hard! And you're making me hard! I didn’t know I had this many people checking for me. Y’all got a guy feeling really good!” He quickly realized his mistake. “Oh shit, sorry y’all you’ll have to edit that out.” He didn’t seem very sorry though. It didn’t help that he was staring at you the entire time he was talking. Was that your cue? You definitely didn’t need any convincing, you were already down for whatever this man wanted from you.

He shook his head and reached for the next slip of paper, “What are y’all gonna come up with next?” He started to read the tweet aloud. “Ok, so can Sam Wilson just put a baby in me?” He laughed so hard he leaned backwards in the chair. “Y’all are wild, I love it. I can’t guarantee I’d put a baby in you, but I’m definitely down to try baby girl.” You couldn’t tell if he was staring at you or the camera. 

The director motioned for a few more then they would wrap up the shoot. You never wanted this to end. This video was really gonna break the internet.

Sam grabbed the next one, smirking before he even started reading it aloud. “All I want for Christmas is a train with Falcon, Captain America, and Bucky.” He scoffed, “Alright, now I’m offended. Let me make one thing clear. If I got you, you don’t need anybody else. Hell, you won’t have the energy for someone else. Cap and Bucky have nothing on me alright?” He pointed to you, “You feel what I’m saying, babygirl?”

You nodded so hard you almost bit your tongue. He smirked, “That’s my girl. And if my amazing videographer agrees, then it must be true. We’ll do one more tweet.”

“Sam Wilson is the epitome of big dick energy. If you disagree, fight me.” He clapped his hands, “Aye! Now this one knows what’s up! Y’all already know what’s going on, I don’t need to say a damn thing. I’m not called black stallion for nothing, ya dig?” He winked at you. Definitely not at the camera, at you. Damn it, now you have to change your underwear. 

Sam looked into the camera again. “Well that’s it beautiful people. Y’all have my confidence on another level! Don’t let me run into one of y’all in the street!” He stuck out his tongue and flicked it, like he was going in on some pussy and every woman in the studio lost their shit, you included. 

The director beat all of you to it though. “Cut! Sam you can’t say that!”

Sam was laughing his ass off. “Sorry, but I had to let them know I’m with the shits. You can cut it, but at least everyone in this room knows.” He looked at you again. “YN. Was my message clear?”

You couldn’t even look at him. That man’s presence alone was too much for you. You did make sure to nod your head vigorously though. He did ask you a question after all. You got a little worried when you didn’t hear him say anything else, but that worry quickly became shock when you felt hands on your chin.

Sam fucking Wilson was right in your face. He pulled your face up until your eyes met and he stared down at you kinda hard. Like he was mad. 

“I asked you a question babygirl. Answer it.” His voice was hard and deep. 

You swallowed hard, “Yes sir, your message was clear.” He relaxed a bit and hummed.  

“Good. I had to make sure you heard it. Now I have another question for you.”

You were definitely curious. What else could the man have to say to you? “What is it?” you asked.

He smirked and leaned down to whisper in your ear. “Can I tell you what my thirst tweet for you would be?” 

[yandere-society]

Can you do an idol!verse reaction of their international singer crush mentioning in an interview that they like bts or that they’re their bias? For Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin please. Thank you in advance!💜

Reaction to Idol Crush Noticing Them

Admin: @nomnomsik 🎉

Trigger warning: yandere themes, physical violence, unhealthy obsession, and member violence. Please read with caution. 

Yoongi

“Yoongi!” called his manager as said idol hunched over his piano, his fingers playing away and eyes closed in a tranquil state. Despite the call of his name, Yoongi paid the man no attention, continuing to play Fantaisie-Impromptu Op. 66. 

His manager huffed, walking over and tapping the idol’s shoulder, agitating the pianist who just glared at him while his hands stopped moving, moody. 

“What?” He spat out roughly, clearly not interested or caring for whatever his manager intended to say to him. His manager sighed at the disrespect, letting it slide this once because of the info he had that would have the idol in his debt. Yoongi softly played a few more piano keys, raising his hand up to pick another note, only to come to a rigid halt as the next words slipped out of his manager’s lips. 

“You like Y/N L/N, right?” He spoke quickly, immediately earning Yoongi’s attention as his eyes shot open, wide awake and his head snapped up to stare into the manager’s eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes then.” 

Yoongi slowly stood up from the piano chair, far more interested in where this conversation was going, and why you were even being mentioned to him. His manager slowly handed his phone over to Yoongi, a clip already loaded into YouTube as Yoongi watched it. 

“So, Y/N, are there are groups you like or want to collaborate with?” The interviewer had asked into his mic, question cards in his lap. 

“Of course!” You had chirped, Yoongi’s heart slowly increasing in pace, his ears picking up the tune of your voice and how smooth it always seemed to sound. He was mesmerized with your casual outfit, an oversized shirt and ripped jeans that seemed to make a parallel with what he always wore. “I really want to work with BTS. I love their music so much! I really like their rapper Yoong- I mean, Suga, hehe. He’s really my type too. Ahh, but they’re really popular so I mean-” You laughed nervously afterward, the video turning to black.  

Yoongi could barely keep his feet standing as he seemed to stumble backward, hand catching himself on his desk as he stared in a trance. Y/n likes… Y/n likes me…? I’m Y/n’s type? 

“So…” his manager coughed purposely, grabbing the idol’s attention as Yoongi quickly handed back the phone in an embarrassed manner. His face was red, mouth open and breath slightly faster. He could hear his heart thumping into his chest and his legs giving out for the second time. “What’s your thoughts?” 

“Collaboration immediately,” Yoongi ordered, dead serious with his tone and gaze. “I want y/n in my studio immediately too.” His manager gave a slight nod, letting himself out and closing the door, lock sounding. 

“If I’m y/n’s type…” Yoongi murmured to himself. “And if I like y/n, then… then, our feelings are mutual and I-”

“I can make y/n mine…”

Namjoon

Click Click

Namjoon stood in front of several cameras, giving his best poses as he smiled brightly, dimples always showing before the flashes went off. It went on for an hour, the idol finally sitting down in a groan and having time to relax. 

He scrolled through Twitter on his phone, internally laughing at some of the ridiculous tweets as well as memes, always amused how his fans seemed to make the best content. 

Tapping on the home icon, his feed refreshed, loading more content to consume, but before he zoomed past the top tweets, his eye caught a video of you, your face apparent in an interview-like video. Namjoon looked confusingly at his phone, wondering why you appeared on his feed when he wasn’t even on his private account, but the main twitter handle for the band.

He popped in his airpods, playing the video and staring intently, knowing how you were always well-spoken and seemed to open his world up further and further. You were an endless source of information for him, always expanding his viewpoints and addressing issues that were important to you. In the end, he would be dedicated as much as you were to issues, immediately accepting your word as truth. 

“Y/n, are there any artists that you’ve been listening to recently? Anyone you want to work with in the future even if it’s unlikely?” The male interviewer asked, to which you smiled, nodding your head gracefully.

“I’ve been listening to a mixtape- actually it’s called a playlist by the artist. Anyways, that’s beside the point.” You laughed, Namjoon’s heart thumping as if wondering, “Can it be? Could it actually be my…?” 

“It’s a playlist called Mono by RM and I’ve been listening to it a lot at night after a long day of work. It makes me feel vulnerable and it’s as if the artist is holding my hand and telling me it’s okay to feel this way.” You laughed again and Namjoon almost dropped his phone onto the ground, his hand growing weak as if his phone suddenly weighed 100 kilos. 

“I wish I was popular enough or, I don’t know, respected enough? I would like to work with BTS, but then again…” You sighed afterward, but still giving a warm smile to the camera, melancholy in your eyes. Namjoon could see straight through your facade, understanding that such a possibility would never be possible. 

“Manager-nim,” Namjoon called, taking out his airpods and grabbing the attention of the male who watched over Jungkook’s shoot. Namjoon handed over his phone, showing the video and gauging the reaction. “I want to work with Y/n. Someone finally gets it.” Namjoon insisted, clutching his chest. “Mono means so much to me… From this interview, Y/n seems to be here for the music. I want to work with someone like that. Please, I would do anything. Even if I have to suffer through a hundred more terrible interviews.”

Pleading was something Kim Namjoon never did. If he ever wanted something, he always worked hard for it. But this was different. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he let this slip from his grip, this was his chance.

“Please… I’ve never wanted something so badly in my life.” 

Jimin

Jimin was squealing like a child, his phone in his hand as he sprinted around the BigHit office and into the dance studio, interrupting the other members who were practicing diligently in the mirror. 

“Guys, guys!” Jimin called excitedly, shoving his phone into each face of his members. “Y/n wants to work with us, mostly me though!” The members looked at him nervously, giving a small and timid nod, knowing how Jimin could get if the wrong words were spoken. The last time it happened, Taehyung was crying terribly, Jimin strangling him in the dorms. 

It was only a small joke that would’ve really been brushed off, but Jimin took it seriously, growing angry at the younger for disrespecting one of his favorite artists. Taehyung got startled by the slightly older’s searing rampage, deflecting the insults thrown at him, to which Jimin grabbed him. 

It wasn’t until the other boys interfered that Jimin calmed down. But they all knew not to mess with him and you. Anything said about you must be met with immediate positives, if not, they would face Jimin’s wrath. 

Taehyung seemed to shuffle in the back of the room, turning the other way and trying to have no part in the conversation. Namjoon and Hoseok quickly caught the growing tension in the room, immediately chiming in. 

“Go ask the manager,” Namjoon spoke softly to which Hoseok added. “We don’t have a problem with it anyways. Just get approval.” 

Jimin smiled brightly, running out of the room again to which all the boys sighed in relief, a storm had passed without anyone getting hurt. Jimin hummed to himself as he skipped, hopped, and jumped around the building, calling out for the manager. 

“Manager!” Jimin called, running up to the male and immediately spitting out bucket loads of words to which flustered the manager. Jimin noticed the manager’s initial confusion, growing upset. “Manager!” He pouted, crossing his arms. “I said I want to work with Y/n. Y/n told me that we should work together! Make that happen!” 

“Ohh~” The manager understood, clapping his hands together and smiling, which immediately brightened up Jimin’s demeanor. “Okay, I’ll get into contact with them for you.” As the manager turned to leave, Jimin stopped him by holding onto his shoulder. 

“No, manager,” Jimin spoke, his grip only tightening. “I meant, a vlive, to which I announce the collaboration.” 

“J-jimin…” His manager whispered in a hush voice. “We can’t do that without the other side’s approval from Y/n’s agencyfirst.” 

With a flash of rage, Jimin screamed, pushing his manager hard into the wall. “What do you mean approval?! Y/n told ME! If Y/n wants to work with me, then approval from the agency shouldn’t matter!” 

“I u-understand that Jimin, but it’s basic procedu-”

“You clearly don’t understand.” Jimin seethed, grabbing hold of the man by the neck and pushing him into a secluded corner. “Do things have to get ugly or are you going to listen to me, manager-nim?”