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cheralith · 3 months

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wish you well — 「 celebrity!gojo x manager!reader (drabble & headcanons 」

synopsis ; after being one of the nation's most well-loved celebrity's manager for nine years, it's time to call it quits. said celebrity, however, doesn't take it too well.

content tags/warnings ; gn!reader, no pronouns for reader used, mild angst, some parts not edited/not beta read

contains ; celebrity!au, a-list actor!gojo satoru, manager!reader, no powers au

notes ; plot inspired by "what's wrong with secretary kim" after my nth rewatch haha

now playing ; i wish you love - nancy wilson

Everyone goes to lean forward in their seats, gripping the edge of it as the music that’s singing from the movie theatre’s speakers suddenly stops, letting the sound effects of rain pebble through instead. The screen displays a running, drenched man in the rain of a lonesome road in the middle of the countryside, his crystal blue eyes hazy with a brim of tears balancing in them as he huffs and puffs, the exhaustion within him visible. The camera cuts to a woman seated safely under a bus stop as the rain pours down with the same view of a descending countryside town still blurred in the distance. She grips the handle of her suitcase as her head goes to gaze solemnly at her shoes.

A bus goes to a screeching halt, only the tender wheel of it visible as the woman’s gaze is still stuck on the floor before she looks up to see the bus doors opening before her. The running man appears before the screen, desperation clear on his face before the camera slowly turns towards the bus stop the formerly-sitting woman is now standing under.

“Loretta! Don’t you dare get on that bus!” the man yells out, earning the woman’s attention.

The woman widens her pale green eyes at the sight of him breaking out into a sprint. She swallows a nervous gulp, too frozen to move from her spot until the man enters under the shelter of the bus stop. His chest engraved with the lining of visible muscles are evident through his pale blue button-down that’s slicked with water and the sight earns a couple of lip bites from women in the theatre.

The woman stammers, “Y-you know I need to do this…”

“No you don’t,” the man mutters, the camera panning to show his eyes holding desperation and a slight flicker of anger. “Your father wants you to do this, but I know you. I know you don’t want to.”

“But it’s my duty, Vincent—”

“Don’t give me that ‘duty’ shit!” The man shakes his head, letting droplets of water fling all over. “Loretta, please… just stay here with me,” he pleads, holding her face in his hands and forcing the woman to look up at him as his thumbs wipe away her tears that grab onto mascara. “We can stay here… get a house together… build a family… die old together like you said we would. You’re not gonna break your promise, are you?”

“Vincent, that was when we were six!” the woman exclaims sadly, “Don’t tell me you’re still hanging onto that.”

“I’m not hanging onto that promise,” he whispers, pulling her face closer to his.

The instrumental of a music track begins to play softly in the background, obvious tension rising to the surface in the theatre as the scene continues. A couple of hands shovel into large popcorn buckets and without thinking, shove the popcorn into their salivating mouths. Nails dig into the palms of hands as some chew on them out of anticipation. Eyes wide and unblinking, they give their full attention to the screen.

“Say the line…” whispers one person.

The man tenderly kisses her in a short, but passionate kiss, letting her release from him with a dreamy sigh.

“I’m holding on to you,” he murmurs ever so softly.

Compared to the quietness of the man on the screen, the theatre goes absolutely crazy. Shouts and cheers ring through the air as numerous rounds of applause go to harmonize with them.

The scene in the movie finalizes with Loretta finally swallowing her pride and nodding to Vincent’s agreement, sealing the movie with a kiss that lasts until the screen slowly fades to black.

“Annnd… that’s a wrap,” the director of the movie jokes as he stands up from his seat. He earns a few laughs from the cast and the crew of the movie. The theatre begins to light up once more and gives a clear view of everyone, including the section that holds the main cast up near the back. “I’d like to give one last thank you to Satoru Gojo and Yuki Tsukumo one last time for giving an amazing performance and dedicating their time for the past year and a half. Thank you both ever so dearly.”

Satoru Gojo, also known as Vincent, goes to stand up with his co-star, also known as Loretta, and they give a synchronized bow to the people in the theatre as the premier for his latest movie finally draws the curtains from behind the audience. “Thank you for directing another outstanding movie. I truly do look forward to working with you again in the future,” he gives another dazzling smile as he and Yuki elegantly walk down the stairs together. They say their final goodbyes as co-stars and depart to opposite sides of the theatre where they’re greeted with their teams.

You go to hand him his coat you’ve been hanging on to for the past ninety minutes, the scent of cologne finally fading after a suffocating hour and a half. Glancing at the director who heartily laughs with some of the editors of the movie, you let out a light chuckle.

“Hm? What’s so funny?” Satoru inquires as he shoves on his coat.

“You’re such a liar,” you say, shrugging as you and him exit the movie’s premiere together, some of the actor’s team following shortly after, conversing with another about how spectacular the movie was. “You’d rather throw yourself off a cliff than work with that guy again.”

Without looking at you, Satoru grins ahead. “You know me so well.”

Ijichi, the chauffeur, is waiting patiently outside the venue despite the winter cold. When he sights the many delighted smiles and laughter, he asks, “I take it the premiere went well?”

“Very,” you nod, getting into the car to enjoy its warmth.

The car ride is nothing out of the usual, just quiet jazz playing in the background and the city lights glimmer from above.

“Oh, what’s the agenda for tomorrow by the way?” Satoru asks, his gaze turning from the window to you, who still is focused on the tablet that checks off today’s draining tasks for the celebrity.

Photoshoot for Ray Ban… done. Look over next month’s plans for Season Two of Jujutsu Kaisen… done. Suit fitting for movie premiere… done. Movie premiere… done!

“(Y/N)~” Satoru calls again but dragging the last syllable of your name and snapping his fingers in front of you to capture your attention. He chuckles when you jolt in your seat.

“Sorry,” you mutter before swiping to tomorrow’s agenda. “Alright, nothing too big. You just gotta sign that contract that you’ll be the spokesperson for Chaumet, then right after, you have an Elle interview regarding the movie. Then, you’ll have a final dinner with the entire cast and that’s it for the week.”

Satoru nods in approval and obviously ready to take on tomorrow’s attacks. Only three things? He can handle that with ease. If anything, it’s been less of a load to bring on from the recent events that had been happening as of lately. His feet could really use a break from walking over so many red carpets.

The road begins to lead down a familiar path as you realize you pass the local family diner, your apartment’s entrance shortly coming to view. Ijichi slows to a stop and unlocks the door, letting you out. Before Satoru can say goodbye to his beloved manager, however, you stop the window from rolling up and lean down into the car again.

“Oh, I forgot to say this earlier, but,” you pause, making sure his attention is all on you for this short, but possibly life-alternating moment. “You’re also meeting your new manager tomorrow, too. She’s really sweet and—”

Time freezes for a moment.

“Wait a minute,” Satoru furrows his brows and faces his body completely towards you, his countenance pulling the curtains to reveal a confused, serious expression that rarely appears on his face. “New manager…? What do you mean?”

The question comes out more as a demand. Breath hitching for a short moment, you release it and smile gently with the corners not letting your eyes curve. You had been anticipating this moment for the longest time now—around half a year of decision making and weighing the pros and cons, then three months deciding when the right time to break the news would be. But at this time, you’ve ran out of time and you’ve ultimately decided to push it towards the day before the deadline, something you almost never do. A little solemnly, you sigh out softly and finally declare the groundbreaking news to the A-list celebrity, your head still high.

“I’ll be quitting as your manager, soon.”

Actor!Gojo, who doesn't get a good night sleep after that abrupt statement, in which you barely gave him time to try and ask why on earth you're giving up the job that many people would kill for, only leaving him with a small wave and a subtle "goodnight." Your voice replayed in his head the entire night, the sentence resembling nails on a chalkboard the more he repeated it to himself—"I'll be quitting as your manager, soon."

Actor!Gojo, who thinks you have the nerve to put on a smile and greet him good morning the following sunrise as if nothing happened, as if you weren't breaking a bond of nearly nine years with him. Your words for today’s plans go in and out of his ears as Satoru wearily examines your appearance and movements in the kitchen that he almost never uses as he rounds up his thoughts that poisoned his head ever since you said that all-too-bold statement last night that shifted his entire world in the matter of seconds.

Actor!Gojo, who cuts you off mid-sentence, asking you sharply why you're quitting as his manager out of the blue, his usually-playful baby blue hues piercing right into you. He notices your smile faltering a bit, but never completely dissipating, though it comes severely close to doing so when you tell him why.

Actor!Gojo, who listens much too intently for his liking when he hears you out, a feat he rarely does. "The past nine years have been wonderful, don't get me wrong," you murmur as you slather on a sugary marmalade on his toast. "But I don't think I'm really getting much out of life just being someone's manager."

Actor!Gojo, who pretends as if those last two words don't sting his chest. Someone's manager... as if he's not one of the most worshipped and celebrated A-list actors in the industry right now. But he supposes that's why he stuck by you, since you understood that he, too, was just a regular human being at the end of the day like the rest of humanity, even with his godlike good looks.

Actor!Gojo, whose mouth runs dry when you continue. "I don't want to be the side character to someone's story. I deserve to live fully too." you finish, pushing Gojo's plate of breakfast towards him before snacking on the leftovers. You stare at him, awaiting his response. You understand that despite you thinking over such a big decision for a few months, that it was better to rip off the bandaid and avoid any further complications by quitting unexpectedly, even though you knew Gojo better than anyone.

Actor!Gojo, who attempts to understand where you're coming from. Yes, he can get that maybe this life wasn't the most exciting, but then again, what other jobs out there are? At least with this one, you're guaranteed good—dare he say, great—pay and stability, along with experiencing second-hand what it's like to see all the glitz and glamour most of the population fiend for. It's thanks to him that you've been draped in designer clothes for premiers, that you've tried Michelin delicacies, that you've travelled the world. So... why ditch all of that for a more simple life? Aren't you content?

Actor!Gojo, whose mind flashes back to the moment where you stared a little too longingly at a lovesick couple in the window of a coffee shop, or when your eyes lingered on the engagement rings in a shop window that one day he had to get a suit tailored. He suddenly remembers the one dress rehearsal where he witnessed an extra asking for your number before you declined politely. He had asked you jokingly that you were blind to reject such a handsome guy (second to him, of course), only for you to reply you smiled gently at him and said you had no time to date.

Actor!Gojo, who suddenly blurts out without any restraint, and with a little more edge than expected, "What? D'you want to get married or something?"

Actor!Gojo, who regrets the sentence as soon as it escapes his lips. He swallows thickly and attempts to organize the right words for a proper apology. You stare blankly at him for a moment, and before Gojo can say anything, you nod. "Yeah. It's been a dream of mine to, actually..."

Actor!Gojo, who thinks his coffee tastes much bitter than usual, silently nods after a moment of awkward silence. You open your mouth first to try and cut it through, but he beats you to it. "I'm sure I could re-arrange some stuff in the schedule so you can get out there and meet someone. There's no need to quit." He ignores the weird pang in his chest the moment he says "someone."

Actor!Gojo, who frowns when you shake your head. You explain it would still be hard, as he'd remain your first priority despite it all. You mention that you've already submitted your resignation letter to his agency three weeks ago and that it's been processed, that it'll be your last two weeks as you being his manager and that you'll be saying goodbye to what had been nearly a decade of companionship with the celebrity.

Actor!Gojo, who flinches as the doorbell rings and watches miserably as you fetch the person at the door. She's a young girl, around the age when you first started as his manager, with choppy bangs and long blue hair, along with a bright and ready smile. You introduce her as his to-be manager, but Gojo can't shake off the thought of being greeted by her face in the morning and seeing her face as the last thing he sees before he goes to sleep instead of yours.

Actor!Gojo, who thinks this week is going much too fast for his liking. Despite essentially begging for the director of his latest TV show to give him some extra scenes to shoot, he was excused early with the rest of the crew after all the required scenes were shot nicely. Somehow, the brand deal commercial and meeting flew by much faster than usual, too. But despite it all, Gojo couldn't help his eyes constantly flickering to your figure whenever you were in his field of vision, even receiving multiple warnings from the director from the commercial to stop getting distracted.

Actor!Gojo, who finds his gaze lingering on a rather old picture of you and him, along with some blurry figures in the background. Nine years younger, both of you, with outdated fashion and makeup. He remembers you were just shy of being his manager for four months, when he was still trying to break out of the shell of being a nepotism baby and attempting to create a name for himself. Gojo prided himself on his independence, but he'd be fooling himself if he didn't give a hefty amount of credit of his success to you. After all, you were the one that was in charge of his many brand deals and were the one that landed him roles that granted him film awards.

Actor!Gojo, who can't find the right words to say during the drives home, hating how the air is always thick whenever you were alone with him. He doesn't think he can get used to not pulling up to your apartment when the night comes to an end before going to his, despite your affirmations that him and Miwa would get along great. He murmurs a good night to you, not facing you despite watching your reflection intently in the window, but before you wish him a good evening, you say something that forces him to face you.

"I have... a dinner reservation with someone at 6:30 p.m., so I'll be leaving early tomorrow."

Gojo blinks. "Is that implying you have a date?"

"I..." you swallow anticipatingly. "I suppose you could say that."

Actor!Gojo, who feels the familiar pang of his chest as the thought of someone else sharing a dinner with you, something you've been doing with him since the very beginning of his career. He can't even imagine a person, only some sort of foggy figure sitting across from you, sharing a shabby meal. He can tell you're waiting a response from him before you head into your apartment, and he wryly says, "That's great... Hope you have a good time or whatever..." before commanding the driver to drive off, not even waiting for another word from you.

Actor!Gojo, who drums his fingers with great boredom against the door's handle, fighting off the nuisance that was the city's insane traffic this evening. When he gazes out the window to find some other distraction other than his phone, however, he instantly finds himself drawn to a familiar figure being seated at the window a few stories up in the restaurant his car was stuck in front of. You're up there, dressed regally for another, giggling with them at something they said (something stupid, Gojo thinks to himself). Teeth grit against themselves when they feed you a small portion of their food with their fork, the indirect kiss making his eyes narrow.

Actor!Gojo, whose spontaneous anger suddenly dispels when he repeats your words from earlier that week.

"What? D'you want to get married or something?"

"Yeah. It's been a dream of mine to, actually..."

Gojo suddenly pauses and goes still for a while, thinking over something incredulous. He blinks repeatedly, before a grin etches on his face as his plan settles into his consciousness. Gojo may not give you anything you desire if you're just his mere manager...

... but if he were your husband, then that meant your dream would be fulfilled and you could stay at his side for what was essentially the rest of his life and give you anything you wanted. He'd never have to fret about you leaving his life ever again.

Satoru Gojo, you absolute Einstein... he compliments himself proudly in his mind. Letting out a confident huff as the car begins to drive on, he tells the driver to head on over to the nearest jewelry store before heading home.

a/n: hi sorry it's been a while! i was finishing up a semester at uni, so forgive my absence with this little weird hybrid ficlet of mine featuring the one and only

i hope you enjoyed and thank you for taking time out of your day to enjoy my writing! likes/comments/reblogs are always noticed and are always appreciated (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ !!!

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk #gojo satoru #satoru gojo #gojou satoru #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #gojo satoru x you #gojo x you #satoru x reader #gojo fluff #gojo smut #jjk fluff #jjk angst #geto suguru x reader #nanami x reader #drabbles #headcanons #jjk fanfic

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koalayoo · 11 months

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ᴍᴀᴍᴀ ɪ'ᴍ ɪɴ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴄʀɪᴍɪɴᴀʟ

⟡₊˚ wriothesley x gn!reader

⟡₊˚ content: criminal reader, gag worthy fluff, sfw, silly wriothesley (lack of the real world is getting to him)

⟡₊˚ author's note: lost my 50/50 to diluc. i always knew i had a reason to hate that guy. this was supposed to be having a secret relationship with wriothesley but honestly i got off track.

⟡₊˚ based off of: this playlist. without the nsfw part.

The past year had been interesting. Becoming a convicted criminal hadn’t been on your bucket list but that’s exactly what you accomplished. Throwing your entire life away the moment Chief Justice Neuvillete and the Oratrice pronounced you guilty. The theatre went into an uproar, arms in the air and cheers of happiness cutting through the prior tensity in the air. The trials you despised watching had finally happened to you. At least you could finally call yourself a victim of Fontaine’s patronising legal system? Although calling yourself a victim is the most ludicrous thing you could do right now. You were a criminal after all.

But let bygones be bygones right? Nobody in the underworld cared about your past so it was the perfect place to start anew, if only you weren’t being accused of another crime, by the Duke of the Fortress no less.

You stand in front of him and his condescending smirk and can feel your eye start to twitch. “What do you mean I committed another crime, Wriothesley?” You beseech, unsure of whether the lack of fresh air was beginning to make your brain go dumb.

“Exactly what I said,” He replied, as if he wasn’t revealing life altering news. He held your hands and leaned back into his chair, pulling you with him. “You’ve committed a crime… and it’s time you take responsibility.”

Oh?

There was a teasing lilt in his voice there. He’s joking. Definitely. He has to be. Although it was an odd one to make. You two would never joke about this. You and him had developed something akin to a relationship within the last few months. Him hiding extra coupons into your pocket turned into him sneaking you into his office from time to time and sharing short kisses behind boxes or during elevator rides. How a lowly prisoner like you managed to catch the attention of His Grace was surprising but not impossible you learnt.

You raise your brow in question. “So… you’re joking?” You ask, confusion evident in your voice. All he does is chuckle in return.

“Definitely not, darling,” He cooed, pulling you between his legs and bringing your body closer to his. Your faces mere centimetres apart. “For the crime you committed is stealing my heart.” He seals it with a kiss, as if his lips are the gavel calling order to your sentence, bounding your heart to confinement within his greedy arms.

You pull away from the kiss, unshackling yourself from him. You don’t know whether to be endeared by the cheesiness that just ensued or to be relieved you weren’t actually charged with anything so you don't opt for either and just begin to walk away.

Wriothesley’s whines and pleads followed you to the office door.

and this type of love isn't rational, it's physical (me)

#wriothesley x reader #wriothesley #wriothesley x you #wriothesley genshin #genshin impact wriothesley #genshin impact #gi wriothesley #wriothesley fluff #genshin impact x reader #genshin fluff #genshin impact x you #koalayoo

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desire-mona · 10 months

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abed headcanons because im autistic and bitches be projecting

big fan of deep pressure, has a weighted blanket but ideally someones putting all their body weight on top of him

can drive but hates it because its FUCKING BORIIIIINNNGGG

doesn't have a very expansive music taste, when he likes a song he listens to it on loop for weeks

has received the same novelty popcorn bucket as a gift 10+ times bc his relatives have no idea what to give him and just google "gifts for movie lovers"

britta offered him an edible one (1) total time and he got so overstimulated he passed out and slept for 15 hours

has ARFID and there's a list of his safe foods on the fridge in the trobedison apartment

has very sweaty hands. like if you high five him it'll splash. troy is used to it (cuz they hold hands) but if anyone else finds out theyre like AH OH GOD WHAT THE FUCK WHY ARE YOU DAMP

either loves or hates scott pilgrim vs. the world. i cant decide so neither can he.

reads the books that have movie adaptations bc dedication but doesn't have a great time

has a head jerk tic when he's cold (i have this too its very annoying)

"troy and abed in the mooooornin" vocal stim at random times

FFFFFUCKING LOVED trick or treating as a kid cuz the interactions were so cut and dry. "trick or treat" and "thank you". Perfect.

nobody is ever allowed to touch his feet. ever. under any circumstances.

lucid dreams basically every night but thinks thats just what Normal Dreaming is

got along very well with his teachers. "delight to have in class" energy

#1 sherpa hater, the most evil texture

always bites his nails bc the thought of long nails makes him wanna throw up

hate hate hates the smell of drool or saliva in general

compulsive hand washer, especially after touching a bad texture

has glasses but doesn't wear them. the feeling of anything on his face is Not Good

in the same vein, has a love hate relationship with headphones cuz they hurt his ears after a while

gets viscerally angry when someone says male gaze/ female gaze in reference to a real person. its a film term!!

has been told on many occasions that he has a "nice podcasting voice"

often pirates new movies because movie theatres are a nightmare but he will Pass Away if he hears spoilers

hhhhhhHHHHHAAAAAAATES opening gifts at parties cuz he has no idea how to react

shaves his legs bc if he feels hair against his pants he Will have a breakdown

wore the same pyjamas Every Single Night for a year as a kid

was a shorts year round kid in middle school

probably nonbinary but thats neither here nor there

#abed nadir #danny pudi #community #trobed #troy and abed #autism #he is so dear to me i need to eat him #if i cant be exactly like him i will make him exactly like me (in my mind)

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thewatercolours · 6 months

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Thanks for tagging me to share five things I could talk about for an hour without having to prepare, @kursed-curtain. I'm going to try to zero in on topics that aren't as obvious (because clearly I could talk for an hour about my novel, or directing theatre, or books and shows I love, or anything I've taught a class on, or my religion. But let's be more specific and interesting, and possibly slightly less expected?)

Why visiting Canterbury (Kent) should be the top of your bucket list.

ADHD hacks and self understanding/compassion.

The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Saints, aka Mormonism (not a believer and never will be - just hyper-fixated.)

Mythbusting the medieval era! You probably believe some wacky things and don't know it!

The difference between romanticization and re-enchantment, and why the former has pitfalls but the latter is essential for survival.

Tagging anyone who wants to get in on it.

#Once in a blue moon I get tagged and say - You know what - I'll actually do this one.

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d-criss-news · 8 days

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Darren Criss Says Maybe Happy Ending Is a ‘Phantom-Level’ Spectacle

If you'd asked Darren Criss years ago what his dream stage role was, “Hedwig was it,” says the Golden Globe winner. Well, Criss did perform the title role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch on Broadway in 2015. So in the decade since, what is his new dream? Answers Criss: “If I'm being really honest, it's being able to originate something that hasn't been done on Broadway yet.” So, you can say his newest Broadway project, the new musical Maybe Happy Ending, is another check off the bucket list.

When speaking to Criss about this show in July, he hadn’t yet started rehearsals. But he spoke about the musical with a palpable excitement—after all, it is the first original musical he’s done since his days with the musical theatre company he co-founded, Team Starkid. In recent years, the Emmy winner (who rose to mainstream fame after starring in Glee and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) has done mostly revivals on the stage, such as Little Shop of Horrors and American Buffalo.

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But to Criss, the particular pleasure of doing something like Maybe Happy Ending is the opportunity to utterly surprise the audience. “Being part of something this original is always a bit of an exponential curve,” admits Criss. “It's always a tough climb at the beginning, because people might not have an instant familiarity with it. But I think that it pays its dividends real soon, once they see what they're in for.”

For Shen, though Maybe Happy Ending follows robots, it touches on deeply human questions—both Helperbots are nearing the end of their lifespan and so they must decide if they want to take that emotional leap to make a connection, even if it means they might lose each other. “It feels like there's a ticking clock at the end of it,” she says. “And so, they're a little bit forced to live life to the fullest while they have this opportunity to do so.”

It’s not just the show that’s new. This is Shen’s Broadway debut. While Criss has over 15 years worth of experience under his belt, Shen is a relative newcomer. She was born and raised in New Jersey; her parents immigrated from Shanghai to America. They both play the violin, passing down their musical aptitude to their daughter, who grew up playing piano. She graduated from the University of Michigan (Criss’ alma mater) in 2022. Though she is still green, Shen’s credits are impressive: This year alone, she starred in the Off-Broadway musicals The Lonely Few and Teeth—both of which were favorably received. “I suppose, in a way, it feels like arriving,” Shen says with hesitancy, as if she doesn’t want to spoil this lucky year. “I think it's a cautious arrival. It's so wonderful and such a blessing and gift to be working with this particular team.”

Criss met Shen during her final callback for the show, which was a chemistry read with Criss where they sang a song together (though years earlier, Shen had attended a master class Criss held at the University of Michigan). More recently, the two have quickly bonded over being trained musicians who eventually became actors (Criss plays guitar, violin, and a bevy of other instruments).

When it’s pointed out that he’s now effectively a Broadway veteran, Criss exclaims (to the giggling Shen), “I cannot fucking believe it. That sounds so twisted, like so Twilight Zone. To me, I've always been the youngest, like, I was always the kid.” But then, he brings it back to his co-star, which he does multiple times during the interview saying, “She'll kick so much fucking ass. That's one of my favorite parts about being in this, I get to forever now be part of the inevitable rise of a young star.”

It’s not just talk. Criss recently had Shen perform multiple songs at his music festival Elsie Fest. When asked what they’re excited for in Maybe Happy Ending, Shen’s answer was getting to sing the score. “The uniqueness of the sonic world—the music is so ethereal, and it's so gorgeous,” she enthuses. “The music feels so beautifully understated, but also, it's orchestral and sweeping. And not to mention, the people who are already attached to the project are people that I look up to in my own career so much.”

There is the assumption that because the show has a chamber musical sound, and it has four cast members, that it’s a small show. Think again, teases Criss: “It's four people, and the story is a ‘smaller’ story, but it has really, really big ideas.” So much so that in July, Maybe Happy Ending announced it would be delaying the start of previews by a month, citing supply chain issues that prevented crucial components of the set from getting to the theatre in time.

Though, Criss admits, “it sounds like we're covering up some nefarious reason.”

Laughs Shen: “We had to clear our beef.”

“Yeah, our beef,” smiles Criss. “Supply chain delay sounds like, kind of made up, but it's literally that.” Though he can’t say much more about what this intricate set design entails, other than it will utilize “cutting edge technology” to match its robot protagonists. As he excitedly puts it: “We're talking [Phantom of the Opera] level of production. This is a spectacle…I can categorically say that this will be something that you have never seen the likes of before on a Broadway stage.”

#darren criss #playbill #helen j shen #maybe happy ending #maybe happy ending bway #uofmichigan #press #sept 2024

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angel-with-paper-wings · 4 months

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Seeing POTO Live: Part 1 (An Unexpected Journey)

On Monday May 20th 2024, I was fortunate enough to see The Phantom of the Opera live on the West End in London. It’s safe to say that I left as a changed person.

For my own posterity’s sake and in case anyone is interested, I want to give a little background about how I was able to see the show, because the story is a little crazy. I still can’t believe it happened. For my commentary and thoughts on the show itself, see Part 2 of this post.

So, at the time of this post’s writing, my parents and I just finished a vacation to various places in the UK that we’ve been planning since June of last year. We were scheduled to spend our last two days in London, so while making a list of all the things we wanted to see in the city, we briefly discussed seeing a West End show. However, when I went to look at tickets to see Phantom (because I was already a phan at the time so of course it was already on my bucket list), the website was only showing tickets available through March 2024. For some reason, my brain assumed this meant that the current West End run was only doing shows through March and then they would take a break for summer or whatever (idk how theaters work, so it sounded plausible to me at the time ðŸ˜…). So we ultimately decided to not make plans to see a West End show, and I gave up hope of seeing Phantom on the West End for the foreseeable future.

That is, until a week before our vacation.

Out of curiosity I checked the website again, and I saw that there were now tickets available for a 7:30pm show on Monday May 20th, the day we were scheduled to arrive in London after sightseeing in Oxford in the morning. A little bit of hope returned, but I still didn’t get too excited because there was a lot we wanted to see in London and not much time to do so. I didn’t make seeing Phantom a priority because my parents weren’t as interested in seeing it as I was, and it didn't feel right to me to force all of us to go on an expensive outing that only I would enjoy to the fullest. So I again put the possibility of seeing the show out of my mind, and we enjoyed the start of our vacation.

Monday afternoon rolled around, and my parents and I were on the bus ride to London with our tour group after sightseeing in Oxford in the morning. Our tour guide told us we were due to arrive between 4:30-5:30 but that London traffic was very unpredictable and it may take even longer. My family and I had planned on walking over to Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace that evening, and I off-handedly mentioned that we should stop by Her (now His) Majesty’s Theatre for a picture of the POTO decor and stuff. They asked me to check if any seats happened to be available for the performance that evening. I highly doubted it, but to my utter shock, there were still six seats available: three in the balcony that were close together and three on the ground floor in the stalls (the area directly in front of the stage). I was THRILLED, and my parents (the absolute angels they are, no pun intended) noticed this and suggested that we try to get the tickets to the show and see Buckingham Palace the next day. However, because we still didn’t know exactly when the bus would be arriving in London, we decided to wait until we reached our hotel to make sure that we had the time to get to the theatre in time.

The entire ride to London, I could feel the adrenaline and excitement pulsing through my body, and yet it still didn’t feel real yet. Sometimes I struggle with appreciating big events like this in the way they probably should be appreciated because I just get stuck in a state of shock that lasts until the event is over, and by the time it’s over I feel like I missed it. But this time, I told myself that if my prayers were answered and it all worked out, I would make a point to appreciate it to the fullest (and that’s what I am doing by making these posts).

We were BLESSED with easy traffic (a rarity in London, according to our tour guide) and got to our hotel at 4:30pm. I checked the availability of seats in the theatre again, and the same six seats were visible on my screen. However, when I went to purchase the three balcony seats for me and my parents, it said that one of the seats I wanted to buy had already been taken. I refreshed the page, and there were now only four seats available: one in the balcony and three in the stalls (ground floor). The ones in the stalls had two next to each other about four rows from the stage (these were EXPENSIVE, like Â£175 each), and one on its own DEAD CENTER in Row L, which is a couple of rows below the balcony (so not directly under the chandelier but close). My parents (again, angels) told me to get the lone seat in Row L and see the show on my own, and that they were fine with walking around London by themselves for the evening.

So I booked the ticket. We walked 40 minutes from our hotel to the theatre. The entire time, I still couldn’t quite believe it, and my shock was making me delusionalâ€”I was convinced when I got there they would say that my online ticket was invalid or that someone had already bought my ticket in advance. But it was all okay. The kind ushers let me in without issue, I bought myself a programme and a water bottle, and I made my way to my seat an hour ahead of showtime. I wanted to make a post telling you guys what was happening, but Wi-Fi didn’t work in the theatre (probably for the best). It was easily the best money I’ve ever spent.

I probably don’t have to tell you how damn lucky and fortunate I am in every aspect to have been able to afford a last-minute ticket to see the show I love in such a great seat. I wish I could have shared that luck and fortune with all of you and had you there with me so we could all enjoy the incredible performance (and trust me, it was INCREDIBLE). Since I unfortunately can’t do that, I want to try and do the next-best thing—in my review post (Part 2), I will be sharing my notes from the show that I wrote during intermission and when it was over that describe the details that I noticed about the performance as well as my own commentary/reflection. I hope you all enjoy sharing this experience with me and feel like you were there in spirit, because I know you all were!!!

Thanks and have a wonderful day,

Angie ❤️

#poto #phantom of the opera #poto west end #poto london #personal #jon robyns #lily kerhoas #joe griffiths brown

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valentinetypewriter · 11 months

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Me And My Husband - Chapter 4

Summary: the time for Y/n to 'hang out' with Sirius and Remus arrives, everything goes smoothly until the next day the two boys are faced with unwanted guests

Warnings: swearing, smoking, use of the Victorian language of flowers, Sirius and Remus are dicks at the end.

series masterlist

Main masterlist // marauders masterlist

Taglist

@ashlynnmalfoy @ashisabitgay @rainychaosmiracle

Also I'd love to know what you guys think of this series so far, since im sort of new to writing, so feel free to comment or even send it to my inbox

Word count: 4,030

It's been a long time so I made this one double the length of the other chapters, and I had a lot of fun writing this chapter

It was Tuesday afternoon and classes had finally finished up. Saying Y/n was nervous would be an understatement, though she didn't really know why she felt this way. She only asked Sirius out in the hope that she could at least try to become friends with him, so that the rest of her life spent with him wouldn't be so awkward. She deemed that it was simply the fact that she's never been on a date, and that dates weren't usually supposed to bring a plus one. Y/n stood waiting by the main exit of the school that would lead them down to hogsmeade, she was pacing by the time the two boys arrived. Sirius was dressed in his usual leather jacket with an old band shirt underneath, Remus on the other hand was wearing a soft looking sweater, it was kind of ugly in a sort of cute way.

"I was beginning to think you had bailed on me" the young girl said after she had stopped analysing the two boys. "Sorry we took so long, Sirius wanted to make sure his hair was perfect" y/n laughed quietly at the joke Remus made at his best friend's expense. "And here I thought he was all natural" Sirius' stormy eyes grew wide, shooting between the two laughing teens "I can't believe you're both ganging up on me". Remus bit his lip to stop himself from laughing at the boy's expression "sorry padfoot, it's just too easy" the shorter boy scoffed "well let's just get to hogsmeade already".

The three teens made their way to Hogsmeade in a somewhat awkward silence, occasionally broken by Sirius and Remus chatting, or if Y/n actually answered anything the two Gryffindors asked her. They were halfway to their destination when Y/n had started asking Sirius more personal questions. Simple things, like his favourite colour and his hobbies, before she decided to ask more important things. "So Sirius, what do you think you'll do after graduation" the grey eyed boy stared harshly at her "what do you think" disdain clear in his voice. The young slytherin shook her head slightly "no I meant, what do you actually want to do" she stared back up at him, her usually dull eyes held a slight sadness to them. Sirius seemed almost shocked, his eyebrows raising slightly, he wasn't expecting her to ever care for that sort of thing. "Oh… well, I'd like to travel around for a bit, and there's quite a few muggle things I have on my bucket list…" he paused for a moment, looking over to his right at Remus, he wasn't sure how to continue. But the tanned boy just gave Sirius a smile and a quick thumbs up.

Sirius looked back over at Y/n, her gaze unwavering as she waited for him to carry on "it's just um… once I'm out of school and move away from my family, I'd have more freedom to actually do those things'' the young girl tilted her head slightly "what sort of things?". "Well there's these things called a drive in theatre, you sit in your car and they project a film onto a large screen" the girls face twisted in confusion. Remus couldn't help but laugh slightly, he remembered seeing the exact same face on James and Sirius when he had first told them about it. "Oh! And there's this performance happening at the end of the year, by The Sex Pistols" the girls eyes widened slightly "The who!?" Sirius smiled slightly "no that's a different band". Y/n's face continued to contort in worried confusion "don't worry I'll show them to you some other time", to be completely honest Y/n wasn't sure if she wanted to know what the boy was talking about.

The trio had finally arrived at Hogsmeade, strolling through the village until they stopped outside a small Cafe. Y/n looked through the window at the many pastries they had on display, Remus and Sirius though were looking through their menu at the types of coffee and tea they offered. "We should go in, they look really good, and I didn't eat breakfast beforehand" Y/n was the first to speak up. The two boys nodded and they walked in, they stood in front of the shop counter waiting to be served. An older looking woman came over to them "what can I get you three?" She asked with a warm smile on her face. "Can I get the strawberry turnover and a white rose tea please" she ordered while pulling out her coin purse, Remus had caught a glimpse of it when she turned to them, it was pale blue with nifflers on them.

"What would you two like?" They both stared for a moment not expecting her to want to order together. Remus started off first "oh uh just a caramel latte and a Chelsea Bun" the young girl then turned to Sirius expectantly. "Don't worry I can pay for my own" he went to pull out his own money, not noticing how the girl's face dropped slightly "don't be ridiculous, I invited you to come with me, I'll pay" the stern tone in her voice and look in her eyes gave no room for argument, Sirius just let out a soft "alright" before slipping his money back into his pocket "I guess I'll just have the Crème Brûlée and a black coffee". Remus's face scrunched up in disgust at the mention of black coffee. "Is that all dears?" The polite woman asked "yes that's all thank you" Y/n handed over the money as the women and a younger looking employee started making their order.

The three had taken a table in the far corner away from the few people who were in the Cafe. "You know I'm glad you agreed to come today" the two boys looked at her, unsure who she was talking about as she was looking down at her hands and Remus noticed a slight tint to her cheeks. "It's just I've never done this before" her cheeks getting slightly red from embarrassment, Sirius looked at her confused "never done wh-" he was cut off as the taller boy kicked him in the leg. His stormy eyes narrowed slightly as he stared over at his friend. Before the girl could notice their weird behaviour their order was called out, Y/n stood up and walked over to the counter. "What the hell was that for?" Sirius whispered harshly "this is a fucking date, Y/n asked you on a date, thats what she's never done before" Remus whispered back "why do you think she didn't want you bringing James, or why she wanted to pay for the food…" he paused for a second looking over at the girl as she was grabbing sugar packets. "Or even why she's been asking you so many personal questions, it's a date and she trying to get to know you" Sirius eyes shot open wide at the realisation "oh Merlin I thought she was just being nosy" Remus slapped his hand onto his head with a sigh "fuck you're an idiot pads".

Before the boy could retort, Y/n made her way back over holding the tray, an excessive amount of sugar packets shoved onto the end of it. "Wow this looks a lot better than I was expecting" she said as she took her stuff off the tray, pushing it slightly towards the boys, Sirius's face burned up as he looked at her. They each took off their own order, Remus moved the tray onto the end of the table after taking a couple of the sugar packets. "So do you come here often Y/n?" Remus asked while pouring sugar into his latte "quite a lot actually, though it's only for their tea and to steal sugar packets" she stated as she nonchalantly shoved the majority of the pile of packets into her coat pocket. The two boys watched in confusion, neither knowing what to say. "uh… what?" Was all Sirius could manage to get out, the young slytherin looked up at him, freezing her action "oh, I realise how weird this seems" Y/n quickly shoved the rest into her coat "its for my pet, she's obsessed with them, no idea why though". The two boys visibly relaxed at the explanation she gave for her bizarre behaviour.

They ate their food with small interruptions such as occasional small talk here and there, or when one of them would offer a taste of their food to each other. After a while of mindless chatter and food sharing Sirius had left their table to go to the bathroom, leaving Y/n and Remus to talk to each other. "Um Y/n if you don't mind me asking… uh why did you invite me and Sirius out, I thought you didn't like us very much". The girl looked down at her cup, bring it up for a sip before responding "don't get me wrong I'm not particularly fond of either of you, but I'd like to get to know him better, I don't enjoy being betrothed to someone I know nothing about" she stopped, taking another sip of her tea "and perhaps if I do become closer to him, he won't be such a prat" Remus laughed slightly at the girl's words "trust me he's much friendlier and more competent when you get to know him". Y/n raised her eyes to look at him, her dull and cold eyes meeting his warmer gaze, she noted how doe-eyed he looked "yes well that's the difficult part, he doesn't really like me all that much, not that I hold it against him" the boys warm hand came to rest on her arm "I'm sure he'll come around".

Sirius was quick to come back before Remus could get an answer to why Y/n had also invited him on her date, Sirius took his seat and they finished their food. Remus stood after unfortunately spilling a bit of his tea on himself, his hands seemingly more shaky than usual "I'll be back in a second, i need to clean this up". Unlike when Remus and Y/n were left alone, the air felt thicker when it was just her and Sirius, neither really knowing what to say or do. And of course Sirius, having a hatred for awkward silence, said the first thing that came to him "You seem to get along with remus quite well" Y/n stared at him "whatever you're thinking, don't" Y/n looked over at the boy they were talking about "I don't like him any more than the rest of your group of misfits" Sirius shrugged "all I'm saying L/n is you seem nicer to him then you do me" Y/n rolled her eyes "well it's a lot easier to be nice to him then it is to you" Sirius stared at her for a moment "I suppose so, perhaps you'd prefer to be affianced to him" she thought for a moment "my parents wouldn't allow that, he's not pure, though if he was I believe he'd be a better candidate than you" the grey eyed boy smiled at her "well that's something we can both agree on". Y/n was done with the awkward tension between the two, she stood up to leave "i'll be outside, you can wait for Lupin".

Y/n stepped out of the small cafe, making her way around to the side of the building, hoping to hide away from prying eyes. She lent against the cold bricks, fishing out an almost empty carton of cigarettes and a blue lighter she had stolen from Evan yesterday. She lit the cigarette in her mouth and took a deep drag as she closed her eyes, letting everything wash away. After a few long minutes Y/n heard the Cafe door chime, she pushed the cigarette into the brick wall a few times to put it out, letting it drop to the floor she moved to the front of the shop seeing Remus and Sirius leaving. She walked over to the two "so where else would you two like to go" the boys looked at each other, it was like they could read each other's thoughts "well we've been needing to go to zonko's since we got back" remus was the one to offer, both Gryffindors knowing she'd be more likely to agree if it was him asking. Y/n rolled her eyes "of course you do, let's go then" she led the way, letting the two teens walk behind her. Zonko's wasn't very far from the Cafe so they arrived quickly. "Well I am certainly not going in there so…" the Slytherin fished out her coin purse again, handing them both a lot more than they would need for what they were after. "I'll be out here, be quick about it".

The two boys were quick to rush inside the shop, searching around for what they needed. Sirius stopped at a small section of enchanted gifts, he picked up a small wooden box decorated with stars. The sign for the small display labelled it an astronomers box, his mind dipped back to the memory of his brother and Y/n stargazing while she was at his house. He hesitated for a moment to take the box, but was quick to move on holding in his hand while looking for what he had first come in for. Remus and Sirius were quick to get everything they needed, paying for their stuff together and shoving it into a bag, Sirius still holding onto the box. They left the store looking around for Y/n, finally spotting her leaving a herbology shop with a cardboard box. "You know she's quite pretty when she is glaring with those cold eyes of hers" Remus said as she walked over, a small smile on her face. "Are you two ready to head back?" she asked, adjusting the box in her hands. Sirius lifted up the bag for her to see "yep we've got everything we need" remus quickly dug into his pocket pulling out the rest of the money Y/n had given them, even with an entire bag full of stuff they hadn't even used half of what she gave them "here's what's left by the way, and thanks for lending it to us" the girl just stared at his open hand, not reaching over to grab it. "Keep it" she stated abruptly, turning around and walking off before either boy could protest, the boys were quick to catch up "are you sure" the girl simply nodded and let out a noise of agreement. "We should get back before it gets any later" the girl kept walking at a brisk pace.

The three made their way back to the castle quicker then they left it, they entered the main entrance, Y/n stopping by a bench, setting down the box. "Oh by the way, I brought you both something" she stared at them expectantly, before they walked over to her. Y/n opened up the box pulling out two glass vases, both green in colour with different patterns decorating them with their own unique flowers sitting inside. The girl handed them both a vase each, to Sirius she gave him one filled with yellow carnations and to remus a slightly smaller vase with a colourful mixture of pansies. "Oh thank you Y/n" Remus said, a smile growing on his face, Sirius held the box up to her "I got something for you as well, it's an astronomers box" the girl held it close to her "well thank you Sirius, that was very kind of you" she seemed to ignore the fact he brought it with the money she had given to him. Y/n was the first to leave, heading off to her common room to relax before dinner.

The next day went by quickly, Y/n making her way to the library to meet with Sirius and Remus like she promised. Unknown to the two boys she had made a slight change to their plan, that change being the two boys who were walking next to her. "I still can't believe you're stuck with those two dicks" Barty said, adjusting the two book bags he was carrying in favour of Evan carrying his school cloak and vest for him. "I don't like it either, but the quicker I get it done the less time I have to spend with them, besides having you two with me makes it more bearable" Evan let out an almost strangled sounding noise as he threw his arm over the shorter girl "awww she loves us" the three laughed with each other before entering the library. The group made their way to the usual spot Y/n sits at, the same spot she told Sirius and Remus to meet her at. "Sorry i'm late, i'm usually a punctual person, unfortunately these two aren't" Sirius let out a quiet groan while Remus just glared as they saw the two boys standing behind Y/n. "Why are they here?" Remus questioned, annoyance clear in his tone "well firstly our group partner is sick" Barty was the first to speak, Evan carried on his sentence "and secondly Y/n's our best friend, who invited us along". The two Gryffindors stared at the mentioned girl, she simply rolled her eyes as she sat down "it's a study session, I'm sure you'll get over it".

The three arriving teens all took seats next to each other, Y/n pulled her notes and books out while Barty and Evan pulled out a single book to read through. The two groups worked quietly, until it was broken by the whining of Evan "this book sucks, are we sure we grabbed the right one Barty?" the boy shrugged, "it's the one that little weasel said would be good for our project" Evan rolled his eyes, he was glad their useless group mate was sick. Evan threw the book shut, looking over at his friend "Y/n my sweet amazing friend~" he dragged out, his tone overly sweet and begging "yes my annoying dumb friend" she said back, in the same sweet tone Evan had used "since you have so much knowledge with little Cosmos you would know the perfect book for us" the girl perked up at the mention of her pet "I suppose I would, I'll go grab it for you, not out of the goodness of my heart but because I need to grab a different book as well, and I don't trust you enough to grab the right book". Both boys smiled brightly as Y/n left to grab the books. Leaving her two friends to talk

"So are you going to go through with that plan of yours tonight Bee?" Evan asked as he lent in closer to Barty. The two Gryffindors now focusing on their conversation while pretending to work "I think I might, I've finally got it all planned out, I'm going to take her to the greenhouse, with the excuse of herbology homework and then I'll give her those chrisa-whatevers" Evan laughed "the chrysanthemums, Merlin how are you a Ravenclaw" Barty shoved the boy slightly, laughing himself "piss off". He hesitated before dropping his head slightly "do you think she'll actually say yes to the date" Evan looked at him in disbelief "stop doubting yourself, I'm 100% sure Y/n will say yes". Remus couldn't help but scoff at his words, grabbing the attention of the Ravenclaw and Slytherin. "Sorry do you have a problem Lupin" Evan asked, quick to get defensive of his friends "no no, it's just funny you think she'd actually say yes" his usually warm eyes seemed cold.

"Well what would you know about our best friend you sleazy little wimp" Evan was always quick to anger when it came to his friends "more than you apparently, I mean you did know she was on a date yesterday, I saw her at Hogsmeade, she seemed awfully close with him" Barty face dropped, an overwhelming sadness engulfing him "she would've told us, I mean she tells us everything" Evan rolled his eyes at the two Gryffindors "they're just lying Barty, ignore them". Remus lent towards them "I'm not, I saw him buy her a gift, a small wooden box, one of those astronomy boxes" this time Evans face dropped, he remembered Y/n proudly showing off the box to Regulus at dinner, saying how she got it at Hogsmeade earlier that day. Remus had a smug look on his face as Evan slumped back into his chair while Sirius let out a noise of shocked amusement.

"well Black you should learn to keep the dirty half-blood of yours on a leash" Evans words were quick to wipe the smug look off the scarred boys face. Both Gryffindors were unaware of the young girl now looming behind them. "I could say the same about your little pet bird" Sirius's harsh gaze met Evans, both boys defending their friends. "You know I'm surprised someone like her is even friends with you, I mean you really are the most pathetic Ravenclaw I've ever met" Remus's insult made the boy sink further into his seat "more so the most pathetic pure-blood I've ever met, do you honestly think you're worthy of even being friends with her." Sirius cut in with his own insult. Barty was quick to flee the library, taking his cloak and vest but not bothering to grab his bag from the floor.

Evan stood out of his own seat he felt burning hot rage slowly take over him, ready to poor out insults at the Gryffindors. Unfortunately his anger wasn't as quick to build as the girl's who was standing behind them "who the hell do you two think you are!" The boys turned around staring up at the now seething girl, her dull eyes seemed to darken in anger "and to think I thought you pathetic Gryffindors could put aside house pride for one evening, but I suppose that's my fault for expecting too much from either of you". The girl grabbed her bag before turning to the two boys "if I ever hear either of you say anything like that to any of my friends again, I swear to make the rest of your time in school miserable". Both Y/n and Evan grabbed their stuff and left the library, Y/n held onto Bartys bag. "I should return this to him, do you think he went to his common room" y/n said her voice still angry "Actually he said he needed to go to the greenhouse tonight, said it was something urgent to do with herbology, you might find him there" she stopped to look at him "thanks Rosie, I'll go find him".

Y/n arrived at the greenhouse, looking around the large room hoping to find barty, but he wasn't there. Nothing even looked like it had been touched or moved since their class, well there was one thing out of place. A sky blue pot had been left shattered on the floor it held blooming chrysanthemum, Y/n thought that the blue pot was a nice contrast to the deep red flowers. She noticed how the pot was smashed in the open space of the floor, it didn't fall from a shelf or table, she thought it had been an act of vandalism or perhaps sour rejection. "Such a sad fate for something symbolic of love" she spoke to herself softly, picking up the flowers and repotting them into an unused pot, it wasn't as pretty but perhaps she could paint it. She set the now potted flowers onto a table before sweeping up the mess of soil and terracotta shards. She decided to take the plant with her, still wanting to paint the pot to the nice blue that was shattered. And to make sure it held up after being thrown around.

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