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darlingshane · 6 months

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Salt of the Earth ~ Part 1

Pairing: Michael Berzatto x OFC

Summary: She was Carmy's best friend growing up, and Michael never looked at her as anything other than that until years later when she comes back to Chicago to start over. In the process, she turns his sorry excuse of a life upside down.

Content/Warnings: Friends to lovers, Fluff, Angst, Family Drama, Dysfunctional relationships, Implied/referenced drug addiction, Alcohol mention, Divorce, Pets, Pet names, Dialogue heavy. Undisclosed age gap (in my mind Michael is late 30s and OC is late 20s, but it's really up to your interpretation).

Word Count: 6.8k // 4 chapters // AO3 link.

A/N: This is set in the year of the Fishes episode on season 2. It starts in summer and slowly builds up to that Christmas.

— This was an anon request that I got a few months ago, I hope you're still around. I tried to fit all the ideas you sent as best I could. There's a bit of info dump on the first chapter, but I hope it isn't too off-putting.

Chapter 1: Best thing since sliced bread

Seconds stretch into minutes, minutes elongate into long hours on slow days like this at The Beef. Especially in summer when the air conditioner stops working for the second time in the middle of August. Any living soul that crosses that door must have a dying wish or be the devil themselves to adventure themselves to what has become Michael's personal hell.

It's been a testing year, and there's so much he can do to fix this place right now. While he waits for Fak to come check the damn AC unit, Michael tends the front while Ebra takes his lunch break.

Turning the paper's pages on the counter, he comes across an article about the extensive fires eating different parts of the country. A wretched thought crosses his mind as he reads – maybe it'd be better to burn this place to the ground and start over. He entertains the idea for a second until the door swings open, inviting more heat into the boiling pot.

He lifts his eyes from the words to find a familiar face approaching the counter. It's not Fak, but a much better vision of someone he used to know.

“Mayhem Maya.”

“Magic Mikey.”

That former thought of burning down this place disappears somewhere in the midst of that beautiful aura that saunters with her big brown eyes, long raven hair, nervous smile, and firm steps.

“It's been a while, Maybird.” Almost ten years since she set foot in this establishment. “What brings you to this hole in the wall?”

“Came to collect that meatball sub you promised at uncle Teddy's funeral, remember?”

“Oh, right.”

Ever since she moved to a different state, he only had seen her a handful of times when she came back for the holidays. Last time he saw her was at the beginning of spring, when her uncle, Ted Silva, passed away.

“I also had an interview at the new vet clinic on the next block.” She places her cross-body bag on an empty stool while she perches her ass on the one next to it.

“How's that going? Did you get tired of California already?”

“No, I love California. But I needed a change of scenery. It's been rough after… you know…” the divorce. She wasn't married for long, but she still can't bring herself to say the word.

“I’ve heard some of it.” He’s pretty much aware of how everything went down. Well, he’s got grapevine’s juicy version of the story, but he never heard her side directly.

Though Michael and Maya know each other as if they were related, they were never close confidants. She always thought he was the coolest guy in Chicago. And he always thought fondly of her, given their families association, and Maya’s close friendship with his brother.

Michael places an order for her sandwich and grabs a soda for her, while she explains she has two more job interviews later.

“Does your mother know you're back?” He folds the paper and props his elbows on the counter.

“She probably does.”

“Still not talking, huh?”

“It's not my fault she made me the black sheep of the family. She’s like vitriol on steroids.”

“Yeah? What happened at the wake? You left before I could say goodbye.”

Michael recalls the tension at the funeral, particularly at the wake when Angela Silva grabbed Maya by the elbow and took her youngest daughter outside the house as if she was still a child that needed to be scolded.

“Nothing. I barely said a word that day. Guess everything I do feels like a personal attack to her. I can admit that I'm not perfect, and that sometimes I've acted up just to get a reaction out of her, but that day she just went off again…” She pauses without finishing that thought to take a refreshing sip of her coke. “And that wasn't nearly as bad as the day I told her I was getting…”

“Divorced? Why can't you say the word? It's not Voldemort.”

“What the hell do you know about Voldemort?”

“How do I… Who took you and Carmy to buy those damn books? Have you forgotten?” Maya shakes her head. “You even tried many times invoking his name, so I was haunted by eaters or something like that. You two were real potterheads.”

“And you were just a pothead,” she laughs, stirring the ice cubes in her drink with a straw. “I totally blocked that out. We were just a couple of nerds.”

“I’d say!”

“Meatball sub!” Richie calls from the pass-through window and takes a second look when catching Maya in the joint. “Maya Papaya?!”

“Please, don’t call me that.” She scoffs while Richie promptly abandons the kitchen and goes around the counter to give her a welcoming hug.

“Did you know she was coming?” He asks Michael, as he props his ass on the bar.

“Had no idea. She just showed up.”

“Did you tell her about Carmy?”

“What about him?”

“He’s in Copenhagen.”

“Oh, I knew about that.”

“You two talk often?”

“Sometimes, I guess.” Barely more likely. They don't even text anymore. She's tried but there's been nothing but crickets at his end for months.

While Richie grills her about Carmy and what she’s been up to, Michael can’t help but look around the shop to notice, from every corner and wall, memories bouncing all at once in his direction. It takes him back in time to those days when she and Carmy were as thick as thieves.

Their shared history goes back to that same street their families have lived on for over thirty years… It’s still clear in his mind, like it was yesterday, when he was forced to babysit them when they wanted to go to the movies or trick-or-treating or the bookstore. That was a little annoying back then, now he fondly remembers all those times in summer, when they’d go to the convenience store to get ice pops on their bikes. Then they’d ride back and sit in the middle of the swanky rug in their living room and watch TV for hours. More than once they were yelled at by Mama Berzatto when she would come home to find melted colorful stains in the fabric. She would lose her shit. Carmy was used to it. Maya wasn’t, but the girl never flinched once cause Donna and her own mother were cut from the same unstable piece of cloth.

Maya and Carmy were really close up until they went separate ways for college. Their bond was something to admire. They had something so special that inevitably, Carmy fell in love with her. She was his best friend and confident. They kept each other's secrets, and Carmy thought she'd feel the same in return. It wasn't a crazy notion. They spent so much time together, everyone thought it'd lead to something more, but that never happened.

Mikey and Richie used to tease the youngest cub relentlessly. They tried multiple times to encourage him to ask her out, but he never found the guts to do it. Especially if it could potentially end their friendship. Carmy didn't want to lose that. Though he never confessed his feelings, Maya always knew. Even in her teens, call it a woman’s intuition, part of her already knew. Maya wished she'd felt the same toward him, but the heart wants what it wants, and she couldn't change that.

What was really fucked up was that she had the most ridiculous crush on the older Berzatto when she was a teen. While she knew he'd never look at her as anything other than Carmy's annoying little friend, that didn't stop her from daydreaming about it for years. It was a secret that no one ever knew and that was placed in a drawer at the back of her mind after she left Chicago.

After graduating, Maya and Carmy stayed in touch for a long time, until their calls and texts became less frequent. They followed different dreams that required a lot of attention and sadly their friendship got hurt in the process.

While she attended Vet School on the west coast, he became a chef on the east.

Maya thrived at school and work. She really went out on her own, and became the woman she always wanted to be. Unsheltered, confident, outspoken. She outgrew her shell and opened herself to new experiences and people. She loved it all. It wasn’t smooth sailing, but for the most part she was pretty happy with her choices.

And now she's back in Chicago, set on a new path and awaiting to see where it takes her.

She’s living in a house in Oak Park with her dog, Coco; Richie fishes out of her. Apparently, she got some money from uncle Teddy, and she’s invested it in a home for her and her beloved staffy.

“Does Carmy know you’re here?” Richie circles back.

“No, I haven't talked to him in months.”

“Why? Did you two have a fall-out or something?”

“There's no why. We're just busy.”

“Mike, help me out here. Weren’t these two fools supposed to get married?”

“Yeah, everyone thought you'd ended up together.”

“Man, I don't know what to tell you, we just didn't,” her head sinks between her shoulders.

“Just get over yourself and hit him up. The kid has been hung up on you since forever. It looks like things didn’t go so well with your marriage and all. You should take that as a sign, you’d never find anyone better than Carmy. The boy could really use some excitement in his life. And so could you.”

“C’mon, leave her alone. Go back to work, Cousin.”

Michael throws her a lifeline, noticing how miserable she looks every time Richie opens his unfiltered mouth.

“He’s not wrong, you know? You and Carmy… it looked like you two had something special.” Michael offers once Richie is back in the kitchen.

“It’s called friendship. You should look it up.” She points out.

“I have Richie.”

“Exactly. You have Richie. Why don't you two marry the other and leave me alone? If you think about it, you were as close to Richie as I was with Carmy. Even more. Should everyone assume you are in love with him? Cause that's what you're implying.”

“Touché. I'll drop it.”

“Look, as hard as it is to believe, there was nothing else between us. I was aware he felt something for me, but I didn’t feel the same.”

“You should give him a chance sometime. He might surprise you.”

It’s not the first time these two have been trying to play matchmaker between Maya and Carmy, and it’s bizarre to see they still do at any given opportunity.

“Okay, if I give Carmy a chance, you have to give Richie a chance. Those are the rules, Berzatto.”

“Oh, I've tried. He's not into me,” he remarks, amused, and leans closer to confess something in a lower voice. “Do you wanna know a secret?”

“Uh, sure.”

“He and Tiffany are having a baby. He just told me a few days ago.”

“What? You let him reproduce? I'll pray for Tiff.”

Chapter 2: Cool as a cucumber

Everything falls slowly into place as Maya settles back in Chicago. She secures the job at the clinic near The Beef, which is a huge relief after her rushed decision of moving back to her hometown without securing a job first. It was part of the plan all along to practice what she loves but never thought this would be the year. As much as she loved California, once her divorce was finalized she felt like something was trapping her there. And the money she got from her uncle gave her some leeway to improvise, get away from all that, and start over.

Maya is spending her morning going through the stack of unpacked boxes, finding a good place for everything, making it feel more homey. It's not a big house, but spacious enough for the two of them. The big selling point was the backyard for Coco to zoom around and cool down in her wading pool, which she loves. It didn't take long for the five-year-old pup to get used to her new neighborhood. They've even made a couple of friends at the park nearby.

A moment before the doorbell rings, Coco whines from her spot by the window, where she often sits to watch passers in the street.

“Who is it?” Maya playfully asks her dog as she makes her way to the front door.

Through the peephole, she sees Michael's profile as he inspects the porch.

“Hi,” her eyes widen as she opens the door. “Didn't know you were coming.”

“Yeah, I would've called, but I didn't get your number the other day.” But he got her address from Richie's intense questioning when she visited the shop.

“I knocked on two different houses until I got the right one,” he explains as Coco curiously circles around his feet, sniffing his pants, hitting his crotch with her nose in the process.

“No, Coco. Sit. How many times have we talked about no nut-tapping?” Maya glances at her with amusement as the dog sits on her haunches.

“It’s fine,” he snorts. “All dogs do that.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. But she’s not any other dog. I thought I had taught her better. So what brings you here?”

“This.” He offers the paper bag hanging in his hand. “It's just a little house-warming gift.”

“You didn't have to.” As she takes the bag from his hand she ushers him inside before closing the door.

“It's nothing, really.”

He glances around as Maya takes out the box from the bag.

“Wow, a set of knives? That's not nothing.”

“Everyone needs one good set of knives. But you can exchange them for something else if you want.”

“No. I like these. But I gotta warn you that I'm not much of a cook, and I'll probably use the same one for everything.”

“That's fine I can show you sometime though. Is she friendly? ” He points at the dog that keeps staring at him. “Can I pet her?”

“Yeah, she loves everyone. Go ahead.”

Michael cautiously pets the brown coat of her head as her floppy ears lower at the passing of his hand.

“Never pictured you with a pit bull.”

“Me neither. I always thought I'd be a cat lady. But I met her at this adoption drive when she was one, and she stole my heart.”

“I can see why.” Michael crouches down, and pets Coco with both hands. “She's really sweet.”

He lets her lick his chin a couple of times before standing back on his feet. Then they go on a tour around the house.

“It's still a work in progress. I'm thinking of painting a few walls, but we like it so far.”

“Yeah, it has good bones.”

“So you don't have to work today?” Asks Maya.

“No, we've had some trouble with the gas line, and we've been shut down for a couple of days.”

“That sucks. Now where am I going to get my sandwiches and coffee on my way to work?”

“Heard Starbucks is pretty good.”

“Shut up. Don't even joke about that.” She playfully shoves his shoulder as they go back to the living room.

“Are you doing something later?”

She shakes her head. “Why?”

“I don't know, thought you were having a comeback party or something.”

“I don't really have any friends here. And I don't feel like inviting my family yet. As you can see, I still have a lot to unpack.”

“Physically or mentally speaking?”

“Both,” she scoffs.

“Let's do something then? Just you and me. We could grab some pizza, or go out for a drink for old times’ sake?”

“Old times’ sake?” It's amusing, surprising and confusing his sudden interest in her. Maybe he can see how pathetic she thinks she is, and he's taking pity on her. Although, that was never Michael style.

“Yeah, c'mon, Mayhem. You look like you could use some fun.” He picks up a book that's sitting on top from the box opened by the couch that's titled — Dating Again with Courage and Confidence: The Five-Step Plan to Revitalize Your Love Life after Heartbreak, Breakup, or Divorce. “And maybe a rebound or something. You don't need a fucking help book. You only need me to show where to get the best guys, or girls. Whatever you're into.”

“Give me that. I don't need a rebound, a help book, or you for all matter finding me a date.”

“No? Then why do you have that?”

“My friend Paige thought I should give it a try.”

“Maybe she was onto something there.”

“I'm perfectly fine. Just want to finish organizing everything, focus on work and this handful I have right here.” Her hand gestures at Coco. “What are you so interested in my love life anyway? First you try to play matchmaker with Carmy, and now you want me to do what, exactly? Hook up with the first guy I see?”

“No, I'm just asking you to go out and have some fun. I know Carmy was the only friend you had here. And if I was in your shoes, I'd feel pretty lonely.”

“I'm not lonely, Michael. Do I miss my friends in Sacramento? Sure,” she admits. “But I don't wanna force anything. I'm just taking it slow. When the time comes I'll jump right in but for now, this is all I need. Really. Stop pitying me.”

“I'm not pitying you, sweetheart.”

“No? Then what is it? Where is this coming from?”

“I don't know… I've always thought you were the salt of the earth. And though we never really hung out together, I thought you could use… But I can see now that you're different, and that you know what you need right now, so I'll just shut up and back off. Let you do your thing.”

“Thank you. I do know what I'm doing, by the way. You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine. But I appreciate you coming here anyway.”

“Yeah, of course. And I can help you unpack if you need.”

“Hm, if you don't have anything better to do, be my guest. We could grab a pizza later, if the offer still stands. Or just order some food.”

“Sure.”

Michael helps Maya unpack all the boxes and put everything in place in half the time it'd have taken her alone. They order some food for lunch and spend half the day talking and laughing until late in the afternoon when they decide to go out for some drinks to keep the good vibes going.

At the end of the night, she offers to drive Michael back to his apartment as a thank you for inviting her.

“Did you have fun?” Michael asks from the passenger seat as she pulls up in front of his building.

“Yeah, I did. I'm glad I changed my mind.”

“Me too. I didn't know you were this fun. You're nothing like I remember.”

“Yeah, I was kind of weird growing up. You guys probably thought there was something wrong with me. ”

“Nah, don't be so hard on yourself. We were all weird in our own way.”

“Uh-uh. No Michael Berzatto. You were the coolest guy back in the day, and you still are.”

“I don’t know about that,” he scoffs. “For the record… I never thought there was anything wrong with you.”

“You were probably the only one… Anyway, thank you for today. I know I said I didn't need this, but I guess I did.”

“You're welcome, Maybird. I'm glad you’re back.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Thanks for bringing me home,” he softly squeezes her arm before reaching for the handle to open the door.

“No problem.”

“You know you can call me if you ever miss your friends, y’know?” he throws casually.

“I uh…sure. I will.”

“Okay.”

“Okay,” she echoes back as he pulls the handle and the door opens.

“Have a good night, Michael,” she says as he gets one foot on the pavement.

“You, too, sweetheart.”

He closes the door and vaguely waves as she sets the car in motion and watches her drive away.

Chapter 3: Don't cry over spilled milk

In the few weeks he's been spending time with Maya, Michael has found himself enjoying her company more than he'd like to admit. Being with her grounds him. She makes him forget for a little while all that's wrong in his life. She's like a beacon in that immerse darkness that his sorry existence has become. Despite having her own set of problems, he's watched her rise above all that with poise. He wonders what it's her secret to her steadfast determination, even when her own family has disavowed her.

After closing shop, he dives into his stash to tame that brewing headache before driving to Oak Park to pay her a visit. She told him earlier via text that she was at Home Depot buying some paint to update the color of her bedroom and asked him to come over to hang out after work.

For some reason, he couldn't say no. Not even the storm in his head is strong enough to deny her request. He has a pull on him, tugging him hard like a dog tied to a leash in her hand, he can’t help but follow her lead.

When he arrives at her house, she's halfway done. Two of the walls shine bright new in a lavender tone as she starts working on the next one.

After having beer and playing a tug of war game with his new friend, Coco, Michael offers his help to finish painting the walls. He uses a brush to paint the corners, while she gracefully uses a roller like a pro with her denim overalls over a tank top, and her raven hair pulled up in a ponytail sprinkled with lavender paint beads. When she lifts one of her arms, he catches a glimpse of a tattoo on the side of her rib cage, leveled to the roundness of her chest that looks like the outline of a dog paw.

“What are you looking at?” She asks after catching him staring.

“You have paint on your chin.”

“Oh.” She wipes it with the back of her hand, but she just spreads the stain along her jaw. “I made it worse, didn't I?”

“Yeah.”

She shrugs it off and continues with the task ahead until the whole wall is covered.

“Is everything okay, Bear?” Maya puts down the paint roller. “You're quieter than usual.”

“Yeah, everything's alright.” It sounds so honest, he almost believes it. “It's just been a long day.”

“I'm sorry that I put you to work.”

“Don't be. This is relaxing.”

“Yeah?” She takes a step back and surveys how much brighter her bedroom looks already after covering most of the former downcast grey. “Is the color right? Do you think it's too girlish?”

Giving the room a once over he says, “it's a good shade. I dig it. It doesn't matter what I think or if it's too girlish, as long as you like it. Do you like it?”

“Yeah. I do.”

She dips the roller on the tray to cover another section of the wall.

“You never told me what happened at the funeral with your mom,” Michael leans on the stepladder, taking a short break.

“Do you really wanna know?” She glances over her shoulder.

“Yeah. Everyone does. I’ve heard some crazy stories about it. Thought I should get it straight from the source.”

“I never pegged you for a gossip girl.”

“I’m not. I’m just making conversation.”

She mockingly narrows her eyes, drawing a lopsided smirk, “liar.”

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wanna. But yeah, can’t help being a little curious about it.”

“I don’t mind telling you, but it won’t be as entertaining as those crazy stories people have made up.”

“I’m not here for entertainment. I just wanna hear your side of the story, Maybird.”

Maya lets out a heavy sigh and while keeping her focus on the wall she shares with him what really happened. She’s right to say that is not the best story she’s ever told, though when it comes to her mother, all her stories tend to have a surreal element even she can’t fathom sometimes.

That day at the funeral, she was taken outside during the wake by Angela Silva to get scolded about her imminent divorce. It wasn’t finalized by then, and her mom invoked one last Hail Mary to convince her to stay with her husband, who was also currently dating someone else. It was a messy situation that Maya couldn't wait to get out of, and the fact that her mother never offered an ounce of support wasn’t surprising, but still devastating. Somehow, Angela found that the reason for her separation from her husband was that Maya didn’t want to have kids, and that really vexed Angela. All she wanted for her three kids was to follow the same traditional path Angela was forced into, no matter how miserable she was. Her two older sisters followed her mother’s narrowed traditional values. But Maya, ever-the-nonconformist, swore she would never follow anyone’s drum beat but her own. Her husband thought she’d change her mind eventually. He was wrong. She knew that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, which led her here, to this moment.

“Is your mom ever happy?” Michael has always wondered.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happy, except when she’s drunk. That’s why she has to make everyone else miserable.”

“Yeah, but she’s always had a fixation on making you miserable.”

“Like I said, every family needs a black sheep, and I’m it.”

“Is that why you became a vet?”

“Yeah, probably.”

“So, it's true, you don’t wanna have kids? I’m not judging. I’m just curious.”

“I honestly don't know. I just knew that when he told me he wanted to have a baby right away, it didn’t feel right. I said that maybe in six or seven years I’d be okay with it. Told him I wanted to travel and just be us for a while, and he said that was too long to wait. I don’t know… he stopped talking to me, and it was clear that he wasn’t changing his mind, and I wasn’t changing my mind, so. At some point I got tired of trying… He got a girlfriend as soon as I filed for divorce and I got a text from Paige the other day that said he got her already pregnant, like… that was never me. I guess it served me right… I married him on a whim, an impulse without really talking about what we wanted…”

“Hey, don’t feel sorry for yourself. You dodged a bullet there.”

“You really think that?.”

“Yeah, I do. You stood up for yourself and knew when to step back when it didn’t feel right. Not everyone has the balls to do that. Think how miserable you’d be by now if you had tried to please him or your mom. You seem happy now. That's what matters.” He means that with all his heart, and wishes he had the same drive to follow those same steps. As much as he loved the restaurant, he chose to run it to please people within his family. And that love turned into a nightmare he couldn't escape.

“You know… I liked you better when you were quiet,” she quips.

Michael huffs a soft laugh, picking up his brush to resume painting.

When the room is finished, she plugs a couple of fans and closes the door to keep Coco away.

Maya washes her hands and face in the bathroom sink. When she comes out, she catches the motion of Michael's arm as he shoves what looks like a pill into his mouth before taking a gulp of water from one of her glasses.

“What was that? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. It's just a headache,” looking down, he runs a palm over his short growing beard.

“Is it the fumes?”

“No, I had it before coming here.”

“Michael,” she sighs softly at his name. “You should've told me. I wouldn't have let you help if I knew.”

“Would you stop that? I wanted to help.”

“Okay, c'mere. Let's sit down.”

“No, I think I should get going.”

“Nonsense. I'm not going to let you drive until you feel better.”

He yields with a long exhale, and follows Maya into the living room, where her bed is settled askew in the middle of the space.

She takes a seat on the edge of the mattress and waits for him to sit next to her.

“Give me your hand,” she shows her palm up, as his eyes narrow. “C'mon, don't be a baby, give me your hand, Berzatto.”

“When did you become so bossy?” He slowly lifts his hand and as he lays it on top of her palm, his fingers tremble upon contact with her skin. Maya then uses her opposite hand to clip the webbing between his thumb and pointer fingers with her own and begins massaging that spot.

“My friend Sierra is really into acupressure. She says this is a pressure point that helps with headaches.” She explains while slowly increasing the force. “Does it hurt?”

“Not one bit. Is that like acupuncture?” His voice comes as a whisper as he focuses on her diligent fingers.

“Kinda. I think. I’m not really sure.”

“You don't have to fix me, you know?”

“I'm not trying to fix you, Bear. I just wanna make you feel better.”

“Admit it. You just love a good wounded animal.”

She smiles softly, placing his hand down on his knee and picking up the other. “Does it feel any different?”

He’s not really sure, it wasn’t truly a headache that led them to take that pill but the annoying rambling of his thoughts. She shouldn’t have seen that. And he shouldn’t have lied. But having her hands on his like this is straight up lovely. Inside of him, it truly feels like something is broken, wounded, and missing, and this is giving him a sliver of relief as he waits for the pill to kick in. If he was a better man, he’d tell her the truth. But he’s too far gone for saving. All he can do is keep that facade up.

“Does it?” She insists after not getting an answer.

“A little.”

“Do you wanna lay down?”

Swallowing, he responds with a nod, and they both lean back on the mattress at the same time. Looking at the ceiling, she keeps kneading that pressure point, unsure if she’s even doing it right.

They stay in comfortable silence for a good five minutes and when she finally places his hand down, Maya glances to the side and sees that his eyes have closed, and his chest gently rising and falling. She calls his name softly, but she can see that behind the sharp edges of his face and the ever-growing shade of his beard, he’s truly exhausted, so she doesn’t insist. She extends her hand to turn off the lamp, and curls on the other side of the bed without disturbing his sleep.

“Good night,” she says softly and closes her eyes.

From a dusty corner of her mind comes crawling that little forgotten part that used to harbor a lot of feelings for Michael. Though a few weeks ago he seemed practically the same Michael she knew, over the past month she’s keenly noticed little changes here and there. His eyes sometimes cast a dark shade tainted in nothing but sadness, it’s barely noticeable for other people. It comes and goes, but it tells her he’s not truly as happy as he pretends to be.

Michael wakes up disoriented at the crack of dawn.

It takes him a few seconds to remember he’s still in Mayas’ bed in the middle of her living room and that the weight that has his arm pinned is her body pressed against his. She’s warmly snuggled on his side, with her arms tucked between his chest and hers, and a peaceful expression on her beautiful face. She’s so awfully close, he can smell the scent of her hair, and feel the heat of her breath every time she exhales.

It's such an odd moment for him to have her that close. He's unsure of whether it would be better to slip out of bed unnoticed before she wakes up, or just stay there and watch her sleep for a bit longer. Either option would make him look like a creep, he thinks. So he opts to gently wake her up. His free hand reaches to his forehead to move a stand of hair away. Her brow scrunches as his light-feather touch grazes her skin. His lips curve up as he traces the shell of her ear to see her stir awake. She blinks slowly a couple of times until her focus shifts onto him.

“Hey, Maybird.”

“Hey.” Her lips move, it's barely audible.

“Sorry, I fell asleep.” His fingers absentmindedly massage her earlobe.

She's so stunned by waking up to that level of intimacy, she simply nods, as her mouth softly draws a smile.

“It's fine. Does your head feel better?”

“Much better. That pressure thing really worked.”

“I'm glad.”

“Listen, I gotta go open. Maybe we could do something later?”

“Okay,” she swallows nervously, hoping that waking up with him like this isn't just a dream. “Can you do me a favor first?”

“Sure.”

“Can you stay five more minutes?”

“I uh… I think I can,” against his better judgment, he decides he can stay for a few minutes more holding her.

The way her lips pull up timidly at the corners, revealing the dimples framing her mouth, completely disarms him. He’s always felt a certain affinity towards her, but being this close to her awakes a longing within that feels dangerous. He can’t bring someone new into his life. Not while everything around him is falling apart. It’s already hard enough having to pretend around other people.

He couldn’t do that to her. He won’t.

Michael will have to fight harder because when her arm tucks around his waist he can’t help but press his lips against her forehead.

Chapter 4: Hard nut to crack

Four months later…

After that initial moment of weakness when he fell asleep on her bed, he fought hard to elude that odd longing that has only grown into a big mass of love toward Maya. To anyone else in the world, a feeling as big as that would be a blessing, especially when it's reciprocated. To Michael, it's a weakness he can't afford right now.

Spending all that time with Maya has been like discovering a whole new planet Michael never thought existed. She's all vast, uncharted territory that fazes him more than it should. Despite his best efforts, he’s fallen into her alluring orbit and can’t find the way out into his own universe.

Far gone is that moody teenager that would mumble a few words here and there. And now there's this tragically stunning woman that looks you directly in the eye, says anything that crosses her mind, and laughs without a care in the world.

Though falling in love with her wouldn’t be completely wrong, it's not quite right either. It fills him with guilt to think about her in that manner. Moreover, it feels like a betrayal to Carmy, who’s far away in a different continent, prospering in his craft.

Michael tries to fool himself into believing that this is just temporary infatuation. He’s even attempted several times to convince her to get in touch with Carmy but hasn’t succeeded. It’d be easier for him if she were to put her focus on someone else instead of him. He has nothing to offer to her and has deemed himself unworthy of her, or anyone for that matter. If she only knew what’s really going on with him, she wouldn’t want Michael nearly as she believes she does.

Layer by layer, she’s tearing all his walls and defenses down. And after all the back and forth, he's absolutely sure she wants more than he can offer her. She’s been giving him the right signals. She doesn't shy away from it. Maya is direct and impulsive, and everything about her is fascinating and intimidating.

It’s time to either cut her loose, or accept that he’s madly in love with her and do something about it.

Amidst coming to terms with a final decision, he's lured into a surprise party she's organized for his birthday.

Michael is left speechless by her determination. And a little annoyed too for reasons he can't explain. To be honest, he’s never been a fan of surprise parties, but the main problem is that this would make things much harder for him to let her down easily. She’s carved herself into his life and the longer he drags this out, the worse this is going to hurt.

He’s aware that it’s selfish and obtuse of him for being that ungrateful that someone who cares that profoundly about him, that they would go all out to prove that. He feels like an asshole, but the train has already left the station.

Using the same tiring self-defense mechanism, he draws his best smile and brings out the Michael everyone seems to love. Not without help. There's always that crutch tucked in his wallet in the form of a pill. Being high numbs him enough to deal with the situation.

The cherry on top comes at the end of the night, when he walks her up to her car and asks if he's had a good time. He lies through his teeth and for the first time, he can tell Maya is not buying it. Perhaps she never did, but he's well-versed on her tells by now, and he can clearly see she's fed up with all the bullshit that comes out of his mouth.

“Look, it's not that I didn't like the party. It's just that I hate surprises, and I was exhausted today. But it was a nice thought, sweetheart. I just… I wasn't in the right mood.” It's seemingly convincing the second time around, but her face shows nothing but regret. “I love the jacket you bought me, though.”

Michael has never been interested in fashion, but he's always loved vintage jackets, and the one she picked it's a perfect addition to his collection. It's a bomber jacket, aviator style, in brown leather with a couple of patches and fur collar.

As they reach Maya's car, they come to a stop. She turns to him, “I know I can be a little too much sometimes. But I promise no more surprises from now on.”

“You and I both know, you won’t be able to keep that promise even if your life depended on it. That's part of what makes you– you, sweetheart. Don’t let my bad mood ruin that.”

“I’ll try.”

After a beat, without hesitation she leans in to leave a goodnight kiss on his bearded cheek and on a whim, she decides to press a second one on his lips.

It takes him completely aback. He wants to dive so badly into her mouth, but he freezes on the spot. And when Maya attempts to deepen the kiss, he finally reacts by placing a placating hand on her shoulder as he pulls his head back.

“I'm… I'm sorry we can't do this, Maya.”

“Wait, I thought… Did I misread something?”

“No, you didn’t misread anything. I just can’t do this.”

“Why?”

“I can't.”

“You can't or don’t want to?”

“Guess I don’t want to.”

“Can you at least tell me why? Did I do something wrong?”

“You did nothing wrong, sweetheart.” He wants to spill out the old – it's not you, it's me – excuse, but he refrains. Every thought and action go against every good instinct he's ever had. He hates himself for making her feel insecure. And yet, he can't backtrack now.

“Stop calling me sweetheart. You see how misleading that is?”

“Sorry. I think I gave you the wrong impression.”

Her eyes narrow, and he can see the gears turning for a long moment before opening her mouth.

“I don't think you gave me the wrong impression, Michael. I think you're too chickenshit to admit that there's something between us and, for whatever reason, you're just taking the coward's way out. You've been weird the whole night, especially with me. I just threw a party just for you, the least you can do is tell me why.”

“I didn't ask you to do that. And I don't owe telling you shit! I was trying to let you go easy, but nothing is ever easy with you. So I'll just say it. This, you and me, is never going to happen.”

It sounds ridiculous as it comes out of his mouth, but he stands firm on that statement as her heart breaks in front of him.

In the end, it'd be better for her, he believes.

#michael berzatto x ofc #michael berzatto #the bear #the bear fanfiction #jon bernthal fanfiction #jon bernthal #original character #michael berzatto x reader #angst #fluff #darlingwrites #sorry i used the reader tag #it's the only way to get my fic seen #salt of the earth

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destinysbounty · 2 years

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We as a fandom do not talk about this scene nearly as much as we should

Like, I had already headcanoned that Nya's independent personality was a result of her upbringing, but the fact that this scene officially confirms it is just *chefs kiss*.

What I find so interesting about Kai and Nya is that their childhood trauma has very clearly effected personalities and overall characterizations. Both of them have lone wolf tendencies (albeit more so in earlier seasons), often tending to go their own way and handle their problems on their own instead of relying on the team. They both have anger issues and short tempers, struggling to process their emotions in a healthy way. And neither of them are comfortable with weakness and vulnerability, and tend to lash out when they feel cornered.

There's also the fact that, due to growing up as two kids forced to raise themselves and learn survive with limited assistance from their community, both of them are understandably afraid of feeling weak and vulnerable. What I find to be perhaps the most interesting part of all this is that despite sharing a similar fear, both of them have vastly different coping mechanisms for dealing with it.

For Kai, his fear of powerlessness manifests in a desire for more power - a desire to be the green ninja, a desire to protect his friends, a desire to be strong and heroic, and of course a difficulty with accepting the situation when he loses his powers. He has pretty seamlessly integrated his power into his persona as well, frequently referencing his abilities and praising his status as the master of fire arguably more so than any other character. He's quickly turned his power into a huge part of his identity. Every time he loses his powers, he tends to go into a bit of a depressive episode - in season 5 he developed a fear of water, and in season 11 he became so upset that he nearly quit being a ninja altogether. When he failed to save the Never Realm villagers from Boreal, he blamed himself for it by lamenting that he wasn't powerful enough to save them.

You get the idea. Point is, Kai doesn't like feeling weak, he doesn't like vulnerability, he doesn't like being the weak link or a liability holding everyone back. Personally, I would point to that insecurity as being the primary driving force for his determination to become the green ninja, but that's definitely up for debate.

And as for Nya, this fear has manifested as her being a fiercely independent perfectionist, equating mistakes and failure with weakness, and fearing failure to such an extreme extent that she either gives up anything she's not immediately good at, or completely ignores her problems and pretends everything is fine. Like in season 5 when Wu was training her to become the master of water. "I'm not weak, this bucket is weak! I'm good at everything else, why do I have to be good at filling buckets?!" Or her struggles to get along with her mother all throughout Seabound, knowing full well that she can't blame her mom for leaving but still not quite ready to have her mom in her life again. She also isn't good at asking for help either, often preferring to handle things on her own even at her own detriment, and often she has a hard time admitting when she's wrong as well.

Whenever traumatic things happen, she just steamrolls right past it, refusing to acknowledge her own grief for very long. At Zane's funeral the first thing she said was, "So...what happens after this?" In the face of Maya's repeated attempts to reconnect and talk about Nya's childhood trauma, Nya would often shrug her off or storm away or change the subject.

Maya tried to explain her reasons once - tried to explain that sacrificing yourself comes with immense collateral damage, often hurting the same people you're trying to protect, and says "That's just the way the cookie crumbles." But Nya can't bring herself to address what Maya is really getting at, instead swimming away and saying "I don't like crumbly cookies."

That's why her final words are so important to me. "Tell my mother I understand now. That's the way the cookie crumbles." Nya has finally come to terms with and accepted her mother's decision, accepted that not all solutions have perfect answers, and has finally confronted her own baggage once and for all. She understands why her mother left, she forgives her, and above all she, the team perfectionist, is making a decision that isn't perfect. A decision that will leave a lot of collateral damage, and will cause serious trauma to her loved ones. She knows that by leaving her friends behind and becoming one with the sea, she's hurting them the same way her mother's absence hurt her - but she does it anyway because it's the only way to save their lives.

And as she looks back to say goodbye to Jay one last time, she cries. She mouths the words "I love you" - something she'd never said out loud before. She lets herself be truly raw and vulnerable. Even during her death in Skybound, she was still trying to keep her up her strong and defensive facade, saying things like "I never wanted to be part of your boys' club anyway". Even on her deathbed, in that moment she can't bring herself to let down her walls all the way. But here, several seasons later, she has finally let herself be vulnerable enough to cry, to say goodbye, to say "I love you."

Nya may not be my favorite ninja, but she does have my favorite character arc. Her going from samurai to ninja was a controversial decision, but I really do think it was a good choice in the long run because it almost feels like it's symbolizing her growth - going from a lone wolf who insists on doing things by herself, to being part of a team and relying on her friends just as much as they rely on her.

Just...I love Nya so much. She needs a hug.

#ninjago #nya smith #nya ninjago #ninjago nya #ninjago seabound #kai smith #kai ninjago #ninjago kai #ns14 #ns15 #long post #destiny post

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mayasdeluca · 2 months

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Station 19 7x02 Thoughts

This episode was...something. There was SO much going on which we kind of figured by all the stills, synopsis, promo, etc. There was way too much time spent on two parts that I really had no interest in (Beckett's family funeral and the Theo/Ben call) and also Kate's just entire existence (can she leave already??)

It's frustrating that someone like Beckett can get an episode with extended family in a plot yet we've been waiting 4+ seasons to get any kind of backstory/storyline for Carina. But now...she's getting sued?! This intrigues me. I was wondering what the connection to that woman was and thought at first we weren't going to even found out but I'm thinking she's blaming Carina for whatever kind of health issues her daughter is having and that also ties into Danielle saying we're going to get more badass Carina this season. I can't wait for this and I'm so glad Carina is finally getting her own storyline!

I loved seeing Maya and Carina working together and sending each other flirty looks (as they always do so well). The look Carina gave Maya when she said "That's what I said." after the woman said she wasn't going to ever have kids was 😍 and it was just great seeing them in that element. Seeing Carina worry about how it would affect them with Liam and Maya calming her down was also so cute ❤️

Truly cannot believe that Tremmett got the sex scene again??? Like really?? They made Travis a cheater for a second time and we have still yet to get a real proper Marina kiss in the 10 pm time slot but I have to see these two raw dogging it two episodes in a row?? I truly hope our time is coming.

I'm not gonna lie the end of the episode really got me emotional and I say that as someone who has had my issues with Jack for a long time now. The parallel to the scene on the truck in Season 2 was just perfect and I love how they did it and to see Carina holding Liam there watching them as they all cuddled together. That was a really great ending scene and I really enjoyed it. ❤️

Very curious to see how next week ends up but now it makes even more sense why Carina goes to Bailey for support. We'll see who Maya ends up encountering at the parade but between Carina getting sued, starting the fostering/eventual adoption process with Liam, starting the IVF process, getting a new home....Marina certainly have their hands full this season! Can't wait to see how they handle it all.

#station 19 #station 19 spoilers #carina x maya #carina deluca #maya bishop

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metabolizemotions · 15 days

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They only fetishize queer people. Especially our pain. We are not real, entire human beings to them. The celebrate the straight couples - their relationship, intimacy n all; fetishize the bodies of queer men; n fetishize the idea of queer women.

The extent to which they tolerate our sexuality is the short snippets in promo clips. They only want to exploit our online engagement. Ironically our viewership might be bringing in the ad buyers who r trying to erase us.

They try to erase the specificity of the "queer" part, but only use the pain, the convenient stereotypes, the virtue-signaling part to gain brownie points n for good drama. They joke about cultural appropriation n did exactly that during the pride episode with the straight couple's proposal. Same-sex marriage. What are you talking about? It's about queer hate n straight allyship.

They capitalize on the "women" part, to further fetishize our biology. So if it's 2 women in a relationship - it's double the drama about making babies, bad genes, n jokes about hormones n our body parts. But it's 2 women, how can they possibly manage w/o "big, strong, sensitive", straight men with good genes to contribute n overflowing empathy to deal with them being emotional n hormonal?

It's 5b, it's pride, it's the burning man all over again. First they elevate Jack, now Beckett. Pride was about cheating queer men n high queer woman. An intimate scene of Marina must be minimized n hidden among the others' or edited to death in a montage. It's as scary as a man burning to death.

The fact that they haven't even shared a proper kiss this season through any joyful or emotional moment... They just come up with more ways to obscure the kiss, if any. Bad lighting, bad angles n bad editing are prerequisites. They r also written into the script.

Of course they make an important life decision in the NICU, n it's completely inappropriate for a married w|w to share a quick kiss - which we saw via the back of their heads. Unlike a gay man having sex with an ex at the funeral of the ex's dad - while cheating on his partner - twice. Perfectly lit with no obstructions of course.

Even in their ugly kitchen they're assigned, with a perfectly good scene setup, nope. Too brightly lit for queer woman - save it for a long morning kiss b/w gay men in their nice kitchen.

Emotional scene about Carina's fertility issues and reciprocal IVF - okay a kiss allowed grudgingly - but just 0.5 sec. Their lips touched. You get the idea. Why are you fans so demanding? Time is reserved for the 101th proposal of the straight couple n their extended kisses. A proper Marina love scene? You perverts. More explicit sex scenes b/w straight couples are needed.

I don't want to rehash about Jack. I've said plenty about Beckett. Just that men's mistakes are dismissed and minimized. It is not enough to show every painful step of Maya apologizing and making amends. Maya and Carina must also be used to make the audience sympathize with Jack and Beckett. It is a deliberate yet thoughtless choice to use Carina's SA trauma to sympathize with Jack. Just as it is to use Maya's family trauma to sympathize with Beckett. Esp the context of the shot. It is esp violating. They might as well just get Jack to show up for this. They never really got it, did they?

However one chooses to justify these choices, it's not only unnec but wrong to include the men. Esp not Beckett - the man who bullied her for months till her breakdown. Even if he never apologized and they insist on using Maya's pain to make him look good in his redemption arc, idc at this point, but this is just not the time.

If it must be a man, get Travis. Make it a conversation b/w queer people, about queer hate, about their families. Travis sympathizing with Maya, about a journey he wouldn't know about. Way better than jokes on hormones with the guys. A cheap way to get a laugh at an arduous process. I thought we left 5b n mocking queer women behind.

It could have been one beautiful scene with Andy and Vic. They haven't had a proper one since s1 & 2. They would have understood about Mason, if not for their long friendship, there's 703. It could have been about the pain women go thru - Andy and Vic about their abortions or Maya about experiencing what Carina underwent... The show really isn't big on female camaraderie.

But it should really be Carina. Among all the scenes of Carina in the station bathroom - which have been a lot - this is probably the most appropriate if they must set it there. Definitely more so that her own insemination, which was ridiculous.

These are moments that they should only share with each other, privately n intimately. These precious moments that are dwindling - few n short to begin with. It's not irl, it's one scene in an ensemble show. They sure could have romanticized this. It doesn't even have to be half as dramatic as a regular scene of their golden couple. D & S will create magic.

Esp in this episode, there's so much to unpack. With everything they've been thru on their own, the ending could have been about them at home, checking in n sharing their day. Talking about the lawsuit, the hate on queers, their brothers, the boundaries they had to set with their families... Doing the trigger shot together - esp after their emotional scene in 705 n to cap off the morning scene. A perfect setup for their emotional n physical intimacy.

But of course it didn't happen. Other important moments in their lives about their new home n new baby were also short parts of wordless montages. They are even less important than scenes of the others having drinks n sex.

Queer women just don't matter.

#sorry if i sound too negative or snarky #i'm quite done being diplomatic #i try not to rant cos usually i start it gets long #i'm just really tired #with the string of cancellations #n this last season #n this is what we're getting #this is not about my hate #it's about their hate of us #I really tried to be positive n happy about the show in general #n the good scenes the other characters get #believing marina will get their turn #but the bias against queer women is just so blatant #we're only asking to be treated fairly #i'm too tired to try to rationalize n defend their choices anymore #even with paige - travis's sl is filled with neg stereotypes #if they had a queer woman as showrunner this season #maybe it'll be slightly better #maybe she can insist that the nuances matter #but i think there's sth else happening bts #how is 10pm slot worse than 8pm...#not on twitter #but if there's backlash #marina fans will be blamed #we should be grateful for whatever?#station 19 comments #station 19

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duckprintspress · 1 month

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6 Queer Books for Autism Acceptance Month!

April is Autism Acceptance Month, so the group of folks at Duck Prints Press who suggest titles for these rec lists dug into personal favorite queer reads to find these six titles that include queer characters who are explicitly or implied to be autistic. Our picks are:

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers—despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.

Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.

Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.

May the Best Man Win by Z. R. Ellor

Jeremy Harkiss, cheer captain and student body president, won’t let coming out as a transgender boy ruin his senior year. Instead of bowing to the bigots and outdate school administration, Jeremy decides to make some noise–and how better than by challenging his all-star ex-boyfriend, Lukas for the title of Homecoming King?

Lukas Rivers, football star and head of the Homecoming Committee, is just trying to find order in his life after his older brother’s funeral and the loss long-term girlfriend–who turned out to be a boy. But when Jeremy threatens to break his heart and steal his crown, Lukas kick starts a plot to sabotage Jeremy’s campaign.

When both boys take their rivalry too far, the dance is on the verge of being canceled. To save Homecoming, they’ll have to face the hurt they’re both hiding–and the lingering butterflies they can’t deny.

Hell Follows With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with.

But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all.

Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own.

The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor

Sam Sylvester’s not overly optimistic about their recent move to the small town of Astoria, Oregon after a traumatic experience in their last home in the rural Midwest.

Yet Sam’s life seems to be on the upswing after meeting several new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, the pretty neighbor. However, Sam can’t seem to let go of what might have been, and is drawn to investigate the death of a teenage boy in 1980s Astoria. Sam’s convinced he was murdered–especially since Sam’s investigation seems to resurrect some ghosts in the town.

Threatening notes and figures hidden in shadows begin to disrupt Sam’s life. Yet Sam continues to search for the truth. When Sam discovers that they may be closer to a killer than previously known, Sam has a difficult decision to make. Would they risk their new life for a half-lived one?

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

Wei Wuxian was once one of the most outstanding men of his generation, a talented and clever young cultivator who harnessed martial arts, knowledge, and spirituality into powerful abilities. But when the horrors of war led him to seek a new power through demonic cultivation, the world’s respect for his skills turned to fear, and his eventual death was celebrated throughout the land.

Years later, he awakens in the body of an aggrieved young man who sacrifices his soul so that Wei Wuxian can exact revenge on his behalf. Though granted a second life, Wei Wuxian is not free from his first, nor the mysteries that appear before him now. Yet this time, he’ll face it all with the righteous and esteemed Lan Wangji at his side, another powerful cultivator whose unwavering dedication and shared memories of their past will help shine a light on the dark truths that surround them.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Aster has little to offer folks in the way of rebuttal when they call her ogre and freak. She’s used to the names; she only wishes there was more truth to them. If she were truly a monster, she’d be powerful enough to tear down the walls around her until nothing remains of her world.

Aster lives in the lowdeck slums of the HSS Matilda, a space vessel organised much like the antebellum South. For generations, Matilda has ferried the last of humanity to a mythical Promised Land. On its way, the ship’s leaders have imposed harsh moral restrictions and deep indignities on dark-skinned sharecroppers like Aster. Embroiled in a grudge with a brutal overseer, Aster learns there may be a way to improve her lot – if she’s willing to sow the seeds of civil war.

What are your favorite queer books with Autistic rep? We’d love to hear about them!

You can access this list as a bookshelf on Goodreads!

Did you know? Duck Prints Press has an affiliate shop on Bookshop.org – and you can access all our rec lists (including this one!) there to facilitate purchasing the books. If you buy with us as your affiliate book store, authors get royalties, Bookshop.org gets a cut, and we get a small percent of the purchase price too – everyone wins!

#duck prints press #autism acceptance month #queer books #book recs #book recommendations #rec list

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shuobox · 7 months

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Heyyyyy *twirls my hair as i make your happy canon life doomed by my narrative *

God. Rewrite aiden in my au. Where do i start w him

In my little rewrite version, he's like. His entire life is doomed from the start. Grew up with a neglectful and pushy family where he felt constantly scared and weak in, making him seek control in other parts of his life (why he's so aggressive and rude, later becoming outright violent)

During sky city, it's Lukas who's fighting against him on the bridge, and after a struggle and Aiden's whole shpeel about Lukas abandoning them (aiden, maya, gill) like nothing for the new order of the stone

Anyway . Copper golems (that belong to the founder) appear and latch onto the guy's legs, and yk the storm during that bridge scene? Yeah. The dude gets struck by lightning with the force of five dying neuron stars and then just... wobbles back and forth.... before the copper golems let go, and he falls off the side into the water

While the blazerods are stuck in Sky City as it is being rebuilt on the ground they find an opportunity to break out and they book it to the portal, get lost for a little bit in the Atlas (remade portal hallway. Imagine those images of like, illusion staircases where gravity is weird. And theres stairs and halls full of portals wherever you look. Like that.) And they pass into like the worst possible place ever that is just CRAWLING with illagers

They get trapped, thrown in jail, tortured a wee bit before maya and gill are taken dor experimentation and Aiden was supposed to be the next (his arms were already cut off, and he saw what became of maya and gill after they got experimented on) but two new arrivals were found so they decided to stop temporarily

I AM NNNOT going to continue the story from there . Because it includes another character and an oc i want to like. Build up towards

In any case, skipping ahead like a few pages when aiden manages to get out and is now travelling with 2 people (one of which is more than happy to use him as bait or a human shield), guy really just wants his arms back and feels stupid and scared without. Arms. Hes losing hope UNTIL they get to a certain dimension with a city full of these advanced redstone-loving folk

In aiden's endless luck they get into the equivalent of the black market and they find people willing to give aiden new limbs for free IF he agrees to the terms and conditions

... the terms and conditions were "we can freely experiment on ur ass for as long as we want :3" and thats. Yeah thats what the tinkerers did. They were super proud of themselves and even slapped on their logo on him

Aiden is completely useless at walking and using his mech spider legs for a long while till he eventually manages to grasp it enough to keep going. Hallelujah !! He eventually gets time to process everything that happens to him lol (he feels miserable for a while)

Other hcs down here vv

- enjoy embroidery. He's kind of shabby at it, but it takes his mind off of things. He also writes small anthology stories in a wee stolen journal he makes up when his mind drifts

- The jacket he's wearing is stolen, lmao

- when his jaw was ripped out and replaced, so was his teeth; they make a loud clank noise if he snaps his teeth. Like a beartrap!! Also a strong bite strength

- i like to think he made a small makeshift funeral for maya and gill despite having nothing of them. It helped him cope a lil

- is surprisingly kinder to kids who aren't like, loud, or overly annoying.

- misses having hands sometimes (misses being able to hold pencils normally, or feeling the fur of animals, or warmth and cold, or holding things, etc etc...)

- Loves fighting without a weapon in stupid amounts. He'll scrap w a skeleton for fun, and it's even easier with his edward scissorhands ass implants. The reason his jacket has that fire charge burn is because he got distracted with "playing" w a ghast

- in a similar fashion, likes play-fighting (i say play-fighting, but i mean like, full-on blood and bruises but without ill intent when i say fighting)

His fav mobs are creepers. Has attempted to get close to one before. In addition, really likes the nether as well.

- Given he can't yell as much anymore (though he will still be the loudest man on earth if something scares him) (think incyn from neocranium streams), he's overly condescening and sarcastic instead.

- His right pupil is all janked up because his face got slashed; the reason why was because he was trying to fight off the illagers that were taking Maya + Gill. Still believes he could've tried harder.

- occasionally loses sleep either because of adrenaline, stress, nightmares, or just because of his already abysmal sleep schedule.

^ not a morning person.

- is, in fact, still super competitive and will brag about any victory ever. Still learning not be a sore loser (its a work in progress, but its there)

- has dark humour in the sense he'll try and joke about things in the worst moments, also a bit grim or rude in the same way. He'll laugh about stupid shit in general, though.

^ when he laughs loud enough and for too long, steam will also come out his jaw vents/mouth (not to the same amount if he was to scream and overload his throat implant, its lighter and not as obtrusive)

- has a really good knack for stealing things and negotiating with traders. He likes doing it, too. He feels awfully proud of himself when he manages to pull it off.

- His little antenna thing at the side of his head emotes (whirrs up and down or twists slightly from side to side. Think warrior cat fanart or something.)

- can come off as rude (and he is, dont get me wrong), but sometimes it is just genuinely being blunt or like, brutally honest with his thoughts. He doesn't even do it intentionally, it just becomes a reflex lmfao

- Will ramble on about the history and art and process regarding architecture if he can. He'll get embarrassed about going off on a tangent for so long and will shut up but like a couple months later he will absolutely start up again

- likes using his mech spider legs to skewer zombies. Morbid stress relief, but it's still mildly satisfying to him.

- has a really bad fear of storms after the whole sky city thing; it makes him have what is essentially flashbacks to everything to the bridge fight and after it (aka, deaths of his previously closest friends). Feels similarly to copper golems and will like, discreetly knock them over or push them away using his mech-spider legs

- wont admit it for the life of him but actually really enjoys feeding birds. Wont say it because he feels like thats something people over the age of 60 do when they're having a late-life crisis.

- easy to annoy thanks to his temper

(Next design will be of a certain .,.. pumpkin-related lady ....)

#mcsm #minecraft #minecraft: story mode #mc:sm #MC:SM #MCSM #mcsm aiden #aiden mcsm #MCSM Aiden #Aiden MCSM #mcsm aiden redesign #mcsm redesign #MCSM redesign

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foundtherightwords · 5 months

Text

Signal Fire - Chapter 2

Summary: Two years after Corroded Coffin finally made it big, Eddie learns that Chrissy's mother has passed away. He returns to Hawkins in the hope of reuniting with her, but would Chrissy be able to overcome her fears and allow herself some happiness at last?

Warnings: angst, implied/mentions of abuse, homophobia, and drug use, some smut

Chapter word count: 3.2k

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

After she had assured Jason that she was fine and thanked him for his help, after Jason had left with his wife and she was alone in the house, which had once seemed so suffocating when her mother had been alive and was now so lonely and echoing, Chrissy finally allowed herself to break down. She'd hurt Eddie, she knew. In the past two years, she had tried so hard to suppress all thoughts of him, to not rely on his memories to get through some of her darkest times, because she was afraid, afraid that in a moment of weakness, she would call him and he would drop everything to rush back to her, and it would become a habit and send them both down a spiral of co-dependency.

So when he showed up at her door so unexpectedly, the way she practically collapsed into his arms, and the passion with which they ravished each other had scared her so much, that she had to push him away again.

But he'd hurt her too. How dare he insinuate that she and Jason... How ridiculous men are! She found it both laughable and oddly sweet that Eddie could be jealous of Jason still. She was tempted to call Eddie now, to clear the air and ask if they could talk later, when both of them were calmer and their emotions weren't so raw, but she decided to wait. She wasn't sure if it was a childish decision, made to punish Eddie for saying those hurtful things to her, or if it was a mature one, as she wanted to talk the whole thing over with her therapist first.

Her mother hadn't believed in therapy. In her senior year, when Chrissy had let it slip that she'd been talking to Miss Kelley, the school's guidance counselor, about her struggles at home and at school, her mother had screamed at Chrissy about "airing her dirty laundry to a stranger". Afterward, Chrissy had stopped going to her appointments with Miss Kelley. Instead, she'd sought out Eddie for some weeds and something stronger, wanting to drown her anxiety in the peaceful bliss of the drugs. Only she'd found a different kind of peace instead. It was strange to think that if it hadn't been for her mother, perhaps Chrissy would have never given Eddie another thought.

After the second stroke had bound her mother to a wheelchair and bound Chrissy to her, after Eddie had left for LA, Chrissy had started seeing a therapist in Bloomington, almost out of defiance to her mother more than a real desire to deal with her issues. It also helped that Dr. Hall did not look at all like Mrs. Cunningham's notion of a therapist. With steel-gray hair covered in a turban and costume jewelry that clinked and clanked every time she moved, she looked more like a poet, like Maya Angelou or Sonia Sanchez, and if nothing else, at least Chrissy found her presence soothing.

They talked a bit about her mother first.

"I miss her," Chrissy said. "This morning I woke up and half expected to hear her calling for me. Is that weird?"

"No, not at all." Dr. Hall shook her head, causing her earrings to jingle. "It's complex, the way we feel about our parents. The important thing is that you recognize these feelings and let yourself process them at your own pace."

"Also..." Chrissy twisted the strap of her purse. "I kind of—slept with my ex. After the funeral."

Dr. Hall's eyebrows went up a fraction. "This would be the ex whom you broke up with to stay with your mother, wouldn't it?"

Chrissy nodded, aware that her face was burning up.

"And how did you feel about that?"

"Confused. Guilty."

"Guilty because of your mother? Because she just passed and you feel you're not mourning her enough?"

"It's not just that. You remember how I told you he had to move away for his job, and I didn't want to go with him? I still don't."

"Why not?"

"I have a job that I like here, I have my students, friends—well, co-workers. If I follow him, I'll have only him. And his job is very demanding. It won't be healthy."

"That's a good start. You have a pretty clear idea of your issues."

Chrissy let out a hollow laugh. "Yeah. Too clear."

"So you felt guilty for leading him on?"

"I think so. I mean, I didn't plan on sleeping with him. I was just sad and scared and he was... available." But even as she said this, Chrissy knew it wasn't entirely true. If it had been any of her exes standing at her door that day, she wouldn't have acted the same.

Dr. Hall fixed the bracelets that had become tangled on her wrist. "I'm not a couples' therapist, Chrissy. We're here to work on you. But if you want to make this relationship work, we could add that to your list of goals as well."

Was that what she wanted? Chrissy recalled not just how safe she'd felt in Eddie's arms, but also how empty the past two years had been and the blaze of happiness she'd felt when she opened the door and saw him.

"You want to know what else I felt after I slept with him?" she said. "I was elated." This was true. She couldn't stop thinking of the way Eddie had felt underneath and inside her, the way his hands had gripped at her, the way his mouth had moved over hers. The memory both mortified and thrilled her, but the thrill was stronger. The thrill of being with him again. The thrill of knowing he still wanted her, still loved her. "But how do I know if it's what I really want and I'm not just clinging to him because I'm lonely?"

"Aren't we all just looking for someone we can turn to when we're lonely? It's not a weakness. We need to get you to a place where you feel confident enough in yourself to be vulnerable again." Dr. Hall smiled as Chrissy stared at her. "I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but that's what it takes."

***

Dr. Hall's words were still ringing in Chrissy's ears as she drove home. Confident enough to be vulnerable. Was that where she had been going wrong all this time? She'd tried so hard to stay strong all these years; she never thought being vulnerable was the end goal. Vulnerable enough to properly mourn her mother, vulnerable enough to let Eddie in, to let him take care of her like he'd asked.

The sign of Roane Hill Cemetery coming up made her pause. Well, if she wanted to change, then there was no time like the present.

She bought some flowers from a convenience store along the way. She didn't check to see if they were fresh or not. She drove into the cemetery, found the Cunningham family plot, and placed the flowers on her mother's grave. There were still flowers left from the funeral, so she put her own bouquet on the side. On second thought, she placed some on her father's grave as well.

She stood there for a long time. All the things she wanted to say, all the things she wished she could have said to her mother, were darting through her mind like a murmuration of starlings, their shapes always changing before she could get a firm grasp of them. All she knew was this—her parents had never realized their mistakes. Her dad had turned a blind eye and buried his head in the sand up until the moment of his heart attack. Her mom... well, even when she was alone and dying, she had remained bitter and desperate to maintain a "perfect" façade. And all for what? They had both died miserable and lonely.

Now, standing at their graves, Chrissy was determined not to suffer the same fate.

"Goodbye, Mom and Dad," eventually she said, turned on her heels, and left.

***

Her next stop was Wayne's apartment.

When Corroded Coffin first got signed to Metal Blade, Eddie had wanted to put his advance toward a down payment for a house, or to bring Wayne to LA, but Wayne had refused both. A house would be too big for him, and he had lived his whole life in Hawkins and never wanted to go anywhere else. But he'd conceded to moving out of the trailer park and into a nice apartment. When she found out, Chrissy had been happy for both uncle and nephew—she knew one of Eddie's biggest regrets was not being able to take care of Wayne in his old age, and she was glad Eddie had managed to do so at last.

The only time she allowed herself to think of Eddie was when she brought Wayne his Sunday lunch, or, if she couldn't make it, a pie or some dessert for his dinner. Wayne would have a beer open for her and share with her the latest Corroded Coffin news, or he would tell her stories of when Eddie was a kid. For all his pride in his nephew, Chrissy knew that the old man was lonely and missed having Eddie around. They had that in common.

That day, though, she had no time for chitchat or even polite greetings.

"Is Eddie here?" she asked as soon as Wayne opened the door. "Can I talk to him?"

Wayne's face fell. "Oh, honey," he said ruefully. "He just left for the airport."

Chrissy's stomach dropped. "But I thought he wasn't leaving until Sunday?"

"Change of plans, he said."

The only change was that he thought she wanted nothing to do with him. Chrissy pulled out her phone and dialed Eddie's number, which she hadn't been able to bring herself to delete or block. It went straight to voicemail.

"Is he going back on tour?"

"Yeah," Wayne nodded. "Europe. For three months."

Europe! That's practically half the world away! And she couldn't wait that long. She had to talk to him now.

"When did he leave?"

"About an hour ago," Wayne said, surprised at her panic mode.

It took an hour and a half to get to Indianapolis. She may still catch him at the airport, if she hurried. Chrissy ran to her car without even saying goodbye, leaving Wayne staring after her in confusion.

As her car tore down the highway, she called Eddie again. Still voicemail. She left a message this time, asking him to call her back.

A flashing on the meter caught her eyes, and her stomach dropped once more. It was her gas light. No way she'd make it to Indianapolis. She wasn't even sure she could make it to the nearest gas station, which was fifteen miles away, according to a sign.

Suddenly, the rush she'd felt after leaving the cemetery vanished, and she realized how foolish and senseless this was. Even if she could get to the airport, she may still miss Eddie. And if she managed to find him, what then? What would she say? She had been so focused on seeing him again that she hadn't even thought about what she was going to say. Besides, he was going to Europe for three months; he couldn't exactly drop out of that to come back to her. Not that she even wanted him to. So why was she in such a rush? She'd left him a message. He would be sure to get it as soon as he landed. They could talk then. It didn't have to be face-to-face. Talking on the phone wasn't exactly her idea of a romantic reunion, but they had a lot to discuss, and none of it could be resolved immediately anyway. This mad dash to stop him at the airport would accomplish nothing. This wasn't a rom-com.

With a sigh, Chrissy looked for the nearest exit that would bring her back to Hawkins.

She saw a gas station on her way back and pulled over. A lopsided sign at the pumps announced, in barely legible chicken scratch, that the card reader was broken and customers must pay with cash inside. Chrissy considered pushing on, but she didn't want to risk getting stranded in her rust bucket. With an exasperated sigh, she went inside. The pimply-faced clerk didn't even look up from the comic book he was reading.

Chrissy was digging through her purse to see if she had enough cash for gas and maybe some junk food as well, when the door behind her chimed.

"Can I get twenty on pump two, please?" a voice said.

Chrissy's stomach dropped for the third time. She knew that voice.

She whirled around. The speaker was taking off his sunglasses with one hand and brushing back his messy curls with the other, his brown eyes wide-opened, staring at her in disbelief.

Eddie.

At that moment, she realized why she'd been in such a rush to speak to him. It wasn't because there had been any urgency to discuss their relationship. It wasn't because she was afraid that she might lose him if he went back to LA. No. It was simply this: She missed him.

For two years, there was a void in her heart, a void the exact size and shape of Eddie. She'd learned to live with it and had gone so used to it that sometimes she didn't even notice it was there. Only when he'd come back and gone again so soon that she felt it, like someone who was starving only noticed the hunger more acutely after they'd had a tiny morsel of food. That was why she'd driven like a madwoman after him, just so she could see him and hear him and never chase him away again as she'd done so foolishly.

And now, seeing his eyes light up with surprise and joy at the sight of her, she realized that void was slowly disappearing, filled by the warm glow that always bubbled up inside her whenever she looked at him. That glow expanded behind her ribs, tightened her throat, and rooted her to the spot, so she could only stand there like an idiot, smiling at him with trembling lips, waiting for him to come to her.

One step, two steps, and he was so close she could smell the familiar scent of his leather jacket, a smell that took her back eighteen years, to that day they'd met in the woods, the day that had started all of this.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. From his breathless voice, she knew that for every emotion that was coursing through her, he felt it too.

"I—" She tried to steady her own voice. "I could ask you the same thing. I thought you were going to the airport."

"I changed my mind. I mean, I'm still leaving on Sunday." Her heart stuttered, and the disappointment must have shown on her face, because he quickly added, "But I'm here—now. Why are you here?"

"I went to Wayne's place. I wanted to talk to you. Didn't you get my message?"

He tilted his head to look at her more closely. "No, I haven't checked my phone. Talk to me about what?"

"I want to apologize. For pushing you away like that." That wasn't all she wanted to say to him, but it was a good start.

He looked away for a moment, before turning his eyes back on her, so tender and yet so intense at the same time. "I'm sorry too. You just lost your mom, and I made it all about me."

"But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about—"

"Hey, are you going to pay for your gas or what?" The clerk had finally put his comic book down and was scowling at them.

Eddie turned to the clerk irritably. "Just give us a minute, would you?" He took Chrissy's arm and steered her toward an aisle at the back of the store, where they could have a modicum of privacy. "So what did you want to talk about?" he asked, fixing those heart-melting eyes on her.

"About us."

"What about us?"

She scrambled to remember all the lines and speeches she'd prepared since her session with Dr. Hall, since her visit to the cemetery. Somehow they all vanished when he looked at her like that. She kept her eyes on the floor to calm her nerves. "I've been thinking. If you still want me, I can move to LA," she said, her words tumbling over each other. "I can apply to a nursing school out there—finish my degree—get a job—"

"You hate nursing school."

"Well, I can always wait for the Laker Girls to have an opening," she joked. When Eddie said nothing, she risked a glance at him. He was still looking at her with those tender eyes, a small, affectionate smile playing on his lips.

"What about your job here? What about your students?" he asked.

Chrissy hesitated. "They're just going to have to do without me," she said, and added, surprising herself, "Because I can't do without you."

A small exhalation, which might have been relief or delight, escaped Eddie. He reached out and took both of her hands in his. It felt so good to just stand there with his thumbs gently massaging her knuckles and her palms that she wished they could stay like that forever, without having to say anything at all.

"Maybe I can move back," he said quietly.

A wild hope sprouted inside her, but she had to pull her hands away and shake her head. "Eddie, no—"

"Hear me out," he said, seizing her hands again and lifting them to his lips. "We can split our time between Hawkins and LA. You can come on tour with me, and I can come back here to record. It's not like when the band first started; we can make music anywhere now. If there's no music scene in Hawkins, fuck it, we'll create one."

In her heart, the tiny sprout of hope took root, grew, flowered, and bore fruits. "Really?" she whispered.

"Really. And the answer's yes, by the way."

"The answer to what?"

"You said if I still want you. The answer's yes. I always want you." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and brushed the back of his hand over her cheek, down her jaw. "In fact, I want you so much, I'd take you here and now if I could—"

"Eddie!" Chrissy put her hand over his mouth and glanced at the clerk, horrified, but they were well hidden. Eddie laughed and removed her hand to kiss her. As their lips collided, he lifted her clear off the floor, and she threw her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips, pressing herself against him so as much of their bodies was wrapped up in each other as possible, while warmth and light flooded into her until the void in her heart vanished altogether.

Making out between bags of beef jerky and cheese puffs wasn't exactly Chrissy's idea of a romantic reunion, but it would do. It would do nicely.

There will be a little epilogue after this, so stay tuned!

#hellcheer #eddissy #hellcheersource #hellcheer fic #eddie munson #chrissy cunningham #eddie x chrissy #chrissy x eddie #joseph quinn #joseph quinn fic

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biipbop · 1 year

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Ive been too depressed to draw lately so Im going to ramble on the flower child Au comics I used to do. Mainly bc I ve been wanting to draw them more but, again, too depressed to draw.

The end of p2is? Didnt happen. Bc I wanted my babies to all be happy together. Tatsuya and Jun immediately become that annoying couple. They become infamous in sumaru bc they will be sweet on each other in public and Tatsuya, the intimadating deliquent with rbf, melts like the pathetic lil man he is when his bf simply suggestively smirks. No one but Maya and Lisa can do anything about it bc:

-Eikichi: just is not fazed at all by this. He is constantly third wheeling bc he can not read the room and does not notice what shenanigans the two are doing right next to him. He'll literally have a conversation with them while theyre making out and not even flinch.

Katsuya: Oh he fucking notices. People even come to him to complain that he needs to do something about his brother. But lord help him if he tries to argue with Tatsuya in front of Jun. Katsuya cant even process the audacity of watching his brother, the pathetic melted damsel in distress, s w o o n as his catty brat of a boyfriend polietly emotionally destroy him (katsuya) where it hurts looking down at him with his pointed high legs crossed and perched comfortably on tatsuya. Katsuya eventually develops respect for Jun. It takes some time though

Everyone else: theyre just too uncomfie and intimidated

The boys respect Maya too much to be as over the top as they usually are. While when lisa is there jun is too distracted sassing her.

-------

-Gas chamber-

Eikichi wants tatsuya and jun to join his band. Tatsuya does not want to until Eikichi reminds Tatsuya theyd be a rock band. With a specific aesthetic. A visual kei aesthetic. Which means *Jun* will be dress up in visual kei aesthetic.

Tatsuya convinces Jun to join. (Little does he know Jun had always planned to join but had only hesitated bc he would want Tatsuya to join)

Lisa would join a little later on. Eikichi would be against it and so is Lisa. It's only after Jun makes it competitive that Lisa enthusiasticly joins to try and one up him. Eikichi is only convinced when he finds out that he and Lisa actually sound really good harmonized together.

They develop a fanbase in Sumaru's underground indie scene (as small as it is). Lisa and Eikichi even begin to write original songs that are well recieved. Yukino and Maya contribute in furthering their career when they publish an article on the indie music scene that follows a night in the life as gas chamber, students during the day musicians at night. The band even begins to travel to gigs outside of sumaru.

They become a hit nationally and internationally in asia. (In the future they develop global fame with video sharing platforms (niconico and youtube) become a thing) After touring SEA in 2003 the band comes back to Sumaru for a break. Specifically, Lisa has been doing acting jobs between playing with the band. She had agreed to work on a movie so the boys agreed to take a break while she films for the next couple of months.

It's during this time that Eikichi and Miyabi get married. Tatsuya and Jun originally had planned to take the time as a break. That is until one day Jun and Lisa are on some variety show together (I dk if this is clear but eikichi tatsuya and jun may not be performing but theyre still doing their own thing. Like starting clothing lines, interviews, television cameos. Etc etc all that you would expect from a celebrity in the early 2000s)

While backstage they run into Jun's mom who hosts a show for the station. Jun and his mom have a strained relationship and Jun hasnt reached out to her since he was back. When they run into each other, Junko wants it to seem like a casual thing but really she was seeking him out. A family member that Jun hadnt seen in years had passed away. She wanted him to go to the funeral with her.

He agrees with the understanding that tatsuya would come along. When they arrive they discover the family member died young of illness. They were a single parent and were leaving behind a 2 y/o baby boy. It takes very little time for Jun to love the baby. And even less time for Tatsuya to agree to adopt the baby

And that's how Jun and Tatsuya become Akira's parents.

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

Gas chamber goes on hiatus for a couple years once Jun and Tatsuya adopt. Lisa continues to take on acting gigs. Eikichi opens his own studio and makes an independent record label in sumaru. Jun and Tatsuya open a flower shop together.

Akira becomes the idol of the group. Eveyone wants to be his favorite aunt/uncle. Everyone wants to babysit. Jun teaches akira how to garden. Tatsuya tries to teach akira about motorcycles and cars to little success.

Akira becomes a mini Jun. They wear (fashionably) matching outfits. Akira learns fortune telling through tarot from Jun. He even learns how to be dramatic and cute to make his papa tatsuya melt.

When he's older the group begin to make music again and do performances in Japan. Aunt Maya is happy to watch over Akira when its not possible to bring him along. Junko even manages to convince the overprotective parents to let her do right by her grandson.

It isnt until akira is 16 that gas chamber goes on another international tour (their first and final tour they agree). Everyone is excited and planned it for a good year now. Akira was to stay in sumaru. Junko was to watch over him with Maya checking in on them when she can.

That is until he's arrested.

Akira makes Junko promise not to tell his dads. They had planned the tour and other events for so long he didnt want to ruin it. When Maya finds out she is the one who gets him a place to stay in Tokyo. Maya refuses to hide what's happening from tatsuya and Jun but she keeps it super vague "there was an incident but dont worry! I'm taking care of everything" and of course jun and tatsuya trust maya 100%.

And thus p5 happens

#biiptalks #high rambles #persona 2 is #persona 5 #flowerchild au #tatsujun #tatsuya suou #lisa silverman #jun kurosu #eikichi mishina #junko kurosu #akiren #akira kurusu #ren amamiya #katsuya suou #eventually shuake

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radical-revolution · 11 months

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Today is Father's Day.

Buddhism emphasises filial piety.

"It is said that one day, the Buddha received news that his father, King Suddhodana, was seriously ill. He immediately headed for his father’s kingdom with his disciples. When the king saw that the Buddha had returned to the palace, he wept tears of joy.

Suddhodana is said to have attained perfect enlightenment. The Buddha silently held his father’s hands, and King Siddhodana, smiling, pressed his palms together and passed away in the arms of the Blessed One.

And it is said that the Blessed One, for the sake of preaching to his mother Maya-devi, ascended to heaven and dwelt with the devas. Having concluded his pious mission, he returned to the earth and went about again, converting those who listened to his teachings.

On the day of the funeral procession, he personally helped carry his father’s coffin. All who witnessed this scene were moved to tears."

Not only did the Buddha fulfill his responsibility as a son, he set the example of filial conduct for future generations.

On this day, let us be grateful for our father’s role in our lives. Let us treat them well while they are still with us and leave no regrets.

Happy Father’s Day.

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girlactionfigure · 1 year

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[Breaking News]

12:04am Funeral route for Maya and Rina Dee H"yd

The levaya procession for our two precious girls, Maya and Rina Dee may Hashem avenge their blood, will take place tomorrow [Sunday] at 5 pm in the afternoon at the cemetery of Kfar Etzion.

MADA ambulances transporting them will enter the northern gate of Efrat around 2-2:30 pm and make their way up Zayit in order to arrive and stop at the Dee home on Pitum Haktoret for a final farewell.

From there the procession will continue on David HaMelech to the southern gate of Efrat to arrive at a building for the Tahara prior to arriving at the cemetery.

Residents of Efrat and the Gush are encouraged to stand along the route of the ambulances while holding Israeli flags as a final tribute and farewell to our two precious and beloved Kedoshim."

The Muqata

כל כך עצוב. ברוך דיין האמת

#Israel #palestinian terror #Maya and Rina Dee

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ecoamerica · 1 month

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youtube

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

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meadowofbluebells · 2 years

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Masterpost:

Hello, my name is Meadow, and I am a 22-year-old university student who loves to draw and write.

My writing is SFW, but I do commonly write about the darker parts of the human experience such as addiction, self-harm, and abuse. I will, however, do my best to tag that in my writing so no one is blindsided.

Writing:

I decided to put my writing on this site because I was afraid for years that my work was not worth sharing if it was not perfect. It has taken me a long time to realize that not only is that not true, but it harms my ability to be the creative individual I want to be. Thus, I forewarn you, the reader, that these stories will not be perfect and that is fine by me. My goal is not to achieve perfection but, rather, to strive for progress. So, by all means, leave constructive criticism, but note that cruelty will fall on deaf ears. With that said, enjoy the stories below. They are all cherished in their own right.

Questions/Suggestions/Prompts:

Feel free to suggest prompts if there is something you would like me to write about. I am always looking for more practice. :)

I'm also open to answering questions about my work or characters, though I can't always guarantee an answer due to possible spoilers for future stories.

Fan fiction:

Amidst the Moonlight - As a prince, Roman is used to going to balls. This event is no different. That is, it is no different until a man in a purple suit shows up.

Fitting Forever Into Goodbye - Janus loves his son Virgil, which is why he needs to let him go. Now all he has to do is find the words needed to say goodbye.

Janus Was Not Dying - Janus had always thought that constructing everyone else’s false realities would ensure that he kept his own feet planted firmly within the truth. After all, to be a successful liar, one must be aware of the truth that is being denied. Yet, here he was, destroying himself in the name of a lie. Falling into the same trap as the others - telling himself one thing despite knowing that it was false. Because, despite seeing all the evidence to the contrary, Janus was not dying.

Personal Writing:

"Love, Jayden" - (Genre: Contemporary) - Jayden has never been allowed to touch his mother's journal. Now, after her death, it lays in his grasp.

A Tale of Endings - (Genre: Magical Realism) - Cierra had a book report to do. She just wasn't expecting the books to talk back.

Remnants - (Genre: Fantasy and Romance) - Audio Format - Celeste is about to marry an immortal being and fears leaving her best friend Terra behind.

The Snapshot Slayer - (Genre: Thriller) - A child star is done with the paparazzi interfering with his life. As the years pass, his mind slowly descends into ruin.

Grasping at Gravity - (Genre: Fantasy and Contemporary) - Audio Format - Graham lives in a world with superpowers, where people can create fire or fly on wings, but Graham has never been able to control his.

Signed, Death - (Contemporary Fantasy) - David was having a great day up until he got a note from Death.

Hidden Grief - (Fantasy) - A young girl has to sneak out of her own home in order to go to her sister’s funeral.

Under An Array of Embers and Ashes - (Historical Fiction) - A mother waits with her children for her husband to get home while Pompeii crumbles around her.

To Heal Through Death - (Science Fiction) - A teenage girl stands in the shadows with a dagger in hand.

Within Reach - (Fantasy) - Maya has to have magic, it is the key to saving her family.

So Too Queens Can Fall - (Historical Fiction) - Solana knows that it is a queen's duty to produce a male heir, but that doesn't mean she loves her young daughters any less.

Coren: (Genre: Fantasy)

Note that my writing within this world is disjointed. There will be some full-fledged stories, but also some test scenes. I am simply in the process of seeing what works and what doesn't.

Two Dancing Ladies

Decaying Souls

Sleep-Deprivation and Other Woes (Genre: Historical Fantasy) - Audio Format - Patia had been studying for an exam for weeks - she was frazzled and exhausted. Her sister, Keller, tried to get her to take a break by convincing her to go to a ball that they were invited to.

#writing #sanders sides fanfiction #female writers #short story #origonal work #original writing

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ambitionsource · 6 months

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AMBITION “For Better, For Worse” [ 4.12 ]♮Part 1

RECAP

Over a shot of Grace and Lucas Kinsley watching Kenneth’s ashes be lowered into his grave:

Maya, voiceover: Previously, on AMBITION…

The big event of the season finally happened -- we said good riddance to Kenneth Friar and laid him to (hopefully hellish) rest. Though it wasn’t an easy feat. There was concern that it may not even happen at all, but Grace and Lucas managed to pull something together after three weeks of distance. This experience allowed Grace a lot of time to reflect, giving us our first true glimpse into the history she carries so quietly inside her -- and the chance for her to actually start processing it all.

Grace: I’ve been a shitty mother, all the way through. I wasn’t one, really. Lucas knew that. He’s always had to be the strong one. I’m not a mother, but he’s a son. He didn’t get the choice not to be.

Yes, the experience was far from casual for Lucas, who nearly couldn’t make it through the ceremony. However, he was able to with the support of Riley, who stepped out of her performance in Ghost last minute to show up at the funeral. While the surprise was very appreciated by Lucas, others weren’t so convinced the decision was unequivocally a positive display.

When Evan tried to say as much, albeit gently, Riley was ready to push back.

Riley: It was my decision to leave. Lucas had no influence over it. It was my call. And I don’t regret the choice I made. So you can save your concern. I’m fine.

Riley wasn’t the only one who came to steady Lucas. Dylan and Asher returned, and Isa made a hasty exodus from their newly realized romantic entanglement with Farkle, leaving him in limbo as to what exactly their status is. They didn’t totally hang him out to dry, though, as a tipsy but emotional phone call finally let some truths spill to the surface.

Isa: Farkle, I love you. And that is the most terrifying shit ever, like I am scared shitless about it, but I also can’t… not. Believe me, I’ve tried. And after what we did the other night, when that just like, confirmed everything, now it’s like -- that’s the fuck of it all. I love you. I’m in love with you.

Isa also wasn’t the only one who got to speak their very important truths. After acting as a support in his own right, accompanying Zay to the daunting Turner gala to learn whether he made the final three, long withheld feelings and magnetism finally culminated in Zay and Charlie finding their way back to each other. Suffice to say, they earned their big damn kiss -- in the rain, no less (it is Charlie’s element, after all).

And in the aftermath of that rush, back where they belong, Charlie finally got to say the words both of them have been dying to hear.

Charlie: I loved you then. The whole time. I love you now. And the truth is, I cannot imagine any version of reality where I don’t. [ with awe ] Isaiah Babineaux.

Maya also made a major confession of her own, revealing to Josh what happened with Justin on the songwriting retreat. Naturally, he came to her defense, but not without some major reckoning of his own. He ultimately had to make that fateful choice of what his career means to him, and what he’s willing to sacrifice -- his morals, and his soul -- to keep coasting how he is now. So he decided to walk from Global Beat, casting him and Maya alike into the abyss of no industry support -- and potentially, the end of their careers before they really had the chance to begin.

But potential resets seem to be the name of the game right now. Zay and Charlie managed to reunite -- only for Zay to get a touring offer that could kickstart his career for real, but take him far away from New York. Maya and Farkle are both considering fleeing Los Angeles, especially the latter, inspired by Isa’s lovesick declaration and a longing familiarity for the city that never quite chewed him up and spat him out the way Hollywood has (or rather, a narcissistic Hollywood director-to-be). Yindra is in the final stretch of fighting for a spot in a coveted new girl group, while Nigel has made amends with his parents and seemingly cleared the way for him to pursue an international transfer… if he braves the plunge.

Grace insisted Lucas take the life insurance payout to affirm his impending journey to UC Davis, and Lucas took legal matters into his own hands. He formally changed his surname to Grace’s maiden name “Kinsley,” letting Friar die with Kenneth.

Lucas: Just felt right. If we were burying him… I wanted to bury all of it. Hopefully for good. Riley: Lucas James Kinsley. I love him already.

And in a shocking twist, Riley stunned Zay and Farkle upon the latter’s homecoming when she made a decisive declaration of her own.

Riley: I’m dropping out of NYU. [ with cool certainty ] I’m going to California.

All of these pending changes have time to simmer, however, as we have another very important event to attend to this time around. In case you forgot, Jack and Eric long ago made a huge change of plans together -- and the time has come to finally see it through.

Eric: Will you marry me, Jackie? Jack: Yeah. Yes, Eric, now get up so you can kiss me.

Spring is here, the sky is blue… and the time has come to say “I do.”

End of recap.

Over black, the opening harmonies of a familiar, iconic tune sung by the AMBITION ensemble welcomes us into the episode.

Goin' to the chapel And we're gonna get married

EXT. NEW YORK STREETS - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Chapel Of Love” as performed by The Dixie Cups || Performed by AMBITION Ensemble

As the opening bars continue, exterior shots of New York bring us into technicolor. It’s been a week or so since last episode, the passage of time marching ever forward. Just like the song declares, spring is here, as evidenced by the thawing chill of the city and greenery beginning to decorate the scenery. New life sprouting between the cracks in the sidewalk, coming into full bloom in Central Park, stretching towards the bluest sky we’ve seen in weeks.

Winter can’t hold back the spring, after all, no matter how dark it may seem. As we ease our way deeper into the city…

INT. CHEY APARTMENT - NIGEL’S BEDROOM - DAY

Now that he’s settled emotional matters with his family, the biggest obstacle for NIGEL CHEY is whether or not he can actually get into somewhere new to transfer… and how he can possibly afford it. He’s looking into just that as he sits on his bed with his laptop on his lap and back against the wall.

He’s sifting between potential transfer programs with auditions in the fall… and their financial aid packages on the next tab over. He’ll have to get a scholarship, undoubtedly, and even with that, the mere travel to get there will be a challenge.

Maybe he was silly to even humor this notion in the first place. He’s distracted when his phone buzzes, lighting up with a text from Jade.

“Boarding flight now. Can’t wait to see you!”

Nigel smiles, texting a ditto and wish for her to fly safe. After the initial warmth, though, uncertainty crosses his features. That’s the other difficulty he has yet to address -- telling certain people of his grand ambitions.

INT. YINDRA’S BEDROOM - DAY

YINDRA AMINO is grappling with hesitation of her own, brow crinkled as she reads on her phone. She’s back in her grandmother’s apartment in New York, but her mind is still in L.A., as she skims through any possible information she can get about the girl group and whatever progress is being made on its formation.

No matter how many snippets of marketing copy Reese Dalton-King forwards her, he can’t tell her the one thing she really wants to know. She’ll only get that when an offer -- or rejection -- arrives from Jupiter Records.

She falls onto her back with a groan, temporarily blocking it all out.

Because we’re…

EXT. L.A. APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

Just after sunrise, MAYA HART emerges from her building, baby pink rolling suitcase in hand. She’s alone, but not for long, as a car pulls up at the curb.

JOSH MATTHEWS. He’s in the passenger seat, ANDREW HALL behind the wheel to take them both to the airport. He gives Maya a wave, inviting her towards the car.

Goin’ to the chapel and we’re gonna get married

INT. NYU APARTMENT - RILEY’S BEDROOM - DAY

RILEY MATTHEWS is working through some packing of her own, focused on one item in particular. She retrieves a simple but lovely sage green dress from her bed, taking care to place it into a garment bag hanging on the back of her closet door.

Goin’ to the chapel and we’re gonna get married

She takes a moment to admire the fabric, clearly excited about it. Then she zips up the bag, sending us into darkness --

INT. CHARLIE’S APARTMENT - CHARLIE’S BEDROOM - DAY

Until we’re brought into the light again, filtering in through CHARLIE GARDNER’s bedroom window. He’s awake, sitting up on the right side of his bed with his journal on his lap. He’s jotting down a few notes, expression thoughtful. He glances up at the sunlight, then lets his gaze drift leftward…

Where ZAY BABINEAUX is laying beside him, still asleep.

Gee, I really love you and we’re gonna get married

A light, fond smile crosses Charlie’s face -- he can’t help it. He manages to shift his gaze back to his writing, scribbling another thought…

INT. JACK AND ERIC’S PLACE - MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

If only the actual husband-to-be had remotely that much serenity this morning. ERIC MATTHEWS shuts his suitcase with gusto, zipping it up tight and seemingly right in the middle of a nervous ramble. Days before the wedding, it just feels like there’s so much to be done, and that he should’ve done better, and God, why did they do all of this so last-minute?!

JACK HUNTER and ISA DE LA CRUZ watch him go, the latter hanging in the doorway and trying to figure out if there’s a good way to intervene. They stayed over before the flight in an effort to be helpful, but it’s not common to see Eric in such a frenzy…

Isa: This feels like a very weird role reversal. I thought I was supposed to be the trainwreck. Jack: Eh, any good family takes turns. Eric, not listening: And what if we forgot to send invitations to important people? What if my mother didn’t get her invite and doesn’t know we’re going all the way across the Atlantic for this? Why did we decide that? Jack: Because you’ve always wanted to see Europe. And we had the connections to make it happen. Eric: Which we needed, because it was so short notice! Are we totally screwing this up? My brother spent like two years planning his wedding, Jack. Two years. Isa: Yeah, and look at them now… Eric: What if I’m going to screw this all up? Are we totally butchering this? Are we having a shotgun wedding, Jack? Isa, to Jack: Should I take the suitcases downstairs, or… Jack, to Isa: Yes. That sounds like a good idea, Isa. Thank you.

Roger that… Isa skirts past their pacing dad and grabs his suitcase, lugging it back through the doorway. Meanwhile, Jack focuses on Eric, approaching him and taking his shoulders to stop his mindless movement. Deep breaths, now. In…

Eric: You’re not supposed to be telling me this. I’m the counselor. Jack: Well, they say couples bleed into one another. Shouldn’t I be so lucky to be just like you. Eric: Ugh.

Eric rolls his eyes, earning a smile. Jack braces his shoulders, reminding him that yes, things may have come together comparatively fast, but it all worked out. They’ve got everything under control.

Jack: Rachel was able to set everything up, and you know she’s well connected over there. She wouldn’t have assured us it was all good if it wasn’t. Eric: Yeah… yeah. Jack: Besides, that’s not really important. I don’t care if your mom shows up, or my mom shows up, or we end up stranded on some desert island because the plane crashes and we’re the only two people left. Eric: Well, don’t speak that into existence now… Jack: Eric. [ waiting for him to meet his eyes ] Relax. The only thing I care about is that by the end of this week, you and I are partners for life. Officially, that is -- we already are as far as I’m concerned.

So long as they can manage that, then the rest is just dressing. Agreed? After a moment, and a deep breath, Eric nods. He accepts a quick kiss from Jack, who then pats his shoulders.

Jack: It’s all gonna work out. What’s the worst that could happen?

Eric gives him a warning look. Don’t test me… if they’ve learned anything from their time at Adams, it’s that they should never ask the universe that question.

But for now, no time to worry. They’ve got a plane to catch. Jack leads the way, beginning their journey out the door --

INT. CHUBBIES - DAY

Just as FARKLE MINKUS pushes through another, looking about as huffy as Eric. He scans the diner quickly, then finds his target, marching up to the counter. For a brief second, it’s not obvious what exactly he’s after.

Farkle, loudly: What the hell were you thinking?!

From where he’s chatting with JOE at the register, LUCAS JAMES KINSLEY turns around. He frowns, both put off and totally confused by Farkle’s outburst.

Rest assured, he’s about to find out. The soon-to-be-newlyweds really shouldn’t worry.

The universe is hardly interested in them when there’s so many more delicious pots to stir.

Goin’ to the chapel of love…

Cue title sequence.

INT. CHUBBIES - DAY

Picking up right where we left off, Joe and Lucas are startled by Farkle’s sudden storming of the diner gates. He’s clearly on a rampage, frazzled and frenetic and speaking a mile a minute.

Farkle: I mean, seriously, I need you to explain it to me. Because I can’t make it make sense in my head. I’ve tried to think it through, to rationalize on my own, but I’m not getting anywhere. How does it make sense to -- why should she go anywhere when things are already going so well here? Why on God’s green earth would you ever suggest otherwise?

With so little context, he sounds more unhinged than usual. This is especially true for Joe, who is a novice when it comes to Farkle-related mania. He looks to Lucas.

Joe: He doesn’t seem right. Do I need to make some calls?

Based on his bewildered expression, Lucas doesn’t have much more of a clue even with his years of Farkle experience. He waves off Joe’s concern, telling him he’ll take care of it… whatever it is.

Joe: Fast, please. He’s scaring the customers.

Maybe so. At their usual booth, regular patrons MAISIE and EFFIE are watching Farkle’s pacing display in rapt, nosy attention.

Maisie: I swear, this generation has zero manners. Can’t he see we’re eating here? Effie: Shh, shut it. This is the best entertainment this place has had all week!

Wow, enjoying and immersing in the drama of others… the Adams cohort no less… can’t think of anybody else who would take pleasure in that…

Farkle carries on regardless, oblivious to the curiosity he’s attracting. Lucas comes around from behind the counter and tries to get him to quiet down, speaking in a low growl as he pulls him away from the doors.

Lucas: What the hell is the matter with you? Are you off your meds or what? Farkle: I should be asking you that question! [ off his confused offense ] Okay, well, not the medication part. The part before that. And no, to be clear, I’m not off my meds, but it’s very cute and ableist of you to ask. Lucas: Well, when you come hurricaning into my place of work for no reason -- Farkle: No reason! This is not no reason. But you’re right about one thing -- I shouldn’t have come here now. I shouldn’t have waited. The second Riley told us she wanted to go, I should’ve found you then. But it was after your dad and everything, and -- and I wasn’t even sure Riley was serious, but when she told me and Zay she seemed so -- Lucas, lost: When she told you what? Farkle: [ ignoring him ] And to a degree it’s like… it’s not like I don’t get it. You know? I can imagine the appeal. Ever since certain things in my own life have -- have I thought about just dropping it all to come back to New York? To make things work? Maybe. And that comes with other angles, too, like how I’m not sure if I even like Los Angeles, but it’s not as if I have a ton going on for me there with the toxic ex-boyfriend and hot-and-cold agency prospects --

Okay, he’s really not making this easy. Lucas glances over his shoulder to make sure the patrons have gone back to minding their own business, as he doesn’t see how he’s supposed to understand or care about anything Farkle is saying -- but he snaps back to attention when Farkle loops back around to Riley.

Farkle: But that’s not how it is for Riley. She’s doing great. She has everything and more going on here, with a whole bevy of paths open to her. You know she has all that going for her. So why would you ever think to -- what would possess you to think that asking her to leave is the right idea? Why would you make her do that?

Lucas stares at him, dumbstruck. The shock in his features, the utter lack of defensiveness, is what tips Farkle off. He may have barreled in here with all the confidence in the world, sure he knew what he was talking about, but the sharp uncertainty on Lucas’s face takes the wind out of his sails.

Farkle, quieter: … you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you? Lucas: What?

Oops.

Farkle screws his eyes shut, dread leaking into his own expression. He turns away and starts to pace again, this time nervously.

Farkle: Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Lucas: Farkle. Farkle: Oh no. Shit, shit -- Lucas: Farkle.

Farkle grimaces, rotating to face him again. Lucas is deceptively calm, voice soft -- but deadly serious.

Lucas: What are you talking about?

It’s toothpaste, Farkle. You can’t put it back in the tube.

He holds Lucas’s gaze, sheepish.

INT. CHARLIE’S APARTMENT - DAY

Meanwhile, Charlie appears to be having a far less strenuous morning. He’s humming to himself while whipping together breakfast, certainly more at ease than it feels like he’s been for a long while.

One reason for that becomes obvious moments later when Zay emerges from his bedroom. He’s got pillow creases on his cheek and is wearing Charlie’s National Parks sweatshirt, but neither of those details hardly matter. He could be the walking dead or dressed to the nines and Charlie would look at him the same way he does now, eyes brightening and effortless smile blooming across his face.

With his entrance, the humming becomes something more. Charlie lightly sings as he greets him.

Charlie: “Isaiah! I’ve just kissed a boy named Isaiah…”

He does just that, coming to meet Zay in the middle and giving him a kiss good morning. Zay rolls his eyes when they pull apart, but only because it’s so stupidly adorable and still surreal that it’s even happening.

Zay: Very cute.

Charlie keeps going, sliding back over to the stove. By the time he makes it back and switches off the burner, he’s concluded the verse, throwing a little extra flourish into the lines.

Charlie: “Say it soft, and it’s almost like praying…”

Charlie puts his hands together in front of him, then offers Zay a cheeky smile. Zay can’t help but return it, shaking his head and approaching the opposite side of the counter.

Zay: Very blasphemous way to start the morning. You must be feeling chipper today. Charlie: Eh, I was chipper about two hours ago. We’re well encroaching afternoon at this point. Zay: Well, sorry. I would’ve gotten up sooner -- Charlie: You would’ve? Color me shocked. You’ve never been a morning person. Zay: Okay, first of all, there’s a difference between your standard, average “morning person,” and whatever the hell demonic entity you represent. No normal human being likes naturally getting up at six in the morning. [ off his shrug ] And secondly, as I was saying, I would’ve woken up earlier, but I needed the sleep. I had a hard time falling asleep.

Charlie is immune to his melodrama, albeit mildly amused. He pops a grape into his mouth, letting him carry on.

Zay: Because I just kept tossing and turning, going over the pros and cons of this touring thing again… and again… [ pointedly ] wondering if anyone I know and trust would finally give me some advice… Charlie: Sounds tough. Coffee?

He turns to plate some food for him, breezy and unmoved. Zay drops his innocent fishing, shooting a frustrated look at the back of his head.

Zay: Seriously? You’re seriously not going to tell me how you feel about it. Charlie, pithy: Nope.

Charlie faces him again and slides the breakfast across the counter towards him. Zay scoffs.

Zay: You know, just considering how long it has taken us to get our collective shit together, I would’ve thought you might have an opinion on this. Like, whether I’m about to be constantly out of the city or not. I thought that partnership -- Charlie: Is that what we’re calling it now? Did we officially land on that? Zay: I thought that being supportive and helping each other work through big things like this was part of the deal. Charlie: Yeah, it is. Which is exactly why I’m not saying anything.

And exactly why they’re even making jokes about their “partnership,” or whatever it is right now. Clearly, they care about each other. Clearly, they’re still into each other -- very much so. But there’s a factor now that throws things into question -- something that Zay needs to figure out for himself.

Charlie: And you know, maybe the chance to stop and think for a second is the right move. For both of us. In the heat of the moment, I just got caught up in it, and we moved pretty fast -- Zay: Yeah, no, not doubting any of that. Didn’t need a lot of time to figure that out, thanks.

If circumstances had been different, to be honest, both of them probably would’ve liked to end up back in this situationship together much sooner than they did. There’s no confusion on that front. Charlie absorbs that, unable to hold back a small smile.

Charlie: Even so. This touring thing is a good way to reset. Figure out priorities. Zay: I know it is. That’s why in my head, it’s something we should be doing together.

Nice as that is, Charlie shakes his head. He gets what Zay means, but…

Charlie: I don’t want to be the reason you do or don’t do anything. This is about your career, not me. If you decide to do the tour, or if you don’t, I don’t want it to be because I felt some type of way about it.

So whether or not he wants him to go -- if he even has an opinion -- he won’t be letting it influence Zay’s decision.

Which is clearly less than pleasing to Zay. To soften the blow, Charlie reaches across the countertop and takes his hand.

Charlie: You stepped back and let me do my own thing when I needed it. You didn’t get in the way, even if you may have wanted to. I’m going to do the same for you.

Whatever Zay chooses to do, he wants it to be his choice. And regardless of what that choice ends up being, he’ll support him. That’s what partnership -- or whatever this is -- is about.

Zay: Well, that’s very annoying of you. [ a beat ] But also sweet.

Charlie beams, pressing a kiss to Zay’s knuckles.

INT. BURBANK AIRPORT - TERMINAL - DAY

Josh and Maya are at the gate for their early flight back to New York. While they wait for boarding to begin, Maya asks Josh how things have gone since he quit Global Beat. He shrugs.

Josh: About as well as you’d expect. Which isn’t really good or bad, considering I wasn’t a huge asset to begin with in their eyes. Maya: Agree to disagree, but clearly they don’t have an ear for talent. Josh: Melissa and Justin have all but blacklisted me, which I wouldn’t care about if it weren’t for the fact that they are just about the only references I have from the last four years. And it’s going to be hell trying to find clients with no official label backing -- one of them already jumped ship. Maya: Damn, who? Josh: Her name’s Cricket. But that’s not personal. She told me it was just as well, because she is currently planning to go backpacking through Asia on some transcendental mushroom trip and the only reason she hadn’t bailed sooner is that she didn’t want to hurt my feelings. Maya: … wow. You have a true magnetism for personality, Josh Matthews. Josh: Anyway, Floyd is still on my roster -- he said he would never abandon me even if we were on the Titanic and there was only one lifeboat seat left -- but that’s not exactly saying much. Maya: Fierce loyalty. Gotta respect it. Josh: So, yeah. Back to the squarest of square ones, basically. [ grimmer ] Not excited to be going back for extended face time with my family with that development, but…

Maya frowns. She apologizes for the fact that Josh lost so much -- least of all over her -- but he waves her off. As he’s said before, he doesn’t regret it. He made the right choice. He has to believe that.

As for her… Josh eyes her curiously.

Josh: What about you? Have you talked to anyone else about it? [ off her head shake ] Not even Farkle? Maya: God, no. Especially not Farkle. Josh: I think he’d want to know. He’s your best friend. He cares about you. Maya: Which is exactly why I don’t want him to know.

She doesn’t want him to worry about her. She doesn’t want anyone to worry. That’s not her vibe, and she’s always been independent. The last thing she needs is for everyone to start pitying her or treating her like she’s made of glass.

Maya: I just want things to be… the same. I want to go to this wedding and see everyone and have them treat me just like always. How it should be.

Josh seems unsure about whether that’s the right path, but he doesn’t argue. It’s her trauma, and he’ll respect her right to privacy. But speaking of choices…

Josh: Have you figured out what you want to do? Without Global Beat?

She’s basically in the same boat as him, now adrift with no institutional ties. She has more public goodwill and recognition than he does, but the lack of a label hurts just the same. Maya shakes her head, a bit sheepish -- the truth is, she hasn’t decided if she wants to keep pushing this fight at all.

Not that she can even bring herself to vocalize that possibility. Josh senses it from her silence, though.

Josh: Whatever you decide, I’ll back you. Whatever ends up being best for you. Just remember that there is at least one person in this industry -- or formerly of it, given my track record right now -- who believes you’ve got what it takes.

Maya absorbs that, offering him a nod and weak smile. Then she tilts her head back, exhaling a sigh.

Maya: For now, I just want to get the hell back to New York. Farkle, pre-lap: She wants to leave New York. That’s what she said.

INT. CHUBBIES - BACK ROOM - DAY

Farkle and Lucas have relocated to the cramped employee back room for a semblance of privacy. Farkle is no longer the one pacing, sitting awkwardly on the stool in the corner while Lucas instead anxiously criss-crosses the width of the space.

Even though Farkle has now had the chance to give him the full story, Lucas doesn’t seem any less confused. If anything, he’s more lost, shaking his head in disbelief.

Lucas: Everything is going great. She’s doing incredible. Farkle: Apparently not. She seemed pretty determined that she wanted to drop NYU. Lucas: But… why? Why -- why -- why would -- why would she ever do that? Farkle: She wants to go to California.

As if that should make it obvious… but Lucas can’t comprehend it. Farkle grows quieter.

Farkle: With you.

Fuck… Lucas exhales, not able to believe it. Sure, he knows they’re in a relationship. He knows they love each other. But the idea of… that she would drop everything…

Lucas: I wouldn’t -- I didn’t ask her to do that. I wouldn’t. I don’t know why she -- Farkle: I don’t either. That’s why I got so freaked. Made assumptions. [ a beat ] I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed you were making her do anything. If I know Riley, honestly, I should’ve known better.

No one makes that woman do anything she doesn’t want to do. Even so, that’s the part Lucas can’t wrap his head around. She is doing so well here; she’s been the brightest star in their galaxy basically this whole year. He can’t understand why she would so easily throw all that away to start over from scratch.

It’s not like he doesn’t like the idea of her being there beside him, but he obviously wasn’t prepared for the bombshell. And something about it makes him nervous, even if he can’t put his finger on why. Farkle can sense his discomfort.

Farkle: And I’m sorry I barged in here like this and threw it all on you. I didn’t -- I wasn’t thinking. And since you didn’t know, I probably shouldn’t have been the one to tell you. I thought I’d gotten better about stuff like that, detonating myself all over everything, but… I guess I’m not as grown as I like to pretend I am. I’m sorry I said anything. Lucas: No… no, it’s… it’s good. I’m glad you told me.

Farkle looks apprehensive, but Lucas means it. Despite his newfound nerves, he’s grateful to have some advance warning. It gives him a chance to think it over, to figure out how to respond.

Lucas: Just… do me a favor. Don’t tell Riley you told me. Okay? I… I want some time to think it over on my own.

Given he lit the bomb in the first place, giving Lucas space to disarm it is the least Farkle could do. He nods, getting to his feet and claiming he’ll leave his work place in peace again. Before he goes, he hesitates, glancing back at Lucas.

Farkle: I know I’m the last person who should be giving advice on anything, least of all relationships. But… Riley clearly loves you. Enough to put that above everything else. [ a beat ] Maybe don’t screw that up.

That’s exactly what he’s trying to avoid. Lucas nods.

EXT. JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DAY

Meanwhile, Riley’s focus is elsewhere as she arrives at the airport pick-up. She gets out of her car as Josh and Maya approach the median, rolling up with their bags. Riley pops the trunk and then gives her uncle an enthusiastic hug, which he returns by lifting her lightly off the ground.

Riley: Welcome back to New York!

She’s clearly very excited to see him again. Once she’s back on her feet, she turns to Maya, less sure how to best greet her diva friend. Usually, she’s not very touchy-feely.

Maya fills in the blanks for her this time, giving her a classic starlit smile and taking her hand to pull her closer. They exchange theatrical cheek kisses, Riley rolling with the punches, before Maya steps into a hug.

Once shielded by the embrace, the mirage drops somewhat. Based on the expression on her face, it’s obvious Maya really wanted that warm, familiar hug.

With that out of the way, she snaps back into diva mode.

Maya: So bags in the trunk, I presume? [ swatting his arm ] Josh, you can get them, right?

She doesn’t wait for an answer, opening the back door and climbing in behind the passenger seat. Not giving him the chance to say no. Josh resists the urge to roll his eyes, exchanging a look with Riley that morphs into laughter. As the two of them toss the luggage into the back of the car, Riley quietly continues the conversation.

Riley: It’s nice of you to travel with Maya. I was kind of surprised she didn’t just come back with Farkle. Josh: I think he wanted to come back sooner, and she had some… stuff to wrap up. But no, yeah, it’s chill. We’re… getting along. Riley: Really? That’s great. I guess with her working with your bosses, it makes sense. [ elbowing him ] Maybe you two can pull one another up. Josh: Yeah… well --

Before he can awkwardly avoid the topic of his now non-employment, the car horn honks, startling them both. Maya leans her head out of the car window.

Maya: Come along, Matthews, chop chop. We’ve got reunions to reune!

Riley and Josh exchange another look. Divas… as Josh closes the trunk --

INT. BABINEAUX HOME - ZAY’S BEDROOM - DAY

Yindra and Nigel are over at Zay’s, his suitcase open on the bed. They’re helping him pack, Yindra rifling through his closet while Nigel neatly folds things into the luggage.

Zay: Don’t y’all think it’s a little cringe that we’re going to this thing? I mean, I get it, Mister E and Hunter like live for their jobs, but our invites might be pushing it. Yindra: No, no, don’t say that. Shut up. This is my one ticket to Europe, you’re not taking that from me. So hush! Nigel: Not to mention we’re not really invitees. We’re technically hired help. Yindra: Dirt cheap help at that.

Which is to say, they’re going to be filling in a lot of the musical entertainment at the reception. Suppose that’s the benefit of bringing up some of the best new talent of a generation… still, Zay isn’t impressed on principle.

Zay: Just let the record show that when I get married someday, it’s Rihanna or nada. Nigel: Your confidence is inspiring and genuinely concerning. [ reaching up to tap his forehead ] How is that big head going to fit on coach?

Zay rolls his eyes, slapping his hand away. Yindra emerges from the closet again, placing a couple of shirts against Zay’s torso before tossing a couple into Nigel’s folding pile.

Yindra: You know our bestie is all talk. As if we aren’t all going to get song slots and long toast speeches at his wedding -- at least we better, or else I’m not coming. Zay: Diva. Yindra: Kettle. And my point stands. Anyway, I’m not the one out here with these big-ass moves, going on tour and maybe going to London to become a British person. Zay: I haven’t decided -- Nigel: There’s no guarantee that I’ll --

Yindra silences their protests with her hands, mimicking their yapping. Yeah, yeah, things aren’t decided yet, but at least the two of them are somewhat in control of their destinies. Right now, Yindra is just waiting for the shoe to drop and has no way of knowing when it’s coming -- or what the verdict will be.

Zay: I kind of wish someone else would decide for me. Might be easier for someone to just tell me what to do. Nigel: They could. Turner could still decide to take Gia and Vanessa rather than you. Then the decision is made for you.

Zay makes a face, focusing on his suitcase. That’s not at all the reason he’s so hesitant… and Yindra senses this, deciding to pull at the thread in another direction.

Yindra: What does Jade think about your transfer, Nige? Supportive, surely, but did she give you any advice?

Nigel’s turn to grow quiet. At his silence, both Yindra and Zay immediately groan.

Yindra/Zay: Oh, Nigel. Nigel: What? What? Zay: You need to tell her! What, are you just gonna wait until you’re across the pond and then drop her a little eight-hour time difference line? Nigel: No -- Yindra: She’d want to know. She deserves to know. Even if it doesn’t end up happening. Y’all are the ones who have had relationships, shouldn’t you want to be including your partner in this type of shit? Zay: Yes. Yes, you do, Yindra. Nigel: And I do! I do want to tell her. I’m going to. I just… I’m trying to find the right time to do it.

Yindra shakes her head, wandering over to Zay’s dresser to start rummaging through there. She lets him handle the talk, and boy does he, insisting that Nigel needs to come clean sooner rather than later.

Zay: Well, while you’re wasting precious time waiting for the “right” moment, I swear, you’ll end up with nothing left but the worst one. Trust me, man, the whole keeping secrets shit is the worst thing you could possibly do to a relationship. Nigel: I’m not trying to keep it a secret. Seriously. I’m just… I’m scared she’ll be upset. I want to find the way to do it that won’t freak her out. [ with a sigh ] I care about her. I love her. I don’t want to lose her over this. Zay: Well, take it from me. Keep this from her much longer, and you will.

Yindra breaks up the doom and gloom, traipsing back over and dropping a couple things into the suitcase.

Yindra: Really sweet prenuptial chatter, fellas. Just so optimistic and bright.

INT. HART APARTMENT - NIGHT

Maya is contemplating what’s next herself, uncharacteristically quiet as she sits wrapped in a blanket on the couch. She’s looking out the windows towards the city, Time Square just visible in the distance.

Katy, off-screen: I just packed up your dress, it’s on your bed.

Maya shakes off the malaise as best she can, offering KATY HART a smile as she approaches. She’s carrying two mugs of hot chocolate, coming to join her daughter on the couch.

Katy: I’ve pressed it and zipped it up tight in that garment bag, so it should be in perfect shape when you put it on. Tell Mister Hunter and Mister Matthews I love the theme they chose by the way. It’s so beautiful, even though it’s simple. I like that. [ squeezing Maya’s arm ] I wish I could see you at the ceremony. Promise you’ll take a hundred pictures. Maya: You know Farkle and I never pass up an opportunity to Vogue.

Rest assured, photos will be graphed. After a beat of comfortable quiet, hot chocolates sipped, Maya broaches a different topic.

Maya: Are you happy with how things turned out? Katy: How do you mean? Maya: Like… your life. I know dad and… me kind of got in the way of things -- Katy: You know I don’t think that. Not for one second. [ brushing hair out of her face ] I got the best break of my life from an unexpected twist.

Maya beams, going along with the motherly praise. But she’s not done digging.

Maya: I don’t really mean in that aspect. Obviously I was a factor, but do you ever… regret how it all went down? With your career, and losing your shot? When you were trying to break in, did the industry feel like…

Soul-sucking? Destructive? Stronger than her? Did it burn her mother the way it has seemed to send her to ashes? Katy thinks about it, stirring her chocolate.

Katy: The whole business was obviously pretty different when I was trying to break in. And as we both know, you’ve already struck it bigger than I ever did. Though I’m sure much has stayed the same. And I was always stuck up here in New York, trying for bit parts in Law and Order to try to get that foot in the door -- I didn’t have the guts to jump and try my hand in Hollywood like you. Maya: Mm. Having a rich friend helped. Katy: Maybe so. And I’ll be thanking the Minki every day for the rest of my life. [ a beat ] But it wasn’t always easy. I’m sure you knew that. It was hard, to go to auditions and be scrutinized. To be judged on the smallest details -- would I look better as a brunette? Were my hips too big? Was I articulate enough? Note that rarely were we ever discussing my actual ability to sing.

Unfortunately, a lot of superficial bullshit comes first in a market looking to sell. Maya knows that all too well, given her own commodification as of late… she sips her hot chocolate.

Katy: Would I have liked it if I made it? Would I have been cut out for it? I don’t know. I’m never going to know. That’s not the path I was given. And living it now, I wouldn’t change it for anything. In my opinion, as long as you’re trusting your gut and forging your path, no matter where it leads, you’ll find where you’re meant to be. That’s what I want to believe, at least.

So if Maya can endure the worst of the industry -- including the parts she hasn’t told Katy about that’s already hard to see -- and make something out of it, only she can decide that. Depends on where she wants to find happiness, and if her instinct to create is stronger than her aversion to the darkness.

Right now, she isn’t so sure.

INT. MINKUS HOME - NIGHT

Farkle is equally pensive, soaking up his much more picturesque view of Manhattan at night through the wall of windows in their penthouse. While his melancholy is similar in shades to Maya, his is laced with less inner turmoil and more… longing. A wistfulness, a sense of displacement, that’s hard to ignore when he’s actually dropped back in the city.

He snaps himself out of it when his father, STUART MINKUS, enters the kitchen. He remarks that he’s surprised to see Farkle still up, considering his early flight tomorrow morning.

Farkle: Couldn’t sleep. Stuck on L.A. time, I guess. Three hours later. Stuart: That’s right. Listen to you, so cross-continental. Farkle: Why are you still up? Stuart: Deadline. There’s a huge deal we’re hoping to close this weekend, and I’m this close to polishing the deck for it. You know, one slide can make or break a sale.

Sure, right. Businessman talk. Still, it’s nice to see how genuinely invested in his own work his father is. Even when he felt resentment over the attention deficit, that’s something Farkle always saw in him -- a true passion for what he was doing. Even with all the travel, and long nights, and being away from home.

Farkle comes to join him at the kitchen island, accepting the offer of a cup of decaf coffee for himself. While Stuart preps it, Farkle taps his fingers on the marble surface.

Farkle: Why did you decide to live in New York? Stuart: [ with a scoff ] What kind of a question is that? As if we’re not luxuriating in the most divine penthouse in the country? Have you seen that view? Farkle: Oh, I have. All my life. [ off his proud nod ] But you could’ve chosen any city to base HQ, no? We have satellite offices in Chicago and San Francisco. Hell, that’s not even counting the international ones, and you love Tokyo. Stuart: That I do. Absolutely fantastic city. Farkle: So why New York? How did you figure out it was the right place to… settle? If you could’ve found opportunity anywhere? Stuart: Well, for one, this is one of the financial capitols of the world. There’s no denying that influence. Many businesses dream of setting up shop in this neck of the woods. Then there’s the fact that I simply love this concrete jungle. For all its quirks and grit, it has a charm unlike any other place I’ve ever been. So I undoubtedly have a fair bit of bias.

Stuart finishes pouring the cups of coffee and rejoins Farkle at the island counter, standing opposite him.

Stuart: You want the honest truth though? It was your mother. Farkle: Really? You let a business decision come down to mom? Stuart: First off, let’s not pretend that your mother doesn’t have grand dominion over any number of things in this clan. I’m not so naive to say otherwise. She does matriarch, and she does it very well. It’s one thing I respect immensely about her. But yes, she was the ultimate factor. She had family close, before your grandparents passed, just over in Staten Island. She grew up here, fell in love with it -- you know she’s the one you get your Broadway thirst from. Farkle: So she always claims. Stuart: So while I was falling in love with her, she was convincing me to fall in love with it too. And I suppose somewhere along the way, she did.

So in the simplest of terms, he chose it for love. Sue him. But it doesn’t feel that way, and it didn’t then. They both had their own objectives and careers going on, and lives that were independent of each other. Should something have gone south, God forbid, they would’ve both still thrived in the city. He would’ve continued to grow the business.

Stuart: Like you said, I could’ve done it anywhere. I would’ve found opportunity anywhere. We Minki are innately skilled at that. But Jennifer was here, and that I couldn’t get anywhere else. So we tied the knot, I bought property on Madison Avenue --

And the rest is history. Stuart gestures indicatively to the penthouse around them, driving the point home. Farkle absorbs that, taking a sip of his coffee.

Stuart: Why do you ask? Farkle: No reason. I’ve just been thinking… [ with a shrug ] I’m wondering if Los Angeles is my speed, I guess.

Stuart grows concerned at first. Is everything going well with USC? He knows the falling out with Jordan was an unfortunate turn of events, but otherwise…

Farkle: No, no. It’s fine. I like Los Angeles, and USC. There’s nothing wrong with it. I just… like mother, like son, I suppose. I’ve got my biases too.

He loves New York. Sometimes, he misses it. And tellingly…

Farkle: There are things here that I can’t get in Los Angeles.

He doesn’t elaborate further, but Stuart is known as an industry titan for a reason. He’s whip-smart, and he can read between the lines. He raises his eyebrows in intrigue, but doesn’t nudge, only stating that it’s perfectly fine to contemplate a change. Natural, even, at his age.

Stuart: You know we’d love having you back home. And there are certainly plenty of universities here and theatrical opportunities. Farkle: Yeah. Stuart: Just… think carefully. I trust you, but much like I did, I’d advise you to be absolutely sure it’s worth making the choice. All things considered. When I planted the family business here, it wasn’t just a business decision -- it was a life decision. That’s how I thought of it.

Now, it seems, Farkle may need to make his own. Farkle nods, taking the advice.

Stuart: And whatever you do, don’t say a whisper of this to your mother until you’ve decided. If she gets any idea that you’re thinking of coming back here, she will go berserk out of happiness.

Farkle laughs. Stuart offers up his mug, signaling a gentle toast, and Farkle matches it. They lightly knock their drinks together.

INT. ERIC’S CAR - DAY

And a car door slams, Riley climbing into the backseat of Eric’s sedan. She, Isa, and Josh are all geared up to go, the latter in the passenger seat while Eric takes the driver’s seat. He’s running through a list of last-minute checks in his head. Do they have the bags? Did they lock the door? Is the oven off?

Josh: Gee, I think so. You only checked it about seventeen times. Eric: Passports? Riley: [ holding hers up ] Check. Eric: Tickets? Isa: Check. They’re, you know, on our phones these days. Eric: And everyone has everything? Are we missing anything important? [ craning his neck around ] My tuxedo was in my duffle, right? Josh: Oh, was that what that black bag was? I thought it was a trash bag, I may have dropped it by the curb on the way out…

Eric nearly unbuckles his seatbelt and rushes to salvage it, but Josh, Isa, and Riley pull him back. He was kidding! It was a joke!

Isa: His blood pressure probably just spiked. Do you want to kill him before we even get to the airport? Josh: Sorry, all right. My bad. No jokes, message received. [ slouching slightly ] This is going to be a fun wedding, huh…

Riley coaches Eric through a couple of deep breaths, reminding him it’s all going to work out. They’ve got everything, they checked off their list two times already. All there is left to do is get going.

Eric nods, taking one more centering breath. He glances over his shoulder to confirm Isa is there, that he isn’t leaving a whole person behind, to which they give him a peace sign. He smiles lightly at that, then turns back to face the road ahead.

Eric: All right. Europe, here we come. Allons-y!

INT. LUCAS’S APARTMENT - DAY

Rollout is much calmer with Lucas, who is patiently waiting for Jack to come pick him up. Grace is helping make sure he has everything tucked away into his small and ratty suitcase.

Grace: Hopefully it will endure the flight. We need to make sure to get some new ones before you go to Davis. Lucas: It’s fine. It works well enough. Grace: The last thing you need is to lose all the belongings you do have because your suitcase disintegrates mid-flight. If you’re going to be flying back and forth much more often, we’ll want to make sure you can do it without disaster.

With him, disaster is always a risk. Once they’ve run through the rest of the mini travel checklist, Grace suddenly remembers something.

Grace: I have one more thing. One second.

Lucas watches her shuffle into the kitchen, confused. When she returns, she’s carrying a plain envelope.

Grace: I was hoping you could pass along this letter for me. They should be a guest at the wedding. I’m not sure how involved she’ll be, but… I’m praying she’ll be there. If you need help, Jack should know where to point you.

She hands him the letter. He gets a better look, where his mother has simply written one word on the front. “Rach.”

Lucas is open to playing messenger, but he has a million questions.

Lucas: Who do you know that lives in -- ?

He doesn’t get the chance to finish. There’s a knock at the door, Grace jogging over to let Jack inside. He greets her cheerfully, accepting her soft congratulations on the upcoming festivities. Then he turns to Lucas, clapping his hands together.

Jack: Ready to go?

Lucas nods, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. While Grace thanks Jack again for taking him on the trip, Lucas kneels down and secures the envelope, tucking it into the front pocket of his bag.

INT. JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - MONTAGE - DAY

A quick montage ensues of our gang arriving at the airport, dragging their luggage through the terminal and going through customs. Given the international travel, it’s quite the process, although admittedly much easier than their UK journey last year considering it’s far less people and everyone is responsible for themselves.

Though that doesn’t spare Eric from feeling chaperone-like stress. He has to resist the urge to do a head count.

INT. JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - TERMINAL - DAY

Finally, they make it through, waiting for their plane at the gate. Eric collapses into a waiting area seat next to Isa, who is mentally preparing for the long flight and even longer social marathon ahead. They’ve got their noise-canceling headphones preemptively around their neck. They toss Eric a side-eye as he releases a monumental sigh.

Isa: Isn’t getting married supposed to be a joyous occasion? I don’t think it’s supposed to be this taxing. Eric: Oh, ho ho, that’s where you’re wrong, my friend. Getting married is exactly this taxing. In some ways, that’s where I’m getting my comfort from. If I’m this stressed, I must be doing it right.

Isa shakes their head, but commends him for at least eating, nodding to the pre-flight snack he bought in the terminal. As he starts to chew on it, he prods Isa for how they’re feeling about the whole affair. Not too overwhelmed, he hopes?

Eric: I’m very happy you’re going to be part of this day with me. I hope I’m not putting too much pressure on you. Isa: Oh, no. No… it’s fine. I’m happy to be part of it, too. Eric: Good. I’m glad. [ with a smile ] Are you excited to have all your family in one place for a change? Let alone somewhere so different.

What definition of family does he mean, exactly? Their little, cobbled together unit of weirdness? The MacNamaras, who have been invited to attend? Their friends who have been corralled as cheap wedding entertainment; the entire Matthews clan they’re about to be cloistered with for the first time in full?

Whatever definition, Isa is flustered by all of it. When Eric put it so plainly like that, it doesn’t feel so invigorating as it does terrifying. Change is challenging enough -- how are they supposed to stomach navigating watching all their worlds collide without getting vertigo?

They have to regardless of how they feel, though, so they assume they better suck it up. They’re saved from having to answer the question when they spot Farkle arriving through security, a bit later than the rest. They perk up and excuse themselves, claiming they’re going to go say hi. Eric doesn’t stop them, watching them go with slight amusement.

Farkle notices Isa approaching once he gets his bearings, smiling automatically in spite of himself. They mirror it, picking up their pace a little bit. It’s the first they’ve seen of each other since Los Angeles -- since… well, everything -- and the buzz they feel is familiar yet entirely brand new. Isa doesn’t think they have any idea what to say, yet somehow, that doesn’t seem to matter.

It truly doesn’t matter anyway. Just as Farkle opens his mouth, only a few feet left between them, they’re interrupted. Maya intercepts out of left field, not even realizing Isa is there as she veers in front of Farkle and takes his arms.

Maya: There you are! I was about to file a missing beanpole report. I would’ve made a scene to stop the plane from taking off, I hope you understand. Farkle: Oh, how generous of you. Maya: I know. I’m such a good friend. Now come on, we have to do a terminal mall crawl. I am dying for some Cheez-Its.

She drags Farkle off without looking back, effectively canceling any reunion Isa was planning in their head. As he gets pulled away, Farkle tosses Isa an apologetic look. He mouths a word at them -- later?

Isa manages a smile, nodding in agreement. It’s a promise, which is better than nothing.

A few seats away, Riley has her laptop open and on her lap, guarding Jack and Lucas’s belongings while the two of them went off to find food. She has webpages open to do research… all geared towards programs, opportunities, and schools in Northern California.

She shuts the computer when Lucas returns, giving him her undivided attention as he drops into the seat next to hers. He hands her the food he dutifully retrieved for her and she thanks him.

Riley: You didn’t swipe this, did you? Lucas: Nah. Not worth it here. I’m not trying to get put in flight jail days before Jack’s wedding. Or ever, for that matter. Riley: And flight jail is so much worse than… normal jail? Lucas: Just don’t care for airports that much. Or flying, really. The whole cramped, confined travel thing… not my favorite.

Coming from booth boy -- but suppose that was out of necessity, not preference. Riley gives him an affectionate head tilt, elbowing him lightly.

Riley: Well you might want to get used to it. Soon-to-be Californian. Lucas: Funny. Grace was making the same comments this morning. Riley: And she’s wise for that. Before you know it, we may be taking many more flights in a year.

The phrasing slips out unintentionally, without a second thought, but Lucas catches it.

We may be.

He hears it, and immediately tenses up. The manifestation of it, of this world where Riley follows him, sends this wave of adrenaline through him that he can’t identify and can’t explain. It’s not aversion, but it’s not happy either. It’s not excitement.

As usual, Riley notices his shift in demeanor. She touches his forearm.

Riley: You okay? Lucas: Yeah. Yeah, just… um, a little nervous.

Riley smiles, assuring him it’ll be fine. It’ll be over before they know it. She encourages him to focus on his food, get his blood sugar nice and stable before takeoff.

At the other end of the gate, there is far less stress amongst the Adams peanut gallery. They’re all just high on the fact that they get to go to Europe, much more affordably than they would otherwise, so the spirits are merry and bright in this corner.

In fact, they’re almost punchy. It might be the early morning hour, but the group is downright giggly as they chatter and discuss the trip pre-flight. DYLAN ORLANDO, of course, is the ringleader of this bunch, keeping up the lively conversation and going back and forth with Zay and Yindra. Charlie and ASHER GARCIA watch in amusement, as do Nigel and JADE BEAMON. She’s currently got him pulled onto her lap, hugging him close to make up for the fact that there’s no seats left in their corner.

Yindra: You are a clown, Orlando. Straight up. Dylan: [ with a bow ] Thank you, thank you very much. Zay: You’re gonna embarrass us. You know how all Europeans have this superiority complex because they think they’re all that and Americans are fools that have no class? [ gesturing to him ] Poster child. Asher: Hey, watch it. They also think Americans have enormous egos. Is that your poster gig?

Ooh… the others crack up and poke fun at the barbs, to which Zay rolls his eyes. Charlie grins at him from the seat next to him, nudging his shoulder to get him to loosen up.

Nigel: Honestly, I think we’re all gonna look like clowns. None of us can speak the language. Zay: Um, speak for yourself. I’m semi-fluent. Jade: So is Farkle. Charlie: I barely speak English, so. Yindra: Bitch, you speak like three and half languages. With love and devotion, shut it, Euroslut. Dylan: We don’t need to speak the language to be understood. It is the city of love, my friends! Mes amys! Jade: I don’t think that’s -- Zay: It’s pronounced “ah-mees” --

Dylan ignores them, on a roll. He jumps up to his feet and throws his arms out.

Dylan: The language of love is universal, babes! If you feel it, in your soul, then the city will feel you!

Oui, oui! The group of them applaud Dylan theatrically, Zay included, though begrudgingly. But Dyl Pickle is not entirely wrong. The spirit of romance is in the air -- and it’s going to take them all the way across the Atlantic!

As the sounds of flights taking off and landing fill the soundscape, mixing with the applause…

EXT. INTERNATIONAL SKIES - DAY

The airplane makes its way through the clouds, then fades into a descent as the day turns to night and the city comes to light below.

Flight Attendant: Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you to Paris.

INT. CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT - TERMINAL - NIGHT

After the crew retains their baggage, Jack and Eric lead the pack out of the claim area towards the door. It’s there that they meet their certified international guide for the trip -- RACHEL “RAE” M.G. (40). She is tall, shapely, and absolutely gorgeous, with fiery red hair and an even more fiery personality.

To the celebrity-attuned members of the bunch, this is a crazy sighting indeed. Zay and Yindra’s jaws drop open, and Maya starts smacking Farkle’s arm next to her.

Zay: No fucking way. Yindra: Is that -- ? It’s not. Jade, starstruck: International supermodel Rae M.G.?

To others, the name means nothing. Isa looks lost, as does Lucas -- though the latter isn’t surprising.

Nigel, in a whisper: Who?

Charlie tilts his head, equally unsure, but more focused on trying to figure out why her face feels so familiar when he’s certain he’s never heard the name.

(He won’t remember, but it’s undoubtedly because she was the kind stranger who helped him in this very airport almost a year ago in “Summer Of ‘21.” We here at AMBITION love our plants!)

Rae isn’t concerned with whether the pups know her or not, though. She’s fully zeroed in on Jack, who she tackles and embraces with an epic bear hug. He returns it, shocking the youngins even further.

Maya: Principal Hunter is friends with international supermodel Rae M.G.?

Apparently so! Once she’s released him, she takes his face and pinches his cheeks.

Rae: You made it. Oh, you’re here! [ turning to them ] Oh, you’re all here! Eric: Good to see you. Thanks for all your help arranging this. Rae: Please. Absolutely no thanks necessary. Anything for a friend, that’s what I always say.

And she’s more than thrilled to meet Jack’s posse. Could they all introduce themselves? She quickly goes down the line, shaking hands with everyone and charming them with her infectious energy. Josh seems a little flush in the cheeks, flustered as he gets through his name; Dylan, on the other hand, doesn’t miss a beat, matching her key with ease.

More than anything, Rae is excited to welcome them properly to her city. She transplanted here long ago, so it basically feels like home, and she hopes while they’re here it’ll feel the same for them. They needn’t worry about their bags -- the lovely men she’s hired to take them to the hotel will handle that.

Yindra: [ as the men roll their things away ] I could get used to that… Maya: So true.

As for them, they’ll be following her to the party bus. It’s time to show them the beauty and effortless allure that is Paris -- in the only way AMBITION knows how, of course!

EXT. CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT - NIGHT

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Paris Holds The Key (To Your Heart)” as performed by Anastasia Original Movie Cast Recording || Performed by AMBITION Ensemble

[ Lyrics specific to characters -- follow along here! ]

Now, while the official playlist contains the Broadway version because the film soundtrack is criminally not on Spotify, we must insist that you go listen to the original movie version of this epic ensemble number to get the full experience. Allez, allez!

As the horns and big brass kick off at the start, our ensemble piles into the promised party bus. The driver takes off away from the curb, speeding onto les rues…

EXT. PARIS STREETS - NIGHT

And arriving in the heart of the city, depositing them all into the night. Rae leads the way, laughing into her “ooh la la” as she takes in her beloved metropolis. She breathes it in, then spins to face the travelers who have assembled on the cobblestone behind her.

She launches into the opening lines, welcoming us to her domain. She plucks a flower from a street vendor’s bundle -- who is dumbstruck to see Rae M.G. walking the streets so plainly -- and hands it to Eric, patting his cheek as she says it’s on her. Her charm is unbeatable, mesmerizing and roping them all in with little effort and a heaping dose of excitement.

Forget where you’re from You’re in France! Children, come I’ll show that French “joi de vivre!”

And then we’re off, beginning our performance montage through the dazzling world of Paris. As she goes, Rae naturally pulls people into the dance -- starting with Jack and Eric, who take the first lines from our usual ensemble as they waltz down the sidewalk together. Rae is delighted, encouraging the rest to follow as the ensemble picks up the vocal slack.

Ooh la la! Ooh la la! Ooh la la!

EXT. PARIS STREETS - BRIDGE - NIGHT

Then our kiddos take over, tackling the next few lines as they run through the streets. As they cross one of the bridges over the Seine, Nigel takes his solo and dramatically reaches out over the edge towards the Notre Dame; when Yindra sings hers immediately after, she spins into him and he catches her waist just in time. She throws her arm up and her head back.

Jade has a spoken declaration of her own, admiration palpable at the artistry of the city, and then we’re off again. Sprinting back to the other side of the bridge --

EXT. NOTRE DAME - NIGHT

Then we arrive at the square outside Notre Dame, where a crowd has begun to gather, drawn by Rae’s presence. Even so, she has one moment of a personal aside with Isa, where she offers some sage -- if unknowingly apt -- wisdom.

When your heart says don’t The French say do!

When the idea of “can-can” is invoked, the tour becomes a dance party, what feels like a miniature outdoor festival of joy and music right there in the middle of Paris. Rae pulls Jack into the leg-kicking folly despite his initial protests, to the grand entertainment of his former students, who quickly join into the revelry. Oui! Wee!

The world slows down as the music winds down, ebbing to a gentle twinkle as Lucas takes his solo. He stands amidst the sparkling celebration, a bit awkward and always feeling out of place, but grounded by the one thing that has transfixed his attention.

Riley. Twirling with her friends, beaming bright and laughing with unbridled glee. The most beautiful subject in any setting -- pure joy in any location on Earth.

Paris holds the key to her heart But she can’t fathom us apart

Unless she throws it away. Unless she chooses to snuff it out by traveling too far from her home. They won’t know until it happens; they won’t see her fire burn out until it’s too late. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t. He doesn’t know.

But the fear of it is enough. That she could end up like his mother. The paralyzing possibility that Riley loses that beauty, that natural spark -- and he’s the reason why.

No more pretend My next step; her dead end…

But there’s no time for your maudlin musings, Lucas, we’re having a fête right now! So time speeds up again, the ensemble winds back into full power, and we crescendo towards our finale…

EXT. EIFFEL TOWER - NIGHT

Just beyond the Eiffel Tower, which is aglow in bright, bubbly hues behind them. The full ensemble, as well as what feels like half of Paris has gathered, creating a truly musical-like moment as they barrel through the final lines of the performance. Rae leads front and center, the ensemble fanned out in windows behind her, hitting sharp, energetic choreography and singing with full flourish and flair.

Solo lines are still scattered throughout, though, including Zay’s. When he sings “you’ll be trés joli and so smart,” he leans over to Charlie next to him and playfully takes his face, wiggling his chin. Charlie scrunches his face in response.

On the next line, ANGELA MOORE and SHAWN HUNTER appear, waltzing themselves across the front of the line. Shawn even dares to sing a line of his own, albeit terribly off-key, which only makes the whole thing feel even more lighthearted and exuberant.

Paris holds the key…

As we build to the triumphant conclusion, Farkle gets the last thoughtful line -- casting a glance towards Isa on Rae’s opposite side. For a moment, all is quiet, Farkle holding onto that hopeful breath.

To their…

Then the ensemble explodes into the final “heart,” bringing us to a resounding, splashy finish. Our cast descends into laughter through the remaining ooh la las, then hit their final marks, the Eiffel Tower lighting up in the Adams colors of red, white, and gold behind them.

Finit! Welcome, one and all, to Paris.

INT. PARISIAN BRASSERIE - NIGHT

Our festivities kick off right away, each respective groom’s party gathering for a night out to celebrate everyone’s arrival. In the case of Jack, this takes place at a brasserie, or pub, a cozy and bustling hole-in-the-wall type joint. Their hostess, Rae, has commandeered them a corner booth in the back of the tavern, sectioned off to offer all of them some space and privacy (since apparently, it wouldn’t be out of pocket for her to be recognized).

Lucas would be more stunned by the whole Principal-Jack-being-friends-with-a-supermodel thing, but for starters, he couldn’t name any supermodels off the top of his head even if he tried. That, and he’s much more concerned with trying not to seem as out of place as he feels, seated in the booth as one of Jack’s best men with all these other much older friends.

All of whom, naturally, have known Jack for much longer -- a lifetime beyond Lucas’s brief crossover through Adams. There’s Shawn, of course, and the mysteriously charming Rae who is apparently acting as the officiator for the ceremony. Then there’s another one of Jack’s buddies from college, BEN, a fellow former history major and someone Lucas has never heard of in his life.

At least Shawn is a familiar face, but suffice to say, it’s hard not to feel even more awkward and in his head than usual. He tries to follow the conversation as the old friends catch up, but he’s certain he won’t have anything to contribute. Even when Rae does her best to loop him in, trying to hear more about him, she’s quickly distracted by one of the other men and pulled away.

Just as well. Note to self, don’t befriend your forty-year-old principal, or else you end up in situations like these. Lucas quietly sips his water and silently observes the strangeness of watching Jack prove he had a life before Adams.

INT. PARISIAN CAFE - NIGHT

It’s going about the same for Isa, who is having a similar experience at Eric’s gathering. Although half of his inner circle are just family -- Josh, Cory, and MORGAN MATTHEWS -- it doesn’t make Isa feel any more prepared. They’ve never met Josh nor Morgan, and all they know about the former is that he’s done some stuff with Maya since she moved to Los Angeles. He seems a bit hard to get to know, too, effortlessly aloof at first appearances in contrast to his siblings and distracted half the time, lost in his own head.

If he’s spent time with Maya, then who knows what she’s told him -- what negative opinion he’s formed about Isa.

That, and to be frank, these Matthews siblings are always bickering. Eric has always said his family has their flaws, but they mean well and love each other. That may be true, but my God, can they argue like nobody’s business. Cory and Josh, especially, seem built to butt heads.

Isa: [ mostly to themselves ] If this is what Lucas and I sound like, we need to change that immediately.

No, Isa, even you two aren’t as bad as the Matthews. The other half of Eric’s groom-circle is more approachable, though, consisting of his childhood best friend JASON (41) -- his chosen best man -- and high school pal LINDA (40). They seem to get a kick out of Isa, in turn, because thanks to “training” from Val early on, they can hold their beer with the rest of them.

Jason: Get a load of this one. You’re what, half my size and unfazed? I’ve had half a pint and I’m already feeling floaty.

They’re fun, too, because boy do they have some fun tales about Eric from when he was their age.

Linda: He ever tell you about how he had beard girlfriends in high school? [ wiggling her fingers in a wave ] Yours truly. I was one of them. Eric: That is not true. You were not my beard. Linda: Um, yes I surely was. We were best friends in freshman English, clicked like that. I admit I had a little thing for him then, too, because gosh if you weren’t damn cute. Jason: Still is. [ squishing his face ] Look at this mug. Linda: But I always got the sense he wasn’t into me like that. Sweet as he was to me, though, and such a good friend. Then in junior year, after I join the cheer squad, he asks me if I want to be his girlfriend -- not like, asking me out, but because he said his mom was “worried” he hadn’t a serious girlfriend before and he didn’t want her to worry. Morgan: Aww. I never knew that. [ fondly ] Eric, that’s so lame. Linda: So we “dated” for like six months, just so your parents would get off his back. Eric: Yeah, but that’s not being my beard. It wasn’t about being gay. It was about me freaking out and not knowing what the hell I was doing with my life. Linda: Same difference. Josh: Oh, is that the criteria? Guess I need a beard too, then. Jason: I don’t know, Joshie, at this point I’m not sure I believe you could grow one.

The stories are enjoyable, and the mood jubilant, but it’s all a bit overwhelming. The banter bounces around so fast Isa can barely keep up, let alone even try to get a word in edgewise. If this is just the first night, Isa isn’t sure how they’re going to fare over the next couple days…

But they’re there, and that’s what counts. Eric offers Isa a sheepish smile after that story, clearly a bit embarrassed but happy they’re there to share it with.

They return the gesture, signaling they’re glad to be there too.

INT. PARIS HOTEL - D&A ROOM - NIGHT

Meanwhile, the vibes are somehow even livelier with the rest of the young cohort. A bunch of them have gathered in Dylan and Asher’s room to hang out -- Riley, Yindra, Jade, and the aforementioned roomies. They’ve got groovy music playing and are very much enjoying their legal freedoms in Europe, having acquired a bottle of champagne to split amongst them. The mood is jubilant, already filled with giggles and chatter, and why shouldn’t it be? They’re in Paris, babes!

Nigel makes it to the room just as Riley is starting to pour drinks, Dylan shutting the door behind him. As he joins the party and plops down on the floor between Yindra and Jade, Riley looks towards the door.

Riley: Where are Zay and Charlie? Are they coming? Nigel: I didn’t see them. Zay hasn’t texted me. Asher: I’m sure they’re enjoying something in Paris… Yindra: [ through giddy giggles ] Ew.

When in France, do as the French do… Dylan bursts into maniacal laughter. Nigel just looks confused, but no one bothers to fill him in -- Jade simply gives him an affectionate pat on the cheek.

Riley brings them back into focus, handing out paper cups of champagne. Yindra jumps up to help her and gets the rest of them to quiet down so they can toast.

Riley: Okay, so, first off, raise your glasses to Jack and Eric, without whom we would not be here. Yindra: Hear, hear, baby. Dylan: To the Principal Daddies. Jade: Please don’t -- Nigel: Here’s to planning your wedding last-minute and hiring your former students to be your wedding entertainment because they’re cheap AF.

Hear, hear, baby! The group cheers, Riley trying to hold her laughter together so she can finish her sentiments. She clears her throat.

Riley: And here’s to us, for all surviving our first year in the real world. Betting that the next one will be even better. Yindra: God, sure fucking hope so. Jade: I’ll drink to that. Dylan: And one more toast to our fearless leader, one Riley Erica Matthews -- can I get a hells yeah?

You sure can! The rest of them echo his call, Riley breaking into a grin and throwing an arm around Yindra’s shoulders. To all of the above!

They knock their hotel cups together --

INT. PARIS HOTEL - F&M ROOM - NIGHT

Not everyone is partying tonight, though. Maya is at the vanity in her cramped hotel room, doing her best to focus on her skincare cleansing routine. It’s not easy with Farkle distracting her, as he paces the room nervously behind her. Understandably, he has a lot on his mind.

Farkle: I mean, it’s just like, we haven’t even gotten the chance to speak since we got here. Maybe I should’ve tried harder to catch them when I got back to New York. I just knew there was a lot going on. Maya: I’d say there’s still a lot going on. [ a beat ] Come to think of it, when is there not with our lot? Farkle: I know they’re probably overwhelmed being part of the wedding party, and they don’t want to screw that up. So I don’t want to add to that, you know, by putting any pressure on them. If we talk about stuff, it should be organic. Right?

Maya hums, noncommittal. She barely needs to contribute anyway -- Farkle is filling both sides of the debate all by himself.

Farkle: But what if I’m making it worse by not saying something? Is waiting just like, gonna make things weirder? Or should I be reading more into this? Like, they invited me to be their plus-one to the stuff tomorrow, but if things have changed… I mean, won’t it make things worse if I show up like the ugly duckling who doesn’t fit? Maybe it would be worth it to check in with them. Maya: Well -- Farkle: But no. No, I don’t want -- I don’t want to add onto their plate. If they wanted to talk to me about it, change plans, they would’ve told me. They would’ve reached out. [ deflated ] If they wanted to talk to me at all, actually, they would’ve…

Farkle plops down on the edge of his bed, seemingly having effectively bummed himself out… but then he bounces upright again, back to pacing.

Farkle: But like, I have rights too here, right? Maya: I -- Farkle: I don’t want to make them uncomfortable, but I feel like I have some liberties here. It’s totally reasonable for me to want to talk things through. I mean -- Isa told me they loved me. That’s worth talking about, isn’t it? Shouldn’t we be… if that’s how they actually feel, shouldn’t they be feeling as crazy about this as me? Shouldn’t we be dying to see each other? Maya: Jesus, Farkle, I don’t know! Who do you think I am, Aphrodite?

She says this with all the love in the world, but he needs to get a grip. He was right about one thing, which is that Isa probably hasn’t thought about anything today but getting through the travel and the wedding party obligations. Socializing is hard enough as it is -- socializing with a bunch of 40-somethings has to be torture. But regardless, Maya of all people isn’t going to have the answers he wants.

Maya: I genuinely have no opinion on how you all handle this… thing you’ve got going on. And I’m sure Isa would prefer it that way. But you’re going to see them tomorrow, at this special little brunch no less, so I think you just need to hold your horny little horses until then.

Farkle huffs, slightly embarrassed. Maya blows him an apologetic kiss, but that’s her two cents. As she goes back to moisturizing, she suggests he go down to party with the others so he can blow off some steam.

Maya: I mean, I wouldn’t be caught dead at a Dasher soirée, but you seem like you could afford to get plastered.

INT. PARIS HOTEL - ISA’S ROOM - NIGHT

Just as they suspected, Isa is absolutely exhausted when they finally make it back to their room. They don’t even bother to turn on the lights, shrugging off their jacket and tossing it to the side before collapsing onto their bed with a monumental groan.

This was only the warm-up act. Tomorrow is going to be even longer, even more action-packed, with a lot more attention and stakes. How the fuck are they going to get through it? The anxiety is closing in around them before they can stop it, heightened by the shadows of the dark hotel room. They force themselves to take a deep breath, screwing their eyes shut.

Eric. They will get through it because of Eric. He cared enough to want them in his wedding in the first place. He doesn’t expect anything from them other than their presence. They can manage that. At least they don’t have to actually stand up there in front of everyone like Lucas.

And there’s one more pillar they know they can lean on… Isa reaches for their phone and pulls it open, drafting a text to Farkle.

“Sorry we’ve barely gotten to catch up. I am fucking wiped. Really really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow”

It’ll have to suffice -- it’s all their brain can cobble together right now. They hit send without overthinking it and then toss their phone to the side, rolling onto their stomach and covering their head with a pillow.

INT. PARIS HOTEL - MATTHEWS BROTHERS ROOM - NIGHT

Eric is equally tired, but he doesn’t get to drop right to sleep. He’s sharing a room with Cory and Josh tonight, and right now, the three of them are having an argument about who is going to have to sleep on the chaise lounge.

Josh: Can we not just share a bed for one night like we did on like… several trips throughout our lifetimes? Cory: Ugh, no! We’re grown adults! Josh: I didn’t realize bed-sharing was an age-restricted activity. Eric: Please. I just want to sleep. Cory: Fine, then. You two can share your bed. Josh: Eric shouldn’t have to the night before his damn wedding! He needs his beauty sleep. Eric: [ covering his face with his hands ] What are we even arguing about? Cory: I agree, Joshua -- Josh: Don’t call me that. Cory: Which is why you get to sleep on the chaise! Josh: You always do this shit. How old do I have to get, Cory, before you stop treating me like the runt of the litter? Cory: Oh, please -- Eric: [ to himself ] Spend your last night as a Matthews with your brothers, you said. It’s cute. Symbolic. It’ll be fun, you said.

The petty disagreements of siblinghood definitely have no age restrictions. Thankfully, they’re briefly interrupted tonight by a knock on the door. Eric raises his eyebrows at them.

Eric: You expecting anyone? Cory: No. Josh: I hope it’s Morgan coming to get me out of here. I’d much rather room with her. Cory: Okay, then, GO DO THAT.

Eric rolls his eyes, going to answer the door.

INT. PARIS HOTEL - HALLWAY - NIGHT

Jack is on the other side, getting an earful of Cory and Josh bickering almost immediately. His eyebrows shoot up, mirroring Eric’s surprise at seeing him.

Jack: Am I interrupting something? Eric: As an act of service, yes. What are you doing down here? Jack: Thought I’d come say goodnight. You know, before…

Cory finally notices who is at the door, gasping loudly.

Cory: Eric! Slam the door! Josh: Warm brother-in-law welcome, Cor. You’re off to a strong start. Cory: There’s a reason Eric is in here at all. It’s tradition. You’re not supposed to see each other before, it’s bad luck! Jack: I think that’s technically about the wedding dress… Eric: Which neither of us have. Josh: Bummer. I think both of you should. Cory: Bad luck! Bad luck! Stop talking to each other and find some salt to throw over your shoulders. Josh: I don’t think you should be doling out wisdom about luck in marriages.

Damn, Josh is full of zingers tonight. Eric makes a face and steps out into the hallway before Cory blows a gasket, shutting the door and giving him and Jack a temporary respite of privacy.

Jack: Seems like the brother sleepover is going great. Eric: Why did I think this was a good idea? You’re supposed to talk me out of bad ideas. Jack: It’s cute that you think I have any power over you and your stubborn --

Okay, that’s enough. Eric shushes him.

Eric: How’s it going for you? Jack: Oh, fine. Shawn is already asleep, he crashed basically as soon as we got back. He didn’t get any sleep on the flight, and he always gets jetlagged no matter which direction we went. One lager, and he’s off like a baby. [ with a smile ] Even so, I’m much more looking forward to tomorrow night…

When it’s the two of them again. When it’s them, but also, something more than it was before.

Eric mirrors his smile, letting him take his hand. Jack squeezes it, then brings it up to press a kiss to his knuckles. They hold eye contact all the while, somehow feeling a little like teens going steady again even though they’ve got many years under their belts and they’re on the verge of the rest of their lives together.

Jack: Goodnight, Eric Matthews. Eric: Night, Jackie.

Jack’s smile brightens at the cheeky nickname. He leans closer, closing the distance between them…

The hotel room door swings open, startling them. Cory steps in between them, shooing Jack away.

Cory: Bad. Luck. Go!

All right, all right! Jack raises his hands in surrender, Eric pressing his hands to his eyes in exasperation. Although he backs off, Jack tosses Eric a wink over his shoulder as he retreats down the hall.

Once he’s gone, Cory turns back to Eric.

Cory: Okay, we need you to mediate, because I don’t think Joshua and I are going to be able to work this out by ourselves. Josh: [ from inside ] No need. I already claimed the bed. Cory: What?!

Cory darts back inside, launching back into annoying brotherly spatting with Josh who apparently has already gotten under the covers and tucked himself in tight to the bed Cory thought was his. Eric takes a deep, calming breath, exhaling through his nose.

Less than twenty-four hours to go… as he steps back inside and shuts the door…

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