32. | Future Unknown: streetlight people
32.
streetlight people
hold onto that feeling
cook/archuleta (1998 words)
Part of the Future Unknown verse! I'm sort of hoping this isn't such a huge ripoff of that one episode of that one show that everyone like, hates me, but I LIKED THIS IDEA A LOT. I'm also vague on purpose. Haha, I dunno. Episode three! (Sorry for the random blurb up here, I'm trying to make sure this works.)
ETA: SHOOT. In my hurry to post this I forgot that I wanted to dedicate this to starafar for the amazing website she made (which you can find on the masterlist I linked to above) and also just because she's amazing and deserves to have fic dedicated to her for forever. ♥ THANK YOU, PAT.
PREVIOUSLY:
"Oh my gosh," David says, burying his face in his hands while Jared grins from behind the camera, "I cannot believe I actually sang in my sleep. And I -- " He cuts off and Cook waggles his eyebrows at him from the other side of the couch. "Cook wants me to let everyone know that he wasn't like, waiting for me to start singing so he could cameo as a weird person in my room late at night, he was just passing though. Um."
"Well," Cook says from the other side of the couch, "if I'd thought about it I probably would've been waiting for it, but I didn't, so I wasn't. Just thought it should be cleared up before the website went crazy."
David stares at him, clearly trying to decide if he's being serious or not, while Cook adopts a completely blank expression that fades into black as the cameras cut off.
THIS WEEK:
"So," Carly says, clapping her hands together once, "What do you think? Sound like a plan?"
"Um," David says, wrinkling his nose, "a fortune teller? Really?"
"Oh, well, yeah," Carly says, moving around their kitchen to make herself a glass of water (it's sort of scary how well she knows where everything is. Once Cook had to go ask her where they kept the cutting boards because neither of them could find one. There is apparently a hidden cabinet somewhere in their kitchen that neither of them had seen. Huh.). "It sounds really interesting and I mean, you don't have to take it seriously but who knows? It could be really accurate."
Which, okay, maybe David can see where this is going -- Cook was probably busy again today (David thinks he's working on some new music, which -- a total benefit of living with Cook is getting to hear his awesome music like, way before anyone else, sometimes even the band, it's so cool, especially when Cook asks for his opinion because David values Cook's opinion more than anyone elses, so it's really awesome to be taken so seriously and -- yeah.) and they needed to have David do more than awkwardly entertain the cameras. And Carly was a huge draw for fans because she was so pretty and a whole lot better at the whole being-in-front-of-the-camera thing than David, so there was that. Any episode that featured Carly was sure to be better.
So what could he say but, "Alright," albeit a bit tentatively.
And the cameras stay turned on even while they're in the car just chattering away, and David's getting better at forgetting they're there so he starts singing along with all the top 40 hits that play and Carly cheers for him after a rendition of "I'm Yours" that Jared gives a thumbs up to. David blushes a little but tries not to freak out like he would've before, and is pleased when he only waits two songs before starting up again.
The fortune teller's place is in this really -- David's never used the phrase hole-in-the-wall before but it seems kind of apt for this place. It's grungy and has the total mystique atmosphere that Madam Zerida was probably going for, with all this dim lighting and weird sparkly things everywhere. The company must have called ahead or something because the girl at the table in the front doesn't blink twice (although she does surreptitiously keep checking her makeup in the mirror that hangs above her table) and simply waves them through the beaded doorway to a slightly smoky, almost garishly decorated room with the standard round table and drapery everywhere that seem to mark a fortune teller's place.
David fidgets in place before taking the seat next to Carly, who's looking around at everything saying, "Oh, I wonder if that's some sort of potion or something, what d'you think? I bet it's awful, it looks like it'd be awful. Oh, look, is that a crystal ball? Do they really use those? Wow."
And David's so thankful for the distraction because now that he's thinking about it he's kind of nervous, like -- like what if the fortune he gets here is bad or something? Not that David really believes this kind of stuff, but like, what if it gets to him and he starts tripping himself into have a bad fortune for real? Isn't that how this stuff worked? They suggested you watch for danger and you found danger in everything that came your way? It's all, like, paranoia and stuff. Mind games. David totally watches television, he knows.
A chime sounds and a woman draped in dark swaths of clothing and with the biggest earrings David has ever seen (and David works with celebrities who make it their life's mission to have huge, crazy jewelry) comes into the rooms with calm, neutral smile. She actually looks -- except for the clothing, this woman looks really normal. No weird facial markings or hair or anything, and she simply sits down at the table and extends her hand to each of them, saying, "Welcome."
Her palm is cool and soft and David shudders a little as it touches his. He totally doesn't believe this stuff. It's just the room getting to him. That's it.
"The lady first," Madam Zerida says, and takes Carly's palm and doesn't make those weird humming noises or tutting sounds, simply stares at it and traces her finger along the lines of her hand and says, "You've had a very dramatic life, my dear. But everything is better now, isn't it? You've set yourself on the path for a wonderful life, and I believe you have already found your one true love. Congratulations."
And just like that, it's over. The camera pans to Carly's amused smile and then Madam Zerida is reaching for David's hand and saying, "Oh, my."
And for a moment, all she does is stare and squint at David's hand, which makes him really nervous and kind of tempts him to just pull away from her and like, leave, but finally she says in this soft voice, "You're so young, but you've already found everything you'll ever need. You've already met the one person you're destined to spend the rest of your life with. You just need to look."
And she blinks rapidly, as if she were waking up or something, and says, "Yes. So. I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to look at any of the remedies we have, I'd be happy to explain them to you."
Which, no, David does not, but Carly goes with her and talks about herbs or whatever, and meanwhile David's reeling from his so-called "fortune." Because like, what was that? You've already met the one person you're destined to spend the rest of your life with? What could that even -- he's met so many people already! She should've been more specific, like said, maybe, pre-Idol or post-Idol or even just during-Idol, or something, because --
Wait. David doesn't care. He doesn't believe in this stuff anyways. It's just a silly superstitious thing. (Carly still buys one of the potions that's supposed to help keep your hands smooth no matter what, and they sniff at it in disbelief but agree that it does smell really good, so maybe it's not so much of a loss.)
They drive back home and the cameras are taking a break in the back, and so David talks with Jared about the fortune telling place and asks him what he thought of it, and simply receives an enigmatic smile and a "you never know, man," in return. Awesome.
Cook is sitting on the couch flicking through channels, which, yay, that means he probably finished a song today because if Cook gets stumped he tends to walk around on the balcony for a while and stare at nothing until he breaks through (once David had woken up at like two to get a glass of water and went to the kitchen and had nearly had a heart attack to find Cook just sitting on the floor next to the fridge, listening to the hum and trying to find a melody that would not come to him. David had sat with him and hummed along to the fridge until, around three-thirty, Cook had stood up, went to his guitar, and played the song all the way through. It was absolutely amazing).
"How'd it go?" Cook asks, standing up and tossing a smile at the cameras; David bets when this episode airs a million girls will swoon at their televisions. Sometimes, when Cook is all rugged and wearing jeans and a t-shirt like he is now, it is really hard to blame them.
"I got the weirdest fortune ever," David says, and Cook immediately looks interested, like David's life is just so fascinating.
"Do tell. I hope you're not in for some natural disaster or something, as that would concern me as well." He glances around their apartment, and David feels a little -- like, a warmth in his stomach because this is totally their apartment now, they've been putting themselves into it beyond what the interior decorator made it out to be (like Cook's collection of books scattered across every surface, or David's plants sitting on the bar in the kitchen and the balcony, or the sheets of music pinned on corkboards littered throughout the room wherever felt right). It's totally theirs, and that makes David unexpectedly happy.
"Oh, just that I've, whatever, met the girl I'm destined to be with or something."
Cook goes really still and the camera makes a whirring sound as it focuses on him, and David blinks in confusion. "That's what it said?" Cook asks, sounding strange, and Carly sends Cook a look and says, "Not exactly. It said that David had already met the person he was destined to be with for the rest of his life."
David really, really hopes that the mics don't pick up on the extra emphasis that Carly put on person, because now that she's said it he's -- oh my gosh, he hadn't considered that it might be, um, a guy. But now he was, and automatically he looked at Cook and Cook was staring right at him and um, oh, what?
There was a slight cough from someone and David says, "Well, Carly has found the love of her life."
"Carly," Cook says, finally looking away from David to grin at her, "Really, what can I say? I'm not sure we'd be good together."
"Shut up, you," Carly says fondly, punching him gently in the arm. "It's getting a little late. I'm going to go home and reheat some old lasagna. I think I left some for you guys earlier, if you want to look instead of just ordering Chinese."
David and Cook trade guilty glances. "Um, okay. We'll think about it."
"But probably won't do it," Cook adds, and she swats at them both and heads back to her own apartment with a, "See you later, boys!" tossed over her shoulders.
And the thing is, this whole thing was just an episode for the show. A way to interest viewers. Fortune-telling wasn't like, accurate, and worrying about it was just what they expected from you.
Still, David finds himself staring into the distance in his room later (after making faces at the camera in his room because shoot, he had to go into the closet to change now) thinking about what Madam Zerida had said and what Carly had said and the way Cook had looked. And he's still thinking about it when he falls asleep that night; Cook doesn't look any different, David thinks, but there's something different. Something's changed, and David doesn't know what it is, and maybe it's not a bad change, but it's there and they both feel it and it's probably going to be big trouble in the future. They'll just have to wait and see.
streetlight people
hold onto that feeling
cook/archuleta (1998 words)
Part of the Future Unknown verse! I'm sort of hoping this isn't such a huge ripoff of that one episode of that one show that everyone like, hates me, but I LIKED THIS IDEA A LOT. I'm also vague on purpose. Haha, I dunno. Episode three! (Sorry for the random blurb up here, I'm trying to make sure this works.)
ETA: SHOOT. In my hurry to post this I forgot that I wanted to dedicate this to starafar for the amazing website she made (which you can find on the masterlist I linked to above) and also just because she's amazing and deserves to have fic dedicated to her for forever. ♥ THANK YOU, PAT.
PREVIOUSLY:
"Oh my gosh," David says, burying his face in his hands while Jared grins from behind the camera, "I cannot believe I actually sang in my sleep. And I -- " He cuts off and Cook waggles his eyebrows at him from the other side of the couch. "Cook wants me to let everyone know that he wasn't like, waiting for me to start singing so he could cameo as a weird person in my room late at night, he was just passing though. Um."
"Well," Cook says from the other side of the couch, "if I'd thought about it I probably would've been waiting for it, but I didn't, so I wasn't. Just thought it should be cleared up before the website went crazy."
David stares at him, clearly trying to decide if he's being serious or not, while Cook adopts a completely blank expression that fades into black as the cameras cut off.
THIS WEEK:
"So," Carly says, clapping her hands together once, "What do you think? Sound like a plan?"
"Um," David says, wrinkling his nose, "a fortune teller? Really?"
"Oh, well, yeah," Carly says, moving around their kitchen to make herself a glass of water (it's sort of scary how well she knows where everything is. Once Cook had to go ask her where they kept the cutting boards because neither of them could find one. There is apparently a hidden cabinet somewhere in their kitchen that neither of them had seen. Huh.). "It sounds really interesting and I mean, you don't have to take it seriously but who knows? It could be really accurate."
Which, okay, maybe David can see where this is going -- Cook was probably busy again today (David thinks he's working on some new music, which -- a total benefit of living with Cook is getting to hear his awesome music like, way before anyone else, sometimes even the band, it's so cool, especially when Cook asks for his opinion because David values Cook's opinion more than anyone elses, so it's really awesome to be taken so seriously and -- yeah.) and they needed to have David do more than awkwardly entertain the cameras. And Carly was a huge draw for fans because she was so pretty and a whole lot better at the whole being-in-front-of-the-camera thing than David, so there was that. Any episode that featured Carly was sure to be better.
So what could he say but, "Alright," albeit a bit tentatively.
And the cameras stay turned on even while they're in the car just chattering away, and David's getting better at forgetting they're there so he starts singing along with all the top 40 hits that play and Carly cheers for him after a rendition of "I'm Yours" that Jared gives a thumbs up to. David blushes a little but tries not to freak out like he would've before, and is pleased when he only waits two songs before starting up again.
The fortune teller's place is in this really -- David's never used the phrase hole-in-the-wall before but it seems kind of apt for this place. It's grungy and has the total mystique atmosphere that Madam Zerida was probably going for, with all this dim lighting and weird sparkly things everywhere. The company must have called ahead or something because the girl at the table in the front doesn't blink twice (although she does surreptitiously keep checking her makeup in the mirror that hangs above her table) and simply waves them through the beaded doorway to a slightly smoky, almost garishly decorated room with the standard round table and drapery everywhere that seem to mark a fortune teller's place.
David fidgets in place before taking the seat next to Carly, who's looking around at everything saying, "Oh, I wonder if that's some sort of potion or something, what d'you think? I bet it's awful, it looks like it'd be awful. Oh, look, is that a crystal ball? Do they really use those? Wow."
And David's so thankful for the distraction because now that he's thinking about it he's kind of nervous, like -- like what if the fortune he gets here is bad or something? Not that David really believes this kind of stuff, but like, what if it gets to him and he starts tripping himself into have a bad fortune for real? Isn't that how this stuff worked? They suggested you watch for danger and you found danger in everything that came your way? It's all, like, paranoia and stuff. Mind games. David totally watches television, he knows.
A chime sounds and a woman draped in dark swaths of clothing and with the biggest earrings David has ever seen (and David works with celebrities who make it their life's mission to have huge, crazy jewelry) comes into the rooms with calm, neutral smile. She actually looks -- except for the clothing, this woman looks really normal. No weird facial markings or hair or anything, and she simply sits down at the table and extends her hand to each of them, saying, "Welcome."
Her palm is cool and soft and David shudders a little as it touches his. He totally doesn't believe this stuff. It's just the room getting to him. That's it.
"The lady first," Madam Zerida says, and takes Carly's palm and doesn't make those weird humming noises or tutting sounds, simply stares at it and traces her finger along the lines of her hand and says, "You've had a very dramatic life, my dear. But everything is better now, isn't it? You've set yourself on the path for a wonderful life, and I believe you have already found your one true love. Congratulations."
And just like that, it's over. The camera pans to Carly's amused smile and then Madam Zerida is reaching for David's hand and saying, "Oh, my."
And for a moment, all she does is stare and squint at David's hand, which makes him really nervous and kind of tempts him to just pull away from her and like, leave, but finally she says in this soft voice, "You're so young, but you've already found everything you'll ever need. You've already met the one person you're destined to spend the rest of your life with. You just need to look."
And she blinks rapidly, as if she were waking up or something, and says, "Yes. So. I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to look at any of the remedies we have, I'd be happy to explain them to you."
Which, no, David does not, but Carly goes with her and talks about herbs or whatever, and meanwhile David's reeling from his so-called "fortune." Because like, what was that? You've already met the one person you're destined to spend the rest of your life with? What could that even -- he's met so many people already! She should've been more specific, like said, maybe, pre-Idol or post-Idol or even just during-Idol, or something, because --
Wait. David doesn't care. He doesn't believe in this stuff anyways. It's just a silly superstitious thing. (Carly still buys one of the potions that's supposed to help keep your hands smooth no matter what, and they sniff at it in disbelief but agree that it does smell really good, so maybe it's not so much of a loss.)
They drive back home and the cameras are taking a break in the back, and so David talks with Jared about the fortune telling place and asks him what he thought of it, and simply receives an enigmatic smile and a "you never know, man," in return. Awesome.
Cook is sitting on the couch flicking through channels, which, yay, that means he probably finished a song today because if Cook gets stumped he tends to walk around on the balcony for a while and stare at nothing until he breaks through (once David had woken up at like two to get a glass of water and went to the kitchen and had nearly had a heart attack to find Cook just sitting on the floor next to the fridge, listening to the hum and trying to find a melody that would not come to him. David had sat with him and hummed along to the fridge until, around three-thirty, Cook had stood up, went to his guitar, and played the song all the way through. It was absolutely amazing).
"How'd it go?" Cook asks, standing up and tossing a smile at the cameras; David bets when this episode airs a million girls will swoon at their televisions. Sometimes, when Cook is all rugged and wearing jeans and a t-shirt like he is now, it is really hard to blame them.
"I got the weirdest fortune ever," David says, and Cook immediately looks interested, like David's life is just so fascinating.
"Do tell. I hope you're not in for some natural disaster or something, as that would concern me as well." He glances around their apartment, and David feels a little -- like, a warmth in his stomach because this is totally their apartment now, they've been putting themselves into it beyond what the interior decorator made it out to be (like Cook's collection of books scattered across every surface, or David's plants sitting on the bar in the kitchen and the balcony, or the sheets of music pinned on corkboards littered throughout the room wherever felt right). It's totally theirs, and that makes David unexpectedly happy.
"Oh, just that I've, whatever, met the girl I'm destined to be with or something."
Cook goes really still and the camera makes a whirring sound as it focuses on him, and David blinks in confusion. "That's what it said?" Cook asks, sounding strange, and Carly sends Cook a look and says, "Not exactly. It said that David had already met the person he was destined to be with for the rest of his life."
David really, really hopes that the mics don't pick up on the extra emphasis that Carly put on person, because now that she's said it he's -- oh my gosh, he hadn't considered that it might be, um, a guy. But now he was, and automatically he looked at Cook and Cook was staring right at him and um, oh, what?
There was a slight cough from someone and David says, "Well, Carly has found the love of her life."
"Carly," Cook says, finally looking away from David to grin at her, "Really, what can I say? I'm not sure we'd be good together."
"Shut up, you," Carly says fondly, punching him gently in the arm. "It's getting a little late. I'm going to go home and reheat some old lasagna. I think I left some for you guys earlier, if you want to look instead of just ordering Chinese."
David and Cook trade guilty glances. "Um, okay. We'll think about it."
"But probably won't do it," Cook adds, and she swats at them both and heads back to her own apartment with a, "See you later, boys!" tossed over her shoulders.
And the thing is, this whole thing was just an episode for the show. A way to interest viewers. Fortune-telling wasn't like, accurate, and worrying about it was just what they expected from you.
Still, David finds himself staring into the distance in his room later (after making faces at the camera in his room because shoot, he had to go into the closet to change now) thinking about what Madam Zerida had said and what Carly had said and the way Cook had looked. And he's still thinking about it when he falls asleep that night; Cook doesn't look any different, David thinks, but there's something different. Something's changed, and David doesn't know what it is, and maybe it's not a bad change, but it's there and they both feel it and it's probably going to be big trouble in the future. They'll just have to wait and see.