diamond in the rough

Although she preferred hot chocolate, Elsa couldn’t help but enjoy the refreshing glass of lemonade in front of her that hot afternoon. Most of the summer, Elsa remained in the comfort of her home, protected from the heat by the air conditioning, but today, she decided to get out of the house to attempt be less antisocial. Sipping on her lemonade, she smiled, “At least we know it’s going to finally cool down in a few weeks.”

Aladdin didn’t mind the heat. He’d dealt with a Carthay heat wave in worse conditions before. Being in 90+ degree weather while on the streets builds some sort of defense on any hot weather. “As much as I’m enjoying the nice summer sun this year, I don’t know if I’m ready for fall or winter.” If he had to pick between summer and winter, Aladdin would pick summer. “I don’t know if I’m ready for those snow storms we get.”

 She nodded her head a few times as his explanations got across. From what she’s gathering, he didn’t have much of a choice in that. Was it the fame he sought, the power? She was no stranger to those who craved moving up in the big world. Jasmine fixated her gaze onto his in an endeavor to read his expression. She wasn’t expecting the male to be as sincere as he was portraying himself currently. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. As a matter of fact, it felt like the fog in the air that lingered among them for so long had finally started to clear up. The minuscule dull ache in her chest began to subside. “You know…you could have told me beforehand, I could have even pretended with you. I just want you to be honest with me. No more lies. About who you are, how you feel, everything. I’m more accepting than you might think.”

Aladdin waited with bated breath. She didn’t have to believe him. But he really wanted to fix this tear between them more than anything. He didn’t really know why but he just knew he would live with himself if they just left on this sour note. A smile spread on his lips. She was warming up to him again. That’s all he could ask for. He nodded with agreement. He wasn’t going to speak any more lies. Because at this point Aladdin believed all his lies he told. “No more lies.” He repeated with her. “I promise. I will be honest with everything.” He couldn’t be more happier. “I think I might even start right now. Because honestly, I think we should get lunch.” He suggested smoothly. 

“How is that not creepy?” The girl couldn’t help but give the man a look, sipping on her coffee as he defended himself. “I’m so judging you, I’m the most judgemental person in this crap town, how can I not judge?” The girl couldn’t help but have her jaw drop towards the ground, how could the man in front of her not see how weird this was. “So you’re an escort… You’re a male escort, oh my god, you sugar baby,” she whispered in a shout-y type way. “Dude… That’s.. are you being safe, are you sure this is.. normal. This isn’t normal you have to see how much of a ‘what the fuck’ this is to hear?” 

     “So you pretended to be homeless for money? There’s quite a bit of irony there, don’t you think?” She inquired, an eyebrow arched as she just stared at him. Even though she came from a wealthy background, she wasn’t entirely pleased to hear his reasoning. She raises a hand and lightly smacks her hand against her forehead. “I can only imagine how the actual homeless people must feel. Was this on your own accord? Did your director make you portray a homeless person? As a matter of fact, what did you achieve by deceiving someone who deeply cared about you? How did you feel telling those lies to me in my face?” She spat all these inquiries in his face. How he felt about these things would help her figure out what kind of person he is and what matters to him.

“What? No, no. I mean, yes but ...” He couldn’t really explain himself further as she spat him with questions. This wasn’t going as smoothly as he hoped. He cleared his throat preparing himself to give her the answers she’d want to hear from him. Because the truth was not an option. “That was a lot of questions. First off, when I signed on, I had no idea what they were going to have me do. I was just told I was going to be in some sort of disguise. I was just doing what I was told.” He stopped his explanation. The realization that he actually hurt Jasmine hit him again. “I got nothing good from it.” He made sure to look to look her straight in the eyes. “I feel terrible about it now. I had no good reason to keep up the act I did after I got to know you. And I don’t know what I have to do to make it up to you. I am willing to do anything.” His last words were completely honest. He has never meant anything more.   

It’s honestly rare to spot Eric at the pool casually making conversation. Though he’s usually pretty chatty and friendly– whenever he’s got his googles on and a timer on his right hand… his mind takes him back to his competing days and  the rest of the world just seems to fade away. So when Ali casually approaches him right after the end of his timed swim, he’s almost startled. “Hey” The man breathes out, slowly coming back to his senses. “Ali, yeah I remember. I didn’t know you trained here.”

Aladdin perked up knowing Eric remembered him. That meant he left a good impression the last time. He was too proud of himself that he hadn’t realized he might have disturbed the swimmer. Aladdin was unsure if he should admit he rarely went to the gym and today he just happened to be so bored that the gym was the only that sounded good. “Actually I just found myself a trainer a while ago.” He lied. “Seeing that I’m extending my stay here in Carthay, I might as well get a trainer set up. Can I get your honest opinion, this is place worth it? Don’t want to waste too much money.”

    Her stern expression softened as she heeded out his explanation. She doesn’t really even recall how long it’s been since they’ve talked. A sigh leaves her lips as she sits back down in her seat. She looks up at him and motions her hand to the empty seat in front of her. “Fine.” The princess agreed to his request, as reluctant as she felt. “Tell me, what do you have to say?” She inquired, leaning forward in her seat to signal that he had her undivided attention.

He breathed out. So much weight lifted off his shoulders. She was willing to talk and listen to him. Wasting no time, Aladdin took a seat. As she sat, he didn’t think he would have gotten this far. He expected her to not want to see or speak to him ever again. He gathered his thoughts. “I want to say I’m sorry. So very sorry. But I can explain why I lied to you. Back when we first meet at the market. I know I told you that I was living on the streets and everything. It was because I was filming a reality TV show. I just pretending to live like that for a show. I had to keep the act up.”

P: What are their thoughts on going vegan? Could they do it?

Aladdin thinks it’s a great life choice. He’s thought about it. He has never been big on meat so it is a possibility for him.

E: Are they the happiest they’ve ever been?  

He is. And he has to thank Genie for making it happen.

T: How quick are they to cry?

Living on the streets for years, Aladdin has formed a hard shell. He taught himself to hold back in softer emotions for protection. 

R: When’s the last time they had a birthday party?

A: Who are their exes? Do they still keep in touch?

Aladdin hasn’t been in any serious relations. He can barely get a date, even with the help of Genie.

B: Who is the last person they shared a bed with?

Genie. Only because the man was drunk and choose Aladdin’s bed to be the place where he passed out.

U: Would they rather be single or in a relationship?

    As soon as she recognized the familiar voice and face, she snapped her head back. Brown hues widened as her eyebrows rose. She felt an intense, sharp pain in her chest. She stood up from her chair and turned her body towards him. “You’re right, I didn’t think so either.” She commented, glancing up and down at his tall frame. “Are you trying to track me down or something? Because if so, you should stop. I’m not going to be fooled a second time.” She warned, her voice being stern. Just the mere sight of him made her blood start boiling. Albeit, under all that anger, she was disappointed. She was hurt and she felt betrayed. And she wasn’t even certain if he even had the slightest clue of how his actions impacted her. Not only the princess but their whole connection between each other. 

It was worth a shot. Of course she was still mad at him. He broke her trust. Why did he even think it would have been that easy? Aladdin shook his head. “No, no. This was shear coincidence. Honestly.” He was telling the truth this time. The glare she was giving him didn’t make him feel any good. “I was just here to grab a tea.” He pause for a moment. He might not be able to get another chance to talk to her again. “I’m still sorry. I know you’re still mad at me, but can we just talk?”

   “And that’s just it with life, you know?” She gestured her hand outwards to emphasize her words. “It’s like you know what you want but you can’t have it or once you have what you want, you don’t know what you want then.” She stared into her camera screen as she was currently holding a live stream on Instagram, holding her phone in the other hand. “But until next time everyone, thanks for checking in!” She waved goodbye before catching someone behind her on her camera. She ended the live stream with the click of a button and glanced over to look at the person. “Oh! Sorry, I didn’t see you beforehand. I didn’t mean to capture you on screen.”

Aladdin didn’t mean to drop in on her video. He wasn’t even expecting to bump into Jasmine. As far as he knew, she was avoiding him. He knew about her fairly large following on social media. He understood why so many people were interesting in her. She had to be one of the most interesting person he had ever met. When he saw his face in her screen, he gave a huge smile before she turned to him. “Hey, that’s fine. I didn’t think you’d even allow me in your videos.”

❝  ONLY  A  MONTH  ? Wow  ,   well  how  do  you  like  it  so  far  ?  ❞  Moana’s  brows  knit  together  ,  deep  in  thought  ,  ❝  wait  ,  okay  ….  so  you’ve  been  here  a  month  and  you’ve  already  gotten  into  Harryhausen’s …  ?  What  are  you  ?  Some  kind  of  celebrity  ?  It  takes  forever to  get  even  on  the  waiting  list  .  They’re  like  open  for  such  a  short  amount  of  time  each  day  .   ❞   Suddenly  ,  her  idea  of  the  man  changes  .  Maybe  he  is  famous  .  How  would  she  know  ?  She’s  not  exactly  the  best  at  keeping  up  with  things  outside  of  her  regular  obsessions  . 

“It’s a great city. I could actually see myself living here while here. There is like a magic in the air that just makes me want to stay.” Just when things were going good, Aladdin had to slip up on something. He had to think of something quick. “Celebrity...?” He could work with that. “Well, I guess you can say that. I’m not in movies for anything. But I know people that get me in. I have this circle of friends in high places.” The truth of how he actually got into Harryhausen was all due to Genie. “I get into places pretty easily. I mean when you are a heir to a big company, getting into some places are never an issue.” He shrugged it off. 

“Well I appreciate that you were trying to save my feelings,” Kit laughed, leaning against the breakfast bar as he took another sip of wine. “I frequently make a whole heap of shit up when I’m drunk, so it’s probably that,” he shrugged. “That explains why I haven’t seen you around much. That does sound good. Maybe you should host a party there some time,” Kit winked. “I hope you will get addicted, if people don’t come back then there’s no party at all. Just me drinking alone,” Kit laughed. Ali’s beaming smile was heart-warming, but Kit did think he was perhaps a little too enthusiastic. Ah well, he could put it down to the wine. “I hear Ernesto de la Cruz hosts parties, but I’ve never been over to one.”

“Then you must be smashed then. How many of you had already?” Aladdin wanted to get to that point. He might help him ease up a bit. He felt himself not having fun just yet. Aladdin shook his head. “No no. I’m a horrible host.” He wouldn’t even know where to start on how to host a party of this scale. “Hey, I’m getting close to getting there. I think just a couple more drinks. If you ever need someone to get a party started, just send me a DM. I’ll be right over and I’ll even bring some of my people with me.” Besides the material things Genie can also provide Aladdin an entourage. “Ernesto? It’s he that old singer? I doubt he’d have a bombass party as this. Your crown of king of parties isn’t going anywhere.” 

“ no, i don’t work here. ” not to say taffyta hadn’t worked ever– she’d been working internships at her parents jobs each summer since she turned sixteen. she’d just never worked at a place like a grocery store. “ but i’ve got a friend who is awfully close with one of carthay’s finest, if you know what i mean. ” katie’s closeness with maximus howard had never made sense to taffyta, mainly because she never found herself looking for replacement parents. “ i’m sure he’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to. ”

So he thought. She had no reason to stop him. She just was a girl. A girl who like to annoy people. “Then I guess this conversation is over.” Aladdin saw no more reasons to stay and talk. That sounded like a threat. Was she threatening to report him to the police? The tea bottle in his jacket shifted further from sight. “Excuse me? You’re going to call the police on me for just changing his mind and walking out of a grocery line?” He had to laugh. “I think the CPD have more pressing matters to deal with.” He was going to call her on this bluff. 

The girl was beyond curious, how could someone go from her equal to someone that would ignore her on the street due to their status. “What,” the girl was lost and confused, two things she never liked being in a conversation. “That’s so fucking creepy,” she pointed out, leaning on her elbows. “What did you say you’d give him in exchange for the high life? An organ or something?” 

After ever sentence, Aladdin had to take a quick look around them. Just to make sure no one of listen in on them. There was a low chance, but with someone like Genie, it was best for Aladdin that no one knows. “Creepy? No, it’s not.” It was sort of embarrassing for him to admit. Zarina was right before. Sort of. “But don’t judge me.” He paused a moment. “No internal organs were taken out. All I do is accompany him.  I take him to parties where I get invited. And that’s all. Nothing else. He’s a lonely, rich guy.” He made himself clear on that. “And then he asks me what I want and gets it for me with no sort of value limit. ”