we're fallin' in love

"am I nervous? usually, yeah." he doesn't doubt she could win it easily either, but that'd give away to his little white lie and that's even more terrifying than not being able to ring the bell. "I work out, you know." god, why did he even say that? as if that's going to persuade her to believe he could do it. as if she even cares? "I just really do think they're rigged; they don't want you to win prizes."

“oh no! that's so crazy," he gasps in return, already peeling off the jacket he wore for this very purpose. he wraps it around her shoulders and gives her chin a gentle squeeze for good measure. “and what snack would the pretty lady like? i won't lie…i've had my eye on a corn dog the second we walked in, but i can be swayed." pretty easily, as it turns out. 

it's embarrassing, how quickly she melts under his touch. tugs the jacket closer around her shoulders, resists the urge to breathe in his scent. "we can get corn dogs." she hums, cursing herself for blindly giving him anything he wants just to keep him around because there's got to be something she would look cuter eating than a corn dog. "as long as I can get a drink, too — and not a tommyrita." she shudders.

“well,” his head tilts to the side as he suck a breath through his teeth. “i hate to say it, but you're not gonna find a good churro here. a decent one? sure. but you're on the wrong coast for that shit.” god, he missed la. still, “no offense, man,” just in case this was his hometown. gaze floats back to the menu, nodding as he considers the options with this new perspective fresh in his mind. “i think you're right, though, i think classic's the move.” honey liked classic, surely. but then…the strawberries added a pop of color. would that make for a better picture. “but the strawberry shortcake one, though…that sounds good as hell, too.” 

"you're probably right." he laughs, considering all the mundane, every day things like this that he's missed out on, despite being all over the country, all over the world. the best places to get churros, or milkshakes better than the bar here. he'd realised when he first started getting out and about again here that it'd been years since he'd had ice cream. and whilst it's likely saved his life at least once to be at his peak, it's a sobering reminder of what of his life he's dedicated to his career, and how he should try to focus a little more on the positives of this break he's on. "stoppp. at this rate, I'm gonna buy both." not a bad idea, actually. "...should I just buy both?"

“I’d say half-decent.” Billie shrugged at his question. “No one specific, I just eavesdropped on some conversations and heard it mentioned at least twice,” she admitted. “How many people have you pissed off to the point that you have to ask that?”

"just twice? that's kinda disappointing, actually." that could be the orchestrators of his downfall tonight, or... "well, even if we narrowed it down to people I know are here... ballpark... gotta be at least fifteen. varying degrees; some of them would hold my head under, some would be satisfied just seeing me fall."

"I do like a challenge..." his grin grows, body leant just slightly towards her. to hear her over the party, of course, that's all. "of course I have. but who's filming every one of the billion times they work exactly as planned?" a finger wagged, smile smug. though that fear isn't something he's ever felt, he's done that spiral down the rabbit hole of every way almost anything can go wrong countless times. he's never felt comfortable putting his life entirely in someone else's hands, even if it's their job to keep him safe. "maybe it's best if you don't go on the ferris wheel, actually." he jokes, hands up in surrender. "what happened to all your nerves, huh?"

Jason started in on a corn dog as he nodded. "I don't think my body could handle me losing my mind like this." He already went to Sunbeam pretty much everyday. "I know what you mean. If my next birthday isn't this elaborate then I don't want it."

"you could just work out more." she answers with a twinkle in her eyes. another fry is thrown into her mouth before she grins teasingly. then hums, "would you want a big elaborate thing like this?" she thought he'd been steadily slowing down as he got older, their lives perpendicular to each other. if not, maybe she should be dragging him to more parties...

noah's suspiciously quiet, like scarily so. he always has something to say to her. even when she thinks he's clutching at straws just to say something, his mouth is moving. then she remembers the salma post, hadn't thought much of the accusations or her joke because the two of them are so disgustingly in love despite what very loud opinions she has about it. but, perhaps he's a little more human than she's ever given him credit for. she stashes the twenty before she opens her mouth and gives him a reason to take it back. "oh, I get it. you're playing the debbie downer today. well, I think we've finally found something you're good at; I'm getting depressed just looking at you."

“me?!” she scoffs, shakes her head despite the way her smile grows. “please. a spy would have to be unassuming enough to go unnoticed, quiet, observant." she counts each trait off on her fingers, then shrugs, as if no point had been proven at all. “right.” nods and shrugs simultaneously. honestly, winnie doesn't know mateo well enough to agree or disagree, but she knows she owes him after tonight, so agreeing is the least she can do. “and then next time you see her, point her out. i'll make sure she get's soggy fries for the rest of her life.” 

"I admire your confidence." She smiled at him as she washed off her brushes and went back to painting a design on his face. "I won't be drawing a dick on your face though." Margot honestly didn't think she would be able to do that to someone anyway. She would feel too bad that they were walking around like that. "I saw her pass by about 15 minutes ago or so. I don't really know Tommy, I just saw the ad for station volunteers and decided why not." she shrugged.

"shame," he grins once her paintbrush lifts, so he doesn't smudge her hard work, "tommy would've loved that." maybe a little too much. if he ever finds her in this chaos, that is, because, "I just missed her again? fuck, that's so annoying. I've been looking out for her all night to say hi." mateo sighs, tries to stay still despite every inch of him screaming to wave his arms, bounce his bad leg. "I get it, though; she's busy. she's got so many people to say hi to. including you! that's your bonus secret mission from me. you have to introduce yourself to the birthday girl. tell her I sent you; she'll know you're fun."