* 𝐑 𝐀 𝐈 𝐍 𝐘 / 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 !

who’s that? oh it’s STEPHANIE "STEPH" CRAWFORD. i hear they’re 21 and are known as THE LAMB around NEW YORK. they're also a JUNIOR at NYADA, have a voice like JENNIFER DAMIANO and are part of VARSITY DANCE, SPOTLIGHT DINER. they’re known to be LOYAL AND MILD and WEAK-WILLED AND SERIOUS. some people say they remind them of NEVER SMILING IN PHOTOS, OPENING THE WINDOW DURING THUNDERSTORMS, BLIND LOYALTY, AND UNWAVERING DEDICATION. only one way to find out!

Ziggy took a moment to stare, as he often did when he found something familiar. There was plenty that felt unfamiliar about the situation too - the hand on his own, a customer grabbing at him from behind the bar. If there wasn’t some faint hint of recognition, he would’ve brushed her off right away and taken a more professional route, but there was something else to wrack his brain for. He’d seen her around before, he must have done. A regular, perhaps? No - it was Phoenix. He didn’t spend a great deal of time at her place, but he was attentive enough to know what her roommate looked like, at least.

“You’re, uh…” a pause - he’d definitely heard her name at some point. Something that began with an S… “Steph? That’s you, right?” he asked, eyeing the girl a little more warily. He wasn’t sure if she was a lightweight of if she’d been drastically over-served, but either way, he felt responsible. Gently, he eased his hand back, but stuck close to the bar. “I’ve got your back. There’s not much longer until we close, but if you’d rather I called somebody, I don’t mind doing that for you,” he replied, with a contemplative glance at his watch. It wasn’t like he had plans after his late shift. “If not, I’ll walk you back, no problem. But in the meantime…” another pause, this time filled with action. Zig grabbed an empty glass, dropping a few ice cubes in before filling it up with water. “Here,” he said, setting the chilled glass in front of her. “This’ll help, a little.”

.

“yup, i’m steph.” she answered through an airy laugh. zig hadn’t verbally said it, but she could see him mulling over the question in his eyes. has this girl been drastically overserved or is she a lightweight? hoping to provide him some clarity, she answered, “i’m just...sort of a lightweight and...” stephanie gestured with her hands, trying to find her way back to the point she had been making. “i don’t know, i appreciate your help though!” she told him, flashing a smile. “and i don’t mind waiting, you seem like good company, the vibes are always good here.” steph assured him profusely, hoping she wasn’t too big of a nuisance. 

grasping the cup with both hands, steph took a sip, and repeated her earlier sentiment, “thank you so much.” setting the water down, she watched him for a moment, trying to get a read on the situation. stephanie had never been a master at reading people though, in fact, she had a bad habit of overestimating their happiness and enthusiasm. if she weren’t wobbling in her chair, maybe she’d be more considerate of that fact and seek other help, but that obviously wasn’t the case. staring directly up at him, she figured why not break the ice and get to know each other beyond phoenix, “so how long have you worked here?”

WHO : @crhqstarters​ & Ziggy Gilbert. WHERE : Callbacks, over the bar. WHEN : Tuesday, 21/04. Near closing.

Tuesdays were not the strong suit of Callbacks as a venue. It was, like most bars, the kind of place that lived at the weekend and clawed its way through the rest of the week. Similarly, Ziggy was clawing his way through the last hour-and-change of his shift. It was the slowest part of an already slow night; the customers were few and far between, and performers even less so. The few that did take to the stage were… trying. He was nowhere near the calibre of a professional himself, but he knew a thing or two about music. He liked to think he had a right to critique them in his head, at the very least.

With a wince, he endured the current singer’s loud, blaring, mic-clipping belt. He needed something more distracting than wiping down glasses. Flopping the rag over his shoulder Ziggy strode across the bar, stopping just short of one of his few remaining patrons. “Can I get you another one of those?” he asked, with a silent plea of please say yes. “Or maybe something different? Like a cocktail that means I have to use the blender?”

.

in all honesty, steph had strode into callbacks in search of phoenix. first, she felt guilty she’d gotten her roommates schedule mixed up. second, she figured, now that she was twenty-one she might as well stop for a drink after coming all this way. personally, she was a big fan of callbacks. even if all those who dared to step on stage weren’t the most vocally gifted, she appreciated their bold, willingness to step on stage in the first place. quietly, sitting by herself, steph downed one drink, then two, then three, and a couple of more as she watched performers and people pass through. by no means had she been intending to have a tipsy tuesday all by herself, but that was the reality of the situation. 

when zig approached, steph hiccupped, then shook her head, “no, no thank you.” it was a polite response, like a child who had just finished a meal. swaying slightly in her chair, her next action opposed her previous, polite one. stephanie reached out to grab at zig. briefly, she knocked his name tag around before settling on taking his hand, “i do have a favor to ask you though and i’m sort of embarrassed about it.” she admitted, blinking slowly at the other, “would you mind walking home with me when you get off maybe? i can pay for your uber back from our apartment.”

growing  up  in  new  york  arguably  should  have  correlated  with  knowing  exactly  how  things  worked  in  the  big  apple  down  to  a  tee.  yet  in  actuality,  that  was  far  from  realistic.  even  with  being  a  native  new  yorker,  came  hurdles  and  struggles  by  the  dozen  when  it  came  to  living  alone.  sure,  moving  out  of  the  humble  family  abode  introduced  a  true  sense  of  freedom,  for  phoenix  especially.  yet  it  wasn’t  all  sunshine  and  rainbows  like  initially  thought.  and  eventually,  steph  &  phoenix  relying  on  the  ‘guidance’  of  both  their  sets  of  parents  would  merely  become  tiresome.

  steph  was  a  great  roommate,  not  that  phoenix  would  ever  admit  to  it  out  loud.  it  was  more  of  an  unspoken  thing.  they  were  an  unlikely  pair  in  most  aspects  but  somehow  they  got  along  just  fine.  fingers  pulled  at  fishnet  tights  absentmindedly,  barely  acknowledging  the  new  presence  beside  her.    ❝  fucking  exhausting.    ❞  a  soft  chuckle.  what  else  was  there  to  expect  ?    ❝  bad  day  ?  ❞  it  wasn’t  so  much  of  an  assumption,  more  a  rough  guess  in  the  wake  of  an  observing  glance  just  seconds  prior.    ❝  pizza  sounds  great.  don’t  worry,  i’ve  got  it  covered.  ❞  it  was  the  least  she  could  do,  and  tips  this  month  at  work  hadn’t  been  too  bad.  money  for  pizza  could  be  spared,  and  something  to  worry  about  later  if  it  came  to  that.  she  was  way  too  hungry  for  that  right  now.

. 

“no, not bad.” steph clarified, forcing her aching body to sit up right with a groan. out of fear that something might tighten, lock, or collapse under her in these last few weeks before her dance finals, she fully stood from the couch. positioning herself on the ground, stephanie began to do some few precautionary stretches as they continued their conversation. “it was just, i don’t know, tiring?” not one to be negative though, she was quick to balance out her complaint with a positive spin, “but i’m lucky to get to do what i do, so i can handle some sore feet and rude customers!” 

so yeah, steph and phoenix were pretty different. but she didn’t mind. and it didn’t seem phoenix did either. ultimately, they worked. 

the moment phoenix offered to pay, steph cast a slight frown in her direction. inexplicably feeling bad, she cut in, “okay! but you’ve gotta let me pay next time we go out! we’ll keep it even.” she told her. cheesily gesturing to her eyes, steph pointed her two fingers back at phoenix and warned, “i’m watching you to make sure we take turns.” as if she’d do anything if they didn’t. still sprawled on the floor though, steph curiously asked about phoenix’s work day, “what about you? meet anyone interesting at callbacks?”

WHO @mayaacrawford​ and steph crawford. WHEN friday, 4/23. WHERE steph + phoenix’s apartment.

steph and maya might have had a little bit of a separation issue. while steph was in her third year of college, it had always been much easier to visit connnecticut than ohio prior to maya starting college. even though they had just seen each other at spring break, steph was absolutely ecstatic she’d come to visit for the weekend. guiding her into the apartment from the hall, steph waited patiently by the door, then asked, “can i take your bag? i hope you don’t mind sleeping in my room. my bed is big enough for both of us to share.” she explained. even with her sister though, she felt like she had to cover her bases, “if it’s not though, um, i can just come sleep out on the couch while you’re here.” with that covered, steph crossed into the kitchen, got a glass of water for maya, then one for herself, and sipped on it, “what do you want to do tonight? usually you have these great plans, not me.”

WHO @phoenixharper​ and steph crawford.

WHEN tuesday, 4/20. night.

WHERE unit 4-B

being able to actually live in an apartment in new york and go to school was no easy feat. steph was very well aware if she was never able to make ends meet, or phoenix  was a little short on rent or literally whatever she could call home and daddies dearest would make things alright. but still, she wanted the “real” new york experience of working for a living and learning the value of the dollar. her dads had worked hard for their lives, so she should follow in their footsteps and do the same. knowing that she had a security blanket back home in connecticut didn’t make work at the spotlight diner any less exhausting though. she was sure the same could be said for phoenix, too. at least steph didn’t have to work at a place with a bar like her roommate did.

entering through the door, steph paused only to lock it, then glided directly into the living room and plopping down on the couch besides phoenix. she wasn’t a negative person, so steph wouldn’t complain about how she hated the subway or customers who didn’t tip. instead, she’d close her eyes, and breathe in and out slowly before asking, “how was your day?” sighing, she opened her eyes, then timidly asked, “can we maybe just order pizza tonight? i’m too tired to cook.”

JULIEN: no no nono i def could not have done that without u!!!! but thank u!!!! im excited!!!!

JULIEN: got any tips for a guy who has never worked at a restaurant before?!?!!?

STEPH: honestly if you were anyone else i'd be worried

STEPH: but you're so approachable and easy to talk to

JULIEN: hey!!!!!! thx again for all ur hlep!!!!! idk if u saw but i got the job on the spot so that was pretty coool

JULIEN: just thank u!!!!!

STEPH: oh it's seriously no problem!

STEPH: u did that on ur own with all ur talent (-:

WHO: @dallasweston​ and steph crawford. WHEN: fri night/early sat. 3/26.  WHERE: ace of spades. 

it was a breath of relief when steph had actually spotted javi. otherwise, she likely would’ve spent a solid fifteen minutes weaving between people and standing on her toes in an attempt to find dallas’ table. javi led her directly there where she sat beside dallas with a warm smile and a “hey.” she was tired.  between class, dance practice, and sometimes work, her friday’s often left her worn out. she was definitely more of a saturday night kinda girl. maybe an 11:30 bedtime was a little early for a new york college student, but boy did she need it. the exhaustion was painted on her face, but how could she say no to dallas? to put it simply, she couldn’t. so now she was left hoping she’d get a second wind and be able to enjoy the night. again, with dallas around, she was sure her energy would spike as soon as they got small talk out of the way, “how are you? when did you get here? i hope i didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

DALLAS: that's the spirit

DALLAS: fuck yeah we'll be here

DALLAS: hurry tho

DALLAS: what do you want to drink? i'll have it waiting for you

STEPH: ummmm i'll have whatever you're having?

STEPH: hurrying hurrying!!

link considered himself a kind of fairy godmother in new york. he was here to spread joy and happiness and one of the ways he knew to do that was looking hot as hell with snake in tow around the city. and no one needed the natural glow that link brought to the world more than steph. or really anyone working at the spotlight diner - link wouldn’t be caught dead in that sad sack. 

if you seek amy’s tongue flicked in steph’s direction, seemingly sizing her up before resting her head back against link’s arm. “ yup, she’s real and she’s an angel. ” link wasn’t prone to sappiness very often, but his girls brought out the best and worst in him the same way his film-making did. perhaps link was a snake in another life, it wouldn’t be completely impossible. ooh, a queer horror movie with snakes…now that was an idea to save for later. “ don’t even worry, no one was even come near us today so she’ll be totes fine. i just wanted to show her the sights. ” smiling wide at the woman’s compliment, link held out his snake-clad arm. “ we love to hear that. wanna hold her? ”

.

steph wouldn’t say she had a fear of snakes, but she wasn’t nearly as bold as someone like link to show a snake the city, let alone hold one. putting off his question with ligh laughter, steph tilted her head to the side to carefully eye if you seek amy like she was going to snap and bite at any second. trying to be polite, she swallowed her hesitance and looked back to link, “well is she enjoying them? the sights i mean?” she asked, still dancing around the question. still not wanting to be rude, she braved the question with an inquiry of her own, “it’s safe to do? she won’t try to um...constrict me or something like that?” steph attempted to clarify without any nerves getting in the way. “i’ve just never held a snake before and you seem to be sort of an expert at this thing is all i just...want to check.” she breathed out, eyes now glued to the hissing animal. it couldn’t be that bad right. her mouth still running without much thought, she uttered, “do you keep a lot of...reptilian company?”

DALLAS: suddenly i can't read

DALLAS: javi got a table

DALLAS: bottle service baby

DALLAS: see you in 30 min

STEPH: i don't know if i can be ready in 30!!

friday, 11;31 pm

dallas: ace of spades

who: lincoln clarington-smythe & @crhqstarters​

when: 22/03, mid-day

where: the streets of new york, just outside link’s apartment. 

link was a busy man on the go, places to be & people to see and all that. and while the places he needed to be usually consisted of cafe’s and shoe stores, it didn’t diminish their importance. it was clear to anyone who knew him that link was thriving in new york, it was his kind of city. and ‘taylor swift’s sixth studio album reputation’ had taken a shine to it too, thank god. so it was only appropriate that link get her a sister. and now that ‘if you seek amy’ - a beautiful green tree python - was apart of the family, link thought it would be a genius idea to show her the big apple.

snake wrapped around his forearm, her tongue flicking out to the air, link and ‘if you seek amy’ made their way down the streets - pretty oblivious to the people keeping their distance as they realized that, yes, this man was walking around with a snake. as link made his way back towards his apartment building, he caught a familiar face in the crowds and - in typical fashion - made a scene out of making his way over, shooing people away with his free hand.

“ hey bestie, long time no see, ” link greeted with a smirk and he stepped next to them. as he did this, ‘if you seek amy’s’ head darted up, looking around alert, until link gave her a pat on the head with his finger. “ this is my new baby, ‘if you seek amy’. she’s shy but, don’t worry, she’ll be just as much of a bitch as he sister and her daddy in no time. ”

.

clad in her spotlight diner uniform, and shivering beneath the not-heavy-enough coat she had draped over it, steph exited her place of work. she’d offered to cover for one of her coworkers after a little begging on the coworkers end, and now she was on the brink of being seriously late for class. not good. and just as she couldn’t get any more flustered with deciding between stopping by her apartment to change out of her work clothes, or just heading to class in uniform, link clarington-smythe swept to her side and distracted her completely from her current conundrum. 

gasping slightly, steph looked from link to the snake coiled around him, “oh my god is that real?” she asked, slightly in shock, mostly stressed. quick to amend her rude behavior, she profusely began to apologize, “that was dumb of course she’s real! but is it safe to have her out here, with all these people?” getting over her initial hesitance, she waved a little at the snake, then looked up to if you seek amy’s dad to compliment, “she’s beautiful.” 

“Well, it’s still kind of sad if you ask me… Lima can be fun during the summer! I mean, it’s mostly parties and going to The View, but it’s still the best.” Joey said with a small smile, hoping that he would make Steph come to Lima later during the summer – but he could understand why she would prefer staying in New York, after all, she had her life there so it only made sense that she wanted to stay behind. “That would be awesome! I’d like to meet Maya, so you should totally go with her.” Joey admitted with a nod, as he kept stretching his legs and listened to Steph inquire him about Lima. “Oh, not really, I’m glad that I went to Mexico with Los Angeles. Plus, there’s other times I can go to Lima, it’s like it’s going anywhere… Unless there’s like a tsunami in one of the lakes in Ohio and Lima disappears from the map. That would be scary but also cool at the same time.” Joey said with a nod, raising an eyebrow at Steph’s questions, as he thought about it for a little. “I kind of miss my dads. And while part of me kind of misses high school and just seeing my friends every day, I’m glad that I’m here now. I just feel like I’m really starting my life here with new friends like you, and my relationship with Angel has never been better, so… I’m glad I’m here.” He said with a chuckle. “But I also miss The View. It was a great place to make out inside of the car, I’ll tell you that.” He smiled.

still slightly lost as to what joey was even saying to her, steph nodded along and feigned maintaining interest, “oh...yeah, yeah um, well i’ll talk with her and see what she says, okay? if we head your way i’ll shoot you a message! we’re gonna need someone to show us around.” she said, only for the thought to be swiped away incredibly quickly at joey’s description of the view. with soft laughter, she turned to him, a brow gently raised, “so it’s an actual make-out point, huh? i thought those were just a thing in old movies.” lima sounded nice, but now that steph hardly qualified as a city girl, she wasn’t so sure she would acclimate so well to small town ohio, let alone find a way to have fun. “what’s the number one reason i should go?” 

Heidi never had much rhyme or reason when it came to Saturday nights in New York. With a loaded wallet and loaded connections, the brunette could end up anywhere late at night and have a good time. Tonight was one of those nights. She ended up at a club that she knew her friends frequented with her fake ID in tote and as she sat upon the bar ordering her first drink for the night, the moment her name was called a smile drew to her face. Bingo. Turning her head, she was met with Steph’s energy and while Heidi couldn’t replicate it, it wasn’t unwelcomed. “Steph!” She called back, raising her glass to the girl. “What? No,” a laugh. “I really feel like an ass now,” she called out over the music, “I came here literally expecting to find one of you guys,” glancing at her phone, she noticed the notifications she had missed. “But say less. What’re drinking tonight? And don’t tell me you’re rocking it sober.”

speaking over the music, steph shook her head, “oh my god! don’t feel bad at all! i have the group text muted most of the time truth be told. but i was on my break from work, so i was checking.” she explained, almost positive heidi didn’t catch all that she was saying. the music was blasting, and steph could only get so loud. “what are we thinking?” she asked in response to heidi’s question, “um, i don’t know! i’m sort of just going with the flow of the night i guess!” she admitted, smiling in her direction. then as heidi clarified she wanted to know what she was drinking, she let out a soft, likely inaudible, “oh.” then proceeded to answer, “honestly? just beer! what about you?” steph then took a sip of her drink before asking another question, “are you gonna join us for the night?”