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Realistic or Modern Thank you places! (a 1x1 rp)




lead actor





theo skordilis

















The quiet rumbling in his room finally woke the brown-haired up, the blinds jingling softly. He turned a little to the side, muttering in his half asleep state. When he heard Iris' voice though, Theo slowly removed his hand. He blinked a few times and yawned.
"Morning.."
, he mumbled after a while. It was really too early for him. The last time he was up this early was for his last tour, when they had to meet up at the takeoff spot.

"You’re really early.."
, his voice still raspy and a little lower, a result of not being fully awake yet, his accent slipping out more than usual.
"The dinner was awful."
, he grumbled, when slowly sitting up. Hopefully breakfast wouldn’t be this bad, if he would even get it, when his discharge was be this early.

But it didn’t seem like he would get something, usual breakfast time was over and they still had to wait for the doctor. Theo was also getting more awake from minute to minute, his sleepy expression had changed to a smile. He was glad to have Iris around him again.

And then the doctor finally came, she had a small stack of paperwork along with some other stuff to change Theo's bandage around the finger. She greeted them with a smile and explained a few details.
"We'll change your bandage into a band-aid for your wound, change it about every one to two days and then you have to go to your doctor to remove the stitches next week ."
, she explained and started working on removing the bandage.

Looking at that finger, it looked like hell. Very bruised — a mix out of blue and purple and red — the scar actually looking 'badass, like the blonde said. After putting on some gloves, the doctor put on the band-aid and then got the finger brace for his finger out. They took a few minutes to find the right size but eventually his index finger was taken care of.

Now to his leg — or at least to walking. She gave the paperwork to Iris.
"That’s the information papers for his doctor and the discharging papers, along with the CD of his x-ray pictures and the attestation for work."
Of course she, as well, assumed that Iris was his partner.
"The nurses probably told you, that he's out of commission for a few months."


Then the doctor turned back to Theo, bringing him the crutches.
"Okay, we’ll try to take a few steps now, so you won’t have to lay around the whole time."
She gifted him a short smile.
"Take it easy with getting up, your circulation could be a little out of the ordinary."


The brown-haired sat up more straight and then turned over to the side. He let his legs hang from the bed, looking at his cast. It was the first time actually seeing his leg after the accident, probably it looked as awful as his finger under the cast. After a few minutes he slid a tad forward to stand up and take the crutches. Putting his weight on his hands, he was glad the pain wasn’t too bad in his finger, but he also held the crutch a little different with his right hand to not put too much weight on his index finger.

The brown-haired managed to take a few steps before returning back to the bed and sitting down — only a few steps at a time. The doctor seemed satisfied and after explaining the last few things, she looked at both of them.
"Any questions before you're ready for discharge ?"
Her gaze was mostly on Iris, she figured a pain meds fogged mind wasn’t really ready to think of questions and his 'girlfriend' would probably be the one, who cares for everything.

"Oh, and you got all the medicine for him ?"
Theo took a short look at the bag, before returning his gaze to her.
"If that abundance is everything, yeah."
He was still stunned, that he had to take everything at least once a day.
"Well, we want you to get healthy again, don’t we ?"












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris laughed softly at Theo’s groggy voice, her smile lingering as she imagined his fan club vanishing if they saw him like this—eyes heavy with sleep, the faint stink of morning breath and hospital air clinging to him.

Not so perfect now, are you, golden boy?

Not that it mattered to her.

Theo was just… Theo.

And right now, that was all that mattered.

“I didn’t really sleep,” she admitted, her voice hushed as she reached up to help him sit.

The next few moments were a blur of paperwork—forms being handed to her while she blinked, nodded, and did her best to pretend she understood half of it. She avoided Theo’s gaze, though she doubted he was in any state to notice. Still, if he was going to be bunking at her place, she needed to know this stuff. Her eyes scanned the long list of restrictions, and she winced. Great. This is like torture even for me. With a sigh, she tucked the papers into her bag, along with his medication.

“I don’t have many questions,” she shrugged, offering a quick glance at the doctor before turning to Theo. “I’m assuming he’ll be in rough shape for a bit, but back to normal in no time.” She winked at him, but the smile faltered slightly. “He has to be. Adoring fans and all that.” Her tone turned teasing. “Just one night without him and I nearly had a riot at my door.”

Silence. No laugh. No smile. Nothing.

God, I hate being social. Heat crawled up her neck as she shifted her focus, stepping in to help Theo stand—ready to be a support, or catch him entirely if it came to that.

“For now, his plans are just rest,” she continued, clearing her throat. “And maybe a few field trips with some very excited old neighbors.” She shot Theo a look. “They’re bringing back breakfast for us—an excuse to say hello and see who you are.” A smirk ghosted across her lips. “Don’t let their friendly nature fool you. They’re ruthless.”

Nothing. Just more stares. Iris exhaled sharply, tapping her sides awkwardly.

Well, this is going great.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















"As long as he rests enough, the recovery process shouldn’t stretch too long."
, the doctor stated rather serious, her lips twitching not a bit, when Iris switched to the joke-y side. Luckily after everything was discussed, she finally left.

Theo sighed, while pushing up on his crutches to walk over to the door.
"I'm glad you've freed me, hospitals are still as awful as I remember them."
A soft smile on his lips, the one that only the blonde got.
"Let’s get out of here."
Actually, even if he wasn’t the guy to eat breakfast, he was pretty hungry. Dinner was rather scarce yesterday, just some healthy shit that would never feed a fully grown adult on the long run.

When they stepped onto the floor, it was like a few nurses just awaited him, smiling at him. The brown-haired gifted them just the usual polite smile, they would never get that fond expression that Iris got. Though Theo also caught the way, they looked at Iris. Like she was thorn in their side. Theo looked over to the blonde, while taking his slow steps.
"Did you do something to them without me ? They look at you like you’re some kind of monster."
, he asked. Well, it wasn’t unlikely that she maybe got into an argument or something close to that, given her usual grumpy demeanor.

The way to the elevator almost seemed like an eternity — not only with the distance but also how everyone stared at them. Normally stares didn’t bother the brown-haired, he was used to it, given his performances on stage, but this time it was different, unpleasant. And luckily the elevator worked, not like in his apartment complex sometimes. As it opened, Theo made his way into the elevator and immediately leaned against the wall, a small sigh escaping his mouth. Oh, that would definitely become very tiring on the long run. Now Theo was annoyed that he didn’t work more on his arms in gym and rather had gone for cardio. But the next few months would be mostly arm day now.

But speaking of his apartment complex, he already made a mental note on what to pack and to do before moving over to Iris. Enough clothes, his bathroom stuff, his pillow which he definitely needed to get a good sleep, his electronic stuff but mostly importantly get himself freshed up. He couldn’t meet his new neighbors with that disheveled mop of hair and clothes from yesterday. The next big hurdle would also be showering with the cast, but finding a creative idea for that would be future Theo's problem.

"Are they bringing some good breakfast ?"
As if the brown-haired's body wanted to confirm that he needed some actual food, that both looked and tasted good, his stomach growled. It didn’t need to be healthy or very nutrient-rich, he just craved something that wasn’t some weird salad, a small poor sandwich and an unidentifiable bowl of…soup..?











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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The moment the elevator doors shut, Iris exhaled, tension draining from her shoulders.
With a dull thunk, she let her head fall back against the wall and groaned. “Never let me be the social one again,” she muttered, shuddering at the memory of the glares, the whispered comments, the passive-aggressive little jabs. It wasn’t like she had confirmed or denied being in a relationship with Theo, but to be treated like some kind of stain on his presence? That was disgusting.

“I didn’t do anything,” she hissed when he asked, turning to glare at him. “I smiled. I was friendly. I dressed as normally as possible. And somehow, that was enough for them to decide I was an insult to you.” She shut her eyes and shook her head. “Your fans are terrifying.” Lifting her gaze to the ceiling, she scoffed. “How did you even woo these people? By sleeping? They didn’t smell your morning breath or see the grease in your hair—how is that attractive?” She huffed, crossing her arms.

“I should have shown them the blackmail photo. That would’ve shut them up.” The elevator dinged, and she pushed off the wall, instinctively reaching out to steady him as they stepped out.

“If I heard right, today’s menu is cheap coffee, cheaper waffles, and expensive fruit.” She snorted, recalling the conversation. “They also like to steal extra maple syrup, so you’ll probably have an abundance of that and jam.” Holding the doors open for him, she watched him walk with a mix of concern and exasperation, her worry increasing with each step.

“Tonight, you’re under Mr. Varren’s watch,” she informed him as they neared her car. “You remember me telling you about him? Ex-stunt actor? His wife teaches costume history at the college, though she’ll probably ambush you with a million questions first.” She helped maneuver him into the passenger seat, tucking her arms under his whether he liked it or not.

“Varren’s job is to keep her distracted and make sure your first night isn’t a complete nightmare.” She smirked, buckling him in before tossing his crutches into the back seat. “While I’m gone at the shows, he’s your designated babysitter. If it’s not him, it’ll be his wife. They like chess. Movies. You’ll live.” Sliding into the driver’s seat, she started the car, only to pause.

“…Right. To your place.”

She blinked at him, head tilting slightly.

“I have no idea where you live.” she snorted and flicked on her car, pausing as it took a few extra tries before it roared to life. "Welcome to my car by the way, her name is Lucille" she explained her humor dry as she tried to avoid causing conflict at this point.

"I'm sorry if your blood is still lingering in a few spots. I tried to get most of it off, but honestly I couldn't figure out which spots were you, and what spots were just fake blood from past shows" she squinted up already seeing the fake blood stains she was speaking of. "If you think you're the first person to bleed in my car, you'd be sorely mistaken" she giggled her cheeks developing dimples as she recalled the memory.




 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















"Don't worry, I'll talk for us the next time."
, he calmed her with a soft smile. It was clear, that he was the talker of the two of them — charming anyone with just the slightest smile. When she shot back at him in a pretty huffy, he flinched a tad. Geez, that was just a joke!
"I didn’t taught them to be that way, but just ignore them, you aren’t an insult to me."
The end of the sentence was rather in a quieter tone but he really meant it nonetheless.

"Definitely by sleeping! Have you seen me in my beauty sleep ? I look like a supermodel."
His voice a confident mix of sarcasm.
"Don’t you dare!"
The brown-haired pushed himself up on his crutches again and walked out of the elevator.
"These photos are just to woo you."
, he quietly murmured, when walking next to her.

Ohh! Waffles sound good! And fruit and maple syrup ?! That was heaven in terms of what he had yesterday. He would’ve basically taken anything offered to him, but this sounded great. A nice start into the next few months.

Finally getting out of the hospital, Theo had to blink a few times to get his eyes used to the brightness. It was rather warm today, normally he would've enjoyed a nice walk through the park on his way to the theater on a day like this. Today it was just a small walk to where Iris had parked her car, though.
"Yeah yeah, I remember that. So, you have a babysitter for me every evening now ?"
A small smirk hushing over his lips, when he slowly got down and comfortable in the blonde's passenger seat.

"Please, how could it be a nightmare ? It’s not like your home is a 2.0 version of a hospital."
Theo wanted to remind her that he still had a fully functioning left hand to buckle himself up but he stayed quiet and just let himself get buckled up like a child.
"Chess ? Oh god, as long as always winning is fun to them, I'll keep them entertained."
A small chuckle escaped his mouth. He was a real loser in playing chess, couldn’t remember the moves each figure could do for the love of god. But maybe his babysitters would teach him.

"Ah, yeah…wait,"
Theo reached down to his pocket, trying to get his phone out. After even a few months of living here, he was still bad with directions. While they waited for the route to load, the talk about the blood turned up.
"Oh, so you let anyone just bleed out in your car and rush them to the hospital ? Well, then I have to get more creative."
His smirk growing, when Iris giggled.

As the brown-haired's phone finally showed their way, Theo directed the blonde to his apartment complex. It wasn’t actually too far but somehow Theo never had managed to end up in this part of town. Luckily they immediately found a spot to park right in front of the building. He turned and twisted a little to get his crutches from the back and unbuckling himself, but Theo just wanted to do something himself.

Fortunately the elevator was working, so they just needed a few minutes to get up to the tenth floor. Leaning on his crutches on one side, Theo, again, reached into his pocket to get out his keycard. With a small click the door unlocked and the brown-haired pushed it open, giving a first look into the colorful looking apartment.

"Just get comfortable, I'll be as quick as I can."
And with that, Theo went off to another room with the crutches.

The apartment was painted in bright colors, each room having a different color. The living room orange, the kitchen light blue, his bedroom light green and so on. But speaking of the living room, that was probably the room that represented his whole personality and life the most.
A really big comfortable sofa with lots of pillows and a blanket on each side. Lots of plants, an average TV. The left wall covered with lots of framed photos — family, friends. Lots of pics with his best friend and sisters, some really cute but some a tad crazy. New blackmail material for sure. And then a little off to the side, in chronological order, from top to bottom, photos of his various musical tours with the whole team.

But his shelf of treasuries was the most important thing in the whole room. Beside little souvenirs or other important gifts, on the top shelf was the thing. One plant on each side, the mask from Phantom of the Opera sat neatly in its place. He was allowed to take (kind of stole) it after the production had finished. It was his first real production ever and after some charming words and his puppy eyes, they eventually gave in and let him take it. After all he did a good job as Phantom, so it wasn’t like he took it undeserved.

Back to Theo, he got all the stuff together he needed — clothes, his laptop, charging cable — and then changed into some new comfortable clothes. White plain shirt — he had hundreds of them — green sweater and some beige pants, he was able to slide over his hurt leg comfortably.
Okay, first part was done!

While somehow getting out of the bedroom with the crutches again, he also used one crutch to push the bag with his pillow on top of it into the hallway of his apartment. Now off to the bathroom. After getting himself refreshed — brushing teeth and such — the brown-haired settled on the edge of his bathtub. It was kind of exhausting to lean onto something the whole time.

Somehow still had to wash his hair, he couldn’t fuck his fixed hair-wash-days up. So Theo slowly let himself slip down to the ground — it would take too long, given that he had much shorter hair than Iris. After the brown mop was wet, he put in some shampoo and then washed it off again. Okay, done in just a few minutes. Theo wasn’t the guy for a 10 in 1 shampoo but he also didn’t use more than that one shampoo his sisters got him for his typenof hair. No conditioner or anything.

Last but not least, the brown-haired packed all his stuff, he needed in the bathroom. His hair still slightly wet after rubbing it with a towel. Usually Theo's hair dried very easily and much fluffier than it usually looked. Now he got everything he needed and was ready for takeoff.












 
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Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
Iris let out a low whistle as they stepped into Theo’s apartment. Her head tilted from side to side as she took in the space—colorful was an understatement. Bursts of bright hues clashed and mingled across the room, making her nose wrinkle. She appreciated a maximalist approach—hell, her own apartment was proof of that—but this? This was a lot. Still… it suited Theo. In its own chaotic, overwhelming way. She kept her arms tucked close to her waist as she wandered, letting Theo busy himself while her gaze drifted over the details of his life. Photos lined the walls and shelves—pictures of him with family, friends, castmates. She lingered on one in particular, finally putting a face to the voice she’d heard on the phone. His mom, probably. Then, her eyes caught on another photo. Two girls, a father, Theo right in the middle. She snorted.

“They all look exactly the same,” she murmured, tilting her head. “Perfect little replicas.” Every picture radiated warmth, happiness. Theo, grinning with his family. Theo, laughing with coworkers. Everyone looked alive. A small ache settled in her chest, jealousy prickling at the back of her neck. It’d be nice to have a picture where everyone smiled like that. She shook off the thought and moved on, fingers lightly tapping against the shelves as she browsed. Her lips curled upward as she took in the trinkets and oddities, nodding approvingly at the small treasures he’d collected.

Then she spotted it. A mask. Iris squinted. That looks like… a costume prop? Glancing over her shoulder to make sure Theo wasn’t paying attention, she plucked it from its place and turned it over in her hands. A small gasp left her lips as she caught sight of the signature inside. Oh, she knew that costumer. She barely stifled a laugh, shaking her head. “Thief,” she whispered, carefully setting it back. A slow smirk crept onto her face. “Guess the princeling isn’t so perfect after all.” She’d be bringing that up when he least expected it.

Satisfied with her exploration, Iris finally sank onto the couch—only to yelp as it nearly swallowed her whole. “What the—” She wriggled, attempting to sit up, but the plush cushions refused to let her go. With a defeated grunt, she flopped back against them, glaring up at the ceiling. Another thing we disagree on, she thought. And yet… it was comfortable. And she hadn’t really slept last night. Just for a moment, she let her eyes drift shut. Before she knew it, sleep had claimed her again, her breathing soft and steady.

As Iris drifted deeper into sleep, her fingers twitched slightly against the couch, curling as if grasping for something unseen. A faint crease formed between her brows, her expression shifting from peaceful to tense, almost like she was arguing with someone in her dreams. The slow, steady rise and fall of her chest remained undisturbed, but every so often, her nose would wrinkle, or she’d shift just enough to suggest some part of her mind wasn’t entirely at ease.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















After checking if he had everything he needed, Theo shot on last look into the mirror. His hair was already almost dry, except for a few strands and the ends of his hair. He definitely had to style it in some way. If he wouldn’t do that, the brown-haired was pretty sure not just one strand would find its way to make him look like a mess.

Theo got out his blow dryer, making sure all of his hair was dry now but also making it much fluffier with that. Then he brushed it into place, just using a bit of product to tame those stubborn strands.

Okay, now he was done.

The brown-haired brought the little bag from the bathroom to his bag from the bedroom and then walked over to the living room to tell Iris he was done. But that’s when he saw her nap on his sofa. A soft smirk played around his lips. Well well, she really made herself comfortable here.

Knowing that the blonde would have a really straining evening tonight, Theo decided to let her sleep a little longer. They could always drive a little faster to be on time. Iris' risky ride to the hospital wasn’t actually the worst one he experienced, there was one that was much more intimidating and Theo thought he would actually die in that car — crazy German taxi drivers…

Slowly and quietly the brown-haired shuffled over to his kitchen with his crutches, getting himself something to drink while he let Iris nap just a little longer. It was time for his favorite of all time — a good chocolate milk. After such a shitty hospital stay, he needed something sweet. Couldn’t survive on just water and some weird healthy hospital tea.

Sitting in the kitchen, he could glance over at the blonde sleeping on his couch perfectly. Of course he didn’t stare at her. That would be weird. But he maybe took a small little minute to just take in a few more details of her. The blonde curls framing her face, the calm expression…though there was something else.

Was it concern ? Fear ? Anger ? The brown-haired couldn’t quite place that faint expression hushing over her face every now and then. Maybe later he would get to the bottom of that matter. But now he was just sipping on his chocolate milk, resting here in his apartment for a second. The silence was pretty nice after the constant beeping and buzzing from the hospital. Even though he lived in the central part of the city, it was very quiet here, living close to the park, there wasn’t that much traffic — just maybe dogs barking on their morning walk, while playing with their owners.

It was so cute to see them have fun with each other. Watching them, he knew some names already. There was a poodle called Cleo and a brown labrador called Apollo. Well, he probably knew those names because they didn’t really listen to their owners.

But slowly his stomach started to demand his promised waffles, grumbling much louder this time. And looking at the clock, almost one hour had gone by. Theo pushed himself up, shuffling over to the sofa with his crutches. He plopped down next to Iris, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Iris, time to wake up. Our waffles are calling."
, he whispered softly, a smirk on his face.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
Iris yelped awake, her eyes flying open as she jolted upright at the sound of Theo’s voice. “What?” she gasped, shoulders trembling as she frantically glanced around. Her breathing slowed as recognition dawned—Theo’s apartment, his couch, the fact that she’d somehow managed to fall asleep again. “O-h, shit, I’m so sorry,” she groaned, rubbing at her eyes and making another doomed attempt to escape the plush trap of his couch.

“I didn’t mean to, sorry, sorry. I just keep falling asleep around you,” she muttered, then paused, blinking as she processed how that sounded. “Not like—that’s bad. I just, um…” Her voice trailed off, heat creeping up her neck as she decided it was safer to shut up and focus on helping Theo instead.

She scanned the room quickly. “Where’s your bag? Did you get everything you need?” Spotting it nearby, she scooped it up and slung it over her shoulder before turning to him again. As her hands reached out to help, she hesitated, her gaze flicking between Theo and the distance he had somehow managed to cover on his own. “How… did you even—” She shook her head, stopping herself. “Nope, I don’t wanna know. It'll just make me fret.” She huffed, adjusting the bag against her hip.

“I am already letting a thief into my apartment, though,” she added, narrowing her eyes playfully at him. “Which means we must discuss how you came by a proper mask one of these days.” Her lips curled mischievously. “If you tell me you just asked or smiled at the costumer, I will ruin your hair.” She wiggled her fingers menacingly for emphasis before stepping forward to help open doors and guide him back downstairs, keeping a close—if subtle—eye on every step he took.

As they made their way downstairs, Iris stole another glance at him, her brows knitting together. “You know,” she started, voice quieter now, “I never really thought about it before, but you make all this look way too easy.” She gestured vaguely at his crutches, at the way he carried himself despite the obvious struggle. “I know you have experience as a dancer, but I expected at least one moment of pathetic flailing. Just a little.” She tilted her head, smirking slightly before softening. “You’re kind of ridiculous, you know that?”


 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















The brown-haired flinched a little back at the sudden movement of Iris. He didn’t expect her to shot up right away, if he wouldn’t have moved out of her way, they would’ve probably crashed their heads into each other. The smirk on his face only grew as a half sleepy Iris tried to make sense of her own words.
"It’s okay, people tend to fall asleep on that sofa. It’s comfortable, isn’t it ?"
He especially meant himself with 'people' , multiple times he slept through the whole night on this couch, when he just had allowed himself to sit down for a second after rehearsal.

"It's over th—.."
When the blonde asked for his bag, he wanted to show her but she already found and picked it up. Theo, meanwhile, used all his strength to pull himself up at one crutch. This sofa didn’t do people, that couldn’t put their full weight on their feet, any good. Eventually the brown-haired got up, only to get bombarded with more questions.
"I—"
But she already stopped him. To be honest, it wasn’t that hard. He was taking each step very slowly and had settled on various things to recharge his strength — the bathtub edge, the kirchen chair.

Theo's eyes widened at the word 'thief'.
"What ? What do you mean ?"
The brown-haired genuinely didn’t know what she was talking about, he didn’t perceive that act of taking the mask as theft. When she mentioned the mask though, his eyebrows relaxed.
"Ohhh,"
As if that would make anything better.
"Oh no no, I didn’t steal it."
Well, he tried to.
"They allowed me to take it."
After he tried to steal it and got caught. But Theo tried to make that situation sound more innocent than it was.
"I wanted to take it with me as a keepsake and the costumer saw that and allowed me to take it in the end."


Okay, that was the euphemized version with some parts left out.

The hard truth was that he wanted to steal it as a keepsake, the costumer caught him and after hours of charming and pleading and his puppy eyes, he eventually got away with it. It were the puppy eyes that got him out of it just fine.

Theo slowly followed her, clenching a little harder to the crutches than before. His arms got tired of having to carry the weight, so he was relieved to be in the elevator again, resting for a moment.

Easy ?! That was the hardest thing he had to do in a long time. But probably acting made him good at masking the exhaustion. He learned on his crutches, looking over to the blonde to talk to her but also to take a small break.
"You'll see me falter soon enough, don’t worry. I skipped arm day nine out of ten times, not the best prerequisite for that."
A soft chuckle, that still carried a lot of seriousness. He already felt his muscles getting sore.

Then the brown-haired pushed himself up again, slowly walking out of the building.
"Oh, come on now, you want to get outran by the guy with the crutches ?"
The smirk on his lips got a little competitive. But just seconds later, his expression switched to mock misery.
"No for real Iris, I'm going to starve to death if we’re not getting those waffles soon."
That sounded much more dramatic than it actually was, but the hunger was getting more present with each passing minute.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris snickered at his comment. “The hot lead actor skipped arm day? Oh, I must inform the fan club. It will be sure to start a massive debate.” She rolled her eyes, keeping an eye on Theo as they walked more at his pace than hers for once.

Iris blinked at his desire for food and shrugged. “I’m not the one taking my time. What do you want me to do? Carry you? If you wanted a hug, Theo, all you had to do was ask,” she teased, grinning wider than before. She quickly changed her tune, however, with a snort of laughter and walked just a bit faster, tapping her fingers on her car door as she waited for Theo to approach before helping him in once again.

Iris, once more, helped buckle him up before taking the crutches and his bag and placing them in the back seat. Next came finally returning to her place. She rolled her shoulders back and started the drive back into town. “The nice thing about my apartment is that it’s within walking distance of the theater. I can’t recall if I said this before or not, but once you start feeling better, you can easily just hobble your way over,” she shrugged and debated if there was anything else to warn Theo about.

“The doorman should behave, but if he gives you any trouble, just let me know. He can be overprotective of me. Of anyone who lives there, really. Everyone has a bit of a story there, and he knows each one by heart.” A gentle smile appeared on her lips as she spoke of the man. “His name is Derek. He has two little girls at home and an ex-wife who is…” She paused, squinting as she recalled the woman. “Loud?” she asked out loud, as if Theo could confirm or not.

“Try not to be around if you see a woman in cheetah print screaming. It isn’t worth it,” she sighed out, finally pulling into the downtown area, making quick work of finding her regular parking spot. “We should check and see if you are due for any medicine as well when we get up there. Your pain hasn’t spiked yet, has it?” she asked, turning off her car and pausing for his answers before helping him back out.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















"Maybe I do,"
, Theo shot back, a smirk on his face, which seemed to crack with every step he got closer to the car. It didn’t get easier, his arms feeling like they would give in any second.
"You carrying me would make all of that right here much easier."
The smirk was quickly back, though. The brown-haired took about two more minutes before he finally arrived next to Iris at the car. He took a sweet second to just breath and relax his arms before getting in.

"Some day I'll take the offer of you carrying me, you know."
, he said while putting up his arms to let himself get buckled up. He really should have prepared for that, his arms would have thanked him now.

Driving over to Iris' place, Theo took in their surroundings — the passing little shops and restaurants, apartment complexes, the park. Normally that was his way to the theater, but it felt pretty different, when driving past. When the blonde also mentioned the theater, he nodded.
"I'll definitely be there."
If he would really wait till he felt one-hundred percent better, something you shouldn’t bet on.
"And your kids group ? They also meet up in the theater ?"
, he then asked, had to know such things, when Iris wanted him to mentor them.

"Ah come on, who could give this smile trouble ?"
To emphasize it, the brown-haired put on his sweetest smile.
"Don't worry, we’ll get along just fine."
Theo sounded pretty confident about that. Like what should happen ? He had never gotten into trouble because of an argument with someone. Normally he quickly found a compromise in such situations.

The brown-haired perked up a tad, when she mentioned his name and family situation.
"Cheetah print ? Already sounds like something you should avoid."
, he answered with a chuckle. There were some prints he found really horrendous, but cheetah was the worst of all.

Theo, again, looked out of the window, the big apartment building already in front of them. Looked a little different from where he lived. Not as many windows — at least on this side. But before he could get a closer look, they already parked in her designated spot. Theo agreed before shaking his head.
"No, not really."
Except for the constant faint pain that was always around.

"But I think I do take it again, when we’re up in your apartment."
Along with all the other stuff that he probably had to take as well now. To get out of the car, Theo opened the car door with his remaining four fingers of his right hand. He already pushed the door open, while using his left hand to unbuckle himself.

Alright…now back again with the crutches..
Theo quietly sighed, before reaching for the crutches. He really did think it wouldn’t be that difficult, but his arms being sore after not even one day ? He really had to work on his arms as soon as he would be better again. For today though, he would rest as much as possible, sleep more comfortably and use his arms as little as possible.

But now he pushed himself up again, clinging to the crutches and then slowly following Iris, when she took the lead again.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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“You’re lucky you’re in pain; otherwise, I’d be far more ruthless to you,” she sighed, taking a longer time to walk as she knew he had to be weak. It was the first day—overworking himself wouldn’t be good. But as she carried his bag on one side while fumbling for her apartment keys with the other, she had a feeling this wouldn’t go smoothly. Then they got to the front door, and there was Derek.

A giant of a man, whose belly was wider than his smile most days. Yet when he saw Iris approaching with Theo, that smile faltered.

“Miss Starling,” he greeted, eliciting a strange look from Iris.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, holding open the other side of the door for Theo to walk through—then she saw it. That scowl of judgment, the critique that any guy Iris dared to bring back got. Only this time, it was even harsher than before, and worse, it was aimed at her.

“Miss Starling, I try not to pry too much into your personal matters, but assaulting a stranger isn’t something I can just ignore and not inform your father.” Derek spoke, then grinned wide once again, his normal warmth returning as Iris groaned.

“Theo, this is Derek. Derek, this is Theo,” she introduced, grumbling as she tilted her head around the front lobby. It looked like something out of an old black-and-white movie. The building had a golden age of Hollywood vibe, with velvet red and golden walls. Peacocks were randomly scattered as decorations, and the vases were clearly cheap imitations of Chinese pottery. It seemed the flowers that were placed inside were Dahlias today, sprinkled with a golden glitter to make them just a bit more extravagant…or tacky.

Iris sighed in relief as she finally found what she was looking for—a wheelchair decked out in a plush pink boa and purple pillows. “Varren’s wife. She let me borrow this for when you arrived. It isn’t ideal, but it’ll give you a break from crutches,” she explained, holding the chair for Theo to settle into.

Derek snuck behind Iris and took Theo’s bag, already holding out his hands to grab the crutches once Theo was ready.

Iris leaned in, whispering to Theo as he sat down. “Derek will be around to help at any point during the day, just in case. He’s been bribed with donuts to be nice, but if he isn’t, please let me know, alright?” She shot Derek a pointed glare, making it very clear she expected nothing less than absolute cooperation.


Once Theo had settled in, Iris began to help wheel him to the elevators, ones that dinged with a chime that was as old as the inhabitants, and when the elevator arrived on the floor, Iris had to slide open a cage door to let Theo in. Derek following suit. The next thing to add to the archaic building was how the elevator had peddles and a lever to help work the damn thing. "It isn't ideal, but everyone in the building knows how to work the elevator. You press the pedals up and down to the number illuminated on the screen above the door" she pointed up showing Theo as Derek did what she explained. "Then simply pull the lever and....pray you don't get stuck" she whispered snickering at the inside joke.



 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo smirked, looking at her with a raised brow.
"Oh really ? You just can’t resist my charm like the others, can you ?"
His voice sounded teasing, sarcastic but also trying to challenge her in a way. Though he really shouldn’t take it too far, he was the one depending on Iris.

The brown-haired just hobbled through the door, when the conversation already seemed a little intense. The usual polite on Theo's face rather shy. That guy was almost three times his size, no one you should have a bad first impression with. Were they in trouble ? That look on the man's face made Theo shiver, even if it wasn’t for him.

But quickly it turned to a much more lighthearted way, he was just joking around. The room immediately felt very warm and inviting, like the blonde described it in the car. Also, Theo's shy smile turned to the usual friendly one now, maybe even a bit more than the usual.
"Nice to meet you."
, he said, looking up at that literal giant. How tall was he ? Eight feet ? Almost seemed like that from Theo's perspective down there.

Limping into the lobby, the brown-haired didn’t even get the chance to look around. But now he had, and he was stunned — not in a bad way. It was like he dove straight into Hollywood Hotel, just as old money glamorous but in color. Literally Great Gatsby kind of vibes. But Theo felt comfortable here, it was nice — the complete opposite of his rather modern apartment complex but that always looked a little too grey for him, especially with his colorful apartment.

When Theo heard the blonde's voice, he snapped out of looking around and looked over to her. And then he saw it, he knew such a pink too well from other occasions. For a second, the brown-haired just stood there, looking back and forth between Iris and the wheelchair, clinging to his crutches. Did he fully trust Iris with that ? Maybe not. Would he still take that offer to give his arms a little break ? Maybe yes. Theo slowly hobbled over to her, settling into the wheelchair.
"But promise me to not push me around the way you drive."
A teasing smirk on his lips as he gave the crutches to Derek.

"Can he even be not nice ?"
At least he didn’t look like he could ever hurt a fly. Though, Theo was surprised that Iris got him at least three babysitters just for today. It was definitely nice to know there was always someone to help around, but he just felt a little bad if he sleeping most of the day. These pain meds were pretty strong, making him feel a little sleepy the whole day. And like his mother said, sleeping helped a lot to get healthy sooner.

Theo just looked at everything, while being wheeled around. Now he had enough time to take everything in and not worry about the strength in his arms giving in. It was all so different from where he lived, it actually fascinated him. When Iris explained how the elevator functioned, Theo listened attentively and nodded. Good to know, as soon as he had enough strength to hobble around for more than some minutes.

"Don’t get stuck ?!"
There was some clear fear in his face. That sounded kind of scary to be honest. In his apartment building the elevator either worked perfectly fine or not at all, there weren’t stories about getting stuck in that thing. Actually sounded like a nightmare as well, to get stuck in an elevator looking like it was from the twenties.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris laughed along with Derek as Theo fell for the prank—just as most people did.
“Relax, there’s a call button. Derek will come and get you if you get stuck,” she reassured him, patting his shoulder comfortingly before standing up straight, stifling a yawn.

“Unless you’d prefer a moment alone,” Derek added smoothly, and Iris immediately choked on air, her cheeks turning a bright red.

“Derek!” she hissed, her voice cracking from embarrassment.

The man only grinned wider. “Iris has had many a fellow in here, if I recall. Her ears are a soft spot. Granted, you won’t be doing much canoodling while stuck in that wheelchair or crutches there, but when you get better, eh?” he joked. "Just ring the bell three times and I'll know to make sure to give you plenty of time alone." The slap Iris landed on his arm did absolutely nothing except make Derek laugh even harder.

“He’s joking,” she sputtered, scowling. “He knows we aren’t like that. You are just an employee of sorts, getting some help. That is it.” She glared, but Derek only dipped his head in a mock-apology, still chuckling.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered to Theo, groaning as they finally reached her floor. She practically zoomed them out of the elevator, shoving Theo’s bag onto his lap along with his crutches as Derek gave a low whistle behind them.

“It was one time. I was lonely. He had an accent. I’m weak to accents. If you tell anyone, I'm breaking your other leg.” she grumbled under her breath, preemptively defending herself as they made their way down the hall. The hallways to her apartment were just as glamorous as the downstairs—plush carpeting gave them a hotel-like motif, and each door was decorated differently. Exotic plants sat in nearly every corner, surrounded by knick-knacks that were very clearly stolen from sets. Iris’ door, however, was the plainest of them all. A single stand sat next to it, holding a blue pot with a fake iris plant.

“Welcome to your new home for a bit,” she announced, scooting him aside before opening the door and helping him in with a few awkward grunts.

The apartment was significantly cleaner than it had been last night, yet its color palette was far more muted compared to Theo’s. Her accomplishments lined the walls in careful, precise placements, giving the whole space an organized chaos. There was a system here, clear as day. Every trinket, every award—each had a designated spot. The few photos she kept were from past productions, but none featured her. The only picture with her in it was a single family photo, and she wasted no time in hurrying them past it. Her furniture was a collection of unique, secondhand pieces—each one seemingly from a different era or maybe a different set altogether. Some still had old stains, hastily bedazzled to make them look less… questionable.

When she wheeled Theo into the guest room, it became obvious that this space was separate from everything else. The room was packed with plants, books, movies, and what looked like every single pillow she had ever encountered in her life.

“I’m sorry about the plants,” she said, hoisting his bag onto the bed before helping him further in. “If they get to be too much, just let me know, and I can move them around. This room gets the best natural light, so I prefer them in here.” Then, with a determined grunt, she twisted his wheelchair back out into the apartment. They passed a door painted entirely pink and decorated like a Barbie Dreamhouse.

“This is the bathroom. Please just knock. And no, don’t ask why it’s decorated like that,” she added quickly before he could comment. "Beggars don't get to be choosers is the simplest explanation"

Further down the hall, she gestured to a deep purple door with her name in sparkling cursive. “My room. Clearly off-limits,” she snorted before maneuvering him back to the living room.

“Get used to things. I’m going to grab breakfast,” she instructed, setting his crutches nearby in case he wanted to explore. Then, without another word, she dashed outside and knocked on her neighbor’s door.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















Theo's brows furrowed slightly, when he realized this was a joke.
"I hope he will, I'll get a heart attack otherwise."
, he said, sounding dead serious, though, if it really came to that situation, he would probably still freak out.

There was also a soft smirk on the brown-haired's lips.
"I see, I see."
Then he turned his gaze to Iris.
"So the elevator is your favorite spot ? Noted."
Of course he was just joking as well. Or was he ? Turning his eyes back to Derek, he nodded.
"I will remember that for later."
, his voice laced with sarcasm.
"Of course he is, what are you thinking."
, Theo replied, there was still a hint of sarcasm lingering.

The brown-haired quickly grabbed his bag and crutches, when they were pressed onto his lap. Before they rounded the first corner, he gave a little wave to Derek. He was actually even friendlier than he had expected. Someone Theo would get along well with and, who knows, the duo could probably make Iris get some grey hairs.

"I'm not telling anyone, Iris. Don’t worry, I don’t judge."
, he answered. He himself had some questionable romances as well. But accents ? She was weak to them ? Well, then he had to let the Greek guy hang out a bit more. Getting wheeled through the hallways, he took in all the decorations. That looked even more like he was in one of that old Hollywood movies. It seemed like every door represented its residents. So much more lived in than where he lived. But looking at Iris' door, he was a little disappointed to put it this way. Theo had expected to see something theater related or something a little colorful. But the little plant made it all a little better.

As they entered the apartment, the brown-haired took in all the new impressions. The way the rather dull colors made everything seem more calm, more coordinated. But Theo didn’t mind, he was also perfectly fine with just a few colors and everything being not as bright. It suited the blonde much better this way. Though, if you didn’t look closely enough everything seemed a little chaotic, but if you concentrated on each piece in their spot for longer, you could see there was a plan. Everything was coordinated in a way, making the place seem more comfortable. And the furniture, it somehow fitted her perfectly, Theo thought.

Entering the guest room, he was surprised — in a positive way. It was a bit like you just entered another apartment. So many plants and stuff and…pillows ? That was actually paradise for Theo. He had at least five pillows around him to sleep at home, usually also using a fluffy blanket as pillow on top of that and then snuggled into his sheets with a hot water bottle. Which didn’t mean he couldn’t sleep comfortably without all of that, the brown-haired could literally sleep anywhere. Was it in a car or in a loud room, if he was tired enough, everything seemed good enough.

"No no, plants are great. Just keep it all in here, I don’t mind."
, he quickly answered, looking up to her, as she was even taller, when he was down here in the wheelchair. His own place was covered in plants, a small orange tree, a bonsai, an olive tree even though everyone told him that it wouldn’t grow inside, he always had harvested the greatest olives from that thing — not flowers though. They died rather quickly, most just as soon as he would bring them through the door. Getting someone flowers though, they weirdly lasted for a few good weeks before showing any signs of dying. Weird concept.

The brown-haired had to cover his mouth to stop a small laugh from coming out.
"Hm mh, will do."
Then he looked up to her.
"But it fits you in some way, Barbie."
, he said with a soft smirk.
"Barbie from Barbie and The Three Musketeers fits you best to be honest."
Wondering why he knew such things ? Well, growing up with sisters and having a lot of nieces or female cousins he had to look after, when he was around his family, such movies were the standard entertainment. But even though he wouldn’t admit it, Theo, too, enjoyed them.

The blonde’s own room door screamed Iris more already, well beside from her name emblazoned on the door.
"Of course. Do I look like some creep ?"
Without a clear invitation, he would never get into her room — respecting her privacy and everything of course. Letting that deep purple and sparkly sink in longer, it just fitted better and better to Iris. Purple really was her color.

Back to the living room, Theo couldn’t even reply before she was gone. He slowly reached for his crutches, pushing himself up with them. It took him a sweet minute to get used to the crutches again. But being honest, he felt a little safer on his feet than being wheeled around.

The brown-haired hobbled over to look at her shelf, the awards, the production photos. He could put a name to some of these shows and/or actors and actresses, but never met anyone of them. Though, he was close to meeting one, they worked for the same company, just with different teams. He had seen him at the early stages of rehearsal.
Then Theo noticed that one picture hanging further away from the others, he had noticed that Iris had hurried past it earlier. The faces looking at him, seemed all very cold, there wasn’t any warmth in that picture. And the woman tucked away at the side, Iris he guessed, seemed not comfortable at all there. The rest of her family on the other hand, looked very straight forward, everyone having the same neutral expression.

Settling on her armchair, he softly sighed. It was really comfortable, something he wouldn’t have expected from just looking at it. Guess he shouldn’t bring up that picture any time soon. He really didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. But now his mind was lingering on the food — the waffles and the fruit. Maybe strawberries ? Or raspberries ? Pineapple ? He was in for whatever. But stretching his legs a little, he slowly felt the pain coming back in, pinching from his ankle up to his knee. Theo really should take some new meds after breakfast.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris straightened her sweatshirt, brushing off invisible dust as she hurried toward her neighbor’s door. Her heart raced—having a guest felt strange. She never actually thought someone would come. Her friends had disowned her when her family had, and any ex-partners who set foot in the building avoided returning after meeting the doorman. Yet Theo was trapped here.

Please don’t let me regret this, she thought, knocking a few extra times for good measure.

The door flew open within seconds, releasing a sharp wave of vanilla, pumpkin… and weed. Definitely weed. The overwhelming scent hit her like a punch to the face, making her gag as she covered her nose.

“Fucking hell!” she wheezed, glaring at the petite woman grinning up at her—Mrs. Varren. "Dahlia, seriously? We've talked about putting the warning sign up!"

“Now, now, Iris,” the older woman chided. “You know we need this for our limbs. It’s a delightful aroma; you really ought to get used to it.”

Iris coughed, waving the thick smoke from her face as tears stung her eyes. Mrs. Varren stood barely five feet tall, her velvet jumpsuit of the day a deep shade of blue. Her hair was a chaotic mix of curls, each section dyed a different color of the rainbow, as if she were a walking pride flag.

“Sorry, Dahlia, but hells, a warning would be nice” Iris gasped. “I’m just—here for breakfast.”

She squinted past the doorway, but before she could process anything, the woman had already darted inside. Moments later, she reemerged with a plastic bag, pushing past Iris and straight into her apartment.

“Is he here?” Mrs. Varren’s voice rang through the space, her excitement palpable. “The boy you keep mentioning? Theo, right?”

Iris’ stomach dropped. “No—wait—Dhalia, please—he’s on bedrest! Seriously, you need to let him rest—”

Too late. The whirlwind of a woman had already found Theo, beaming at him like a long-lost grandchild.

“There he is! The new little boy toy,” she cooed. “Here for a while, I hear. I’m Mrs. Varren—call me Dahlia, please. We heard you needed something to eat.”

Iris winced, mouthing I’m so sorry to Theo as the woman bustled toward him.

“Look at you! So skinny and sad,” Dahlia tutted, pinching his cheeks before patting his hair. “Is Iris not feeding you enough? She can be so mean sometimes—but I promise, it’s just her defense mechanism.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “A simple compliment will rattle her, you know. So cute!”

Iris sighed in defeat. There was no stopping this. Resigning herself, she grabbed the takeout bag and retreated to the kitchen, busying herself with plates while Theo endured Dahlia’s enthusiastic affection.




 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Enjoying the silence for a moment after all that trouble, Theo had closed his eyes and slowly sank more into the armchair. It was so damn comfortable that he could’ve just slowly drive off to a nap in here, if there wasn’t that pain slowly getting more and more intense. Just as he debated if he should get the pain meds himself, Iris and her wild companion came back.

The brown-haired opened his eyes, catching the excited voice of an old woman clearly and just seconds later, she stood right before him. He shot a quick glance to Iris, before a smile returned to his lips again. It was a little different from the just polite smile — his best friend called it the perfect son-in-law smile. A phenomenon that was seen with especially having older people around him or the parents of friends or colleagues. He didn’t really control it, the right smile just popped up for the appropriate occasion.

Theo nodded softly.
"Nice to meet you, Dahlia. I'm Theo."
Just in case Irish hadn’t introduced him yet but also to be polite. His mother had taught him to always introduce himself at the first meeting.

The brown-haired chuckled.
"Oh, no no. I'm really good. Iris is—…it’s okay, really."
Theo knew how to work with that. His own grandmother was almost the same — pinching the cheeks pretty normal behavior. She always told Theo he was way too slim and offered him lots of food. He already gave up on trying to explain it to her, that his stature was completely fine and normal and he needed to be like that to pursue his career. But she just wanted her grandson to be well fed.

Then he smirked.
"I'll keep that in mind and tell you when I succeeded."
So just a little compliment ? Theo just wanted to really see her slip once. Although he already saw a side none of the other actors and actresses had seen, he felt like there was still an even more genuine side. Maybe some day.

"I heard you and your husband are my babysitters for tonight ? While Iris is at work ?"
At least the blonde had talked about a Mr. Varren, right ? But she already seemed like a lot of fun. Very active for such an — pretty surely — old age. And very colorful.

"Iris told me you like chess ?"
He then asked, looking at her. Just sitting here, they were almost the same height, which was great. When standing up, Theo would be just some inches taller.
"I, personally, don’t know a single thing about playing chess. But you two will teach me, right ?"
There it was — the talent for some simple constant small talk.

For a second, while waiting for the blonde, Theo's brain rattered with all the information, Iris had given him about the Varrens.
"Oh, and you teach costume history ? Have you ever helped to make costumes or did them yourself ?"
He sounded very intrigued.

They could probably go on for hours like this.

But unfortunately being hungry and in pain was still a thing for Theo.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
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Iris let the two chat as she quickly reheated the breakfast Dahlia and her husband had saved. As she moved about the kitchen, she hesitated, unsure what to grab for a drink. For now, water would have to do—until she learned what Theo preferred, she assumed he’d be fine with it.
Passing by them, she furrowed her brow at the sound of her name.

“Don’t listen to anything she says about me,” she huffed, rolling her eyes as Dahlia’s laughter rang through the room.

The older woman had made herself comfortable beside Theo, patting his arm in a comforting, almost grandmotherly way.

“Oh yes, I do sew,” Dahlia was saying. “My limbs aren’t what they used to be, so I can’t work like I once did, but I still teach. I made costumes for Chicago when it hit Broadway, Rent, a few Shakespeare productions… even helped with Cats.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Wouldn’t be surprised if Iris has some of my old drafts or costumes tucked away in here somewhere.” Dhalia waved her arm towards the many trinkets and posters that littered the walls. "We all use Iris’ place to store our precious things—she’s like a walking safe deposit box.” Then, with a wistful sigh, she added, “When she first showed up here, all she had was a suitcase of ripped-up clothes and a framed picture. We just got used to giving her whatever we had…”

Her voice trailed off as Iris reentered the room, a bag of medicine in hand. She gave Dahlia a suspicious look.

“What?” she asked, tilting her head.

Dahlia waved her off with an innocent smile.

“Oh, you’re gossiping about me,” Iris muttered, rolling her eyes.

She leaned over Theo’s shoulder, placing the pain medicine in his hand—the proper dosage.

“I’ll get you some water in just a second,” she murmured. “Not sure if you’re in pain, but you should take some before eating.”

Dahlia’s smug grin didn’t go unnoticed, but Iris ignored it as she disappeared back into the kitchen. The sound of dishes clattering filled the space, while Dahlia turned back to Theo with a knowing hum.

“Little Iris told us you two aren’t dating,” she mused. “Said there’s nothing going on, that we shouldn’t read into it.” She patted his arm again, her grin widening. “But is that the truth?”

She leaned in conspiratorially.

“You can be honest with me, little Theo. If you need help, you’ve got an entire floor of people rooting for you. None of us have seen Iris be this kind in years.” A playful wink. “We can make sure she looks at you any way you want.”

And with that, she waited expectantly for his response.



 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo actually seemed very comfortable around Dahlia, she immediately felt like another grandmother to him, after his biological ones from his mother’s and father’s side.
"She’s only telling good things about you, Iris."
, he answered, looking over to the blonde with a soft smirk.

As she told him about all the costumes, the brown-haired's eyes lit up and he nodded attentively. All these things were so diverse, Theo didn’t have a doubt that she was very skilled in making costumes.
"Oh, does she ? Well, then I can get her to act something out if I get bored."
His little chuckle sounded very soft, probably something he wouldn’t really ask Iris to do but maybe consider it. Though realistically, it probably would be the other way around as soon as he could move freely again.

Then he nodded, just about to ask something.
"Ah, so—"
But then Iris approached them and Dahlia went quiet.
"We're not gossiping."
, he said, looking up to Iris. And just like that his special smile for her appeared. The one that looked just a tad softer than it should, admiring in a way, very fond.
"Just planned to take them before the food."
, he agreed to what she said.

For just a second longer, Theo watched Iris walk off again before turning back to Dahlia. About to be confronted with the question everyone around them probably had.

"Wh..What, no of course it’s the truth."
, he immediately agreed with what the blonde had said, just a little thrown off by the sudden change of topic.
"We are just.."
Well, how should he put it ? Colleagues wasn’t the right word. She was more than that.
"She’s my boss..basically."
, he then stated and looked at Dahlia.
"We aren’t dating at all."
, the brown-haired added again to make it clearer.

He quickly shot a glance over to the kitchen. The glass of water would be really convenient right now. Theo slowly leaned back in the armchair.
"It’s really just work related, I do the acting, she’s manages everything and everyone."
Well, if only the smile he gave her every time would say the same.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
Dahlia hummed thoughtfully, folding her arms and resting her chin in one hand. “Oh, I see. Just a boss,” she said with a playful wink at Theo, then let out a whooping laugh.

“When I met my husband, Phillip, he was technically just my boss too. He still loves telling people how scandalous it was—flirting with the help and all.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Theo, then leaned in with a conspiratorial grin.

“Her favorite spot is the elevator. Everyone knows it. Poor girl got her heart broken a while back, but before that? She and that fellow were in that elevator constantly. Up and down... in many ways.” She howled with laughter, slapping her knee.

“I think it was the accent. Little Iris has always been weak for those. If I were you, I’d brush up on one—might save your skin in a fight. Apologize in another language and she’ll let you win every time,” she added with a snort, leaning back in her chair, thoroughly amused.

Iris flinched as the laughter carried into the kitchen. A moment later, she returned with a glass of water, gently placing it into Theo’s hand.

“Dahlia,” she said, exasperated. “He just got out of the hospital. You’ll have plenty of time to annoy him later. Isn’t your husband still trapped in that weed sauna?”

She crossed her arms, giving the older woman a firm look.

Dahlia raised a brow but, with a dramatic sigh, Dahlia began to look like she was struggling to stand, and Iris broke within seconds. Dahlia pretended to fumble forward and weep to Iris who looked uncertain of what to do. “Oh Iris…it is just, I never get to meet anyone new, and you know how lonely we all are here. You are always in and out, in and out, show after show” Dahlia gave an expert weep that broke Iris.

“Fine, fine! But once Theo is done eating you should go. He’s still recovering” Iris relented lifting her hands up and walking back to the kitchen.

Once the coast was clear, Dahlia leaned in again, lowering her voice to a whisper.

“So there’s truly nothing? No stolen glances? No racing heartbeats or flushed cheeks?” Her brow arched as she studied Theo’s expression carefully. “Us old people have a bet going you see. We all have been dying to see some action happen and Iris used to have so much, but lately it has slowed down and now she brings this man home with her with a broken leg…” Dahlia hummed thoughtfully another question coming to her mind. “Is it that you don’t like her… or you don’t like hers in general?” she asked delicately, clearing her throat, clearly struggling to find the right word without being outright rude.




 



lead actor





theo skordilis
















Theo nodded slowly.
"Derek told me about that as well. Told me the tips and tricks for it."
All of them here seemed to be really invested in Iris' love life. And had the best advices on how to get her wrapped around the finger.
"I'll keep that in mind. She’s scary, when she’s mad."
The last sentence was a rather whisper. Remembering her voice and face, when she caught him in the tech crew room, really scary. He almost felt a shiver run down his spine again. But it was that easy to save his ass ? He could woo her that easily ? After years of learning how to sing and talk without the accent and almost perfectionating it — except for some little slip ups.

When the blonde placed the glass in his hand, he, again, softly smiled at her.
"Thank you."
His voice much softer than before.
"Oh, no it’s okay. She isn’t annoying me."
Though, when they talked about the weed sauna, Theo went quiet. Those old people were still sly. As the dramatic scene seemed to unfold before him, he took his meds — to at least make the pain disappear for now.

Dahlia's weep was really acting quality, the brown-haired just observed how easily Iris was wrapped around the old woman's finger. He should really take some notes on that, might save him later. But letting his accent play was already a good advice.

Back to their talk, Theo took the last sip of water to get some extra time before answering. Flushed cheeks ? Yeah. But worth mentioning ? He was unsure. The debate going on in his head was probably pretty clear on his face — he was bad at masking that.
"N..No, I don’t think so?"
He sounded a little unsure, like it was more of a question. Theo looked down to the bottom of the glass, before placing it in his lap with both hands wrapped around it. Except for his injured index finger.
"Nothing too big, I would say."


Oh! So a bet even ? The blonde really was the entertainment to those old folks.
"You are taking bets on her love life ? Does she know about that ?"
He tilted his head, while looking at her.
"You guys just betting on her having a new guy around or something in particular ?"
Now that he knew about that bet, Dahlia should spill all the details.

"No, it’s not like I don’t like her—"
He then stopped in the middle of his sentence as Dahlia considered another option.
"No! It’s not like that either."
Swimming in both seas didn’t make it particularly easier. He had some more experience for sure but thinking that it would make things easier to decide what he wanted, was definitely not the case. It just widened the range.

"I just.."
Silence for some seconds. His hands pensively tightening around the glass.
"I don’t know."
He really didn’t know, if some asked him that straight ahead. But Iris was his boss. Could you just fall in love with your boss that easily ? That was the first time, somehow, after his various romances that his feelings confused him. Did Iris even want something that went over the shore of platonic ?

What if he ever got the chance to go on tour again ? It wasn’t that easy to just take your partner with you. He saw that with another cast member. He called her each night, right after the show, talking to her for hours to catch up. Which didn’t make get enough sleep particularly easier if the show ends usually right before midnight.
"Is Iris acting different since the production started ?"
, the brown-haired asked in a whisper to test her waters before getting clear with his own.












 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg

Dahlia nodded sagely. “It must be in the early stages. That’s alright. It’s good for little Iris to have someone shy this time around. The last one was a proper tool.” She rolled her eyes, her usual cheer dimming as a rare scowl took over her face.

“Did you know he used to beg her for money? All the time. Like she had any to spare! Everything she owns, we gave her. Every dish, every blanket, every bit of comfort—that’s from us. Otherwise, she’d be out on the street… or worse, still sleeping in that damned car of hers.” Dahlia shifted in her seat, stretching her fingers as if trying to shake the frustration from her bones.

“He assumed—because she’s a Starling—that she’d be filthy rich. Or that she could help his career.” Dahlia scoffed. “But Iris? She’s the black sheep. Those jerks don’t even send her birthday cards, let alone visit.” She let out a long, annoyed groan, but after a beat, her expression softened.

“Still… she’s been happier lately. Stressed, sure—always rushing out to this show or that—but smiling more. Laughing even. It got us wondering if something happened at work.” She gave Theo’s arm a light pat and tilted her head, studying him.

“Even if she’s just your ‘boss,’ this? This isn’t normal for her. She must like you. Maybe not in the way most folks show it, but it’s there,” Dahlia said with a wink. Then, hearing footsteps, she pressed a finger to her lips to silence any reply.

Iris returned, balancing a mismatched set of plates. Most were chipped, but it was clear Theo’s was the least damaged of the bunch. A warm stack of waffles sat neatly on it, fruit arranged beside them with care. With an awkward grip, she held onto a small dish of butter and a bottle of maple syrup.

“Sorry for the wait,” she said, placing the plate in his lap. “Real food this time. Not that gross hospital stuff—though that was probably better for you.”

She pulled a fork and knife from her pocket like it was the most natural thing in the world and set them beside him.

“Dahlia, seriously. Your husband’s going to start crying if you don’t head home soon. I really don’t want to deal with that and Theo,” she huffed, though she made no move to actually kick her out.

Dahlia only smiled, gracefully taking a few items from Iris to help her sit down on the couch. Iris settled beside her with her own plate, digging into her breakfast without further comment, content—for now.

 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















Early stages ? Was she reading him better than he could himself ? But Theo didn’t have much time to think about that as Dahlia started gossiping about Iris' ex. He just listened quietly. That guy sounded awful. Like a nightmare on its own. But the framed picture of Iris and her family came into one with what the older woman told him. It explained much now.

Why they looked so cold. Why she was off to the side. And he now understood even better, why she seemed so uncomfortable there.

He didn’t dare to ask any questions, didn’t want to pry too much into Iris' personal life without her telling it to him. And he had no idea, who that — apparently — famous Starling family was, to be honest. He had heard of a few names with that last name before but not much more.

"Not even birthday cards ?"
His face grew a little shocked. Wasn’t that the least that you could do ? Didn’t cost much and showed at least some interest. But then a thought sparked into his mind.
"When is her birthday ?"
, the brown-haired asked then, his expression softening.

His expression changed into an even softer smile as Dahlia told him about the blonde seeming much happier. That she must like him. That really calmed his mind a little. Although it didn’t make the chaos in his mind and heart any easier.

As he caught glimpse of the waffles, Theo eyes sparkled happily. Some good food, finally. He didn’t really care how the plates looked, the food was much more important.
"Are you kidding ? This right here is the best I have seen in days."
His hands immediately grabbed the plate as it was placed into his lap.
"I hope I never see that hospital horror of food ever again."
While grabbing the fork and the knife, he also thanked her with a soft smile. Wasn’t like he saw it as normal to get everything handed he needed.

Just as Theo pushed both fork and knife into the waffles, he was fully concentrated on the waffles and the waffles only. They were dripping with maple syrup, enough to make one get a shock of all that sugar. But the brown-haired loved it that way, especially right now. Soon enough his plate looked like a big mess, the fruit scattered over the waffles, drowning in the maple syrup. The brown-haired was basically inhaling the food like he was starving.

Hmm, that was a lot better than what he had yesterday. And a lot more by now already as well. It just took Theo a few minutes to finish the whole plate with little to no leftovers of maple syrup sticking to plate. Usually it took him much longer to finish a meal — or rather he actively ate slower with a lot more breaks like it was usually in Greece. But he was so hungry right now, he would have ate everything that quickly.











 

Iris Starling
“We promised to never let go.”​
d59ccda6bba0933dc1a10999e312328a.jpg
Iris ate slowly, each bite measured and precise. Her posture was flawless, her wrist delicately angled—controlled, proper, intentional. She was so focused on maintaining her grace that she didn’t even notice Dahlia watching her—until the older woman cleared her throat with a pointed ahem.

Startled, Iris blinked back into reality. A faint blush dusted her cheeks. With a muttered breath, she stabbed her fork into a strawberry, a little too aggressively this time, and leaned forward to take the bite.

“Her birthday’s November sixth,” Dahlia said suddenly.

Iris choked mid-chew, eyes going wide as she coughed into her hand, utterly blindsided. She reached for her napkin, tears stinging her eyes from the awkward fruit ambush. Dahlia, unfazed, casually handed her another napkin like this was a regular occurrence.

“She’s technically a Scorpio,” Dahlia continued, matter-of-fact, “but still a water sign. Loves deeply, feels everything ten times more than the rest of us, and she's fiercely loyal to anyone she considers close.”

Iris turned a deep, embarrassed scarlet, glancing rapidly between Theo and Dahlia like a deer caught in headlights.

“W-What?” she sputtered, dabbing at her mouth and trying to recover. “Why are we talking about my birthday?”

Dahlia only hummed, finally starting to rise from the couch as if she’d gotten exactly what she came for. Iris narrowed her eyes.

“You were gossiping,” she hissed accusingly.

Dahlia let out a shameless, cackling laugh as she gathered her things.

“Theo,” Iris snapped, spinning toward him now, “whatever she said, it stays in this apartment. You hear me?” She pointed a finger at him in warning—though the fire of her glare was slightly undercut by how red her face still was.

“And what the hell do you even need my birthday for, anyway?” she turned the question back on Dahlia.

Dahlia just gave an innocent shrug, eyes twinkling.

Then Iris twisted around to Theo again, voice a pitch higher than before.

“What the hell do you need my birthday for, Theo?” she asked once more, pointing a very threatening looking strawberry on a fork at him.

Dahlia hummed thoughtfully and with a mischievous wink towards Theo began to walk back to her own apartment. "Don't be too hard on him Iris, the walls are thin here" Dahlia's teasing voice flited out making Iris fumble forward and groan leaning into the plush pillows of the couch.


 



lead actor





theo skordilis

















Theo looked up from his plate again, when Dahlia revealed Iris' birthday. He nodded with a smile and then turned his head to the blonde, hearing her struggle with the strawberry in her mouth. It seemed cute, in a way. And Dahlia seemed to be prepared for this to happen. The brown-haired mentally noted everything the older woman told him, maybe would be important later on.

Just by the way she stood in front of him, by the way she said his name, a cold shiver was running down his spine. There it was again, the scary part of Iris. Theo quickly put up his hands in defense.
"Of course, of course it does."
He wouldn’t have told anyone else even if Iris wouldn’t have said that. It was clear that the things Dahlia told him were intimate, confidential information.

The strawberry pointed straight at his face made Theo flinch a little back in the armchair. That almost seemed more than a threat. He could already picture himself on that fork, resembling the strawberry, looking at the glare Iris gave him.
"Nothing! Nothing, really! We just talked about it..and…and I thought it would be good to know."
There was some clear panic in his voice. He wasn’t used to a fork pointed at him like he was the next thing to be on the fork tines.

The brown-haired's eyes flicked quickly over to Dahlia. She was leaving. Alright alright, now he was on his own.

That was his end.

But when his head turned back and his eyes searched for the blonde curls planning his murder, he found her back in the couch. Theo quietly released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His life wasn’t over after only twenty-eight sweet years.

Now full and pain-free for now, he slowly slumped more into the armchair, stretching his legs. Though, suddenly the was a small burning pinch in his left leg and he pulled a back with a quiet ouch. The pain meds were indeed working but stretching those hurt muscles still wasn’t a good idea.

The brown-haired got comfortable in a different way before turning to Iris.
"We weren’t really gossiping, Iris. And she didn’t tell me much, don’t worry. Even if I would have the details, I would never use it against you. Promise."
His voice was calm, genuine. And Dahlia really just told him some basic facts, just some stuff so Theo could put a few points together — not Iris' whole life story, and he also didn’t want that from any other person. If Iris would be ever comfortable telling, he would listen. If not that would also be totally fine.

Then he quickly changed the topic though.
"Are they always getting breakfast there ?"
, he asked. Wiping some maple syrup off the edge of the plate with his finger before it would drip off.












 
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