Supernova||Book 1 [Wattys 2024]

Episode 17.5: What's In A Memory?

"If you only had one day to live what would you do?"

Nine made a thoughtful face "Hmmm..If I only had one day to live...I would probably try to fit in as many things as I could and die of exhaustion."

He looked at Jorah on the screen during their video call.

"That's your answer?" Jorah pouted.

"Yes." Nine replied cutely.

"Alright alright." Jorah frowned. "I hate that answer so I'm leaving."

When the call disconnected and Jorah's face disappeared, Nine's eyes widened in shock, becoming even rounder when Jorah appeared next to him less than a minute later.

"That was your answer?" Jorah complained afresh as he sat beside Nine.

Nine grinned.

"You wouldn't want to spend your last day with me?" Jorah held his chest. "My heart is broken."

"Wait..I didn't mean.." Nine tried to get a word in.

"No, you said you wanted to fit in as many things as possible and die of exhaustion."

"Right." Nine nodded. "Who said you weren't on the list of things?"

Jorah's eyes widened and he bit his bottom lip slightly before a smile budded. "So I'm on your list of things to do?" he quickly picked up the tease as they live streamed.

"Of course." Nine replied.."Being with you is one of the reasons I'm usually so exhausted." he laughed. "You're going to be the death of me."

Jorah joined in the laughter.

Nine sighed heavily before stopping the recording saved from one of their streams. He had to stop doing this to himself but it was easier said than done.

It had been 3 months since he last laid eyes on Jorah but he didn't miss him any less. He was sure doing things like this, watching footage of them together didn't provide the opportunity for the wound to even form a scab. But it was all he could do now.

He'd lost count of how many times he'd rewatched The Protector from start to finish. Everytime he watched it, he would remember the day they shot the scene in question. As he watched himself and Jorah on the screen he couldn't help being drawn to the man. People often said he, Nine, was charismatic or had a way about him, but to him, Jorah was the special one. His portrayal of Landon was electrifying.

It was very unexpected, considering Jorah's personality and temperament. He could understand why everyone had been skeptical about his ability to execute the role at the beginning of the series . In the end, he'd not only met those expectations, but exceeded them all. Nine was convinced, if anyone else had played the character of Landon, it would not have been the same. Jorah had stamped that role and you couldn't unsee it.

Landon was a hard character, stubborn and temperamental. When he was on his own or interacting with other characters, his dominant personality was evident. What was amazing to watch however, was the character's transformation.

As the series progressed, when Landon was in Ryder's presence, he almost became a different person. It was in the little things, like the way Jorah's eyes would dip to Nine's lips before their kisses or the way he coyly wrapped his arms around his neck at times.

There were a lot of scenes when Jorah kissed with his eyes open. Why did he get butterflies even though he was actually in the series himself? He could definitely understand things better now from the perspective of a viewer.

As Nine watched, it was like watching himself fall in love in real time. It made him both incredibly happy and heartbreakingly sad. In a way, he could see his and Jorah's life mirrored in parts of Ryder and Landon's story. Watching by himself was different than watching with Jorah to promote the series. Now he saw things he'd never seen before.