austin-rapp

[austin-rapp]

"He went for a run," Mae explained as she heard the footsteps approaching the kitchen. "I told him he should wait til you wake up so you weren't in bed alone but he said he would be like the Flash and he had goals to meet." She shook her head and laughed. She finished putting sugar in her coffee before turning back to finally look at Gemma. "You want coffee?" @pitifulgerald

[austin-rapp]

"I think so, yeah. This place is like all about relaxation and exercise and shit. I've taught some clients here before." Simon's smile grew when she agreed. "You see the vision, hot and sweaty and hi, like being stoned in the middle of summer on the beach. One of my favorite feelings." He stayed quiet for a moment, just floating with her there and thinking about how nice it was. Simon was usually always jumping from thought to thought, feeling to feeling but lying here with Gemma he was actually just focused on how chill it felt. That was different for him. He wanted to say something sweet about it but he couldn't find the words, that had always been Otis's strong suit so instead he kissed the top of her head as he did his best to slowly paddle them towards the stairs with one arm. "Are we even moving or are we about to fall in?"

"Really?" Gemma thought she was about as nimble as a polar bear but she managed to make it up. Once she felt secure enough she smiled against his lips then turned ever so slightly, settling into his side. For as self-conscious of a person as she was, a lot of that noise faded to the background when she was with Simon. That wasn't to say she she didn't get embarrassed ever- but they could make out in broad daylight without much regard for anyone else. "There's a sauna here? I feel like that'd be fine, or even just smoking in there would probably be awesome. We should do that."

[austin-rapp]

"I mean of course. I'm really liking our chances of survival here." Simon held onto her tightly, doing his best to keep the floatie steady as she climbed up. "Woah, you're kind of a pro at this," he told her, moving his arm to lay across her waist so he could stop her from slipping off. "Sup," he told her with a laugh before leaning in to kiss her. "Much better." Simon was always used to having a good time but somehow with Gemma the good time had gotten impossibly better. "Alright, so snowed in, pool full of sharks, what's next? Do you think there are like bad affects to hot boxing a sauna? I wonder if I'd pass out or not."

"It happens all the time around here, doesn't it. You think we'd learn." She chuckled at the sound he made, grin stretching across her face as he complimented her. "And we'd have to huddle for warmth of course." Cautiously she took his hand, sure there was no way to gracefully join him, and pursed her lips as she considered her best approach. "We can try..." Gemma hesitated a moment longer before she scrambled up the float, figuring it was better to get up quickly than risk throwing it off balance. She ended up sort of on top of him, not straddling exactly. "Okay," she laughed as she looked down at him. "Hey."

[austin-rapp]

"Woah, snowed in at the pool. Kind of a mind fuck. One crack of glass, boom," he said, making a sound as if the roof was gonna fall in on them. "Freaky. Feel like we could melt it somehow. You definitely could with how hot you look in that bathing suit. One stare," he told her and pulled his best blue steel face, "and you'd save us all." He let out a dreamy sigh before reaching out for her hand. "You wanna get up here? I feel like we could do it without flipping over."

"The fish would love a field trip, they so deserve that." She flipped over from floating on her back and waded closer to him, chin resting on the edge of his floatie. "That's like Hunger Games level stuff. With everyone gathered here too... Actually, and I don't even wanna put this into the universe, but imagine getting snowed in here."

[austin-rapp]

"I'm just saying, this place is big enough they gotta bring fish from the aquarium for a field trip here, right? Like imagine how fucking fun that would be for them." Simon turned to look at her from where he had been lying on a large floaties. "Imagine they just drop the sharks in here for shits and giggles." @pitifulgerald

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"Fair point, there are a lot of corners." He laughed at how quickly she said yes and almost broke out into song right then and there. "It's actually pretty solid stuff. I'll play you a song later, I won't break out into song just yet. This hostess glow is really doing it for me, I don't want to fuck it up," he teased. "What's your favorite set up in the house? I was personally very taken by the front lawn display. Tens across the board, babe."

"None that we know of... it's a big house." If everyone truly left the party unscathed she'd be a little disappointed, she couldn't deny that. Without missing a beat, she gave him a "Yes," lips parting into a smirk. "I'm not singing to you- for a number of reasons, but I don't really know her music."

[austin-rapp]

"I totally would though, it's great for strengthening your hands." Austin laughed as he watched the person go. "I'm actually a little surprised there hasn't been more real bloodshed. Night is still young I guess," he told her, pushing his hair out of his face before re-adjusting his tiara. "I should've anticipated how much this costume would prompt people just singing to me out of nowhere. Is this me getting a taste of my own medicine as a theater kid?"

"I wouldn't," October warned a party guest as they came dangerously close to one of the antiques: thumbscrew, self explanatory. People getting hurt didn't concern her but replacing the family decor- that'd be annoying. She plucked the straw from her drink and put it through the device for demonstration purposes, tightening it until the plastic disintegrated. "Cool, right."

[austin-rapp]

🎃 🪦👻🕸️ - Austin as Chappell Roan

[austin-rapp]

"You think your nipples could cut glass right now because I think we should try it." Austin laughed as he looked him over. "You look fucking great though. If that helps. I would offer you my jacket but I am shirtless literally all of pride but I have a very, very heavy beer jacket on right now," he joked though he had managed to reach a very nice level of high and slightly tipsy. "Also means you gotta dance more, dude. You need to get your sweat on. Not stand over here shivering like a baby deer."

"I get that like the ocean is cold ... probably ... I think. Actually, I'm not sure because global warming is happening so technically the sea levels are rising now, and ... well anyway, I get the ocean is cold but whoever cranked up the AC I just wanna have a word." Patton's outfit was on theme but truly at what cost. He did his best not to shiver while pouring himself a drink. At this point, it was almost embarrassing.

[austin-rapp]

"That's the thing, knowing it was real just makes it feel worse," she admitted and rubbed at her forehead as she thought about it. "And I'd rather bang my head against a wall then have a conversation where the result will kind of be the same. Closure is overrated," she admitted, puffing out her cheeks for a moment. It was helpful just to say it out loud to Otis and have it validated and now she just wanted to find a way to move on. It was clear Lyrica and Jimi were really into each other and she just wanted to be happy for them. She smiled as she leaned into his touch, grateful for him in so many ways and grateful that she had friendships that held her so tenderly. "Well yes, you are blessed in that way for sure. And yes, that is so. I met with the curator yesterday. It's a gallery space downtown. I showed her some of the painting stuff I've been exploring lately so I'm hopeful we can settle on one of those pieces. Mostly because they're just easier to carry. Remember when you guys had to all help me get my marble statue to Ravenwood in one piece? That was a successful disaster."

"Or perhaps you didn't imagine it?" Otis suggested, with a shrug. "Perhaps, and this is just an assumption, my brother just pulled one of those moves. You know, the one guys typical tend to make. They moved onto the next thing without much thought or consideration for the other person. The fellow members of my gender tend to do that." He let Mae know with a sigh. "Have you thought about maybe talking to him about it? Because as much as we can speculate, I think you'll get answers straight from the source." Otis let her know, before reaching over to rub at Mae's back. "You can't imagine how happy I would be if I got stuck with you." Otis agreed with her, the smile on his face only growing. "Well, you know not everyone was graced with two musically inclined parents and I feel for those who weren't." He nodded, as that was no even a matter of conversation. Mae had always managed to see him, and he was happy to do that same for her. "Is that so? Where will I be catching sight of your newest work, now?"

[austin-rapp]

Mae's smile turned up at the compliment, not sure if Eve meant it but it was nice to hear either way. She took a seat before thanking her for the bottle of water, laughing at the question. "Fuck, I hope so. I spent enough time on it," she offered, coughing as she caught herself cursing. "Shit, sorry, I mean, yeah, anyway, it's a mix of stuff. I tend to explore all sorts of mediums for periods at a time so," she shrugged it off her shoulder and opened it before handing it over to Eve. "Knock yourself out. I started out with sculpting, moved more from marble to clay, then wood and then recently I just said, hey, why not try painting. I never thought I was..gentle enough for it but I get the hype, I really do."

"The feeling's mutual." She did have some air of professionalism when it came to these things, but just while she felt it out first, and of course with an emphasis on some.' "Yeah well I like your stuff and I've always got time for cool people. You wanna take a seat? I don't have an office, per-say, so just here is fine," she told her, motioning to the small seating area in the gallery. While Mae sat, she grabbed two bottles of water then joined her. "What do you got in there, anything good?," she joked, pointing to her portfolio.

[austin-rapp]

She puffed out her cheeks as Otis put a name to what she had been saying. Two names actually. "Yeah, like that," she admitted and rubbed at her forehead for a moment. "I'm happy for them, I just..I don't know. It's like Jimi and I had this moment and sometimes I'm sure I must have imagined it because the way they are together, it feels silly to think I was even in consideration." She shrugged, wanting desperately for it to just roll off her back like it was nothing. She adored Lyrica and at one point had a crush on her too so overall it was just not great for her. She'd rather avoid it but that would mean not hanging out with her friends and that was the last thing she wanted to do. She was grateful for his reassurance though and leaned her head against his shoulder, giving his arm a squeeze. "Well I'm pretty okay with being stuck with you. You're always great on the aux and you always remember my favorite snacks," she teased but really she was grateful for how solid of a friend Otis had always been. "Thanks for seeing me," she told him and nudged him lightly. "In nicer new, I'm entering my work into a new gallery."

"More likely than you think," Otis let her know with a small smile. "Okay... perhaps not entirely. I still am employed at TRAXS so I'm bound to run into something weird at my next shift but as of right now, no more weirdness." He said, shaking his hands out in front of him as if to wade off bad juju. "People... like Jimi and Lyrica, huh?" Otis asked, as he was never one to not be blunt. Plus, he'd had to shoo them off from behind the merch stand as things were about to get a bit X rated on some valuable shirts. "I still don't know how to survived an entire summer of that." Otis laughed, as he'd been fortunate enough to tour with his father, Adrian come summers in his youth so he didn't have to play boy scout. "Nah, you're more than valid in feeling however you feel." Otis let her know with a shrug. "It sucks to not be that person for someone you want... but it does get better eventually. Trust me, I know." Otis let her know, pointing at himself with a bigger smile. "And who knows? Maybe we'll find someone who likes us even more than those people we wanted someday. And if not, you're stuck with me." Otis suggested, with a light nudge to Mae's shoulder. "Totally just girl who's alive and breathing, if you ask me.'

[austin-rapp]

He thought about it for a moment, "Yeah, I can totally see the vibe. You totally give me 'i didn't have to deal with a sibling annoying me growing up' vibes," he told her with a laugh as he thought about it. "Ohhh, a beret! That's genius. Very sophisticated. What if you combine them? Butterfly riding a dolphin. Or the other way around, that would be something. Alright, let's do it." He gently got her back to her feet before he laid down on his stomach for the tattoo artist and told them what he wanted. It was a fake tattoo so he doubt it was actually gonna hurt but as he lay there, he still reached out for Gemma's hand. "I think I'll name the stingray Ed, or Sal or Stacey. Or something else."

"That's cool. I'm an only child- do I give that vibe? I need you to be honest with me," she joked, though she wondered what it'd be like to have that kind of relationship with someone else. The closest she had was Walt and the rest of her friends she'd grown, she figured that was like having a sibling. "Wrong kind of sting," she agreed, smiling as his lips pressed against her shoulder. "Cool glasses are a must, or maybe a little hat? Like a beret. I'm leaning towards the dolphins still, or maybe like the classic tramp stamp butterflies."

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"You? Tapped out of weird? I never thought I'd see the day," Mae joked, though Otis had a point. "I mean I generally don't worry about it but then I'm around people and it's kind of hard to ignore. Especially at such horny event like a music festival. It gave me flashbacks to camp with the greasers," she mumbled and shivered as she thought about it. The Elena and Matty era had definitely left its lasting impact. "I know you're gonna give me the pep talk angle but I guess sometimes I just feel a bit discarded. Not as much as I used to, I mean I feel like I've grown a lot but those little insecurities are a bitch. Guess I'm just trying to get to a place where it doesn't bother me but I don't think I will. Does that make me a failure or just a girl who's alive and breathing?"

"Oh, you busted out the adage, huh?" Otis asked, his eyebrow raising ever so slightly as a slight smirk appeared on his features. At this point, Otis didn't put much weight into his romantic prospects or lack thereof. Whilst he was generally known as someone with not the sunniest disposition, he was trying this thing where he no longer focused on what he didn't have. "Maybe we will? Maybe we won't?" Otis said with a shrug, before taking a pull from the joint being passed between the two of them. "What I do know, don't put too much weight on all of that. Dating in todays day and age is fucking weird, and I'm all tapped out of weird after this last weekend."

[austin-rapp]

"Yeah, Mae, it's really nice to meet you," she told her and shook her hand with a growing smile. She can't say Eve was what she had expected but it was a welcome surprise. "Uh yeah, water's great, thank you. I was glad you had time for me today, I know you're probably super busy putting this show together. I'm really curious to know what you have in mind," she admitted, shifting the portfolio in her arms.

"In the flesh," she confirmed, extending a hand. Eve never knew what people expected her to look like, or whatever, when they were emailing but it was funny whenever she clearly didn't meet those expectations. "Mae, right? Can I get you a water or anything, then we can chat."

[austin-rapp]

"Uh hi, I'm looking for.." Mae paused and pulled her phone out again to look at who the email had come from, "Eve Stifler?" Mae had made it a goal of hers to appear in at least two galleries this year as she tired out some new mediums and had found a lot more confidence in showing her work. "We're supposed to meet about the show she's putting together." @schmidt-stifler