likelyamused

[likelyamused]

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[door slams open] Levi: Hi, hello! Courtney: Hey! By the way, were you with Robin last ni-… [Courtney tutted as Levi sped past her, launching himself up the staircase] Wren: Um, ever heard of knocking? Levi: You’ve gotta help me. Wren: What've you done now? Levi: Wren! Wren: It's a valid question. Levi: Just promise you'll help me. Wren: Fiiiine. Levi: Okay, so we need to break Robin and Aster up. They’re clearly miserable together and I think I fucked up by forcing them together-.. like, him and Alex are clearly soulmates, or whatever, and-… Wren: Wait, wait, you believe in soulmates? [Levi huffed in frustration as he faceplanted the bed, forgotten glasses digging into the bridge of his nose] Levi: [muffled] Ow-.. that’s beside the point. Wren: Hmmm.. so, you set them up? No wonder it's such a disaster. Levi: WrennnnNN! Wren: [laughs] This is what you get when you try and play match-maker, dipshit. Levi: It's not funny. Wren: It's a little funny-.. and you had to admit you fucked up, AND you came to me for help! Oh, this is gold. Levi: Are you gonna help or not? Wren: What do you expect me to do? Levi: I don't know, help me think of something-.. talk to him? Wren: Alright, but I'm gonna need more info. Levi: Tch, you just want gossip. Wren: Two birds, one stone? Levi: [sighs] Fine-.. but don’t hit me! Wren: What if you deserve it? Levi: I’d like the judge to bear in mind that my heart was in the right place. Wren: Jury’s still out on that one, but I suppose I’ll consider it.

[likelyamused]

Chapter 13.3 - Payback's A Dragon

Akira doesn't know why he showed up at Cora's place. Their connection was like a scab he couldn't stop picking at.

"I didn’t want to talk about what the witches did," she fumes as soon as he walks through the door.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want to have sex with you for nothing, so I guess we’re both shit out of luck.”

"Is that what this is about for you?" her voice climbs up an octave. "Sex?"

"No!" Akira narrows his eyes to a squint. "Sex is the thing I don't want to do with you. This is about how you lied to me. And also, how you apologized when I told you not to."

“What kind of psycho makes you dance until you twist your ankle just because you're nice enough to say you’re sorry?”

“Me!” Akira shouts, “How many times do I have to say it’s literally what I do?”

"Oh, come off it," she sneers. "Look me in the eye and tell me it’s not a choice."

"Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't know what happens when you apologize."

“You almost broke my ankle!”

“That dragon busted my fuckin' ribs!”

“You’re immortal, you asshole! Your ribs will heal!”

They eye each other angrily, panting after screaming so loudly. "Whatever," Akira grumbles as he shoves past her. He grabs a seat at the kitchen table and after a beat, Cora follows.

"So?" She slides into the chair across from him and places her palms flat on the table. "A truth for a truth?"

He forgot he taught her this custom. Early on, he was so guarded, but somewhere between sharing barley bales and complaining about their assignments from Jacques, he slipped.

"Technically, it is a choice," Akira admits. "But the only time a fae wouldn’t take the power offered to them is if it was someone they cared for, like family, or life partners, that kind of shit."

“And I don’t qualify.” 

"It’s not about you specifically," he says quickly, and then winces. Gods knew why he was trying to be nice. Hadn't he learned his lesson? "What I mean is, I don't have a large circle of creatures I trust. Most elves don't. We're too vulnerable. Every word is a potential hook."

“I know," Cora blows out a breath, sending the hair around her face fluttering. "I've actually never seen you completely relaxed. Not even after sex. And I knew what apologizing would do. I guess I was hoping you’d prove me wrong by treating me with kid gloves.”

Akira's mind immediately flashes to Alice and Vlad. Even completely drained, he can't imagine feeding from them. And he would certainly never scramble their minds or dig around in their heads.

“How long did you know you weren’t in love with me?”

He owes her honesty. "Always."

Cora is quiet at first. Then she lurches up from the table. “I didn’t want to tell you about the witches because I didn’t want you to see how pathetic I was.”

"You weren’t pathetic."

"Spare me."

Surprisingly, that is exactly what he is trying to do. "I'm not bullshitting you. Those tests were brutal."

“You thrive off brutality,” Cora argues.

“Yeah, but I am not a sim.”

“Well, I don’t want to be a sim either!” She swipes at her eyes before balling her hands into fists. "You weren’t the only reason I moved to Ravenwood. I thought maybe being closer to ley lines or magic would break something open in me. Then I could run home with powers and my mother would know she was wrong, and she'd want me."

Her loneliness resonates, and for a minute, Akira hates how he used it against her. "Your mother is a bitch and you don't need her. You can make a new family."

"Please," she scoffs. "We aren't fucking anymore. You don't have to pretend to think what she did was horrible. You weren't the first one to reject me because I wasn't enough, and you won't be the last."

"I should be. If you learn from this." As soon as the words leave his mouth, he knows it's the wrong thing to say. Cora turns away, her shoulders rigid. Akira scrambles out of his chair to follow her. "Cora, please—"

"Please what?" she bites out, her voice raw. "Learn? Learn what? Spellcasters who don’t show an affinity are put through increasing levels of stress to force their magic. But I didn’t have magic hiding. I didn’t have magic at all. Every test kicked my ass. I could have died and all I could think was that I was a failure."

“Don't say that about yourself,” Akira puts his hand on her shoulder. The only thing Cora lacked was magic in a way that spellcasters understood. "Seriously. Fuck me and anyone else who makes you feel like that."

“I don’t want a pep talk from you. My mom discarded me, yeah, but at least she didn't use me.”

The tips of his ears grow hot. If she only understood how desperate he was. "I was worried about my partners, so I acted without..." He can't say he acted without thinking because he did think, he just didn't care. "It was shitty, alright? I know that. But The Order of Enchantment is involved and you have to know something."

"Why would I know about them?" she scowls and instantly, Akira knows it's a lie.

"Cora."

"Are you insane?" She pulls back to glare at him. "Holy fucking Watcher, you are self-absorbed. Are you not hearing me? We. Are. Not. Friends. I’m not gonna sit here and help you solve your personal issues. Those days are done."

On that, they agreed. Akira is already more than halfway to the door when she hisses she wants him to get out.

"The fae can't lie, but they can definitely make you feel like shit. I hope your life partners or fated mates or whatever you call them never have to learn that."

Akira doesn't bother with an answer. He hustles down the creaking steps, ignoring the pain that reverberates through his body with every move.

Cora reprimanding him for lying was pretty rich. And she was wrong, anyway. The fae couldn't lie, which wasn't the same as saying they didn't lie.

Under different circumstances, Akira would have let this go. Maybe she lied about The Order of Enchantment out of vanity rather than malice. But he had Vlad and Alice to take care of, and being so low on magic, he couldn't afford to let any secret fester.

The trip to his garden was long since he didn't waste even an ounce of glamour to teleport himself. The trip back was even worse, sitting on a on fucking train surrounded by all that iron.

It was worth it though, because he doesn't need magic to monitor Cora.

Sims knew so little about plants. 

About their strength.

Their power.

Their connections.

A message could pass from root to root as effortlessly as sending a text. 

Plants could watch and report, communicate, protect, even.

They were beautiful. And useful as hell. 

Yes, Akira was a liar. But Cora couldn’t imagine the depth of his devotion to his fate. The things he would do to keep them safe.

He would get what he needed. Burn the world if he had to, her included.

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(Part 4 of 4)

[likelyamused]

Beginning / Previous / Next

Transcript under the cut

Celia: Can I come in?

Max: Huh, yeah-yeah… come in.

Max: Sorry for the mess…

Celia: What happened once I left?

Max: [shrugs] Nothing important.

Celia: Hmm. And you got these falling down some stairs?

Celia: How afraid of your friend should I have been?

Max: Very. 

Max: You were only interesting to him because you were standing between us. I had to make him believe he won.

Celia: So… you didn’t mean what you said or you figured what we had wasn’t worth the trouble? 

Max: I’m not worth the trouble.

Celia: What? What is this about?

Max: I’m not a good person. You shouldn’t have to deal with threats and lies and… You should be going out with guys like Lucas or Chris.

[paper ruffling]

Celia: Max, that’s just not true. Could I live without the threats? Absolutely. Am I starting to see why you lied? … Yeah, I am. And I get the feeling you kinda have to. I understand I don’t know much about your past, but I have a pretty good idea of what drove you to do the things that were bad. And they don’t make you a bad person. Would you just stop for a minute so we can talk?

Max: What else do you want me to say? You said it yourself: you have no idea- [puffs] You know nothing about the real me.

Celia: The real you? If you think I haven’t met him already, show him to me. Show me how naïve I am to think there’s good in you. 

Max: Everything Jason said, except that crazy stuff about your grandfather, is true. I did all those things. I enjoyed it.

Celia: Then why’d you stop? 

Max: [Pauses] I didn’t like who I was becoming.

Celia: You hide. You lied to me to hide the parts you didn’t like about yourself. But you didn’t hide everything. You showed me parts of you, the ones that live here. I should have trusted these from the start.

Max: I did terrible things…

Celia: Max, if you want me to leave, if you want us to go our separate ways, I’ll respect your wishes. But I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to understand the parts of you you keep hidden, if you’ll let me.

[likelyamused]

At Antonio's office, Dulce asked for help with a shared custody agreement for Cosi between her and Caruso. Antonio found the idea absurd, but he wanted to make her happy. He drew up a contract that worked entirely in Dulce's favor and could be terminated at any time. It's Caruso- and Isabela-proof.

Dulce and Caruso believe this arrangement could work out long-term despite their complicated history. Cosi is relatively chill, and it would be nice to travel without always finding a sitter for her.

NOTE: Of course agreements like this often don't work out in the real world, but this is the route we're going! Don't worry, Cosi will be perfectly happy and okay. I promise <3

NOTE: Shout out to @authorspirit who was hoping for an agreement like this! It's like you read my notes with ideas �� I was itching to finally get to this post and publish it.

NOTE: Of course, Buttercups is from @abbysimsfun's Sims in Bloom story! Antonio, "the lawyer," was in this post.

Start from the beginning (Gen 2)

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Transcript

The Caruso Residence

[Caruso gently picked up Cosi as she wagged her tail.]

CARUSO: Hey, Cosi. I missed you, too.

[He laughed softly, as if in disbelief.]

CARUSO: I thought maybe you would have forgotten me by now.

DULCE: Remember, I can end the agreement at any time. If we see that switching between houses is hurting her, then we’ll forget about everything.

CARUSO: Yup!

DULCE: Also, don’t forget: if she spins around counterclockwise, that means she ran out of water. And if she’s barking at 10 PM-

CARUSO: -it’s because she’s telling you it’s her bedtime and needs complete darkness. I know. Alegría, you’re acting like I never took care of her. C’mon.

DULCE: I know, my bad.

???: Excuse me.

DULCE: Who is that?

CARUSO: Because of the compensatory damages, legal fees, and brib- I mean, and my dwindling subscriber count, I can’t afford this ginormous house that I bought on a whim. So, I had to rent out the other bedrooms. It’s all good.

DULCE: Why not sell the house instead, genius?

CARUSO: No way! I already got attached to it.

DULCE: I guess that’s fair. It is a nice place.

CARUSO: Yeah, you would know, wouldn’t you?

DULCE: Take the compliment.

[“And shut up,” she wanted to add.]

DULCE: ....I’m happy for you?

CARUSO: Thank you.

DULCE: Never mind, I take that back! I’m not convinced. I know you’ll never do anything to Cosi or use her against me, but I have to keep my eye on you. You’re a wild card.

CARUSO: Seriously?? Okay, fine. I’ll formally apologize for everything.

DULCE: Fantastic, I’d love that.

CARUSO: Hold on, I’m trying.

DULCE: ...

CARUSO: Any second now.

[“Oh my gosh, he’s full of crap!” she thought.]

DULCE: Ahem... Well... As I’ve learned, an apology without real change is meaningless. So if you can’t say one, I hope you at least turn things around, Caruso.

CARUSO: I’m sensing angry energy from you. Do you want to try some breathing exercises that I learned on the retreat?

DULCE: I’m fine.

DULCE: By the way, the lawyer went to a wedding, and he met the family that owns Buttercups. Pretty cool, right?

CARUSO: Really? Wow!

DULCE: Besides the PI info, he also got their contact info in case Cosi wants to do a commercial. What do you think? Since you’re her other parent.

CARUSO: Sounds good to me. She’ll be a star!

DULCE: I’ll go now. Bye-bye, Cosi. I’ll see you soon. Be good – or not. Give this guy hell for all I care.

[likelyamused]

Beginning / Previous / Next

Transcript under the cut

Celia: Can I come in?

Max: Huh, yeah-yeah… come in.

Max: Sorry for the mess…

Celia: What happened once I left?

Max: [shrugs] Nothing important.

Celia: Hmm. And you got these falling down some stairs?

Celia: How afraid of your friend should I have been?

Max: Very. 

Max: You were only interesting to him because you were standing between us. I had to make him believe he won.

Celia: So… you didn’t mean what you said or you figured what we had wasn’t worth the trouble? 

Max: I’m not worth the trouble.

Celia: What? What is this about?

Max: I’m not a good person. You shouldn’t have to deal with threats and lies and… You should be going out with guys like Lucas or Chris.

[paper ruffling]

Celia: Max, that’s just not true. Could I live without the threats? Absolutely. Am I starting to see why you lied? … Yeah, I am. And I get the feeling you kinda have to. I understand I don’t know much about your past, but I have a pretty good idea of what drove you to do the things that were bad. And they don’t make you a bad person. Would you just stop for a minute so we can talk?

Max: What else do you want me to say? You said it yourself: you have no idea- [puffs] You know nothing about the real me.

Celia: The real you? If you think I haven’t met him already, show him to me. Show me how naïve I am to think there’s good in you. 

Max: Everything Jason said, except that crazy stuff about your grandfather, is true. I did all those things. I enjoyed it.

Celia: Then why’d you stop? 

Max: [Pauses] I didn’t like who I was becoming.

Celia: You hide. You lied to me to hide the parts you didn’t like about yourself. But you didn’t hide everything. You showed me parts of you, the ones that live here. I should have trusted these from the start.

Max: I did terrible things…

Celia: Max, if you want me to leave, if you want us to go our separate ways, I’ll respect your wishes. But I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to understand the parts of you you keep hidden, if you’ll let me.

[likelyamused]

Ut Supra, Sic Infra Pt. 13 (1/2)

CW/TW: language, strained parent/child relationships

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[likelyamused]

Antonio's main reason for giving Caruso the private investigator's information was to eliminate whoever Caruso had hired to dig into his life. He needed to get Caruso off his back.

NOTE: Somebody guessed what's coming but I'm not saying who 👀

Start from the beginning (Gen 2)

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Transcript

The Law Offices

[When Dulce informed her therapist about Antonio’s odd request, they told her she had every right to be upset – and that it was up to her whether or not she wanted to go. After much discussion, Dulce found herself at this place again.]

[She didn’t want to discuss whatever happened between them. She wasn’t ready yet. Mostly, she was curious about what he wanted in case it was related to the trial. Maybe she forgot to sign something?]

DULCE: Hi! I’m here for-

RECEPTIONIST: Dulce Alegría! Good to see you again. Go right on ahead to Mr. Romero’s office.

[The receptionist remembered who she was? But it had been months since her last visit. Well, she was unforgettable. It made sense.]

DULCE: ...Oh. Thank you.

[And it probably didn’t help that she used to come by frequently just to see Antonio. Most of their meetings could’ve been emails.]

[The clothes on her became increasingly suffocating as she took the elevator and walked toward the office. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door.]

ANTONIO: Come in.

ANTONIO: Dulce.. Hi, how have you been?

DULCE: Never better! What about you?

[She was biting her tongue, remembering her therapist telling her to stay grounded.]

ANTONIO: Same here. Please take a seat.

[Dulce did take a seat, keeping a noticeable distance from the desk.]

DULCE: So, what’s up? It was totally random for you to ask me to come.

ANTONIO: It was, so thank you for coming.

[He cleared his throat.]

ANTONIO: I’ll get straight to the point: I found a private investigator. For Caruso to help find his mom.

DULCE: What?

ANTONIO: Hear me out. Clearly he has his own issues, and I believe that providing him with this contact information will help him in obtaining closure – and keep him from attempting to ruin other people’s lives. I’ll be the one to send it. What are your thoughts?

DULCE: No yeah, I think that’s a great idea.

[She was taken by surprise. This lawyer also has unconventional ideas; she thought it was just her.]

DULCE: I know he hurt me, but I want the best for him. We should all move on from what happened.

[Suddenly, the room got quiet. Was Dulce only referring to Caruso?]

DULCE: Well if that’s it, I really should get going.

ANTONIO: Dulce, wait.

DULCE: Hm?

ANTONIO: I.. I’m sorry.

DULCE: It’s fine. I need to go now.

ANTONIO: I have more to say.

DULCE: Antonio, let’s just drop it. Okay?

[...]

ANTONIO: Dulce. Please. You don’t have to forgive me. In fact, I don’t expect it, but you deserve an apology. Don’t you?

[Dulce froze.]

ANTONIO: I’m sorry for the way I treated you. I’ve been hot and cold, didn’t show up to your celebration, and disappeared without a word. None of that was fair to you. You’ve only ever shown me kindness and wanted to share moments with me, but I can’t meet you there. I led you on.

[Dulce glanced down to take in the words. Hm. She got the confirmation she needed. She couldn’t wait around like a lost puppy anymore.]

[With nothing left to lose, she seized the opportunity to bring up an inquiry, perhaps for the last time.]

DULCE: I’ll forgive you if you do me one more favor.

ANTONIO: What is it?

[Inaudible chatter.]

ANTONIO: That’s what you want?!

DULCE: What’s the big deal? I’ll pay you and then stay out of your hair forever. I’d take that offer if I were you.

ANTONIO: It’s not- I don’t think it’s a good idea. You can’t be serious about it.

[Antonio took the time to examine her face.]

DULCE: Oh, I’m serious alright. Also, I listened to your idea.

ANTONIO: ..Okay, fine. I’ll draft something up.

ANTONIO: I’m only doing it because you need someone to do this correctly. And something failsafe.

DULCE: Mmkay.

[likelyamused]

Percy's First Birthday, Part II

Beginning / Previous

[ding-dong]

Naomi: Is that the door again?

Micah: Who could it be at this hour?

Naomi: Oh, it’s… you.

Grim: I wasn’t certain you’d recognize me.

Naomi: Well, that pesky netherworld fissure of yours is a bit of a dead giveaway. Pun fully intended.

Grim: I suppose it is a rather ostentatious form of travel.

Naomi: Besides, he looks a lot like you. Your son.

Grim: My… son?

Naomi: By my count, you have at least two now.

Grim: [hangs head] Shamefully, I’ve kept many things hidden from you. Can we talk?

Micah: Is everything okay, Naomi?

Cassie: We can get rid of him if you need us to.

Naomi: No, it’s fine. Why don’t we take a walk? I could use some fresh air.

-

Naomi: [awkwardly] So… how are things at the office?

Grim: Business as usual — though it is much less efficient without you around, troubling considering how many cigarette breaks you took in a day.

Naomi: I quit smoking, you know. [bitterly] I’m actually not sure what was harder, that or a day and a fucking half of labor.

Grim: Naomi, I made a grave mistake.

Naomi: If you’re here to lecture me about how we never should have slept together-

Grim: My words when we last spoke were unnecessarily cruel. I wasn’t thinking of you in that moment, only myself. It is easy to mistake the weight of my position for infallibility. I thought myself weak for experiencing feelings for you. I foolishly decided I’d rather sever ties than confront my own humanity.

Naomi: So you are human?

Grim: More or less.

Naomi: How old are you?

Grim: I stopped counting some years ago.

Naomi: Do you not age?

Grim: I can, but so long as I hold this job I won’t.

Naomi: What’s your real name?

Grim: Pluto.

Naomi: As in the cartoon dog? Or the former planet?

Grim: As in the god of the underworld. [laughs] Not particularly subtle, is it? Reaping is the family business, always has been. I was the successor to the throne, so to speak, before I was even born.

Naomi: So one day you’ll need a successor of your own.

Grim: Yes. I started hiring grimterns in the hope of finding someone worthy of the role. I once thought Nyon-

Naomi: You don’t even know Nyon! I don’t care what happened with Olive Specter. But you can’t father children only to abandon them, especially if they’re expected to inherit your scythe — which I’m not saying Percy ever will.

Grim: [softly] Percy? Is that his name? I’d like to meet him. If you’ll allow it.

Naomi: You have to be a real part of his life. I’m not saying we need to get married. I’m not even saying we need to be together. But you can’t just vanish the second it gets difficult.

Grim: My job requires-

Naomi: Promise.

Grim: I promise.

-

Grim: He’s a handsome boy.

Naomi: He is.

Grim: May I… hold him?

-

Micah: Are you really going to give him a second chance?

Naomi: Percy deserves to know his father. As for the rest, he’ll have to prove he’s capable of sticking around first.

Micah: When Grandma told me you wanted to buy the place, I couldn’t believe it. I thought you’d be ready to go home.

Naomi: Oddly enough, this feels like home now.

Micah: Naomi, wha…

Naomi: Oh, that’s Bonehilda. I summon her every now and then to help out with the housework.

Micah: Wow, you really have changed.

[likelyamused]

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Missed call: Mom x4 Missed call: Dad x1 TEXT: Dad I swear to god Robin, I’ll stick a tracker up your ass if you don’t call back asap TEXT: Alexandruuuh the Derp Text me when u get home, tried to wake u up but u were having none of it xx … Courtney: Where’ve you been?! Robin: I stayed at a friend’s house. Courtney: And you couldn’t answer your phone to tell us that?! Robin: Sorry… [Robin shrugged lamely, he felt guilty for worrying his parents but he was far too hungover to deal with any lectures right now. He desperately needed his bed…] [Oscar narrowed his eyes as Robin avoided eye contact and sloped upstairs like a frail zombie] Oscar: He’s hungover. Courtney: Mmh. Oscar: [groans] Oughhh. Courtney: They’re gonna do this kinda thing, honey. We can’t stop them. Oscar: I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Ava: What kinda thing? Courtney: I’ll talk to him. Oscar: Later. Courtney: Obviously. Ava: Helloooo-.. what thiiiings?! Oscar: Things that’re gonna give me a damn aneurysm.

[likelyamused]

real friends. beginning | previous | next

[likelyamused]

A Night in With Dulce

It's a quiet, relaxing night after emotionally exhaustive therapy sessions. Dulce has been seeing a therapist to explore her romantic idealizations and attraction to emotional unavailability.

With Alex, the dream of the "celebrity chef power couple" was born, and she was convinced they would get married someday. Her parents got married to their first love, and that's what she desired, too. However, Alex and Dulce were only 14-15 when they made things official, and they sought very different lives. It was puppy love, yet the breakup still left Dulce grieving. To her, it was another big "failure" after losing in Diced Junior.

Dulce dated around for a while, trying to look for a new Alex. It's fine to have standards, but Dulce was far too picky. She even rejected someone after they said they disliked the movie Ratatouille — it was a minor thing!

Then she met Caruso, who she initially hated and found obnoxious, but the tension between them made him irresistible. Their rivalry in culinary school made her think he could be the one to live out her celebrity chef power couple dreams with. He seemed just as ambitious. And perhaps someone totally different than Alex was the right one? Caruso and Dulce never got to connect on a deep level, though. It was a superficial relationship both ways.

As for Antonio, well... in therapy, Dulce uncovered that he could be another emotionally unavailable person with poor communication skills. He acts hot and cold, might be breadcrumbing, and didn't apologize for not coming to her celebratory party. Since she had family staying over, Dulce could only shed tears of heartbreak and frustration in her locked bathroom. She was mostly angry at herself, telling herself she was overreacting. She already decided she wanted to stay single, so why feel like this? Antonio even said he doesn't have time for love, sooo... It's best to forget about him, right? All in all, Dulce is working toward detaching her self-worth from romantic and career-based achievements, recognizing red flags, and exploring what makes a relationship healthy. People flirt with her in public, like Orange, but she's determined to work toward a better version of herself! No impulsive decisions.

Start from the beginning (Gen 2)

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[likelyamused]

Beginning / Previous / Next

Transcript under the cut

Joana: I can’t believe I missed all this. I never liked him. I always felt like he was hiding something. 

Celia: It’s not like that… He’s had it really rough. 

Joana: He lied to you. He’s clearly involved with some shady people if they come all the way here to threaten him. And all that stuff about living on your grandfather’s property and hiding it from you is weird. I can’t believe you’re making excuses for him.

Celia: And you think I should trust every word the other guy said? Believe me, he wasn’t the trustworthy type either. 

Laura: Maybe not everything is black or white.

Joana: He played with her heart. We should be bad mouthing about him and burning every memory of him to the ground. 

Shanna: Maybe we should see what Celia wants to do about it first-

Joana: He doesn’t deserve that kind of consideration-

Celia: It’s complicated. You weren’t there.

Joana: Girl, you can find so much better. Max’s a drop-out and homeless bum. That’s who you want to go out with?!

Celia: Like all of this is his fault! I really wish you never face adversity, Joana. 

Joana: He told you he used your feelings for him for his own benefit. Why are you still defending him?

Celia: Because I don’t think it’s true! [sharp exhale]

Celia: This is not helping. I shouldn’t be here. 

Shanna: Let me take care of it.

/

Shanna: Celia, wait! You’re going to see him?

Celia: If you’re here to stop m-

Shanna: Finally!

Celia: Why didn’t you say anything?

Shanna: When has telling you what to do ever worked out? You had to get here on your own. Come on. Let’s get you prepped. What are you gonna say to him?

[likelyamused]

Looks like there’s at least one thing these two can agree on 😟

[likelyamused]

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Sorella: That's everything... I really didn't know. I'm so sorry I never-

Ti: I believe you. I don't blame you one bit. James can be very charming… I thought he was just struggling to adjust to my career taking off and Cole being born. But he was saving all that charm for you. In retrospect I guess things make more sense.

Sorella: Like what?

Ti: He became so weird about his work phone. Constantly checking it, never leaving it out… He used it to message you. Probably to keep me from wondering who he was texting all day. He started volunteering for more work trips even though he used to hate them. He always seemed a bit down when he would get back from them and kept me at arms length... [sighs] I'm an idiot.

Sorella: So am I.

Ti: March... Why was he here for so long in March?

Sorella: Oh… My great-grandmother was in the hospital. He was supposed to leave the morning she got admitted, but he stayed until she was discharged.

Ti: I'm sorry, is she doing alright now?

Sorella: She is. Much better.

Ti: What was he doing while she was in the hospital?

Sorella: He had rented a car, so he drove me and my roommates anywhere we needed to go. He got groceries. Made sure I was eating. That sort of thing.

Ti: He can be very thoughtful when he puts in the effort...

Sorella: Yeah.

Ti: [takes a deep breath.] But you haven't seen him recently? You haven't spoken to him or anything?

Sorella: I haven't. The last time I saw and spoke to him was two weeks after I found out. He showed up here claiming that he was divorcing you. I told him it didn't matter, it was beyond over for us.

Ti: He had filed. After he went out of town for something he dropped it. I thought he wanted to actually give us a chance but it's just because you dumped him. That's one question answered...

Sorella: I assume he's acting weird again?

Ti: Yes.

Sorella: There's only one thing I can think of... Well two I suppose. Either he's gotten himself another girlfriend elsewhere... Or it's because of Takuya.

Ti: Takuya? Oh.. I suppose he said they fought again when we were in Mt. Komorebi… That's nothing new though, Takuya's such an ass they always fight. But he did start acting weird after-Wait. Why would you know that? Unless... They're fighting because of you. Aren't they?

Sorella: I... I slept with Takuya. James found out and gave Takuya a black eye over it.

Ti: That must be it... Which tells me I've been wasting my time trying to fix this. If he's still this jealous about you, there isn't a marriage to save... I don't think he cares about me and the kids at all.

Ti silently cries for a moment, clears her throat and abruptly stands up.

Ti: Well. I have a divorce attorney to go hire. Thank you, for being so honest with me. I won't keep you any longer... Though of course, I was never here.

Sorella: Of course. Good luck.

[likelyamused]

No cuz what does he want 😒

NOTE: Yup, of course Dulce and Esperanza tune in to every episode of @changingplumbob's Dating Deanna 😌 Lewis does too because he's a fellow Devin fan.

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Dulce's Condo, Del Sol Valley

[Ringing came from Dulce’s phone, but she wasn’t about to answer just yet! She needed to make this slam dunk first.]

DULCE: Woo! Okay time to lock in.

[She expected a video call from her Tío Teodor, owner of a Colombian coffee business. He had been guiding her through the process of selling a product in-store and online. He made mistakes in the past, but he became successful, and Dulce knows she can learn from his failures.]

[To her surprise, Palmira’s daughter also appeared on her screen.]

VALERIA: “Dooseh”!

DULCE: Valeria! Tío! Hi, how are you guys?

VALERIA: Sheep goes “baaaaa.”

TEODOR: Esperanza was Dating Deanna, and Valeria was delighted to see the sheep.

DULCE: I love that show. I watch everything Devin Villareal is in. Val, what sound do the kitties make?

VALERIA: Kitty in lion “cost-oon.”

[Dulce laughed. Valeria didn’t accurately answer questions, but she thought it was adorable.]

DULCE: Yeah, the kitty looked cute in the lion costume, huh?

PALMIRA: Papá! You’re supposed to be talking business stuff. Let me put Valeria to bed.

VALERIA: Noooooooo-

PALMIRA: Yes, mija. Vamos.

TEODOR: She’s right. It’s late.

[Teodor aimed the phone camera toward Palmira, and Valeria turned away with a pout. Palmira was always smiling. She sometimes appeared to radiate a soft yellow aura.]

[It was difficult for Dulce to believe Palmira had severe mental health issues before getting professional help. Her biological mother leaving was a traumatic experience. Anyhow, Dulce was proud of Palmira for overcoming her struggles.]

PALMIRA: Sorry, prima! You’re free now, goodnight.

DULCE: Nonsense. Valeria’s company is always welcome! Goodnight now.

TEODOR: Okay, so next step: finding the right distributors and packaging suppliers.

[Text from Antonio: Can you come to my office one of these days?]

[Teodor started sharing everything he knew. Dulce paid attention and asked follow-up questions... until she received a text from Antonio of all people! What the hell?]

[likelyamused]

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Transcript below the cut:

Aspen: NOOOOOO!!!!

Aspen: I want dadddyyyyyyy!!!! Dawn: Oh, don’t worry, dad’s going to have a talk with you when he gets out of the shower.

[front door opens and closes] Atlas: Hello? Aspen: TONTON!!

Atlas: What is going on, kiddo? Aspen: Mommy’s being mean.

Atlas: What’s wrong? Aspen: [sniffling] I don’t want to leave Pepper.

Dawn: A little help, please? She did it again. Phoenix: [in his most impressive dad-voice] Aspen Leanne! Atlas: Uh-oh Aspen: [screeching] Down down!

Aspen: Go away! Phoenix: Uh-uh. Stop right there.

Phoenix: What did we talk about? Aspen: I don’t know. Phoenix: Annie. Aspen: No biting. Phoenix: And what did you do? Aspen: [sniffles] B-but Pepper will be scared.

Phoenix: I know you want Pepper to come with us, but he’s too little. He could get lost or hurt, so he has to stay behind, but Atlas and Asher are going to make sure he’s taken care of while we’re gone, okay? Aspen: [nods] Phoenix: It’ll be like a big sleepover with Pixel and Pluto. He’ll have lots of fun. Aspen: Promise? Phoenix: Promise.

Phoenix: What you did wasn’t very nice, was it? Aspen: [shakes head guiltily] Phoenix: Can you tell Mom you’re sorry?

Aspen: Sorry mommy. Dawn: Thanks love. Aspen: Can I have a snack? Dawn: Sure. Should we make a sandwich? Aspen: Okay.

Phoenix: Sorry about that. Atlas: Eventful day? Phoenix: You have no idea. Anyway, um, I put Pepper’s collar and favorite toys in a bag by the door. Do you need me to pack up some food for him? Asher: Nah, we have plenty at the house. Phoenix: Perfect. Thanks again for taking him this week.

Atlas: No problem. But you should know, we won’t actually be there. Phoenix: Where will you be? Atlas: We’re going to look at a few houses this week. Asher: Yeah, we realized we only have a couple months to get a place and get fully moved in before the twins are born.

Phoenix: So, you’re bringing home a third puppy and then bailing? Asher: [laughs] Pretty much. It’s fine though.   Atlas: Spencer is charging us five simoleons per puppy per day, so she’s more than happy to add an extra one to her routine. Phoenix: Good for her.

Aspen: Bye Pepper. Be a good boy for Tonton. No biting.

[likelyamused]

It’s evening, and the steady drizzle from the afternoon has turned into a torrent. It pummels the roof of her building. Sixth floor. Pellets on slate. I take the spare key from my bag—soaked through the canvas—and my fingertips have that rubbery, dulled sensation, as if I’ve been holding them underwater.

Astrid is on her couch, watching something on her laptop. She looks up. “Oh, hi.” Blinks. “I didn’t know you were coming over.”

“I sent you a text.”

“My phone died.”

Kick my runners off and leave them outside her door, on the tile. My socks then, too. Sodden, tucked into them. “Is it alright? I was working in the area. I couldn’t really face cycling home like this.”

“Sure.” She gives me a startled look, taking me in. “You’re soaked.”

“Yeah.”

She gets up and goes to the bathroom, comes out with a towel—unfolded in her arms—approaching me like you would a toddler or a wet dog. “Here,” she says, and rubs it over my hair. “You must be cold.”

“Yeah, I am.” Her sleeve smells like her perfume, of rose and blackcurrant. 

“Oh. You should get in the bath. You can take your clothes off here.”

My clothes are weighty in my hands—saturated denim and jersey, dripping onto the floor. My skin beneath is slick with rain and cold. There’s an odd self-consciousness in my nakedness—a childlike thing, like the fear of being seen too closely in the school changing room.

She gathers my clothing and puts it into a plastic laundry basket. “I’ll take it to the basement.” 

I shake my head. “I can do it.”

“It’s fine. You run the bath. Put your towel on the radiator so it’s warm.”

She leaves for the laundry room, and I turn on the old taps in the bath, metal squeaking, and steaming water spluttering into the tub. Ease myself in. Ears ringing through the complete silence of her empty apartment, while Berlin pulses with life outside the tiny window. 

I submerge my entire head and live there for a minute. The low throb of my heart, my breath bubbling across my face. Thoughts swirling, the slow boil of dissatisfaction, the distance from everything and everyone. I imagine her down there in the dingy basement, my clothes spinning in the washer. Running into a neighbour, and then forgetting I’m even here. 

Head above again, to the smell of acetone in the bathroom, nail varnish remover open on the sink. I use her shampoo, then. The one that smells like she does, in its matte black bottle. 

My phone buzzes in my bag. I hear it in the living room, and my muscles tense. For some reason, I am convinced it’s Evie. Texting me, like, hey sorry I had to hang up earlier. If you’re free again now?

And if I were free, would I call her? Would it be insane to do it in the bath, with the iridescent pink of my girlfriend’s shampoo still diffusing across the surface of the water? And then, what? Speak to her naked? Tell her about the rainstorm and the loopy old woman I encountered on my shift? No. Evie would know. She’d hear it in my voice—that I’m naked. That I’ve let my guard down. She’d pick it up, just from the way I breathe.

Still, I sit up in the ripples of my body and consider climbing out to answer her text. 

Astrid comes back. Click of the door locking behind her, and I don’t move, like stillness could cancel out the betrayal. 

Then she’s at the bathroom door, watching me in the bath. “That better?”

“Yeah, thanks. It’s perfect.” 

No doubt she thinks I’m being weird, bolt upright in the bath with a guilty face on me, but she comes closer, kneels on the floor by the bath and rubs her hand on the back of my neck, sending shivers up the back of my scalp. 

“I’m glad you came over.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“It felt strange, this week, being apart.”

Feel myself thaw toward her. It all hinging on her acknowledgement. “I know. Look, I shouldn’t have said that stuff to you in the gallery.”

She shakes her head. “No, but it’s okay now. I’d rather not be upset about it. I just…” She gently rakes my nails down my spine, fingertips swirling in the water. “... find it hard when you’re like that towards me.”

“I know. I’m sorry. It’s not even about you most of the time.”

She nods, her expression soft. Sad eyes, full lips drawn into a pout. When she’s like this, I feel so in love with her it stuns me.

“You don’t deserve it,” I whisper, and lift my hand to touch her face. Only remembering, somehow, that I’m wet when she flinches slightly in surprise. “I just worry about Steffan. Like, I worry about what he wants, and I know you know I worry, but it–”

“I wish you would trust that I know how to handle myself,” she says with that same gentleness as before. “I know how he is, and I know what he wants, but I see an opportunity—see the contacts he has, and the places I could go…” My thumb traces a streak across her cheek. “You probably had women–girls–before me that probably needed you to protect them, but I don’t need that from you. I’m not asking for it.”

“I see that.”

“I’m not weak like they are.”

I pause. Something hot flares behind my ribs, but I say only: “Okay.” Take my hand away to trail the surface of the bath, and the water ripples. The others, Michelle, Alison, Evie–they weren’t weak either, but intricate. Unique examples of strong. Their own path, their individual complexities. I want to gently defend them, though she doesn’t even know it’s them she is talking about. 

She straightens up then, shakes her hair away from her face. “I think you should have something to eat. Are you hungry?”

“Mm.”

“I got pizza earlier, and I didn’t finish it. I know it’s–”

“It’s okay, I’ll have it.”

She lets me eat them in her bed later, laptop playing some old British procedural show, and her head upon my shoulder. The overhead lights are off, just her antique lamp glows in the corner—soft orange light through the velvet shade. This is how forgiveness manifests. 

Later, when she’s in the bathroom brushing her teeth for bed, I will go–finally–to my bag for my phone. Like the telltale heart in the inside pocket. Feel my heart thump as I pull it out, half-hoping, half-dreading a message from Dublin.

There is one, but from Jonas. Telling me he’s pickling radishes for the first time.

Hell yeah! Cool, man. 

I’ll send back an emoji of a grin with a drop of sweat on its forehead. Relief, maybe, that it’s him I’m hearing from, and not someone else. Or a shameful pang that I’ll quickly stash beneath the warmth of Astrid’s bed. 

She’ll come back, climb under the duvet, loop her arms around me. Breathing softly into my neck like everything should be fixed now. I won’t want to move.

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