#𝑚𝑖𝑘𝑖 ʚɞ 𝑎𝑖𝑘𝑎𝑤𝑎 ¸ thread .

[svgarblush]

𝐰𝐡𝐨  :  miki  +  anyone  𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞  :  back  porch 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧  :  janurary  11,  2025  at  7:35  am 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬  :  2/3  [  open  ]

miki  had  never  been  a  deep  sleeper,  but  last  night  had  been  different.  maybe  it  was  the  exhaustion  from  the  trip,  or  maybe  it  was  the  morbid  memories  associated  with  the  all  too  familiar  setting,  but  when  the  scream  ripped  through  the  cabin  that  morning,  she  knew  something  bad  had  happened.  she  wasn’t  sure  who  screamed  first.  maybe  it  was  roberta’s  roommate  when  they  realized  her  bed  was  still  made.  maybe  it  was  someone  else,  seeing  their  front  door  wide  open.  either  way,  the  sound  had  jolted  her  awake,  and  now  she  stood  outside,  breath  puffing  white  in  the  frigid  air,  her  bare  feet  slowly  numbing  against  the  snow  covered  porch.  “um  …  is  that  blood?”  she  whispered  silently.  something  was  wrong.  more  wrong  than  the  usual,  someone  partied  too  hard  and  wandered  off,  kind  of  thing.  she  swallowed  hard.  turning  to  whoever  was  closest,  eyes  wide.  “because  …  that  looks  like  blood  ...”  her  stomach  slowly  churned,  as  realized  what  she  had  said  out  loud.  “oh  my  god  —  blood?  why  would  there  be  blood?  should  we  be  touching  anything?  what  if  this  is,  like  …  a  crime  scene  or  something?  oh  my  god!  i  can't  go  to  jail.”

[svgarblush]

miki  huffed  out  a  quiet  laugh,  shaking  her  head.  “okay,  well,  i  am  gonna  worry  about  you,  so  you’re  just  gonna  have  to  deal  with  that.”  her  attempt  at  teasing  barely  covered  the  lingering  unease  twisting  in  her  chest.  she  wished  she  could  match  arlo’s  optimism,  god,  she  wanted  to,  but  the  truth  was,  she  felt  like  they  were  standing  at  the  edge  of  something  awful,  and  no  amount  of  joking  could  change  that.  “okay,  well,  i  am  gonna  worry  about  you,  so  you’re  just  gonna  have  to  deal  with  that.”  she  tried  to  keep  it  light,  but  the  weight  in  her  chest  wasn’t  going  anywhere.  “i  just—”  her  voice  wavered,  but  she  pushed  through.  “i  don’t  want  this  to  be  one  of  those  things  where  we  pretend  everything’s  fine  until  it’s  not.”

arlo always tried to be an optimist but after the scene of this morning, he was struggling. would they even be able to find the girls? and if they did, what sort of state were they going to be in? there were three of them, so maybe two would be okay but with the amount of blood in the snow, arlo didn't see all three of them making it out of this and his heart ached at that thought. he tried to ignore it, though, as he concentrated on miki, "no. i know. don't think any of us are. 'cept maybe jake." arlo chuckled. it was an attempt to lighten the situation. he wanted to match miki there. as she spoke, he took a step back from her and nodded his head. "you don't need to worry about me." arlo smiled. he definitely didn't want that. he thought that they probably all had a bit too much to worry about already.

[svgarblush]

𝐰𝐡𝐨  :  miki  +  anyone  𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞  :  front  porch 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧  :  janurary  10,  2025  at  12:33  pm 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬  :  3/3  [  closed  ]

miki  leaned  against  the  trunk  of  her  rental  car,  a  suitcase  at  her  feet  and  the  sharp  bite  of  cold  air  nipping  at  her  cheeks.  she  hadn’t  been  to  stillwater  in  over  a  decade,  yet  the  cabin  looked  exactly  the  same,  down  to  the  chipped  paint  on  the  shutters  and  the  vines  crawling  up  the  side.  she  had  purposely  planned  to  arrive  early  this  time,  determined  to  shake  her  reputation  for  always  being  the  last  one  to  show  up  ...  for  once,  she  wanted  them  to  see  her  waiting,  her  things  already  unpacked,  and  maybe  even  think,  wow,  miki’s  changed.  but  that  hope  deflated  when  she  spotted  someone  walking  up  to  the  cabin  door  ahead  of  her,  their  silhouette  unmistakable  in  the  dim  afternoon  light.  “hey,  wait  up!”  she  called  out,  grabbing  her  bag  and  breaking  into  a  light  jog  toward  the  porch.  her  boots  thudding  against  the  gravel  as  she  caught  up  to  the  familiar  figure,  “wow,  you're  early,  i  didn’t  think  anyone  else  would  be  here  already,”  she  said,  her  words  tinged  with  a  mixture  of  surprise  and  disappointment.  so  much  for  being  first.

[svgarblush]

𝐰𝐡𝐨  :  miki  +  @icesqueen 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞  :  woods  near  the  bonfire  pit 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧  :  janurary  11,  2025  at  8:45  am 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬  :  [  closed  ]

miki  wasn’t  sure  what  was  worse  —  the  fact  that  three  people  were  missing,  or  the  fact  that  she  was  currently  stuck  in  the  middle  of  what  felt  like  a  life  or  death  situation  with  isadora  freaking  morgan.  of  all  the  people  she  could  have  been  forced  to  pair  up  with.  it  wasn’t  like  they  hated  each  other,  exactly,  but  living  together  in  college  had  been  a  disaster  from  day  one.  miki  had  been  too  messy,  too  loud,  too  much,  and  isadora  had  been  …  well,  isadora.  and  now  here  they  were,  knee  deep  in  snow,  following  the  same  blood  trail  neither  of  them  wanted  to  acknowledge.

miki  wrapped  her  arms  around  herself,  shifting  from  foot  to  foot  as  she  stared  out  at  the  trees.  “so  ...  this  is  bad,  right?”  she  asked,  even  though  she  already  knew  the  answer.  “like,  really  bad.”  a  nervous  laugh  bubbled  out  of  her  before  she  could  stop  it.  so  not  the  vibe  she  was  going  for,  but  it  was  hard  to  keep  up  the  usual  fun,  carefree  thing  when  her  stomach  was  in  knots.   “like  crazy  axe  murderer  bad?”

[svgarblush]

𝐰𝐡𝐨  :  miki  +  @umbr4mortis   [  dakota  ] 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞  :  living  room 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧  :  janurary  10,  2025  at  2:10  pm 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬  :  [  closed  ]

miki  dropped  her  duffel  by  the  door  with  a  dull  thud,  the  sound  barely  registering  as  her  eyes  locked  on  a  familiar  figure  near  the  fireplace.  for  a  moment,  everything  around  her  seemed  to  dissolve  …  the  murmured  voices  and  creaking  floorboards  fading  into  the  background.  it  had  been  9  months  since  the  last  time  they'd  seen  each  other,  9  months  that  had  felt  like  years  without  your  best  friend.  “kota!”  the  name  left  her  lips  halfway  between  a  laugh  and  a  gasp,  her  arms  thrown  around  her  best  friend  before  the  other  woman  could  even  fully  turn.  “oh  my  god,  you’re  actually  here,”  she  said,  squeezing  a  little  tighter  than  she  probably  should  have.  it  was  only  then  that  the  reality  of  the  moment  hit  her.  they  were  here—together  again,  after  so  much  time  and  under  circumstances  neither  of  them  would’ve  chosen.  miki  swallowed  the  lump  in  her  throat  and  gave  a  small,  uneven  laugh.  “i  missed  you.”

[svgarblush]

𝐰𝐡𝐨  :  miki  +  @cinnamcnroll 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞  :  upstairs  bathroom 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧  :  janurary  11,  2025  at  11:30  am 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬  :  [  closed  ]

she  needed  a  break.  miki  hadn’t  properly  packed  to  be  outside,  trekking  through  miles  of  snow,  and  the  cold  had  already  crept  into  her  bones.  so,  the  easiest  solution  was  to  pretend  she  was  just  looking  for  something  inside  —  her  phone,  maybe  a  hair  tie,  clues?  anything  normal  to  keep  her  hands  busy  and  out  of  the  cold.

she  wasn’t  really  paying  attention  as  she  pushed  open  the  bathroom  door,  stepping  inside  without  thinking.  “oh,  sorry.”  her  apology  came  quickly,  but  her  feet  didn’t  move.  she  should  have  backed  out,  let  willa  have  her  space,  but  something  about  the  way  she  stood  frozen  in  front  of  the  mirror  made  miki  pause.  “um  ...  you  okay?”  the  words  felt  empty  against  everything  that  had  happened.  of  course  she  wasn't.  no  one  was  okay.  they  all  knew  it.  but  still,  she  waited,  watching  willa  through  the  mirror,  unsure  if  she  was  intruding  or  not.

[svgarblush]

TAG DROP ?!

[svgarblush]

miki  was  sitting  on  the  couch,  her  legs  tucked  under  her  as  she  absentmindedly  flipped  through  a  magazine,  though  her  attention  was  far  from  the  pages.  she  perked  up  at  the  sound  of  connor’s  voice,  a  flicker  of  something  warm  cutting  through  the  exhaustion  weighing  her  down.  for  a  second,  just  a  second,  it  felt  normal.  like  he  was  just  here  visiting,  like  they  weren’t  standing  in  the  middle  of  something  horrible.  “hey,  you.”  she  gave  him  a  soft  wave,  her  fingers  brushing  the  pages  before  she  let  them  fall.  everything  felt  heavier  now  and  she  wasn't  sure  how  to  deal  with  it.  “i’m  okay,  i  guess,”  she  said,  but  her  words  didn’t  sound  as  certain  as  she  tried  to  make  them.  “i  don’t  know.  this  whole  thing  is  like  —”  she  paused,  trying  to  find  the  right  words.  “like,  i  get  it’s  real,  but  ...  it  feels  so  weird.  i  mean,  one  minute  everything’s  normal  and  then  bam,  it’s  all  turned  upside  down.”  she  let  out  a  breath,  tilting  her  head  back  against  the  couch  dramatically.  “a  living  nightmare,  truly”  she  deadpanned,  stretching  the  word  out  like  it  might  actually  make  it  true.  “how  have  you  been?” 

who: connor + miki (@svgarblush) when: 11th january 2025 at 11:17am where: the main living room status: closed

He was cold and he was tired and he had finally been convinced that this wasn't an elaborate hoax or an animal. Actually, he still held out hope that it could be an animal, but Connor couldn't deny something bad had happened. Not after witnessing all his friends scream their throats raw, looking for three girls who just... vanished into thin air.

He already knew it was going to be an emotionally draining day but not like this. Kicking his boots off at the door, he was shocked to feel just how exhausted he was. It wasn't a feeling he was used to, this feeling deep in his bones, the tiredness that clung behind his eyes. All he wanted to do was go up to his room and pass out on his bed but knowing Juno's untouched bed and all her belongings would be there... well he knew it would be a restless sleep.

Connor was sure his friends would forgive him from pulling a Goldilocks and napping in their bed, but as he passed the main living room he figured hanging out with Miki would be a lot better for his mood than a crappy sleep. "Hey there trouble." he started with a smile, before sobering up a little. The delight of seeing his friend after so many years warred with the circumstances of what was going on around them. "How're you doing?"

[svgarblush]

for  a  second,  miki  just  stared,  like  she  wasn’t  entirely  sure  camille  was  real,  and  she’d  conjured  her  out  of  sheer  exhaustion  and  panic.  "okay?"  she  echoed,  like  she  was  testing  the  word  out,  rolling  it  around  in  her  head  to  see  if  it  actually  fit.  "i  mean,  define  ‘okay.’  because,  like,  in  the  grand  scheme  of  things,  no,  not  really?  people  are  missing  and  i  think  i  might  be  having  a  minor  existential  crisis,  but,  like,  same  as  usual,  right?"  it  came  out  too  flippant,  too  casual,  but  that  was  the  only  way  she  knew  how  to  keep  herself  from  unraveling.  because  if  she  let  it  sink  in  ...  really  sink  in,  she’d  have  to  admit  how  badly  the  whole  thing  was  messing  with  her.  the  fact  that  someone  could  just  disappear  into  thin  air,  gone  without  explanation  was  scary.

miki  let  out  a  breath,  a  sharp  little  exhale  that  didn’t  do  much  to  steady  her.  she  finally  looked  at  camille,  really  looked  at  her,   she  wasn’t  sure  she  even  had  the  right  to  ask.  but  still  —  "what  about  you,  are  you  okay?" 

where: main living room when: 01 / 11 / 2025 , 8:25 am who: camille & @svgarblush

camille’s heart was pounding, a mix of worry and guilt gnawing at her insides. the news about the missing people had hit her harder than she expected. there’d been too much chaos, too many distractions among the group, and now she couldn’t stop thinking about the ones who were gone. miki, in particular—how long had it been since they’d really talked? the years of silence felt absurd now, especially with everything unraveling around them. it didn’t take her long to decide, to shake off the doubts and just go find her. her steps quickened as she searched, eyes scanning for a glimpse of the familiar face. when she finally spotted miki, relief washed over her, but it was mixed with so much uncertainty. camille walked up, already calling her name before she could second-guess herself. "miki," she said, almost a bit desperately. "are you okay?" she asked, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "i don’t know what’s going on, miki... but I just wanted to check up on you. i hope that’s okay."

[svgarblush]

miki’s  gaze  flitted  to  jamie,  her  expression  softening  in  recognition  as  the  realization  clicked.  oh.  that’s  why  his  face  hadn’t  stood  out  immediately.  harper  had  mentioned  him  a  few  times,  usually  in  passing,  but  she’d  never  put  a  face  to  the  name  and  their  paths  had  never  really  crossed  before,  that  she  knew  of.  she  let  out  a  light,  nervous  laugh,  brushing  a  loose  strand  of  hair  out  of  her  face.  “oh,  right.”  she  couldn't  imagine  arriving  at  the  trip  and  finding  out  one  of  your  friends  had  passed  away.  “um  …  we’d  honestly  do  it  all,”  miki  said,  her  tone  perking  up  as  if  trying  to  fill  the  gap  left  by  the  silence.   “but  i’m  kind  of  terrible  at  the  baking  part,  so  i’d  love  the  help.  what  do  you  think  about  brownies?  everyone  likes  brownies,  right?”

‎ he wasn't good at the whole... comforting thing, unless it was ellie. or harper, but there wasn't much left of her to comfort in that jar. he didn't know these other people well enough to know how and he feared any attempts would just come out awkward and uncomfortable for everybody involved. but he was here now. leaving would just be as awkward and uncomfortable for the next few days. “i don’t know… i wasn’t here that long.” the first time they came here, he’d arrived on the last day. he hadn’t even packed anything, really, having no intentions to stick around. he’d only meant to come and talk to jamie, hoped to patch things up with him. that plan didn’t work out as well as he’d hoped. “well, what did you guys bake?” he knew baking was one of harper’s favorite things to do, especially when she was stressed. he remembered how she used to bake at least four batches of cookies during exam week to ease her nerves. even years later, she’d always bring a box of pastries whenever she’d come visit him in california. and he might regret this, but— “do you… need any help?”

[svgarblush]

miki  blinked  at  camille’s  words,  her  usual  bubbly  expression  softening  into  something  gentler,  more  cautious.  “oh,”  she  said  quietly  at  first,  her  voice  laced  with  an  uncertainty  that  wasn’t  usually  there.  “that’s…  good,  i  guess.”  she  hesitated,  twisting  a  strand  of  hair  around  her  finger  as  she  tried  to  process  the  moment.  she  could  feel  the  tension  in  the  room,  and  she  hated  it.  camille  wasn’t  supposed  to  feel  like  this  ...  like  someone  she  had  to  tiptoe  around.  finally,  she  offered  a  small  smile,  a  little  too  nervous  to  meet  camille’s  eyes  for  more  than  a  second.  “i’ve  been  okay,  you  know  ...  considering”  she  said,  her  voice  light,  though  her  hands  fidgeted  with  the  hem  of  her  shirt.  “i’ve  been  traveling  for  the  past  few  years,  doing  the  whole  vlogging  thing.  it’s  been  …  a  lot,  honestly.  fun,  but  also  kind  of  overwhelming  at  times.”  she  laughed  softly,  the  sound  slightly  self  deprecating.  “you’d  think  i’d  get  used  to  it  by  now,  but  nope,  still  managing  to  embarrass  myself  in  new  places.”  her  grin  turned  a  little  brighter,  though  it  didn’t  quite  reach  her  eyes.  the  words  felt  safe  enough,  distant  enough,  even  as  a  small  part  of  her  itched  to  bridge  the  gap  between  them.  but  she  wasn’t  sure  how  to.  “how  about  you?”  miki  asked,  looking  at  camille  more  closely  now,  a  flicker  of  genuine  curiosity  breaking  through  the  careful  cheerfulness.  “how  have  you  been  handling  everything?”

camille stood there, trying to make sense of the distance between herself and miki, as if there were some kind of invisible wall she couldn’t break through. how had they ended up like this? strangers in the same room, faces familiar yet foreign, voices hesitant, unsure of the space they were supposed to occupy. she never would’ve imagined it, not all those years ago when everything felt effortless. there had been a time when their friendship had been constant, a part of her life so woven in, she’d never even thought about it fading. but somewhere along the way, camille had slowly let it slip through her fingers, unaware at first, then too aware when it was already too late to mend it. the weight of those regrets was heavy, but they were hers to carry.

a soft sigh escaped her lips, as she bit down on her bottom lip, trying to push down the lump in her throat. the silence between them felt like a physical thing, thick and uncomfortable. she could feel herself in the way now, could feel how distant and awkward things had become. it made her heart ache. "miki," she started, her voice quieter than usual, uncertain. "you aren't bothering me." another pause. camille cleared her throat, her gaze dropping to the ground before lifting again. "how have you been?" the question hung there, heavy and loaded, yet somehow it felt like the only thing she could ask. she hadn’t known how to talk to her in years, and especially now.

[svgarblush]

miki  blinked,  her  brain  trying  to  process  the  weight  of  nora’s  words.  “a  graveyard?”  miki  echoed,  her  voice  a  little  too  light  for  the  moment.  “okay,  that  was  ...”  she  paused,  searching  for  the  right  words,  before  landing  on  a  half  hearted,  “super  uplifting,  thanks  for  that.”  she  let  the  words  hang  between  them  for  a  moment  before  exhaling  through  her  nose,  shifting  her  bag  higher  on  her  shoulder.  “i’m  glad  julian’s  here  with  you,  though,”  she  added,  trying  to  clear  the  air.  “i  mean,  not  that  i  thought  he  wouldn’t  be,  but,  you  know  ...  long  drive,  long  thoughts.  probably  nice  to  have  someone  in  the  car,  right?”  her  gaze  flickered  to  nora’s  face,  watching  for  any  sign  that  the  question  had  done  its  job.  “how  was  the  drive,  anyway?  any  good  road  trip  snacks,  or  just  straight up  existential  dread  the  whole  way?” 

Nora shivered once Miki drew attention to the weather. The last time they had all been here it was warm and that was how Nora remembered this place in her mind. The feeling of summer sunshine, cool lake water washing over her. She turned her face towards the sun, another shiver and a fleeting frown. "It's cold," she replied almost as if she were realizing it for the first time. She shook her head as if she were waking from a dream, rubbing the memory from her eyes. "Julian is here too..." Nora added, looking around as if saying her twins name would make him manifest at her side. "Some where," she added, "we drove together," she added again. Nora pulled her arms around her, "How many bodies until its a graveyard?" she muttered aloud, too dazed in grief to correct herself. She merely nodded and followed Miki inside.

[svgarblush]

miki’s  smile  faltered  for  just  a  second  …  just  long  enough  for  a  flicker  of  something  unreadable  to  pass  through  her  expression.  then,  as  quickly  as  it  came,  it  was  gone,  smoothed  over  with  a  bright,  practiced  ease.  “yeah  …  i  guess  that’s  just  how  it  goes,”  she  said  softly,  shifting  her  weight  from  one  foot  to  the  other.  “life  gets  busy,  people  drift  …  and  then  one  day,  you  realize  you  don’t  even  know  where  half  of  them  ended  up.”  she  wanted  to  say  something  comforting,  something  that  would  make  all  of  this  feel  a  little  less  heavy,  but  the  words  stuck  in  her  throat.  instead,  she  let  out  a  small  laugh,  soft,  but  genuine.  “well,  um  …  i  promised  my  dad  i'd  call  him  when  i  got  here,  so  i'll  hit  you  later.  we  can  do  smores  or  somethin—”

it was difficult for poppy to properly get her head wrapped around everything that had happened. the friend who was always there for you, who would look after everyone, was the one who was gone. it didn't make sense. and poppy was struggling to get her head wrapped around all of that. she smiled, though, as miki continued, trying to push all other thoughts aside. "oh of course." poppy nodded. "i've seen some of your videos. looks like you've made a wonderful life for yourself, miki." she found it difficult to keep up with people from chicago, she could only imagine how tricky it was for miki - being here, there and everywhere. "i guess that's what a lot of adult friendships are." she shrugged. "there's a couple. like jake. but no. i haven't really spoke to most of them." she shook her head. she regretted that now. now another one of them was gone.

[svgarblush]

miki  couldn’t  imagine  harper  pulling  a  prank,  let  alone  one  this  complicated.  it  wasn’t  like  her,  not  really.  she’d  always  been  the  grounded  one,  the  person  you  could  count  on  when  things  got  messy.  the  idea  of  her  orchestrating  some  elaborate  joke  from  beyond  the  grave  felt  ...  wrong.  and  yet,  being  back  here,  at  lake  stillwater,  miki  couldn’t  help  but  wish  it  were  true.  wishing  for  anything  other  than  the  truth  …  that  harper  was  gone.  she  let  out  a  breath,  shaking  off  the  weight  of  the  moment  as  she  turned  her  attention  back  to  poppy.  miki  had  always  thought  she  was  sweet,  a  little  weird,  but  sweet  in  a  way  miki  had  never  been.  there  was  something  comforting  about  her  presence,  even  now,  even  when  everything  felt  weird  and  wrong.  “um,  not  really.  i  mean,  i’ve  kept  up  with  a  few  of  my  close  friends,  but  when  you’re  always  on  the  move,  it  gets  tricky.”  she  shrugged,  fingers  toying  with  the  hem  of  her  sweater  absentmindedly.  “mostly,  it’s  just  those  ‘happy  birthday!’  dms  on  instagram,  you  know?  quick  and  shallow.  kind  of  sucks  when  you  think  about  it.”  she  wrinkled  her  nose,  like  she  could  laugh  it  off,  but  there  was  something  about  saying  it  out  loud  that  made  it  feel  even  more  true.  “how  about  you?”

poppy adjusted the straps of her backpack and nodded her head at the others question, "it sounds crazy but yeah. i don't - i've never been on a plane so i set off a few days ago to get here." she shrugged. maybe driving to her friends wake probably wasn't her smartest idea but when poppy gets an idea in her head, there's very little to convince her otherwise. it had been gruelling and she wasn't looking forward to the drive home but if it had to be done, it had to be done. she wasn't going to miss out on this. poppy nodded. "weird it one word for it." she sighed. she smiled sadly as miki spoke, "god, i wish." she glanced across at the lake before she looked back at miki, "some elaborate prank on harpers side. i wish." she chewed on her lip - a nervous habit she had, had since she was a child - "have you spoke to many people since leaving college?"

[svgarblush]

miki  tucked  a  strand  of  hair  behind  her  ear,  the  chill  making  her  cheeks  pink  as  she  absentmindedly  stared  at  poppy.  “wait,  did  you  drive  all  the  way  here?  like,  across  the  whole  country?”  her  tone  was  a  mixture  of  disbelief  and  awe,  as  her  gaze  drifted  to  the  cabin.  miki's  drive  up  from  the  minneapolis  airport  had  been  surprisingly  quiet  —  just  miki,  the  hum  of  the  rental  car,  and  a  playlist  she’d  thrown  together  last  minute.  she’d  tried  to  focus  on  the  music,  but  her  thoughts  kept  drifting  back  to  this  place,  to  memories  of  summer  afternoons  spent  on  the  porch  and  late  nights  around  the  fire.  she  couldn't  imagine  driving  in  from  california.  alone.  she’d  debated  pulling  over  more  than  once,  unsure  if  she  even  wanted  to  be  here.  but  she’d  promised  herself  she’d  show  up,  and  more  importantly,  she’d  promised  the  others.  “it's  …  weird?”  she  said  softly,  leaning  her  weight  against  her  suitcase.  “being  back  here  without  harper  and  jamie  ...  i  keep  expecting  them  to  just  …  pop  out  of  the  door,  laughing  like  this  is  all  some  big  joke.”  she  smiled  faintly,

poppy didn't trust planes. she had heard far too many horror stories to ever bring herself to get on one. instead, she had set off two days earlier and driven across the country to be there. she'd gotten to see places of the country that she would never have seen otherwise, so it was justified - at least, that's what she was telling herself anyway. she'd stopped in omaha the day before and had gotten up early to complete the last leg of her journey. she hadn't wanted to be one of the first ones there. In fact, she had tried her hardest to not be. but the universe seemed to have other ideas. so poppy was relieved as she heard the other womans voice behind her. she happily stopped to wait for miki to catch up to her. "i tried not to be." poppy joked, "i severely overestimated how long it would take to get here." she rubbed at her eyes for a moment before she turned to look up at the cabin again, "didn't think we'd be back here, did you?"

[svgarblush]

miki  blinked  at  bowie’s  outstretched  hand  before  breaking  into  a  grin  and  handing  over  her  bag  without  hesitation.  even  after  all  this  time,  they  had  this  way  of  making  her  feel  like  she  didn’t  need  to  overthink  for  once,  it  was  just  easy,  like  no  time  had  passed  at  all.  “there  are  definitely  worse  things  than  still  being  here,”  she  said,  her  tone  soft.  “for  example,  you  could’ve  been  me  in  honduras  last  year,  swimming  in  this  gorgeous  hidden  cove,  when,  get  this  ...  my  bikini  top  decided  it  had  had  enough  of  being  functional  and  just  …  floated  away.  right  in  front  of  a  guide  who  was  apparently,  like,  the  mayor’s  nephew  or  something.”  she  let  out  an  exaggerated  groan,  her  hands  flying  up  to  cover  her  face  before  she  peeked  through  her  fingers,  grinning  sheepishly.  “i  was  too  embarrassed  to  ask  for  it  back,  so  i  just  awkwardly  dog  paddled  around  until  someone  handed  me  a  towel.  i’m  pretty  sure  i’m  on  some  kind  of  ‘tourist  fails’  list  now.”

she  shook  her  head,  laughing  at  herself.  “so,  you  know,  still  here,  doesn’t  seem  so  bad  in  comparison.”  her  gaze  flicked  back  to  bowie,  the  lightness  of  her  story  failing  to  mask  the  undercurrent  of  nostalgia  she  felt  in  the  moment. 

bowie retreated down the steps and closed the distance between them, their hand outstretched in offering to help carry in her bag. " twice ? oh man ... if i didn't know exactly how to get here i would be completely lost. i rely on google maps more than i'd like to admit. " they too shifted on their feet, bowie having a hard time really processing the very stark difference in emotions they were feeling - such sadness for the reason they were there in the first place, but wanting to be happy to see friends they haven't in many years. the fact of the matter was none of it felt right.

they winced playfully. " ouch .. " they answered, but nodded along. " uh ... yeah ... yeah. still here. still lame. "