#My Hanai Sistah|Jay Morgan

[brooklynislandgirl]

Have you ever wished yourself away to a life where it's just you and Jay and an endless horizon?

"I mean, of course I have. But da kine about wishes is...wi'out some kind of action behind dem, dey stay only daydreams. Little fantasies ya tell yaself to get by ya day. Make it small kine beddah dan you might oddahwise hope." The answer is honest albeit brief. "Jay is more dan jus' my best friend since college. She's my hanai-sistah. My rock an' foundation against life's rough seas. She's also an instigator, a trickster, an' mebbe one of a handful of people who can make me laugh no maddah what. I love her wi' every fibre of my bein' an' if she walked in right now an' said 'let's go, kid', I'd drop everyt'ing, including dis call, an' go. I got a bag packed an' all, jus' waiting. "Of course it could all be a ruse, an' she finally gonna kill me because I really like her faddah an' t'ink he's a very handsome man. But still, I'd go. I can't imagine a time where I'll ever say no. Plus we could go somewhere fun, like New Zealand an' try to become Hobbits or whatevah. Hope dat answers your question. Is dere anyt'ing else you'd like t' know?" ~*~

{{tagging @morgansmornings for reasons}}

[brooklynislandgirl]

@morgansmornings

[brooklynislandgirl]

Who is the most important person to your muse?

Her brother, Andrew, without a doubt. He is the person she judges all men against, he is her brother, was her father figure, and is literally the other half of her soul in very specific context.

Her Hanai-Sister, Jay Morgan. While they might not share an avatar the way she does with Andy, Jay has been her best friend, her closest confidant, and her cabal mate since they met in college.

[brooklynislandgirl]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY! @morgansmornings​​

The party last year had been such a great success that this year, Beth might have gone a little overboard. With help from the cabal a few eager spirits and a metric tonne of coincidental effects, she had turned several of the family warehouses into an elaborate tomb-themed escape room. Which then opened into the party venue, lavishly decorated and catered. No finer tribute for a goddess or Pharaoh. Corinne’s work on the cake alone was breathtaking. The more personal touches were in the gifts themselves. Beautiful bangle bracelets in gold which would all but glow against her hanai-sister’s skin and equally lush Bedouin fabric. She’d found them in the ancient caravanserai and iconic souk, the Khan el-Khalili. One of Jay’s favourite shopping destinations, and one Aziz had approved. The sickles are more practical, meant for close quarter combat, gardening, and a host of other things Jay’s khopesh and whips were unsuitable for. And lastly, the most personal of all, Beth had spent nearly a year on the wall-hanging. From growing and harvesting the papyrus, to creating each pigment and shade from the most correct of traditional sources. Extensively researching the hieroglyphs for the invocation and the proper proportions to represent Sehkmet upon Her throne. Then casting the wards for protection, the enchantments of healing, both domains in the goddess’s purview. While Jay is taking a breather from the dancing, Beth slips into her lap and wraps her spindly arms around her hanai-sister’s neck. “Hi.” The grin is irrepressible. “Love you, an’ I hope dis tell you jus’ how much even if it nevah enough. Happy Bir’day.”

[brooklynislandgirl]

[ 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 ] for your friend Jay

Lost Sparks || Accepting {{ @morgansmornings }}

"I am so so sorry f' bein' all weird kind, yeah?" Beth proffers up her token of sincerity for having missed their lunch date for now going on three times this week alone; it's spinach artichoke fettuccine, Cesar salads, a loaf of garlic bread, and two slices of tiramisu from that little Italian place they'd discovered by accident Jay's junior year at Columbia. Thanks to a minor Forces cantrip rather than full rote, it's all still piping hot except the salad and dessert which were meant to be cool. "Ya jus'...no. Not you. Me. I was kinda havin' rough day between Admiral coming to da hospital and pointin' out for da millionth time dat I am still just a nurse an' not a doctah wi' her own practice yet. An' den I swear every kine aftah dat was just weird an' long an' honestly gruesome. Don't t'ink you really wanna hear all da details but suffice it t' say I could have handle it mo' beddah but I didn't an' I hope ya forgive me. I bring tribute."

She sets the food on the counter and leans down to pet Jenna and slip her some organic bakery bones she picked up on the way. Then she turns to Jay and throws her arms around the taller woman's neck. "If dat isn't a good apology, let me know an' I promise you a beddah one by da end of da week."

[brooklynislandgirl]

@morgansmornings  {In which Jay is the Blonde}

a little smooch 💕

[brooklynislandgirl]

Advent Calendar: Day 18 @morgansmornings​

It isn’t the fact that Jay lives above her coffee shop that makes her loft smell like a gingerbread house. It’s the fact that she has sheets and sheets of fresh baked bread in carefully shaped walls and floors, roofs and a whole host of things Beth doesn’t really have names for. There’s coloured frosting of every type, gumdrops, peppermints, and enough other little treats and tasty bits that could incite hyperglycemia for the entire state of New York. Her tree is up, there’s lights in all the windows and several other places. She’s got stockings hung and Jenna’s is possibly the biggest of all, as befits a queen of the Tervuren’s nature. Currently, they’re listening to a mix of new and old classic carols and holiday songs, and Beth can’t help but to sing along around a mouthful of peppermint bark. Tomorrow will be the official Jayden Christmas party, an annual tradition since Jay was a freshman at Columbia, and everyone they know is invited. But tonight, it’s just a more or less quiet evening with just the two of them. A chance to reconnect that they often miss these days because of their insanely busy lives. Beth does wonder though if sometimes Jay ever wants to celebrate Hanukkah, or if maybe Harvey had kept things secular. She knows Jay made Uncle Luis two dozen sufganiyot, and spent at least one of the nights at home with him. She can imagine them singing together and cooking, lighting the menorah with all the solemnity that one might feel at mass, but as far as she can tell, there really aren’t any nods to it in Jay’s home. And maybe she’s just a little too shy to ask out loud. “Head’s up, kid,” Jay calls out, interrupting her thoughts while at the same time warning Beth of the incoming set of pot holders flung her way. Beth manages to catch them ~only just~ and sets them on the last remaining clear surface that isn’t specifically set aside for construction of the village about to begin. “Good catch.” “Mahalo.” Sticky grin and all. “Now, your job is going to be taking those three silicone baking mats, and I want you to cover them in the white frosting. That’ll act like the glue and the foundation, so it needs to be a couple inches thick.” Panic screams from behind Beth’s eyes. “Ya sure you wan’ me t’--” “Do you want me to text Andy and tell him you just couldn’t-” Beth’s already got the white buttercream and spatula. They don’t even need to finish their own sentences. Jay could absolutely be an evil mastermind if running the world depended on manipulating extremely competitive siblings. And maybe the thing that absolutely escapes Beth is that this is exactly what it means when it comes to the tradition of spending the holidays at home with one’s family.

[brooklynislandgirl]

Tarot

Ashes to Stars || Accepting  {{tagging @tabbyrp and @morgansmornings for reasons <3}}

It’s a true girl’s night, though most of the women involved would only call it that jokingly. A celebration to kick off the spooky season. Because she cannot help herself, Jay has taken over the kitchen and the liquor cabinet. She’s got the blender going with a military precision, churning out her now famous Midnight Margaritas. She and Beth were known for them on the Columbia campus. They are so dark purple that in the flickering candles and fireplace ~and little faery lights per Beth’s insistence~ that it’s easy to think they are black. Beth knows there’s tequila blanco in it, Grand Marnier, blackberry simple syrup, lime juice, a splash of curacao, and a rim of black and gold sanding sugar. Each glass has a hand-dipped rock candy stirring stick. Each of them has had at least one. They haven’t quite gotten to the Halloween karaoke part yet. Instead, while Jay’s making drinks, and Tabby’s in charge of shuffling the playlist, almost all of them are sitting around the coffee table {the dining table is covered in popcorn bowls, chocolate dipped pretzels, pizza, caramel and candied apples, everything a person could want}, cushioned from the wooden floors by giant throw pillows. And while Beth won’t allow any sort of spirit board in her house, she does pull out her dark purple velvet and satin bag. The rules she says are simple; each person in turn will sit before her. Will shuffle the deck while considering something important, or funny, and she’d do a Tarot reading. The first one to bite is Cory. She shuffles the cards with a smile, perhaps humouring Beth, and her movements are graceful. Beth cuts the deck when Cory thinks they’re well shuffled, then allows the other woman to recombine the stacks in the manner that suits her best. Then she starts setting up the traditional Celtic Cross pattern. “Dis firs’ one represents you, in ya current situation. Ten o’ Wands: Ya might be feelin’ pressure or burden, but ya don’ flinch in da face of hard work or when risin’ f’ a challenge. Ya consider assertin’ yaself, as ya know sometimes oppression is follow by gain, an’ ya feel need f’ sustain oddahs. Ya carry ya weight and den some. I’m gettin’ a feelin’ ya might be savin’ for one home, or are lookin’ at ya budget. Mebbe ya considerin’ expandin’ ya shop?” She places the next card atop it to form a sort of + mark. “Influences an’ resources dat effect ya positively comes as da Six of Swords. New York is a safe space ya carve out for yourself an’ offah you any sort of improvements of ya situation. You’ve gotten away from an’ unhealt’y situation, lessenin’ stress. Dis is a new chaptah bein’ written for you. Mebbe a new love or direction ya wanna move toward. Perhaps ya considah go back to school, some subject you only t’ink of as a hobby or somet’ing you do for fun, an’ da Universe wan ya take dat more serious.” The next card is placed below the first two. “Five of wands, reverse. Message from ya higher-self is t’ be wary of arguments an’ trickery. Align yaself mind-and-spirit to avoid philosophical contradictions, emotional pitfalls. It says t’ beware of reachin’ a dead end, or encounterin’ trespassers wearing false-face. To gird yaself wi’ courage, so ya don’ end up ya own faint-hearted heroine.”

Mirroring that, she places the next card above the three. Some part of her lets a smile rise. Her deck replaces this card with an older meaning, the hooded moss-covered man crowned in antlers sitting on a rock outcropping has none of the imagery or context of the traditional. It is the Wild Herdsman, the God Lugh as the Green Man. “Dis is ya crown position, represent past events and influences dat colour an’ give rise t’ ya current situation. It is da Horned One. “It speaks of gettin’ in touch wi’ ya primal roots, ya animal impulse an’ instinct. Knowledge we gain from da wild, as opposed to ancestral memory. You suffered from tension between order and chaos, found it hard t’ reconcile a cultured demeanor when ya heart beat wi’ a simpler song. Ya subconscious made its influence felt ovah ya appetites an’ aversions. Even now, ya feel da echoes of wantin’ f balance an’ quiet.” A card to the left of the spread. “Behind ya, da preoccupation of da subconscious filterin’ t’da waking life, mixin’ up ya moods an’ outlook. Da underlyin’ t’eme of ya dreams, or ya emotional undercurrent, an’ it’s da Six of Wands. An’ f’ you, it’s about acknowledgin’ ya accomplishments, accolades ya been given, admirers dat give you dey respect as peers. You’re used t’ contribution’ ideas f’ group projects an’ causes, which carry ya t’ leadership an ya got an established reputation. Havin’ da confidence of ya community.” Now a card to the right. “Ace of Cups, like da Holy Grail. Dis represents state of ya relationships wi’ oddah people. An’ dis symbolises joy, well-bein’, nourishment an’ beauty. Dere’s a streak of creation an’ devotion, a fertility of body and of spirit, a beginning of a blessed phase in life. Which leads me f’ foresee a sort of marriage of equals, one dat benefit you an’ dose around you, a force for good. Mebbe a true love on ya horizon, an’ oh yes, we will be talkin’ about dis later, Cory. Ya been holdin’ out on us, looks like.” Beth winks at her friend. She begins a new part of the spread to the right of all the others, laying down first the Two of Swords. “Dis is da self position, indicating ya psychological state an’ attitudes which can greatly affect ya outcome. Dis woman, blind an’ bearing swords? An armed peace an’ uncertainty. You’re at an impasse or got limited information. Sometimes can symbolise a frail alliance but one dat has potential. It can also mean invitation t’ friendship, collaboration or union, but not one met half-way like it should. So mebbe…dis mystery man, not someone Tabby or Jay or me will appreciate.” The next card sits above that. “Ya house position, ya environment an’ unseen influences. Da Lovahs. A union of opposites, da promise or potential for love an’ romance. A partnership, attraction, chemistry, love. Magnetism.” She makes eyes at Cory, teasing her only because speaking of such things doesn’t always make Beth comfortable. “I’m sure ya can draw ya own conclusions, but nevah discount da mystic bond of familiar spirits, mutual understandin’. Dis can also speak of poetry, daydreams, an’ music. An expandin’ experience or loss of da rational. Might also mean a choice between wha’ is desired an’ what is acceptable. But if ya got a decision f’ make, den it indicates a happy outcome even if dere some struggle.” Another card, above the first two. “Dis ya hopes an’ fears, which seein’ how it’s reverse an’ all, da T’ree of Pentacles seems to be hintin’ at da lattah. Ya stuck somewhere cause mebbe ya feel dere’s a kind of drain of ya potential, or mebbe ya bein’ cheated out of a reward. It could mean ya losin’ interest in a task ya got in ya lap. Universe is advisin’ ya dat ya need to reconnect or consider some alternative avenue. It wants ya t’ examine any lingerin’ doubts, or why ya avoidin’ workin’ t’rough.” And the final card, the final outcome, placed carefully above the three in a line. Normally Beth doesn’t show emotional investment when reading for others, but she does feel relief to see the Ten Of Cups. “For you, Cory, I foresee a full heart, and sweet blessings. A higher, mature love, a true one. Real companionship, dreams dat might be coming true. I see safety an’ security paired wi’ satisfaction. A givin’ relationship within da natural order. Home providin’ joy, and you, in turn, feelin’ t’anksgivin’. But mebbe also, a feelin’ of arrival an’ freedom.”

[brooklynislandgirl]

When's the last time you and Jay had a girls date? What's the best girls date you ever had?

Anon-aholics || Accepting {{tagging @morgansmornings for relevance}}

“Oh, gosh, like...too long. I t’ink da las’ time was aftah she got back from Cha... Che... Shy... from da Windy City. She went dere t’ visit our hanai-Aunty, Jessica. An’ found some real good entertainment, apparen’ly.”  Beth had lost track of time as to when that happened, if not the other relevant details and it brought a small smile to her face. It was good to see Jay getting out and doing new things and meeting new people. It felt like ever since they’d met in college, that they primarily flocked to the same people ever after. That circle flexed and flowed and sometimes shrank but with everyone getting so busy so often with whatever plans life had in store, it could also get lonely. But sometimes, there’s a comfort in those old friendships. A single word with dozens of years of context. All the millions of jokes, the history, the inside baseball. And no one besides her brother shared so much of that as has her hanai-sister. Jay is her conscience, her sanity, her anchor in the world, and she makes a mental note to call in the morning. “Bes’ good time, huh? Well, first...we have a kinda mont’ly get-togeddah, we call ‘em midnight margaritas, but because we’re old Aunties now, usually we do ‘em round nine o’ clock cause we’re bot’ in bed and asleep by midnight. No can tell you ‘zactly wha’ goes in dem, except a couple cups of fresh blueberries, same same fresh black berries, couple cups of Patron Silver, some Licor 43, lime juice an’ simple syrup. Sometimes she flavours it, an’ da rimming sugah wi’ rosemary. Oh, an’ of course, ice.” A had waves airily. “”Firs’ time she made ‘em was to celebrate midterms her freshman year. Dunno how she manage but we had enough for da entire dorm. Dere was music an’ dancin’ den we bought pizza for every one. I mean...EVERYONE. Entire campus dorms, security, an’ faculty too. If you go to da Arbor, apartment c14... you’ll still find glitter, sprigs of rosemary, an’ an inflatable sheep dat hasn’t been seen since roughly 2007.”

[brooklynislandgirl]

"...You know you don' have to keep applyin' t' every state I visit. Keep New York an' Hawai'i an' ditch da rest." She doesn't know what would drive her crazier. Having to obtain a license for every state she intended to practice law in, or having to spend upwards of a hundred hours of continuing education every five years to keep her practitioner's license current. Probably the the classes, which usually sucked out her will to live. Of course, most things did these days and she can't tell if she's doing too much or if she's just tired and run down and balancing on a delicate line between depression and mania.

There's a small air of tension when Jay talks about the elevator. They both know it's a paradox flaw, but to acknowledge that is to admit they aren't as invulnerable as many a mage wishes to think they were. Besides, it would have been a great plan to keep Jay's new beau around without looking like anyone was meddling. So many stones skipped across the pond or however the metaphor goes. "I mean have it your way, but honestly, it was a good idea an' you know it." Beth actually has to ponder a moment. "No, I t'ought we finish Chicago Zoo Keepers. But you know, I sometimes forget as dere are a hundred different Chicago shows. Doesn't really maddah to me so mebbe you pick ya favourite." She is genial and means that she's content with watching whatever. Especially since she's getting hurricane popcorn out of it. Beth laughs. "Dey in da freezer so grab 'em now if you don' wanna break ya teeth. Jus' don't know how you knew I got 'em special for you."

“Consider it done.” Jayden nodded, already making the list of things she would need to order in the next couple of days. The thought going on while she herself is pulled back to the conversation. She could remember the sleepless nights, the haggard appearances, and even still the short tempers of their own midterm nightmares.

“Ugh it’ll be too soon before I have to retake The Bar.” The younger woman scrunched her nose in disgust. She knew that she could just let her licence slip and not have to worry about that ever again. But some part of her still clung to that out of spite. Proof that she could be a lawyer and not have to follow the same path her father had wanted of her.

“We all know what is wrong with that elevator Beth.” Though the idea of holding Eric hostage in New York was a good one. It wasn’t something she would ever make him do. She knew that Beth was being overprotective and that was just fine. If the roles had been reversed she would be stalking the newcomer and taking notes. Down to every intake of breath or shift of a limb. Her lessons with Aziz were already paying off in concept if not practice.

“I thought we finished that and were now onto Chicago Kindergarten?" The pathetic tone was all in fun. She couldn’t think of a better date night with her sister than this. “Hey Beeeeeetttthhhh…..? Can I get the extra crunchy Reese’s cups?"

Was it cheating? Absolutely.. Did she care? Not even a little bit. There were some cravings she just had to satisfy.

[brooklynislandgirl]

@morgansmornings​

Your Best Friend’s Birthday? Cabal of Mages.

It’d taken Beth an entire year to plot then execute her master plan for Jay’s birthday. One because Jay practices the Art of Seeing and any time there was a rogue whisper, an odd look, or a slight-of-hand to hide something, Beth knew she would use it to peek into the little Verbena’s head. It wasn’t Jay’s fault, really. She was a Janissary after all. Two, because Beth wanted to beat out Andy’s surprise party last year. Competition between the siblings was cut-throat, the kind of thing that would make those books about all the Houses and dragons and they made a show about with Sean Bean in it look pale and polite by comparison. And lastly because it required organising an entire rainbow coalition of disparate individuals into working together and putting politics aside for the sake of one woman. Not an easy task at any given point in time.

Andy and Tabby, of course, had been put in charge securing the food and the drinks. 

She’d originally wanted a life-size sarcophagus-shaped cake with a marzipan mummy inside. Her brother had complained that it would be nearly impossible to do and when she began to argue, the Batini pulled her aside and away from her sibling. Aziz told her that it would be in poor taste.  This was a celebration of life, not death. And Beth could hardly disagree with him. So she put him, AJ and Baz on creating the dinner and dance space. Beth wanted lights that shined like stars, she wanted pyramids, sands, everything she could think of. Even a running water “Nile” fountain.

Etienne and Dafaux were on gift duties, hiding each one: a Book of the Dead incantation on a wide cuff bracelet, the newly enchanted kopesh that had been forged by a Mokole friend in Memphis, who had promised he’d begun its work each morning at sunrise, at the site of the Temple of Sekhmet long since hidden away from mortal eyes, an Ankh pendant for her car, and finally, a painting of her goddess in full battle readiness.

She and Billy as well as Luka worked on the actual hardest part, which was keeping Jay busy and entertained with a complicated Egyptian themed Escape Room.

Beth was so proud. Standing outside of the door, in full costume as Cleopatra, she turned to Jay and offered her the cipher for the adventure. “Happy Birthday, Stitch.”

[brooklynislandgirl]

@morgansmornings {xx}

Everyone knows it’s going to be a story when the words ‘so get this’ are uttered. And yet...one doesn’t come.

She doesn’t know if she’s more disappointed at the lack of explanation or that her best friend in the entire world is suggesting that this new person is responsible for the injuries. And Beth isn’t foolish in this regard. They’ve known each other long and well enough, from Columbia to now, that she knows what over-training in the boxing gym looks like. And this isn’t it. There’s also the fact that the bruises and other injuries call her like a siren song and Jay isn’t talking about those, either. Which really sets Beth’s teeth on edge, drawing her mouth into a grim line.

“Did ya actually visit Auntie Jess or...were you busy wi’ dis oddah guy I’m suppose t’ like?”

The smokey lilt of her voice is soft in the loft space, easily swallowed up by the shadows that she doesn’t really care for, but she isn’t going to start dictating Jay’s lifestyle choices for her. It’s enough that suspicion and displeasure linger at the edges of her voice.

The obvious take away here is that regardless of reassurance, Beth is not going to like this person at all. The world is an increasingly hostile and scary place, and with Andy gone, Beth has no choice but to fill in as the judgemental older sibling. And anyone letting her make this kind of wreck for herself isn’t doing what’s best for Jay, no matter what she says to the contrary, which Beth assumes is going to be a lot. “So...spill. I wan a full CIA run down about dis guy, or close as ya can come t’ it. Or I’m payin’ my body weight in bird-seed an’ aksin’ Quot’e ta fill me in.” She mentions the third woman as a viable threat, because they both know what the creature is capable of with the right motivation. “Mebbe for starters, name an’ age, an’ where he from, how ya met him because I doubt Auntie Jess was lining up young interns a’ her new firm to jus’ casually t’row atcha, see if any kine really gonna stick. She no is da Admiral, aftah all.” She only mentions the man in passing, but its enough to make her shudder. Demands in place, she bends over the bar counter, focuses her attentions between the scabs that look terrible, the coffee brewing somewhere behind her, and patiently waiting for Jay to start talking. The antiseptic does it’s job as it bubbles at the edges of the crusted wounds, which Beth then dabs at with cotton balls. “He beddah be spectacular, Stitch.”

[brooklynislandgirl]

“What is the point of pumpkin spice pringle’s.”

Fall Into You || Accepting

"I dunno. Mebbe supposed to be umami, but wha' do I know? Back home we get punkin' spice Spam." She says it so seriously it's hard to tell whether or not she's pulling Jay's leg or if she's being real. She's often mentioned ~with a heavy dose of home-sickness~ that her beloved Spam comes in so many more flavours in Hawai'i than it does on the mainland. Beth glances up from the sting beans they'd gathered up on the roof and her garden. Little fingers cleverly snapping off the stem and pulling the threadlike spine from the pods. Andy would use them later with garlic, ginger, spring onions to make a heavenly almond chicken dish. Beth doesn't often eat much. Especially when there's meat involved, but this is her brother's cooking. "But it's nevah jus' punkin, ya know? Dey got dis whole kine of tray. Roast turkey flavour, mashed potatoes, stuffin'. Green beans, cream corn, cranberry sauce. Mac an' cheese, too. Like da whole table spread. Probably da grossest kine evah, not to mention da salt content, everyt'ing. Dere's a soda company too, does it. An' all I can do is aks why anyone would wanna. Unless dey very sad an' lonely. In which case we should jus' invite 'em heah." Beth grins at Jay. "So ya bring Mistah Chicago as ya plus one dis year, speakin' of Ho'omaika'i..." And of course she would ask.

[brooklynislandgirl]

“May I have this dance?”

The Dance || Accepting

Iron grey skies and biting winter winds keep the coffee shop busy until Jay has no choice but to put up the “Closed” sign so she can get her bases covered, ordering supplies and giving the ovens and espresso machines a well-deserved break. And with the weathermen on at least four different stations predicting that this sudden cold snap is expected to last the rest of the week at the very least, it seems like she’s going to have her hands more than full.

As the snow piles up outside, she ties back her hair and turns on the stereo, plugging her phone into it. Beth doesn’t really pay attention to it all, she never really does, but this time her fingertips are aimlessly wandering the rim of her cup where her whipped-cream snowman is pulling a Frosty into the depths of the steaming cocoa below. Her fox-point chin propped on the flat of her other palm, she doesn’t even notice the music at first as she watches people rushing through the streets outside.

Soundgarden, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5...none of it seems to fit the mood. Especially when they’re paired by the sound of long metal trays clattering in the industrial skins in the back of the shop. She doesn’t note when things grow silent, or when Jay stalks back up to the front. Picks up the water bottle for the plants and...squirts her right in the neck. The shriek that follows announces the direct, chilly hit. Followed by stifled laughter and a huff from Prue, curled up by the far wall, near the floor heater.

“C’mon kid. You’re killing me with banality.”She’s known Jay too long to be offended by the word ‘kid’.

When nothing else seems to work on Beth and she goes back to staring out into the grey world beyond the rime-coated glass, she hears something muttered under her best friend’s breath, words she can’t quite pick out, and there’s an abrupt change of music. It’s impossible not to recognise the song from the opening snare drum and cowbell; a song as old as they are and yet still wholly beloved.

And of course the second that Jay asks her to dance, she’s on her feet and they’ve got a whole floor show choreographed for the song, Beth doing Fred’s bits, Jay doing Kate’s, and both of them dancing along. Shimmying this way and that, doing old dances like the Monkey too.Beth doesn’t know if there’s a real Love Shack, but she kind of hopes it does. She also hopes that everyone has a Jay in their life that can pull them out of any funk with a little silliness and a lot of jiggling and laughter.

“Bang bang bang on the door, baby.”“Knock a little louder sugar!”“Bang bang bang, on the door baby!”And there really IS glitter everywhere, though the mattresses are upstairs.

Neither of them even notice Clint coming in and leaning in the doorway, watching the goings on.

[brooklynislandgirl]

But Who wore it better: JAHSFF Or The Hobo Angel?

Truth Serum || Accepting

"Goddah be hones' here, Jay," Beth says as she dusts the front glass of the pastry case. "I mean you know I always kinda did lean toward Cas'iel when he show up. Wha's not t' love about a holy warrior wi' mad rage who becomes da softest, quietest kine. But I really t'ink whoevah wrote Supahnatural... Kripke, right? Totally must have known John."

She doesn't mind hanging out at the coffee shop, or helping with the daily clean up once the shop closes up for the evening. She can't help talking about things to help make the time pass. But this topic has her going a little quiet. Each in their own way, Jay and Beth had loved John, and his absence now feels like the punishment for hubris flaunted in the face of the universe. And it will always be John.

"I miss him."

[brooklynislandgirl]

🎼 Come at me with our GREATEST HITS Lilo.

Let the Music Play || -

1. Walk Like An Egyptian | The Bangles

All the old paintings on the tombsThey do the sand dance don't you knowIf they move too quick (oh whey oh)They're falling down like a dominoAll the bazaar men by the NileThey got the money on a betGold crocodiles (oh whey oh)They snap their teeth on your cigaretteForeign types with the hookah pipes sayAy oh whey oh, ay oh whey ohWalk like an Egyptian

2. Roar | Katy Perry

You held me down, but I got up (hey!)Already brushing off the dustYou hear my voice, your hear that soundLike thunder, gonna shake the groundYou held me down, but I got upGet ready 'cause I've had enoughI see it all, I see it now

3. I’m Your Moon | Jonathan Coulton

They invented a reasonThat's why it stingsThey don't think you matterBecause you don't have pretty ringsI keep telling you I don't careI keep saying there's one thing they can't changeI'm your moonYou're my moonWe go round and roundFrom out here, it's the rest of the world that looks so smallPromise meYou will always remember who you are

4. Happy | Pharrell

It might seem crazy what I'm 'bout to saySunshine she's here, you can take a breakI'm a hot air balloon that could go to spaceWith the air, like I don't care baby by the wayHuh, because I'm happyClap along if you feel like a room without a roofBecause I'm happyClap along if you feel like happiness is the truthBecause I'm happyClap along if you know what happiness is to youBecause I'm happyClap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do

5. Love Shack | B-52s

If you see a faded sign by the side of the road that saysFifteen miles to the, Love Shack, Love Shack yeahI'm headin' down the Atlanta highwayLookin' for the love getawayHeaded for the love getaway, love getawayI got me a car, it's as big as a whaleAnd we're headin' on down to the Love ShackI got me a Chrysler, it seats about twentySo hurry up and bring your jukebox money