#SORRY MY DUMB RAMBLES I GO IN SHAMBLES OVER THEM

[animation-is-my-jam]

helloo! I really love your art style it's so pretty and love the tobecky content <33

I wanted to ask, which episode that involves tobecky is your favorite?

OHH GOSH THANK YOU!! AHH MEANS a lot. (^.^)＼(^_^)／❤️ (bites wall) and thx for the ask!

And what WG episode with Tobecky is my favorite? Hmm...toughie. There's some episodes, obviously, that have Tobey in them, but I don't consider Tobecky moments immediately (example: Field Day Fun with Robo-Tobey).

If I were to ever choose my top ones and narrow it down, though, it would go (no order just naming):

-Department Store Tobey

-Trustworthy Tobey

-It's your party and I cry if I want to

-By Jove, you've wrecked my robot

-Have you seen the remote

-Guess Who's coming to Thanksgiving Dinner

-The Robot problem

And to narrow it down... Okay damn it's tough again. Because I love their banter in By Jove and the hint that he's been getting a crush on Becky, but they have more sillier softer moments in season 1 episodes like Department and Seen The Remote. But Robot Problem has them actually team up, and it's the first episode where I started to ship them. BUT--Its My Party has them actually get ice cream after years of build-up and Tobey coming to his senses moments. And of course, Thanksgiving Dinner with them actually smiling at each other for one, HOWEVER, Trustworthy Tobey with being his last focus episode where he's strictly not being the worst and maybe turning reasoble along with it being Becky and Tobey conflict and not him and Wordgirl (PLUS THE NOTE UGHH)--

(Explodes) Ya see why this is tricky.

But for the sake of answering this....I'll go with right now...AHHH, it's gonna go to Trustworthy Tobey. It's what I'm feeling right now. Mostly cause... I remember when I did my Wordgirl re-watch in late 2017 that got me into the fandom again and started this years long hyperfixation. I was dreading the last Tobey episode/last Tobecky moments we'll get. You see, I liked the season 7 and 8 Tobey episodes, but man, ever since season 1, it's been hard trying to justify this kid when he gets washed like every episode and so I was like "plss be good" or at least give me hope for his character cause I didn't want him to regress. And what do you know...hope! Sure, he's still an immature jerk that's still in character, but at least he wasn't extreme or not immediately dismissive. He actually kept up being truthful and Becky learned something, not to mention he doesn't get scott-free either and this time the most he does is just unleash a malfunctioning robot to a library and not like destroy buildings or attempt to kill people.

Plus, I find it extremely interesting the dialog and moments he has with Becky as Becky and not Wordgirl. Because call me silly but to me peak Tobecky is when he interacts with Becky as herself and not just Wordgirl--the ship name isn't Wordbey after all. Plus again the note YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THAT SCREWED WITH ME WHEN I SAW IT. Because another factor to why I hold up this episode so highly...even though Robot Problem/Have you seen the Remote is what got me to officially ship them...this episode is what inspired me to make a lot of my Wordgirl and Tobecky content. Cause it filled my imagination in what their relationship and Tobey's character could go next and there was no new Tobey episode to contradict it tehe. It drove me to read fanfiction. Start drawing on my dingy phone with FlipaClip. Start drabbles that I never posted. Interact with others. It...kinda drove me crazy? Like it legit didn't make me okay, but hey it's why I consider it personally my favorite.

[second-chance-stray]

RP Log: Rising is sick, and Cravs won’t have it.

Cravendy Hound is busy moving all sorts of wooden furniture from her room to a series of boxes that litter the company foyer. It’s hard work, and something that demands her full attention until the task is done. She wipes her forehead free of sweat with the back of her hand. Finally, it was quiet again...and in that silence, perhaps there were subtle things that Cravs would now notice?

Rising Lotus at some point during Cravs moving everything back and forth, Rising had slipped through,  groaning a bit as she was still looking quite ill. She climbed the stairs to get herself some water, groggy curses coming from her mouth as most of the grub was moved up there some time ago. As she made her way to the bottom of the stairs, she leaned against the banister, watching Cravs move the stuff for quite a while, she didn't want to hold her up as she shambled back to her room.

Cravendy Hound: “Eh? Well, if it ain’t the flyin’ flower ‘erself.” Cravs claps her hands together in order to get the last bit of dust off of them, and then quickly jogs over before Rising is able to make it back to her room. Closer now, she’s able to see how much of a mess the other woman is. Clearly sick, and clearly suffering. Cravs stops in her tracks. “Oi bugger, ye look like shite...don’t tell me yer still sick?”

Rising Lotus cocked her head a bit as she was addressed. "Flyin'...oh, I get it." she let out a weak chuckle that turned into cough. "Yeah I guess so... don't usually get hit this...." her hand twirled as she tried to think of the word "Hard..? Ugh." sniffling, she ran her hand over her hair to try and unmess it up. "I'm at least able to walk about a bit now, was sleepin' all day first day."

(Cravendy Hound) I don't know what's worse. When it rains after snow and everything's gross slush, or after when the water freezes, forming ice/snow. And then everyone starts slipping, people + cars both D:< )) (Rising Lotus) The worst part is people that live in it for years that forget how to drive in it the second it starts up again. Also you really got me with Flying Flower x3))

Cravendy Hound crosses her arms with a frown, feeling somewhat responsible. If she had brought an umbrella, or hadn’t insisted on going fishing that day, then none of this would’ve happened. In fact, wasn’t Rising there when they were fighting the Dodo at Dirtpatch?! A judgement forms in Crav’s head...that Rising is just going to get worse if left to her own devices. Cravs shakes her head in concern. “What are ye dealin’ with? Fever, chills, a cough...?”

Rising Lotus nodded slowly after each symptom Cravs listed off "Aye..sneezin' an' uh... head feelin'..." bringing her hand close, she'd pull them apart with her fingers extending "Jus', ya know...pressure-y. Got some things to help with it, jus' still takin' awhile to get uh... " she brought her hand up to rub her temple "all better I guess. Ugh.."

(Cravendy Hound) hope it wasn't too confusing xD ))   (Rising Lotus) It was something where I read it and got it, then it got funnier and cuter the more I started thinking it over lol)) (Cravendy Hound) well here comes more blisteringly sweet stuff xD ))

Cravendy Hound: “Stop figetin’ for a sec, will ye?” Without thinking, Cravs lifts the hair that usually covers her face, and gets close to touch foreheads with Rising. She stays like this for a second, then pulls back looking angier than before. “Bloody scrag, ‘ow are ye even standin’ right now? Yer burning up. Come on, let’s get ye into a bed afore ye set the stairs on fire with that fever of yers.”

Cravendy Hound grabs Rising’s wrist and, while attempting to drag the other woman along, makes a beeline towards the clinic. It’s during this time that her actions begin to catch up in her mind. Damnit, old habits die hard. As soon as she could, she’d have to explain...that.

(Cravendy Hound) it's something my mom used to do w/ me :D )) (Cravendy Hound) ALSO Cravs def sees Rising like a lil sis (which she pretty much sees everyone as) but I'll throw wood onto the proverbial fire for potential goofy hijinks ))

Rising Lotus 's eyes went wide as Cravs was so suddenly touching foreheads with her, frozen as she wasn't quite sure how to react to, whatever was happening. "W-what are..." despite her paleness, there was the smallest tinge of red in her cheeks as Cravs pulled away. "O-oh...That's...huh." still processing, she was easily dragged along to wherever Cravs was taking her. As she watched her door pass by she started to weakly protest. "You don't have to toss me in there...don't want to be..." she lifted her arm to cough into her sleeve " a bother to people actually needin' the, the help."

(Cravendy Hound) ahhaha )) (Cravendy Hound) o we can move to the actual clinic. It looks super cool :> )) (Rising Lotus) Also that was super cute xD and it'll be good for Rising to have someone like that! Hasn't been close in anyone for while since her wife left))

Cravendy Hound chuckles at Rising’s weak protests. “This place is exactly for people like ye!” Cravs tugs her to the corner, and then sets her down on the bed. “Now, lie down ‘ere, and don’t move.” She commands, and then heads off to search the medical cabinets for anything that might help alleviate her friend’s symptoms. After some rummaging, she first comes back with a small hand towel, soaking in a bowl of cool water.

Cravendy Hound - As she lifts her sleeves and gets the towel ready, she rambles on absentmindedly. “I used to do this all the time for my little sis. She was always catchin’ colds and doin’ otherwise dumb shite...stupidly brave, she was.” Cravs pauses for a second, and then grimaces. “S-so that’s what the ‘ead bump was about! Er. Sorry. Probably crossed a line there.”

Rising Lotus plopped down onto the bed, groaning a bit as Cravs ordered her to lay down. She did it of course, but if her friend would ask it would because she wanted to. "You don't have to do all this ya know..." she sounded a bit sheepish "I can...probably.." considering how many days she was out maybe this was the proper course of action. A weak scowl escaped her lips "Gods damn it, we ain't known each other long enough for ya to see me in such a pitiful state." she rested her hand on her forehead >

Rising Lotus: Before dragging it down her face. Crav's explaining the forehead bopping did cause her to smirk though. "O-okay... d-don't do that to a girl without some warnin'..my ma always jus' used her hand back in the day."

Cravendy Hound awkwardly laughs in response. “I wasn’t thinkin’, but yeah. Yer right, yer right....” Memories of similarly awkward misunderstandings bubble to the surface, one after the other like a chain reaction. Cravs becomes as stiff as a board as she recalls a particularly embarrassing moment, one that made it all the way to the bedroom before she realized what was going on.

Cravendy Hound ‘s face slowly becomes beet red as the conversation that followed, terrible and idiotic, plays word for word back to her in her head. As her captain had always told her...she was as perceptive as a log when it came to things of that nature. Cravs abruptly clears her throat.

Cravendy Hound: “We’re both fighters. Nothin’ to be ashamed of. For every battle, there’s recovery.” She then presents the folded towel, pleasantly chilled, to Rising’s face. A gesture that, this time, asks...may I?

Rising Lotus grumbles a bit "I 'spose...won't get any cool scars or tales to tell 'bout it though." she gave Cravs a nod as the towel was brought over, the cool cloth helping to soothe her burning forehead. " Least it's jus' a cold this time...the last time I was, this..." she paused for a moment. "At least this sick...It was cause of a nasty bite." she raised her left arm up. "You can still kinda see it..." she must of thought she was pointing to it, but there was a fait bit mark on her forearm.

Rising Lotus: "Was poisonous too, an' the gobbie potion I took probably made it worse.." she took a deep breath before she continued, coughing lightly "So I was holed up in...the hole I lived in up there. Though Violet came all the way to help me...that was nice..." as she trailed off her eyes drifted towards the wall, staying silent on the matter after that.

Cravendy Hound places the towel over Rising’s forehead, and then peers at the scars on her arm. Healed over, but even still she could get a sense of how bad it was when the wound was fresh. Cravs bobs her head in admiration. “Must’ve been some bite. Were ye fightin’ some manner of ‘boro? Stinky buggers are all jaws, all legs. Bad business.”

Cravendy Hound doesn’t push about Violet. Though Cravs had a track record of bluntly nosing her way into other people’s business, it was only when she thought she could help. Here, she sensed Rising wasn’t ready to talk, and it certainly wasn’t her place to ask.

Rising Lotus "I can't say what it was. I mean, I KNOW what it is...I jus' can't.." she furrowed her brow as she apparently was having trouble with the word for not saying a word. "Ya know.. talk it. Great big bug..the bug folk in Dravania use 'em." she huffed, sounding a bit frustrated. "Gods, even thinkin' is takin' too much energy." a drawn out sigh left her lips, following by some more coughing. "Hey..." she looked up to Cravs "Thanks for..uh.. I guess this...not exactly draggin' me here but..."

Rising Lotus: flipped her hand up, hoping by now the Cravs would understand what she meant. " I 'spose this is probably a better place than my mess of a room.. an' the towel is far nicer than gettin' Hop to sit on my head."

Cravendy Hound: “Stop thinkin’ so much then, and get some rest. I’ll ask the medic to leave some medicine by the table for ye when ye wake up.” Cravs tilts her head, amused. She assumes ‘Hop’ is the sproutling that she’s seen trail Rising in the past, and looks around for it.

Cravendy Hound - Failing to find Hop, she gets ready to leave in order to give Rising some peace and quiet. Before she lets the curtain fall behind her, she turns around for one last thing. “If ye need anythin’, ye can...borrow this.” Cravs places a linkshell by the bedside table. “Don’t let me catch ye trippin’ down the stairs again.”

Rising Lotus nodded "Aye, I promis ya the next time ya see me, I'll be.." she shot Cravs a finger pistol, but couldn't quite get anything catchy out. She eventually gave up and shuffled in bed a bit, getting herself comfy. "I think I'll try restin' a bit till then though." her eyes started to drift closed, how could she feel so exhausted from just a trip up the stairs?

[hithisischris]

New Years debut DD

Happy belated (like really belated) NEW YEAR. I hope this year is prosperous for us all. Now I decided to do this the night of New Year’s Eve but I had no idea what to write I just know I wanted to write and I finally got some inspiration, anyway I hope you really like it!

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An official year since David and I met, it’s strange knowing that if Georgie hadn’t ended things with me two weeks before the new year, Maya would have never dragged my ass to that party.

“Babe what are you thinking of?” David’s soft voice brought me back to reality “I was just thinking of how we met, and how the fans won’t like me, they’ll think I’m not good enough for you. Which I’m not but you insist I am and that if I leave you, you’ll hunt me down even if it meant leaving the country and looking for me in Europe or something.” He chuckled at my rambling and grabbed my hand, god his hands; they are always so warm and soft. “Y/n you’re gonna be okay, they’ll love you. And if they don’t then why should we care what they think when we love one another” he rubbed circles on my hand and kissed my forehead. “We will get through this together I promise you.” I nodded and looked up at the set up camera. “Are you ready to start recording?” this end of the year David decided to actually do something the first half of the day, later on we will be going out with the rest of our friends so he can get some footage but right now he decided to do the Girlfriend Tag video for his second channel to finally tell his fans about us. I nodded and smiled at him. He leaned down to me and kissed my lips softly.

I was out of the camera view as he introduced the video “alright welcome back to my second channel, this video is gonna be different. It won’t me any bloopers but you guys will love this video-” he did his big dimple smile and glanced at me from behind the camera, my heart was pounding, I fear that maybe the camera could hear it pounding out of my body. I smiled at him even though I was nervous.

“-today I will be introducing you to someone who has become very important to me for the past year-” he signaled me to come out from behind the camera and sit next to him. “-guys this is my very pretty girlfriend y/n and we will be doing the girlfriend/boyfriend tag” I smiled at the camera and he interlocked our hands. “Okay, y/n do you want to start or shall I?” I thought it over, my voice felt like it had dried out. Was the even possible? Could your voice dry out from nerves. Gosh this is why I was never in the vlogs the camera always made me feel like I was being investigated for something, its why David asked me a million times if I was okay with actually making this video and to be honest I was but I still feel like a frog in a laboratory. “Yeah I guess I’ll start” my voice came out scratchy he nodded and went to grab the dry erase boards we’d use to write down our answers. I grabbed my phone which was where we had decided to write all of our questions “okay so hmmmmm the first question is, where was our first date” we immediately wrote down our answers, it was Applebee’s. We showed the camera our answers and then I spoke again “you are right-” I looked at the camera and said, grinning, “David had gotten Natalie to rent it for two hours so we could have a private first date, I had chosen the location because I was honestly craving their fries and didn’t want it to be over the top.” He nodded along with me “yeah it’s true her first words to me were ‘you have no idea how badly I’ve been craving to come eat here’” he laughed at the memory and unlocked his phone to ask a question “hmph I need a hard one-” I laughed at that and my nerves were no longer at bay, it was just like any other time between just with a camera. “-when did you meet my family” he looked at me then the camera and started to write his answer, “doofus you said a hard one, I met them when you made a deal with Ilya that if you could find him, he would have to go with you to Miami” he reveled his answer and after the question it had started to just go back and forth until his last question.

“Okay last question for this video, when and his did we meet?” He smiled at the memory and I smiled at it too, I looked at the camera “we met last year on New Year’s Eve at this party Dom was throwing, my ex had just ended things with me after revealing he’d been cheating on me for a couple months. This happened two weeks before Christmas~” (memory)

“God y/n I have been cheating on you for the past five months, I don’t love you anymore and to be honest I don’t think I have for a while now” my face was hot and teary I couldn’t believe this, all I could think of was how naive I had been and if I could return his Christmas present. After he said that I vividly heard the door of my apartment slam. My friend maya found me on the couch looking up at the ceiling, the tears were already dried but it was obvious I had been crying. “I’m gonna cut the balls off that piece of shit.” I glanced at her and snorted, she hugged me to sleep that night. Maya had been coming over every night after that, she’d make sure I was eating and drinking plenty of water. She hasn’t pushed me into leaving the house and I was thankful but after Christmas came around she decided that I should leave the house. “Okay come on y/n we are done moping and thinking of that selfish jerk. Kayla heard of this party on New Year’s Eve and it’s supposed to be super fun so we are going” I smiled at her and was greatful I had her so I nodded my head and as the night of New Year’s Eve neared she already had a dress picked out for me.

“Okay so have your phone on you on all times just in case we get separated, do not fucking hesitate to tell me if you want to leave. And lastly, are you sure you want to go out we could stay home and watch Boy Meets World on Disney+” I nodded and giggled at her “yes I am sure Maya, now let’s go before Kayla starts spamming you with messages” she snorted and grabbed we made our way downstairs once we got the notification that our Uber arrived. When we had arrived the party was in full blast the stench of weed and the beat of the music could be heard/smelled from down the hall. We made our way into the kitchen looking for drinks “where the fuck are the beers in this place” Maya shouted as we entered the small kitchen “they are in the cooler by the counter” we heard a voice behind us, maya said a quick thanks and grabbed two, I glanced to see who had given us the answer, “you look familiar” I said, maya turned around at my voice and looked at the guy in front of me “holy shut he does” he chuckled and was gonna respond to us when it clicked “youre that guy that dated that girl from that one show, Ohmygod I’m not gonna get this out of my head till I get it. What was her nameeee” Maya opened our beers handing me my bottle, the guy looked at us with excitement and curiousity “holy shit it was Cierra Remirez!” He let out a laugh and nodded. “Yep that’s my ex” he said it with a hand rubbing his neck “my name is Jeff, what are your names?” He seemed to be interested in Maya as he kept glancing at her, I giggled and said “I’m y/n this is Maya” he shook my hand and then mayas shaking her hand a little longer. “So what are you doing in an ordinary party like this I thought you hung out with that guy, what’s his name?” He grinned and finished my sentence “David Dobrik.” I nodded my head. I had heard of his name here and there and knew what he did to get famous but I had never really watched his YouTube videos. “Well he needs his new year montage so he got Dom to throw this party and here we are” I nodded and for a while we made small conversation until I felt like I was third wheeling and said “I’m gonna go to the bathroom real quick” I glanced at both of them so Maya would get the message of swiping him off his feet, it took me a couple minutes to find the bathroom and once inside I just opened my phone to scroll mindlessly on Instagram I hadn’t known how long I was in the bathroom for until someone opened the door and slipped inside my instincts went on high alert and looked for something Incase I needed to defend myself with. “Uhm excuse me?” The guy in front of me hadn’t noticed me, he had a camera and his forehead leaning against the door he seemed startled at the sound of me voice “holy shit I didn’t know someone was in here-” he quickly turned around “-I’m,,I’m sorry I should have knocked” his cheeks redend slightly, he was cute his hair in shambles and his eyes were captivating. “It’s totally fine I should have closed the door” it became quite the only sound heard was the beat of the music. “I’m David by the way” he extended his hand I had let my guard down feeling at ease with him “y/n. I think I just met your friend Jeff” he looked at little disappointed “so you’re a fan?” I shook my head “no I’ve heard your name before but I have not watched one of your videos” he smirked “that’s a first” he said.

(end of memory)“~after that we stayed in the bathroom sitting uncomfortably in the tub where he made a joke we’d probably catch a disease and forced me to watch a couple of his videos” David laughed “that is so not true I didn’t force you to watch them I said sorry since you’ve never watched any wanna watch a couple of them’ and you said yes” I shook my head “no you said you’d pay me to watch a couple videos and I was like no that’s dumb” he rolled his eyes but didn’t say another word just looked at me and started to smile “we should end the video.” I whispered to which he nodded “alright guys so that was the last question, I hope you guys enjoyed the video from now on you’ll be seeing this pretty lady in all my videos” I shook my head at his statement “well okay not all but I’ll try and get her warmed up for the camera” he gave his last dimple smile at the camera and turned it off.

“Ohmygod I can’t believe that took us two hours, how do you do that every day?” He laughed at my question “well usually I have more fun people to do this with” I immediately pouted and said “I’m hurt you’d say such a thing, I’m not talking to you anymore. You no longer get kisses” he laughed and tried to bring me closer to him I put all my weight to not move and shook my head “I won’t forgive you till you apologize” my face was breaking out into a smile as David kept trying to pull me towards him. He began sitting closer to me his hand resting on my waist “I’m sorryyyy now give me some sugar” I scoffed and glared at him, he pouted “you are the biggest clown I know” “oh so now I’m a clown” I began to laugh and start leaning into him. When I was centimeters from his lips I said “you should start editing if you want to get the video up” and got up to get some water from the kitchen he looked stumped and said “you are an evil person” I laughed and waved a soft bye as he got his laptop and started to work on the video.

An hour and a half had past since he started editing and I was casually watching Criminal Minds “andddd done” David said coming out of his room, I glanced back at him and smiled he sat down next to me and kissed my lips eagerly making up for the tease I gave him earlier. After a minute he stopped and got his phone out, opening Instagram he posted a photo of us a heart for a caption and tagged me. After he posted it he left his phone and leaned his head on my legs falling asleep as I rubbed his hair getting some energy before having to go out for the vlog.

Maya was one of the first people to text me with a screenshot of his post “fucking finally❤️” her message read, looking at the photo it had been the first photo we had taken in the uncomfortable tub with probable diseases. His dimpled smile and my own who had finally been at ease.

[sweetpeasins]

InCube Gala Fic

This is just a little fic for the wonderful Gala @monster-at-heart and @abdomented are hosting!  Thank you so much to @shezmu-tummies for letting me steal Cass for this little awful story!     It was the kind of day that woke him up with a cold slap to the face and coffee grounds in his latte.  It was the kind of day that dragged him down the street kicking and screaming.  It was the kind of day where your best friend dragged you to what he said would be ‘The best night ever!’ but slowly turned into ‘Please just stay’ and you somehow end up talking to the exact kind of person you despise while you’re drinking a grossly light drink and the city lights burn your eyes. It was the type of day Easel Evido fucking hated.

Easel peeked over the railing outside the gala on a small secluded balcony, a cigarette lazily hung out of the side of his mouth as he talked through the smoke and the taste of sweet tobacco on his tongue.  His legs still shook after shitting his pants from the one and only time he let Dilly drive, metaphorically though, of course, he’d have the most optimistic fuck in the world know immediately. “Why did I even come here?  It’s not like I signed a blood pact!”  Easel hissed, ignoring a question he didn’t care enough to hear.  He moved the cigarette to the corner of his mouth, the ash drew grey marks down the side of his suit that hugged his body.  “Or did I sign a blood pact without knowing?” Cass paused awkwardly around his too-fruity drink, because he was pretty sure they were just talking about InCube a moment before. Easel looked down to the city below that he had drove around rampant in a drunken frenzy about a week before the Gala, he couldn’t remember why now.  The city lights were outshone by the Gala lights behind them, painting them with festive whites and blues as the colors shifted and the mood changed in a constant hurry to delight and entertain all the guests.  Easel didn’t even look back to watch as the guests moved to the dance floor and twirled each other around to the beat of some dumb song that vibrated the thin balcony.  Easel tipped his glass, drinking a horrible concoction that was 5 percent ice and 95 percent straight vodka.  But Cass wouldn’t be surprised if it was just rubbing alcohol from the smell of it, they looked to each other silently. Cass looked down at the glass with a mixture of fear and respect, taking the man’s look as an offer.  “N-No, I’m a light weight.” “I thought so,” Easel replied, cigarette curled in his fingers, tip glowing.  He watched Cass’ face through the smoke.  “Why are you out here talking to me?  Aren’t your friends inside?”  He seemed more annoyed than concerned. “I only know most people from the waiting room,” Cass admitted, he held his glass over the side of the balcony, the lights danced off of the gold plastered to his hair.  It was beautiful in a way, the way the gold was weaved into his hair and sparkling along his cheeks, Easel watched how it glistened as Cass turned his head to look down the balcony at the valet service below.   Easel followed his eyes lazily.  “Lookin’ for someone?”   “No,” Cass coughed out after a few moments of awkward silence.   “Okay, you’re pretty bad at lying, but that’s okay,” The alien laughed cruelly, Cass turned a different shade of purple underneath the gentle white light from inside the Gala. “So who’re you lookin’ for?” Easel asked, and before he could stop himself, “Someone cute?” Cass seemed to think for a moment, his eyes distantly staring off to the well dressed valets and the few guests still piling in even after the event had started hours before.  “J-Just some friends.” Easel shifted the cigarette in his mouth, it was dying quickly.  He chewed on the answer for a moment before he let out a dramatic groan and draped his arms over the railing.  Gossip was better than drinking and smoking alone on the balcony while his best friend had a great night inside.  He was gonna get fucking something out of the night.  “Tell me about ‘em.” And Cass did, his face lit up as he talked, his mouth moved quickly, and Easel looked over at him with a mixture of sudden jealousy and dread woven into his cold face.  Cass’ words weren’t important, it was the way he said it, the way he seemed so animated, the exhausted blue-moons beneath his eyes fading back into his skin.  Easel didn’t listen to the words, he watched the man’s lips move in the light, how they glistened, how they spoke above the face of his best friend in the distance as he twirled an unfamiliar girl onto the dance floor, her light blue body tucked into a sultry skintight dress.   Easel watched as they danced around, he could see their legs working in the crowd.  She twirled him around, she opened her mouth and picked him clean off the floor, he laughed.  Easel gripped the side of the railing.   “I’m rambling, right?  Yeah I’m rambling I’ll just stop-” “-It’s fine, kid.”  He pressed himself closer to the railing, his forehead barely level with the top of it.  “You said your name was Cass earlier,” He said it more as a command than a question, Cass had the feeling that even if that wasn’t his name Easel had decided that was going to be his name regardless, according to him. “Yes,” Cass said, looking down at the smaller man that seemed anything but.  “Oh, I never got your-!” “It’s Easel,” he said with cold civility, still not looking directly at him.  “Let me tell you something, Cass.  Don’t you apologize for speaking your mind, don’t live your life fuckin’ scared of sayin’ whatcha want.   You aren’t gonna get anywhere like that, so say whatcha want.  Least for tonight, humor me, yeah?” Cass sighed and looked down at his watered down drink which was about the only thing that wouldn’t have him shambling around like a drunken idiot after one cup.  “I know I know, I just don’t-” Easel saw Dilly finally break away from his pretty new blue friend as the music died down, they chatted for what seemed like years, then she waltzed off like something had suddenly grabbed her attention.  They made eye contact, Easel snapped away.   “That wasn’t a question.”  Easel’s eyes finally looked up from his drink into Cass’ face, they lingered there for a moment, glowing dully in the darkness.  His lips twitched.  “Do it.  Or I will goddamn make you-” “Ease!  You gotta come meet my old friend, Lorai-” A shadow fell over both of them as Dilly stood in the doorway, his eyes drifted between them, suddenly a little more uncomfortable than he had been before.  In the darkness he could only make out the vague shapes of things, but he could definitely see the nervousness on Cass’ face.   Dilly took in the scene with quiet uneasiness that could be felt more than seen.  “Am I..interrupting something?”   “Not at all, you think I was doing something actually fun?” Easel asked half-heartedly, but only because it sounded better than ‘I’m sick of being here and talking to people, cut it the fuck out’.  He drank the last of the vodka from the bottom of his glass. They all stared at each other, the soothing music from the dance floor did nothing to break the tension.  Dilly thought around the gnawing question on his mind and chewed his tongue instead.  Eventually Easel flipped Dilly off as he walked past and back into the building, “Sorry, he can get a little intense,” Dilly offered endearingly, watching as Easel put the rest of his cigarette out on a poor waiter’s shoe.  He peered past the smoke into the blinding light of the gala, it sent neon zebra stripes across his face.  “It’s Cass, right?  From the OVI Division?” Cass nodded quickly and shifted over as subtly as he could.  If Dilly noticed it he didn’t say anything.  “Yeah, I think I’ve seen you around there before!”  Cass tried to push some confidence into his voice, even he didn’t find it convincing. “I work in that division, it’s nice to get lost in the paperwork sometimes.  I love talking to the people, but, you know, sometimes the best thing to see when you’re going into labor isn’t me,” Dilly laughed and smiled, his gnarled teeth hung outside of his lips, as if they were proving his point.   Cass laughed, but it was forced out of him, the tender skin around his recent c-section burned with the mention.   They talked about nothing in particular, laughing at jokes that hardly made any sense, and devoured the scene of the metropolitan city in the distance that bounced a fine green mist onto the dark night clouds.  Dilly’s eyes had gone soft and dreamy, his tail curled around the railing like a thick vine.  He opened his mouth to reply when the smell of strong booze struck them both and Dilly turned around to see Easel leaning onto the doorway for dear life. “Dilly, I have, I have something really, really important I gotta show you,” Easel slurred, drawing out every single word.  Drool dribbled down his chin. “I think I’ve literally left you alone for a grand total of five minutes, what could you of possibly done?”   Easel guided Dilly down to his level too easily, like he was on a leash.  Easel put a sloppy, wet finger on his lips.  “Promise, promise me ya won’t get mad.” Dilly looked over to Cass desperately, but the man only shrugged and seemed to be trying to disappear into the far corner of the balcony.  He sighed.  “I promise I won’t get mad.” “I threw up on one of the bar stools.  I dunno which one, but it’s definitely not sitable anymore.” Immediately Dilly’s goodbye to Cass were light, he half carried half dragged his best friend through the crowds, tugging his arm back when he reached out with his drunken grabby hands for the shiniest dresses and suits.  All the while Easel screamed and groaned that ‘sitable’ was indeed a word, even came up with definitions and examples as Dilly looked gratefully over to Loraine, who had already cleaned the bar stool up until it shined like it was brand new.  

  Easel’s face was smushed against the cold bathroom tiles, one of his ears hung on the side of the toilet, his eyes lazily rolled in his head to look at Dilly in the doorway.  They had been sitting there for what felt like hours, so many unspoken words between them, Dilly’s face a mixture of discomfort and anger.  Loraine peeked her head in every few minutes until she was waved off by Dilly, and eventually she stopped coming by all together.  Easel licked his lips nauseously.   “If you’re done throwing up what little was left of your stomach lining,” Dilly mumbled tiredly, sitting on the floor next to the toilet.  “You want to tell me how you possibly drank that much?” “Wouldn’t you like to know,” Easel smiled, his dilated eyes couldn’t concentrate on anything for longer than a few seconds. “Yes I would, because that’s a great talent-because we’re at a gala and you just made Loraine clean up your gross vomit!” “Don’t fucking yell at me,” Easel groaned, he blinked his eyes against the lights, his body shook with another wave of nausea. Dilly sighed, the muffled sounds of the gala swallowed the sound of his claws against the tiles.  “I’m sorry, I’m just stressed out and-you know my regular excuses.  Are you okay?” “Other than the acid in my mouth?  Fucking perfect.” “What’s bothering you?  I know you, Ease.  You can drink a liquor store halfway into bankruptcy if you wanted to, so what’s up with wanting to get wasted tonight?  Did you do all of that just to distract Loraine?  You know, she’s been wanting to talk to one of the other doctors all night, let her have some goddamn peace-” “What’s bothering me?”  Easel repeated, his breath felt like fire down his throat.  “What about you?  You’ve been fuckin’ running around all goddamn night like a fuckin’ psycho, what else is there for me to do for fun ‘round here?  ‘Specially when you’re running around like you’re avoidin-” “I think it’s time I let you go home.” Dilly said quietly, a suddenly panicked look on his face. Easel didn’t ask.

“Alright, alright.  I changed Rory’s sheets, tuck him in when you get home.”  Dilly stood by their new aircraft as Easel raced through the entrance and snatched the keys from the valet.   “You’re not coming with me?”  Easel asked as he already had one hand on the ignition and the other on the stereo, like the thought had just occurred to him.  “You got a ride?” “I’ll manage,” Dilly replied after a moment.  “I know you wanna get home, worst comes to worst I’ll use the teleporters.  Unless I feel like taking a casual fifty mile jog.” “If you do take the jog don’t you dare sweat all over those new rugs, I just put that shit in.” “You make me feel like I’m so old,” Dilly said in the most endearing tone in the world, leaning in through the craft’s windows.  Easel looked at him evenly.  “But you’re the old one-” “You stop that right now-” “-Sixty-five next week!” “No, just generally no, and fuck off while you’re at the no part.  No and fuck off.”   Dilly hummed, grumbled something that sounded like a mix between laughter and exhaustion as he watched Easel pull away and disappear into four shining white headlights in the distance.  He stood there for a long time, watching them go, then he turned around and disappeared back into the crowd.  His uneasiness came back in waves.