#guy who's gonna abandon this project by next week

[skunkes]

i havent even finished planning the little zine i want to do + i also know that as soon as i DO finish planning, my brain is gonna be like "ok i have now received the same amount of dopamine i would have gotten if i actually made the completed piece" and im not gonna touch it further, but despite this im still already getting ahead of myself with the potential like what if i ink it traditionally what if i color it with actual watercolors what if i paint the title page in gouache what if i add screentones at some point then scan it and cobble it all together etc etc etc

[phagodyke]

my god. new contender for most shite day at work this year so far

another morning another free bus journey..

[thewiz9062]

Smiling Critters: Together, We Resonate (No.6) - Catnap

NOTE: THIS IS NOT RELATED TO CANON IN THE SLIGHTEST. An accurate description of this au is that I took every playtime.co poster art and promotional material from the game and lit up the rest of canon in a bonfire. This means that EVERY character is part of one big cartoon. That's it. No bigger bodies project, no child souls, no experiments, just a depiction of a cartoon. PLEASE do not ask me to do anything suggestive with anyone.

Let's start:

Catnap had a fairly normal childhood up until four, where his parents died in front of him (cause of death is still pending)

After that, he was put in the system, and he quickly learned that it wasn't exactly the safest place, so he ran.

He ended up wandering for a while, sleeping in alleyway to alleyway until he found a random abandoned house (shack? Its one room and fairly small) in a secluded part of a neighborhood, and set up 'home' there. But is it really home without them?

Anyways, he made himself as comfortable as possible in his living conditions. If the residents heard crying near that secluded part of the neighborhood, they didn't say......well, except for Boxy Boo.

Boxy was the only one who dared to go check out the slight commotion and was attacked on sight. Well, pounced on, as boxy is about 3 times bigger than catnap at the moment. Even once he got him to calm down, he still didn't say a word to him, just glared at him until he left. What if it was my fault? What if i was the reason theyleftwhatifpeoplediebecauseofmeleavedontcomeclose But boxy made a vow to check on him at least once a week.

(Time skip- present day? Technically)

Bobby bearhug and picky piggy were picking apples in the forest next to the former neighborhood when they started hearing noises. Picky demanded that whoever was "messing" with them show themselves. And out came catnap. Picky dug into him about being creepy, but bobby was more worried about the state he was in. He looked way skinnier than he should be, assuming that he was their age (he is dw) so before picky sent him off Bobby offered some of the cookies she made. He was a little distrustful at first, but practically lit up for a second before quickly changing back to his blank face. But she noticed, and told him she could meet him back here tomorrow with some other food she wants him to try. He waved his hands and shook his head in a 'no' motion, but they were already off before they could register his response.

For the next few days, bobby brought him food to try, and he gave his best input for someone who doesn't talk. But she never really got to know anything about him, because any questions would be met with a blank stare. She pondered...maybe she should bring Dogday next time? He's great at making friends!

Guys look I traumatized him :D

This is supposed to be the whump but I feel like I overhyped it ngl

Additional notes:

-Insomniac (duh. I tried to give him eyebags in the little drawing I made but idk if they actually look like that)

-Situationally mute

-the whole red gas thing doesn't exist. I know it appeared in the little cartoon introducing chapter 3 but it feels extremely out of place here sooo

-instead, he hums or sings a little lullaby or melody to try and help him (others eventually ;) sleep. It usually has an opposite effect for him though, as the only ones he knows are his mothers, which reminds him of.....yeah.

-he really likes music because of this, even if he doesnt get to listen to it often. its sorta the one thing that he sorta still hangs on to.

I really enjoyed this one!! Next is gonna be our resident friend making machine, with a built-in recap to go with. Anyways BYEEE

[return-of-a-space-cowboy]

🧚‍♀️ Anon

Tales from the Darkside Movie (Gargoyle Story with Johnathan or Risotto?)

Johnathan/Risotto falls madly in love with Darling (While he’s a statue, as he could only see Darling from where he was sculpted and placed)

However he comes to life and kills a man harassing her, telling Darling that she must swear to never tell anyone that she saw him (Darling swears she won’t tell anybody)

Darling encounters a huge man named Johnathan/Risotto who proceeds to help raise her Artistic Career and become successful (She’s very grateful to him as they even start dating and even got married)

Or maybe Diavolo and Doppio? (It would be interesting with since Darling marries Doppio, keeping Diavolo from taking over since he’s content *At the moment as he comes out when Darling’s asleep to touch her*)

However after 10 Years of Marriage on their anniversary, Darling finally reveals the truth to Love, only to be horrified seeing him turn into the monstrous Gargoyle that has been haunting her dreams for all these years (She was startled when she found out their child/ren also transformed into smaller gargoyles)

He doesn’t kill Darling, instead he snatches her up to take her away (Along with their child/ren) to somewhere abandoned to live their for all eternity

Or maybe he turned Darling into a Statue while their Child/ren turns into Gargoyles with him? That way he could preserve her for all eternity so she could never die and leave him

Ooh, you know this premise reminds me of a story about the Yuki Onna (which funny enough has a side quest associated about it in pokemon legends arceus)

This is hard to choose so I'm gonna go over both Jonathan and Risotto.

Jonathan longed for darling. From were he stood atop the campus he could watch her for hours as she'd worked on her sketches. There was one time when she continued to glance up at him, if he'd had a heart it would have pounded tremendously each time their eyes connected with his.

If he hadn't been bound to the rock which he was carved from he would have... well he wasn't quite sure. Brush his fingers through her hair, lovingly embraced her, smothered her in kisses. How he daydreamed about it.

One night darling leave the campus late after using one of the studios for a project and is jumped, the guy demands she hand over her belongings while brandishing a knife. Jonathan witnesses this. He wished he could move, fly down and save her and he hadn't quite realized that he'd done just that until he heard a gasp from behind. Even he was shocked by what had just happened. He turned around to see darling on the ground with her hands supporting her.

She was shaking as she looked up at him with a horrified expression. He promises he won't hurt her as he offers his hand to help her up. She reluctantly takes it and pulls her up. He's awe struck by how warm her hand is, like a ray of sunlight.

"You won't tell anyone, promise?" He asks, unsure of what could happen if people found about him.

"I... promise" darling mutters shakily.

After he began fall for her even more. Yet he also felt ashamed of himself. You always averted your gaze from him(she's had constant nightmares of him). Was she so afraid of him. he was a freak of nature, a monster even.

What if he'd been human, would she have reacted differently. Human just like her...

After about a week or so word spread about one of the gargoyles on campus had disappeared, even the staff had no idea. She tried to not pay it much mind. Little did anyone know that the gargoyles longing had changed his appearance to that of a human and has been trying to learn human customs as best as he can (mainly through reading at the nearby library).

During a break at a Cafe darling is approached by a tall, built man in a button up shirt and knitted vest. He asks if she'd mind him sitting next to her and allows him.

He's quick to compliment her work and they have an engrossing conversation before she asks his name. For a few seconds he doesn't respond, he never had a name.

"Sir?" Darling asks. He finally responds.

"Sorry, My name is Jonathan Joestar" he introduces himself as.

She then asks for his phone number, he doesn't have one and makes up the excuse that his one was stolen. So she writes down her number and tells him to let her know when he gets a new one.

He manages to aquire one and gets in contact with darling. He practically becomes her biggest supporter, making it to every public viewing and helping her get her hands of pricey materials and supplies. Darling is always pointing out how cold Jonathan feels and insists that he wear warmer clothes in the colder months.

Eventually darling graduates and manages to get into her dream career. For awhile daring is busy but promises to see Jonathan at some stage.

Eventually they meet up and he quick to confess his feelings, darling accepts as she feels he's always supported her.

Fast forward to around 10 or so years later. Him and darling are married with kids. However their eldest George has developed two lumps on his forehead and is soon going in for surgery to get them removed. Which has both of them stressed (darling is worried they might be tumors while Jonathan fears they maybe horns).

After their anniversary darling has another nightmare about the gargoyle and confesses to Jonathan that she's had the nightmares because her encounter with a gargoyle. Unfortunately due to this Jonathan's form returns to that and begs darling to not look at him but it's too late. She sees the very gargoyle that has haunted her for years and immediately runs to grab their kids but is soon horrified that they too have become gargoyles. Jonathan tries to defuse the situation but the kids are frightened by him too. Darling is practically having a breakdown while their kids are trying to desperately get their mothers attention, convinced that this is all some horrible nightmare. How could her wonderful family become this.

Jonathan prepares tea for everyone and tries to explain (at least to the kids as darling is really going through the motions). Eventually Jonathan has the children on his side and he takes them all to a secluded cabin in the woods. Promising that they'll all be a happy family again, it'll just take time.

Risotto has seen millions of people throughout his lifetime but for some reason he had an interest in darling. He wasn't quite sure as to why, he hadn't felt until that moment.

And when he saw her defenseless as a man held a knife to her in the dead of night he felt something boil inside him. The assailants head had been caved in he looked down at darling who was on the verge of tears. He could feel his chest tighten up.

"Never tell a soul about this" he told her, she could only respond with a head shake in acknowledgement before running away as fast as possible.

As as far as he knew you kept that promise, he'd catch you cautiously looking up at him whenever you walked in and out of campus. Until he suddenly disappeared.

"Hey you're going to Ayden's party, right?" A girl asked her.

"Yeah, it should a lot of fun" she responded. Unbeknownst to a white haired easedropper, he'd seen many pamphlets around for the event. It wouldn't have been worth his time, but she'd be there.

God those collage movies made sorority parties look like so much fun in comparison to actually being there. She was squished into a corner with a cup of cheep booze as she watched everyone around her slowly deteriorate into drunken messes. She had at least hoped she could find some like minded people to befriend but that didn't seem like a chance, until an unusual looking man stood next to her. Tall and built with platinum blonde hair and red irises against black sclera. He wore torn up clothes that screamed punk.

"Music major?" She asked him.

"No, I don't do college" he spoke in a monotone voice.

"Oh sorry, I've kinda made a game of guessing people's classes since this party been boring" you told him.

"No I get that, what's your name if you don't mind me asking" he asked her, after that the two had a long conversation until the sound of police sirens blared.

"Shit, we've gotta leave" she told him, apparently a big fight had broken out at the opposite end of the house. So the two of them ran out and eventually they headed out to a nearby fast food joint.

"I guess there was one good thing about going to that party" darling chuckled.

"And that is?" Risotto asked.

"Meeting you" she replied before taking a sip of her drink while opening her phone with the other.

"Here's my number" she continued as she slides her phone to him. Luckily he'd already acquired one.

So after that they kept in touch, little did darling know he was stalking her. Despite his rough and tough exterior he always offered an eye or an ear whenever darling had a problem.

After long enough darling gets her degree and begins freelance work and it's during an gallery open with their work that she finally tells him how she feels and his more than happy to hear darling pour her heart out to him.

A little over 10 years later, everything is perfect and they've recently had baby number 3. They celebrate their anniversary and enjoy the night but then darling wakes up from a nightmare of the gargoyle. Asks Risotto if she can tell anything and he'd believe her. He assures her he will. She confesses to what happened that night and he feels horrible, betrayed even that after all these years you'd break your promise but also how you described his monstrous form.

But he hadn't quite anticipated that his form would revert. Darling is horrorfied and tries to defend herself and something in him snaps. He grabs darling and without even realizing he turns her to stone. He's shocked and tries to find any sign that she's alive, hearing a faint heartbeat inside. He hadn't even realised how loud he'd been until one of the kids came in, they we're just like him now. They try to run but he scoops them up and tries to calm them.

He knows they can't stay like this, they have to leave and find somewhere safe.

[ilexdiapason]

Twenty years ago, an attack on the royal palace in Gilded Helianthia left its rulers dead and the country in turmoil. Little Princesa Perla was never seen again, feared to have been lost to the fire like her parents. Today, her former ward Lieutenant M.J. Sausage is the only person left who believes she must still be alive out there somewhere, posting a reward to the tune of fifty thousand gold for the one who can bring her home to him. Oli Sound is a conman and a crook - he's always looking for the next windfall to keep him fed and sheltered just a few weeks longer, and he doesn't care who he has to lie to to do it. Pearl Moon, orphan and cleaning lady, feels a similar desperation. When their paths cross in the ruins of the abandoned palace, together they hatch a plan that might just get them out of poverty for good. All Pearl has to do is convince the old guard, without believing it herself, that she's the lost princess he's looking for. It's gonna be a difficult journey, and a hell of a lie - but Oli reckons he'll take the bait for long enough that they can split the money and run. After all, she happens to look just like her!

In other words: my @mcytblraufest Summer 2023 project is complete!

Thank you so much to @baddishbeans for your help as beta reader, and look out for @adrawingghost and @yawningawning's art for the fic when those come out with the relevant chapters later in the week! I hope you guys enjoy :D

[fortunately-pancakes]

he was a sk8er boi, he said annoy you l8r boi

(a teen soukoku fic, y2k style)

Chapter 14: Always

Chapter summary:

It takes less than a week of dating for their friends and family to catch on.

Snippet:

“Did something happen between you two?” Piano Man asks, black eyebrows rising into his dyed white hair.

“Hah?” Chuuya flushes. “Whaddya mean?”

“Chuuya.” Iceman levels a Look at him. Don’t bullshit us, it says.

Chuuya looks away, towards the brightly colored food court restaurants, caught halfway between embarrassment and a grin that refuses to settle down.

“That obvious, huh?” he asks.

“Let’s see, you abandon us for a week to hang out exclusively with him, then you two show up on Monday at lunch, heh,” Doc says. “And bring him to Piano Man’s only to flirt in front of us the whole time.”

“You guys keep giving each other looks,” Lippman says, meaningfully.

“We do not!” Chuuya says. What kind of “looks”? he wonders.

“You seem happier,” Iceman says.

“Happier? With that idiot? No way.” Chuuya leans back, crossing his arms.

Albatross laughs way too hard at that. “Just give it up, Chuuya! What happened? Did you guys confess your undying love to each other? Kiss each other silly? Or maybe you just up and eloped?”

Chuuya groans. “We did not elope. He’s just…” He looks toward the bathrooms to see Dazai coming back, who gives a cheerful little wave and then sticks out his tongue. Chuuya flips him off. “My, uh, boyfriend, now.” He mumbles the rest of it, but that doesn’t stop his friends from hearing him.

They erupt in a cacophony of I knew its and hell yeahs just as Dazai sits down next to Chuuya.

”What’d I miss?” he asks, eyes wide.

”They figured us out,” Chuuya mutters, shrugging.

“Oh!” Now his burgundy eyes are sparkling and, well, Chuuya likes that. But then those eyes turn towards his friends and—“You should have seen how Chuuya begged me to give him a chance.”

”I did not!” Chuuya jerks up, glaring at Dazai. He takes back every nice thought he just had about this dumbass.

“Yup!” Dazai hugs him from the side, squishing their cheeks together. “He said he couldn’t live without me and that he’s been in love with me ever since the day we met! Isn’t that nice?”

Chuuya does not appreciate how everyone is laughing at him right now, no matter how much they try to hide it.

”That’s not how it went at all,” he says, grumpily. “I lost a bet, so I had to go on a date with this bastard. Then, when I was gonna let him down easy, he just looked like a lost puppy and somehow we ended up here.”

It devolves from there into a mess of made up stories about how they got together— “Chuuya stole someone’s wedding ring and proposed!” and “Dazai put on a fuckin’ dog costume and pretended to be a stray in a box, just to get my attention. It was not cute.”—before their friends start pitching in with their own dating stories.

As they leave the food court, Dazai grabs Chuuya’s hand and gives him a little, private smile before going back to spouting bullshit.

Chuuya thought he would feel weird about them knowing, but now he’s just happy he can hold his boyfriend’s hand at the mall with his friends.

[oh-no-its-bird]

Ok so updated list of my WIPS;

Actually in progress;

- Offal and All (Kakashi's relationship with food throughout the years, mostly told through the eyes of others) I'm activley focusing on this one rn and hoping to post it like, this week actually. It's a mash up of a lot of different tiny Kakashi hc's I've posted about and should be very fun (and depressing, but that's kind of my brand, so.)

- One Step Three Steps chapter 10, it's going well so far actually I just keep writing it at work then being forced to stop bc like. Work. Might go up this week, hopefully

- Chasing Shadows chapter 4, it's like 20% done? Ish? I just need to find the head space to get back to writing it, will go up within the next 2 weeks for sure but idk when exactly. It'll be great tho ur gonna get Hikaku, Fugaku, Shisui, Mikoto, just all the cool Uchiha. Lots of politics, lots of drama, the works

- Itama and the secret senju weed empire fic,,,, it will be long and it will be beautiful which means it'll take me forever to do, sorry

- Magical Girl Izuna AU (my beloved) I got distracted by other projects midway through writing chapter 1 but I'll get there eventually

- Little lab mystery where kid edo-tensei reincarnations of Madara and Tobirama wake up with no memories and immediately stage a jail break

- Nin burger!!!!! Yes this is a real thing yes I meant to post it like the same week I started making it but then I got distracted and didn't. But I swear to fucking GOD I will see it complete. Nin Burger is my favorite real naruto restaurant that is real

- That one oneshot where Madara and Tobirama spend a festival night in the capital together as children, and Madara develops his very first crush on the fox masked boy, but seems to be doomed never to meet him again— till Konoha's first festival is held and he sees a man wearing the very same mask, waiting for him in the crowds. Might not actually finish this one tbh but also maybe I'll save it for tbmd week?? Idk

Considering / Planning;

- Hikaku as the Uchiha clan head after Madara's betrayal comic,,, not an actual fic but I wanna make this so bad. I've written notes for it I just need to get along to drawing it

- Izuna in Wonderland comic, honestly I'll probably end up doing the entire thing in one go one night when I get hit in the face w a brick w motivation. So it'll be a surprise for both u guys and me when I post that! I always do my comics in one go bc I physically can't bring myself to return to art projects if interrupted, which means I tend to do longer ones on my days off where I have literally nothing else to do or distract me, but I haven't had one of those in like. 2 months now. So. But I will soon!! Umm. Maybe.

- Here Before and After Me chapter 2, I'll probably make one eventually but who tf knows when. I have a very specific vision of Kakashi following Tobirama onto the battlefield and scaring the shit out of a very alarmed and confused Izuna

- Tobirama and Izuna's field trip through time and space, I don't think I want to commit to a full fic bc it'd be seriously long and I'm already commiting to Chasing Shadows and One Step Three Steps as my regular update long fics, then the MG Izuna au and Itama fic as my "write it all behind the scenes then post" long fics. One shots only for me, sorry. But I do wanna write a silly one shot of the boys crash landing face first into a konoha council meeting during their field trip

Dropped / Abandoned;

- That one mdtb space mermaid au, rip. Maybe I'll come back to u one day but for now I have a lot to focus on, sorry

- mdtb fish in a pond fic where Tobirama is half spirit and turns into a koifish that Tajima then brings home and tosses into the families koi pond

I think that's everything? I have a shit memory and do everything on my notes app then forget to categorize the notes half the time so I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I'd lost smthn else in my like billion different notes.

Those are the important ones tho, so, good enough!

[ohwell-itsme-but-danganronpa]

Co-parenting Found Family

[Miu (has a baby), Rantaro, Tsumugi & Kokichi friend group, Saiouma]

Me: you ever read a crackfic one-shot and realize you'd want to read a serious longfic with the same premise? cause now I am thinking of this stupid.. pregnant Miu shows up to saiou's apartament, asking Kokichi for help but instead of going with the crap about her not realizing she's pregnant for this long, I would like it to be angst inspired by her lhs

Clown: Yessss!!! I read that one!!! Absolutely loved it, mostly because I'm a sucker for them navigating something like this so ridiculously

Me: I liked it too, the joke about her not being able to tell rubbed me the wrong way, but it was actually nice after that, I would read more of it if they write a continuation

Me: basically, Miu ghosts everyone for a few months, not that unusual, she can disappear in her projects, she pops back up to brag about the prize she got for it when she's done, but not this time, this time she shows up to saiou's apartment, severely pregnant and devastated turns out she jumped headfirst into a relationship with some guy, tried to go through with her baby-trapping idea from LHS, because, hello abandonment issues, and for a bit it looks like she's exactly where she wants to be, but then, only weeks before she's due the guy ditches, leaves some note about realizing he's too young to be a father, and he's gone also, I'd add https://archiveofourown.org/series/976308 friend group to the mix, so while Ouma is the first person she comes to, the whole gang unites to help her

Clown: The friend group coming together instead of another potential partner is clenches fist so good. Miu is someone who is pretty fixated on relationships, it's almost as though in her mind she won't really be completely until someone loves her that way. So to give her a chance to move past that in this situation is just so interesting AND ITS JUST SO GOOD! In my mind for her to come to ouma of all people. Because he provided some familiarity to her, some safe space where she can in her own way step back into her usual. And Ouma would low-key go "shit. I'd jump shit too" and shuichi sends him a look but doesn't dare say anything because he kinda agrees. And it's a complete wreck but it's good

Me: yeah, if it's platonic relationships being as important as romantic ones, if not put first (actually, love Kokichi kicking Shu out so he can focus on comforting Miu), I am an insane person unapologetically I just think. found family coming together to raise a child. like if you agree I've done it before with DICE adopting a kid and I'll do it again

Me: Kokichi would agree with being the father, he's going to use it to gaslit their other ex-classmates (I imagine this is a few years post-HPA) into thinking he's the one who ended up with a kid their friend group + Shuichi know the truth of the arrangement, but that's it she might have been in a state of shock when she suggested it to him, but he's embraced it he Will be "the ultimate dad", (she regrets coming to him instead of Rantaro or Tsumugi when she sees all the custom print tees he got) he's telling Kaito about His pregnancy and childbirth experience the next time he comes over, he's preparing stories when it's aliens that got him pregnant, but no it was actually one of those dinosaur foam pills he swallowed, unless… Kaito, who just wanted to eat lunch with Shuichi: Shuichi, who is a simp: [relieved emoji] he won't help you, Kaito

Aalliyah: He swallowed a watermelon seed

Clown: He's taking this so seriously jagdjdhs He laid an egg [pensive emoji] I love shuichi just going along with it. Everyone expects some sort of something from him and he's just "We planted him in our garden from a toe nail and-"

Ves: this is gonna be the most spoilt baby

Me: on some bigger (as in just about the whole class is there) reunion, (probably a regular event organized by Kaede, like a movie or boardgame night) they look to Rantaro, who's always been the most reasonable of their group, and he's just mentally in the hehe hoho I'm an uncle and doesn't have more to add, he's zeroed-in on the baby, will get back to you later, maybe. [replying to Ves] oh, absolutely Tsumugi is part of the problem, always making something but. there is always somebody who wants to carry the baby never left out of sight

Clown: How do the squad [sunglasses emoji] , eventually find out??

Me: I think after Miu cries herself to sleep Kokichi texts their group chat using their emergency code (sacred, extempt from lies) to get Rantaro & Mugi to come over the next morning so they can tackle it together because in reality, he's a little overwhelmed too, and in the moment doesn't know yet if Shuichi will adjust to this with him so they all eat breakfast together, reassure Miu that they'll be there for her no matter what, start making a plan, a shopping list, beginning of a schedule, then Kokichi has to take the first scary step of the plan - talk to Shuichi about it; but Shuichi is like: yeah, of course because how could he expect his boyfriend not to help out? this is literally why he loves him, of course he will go a little overboard when it's for his found family he knew he had to prepare himself for Something when he saw Miu crying on his couch, at least it doesn't involve committing crimes against whoever hurt her, for now.

Clown: It's a big step!! (And very sudden) Even if it'll be a shared responsibility It's an entire new person! One that ouma is already in his mind accepted he'll be there for. He wouldn't immeadiately expect Shuichi to agree to something like that on a whim, but to know Shuichi is willing to look for solutions, to stay and work through it with him without question because of course. Sobs. Yeah. They've GROWN!!! Planning would be hellish though. Oumas filling the table with hundreds of scribbled papers and everything. Yes absolutely we need to sign this bitch up for maternity classes. Fuck it, Rantaro you go too, check in with us later. Tsumugi!! Need 3 months of baby clothes STAT! SHUICHI!! you just sit there and look pretty…SIKE ERRAND BOY GET THIS FOR ME

Me: let's be real, he's the first to sign up for those parenting classes and buying books about it but yeah, he does make Miu go too, for sure

Clown: Yeah he would!! He wants to be prepared

Me: also not to take from egg's family au directly but https://eggs-can-draw.tumblr.com/post/711383943783579648/omg-i-just-thought-so-byakuya-would-be-like Togami's motherhenning = Kokichi here and, while this is all sweet, I think Miu also needs to get mental health help, get that girl some therapy, she needs to work out the flaw with her logic, because, while it was already proven wrong when the guy left her, she needs to be given alternatives and you know, I think she would struggle with her feelings about the kid, it was supposed to be her ticket to being loved, and the kid is certainly getting a lot of love, but… maybe she would want more attention for herself? how is she meant to score a relationship now? she's going to need help understanding that those people are her family and that she's already loved

Ves: yeah!!! i think kokichi would b pretty blunt abt it too he tells her to shape tf up

Clown: YEEEAHHH. Honestly having a lot of people helping her out, some who give out reassurance easier than others, is a good start. But she is in that place where she's looking for something else to latch on. Usually that's the kid. I feel like had she gone through this alone she'd be one of those mothers constantly flipping through "You ruined my life" and "your the only thing in my life that loves me unconditionally" towards her kid. Ouma definitely helps in the way that he doesn't sugarcoat a thing.

Ves: local cluster b morons try to make a child well-adjusted baby'll be ok tho i think

Clown: Yeah baby will be ok! Everyone gets therapy [gun emoji] by law

Ves: praying that includes whatever poor man miu fucked up RIP king the kid is gonna be FUNNY when it grows up tho

Clown: [2 sob emojis] they'll be the ultimate comedian

Ves: saihara please pretend to be normal they need a balancing influence

Apollo: That kid is gonna commit crimes and use the skills Shuichi teaches them to get away with it

Clown: Somehow they pick up only on saiharas ingrained need to find the answer to questions The question is what would happen if a fork goes into an outlet

Apollo: They manage to somehow get the baby proof thing off the outlet and Kokichi fucking dives to stop them

Clown: Miu is just "let it happen. This is how I learned!"

Apollo: Kokichi just looks at her, blood dripping from the cut in his forehead and mumbles about how 'That explains a lot' Kokichi acts like kids will be kids and thus they get injured so there's no need to panic but the kid trips and he freaks the fuck out Like the kid doesn't even fall over. They stumble slightly and Kokichi is instantly there

Clown: He's the doting one. He's sobbing going, "my god. Your going to hate me one day. I'll be cool!! You can do a drug!"

Apollo: Poor Shuichi wakes up to Kokichi sitting up in the middle of the night because he's stressing over if he's cool or not and Shuichi has to remind him that the kid isn't even a year old yet and thus, has no idea what cool even means

Beez: smh shuichi just lie to him and say he is

Clown: Shuichi for real he needs to know, is he the lamest guy at the daycare?

Apollo: He's too tired to lie right now. Kokichi bursts into tears because is this his way of saying he isn't cool?

Clown: The pure betrayal!! From the one he trusted most!!!

Apollo: It's 2 in the morning [sob emoji] Kokichi has to have his devices taken away because he's staying up searching up how to be the cool guardian Ves: miu and him fight over who's the cool one when the kid is older (it;s neither of them)

Me: I can see Miu and Kokichi arguing about which one of them is cooler, but it's definitely Miu who lets the kid get away with things (like not brushing teeth) to be cool, and would likely mean the letting them do drugs thing, Kokichi would scold her for that and then his version of cool is teaching them lockpicking and making the scary faces, which in turn, she tells him off for

Apollo: Kid says it's Rantaro and both of them decide that he must go /silly Rantaro is riding the high while running away from Miu and Kokichi

springbug: it [rising the baby] surprisingly goes well too sure the kid might pick up on swearing at the age of 5 BUT THAT'S OKAY

Apollo: I mean, kid's gotta learn at some point Okay but father's day at daycare and just Shuichi, Rantaro, Kiibo and Kokichi all show up [idek why Apollo added Kiibo to the mix, he wasn't mentioned before, I didn't skip anything like that]

springbug: "i'm the father" "no i am" "what are you guys talking about? i look just like them" "sorry ma'am, im actually the father"

Me: nah, daycare, kindergarten etc. people think Miu and Kokichi are divorced or something if they come together they probably have some of their barely censored banter; sometimes Kokichi comes in with Shuichi, or it's Shuichi who drops the kid off on his own while he's on the way to work, kid refers to him by his name and calls him "dad's boyfriend"; sometimes uncle Rantaro or aunt Tsumugi come to pick them up; both Miu and Kokichi love to act like they're a single mom, works three jobs when other kids' parents try to ask them about life, and sometimes complain about each other

springbug: imagine gonta taking them to the park and showing him all the cool bugs [smiling face with tear emoji]

Me: once the kid is a bit older they let Rantaro and Gonta organize a camping trip for them and their friends, Kokichi is crying when letting them go because he's a motherhen and his baby is growing up and not scared to sleep away from home and him because the bugs will kill them

Clown: Miu and Kokichi giving their all to be divorcecore so true Everyone has ideas of the outrageous affair that ended their marriage that never happened

Beez: u just know the tea is PIPING among the staff

Clown: They're picking sides for sure

Me: imagine someone on the staff is homophobic so one of those days when it's Shuichi's turn, he gets told that his gay agenda is the reason the kid has to live in a broken family he's so confused the asshole is dealt with, but the anecdote lives forever also, I think Kokichi is the parent that always takes the chance to help out at school when they ask for a volunteer to join the trip or some event at school idk, if it's an universal thing, but here it's common practice that when little kiddos go on trips around town one or two of the class moms are asked to join after the first time the teacher is like "does anyone other than mr. Ouma wants to join? [sweat smile emoji]" but he persists he's just a little to prepared for anything to happen and kids feed into that energy and it becomes entirely beyond the teacher's control

Clown: OUMA BECOMES A PTA MOM AKSHJDHD The children are the next in line to be a part of his criminal organization so he needs to see them regularly, duh

[fortunesfavours]

time travel in ten - sequential narrative collage piece done for my class, Artifact.

ramblings below the cut for those interested in the process/life update for friends who have noticed i've been gone

right lmao. i had two weeks to do this project and had a completely different idea that i just could not get myself to be excited about. emailed my prof in desperation, but it being like 10 pm meant that she was not about to respond. within 30 minutes, as it goes, i got struck with divine inspiration by whatever force of nature governs procrastination-induced genius, and i promptly spent the next 12 waking hours non-stop working on this.

my class, artifact, is a requirement for the foundation year at the college i attend. it centers around time-based media, ranging from the sequential illustration here to video later in the semester, and a bunch of other projects designed to get us thinking in 4d. artifact is the theme of the class - my peers are doing the same projects under a variety of different themes (tragically, haunting filled up too quickly and i missed out on enrollment in that one).

our first project was designing an artifact and doing a write-up of the story behind it. the girl to my left made beaded spiders members of a fictional cult carried. the guy across from me made an amulet of a long-dead god. you get the vibes. mine, which I still need to take professional photos of, is a pocketwatch that lets you time travel. cause, yknow. i'm me. it was gonna be about time travel.

i had originally intended to do a bunch of drawings of the watch's owner, building out her backstory and the world she lives in, and explaining why the watch exists,,,, then i couldn't bring myself to pick up the stylus. I just can't seem to find the energy for my usual digital art (sorry friends i miss yall i'm still here i swear).

here's the bit about my life so feel free to stop reading if you just care about the art 👍

I haven't drawn fanart or my ocs in months now, since last semester, and I miss it a whole bunch but right now that creative energy just. is not happening. i don't plan on abandoning it forever by any means, but p much everything i have is going towards school right now. sad as that is, i'm having so much fun, and i'm so proud of the technical improvements i've made. I've got so many things i want to create, mostly for my ocs. i still love crit role, but i've fallen of campaign three. i don't have the time, and the story hasn't been engaging me for a bit.

i've been really into dr who lately, and am eagerly waiting for the spare time to sit and watch all of candela obscura. i'm in a new dnd game. i've got friends! real life friends! irl friends who called me the wizard friend within a few hours of knowing me before i even opened my mouth about dnd lmao. i've discovered a new love of collage, and i've just declared my major in something unique to my school, a program called Studio for Interrelated Media. i'll be learning about illustration still through the extra electives i'll have room for, but i also get to explore printmaking in more depth, as well as event planning, installation, curation, and theatre work as well.

i miss being on here a whole bunch and want to be more active when i get more time. don't plan on abandoning this blog by any means. boston has been kind to me, and though i have had some Real Low Points, i've also been living the life i've hoped for since i was a kid. i'm good, really really good.

to my friends, ily, i miss you, and i hope you're well. can't wait to catch up on all yalls art and fic. sending all my love. <3

[reevezs]

//closed starter for @pleinsdemuses

He couldn't tell how it all started and whose idea it was, he didn't remember how they had managed to put this group together. After a few weeks and thousands of messages in a constantly growing group chat, they were finally ready. The group of eight people who would be responsible for different aspects of the game met not so far from their destination. The hospital's building was still hidden behind the trees and they wouldn't see it almost until the last moment before they reached the fence with a big sign that read Do Not Enter. A sign they would obviously ignore. The next thing they would notice had to be the building's beautiful Tudor Gothic architecture, breathtaking but eerie, and a forgotten maze of roses and boxwoods that once looked impeccable to greet the patients. But that's obviously not what they all crossed the country for.

"It's gonna be fun, can't fail at making a game you have lived, right?" One of the guys mused as they started their little hike to the hospital. "Go to a haunted place, spend a night there... I mean, what better way to get the inspo?"

That guy was responsible for the sound effects and music and was more excited than anyone else; the fifth person to join the original trio along with a certain someone who made the blue-haired programmer opt out. In the proggramer's defense, working with someone who happened to be his ex sounded like a survival game in itself. He left the group as soon as his ex became their character designer... But then returned when a friend of a friend recommended a beautiful brunette as the main character's voice actress and she accepted the invitation.

He shouldn't have been trusted with her picture and the seemingly tiny detail that helped him figure out where she worked - he broke a few rules the group was so obsessed with by visiting her workplace and chatting with the girl on her break. Of course, he didn't tell her who he was when she began rambling about a crazy indie game project that starts with the whole team going to an allegedly haunted place. When? In two weeks, as long as they find someone to fill in for the guy who unexpectedly left the group. He knew damn well he was the guy who abandoned the ship and, hearing the voice so sweet he might have instantly fallen in love with, thought he would gladly return just to spend more time with her.

Half an hour before the sunset, fashionably and much on purpose late, he joined them with two others just when the group was about to turn a blind eye to the huge red sign that's supposed to keep the people off the property. The three missing pieces of the whole greeted the group, but one of them focused his gaze on the brunette, aware that his blue hair stood out enough for her to recognize her customer from two weeks prior.

Someone waved him over, audibly relieved to see their programmer back. "Rio, get your ass here! I thought you fucking abandoned the project again! Let's check if we've got everything we need and regroup. We wanna get inside the building before the sunset."

[roosterbox]

Fic Rec Friday 12/8/23

Title: Little Birds

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Category: M/M

Fandom: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom

Relationship: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier

Characters: Erik Lehnsherr, Charles Xavier, Raven Darkholme, Hank McCoy, Alex Summers, Sean Cassidy, Angel Salvadore, Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Azazel (X-Men), Armando Muñoz, Blackbird

Additional Tags: AU, Birds, Angst, Fluff, Romance, Pigeons

Summary: Bird AU. Erik is a lone kestrel on a mission to destroy the great golden eagle who killed his mother. Charles is an abandoned pet dove with no fear and a dream of making a place where the little birds can fly free. They don’t quite want the same thing, but together they’ll change the world.

———

Oh man. Oh maaaaaaan. I am so happy to be recommending this fic to y’all. I know a lot of my Cherik followers have probably been in this fandom at least as long as me, and as such have probably read this one at least once. Multiple times, in my case. But any of you recent converts might have missed it, on account of it being *checks publishing date* 12 YEARS OLD next January. Damn. Also, if you’re a real OG like me, you remember reading it In its original form… on the kinkmeme. Boy, the ‘gee Rooster, you’re getting old’ hits just keep building, don’t they? BACK TO THE FIC.

The fact that all these characters we know and love can be transposed into literal birds, and still retain just about everything we love about them? Amazing. And the plot, though obviously way different than the source, also retains enough of itself to still be believably based on the X-Men movies (First Class specifically, this was still 2011/2012), but with a fresh flair befitting this particular AU. The relationship between Charles and Erik is gradual, every new step feels earned and special, and sometimes - dare I say - you can almost find yourself forgetting that they’re, y’know, BIRDS.

All of the characters are so good. Weirdly enough, I’m especially kind of fond of Charles’ old owner. Such a sweet, kindly guy, who definitely immediately knows what’s up between his dove and the weird kestrel hanging around him, lol. Also, never thought I’d read a fic with bird sex in it, but here we are. The kinkmemes were very strange places; I miss them.

All in all, this one is always gonna be one of my favorite Cherik fics of all time. If it’s your first time hearing about it or reading it, awesome! Enjoy! And if you’ve read it before, remember: it’s always a good time to reread a great fic!

Important Note: This fic is locked, unfortunately, so you have to be logged in on AO3 to read it. No shade to the author, of course - do what you feel you must - but just FYI.

———

Next Week: Steddie time again! Shout out to all y’all who followed me for those Steddie thoughts/minifics, lol.

This one is really great. I initially wanted to drop it in the discord for recs on my birthday, but forgot. Also it’ll be 11 days after my cake day when this next rec will go up, but just go with it.

To summarize: Steve has a terrible birthday… until the Munsons get involved.

See you next Friday!

[crygimethydgoode]

Just Take Me Home chapter 8 - Tia Kofi x La Grande Dame, Plane Jane x Nymphia Wind summer in Italy college abroad/tour guide AU

“It’s easy to say that. But just think, Jane. Tomorrow’s our last day in Amalfi. Then we’re going to the last city. THE LAST CITY. This is our last city that isn’t our last city. In a week, we’re gonna be packing up our stuff and only keeping what we need for the next couple of days! In a week, the sun is gonna start setting BEFORE seven pm!” Crystal doubled down, unaware of the other girls falling faces.

“It did today, actually. The sun is nearly gone,” Gothy pointed out.

“EXACTLY! It’ll be over sooner than you think. That’s all I’m saying. Ugh and then it’s stupid school time! Yawn!”

Dada pretended not to even hear Crystal, her and Tia were pretty far away anyways. But by the way her and Tia’s eyes immediately locked, the way the joint slipped out of her fingers and into the sea, of course they both heard.

“Sorry,” Dada muttered, quickly scooping up the now ruined joint.

Ao3 link:

Masterlist

Chapter eight

august/apocalypse - amalfi

your back beneath the sun

wishing i could write my name on it

…

“So sister… you know I respect your privacy…” Jane trailed off a few minutes into the bus ride from Naples to Sorrento. Dada had been sitting in a stunned silence since Gothy had pulled out of the parking lot. Nymphia, Tia, and Crystal’s loud laughter could be heard from the back of the bus, Dada swore she could hear Vanjie screeching;

“WAIT… YOU ALL JUST MET EACH OTHER??? I THOUGHT YOU WERE OLD FRIENDS OR SOMETHING!!! THAT’S FUCKING CRAZY!”

Dada knew of course Tia was talking about her like she had when they left Genoa for Rome, lips still burning. But it wasn’t because they had just kissed for the first time, or even that they had hooked up. That’s no surprise to anyone. No… Dada knew it was because Tia was thinking the same thing as her. Things were getting real, they were getting attached. Dada never did this, but here she was sending Jane a knowing grin, her insides squirming.

“You do not respect my privacy,” was all she could say, knowing she was gonna have to spill to Jane too. Dada tried to keep all details close to her chest. But she just couldn’t help it now.

“And I don’t respect you at all, Dada! It’s time. Spill everything,” Gothy ordered from behind the wheel, Dada just blushed and let out an embarrassing giggle, cheeks pink.

“Oh my GOD Dada you’re gonna make me cry!” Jane exclaimed, Dada just continued laughing as she lowered herself to sit on the little stoop beside the driver's seat, back resting against Jane’s legs in the aisle.

“You are so dramatic Jane. Nothing crazy is happening! We are just, well, you know, you see…” Dada trailed off, not knowing where to even begin. She felt like she could talk about Tia for hours, if they really wanted her to break down every moment, every passing glance, every weird activity with the group they’d planned as an excuse to be together just a little longer. Every second lit cigarette, every soft confession, every breath of salt air. She needed a whole Netflix series at this point. Or at least a PowerPoint presentation.

“Well I mean yeah we see you guys basically making out all the time. And then you abandon the group. And we know you’re sleeping together, like literally roommates at this point. But like… how did this even happen?” Jane implored.

“Braid my hair while I talk,” Dada handed Jane a hair tie, who dutifully put it on her wrist and started parting Dada’s hair down the middle. “Besides, what about you and Nymphia?! What is even going on between you two? Other than all the hickeys and bruises?”

“Okay Nymphia basically had me sign an NDA so I’m not talking. You are. When did it start? Like really really start?” Jane asked. Dada just let out a sigh, glad Jane and Gothy couldn’t see her face with a tiny soft smile. (Jane was absolutely watching her in the mirror and trying not to cry.)

“Venice,” Dada couldn’t hide the fondness in her voice if she wanted to, remembering passing Tia the cigarette as they walked to the hotel, pointing at the bridge they would cross the next morning. “I could not help but flirt with her, I don’t know why. We had only talked a little in Florence, and even then I- well I guess the second I saw her I thought she was beautiful… and funny. And loud. But yes, Venice. We partied in Lido, we spent the day together… things were different. I knew I liked her,” the minute Dada started speaking she couldn’t stop, relieved to finally say it out loud, that this hadn’t been some fantasy in her head.

“Oh yeah, didn’t you spend so much money on a gondola ride for her? That’s crazy Dada,” Gothy laughed, Dada smacked her leg lightly. “Don’t harm the driver, bitch!”

“Yeah Dada you’re canceled!” Jane cackled. “Okay anyways. Gothy’s right, that’s crazy. But alas, I understand. Then after Venice was Milan-,”

“No, not Milan. The Dolomites.” Dada said, Gothy and Jane both sighed.

“Aww shut up,” Jane whispered.

“I’ll cry,” Gothy sounded genuinely choked up.

“She was so beautiful in the mountains. We go every year, every Christmas that has been our town for almost three years. But Tia there… Yes, Dolomites, Cortina. And then Milan. We actually almost kissed. In my bed. But I passed out,” Dada admitted shortly, Jane and Gothy both burst out laughing. “Shut up!” Dada was blushing, still embarrassed of how badly she had fumbled Tia that night. They could have had so much more time.

“How do you pass out!? If I was Tia I would hate you!” Gothy got out between laughs. Dada rolled her eyes.

“We drank a lot! And smoked a lot of cigarettes! And it had been a long day, I- but whatever. Tia was fine. But of course Genoa happened, we shared rooms. It was torture,” Dada gave Jane a pointed look, who immediately spoke defensively.

“Hold up, that was not my fault! I don’t know why that went down. But we saved money, and I think I have a few tricks up my sleeve on how we’re gonna use it for the group,” she sounded excited, Dada couldn’t help but dread whatever weird shit she was planning. “Seriously girls. It’s a lot of money. I have plans. Just don’t tell Nymphia. ANYWAYS. Back to it, we go to Genoa, bla bla it sucks. Can I just say that Nymphia and I made it work just fine-,”

“OKAY back to me like you requested,” Dada interrupted Jane. “We did kiss in Genoa though. At the beach. Then we drove to Rome and finally had our own rooms again and now I guess we’ve just been… we’ve… been…” she struggled to find the words in French or English. What were they doing? Did she want to think about it too deeply? Definitely not. But she knew how it made her feel… “I really don’t know what we’ve been doing. I assume we’ve been doing what you and Nymphia have been doing, Jane,” Dada said helplessly, at a loss for words. The girls were silent for a few moments until Jane tenderly said;

“Falling… in… love?”

Dada and Gothy burst out laughing.

“WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!” Dada exclaimed, Gothy was cackling but trying really hard to focus on driving. Dada turned for a second to see Tia watching them, definitely wondering what had made the burst out laughing. She grinned as she caught Dada’s eye, just laughing as she shook her head at them before turning back to the conversation. Why would Jane say that?

“Well, you said you’re doing what me and Nymphia are doing…”

“Jane… honey… I love you and I love Nymphia. You need to take a few steps back and see the bigger picture though. I don’t know if you should call it that,” Gothy said so casually it almost knocked the wind out of Dada. But she just ignored it, patting Jane’s hand.

“That’s really sweet Jane. I wouldn’t immediately call it that though, no. We have just been having fun. A lot of fun. Tia is great, you girls know. She means a lot to me. I-I really like her. It’s weird. I like her,” Dada let herself say this part out loud. She almost couldn’t help it. Jane and Gothy were quiet for a few moments, Dada didn’t know what to make of their silence. All she knew was Tia was in the back of the bus talking about her too, and she had never felt like this before. Dada didn’t know what to make of any of this. “I want to change the subject now. What’s for dinner?”

“Some seafood restaurant, I don’t know, Nymphia picked it. She made the reservation and everything. She’s like- actually a good tour guide. It freaks me out,” Jane said, and then they were laughing again. It was only an hour drive to Sorrento, soon Gothy squeezed the bus into a cramped parking garage and they walked twenty minutes to the restaurant. Tia had rejoined Dada’s side, hand snaking around her waist as she lit two cigarettes for them.

“Appreciate our scenic walking tour of Sorrento as we make our way to the restaurant!! That I PICKED OUT!” Nymphia said from the front of the group. Of course Dada and Tia hung in the back, joined by Gothy.

“Imagine Nymphia discovers her true calling in Italy; being a tour guide,” Gothy said sarcastically, causing Tia and Dada to dissolve into giggles. “Kidding, she’s way too lazy. Every day would start with brunch at noon.”

“I CAN HEAR YOU GIRLS BACK THERE. FUCK YOU!” Nymphia yelled, causing them to laugh even harder. After twenty minutes of making their way through the narrow streets that cut into the jagged side of a cliff, like most seaside towns in Italy, Nymphia led them to the waterfront. Mount Vesuvius still loomed in the background like it did in Naples. After cutting down another side street and through a parking lot, Nymphia stopped to stand in front of a white washed stone building, blue dolphin statues on either side of the stairs leading inside.“Welcome to the cutest restaurant in the world!”

Dada walked inside with Nymphia, giving the name for their reservation that she had made. They were immediately led to the back of the restaurant, where a section of tables had been reserved for them. Tia, Dada, Jane, Nymphia, Crystal, and Gothy obviously grabbed the only table for six. The walls were completely made of glass, the ocean and island mountains visible on one side, with the port and busy streets of Sorrento on the other.

“Nymphia, I am genuinely impressed,” Dada said after ordering six Aperol spritz’ from their waitress.

“You girls are gonna have to give her a cut of your pay,” Tia laughed. By the evil glint in Nymphia’s eyes and the wide grin that spread on her face, Dada wished Tia hadn’t said that. “Okay I should NOT have said that,” Tia added. Dada just shook her head and laughed, her hand finding Tia’s thigh under the table. Soon their drinks were brought over and Nymphia insisted on ordering dishes for everyone to share,

“Family style!”

Gothy took one sip of her drink before her eyes widened.

“Oh shit! I can’t have this, we have the hell drive next!” She exclaimed, pushing the spritz towards Dada who happily took it. “Fuuuuuck how did I forget about that? Oh god,” Gothy groaned. Dada leaned forward and squeezed her hand.

“Gothy, you do such a good job all the time. You will be fine, I promise,”

“I can’t even eat anymore. I feel sick.”

“Wait- what’s wrong? What’s the hell drive?” Crystal asked. Tia sat there confused, and Nymphia sat on her phone not listening to the conversation, Jane’s arm wrapped around her shoulder. Thankfully Jane explained so Gothy wouldn’t have to.

“The drive to Amalfi. It’s the most scenic drive of the trip, we’re driving on the ocean cliffside, getting the most gorgeous sunset views of the sea and the sky and… it’s just stunning. And really special for all of us to see. But for Gothy…” she trailed off.

“It is traumatic,” Gothy answered dead seriously. “It’s only my third time doing it. And somehow last summer was worse than my first. The roads are so windy, worse than in the Dolomites. And stupid tourists have their cars parked on literally both sides of the street, that are already so fucking tiny. So if things go bad, I can either crash into a car, and they go so fast by the way, or I can crash into the ocean. Because it’s on the edge of a cliff. So yeah. It’s a hell drive. The views are beautiful though, I guess…” Gothy trailed off. “I need a Diet Coke.”

“Damn… well… I believe in you. Just don’t kill us! No big deal, people drive the road everyday, how bad can it be!?”

“Tia… don’t piss me off.”

_

After a few rounds of Aperol spritz’ (Diet Coke and water for Gothy #responsible), and a bunch of sea food and pasta dishes that Nymphia chose for everyone, they began the walk back to the bus. Tia and Dada, both a little tipsy, once again hung in the back with Gothy, who was staring at the ground for the whole twenty minute walk, muttering to herself. They were trying and failing to hold back their giggles, foreheads knocking as they shushed each other, hands entwined. Dada tried not to grin too wide as Tia kept pressing what she thought were sneaky kisses to her neck, which of course caused them both to stumble and burst out laughing.

“Well I’m glad you two are at least having fun,” Gothy couldn’t help but smile a little the third time they stumbled in a heap of giggles. Dada pulled Gothy in, putting a comforting arm around her.

“Gothy you are so wonderful. I have never felt unsafe in your hands. Except that one night at the club when you were getting violent,” she couldn’t help but tease Gothy, Tia’s loud cackles were too worth hearing.

“YOU were the one feeding me alcohol!” Gothy burst out laughing. Dada noticed Jane, Crystal and Nymphia hanging back, the bus was in sight at this point.

“What are you girls giggling about?? I want in!” Jane said excitedly, going to Gothy’s other side. Dada and Crystal both pulled cigarette packs out of their totes, lighting a few and beginning to pass them around.

“Just about how safe Dada has always felt in my loving, caring arms. And driver hands. I’m gonna crush this drive. I just need a silent bus. And aux.” Gothy did sound less anxious, Dada couldn’t tell if she was faking or not. But she loved the confidence.

“Okay well it was my turn in the aux rotation, and I won’t have it again until Friday morning. But that’s fine! Of course Gothy, anything for you,” Jane said, not disappointed. At all.

“Ugh Gothy silent bus?? Seriously?!? How am I gonna order Crystal to get my good angle when we have our photoshoot?” Nymphia bitched, Gothy let out a huff of a laugh.

“Okay well that I completely understand. It’s fine, I’m gonna be fine. Let’s just get this over with, I don’t wanna be driving in the dark. That’s even worse.”

Soon Jane was ushering everyone onto the bus, talking in a very soothed relaxed annoying voice as Gothy pulled the bus onto the street, ‘Brat’ playing softly over the speakers. Dada once again sat on the stoop next to Gothy’s seat in silent solidarity. Tia sat in the seat behind her, toying with the end of her French braid.

“Alright my friends,” Jane barely whispered into the microphone. “Tonight, we are in for a treat. A little snack if you will. A sunset snack. For we are driving on one of the most scenic roads in Italy. The hour long drive from Sorrento to the town of Amalfi is so heavily traveled, there are only certain times tour busses are allowed to drive it. Also because it’s so dangerous. Our fearless bus driver Gothy will be completing the dangerous, horrifying, but equally beautiful and breathtaking drive with ease. But she does request complete silence so she can focus on not killing us. Because we’re driving on the edge of a cliff. An ocean cliff. So! Take pictures, soak it all in, shut the fuck up. Thanks guys! LET’S GIVE IT UP FOR GOTHY!”

The bus cheered and Gothy gave a ghost of a smile, grabbing the microphone from Jane.

“Appreciate the views for me guys. They always look so pretty out of the corner of my tear filled eye.”

And before Dada knew it, she was greeted with the same views she was every year. The ocean on the Amalfi coast was a deep blue like no one had even seen before, the rolling mountains and ocean cliffs hazy in the distance. But this time they were accompanied by Tia’s hand lightly grasping Dada’s shoulder as she let out a soft gasp.

“Holy shit…” Dada heard Tia whisper from behind her. She couldn’t help but give a small smile and turn to look at her.

“So pretty,” Dada whispered back, looking up at Tia, who took out her phone, leaning back and taking a picture of Dada with the deep blue ocean and the sun just beginning to set behind her.

“I think that’s the most beautiful picture I’ve ever taken,” Tia grinned, Dada just rolled her eyes.

“Shut up,” she said softly. Dada turned when she heard Gothy start speaking.

“Dada… if the girls want pictures up front, they should do them now. I’m gonna start panicking soon. So they should do them now.”

After the most rushed photoshoot of Dada’s life, she knew she had to focus on being there for Gothy, who was starting to sweat, tears in her eyes.

“Gothy, you are doing fine. And it’s not as busy as it was last year…” Dada tried to be helpful, which of course was when a huge red truck came whipping around the corner, nearly going into their lane. Gothy was barely able to swerve to avoid hitting it, since obviously a thin thin guard rail and the ocean was where she needed to swerve. “Holy fucking shit,” Dada couldn’t help but breathe, which actually made Gothy burst out laughing.

“That was horrible!” She giggled, leaning forward to turn up the music. “I’m letting Charli drown out my thoughts- oh! Dada, can you queue the Lorde and Billie remix’s?! Those are important.”

Luckily ‘Brat’ kept Gothy calm enough, and there weren’t that many drivers left out on the road. And the sunset was so beautiful, Dada glancing back to lock eyes with Tia and send her a grin every now and then. After an hour of Jane hushing Nymphia, Tia rubbing soft circles on Dada’s back, and Crystal and Nymphia giggling about something, Gothy pulled into the hotel parking lot. The minute the bus was parked she ran off, an impressed Jane and Dada following behind her.

“Gothy this year was your best drive yet! I’m so proud of you sister!” Jane exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. Dada was distracted by Tia, Crystal, and Nymphia stumbling off the bus in a heap of giggles. She walked up to them with an already questioning face, causing them to laugh even harder. Nymphia roughly pushed Crystal forward, who just looked up at Dada.

“Dadaimsorryistoleyourweed,” she said in one breath, a scared look on her face. Dada just looked at her.

“And you’ll NEVER GET IT BACK!!!” Nymphia exclaimed, a blunt tucked behind her ear. Dada noticed Crystal had one peeking out from under her long curly hair, and of course Tia did too. How did she miss that?

“BECAUSE I rolled us three fat blunts baby, YOU EARNED IT!” Crystal finished, her face breaking into a grin.

“Don’t worry, Jade mailed us soooo many edibles, they’re arriving tomorrow. And she has a friend who can get us another ounce for 150. I figured now that there’s six of us, it’s a good investment. And Crystal bought sooo many blunt cones. ” Jane cut in, Crystal laughed.

“They’re literally just cigars that I emptied, but yes, blunt cones.” She clarified. “We’ll be needing them.”

“You’re correct, we will be needing plenty, especially for all the beach days,” Dada grinned. “I have the perfect smoke spot for those too. Nymphia- I am sorry,” she turned to Nymphia, who was already glaring at her.

“Don’t even say it.”

“How do we feel about a small hike?”

“Fuck you.”

Dada didn’t even choose a bad trail, it was just a short walk to a lookout point by the water. It was even owned by the hotel, it’s not like they were out in the wilderness or anything. But alas, even the easiest of trails required breaks with this group.

“Nymphia.”

“I just need a sip of water and TWO MINUTES!” Nymphia had sat down on a small boulder. “This looks like such a good sitting rock…”

“No. Come on, we’re not fucking around anymore,” Jane said, not meanly. “I will literally drag you, but we gotta keep moving. Up.” Nymphia glared at her, expression shocked and confused as she slowly rose to her feet and stomped forward. Dada gave Jane an impressed look.

“No more fake nice Jane?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uhhh no… no more bitchy Nymphia,” Jane corrected Dada. From behind them, Crystal and Tia burst out laughing.

“You hear that, Nymphia?” Crystal wheezed. Nymphia turned around, face red and angry.

“YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU ARE ALL BITCHES! FUCK YOU I’M SMOKING THIS BLUNT ALL BY MYSELF!”

Suddenly, like she was an Olympic athlete, Nymphia broke off in a dead-sprint towards the small look-out point only a few hundred yards away. It took a moment for any of them to react, all looking to each other in confusion before sprinting after her. Tia’s hand flew to the blunt tucked behind her ear, holding it as she ran.

“NOW YOU CAN MOVE?” Jane laughed wildly, not taking long at all to catch up with Nymphia, picking her up by wrapping arms around her waist. Nymphia kicked frantically, giggling as Jane carried her the last few steps to the lookout point.

“Put me down you bitch!”

Through the trees, they entered a small clearing with a view of a rocky shore below them. Nobody was there, or seemed to be there anytime soon.

“Did you guys see me back there? Jane says I was pretty fast,” Nymphia boasted, having already found the best “sitting rock” at the lookout point. She pulled a blunt out, handing it to Crystal to light. “So Jane, what even is the plan for this week? Are we just going to the beach?” Nymphia asked neutrally, but Dada didn’t trust her. And Jane definitely didn’t either.

“Well, yeah the beach. And the town is cute, there are a few museums we could-,” Nymphia immediately cut Jane off, an evil grin on her face.

“ALRIGHT SO I HAVE AN IDEA FOR TOMORROW!”

“Oh no…”

“Because tomorrow, we’re gonna rent a boat!” She exclaimed. Everyone just looked at her blankly. Crystal lit the blunt, inhaling deeply.

“Nymphia, that’s stupid. I’ll contribute fifteen dollars.” She passed the blunt to Jane, who was dumbfounded.

“No- Crystal you will not be wasting your spending money on a stupid boat that’s gonna be impossible to get,” Jane said quickly.

“IT’S AMALFI, JANE!” Nymphia yelled.

“Yeah, in peak tourist season! A boat is gonna be so expensive. No offense, but Crystal’s contribution of fifteen bucks isn’t gonna cut it for a boat. Especially the kind of boat you want, Nymphia.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Nymphia couldn’t help but grin as she glared at Jane.

“I’ll contribute one hundred pounds!” Tia said, finally chiming in. Dada’s head whipped to look at her.

“You’re joking,” she sighed, smile on her face.

“She’s not gonna actually get the boat-”

“OKAY OKAY OKAY hypothetically speaking, Gothy, if I were to get a boat, could you… Captain it? Drive it? The boat? Maybe donate a little cash money?” Nymphia rounded on Gothy, who absolutely did not want the attention to be on her. Everyone turned, waiting for her response. Nymphia was just looking at her with all the hope in her eyes, Jane shook her head, glaring at Gothy mouthing no, and Tia, Dada, and Crystal were cackling in the background as always.

“What makes you think I can drive it?” Gothy asked, bewildered by the entire situation.

“Well you can drive that huge bus, of course you can drive a boat,” Nymphia shrugged. Dada frowned. What an odd stereotype.

“Well… yes, I can.” Gothy admitted. “I’ll buy drinks if you get the boat.”

“Gothy!” Jane groaned, head in her hands. “Still. $115 dollars isn’t going to pay for a boat for the day. It just won't. Case closed.” Nymphia frowned at Jane, eyes sparkling.

“But if I call my mom…” her frown broke into a shit-eating grin. “And my dad…”

“No fucking way,” Jane shook her head. Dada was glad Nymphia didn’t know they had extra budget money for the trip.

“Watch me.” And Dada couldn’t even listen to their conversation anymore because she was laughing so hard with Crystal and Tia. Tia standing behind Dada, arm slung around her shoulder, laughing into the crook of her neck. Dada had hoped that she would’ve gotten used to this by now, that her heart wouldn’t jump every time Tia touched her like that. Maybe that was just because it was Tia.

“You know what. Try. Try your fucking hardest Nymphia. I’ll believe it when I see it.” And with that, Jane began hiking back to the hotel. The blunt was out anyway, so they all followed. As Dada walked, the exhaustion from the day began to settle over her. She dragged her feet all the way up the stairs and into her hotel room, Tia following right behind her.

“Tired?” Tia asked with a smirk.

“Only a little,” Dada smirked back, pulling her towards the bed. “Besides, tomorrow is museum day,” she rolled her eyes, pulling Tia’s tube top off over her head, letting her own tiny sundress drop to the floor.

“Oh so we’re gonna ditch? We can sleep in?” Tia asked, gently nudging Dada to lay down, running her hands down her already bare sides.

“Exactly.”

“Then let’s stay up all night.”

“Exactly.”

_

Tia and Dada woke tangled together the next morning, still in the afterglow from the night before. This was unfortunately to the sound of Nymphia pounding on the door, sun barely up. They both found a sheet to wrap around themselves. Nymphia kept knocking as they hobbled to the door, exhausted.

“AY! We hear you!” Dada yelled, voice weak and raspy. Nymphia didn’t stop knocking until they opened the door. When the door opened, Tia and Dada were met with not only Nymphia, but also Crystal, Jane and Gothy. They all wore matching purple bikinis under sundresses. Crystal had a picnic basket as well as a life jacket. Jane held a large bag with sunscreen, packed lunches, “gear” (?), and a first aid kit. She also held Nymphia’s mini Gucci backpack, and personal “beach bag” and wore sunglasses on her head. Gothy was eating a green apple and holding a shopping bag that she wordlessly handed to Dada. Nymphia held nothing in her hands, and she had the best fit by far. She wore a red mini skirt with a blue and white striped tube top. She stood leg beveled dramatically, hand on hip.

“My mom thinks I’m depressed and my dad thinks I’m getting bullied by a ‘mean girl’ named Jane. And we have a boat until 8pm. Gothy is the captain. Here are your bathing suits! Let’s GO!”

“Nymphia, maybe you should ask your parents for more spending money instead.” Dada suggested weakly in a last ditch attempt to spend the day in bed next to Tia’s golden body. And why were they being forced to wear matching bathing suits?

“I don’t need it. You saw my Gucci haul. I have everything I need.”

_

“WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!” Nymphia hollered as Gothy started the boat. People on the pier looked over confused, Dada sent apologetic smiles to each one.

“Nymphia, at least be quiet till we’re out of the bay…” Gothy pleaded.

“Nymphia, honestly… great job on the boat!” Crystal exclaimed.

“I know!” Nymphia laughed maniacally. “It was so easy! Jane is just dramatic and didn’t want to go on a boat like a loser!”

“Yeah! You’re just boring, Jane!” Tia giggled. Dada couldn’t help but chuckle along. “Nymphia. I’m so not paying you for this.”

“YOU DON’T NEED TO!!! My parents covered the WHOLE thing. AND LOOK WHAT GOTHY BOUGHT US!!!” Nymphia cheered. On cue, Crystal opened the picnic basket she was holding to reveal two handles of Jägermeister and way too many Red Bulls. And of course the other leftover liquor from the beach days before. “Gothy you can find us a nice cove to fuck around in for a few hours, drink and party, give yourself an hour to sober up and we’ll be on our merry way. God, I’m gonna get so many good sunset photos. But we can do shots while Gothy finds us a cool cove.”

“Nymphia, it’s 10am,” Jane said.

“Jane. Don’t be such a bitch,” Nymphia replied as she threw back a shot and gagged, holding onto Jane as Gothy began to speed up the boat. The bow tilted upward, and every so often Gothy let out a whoop as they jumped over a wave. Dada watched as Tia and Crystal held onto their seats in the front for dear life as they poured straight Jäger down their throats. Soon enough they had found a spot in the cove where they could sit out for a while, a few yards away from a large cliff that connected out to the beach.

“That was fucking terrifying!” Tia giggled as she walked over to Dada, Jäger and a Red Bull in hand. “Who knew they’d have this shit in Italy! Have you ever done a Jägerbomb?”

Dada just grinned as she shook her head “no”, looking up at Tia cutting through the sun.

“Good, you’ll love them. We don’t have any of the cups, so only dirty Jägerbombs for us. But they taste like nothing, especially in the water,” Tia explained diligently. Dada wondered if Tia could feel her watching, staring too fondly as she poured equal parts Jäger and Red Bull. She wordlessly took the cup from Tia and sent it back, and Tia was right, it really tasted like nothing.

“These are dangerous,” Dada mused, lips burning. Tia just laughed as she poured another. Across the boat, Crystal had already jumped into the water. Nymphia cheered for her and took off her clothes to reveal a bright pink bikini underneath. The other girls, who were in matching purple bikinis Nymphia had forced them to wear, (and charged them for on Venmo) gaped at her.

“WHAT THE FUCK NYMPHIA?!” Crystal screamed.

“What?! I thought it would look cute for insta!! You know, like I’d be in the middle!? I was gonna make it my cover photo on Facebook girls, for my family to see. Come on!” Nymphia defended herself. Dada and Tia were cackling, even more so when they saw the tender look on Jane’s face.

“You want your family to know who I am?” Jane asked sweetly, wrapping an arm around Nymphia’s waist, looking up at her.

“Well… no. That’s not the point. Anyways, Crystal, is the water nice?!!!” Nymphia turned to Crystal, who had been twirling and swimming around in silence.

“It’s actually not that cold, I promise! Jump in Nymphie! So I can drown you!!!” She called to Nymphia, who was standing arms crossed over her body.

“I don’t trust you! That’s what you say every time!” Nymphia whined. “Besides, my hair looks good I don’t wanna fuck it up. We haven’t even taken pictures yet.”

“I agree, Nymphia! Come over and do more Jägerbombs with us!” Dada called. Nymphia ran over, leaving Jane to jump into the water with Crystal.

“We have this bitch till eight, so you don’t stop drinking until 7, Gothy!” Nymphia cheered, then poured and threw back her fourth dirty jäger of the day.

“I’ll stop at 6. And maybe you should too. You’re already terrifying me,” Gothy joked (mostly).

“We’re on a BOAT what else am I supposed to do?” Suddenly, Nymphia’s eyebrows snapped up. Dada didn’t like that look. “That reminds me! Jane! Where’s our GEAR!” Her head whipped to send Dada and Tia a mischievous smile.

“Ew what gear did you freaks bring?” Tia asked, pouring Dada another drink.

“It’s in the black cooler! With the strap!” Jane called, doggy paddling around the boat.

“Yes!!!” Nymphia giggled, opening the cooler to reveal their smoke set-up.

“Oh thank god,” Tia sighed. Dada laughed from beside her, sending her drink back. She could already feel the all too familiar burning in her chest and Dada’s hands wandered to either side of Tia’s waist. Tia leaned back into the touch, Dada’s head rested on her shoulder.

“Should I do it guys? Should I try to roll?” Nymphia said, already going for the papers.

“No! We only have so many papers and I don’t trust you! Let me,” Dada said, reluctantly moving away from the warmth of Tia’s body.

“Alright, then I’m jumping in,” Tia shrugged, easily peeling the dress she was wearing and tossing it to Dada’s feet with an evil wink. Dada swore she was burning hotter than the sun, also suddenly wanting to swim. Tia ran and jumped in in one swift motion, hollering all the way as she sent the boat back rocking.

“Weed can wait!” Dada said to Nymphia as she followed suit, abandoning her dress on top of Tia’s and diving in after her. Dada crashed into the water, and everything turned silent for a moment. Above her she could hear muffled laughter from Tia, Crystal, and Jane. Inside the buzz had set in and Dada couldn’t wipe the stupid smile off her face. Who knew she could be jumping in head first like this.

“That was really graceful…” Tia giggled.

“Shut up!” Dada said, splashing her.

“Listen up bitches! I’m gonna leave your asses if you all don’t catch up to me! This is my third! Crystal, I’m not sure if you even had one? You jumped in as soon as we stopped.” Gothy began passing down cups into the water. “Don’t fucking spill it! I’m not going to be the cause of a biohazard.”

_

“Nymphia” Tia whispered, horrified, giggling uncontrollably as she repeatedly slapped Nymphia, who was failing at rolling a joint.

“Shhh… Sh…. Shhhhh… Gothy is going to hear us! Be quiet! Shh!” Nymphia shushed vigorously, vaguely twisting the paper holding too much weed in either direction. “Jane made it look so easy in Venice…”

“NYMPHIA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Gothy yelled, jaw dropped. The sky around them was swirling as she drunkenly stared down at the joint attempting to be rolled.

“I'M DOING GOOD! LET ME TRY, LET ME LEARN!” Nymphia whined. It was well past noon by now, and everyone was officially too drunk to swim without a life jacket. A little bit of puke (courtesy of a seasick Jane) had floated off about 20 feet in the distance, they could still see it vaguely.

“You’re not doing good! Your sweaty hands are making the paper disintegrate,” Dada exclaimed, eyes close to the joint.

“Ew! No I’m not! That’s gross!”

“You have been rolling it for fifteen minutes…” Tia muttered, giggling.

“Let- let me…” Dada returned to the joint she had abandoned that morning.

“FINE! Do better! Please try!” Nymphia bitched, going to sit on Jane’s lap. Dada had the joint rolled in a couple minutes, holding it up cockily to show Nymphia..

“You wish you were me,” she smirked with the utmost confidence. Tia just laughed wildly, pulling out her phone and starting to record Dada on Snapchat.

“OKAYYYYY DADA! Look at that gorgeous fucking spliff! You are so fucking hot for that-,”

“TIA GET ME GET ME!” Nymphia roughly grabbed Tia’s phone, forcing her to turn around and film her. All Nymphia did was light a cigarette, but she was obviously trying to sexily flip her wet hair and send a wink to the camera. ”Italy is on fire baby,” she said in vocal fry, all the girls burst out laughing. Dada watched as Tia posted the video to her private story.

“Ooh Tiaaaaaaa, are your friends gonna know who Dada is when they see that snap???” Crystal giggled, taking the cigarette from Nymphia. Dada turned to look at Tia, eyebrows raised with a teasing grin. Tia just giggled shyly, rolling her eyes at Crystal while the rest of the girls laughed.

“That’s so out of pocket Crystal!” She laughed.

“SHE’S NOT ANSWERING THE QUESTION!!!” Jane exclaimed, slinging an arm around Tia’s waist, gazing up at her. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“They don’t, because they’re not nosy bitches like you guys and I don’t feel the need to tell them everything. Also cause I’ve been lowkey ignoring them. I like you girls a lot better, honestly,” Tia said honestly, and Dada just gave Tia a fond smile.

“I haven’t told my roommates who Tia is, they have seen only pictures from Instagram. Because they are gossiping whores and I know between Jane and Gothy they already know everything!” Dada laughed at the shocked looks on Gothy and Jane’s faces, knowing she was absolutely correct.

“Well… they deserve to know! And for what it’s worth, they think it’s really cute and think Tia is really hot. So- There. You. Go. I refuse to apologize,” Jane said defensively while everyone continued to laugh.

“You’ve been hanging around Nymphia too much!” Crystal exclaimed.

“No, Nymphia’s been around Jane too much! This is the real her!” Gothy pointed out, Dada couldn’t help but agree. Nymphia and Jane were more similar than Tia or Crystal would ever know.

“HOW DO YOU TWO LIVE WITH JANE???!” Tia implored. At this point Dada was unashamed, pushing Jane away from Tia, replacing her spot by her side. They fit together too easily, both their arms instantly going to loop around eachother’s waists, heads resting together.

“It’s helpful having six girls in one house, there are too many chaotic personalities to keep track of,” Dada said to Tia, who just turned to face her, silently laughing.

“Your life sounds chaotic,” Tia muttered, Dada just laughed and caught her gaze, staring deep into her eyes.

“That’s why I like you so much.”

“Yeah?” Tia asked, Dada shot her a wink.

“Yeah.”

Tia just grinned at Dada lazily, yet so beautifully. And Dada wanted to kiss her so badly, in front of everyone without a care. They’d done it before, but not on a tiny boat… But she wanted to so bad. Tia stared back at her, still smiling.

“What’re you thinking about?” She asked wickedly. Of course she knew. Dada’s mouth went to answer, but stopped abruptly. Dumbfounded, she didn’t know what to do besides shake her head and laugh at Tia. Cracked once again.

“Can you light that thing?” Nymphia called from across the boat. Dada was still holding the joint.

“Yeah,” she said, eyes locked with Tia’s.

_

After smoking the joint, Nymphia naturally got the munchies.

“I can see all the little restaurants on the beach! I can see the fancy drinks! Pull up there Gothy! Up there!” She called, now crossed.

“Are you gonna be able to function like a human?” Jane asked her.

“Uhhh no? We’re on a beach in Amalfi, they’re expecting us to be drunk.”

Tia laughed at that.

“I’ll come with you Nymphia. I want shaved ice, they gotta have it here,” Gothy said, steering the boat toward shore.

“I’ll chaperone because I don’t trust you two,” Jane said.

“I’m coming too!” Crystal sang, shooting Dada a wink who smiled, and swore she could hear Tia grinning behind her as she said.

“I’ll hang back here and watch the boat.”

“Same,” Dada said easily. Once close enough to touch, Nymphia, Jane, Crystal, and Gothy jumped out and made their way to shore. With no time to waste, Dada turned to Tia, who was making her way over to her. Their lips instantly met, hungrily.

“Boats have bathrooms, that’s a thing, right?” Tia asked between kisses. Dada just hummed into her lips, already moving and pulling Tia by the string of her bikini bottoms. They dropped down slightly and slid into the tiny bathroom, with just enough room for Tia to lean back on the sink and for Dada’s back to be pressed against the wall behind her. It was tight quarters, but that was fine. Dada just needed to feel Tia, at least kiss her. What was it about being crossed that made her more obsessed with Tia than ever? She just wanted to kiss every inch of her skin, leave bruises down her neck, Dada was sure she could never get enough of this. Tia laughed wickedly as it became clear that the bathroom was not the best idea.

It was unbearably hot in there and they both had to hunch over in order to not hit their heads on the low ceiling. Still, after a drunken day of trying to keep their hands off each other, this was needed. A sigh escaped Tia’s lips and Dada knew for sure she could never tell the girls about this, they would freak out too hard. Shit. Dada couldn’t say any of this out loud, so she just held onto Tia tighter, their lips moving in a found rhythm.

What was Tia thinking?

Was she as obsessed and entranced as Dada was? Did that really matter? Tia tugged hair at the nape of Dada’s neck, tilting her head further upward as Dada’s other hand slipped under Tia’s jaw, and Dada knew she was. Tia’s lips moved down to Dada’s neck, sending shivers all through her body. In a miscommunication of mind and mouth, Dada rasped;

“You are too fucking perfect, Tia.” She regretted it the second the words left her mouth. Surely Tia would laugh at her, Dada would laugh at her, it was so corny. Instead, Dada just peered down to see a blush settled on Tia’s cheeks. She grinned, throwing her head back to allow Tia more access to her neck. Eventually, there was a mutual pull away, both gasping for air. The girls were due back any moment, and they were both sweating grossly. They finally caught each other’s eye after a moment of gathering themselves. They both chuckled sheepishly, maybe a little shy in ways.

“I need a shot after that,” Tia laughed, breaking any sort of tension lingering between them. Dada laughed too, slapping Tia’s ass playfully as she pushed out of the bathroom first, racing to the alcohol.

_

Their boat day concluded at sunset, Gothy driving back to port gently, as to not make the hungover members on board irritated.

“We made it through the whole day without any of us trying to do the Titanic thing?” Tia wondered out loud from beside Dadaa.

“Don’t jinx it,” Dada said, turning to look at Tia. She felt Tia’s fingers intertwine with her own, looking down she couldn’t help but smile like an idiot. Tia would’ve teased her if she wasn’t smiling too. They dropped the boat off at 8pm sharp, just in time to catch the last of the sunset. They walked for a while along the beach, eventually finding a spot just off enough for no people passing by to see. Nymphia dragged her feet through the sand, eventually sitting on a big piece of beach wood.

“I’m gonna vomit.”

They settled quickly, lighting another joint Dada had rolled on the boat. Across the sea, the sun was beginning to sink, its colors melting into the water. The smoke from the joint blended in with the swirling clouds in the sky. Tia grinned and rested her head on Dada’s shoulder, she felt like she was in a movie. They took their own joint and wandered over to the water, standing ankles deep as Dada lit it in Tia’s mouth. A blissful silence fell over the group for a few minutes. Maybe for the first time in the entire trip, their group found a shared moment of peace. Then, of course…

“Girls I just realized something. It’s Thursday. Next Thursday, it’s gonna be like… almost the end of the trip. We really only have one week of the trip left, if you think about it. Then the semester starts,” Crystal said, accepting the joint from Gothy.

“Well, not really, no. We have nine days left Crystal. That’s a long time! Don’t get sad now sister, that’s just stupid,” Jane said dismissively. Crystal shook her head.

“It’s easy to say that. But just think, Jane. Tomorrow’s our last day in Amalfi. Then we’re going to the last city. THE LAST CITY. This is our last city that isn’t our last city. In a week, we’re gonna be packing up our stuff and only keeping what we need for the next couple of days! In a week, the sun is gonna start setting BEFORE seven pm!” Crystal doubled down, unaware of the other girls falling faces.

“It did today, actually. The sun is nearly gone,” Gothy pointed out.

“EXACTLY! It’ll be over sooner than you think. That’s all I’m saying. Ugh and then it’s stupid school time! Yawn!”

Dada pretended not to even hear Crystal, her and Tia were pretty far away anyways. But by the way her and Tia’s eyes immediately locked, the way the joint slipped out of her fingers and into the sea, of course they both heard.

“Sorry,” Dada muttered, quickly scooping up the now ruined joint.

“‘S okay,” Tia said back, a small smile on her face. “So… nine days…” she trailed out. Dada huffed, not bothering to make it sound like a laugh.

“Yes. We have nine days.”

“Until you leave,” Tia simply said. Dada couldn’t pretend to ignore the dread in her chest.

“Until I leave,” Dada sounded defeated, she basically was, wasn’t she? Tia’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, and even if it did, it wouldn’t be a happy one.

“Nine days.” They could hear Jane, Nymphia, Gothy, and Crystal talking, but the silence between them was deafening. Tia shook her head, letting out a breath. “Let’s just make the most of it?” She finally said, though it was more of a question, and all Dada could do was nod, digging another joint out of her tote and lighting it.

“Let's make the most of it,” she handed it to Tia, and they both walked back to the group without a word. Tia sat between Crystal and Nymphia on the log and they were all immediately laughing together, Dada wished she could be like them, able to completely ignore the bad and be in the present. Even Jane was having a good time even though Dada could see her bouncing knee, could see her zone out deep in thought every time Crystal had a bit go on too long. She was in her head about leaving Nymphia too.

As for Tia… she seemed perfectly fine. She was probably fine with having this week together and then never seeing Dada again. Dada was supposed to be fine with it too, she always knew this would be the end. But was she really just supposed to leave and forget everything? Just like that? All six of the girls were dead quiet as they walked back to the hotel, Dada figured they were probably spiraling about the same thing. That made her feel a bit better.

“I’m gonna take a shower, okay?” Tia said once they were in Dada’s hotel room. She had a key to her own room but it would go untouched, she had put all her luggage in with Dada’s the day before, who couldn’t help but grin, her stomach dipping.

“I will join you,” Dada nodded, grabbing a new towel from her suitcase. She tried to ignore the empty feeling in her chest, knowing it was silly to care about Crystal’s little speech. As she stepped into the shower with Tia, Dada did feel a little foolish. She really hadn’t processed the trip ending. Or she knew it would end, but she hadn’t really thought about her days with Tia ending. And now it was all she could think about. Even as Tia slid a soapy hand down her bare back, pulling her closer under the shower water, Dada’s mind raced. What was going to happen in nine days? They were really just going to say goodbye, it was really just going to be over? All over?

But then what was the other option? Dada always kept the whole tour so separated from her real life, like they were in two completely different parts of her brain. Dada lived a completely different life when she was on tour, basically disassociated from everything but counting down the days til she could go back to the vineyard. Perugia was supposed to mark the end of her summer. And then came Tia. Fuck. Eventually they crawled into bed without a word, Tia just laying down as Dada threw both their towels to the ground, settling between her legs.

“I wanted you so bad today,” Tia breathed, running a hand through Dada’s wet hair.

“Believe me, I know,” Dada pressed a kiss to Tia’s thigh. “I want you all the time,” she couldn’t help but whisper. She enjoyed the sounds of Tia’s quickened sighs, finally finding a good distraction from all the thoughts that had been racing through her head. That was until they were asleep an hour later, holding on tight to each other. Or at least Tia was asleep and Dada was pretending she was. She could feel the rise and fall of Tia’s chest pressed against her back. Dada let herself think. Nine days left. Well… eight if you really think about it… she decided to pretend it was still nine, that just felt nice. What had even happened in the last nine days? Hadn’t she just recounted it all to Jane and Gothy?

Dada counted the days back with her fingers, realizing nine days ago they had almost kissed in Milan, drunk and “forced” to share Dada’s bed. And now here they were, Tia’s hotel room still locked, untouched, her shampoo bottle on the edge of the tub next to Dada’s, towel thrown on the floor next to hers. In nine days she basically had already lived a whole love story.

How had all of that happened in just over a week? A week in Italy with Tia felt like a whole lifetime… Dada felt almost dramatic falling for her so fast. But the minute she met Tia she felt like she already knew her (Do you see what she meant, so dramatic.) Whatever. If Dada had a whole nine days with Tia, then she didn’t have to hurt for… at least a week. For seven days Dada would just soak up Tia. And then she could be sad. They had so much time. But what Dada didn’t realize as she finally let herself fall asleep, is that the minute you realize time is moving a certain way, the universe proves you wrong and switches everything up on you.

Dada woke up and before she could even open her eyes she wanted to cry a little. She kept seeing flashes of the dreaded future. Of her and Tia eventually saying goodbye, wrapped tight in each other's arms one last time. Of watching Tia’s life through her instagram stories, forced to be content to never see her again. It was unavoidable. When Dada finally opened her eyes though, Tia was already dreamily staring at her.

“Morning,” Dada whispered, letting herself get lost in Tia’s eyes.

“C’mere,” Tia muttered, a single finger under Dada’s chin pulling her in. Only Tia could make the pit of dread in her stomach feel like pure bliss. But even as she trailed light kisses down Dada’s neck, the French girl was just laying there thinking, we only have a week. Already. How?

Dada was grateful when Jane knocked on the door, three light taps signifying breakfast time. “Jane’s such a pussy,” Tia groaned, Dada didn’t find it that funny. She laughed anyway.

“I’ll see you down there.”

_

“You look like you need to cry,” Jane sat down next to Dada with her breakfast at the table, a worried look on her face.

“W-what?” Dada stammered, absolutely not ready to have this conversation. She was trying to focus on not thinking about Tia, even though that’s all she could think about.

“I’m just saying, you look horrible. Like you’re depressed or something. What’s wrong?” How the hell was Jane fine? How the hell was everyone perfectly fine?

“I am… I am good. I just woke up, I mean-”

“Dada.”

There was never any point in lying to Jane, she could always tell, and she always hated it.

“How many days do we have left now? Eight?” Dada let herself say out loud, not able to look up from her plate, knowing Jane would see right through her.

“Seven if you don’t count today.”

“Well, I am counting today, it’s over a week.” Dada couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed as she looked at Jane, why would she say that?

“Alright, so eight,” Jane replied easily in the way that Dada hated so much.

“Whatever, I’m ready for this stupid trip to be over anyways,” Dada snapped and she felt like it was the first day again, and she was all the way back to the quiet, closed off tour guide refusing to look in any direction but down.

“So that’s what’s wrong?” Jane finally asked, and Dada wished she couldn’t see the pity in Jane’s eyes. “Sister…”

“How are you so okay? How is everyone so okay? In eight days this will be over. All of it.”

“Because, we have a week- eight days and then that’s it. We go back to Fiora, they do a semester in Perugia then go back home to completely different countries. So. We have eight days then that’s it. In ten days we’re gonna feel actually fucking awful. So let’s just enjoy this last week. Let yourself let go of the dread. It just ruins everything.”

“Let myself let go of the dread?”

“Yes.”

“That sounds a lot easier said than done.”

“Don’t care. Just do it. A week is a lot shorter than you think.”

“Why do you always have to say shit like that?”

Then Tia, Nymphia, and Crystal, and Gothy were joining them at the table, talking loudly about something.

“We’re not drinking again, are we? I think I’m tapped out girls,” Tia said. Everyone turned to stare at her in disbelief. “What? Are we drinking? Cause like I’m down-,” she was cut off by the girls bursting out laughing. “Just no Jägerbombs! Please!” Tia joined their laughter.

“No, you’re right Tia. We should take a day off. Maybe not the night, but. Yeah. I honestly have nothing planned, I was just gonna give the group a free day again. It seems to be a good vibe for Amalfi,” Jane explained. Nymphia rolled her eyes.

“Well, I have a day planned for us. Well at least I picked a beach and place for lunch. And Jane packed us snacks! We’ll leave after breakfast!”

As they walked ten minutes to the beach Nymphia had picked out, the words Jane had said earlier repeated in Dada’s head. ‘Let yourself let go of the dread.’ What was that even supposed to mean? Did Jane actually mean that, or was it just something she told herself? It was harder for Dada to pretend. She had to of course, for Tia.

Dada really tried to have fun, taking turns on Jane’s boogie board with Tia and Crystal, helping to arrange a little charcuterie board with Nymphia. But even as she danced to ‘JOYRIDE’ with Jane and Gothy, the whole feat felt impossible. Eventually Dada and Tia opted to lay out under the sun, not caring about tan lines as their long legs stayed brushed against each other’s, Dada’s hand splayed across the back of Tia’s thigh.

“Hey,” Tia whispered, head laid on Dada’s chest who smiled, running her fingers down Tia’s leg as she replied.

“Hey,” right back. Tia giggled, propping her chin up so she could look at Dada.

“You’re gonna get a sunburn ya know?” She pointed out. Dada just let out a laugh. She didn’t know how to do this. Just keep entertaining, keep this act up until she leaves in a week. But Tia’s hands were on her, and that’s what she would focus on for now.

“Or I’ll get a beautiful golden tan?” Dada suggested weakly. Tia said nothing, just laid her head back down. Dada noticed their breathing was synced, rising and falling together, as always. Her hand traced figures on Tia’s thigh and she couldn’t help it, she tilted Tia’s face up to meet her own. She could feel her smiling, she hoped she couldn’t feel the tears behind her eyelashes. Suddenly, calls were heard.

“Ew!!!” Nymphia laughed, running over and pig-piling on top of Tia and Dada. Crystal followed suit.

“You guys are adorable.”

Finally, Jane and Gothy walked up to the mess that was happening, and plopped right on top.

“JANE YOU’RE GONNA KILL ME!” Nymphia screamed. They all laughed wildly, and Dada was able to forget for at least a second. She breathed the salty air in, then exhaled laughing. Maybe Jane was right. She was still having fun. Why not just enjoy it? Dada grinned as she realized maybe, for at least a little bit, she could let herself let go of the dread. She tried to carry this attitude throughout the rest of the day. She didn’t fail miserably either.

Of course every so often Dada’s eye would catch Tia’s just right and her chest would tighten, but she was managing. Maybe even working through her emotions. They went back to the hotel after a short lunch at one of the restaurants on the beach. Gothy walked back with them, and Crystal decided to third wheel with Jane and Nymphia. Gothy was talking to her mom on the phone as Tia and Dada walked behind her, making light conversation. It reminded Dada of Venice, that’s when she fell after all. What she would do to go back to then. She would tell herself she wasn’t crazy, that the tall British girl really did like her. She didn’t smile at everyone like that, not at all.

That was only a few days into this whole trip, it felt so far away despite only being weeks. Dada could let herself let go of the dread. She could do it. Not for seven days. But maybe for at least a few? That seemed pretty doable. Dada would do it, for real, she decided, stealing a glance at Tia as they walked hand in hand back to the hotel. She could let go of the dread. She could do that.

“How long do we have until sunset?” Tia asked Dada as they slowly made their way up the stairs to their room.

“Oh, probably four hours,” Dada guessed. Tia was quiet for a moment, just looking at her with a mischievous smile.

“So we basically… have free time now?” Her mischievous smirk grew into an enticing grin that Dada always fell for. She had sort of forgotten about the good parts of summer romances, how good they could feel. So she was making the most of it. Letting go of her dread. Tia was opening the door to their room, beckoning Dada to enter first. The second the door closed Dada was pressed against it, Tia trailing kisses down her neck. Her lips met the golden chain of Dada’s locket and she leaned back for a second.

“Can I wear your locket?” Tia murmured, hands already going up to undo the clasp.

“Of course,” Dada just brushed off one of Tia’s hands, instead pulling the long chain off around her head. She reached up, putting the locket around Tia’s neck who grinned, laughing lightly as she flicked it open, even though she knew there was nothing in there.

“I’ll cut off a lock of my hair, how does that sound?”

“I am not a serial killer!” They fell laughing into the bed. Yes, Dada couldn’t help but think, this was much more pleasant.

_

“Let me pack you a blunt,” Tia looked up at Dada through hooded eyes, the sun shining through the hotel windows, the light dancing on her eyelashes so beautifully. It was a couple hours later now and golden hour was just beginning.

“Be my guest, gorgeous.”

Tia gasped, immediately sitting up, moving so she was straddling Dada again.

“OooOOoooh I’m gorgeous??” She teased, grabbing both of Dada’s hands with hers, lacing their fingers together. Dada let out a laugh, bringing one of Tia’s hands to her mouth and pressing her lips to it.

“Well if it’s going to go straight to your head, I take it back,” she said, and then Tia was a giggling mess, scooting down so she was hovering above Dada, her golden locket still hanging around Tia’s neck, swinging to knock against her chest. “The locket looks good on you. You wear it well.”

“Thank you,” Tia brushed her lips against Dada’s, pulling away far too soon. “I’ve always looked good in dainty jewelry.” She sat up again, rolling off of Dada, getting out of bed, and going to the desk. “Now seriously, I’m gonna roll us a blunt and we’re gonna get out of here.”

Dada watched as Tia reached in the trap bag, pulling out the jar, grinder, and a pack of blunt cones. She began to grind the weed, long fingers breaking up chunks of the bud and placing them in the grinder, being careful to avoid the magnet in the middle. Everything she did was so beautiful, how?

Dada had seen countless people grinding weed, had seen hands packing bud down with the little poke stick, but everything just looked better on Tia, she supposed. It seemed Tia was done in no time, tucking the blunt behind her ear when she was done. “Let’s go.”

They snuck away for no reason, tiptoeing down the hallway even though the whole group was out and about doing their own thing. Once they were out of the hotel, Dada wasn’t exactly sure where to go, she just knew it was golden hour and Tia deserved to bask in the sunlight. Then she remembered a spot she went to with Jane, before they were ever even tour guides.

“If I make you hike, will you whine like Nymphia? It is very short, only a little more than the one at the hotel. And so beautiful for golden hour,” Dada suggested, Tia gave her a bright grin.

“Golden hour? You’ve been hanging around Nymphia too much.”

“Oh no believe me, we have nightly golden hour photoshoots back home, I’m the one who showed Nymphia the best angles,” Dada explained. “It will be a breeze compared to Genoa, I promise.”

But it seemed that Tia didn’t like hiking that much more than Nymphia did.

“You didn’t hike at all back home? No parks, no nature trails or anything? It is like the best smoke spot!” Dada stood on top of a steep section of the trail, watching as Tia caught up with her.

“No, I smoke weed at boat launch parking lots, duh,” she finally got to Dada, looking out at the view with her. They had just made it above the tree line and could see Amalfi’s mountains. “So pretty.”

“Just wait until we get to the other side, you will see,” Dada turned, continuing to lead them. “The rest is all flat, easy.” She could feel Tia right behind her, she wished she was beside her, so she could see. “Get up here,” Dada turned without stopping, grabbing Tia’s arm and falling into stride with her.

“Aw Dada, I missed you too,” Tia cooed, Dada tried to ignore the twinge in her chest.

“Here we are,” she said quietly. Tia laughed beside her, looking out at the vast open ocean, tourists on the beach below them soaking up the sunset.

“You’re like a walking guidebook. It’s weird.”

“Google is free,” Dada laughed, putting her tote on a big rock and beginning to rifle through it.

“I bet Jane found all these places anyways,” Tia giggled, sitting down on the rock, nearly on the tote bag. “-oops!”

“Careful, do not crush the goods!” Dada let her forehead brush Tia’s, leaning forward in laughter. Of course Tia was too quick for Dada, catching her lips in a searing kiss. Dada liked this, just letting go of her dread. Tia was here, in front of her. That’s what mattered. “You are still crushing the goods,” Dada whispered. Tia laughed again, scooting just off the tote, still remaining as close as possible to Dada.

“Well how about you take them out of the bag then? So we can smoke the goods?” she asked matter of factly, Dada shook her head as she took out the first blunt, reaching for the lighter in her pocket.

“You are so impatient,” she laughed as she lit the first blunt, not letting herself cough when she took the first puff. “Here, you fiend,” she passed it to Tia, who did indeed cough when she took way too big of a hit, leaning on Dada who was just shaking her head. “See, this is what I mean, you rush rush rush!”

“Yeah but I’m already like ten times higher than you,” Tia peered up at Dada, her head now resting on her shoulder.

“Well then I guess I will have to catch up with you,” Dada accepted the blunt back from Tia, taking way too big of a hit so she was also in a coughing fit, big clouds of smoke rushing out of her mouth with every heaving cough. Tia was a giggling mess, swiping the blunt from her fingers and taking another puff. They smoked two blunts, talking back and forth, listening to ‘Brat’, and of course Tia and Dada taking pictures of each other when the sunset was just perfect. And they took a couple selfies together. Just a couple.

The stars were high in the sky when Tia and Dada arrived back to the hotel, and Dada couldn’t even care that the day was already over because Tia was pulling her up the stairs with those needy eyes, ready to continue what they had started in their endless summer afternoon. And Dada didn’t even think about how good it felt to let go of her dread.

_

Dada woke up that morning not even realizing they were already leaving Amalfi, because Tia was laying on her side already looking at Dada with those eyes, the sunlight dancing on her eyelashes. And Dada felt like she was going to hurl. Suddenly she was right back to where she started. Seven days. Seven fucking days. Dada usually counted down the days to the tour being over with excitement balled up in her chest, not dread..

“Morning,” Tia beamed.

Dada didn’t want to smile, she wanted to cry. She wanted to crawl in bed and hide all day. She wanted to crawl in bed and pull Tia right in with her, savor every minute they could. Selfishly, she just wanted to go home. She wished the trip was ending now, that way she didn’t have to drag her sorry ass around moping for the next week. How was she supposed to go to the beach? How was she supposed to put on a happy face? How did Jane do it? .

“Morning,” Dada grinned, maybe too big, clearly compensating. She just pulled Tia into a long kiss because she didn’t know what to say. Dada just wanted her mind to go silent, stop screaming at her as she tried to function. She still wanted to cry. She tried to stay normal as she got dressed with Tia, blasting music so they could just bop around singing under their breaths, no need for conversation. Eventually Tia laced their fingers together and they walked downstairs for breakfast, where of course everyone was already sitting around waiting for them.

“Good morning sisters!” Crystal said brightly, cup of coffee in hand. “I’m sad. I can’t believe we’re leaving Amalfi. This place has really become a second home, you know?”

“Crystal we’ve been here two days, and barely that,” Nymphia cut in, but halfheartedly. “No, who am I kidding, I’m sad too! Jane, can’t we just stay here? I don’t care about the other place.”

“Oh believe me Nymphia,” Jane scoffed. “You won’t even be thinking about Amalfi come tomorrow. We’re gonna have five days of pure bliss in Sardinia,” Jane said, Dada was at least excited for what the last city held, knowing Tia would have the time of her life.

“No. It’s not the same as Amalfi,” Tia cut in, too sincerely. Dada looked at her and it hurt. She swore it didn’t hurt like that last night, or even that morning, seeing her smiling face as they woke up. But now, seeing Tia in front of her with a plate of mediocre hotel food in a mediocre hotel just like she had before every day, it hurt.

That’s what Dada would tell her roommates, she thought as she got on the bus, leaving Amalfi to head back to Naples. They would beg her to tell them what her side of the story was, not just weird ramblings from Jane and Gothy. What really happened. And all Dada would be able to say was that one second it didn’t hurt to look at Tia and the next it did. She zoned out as Gothy took the shortcut back to Naples, opting to listen to Tia, Crystal, and Nymphia ramble about random shit.

What was Tia thinking? She seemed completely fine, laughing and talking to Dada normally. All throughout breakfast, the bus ride to Naples, the walk to the beach, and the entire afternoon it seemed like Tia was completely unbothered. Her and Crystal had made vodka lemonades in their water bottles, chugging them with no care in the world. Dada and Jane were staying sober in solidarity with Gothy, who had to drive the bus onto the ferry when they boarded it that night.

Dada’s chest was tight as she watched Tia splashing in the waves with Crystal. Happy, normal. How was she just normal? Dada didn’t want to bring Tia down with her, ruin her last week of the tour, it clearly hadn’t been already. So she could act normal, even if she didn’t feel it. Smile right back at Tia, kiss her like it didn’t hurt, grab her waist and hope the feeling would never be foreign, though she knew it would.

But still. Dada couldn’t bring herself to pretend, not when she realized this was the same beach they’d gone to after Crystal got dumped. It felt so far away already. All she could do was lay next to Nymphia in the sand and pretend she was tired. Luckily Nymphia had brought her iPad to the beach because she was “definitely not going to swim all day” and “I don’t feel like drinking myself to death like those two.” Dada stared out at the sky, not caring that the sun was blinding.

“Dada. Dada. Dada.” Nymphia said, peering over her iPad screen.

“Hm?” She snapped up quickly, finding Nymphia’s judgemental eyes blinking a few times blankly.

“I have seasons one through five of Love Island UK downloaded, wanna watch?” Nymphia held out an airpod, and Dada never felt more relieved to have found her on this trip. “There’s no better way to shut out the scary thoughts than trashy reality TV.” Dada slipped the airpod into her ear, focusing on the show. Nymphia laughed loudly at all the stupid jokes she must’ve not gotten. “Why couldn’t we have just gone on Love Island?”

“Uhh… you kinda did,” Dada chuckled.

“Ew! Don’t even begin to compare this to Love Island. Love Island is luxurious and perfect. This is just exhausting and sad…” Nymphia muttered.

“Thank god you feel it too. Everyone seems so fine but…it is getting really sad, isn’t it?” Dada sighed, eyes watching Nymphia who was fully disassociating now. God, what had they done to themselves?

“Do you want to be with Tia like… after the trip?” Nymphia asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” Dada answered, maybe too quickly and sure. Nymphia just hummed in response. What was that supposed to mean? Had they talked about it? “Do you… want to be with Jane? After the trip?”

Nymphia looked up to see Jane in the ocean, boogie boarding. She lowered her voice, almost scared Jane would hear her over the crashing waves.

“Nah… I don’t think so. Jane and I were always going to end like this. I’ll probably text her for a week after this is over, then I’m blocking her on all socials. If you repeat this you’re a bitch.”

“Seriously?” Dada knew Nymphia and Jane weren’t serious or anything, but the blocking seemed a little unnecessary. Would Tia cut Dada out completely, did Dada expect anything different?

“I can’t give her any reasons to want to hold onto me. And I post really hot pics on insta,” Nymphia explained. Dada hated how easy she made it sound to drop Jane, they had seemed so close, closer than Tia and Dada. Hadn’t Jane claimed they were “falling in love” ???. Tia could easily leave Dada in the dust just like Nymphia will Jane. “Besides, we’re literally in Italy for a semester. I can’t be tied down to one person. I have so many sexy Italian women yet to pursue, Jane would do nothing but hold me back. I couldn’t cheat on her, she’s way too sensitive. Either way, I’m not wasting my semester abroad on some American who couldn’t make it in the states. Sorry. I know she’s your best friend. You get it.” Nymphia finished and turned back to the screen. Yeah. Dada got it. This was Tia’s opportunity, a pivotal age where Dada would do nothing but hold her down. Yes, this was Tia’s time to grow. She didn’t need some twenty year old French girl calling her up from two hours away, begging for just one more endless night.

“I just wish we hadn’t wasted so much time…” Dada said, basically to no one. Nymphia was laughing at something a girl had just said on Love Island.

And suddenly Dada was back to wanting to cry. Tia was so excited and loud when Dada had first met her, she would be in Perugia too. Dada could see it now, Tia flirting with some older Italian woman at a bar, cheeks flushed as she walked home with her, smiling the way she does. Tia deserved to go back to smoke with other cute girls, she deserved to move just as fast as she came along. Dada knew she would become another story, something lost, as always. And then she decided. Dada would make the most of this week, she had to. Because she could not, and would not hold Tia back.

None of it felt right or fair, but Dada forced herself to let it go as Tia, Crystal, Gothy, and Jane came bounding over to her and Nymphia.

Too soon it was time to walk to the ferry port, everyone sad to leave Naples again. Jane led the group while Dada and Gothy got the bus.

“You good?” Gothy asked as she pulled the bus out of a parking garage, beginning to drive it to the ferry loading dock.

“Yes, I’m good. I’m excited for Sardinia and whatever the hell Jane claims she has planned. I want to have fun. Even though…” Dada trailed off, Gothy gave her a sympathetic look.

“Even though this is the first time you don’t want the trip to end. I don’t blame you. I don’t, and I haven’t even fallen in love with one of the group members,” Gothy said so nonchalantly, she probably expected Dada to laugh or something. Instead she just exhaled.

“Gothyyyyy that is what I’m trying not to think about!” Dada couldn’t help but laugh a little, but not because she found it actually funny.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry!” Gothy giggled. “Whatever, I’m dropping you off at the front, Jane’s gonna need help getting those drunk bitches through security. Thanks for staying sober for me, by the way. Good luck with Tia, that girl’s a mess.”

Gothy dropped Dada off at the entrance and went to wait in the long line of cars that was waiting to board the ferry. When Dada found the group waiting in line to get on, she was surprised to see Jane shushing a yelling Tia and a cackling Crystal. Is that what Gothy meant? She didn’t think Tia was that drunk on the beach. Dada just felt overly sober. Maybe she could just get on Tia’s level.

“Tia… are you good?” She asked, not bothering to hold back her laughter. Tia just grinned in amazement and pulled Dada into a messy tight hug with a cheer, long limbs wrapping around her neck.

“Dada get DRUNK WITH ME!!!” Tia yelled, people around them in line gave her a weird look, Dada noticed the people taking the tickets were now keeping an eye on them as the line continued to progress.

“Let’s just make it onto the ferry first, Ms Tia,” Dada grinned at her, fixing her hair a little, still keeping an arm looped around Tia’s waist.

“Alright Jane,” Tia muttered to Crystal, who was giggling with tears in her eyes.

“Tia don’t make me cry don’t make me cry,” Crystal was just silently laughing, Dada’s face felt a little hot but she brushed it off with a roll of her eyes and turned to Nymphia.

“Am I like that when I’m drunk?”

“Dada. Anytime you’ve been drunk, I have been ten times worse. I don’t even know who you are when I drink,” Nymphia said with a straight face, causing Dada to laugh.

“Hey! Don’t flirt with my girl!” Tia roughly shoved Nymphia, who just jumped back and gave her a wicked glare.

“Tia. Don’t fucking touch me.”

Of course a pissed off Nymphia just made Crystal and Tia laugh even louder, earning them more bewildered looks from people around them in line. There were only a few people ahead of them, and while Dada didn’t know how strict the ferry rules were, she knew the workers wouldn’t be overly thrilled about two belligerently drunk girls getting on a fifteen hour ferry. Dada gave Jane a pleading look, not wanting to have to scold Tia. Jane just sighed.

“Sisters, let’s wait to fight and be messy drunk. Please, we have a whole night to be awful, let’s just get through the line and get to our rooms,” she said mostly to Tia (and Crystal) who shared a look and giggled, but at least didn’t cackle.

“Boring Jane boring Jane boring Jane!” Tia whispered. Dada didn’t laugh. She instead gave a polite smile to the ferry attendant and showed her the list of sixteen tickets they had for the group. After ushering everyone through, Dada let out a sigh of relief as they finally got onto the boat, where she could at least get a glass of wine and Tia’s voice wouldn't sound so loud yet so far away.

“Alright guys, I was able to secure us four private rooms that each sleep four. The tour guides and one lucky group member will share one room, while the rest of you can split up in the other rooms however you want! Sounds good? The ferry leaves exactly at 7pm, make sure you check out the sunset! And we will arrive in Sardinia at 10am tomorrow, so I’ll expect to see you all at the breakfast table! There’s a pool on deck, a party room, dining hall with a BAR! I think they show movies somewhere? I don’t know, have fun and I’ll see you tomorrow. For the last and best part of the trip. The magical island of Sardinia. Slay!!!” Jane spoke rapidly to the whole tour group, before handing out room keys and leading the girls to their room.

“Okay wait, how are we doing this whole room thing? I’m in the tour guide room, right?” Nymphia asked. Dada didn’t even think to object, she felt guilty but surprisingly fine having one night of sleeping alone, one night of being able to cry without hoping Tia didn’t notice.

“I’ll just squeeze into Dada’s bunk! Like old uni days,” Tia exclaimed. Dada couldn’t help but think the beds were a bit small for that. But whatever.

“Don’t talk to me about twin XLs. There’s never enough room on those things! But sometimes that’s the whole point,” Crystal let out a giggle. They went into the tour guide room, which Jane boasted was the biggest of the four rooms she’d reserved.

“Yeah, it's supreme! Wayyy more leg room,” she grinned. The bunk beds were still tiny, but instead of being two feet apart from each other they were four feet apart, and there had even been a tiny desk and chair crammed in front of a window.

“Oh perfect! I’ll just sleep on the ground! I packed my bathrobe so that’ll give me some extra cushion. I can even go steal my mattress from my room!”

And all of a sudden Dada’s one night of peace had turned into a slumber party. But when she looked at Jane and Gothy to roll her eyes, they seemed excited. Oh. Maybe Dada was the only one who minded. What was wrong with her?

“Crystal I’ll help you move your mattress in. And then we should get some drinks, right ladies?!” Dada tried to sound cheerful, and genuinely grinned when Tia started clapping, bouncing next to her.

“SLUMBER PARTY SLUMBER PARTY!” She cheered in Dada’s ear, who just laughed and went to the room across the hall to grab two mattresses that were assumed to be Tia and Crystal’s. “Okay wait Crystal you should sleep in a bunk and me and Dada should sleep on the floor cause we’re tall and you’re short!”

“I’M 5’7”, YOU TWO ARE JUST FREAKISHLY TALL!” Crystal whined but easily agreed.

“ME AND CRYSTAL GET TOPBUNKS!!!” Nymphia slung her bag to the top bunk with ease, Jane just grinned. “Seriously though girls, drink time. I need to catch up with Tia and Crystal, and fast.”

There was no time to object to the sleeping arrangement because Dada was being pushed out of the tiny cabin and into the hallway, being rushed to the main area of the ferry. “Do you think they have cocktails?” Nymphia asked as Dada led them down the hall. She just shook her head.

“No, beer and wine only. This boat is pretty basic. But still, wine at sunset will be cute for pictures,” Dada grinned at Nymphia who squealed, rushing ahead of her to enter the dining room that was basically a cafeteria.

“Ooh very boujee,” Tia said sarcastically. Dada just forced a laugh and tried to subtly smack her ass as they approached the bar. She ordered six glasses of wine (two Prosecco, three Cabernets, one Pinot noir) for the girls and soon they were on the deck of the ferry watching the burning orange sun cast pink and purple streaks across the sky.

“Oh my god girls!! Photoshoot time!” Nymphia squealed, already handing her phone to Crystal. “Jane get over here!” She ordered Jane, who crossed to her with a grin. “Hand around my waist but not too high- we’re not church girls.”

“Well what if my hand is closer to your boobs? That’s not very church girl now is it???”

“Oh my god.”

Dada stood with Tia and Gothy watching them with fond smiles. She went to loop an arm around Tia’s waist but she was gone in an instant. Tia ran straight into Nymphia and Jane’s photoshoot, trying to be cute and candid as she flung an arm around Nymphia. But only she missed the annoyed looks on their faces. Dada’s face felt hot for her. “Okay I guess now is a good time for Crystal and Jane to switch so we can get group pics. Before Tia blacks out and embarrasses herself and everyone else.” Nymphia said so sweetly with a glare, Dada chugged her wine to hide her face. She didn’t bother getting any photos, opting to go into the dining room alone to get snacks for all the girls to share. She had only been gone for ten minutes, grabbing another glass of wine for herself as well. When Dada went back onto the deck, Tia was obviously getting scolded by Jane.

“Tia, don’t make me be a bitch to you. Stop fucking trying to jump overboard. It’s making me anxious. And pissing me off.” Dada wanted to grin at bitchy Jane until she remembered why she was being bitchy. But of course Tia loved this and burst out laughing.

“Jane, have I ever told you I’m obsessed with you?!” She pulled Jane into a hug who reluctantly returned it. “You’re my friend.”

“Aw.. Tia… that’s actually sweet,” Jane whispered back softly. Dada rolled her eyes and continued to drink her wine. “Oh Dada’s moved onto a second glass already?? I guess it’s that time ladies. I have vodka in my backpack. Let’s get to work.”

Tia cheered so loudly, Dada had every reason to be worried about the way things would go tonight. Tia would barely remember any of it, and Dada would spend a long time trying to forget. The girls went back into the cabin after smoking a few cigarettes outside. The cigarettes mellowed Tia out a little, she sat on the edge of one of the bunks, head rested on Dada’s shoulder.

“So… are we doing shots?” Crystal asked with a wicked grin. Gothy let out a loud laugh.

“We’re doing shots. You and Tia are cut off. From hard liquor. Wine only for you two drunks the rest of the night!” She said, pointing at Tia and Crystal. Dada was glad she didn’t have to be the one to say it. Tia’s head shot up.

“Boring!” She exclaimed. “Me and Crystal should be allowed to have AT LEAST one shot. Dada tell them,” Tia turned to Dada, who could feel everyone’s eyes on her. She didn’t know what to say. Or she did, but she didn’t want to say it.

“Tia, as the official tour guide of this trip, I agree with Gothy. And I know Dada does too, she just likes you too much to say anything. Wine only, sister. Believe me.” Nymphia cut in. Everyone laughed and Dada was relieved Tia laughed along. Nymphia was so good at putting people in their places. “The perks of not being a people pleaser, ladies!”

“Alright, whatever, SHOTS!” Gothy cheered. Tia connected her phone to the speaker, shuffling Nymphia’s “Ultimate Summer Playlist”. The Glee Version of ‘Blame it on the Alcohol’ started playing through the speakers. Dada burst out laughing as her and Tia looked through the playlist.

“Nymphia, why is there so much Big Time Rush? Where is One Direction???” Dada asked incredulously, accepting the bottle of vodka from Jane and taking a long swig. Tia just cheered, immediately queuing so many One Direction songs.

“Yes Dada!!!” She shook Dada’s shoulders, causing her to splash the vodka down her chest. “Oh shit I’m sorry!” Tia said through laughter. At least everyone was laughing.

“I forgive you if you queue ‘Better Than Words’!”

“GIRLS YOU’RE GONNA MAKE ME CRY!!!” Crystal screeched. “I HAVE A ONE DIRECTION TATTOO ON MY ASS!”

“THAT’S WHAT THAT IS???!”

Over the next couple hours, Crystal and Tia cried to ‘Little Things’ and ‘Moments’, Nymphia got the “perfect amount of drunk” and planned the whole rest of the trip in her notes app, (with Gothy’s help), and Jane and Dada tried to get drunk, passing the vodka bottle back and forth.

“How long until Tia and Crystal are sick?” Jane murmured to Dada, who let out a chuckle.

“They handle themselves pretty well. Except for beach day.”

“Dada… like every day has been a beach day!” Jane dissolved into giggles. “We need to get some food in them. I think they have late night pizza, let’s do a field trip!”

Soon the six girls were walking. Tia zig-zagged through the halls, purposely bumping against the walls as she did.

“Tia, can you like… not? It’s late and normal people are trying to sleep…” Gothy muttered as Dada grabbed onto Tia, trying to hold her steady as they walked.

“You mean BORING people. Whatever, we’re here anyway…” Tia said as she pulled away from Dada so she could look at the food. They were clearly about to close, the pizza looking a little crusty… a little gross, but wasn’t that the perfect drunk food?

“This pizza looks like shit.” Tia said loudly, like she wanted the cashier to hear. Dada knew Tia well enough by now, she knew she didn’t WANT the cashier to hear, she simply didn’t give a fuck if they did. “I’ll just have to drink more to make sure I throw it up later…” Tia’s voice was a little raspy, clearly a little burned by each burning shot she had sent down today. Dada gave the one worker an apologetic smile, one she had never given for Tia without giggling.

“Umm… I want… a… ew that’s just-,”

“Can I get two slices of cheese, please?”Jane said, cutting off Tia. She sent Dada a look that Dada hated she noticed:

“Control your bitch.”

“Sorry that all of these look gross…” Tia muttered, once again, too loud.

“Let’s just order, they’re about to close.”

Soon the girls were able to each order a couple slices of pizza and find a table next to a window. They had also each ordered one last glass of wine, though Dada planned on drinking half of Tia and Crystal’s glasses.

Eventually Tia ripped a small bite out of the corner of her pizza before scrunching into a disgusted face.

“Oh shut up, Tia,” Crystal said, covering her chewing mouth with her hand. “You wouldn’t last a second in America under Michelle Obama school lunches. This is amazing.”

Dada normally loved Tia’s bright laugh, and she did, but she didn’t like how she was so suddenly aware of every tired eye turning to look at them. Dada looked at Tia. For a moment she didn’t find her outgoing and charming, she found her obnoxious and childish.

“I’ll finish this if you promise I can have another shot. I mean, seriously, I think this will taste better coming up than it did going down.” Dada ignored Tia’s ringing laughter, she just met Jane’s other demanding stare.

“Tia, you do not need another shot. Do you need that wine? If anything, we will get you a glass of water,” Dada joked, but she couldn’t help but notice some of the weight in her chest lifting as she called Tia out. Everyone laughed but Tia, who Dada noticed had gone a little red as she met her stare.

“I think I know how much I can drink…” Tia’s words slurred, which made the rest of the group laugh harder, even Crystal who was downing her pizza. “Wot?” Tia wasn’t laughing along, Dada didn’t care. “I’m older than you, you know? I know how to party and pace myself.”

“Okay, Tia. It really shows…” Everyone laughed at Dada’s joke again, and again, Dada felt lighter. She swore she could see Tia’s eyes flicker.

“Why are you acting like a nun?”

“Why are you acting like a kid?!” Dada responded, too quickly. The laughter stopped. How old were they? All Dada knew is she wouldn’t have acted like that, and she was younger than Tia.

She had wanted to be easy going, she wanted to meet glossy eyes searching for her across the room, she wanted to catch up with Tia and have FUN but she simply didn’t feel like it anymore. She couldn’t shake the ending trip, she couldn’t keep up, she didn’t like… well, she wasn’t having fun with this Tia. Was she always like this while drunk? Why did Dada feel like they were never sober? All she knew was her blood was boiling, why did she love fanning the flame? “Nymphia, Miss Official Tour guide? Babysit your members. See why I can’t wait for the tour to be over now?” Dada’s words were slightly slurred but she didn’t care, looking straight at Tia, waiting to see her hurt, or annoyed, or angry, any sort of reaction. And Dada hoped the words cut deep. She couldn’t help but not want to care anymore. She just needed Tia to know how ungodly annoying she was finding her.

Tia just stared at her blankly. Did Dada really have to twist the knife? Some wicked part of her brain knew she had to, her whole body was burning red hot, finally fed up with Tia and the way she’d been acting all night. “I mean seriously Tia. So annoying.”

Tia’s mouth opened a little, she gaped at Dada for a second. Good. Dada had been trying not to roll her eyes all night.

“I’m gonna throw up,” Tia whispered before going out onto the deck, hands covering her mouth. Everyone sat in shocked silence for a few moments. Then Crystal stood up.

“No, Crystal, stay. I’ll go,” Dada said, standing up. “Jane, give me your water.”

“Ew! it’s gonna be all pukey!”

“Just buy a new one!” Dada snapped. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I’ll buy you a new one.”

Dada was glad to be out on the deck, feeling the cool august air on her face. Luckily no one but Tia was out there. Dada looked up at the clear sky, the stars were out at this point, so breathtaking in the pitch black. Nothing but stars, ocean, and a puking Tia. Dada ignored the pit in her stomach and walked over to Tia, immediately putting a comforting hand on her back. What the fuck was happening?

“Go away Crystal. I want Dada,” Tia whined. Was she crying? Surely it was just tears from throwing up. What the fuck was happening? Dada’s heart was dropped in her stomach, none of this felt right. Was Tia really crying?

“It’s me,” Dada whispered, Tia’s head turned and she looked rough. “I brought you water.” She awkwardly handed it to Tia, who was clearly wiping tears from her face. Dada chose to ignore them, she was drunk too.

“I’m sorry I’m so drunk,” Tia whispered, words slurring. She leaned her head back over the deck, throwing up again. Dada just pulled Tia’s hair away from her face, holding it back as her other hand stayed rubbing the small of her back. “I’m sorry,” Tia just kept muttering. All Dada could do was lean forward and place a kiss to the back of her shoulder.

“Let’s just go to bed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Tia. Let’s just go to bed.”

Tia and Dada didn’t speak to each other the whole rest of that night. Jane and Dada helped all the girls to bed, Tia and Crystal slept on the mega bed on the floor, Dada and Jane would take the bottom bunks, and Nymphia and Gothy on the top. And as if she couldn’t help it, Dada found herself dragging her tired feet to the deck of the ferry again, unaware of Jane following her. She only turned to see Jane when they both reached the railing, jumping slightly before she relaxed. Dada wanted to feel sorry, she really did, but she was somehow still mad. Jane knew it too, she could tell by her rare silence. Jane always knew what to say yet remained silent, had Dada really created such a rare situation?

“I don’t know…” She started, as if Jane had already asked a question. “Maybe I am not old enough to get it… I don’t want to be, but-” Dada didn’t look up as she muttered. “It’s her semester abroad.”

Jane said nothing, she just lit a cigarette and passed it to Dada, whose chest felt empty as she took a hit, as light as it's been since she met Tia. She didn’t want to dwell on it, but the thought did linger… could it be for the best to leave it like this? Hurt and broken, at least a good story with an ending they could twist any way they wanted to.

But just the thought of leaving this, Tia, at all made Dada nauseous, though she never got seasick, not even from Nice.

“It was a rough night…” Jane muttered, clearly exhausted. “I promise. You’ve been there. We’ve all been there… I love Tia but… but I don’t blame you, honestly.” Jane muttered simply, but it was enough to make Dada feel even more sea sick. They finished the cigarette and then walked back to the cabin in silence. Tia was knocked out, and Dada didn’t know how to feel as she placed the small trash can by her head. She wished she hadn’t left their conversation cut off in complete silence, but what were they supposed to say in front of their group? Dada hoped it would be better in the morning, but even after they woke up to twisting stomachs and pounding heads, as they packed up their backpacks, returned the mattresses, and ate a shitty breakfast, Tia and Dada barely spoke.

She figured Tia was either embarrassed that she remembered nothing, or mad at Dada for being annoyed with her. She did regret being so mean to Tia… but she had been so horrible all night. Dada sort of hoped Tia didn’t remember any of it.

From the ferry docking in Sardinia, the beautiful Island they’d be touring the last five days of tour, to walking to the bus parked under the deck of the ferry, Tia didn’t say one word. She sat next to Crystal on the bus, tears shining bright in her eyes as Dada sat across from her, immediately turning to talk with Nymphia. All Tia could think as Crystal gave her a questioning look, was why am I right back to the beginning of the trip when I know this is the end?

…

come on and haunt me

i know you want me

[rosethornewrites]

A few weeks ago I posted about the squatter next door, and I learned today he didn’t even know he was squatting.

The home owner, who has let it fall into uninhabitability over the course of 16 or so years of abandoning the place knowing it’s going to be bulldozed, decided she wanted a quick buck.

So she found a man she could scam, someone desperate for a stable roof over his head and yeah it’s in disrepair (black mold, human waste, etc) but he can help her fix it for a “break” in the rent and sometimes she’d even buy materials and it doesn’t have electric or water yet but I’m working on it promise.

And she charged him $700 for the first month of “rent” and he was arrested for unlawful inhabitation after a week. Which she knew full well would be the result.

The thing is, $700 is obscenely low for rent in my area. Literally, at least twice as much for something of that size. So he was being, to his knowledge, offered a helping hand. A big one. And he probably didn’t have any better options.

Neighbors who’d talked to the guy before the arrest said he was just so happy to be renting and have a project. We were friendly and let him charge his phone and gave him water, because hey, he was down on his luck enough to squat there and we’re not gonna fuck it up for him.

But he really thought he was a renter and he was legitimately our neighbor. So he was being friendly and chatty and just openly living there. He was down on his luck and took what seemed to be a helping hand.

It’s infuriating that he was scammed. Odious.

We knew that place wasn’t inhabitable because the village wouldn’t ever grant it an occupancy permit. So the only possibility was he was squatting. And he was, but he had no idea, even while we were all polite about it by just not addressing it.

Just, I know in that sort of situation, I would be mortified on top of everything else that my “neighbors” had known all the time that you weren’t supposed to be there and for some reason didn’t clue you in on that? I’d feel so stupid over it, when in reality I trusted the wrong person in a vulnerable moment.

That someone would put another human being through all of that just to make a quick buck.

Human beings are really capable of such cruelty.

[twilightpony4]

Backwoods: 8. Double Back

“I want to go back to the projects.” Mikey muttered as he first gazed upon the farmhouse. It wasn’t bad but by an inner city new yorker’s eyes, it was old, run down, not at all flashy, and old if I didn’t mention it. The home was visibly white but that’s only if you can see it past the overgrown flora that dried up and stained the walls. Donnie hobbled past him. The end of his staff met the back of his younger brother’s head.

“Be grateful we have a safe place to go.”

“New rule, since I’m helping take care of you guys, we refrain from hurting me.” Mikey declared.

“We’ll see who hurts who.” Raph threatened as he pulled some of their bagged up items out of the truck. Casey had successfully driven the six large mutants and their luggage through the city and into the deep woods for them to recover in. Despite Raphael wanting to do it all on his own to show he was fine, he still assisted by setting some bags near the edge for the red clad turtle to retrieve it or throwing it on the ground himself. Venus was at the door using the key April had given them before their departure from the city. The door creaked eerily and revealed a very underwhelming atmosphere. Most people refer to farmhouses as cute and quaint luxury. Here, it looked plain with dreadful earth tones and simple decor. Nothing in there reflected luxury. If anything, it looked just how it sounded. Abandoned and not regularly used.

Mona in good strength allowed both Donnie and Leo to use her to get up the steps on the porch so that they could enter. Donnie was far more observant than Leo. As the purple clad terrapin hobbled and looked around their new home, Leonardo gave the place one good glance before keeping his eyes glued to the floor. He hobbled over to the couch, custom boot in tow, and sat down. A light cloud of dust dispersed around him, signaling how long it truly has been since the last time it was in use. Donatello and the female reptiles equally cringed. Mona bared her teeth and took off presumably to find cleaning supplies such as a vacuum. Raphael entered and looked more in amazement.

“Holy shit we’re on the Little House on the Prairie.” he commented. Venus shook her head.

“You city boys are something else. It’s just a bit dusty is all.”

“It’s a bit ugly too.”

With some of their bags, Casey entered the home. He was actively trying to take out his cell phone as he stood in the middle of the living room.

“Listen up kids, April said this place has limited space but you should be able to share since it’s four rooms. There’s a gas station store about 6 miles away on that main road we crossed. If the lights don’t turn on, there’s a backup generator in the back of the house. She’ll be over within the next few days to bring you guys more groceries and the doctors will return to recheck you all in a week unless requested sooner.” 

“The real question is, who’s gonna room with Mikey?” The orange masked terrapin clutched his cowrie shells from his biggest brother’s remarks.

“What makes you think I want to room with you?” He pursed his lips, eyeing him up and down.

“The same reason nobody else wants to room with you.” Typical of Raphael to say and typical of him to already start checking out the cabinets for something to eat. With a jolt of optimism, Michelangelo tried to take control of the situation.

“Donnie wants to-.” Donatello interrupted with short and low spurts of him clearing his throat and indefinitely looking away in outer space. Mikey paused, then continued when he saw his other brother.  “I mean Leo-.”

“No…” He turned the end of his statement into a whistle. Venus pushed on him in disgust. 

“And I’m rooming with Mona.” Raphael chimed in. Peanuts don’t go bad right? Raphael believed so when he couldn’t find the expiration date on a jar of Planter’s Peanuts. They didn’t taste too bad.

“No, you’re not.” The lady reptile returned from one of the small rooms with a tiny handheld vacuum in her hand. Raphael furrowed his brow. “I am staying with my little sister.” She placed her hand on the shoulder of her sister who glowed from her warmth. Raphael wanted to protest but he can’t compete with that. He came over to Donnie who was still looking away to show his disinterest in engaging in the conversation until the Mikey problem was resolved. Raph gave him a little smack on the cheek to wake him up.

“You’re with me.” He declared. Although Raphael wasn’t his first choice, at least he was out of the running for the problem child.

“You mean Leo and I get separate rooms? To ourselves?? Bet!” Before anyone could say anything, the younger turtle took off in the house to possibly scope out his new room.

“We should’ve thought that through.” Donnie commented. Turning away rapidly, Raph’s shell accidentally bumped into the injured dork.

“We gotta get the better room!” He yelled as his big frame shook the house with each step he took. The remaining reptiles and human became somewhat worried about the merit of the floor as it took a beating from two insanely large and solid mutants running on top of it and were probably fighting at some points to get the room that they wanted. Venus and Donnie began sentences on top of eachother then stopped as soon as they heard the other. Both exchanged looks with intelligegible but obviously worried gibberish before getting up and running off in the direction of the bulkier mutants. They truly tried to deescalate the problem and counteract their actions on the house’s foundation. With that thought Casey turned his phone off and returned it to his pocket.

“I’ll be back later with April, call if you need us.” He instructed and he backed out of the room. The mutants collectively thanked Casey Jones and said their goodbyes as he closed the door behind him. Mona walked over to the couch. She crouched down some while extending her hand to the leader. Leonardo waited a second before attempting to get up. Thankfully he was strong enough to lift himself up by one leg so that the injured ankle did not have to bear his massive weight. Mona held tight as he got up and adjusted himself.

“Might as well find a room we like.” He said. The two other mutants nodded knowingly. Before he and his sister could take a step, he halted her and came from under her arm. The terrapin winced but he stood up straight and proceeded to walk over through the hallway on his own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Go ask him! Ask him!” a member of the Purple Dragon’s egged on his associate. There were three of them in the immediate space. Another handful were stationed in surrounding areas as extra security, although this was more of the gang’s choice rather than the one’s of whom they were hired by. The Foot clan steps on every New York gang’s neck but as they began to cut recruitment numbers for care in the quality of their soldiers, rival gangs would be “hired” for various gigs. In this instance, Johnny smiled smugly over at their prisoner. Sitting on the cold ground with cuffs around his rat feet kept him from being able to stand. His hands were also handcuffed behind his back, leaning him against a pole. The bandana around his eyes kept him from seeing his surroundings. The rat was immobile and did not know where he was or what was to become of him. As time went on, all he can tell was that he was in the presence of idiots. Johnny stepped in front of him and bent over with his hands on his knees to ask Splinter to his face.

“Do you know a Charles Entertainment Cheese?” Immediately as he spoke he began to laugh. He did not care that his spit splattered onto the face of the rat as he laughed directly in his face. His other buddies found it just as entertaining as he did. As they should as they wanted him to ask. He kept whooping and hollering. It kept occurring so close that it hurt his sensitive ears. He couldn’t escape it, but he kept his cool. This was nothing to him. He’s gone through far worse. He’s a single father of four boys.

“We got -” The initial alarm of the walkie talkie being used pierced Splinter’s ear but not as much as the shock of feeling the building shake. All three gangsters came together and stood at the ready. Immediately after, the walkie sounded off again.

“Explosives set off at the entrance!” someone warned in distress. Johnny took a breath.

“They’re here!”

“What’s the plan?” Two-ton asked. SPlinter could hear him get closer as the large man was not shy about hiding his steps. He was proud of allowing people to see him coming to get after them.

“We move. Our flank’s covered.” That’s right. The Foot wanted to handle the mutants themselves. In all honesty, the Purple Dragons don’t have the best track record with defeating these mutants. Instead, they could just maintain an already captured enemy. Splinter does not remember his captors, but Johnny did when they traded the rat in for their care. Those women were bad. He himself felt like his life could end at any moment in their presence. They met with a full machine gun in his hands and he still felt unsafe. Wherever those women came from, he knew they were not the ones to play with.

The memory of it made Johnny shudder. He then snapped and pointed back at Splinter. “Sorry about this old man. Two-ton, hit him!” Instantly, Splinter was hit by an electric prod by the larger gangster. It didn’t take long for him to go limp from loss of consciousness. “Wrap him up, let's get him out the back.”

Splinter’s arms were uncuffed from the pole and immediately re-cuffed behind his back. With such a job this big and higher ups so scary, the Purple Dragons wanted this to be their best job. Two-Ton transported the rat out the back. Their walkie talkies went off narrating what was going on. There was a fire by the entrance. All of the mutants showed up. Their vehicle was under cover, hiding behind a hill of trash, next to a path that leads to a backroad exit. He ran with the rat bumping harshly on top of his back. The man couldn’t care how smooth the ride was for his prisoner. The group finally got to their getaway van. 

Splinter was thrown in the back seat. They did not know if they should or should not buckle him in his seatbelt, so the job of the third member was to figure that out as Johnny and Two-Ton got in the front seat. Johnny got them out of there as the van sped off out of eyesight. Two-Ton and Johnny both constantly looked behind themselves to make sure they weren’t being followed by anyone. Once they got onto the freeway, they knew they were in the clear. By then, the third member had Splinter lying on his side with his head hanging off on the door side of the back seat. His choice of seatbelt placement was to use the middle and outside belts to straddle his body down while he got the whole other third seat to himself. Just cuz he a thug don’t mean he don’t wanna be safe himself. Johnny saw it in the rearview mirror while checking behind himself and cracked a smile of relief. Two-Ton had his whole body turned around to look at the job. He sighed.

“Why do we even have this guy?”

“The Foot want the turtles. This poor guy is just a pawn.”

“‘Wonder what it is to them?” The third member asked. He was both creeped out and fascinated by the creature sleeping next to him. “Food?” Two-Ton turned his body all the way to look at him again as if it was a stupid thing to say. In his defense, he just wanted to think outside the box. Obviously this thing means something quite important to those giant turtles. But what could a giant rat mean to some giant turtles?

“I don’t know dude, but I’m down to get some.” Johnny added as it was both the truth and a smooth way to redirect Two-ton’s attention to something less conflicting.

“Del Taco.” He pointed to a large sign off the exit. The van turned on its right turn signal.

[house-on-sand]

sans (@mrsbertinelli) and isaac (@sednian05) enabling behavior has caused this /lhj

long post incoming (this became an infodump abt him in general im so sorry)

alright first a little background info about grant!

he was first introduced in 1994 in a solo series before he played a part in one of the big dc crisis events (zero hour).

grant is a fifteen/sixteen year old meta human from georgia. in his first appearance he's starting out at a new school because his family moves around a lot due to his father’s job at symbolix – a company he initially doesn't know too much about. his home life is not great and that much is clear right off the bat (it gets further expanded upon in other issues and way down the line in another series) & he's super frustrated about moving so much and starting over again and again.

one of the big things he's upset about (and it continues throughout the series and his other appearances!) is the lack of control he has in his own life.

during his first week at his new high school everything goes to shit. right off the bat he pisses off the local bully/popular jock and later ends up destroying a car while leaving the school. he hits it and it fucking crumples, this is the first sign of his powers! & after this he goes home to tell his parents who act like they don't believe him and he ends up in trouble n grounded to his room without dinner (his mom says she'll try to sneak him smth but it's not shown if she does or not). this is when you find out his parents are not... actually his parents... they're employees of symbolix assigned to watch over him as he grew up to see if his powers ever "activated"

this is when grant is referred to as project telemachus for the first time!

his "parents" are excited to finally be free from their roles as guardians and kind of just. wash their hands of him?

he goes to bed thinking everything is normal (minus the car thing) and assumes the next day is gonna be normal as well. he does not know that he's gonna get his ass kicked the next day by fucking metallo and he doesn't know his "parents" are gonna betray him. he goes to bed someone's son, he goes to bed an emerson, and when he wakes up and starts his day he has no idea that neither one of those things is really true anymore.

he's a tragic character! he is!

but after that first sign of his powers and his subsequent abandonment by his parents, he goes on the experience the WORST like 2 days of his life ever (honestly the worst day of anyone's life tbh)

he blows up his high school, he gets attacked by metallo, gets captured by the company responsible for creating him basically, gets betrayed by his parents and then they're killed in front of him, gets his ass kicked all over atlanta by another experiment, has the fucking TITANS called on him and this other older guy who? at first is implied to possibly be his bio father, gets his ass kicked a little bit by the titans, and THEN gets roped into saving the universe bc parallax/hal jordan is trying to destroy all of time and the universe bc he's responding to grief so well following the destruction of coast city (his hometown).

mind you, grant has had his powers for not even a full day, all of this shit is happening within the span of one day. hes having the worst time ever.

and here's how he becomes one of the most important characters in dc! even if dc has forgotten him!!

when he's pulled from time to help save the world, he's initially confused as hell bc he's surrounded by all these other heroes and he's just grant.. he's just damage. he thinks he's there by mistake!

but as time is disappearing and kyle rayner is fighting parallax, another hero/time travel/time stream guy (genuinely can't explain him) called wave rider explains his plan and why damage and other specific characters were brought there.

wave rider is gonna act as a conduit & the heroes he gathered that can fire off energy (?) like superman (w his heat vision) & the ray & captain atom & i wanna say donna troy are going to fire at him so he can absorb all their energy and channel into damage.

^^ wave rider explaining the plan ft grant once again not really having a choice in it. but he's still a hero and hes still the best boy ever

^^ the heroes channeling their energy into damage!

damage's powers allow him to create and build up energy and explode. if he builds up too much energy he goes critical and causes a devastating explosion, like what happened at hia high school. his powers also cause him to have super strength nd faster healing n stuff bc of the energy he builds up but that's not important here really!!!!!

the plan here with damage essentially being pushed towards going critical to an insane degree, is to restart the universe!!!

^^ grant absorbing the energy and getting closer to going critical!!!

they're causing another big bang!!! when grant says he was the spark he means!!! he's the fucking catalyst!!! he's the spark for the big bang!!!

^^ my boy!!!

^^^ he did this!! he created the explosion that created the world!!! he fixed time!!! it was him!!!

grant is so important and he's just a kid. without him there would be no more universe as they knew it!!!!

and he doesn't get? a lot of credit for it? no one really acknowledges it (the people that remember at least) & he's back to being grant emerson damage and he's no longer got the control he had when he caused the explosion, he's back to being out of control! so much of him is abt feeling like he has no autonomy. he isn't in control of his life or his powers :(

he then ends up fighting the guy who might be his dad bc he tells grant there's no way he could be his father and grant is literally a teenager having the worst 2 days ever and he's lost his parents and saved the universe and everything has changed so he's a mess of incredibly volatile emotions and well.... he ends up destroying a good chunk of downtown atlanta. and then he's arrested... and brought to another lab where they test his powers and the energy he gives off and alan scott ends up coming in and helps him figure out how to control his powers a little bit.

& he ends up on trial which leads to him being banned from the entire state of georgia lmao and hes gotta join the titans and learn how to control his powers better and bc roy harper agreed to keep track of him / train him (roy saw grant ONCE and decided that yeah. that's my kid. im adopting him immediately which is so fucking funny)

and there's so much more but this is already very long. & the next things id be getting into is the actual nonsense of his parents and his creation n stuff so...

but if... if someone WANTS to let me infodump more i will. only if someone else wants it

at any given moment i am clenching my jaw and white knuckling it to keep from talking about how grant emerson is one of the most important characters in the dc universe but dc has pretty much forgotten him