#marsha dreamer | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

goatskickin · 2 years ago

Photo

Where did we leave our college students last time? Oh yes: Faith was cookin’ and lookin’ (for a husband), Bettina bagged a Dreamer warlock, and Tempe, against all odds, managed to kiss a girl.

As the semesters come and go, what have the Springs-Eternal kids gotten up to?

Seeing has how she had a Popularity Secondary aspiration, Faith felt that she needed to put herself out there and make some new friends.

With the offerings at Brainia U being meager, Faith took a chance on Marsha Tse. If nothing else, Marsha’s a sucker for Faith’s cooking. And Faith loves a good compliment.

“Yuh! You haven’t tried a Spanish-fried flax egg? Bro, it will change your life.”

“I don’t think that’s - Marsha…are you high right now?

“Huhuhuhu, yuh!”

Marsha likes eating snacks and standing still. Truly, expectations for companionship are low.

Faith is happy to cook though. People who cook for others are kind!

Or so she tells herself.

“Faith, we should do this more often! Like, a teatime? But with an actual meal? Get in the habit of taking time to socialize and visit? A girl group power hour?”

“Hell yeah! I’ve been working on this lentil tofu that isn’t totally ass. I’m thinking some kind of creamy coconut milk curry soup thing to do with it…who else can we invite over?”

Bettina knows Marsha Tse from bubble-related hangs.

“Duuuude, can I like, borrow the computer? I totally spaced and my chemistry lab is due like, huh, today. Also, do you have a tampon?”

“Huh! Faith, who is ‘[email protected]’? You have like, hella unread emails from this person.

“…Marsha…go to class.”

“Sooo…you wanna talk about how you got all smoochy smoochy with Skylar at karaoke yesterday?”

…

“…no, I do not. And I wasn’t.”

“What I remember is Kiera being pitchy.”

“Hahaha, stoppp…but she kinda was though...”

♫ Your beauty is beyond compare With flaming locks of auburn hair ♫

♫ With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green Your smile is like a breath of spring ♫

♫ Your voice is soft like summer rain And I cannot compete with you Jolene ♫

♫ He talks about you in his sleep ♫

♫ And there's nothing I can do to keep ♫

♫ From crying when he calls your name ♫

♫ Jolene ♫

…

“Bettina! Come on! We can do a duet for this next one.”

“Uh, okay…but I’m no singer…”

“This one is easy! Come on!”

“Ha, okay…”

♫ Life is a mystery Everyone must stand alone I hear you call my name And it feels like home ♫

♫ When you call my name, it's like a little prayer I'm down on my knees ♫

♫ I wanna take you there ♫

♫ In the midnight hour, I can feel your power Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there ♫

♫ I hear your voice It's like an angel sighin' I have no choice I hear your voice Feels like flying ♫ – “Bettina, take your jacket off! Come on!”

“Ha! That’s not the words!”

♫ I close my eyes Oh God I think I'm fallin' Out of the sky I close my eyes Heaven help me ♫

♫ When you call my name, it's like a little prayer I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there In the midnight hour, I can feel your power Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there ♫

“I remember Skylar grinning at us like a store mannequin while we were singing Like a Prayer…”

“And? And you remember him totally giving you lovey dovey eyes?!”

“Faith! Gosh, are you a contralto? That was great! You should be getting paid to sing like that.”

“Sorry, I know we don’t know each other well, but I had to say something…”

“Hm, well, I would say that I could be best compared to Karen Carpenter in terms of both range and emotionality in my voice….

…

…thanks.”

…

“Faith, you’d have made a much better Queen Gertrude in the spring showcase, rather than whoever that girl was that they had doing it…she had no, you know, gravitas? You do.”

“…um, wow. Thanks Skylar.”

“I can see it now Faith – you, Sky, total power couple, he’s supporting your dreams, you’re conquering the stage – “

“Bettinaaaaa, stop! I’m totally not serious about him!”

“He’s cool, but like, he’s just a friend, you know?”

“He’s cute I guess.”

“I mean like, he does have good taste. Clearly not an idiot.”

“But like, he’s just ‘some guy’ from Bluewater Village.”

“For my future, I need the perfect husband.”

“You’re so picky! Sky can’t be that man, Faith? I think you need to be more openminded…”

“Uh, guys? Um, like, the computer is making a funny…smell…um, I’m gonna finish my paper on paper …”

Though Faith didn’t take her interaction with Skylar seriously, her talk with Bettina did get her thinking about what her life would be like once college was over.

Marriage was on the horizon, obviously.

And moving back home of course. On another trip to campus, Faith and Bettina happen to run into another Pitstop Valley native - Benny Navajo.

…

“Hey Benny. Sorry about your dad. I heard from my mom.”

…

“Thanks.”

…

“Hi Faith.”

“Benny! Benny-man! Hi! How’s Brainia U’s big sports star?”

“Hm. You follow our basketball team Faith?”

“Totally. I totally knew what sport you played!

…

How are you?”

“Like, in general?”

“Yeah! In general! And in specific.”

“Um, fine, I guess. Got to go to my history lecture in an hour.”

“Cool, that is totally cool. History is so…like it’s a thing that happened. And we need to know about it. You know?”

“Um? Yeah, sure.”

“So, listen, when we all get back to Pitstop Valley…”

“Oh, I am not going back to Pitstop Valley.”

“HA! Ben! Benny, you’re funny. Anyway, when we get back to Pitstop – “

“I am not going back there Faith. I am staying here.”

“Benny! Ha! HA! What, are you going to do, stay at Brainia U forever? Be a super senior?”

“I dunno. Coach says if I take 15 more credits after senior year that I can do another semester at least.”

“Um, are you kidding Benny? Like – “

“Pitstop Valley is not a good place. It’s pretty shitty actually.”

“What do you mean?!”

“Well, we don’t have electricity, there’s only one store, anyone over 65 practically loses their mind, we can only use the phone one day a week, we don’t have a lot of – “

“Oh, is that all?! What, you wanna stay here because there’s pinball? And a movie theater?”

“…don’t be an asshole.”

“Fuck you! You don’t be an asshole.”

“Yeah, yeah, fuck you too.”

“Look, my dad is dead. Candice left town with some new boyfriend the last I heard. And Cheyenne has Mercy.”

“Okay…what about Benji?”

“Fuck Benji. He works for the mob. Fuck the mob too.”

…

“Move over.”

…

“So, what are you going to do then?”

“…I dunno. I can stay here. Or I can go anywhere. Maybe Downtown. I don’t know.”

“Downtown? Dangerous.”

“Whatever. Maybe it’s the right place for me. And you’ve never even been there, so you can’t even talk.”

“Like you have! How would you get there anyway?”

“I dunno. I’d figure it out.”

Faith’s conversation with Benny gave her a lot to think about. Not go back to Pitstop Valley? Faith couldn’t imagine it.

Sure, there wouldn’t be the nice amenities like they had at Brainia U. But her parents were there.

Well, Justice was at least.

Besides, Pitstop Valley was a small nowhere town – the perfect backstory for star who came from nothing.

The nice thing about Brainia U though; Faith and Bettina often had the pleasure of running into friends on-campus. That was one aspect of university Faith would miss.

“You guys are so CUUUUUUTE!”

“Faith! Get lost, will ya.”

Seb’s had been Bettina’s official boyfriend for some time now. Their relationship had a basis of a solid friendship. And they had magic in common as well.

While he’d been reluctant to share his magic training with Bettina, he was pleasantly surprised to find her a quick and eager study.

Nothing too crazy – a little spell here, a little charm there…

After all, it was likely that Bettina would follow her mother’s Good alignment, and possibly learn from her as well.

Remy on the other hand, took different approach to magic than Seb. He wasn’t above pushing the envelope.

After having settled on Philosophy as a major, in addition to his studies, Remy’s belief was that writing the next teen/YA novel would set him on the path to security and fortune.

Much to the amusement of his twin.

“Okay, so, let me guess…teeny tiny female protagonist who is not like other girls, somehow knows kung-fu and then she’s forced to team up with the school bully/secret crush who is also a werewolf-"

“Shut up! That’s terrible. That’s not even a GOOD example of a bad YA novel.”

“Just you wait. The book I am going to write is going to be amazing. And it’s going to make me a lot of money.”

At least that is what Remy was telling himself.

Wade, while not being really big on school, finally decided on a major that suited him: Kinesiology.

Going to gym class several times a week with a little bit of science class sprinkled in suited him nicely.

And who knows? Maybe that extracurricular karate class would come in handy one of these days.

At the boy’s house one snowy morning, Wade made the daft decision to shoo away a penguin from the yard right out of the shower.

Little did he know that it would lead to one of the most important days of his life.

Pengu: “BRRR! Indecent!”

A student known to everyone at Brainia U simply as ‘The Streaker’ happened to run past right as Wade was doing his shooing.

“AHHH!”

And Wade, outside and having already made one questionable decision that day, decided to make another.

He talked to her.

“Hey – “

“Wow! Outside in a towel?! Freeing right? The air is to totally crisp today!”

“….uh, heh, yeah! Sur-sure is! Um! Can I ask! What are you – “

“Oh yeah, ha! Totes didn’t mean to startle you if you saw me, but I just couldn't let this crisp and sunny day get away from me, you know? Totally exhilarating! You ever hear of barefoot running?”

“Uhhhh –“

“Wait! You’re in my Pilates class, yeah?”

“Uh…oh! Yea? I think? I’m in the front usually, so if you were behind me – “

“Dude! You give me like, golden retriever vibes, yeah? I like your style! What’s your sign? Do you know that penguin? Is it around your yard a lot?”

Pengu: “I am alarmed at what is transpiring here.”

Snowman: *judgmental and snowy agreement*

After helping her focus her attention, Wade invited the Streaker inside. Most people would find it cold to be outside in weather like that, after all.

Robin (her actual name) turned out to be a pretty interesting person.

She was also a Kinesiology major like Wade, with a focus in bodywork and massage therapy. She took up the habit of ‘frostrunning’ as she called it, to deal with anxiety her freshman year. She found it to be exhilarating and mood boosting, and she’d been hooked ever since.

Before the Fall, a college campus might have had a security team, one that would enforce rules against the kind of fast & naked exercise Robin had accustomed herself to.

But at Brainia U, her only real danger was that of falling on the ice or freezing to death. No other student had dared to approach her.

Except for Wade. He found her to be the most fascinating person he’d ever met.

“I’ll look out for you in class next time. Maybe you can show me that hip stretch you mentioned?”

“Sure!”

Remy’s interactions with girls were usually less…good.

“…then we get to the tower, and the whole time we are following the protagonist – I still don’t have a name for him – and then suddenly at the top of the stairs, in her defense, the princess who has whipped the door wide open in anticipation, has the dagger, aimed right at his – “

“Puh-LEASE! Stop! That’s godawful!”

“Could you come up with something that’s even more pandering?! I mean my god; did you rip that right from the Chronicles of Pretentious Douchebags? Where is the female character’s agency?! Does this heroine have any friends? And what about the arch with the mourning dove? I mean were you going to forget about that entirely?!”

Luckily, there’s some other Brainia U students that are a little more easygoing.

“Howdy Faith! Any luck making friends with that personality?”

“Suck my butt, Bettina.”

*grumble*

“I can make other friends…”

…

“…maybe talking to new people was a bad idea.”

“Hey! I am literally right here.”

“Well, Kiera, you’re being weird, and you needed to know.”

*sigh*

“I hate small talk…. but not everyone should get to know me on a deep level.

…

…how am I supposed to connect with anyone? I hate this! Everyone’s so dumb…but I want to be in a relationship...”

“It could be that you’re feeling overwhelmed about who to choose for the future. It’s a big decision.”

“Well, good point! I’d definitely want to be with someone who would kiss the ground I walk on!”

“Uh, okay…”

“Well, think about it. You need to be careful. A lot of people unconsciously look for partners that have the same traits and qualities as the people they grew up with. You know? Because those people feel familiar. But that’s not always a good choice, depending on your family and upbringing and all.”

“No offense dude, but have you even kissed anyone? Do you even know what you are talking about?”

“Geez. Sorry for trying to help.”

Fortunately for Faith, there’s other people on campus who prove to be more receptive to her.

“Oi! Lambkin! What’s a lovely single lady like you doing here? You seem tense. I may be able to help you unburden your troubles…among other things…”

“Um!! I, uh…”

“Verily! Across the campus I’d seen ye, and I thought – “

“Hey Rasmus, fuck off. Don’t touch people. Go take a shower.”

“Lo! Our fiery leading lady! Faith the Fearless! What say – “

“Beat it Rasmus. What the fuck. Invest in deodorant.”

“Huh?”

“Hey, sorry about him.”

“Wha…what the…who was – “

“God, that’s just Rasmus. Theater majors, you know? Sorry, I’m a theater major too, but at least I have some restraint. We did A Christmas Carol last semester and Rasmus still hasn’t let go of his character and wears the costume all the time. What a creep, right?”

“Ohhhhh…okay that….that kinda makes sense…”

“What’s your name?”

“Hi, uh, Rebecca. Rebecca Beckett.”

“Rebecca Beckett. Becky Beckett! That’s cute! I like it. You wanna get some pizza?”

Though Brainia U’s pool was roofless and unprotected from the year-round winter weather, some students didn’t mind a bracing dip. It was practically the only exercise that Faith would tolerate.

“Hey, you know, I was thinking about what you said, and…you’re full of shit.”

“…you were actually listening to me? Do you even know my name?”

“So, like, I want the opposite of whatever fucked up situation my parents have. That’s what I’ve always been looking for. But everyone’s so like, boring? Like, I’m looking for some spice.”

“You know, heat? Energy? Something interesting?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to get it.”

“Listen, I’m really not interested in whatever it is you’ve got going on. I was just making an observation. I’m in my capstone for Psychology, and you just seemed like you had a pretty obvious blind spot as far as emotional intelligence goes….sorry I got involved. Bye.”

*grumble*

“….what the fuck does he know…”

Life continues to be a blur of eat-sleep-study-repeat until graduation day. And, the penguin is here.

Pengu: “How much longer must we wrestle with disrespectful treatment, brother?! HM?!”

Snowman: *agrees snowily*

With occasional other happenings.

“…I think that was Wade’s new girlfriend.

…

Um, wow.”

“Maybe that dick-idiot with the slicked-back red hair was kind of saying something...”

“Am I looking in the right places for a boyfriend? What am I even looking for?”

And for once, Faith could not distract herself from her issues with cooking.

“Bettina! Are we out of my lentil tofu? The hell? Where is the rice I made on Tuesday?”

“Oh…yeah Temps was over to study with me for our history exam. I think he ate it.”

While on a trip to the store…

…while Faith stocks up on nutritional yeast and noodles…

…who does Bettina run into, but her beloved!

“Sebby!”

“Hi angel. Why are you out late?”

“Oh, the fridge was bare. How are you?”

“Babe, listen I’ve been thinking…”

“Ooh! Lower, there, thank you…”

“Babe, I’d like to do some more advanced magic.”

“Oh, would you now?

…

You still need to work on the firefly charm. 5 fireflies is not exactly multitudinous. You’re really supposed to –”

“That’s kid stuff! I want to do more!”

“Oh yeah, like what? Love spells? Stop time? Making things out of thin air? You know that’s Evil magic.”

“Not like thaaaat….exactly…”

“Bettina…”

“What! I just love it, okay? I feel powerful. I feel like I have a lot of catching up to do, you know? I just want to like, do some extra credit, to get to the next level.”

“Ha! There’s no need to rush. Magic is a life-long practice. Why are you trying to jump ahead?”

“Ugh, like, because! Please?!”

“Bettina, first, I don’t even study that myself. Second, your mother is not going to approve of me – “

“Oh my god, what does she even know! She – “

“She does know Bettina, that’s the thing. Romantic couples are not supposed to be partners in magic. She’s not going to approve of me, and she’s certainly not going to approve of any magic from you that isn’t above-board and Good.”

“We’re a romantic couple then? You like like me?”

“Shut up, haha. But you should really cushion the news for her. I’m serious. It’s not recommended that romantic couples partner in magic, as many have a tendency to break up. Statistically.”

“We are not going to break up.”

“I didn’t say that. I just said that statistically, it’s likely. We are adults. We have to be realistic.”

“Mhm! I love when you talk to me about stats. It’s romantic.”

“There’s always other things we can do together…things that use a different kind of magic…”

Ever needing ‘material’ for his YA novel, Remy manages to get his roommates to wander campus with him.

“…a chosen one arc? No….no, perhaps a soulmate thing, where they are BOTH the chosen ones…”

Seb and Temps are still thick as thieves. Tempe appreciates Seb’s analytical mind and sense of responsibility.

Someone must be the ‘dad’ of the group. If Wade and Tempe are the unsupervised toddlers.

*hurk*

“So, a Long Island Iced Tea doesn’t - *hurk*- have any tea in it at all?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know! Maybe you didn’t get it strong enough. Oh! I’ll order a double, and then maybe that’s how you would notice the tea flavor?”

“…Remy, let’s get these guys some carbs.”

*hurk* “But I ate some popcorn! I found it on the ground!”

“Seb, it looked fine! 5 second rule, yeah?”

“…yeah, food is a good idea.”

Time for a change of scenery – pizza!

The beloved dad of the group isn’t exactly good at loosening up. But he tries.

The campus’s pizza place is a popular spot.

Faith likes it here too.

“What’s up virgins!”

Not deterred by his less-than-stellar previous interactions with girls, Remy keeps at it.

“I am going to go talk to that blond girl eating pizza.”

“Okay. You have something specific as an opener? Or do you know her at all?”

“No, but I got this. Trust me.”

Things start of innocuous enough…

“Oh my god! Hey! I was going to wear that same outfit tonight!”

“Ha? Ha!”

…and goes downhill very quickly.

“…no way could the epistolary nature of the book be captured in film, even if – “

“What?! So, you’re saying that the scene where he’s on the ship with the sirens, even if it was a dream – “

“Oh puh-lease, ‘even if it was a dream’ – what else would it be? A flashback?! A cheesy flashback with a misty cut?”

Remy gaze hasn’t left his navel long enough to realize that not everyone’s is on his wavelength.

“Hmph…maybe this isn’t the hangout for a…sapiosexual…like myself.”

“Less evolved girls just don’t ‘get’ me.”

At least Remy has his brother.

Also, if further proof was needed that Tempe has weird taste in girls…here is Becky Beckett, a cool girl who jokes about being pickpocketed and *winks* - but Tempe thinks she’s yucko.

Available girls could practically fall from the sky, and it’s like Tempe would not even notice.

Back at the boy’s house…

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH – oh, hi Robin…”

“Hi Sebastian!”

Robin the Streaker takes the opportunity to feel the breeze beneath her buttocks. And pay Wade a visit!

“Robin, in this cold and snowy world we live in…”

“… you could be the sunshine of my life.”

“Hahaha, Wade! Oh, you’re too sweet.”

With encouragement, Robin is able to put some clothes on. And Wade gets to know her better!

Wade discovers that she’s an extra social super playful extrovert!

Highly skilled…

And a Leo too – which makes a LOT of sense.

“I’ve never met anyone like you Wade! You’ve got a sick snowball throw, and a nice booty.”

“I’ve never met anyone like you, Robin! Want to go make a snowman?”

“Yeah!”

Awwwww.

Robin’s streaking has inspired at least one other person at Brainia U to pursue some new…freedoms of expression.

Yeah, yeah (I like it when the beat goes da na da na) (Baby, make my booty go da na da na) (Girl, I know I wanna show da na da na) baby That schlong sch-schlong, schlong, schlong I said I like the way, uh (baby, when the beat goes da na da na) Uh (baby, make my booty go da na da na) Baby (girl, I know I wanna show da na da na) (That schlong sch-schlong schlong, schlong) listen -