#opposite: maura cortes

[atticuscortes]

for: @maura-cortes

where: beach bonfire

"See? I fucking told you. Beach plus bonfire plus dude with a guitar equals Wonderwall, every single time. It's inevitable, like death. And taxes." Atticus raised his White Claw (Tangerine, disgusting) to his mouth for a sip. "But speaking of taxes..."

His hand was held out towards her, palm up. "I won, fair and square."

(Fair in that Maura hadn't asked if, five minutes prior, Atticus had gone over to the dude with said guitar and personally requested Wonderwall, of course. Which he had.)

"Twenty dollars. Pay up. Unless...you wanna go double or nothing?" His still empty palm came up to stroke his chin, pretending to think deeply. "I'm feeling like he's following this up with some...Matchbox Twenty?"

(He might've also thrown in a second request for Push.)

[cricketcampbell]

for: @maura-cortes

where: sharky's, post-costume-switcharoo

"So, one more time, just to be, like, totally clear...you didn't sleep with him and switch costumes after in a rush of confusion or as some weird sort of token?"

A t-shirt or a pair of sweats, Cricket could at least understand, even in her current tipsy state, but his entire Halloween costume? That was taking some wrapping her head around.

"Not that I, like, care...except I do, because it's doing absolutely nothing for your figure, Maur." Her head tilted as she considered. "...the gloves are kinda giving, though."

[cricketcampbell]

cricket: that was absolutely the correct answer 🥹 cricket: ooh if u do defffff lmk how that goes for u cricket: i've been a ✨ hinge girlie ✨ lately and rn my most responded to prompt is "let's debate this topic: sweet to savory breakfast ratio" cricket: care to comment? 🎤

maura: like 3 min and 47 seconds maura: any longer and they scrollin to the next one u kno? maura: hahaha no. but i might make it my new tinder bio? maura: like fr fr

[atticuscortes]

👀👀👀

You’re playing hooky for a day. How are you spending it

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

What’s something you like that people wouldn’t necessarily guess about you?

What’s the best new artist/song you’ve discovered recently?

You’re playing hooky for a day. How are you spending it?

"Right off the bat, catching up on some z's and sleeping the fuck in. It's a battle with that alarm clock literally every morning. Once I'm up though, it's breakfast--probably technically lunch, at that point--and if it's a good day for it, might head to the beach with my board to check out the waves. If not, maybe see if Blake or Cass are around for a run. Maybe after, pop by the arcade to see if I could bug Maur into kicking in some free tokens. End the day with a trip to the batting cages, make sure I'm pulling through for my team, and then head home and probs pass out watching some eighteen part TikTok of one of the hundred different med dramas on TV right now."

What’s your favorite childhood memory?

"Holidays are big in the Cortes family. Thirty people minimum, aunts and uncles and cousins and significant others, all together under one roof. Enough food to feed probably half the Bay, music, dancing...it's a little less fun now that we don't have to try and sneak drinks when nobody's looking, but what can you do? It's a mad house, and not for the weak, and obviously, yeah, the presents were nice, but...I don't know. When people say Christmas doesn't hit the same now as it did when you were a kid, they mean that shit. I think it's just a nostalgia thing."

What’s something you like that people wouldn’t necessarily guess about you?

"I actually kinda fuck with some country music. Yeehaw."

What’s the best new artist/song you’ve discovered recently?

leave in five - the maine (with misterwives)

@blake-michaels, @cassius-banks, @maura-cortes

Send my muse “👀 + a question” and they’ll have to answer with 100% honesty.

[cricketcampbell]

Sometimes it truly felt that Maura just lived inside her brain.

Cricket didn't know when it'd happened exactly, when it'd started to feel like Maura could finish her very thought without a word of it needing to be spoken aloud, oftentimes requiring no more than a single shared look. It was more than just a feeling of being seen or heard, two things Cricket tried her damndest to make herself be in any social situation, but rather simply the act of being known.

(It was a heady feeling, though that might have just been the drinks of the night and the too tight wig cap.)

"Say less." She nodded in agreement, squeezing Maura's hand in hers as she shepherded them through the crowd. This, Cricket thought to herself, is girlhood. Nobody would be getting lost on her watch.

Saying less must've been exactly what Maura wanted her to do though, if the finger pressed to her lips was any indication. Cricket immediately deflated, nodding dejectedly against the digit. She'd heard how it'd sounded as soon as she'd said it, and couldn't help but cringe inwardly.

"Sorry." She offered again with a small peck to Maura's finger, her own hand raising to intertwine them together and hold both between their bodies. "That wasn't what I meant, but--we're gonna forget it, because going into the new year sad is just not it! 2024 is gonna be our year, Maur, I can feel it. Can't you feel it?"

@maura-cortes

"Lets stay up and watch it when we're done here." Maura responds, grin upon her lips, the perfect end to what had almost been a perfect night, the year had had a bunch of lows — none more so than her reason for returning home to begin with — but it also had a lot of highs, she'd fallen in love (even if that was now it's own low, if not of her own making), she'd met Cricket, she'd met a whole bunch of people she hadn't known before she'd left Aurora in her younger years.

She lets Cricket lead her through the mass of people, fingers tightly entwined as to not get lost, a push here, light shove there and her front pressed up against Crickets back and she stood somewhat patiently behind the current blond.

"Almost swim." She answers, heavy emphasis on the almost. Not wanting to distract the two of them from their current liquid goal with the promise of a different kind.

Her head shakes, hand reaching out to press a finger to Crickets lips. She wansn't going to lie and say it was fine, the statement had stung and if there was one person she could be truthful with it was Cricket, but she didn't want to pass any comment on it either.

( She'd stuck with calling whomever he'd arrived with ugly and push it to the back of her memory, ghosts of twenty three weren't going to haunt this moment. )

( @cricketcampbell )

[cricketcampbell]

Caramel Macchiato : You’re travelling the entire world but you can only take one person with you. Who do you take?

Xavier Matthews, he can't block me in real life.

That or Cricket, with my survival skills and her cooking, we'd be the dream team.

( @xaviermattthews / @cricketcampbell )

[cricketcampbell]

Cricket: "if ur in the area" yeah the area of ur VAGINA!!! Cricket: still like weird of her to just show up like this def couldve been a text u know Cricket: but also like...were u into it? 👀 are we discovering new things abt ourselves? 👀👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 Cricket: yeah i feel like jerry could also just be short for like...geraldine so that checks out Cricket: okay but then more importantly like which one of US is ben and which one of us is jerry? 👀

Maura: i dont know Maura: but i do kinda recall being like "if ur in the area" u kno? i thought we had fun Maura: i mean, yeah i guess so, if only she was professing love Maura: jerry, def jerry. she's the cookie dough, which is def jerry.

[cricketcampbell]

cricket: ok but like a 3 min pt 1 or a 10 🥺 cricket: omg tell me making that joke is NOT the only reason u suggested we watch it!!! cricket: but also... cricket: same 😔

maura: wouldn't need more than pt. 1 of a tiktok. 🤭 maura: of course maura: hakunaa matataaaaaah. maura: i wish someone would hakuna my matatas.

[cricketcampbell]

cricket: i kno u wouldn't need 3 movies to save me 🥹 cricket: ok i can get behind 🦁👑 but only if it's the og 👉👈 cricket: queen bey i'm so sorry ily and would do almost anything for u but the cgi animals kinda freak me out!!!!

Maura: on it Maura: neeson got nothin on me Maura: 😎 Maura: omgggg ok ur on Maura: idk what i wanna watch tho. Maura: maybe a sing along Maura: 🦁👑?

[cricketcampbell]

"Stop, you know I love Sister Act!"

(She made a mental note to make that the first movie night of 2024; it'd practically been decided for her.)

With Maura's hand in hers like a just slightly shorter lifeline, they joined the mass of people who, to no surprise, must've had the same idea as them, clambering for last glasses of champagne or celebratory shots to knock back and ring in the New Year with.

Their height does hold some advantage, squeezing by and slipping past bodies too tall to see them coming and effectively block their path. It doesn't lead them directly to the bar, but no longer on the outskirts, Cricket thought they had a fair shot of getting in and getting out, maybe even with some time to spare.

"Did you say a swim?"

In this weather? Though, the pool was probably heated, and it wasn't like she'd be cold with the sheer amount of people in the room; if anything, Cricket was almost overheated, and the wig atop of her head wasn't helping. Maybe she could use a swim...

She didn't need to look back over at Maura to know that it'd been the wrong question to ask. Cricket could hear it in her tone alone, the brief pause before answering. She's quick to shake her head, both arms wrapping around Maura's one to hold her closer.

"Sorry, no, what I meant to say was--has Ziggy seen you? Because...wow, he's so missing out? Like, I feel so bad for him, actually. Think this might be a top five look for you, Maur. No, scratch that, top three. Top two, even--"

She could, and would, go on, even into the negatives (she'd make top negative three outfit a thing if she had to, damn it) just to make a smile reappear on her friends face.

@maura-cortes

"The only one." Maura remarks, as though this was now fact and that she and Cricket had the ability to rewrite the bible. The show Cricket puts on seconds later causing an eruption of laughter from Maura. "Amen, I think you're practically Whoopi Goldberg now, sister."

With that on the mind, she begins to drag Cricket towards the bar. As if they had only one pitstop to complete before their New Years pact, their final shot of 2023, a moment to be savoured.

"Mmm—" Maura hums at Crickets mention of food, the food at the event had been fine, more than to an extent — she's not sure she'll ever truly recover from the mini finger foods she'd had earlier, even if she couldn't tell you what they were, but something else would be more satisfying, nothing better than salty fries as an attempt in vain at not waking up hungover.

"I was outside. Almost went for a swim." The water had been inviting, but Maura was glad she hadn't decided that was a feasible option, not wanting to be some swamp monster when midnight struck. She's about to ask Cricket what she'd been up to when the mention of Ziggys name stops her in her tracks. Eyes widening slightly. "I didn't see Lor." She hums softly, "did see him, pretty sure he has a date, she's ugly though so whatever." She wasn't, Maura was just jealous and spite had a way of seeping out of her (especially when her personality had been topped up by endless option of alcohol).

Handling it? She was not.

( @cricketcampbell )

[cricketcampbell]

cricket: if my answer to those questions is ever no just kno that i have been kidnapped and it is up to u to pull a taken and come find me cricket: 👀 ATTN future potential kidnapper if u are reading this...pls ignore 🫣 cricket: but yes to both pls cricket: if u bring me some sour patch kids i'll let u pick the first movie 🥹🤝

maura 📲 cricket

maura: are you home? maura: do you want snacks? maura: and a sleepover 👀

[cricketcampbell]

"Oh. Is that, like, one of the disciples?"

Cricket couldn't remember the last time she'd stepped foot in a church, but to be on the safe side, she used the hand not gripped tightly onto Maura's arm to make a sign of the cross. In Jose Cuervo's name, Amen.

(Regardless of her general sacrilegious antics, her prayers had been answered by somebody, capital S or JC or otherwise, and for that, she was grateful.)

The beauty of the night had been their plan to divide and conquer: arrive together, split up to do their respective rounds, and reconvene for their midnight kiss. No pressure, no sloppy strangers, no being awkwardly left out. A completely foolproof fun venture into the New Year, where absolutely nothing could go wrong--especially now that they'd found each other.

"The only after party I'm trying to hit after this is in the In-N-Out drive thru." If she closed her eyes, she could practically taste her Double Double Animal Style, add chopped chillies. As delicious as the passed apps had been, even the stolen tray of steak bites hadn't been enough to completely satiate her. Plus, a drunk burger was an unmatched experience. Cricket's unsure if she'd feel that level of joy on even her own wedding day.

Maura's hand tugged her along, a reminder that standing still in the middle of a crowded room to picture her future tasty burger and less satisfiable wedding was not the most feasible option.

"What've you been up to tonight?" She nudged her shoulder as they located the bar. "Have you seen Lor? No, oh my God--have you seen Ziggy?" Cricket's head quickly turned over her shoulder, but even if he were amongst the crowd, the masks added a level of difficulty in locating him.

@maura-cortes

"God didn't bring me here, Jose Cuervo did." She remarks, giggling like she'd just made the best joke of the year. "I haven't even been gone that long—" she hums out loud, as if the past seventy minutes had been seconds, not over an hour. In reality, she'd found herself outside, shoes kicked off, laid on the sand as she stared at the sky, coming down from some kind of high she'd taken from a random stranger in the bathroom (albeit, new best friend, because what else were bathrooms for). It was only the murmur of people saying the countdown was soon that had spurred her to her feet and back inside, new best friend quickly forgotten.

"He looks like he's ready for an after party, I didn't realise the hotel had a dungeon." Maura remarks, her fingers intwining with her friends as to avoid losing her now they'd been reunited. "No eyes really would be contender for the most dramatic new year new me."

( @cricketcampbell )

[atticuscortes]

Nice eyes, Atticus almost found himself adding, until he realized that was only something he'd gleaned from up close and not easily discerned from where they stood.

"He's alright." He settled for instead with a shrug. "The guitar's doing a lot of the heavy lifting."

Atticus knew what Maura was going to say before she'd even started, eyes automatically rolling as he mimicked along with her, "I had my fingers crossed. You've been pulling that shit for two whole decades, Maur, it doesn't fucking work." His own fingers flicked her crossed ones to get them out of his face. "I watched your hands, you didn't cross shit."

He knew he had her when she launched into her next defense: the pout.

"Oh, here we go." His arms crossed over his chest, glancing down at Maura with raised eyebrows. "One cat. I saved one cat," not even while on duty, "and still also managed to handle you as both a snot nosed brat and a sarcastic teenager. This twenty dollars is well deserved, trust me."

(Even if he had cheated. Which he had. But still.)

"Hey!" He protested, despite standing steady, even against her shove. "It's not cheating, alright? It's...manifesting. I manifested what I wanted to happen, and it happened. Maybe you should try it?"

He didn't mean right that second, but Maura worked fast, sending him off to fetch her a drink.

"Ew." Both at her drink of choice and use of love of tonight. Suddenly, Atticus was happy to put some space between them, but more so to be able to maybe snag something a little stronger than his White Claw. "Please, I'm cramping your--you know what, whatever. One vodka cranberry," hold the vodka, "coming right up." His teeth are bared in an exaggerated grin as he heads off.

@maura-cortes

"At least he's kind of hot." Maura remarks, completely ignoring the fact that her and Atticus had a made a bet that he was now winning - a fact she was indeed, keep to not remind him of, if her fawning could distract from that fact, she was going to take it.

( Damn it. )

"Yeah, yeah—" she hums, her gaze flicking back towards her cousin. "I had my fingers crossed when we made that bet." She lifts her hand, fingers tightly crossed to exaggerate her point as she waves her hand in his face.

Head shake follows, "twenty dollars is so expensive, we're not all fancy firefighters." She remarks dramatically, lower lip poking out just slightly. "— and before you boohoo about the dangers, you don't have to deal with sarcastic teenagers and snot nosed kids, i'd take the cats in trees."

His remark on Matchbox Twenty seems to catch her attention, scowl falling upon her features as she stares at him, her hand reaching out to shove roughly at his side. "You're cheating! I should have known. God Atticus, you're such a liar!"

Her foot kicks sand at him as she points over to the drinks table. "Vodka cranberry please, I need to find the love of tonight, and you're cramping my style."

( @atticus-cortes )

[cricketcampbell]

Cricket: Sorry I was busy mining for gold in this pint of Chunky Monkey. Cricket: *pauses*...you're not sure what to do...in the bathroom? Cricket: Is this, like, a go piss girl resurgence? Are you trying to make that happen again?

Maura: way to almost leave me hanging Maura: i'm in the bathroom and i— Maura: *dramatic sigh* Maura: not sure what to do

[cricketcampbell]

Over the course of the night and a few consumed substances later, Cricket had slowly come to the horrifying realization that there was actually something quite unsettling about being in a room of essentially faceless people.

While realistically she was aware that she most likely knew many of them, she couldn't help but feel a surge of panic beginning to rise up in her, especially as she lowered her phone from her ear after yet another failed attempt to locate Maura.

They'd promised to make their way back to each other for the countdown, but hadn't had the forethought to pick a meeting spot--and with only fifteen minutes to midnight, Cricket was mentally preparing herself to have to kiss one of the faceless randos of her nightmares.

(Her therapist was going to have fun unpacking that one with her).

She'd just started to rank the least scary looking masks when she saw, more than she heard, Maura make her way over to her, the comforting grip of her friend's arms wrapped tight around her own bringing Cricket back down to earth.

"Oh, thank God." Cricket huffed, free hand coming up to rest against Maura's, already turning them in the direction of the bar. "I think I need two to erase the thirty seconds I just spent thinking about how to avoid getting my eyes plucked out by that guy's spikes." She shuddered at the thought. "Starting the new year off with no eyes would have sucked so hard."

@maura-cortes

with: @cricketcampbell

where: seascape nye, close to midnight

"There you are!" Maura called over the sound of the music playing, her whole body seeming to throw itself at Cricket as she wrapped her arms around Crickets arm, clinging to her friends side. "Did you see the time? I think we maaaaybe have time for one more shot before its next year."

[cricketcampbell]

Cricket: woah woah woah wait 🖐🏻 Cricket: how does ben and jerry gf know where u live??? Cricket: well ex gf now i guess Cricket: was she like blaming u??? or did they break up and she came to confess her love for u after ur night together Cricket: night(s)? together, still unclear abt why she knows where u live Cricket: also would she be ben or jerry in this scenario? 🤔

text thread | 📲 maura x cricket

Maura: 🆘 Maura: need to sage my apartment from psycho vibes Maura: ben and jerry gf came over saying they broke up Maura: like i care?