thetrampette

[thetrampette]

GRACE VAN DIEN 2024, ph. Neave Bozorgi

[thetrampette]

A bright laugh escapes her, one that she hadn’t thought possible so soon after the disaster of today, but Ellie can’t help but feel genuinely so amused at the picture of poor little Sam having to deal with not only Collette and Uncle Jim in the room together all night, but also a visit from the matriarch of the Deare family. “Oh that poor boy,” she giggles, shaking her head as settles herself down. It felt good, being able to just laugh for a moment, but it didn't last long as the rest of their conversation was far from light and joyful.

Maybe it’s because she doesn’t know Annette’s father as well as he did, but Scamp’s assessment that Hopper would have forced her to get rid of the baby in some form, just because of who the father was, seems beyond cruel. Of course Ellie knew that the man wasn’t a good one, that he ran an entire mafia ring and had likely done things she couldn’t even begin to imagine, but to force his only daughter to either get an abortion or give up her own child? That seemed excessive, in a way that she just couldn’t imagine the man doing. “You don’t really think he would have done something like that, do you?” she asks, frowning as she tries to even picture it. “I mean I know he’s like… not great and everything, but he can’t really be that bad… I always felt like he really loved Annette, I just can’t think of him doing that to her.” In truth, Ellie had always felt like the man cared for all of them. Every interaction she’s had with him that she can remember had left her feeling far more loved than Tristan had in a very long time - but maybe that was just her own bias and desperate need for some kind of approval from an authority figure coming into play. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone, certainly not her brother.

He had to give his sister that much--if Darlene Deare wouldn't do everything in her power to look like the perfect picture of a wife and mother, she would die trying. It's only then that Scamp slightly regretted giving up his ten bucks to his sister, though it still remained to be seen whether she was going to get out of the house to support her only son. "Colette's poor boyfriend's gonna have to deal with a Darlene-style interrogation on top of all of this?" He snorted at the thought, though it seemed like the exact opposite of what he'd need to actually start to feel better.

Scamp couldn't imagine that his sister would've kept her child, but he had to agree--it was sad, having the choice simply taken from her the way it had been. "Yeah," he mumbled, suddenly feeling sad for their sister. "I don't know, I think ... like, yeah, it sucks, it's really shitty, having the choice taken from her like that. But, I'd be scared she was gonna keep it, and I just don't think Hopper would ever let her do that, when it was Brandon's. And, if he had taken the choice away from her ... I feel like that would've been worse." It would've put Annette's relationship with her father in probable shambles, in a place where Scamp didn't know if they could've recovered.

[thetrampette]

Scamp’s signals to keep the truth about their half-sister’s current state of health a secret hadn’t been necessary, honestly, there was nothing on this Earth that could have convinced Ellie to give their father any real information about Annette. The girl was going through enough, being shot and losing so much blood and the baby, the last thing she needed was for Tristan fucking Tramp to come storming into her hospital room like a maniac, the way they all knew he would if he was aware of the situation. “Actually, yeah, I did. She called me a bit ago - one of her friends was injured but already released from the hospital. She’s spending the night with them, just to be a helping hand and watch over that nothing changes,” she lies easily, feeling like they needed a better answer than just not having heard from the girl. “She had some questions about the medications, but she seemed totally fine herself.”

For a moment, Ellie can’t quite tell if their father is actually sincere in caring about the triplets’ well-being or not - but it hardly matters in the end. Because as soon as Tristan admits to having seen one of them recently, a jealousy tinted spike of anger shoots straight through her. Of course he has made time to see the children he’d never even fucking met before, of course he’s still been spending time with Scamp and Collete - but never her. Not once since their meeting at her office over a year ago has he even bothered trying to reach out to her. Which on the one hand she is genuinely grateful for, but right now the realization of how little it seems he cares for her feels like a slap in the face. And all she wants to do is throw that pain right back at him. “I’m not an emergency nurse, they wouldn’t call me in unless it was dire and no one else was available. I don’t know if they even could bring me in, actually, since I don’t work for the hospital,” she answers, words all coming out evenly. It wasn’t that portion of her response that she thought would mean anything to either of the men sitting with her - but what she said next that she knew would get a reaction. Primarily out of her father, though Scamp likely wouldn’t be too happy about it either. “I’m actually going around the yard tomorrow, to lend a hand to some of Colin’s doctors. Just to make sure everyone’s still okay there and do some followup check-ins.” It’s the first time she’s mentioned working for Hopper since he had first made the offer and the only time she’s ever called the man by his first name, but she wants to make Tristan think this is a far more usual thing than it is. To piss him off by appearing as if she were far closer to the mafia boss than she actually is.

It’s only because Scamp seemed so eager to actually make this conversation and meeting work that Tristan doesn’t put up more of a front, taking a seat on the swinging bench at the very end of the porch. It put a bit of space between himself and the twins, though that hadn’t been on purpose as they might think - he simply just loved the old rocking bench he’d picked out so many years ago specifically for this house. For a moment, all three of them hanging out together felt like old times, like there was no drama, no mess, and he was simply a dad just spending a pleasant evening with his eldest children. But of course that wasn’t the truth and the illusion was bound to be shattered eventually - he just wished it could have lasted longer.

The accusation that he was only here to see Lilah might have hurt, but he was sober enough to recognize that it was a fair statement to make. It had been over a year since he’d last tried to reach out to Ellie, after all, all his effort being placed into his son and youngest daughter - the two he had thought he’d have the easiest time swaying to his side. Danielle had always been far too much like her mother and he’d always known that if it came down to splitting the family, she would always be on Lilah’s side. “I’m here to see you. I wanted to see all of you,” he promises, without any heat or anger in his tone for once. “Like I’ve already said - I’m not here to cause any shit. I just wanted to make sure you were all okay. Have you heard from any of your other siblings? Annie or the Bonfamilles?” Truthfully, he only cares about Annette, but he adds in the triples to cover his ass.

[thetrampette]

Perhaps it was because he was a boy and therefore hadn’t been subjected to the countless lectures and lessons on what was expected of him as part of the Deare family line the way that Ellie had, but she knew he was wrong in his thinking. Darlene was going to be at that hospital, and she was going to make a show out of her appearance too. “And risk looking like she’s anything less than the perfect, doting mother? Yeah, right. She’ll be there,” she counters with confidence, reaching forward and shaking his hand to seal the bet.

It’s not surprising that Scamp didn’t know that their sister was having sex. He had hardly been the most supportive of Annie simply hanging out with Brandon, it kind of went without saying that he wouldn’t have taken the news of their furthered relationship all that well. Plus, it was just weird telling your brother about losing your virginity, especially considering the two had only started reconnecting within the past like year. “Maybe,” Ellie agrees with a small sigh and a shake of her head. “It’s gonna be hard, though, I bet. Even if she didn’t want the kid or wasn’t sure what she was gonna do it with it… It’s just gone now…” While she herself wasn’t positive she ever wanted kids in general, she couldn’t imagine how it might feel for a part of that decision to be ripped out of her hands like this.

Scamp let out a snort at the thought of their grandmother thinking of anyone but herself. But, when it came to her only son, she wouldn't put it past her to make a dramatic entrance at the hospital once she got word that he was injured. Then again, if anyone asked her grandmother whether she thought of Jim or Tristan as more of a son, Scamp could imagine she might have a hard time answering. "You'd think. It could go either way, but ten bucks says her ass is staying home," Scamp bet, sticking out his hand for her to shake on the opposite side of the couch.

"Well, you got further with her than me, so," he said with a shrug. Scamp had no idea their relationship had gone that far--probably for the same reasons their sister had kept her pregnancy from him. Had he known about just that, he would've thoroughly embarrassed Annette with his reaction. It seemed that his sister was sufficiently upset, though, with how little she'd known about Annette's situation. "Maybe she thought you'd tell me? Or, she didn't know what she was going to do with it yet? Definitely one of those two," he decided, hoping his reasoning would at least make Ellie feel slightly better.

[thetrampette]

Simply nodding her head at the question, Ellie barely listened to a thing the woman had to say afterwards, her eyes still glued to the card that depicted the queen. Though she did register that a price had been set, one that she hardly cared to argue against. All she knew was that she needed these cards - not even the entire set, just the angel and that queen. Finally tearing her gaze away, she reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet, not even bothering to look for a card or the proper cash to pay and instead just handing the entire thing over to the saleswoman. “Because they’re me,” she finally answered, not meaning to sound so cryptic. In her head it made complete sense - she needed those cards because they represented everything she could be one day. They were her. She needed to have them.

"You wish to keep these?" The request was a first for Mary, she wasn't quite sure of what to do next but she knew she had to be quick with her decision. Not that it took much to realize a quick buck was a quick buck, so it was just a matter of figuring out how much she could possibly get out of them. She feigned a wistful sigh, pursing her lips as if she really cared for the cards that she'd stolen from an antique shop. "I couldn't part with them for anything less than ten- twenty! Twenty dollars, I think is the only suitable amount worth for cards that hold such... sentimental value. After all, I've had this set ever since I've started out... But if it means that much to you then I suppose trading in for a new deck of cards could be something of a fresh start for me, sounds quite exciting actually." Mary would say whatever she needed to just to make the sale, she wasn't even opposed to adding in a spell, if necessary. She just had to figure out what the cards meant to the girl so that she could seal the deal. "Why do you want them anyway?"

[thetrampette]

If she had been just a few more drinks into the night, there would have been nothing to hold Ellie back from snapping at the man in front of her claiming to be such a loving father checking in on his children. She would have screamed and thrown something at him as she demanded to know where he’d been any other time something had gone horribly wrong in their recent lives, and then she would have happily reminded him that oh right, he had been the reason so much has gone to shit. It was the response she wanted to give him, but she was still sober enough to know better than to light any kind of flame to Tristan Tramp’s temper. So instead she follows her brother’s lead and takes a seat on one of the porch chairs, slumping down and refusing to look anywhere in her father’s direction.

The lack of mention of Annette and her own current state in the hospital doesn’t go unnoticed by the brunette and she’s able to piece together immediately that Scamp hasn’t told their dad about any of that. Which is probably for the best, actually, so Ellie simply goes along with it - for her sister’s sake. The last thing Annie needed after everything she’d been through was for Tristan to come bursting into her hospital room, acting like he actually gave a shit. “Yeah, she said they’ll probably be there all night, actually,” she confirms her brother’s statement before finally looking over towards Tramp with a light glare. “So if you were just waiting to see her - you might as well just give up and head home now.”

He wants to argue, to insist that he be allowed to go inside. It was his house after all, far more than it was any of the kids’ - Tristan was the one that had once contributed to the mortgage and all the bills that had come along with the home. He shouldn’t be banished and forced to simply sit on the porch all night, no matter how nice out it might be. But for once, he holds his tongue and keeps his thoughts to himself. This was actually turning out to be a decent interaction with his son and he doesn’t want to go ruining it so quickly, especially not if he was finally going to get to see his eldest daughter now as well. “It’d be nice to see your mother as well, you know,” he does comment, unable to stop himself but he simply states it as if it’s an obvious point rather than making a demand of it. “Is she really just hanging around Jim’s bed?” It’s not completely surprising that she’d stick by her brother’s side - but he had certainly expected her to be focusing on the kids instead at a time like this. It was rare for anyone else to come before them in Lilah’s mind.

He’s not going to question it though, mostly because any care about where his ex-wife faded to the background as Ellie finally stepped out onto the porch and he realized just how long it had been since he’d seen her. The way she seems to act like he’s not there and directs her question at Scamp rather than Tristan himself isn’t exactly a surprise, even if it does hurt a bit. “Can a father really not come around and see his kids after a major event like today?” he shoots back with only just the smallest bit of annoyance lacing his words. He takes a step forward towards his daughter but pauses when she in turn moves a step backwards, behind her brother. Holding his hands up in a sign of innocence and to show he didn’t have any weapon obviously at the ready, Tramp offered a genuine smile as he shook his head. “No games, no funny business. I swear. I just wanted to check in on everyone.”

[thetrampette]

For a brief moment, she actually feels bad for their uncle as Scamp points out that likely no one will be paying him any attention. That hadn’t even really crossed her mind, but honestly it was probably exactly what was happening. Unless some of his friends stopped by to see him, but in truth, Ellie wasn’t entirely certain the man actually had any. “I mean, grandma’s probably going to stop by at some point, right? He’s her son, she kinda has to show up,” she points out, feeling confident in at least that. Darlene was bound to stop in on both of her children, even if only to make a show of her involvement. No way was she going to just let anyone think she couldn’t be bothered to show her face after something as big as this.

The reasons Annette might have kept this a secret from Scamp were all fairly valid, as he points them out now. But neither of those excuses could be said the same for Ellie, which left her wondering if perhaps their middle sister simply just didn’t trust her as much as she had thought she had before. “No,” she answers simply, taking another long sip of her drink and shaking her head. “Not a clue. I mean, I knew she’d slept with him… But that she was pregnant? No, she didn’t say anything.” Which maybe she was going to soon, who knows, but it still hurts that Annette hadn’t felt like she could trust her older sister with this.

Scamp weighed his sister's argument, finding she had a bit of a point--there was likely no way that their mother would have her focus on anyone but Annette right now, and, rightfully so. Besides, Colette would give her boyfriend enough attention to last him until he got out of the hospital. He felt only slightly bad for his uncle, having to listen to whatever it was that his sister could probably find to complain about, whether it be the conditions or the fact that she had to be there in general, but at least it seemed Sam would be out of there sooner than later. "Okay, fair. No one's going to be giving a shit about Uncle Jim, though, with Mom and Cole otherwise occupied, but ... he's a big boy, he can handle himself," he said confidently, though when it came to his uncle, he could be proven wrong.

Ellie's expression dimmed, and her question was every indication of why. Scamp himself hadn't known a thing about what Annette was going through, and, to be honest, he didn't blame her for keeping her mouth shut around him. "No, I didn't," he said with a shake of his head, swirling the drink around in his glass as he stared into the center. "I don't know, I guess she didn't want me telling her dad, or beating the shit out of the kid who knocked her up." Those were reasons enough for Scamp not to take offense to being left out of the news. "I guess you didn't, either?"

[thetrampette]

When the door reopens, she fully expects Scamp to be returning back to his spot on the couch, maybe with his girlfriend or Dodger or whoever was at the door following behind. What she doesn’t expect in the slightest is for the door to just crack and a harsh whisper grabbing her attention. Nor does she expect it to have actually been their father outside, even if she had been the one to start the joke about him stopping by again to steal their alcohol. The truth is, Ellie hasn’t seen their father since the day a few months ago he tried showing up at her office. Security had been fast to remove him when he started getting a bit worked up and he hasn’t tried reaching out to her since. Which, she’s not sure exactly how she feels about that - knowing he’s seen Scamp and Colette multiple times. It was just another part of their fucked up family life that she tries her best to avoid thinking about - but now, with Tristan standing outside potentially waiting for her to come out and join them, there was no avoiding it any longer.

Nodding her head in a silent agreement, she downed the last of her drink and stood to cross the small distance from her chair to the front door. A practiced smile played out on her lips as she opened it all the way and stepped out into the night air, eyes immediately going to take in the sight of their father. “What does he want?” she asks, the question directed more at her brother than Tristan and she makes that point obvious by turning to look at Scamp instead. It’s a move that might piss their father off, but Ellie finds she doesn’t really care.

Despite already knowing that his wife wasn’t going to be here, Tristan couldn’t help but frown at the confirmation that it was only his two eldest children in the house. “Where’s everyone else?” he asks, for once not only just meaning Lilah but also the rest of their family. Surely she would want all of them to be together, after everything that happened tonight, right? So the fact that they weren’t all tucked away in bed was a major red flag. “What happened to your sisters? Where are they?” His questions were asked with genuine concern, which honestly might be a bit surprising to anyone who didn’t know him well enough. And maybe even for the people who did. His feelings regarding his family flip flopping so often, it was almost impossible for even himself to keep up with it.

“I’m not a fuckin’ cat. Just have powerful friends in high up places,” he counters, a small smile of his own growing on his lips. Nodding towards the door, he tries to give his best pleading face - the one that used to always work to get his way with Lilah or any of his other girlfriends. “Think we could all go inside and talk, then? I haven’t seen Ellie-girl in years it feels like. I just need to see that she’s doing alright still.”

[thetrampette]

Leaning back in the armchair she had claimed as her spot tonight, Ellie had to remind herself to go slow on the drinking - that she couldn’t down the whole thing and jump straight in for another one with her brother around. It was always the hardest part of drinking with any of her siblings, having to pace herself and actually watch what she said or did. But it was worth it, for a bit of bonding time. A small snort leaves her lips as she brings her glass up for another small sip before setting it down on the coffee table so it’s a bit less tempting. “You think Mom’s really going to spend that much time in that room after everything that happened to Annie? No way. All that boy’s dealing with is Letti and Uncle Jim… which honestly, might be worse than Mom,” she returns with a chuckle of her own.

Only once she’s done laughing, she remembers just how serious their sister’s condition is right now. She was going to be fine physically, the doctors all promised that, but mentally? Well, Ellie couldn’t even begin to imagine what Annette might be thinking or feeling right now. “Did you know?” she asks suddenly, frowning ever so slightly as she looks over at her brother. “About Annie and her baby?” It would be a bit of a surprise if he did, honestly, only because it had never felt like the two had mended the bridge Scamp had burned when he left… Certainly not well enough that she’d go to him about something like this. Or maybe that’s just what Ellie was trying to tell herself to stop from feeling like a horrible older sister for not knowing herself.

As Ellie returned, Scamp was in no rush to lift his head from the pillow--it was the most comfortable position he'd found in hours. The plastic hospital chairs were probably less comfortable than the floor, had he just given up and resorted to the tile. With a half-hearted thumbs-up, he groaned as he began to rise, but found a smile reach his lips as he spotted the bottle in her hand. Scamp held his hands out as though he were waiting for scraps of food, his grasp filled with the cold glass that he quickly took a sip from before sinking back into the sofa.

The joke shouldn't have been funny, but it made him laugh nonetheless. Things for the Tramps had gotten so bizarre that the only way Scamp could think to cope with it was with a bit of levity. "It wouldn't even be that hard to believe," he agreed, humming a chuckle to himself as he placed his glass on his laid-flat chest. "Dude, I don't even know where to start with ... whatever the fuck just happened. Like, I feel bad for Annie, of course, right? But, I also kind of feel worse for Colette's boyfriend, who has to sit in that room with her and Mom coddling him until they let him go the fuck home," Scamp pointed out, his own commentary making him laugh again. "I can't wait to see what the hell she comes up with to post, like, some selfie of them in his hospital bed, or something."

[thetrampette]

Watching the woman shuffle the cards, before she had a chance to even ask what she was doing the blonde was jumping into an explanation. One that was far too involved and detailed for Ellie to follow, given her current state, so instead she simply stared. As the first card was turned over, she took a step forward and the winged angel in the picture. What it meant she didn’t know, and she could only half follow along with what the reader was saying, too engrossed in imagining herself with a pair of wings. Then she’d be able to fly away and go wherever she wanted, far from the mess that was her current life. The next card wasn’t as exciting, just a man with four cups and a little cloud, and Ellie found herself staring at back at the angel instead. Until the third card was flipped and the woman reading out their meanings let out a laugh. The sound had her eyes moving from the cards to stare at the woman, but it only lasted for a moment before they snapped back down to take in the woman on the throne, holding a giant sword. It was so different from the way she felt about her own life - she was nothing like a queen nor did she have any type of sword or way to fight her own battles. Yet Ellie found herself yearning to be that woman.

“Can I keep these?” she blurts out, hardly the question the woman was likely expecting, but well… she hadn’t been paying enough attention to actually have any real follow up questions. All she knew was she wanted to be reminded of that angel and that queen every day. Something was shifting in this little shop, it was like a revelation of some kind had occurred, and Ellie was determined to get a grip on the shitshow that was her life. Or at least, in this very moment that’s what she felt. The chances of her actually remembering anything that occurred tonight were slim to none, in all honesty. Which was why a part of her knew she needed to have those cards, to hold the physical proof that she could be different - be better.

As the young girl deliberated on her questioning, Mary shuffled the deck of tarot cards in her hand. Selecting three random ones, she placed the cards face down on the table that came between them. This wasn't how one usually went ahead with the process, everyone knew the recipient of the fortune was the one that needed to transfer the energy into the cards. However, Mary was far too tired to get into an actual reading, she was simply here to quickly connect the cards to the girl's query. Although that might be a bit tricky seeing as how the stranger came in with loaded questions that made it a bit difficult to see a clear answer but Mary was just going to say whatever first came to mind so she didn't really care.

"You're looking for guidance, these three cards are here for just that. This first one," she pointed to the card on her right, "is meant to show what is happening in your life already. Your past, if you will." She flipped over the first card, "Ah, temperance. This one is about balance, or imbalance, probably in this case." The card was reversed, which Mary never took as a good sign, and definitely showed on her face. "Something is definitely off and causing you a lot of stress and whatever you've been doing to try and help you is not working. You're looking for the answer in all the wrong places and you think you've found something to cause happiness but it's just temporary. It's causing a lot of reckless decisions so you need to sit down and actually reflect on your plans from here on out. Probably why you're here, am I right?"

Flipping over the middle card, Mary let out a light chuckle, "Four of cups, the present. Basically it's just saying you're feeling stagnant in life. Nothing really makes you feel happy right now. Very apathetic towards both the good and the bad. But the good news is, the answer is probably very close to you, you've just been too stuck in a rut to see it. I'm sure the next card will help you out." Mary tried to give some reassurance before ultimately letting out a quick cackle at what she'd seen with the last card. She had to force her enjoyment out of the way so she could explain what she saw but she was already certain it wasn't what the girl wanted to hear. "Sorry, it's just.. usually with the last card, you're shown who to look towards but this one is just saying you're on your own. The queen of swords is about independence and focuses more on the intellectual rather than emotion. My advice would be to start giving your opinion unabashedly, don't think about compassion. Just be blunt and don't overcomplicate it with thinking about your feelings or the feelings of others."

[thetrampette]

While Scamp seemed easily ready to crash, laying out on the couch practically the moment they had arrived at their childhood home, Ellie wasn’t quite as eager to be sitting still in one spot again. She’d done enough that in the hospital waiting room and felt like if she spent one more moment stagnant she might explode. Which was what had led her to the kitchen even before her brother had called out for her to grab them a drink. “So lazy,” she shouts back, despite the fact that she was already opening the fridge to get out the two pitchers of iced tea and lemonade their mother always had waiting for them in the fridge during the summer. Pouring a bit of each into two of the biggest classes she could find, she leaves a decent amount of space for the alcohol she planned to swipe from the bar cart over in the study room.

Carrying the two glasses back into the living room where Scamp was waiting she set them down on the coffee table before pointing a finger at the boy. “Don’t touch them yet. I’m not done,” she warned as she moved to the study and inspected all of her options before grabbing a half empty bottle of vodka off the shelf. Entering back into the main room, she couldn’t help herself from taking a solid swig out of the bottle while she was still out of her brother’s sight. An extra shot or two was going to be needed to get through this night. “She might notice it’s gone but we can always just say dad broke in again and stole it.” It was hardly a funny joke, in part because of the fact that none of them could really put that action past the man, but Ellie was past the point of caring tonight. Tristan could show up at their door right this instant and she wouldn’t even be surprised anymore - that’s just the way the day’s been going. Topping off their drinks with a heavy pour into each glass, she handed one over to Scamp before finally sitting down and taking a sip of her own.

who: scamp & @thetrampette where: the deare household

His childhood home wasn't where Scamp wanted to be right now, but where their mother had sent the twins packing, around one in the morning after being sure Annette and their uncle were soundly asleep, in their hospital beds. Though his body easily flopped onto the living room couch in exhaustion as they'd arrived, Scamp was wide awake, still reeling from how the night had transpired and the revelations that had come with what had happened to their sister. As Colette had insisted on staying with her boyfriend, it was just the two eldest Tramps left to their own devices--a feeling Scamp hadn't realized how much he'd missed until now.

"Wait! Wait, before you sit down," he called to his sister, "get us a drink? Something strong, that Mom won't miss if we kill the bottle." The thought of having to rise from his seat was too tiring at the moment to handle. "Please? You're the best," Scamp added, with the sound of a kiss as she headed toward the kitchen.

[thetrampette]

While all she’s wanted over the last handful of years had been answers from this boy, actually getting them now and hearing the ridiculous things that had been running through his head that led him to hurting her so badly almost made Ellie want to scream. “That’s it? You really broke my heart, ditched me without any explanation, all because you were worried my brother was going to be upset?” It was almost comical, how little it seems she had meant to him. While a part of her could understand the importance of his friendship with Scamp, she had hoped perhaps she would have been important enough too to take the chance of a simple fight with him. Their friendship would have been fine, Ellie was certain of that, and she felt strongly that Dodger knew it too. But it was just too easy of a cop out to blame it all on his worries about his bro. Because that’s what he was always going to do - take the easy road out rather than push through or work for something that could have been brilliant. Just like he was doing now. Without fully thinking it through, she reacts on instinct and reaches out to shove at his shoulder. “Don’t fucking say that,” she snaps, the tell-tale Tramp anger raising within her. “You know that’s not true. That none of us see you that way, that I don’t see you that way. It’s bullshit and you know it. Don’t play the self-pity card with me, not when you’re nowhere even close to the truth.”

⨯ ⨯ ⨯

This wasn't the conversation he'd prepared to have that night, his eyes shifting around the room whenever they'd fall into hers. It felt strange to look her dead in the eye after she'd barged in with a kiss and a chosen word or two. Dodger quickly realized this was something she'd needed to say for at least a while now. He took her words as they penetrated his skin and he only nodded in agreement first. The way things fell apart hadn't been how he intended them to be, running away with her brother as if nothing had ever happened. While Dodger knew things had to stop between them it wasn't something he'd openly discussed with the other party. "You're right, I didn't. I knew what I was doing behind Scamp's back was wrong and that just because I liked you since we were kids didn't mean he'd ever be okay with it." Dodger ran a hand through his locks and released a deep sigh that had been hiding within him. Everything else just continued to tumble out after that. "I wasn't embarrassed of you, I was embarrassed of me. I'm a fucking deadbeat, El. It isn't like I can offer you a real life or even a chance at one. I'm your family's charity case and you deserve a whole hell of a lot better than that, than me."

[thetrampette]

With who even knows what coursing through her system, Ellie at least had enough wits about herself to know that she was too intoxicated to drive and her so-called friends she had arrived with were long gone somewhere else in the seven floors of the Underworld Nightclub. Which left her with no real choice but to walk or uber, which she chose to do a bit of both, actually. Rideshares were so expensive when you requested to be picked up from the club, but far cheaper when your pick-up spot was somewhere in the middle of town. So it seemed that the smartest thing to do would be to walk a few miles away and call for her uber from there. Easy solution. Or so she had thought.

What she hadn’t accounted for was how tired she was going to get during said walk or how quickly the rush of energy she had had minutes ago would shift to a sour trip. It was as if the moment she was away from the pounding music and flashing lights, reality came crashing down like a bag of bricks. Every movement she saw out of the corner of her eye, she automatically assumed must be her father. Or one of Oogie’s men coming to kidnap her next. Or maybe one of the Locust, or even Hopper himself, turning on her and her family just like every man seemed to do. It was terrifying and a harsh reminder of exactly how fucked up her whole life was right now. She couldn’t take one more shadow or flash of light. Practically running Ellie stopped only when she saw an open sign, ducking into the door and standing in the middle of the room with her eyes squeezed shut as she took deep, uneven breaths to calm herself.

It wasn’t until the woman began to talk that she even realized someone else was here, her eyes snapping open to stare at the fortune teller. In truth, Ellie had no clue where she was - nor did she understand what the woman meant by the first ten minutes being free - but what she did know was the answer to the strange question. If she were sober, she never would have participated in something as ridiculous as a palm or fortune reading. But right now, high as a kite, she just wanted some kind of guidance. “How do I stop my life from falling to shit?” she asks, taking a step forward towards the woman and her little table. “How the fuck do I make everyone else stop? How do I stop? I just want it to stop.” It wasn’t very coherent, but her desperation was clear and that would hopefully be enough for her to get some kind of answer.

closed starter for @thetrampette location: mary's fortune telling establishment/home

Life is much different now than what Mary was used to when she lived with her sisters many years ago. Most of that time was spent catering to Winnie's wants and needs but now she had to decipher what that looked like for herself. There was much figuring out to be done but at the moment, Mary was quite content with her job. At first, it was all false readings, mere nonsense was all she could give. But as time went on and her interest led her to research further into fortune telling, she believed she could give an accuracy when she put the work in. The beauty of having her business open 24 hours of the day was that sometimes in the late evening, visitors who couldn't tell a tarot card reading from a fortune cookie prediction were very easy targets for cash, thus allowing her to say whatever she pleased.

Such situation seemed to be the case when a new customer walked in. The loud jingle of the door opening woke her right up from her nap, notifying her of a client. "Come in!" She shouted from her office in the back as she quickly got herself ready. Mary quickly settled herself into the room she did her readings in, wanting to get this reading over and done with so she could go back to sleep. "The first 10 minutes are free but anything longer than that I'll have to charge by the minute. Got it?" She ogled her customer, trying to get a sense of how inebriated they were. "Tell me what you wish to know, child."

[thetrampette]

There was a hesitation before Ellie followed further into the living room and another pause before she finally took a seat on the familiar couch. Sitting down, getting comfortable, all meant that she was going to be staying - and while the spelled part of her brain wanted nothing more than to do exactly that, she couldn’t stop the background thoughts that screamed at her to get up and run. Addressing her issues and problems head-on and directly like this wasn’t something she was used to doing - all too often simply shoving down anything that bothered her and finding a distraction or rush of relief that made it all go away. And they both knew Dodger was no better at this than she was, either. But it seemed like they were going to do it anyway, really focus on what had happened between them and the pain that still lingered from it to this day.

Tightening her hands into fists, she kept her mouth shut long enough for Dodger to say everything he wanted. Interrupting, yelling or starting a fight before he has a chance to even explain himself, was only going to make the situation harder than it needs to be. And as soon as he’s done, as soon as he’s apologizing for what he did and for how long it’s taken for him to finally admit he messed up, Ellie was practically ready to snap. “No, I didn’t know it,” she counters, shaking her head and squeezing her fists even tighter to try to gain some sense of control over this entire situation. “I didn’t know we were bad. I still don’t know if that’s actually true. You know why? Because you never let us have a fucking real chance at anything. You can say it’s not true that you don’t want anything to do with me, but it’s sure not how you make me feel.” She wanted to stop it there, none of this was anything she felt even slightly ready to admit, even if it was all true. It had been a long time since she’d allowed herself to be vulnerable like this and really all she wanted was to jump up from that couch, run out the door, and get something, anything, in her system to make all these thoughts and pain go away. But it was like once the words had started, they couldn’t stop. “You hid me away, kept me your dirty little shameful secret, then just ran away and fucked off with my brother without any word or warning. What the fuck was I supposed to do with that?”

⨯ ⨯ ⨯

This was unraveling faster than anticipated, not that he'd prepared for this in any way. In fact, this was the last thing he expected to walk through the front door that night. A drunk Scamp, a mad Angelica, even a raccoon his roommate found and thought was a cat would've made more sense than this. Maybe he had a hand in her appearance, having not reached out to discuss what happened between them since his return to the Isle. It had been more complicated than he wanted to think about, avoiding his emotions being his preferred method of dealing with them. "Okay," he started, not wanting to jump the gun but still having concern for her. Whatever had brought her here that night was important enough for her which meant he wanted to hear it too. It didn't matter if they were still together or not, nothing would change how he cared for her. After giving her a moment it seemed like her feelings were spilled into the space between them which left his heart racing.

The boy gave himself a moment to collect his thoughts, giving her a nod to follow him over to the couch where they could get comfortable. "It's a conversation long overdue, you're right," he exhaled while flopping down into his armchair. "Ellie, I - fuck - I know I messed this shit up, okay? I know I did and I'm sorry. You have every right to be mad at me but it's not true I don't want nothin' to do with you. I just didn't want to come back and act like shit was normal if you hated me after what I did." It wasn't an excuse but Dodger needed to tell her the words he'd kept to himself all this time. They'd lingered long enough. "We were bad together, you know it, I know it. As much as I wanted it to work.." The blonde looked up to face her for the first time since his own confession, furrowed brows and lips pursed. "I am really sorry, El, and I'm sorry it took me this long to say it."

[thetrampette]

Pursing her lips at all of the questions that were shot at her, Ellie seriously debated for a moment on how much she could and should share with the other girl. It wasn’t even entirely that she didn’t trust Angelica - though that was a small part of her hesitance - but more so she simply didn’t even know how or where to begin. This whole thing with Dodger had been a secret she’d held close to heart for so long, it felt wrong to unload even a part of it onto someone other than the few friends she had already told. And even with them, the brunette had been pretending to be fine ever since the boys had returned into her life. “I don’t know,” she admits, taking a long drink from the cup in her hand to hopefully speed up her buzz and get a bit more confidence in this conversation. “I don’t know what I feel and no I haven’t talked to him. He made it perfectly clear before he left that he wanted nothing to do with me - that I meant nothing to him.” Or at least that was how it had seemed to her back when he had ended things between them all those years ago. Taking another sip of her drink, the brunette let out a sigh and glared down into the liquid as the memories of it all started to come back to her again. “I had been ready to tell people, to maybe take things more seriously. Turns out, he was too ashamed and embarrassed to ever let anyone know.” Glancing back up, there was a hardness in her eyes now as she finally looked at her brother’s girlfriend again. “And I refuse to be some pathetic little thing that goes crawling back where I’m not wanted. So no, I haven’t spoken to him. There’s nothing to speak about.”

⋆⋆ ✶ ⋆⋆

It was adorable to watch someone try to keep a secret from Angelica Pickles. One of her favorite hobbies was knowing what everyone was hiding, she couldn't be in the industry that long and not learn how to see through someone's act. A pleased giggle pushed from her lips as she adjusted further into the couch to get comfortable for the story of what happened. "I won't I'm not a snitch like that, chill." Which was in fact a lie, though she hadn't intended to tell her boyfriend just yet. There would come a time when she figured the truth would come out but she had been thinking about having Scamp move in with her. Perhaps if he was keen on sticking with his best buddy she'd have some leverage, until that became a problem she would keep it locked away. "That's such tea, so are you like not over him or? Don't tell me you two haven't talked about that since he got back? Are you two literally babies?" The blonde groaned, looking her boyfriend's twin dead in the eye. "Is it really that hard to just communicate? Or did he like mega fuck up and make you want to never speak to him again?" Angelica pried for more information on the subject, wanting to know the details of the situation that she'd discovered.

[thetrampette]

A soft snort escapes her at the fact that he was really trying to use her mother’s relationship with the man as a point in trying to convince her to join. Truth be told, Ellie wasn’t entirely sure what was even going on between Hopper and the matriarch of the Tramp family - while they liked to pretend as though they always told each other everything, the truth was that there were plenty of secrets between the two women. And the current specific details about each other's love lives continued to go undiscussed. In fact, the last time she’d actually ever been given a real type of update on that part of her mother’s life had been when Lilah told the girls she was dating James - and then again when she let them know about the breakup. Now, when it came to Hopper, all they had been given was information about their past - nothing of what was happening in the present. “If you couldn’t have guessed, I’m not exactly in any rush to go running after some new fatherly approval,” she points out, though truth be told it’s not exactly the truth. To her core Ellie is a people pleaser, desperate for some kind of validation and acceptance from anyone in her life that held even the slightest amount of importance.

As they stopped at a table and Duncan didn’t leave, but rather moved in closer towards her, the brunette simply brought her drink to her lips and took a long sip. Of course what he was saying was indeed slightly tempting, but Ellie wasn’t about to let him know that. “And who’s to say I haven’t already seen part of that world?” she asks, raising an eyebrow and attempting to appear unimpressed. Obviously she hadn’t seen anything as dark as what Hopper operated in, but she at least wasn’t completely innocent and ignorant of the darker side of reality. Not the way that Duncan certainly seemed to think she was.

"I mean, I'm not sure what you're after," he retorted defiantly, his hands raised in surrender. He had been attempting to persuade her to join, and money had always been a persuasive tool—especially for someone like him. Continuing to trail after her, he seemed poised for a rebuttal, but Ellie proved to be a tough nut to crack. "He's technically your father now, isn't he?" he pressed on, ignorant of their family dynamics. "It's like working for family. And let me tell you, The Locusts is a family," There was a kernel of truth in his words, though Hopper's concern extended only to the upper executives, disregarding the foot soldiers who met their demise on the front lines. Keeping pace with her, he casually settled onto the table beside hers, drink in hand.

Drawing closer to her, he whispered, "And you'll witness a side of this world that only your darkest dreams could imagine," he smirked, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders. He knew Elie had that curiosity in her, she just needed a bite. Like Eve to the forbidden apple, one taste was all it took.

[thetrampette]

The almost instant pull away might as well have been a slap in the face for all it made her heart practically shatter. Logically, everything inside of her brain was screaming that this was a horrible idea - that she never should have left the party nor should she be anywhere near this boy. But logic had long gone out the window the moment she had popped that godforsaken candy in her mouth. While all the feelings and memories of the pain that he had caused were still clear as day in Ellie’s mind, they were far overpowered by a desire to just spend any moment near him and wanting to go back in time to when things were good between them. “I’m feeling fine,” she snaps, jerking her shoulder out of his grip with a frown.

As soon as the harsh comment is out of her mouth, Ellie regrets it and wishes she could take it back. Even though a part of her knows she’s well within her right to be upset - or at least, she thinks she is. Or maybe not. It’s all too confusing and the magic coursing through her and impacting her every thought and action is just a bit too much. Which is why she takes a deep breath and runs a hand jaggedly through her hair, pointedly turning her back to Dodger in hopes that putting him out of sight would help calm the desire to reach over and kiss him again like nothing had just happened. “I don’t know what I’m feeling,” she admits, voice small and far more vulnerable that she ever likes to allow herself to be. “I just - I couldn’t be there. Not when I knew you were here and all I wanted was to just be with you. Which in and of itself is ridiculous because I don’t actually want to be anywhere near you, I know that. I know in my head that I’m mad at you. And that you want nothing to do with me. But it was like suddenly I just… I couldn’t take it anymore. And I didn’t care about all the bullshit anymore. I just - I need to be with you again.” None of what she was saying really made sense, which was fitting considering none of her feelings or thoughts were making any sort of sense either.

⨯ ⨯ ⨯

Scamp was off doing something hoity-toity with his girlfriend which meant their place was his for the night. He'd cracked open a beer and thrown a mac n' cheese in the microwave for dinner before kicking his feet up onto the coffee table to watch tv. It was early on in the evening, expecting them to be home late which gave him enough time to try to beat Scamp's high score on their favorite game. The number one switched between the two of them over the years but right now it was the other boy that held the title. It wasn't much of a plan for the night considering his best friend was at a fancy party which was exactly what Dodger wanted. He didn't like getting dressed up or having to be social with rich people he didn't know, much preferring sitting on the couch in a pair of basketball shorts with a warm beer in his hand.

He was about to take out the last enemy in the game when the door opened, turning to mock his roommate that he was about to take his high score when he saw who it was. "Ellie?" Dodger questioned as he got to his feet. The screen flashed 'Game Over' as his player died while he stared at the girl. Not only was her company unexpected but they were barely on speaking terms anymore. He'd fucked that up enough to know to keep his distance and let her move on with her life. "What're you doing?" He asked, trying to hide the confusion on his face and his shifty eyes. She answered with an action that brought up even more questions than answers. The boy pulled back, holding her shoulders to create some distance between them. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about doing that again but knew better, thinking she would've thought the same. "Hey, whoa, what was that for? Are you feelin' alright?"