wallacepolsom
DEAR READER
Product Placement
sheepfilms
Kaledo Art
izzy's playlists!
we're not kids anymore.
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Aqua Utopia｜海の底で記憶を紡ぐ
★
Cosimo Galluzzi
@theartofmadeline
Andulka
Cosmic Funnies
Claire Keane
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
NASA
Three Goblin Art
Show & Tell
Origami Around
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@br1ghteyed
she/her ・ 26 ・ multifandom ・ bisexual ・ writer
— i'm minnie .ᐟ i'm from the east coast, a not-so-coastal part. i have a degree in creative writing that i don't use enough. crawling back to tumblr after a decade to make a cozy writing corner.
— bonus hobbies .ᐟ pc gaming (overwatch, ffxiv, & more), reading, running, my dog & cat, hiking, the gym, pinterest, fashion & design, moodboards.
— writing masterlist .ᐟ
dialogue starters & prompts! part 2
"why does it matter to you?"
"then prove it."
"twice in one day? isn't that a bit much?"
"don't they make some kind of medication for that?"
"you're much tougher than you look."
"please don't tell anyone i said that."
"what's done is done, right?"
"i'd appreciate a break."
"where have you been all night?"
"i wish you believed me."
"i feel much safer with you here."
"can we please forget about that?"
"none of that matters to me."
"i'd prefer if we spoke. . .in private."
"i wasn't holding out for an apology."
"i've made peace with not knowing."
"do you hear yourself?"
"how did you get that?"
"what you're doing. . . it's wrong."
"please pretend."
"no. no. no. i can't be around that."
"it was more than a white lie."
"your smile is contagious to me."
"don't you ever want to disappear?"
"i've been waiting to hear from you."
"so what?"
"and if it's true?"
"that doesn't concern you."
"let's wrap this up."
"the water's so cold."
"you hide it well."
"i can't look at you like this."
"how could you destroy all the evidence of us?"
"you have no idea, do you?"
"i thought worse of you. i'm sorry."
"i thought better of you. i'm sorry."
"i need a moment to collect myself."
"who do you think you are?"
"who do you think i am?"
"i don't deserve this."
"i want you to think this through."
"you stress me out."
"(s)he doesn't look at anyone like that."
"(s)he'd do anything for you."
"i was worried you assumed that."
"can i please?"
"look me in the eye and say it."
"what happened to the person i knew?"
"can we stay here?"
"don't talk. i'll show you."
dialogue starters & prompts !
"you're not finished, are you?"
"your touch is. . . softer than anticipated."
"i'm starved."
"please. be gentle."
"it doesn't matter what i say, does it?"
"why did it have to be you?"
"silvertongued as usual, i see."
"if it means that much to you. . ."
"i'm rather particular."
"it's not a good idea to look at me like that."
"am i supposed to act grateful?"
"i can't stand to lose you again."
"do you think that matters to me?"
"when have i ever told you no?"
"you're quite a troublemaker."
"i didn't expect this from you."
"by god, how much have you had to drink?"
"i had a dream about you."
"you have too much control over me."
"i didn't know you were capable of that."
"we'll talk later."
"i'm not accepting criticism, thank you."
"don't waste your time on me."
"can we try again?"
"how did you know it's my favorite?"
"okay, now i'm begging."
"you're the only one whose opinion i trust."
"i don't care what you think of me right now."
"lie down for me."
"you're the best thing about this place."
"i've been waiting years for those words."
"no. if i hated you, you'd know."
"you weren't supposed to give up on me."
"believe me. it was a mistake."
"i'd love nothing more than to cook dinner with you."
"i would never let that happen."
"you have to relax for this to work."
"how do i make you trust me?"
"are you taking notes yet?"
"i was up all night thinking about this moment."
"the sun suits you." / "the moon suits you."
"i need your help."
"just eat it."
"in other circumstances, i would have more patience."
"you're soaking wet."
"you're braver than me."
"ask me if i care. i do."
"i need to hear you say that again."
"i didn't expect you to be anything other than difficult."
"i'll never recover from you, you know."
"why did you stop writing your story!!! never stop writing!!!!!!!!!!!" well you see the character had to drive one mile to a new location and the sentence "she got into the car" was quite simply my undoing
dialogue is usually done best by people who like to speak and listen to people
a sentiment from on writing that i've always agreed with, that it's important to get out in the world & experience it in order to be able to build your own within art, especially writing
i think some writers/artists forget the critical piece of advice from hemingway that sometimes hurts to employ.
kill your darlings
kill your darlings.
kill your darlings.
KILL YOUR DARLINGS.
KILL YOUR DARLINGS.
sometimes the idea or character or scene or plot point you're holding onto the most is what is between you and making a major breakthrough in your story.
sometimes you have to do whats best for the story, not for your ego or your favoritism. not by holding onto what your story once was or could be, but by being honest and ruthless with the version of your story that best serves itself.
every book is about something, look at the forest of the book after staring at all the branches closely
from on writing, about how every book has a theme whether we realize it or not
— 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩. chapter two
series content reminder. alcohol, drugs, & partying · angst · light nsfw/suggestive · college setting · exes · love triangles · swearing & inappropriate language · hazing mentioned · greek life · hookup culture · slow burn · friends to lovers · found family · childhood friends
masterlist | prev chapter | next chapter
chapter two. words: 2k
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Maisy came into the living room hours later, around 10am, looking like a mess, but in a hot way; unkempt light brown curls, and smudged under eye liner her signature by now. Jo had heard her playing games all night, well past sunrise, her giggles soothing Jo to sleep. But, if Maisy hadn't gotten any sleep, she didn't look like it. She was already halfway through a pink can of Monster.
"Jo, my sweet, oh so dear, and sweet friend," she cooed, stretching her arms out. "Are you ready to get absolutely fucking trashed tonight?"
Jo smiled in response, immediately in better spirits, absorbing Maisy's energy.
There was a knock at the door, barely a tap before it swung upon. A tall, muscular, woman dressed in a basketball jersey and athletic shorts walked through the door. Maisy sprinted towards her, threw herself into the woman's arms, and wrapped her legs around her as she was lifted into an embrace.
"Tierra!" Jo called out, surprised, even though she shouldn't have been. Tierra was practically a third roommate at this point, Maisy's girlfriend of two years now.
"Did I make it in time to pregame?" Tierra laughed, speaking between kisses to Maisy's cheeks.
"It's not even noon!" Jo laughed too.
Maisy and Tierra got breakfast going, but with Jo on the counter chatting with them, it ended up taking two hours. After eating, Jo split off to shower, shave her legs, and straighten her hair, but found herself in Maisy's room again for help with makeup.
For someone who claimed to be sick of parties, Maisy didn't look it-- vibrating with charm, energy, and confidence. It was an infectious condition, and Jo found herself hyped, her nerves melting away when she basked in Maisy's aura.
***
The soccer team had a formal dinner before the big party every year. Some team members gave speeches and–if they made it through the process–the rookies became official members of the team. They had always been official per the school's roster, but they could party with the team now. For the first time in a few years, all the rookies made it through. B-team nominations happened, where members of the practice team got promoted.
Aaron was one of the underclassmen that got picked for the A-team. He would spend the coming season subbing in or on the bench, but it was a big deal for a freshman.
Brennan and another one of the older guys gave speeches about Aaron, and everyone cheered. He talked about their time as high school teammates, Aaron's passion and dedication, and some memories from practices.
Alcohol wasn't served at the dinner, but spirits were high. As they were going back to their cars as the sun set, Aaron wrapped his arm around Brennan.
"Heard you're bringing Maisy and Jo tonight," he said. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Mind if I steal her?"
Brennan rolled his eyes. In his head it was playful, but it came across far more irritated.
"Come on man," he said with a laugh, "don't start. This is your night."
"Alright, brother," Aaron said, patting him on the back before jogging to catch up with some of the other guys. It didn't sound at all convincing. "No promises."
Brennan told the girls to meet him outside his friend's apartment. It was the pregame, and he told them not to let Tierra give them drinks before they showed up. He knew it was going to be a long night--not one where you want to pregame the pregame.
When he arrived, he stood outside and fired texts. The social chair of volleyball to schedule a party, one of his brothers about the holidays, one of the girls' team players, some girl who must've put her number in his phone.
Oh yeah they're gonna shackle us together at the pregame, I forgot lol
He texted Maisy, as if he had forgotten. He hadn't. He had not told her so she wouldn't say no. He had her location, and he sent over the message when they were already walking over.
***
The moment Jo approached the off-campus house, she could sense a strange energy thick in the air. The people trickling into the property seemed mostly all sober, just as instructed in the invite -- something she hadn't actually expected anyone to follow through on.
Maisy greeted a few people she recognized, before leading Jo and Tierra to a corner, searching for someone to point out the drinks to them. Jo's eyes scanned the room, and her eyes fixed with curiosity upon a table in the front, covered in a black tarp. No one else seemed to share her interest, as it was generally left alone, aside from one or two soccer players checking in on it every so often.
Jo pulled at the hem of her dress, hoping that in her efforts, she really would be able to stretch it an inch or two longer. She was wearing a strapless emerald dress at the behest of Maisy, and the practically micro-mini skirt left her feeling more exposed than she'd anticipated.
Maisy's dress, however, looked like it was crafted for her body. The silk cupped her boobs perfectly, flowing down her curves, and ruching at her butt. Tierra's arm accented her waist protectively.
"Oh, there he is," Maisy said, gesturing towards her brother, his head poking out above the forming crowd in the living room. "That asshole didn't even text me--- oh shit, wait he did..."
Maisy's eyes widened down at her phone, and she let out a screech, turning to Tierra, and then back at Jo.
"Jo, I just want to say. BRENNAN is an ASSHOLE. He just told me that we're going to have to --" she stopped talking, seeing as Brennan himself had finally appeared in front of them. Maisy glared.
"Tee," Brennan said. He flicked his eyes up back and forth from his phone a few times before stashing it away. "Cody's coming down."
Tierra had been one of the Social Chairs for women's basketball last year. She and Brennan talked about parties and team drama. Most of their conversations didn't mention Maisy, unless it was near her birthday.
As he barreled down the stairs on the other side of the room, they could hear Cody's vibrato pierce the room when he saw her.
"Tierra," Cody called, cutting through the chatter enough to reach the group.
Cody was the reason Tierra was here, logistically, even though she happened to be dating Maisy too. The only openly gay member of the soccer team was her housemate and longtime friend. Brennan had been rookies with him, and Tierra was his "date" tonight. At his beckoning, Tierra disappeared to greet him.
"Thanks for coming," Brennan said, finally looking toward Maisy and Jo.
Brennan was in the School of Business. He also paid a lot of attention to details, for better or worse. It made sense that his dress clothes were well-fitted. He had changed from his dinner shirt into a black satin dress shirt. His mid-brown hair tousled especially well this evening, to his delight.
"So, okay," Brennan said, "they're actually going to zip tie us together until we finish the bottles."
They were downstairs in the house now, and the main room was filling up. People were taking pictures on the stairs, and the energy was high. Some of the couples had their bottles by now, tugging around together.
"We have three," he said, evading Maisy's eyes. He clapped his hands together like he was about to launch a sales pitch. They were all moving in and out of everyone's ways as they talked. "Which is manageable."
"Three," Maisy echoed, her face ghostly.
They made their way to the table handing out the bottles and shackling everyone. Brennan made small talk with the guy handing out bottles, Billy Bront.
Everyone called him "Bront" on and off the field. His full last name was Fernandez-Bront, but everyone chose to forget about the first part. He had dark hair and a dark mustache, and he was a Junior. He had recently turned 21, and he always seemed chipper. He and Aaron had gotten close quickly at the start of this school year.
Bront pulled the bottles from one of the coolers behind him, tucked under the stairs. They each had rhinestone initials: B, M, and J. Bront had industrial-looking black zip ties in his hands.
Brennan's strides were long, but he'd look back occasionally to make sure the two girls were close. But, the last time, he was a second too late.
"Two dates for this is crazy, bro," Bront said to Brennan, pulling him into a conversation over the black-tarped table. "You're gonna be lit."
Upon seeing Maisy scamper past from the corner of his eye, his smile brightened, if possible. More of his bleached white smile revealed itself.
"Your sister still with the basketball girl?" he asked, quiet, as he fiddled with the pack of zip ties.
Every now and then, his Colombian accent became more apparent. Brennan had met his mother once at a game, and she didn't speak much English.
"Yes, Bront," Brennan said, trying to sound firm but too amused by the childish grin Bront bit down.
Their freshman year, before Maisy met Tierra, she had hooked up with Billy Bront. Her brother said Bront was responsible for telling the whole team how hot and cool she was. She figured there could be worse reputations. Bront was annoying sometimes, but harmless.
"Who's the other girl?" he asked, not low enough that anyone near them wouldn't hear. Annoying, but harmless.
"We all went to high school together," Brennan said, after taking a moment to find the words.
Calling Jo his 'sister's roommate' didn't feel right. If it were anyone besides Bront, though, Brennan wouldn't have believed that he hadn't heard of Jo since Aaron joined the team. Although broken up now, as he learned last night, Brennan couldn't keep up with their status. He turned to have Jo introduce herself, but she was gone.
Joana wouldn't have admitted it then, but she was actually excited. Not because she was particularly fond of the idea of having her wrists restrained, worst of all, attached to a huffy-puffy Maisy, but because she found it endearing the way everyone was taking this seriously.
For most people there, this was just some random new soccer team party game but for Jo, it meant something to be able to participate. She'd spent the last year dedicating her free time to studying, and her social life was at an all-time low. In fact, her only real friends at this point were Maisy and Tierra, and she'd never even hung out with Tierra without Maisy before.
Not to mention, the moment her eyes laid upon their trio of bottles, a competitive fuse sparked inside of her.
"Maisy, stay with me okay?" Joana coaxed into her friend's ear as the two followed Brennan, a few steps behind him.
"Joana," Maisy said, a strange calm in her voice.
Her eyes were locked on Tee as she spoke, whose back was turned. And then she smiled.
"Don't you worry about me, okay?"
She grabbed Jo's arm and pulled her close, halting them both in their tracks.
"Tee definitely knew about this. And to not tell me, when I'm basically her wife... for that, she must be punished."
Jo laughed, then straightened her face out upon realizing Maisy was serious.
She was grateful about the zipties suddenly -- it was going to take a lot to reign her friend in. For a self-proclaimed introvert, Maisy had no problem making a scene, and Joana had learnt that the hard way. For now, the best thing she could do was distract her.
"Hey, look, I think I see Billy!"
Maisy didn't turn her head to look. She had an expression on her face like she didn't even know who the guy was, but Joana definitely remembered. Bront was in her environmental science class and she'd been partners with him for multiple labs, and even still... she wasn't sure if she'd ever really had a conversation with him.
And somehow, he'd slept with her best friend.
She still didn't know the full details of it all. Maybe she'd ask about it later. Joana made sure to smile at Bront when they passed him, staring right through his hazel eyes, till she was sure he'd remember her from then on.
They started to work through the crowd.
Joana felt her grip on Maisy's wrist loosen, and all at once, the girl disappeared into the crowd. Joana stopped suddenly, too, feeling people shoving in either direction as they made their way around her.
"Maisy?" she called out. She was struggling to find Brennan too, suddenly. "Brennan?!"
⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀welcome to my 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀back to main.
series writing
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀꒰ ꔫ ꒱ typical college friend group (original)
⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀꒰ ꔫ ꒱ and i always do (overwatch: mekamechanic)
one shots
⠀ ꒰ ꔫ ꒱ quite happy (genshin impact: kaeya x reader)
⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀꒰ ꔫ ꒱ coming soon
extras
⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀꒰ ꔫ ꒱ my ship list
⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀꒰ ꔫ ꒱ side blog for co-writing with venus
─.
— 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑑𝑜. main cast.
masterlist · main characters · meka squad · faq/reference
author's note. my interpretation of the characters stay true to their original concepts while breathing more life into them by fleshing out backstories in ways that suit the story and putting them in new situations. the descriptions below weave in their canon lore and personalities as well as the creative liberties i've taken to make them into frontrunners in this fic.
— hana song.
𝘪'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦.
21. korean. gamer & mech pilot.
from hana, we see more of her internal world and the emotional hardships she faces despite her unrelenting spirit. since the story is largely from her perspective, the narrative with be grounded in what's running through her head. one way i'd put this is that we will see a lot more of hana song than "d.va" in this fic. we'll still see the hana song we know and love: resilient, headstrong, and relatable. but i'll be exploring who hana is beyond how she would perform for the world... especially as someone who was put on a pedestal from a young age from her fame, success, and reputation.
— brigitte lindholm.
𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘪'𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵.
23. swedish. mechanical engineer.
my impression of brig has always struck a wonderful balance of strong and kind, soft and unwavering. while still hoping to capture her voice as it appears in the canon, i'll be exploring her expression of power while maintaining her tender heart. for my interpretation, i am not stripping brig of her femininity--im using it as a tool of expression of her strength and unique charm... while still not shying away from the reality of her less "girly" traits.
— dae-hyun park.
𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 [𝘩𝘪𝘮] 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵.
22. korean. mechanic.
dae-hyun sees the most creative liberties because he's a supporting character in the actual overwatch lore. since he doesn't have much to align his character to beyond a few scenes, his voice will largely be something i develop myself.
dae-hyun has been working with hana (and her mech, tokki) since she joined the meka squad. he was assigned as tokki's head mechanic and as a general mechanic for the squad. before their professional relationship, though, dae-hyun and hana were childhood friends. during the gwishin attack, dae-hyun was the one at hana's side. he ordered the self-destruction of the mech and accompanied hana to the hospital after. he also supported her during her recovery, being the only person who stayed at the meka base with her up until brig's arrival.
a list of 100+ buildings to put in your fantasy town
academy
adventurer's guild
alchemist
apiary
apothecary
aquarium
armory
art gallery
bakery
bank
barber
barracks
bathhouse
blacksmith
boathouse
book store
bookbinder
botanical garden
brothel
butcher
carpenter
cartographer
casino
castle
cobbler
coffee shop
council chamber
court house
crypt for the noble family
i dont remember where i read this but this note i took from a book is a good mini think piece for writing, for character relationship studies & emotional arcs: "beauty being mostly a matter of attention, the river is only beautiful because you are looking at it"
— 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑑𝑜. faq & reference.
masterlist · main characters · meka squad · faq/reference
note. this section will be updated as things come up in the story, if people have recurring questions, or if the fic takes any extreme creative liberties that need clarification.
[?] How old are Brig & Hana & Dae-Hyun?
In this story, Hana is 21 and Brig is 23. Dae-Hyun is 22. The youngest character in this story will be one of the members of the MEKA Squad, Overlord, who will be 18.
[?] Who is Dae-Hyun?
Dae-Hyun Park is the canon mechanic assigned to Hana. He works on Tokki. He seems to be about Hana’s age. He appears in the cinematic and some other Overwatch media.
[?] What is Mecha Guardian V?
The video game Hana is canonically famous for being the #1 player in. Before being recruited to pilot a mech for her country (South Korea), Hana was a teenage professional gamer.
[?] What is nano cola?
A soda brand that Hana (D.va, in this case) promotes in canon. Lots of references to the brand are seen in game and in Overwatch media. Nano Cola cans and vending machines featuring D.va are seen in the game. D.va also has a “Nano Cola” skin along with other cosmetics.
[?] What is the MEKA Squad/Mobile Exo-Force?
A team of five young mech pilots, including Hana, who were recruited for the Korean military to defend the nation from threats (Gwishin and Null Sector being among them).
Link here for more facts about the members of the MEKA Squad and how they’ll be characterized in this fic.
[?] What’s Hana’s affiliation with Overwatch in this fic?
In the official lore, Hana is ordered by the MEKA Squad captain to join Overwatch to monitor the Null Sector threats. Since this is before the cinematic on the timeline, Hana is affiliated with Overwatch when the incident occurs. For the sake of this fic, Hana is inactive/on leave from all organizations during her recovery (e-sports, MEKA Squad, and Overwatch). In this fic, Overwatch is eager to re-recruit Song as she was not fully onboarded before the incident. Since she is still considered a member of Overwatch at this time, her MEKA Squad captain is able to call for their help during Hana’s request for a second mech to be built. Overwatch offers the job to a few of their members, and Brigitte ends up taking it.
— 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩. chapter one
series content reminder. alcohol, drugs, & partying · angst · light nsfw/suggestive · college setting · exes · love triangles · swearing & inappropriate language · hazing mentioned · greek life · hookup culture · slow burn · friends to lovers · found family · childhood friends
masterlist | prev chapter | next chapter
chapter one. words: 2.1k
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It was the dead of winter in New England. At their college that was just classified as "medium" in student population, there were two camps of people on a Saturday night.
The first, Brennan assumed, were the type of people that stayed in. They bundled up and couldn't be dragged out of their apartment. He didn't know much about this mindset except that his sister had it for the past month. Well, she claimed to have it these days.
His sister was said to be somewhere across campus with lit candles and a movie playing. Her nine minutes on Earth before he had come along made her "immune to the temptations of youth". That's what Maisy had told him last week, when he asked about her sudden reform from any sort of fun.
Brennan, however, belonged to the second camp. When he told his friends who went to school in the south that he was fifteen minutes from the Canadian border, most of them pictured parkas. The hot basement he frequented beneath the snow, however, had most girls in tube tops and strappy heels. Here on this particular night, he wore a t-shirt with no jacket.
He sat on the high ledge that lined the room. The ex-fraternity property owner had built a wrap-around elevated surface specifically for secret parties hosted by his student renters. The landlord never said this, of course, but the soccer team that lived upstairs happily took the hint during last summer's construction.
People loved to sit on it and look over the party, and Brennan had been perched there for the last few songs. He pulled up a trio of girls who wanted help, and they took selfies beside him. Then, a few with him for their Snapchat stories. He didn't know their names, but they looked as familiar as anyone he saw on the weekends.
Other than that, he was having a moment alone next to one of the speakers. Nothing depressing. He was thinking about his sister, actually, all curled up in her bed as he assumed. And for some reason, he was thinking about her roommate too.
Hardly remembering unlocking the screen, he looked down to the phone in his lap. He had been looking at their texts together, then clicking into the contact picture to try to make it bigger. He didn't think about why, just zooming in. Trying to. It was a picture they'd taken before some high school dance, with only half of Maisy's curls cropped out.
Apparently zooming in didn't work on contact pictures. That, or his phone held a grudge about the can of seltzer someone had poured on it earlier that evening. Brennan had spent a meticulous fifteen minutes with a lysol wipe, but he stuck it in his pocket after it seemed clean.
He was calling her. It was 2 in the morning, and he was calling a girl who was probably volunteering in the morning. While Maisy was a party girl in reform, her best friend Joanna was hardly one at all.
He dove for the "end call" button a few times with his thumb. After his second missed attempt, he brought the phone to his ear and covered the other side of his head with his hand.
"Oh my god, Aaron. How many times do I have to say it...? We're on a break. Stop calling me!"
Joana shouted, before throwing her phone across the bed. She began to scream gibberish into one of the many oddly-shaped throw pillows decorating her friend's bed. The captive this time was jellyfish-shaped. The sheer drama of it all pulled said friend's attention away from her PC screen.
Maisy turned back to see Joana face-planted to her bed, surrounded in various stacks of books, homework, writing utensils, her laptop, and a criminal amount of starburst wrappers. Worst of all, she seemed to be picking up calls from her ex again.
Jo's head rose from the plush jellyfish when her phone buzzed. Before Maisy could say anything, she picked up. But, Joana's eyes were different now, shining a little.
"Thank god, it's you," she said, her tone evening out. "Sorry! I thought you were Aaron."
He didn't know why he called. That's how his brain was working after his night out, at least. He was sure he could find a reason, but alcohol allowed him to care less.
Jo frowned as the phone's speaker picked up on his ambiance. "Where are you? He's not there, is he? "
"Huh?" Brennan said, barely able to hear them. "Aaron's not here."
Brennan hoped that Aaron wasn't calling Jo. Not only because Brennan would be in trouble for calling if they were back together again. Aaron was not supposed to have his phone.
In the class below him, Aaron had been Brennan's soccer teammate since middle school. Brennan didn't mind him, even when he could have a temper on the field. A few times on their travel team in high school, Brennan had defended him in the locker room over an incident.
As far as he knew, Aaron had calmed down since he came to college, at least on the team. He was on the B team as a rookie. Aaron was somewhere in a basement doing pushups, chugging beers, and chanting nonsense as initiation for his promotion to the A team. Jo shouldn't have known all of that, though.
Maisy turned back to her desk upon hearing her brother's voice come through. She shouted over her shoulder: "Call Mom back!"
He hadn't answered Maisy or his mom's texts all day. He had been busy at class and then cleaning and then practice and then the pregame and then being on aux.
"What color are you two wearing tomorrow?" he asked.
By the time he asked this, he had jumped from the perch and made his way outside. He stood near a row of kegs near the fenceline of the house's yard. String lights gave a warm glow in the night, and girls danced atop one of the makeshift stages.
At one of the handmade bars, he saw Aaron serving from behind one of them. If there were rookies, it was their job to serve the parties.
Brennan played around with the taps on the kegs, making sure they were working. Some of his personal responsibilities for the parties were alcohol, music, and general vibes throughout the night.
One of his teammates elbowed him, taunting and asking who he was on the phone with. He mouthed "my sister" and the kid, obviously drunk, started screaming something like "Breannan's sister is a fucking smokeshow".
"You're coming, right Maisy?" he said, louder now than when he was inside.
Two weeks ago, he had asked Maisy to come with him to his team's date party. It was the biggest one of the year because all of the new guys were finally deemed full members of the team's social scene. He told her to bring Jo too if it made her come. Brennan was one of the few guys on the team that could get away with bringing two dates to the event. He organized most of it anyway.
"Yeah, yeah, okay!" his sister called back unenthusiastically. Her eyes were still glued to her computer screen.
Brennan knew this, but Maisy was "so bored" of parties. She had prescribed herself for this semester, but it wasn't a total lie.
One of her first memories was hiding in the pantry during one of the Coffays' almost-weekly get-togethers. Brennan had come to find her and bring her back, but ended up staying in there with her upon seeing his sister distraught. Still, Maisy couldn't ever say no to him.
"Mom came by with dresses for us," she added, "She was thinking emerald."
Jo rolled over so that she was flat on her back. She hadn't even seen the dresses.
As excited as she wanted to be, the anxious cocktail brewing in her stomach was relentless. Despite the fact that she had more work piling up at her sides than she could fathom, her mind was consumed by only one source of stress: Aaron hadn't called yet this week. The thoughts came to her all at once and she let out an audible groan.
Maisy sighed, finally turning around, and picking up Jo's phone.
"Brennan, please, I think it's actually time for a fucking intervention. I really don't think I can take another 3am meltdown--"
Joana snatched the phone back and glared at her friend.
"I'm fine. No meltdown here! I was actually right on my way out!"
She stood up, marched out of Maisy's room, shut the door, and then stood there, unsure where to go. She didn't want to go back to bed -- she wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. A waste of time. Jo needed something, anything, to break the thick trance that school had her in at the moment. She was tired of being tired all of the time: tired and bored.
"Hey Brennan, I'm back. Sorry... about that..." Joana laughed, feeling nervous now, as if the two of them were alone in a room together now.
"Your sister's a jerk," she said.
But they both knew, Maisy meant a lot to Jo. She wasn't sure how she'd get by without her. Childhood friends, and practically sisters, they were in each other's lives for good.
"Can I come by? Or, do you want to come over? Or... I don't know. It's late. It's okay if you're tired."
Before responding, Brennan flicked his eyes up at Aaron who was pouring liquor into the shot glasses superglued to an old ski. Four girls huddled around the bar, excited to take them.
One thing no one needed right now was Jo in the same room as a drunk, freshly traumatized Aaron. He didn't know if he would scream at her or fall back into her arms from the stress, but he wasn't a fan of either option. Maisy and him had discussed this.
There was one problem with being Social Chair for the team; he couldn't leave until the party closed down. Especially not with the drunk rookies running around, threatening to get everyone in trouble.
"I'm surprised you're awake," Brennan said.
For the first year of college, when Jo and Maisy were shoved into a dorm, Brennan saw her more often asleep than not. Every time he went to see Maisy, Jo was napping midday or asleep for the night by six.
"Are you gonna make it tomorrow? It starts at 8," he said. He gave a laugh, gentler than the one that the boys usually got. "I know that's past your bedtime."
Jo said something that became inaudible to him under the noise of the chaos he strolled toward. He rounded the corner of the building to the narrow strip of yard where the rookies were letting people in. As one of the new guys caught his eye, Brennan knew he would be roped in.
"Gotta go. Get some sleep. Text me what you like to drink," he said into the phone before shoving it in his pocket.
Next thing he knew, he was pulling an outrageously tall man off of one of his teammates.
"Bro, he was touching my girl," the teammate said, still trying to swing at him.
"He's fucking twenty-six," one of the rookies yelled. "Who let this guy in?"
They couldn't call the cops, like, ever. Not with a bunch of drunk 19-year-olds filling their basement. In situations like this, the team tended to look toward their captains, even off the field. Brennan was a junior captain and social chair. Close enough.
Before Jo could feel her heart sink, the call had ended, and she was alone in the dark hallway. She considered going back into Maisy's room, but she also wanted to give her friend a break.
These days, she could only sleep in Maisy's room or out in the living room. Something about her own room made her feel lonely, as if the door to her bedroom might lock her in permanently.
Joana was sad she didn't have some excuse to spirit her night away, especially with Brennan, but also relieved she might be able to wake up tomorrow somewhat well-rested.
She figured Brennan had better things to do than see her in the middle of the night. He could be talking to one of the gorgeous girls that surrounded him, or getting wasted (though she knew deep down that wasn't his style). She could name a million things that were more fun than spending an evening witnessing her awkwardness.
In an effort to distract herself from thinking too much about it, Jo texted Aaron. She watched for the bubbles to pop up that indicated he was typing, or some sign he had even read her message. But, nothing.
She sighed, threw herself onto the couch, and shut her eyes.
Joana woke up hours later, and it was already morning. Her phone buzzed.
Aaron had replied.
˜”°•.˜”°• 𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚈𝚘𝚞 •°”˜.•°”˜
a genshin impact college au: [scaramouche x oc] ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀᴘᴏꜱᴛ
𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢
𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘩𝘰𝘺𝘰 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳, 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯-𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳, 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦.
𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘒𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘬𝘶𝘻𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦.
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦?
𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢
𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 !
𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚜
𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵
𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘪𝘩𝘰𝘺𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦
i think i tend to forget how good boredom is for creativity because we're all so addicted to numbing ourselves with screens and stimulation. but standing in the shower or going for a walk with no music or just sitting in your bedroom without being allowed to touch any screens & all of a sudden i have multiple new projects to start, a solution to a months-long plot problem & 4 new original characters
