Welcome aboard, Rosie Delaney, student #24. We are excited to set sail with you! Has anyone told you that you look like Abigail Cowen? According to our records, you hail from Dublin, Ireland, she/her, are cis female, and are here to study Comic Art. We also see you received a spot on the SS university because of your online lottery win — we won’t tell anyone. During your first few weeks here, other students said you were + Adventurous, + Forgiving, but also - Shy. It sounds like you spend most of your time at the arcade. Upon checking your luggage, we noticed you packed a jewellery box brought from home. Hopefully your roommates don’t steal it!
Trigger Warning: Familial Death, Heart Attack, Mentions of Sex Work, Drugs, Alcohol
Rosemary Delaney was born in New York but very quickly after birth, she was shipped over to her grandparents in Dublin to be raised due to her mother’s alcohol and drug dependencies. Her grandparents never did get a straight answer about her father from her mother. Being raised by her grandparents in Ireland was what gave her her very obvious Irish accent. She’d go to New York with her grandparents to visit her mum but it was usually met with disappointment from her grandparents but Rosie just liked meeting and talking to her mum.
Growing up, she always loved anything to do with superheroes. Although she doesn’t ever admit this, as a small kid, she used to believe her dad was a superhero and that’s why she couldn’t know his true identity. Isn’t it great what kids can come up with? Of course she knows that isn’t true now but it really did aid in her love for comic books. She was always a shy kid but once you got to know her, she could talk for hours! A little nerdy but really just a gem.
When she was 12, she was at home with her grandfather while her grandmother was out doing the shopping when he started to get really ill all of a sudden. Slurring his words and told her to ring 112 for an ambulance. He ended up on the floor suffering from a heart attack. Rosie did guided CPR with help from the operator on the phone until the paramedics got there and he was taken to hospital. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it. More unfortunate news came when her grandmother then died suddenly from a bloodclot that formed. This came two months after her grandfather died.
At the funeral, custody of Rosie then fell to her mother which led her to New York. Now what Rosie didn’t know about her mum was how she lived. She’d romanticised this image of her mum living in New York and everything being so glamourous but when she got there, she realised the truth was far from it. Men coming and going at all hours. Some for sex, some with drugs, some to do drugs. Rosie mostly kept to herself in her room like she was told and her way of escaping was through drawing. If she could draw her own world, she didn’t have to be in the one she was in. It was her escapism.
When she was in this reality, Rosie would often be taking care of her mum. Making sure when she passed out that she’d have a blanket to keep her warm and get her some water for when she’d wake up. She’d very often check that she was still breathing out of fear of losing another parent in her life. There were times where she’d have to take her mum to the hospital and every time they pumped her stomach, her mum would promise that she’d quit but when she come home, she’d be back to her old tricks. Yet every time Rosie heard that she’d quit, she’d believe. She wanted to believe that things could be better. It never came though.
After being let down so many times, her mum’s guilt got the better of her and once again, packed Rosie’s bags and shipped her away to her Auntie in England at the age of 16. However, that one was short lived when her Auntie became pregnant and no longer had room for Rosie in the small house. She ended up in a children’s home and fostered by a family in Manchester. It was supposed to be until she was 18 and give her a stable home while she completed her A levels but she wound up staying with the family and paying rent by working in a cafe up until she won by chance a lottery to study on board a ship.
“Hell yes! I am so down for that. Imagine all the great new music we’ll be exposed to! And when we set sail again, we can see the shows at the Shell Theater to hold us over.” Flashing a dimpled grin in the red head’s direction, Jude gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “Oh, duh! That’s a given. You’re stuck with me like glue.”
“I didn’t even think of the Shell Theatre. This is why you’re the genius of the two of us.” Rosie joked but excited to see more shows. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“ hey, i’ve never claimed to be a good one. ” he laughed as he too got up to follow her to the bar. “ of course i do, i’m not going to let you drink alone. that would make me terrible company. ”
“Okay good point! I appreciate you all the same even if you are the devil on my shoulder.” Rosie joked. “And a terrible roommate.”
Romeo walked side by side with Rosie and agreed with a nod of his head. “You know that sounds like a plan. I wanted to stay and hang out with you a bit more anyway.”
“Let’s go then!” Rosie started in the direction of the bar. “And thanks for joining me for the concert too by the way.”
nora absolutely loved spending time with her roommates. she’d definitely gotten lucky in getting two absolutely wonderful ones, that was for sure. hearing rosie’s words, nora grinned and nodded in agreement. “ i’m down! ”
“Let’s go!” Rosie hooked her arms with Nora to get them moving. “I don’t think I’ve ever asked what your go to drink is.”
“Right?! I’ve missed shows.” Jude was still buzzing from post-show energy—the best feeling in the world, if you asked him. His bulky video camera was hanging around his neck and he couldn’t wait to review all the footage he got from the show later. With a laugh, Jude extended an arm towards Rosie. “You never have to ask if I’m down for free drinks. How could I turn down your company? Let’s go!”
“Me too! We should try to find shows at each dock!” Rosie suggested. She smiled happily and took his arm when he offered it to her. “Thanks for the company and I’ll make sure I ask you to come with me every time there are free drinks now. You’re stuck with me!”
“That show was great but I’m not quite ready to go back to the ship yet. Want to go make use of those free drink vouchers before going to back?” Rosie asked as they left the theatre.
“ well, there’s a bar and you can treat yourself to as many shots as you’d like. ” he grinned, trying to convince her. it was always more fun when everyone participated. “ come on, it can’t be that fun just sitting and watching everyone. ”
“You are a terrible influence, Micah.” Rosie told him. “Alright, do you want some shots too?” She asked as she stood up to go to the bar.
“I could teach you a few things, that’s if you want.” He spoke looking over at her with a small smile. “No it’s no problem.” He replied as he grabbed two waits and lifted the both to his chest holding them there for a few moments.
“Sure, why not? What did you have in mind that you could teach me?” Rosie asked as she looked around the gym.
the young male couldn’t take his gaze off from her, not minding if he’ll stumble down a rock while heading to the love park. “you like messing with me, huh? but you can’t take it back, you’re going to explore new cities with me.” he announced happily. liam then slowed down his pace and was now at her back. taking his camera out and capturing a photo of her with their hands holding, a photo you’ll see couples posting in their social media accounts. “even with just your back in this photo, you still look stunning.” he accidentally blurted out while scanning her photo.
“I might like messing with you a little.” Rosie admitted, laughing. There wasn’t a lot of people Rosie felt comfortable being this person with but even after being apart, Liam was still one of those people she felt comfortable with. “Well, I can’t wait to explore more cities with you then.” She smiled. She let him fall behind slightly as her eyes took in the sights around them when she heard the click of his camera to bring her back, turning her head to look at him. “Thank you! I don’t think I’ve ever been told my back is stunning before.” She teased, trying to peek a look at his camera.
“you need a wingperson ? maybe we can just say screw decorum and make it a wild night. i don’t mind being a fool in public.”
“Oh, um, we’ll see in the moment. I’m not good with pre-planning stuff like that. I don’t want to be disappointed if we’re unsuccessful, you know?” Rosie answered about them being a wingperson for her.
❛ 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒊 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒊𝒕𝒚 , i also like knowing what’s around the corner . must be because i love myself some tragic irony . ❜ he teased back , although , in some sense that wasn’t the most dishonest answer . ❛ hell yes we would ! less violent but still fucking badass . imagine a pretty redhead and a lanky brunette coming in ready to start some chaos . no one would stand a chance . ❜ the male joked , of course being thrown off by her taking a slower approach to the puck . reaching back into the slot when the puck fell in , he put it back on the table , hitting it across the table . raising his eyebrows a little at her comment . cassidy couldn’t help that his mind went straight to the gutter but he had a feeling rosie said what she said unintentionally . ❛ you’re fucking adorable , you know that ? ❜ cassidy laughed , shaking his head . her naivety we endearing in a sense , there was an innocence to it that cassidy was sure was far gone on him . ❛ but thanks rose , i’ll be sure to keep that in mind . ❜
“I think I just like surprises because if I have time to really think about it, I’ll probably chicken out while if I’m put on the spot, I can just kinda... do it.” Rosie explained her view. She could be very very adventurous but usually so long as it’s not planned far in advance where she has time to overthink every scenario. “Exactly! We’d be the unlikely suspects and get away with all of our chaos!” She played along. A little smirk grew at the corner of her lips as the puck went in and let him start the rally again. “Thank you! I try to be sometimes.” She spent a little too much time trying to fake flip her hair that she noticed the puck go in to her goal. That’ll teach her to try being dramatic. “No problem!”
Duckie had to stop herself from audibly going ‘aww’ at Rosie’s answer, since Duckie was an artist herself and thought about her legacy more than someone might imagine. “I love that! I swear to god, this ship is full of amazing artists. What have you been working on this year?”
“It is! I love how many artists there are around and we’re all so different.” Rosie agreed. “Mostly comic art for my course but I’ve been trying to practice some retro comic art which is like pop art.”
