father of mine tell me where have you been 🖤

Julia Daphne Rose thirty-three. bartender at the troubletones karaoke bar I answer to julia, julie, jules, or even j. you can find me most nights working behind a bar and if I'm not working I'm either at home with my cats or bugging my best friend. or being a pain in the ass to my twin brother.

[ambersrose]

Amber looked over at Julia, her eyes widening a bit in surprise. "Wait, you didn't know?!" she questioned, genuinely surprised. Though, admittedly, right after she said the words, she knew that it actually made percent sense. Amber didn't really talk much about her love life with Julia, given Charlie was almost always much more readily available to squeal over cute boys with her. "Okay, so, obviously you remember my Teddy crush a few years back, because, you know... embarrassing for me, but who doesn't," she briefly scowled. "But anyway! Right around the end of all that, there was this guy at Founder's Day that I started flirting with and he won me a cute stuffed kitty. And, not gonna lie, I was really hoping somehow it would make Teddy jealous. But, of course, he ended up, like, not caring at all," Amber rolled her eyes. "Again. Anyways! This guy and I ended up going on a date to Dorney Park and that's where we had a super romantic kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel!" She sighed gently. "I really was starting to like him for real, but obvs it fizzled out and that's that. Probs for the best since, even if I had been pretty much accepting Teddy was a no-go by then, I was def still rebounding."

[juliarose]

Julia let out a laugh, shaking her head. "Okay, first of all, how did I completely miss this entire relationship? I swear I know more about the lives of people I barely talk to than I apparently know about my own sister." She gave Amber a look of disbelief. "And secondly, of course it was a ferris wheel. Leave it to you to manage getting some kind of romcom moment on a date." A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth before she shrugged. "Honestly though, you're probably right. If you were still fresh off your crush on Teddy, it probably was for the best that it didn't go much further than that. Doesn't mean it had to be a bad thing either. Sometimes people just show up when you need a reminder that there's more than one person out there worth getting excited about." She leaned on the rickety fencing that surrounded the ride, eyebrow raised. "So, are you just waiting for some new cute guy to come around and sweep you off your feet tonight or would you be opposed to spending time with your big sister?"

[ambersrose]

In Amber's humble opinion, she looked extremely cute today. She was wearing the very same pastel yellow sundress her bestie had picked out for her and had her hair in a very cute half-up, half-down style. She should have been having more fun - maybe finding a cute guy to win her a stuffed animal. Instead, she was currently staring wistfully up at the Ferris wheel as it made its rounds. She let out a dramatic sigh, throwing some more cotton candy into her mouth. "Ferris wheels are, like, so ruined for me now," she lamented. "Now they just make me feel sad and super single. Like, don't get me wrong, they're already inherently romantic, but being a girl that's actually gotten to experience a kiss at the top of one before? So much worse."

[juliarose]

Julia had been making a slow lap around the carnival, more interested in fried food and seeing who was around than trying to cram as many rides and games into one afternoon as possible. Spotting her sister nearby, she was about to speak up and say hello, but Amber beat her to the punch without even realizing she was there. Julia blinked once, eyebrows raised as she looked at her sister. “Hold on,” she interrupted, one hand on her hip. “When exactly did you kiss a guy at the top of a Ferris wheel?”

[riverjacksonx]

So, it should come as no surprise that I've been experimenting with my menu. Well...that turned into a dessert sammy lineup for the carnival. We've got peanut butter & marshmallow fluff, s'mores, and strawberry cheesecake. Problem is...people keep asking if I'm bringing them back after the weekend, and I honestly hadn't thought that far ahead.

So I'm taking votes, because why not? If you're not at the carnival, your vote absolutely still counts. Should I keep these around as permanent menu items?

[juliarose]

Listen, I'm not saying that you have to take my vote to heart or anything, but if you don't at least keep the s'mores option for the fall, then that's just a crime against humanity. Oh, actually do you think you could also finagle that strawberry cheesecake into a pumpkin cheesecake and then also maybe do something with apple? Asking for a friend.

[lucyquinnfabs]

Yea, she's only 15 months so if it's fluffy and cute and interacts with her she loves it. Wow that's really cool! Yea exactly. So far I have a series out, and I'm currently writing a new stand-alone book. Oh goosebumps were so good, but my parents didn't like me reading them so I had to read them at school and leave them in my desk drawers. I needed something with benefits and stable hours and pay for my daughter, but I still do write and publish books!

[juliarose]

Yeah, that sounds about right. Your parents didn't let you read Goosebumps? Did they just think it was too much for you or are they anti-spooky or something?

[lucyquinnfabs]

I do like cats a bit more than dogs. I'm not sure if Beth has any preference yet, as long as they're friendly and play with her she's happy. A snake? That's so cool! I always wondered what it would be like to own a snake or a cool pet like that. Yea, I write childrens books. Mostly chapter books for older kids. It was my main job until I moved here and got a job at the library. Now it's just a side gig. Oh god, I remember some of the parties I went to my senior year. Those were good times.

[juliarose]

Depending on her age, I'm going to assume she might just see any fluffy animal and get excited. And yeah, it's a python. Oh okay, so kind of like those Babysitter Club ones or Charlotte's Web, something like that? Or Goosebumps, that's one of the few books I read by choice as a kid. What made you decide to make that switch to work in a library?

[lucyquinnfabs]

I love that so much! I've been thinking about getting a pet recently and if I get a cat I would totally get them that cat wine so we can drink together on our nights alone. Oh absolutely, but that's when I usually try to work on my book or do some much needed cleaning and self-care. I don't stay up too late either, so I watch occasionally but not as much as I'd like. Yea he has really stepped up and is an amazing father.

[juliarose]

Cats are definitely my top pick for a pet, I rescued both of mine from the shelter here in town. Though my best friend has a snake and that's pretty cool, too. Oh you write books? What kind? Not that I read, really. I've tried and I just can't stick with it, I don't have the attention span for it. I work at a bar so staying up late is ingrained in my system, especially after being into parties back in the day once in awhile.

[juliarose]

Don't let it get to your head, your ego is already almost too big for this tiny town, but happy birthday, jerk. And don't throw away your present or it'll haunt you. @brodywestonx

A distinguished gentleman, just for you!

[juliarose]

To my sister from another mister, hope you have the greatest birthday ever! You deserve it. Feel free to stop by Troubletones and the drinks are on me. But also, here's a little extra for when you can't go out to drink. @oliviaxwestons

[lucyquinnfabs]

I like to think that pets count, they can be great company and if you have company you're not alone right? You're lucky, it's become a luxury to be able to watch a show like Law and Order or anything that isn't a childrens cartoon or Disney movie. Right now it's kind of all over the place, we're still working out a set schedule, but he gets her at least two days a week right now. We also spend a lot of time together the three of us.

[juliarose]

Exactly. I've even gotten them that wine for cats, it's really just like catnip tea basically, and then I don't even have to drink alone. I'll be honest, I don't know much about kids. but isn't there at least some time when she's sleeping that you can watch your shows then? That sounds nice, it's good that she has a dad that's there for her and that you have someone else that you can also rely on with raising her.

[lucyquinnfabs]

Oh I did watch some of my own shows, and I spent one night having a nice hot bubble bath with some wine. I took full advantage of having a completely empty house for a weekend if you know what I mean. I didn't fret at all honestly. I was worried a bit at first, but I trust Nick and he's a good dad.

[juliarose]

Sounds like you definitely had a good weekend. Yeah, I kind of have a whole house to myself always, perks of living solo and being child-free. Unless you count my cats, which I like to think they count but also I don't have to be careful what I watch around them, so totally get what it's like to have a completely empty house. Sounds like you've got a pretty good co-parent, there. Do you just do the every other weekend thing with him?

[lucyquinnfabs]

So Beth is with her dad this weekend. This will be the longest she's even been away from me since she was born and I'm so excited! What should I do first? Sleep in? Watch my own shows? Take a long, hot bath? God the options are endless! I can do whatever I want for the next two and a half days! I feel like dancing for joy!

[juliarose]

I'd say sleep in and definitely binge whatever shows you can't usually watch with a kid around, but the weekend is now over so I'm just going to say that if you didn't do all of that, those should be top priority next time. Either way, hope you took advantage and weren't like one of those parents that ends up fretting over the kid the whole time they're gone like I've seen in shows and movies.

[andersonjones]

This is why cursed objects keep finding new hosts. They don't even have to manipulate anyone anymore. They just wait for one person to go, "Actually, I'd like to fill out the adoption paperwork." I do appreciate that we've apparently reached the line where both of us agree. Haunted doll? Debatable. Ouija board? Absolutely not. That's the one item where even my curiosity packs up its bags and says, "You know what?

As for you volunteering to take her... that's incredibly generous of you, but I refuse to have that on my conscience. Imagine I hand her over and six months later you text me, "So... funny story. She's in different rooms every morning now." I'd never forgive myself.

But if she ever does randomly turn back up, I already know exactly how it'll happen. She won't appear in the middle of the room like a respectable haunted object. No. She'll be sitting on a bookshelf I've walked past a hundred times, and my brain will spend a full five seconds trying to remember if she's always been there. That's the moment I'd know she'd won.

[juliarose]

Well there's not only that, but also the fact that some people are so oblivious to the vibes a haunted object is so obviously giving off. But yeah, glad to agree on Ouija boards. I also think it was absolutely insane that they took the Annabelle doll on tour TO actually haunted places. Like I'm all for visiting places that are known to be haunted, but don't take something that's going to level up the haunt with you, bad things will happen. Bad things did happen and I wasn't one bit surprised.

[mackfabray]

I'm not big on any holidays, they all kinda just feel weird to me. So I find holidays starting earlier and earlier to be wild, in it's own way.

[juliarose]

Oh well, yeah I guess that would do it, I do think Christmas has started to push through earlier more and more, Halloween stuff going out around July has been happening I think the past few years now. And then they started marketing summerween which isn't so much starting it early, more just catering other seasons to the people that love spooky season so much. They've even started that with Christmas decor and other holidays too, really.

[andersonjones]

Julia, I would like the record to show that I did not put a haunted doll in the closet. I placed a tiny judgmental woman into temporary storage because she was making the living room emotionally hostile. Those are very different things.

And honestly? The fact that you're immediately siding with the doll is exactly how horror movies happen. This is why the cursed objects keep winning. They find one person willing to say, "Maybe she's misunderstood."

As for what happened to her, I regret to inform you that I genuinely don't know. At some point during one of several moves she vanished into the mysterious dimension where extension cords, matching socks, and old phone chargers go to die. Which, now that we're talking about it, is somehow more concerning. Because if she were still in a closet, at least I'd know where she was.

Instead, there's a nonzero chance she's sitting in a box somewhere, waiting for the exact moment I've completely forgotten about her to reappear and resume judging my life choices from across the room. And honestly? That feels exactly like something she would do.

[juliarose]

Okay, sure. Totally, whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better about it. And hey, I'm just a very big fan of horror and Halloween, so anything and all things spooky are welcome in my book. Except Ouija boards, I won't fuck with those. Even I'm not that stupid, that's crossing over too far into FAFO territory. But hey, if that doll does ever like randomly turn up, let me know and I'll take her off your hands. Who knows, maybe she was tossed into a donation box while you were possibly in a hurry to declutter the closet even? Either way, if she does turn up, hope she doesn't jump scare you too bad. Probably would be like "surprise bitch, bet you thought you'd seen the last of me" lmao.

[themasterofmemeing]

“We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones.” -Stephen King

[screamqueen-slater]

[andersonjones]

Oh, I am absolutely losing it at the image of you getting jump-scared by your own decoration on a nightly basis. Because that's the thing nobody talks about. Halloween decorations spend maybe 20% of their existence scaring other people and 80% scaring the person who bought them. You paid money to own that spider and somehow it still won.

As for the weirdest thing I've bought... I once acquired a tiny haunted-looking doll because she had this deeply judgmental expression and I thought it was hilarious. Then I got home, put her on a bookshelf, and immediately realized she looked like the kind of object that would absolutely move two inches overnight and ruin my week.

She lasted approximately three days before I relocated her to a closet because I couldn't stop making eye contact with her from across the room. The doll never actually did anything. But emotionally? She was terrorizing me.

[juliarose]

Honestly, I think your mistake was putting her in the closet. That's exactly how you end up with a haunted doll. You can't just lock away a tiny judgmental woman and expect there not to be consequences. She sounds kind of badass, though. If a doll looked judgmental enough to make me laugh in the store, I'd probably have brought her home too. Though I do have to admit, there is something funny about buying a decoration because you think it's hilarious and then immediately spending three days being psychologically terrorized by it. Now I need to know what happened to her. Is she still sitting in the closet plotting her revenge, or did you eventually set her free?