My Mix of Muses

[mymixofmuses]

Introduction and Rules

Welcome to My Mix of Muses, a blog intended for my original characters and their interactions with the muses of others. My list of characters can be found here. On this blog there will be roleplay, art, questions for or about the characters, and other things of that nature. This is a side blog and my main blog can be found here. My name is Robyn, but I also go by Kitty. I have a few things you should know and rules to follow before interacting with this blog. -CLEAR CONCISE COMMUNICATION IS ABSOLUTELY KEY HERE AND CAN NOT BE OVERSTATED IN IMPORTANCE- Speaking only through text makes discerning intent and emotion immensely difficult when not directly stated. I am also autistic, so such things can be incredibly difficult for me, even in person. I may not notice things that seem obvious to others. My tumblr IMs are always open and I have a Discord I’m willing to share. If you want to interact with me, simply message me. If you have any questions, message me. If I upset you, message me. If you just want to gush about our characters, message me. -I DON’T DO FIRST PERSON/SINGLE WORD ROLEPLAYS- Yes- Character A hugged Character B with a cheery, “Welcome back!” No- *hugs* While I have nothing against those who like this type of writing, I can’t stand doing it myself. If my writing partner writes like this, it would clash with my own writing. -PLOTTING IS ALWAYS NEEDED TO SOME DEGREE- This is where out of character communication comes in. I need to know some basics about your character and what’s going on. I’m not opposed to winging it, but I need an established starting point. -FOLLOW BASIC ROLEPLAY ETIQUETTE- Don’t write my characters’ actions/thoughts/appearance/etcetera without my say. Know our characters’ actions are not our own and interactions do not reflect how we feel about each other out of character. Try to reply with a similar amount of effort. If I make a five paragraph post, don’t respond with a single word. You don’t need to match length, but a good rule of thumb is to try for at least half the length of your partner’s writing. Give me something to work with. If most of your reply is just what a character is thinking, I can’t have my own character react to it. -I AM MULTIVERSE- My writing doesn’t consist of a singular linear story line. I will write at different points with different circumstances and different relationships. Each verse is separate and what happens in one will not affect the others. -LET ME KNOW YOU’VE READ THIS- Just send me the word “pumpkin” to let me know you’ve read through these guidelines. I like pumpkins. They’re good in sweets and as Jack-o-Lanterns. It’s also a funny word. Plus, I was born in autumn and adore the season. Pumpkins are rad.

[floraluniversal]

The nonverbal communication between the siblings went entirely over Stephanie's head as she was rather nervous about the dog still, but the moment the girl introduced herself her ears visibly perked up high.

" Oh!!! You're Dylan's sister! " The nervousness dropped from her almost instantly, replaced with a genuine big smile, " Dylan told me about you! Only good things, of course! It's so nice to meet you! "

And now that the dog wasn't actively barking at her and she received confirmation that no bites were awaiting her, she finally allowed her feet to touch the ground and relaxed her posture.

" Eve, huh? " her eyes curiously examined the dog sniffing her shoes, " Well, aren't you pretty~ " she reached out her hand to let the dog sniff it, but hesitated with the pets. It felt too risky when she couldn't read her body language.

But there was someone else's body language she could read, it didn't take her long to notice the slumped shoulders on Adelyn. Stephanie could tell that the energy had shifted just with one little detail that betrayed the smile. She had intended to be polite and not invade her personal space, but it seemed it didn't come across that way.

" S-sorry if it came off like I was in a rush to leave, " some of the nervousness returned to her voice and her smile faded for a moment as her ears drooped back down," I j-just didn't want to intrude. I-I did come here unannounced a-after all... " a meeker smile replaced the previous one, " I-If you don't mind, I would like to stay a b-bit... So long as your brother isn't t-too tired? "

[mymixofmuses]

Seeing that Stephanie wasn’t quite at ease with her dog, Adelyn gave a light tug on the leash to bring Eve back to her. “You’re not intruding,” she assured, leading the old dog into the grass to do what she needed to. “You can stay for a bit, unless our parents come home and say no. You should be good for now though.” She looked over to her brother, seeing that he’d dozed off again. “Um… maybe he just needs a few minutes… I can talk to you in the meantime, if you don’t mind my company? I’m autistic, so I’m not the best at this sort of thing… Wait. What all did he tell you about me?”

[smashingsire]

"Uhhhh last time I checked, he didn't need no babysittah. T'be honest wit' ya, there ain't nah laws 'bout goin' 'bout by y'self, long as y'can look after y'self. O' course, wit' Kirby havin' saved tha world an' even tha entire Gamble Galaxy, he dun' need nah guardian. He has Adeleine, but that's jus' it."

He expected some sort of sad or concerned look, which he scoffed and rolled his eyes at. "An' dun' think that King Dedede is gonna run some daycare. M'palace ain't nah playschool, so keep me outta it..."

Then, he watched how Kirby managed to gain some sort of maternal attention, which began to spawn some jealously across his mindset. While he was jealous of Kirby rightfully stealing the glory, this was more of a new reason; sadly to say that even Dedede didn't have anyone, besides the Waddle Dee's, to act as his parents.

Besides, Kirby was already overly-excited, where he jumped into the lady's arms, more so to glomp her into a huge embrace. Joyous squeaks came from his lips, where the answer was obviously agreement. The King eyed them with jealously in his blue eyes, surprisingly not turning green.

"... but dun' keep me outta plan t'bake 'nothah cake!!"

He tried to bring attention back towards himself. Upon turning, the King's tummy rumbled before an emormous belch was released out of his lips, shaking the entire hill.

[mymixofmuses]

Audrey held young Kirby tight as Dedede belched with enough power to shake the land surrounding them. Her ears rang a moment, then she shook her head to reorient herself. “You alright there, Kirby?” she asked as she held him arm’s length to look him over. Deciding he was alright, she pulled him back into her embrace. After a moment, she remembered the conversation they were having before the ground shaking belch. “I’m not sure what world you think you live in, but children need adult care and guidance. Is this Adeleine an adult? I actually have a cousin named Adelyn…” Audrey began to trail off into another subject, but stopped herself. “Anyway, as long as you have a roof over your head and someone to care for you, I can breathe a sigh of relief,” she told Kirby. “You’re still welcome to spend time at my place though!”

[floraluniversal]

The universal flinched and brought her legs closer to herself at the sudden loud barks, lifting them off the ground altogether when the dog rushed over to her (but not resting them on the rocking chair, that would be rude). She had no idea if the dog was friendly and didn't want to risk having to heal any injuries in front of people from Earth.

" G-good doggy! I-I'm not mean, I-I-I s-swear! " Stephanie pulled away as far as she could from the still barking dog, slight panic plastered all over her face. Dogs were not native to her world, but imported from here. She had never had a chance to interact with one until now and wasn't sure what to look out for in terms of body language.

A moment had passed and the dog had not bitten her... Maybe it was safe? Maybe that's where the Earthly saying of 'all bark and no bite' comes from?

Her posture relaxed a little, letting her legs drop slightly, but not quite resting them on the ground just yet. Now that she wasn't in full on active panic mode, her eyes were drawn to the girl looking back at her. She was a little too familiar with this sort of reaction to her appearance, though she couldn't really say she was entirely fond of or even used to it, truth be told...

But, it was only natural to react in such a way, even back in her world. Besides, her own reaction to her unusual looks was much more intense when she saw herself like this for the first time. Compared to that, the teenager was showing her the most polite display of bewilderment Stephanie could ask for.

The woman's hands unconsciously flew up in front of her, like she felt she needed to prove she wasn't a threat or a weirdo (altough, the weirdo part was still up in the air...).

" H-Hi there! Hehe... " she chuckled nervously, back to her stuttering the moment another person was introduced into the conversation. " I-I hope I'm n-not intruding or a-anything! J-just wanted to e-ensure D-Dylan made it home alright... "

" I-I'm Stephanie... N-nice to meet you! I-I can leave! "

[mymixofmuses]

Dylan’s eyes flicked back and forth between the two of them. He may have been sluggish, but he was still ready to jump into the conversation if either of them needed him. The teenager blinked a few times before shaking her head, looking over to Dylan. The redhead gave her a nod to confirm Stephanie’s story. “I’m Adelyn. Thank you for helping my brother home,” she managed to smile.

The little dog busied herself sniffing the stranger’s shoes. “That’s Eve. She won’t bite. Just let her sniff your hand and she’ll calm down with a few pets… But if you want to leave, I understand.” Her shoulders slumped as she spoke. She should have expected someone wouldn’t want to talk to her. It was like people could smell the autism and differences off her...

[floraluniversal]

" I, uh- W-what? " Stephanie stuttered out in utter confusion, the red instantly vanishing from her cheeks. She honestly assumed this was it, after all, she already bid her goodbyes, and the young man was clearly halfway to passing out already, his seat on the train to Sleepyland fully reserved. So why was he staying up still? " Um- O-okay! " she followed Dylan hesitantly.

As she sat down on the rocking chair next to him, nervously tucking some of her white hair behind her ear, she couldn't help but subtly study the man relaxing with her eyes. His own eyes were closed and he looked so tired. It was a surprisingly longer walk than she had expected, so it made sense the exhaustion would hit like this at the end of it, but seeing him so tired and seemingly prolonging their chat just for her sake made her feel bad, like she was forcing him to stay up.

" A-are you sure this is okay? " she asked quietly, a twinge of guilt audible in her tone, " I promise I won't be upset if you just want to go inside to rest. " Steph reassured, fidgeting with her hands as she spoke. " W-we can always chat some other time! You know, absolutely n-no pressure. "

[mymixofmuses]

He cracked an eye open to see if she looked as guilty as she sounded. She did. “Aw, you don’t have to worry about me,” he smiled, closing his eye again. “I am resting. But if you really wanna go, let’s exchange numbers to keep in touch. Just let me rest my eyes a few more-” “C’mon, Eve! Wanna go ‘side?! Less go ‘side!” A feminine voice came from behind the front door, speaking in play talk to a now barking dog. The sound riled Dylan from his not-sleep, but he was still quite sluggish as the door opened and a teenager stepped out with an old Jack Russel Terrier on a leash. The dog was quick to rush over to Stephanie, barking all the while. “Whoa, girl! What’s-?” the teenager paused at the sight of their visitor.

"Um..."

[floraluniversal]

Stephanie's smile had not wavered a single moment as she listened on. His excitement and passion about these movies was really cute and he was so easy to listen to, having a way of making everything sound so fun and interesting. Time just seemed to melt away as they walked and talked. And then, all too quickly, it came to a halt. They stopped in front of a house.

She looked at the beautiful building before them in awe, it looked warm and homey, the exact opposite of her own home. So this was it then? To say she was sad for their time together to come to an end would be an understatement. Even if she tried her best to not let that show on her face as she turned to Dylan, her ears still gave her away, drooping down slowly. The idea of returning back to all that quiet just didn't feel appealing at all, but, he was tired and at home now, she wouldn't feel right forcing him to keep talking to her.

" Ah, I guess this is it... Glad we were able to get you home. " she smiled back at him, " It was nothing, I should be thanking you, really. This has been the nicest conversation I've had in a while. " her ears twitched a little and she fidgeted with her fingers as she spoke. It was actually the only conversation she's had in a while and it still would've been the nicest even if she had seen her sisters that week.

" Thank you, truly! It's been great. Hope I'll get to hear you talk about more movies sometime soon. " her face flushed red again just thinking about it, she had really enjoyed herself spending time with him and how quickly he made her feel at ease. " I-I suppose I should let you rest and head home myself now. "

"And I'm looking forward to trying the Coney Dogs with you, hehe. " She chuckled sheepishly. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was this lingering feeling that she might be forgetting something here... Something important, something she made a mental note about earlier.

[mymixofmuses]

He could tell she didn’t want to part ways. While he felt the same, he really needed to rest. If only there was a way to do both… Oh, right! “Well, I am too, but you don’t have to leave just yet.” He made his way to the porch and gestured for her to follow. Upon sitting down in one of the rocking chairs, he let out a long groan and closed his eyes. “Just a few more minutes,” he smiled, keeping his eyes shut. “Take a seat.”

[mymixofmuses]

I have Maggie's and Maddie's (Audrey's identical twin aunts) birthdays set as May 23; today! Feel free to send an ask or two and I/they will answer it. I may even draw their responses!

[mymixofmuses]

I have Maggie's and Maddie's (Audrey's identical twin aunts) birthdays set as May 23; today! Feel free to send an ask or two and I/they will answer it. I may even draw their responses!

[floraluniversal]

" WAIT, REALLY? " her face lit up with glee yet again when he said they could do both, doing a little hop in excitement. Was that too much again? Yes, that was too much again.

She cleared her throat to compose herself a little bit again, it was too early to be showing off her easily excited nature. " I-I meant to say... That sounds lovely! " she said with a smile on her face. Though she managed to put on the front of someone who's the appropriate level of excited, her ears perked up high and the sparkle in her eye betrayed her efforts.

She listened to his train of thought, rather flattered that he considered what she'd enjoy, even though they'd only met, but also a little embarrassed. " I-It doesn't have to b-be a romance! I-If that's not something you'd enjoy... " as far as she heard, men weren't always quite so keen on romances, and she could easily imagine that most people weren't as crazy about it as she was.

" I-I suppose adult humour is fine. " although she said it was okay, her face did turn a little red at the thought... But one of the options he brought up sparked her curiosity more than the others for the silliest reason. " I have to know... What in the world is a pet detective? " she asked with a little chuckle.

[mymixofmuses]

Stephanie’s reaction elicited a large smile and chuckle from Dylan. Her enthusiasm was really endearing to him. Given her reaction to the mention of adult humor, he doubted that they should start with Austin Powers. But Ace Ventura? Seemed she would like it! Sure, there was some adult humor, but that wasn’t the real focus. He began snickering, thinking back on the movie. “Oh, he calls himself that because he takes on cases regarding pets. Like, in the movie, he’s hired to find a missing dolphin. But some of those scenes?” He began tittering. As he described the movie a bit (no spoilers!), he was reminded of movie after movie, which he had to ramble about as well. With so many movies to talk about, it was no surprise it ate up a good chunk of time until- “We’re here!” He made a grand gesture at the end of the driveway, facing the house. The house was quite large, the subject of many extensions and renovations to house a family of five and accommodate guests. If there was a family gathering, it was a safe bet to say it would be held here. The exterior was gorgeous with a well furnished covered porch and pots of colorful flowers. Dylan let out a yawn and smiled at Stephanie.

“Thanks for keeping me company all the way here.”

[smashingsire]

The pinkette released a small squeal of disappointment upon being placed down, where he seemed to already grow attached towards the stranger. After all, it was Kirby at the end of the day where he loved absolutely everyone, even people who wronged him in the past. As long as he got to beat the snot out of them and share a cake slice, there's no grudges to be built in between them.

"We?" the Majesty asked, navy brows rising from his enlarged eyes, watching the woman's new idea that bombarded his mind. "Whu'dya mean WE? There ain't nah we here, lady,... though anuddah pie does bare potential. Y'think y'can make 'un jus' like that there? Maybe 'un that dun' get lost in tha window? Cos' y'dunno when's tha next time some'un swipes yer Dede-dessert like that there..."

He tried to lessen his own crime of thieving the pastry by saying that anyone could have done so. However, it didn't clean up his slate just yet.

"Huh? Aw, that there's Kirby, a Star Warrior. He's kinda big Dede-deal 'round Dream Land, but not like Yer's Royal Truly standin' in frontah ya." He emphasised by stretching his arms out, before his belly stuck out, causing him to cover it with his triangular-patterned band.

"Dun' expect nothin' t'leave his mouth, cos' its like interrogatin' mimes Though, he does make tha odd squeak ev'ry now an' now, not like tha Squeak Squad... gah, I hate those rodents..."

Before he could ramble about old grudges, he looked in between the lady and the child.

"As for his folks,... uggghhhh, that I dunno nothin' 'bout. He kinda jus' landed here from tha sky 'un day on a shootin' star, which is odd cos' I surely didn't make a wish! That was back when I helped m'self t'alla food... before that there pink parasite came up..."

Kirby began laughing where he started miming a hammer swing, aiming an invisible weapon towards the King's noggin. However, his response was a calm palm across his face, pushing him away. Kirby wasn't bothered but laughed at both the memory and Dedede's annoyance.

"Dun' go there, kid. Y'lucky she's here."

[mymixofmuses]

Ah! So the child was a boy named Kirby! She was surprised by the king’s claims, but felt she should believe him. The little boy would probably shake his head or something if he was lying. That was quite the story, but there were stranger things in this world. The redhead watched as the little boy gave the king a bit of a hard time, eating her last bit of pie. She was ready to jump in if the king retaliated, but Kirby seemed unaffected by the hand on his face. She watched the two with a soft frown, worried for the kid. “You mean to tell me this little boy has no one to care for him?” Or maybe he had someone watching him that didn’t consider themselves a parent? Hmm… How to go about this without upsetting a potentially lonely child? “Hey, Kirby!” she smiled down at him. “If you don’t have anywhere to be today, would you like to spend some time with me at my place? I can get you a nice bath and wash your clothes and make you some nice snacks and play some games! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

[rpmemes-galore]

i wanna make it unequivocally clear that there are no time limits when it comes to rping with me. idc if you're scrolling through your drafts and you find a thread of ours from two years ago+ and you wanna continue it... but you're afraid i'll be upset with you bc it's been so long...

babes, i am holding your face so gently when i say this: do the thing. i promise, the only thing i'mma be when i see that notif is excited

[kavtari]

Reblog if you RP using Discord

Message me if you’d like my username.

[smashingsire]

It seemed that this mute pink-haired child had way more surprises up his sleeve, especially when demonstrating his abilities. When given the opportunity, Kirby managed to salvage the pie and split it to share.

Kirby was gluttonous but he knew how to share.

Dedede however had no pie in his hands, where a huge majority went all over his face and collar, messing up his finery. Wiping the excess mess from his face with a sleeve, the King tried to process the overall situation.

"Gaaahhhh... egg in m'face, but it ain't jus' tha ingredients...!"

Kirby with arms wrapped around the newcomer's neck began laughing in his high-pitched tone, finding some comedy from the King's state.

While trying to regain his composure, he attempted to come up with something to at least save some kind of face. "Share whut, 'xactly? Whu'dya wan' me t'do 'bout this here sticky situation? Make anuddah pie outta thin air? Sadly, this ain't tha Dream Buffet, lady, so nah use cryin' ovah spilt porridge."

[mymixofmuses]

Audrey rolled her neck as she tried to orient herself. With a child on her hip with arms around her neck whilst being covered in sticky cherry pie filling, she was getting a little uncomfortable. “Alright, little buddy,” the redhead lowered the child to the ground, “gotta set you down now.” She turned her attention back to the king. “I meant we would share the next thing I make.” A brief pause. “Actually, the next thing we make.” She took another bite of pie. “You will help me make a new treat to see the work that goes into it. You learn your lesson and we all get a treat! Well, assuming this little one’s guardians are okay with it.” She proceeded to pat the young one’s hair with her clean hand. “Speaking of, do you know this child’s name and where their parents are?”

[floraluniversal]

Stephanie was a pretty nervous despite the smile. She was usually the person getting the encouragement talk, not giving it, so there was really no telling if what she said was actually encouraging or if it came off in any other way. All her fears melted away though when Dylan chuckled and smiled at her, and not just because the man had a cute smile. Thank goddesses, what she said wasn't patronizing! Phew!

The atmosphere around them seemed to get a lot lighter again as they stood there together, hand over hand, smiling at each other. The universal had to fight tooth and nail in her head to not go all red in the face - all of that over the smallest bit of reciprocated physical contact - Especially one that she initiated herself! Embarrassing, truly.

Her hand pulled back a moment after Dylan's. She was about to reassure the young man that it wasn't a bummer at all, but then he dropped a question - another question that seemed to perfectly tickle all the easily-excitable brain cells in her head. Not only was he not mad at her, they now also had a 100% confirmed next meeting! How exhilarating!

" OH! OH! CAN WE GO TO ROLLER RINK, PLEEAAAASE? " she immediately perked up without needing to think about it, her face lighting up, struggling to contain her excitement as she completely forgot about the soft voice she was trying to maintain.

She froze. Was that too much? That was definitely too much. Time to scale it back a little! Just a tad bit. She always struggled to show just the right amount of emotion when it came to something she was thrilled about, especially when pure excitement was running through her veins.

" O-or a movie sounds nice too, hehe... Whatever you prefer. " she chuckled sheepishly, this time keeping her volume in mind and excitement in check. " You said your family has an entire collection, right? So, y-you've gotta know the all the good ones! I trust any recommendation you give. "

[mymixofmuses]

While Dylan was initially caught off guard by Stephanie’s sudden enthusiasm, he found it immensely charming. His smile grew and his eyes practically sparkled, even after she had calmed down a bit.

“Roller rink it is! Or we could do both! Maybe we could head to the roller rink, then watch a movie afterwards. As for recommendations…” He trailed off, putting his hand to his chin in thought. “You like romance… and I’m guessing comedy if you’re hanging out with me. Maybe a rom-com… Or a comedy with some romantic elements. One of my favorite comedies is Ace Ventura: Pet Detective; but that one doesn’t have romance. Austin Powers has a love story and is hilarious, but I don’t know how you feel about ‘adult’ humor. Does Airplane have romance? A little. Oh! What about Ghostbusters? It’s funny, a little spooky, and has a bit of romance!”

[smashingsire]

The King faced various foes before in Kirby’s history of saving Dream Land, while pulling his own weight around outside in the world of Smash Bros.; there were robots, dimensional aliens, world-destroying entities, cosmic beings, dark symbiotes, insectoids and many more. What power did this lady who couldn’t possibly intimidate a whole Bronto Burt bared over the King that made him stumble in his speech.

While grown, Dedede was around a head shorter than her, causing him to feel… well, underpowered for starters. He was taller than many of the dwarfish people around this whole world, such as the pinkette that made way more of a first impression than he ever did.

Taking a step back, he looked down at the pie, mushed up and half-devoured.

“Apallah-gise?”

Should he really? Anyone would. But he…?

“Heh, I could apallah-gise for neglectin’ sendin’ ya mail for no notif ‘bout tha common cold creepin’ ‘bout. But, ya caught me at tha right time, I was… ‘bout t’award this here for bein’ tha perfect pastry ‘round Dream Land!” He tried to soften the blow.

As for Kirby, he had enough. Immediately, the pink child opened his mouth and brought the pie closer to him; not by the power of physical grabbing, but by super inhalation, causing the King to resist.

“H-Hey, ya pink parasite, that there’s got m’name on it! Or at least m’engravin’s!!”

Kirby was stronger, where half the pie left the King’s tray, causing the jam to hit him in the face. Kirby instantly grabbed the pie, separating it. A large swallow and half the pie was gone just like that! However, Kirby saved the other half, lifting it towards the woman’s face. During such, the pink child nestled his cheek closer towards her shoulder, actually feeling somewhat attached to her already.

[mymixofmuses]

Audrey was unsure of what to think of the child’s sudden display of his powers. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that! Well, she supposed there were stranger things in this world. Oh? He was offering her the rest of the pie he’d salvaged! How sweet! She giggled at the sheer cuteness of the act and took a bite of the pie. Delicious! “Thank you, sweetheart,” she cooed. As she chewed, she noticed the mess that they were making. Given the nature of the pie, the sweet cherry filling was dripping all over the child’s hands, both their clothes, and her face. This is why such things were generally eaten on plates. “We’re making quite the mess, aren’t we? A delicious mess,” she chuckled. “Hopefully, your folks won’t be too upset about this…” She took the remaining pie from the pink one’s hands and took another bite. “Not like it was our fault,” she glared over at the king. Not the type to stay angry for long, the redhead let out a sigh. “I guess I did get to share the pie after all, so no harm done… except for our clothes. I’ll let you off the hook this time. Just please ask for some next time. I’m always willing to share.”

[floraluniversal]

Stephanie could feel the pit in her stomach deepening. Yes, he wasn't mad at her, which she was incredibly relieved to know, but the man in front of her was clearly hurting too. That kind of pain wasn't really new to her either, albeit their situations were not similar, she could still relate to how he felt.

On top of all of that, she was quite frankly taken aback by the honesty and openness he had shown her. They weren't close in any way, he didn't owe her an explanation, but he still gave one... Perhaps to calm her? No matter the reason, such clarity was something not even her own family afforded her. She really appreciated it.

" Dylan... " his name quietly left her lips before she took a deep breath to hopefully close the pit in her stomach, trying to think of a good response... This was truly a sensitive topic, she had to make sure she knew exactly what she wanted to say. He deserved some reassurance.

" Th-that couldn't have been easy to admit... And I... I think I understand how you f-feel... Been in a s-similar place myself with my- " she finally replied, keeping her voice at a soft tone. For a moment the girl pondered if she should talk about her 'condition' again, but decided against it. It wasn't really about her. " Um... W-well, labels can be rather hurtful... E-even the ones we u-unwittingly apply to ourselves. "

Multiple came to mind in her case, be it the bad ones - monster, inhuman, magical creature - or even the good ones - pure, innocent... They were so restricting, making one feel like they couldn't be anything else, anything more complicated than that.

" E-either way... R-real p-people can't be boiled d-down to a few t-traits or w-words, so I can't say that I agree th-there's not more to you than j-jokes. I-I mean, you said it y-yourself. Y-you like making people laugh, you're really perceptive, y-you took the unwanted attention off y-your sister a-and you absolutely g-glow when talking about your family. Y-you even gave someone l-like me the time of day. J-just from that it's clear y-you have a big heart. Isn't that a-already a lot to be proud of, m-more than just some jokes? " she asked.

" O-of course, what do I know? W-we only just met. " She smiled at Dylan, resting her hand on his arm reassuringly, warm red hues making themselves at home on her cheeks again, just like a moment ago.

" That's why I-I'll just have to get to know you better to prove your w-worries wrong. I-I'm an entirely unbiased party, after all! Th-though, I can't promise I-I'm not a little nuts. " she chuckled to herself. " H-How does that sound? "

Although, she also wasn't really an unbiased person here, she did find him to be really cute...

[mymixofmuses]

After hearing the quiet utterance of his name, Dylan was worried he’d said too much. He’d just trauma dumped on someone he just met. He was such an idiot! But then she continued. He wanted to scold himself for dragging her into this conversation, but he was so entranced by her words. What she said… could it be true? The negative side of him wanted to disregard everything she said. He was so used to harboring such a sense of self-resentment that it was difficult to believe otherwise. At the same time, she’d just met him and seemed to sense so much more from him. Would she see less if they knew each other better? That really didn’t make much sense. While it would definitely take time for him to truly internalize what she said, in that moment, he believed her. He gave a slight chuckle, a soft smile appearing. “That sounds great.” He lightly placed a hand over hers.

“Thank you. Hopefully, next time won’t be such a downer.” He brought his hand back down and smiled wider. “So, what do we want to do next time?”

[floraluniversal]

The girl also stopped, observing Dylan's response quietly, her smile melting away, face growing subtly paler. All her life, Steph had been keenly aware of the mood of the people around her. Though she never quite knew why she was so sensitive to such things, she knew this sense had only sharpened in the last few years. As such, the sudden shift in Dylan's demeanor hit her like a truck, as jarring as a beautiful piano melody interrupted by the stinging sound of all the keys being hit at once.

" ...What? " she blinked at him in confusion.

All that previously intoxicating confidence vanished in an instant. It felt like a pit had opened in her stomach, a feeling she knew all too well. They were cheery just a moment ago. Did she say something wrong? Her brain ran circles at full speed trying to figure out what in the very little she had said caused such a change in energy, but every branch of thought came up empty. Why couldn't she see it? Was she ruining this already? Of course she was, she always did. That's why neither of her sisters came by to visit her in weeks. It's why Icy hasn't come back to see her in years.

She really was the worst, always somehow messing things up... She couldn't have him be angry at her, not when they were just starting to truly get along, otherwise Dylan would never want to see her again! Her one chance at having a friend dashed.

" Act, Stephanie! Do something! Anything! Speak!!! " her head screamed, practically tearing her out of thought.

" I-I'm s-sorry... I-I didn't m-mean to o-offend... I... I. Um, w-we don't h-have t-to talk a-about s-singing... " she replied quietly, breaking eye contact and suddenly stammering even worse than before. Maybe the best solution was to pull the conversation in another direction. " Y-you said y-you had a m-movie collection? D-do you w-watch a lot of films? I-I h-h-haven't s-seen many, m-myself... G-got any r-recommendations...?

[mymixofmuses]

Dylan’s shoulders slumped as his heart sank deep into his stomach. She had been so happy moments ago… and now he’d ruined it. He’d deflected her compliment and now she was upset. “Wait wait wait…” he quickly waved his free hand back and forth as though to say, ‘hold up.’ “You didn’t offend me. You just surprised me.” He thought a moment, wondering if that would be enough of an explanation to quell her worries… Probably not. Open communication was something very important in his family, but this was someone he’d only just met… Though she probably needed to hear the truth… “I’m just not used to genuine compliments and I rarely take them to heart if I do hear one.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh.

“I always think that anyone complimenting me is doing so out of obligation, like my family, or are nuts, also my family.” He gave a weak chuckle. “But when you said it? It was like… natural. Real. You meant it. You didn’t even make a big deal out of it. Just said it and moved on like it was nothing out of the ordinary. It’s hard for me to take a compliment like that because-” He wondered if he should continue. Did she really need to hear his life story? Well, he couldn’t just cut off his sentence and leave her curious. “Well, ya see, I’ve always liked to make people laugh. Ever since I was a little kid. It didn’t matter whether they were laughing with me or at me, as long as I was making someone smile, I was happy. Well, most of the time. Anyway, I knew not everyone felt that way. When Adelyn came along, she was often laughed at, and when she was supposedly laughed with, she didn’t like that either. She’s just really sensitive, you know? It’s a weakness and a strength. So, since I liked the laughter and she didn’t, I did my best to draw it to me. I’d tell jokes, even at my own expense. I’d let people insult me. I’d insult myself. That was perfectly fine with me. I took the laughter she didn’t want. But after a while,”

He was quiet a moment, looking down as he took a deep breath and steeled himself to say what he hadn’t even told his family. “I’m having trouble telling myself they’re just jokes and insults. I think… they might just be true… But… when you said that… I’m just not sure what to believe at this point. Like… is there anything to me besides stupid jokes?”