[ourgrief]

♰   |   |   ♯   𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟   ━━━━   THE   INK   SPILLED   FROM   𝒆𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒆’𝒔   ❪ 23,   she / her ❫   LOVELORN   QUILL.   an   independent,   private   multi-muse   writing   blog   showcasing   a   variety   original   &   canon   characters.   selective   &   friends-oriented.   strictly   20+   —   content   labeled   DD:DNE   will   be   present,   with   the   inclusion   of   dark   &   explicit   topics;   proceed   at   your   own   discretion.   eternally   blood-bound   with   ...   angel,   bee,   druid,   holly,   miffy,   moth,   pandora,   sophie.   <3

         i.     rules & roster.            ii.     prompts.            iii.     blogroll.                  | | 𓉸 | |

[ourgrief]

archiving this blog! working on refollowing all my friends on my new multi — but i’m trying to keep that one less crowded for my own sanity. if we haven’t had the chance to interact yet, but you’d like us to, give this a like and i’ll follow you!

[ourgrief]

archiving this blog! working on refollowing all my friends on my new multi — but i’m trying to keep that one less crowded for my own sanity. if we haven’t had the chance to interact yet, but you’d like us to, give this a like and i’ll follow you!

[ourgrief]

logged in just to say carmilla wishes everyone (but mostly herself) a happy international lesbian day <3

[rainystarters]

* ☔ : action prompts inspired by GOTHIC HORROR, DARK ACADEMIA, ETC. some prompts are usfw. add reversed for the muse receiving the meme to perform the action instead. ( adjust scenarios or specify details as needed. )

𝟶𝟷. sender sets a church on fire with the receiver still inside. 𝟶𝟸. sender presses a holy symbol into the receiver's flesh, burning them. 𝟶𝟹. sender declares themselves god to the receiver. 𝟶𝟺. sender begs the receiver for a blessing/prayer before night falls. 𝟶𝟻. sender licks their lips and tells the receiver to confess their sins. 𝟶𝟼. sender takes refuge from a storm with the receiver in an abandoned church. 𝟶𝟽. sender snarls at the receiver, unable to cross the threshold/onto holy ground. 𝟶𝟾. sender laughs, breaking a seal, ward, etc. set by the receiver to keep them out. 𝟶𝟿. sender recites a prayer with the receiver as the shadows darken and writhe. 𝟷𝟶. sender burns the receiver's holy oath away as they pledge themselves to the sender instead.

𝟷𝟷. sender practices calligraphy on the receiver's skin. 𝟷𝟸. sender refuses to speak with the receiver unless it's in a dead language. 𝟷𝟹. sender taps on the windowpane of a café from outside, alerting the receiver. 𝟷𝟺. sender leans over the receiver's writing and makes a noise of disagreement. 𝟷𝟻. sender intimately washes ink from the receiver's hands. 𝟷𝟼. sender worries over the receiver, who has not slept in days. 𝟷𝟽. sender hands the receiver coffee, having learned their favorite without asking. 𝟷𝟾. sender presses the receiver against a bookshelf, needing them now. 𝟷𝟿. sender kisses the receiver in a museum after it's closed. 𝟸𝟶. sender breathes on the receiver's neck as they pick a lock to the secret archives.

𝟸𝟷. sender bites into the receiver's (neck, thigh, etc.) and drinks their blood. 𝟸𝟸. sender's experiment succeeds and brings the receiver back to life. 𝟸𝟹. sender makes an offering at a crossroads to summon the receiver for a deal. 𝟸𝟺. sender digs themselves out from their grave as the receiver reacts in horror. 𝟸𝟻. sender kisses the receiver for a final time, in case their experiment goes wrong. 𝟸𝟼. sender confesses to the receiver that they've promised their firstborn in a deal. 𝟸𝟽. sender cuts their palm and the receiver's to swear a blood oath. 𝟸𝟾. sender forces the receiver to drink their latest alchemical creation. 𝟸𝟿. sender wakes up confused, having been turned into a vampire by the receiver. 𝟹𝟶. sender signs away their soul to the receiver in exchange for a boon.

𝟹𝟷. sender acts out an ancient ritual, with the receiver standing in as the sacrifice. 𝟹𝟸. sender burns the only copy of the receiver's thesis, book, etc. 𝟹𝟹. sender pours wine into the receiver's mouth as the bacchic party grows louder. 𝟹𝟺. sender confesses to the receiver that their parents have cut them off. 𝟹𝟻. sender and receiver try to wash the blood away, but the stain keeps growing. 𝟹𝟼. sender slips their hand under the receiver's clothes in the dark of the opera box. 𝟹𝟽. sender aims an arrow at the receiver and promises they won't hit them. 𝟹𝟾. sender complains to the receiver that a funeral will distract them from studying. 𝟹𝟿. sender dismisses the receiver's concerns that the summoning ritual may work. 𝟺𝟶. sender screams for help as the receiver begins to go mad from reciting the esoteric chant they discovered in a forgotten book.

𝟺𝟷. sender screams at the sight of the receiver's true face/form. 𝟺𝟸. sender offers to hide the receiver as the mob's torches grow nearer. 𝟺𝟹. sender is mesmerized by the receiver and goes to them despite all warnings. 𝟺𝟺. sender is stone-faced as the receiver cries that their lover is no monster. 𝟺𝟻. sender sharpens their blade as the receiver watches in horror. 𝟺𝟼. sender weeps as the receiver tells them they're leaving for the sender's good. 𝟺𝟽. sender proposes to the receiver to provide an alibi for the receiver's pregnancy, even though the child is not theirs. 𝟺𝟾. sender holds the receiver in their arms, the monster now dead. 𝟺𝟿. sender promises not to forget the receiver as they share a final night together. 𝟻𝟶. sender visits the receiver in dreams as they are separated by class, circumstance, etc. in waking life.

𝟻𝟷. sender calls out to the receiver from a distance, their voice echoing in the mist. 𝟻𝟸. sender covers the receiver's mouth as their stalker draws nearer. 𝟻𝟹. sender tells the receiver not to open their eyes until they've escaped the house. 𝟻𝟺. sender kisses the receiver passionately in the middle of a graveyard. 𝟻𝟻. sender tries to light a candle to comfort the receiver, but the flame turns black. 𝟻𝟼. sender locks all the windows and doors, promising the receiver they'll be safe. 𝟻𝟽. sender takes off their jacket and puts it around the receiver's shoulders. 𝟻𝟾. sender reaches out for the receiver's hand in the dark. 𝟻𝟿. sender finds the receiver abandoned for dead. 𝟼𝟶. sender grows confused as they cannot see the will-o'-the-wisps the receiver has begun to follow into the night.

𝟼𝟷. sender's laughter echoes through the halls as they stalk the receiver. 𝟼𝟸. sender lavishes praise upon the receiver's beauty, enraptured by the fresh blood seeping through the receiver's white dress, shirt, etc. 𝟼𝟹. sender catches the receiver snooping and tells them they've been bad. 𝟼𝟺. sender slumps to the floor, realizing the receiver has poisoned them. 𝟼𝟻. sender blindfolds the receiver, promising it's for their own good. 𝟼𝟼. sender locks the receiver in the attic, promising it's for their own good. 𝟼𝟽. sender sings a haunting lullaby to the receiver from the walls. 𝟼𝟾. sender looks in a mirror, unaware the receiver is watching from the other side. 𝟼𝟿. sender sighs, realizing the receiver has found the painting of their former lover—who is identical to the receiver. 𝟽𝟶. sender asks the receiver to swear upon their life that they will not enter the sender's private study, no matter what they hear inside.

[ourgrief]

new tag drop (bc i need a fresh start)

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖔𝖔𝖈. ◞ ▸  behind the curtain.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖎𝖓𝖙. ◞ ▸  prompts.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖎𝖓𝖙. ◞ ▸  dash games.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖎𝖓𝖙. ◞ ▸  polls.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖎𝖓𝖙. ◞ ▸  calls.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖎𝖓𝖙. ◞ ▸  answered.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖖. ◞ ▸  queued.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖋𝖎𝖑𝖊. ◞ ▸  muse name.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖉𝖞𝖓. ◞ ▸  muse ﹠ muse ⠀⸸⠀ url.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖋𝖙. ◞ ▸  url.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖑𝖔𝖗𝖊. ◞ ▸  muse name.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖛𝖎𝖘. ◞ ▸  muse name.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖈. ◞ ▸  wishlist.

⠀ ﹒ ♰ ˚ ₊ ‧   𝖒𝖎𝖘𝖈. ◞ ▸  promo.

[pierppasolini]

Night of the Demons 2 (1994) // dir. Brian Trenchard-Smith

[hollowprompts]

🌙 * 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 : 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳-𝘦𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴.

𝐨𝐧𝐞 : overgrown cemetery at the end of a dirt road - half sunken gravestones. 𝐭𝐰𝐨 : fog covered marsh - air thick with the scent of stagnant water and mildew. 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 : a deserted gas station - pumps dry and covered in vines, a single flickering light and an empty parking lot. 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 : abandoned house where the paint is peeling from the walls, every room is covered in dust, but you swear you can hear footprints in the attic. 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 : forgotten cabin in the woods, half-sunken into the earth. 𝐬𝐢𝐱 : overgrown farm where the crops have withered and the barn is falling apart. 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 : hotel by the sea side - the wallpaper is peeling, the pool needs to be cleaned and the lights flicker. 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 : a small-town diner where the neon sign is flickering at the edge of the parking light. it's near empty and the air is heavy of grease and old coffee. 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞 : the pier. the boards are warped from exposure and there's a lone boat tethered to a post. 𝐭𝐞𝐧 : underground storm shelter that is still stocked with decades old supplies and stale air. 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 : a rusted playground behind an abandoned elementary school. 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞 : a roadside chapel, while the bell is broken, it tolls once at midnight. 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 : the dry riverbed. the cracked earth gives way to animal bones. 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 : a dusty attic full of old items, theres portraits with their eyes scratched out. 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 : a cul-de-sac where every house is identical. the lawns are perfectly maintained but there is nobody in sight. the streetlights flicker.

[ourgrief]

eula’s muse list !

LITERATURE.

LUCY WESTENRA, of dracula. she/her, immortal, bisexual. fc: hannah dodd.

CARMILLA VON KARNSTEIN, of carmilla. she/her, immortal, lesbian. fc: aubri ibrag.

CHRISTINE DAAÉ, of phantom of the opera. she/her, 20s, bisexual. fc: gina beck.

RAOUL DE CHAGNY, of phantom of the opera. he/him, 20s, bisexual. fc: aaron taylor johnson.

LIVIA CARDEW, of the ballad of songbirds & snakes. she/her, 20s-50s, bisexual. fc: olivia dejonge.

ANNIE CRESTA, of the hunger games. she/her, 20s-50s, bisexual. fc: courtney eaton.

FILM.

ELLEN HUTTER, of nosferatu. she/her, 20s-30s, bisexual. fc: lily-rose depp.

EMILY MERRIMACK, of corpse bride. she/her, 20s-30s, bisexual. fc: angela sarafyan.

GINGER FITZGERALD, of ginger snaps. she/her, 20s-30s, bisexual. fc: danielle rose russell.

TELEVISION.

DRUSILLA, of buffy the vampire slayer. she/her, immortal, bisexual. fc: juliet landau.

FAITH LEHANE, of buffy the vampire slayer. she/her, 20s-40s, lesbian. fc: eliza dushku.

CLARKE GRIFFIN, of the 100. she/her, 20s, bisexual. fc: kathryn newton.

MISC.

RACHEL AMBER, of life is strange. she/her, 20s, bisexual. fc: alisha boe.

ORIGINALS.

DAISY HARLOW, built for hollywood. she/her, 20s, closeted bisexual. fc: lily-rose depp.

EVANGELINE MOORE, built for southern gothic, religious horror. she/her, 20s, heterosexual. fc: isabelle drummond. affiliated & ship exclusive with crimlune.

LAURA KANE, built for modern horror. she/her, 20s, bisexual. fc: jenna ortega. affiliated with completemesses.

LYDIA MORTENSEN, built for dark/horror fantasy. she/her, 30s, bisexual. fc: emma stone. affiliated & ship exclusive with crimlune.

THE SHADOW, built for dark fairytale. he/him, immortal, bisexual. fc: n/a. affiliated & ship exclusive with sealure.

[stake2heart]

      where to find eula !       →   as of july 19th, 2025.

*   @ STAKE2HEART   /   buffy summers      —      canon muse + high activity. *   @ LAKEHEART   /   sarah cunningham      —      slasher oc + medium activity. *   @ DOEVOURED   /   lottie matthews      —      canon muse + on hiatus. *   @ OURGRIEF   /   multi-muse      —      low activity.

[quad4xel]

HE STOPS. ouch. call the emergency department, alexei ivanov's ego has been wounded. he is perfect at everything. absolutely everything he does is perfect, no room for error. we don't talk about the fall at nationals. the vampire tries not snap, not to be rude and bite back; he has a reputation to uphold, after all. IGNORE IT, IVANOV. IS NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL, I CANNOT LET IT SHOW IT BOTHERED ME THAT MUCH. ❝ no one said i was not perfect, ❞ goddammit. it's said through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw. he's offended and he's making it known. ❝ i do better on the ice because it is what i am used to. i did not like doing it all without skates. ❞

[ourgrief]

recognition   comes   with   a   softening   of   gaze,   the   kind   that   one   would   look   at   the   mirror   image   of   their   own   self   with,   from   years   ago      —      when   the   world   was   harsh   where   it   should   have   been   gentle,   bright   &.   demanding   in   all   the   wrong   places.   he’ll   get   there   (  she’s   sure   of   it  ) ,   even   if   it’s   a   WAR   to   be   waged   over   centuries.      ❝   i   know,   ❞      is   all   he   gets   now,   a   coddling   of   his   own   pride   that   he   would   never   dare   to   ask   for   himself.   slender   fingers   come   up   to   tug   &.   toy   at   the   collection   of   necklaces   adorning   her   neck      —      not   nervous,   it’s   a   habit.      ❝   frankly,   i   feel   like   a   fish   out   of   water   every   time   i   step   on   ice.   must   be   fun   not   to.   ❞

[ourgrief]

* 𓉸 ₊   |  |      @unholysorrow,      ⎛   𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙰   &   𝙻𝚄𝙲𝚈   ⎠   ⤵      ➤       ❝   lucy,   it’s   alright,   i’m   taking   you   home.   ❞

❝   no.   ❞      the   refusal   cuts   sharp   as   icicles,   permeating   the   silence   of   the   sepulchral   kind.   the   vampire   remains   STILL   facing   the   window,   caring   less   for   the   picturesque   garden   of   tombstones   &.   more   for   the   protection   it   casts,   shielding   her   from   the   once   familiar   &.   then   never-again   forgotten   gaze.   if   mina   thinks   her   a   coward,   so   be   it      —      the   sooner   her   true   intentions   arise   from   behind   pretenses,   the   better.   lucy   is   better   off   now   than   when   they   had   last   seen   each   other:   armed   with   violence   that   is   no   longer   aimless,   misguided   or   cowering.   &.   she   is   almost   ready   to   face   the   friend-turned-executioner      —      now   a   stranger.      ❝   where   you’re   headed      —      that   is   not   home.   not   mine.   ❞

[ohisms]

↪ 𝑽𝑨𝑵 𝑯𝑬𝑳𝑺𝑰𝑵𝑮 . ( a collection of sentence starters from the 2004 film . adjust phrasing as necessary . mature themes present . )

oh , [ name ] . it's just you .

where are you going to run , [ name ] ?

what are you saying ?

why do you think i brought you here ?

you said you believed in my work .

i would kill myself before helping in such a task .

you've been so kind to me , [ name ] .

you can't kill me , [ name ] .

so , you're the great [ name ] .

we all have our little problems .

let's make it your decision , shall we ?

i wish you a week in hell .

why don't you do something about it ?

this is all a test of faith .

i can curse all i want , dammit .

you . turn around .

strangers don't last long here .

the laws of men mean little to me .

i don't need your help .

you stay here . they're trying to kill me .

nice to see you too , [ name ] .

did i do something to you in a past life ?

i hope you do have a heart , [ name ] . because someday i'd like to drive a stake through it .

your reputation precedes you .

i am hollow ! and i will live ... forever .

please , say you will not try again .

do not fear me ... everybody else fears me .

i was unprepared . it won't happen again .

do you understand forgiveness ?

i would rather die than help you .

don't be boring , everyone who says that always dies .

may he rest in peace .

how long has it been , 300 , 400 years ?

you don't remember , do you ?

what exactly is it i am to be remembering ?

it's no surprise you would know all about me .

we have such history , you and i .

have you ever wondered why you have such horrific nightmares ?

[ name ] , it's alright , i'm taking you home .

what , did you think we haven't tried everything before ?

no one knows how to kill [ name ] .

i could have used that information earlier .

would you like me to refresh your memory a little ?

allow me to ... reintroduce myself .

i think we've overstayed our welcome .

don't give me that look .

you were right . i'm sorry .

monster ? who's the monster here ? i have done nothing wrong !

look , there's still time .

you were right . i'm sorry .

do you have any family , [ name ] ?

if you value your lives , and the lives of your kin , you will kill me .

evil may have created it , may have left its mark on it , but evil does not rule it .

now you know why they call me a murderer .

oh my god ... you've been bitten .

so much trouble ... so much trouble .

now you will become that which you hunted so passionately . may others be as passionate in their hunting of you .

don't worry , god will forgive us .

how many commandments can we break in one day ?

oh my god , you should be terrified .

how does it feel to be a puppet on my string ?

neither of us has ever settled for half .

you make my skin crawl .

i'm not gonna like this , am i ?

one brief moment of pain , and we can be together forever .

you have no heartbeat .

you are nothing but damned bones , and damned souls .

well , that doesn't sound like a good thing .

we don't have a choice . just don't get killed .

you don't understand , it doesn't matter what happens to me .

god is not the only one that can create life .

you can't go until i say you can go , and i say you can go when you're dead !

you're supposed to die .

we are both part of the same great game , [ name ] , we just find ourselves on opposite sides of the board .

you are being used , [ name ] , as was i . but i escaped , so can you .

if you're going to kill someone , kill them . don't stand there talking about it .

all i want is life . the continuation of my kind .

some things are better left forgotten .

[ourgrief]

Hey! We’re not mutuals or anything I just wanted to say I love your aesthetic it’s super pretty!

aaaaaaaahh that is so lovely to hear !! thank you, you’ve made my day, ily <3

[decaeys]

the air has never felt so fresh ; carving white streaks across his cheeks, it whips at every inch of his exposed flesh. the city is their playground, theirs to do with whatever they please. of course his hero days are long behind him now -- where before he might have hindered criminals that lurked in back alleys, he had now become one. if not for her, he might have had a chance at redemption. now? he embraced whatever hell was to come for him. he was born to succumb to his blood, and fuck was it easy to succumb to hers too.

in her kiss she hands him the keys to the only heaven he'll ever see. euphoria locked behind tinted lips, he dives into the feelings that fill his body when she's against him. nothing in his life has ever made him feel quite like this, let alone feel so good. thoughts spin in his mind until the wheel lands upon her voice, silken and smooth as it weaves its way towards his ears.

omen pulls her tighter, hands gripping into her waist now without care for pain or pleasure. his wanton hunger directs him as it pleases, and his body, the vessel, knows no better than to obey.

" could be both -- wouldn't you like that, sharing us, " he snickers, leaning in to lick a smear of red off the corner of her lip. " shame he ran away before things could get worse, I could do with a really good drink tonight, babe. you sure you wanna hide here in an alley when we could go hunt for something better than a coward at a bar? "

[ourgrief]

on   nights   like   these,   she   swears   she   could   soar   across   the   skyline      —      abandon   all   the   binds   that   tie   her   feet   to   the   ground   (  granted,   there   aren’t   many,   but   the   metaphor   still   stands  )   &.   whisk   herself   up   to   the   stars.   in   this   fantasy,   there   is   no   supporting   cast:   only   one   never-human   girl   &.   a   clear   mind   so   haste   to   forget   past   lovers   left   behind.   she   wouldn’t   miss   a   thing      —      not   even   the   man   whose   blood   she   tastes   on   her   tongue   now;   if   he’s   lucky,   she   would   spare   him   an   infinitesimally   brief   thought.   but   fantasy   tends   to   remain   a   land   cast   behind   imagination’s   bars,   shipwrecking   itself   upon   a   cliff-sharp   reality   &.   in   her   reality,   omen   plays   the   most   captivating   part   now.

            mischief   reaches   new   heights   in   the   curled   corners   of   lenora’s   lips      —      crimson   lipstick   smears   with   crimson   blood,   &.   she   would   hardly   be   able   to   tell   the   difference   even   if   she   cared   to.      ❝   you   said   that,   not   me,   ❞      she   retorts:   not   confirmation,   but   not   DENIAL   either.   the   sentiment   paints   her   features   like   a   code   to   decrypt   the   enigma   of   her   words   in   the   form   of   a   glinting   gaze.   a   pout,   then;   a   thing   of   too   innocent   an   appearance   to   be   truly   hers,   but   that   is   the   very   intention   behind   it.   sharp   nails   polished   in   black   trail   the   stream   of   blood   sourcing   from   omen’s   lip,   calculated   in   the   scratching   aimed   to   leave   a   sensation,   but   no   marks.   wouldn’t   want   to   scar   a   pretty   face   like   that,   love.      ❝   i   suppose   i   could   be   persuaded—   ❞      the   woman   argues,   exhales   a   hum   of   consideration.      ❝   but   however   are   you   gonna   do   that,   hm   ?   ❞ 

[appletvdaily]

Aubri Ibrag as Lizzy Elmsworth in The Buccaneers 2.01 Costume Design by Kate Carin

[quad4xel]

❝ i took ballet once, ❞ ONLY ONCE. in between the 2012 - 2013 and 2013 - 2014 seasons. dimitri had insisted on it as a way to keep alexei 'disciplined.' he refused to go back after one class. he hated it. then another russian coach opened a training camp, which alexei was immediately shoved into, due to dimitri being friends with the woman at the time. ❝ sadly, i do better on the ice. ❞

@ourgrief ♡'d for elodie

[ourgrief]

the   smile   she   graces   him   with   is   a   radiant   thing   —   brimming   with   recognition   of   the   same   drive,   same   narrow-pathed   destiny   that   grows   you   wings   to   soar.   her   ballerina-posture   falls   close-to-lax   against   the   cushions.      ❝   that’s   perfectly   reasonable,   ❞      she   quips,   head   twitching   in   a   single   nod.      ❝   we   can’t   expect   to   be   PERFECT   at   everything.   ❞