LAND LINES +

multi muse

[pregcme]

AVA   +

“yeah, i do. i transferred from la a couple of months before break so i’m still a little new.” at lightening speed she’s attempting to place him, rummaging through drunken and sober memories in hopes she’s find where he seems familiar from but it’s no use. “shea ; smooth.” there’s no hint of teasing or malice in her voice. it’s instead laced with warmth and a rather coy smile spreading across her lips. there’s only a quick glance down to his outreached hand and back before she’s gradually taking his offer, giving his hand a delicate shake. “um, it’s highly likely that i do. who’s your sister?” ashcroft is nowhere near the size of los angeles, so she should be able to keep up with which of her ‘friends’ have brothers but, alas, she doesn’t. 

          of   course   she’s an la girl. shea wonders why he didn’t just assume that right off the bat, given her classic californian appearance. no wonder he was so attracted to her. he’s filled with electricity when she shakes his hand, though he always was when interacting with any pretty girl. it   FUELED   him. hand slides into his front pocket when she lets go.   “   marian chandler   ?   we literally live like, a mile that way   ---   ”   he pointed off in some random direction.   “   she goes to the high school. do   you   ?   ”

[pregcme]

DAKOTA   +

dakota was sitting lightly with his skateboard under him. it was a typical friday night : he had escaped from the house, the grips of his father’s control, and was ready to burn the city down. the weekend was his only get away. everyone was off on the weekends. well, almost everyone. he was —- but on second thought, he didn’t even had a job. the male lived day by day off his bad habit of pick pocketing credit cards. some people were too stupid to ever turn them off once they realized they were missing. others never even realized they were missing. then the few who did notice, they shut his operation down quickly. that wasn’t as much fun as it was when he began. now, it was just a way of getting by. fun was now partying all weekend and never remembering anything. not always, of course. sometimes he didn’t get so high or drunk. 

his green orbs lifted slightly to look at the other. “look, dude. it’s going to be the lamest party ever.” a gentle motion as he rubbed his eyes. “and yeah, it may be being hosted by the weirdest girl in school…” he was trying to make light of what seemed like a bad event. yeah, the girl was really weird. like, she had a stick horse tied to the front of her scooter and claimed she was riding a horse to classes. “but it’s a party.” but it’s a party. that’s the only reason dakota was bringing it up. “and we can always find another one to go to.”

          he’s absorbed with the phone in his hands, eyes glued to the screen as he   clicks, clicks, clicks,   with his thumb.   “   dude,   ”   shea feigns a response, having absolutely no idea what the other male was talking about. as far as he was concerned, the two could spend the night fucking around in his mom’s basement, smoking weed and play video games. not that shea wasn’t a   PARTY GUY,   but alas he wasn’t   listening.   “   FUCK.   ”   he slams his phone down on the couch in defeat, voice echoing off the bare walls around them.

          “   wait, so   ...   ”   he slides from his seat on the couch to the carpet below him, peering over blankly at his companion.   “   pony paula   is having a party   ?   ”   it takes him a moment to recollect on what his friend had been suggesting.   “   ---   no fucking way, dude. we should totally go. can you imagine   ?   ”   genuine laughter breaks from his throat, and he’ll throw his head back in utter delight.   “   drinking beer out of horse cups... i bet there’s pictures of horses fucking   everywhere.   imagine getting laid, and you look up, but instead of a picture of jesus looking down at you, it’s fucking paula’s family and all their farm animals.   ”   if shea knew one thing, it was how to entertain himself, as he’s almost in hysterics now.   “   is anyone else going   ?   i’m down, dude.   ”

[pregcme]

TAEMIN   +

“so recently i was told i look extremely dumb with my glasses on, that they make my face look small, which is like, absolute bull, right? i think i look good with my glasses on, nice and smart, you know? what do you think, glasses yay or nay?”

          “   i don’t know.   ”   admittedly, she hadn’t been paying attention to the other, but josie loved offering her opinion. it made her feel valued, regardless of how   RUDE   she often was in response.   “   let me see you without them on.   ”

[yibitos]

[pregcme]

DAKOTA   +

“kinda like the 70s cartoon.” he chuckled as he compared her name to the infamous josie and the pussycats animated show that was airing around the birth of his parents’ or early childhood. a smile spread wide across his cheeks as he followed her into the diner, grabbing the door for himself behind her. “good. that means my potion to turn into a turtle is finally working. i was wondering if i mixed too much tomato soup with it.” the blond had propped his skateboard outside the entrance and was now slipping his phone into his pocket. “go ahead and choose wherever. i promise to duck my head if you see anyone you might know.” he joked. 

          she’ll roll her eyes, but admittedly she’s kind of impressed with how easily the other lets her insults bounce off of him. josie had never met anyone who was   GOOD   at being slandered before. without responding, she’ll walk quietly to a booth in the back, plopping down on the cushy faux leather and just sort of   watching   the other follow behind her.   “   people i know don’t come here.   ”   a huff leaves her glossed lips.   “   how old are you anyway   ?   ”   a waitress appears at the end of the table, and josie’s quick to greet her and order a coffee, choosing not to waste any time.

[pregcme]

CHARLIE   +

he laughed at josie’s statement. cause it was pretty true… charlie never really considered himself to be a ‘sad boy’ he just smoked, never slept and was never home. “i guess you’re right.. but i’m more than just an angsty fantasy that every girl fawns over” sarcasm dripping from his voice. “i think good parents exist, they’re a rare breed but yeah… like one in a million” those being his parents and sam.. and that’s why it was so hard for him to be in that house. he didn’t deserve the kindness.

          josie will hold back a curt laugh that’s definitely   at   him more than with him.   “   is that so, charlie   ?   what makes you think you’re unique   ?   i’m genuinely   curious.   ”   she blinks over at him with   doe eyes,   quick to decide that she’s   over   talking about parental indecency.   “   we’re all kind of just stereotypes, aren’t we   ?   ”   nimble digits pluck his cigarette away from him, bringing it to her painted lips to take a single drag. smoke exhaled through her nose, she hands it back.   “   i’m a   classic   rich bitch, don’t you think   ?   rules the school and has her own self-worth issues. and you’re the sad boy who thinks he quietly has more to offer than all the other guys.   ”

[pregcme]

AVA   +

she’s minding her own business, too caught up in her own thoughts to have any interest in the public. nothing serious nor emotional, simply playing out the rest of her day in her head      how she sees it going, anyway. the voice, however, draws her from her internal monologue and her head is quick to jolt in his direction. “um, maybe?” is her immediate response, also finding some familiarity in his features which causes her brows to knit in. “of course i do,” she pauses to laugh, turning to face him. “and i feel like i’ve seen you through someone or something. i’m ava, if that helps any.” 

          she seems almost   pleased   to be bothered by him, at least in comparison to the response elicited by most girls, and truth be told, its refreshing. lips curl into a sly grin as she giggles up at him.   “   ava,   ”   he repeats, though the name doesn’t exactly ring a bell.   “   do you go to the high school   ?   ”   the male had graduated   (   barely   )   two years prior, but due to his younger siblings, he still seemed to interact with those in the grades below him rather often. shea was unbothered by it   ---   his emotional maturity matched theirs anyway.   “   shea. like the butter.   ”   he offers a hand out to shake, like some responsible gentlemenly type   :   exactly his opposite.   “   you might know my sister or something.   ”   it wasn’t exactly unusual for marian to bring cute girls around.

[pregcme]

LEO   +

     𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 rosy lips when the question comes and leo has to think, smoke carefully held inside until its time to let it go and mind going a thousand miles an hour. as it usually does.  ❛  future,   ❜  he voices.  ❛  like a decade in the future to see how things are, and if some shit happens to me,  ❜  and he still thinks that’s impossible,  ❛  i will know and be able to fix it.  ❜  he’s always thinking about the next thing to fix. he finally offers the joint back.

          “   dude,   ”   he laughs, although nothing’s particularly funny.   “   that’s such a better idea than what i was gonna do. i’m stealing that.   ”   eyes trail on a random car driving by as he absently reaches,   misses,   then eventually grabs the joint from the other.   “   imagine going forwards ten years and finding out you’re fuckin’   dead   or something. you’d have to find out how you died, right   ?   but like, how the fuck would you do that if   you’re   you   ?   ”   his words just keep going, and he has to    REMIND   himself about the smoke between his fingers. the only reason he stops talking is to take a hit, throat   aching   as he inhales, though the mild pain soon subsides.   “   like imagine going up to your mom or your wife and they’re like,   I SAW THEM BURY YOU   !   ”   he pretends to cry but it turns quickly into a harsh cough.   “   take this from me.   ”   joint is forcefully given back to the other male.

[timotheechalmet]

Diana Silvers as Maggie in Ma (2019)

[pregcme]

MARIAN   +

       SHE’S  SPRAWLED  ACROSS  HER  BED,  an  occasional  giggle  falling  from  her  lips  as  lithe  fingers  swipe  through  her  phone  screen.  she  might’ve  been  stuck  taking  summer  classes,  but  at  least  she  could  live  vicariously  through  her  friends’  instagram  stories.  the  knock  on  her  door  drags  her  back  to  reality,  the  smile  on  her  face  fading  into  a  frown  at  the  sight  of  the  boy.

       IT  SUCKS,  NOT  BEING  ABLE  to  talk  to  him  like  she  used  to.  as  much  as  she  wishes  she  could  do  so,  the  anger  she  reserves  for  him  is  still  stronger,  reminders  of  that  fateful  night  still  fresh  in  her  mind  even  if  she  does  so  much  as  look  at  him.   “   it  was  rotting  away  in  your  room  so  mom  thought  i  should  put  it  to  good  use,   ”   she  replies  dryly.   “   no.  i  don’t  want  your  hand - me - downs.   ”   she  shoots  a  cold  glare  at  shea  when  he  invites  himself  into  her  room.  normally,  all  she’d  feel  was  petty  annoyance  about  it,  but  now  she  wants  nothing  more  than  for  him  to  leave.   “   what  the  fuck  do  you  want  ?   ”

          a long sigh emits from him as he takes a seat on the mostly vacant desktop, head leaning back against the wall with a small   ‘thud’.   pale eyes swim up to stare at the ceiling fan, and he’ll wonder if this   GUILT   will ever end. it resided in his gut, taking space within the confines of his chest, and though he likely   deserved   to feel such a way, there were countless days spent purely   struggling   to breathe. he didn’t   want   anything from her.

     DEFEAT   :   (   v.   )   to render impossible to understand, to frustrate

          “   are we still going to do this   ?   ”   voice lacks in volume, lacks in   courage.   six grueling months had gone by already, but he feared there was no way to repair his relationship with his only sister. not even time could help.   “   i thought you would’ve   ...   processed this by now.   ”   he doesn’t dare look at the girl, fearful that her own gaze will burn    HOLES   in him.   “   i’m living here again whether you like it or not, mar. you’re gonna have to stop   hating   me so god damn much.   ”

[uglysex]

*sigh* why am i better than everyone

[pregcme]

‌DAKOTA   +

dakota shrugged with her approach and waved it off as a mere casual occurrence. he wasn’t sure if her intentions were to scare him or make him feel threatened. either way, it wasn’t working. “alright, i won’t tell anyone.” he shrugged lightly as he followed behind her. “dakota.” he repeated as he walked behind her, board in hand. maybe it was the goodness of his heart that was telling him to be so nice to her. dakota was always a firm believer that people acted how they were treated — regardless if the assumption was right or not. “my name is dakota. what’s your’s? i mean, i know it’s not charity case.” why would she even assume that he saw her as a charity case? “so, you just go and eat with people when you’re bored? or is it because you think i’m cute?” he poked fun at her.

          he’s oddly unfazed by her   dominance   ;   probably doesn’t even consider her behavior at all. teenage girls, her usual targets, were easy to throw off kilter, but this kid   ?   she didn’t know a single thing about him.   “   dakota,   ”   she repeats to herself, nodding a bit but avoiding eye contact as she wanders out in front of him. when the male prompts for her own name, she has half a mind to   LIE,   just for the hell of it, but she isn’t   that   cruel. not all of the time, at least.   “   i’m josie.   ”   evidently sharing surnames was reserved. a half-laugh pulls from her lips, and she’ll turn around to face him, now walking backwards as they approached their destination.   “   i mean, you’re not   terrible   to look at, but your lips are kind of turtle-y and you could use a better haircut. i don’t hang out with complete   uglies.   ”   she stops abruptly in front of the diner’s entrance, entering without so much as holding the door agape for the other.

[colinford]

[clairertemple-deactivated202210]

[pregcme]

CLOSED STARTER   +   AVA   @ruinmylifc

          he’ll do his best not to   stare,   though he’s not particularly adept when it comes to restraint. people watching was a totally normal activity, right   ?   casual.   respectable,   even, maybe. though, venturing into territories of   people-bothering   was a different situation. the moment the blonde is within earshot he’ll yank out his headphones and speak up.   “   yo, do i know you   ?   ”   it’s just a   line,   but upon further examination shea realizes he may actually find her familiar. cue a brief pause before questions are prompted.   “   where have i seen you before   ?   do you   party   ?   ”

[pregcme]

‌DAKOTA   +

was it a surprise to him that she was willing to go? totally. that wasn’t going to make him question it, though. “wherever you want to eat. i’m cool with wherever.” he shrugged. out of habit, dakota dropped the skateboard and put a foot on it. this action only led to him popping it back up into his hand. it wasn’t normal for him to be accompanied by someone who would possibly care about him casually riding his skateboard while the other walked. “i’ll keep the hug then —- but it’s always to offerings.” the blond examined her questioning features. “you do know there are people in the world that are nice enough to just buy you a meal, right?” dakota’s tone had changed from jolly and amused to calm and casual. “not everyone’s after something.”

          “   you know the diner that’s like two blocks that way   ?   ”   she motions with her chin, as if someone’s watching her and she   needs   to be discrete. her paranoia often got the best of her, especially lately, as she found herself hanging around with or acting on less than savory ideals.   “   you buy me lunch and you tell   NO ONE.   understand   ?   ”   she takes a few steps closer to him, milky hues boring into his own with a deadly seriousness.   “   i’m not a charity case, i’m just   bored,   okay   ?   ”   without another beat, she begins walking in the direction of the aforementioned eatery.   “   ---   what was your name   ?   ”

[pregcme]

LARISA   +

“And you still are the ringleader.” She spoke softly. “Listen, what happened is pretty huge and it’s not something you can easily get over.” She took a second to light her cigarette before continuing. “If you ever need to get your mind off things, you know I’m always around for you.”

          she wonders if she’ll ever speak with the same importance while maintaining such a cool and collected demeanor, like the older girl by her side. heavy words spoken softly were like poetry, but all josie knew how to do was   sling   weight violently with her tongue.   “   i’m sick of being tragic, though. i   want   to be over it. i want everyone to be.   ”   she coughs slightly as smoke expels with her words.