Your Friendly Neighborhood Rainbow

#with: morgan #with: claudia #with: carmen #p: dance with me please #tl: during

"I will, maybe I should buy more." They all deserved the chance to be on a cloud. It was a wonderful sensation. Mia noticed Claudia's confusion. "It's like a big pillow that you sit on top of, but it surrounds you. It's fun, promise."

Mia had never been in Carmen's shoes, but she knew what it was like to find a home in an unfamiliar place. Moving to West Ham hadn't been easy for her and it'd taken time for her to find the life she wanted here. She couldn't imagine never being able to go back to her favorite spots here. "I would happily help you stage a haunting, but we can also fly back and forth a lot. I have a million airline miles and I'm sure Claudia has a private jet or something." She laughed. "So, you have plenty of options. And we can always brainstorm more."

Phase: Before

“Still good of you,” said Blair. Talking about art gave the day a dreamy quality, like they were sleepwalking. “They live on in a different way.”

Feeling stupid, Blair was grateful to listen to something other than his usual fare. So much happened before and around him in this big world. He wanted to catch up. “Kinda like Steinbeck and Hemingway and Tolkein and the wars they were in,” he mused, hoping he understood Mia’s point this time. “Can art exist without a theme or influence?” Things were still dreamy, but Blair liked the hint of analysis here too.

Changing understandings felt like yet another historical specialty that passed him by, but it was never too late to learn. “Never knew that, I can tell you. I know I won’t be looking at his work the same way again.”

#tl: before #with: blair #p: happy little accidents

"They're curtains in my studio, or rather, the imprint of them is. They still get plenty of sunlight, but I'm sure it doesn't do them much good." Mia chuckled. She loved looking at them. The bright splotches of color in those distinctive petal shapes always made her day a little more interesting.

She nodded her head. "Yeah." She wasn't that great at English, but she thought she knew enough. Or at least, she'd been high with Taliesin at least once in her life and he definitely talked about Tolkien and wars in... some place. The memory was fuzzy.

"Um... I don't know." Her brush stilled against the canvas. "Even Dada was a reaction to war. They just responded to it by making purposefully absurd art. I'm not sure you could say that anything exists without inspiration, because we're all taking things in all the time."

She resumed painting, giving him a small smile. "I can't either. When you compare them, the Congolese art is more interesting. Not that he wasn't good at imitating, he just did something less captivating to me. Then again, I'm not one for monochromes or complimentary palettes."

West Ham for the Holidays (Flashback and AUs)

“I agree,” Tali said emphatically. “Vacation is meant to be when you have fun with that money and privilege, not get your hustle on.” It was so boring. The amount of times their relaxing “family time” had been interrupted by her dad taking business calls, or holding meetings, or trying to schmooze… That could never be her. She soaked those moments up, she deserved to. Working too hard too young gave you wrinkles.

Tali took that compliment and tucked it away inside her heart. Mia always said the most dreamily romantic things to her. She wasn’t quite sure how she’d gotten someone so full of light to look at her this way. Tali moved to lay down on the blanket, reaching for Mia and pulling her down with her. “Have you always been so romantic? I’m trying to imagine three year old Mia making peoples hearts burst with her sweet words.”

#tl: before #with: tali #p: you're my lady i'm your fool

"Exactly. They have the rest of the year to do that stuff. I want to walk until my legs hurt and eat new candy. I want to hear new music and just listen to people talk in a crowded area, even if I can't understand them. Seeing another part of the world is a gift and I want to soak it up." She'd painted several versions of that experience, a swirl of brush strokes in the colors, like she'd spun around too fast and was only picking up the loudest colors and the biggest movements. Looking at it brought her right back to those moments. Adam was always quick to point out that they looked nothing like where they'd visited, but it was about the feeling.

Mia giggled as Tali tugged her down to the blanket. She finished the last of her sandwich and was grateful that she didn't choke. "Oh. No. Not at all. I was actually a very sad kid." Even before her parents died, she'd been sad about the world. A sense of foreboding had always lived in the center of her chest and it had taken lust and drugs and art to shrink it. "I needed a way to deal with what was inside of me and I liked finger painting, so I got art lessons. It helped me find the joy in life. I have always had a big imagination though, I think I was born with it."

West Ham for the Holidays (Flashback and AUs)

“Yes, they do,” she told her, using her thumb to tidy the lip gloss she’d left around Mia’s lips. This was a perfect day, she thought. She felt like all of the happiest parts of herself were on show right now. Mia was an expert at drawing it out of her, like she was a piece of her art.

“Oh for sure. My dad’s like that too,” she said. Tali wasn’t sure if Mia’s slight topic shift was intentional or not, but she would drop the idea for now. “Always wanting to talk business.” She trailed her fingertip gently over the back of Mia’s hand. “I’m glad you’re not like that. It’s part of why I like you. I’m not always the best at it, but with you it’s easy.”

“It is,” she confirmed with a giggle. Mia’s eyes practically shone when her attention was on Tali. She couldn’t miss it. “Very obvious. But it’s nice to hear it.”

#with: tali #tl: before #p: you're my lady i'm your fool

Mia's cheeks were going to ache at the end of the day. She was sure of it. She couldn't help but smile at Tali. Her lips just naturally slid upwards as she spent time with her.

"It sounds exhausting. Vacations are supposed to be about resting and running yourself into the ground just to make a little bit of extra money when you already have plenty is stupid." Maybe that was too harsh, but she didn't value money the way her parents did. Nature had won the battle on that fight. "I'm grateful to go to such nice places, but what's the point in spending all of that money if you don't enjoy it? I don't really understand it."

She had her own issues with relaxing and staying happy, but she put a lot of effort into trying to be happy. "I'm glad I make it easier." She took another bite of sandwich. "I feel like I'm floating when I'm around you. Like my feet will never reach the ground."

"Good, I'd be a little embarrassed if you didn't know that by now."

drewrogersqb

“That’s um… that’s kind of you.” Drew couldn’t help but think of Jordan for a moment, the gentle way he’d been so complimentary about a talent that yes he’d fought for, but it was so intuitive. It was one of those few things where he could put effort into something and it just… worked.

He’d never heard it articulated that way, but Mia’s explanation made so much sense to him. As usual, his own words failed him but listening pulled him through. “I’d like that. I’d be honored.” He’d always been so touched when Del let him even touch her ceramics.

“Whoa.” Drew said, his cheeks flushed at Mia’s compliment. “I don’t get that a lot. Maybe because I don’t talk much.” Or maybe he’d seem more intimidating then.

He let out a visible sigh of a relief. “That means a lot, to be honest. It’s a lot easier to hide in a helmet.”

“It will matter.” Perhaps he shouldn’t sound so certain, but he couldn’t help but feel that they needed to heal. All of them. What an irony it would be if Britt, someone who could be so divisive, could do that. “Adam cares about you.” He swallowed the thought that he wasn’t sure Adam cared about much. It wouldn’t be kind, and all he had at this point was just an attempt to be kind. “He’ll listen to you. It just takes time. And in the mean time, we’ll keep things interesting.”

He looked to the door. “I should get out of your hair. Unless you need any other like… community stuff?”

#with: drew #tl: day seven #p: waking me up

Mia shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know if it or isn't. It's more of an observation than a compliment. You deserve compliments, I just don't know if I was giving you one then." She had confused herself, so it was entirely possible he was confused, too. Then again, he seemed a bit more with than she was.

Her face heated slightly at the notion of sharing her work with someone who didn't already love her. It was hard enough with Del, whom she adored. This was more nerve-wracking. He could not get it and she would be lost to the seas of doubt because art was ultimately about sharing. "I hope it doesn't disappoint."

"That was an actual compliment. You just have the right kind of energy. Hold onto that." There were too many people whose energies shifted as they grew. Tali came to mind. So much more carefree and vulnerable when they met and more closed off now. The world molded people into something new and you could never predict which way it would go. It scared her, but she couldn't do anything about it.

Mia would love to Drew's confidence. She didn't have the wisdom of Adam's elders or the patience of their mother. Her own thoughts were so hard to follow sometimes that the only thing that helped was weed. She was the absolute wrong person to try and turn this situation around for him, but she was the only available option. "I know he cares about me, but he doesn't care about himself. Maybe about how he looks, but not what his attitude costs him." She rubbed at her temple. "I'm running out of ideas. I'm still trying though."

"That's all. I'm not a big enough part of the community to need more help. Sorry."

Phase: Before

Free form sounded great. Sometimes, rules were only a suggestion.

“Making stuff bloom is my thing,” he mused, playing with candor again, “so I’m sticking with your way.” That also seemed like the right note to begin drawing her, so he did. Some part of Blair hoped that Mia would like to look at an abstract version of herself. Maybe she’d want to keep it.

“It’s cool,” said Blair, regretting his assumption. Identifying that in itself as a problem after everything with Sasha was a challenge, but actually solving the issue felt like a hurdle for another day. There was a proverb for that somewhere, though Blair was still working his way through Pride and Prejudice. The big message would reach him in the end. Maybe.

“Do you always remember…movements?” He asked, trying to incorporate that feeling onto the page. Abstract, movement, vivid color—it suited her. Or so it seemed. Every thought of Blair’s today felt like a first draft. Unfinished, uninformed, each a blank canvas in need of detail.

#with: blair #tl: before #p: happy little accidents

"Oh," Her eyebrows raised in delighted surprise, "That's really cool. I'm all thumbs if it's not art. I've killed so many beautiful flowers, but I was able to at least use the petals." She'd pressed them between cloth and hit them with a hammer, transferring the color and shape onto fabric. There was always something enchanting about it.

She swirled her brush along the canvas, dragging the edge of it to put stray spots of paint towards the bottom. "When I said movements, I meant like art movements. Art is a lot about reacting to what's going on around you and sometimes other art movements. Like the AIDS art movement of the 80s is a lot about making art more accessible to everyone and a heavy emphasis on emotional story." She was still stunned at the breadth of the AIDS quilt, an endeavor that brought her to tears more often than not. The sheer power of art was unmatched to her.

"I know some of them, but there's a lot that I don't. Not to mention the changing understandings. Picasso was seen as a visionary for Cubism but it turns out he was using styles taken from Congolese art." She shrugged her shoulders. "Art evolves with us."

West Ham for the Holidays (Flashback and AUs)

Tali managed to scoot in closer to Mia, wanting to be as close as she could get without being disrespectful in a public setting. Her lips moved against Mia’s, the way she tasted and smelled and felt overwhelming all of her senses. It wasn’t until she heard scattered awww’s from the people around them that she pulled away, a lightheaded giggle escaping her. “God Mia,” she whispered.

“I’d love to,” she told her, hoping so badly that she’d be able to. Tali hated thinking about endings but they were so young and life pushed you in all kinds of directions you didn’t want to go in. “Maybe we could go somewhere before summer ends.” It wasn’t perfect, probably not realistic. But… she wanted it.

“I could never hate the messenger. I happen to like the messenger quite a lot. And her controversial opinions.”

#p: you're my lady i'm your fool #with: tali #tl: before

Mia could have been suspended in this moment forever. Tali's soft lips against hers was always a delight, but it was even better for it to happen here. They were surrounded by people who would be respectful about things. And they were. She broke away from Tali with a giggle, half tempted to bow. "The crowd has excellent taste. They know beauty when they see it."

She raised her eyebrows in interest. A summer trip could be so exciting, if they lasted that long. Things were still so new and she was afraid of planning anyways. The disappointment could be crushing if things didn't turn out that way. "It could be fun, certainly better than my parents trying to turn every vacation into a networking opportunity." She rolled her eyes. "They can't sit in the moment ever. It's so strange."

Her cheeks were burning even under the mild sun, too touched by Tali's words. "I think that's the most controversial I get." There weren't hidden horrible opinions somewhere else. She was so open to the world that it hurt sometimes. "And I happen to like you a lot, too. If that wasn't obvious."

cricketmarston

“Impulsivity is one my absolute favorite traits. But you know that.” Cricket and Mia were textbook mutual enablers. They never got to fully bad behavior. Maybe just thoroughly ill advised. Like hand/body painting her parents’ living room because it was about to get painted anyway. No harm done. The Roths weren’t Khoo level of offensively rich but it all kind of flattened out for Cricket at a certain point. Plus, Mia looked absolutely stunning with paint on her face.

She was looking at him like… well, like she’d forgotten he didn’t deserve it. How much did he need to protest to be a good person? To be worthy of her? He’d warned her, hadn’t he? It was all he could offer. The future wasn’t promised. Especially when his own impulsivity was involved.

But it was like she said. He made her happy. Or at least he tried. And maybe that was enough. She’d said it was enough. He had no reason not to trust her. Even if he couldn’t trust himself. That was the nice thing about Mia. He knew that eventually, no matter what, she would be alright. Clouds always changed color. The sun always rose.

“I would like nothing more than to make you happy.” He reached out, cupping her cheek in a way that felt so beautifully, painfully familiar. A memory from before he fucked up. But Mia was a dreamer. If anyone could bend reality into strange and beautiful shapes, it was her. “And I have some ideas.” He let his hand slide through her fingers and down to the fabric of the dress that also wasn’t worthy of her. He leaned close, whispering in her ear, his voice low but lilting, his accent thick because he was happy. “Why don’t you start by looking at the stars?”

#p: did i shatter you?#with: cricket #tl: before #october 2018

"I do and I appreciate it." Where would the world be without some impulsivity? It's part of what made being alive so exciting. The unexpected colors you could add to any moment by doing something out of the ordinary.

She leaned into his touch, her heart stuttering softly in her chest. At least he couldn't feel that. There was an intensity to his gaze that she'd always adored. Like the world had narrowed to one small dot and right now that dot was her. "You're great at that." Her eyes ached from crying, but he'd pushed all her storm clouds off the horizon and lightened the sky around her. "Tell me," she whispered, hoping he didn't notice the goosebumps popping up on her arms and neck.

This might not have been homecoming, but it was a homecoming of sorts for her. She was finding her solid ground again. It wasn't in Frankie's arms or under crepe paper. It was on top of a car with a boy she could never fully trust, but who always made her want to try. This kind of impulsivity was comforting to her. More right than trying to be whoever she'd forced herself to fit tonight. She laid her head down slowly and focused on the warm glow of the stars, the only audience she ever needed.

the end.

Phase : During (The Event)

morganlittle

Morgan nodded at Claudia’s assessment of Carmen. “Yeah, I think she likes you,” she confirmed.

“Oh yeah. We’re for sure friends now. I’m gonna make you three hang out with me on the regular. I have just enough seats in my living room for this.” The thought excited her.

“Orrrr hear me out. We fake your death. Or stage a kidnapping. That gets your parents off your case and then you’re free to live the life you want. I’ll teach you the accent so you blend in. You could stay in Claudia or Mia’s basement until things die down. I’m sure I’m forgetting many details as I have consumed some alcohol, but I think it could be a solid idea.” She looked to Mia and then Claudia to back her up. “Or you could get emancipated like Mia said. OR just not get on the plane home. What are they gonna do?”

@claudiadunne

claudiadunne

“I hope so. She’s such a lovely person, I would love to count her among my friends.” Limited though they were, they meant the world to Claudia. She was selective, like Christian, but in a very different direction. She wanted earnestness and heart from people. Carmen had both.

“Non, it was not a joke, but I will take the compliment.” She smiled at Mia and Mia grinned back at her. Her larp games were so strategy oriented that she was rarely considered funny, but it pleased her to know that someone thought of her that way.

Claudia clapped her hands together in excitement. “That sounds incredible. Y'know, I’ve never had a sleepover. It’s not a super European thing, but I’ve always wanted to know if they’re as fun as they look in Princess Diaries 2.” It was a secret wish of hers, but one she felt comfortable sharing here.

Her heart ached for Carmen. She knew all too well the outsized influence parents could on decisions and the helplessness that built up inside you when it wasn’t what you wanted. “She wouldn’t need to stay in anyone’s basement, my parents own several nearby properties. They wouldn’t be able to find you if you didn’t want, Carmen.” Just because she had more of a moral compass than Christian did, didn’t mean she hadn’t learned a few things from her cousin. “It’s your choice. As long as you have legal standing to be someplace, they can’t force you to leave. But I understand wanting to please them.” She didn’t necessarily feel that way about her parents, but she did when it came to Tante Sarah.

carmen-hayes

“WHAT!” Carmen was outraged at the idea. Sleepovers were a teen girl rite of passage. “We should for sure have a sleepover. More than one. Pleasepleasepleaseeee. We need to pop Claudia’s sleepover cherry.” A part of Carmen’s brain realised that was a wild thing to say, but she was drunk so it did not phase her. “Respectfully.”

“Wait.” Carmen was going to cry again. “You’d really let me stay in one of your houses?” Wow, Claudia must be rich rich. HouseS. Several. That was more than two, which Carmen felt was a normal yet excessive amount if you only needed one to live in. House math was hard. “That’s so kind. Ugh I love you girls. I feel so empowered and supported right now, you have no idea.”

@rothmia

#p: dance with me please #with: carmen #with: morgan #with: claudia #tl: during

"You're funny without having to try. That's beautiful." She grinned at Claudia and could practically see the lines connecting them, radiating warmth. Small beams of sunshine from one new friend to another.

Mia loved the idea of crowding Morgan's house with laughter and pillows. "If you're worried about seating, I can always carry a lovesac over. They're huge and super comfy." There was nothing like being high and cocooning yourself in one, trailing your fingertips over the fuzzy material. It was magical.

She nodded her head at Carmen. "I don't think there's anything stopping us." Most of the people she knew were fine with sleepovers. And Carmen's parents couldn't stop them from the other side of the world. Claudia's might, but it didn't seem like her to suggest something she couldn't do. "But it can't happen at my house. My mom is way too particular about shared spaces."

There was something magical about the fact that all of them were so ready to find creative ways for Carmen to escape. "You could even combine them, fake your death and live in Claudia's house while you work on emancipation.... or maybe not because your parents might wonder why a dead girl is emancipating herself." She laid down on the tapestry with a little giggle. The stars twinkled above her in an unfamiliar pattern, but she wasn't sure if that was her eyes or the night. She wasn't the most observant at the best times and even less so tonight when the air crackled with a new kind of energy.

West Ham for the Holidays (Flashback and AUs)

Tali’s skin tingled where Mia’s lips touched her hand. She reluctantly released Mia’s finger, hating that she couldn’t just hold it there forever, linked with hers. “I’ll work on those ideas then,” she told her, eager to see what she’d do to bring them to life.

Tali nodded. “Yeah. So you can use it on me next time,” she told her. She watched Mia, fixated on her lips as she tried the words out in her mouth. “Perfect,” she whispered, not knowing if she was talking about Mia’s pronunciation or just… Mia. In general. She checked one more time for any hesitancy from her, and then decided. “You’re perfect.” Then she closed the gap, her lips meeting Mia’s in zap of sensation. She tasted like strawberries and cream and bliss and she’d never liked it more.

“I think it’s harder to come by here. You do have to travel for the best ones.” One of the downsides of living in a place like this. “I just need a minute to wrap my head around this,” she joked. “Chewy water!”

#tl: before #with: tali #p: dance with me please

"I bet your idea will be magic." Tali walked in a way that glitter kicked up behind her in Mia's imagination. She couldn't imagine the other girl having a single thought that didn't spark happiness in the people taking them in.

She pressed her lips together so hard they folded inwards as she tried to hide her smile. Next time. There would be so many more times to do this. Time for Portuguese and berries and kisses. Everything important with Tali.

"You're-" Mia's words were swallowed by Tali's lips and she wouldn't have traded it for the whole world. All thought left her brain as she felt the sweet pressure and soft slick of lipgloss. Their lips fit so perfectly together, like this was all they'd ever been made for.

An image popped into her brain. Tali's skin as golden as the sun as they stood on creamy white sand next to clear blue water, vibrant pink dragonfruit on a table to the left of them. She could almost smell the sunscreen and salt air. It would be a heavenly view. "You'll have to take me to the best one then. Someday."

She held her hands up in surrender. "It's the truth. Don't hate the messenger." She'd eat a million melons if Tali would keep laughing like that. Even if they all tasted like chewy water to her.

West Ham for the Holidays (Flashback and AUs)

Tali pulled their joint hands closer to her and kissed Mia’s knuckles gently. “To seal the promise,” she explained, holding on a moment longer before giving her hand back.

Tali laughed. “How about… I can come up with some of the ideas, you can execute them if they inspire you.” She was not an artist. Tali could draw a questionable stick figure at most. “I have many talents linda but art is not one of them.”

Watching Mia try to translate what she said in real time was one of the cutest things she’d ever witnessed. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Not quite,” she leaned slightly closer to her. “Eu quero te beijar. I want to kiss you.” Her eyes flicked between Mia’s lips and her eyes, gauging her reaction. She’d wait for the green light before moving any closer.

“The white dragonfruit kind of reminds me of flavourless kiwi,” she agreed. “The pink is better, but it definitely looks cooler than it tastes.” Tali was having fun. Who knew strong opinions on fruits could be so entertaining? “You hate melons? Why! Even watermelon?”

#p: dance with me please #tl: before #with: tali

Mia's cheeks went scarlet as she felt Tali's lips against her skin. She took a stabilizing deep breath. Then she brought Tali's knuckles to her own lips, pressing a gentle kiss there.

She tilted her head in consideration. "That could work. I'm very open to it." She didn't believe Tali at all about being bad at art. Art wasn't something you could be bad at unless you were a corporation. It was turning feelings into physical objects. There was no wrong way to do that. There was only finding the right medium.

A part of her had wanted to be right so badly, but the alternative wasn't bad. Her eyes widened. "I'll definitely have to remember that one," she tried to mimic the mouth sounds, contorting her lips to get the near-purring j sound out. She repeated it one more time before leaning in softly, waiting for Tali's response or criticism.

"I've heard that when it's juicy red, that's when it's best but I can never find it like that." She laughed a little at Tali's shock, surprised that this was such a contentious topic. "Watermelon is the best of the melons, but it's not the best category. It's essentially chewy water, like lettuce but more grainy."

Phase : During (The Event)

morganlittle

“You guys are so romantic. Bunch of poets over here.” How gorgeous was that.

“Exactly.” she echoed. Morgan probably could have been a bit nicer to Adam during his brief part of Mia and Morgan’s cosmic connection, but it was too late for her to change that now. Live and learn and all that.

Morgan lay down along the edge of the blanket, her knees bent and her hands resting on her stomach. “Yeah, what’s keeping you from staying? Is it a money thing? A parents thing? Do you have to finish school there to get your diploma?”

@claudiadunne

claudiadunne

“No, sadly, just French.” The language lent itself to poetry and there was a certain romanticism involved in their customs, but that didn’t mean she had a gift for words. She frequently felt like all she did was say the wrong things. Fortunately, that hadn’t seemed to be the case in this particular discussion.

Claudia’s brow furrowed as she watched Carmen dash off. “Por moi?” She didn’t understand. Then, it all became clear. “Oh, she’s very dear, isn’t she?” She looked to Morgan for confirmation. Claudia wasn’t used to someone taking her access needs into account. It was wonderful.

She clutched her scepter tightly as she made her way to the outside and worked very slowly on lowering herself to the stolen fabric. “Thank you, this is perfect.” The stars were just as stunning as Mia had said they would be. Carmen’s eyes shined, but Claudia couldn’t tell if it was with mirth or sadness.

“My family could definitely help if it’s a visa issue.” She hated the idea of Carmen leaving. It didn’t feel fair, especially when Claude had no trouble moving back and forth between continents. The US being less historic in the European sense meant her access needs were better met here, where stair rails were common and ramps were easier to find. “But you can keep your second secret as long as you wish, I would never pry without invitation.”

carmen-hayes

“No worries,” Carmen said, smiling at Claudia. It was a small thing and she was more than happy to make her new friends feel as comfortable as they were making her feel.

Carmen sighed. “Nah, we have NCEA there. National Certificate of Educational…. something starting with A. I can transfer credits, hopefully it won’t be a drama. My school dean said it wouldn’t be but you never know with stuff like that.” She offered them a sad smile. “I appreciate it, I really do. It’s my parents more than anything. They’re not into the idea of me being away any longer. It’s already been a year and my flights are booked. I don’t have enough time to get things figured out now even if they did agree to let me stay.”

“Being a minor fucking sucks. I can’t make decisions for myself even if they’re the best ones for me. Like objectively. Or subjectively? I don’t remember which one is which I won’t lie to you right now.” Carmen picked at the grass at the edge of the blanket. “Thanks for being so cool about my second secret. I’ll definitely tell you when I can. I feel like we’re friends now. If that’s not too forward of course.”

@rothmia

#p: dance with me please #with: carmen #with: morgan #with: claudia #tl: during

Mia giggled then covered her mouth. "I don't know if that was a joke, Claudia, but if it was, it was a great one." Paris was full of beauty and poetry, but it also smelled like piss and had a lot of grumpy people. She'd been so overwhelmed by the city itself before she even got to the art, she couldn't imagine what it was like to spend time in France regularly.

She scooted in closer to show Carmen that she was listening. The stars were otherworldlly tonight, but she was determined to not let that distract her. "You don't have to let them dictate your decisions. Legally. There's always emancipation." There were times that she thought it might be best for Adam. He would struggle with the financial loss, but she thought he might be happier if he was able to stay with his tribe more and away from the wasp nightmare that their parents could be. "Then you'd legally be an adult, regardless of age. They wouldn't have a say." She shrugged, "But you don't have to do that either. It's your life. Whatever works is what works."

West Ham for the Holidays (Flashback and AUs)

“I get it.” As much as she could as someone without a creative bone in their body. “That’s all I ask,” she said, holding out her pinky finger to Mia.

“Whatever you want,” Tali told her earnestly. “It doesn’t have to be like… you physically. It could be like, your soul in colour.” God, was there something in this tea? Who the fuck did she think she was talking like that? “Or something.”

“Yeah?” she asked, smiling at that. She loved dropping Portuguese into conversation. Most people didn’t ask what she’d said, they just rolled with it and that was more than fine with her. Tali loved sharing parts of herself with the people she cared about. She’d explain to anyone if they asked. “Eu quero te beijar.” She told her, her eyes sparkling.

“Yes! So good. In Brazil it’s called goiaba with an i, so close.” Tali popped another grape in her mouth. “I love mangos, they’re my favourite. I could easily eat one every day.” Her parents did not indulge that though, which was disappointing. “There’s so many good ones. I’m not sure there are many I dislike.”

#with: tali #p: you're my lady i'm your fool #tl: before

Mia looped her own pinky finger around Tali's and squeeze gently. "Can't go back on it." She enjoyed the idea of sharing everything with her. Tali made things exciting.

Her soul in color. She wasn't sure what that looked like, but she wanted to find out. "Maybe you should be the artist. That would be a fascinating exhibit- our souls in color." There would need to be glitter and holographic paper, maybe a blend of neons of pastels. Her hands itched to get started, but that could wait until later. Tali deserved her full attention and no one had that when she was painting.

She squinted slightly, working through the parts that sounded similar enough to the Spanish she knew. "You... want... my... I dunno. My beijar," she hoped she was saying that right, "I'm going to guess that it's a... dance step? Like maybe a sweep you off your feet type thing?" It sounded closest to bailar and she knew what that meant. Maybe, she'd be right.

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "That's cool that they're so similar. I'll have to remember that when I eventually go to Brazil." Mia had seen Tali peel a mango before and had to swallow her lust. Bringing it up here, made her cheeks flush and she took a large bite of her sandwich to make sure she didn't say anything weird. Swallowing around it, she said, "Oh, I hate most melons. And grapefruit, it's too bitter. I can't stand the texture of raisins. I don't like the texture of okra either, and I guess I'm indifferent to dragon fruit? I've heard that it can taste good, but every time I try it I don't taste much of anything."

Phase: Before

He liked abstractness. Much of his work in a field felt imaginary. There were rules, sure, but every time he and MK crouched in the dirt when he was little, Blair could never believe the process would work. What would sprout, he wondered, a beanstalk tall enough to reach the sky? Kudzu? Lakshmi on a lotus flower? “Random it is,” Blair decided, reaching for the yellow first. Yellow was a happy color, and he wanted to let its mood reflect back at him. “What do you like better?” He asked, curious. Blair hadn’t given a lot of thought to artistic choices before, only appreciated the final products. “Free form or a prompt?”

“No wrong answers.” Blair liked that too. He wished he could splash the words like paint over his own life instead of a canvas, and see how it’d look. “Who was that guy who mixed everything together? Picasso?”

Mia sounded like she knew all things art—who was better to ask?

#p: happy little accidents #with: blair #tl: before

Mia tried for an encouraging smile, but she never knew if people felt encouraged by her. Her mother said she had a flair for melancholy and originally Mia thought she meant the 90s album, the one that used Méliès to dazzling effect in their music video, all whimsy and nostalgia and a talking moon that looked like the happiest place to be. What her mother had actually meant was that she was a bit sad, even when she was happy. Mia liked her own definition better.

She raised her eyebrow slightly in question. Thankfully, he clarified. "Free form. I'm not very good at rules and I like to leave room for experimentation. That's part of art to me, not just setting down what you had in hour head but watching it bloom into something else." She wasn't sure if she made sense, but it was the best way for her to describe how she felt when she was using materials to transform something, whether it was a page, a canvas, or a wall.

"No wrong answers," She echoed. Everyone was building their own masterpiece. It had taken her several years to understand that art practice of sitting with things you don't like and examining them, trying hard to see the beauty even when it repulsed you. But it had made her art better, she was developing an eye as they said and that started by recognizing that all of art was perspective based not objective.

"I dunno," she smudged some paint onto her canvas and let her arm wind its way across the canvas, "I never really memorized people. Movements, sometimes, but there's just so many people and so many well known art pieces and it all gets mixed up in my brain. Sorry."

West Ham for the Holidays (Flashback and AUs)

“Hopefully it’ll get easier the more you do it,” she told her. “You’re so talented, Mia. People, well, a lot of them don’t deserve to see it, but you deserve for them to see it. And be recognised for your work.”

The way Mia talked about Tali made her feel like she was floating on air. She knew she was pretty, she’d been told so her whole life. But Mia made her feel it. The words she used, the way her gorgeous green eyes lit up when she looked at her. “I want you in my bedroom,” she told her. “On my wall. Where I can look at you every day.”

“Would be nice if we could all just communicate the way that’s easiest for us,” she said. “I’m not sure what mine would be. I do fine with words, but I don’t know that it’s easiest.”

“Right?” She took another, letting out a happy sigh. “Favourite fruit?” It was a question they threw around often. Tali was collecting the answers like little puzzle pieces, every one revealing a little more about the girl she liked so much.

#tl: before #with: tali #p: you're my lady i'm your fool

"It's just so... personal." If everyone looked at her art with the same bland smile that her mother did, her heart would be crushed into a thousand jagged edges. She couldn't stand that kind of superficiality. Art was about feeling and if you couldn't feel anything from what she made... she failed. It was too much of a risk. "But when I have something that's worth sharing, I will. Promise."

Her eyes widened at Tali's words. This was technically an audience where that kind of talk was okay, but she was still new to it. She swallowed heavily, a little relieved when Tali clarified. Mia brought her hands to her heart. "I would be honored." She would use her best colors for it, her strongest techniques. Hopefully it would be something that Tali could hold onto, whether they worked out or not. "If it's a self portrait of me, it might be more...um... Van Goghy than photorealistic."

She scooted closer to Tali on the blanket. "You're great at all kinds of communication. I feel like I know what you mean, even when I don't understand the language you're speaking." She dragged a strawberry through whipped cream and popped it into her mouth. It was the only way to ensure she didn't say anything weird.

"Oh, um, that's hard. So many of them are delicious." Spring had only recently turned into Summer and she was enjoying the change in fruits around her. "One year, my dad was," she rolled her eyes, "Investing in Puerto Rican equity, which meant we all got to fly out there for a vacation. Adam and I ate fresh guava, or guyaba as it's called there, every single morning. It was the sweetest fruit I've ever had with just a hint of tartness." Mia sighed. "I still think about it sometimes. So, maybe that. What about you?"

Phase: Before

Before we decide who we are, we must know who we were.

But do we really want to know? When the mists of the past part and reveal the little insecurities, the betrayals, the fleeting joys, what sticks? Is anything worth keeping?

Did they ever see the forest for the trees?

So press play and go.

If December was dreary, May might be miserable.

Might be.

There had to be a limit to how much of a grouch you could be allowed before someone gave you grief for it, so Blair kept his mouth shut.

Instead, he kept his attention on school and soccer and his best friend. When he wasn’t guarding the net, he was trying to get his work in before the bell. When he wasn’t finishing a paper in homeroom, he was monitoring Jacks’s supply like he was babysitting a kid. Somehow, routines were helping Blair feel nothing at all.

Which seemed good to him. Like he was guarding a net.

Today’s assignment found Blair in the Art department, stationed in front of an easel and facing a partner with a matching one. He didn’t know much about Mia Roth, but maybe he’d learn a little now.

“I have…no idea where to start,” said Blair, peering over at his partner instead of at his blank canvas. It was mocking him. “Any advice?”

@rothmia

#tl: before #with: blair #p: happy little accidents

Mia blinked rapidly. Right. She was supposed to be doing an assignment not staring at her canvas as her mind swirled with various colors and textures to add to the stretched cloth in front of her. This was supposed to require some cooperation from her... partner? .... teammate? ... co-conspirator? She wasn't sure what the right word was.

"Sorry. Um... I tend to be more free form if I'm not sitting down with a purpose. I grab whatever's closest and make one abstract image and then pull something out of what I see. There's a word for it, but I don't remember it. Making things out of randomness. If that doesn't work, you can always start with a line and then a bissecting one. In pencil." She smiled, not wanting him to make too many mistakes he couldn't undo. "That's the basis of scale for anything else you want to come up with."

She wasn't sure if any of that was helpful advice, or if it even made sense. Her head was more than a little foggy. She really needed to stop coming to art class high, but it made the whole thing less stressful and she hated creating when she was stressed. "Basically, there's no wrong answers. Just try something. Except maybe don't mix too many colors together, it will look... gross."

West Ham for the Holidays (Flashback and AUs)

“Exactly. Hate it. Would much rather be at something like this with you. I don’t mind you in my personal space one bit.” She was sure that was clear, but it didn’t hurt to say.

“If you’re not, you’re definitely on your way.” Tali told her, wanting to be honest. “I think you do hit the mark often,” she told her. “It’s hard not to feel good things when I look at what you make.” She wondered how much of that was to do with the feelings she had for the artist, but now wasn’t the time to break that down.

Tali nodded. “That makes sense, considering how sweet you are.” Sweet tea and iced coffee, what a pairing. “I’ll remember that.”

“After we’ve eaten?” Tali asked. “Then we can take a picture together. I brought my Polaroid.” She loved capturing a memory. She wanted to look back on this and remember how she felt to be here.

Tali took a bite and then laughed. Her mother would be fuming at her manners right now. “Sorry, no, it’s very cute. I know you’d never eat a real cat.” She opened a container with some grapes and popped one in her mouth. It had the perfect amount of crunch. “You need to have a grape,” she said, picking the best looking one and bringing it to Mia’s lips.