tiffany muttonfudge

private rp

[taffytm]

“Stay sweet!”

(x)

Name: Tiffany Muttonfudge Nicknames: Tiff, Taffy Age: 24 Birthday: July 26, 1999 Height: 5'3" Sexuality: Repressed/closeted bisexual Occupation: Streamer

• Tiffany is the kind of girl who was never told “no” growing up, and it shows. She’s very spoiled and very entitled, though on the surface she presents the image of a perfectly sweet girl for the cameras. In her own mind, she is that girl; she sees herself as the protagonist of her life and all her actions are internally justified, even she has to put down others in her way. That's their own problem to deal with.

• Her parents are the owners and founders of a candy company called Taffy-Tongue Sweets, which operates its original factory here on Echo Isle but distributes to stores across the country. Their biggest partner is King Candy’s Candy Shop, a popular candy retailer. Despite their family name being Muttonfudge, they specialize in fruity candies more than chocolate.

• She was the child model for the brand, so it’s still her little baby face on all the packaging and advertising to this day: with the bright pink candy-stained tongue and all. She’s rarely seen without a signature lollipop, because always be representing. She’s currently an influencer, having made a name for herself along with her friends, who together go by the label of Sugar Rush Racers, as popular gaming streamers. She’s the natural leader of the group who the others defer to.

• Her closest and most loyal friends among the group are Candice and Randy, although she has a much more complicated relationship with him because, well, they’re in a relationship. They’ve been together for years with only one break between, and honestly they don’t bring out the best in each other, but they hardly know anything else because they don’t have enough experience outside of each other.

• They live together in a house that’s way too big just because they can, and have a little lap dog formally named Peanut after Randy’s favorite candy (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.) She dresses him in little matching pink outfits with her like Elle Woods with Bruiser.

• She's extremely competitive and feels threatened when people (like Vanellope) are better than her at something, because she feels like it devalues her own achievement/skill. They're kinda friends now (maybe frenemies by their competitive natures), but she used to lash out at Vanellope when they were younger because of this.

• Tiffany bakes and decorates to relieve stress, so her friends are constantly on the receiving end of gifts of cupcakes and other such treats.

[fluggedup]

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Tiffany had no interest in talking, having already decided that this relationship was over. It was understandable, but Randy couldn’t walk away with her missing so much information about Dewey, and how he was a major fault in a lot of this. She clearly saw Dewey as a knight in shining armor, when the reality was he was a shit stirrer within their relationship. 

“There’s nothing simple about this,” Randy countered, their attitudes beginning to match each other. It wasn’t even about them talking to fix things — it was more Randy’s last chance to get Tiffany to see Dewey as a bad guy, to hopefully avoid seeing them get together from here. The last thing he wanted was to witness the two of them dating — It wasn’t fair. “I guess he didn’t get between us on his own huh — you let him. Is that not toxic?” He continued, “If you were done, why didn’t you end it then? Instead you lied, snuck around behind my back. You’re basically dating him already… I didn’t even know you two were friends.”

It was the body swap that random Friday that Randy was unsure how to explain. Magic wasn’t a taboo thing where they lived but they personally didn’t have much involvement in magic normally— this was new territory for them. “I’m fighting you on this because you don’t know the whole story. He’s been lying to you too, Tiff. He’s not who you think he is.”

[taffytm]

Though it felt unfair for Randy to insinuate that she had basically been cheating on him—for all intents and purposes, she couldn’t argue with his logic. She could say she hadn’t meant to let Dewey get between them, but hadn’t she known the whole time they’d developed this friendship that he was interested in more with her? Hadn’t she let herself get close to him, knowing he was holding out for her? And hadn’t she kissed him last night, told him she planned to break up with her boyfriend, and asked to talk with him again in a few days? The implication was clear to all three of them that she intended to move forward with Dewey after she and Randy were officially split; a plan to start dating him in the near future was about the same as practically dating him already, although Tiffany would still maintain that she hadn’t been secretly dating him the entire time. She had tried damn hard to make things work with Randy before giving up, which he couldn’t see at all, too wrapped up in his own perspective.

“Why didn’t I end it?” Tiff repeated his question in disbelief. Randy still seemed to be under some delusion that she had intentionally been stringing him along all while knowing she was already checked out from their relationship. He still didn’t understand. “Because I loved you! Because I kept hoping things would change? I wasn’t done until last night proved it never would. You had so many chances to turn things around, every second of every day, and you never fucking cared until it was too late. You can make me the villain in your story if you want, but this would have never happened if you had even tried. But every time it looks like things are getting better between us, you turn around again and let me down. Every. Time.”

She’d been trying not to let the usual waterworks that would spring forth during a moment of high emotions like this start when they began this conversation, but by now the well had seemed to dry up. She had no more tears left to cry for him, apparently. Tiffany laughed humorlessly at the suggestion that Dewey was hiding something from her. Because of course, if Randy couldn’t preserve her opinion of him, he could still try to poison her against his apparent competition. Why wouldn’t he just let it go? Still…she had to hear this, whether there was any shred of truth in what he had to say or not. “Oh, you hardly knew he existed but you know him better than I do, right?” Eye roll. “Sure, tell me the whole story then! Who exactly is he?”

[deweydewdrop]

Although Dewey probably should have saved the sweet gestures for after Tiffany and Randy broke up, one hand still holding hers while the other rubbed her back soothingly, he genuinely couldn’t help himself. It had already been difficult enough holding back while they hung out as friends before this — once again, he was doing the things that Randy should have been doing, comforting and loving his girlfriend. Why did he make it seem like such a hard task? Dewey was able to effortlessly. As Tiffany nodded, the triplet smiled at her words. “The toughest bitch I know,” he replied playfully, in an attempt to get her to smile.

Even as he attempted to lighten the mood though, they both knew it was time for Tiffany to leave soon. Her sigh indicated it was that time, even if they didn’t want to separate yet. Nodding his head, Dewey finally let go of her hand, his other hand lingering on her back only a moment longer. “Anytime. Call me if you need anything, alright?"

[taffytm]

Dewey pulled a little laugh out of Tiffany with his agreement that she was the toughest bitch he knew, and she was grateful that he was able to lighten her heart when it felt so heavy, even if it was hard to hype her up as “tough” when she had just been sobbing. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to see her like this again, once all this was settled and done. She promised to call him soon, and then went to find Candice.

After spending the night at her best friend’s house, Tiffany went back home the next day to break things off with Randy and found that things had somehow only gotten messier after she left. He and Dewey had gotten into a fistfight, and she was torn between being glad that she hadn’t witnessed it and sorry that she hadn’t been able to prevent it. Would her being there have helped, or made it worse? Randy had also told her some things that she wasn’t sure how to feel about, but after everything, she just wanted to talk to Dewey. She spent that night alone, letting herself feel the end of her relationship with Randy separately before calling and inviting Dewey over the next day, waiting anxiously until he was at the door.

[ccndlehced]

“Shh, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about.” Candice reassured her best friend, merely squeezing Tiffany’s hand in comfort as the pair waited for their ride to arrive. Tiffany should know by now that she would drop everything in a pinch if it means being there for her. That includes suddenly leaving a possible once in a lifetime event like this Halloween Ball, regardless if it seemed like the night wasn’t anywhere over— if her best friend wanted to leave, than the two of them will leave. Their Lift arrived soon after that, Candice not once looking back at the hotel and all the fun festivities going on around them. Instead, her focus was on Tiffany and Tiffany alone, still concerned over everything that had conspired but also hoping that now with the two of them heading back to her home, she would be able to cheer her best friend up. As her friend rested her head against her shoulder, the ravenette reaffirmed that thought— she will cheer her up.

The car ride had been quiet, but Candice didn’t mind it as much as she was content with having her best friend so close until they finally arrived to her home. There, she made sure they wash up—the latter taking the time to whip away her besties makeup so she could look fresh and beautiful like Tiffany always is— and put on the more comfiest pajamas she owned. And once they had all their comfort snacks set and ready, Candice pulled her best friend into her bed with her, wrapping her sheets around the other as she patiently waited for whenever the girl was ready to speak up. And once Tiffany did speak, the first words that came out of her mouth was how she and Randy were breaking up. Her eyes blinked with momentary shock, yet after recalling the way Randy had stomped off, the news didn’t sound as surprising. Candice didn’t say anything, keeping quiet as her best friend continued on, explaining the reason behind their fight and how Randy was caught flirting with someone else (not unusual, she thought) before he turned the tables back on Tiffany. The name ‘Dewey’ once again had her a bit confused, but then she remembered that must have been the guy who ran after her friend. It was not until Tiff mentioned her kissing Dewey was when Candice finally spoke. “You kissed him?” She repeated, shocked yet awe. “Wait— you’ve been hanging out with him? So that’s why I haven’t been seeing you as much lately.” Candice pouted, yet she didn’t look offended. “I thought you and Randy were going on so many dates but guess I was totally wrong….” 

[taffytm]

Tiffany couldn’t have gotten more lucky in the best friend department than having Candice by her side, so naturally sweet and gentle that she could impose on her night like this and not receive even the smallest complaint or impatient eye roll in return. Tiff didn’t think she would even be so kind if she had to take care of a sad mess like herself, but here she was wrapped up in Candice’s bed and given the chance to vent her woes and drama. She felt guilty, now, that she hadn’t told her best friend about Dewey sooner. Maybe if she’d let herself talk to someone about all of it sooner—her slowly suffocating relationship with Randy, the life that Dewey breathed back into her—things wouldn’t have gotten to this point. Maybe she could have broken up with Randy before Halloween and avoided this shit show. She was still more relieved than guilty, even after kissing Dewey, but her lower lip wobbled as she held back from bursting into tears again just from the overwhelming emotion of finally speaking about everything.

“Randy and I haven’t gone on a date since, like…” That day with the beach picnic. He woke up and decided to be sweet and spontaneous, surprising her by coming up with a new idea. They had spent time together since then, of course, but nothing she would consider a date. Dates required effort and intention, and that seemed like something Randy was generally allergic to except on the rare occasions he decided he cared enough to try. Whatever; it didn’t matter now. Tiffany had to explain to Candice how Dewey had managed to step in and be a better boyfriend to her than her actual one had been lately. “Okay, let me start at the beginning,” she sighed. “Randy and I took a break a few years ago, because we weren’t sure if we wanted to stay together. We just needed…some time to think. That’s when I met Dewey. But Ran and I got back together, so I stopped talking to him after a couple weeks. But he texted me again last April, and we’ve been hanging out and—” She took a deep breath. “I just didn’t wanna tell anybody, because nobody knew Randy and I had ever taken a break, like, how would I explain that?”

[fluggedup]

Randy mentally braced himself — though he knew deep down where this conversation was headed, he still needed to prepare, especially with the hangover and pain he was experiencing. He couldn't let her end things between them without stating his case, or rather laying out exactly what he knew about Dewey Duck. Did Tiffany even really know this dude at all? 

Silence lingered between them, Randy’s mind racing with things he needed to bring up: the sneaking around, the day he’d swapped bodies with Dewey, finding her bracelet in his room, Dewey kicking his ass the previous night... There was much to discuss, but Tiffany seemingly wanted to make this quick and easy. Randy scoffed in disbelief. “What kind of generic breakup shit is that?” Maybe he should’ve expected it after he acted last night, but he continued to be stubborn because, in his eyes, he wasn’t completely in the wrong. “You're serious? That's your version of talking? ... How about we talk about him getting between us?"

[taffytm]

It was impossible not to match Randy’s scoff with one of her own after his less-than-understanding response. She couldn’t have expected this to be easy, but this was a lack of self-awareness on another level. After everything, he still couldn’t take accountability for his role in the deterioration of their relationship, needing to find somebody else to shift the fault onto. And she understood even better than he did how Dewey was easy to blame—Tiffany couldn’t deny that without him around to make her realize she deserved better, it would have taken her a lot longer to leave. But in the end, wasn’t it inevitable? She and Randy weren’t making each other happy. Of course they had their good days, but those didn’t outweigh the bad, the days that grew the distrust and divide between them exponentially.

“I’m trying to make this as simple as possible,” she told him, her frustration and exhaustion evident. At least his attitude made her feel less like crying at the present moment. “Talking isn’t gonna fix this, because you still don’t get—he didn’t get between us. We have fucking problems, like…when has talking about it ever fixed anything for us? It never changes. And I’m sick of it. I’m done. This shit is toxic, Randy, and you know it too. Why are you even trying to fight me on it?”

[jubilccna]

Wow. Like Wow. In all the years Jackie has known both Tiffany and Randy, one thing has always been clear— those two were stuck together. They’ve been dating for as long as she can remember, not being able to recall a time where the couple had broken up even after any of their misunderstandings. Even with Randy being a known flirt and is seen flirting with many random girls and guys alike, Tiffany was still dating him. Perhaps it was because of the unspoken knowledge that even if anyone tried to get between the power couple, that person would only come out falling short because at the end of the day, Randy would pick Tiffany and Tiffany would pick Randy. Or so Jackie thought. The brunette’s brows were raised high, taking note at the weird look the the other girl was giving her after correcting the name of that Phooey—sorry, Dewey— guy. Damn, Dewey must have made a hell of an impression on Tiffany for her to get defensive over him. Then again, he clearly made a great impression if all it took was meeting him for her friend to finally break things off with Randy. Must have better dick game, she wondered refraining from rolling her eyes, despite her friend not mentioning any relations she’s had with Dewey. Or maybe she got tired trying to keep up with Randy's.

“Sorry, but loved?” Jackie repeated, now looking more surprised by all of this. So wait, she was serious about breaking up with Randy? Like yeah, Tiffany was saying that she was planning on doing so but despite mentioning this Dewey guy, a small part of her mind didn’t believe that was happening. Tiffany and Randy had gone through so much throughout their years of dating, it was becoming a point where she and the rest of the racers were waiting for when their wedding was announced. The two shared a home and a pet for fucks sake! “Wow, you’re totally serious about breaking up with him then. But Tiff— you and Randy live together.” The brunette rebuttal, acting as if she didn’t already know how either of the two hasn’t been around their shared place in a while. It had been back at Randy’s parents home was when she had came to visit him and since then he’s been living there. But Jackie assumed over time once the two had cooled down, they’ll talk and patch things up or whatever. “If you two break up then are you planning on kicking Randy out and living there all by yourself? Move Dewey in instead?” Now that she thought about it, how long has Tiffany knew this Dewey guy anyways? “Wait, back it up for one minute— How long have you known this Dewey guy? If he’s so right for you, why haven’t you ever mentioned him before?”

[taffytm]

The questioning of her correction to the past tense made Tiffany sigh. How could she even begin to explain to Jackie, who’d never had the same kind of relationship breakup Tiff was currently going through, what it felt like? What she needed to do to mentally separate herself from the heartbreak? “Obviously, I still love him. He’s…” Her voice softened and broke. They had been friends as long as she could remember, before they had ever started dating. But they’d been dating since they were teenagers—each other’s first love and first everything. She didn’t have many memories without Randy in them, their lives were so intertwined for so long. “I’ll probably always love him, but it’s not the same anymore. It just can’t be. So I can’t say that.” She needed to move on, and it was easier to do that if she put Randy in the past tense. Loved was neat, clean, easy to digest. They had loved each other, but now things were different. If Jackie didn’t get that, Tiffany didn’t know how to explain—it was already hard enough feeling all the things she was feeling after ending a relationship that had meant so much and hurt so bad at the same time. Relief mixed with grief was a hell of an emotional cocktail.

The following barrage of questions also didn’t help. Jackie was questioning everything, from Tiff’s plans for the future to her relationship with Dewey, and it was a lot all at once. “Look, I don’t have everything figured out,” she started, shoulders rising towards her ears in a defensive shrug. “This literally just happened, like, the other day.” Trying to go through all the questions as quickly as they had been posed, she counted them off on her fingers while she answered, “I’m not kicking him out—but I think he’s gonna leave on his own. He already went to stay with his parents…I’m not even dating Dewey yet, so no, I’m not moving him in? We met like, three years ago when Randy and I were on a break. But it was only for a couple weeks.” None of their friends knew that she and Randy had ever taken a break; it was something they’d kept private, not wanting any unwanted speculation into the flaws of their relationship. Well, the cat was out of the bag now. “We started talking again in March or April.”

As for why she hadn’t talked about him to her friends, there wasn’t just one clear answer. So much went into that, it was too complex to spell out in detail. A simplistic answer would be, ‘Why would I talk about the guy I hooked up with when my boyfriend and I were on a break that none of our friends even knew happened? You would all just jump to conclusions. And maybe those conclusions would have been correct, because look where we are now.’ But that didn’t feel good to think, so she wasn’t going to say it.

[deweydewdrop]

Dewey grinned as Tiffany agreed, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer to him on the couch. With Randy no longer living at Tiffany's and Dewey still crashing at Morty and Ferdie's, the couple could at least enjoy some time together at her place quite a bit. Still, Dewey was excited to show Tiffany off to the world, on social media and in real life. He had hoped that things between his family would be less tense by this point, wanting his family to properly meet his new girlfriend and be able to spend time with everyone together, but all he could do was hope that things would get better with more time. For now, he'd just enjoy finally being Tiffany's boyfriend.

"I dew too. And people totally will be," Dewey agreed confidently, kissing Tiffany on the cheek afterward. It was so easy to be affectionate with her — like he needed to make up for all that lost time when they weren't together. Randy didn't treat Tiffany right while she was still with him, so Dewey's job now as her new boyfriend was to ensure she did get treated right moving forward. He planned to do that for her and more. "We'll be the hottest new couple on the isle."

[taffytm]

“Oh, no contest,” Tiffany replied with a proud smile. In every aspect of her life, she was a winner. This new relationship was only further proof of that fact, because she had definitely won by getting together with Dewey. Maybe they boosted each other’s egos a little too much, always hyping one another up, but she really felt like they were the hottest couple—there was nothing wrong with admitting to that in the privacy of her own home…Still, she wished they could shout it to the world.

They only had to hide their relationship for a little longer, she thought. Nuzzling into Dewey’s side as he held her close, she asked, “When should we announce it? It’ll look so trashy if it’s too soon, but like, I can’t wait.” And how should they announce it? A video, an Instagram post, both? Should they soft launch first to prepare the fans and hype up an eventual reveal, or just do a dramatic surprise? There were so many options, it was exciting to at least think of them all, if they couldn’t actually carry them out yet.

[fluggedup]

Randy noticed Tiffany's red and puffy eyes, evidence that she also had a rough night. He was obviously the worse off between the two physically, but that didn't stop guilt from forming in the pit of his stomach. Now that he was seeing her face-to-face and sober, he was feeling much worse. Everything about the situation was fucked up, Randy's head spinning from it all — he recognized that he fucked up, that he was fucked up, but he also didn't think that Dewey was innocent, either.

"Yeah, what the fuck," Randy repeated with a heavy sigh. He shook his head slowly at her next question, watching the shift in Tiffany's demeanor as it clicked what must have happened. Her momentary concern for Randy visibly disappeared, which confirmed to him where this conversation was about to be headed. Randy removed the ice from his face and motioned for Tiffany to sit across from him. "I know.. so let's talk."

[taffytm]

It was hard to know whether Randy’s apparent willingness to talk meant that he was going to make this conversation easy on her, or if this was just the calm before yet another storm. They’d already weathered their worst fight yet last night; Tiffany didn’t think she had it in her to go through another. If Randy already knew what was coming, hopefully they could have a civil conversation here, but if he still wasn’t expecting to break up after yesterday, how would this go? Tiffany took her seat and stayed silent for a long moment. Despite knowing what she needed to do, and wanting to, that didn’t make this any easier. Randy was her first love. From that perspective, he had once been her best friend, too—and she wasn’t sure they could ever get that back after breaking each other’s hearts.

“This isn’t working,” she finally said, ripping off the band-aid. “Our relationship. We can’t live like this.” She could only manage to speak in short, clipped sentences, trying to keep her composure and not burst into tears from the emotional gravity of the conversation. Getting the most important part out was already a weight off her chest, but it wasn’t over yet.

[deweydewdrop]

Finally being able to kiss Tiffany after so much waiting was an incredible feeling — like coming up for fresh air after being stuck underwater. He'd been drowning all this time, between the bombing and the heartache and the loneliness, and Tiffany was here to save him, finally. In a sense, they were saving each other, and maybe that was what made them so special. Even if they had technically kissed when he was in Randy's body, even if they'd kissed before when they had hooked up in the past, this was more special than any of those moments. It was the rainbow after the storm, at least he hoped so for Tiffany's sake; she didn't deserve to be hurt anymore.

Dewey wished he never had to pull away from the kiss, but there was an unspoken feeling that there would be plenty more in store in the future. Instead, he squeezed her hand too, with a small smile to remind her that it would be okay. I'm gonna break up with him would normally be a sad statement, but Dewey's heart was doing backflips in his chest at the news. He nodded his head in understanding, wanting to celebrate at the thought of them finally being together soon, but struggling to do so with seeing how hurt she still was. As her fingers pressed into her temples, Dewey brought his other arm up to rub her back soothingly. "Take all the time you need, I'm not going anywhere," he promised. With the hand that was holding hers, he brought their hands up so he could kiss hers softly. "Are you gonna be okay?"

[taffytm]

She knew it was going to be hard. It was going to be rough as hell breaking up with Randy after so many years together, after a lifelong friendship that ran underneath their relationship and a life where they were so intertwined from their shared home to their career to their entire friend group. Tiffany didn’t feel ready right now to do it, but she knew that once she steeled herself, she would be. And she knew that by the end she was going to be okay, even if she wasn’t right now. She told Dewey as much with a nod as he asked her, answering with a hint of irony in her voice, “Yeah. I’m a tough bitch.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Tiff knew it was time to get up and get out of here. The longer she was here with Dewey, rubbing her back and kissing her hand, the less she wanted to leave, and that was dangerous where Randy could still come out of the ballroom and find them any time. She didn’t want anything to happen between the two men, which seemed inevitable if her almost-ex-boyfriend found them like this. “I think I’m gonna go find Candice and stay with her tonight. Thanks for being here for me.”

[taffytm]

@deweydewdrop said: “I can’t wait to show you off”

“Ugh, same.” Tiffany felt freer than she’d been in a long time now that her love life—and therefore the rest of her life—had been overhauled. There were still parts that hurt, things about her relationship with Randy that she didn’t feel had gotten proper closure when they broke up and he moved out, but her feelings about him had been complicated even when they were still together; so now they were complicated but her daily life wasn’t a constant struggle and headache. It was still a total upgrade. She felt so emotionally secure with Dewey, and they’d been able to spend so much uninterrupted, guilt-free time together lately, it was a dream.

The only problem was that their newfound relationship was only semi-public. Their friends and families knew, but it was hush-hush on social media until a respectable amount of time passed since the news of her and Randy’s breakup. Tiff and Dewey could still go out together like they always had as friends, but nothing overtly coupley. For two people very used to putting themselves out there online, it was so hard to resist showing off how obsessed with each other they were. “Is it insane that I want everyone to be jealous of us?”

[jubilccna]

"They say that if it's right, you know." -Tiffany ( @taffytm )

As she refrained herself from rolling her eyes, there was instead, a small yet understanding like smile on her face. When both Tiffany and Candice had shot her a text earlier within their group chat of just them three about coming over to Candice’s place, Jackie had the suspicion on what the reason might be. Granted, she shouldn’t be making assumptions when the three of them had spend plenty of time together— exclusive girl time for that matter, however, it wasn’t lost among herself and the other racers of how there was a sudden shift among the group. Ergo, the lack of presences to be exact. And more importantly— the lack of a so-called-power couple’s presences together. But unlike the rest of the racers, she knew the exact reason of why was that. As the image of Randy’s bruised face flashed within her mind and his drunken confession of what Tiff had done, it had not be a shock nor a surprise to Jackie when her friend told her how she and Randy were broken up— “For good”. Oh, and to put that little cherry straight on the top, Tiff ended her explanation about how she met with some guy—Phooey or whatever—which then lead to the other girl in making such a statement. 

“Wow, so meeting this, um, Phooey? Guy, is all that it took for you to realize that what you had with Randy never felt right?” Jackie suddenly questioned, now with a curious look on her face. “So all these years of dating Randy was all for nothing then?" 

[taffytm]

“Dewey,” Tiffany corrected, shooting Jackie a weird look, but not otherwise commenting on her misunderstanding of his name despite Tiff’s having just used it in her brief recounting of events. Jackie was being a supportive enough friend listening to her dating woes—she could be afforded a little grace for not paying full attention to the details…even if Candice had been more than attentive and easily followed every part of the story when she was told everything on the night of the Halloween ball. Maybe that was the issue: Jackie still didn’t understand the full context of everything that had happened, only the surface level explanation Tiff had provided. She hadn’t exactly wanted to get into all the gory details and have all that shit spread throughout the wider friend group, but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to answer her questions so Jackie at least knew the whole truth before trickling the most important information down.

“Honestly…thinking like that? That it would all be for nothing if we ever broke up…That just would just keep us in a bad relationship for the rest of our lives. Like, there has to be a point when you can’t just stay around for what used to be there.” It seemed so obvious in retrospect, but the truth was that this fallacy had kept Tiffany and Randy together for years despite all the reasons they should have called it quits sooner. The jealousy, arguments and pettiness—their emotional incompatibility stapled together with attraction, convenience, and a lifelong friendship that would be inevitably tainted when they broke up. “So, like, no. Dewey didn’t make me realize that it was wrong with Randy. He just made me realize that it was worth letting him go, because there’s better waiting for me.” She paused, feeling like she still wasn’t getting her meaning through entirely. “I mean, like, I would have just accepted the bare minimum from Randy because I love him—I loved him—but being around Dewey, he gives me so much more than that.” If she could have love and effort, the answer was obvious.

[fluggedup]

@taffytm

There was an eerie feeling as Randy got home before Tiffany, even if he had already expected her absence. He checked on Peanut, attempted to clean himself up (but was unable to wash away all of the aftermath of the fight, of course), and he thought about Halloween and what the hell had happened the previous night — now that he was sobered up, he was feeling like a dumbass. His anger had somewhat subsided, reality was beginning to settle in and .. well, he was more than feeling the consequences. Unsure of when Tiffany would be home, he sat in the kitchen and iced his face again in the meantime, dreading the conversation to come. He wasn’t sure how Tiffany was going to react to his bruises, or if she already knew to expect it (it wouldn’t surprise him if she was with Dewey right now, while he played the victim), but he wasn’t looking forward to the aftermath regardless… He had a feeling that just blaming the liquor and simply saying he wasn’t himself last night wouldn't make up for how he treated her, and the fight would likely only piss her off more. Unknowing that there was more than just liquor spiked in the punch, a magical interference that brought out the worst in him, Randy had nothing else he could point the blame to but himself. He likely looked like a dog with its tail tucked between his legs as Tiffany finally did get home, unable to even attempt to force a smile as she came into view in the kitchen. “Hey…”

[taffytm]

It had been a long night, from the events of the Halloween party to the debrief at her best friend’s house afterwards. Even after Candice eventually fell asleep, Tiffany couldn’t get any rest knowing that she was going to have to go home the next day and officially end her long-term relationship. Even knowing it was the right choice, it still hurt—like cutting off a poisoned limb. Knowing she probably looked like shit due to her night of crying and lack of beauty sleep, she was surprised to see how much worse Randy looked when she finally went home and saw him icing a bruised face.

“What the fuck, Randy,” she breathed, softening for the slightest moment. Despite her resolve to end things with him, she never wanted to see him actually hurt like this. But she couldn’t help imagining he brought it upon himself, instigating whatever altercation led him to look like this while he was angry last night. “Did you get into a bar fight or—?” From the look on his face, she could tell that wasn’t it, and her fingers itched for her car keys, to head right back out and find Dewey, who she was suddenly sure had been on the other side of the brawl. But she could meet him later, once she and Randy were finished. Her expression hardened. Whatever had happened to leave him in this state, it didn’t affect the choice Tiffany had already made during their own fight the previous night. They were breaking up, now; this development wasn’t going to make her lose her resolve. “We need to talk."

[ccndlehced]

While she was extremely confused by this entire situation and has no idea what was happening between two of her closes friends or what this current fight between them means, one thing Candice knew for sure was that Tiffany needed her right now. It didn’t matter if she had very little context of everything, all it took was for her to take one look at her best friends face and noticing how upset she was—to the point where mascara had been running down Tiff’s cheeks—for Candice to know that this was going to be a long night for them. One in which will be filled with a lot more tears, hopefully some explanations so she could comfort her bestie even better, at least two batches of cookies they’ll both no doubt will be baking, and the largest tub of strawberry ice cream they can find and stuff their faces with. Yeah, it was going to be a sleepover exclusively just for the two of them, and Tiff wouldn’t have to leave on the following day if she didn’t want to either.

“Life would be a lot less brighter if I didn’t have you around, I can tell you that.” Candice commented, rubbing her thumbs against her best friends cheeks so she could rub some of the mascara away. If it weren’t for how dramatic the moment currently was, she nearly would’ve laughed at how Tiffany looked, always looking a little wild whenever she had mascara running and yet still looking as gorgeous as she always does. “Let’s get out of here.” She added, whipping away a few extra tears before dropping one of her hands down and grasping onto Tiffiany’s. Was it a little sad that she was leaving the ball sooner than she wanted to? A little, yeah, but Candice would drop anything when it came to her best friend, including leaving a ball she had been enjoying with a guy whom she wanted to get to know even more. But her best friend always takes priority to her. Always. With that, the pair made their way out the ball, Candice calling texting for a Lift to pick them up with her free hand, and once one stopped in front of the hotel, she waited for her friend to get inside first before informing the driver where to go. And just like that, they were heading to Candice's home.

[taffytm]

The fact that Candice was wiping away her tears was further proof to Tiffany just how little Randy actually cared. Both Dewey and Candice were sympathetic, concerned with her feelings, wanting to stop her crying with the gentlest touches because they didn’t like to see her upset; meanwhile, Randy had accused her of faking and told her to stop causing a scene in public. From a romantic or platonic perspective, someone who genuinely loved her would treat her better than that. It only made another wave of tears roll down her cheeks, which Candice took care of before grabbing her hand to take her home. “Sorry for making you leave early,” she mumbled as they waited for a ride outside the hotel. This was a rare event to miss, Halloween only coming once a year, so it was further testament to how good a friend Candice was to leave with her without even a second of hesitation.

The car ride was quiet, Tiff resting her head on her best friend’s shoulder and slowly stemming the flow of tears, but once they were finally at Candice’s house, washed up from the ball and pajama'd with comfort snacks in hand, she was ready to start explaining herself. “Randy and I had a major fight. We’re gonna break up. Don’t tell anyone yet—we might need some time before everyone knows.” She took a deep breath, the first huge piece of news to unpack out in the open now, but there were still so many details left to share to paint the full picture, and she didn’t imagine it would get easier from there. “So, like, he was flirting with this random woman, and I confronted him, but he turned it around on me ‘cause I’ve been hanging out with Dewey, and he wouldn’t believe that I’m not cheating. When he was the one I just fucking caught flirting with a stranger? But then I…I did. I went and kissed Dewey.” Saying it aloud made her feel suddenly ten times lighter. It was strangely freeing to admit. “And I don’t care! I’m breaking up with him anyway! I’m so done with him. It feels so good to say that.”

[deweydewdrop]

Dewey grinned, genuinely wishing that they could be like this together as himself. It wasn't fair that Randy would end up with the glory at the end of the day, especially for right now. She genuinely thought this was her boyfriend being so cute and sweet, when in reality it was Dewey's charm, and genuine feelings toward her, that was making her smile this morning.

Even if she still had to stream later, that still gave them plenty of time together. Besides, he wasn't sure how long this would last, so he had to think quick on what they should do together. "How about .. picnic on the beach?" He suggested, quirking up an eyebrow. It was different, romantic, gave them some alone time.. he already knew Tiffany liked the beach from the times they'd walked it together playing Pokemon Go .. he felt pretty confident with the on-the-fly thinking, a confident smile present. "I won't keep you all day, I'll make sure we have time to stream later," he promised, with the assumption that this was only temporary and unsure for how long. "You in?"

[taffytm]

She didn’t need long to think about it—the offer of a picnic on the beach was more enticing than any date they’d had in a long time. Always going to the same old places because they were tried and true favorites was fine, but it was kind of like…playing the same levels over and over again. Unlocking a new map was exciting. The beach had actually been somewhere she’d visited with Dewey lately, though never for a romantic picnic date. Why was she thinking of him right now? Randy was being sweet and even considerate of her streaming schedule; they were going to have a good time and she wasn’t going to think about anything or anyone else.

“I’m in.” She grinned. “Now let me get ready.” She gave him a quick kiss and rolled out of bed, heading towards the bathroom, but pausing again in the doorway. She wanted to ask him to start packing their picnic to save them time, but with him already taking the initiative himself today, Tiff doubted whether it would be necessary to tell him. If she nagged, it would ruin the whole mood they’d set so far. “Love you!” she said simply before turning back to start her morning routine.

[fluggedup]

As Tiffany took another sip from his glass, Randy kept his eyes on Louie and Davis, as if he were trying to decipher what the hell these two could be talking about. Well, he knew damn well that the triplet had a long history of disliking the guy — did Doofus just never get the hint and continue to bother Louie, anyway? Most likely. If the couple were to actually intervene to rescue their friend, it would only result in them getting dragged into the drama along with him. It was better to avoid the Doofus danger zone. Nodding in agreement, he turned his attention back to his girlfriend and shot her a smile. “Depends how early we dip,” he teased with a chuckle. “We could game if we’re not too tired.” Though his arm was still comfortably around her waist, his hand did linger down for a split second to give her ass a playful squeeze. “Or Netflix and chill?”

[taffytm]

“That’s—ooh!” Tiffany squeaked as Randy gave her a surprise ass-grab, flushing in embarrassment and hoping nobody’s eyes were drawn their way because of it. She loved attention, sure, but only the right kind. Halfheartedly slapping his chest in reprimand, because she wasn’t really mad but bad behavior had to be discouraged (dogs were so much easier to train than boyfriends), she leaned in even closer and spoke under her breath. “Let’s just leave after dinner; we have dessert at home.” Unless they were sitting with someone heinous, in which case there was an emergency and they had to leave immediately. That much went unspoken.

[deweydewdrop]

Not only did Dewey feel bad for Tiffany, but he also felt angry toward Randy. Despite that now the triplet could finally get a chance with his crush, it didn't mean he was happy with how this was playing out. Randy had ruined Tiffany's night, her makeup ... and Dewey had contributed to that. This was only one of his many fuck ups recently, the list only growing longer and longer. He was angry at himself just as much as he was angry toward Randy.

A light chuckle escaped his lips, shaking his head. "Everything. Anything I touch lately, I destroy," he confessed. He was noticing the pattern more and more now. It was an apology that went far beyond this mess between Tiffany and Randy, but in this moment it was really just for her. He didn't regret his feelings for Tiffany of course, or that she finally had an out in her shitty relationship, but he did wish that she didn't have to hurt in the process. He'd already hurt his own brother, the rest of his family along with him, and now this? Despite his fault in all of this though, despite admitting that he ruined everything he touched recently, Tiffany leaned in and kissed him. The familiar touch of her lips against his caught him by surprise, only pausing for a moment before kissing her back. His hand didn't leave from hers, and as they kissed, it was truly the first moment since before the hotel bombing that Dewey felt that things might be okay.

[taffytm]

Tiffany couldn’t bear to hear Dewey say that he destroyed everything he touched without proving him wrong, because he was touching her, and for at least a moment everything that made her feel unlovable disappeared and it was just them in the world and he needed to be kissed. For a few seconds, everything was perfect. Reality settled back in slowly as they pulled apart, the truth that Tiff was still in a relationship as of right now; even if she knew in her own heart that it was over, she had to make sure Randy knew it too before she continued moving forward with Dewey. Squeezing Dewey’s hand, she spoke softly but decisively, “I’m gonna break up with him.” He hadn’t asked her to, but she didn’t need him to. She didn’t need him to ask her out either—not yet. There was an unspoken understanding between them of what was happening here. They didn’t need to discuss it right now to know what the endgame of all this was going to be.

“I think I just need a night…I don’t even want to go home right now.” Tiff sighed, slowly detaching her hand from Dewey’s to press her fingers into her temples. The stress and crying was starting to get to her head. She offered a small, slightly strained smile and asked, “Can we talk in a couple days?”

[fluggedup]

"What? Like you don't know?" Randy was ready to expose everything he knew right there — the bracelet she left at Dewey's, the obvious flirting between them, the way he experienced the norm between them firsthand when Dewey switched bodies with him, from their fro-yo date to even the flirty emojis next to her name in his phone — but he stopped himself. They were still in public, even if Tiff had dragged him away, and she had no idea about the magical interference that helped Randy realize what she'd been hiding. And if she were really mad about that, she could thank Dewey the next time she saw him.

"While I'd love to unpack all the bullshit you've been pulling behind my back right now, we should wait until we're alone," he finally answered, frustrated that he even had to lay out the obvious to her. She was clearly avoiding showing any guilt, despite what he already knew. He almost hoped they'd leave it there for now — wait until they got home to continue this fight and unpack everything — but Tiffany wasn't ready to back down.

As she began to point out what Randy had said about her in the past — her controlling attitude, her clinginess, the way he felt suffocated by her — he couldn't understand how she was missing the obvious. If Randy had really been so sick of Tiffany, he would've broken up with her (and not come back) years ago, and the same could be said for her. Even if he complained about her and they fought, the distance and the fights always reminded him why he loved her and to not give up on each other. However, things changed. Now that her attention had been taken by Dewey and her feelings were so obviously shifting, exactly what Randy had been afraid of was happening. The spark between them was long gone, and he was part of the problem. By giving them space and escaping in an attempt to not drive each other insane, he pushed her too far away. Were either of them willing or able to pull the other back in and not lose what little love was left? Even with that thought in the back of his mind, that he could very well lose Tiffany from this, his frustration and intoxication overpowered the logic. Instead, he kept digging deeper.

"Nothing I do is enough for you, you know that? I escape from you and flirt with other girls because it's so obvious that nothing I do will make you happy." Their relationship may as well have been a game, both of them fighting to keep each other interested but both were losing; the hot and cold game was fun at first, but it got old. Maybe it was a sign that they were growing up, growing out of each other in the process. "You can blame it on all the shitty things I've done, but I know that even on my good days, you've still gone to him." It wasn't exactly fair when Randy wasn't the one who'd given her the good day he was specifically referring to, where Dewey gave Tiffany a romantic date in his body, but he was sure it applied to other instances; they had good times together too, like Sharpay's party. Were Tiffany and Dewey talking back then, too? Did she still think of him when they were supposedly happy and having a good night together? "Even on our worst days, it's always been you Tiff. I know I'm not perfect, but I'm not fucking hiding it. You still keep pretending, and for what? Who the fuck are you fooling?"

The punch and the anger were mixing within him and making Randy feel warm, noticing now that Tiffany's eyes were starting to well with tears. He didn't think it was worse. Wasn't romantic feelings more of a heavy blow than a few flirty exchanges? Where was the loyalty? "No, not when it's all an act. The only thing you care about is how your fans perceive you, and it is bullshit!" He'd never been this harsh with Tiffany before, but he was still aware of their surroundings. "Do you really care so much about what everyone's gonna think? Then stop crying in public and causing a scene."

[taffytm]

Even on my good days, you’ve still gone to him. That was a punch in the fucking gut. She still didn’t know how Randy even knew about any of the times she’d hung out with Dewey, but one particular day came to mind: that morning Randy had woken up and showered her with affection despite having a hangover, taking her to the beach for a romantic picnic and making her believe things were looking up between them. She had gone out for frozen yogurt with Dewey later that day and told him how sweet and romantic her boyfriend was, and how well their relationship was doing. She had decided then that it was about time to be clear with the boundaries of their friendship, ensuring that they were strictly platonic, because she was so sure about Randy. It only took a few weeks after that random burst of honeymoon happiness for them to fall right back into old patterns. Randy’s drinking, Tiffany’s nagging, the minor annoyances always building into arguments instead of rolling off their shoulders, because they were both too stubborn to let anything go, and because at some point they had stopped being able to understand each other (if they ever had.)

It was a continuous cycle that she had never fully realized was such a problem until now. It wasn’t until trying to give up on those secret budding feelings she had felt growing for Dewey Duck over the past months they’d been spending time together, that she could see clearly…The old life she had once imagined lasting forever, her and Randy, wasn’t sustainable. It wasn’t fulfilling. And she didn’t want to give up on the person who was actually capable of consistently making her happy—not just trying once in a blue moon and then giving up and blaming her for his lack of desire to make a continuous effort. Was nothing he did enough to make her happy, or was he just tired of being forced to give as much as fifty-fifty in their relationship, and using that as an excuse so he didn’t have to bother anymore? So he could justify flirting with other women, as if his apparent failure to make her happy meant he had free reign to do whatever he wanted, especially things that would make her even unhappier. That was so vindictive, it took her breath away. If he was so convinced that he couldn’t make her happy that he would rather pursue other girls, why hadn’t they just broken up? If infidelity was all fair to him, why was he so mad about her and Dewey? (Whatever he thought was going on between them that he wouldn’t say here.) Tiffany was so tired of fighting this fight when it was obvious all paths were leading to the same destination. Did Randy see the map of where they were heading, too? Did he understand that there was only one ending to this story now? She was already grieving by the time he made the final blow.

Even on their worst days…This was their worst day. Of all their years together, this was it, and he wasn’t concerned with her feelings at all, only with throwing her words back in her face—because pointing out how bad it looked for him to flirt with others in public meant the only thing she cared about was how people perceived her. Right now, all she wished was that her boyfriend perceived her accurately. How could she communicate with someone so determined to misunderstand her? Above anyone else, he was supposed to be the one who saw her at her most vulnerable and recognized what motivated her, what inspired her, what made her happy or not, what she was afraid to lose. Yes, she cared about her reputation, because her reputation was her career. She cared about her career, because it was her passion. She cared about him, but he refused to see that. Her concern for his drinking habit was taken as her being controlling, her desire for him to spend more time at home with her than out partying taken as overbearing. If she pushed out of a desire to see him grow and thrive and be more than unmotivated in life, she reminded him of his parents. It was like Randy had made up this idea of her in his mind a long time ago and twisted anything she said or did to fit the narrative. He couldn’t even see her for who she was, he was so busy convincing himself that he already knew, and that everything she did was for some selfish goal or the facade of perfection rather than out of love.

Even as she stood here crying and practically begging him to see her, to meet her in the middle, he dismissed her feelings as an act and insisted she stop making a scene. Funnily enough, being told to stop crying only made the problem worse. Tiffany blinked at the ceiling, but it was too late to stop the flow of tears. “Believe me, I would if I could,” she replied, a sarcastic smile gracing her lips for a second. She was so angry, so disappointed, and so, so tired of this. “You know what, Randy? You’re right. You’re not perfect, and you’re not trying to hide it. And you’re not trying to change it, either. Don’t say nothing you do will make me happy when you mean you just don’t want to do any of the things that would. You know what would make me happy? Try.” She took in a shaking breath, still trying to get her physical reaction to her emotional state under control, but it was impossible with the weight of what was happening on her chest. This was no longer a fight to be won, so she had to stop fighting it. Waving him off with one hand while the other wiped her cheeks, Tiff began backing away. “Never mind. We’re not doing this right now.” She turned on her heel, hoping he knew better than to follow her.