we drew a map to a better place

So I wonder where were y o u ? When all the roads you took came back to m e. So I’m following the m a p that leads to you.

[thedarlingclementine]

text 🎶💌👭 songtine

Song: I mean... I don't know if I'd ever feel as safe out in the real world as I feel here in Walt, so that counts for something, though! But we'll see. It's crazy hard to get in! It might not even be an issue.

Song: So you think fighting with one person means suddenly she's going to be fighting with everyone she knows? You're very smart, too! It's okay to be hopeful, I just tend to not want things I don't think I'm going to realistically get, I guess. It would be very cool if a miracle happened! But I don't have much reason to believe in miracle. I don't think I'm cute and likeable and fun! Trixie Dee said I was pitiful and that I'd be one of the cheapest auction dates that Mason could buy, there's always going to be people who don't think you're cool even when you are.

Clementine: It's crazy hard to get into but you're crazy smart! I don't like counting my chickens before they hatch but I believe in your chickens very much, dear; you're right, though, that there are lots of variables, and you have a bit of time left before having to decide. I know I almost chose to go to uni in England so I understand.

Clementine: I think fighting moods tend to snowball and that it's a possibility, but definitely not a certainty. I see. Well, I'm sure whatever opportunities you DO get, you will rock :) And Trixie Dee is a mean-spirited, cold-hearted snake of a liar woman so if she said mean things about you, it all but guarantees that they're 100% untrue :) And besides, you got bought by a very cute boy, so she can take her opinions and shove them up her butt, if you'll excuse my language. And thank you, dear, for the perspective

[thedarlingclementine]

text ✉ sagentine

Sage: I try to keep it like, super real! BTW, do you need like, friends when you get to college? I'm totes available, sea witch buddy!

Sage: Totally. You think I'm prettier than Tia and Izzie, right? If I just won the Sea Witch I'd still just be super glad that I won something at all? It's way more embarrassing to have like, no one know or care who you are. At least they were thinking about you! Isn't that radtastic?

Clementine: Are you serious? You'd be friends with me?! I thought you were only friends with shiny, beautiful people!

Clementine: I try not to compete women against women but I think objectively you are, yes. And that's a positive perspective on the whole thing. I could stand to have a more positive perspective. It just, idk, felt like they were making fun of me???

[thedarlingclementine]

lainelumos:

That’s the thing with multiples. Even if we’re not identical, people feel like if they know one of us, they know both of us. You don’t sound contrarian at all, that’s very true – but it’s no secret that I’m not exactly like all of my peers. So that’s why I assumed that others would know you better .But if you’re so convinced that you’re misunderstood, making more friends would fix that, I think! I love to hear what you have to say about your getting voted Most Naive, Clementine. Don’t censor yourself for me. .

It’s not because you’re triplets, if that’s what you’re thinking; Lyssa really does just talk about you a lot, it’s easy to feel more acquainted with you than I am and I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I never claimed to be misunderstood, I merely claimed that I’m not well known, but if a lot of people see something in me, chances are they aren’t seeing it for no reason. I was simply asking what it was that they saw but you just answered my question by clarifying that the award does mean Most Naive, so thank you. It’s good to know. I don’t exactly know what to do with that information but I appreciate it.

[thedarlingclementine]

linkmilne:

I don’t know if I could say it’s my favorite and feel honest about it, but I have more of an appreciation for it than most people would expect. I definitely wouldn’t tune you out just because you started listing historical romances. I can’t say I’ve read a lot about General Eisenhower, though; most historical fiction I read tends to go back a little bit farther on the timeline. And when I make exceptions, it’s usually not for American history, so I’ll have to check it out. What’s The Summer Wives about? And hey, don’t apologize for being excited about a book. You could stand here and tell me with a straight face that your favorite book was ‘If You Give A Mouse A Cookie’ and as long as I could tell you were actually really passionate about it and not just messing with me, I’d take you seriously. Favorite books are no joking matter.

What would you say is your favorite genre, then? Because I know other things; like, for example, if you’re more of a non-fiction reader, one of my all-time favorite books, Numismatic Forgery, is a real page-turner! It teaches you the way that forgers think and act to get away with their crimes and thus how to best identify a real coin from a fake and I realize now that sounds kind of dull if you don’t like coins, but I like to think of it as a thriller. American history is a great backdrop for books, I’ve found, although I feel as though I know most of it from books which probably doesn’t make my basis for it factual at all. The Summer Wives is about a woman named Miranda Schuyler who moves to an island off the New England coast and learns of the two classes there, the summer families with their steadfast ways and quiet obsessions, and the working class of Portuguese fishermen and domestic workers who earn their living on the water and in the laundries of the summer houses. The novel is really about her interactions with both classes and finding where she belongs, and oh, it’s a love story! I don’t know if I mentioned that. I’m not the greatest at giving summaries but a website I trust and love called it “an electrifying postwar fable of love, class, power, and redemption.” Oh! Well, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a fascinating tale on the power of escalation and knowing when to escape a situation before it snowballs out of your control, but truth be told, it wasn’t even my favorite when I was young. I was a Charlotte’s Web girl all the way.

[linkmilne]

Everyone said this was supposed to be a great summer for new reads, but so far, all I’ve managed to find is a book about a Subway beauty pageant, and a really predictable thriller about a little boy who’s gone missing. Does anyone have any recommendations for something that’s actually going to suck me in this summer? At this point, it doesn’t even have to be new, if you can find an old book I haven’t read before, I’m all ears for that, too. 

[thedarlingclementine]

Oh, I’m so sorry your summer reading hunt has been disappointing! I’ve been spending more time indoors than usual so I did a lot of digging, but I’m not too sure if you’re a fan of the historical romance genre? That’s my favorite. Some of the newer ones that came out in the last couple of months are: Ike and Kay by James MacManus which is based on the scandalous true story of General Eisenhower’s secret World War II love affair; Bound for Gold by William Martin which is kind of a continuation of a series about this love story between rare-book dealer Peter Fallon and his girlfriend, Evangeline Carrington, on their search for journals detailing the gold rush; and The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams which just came out and which I’ve been looking forward to for a while. But, um, as stated, most of those are historical romance and if that’s not interesting, I can come up with more suggestions! That’s just my go-to. 

[thedarlingclementine]

text 🗒clyssa

Lyssa: I don't know, the trend of heroines ending up with their love interest at the end seems to be at a low point right now! I'd have a boy I had a love affair with during the course of the series who was giving me my space to take over my new country and was implied to still love me and be willing to wait for me, most likely.

Lyssa: I suppose maybe it does. But not because we won, because we finally kissed at graduation :-p And him meeting my parents and stuff since we're staying at the castle FEELS really coupley, even if we haven't called it that out loud. WHAT ABOUT YOU? Have you met any cute boys on this trip? Or gotten to know anybody new???

Clementine: Well, if it was a story *I* wrote, the heroine would end up with the pretty boy, even if it isn't on trend :-P It's nice to think happy endings were true somewhere.

Clementine: VERY VERY COUPLEY! I'm so happy for you that that's all happening, Albie is a lucky guy and you're a very deserving girl ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ And no, not really. I've been "lying low" as they say.

[thedarlingclementine]

lainelumos:

You never know! You know, you’re so close to my sister and I never got to know you that well, Clementine. So I really couldn’t tell you. Your peers know you better than I do, and they must have voted you in for a reason.

Really? That’s odd. I feel like I know you very well, but now that I’m thinking about it, of course it makes sense that Lyssa talks about her sister more than she would about just one of her friends. But, um, not to sound contrarian, but you’re my peer: we’re in the same grade and the same classes, Laine. And I don’t know why you’d think our other peers know me better than you do, because I guarantee you that they don’t. Not that many people talk to me, thus your opinion of me would be as valid as anybody else’s, but I’m sorry for asking you something that clearly made you uncomfortable and for putting you in an awkward position. Just forget that I said anything, okay? Sorry.

[thedarlingclementine]

text 🎶💌👭 songtine

Song: The universe chose you for a reason, Clementine Darling, and don't you ever forget that! That's okay, Walt U isn't too far away :-p It'll be way sadder if I decide to leave after next year and go to Harvard or something!

Song: Noli's already fighting with her other friend, I think, I doubt she'd want to fight with Sylvie too! And Sofia is never too busy to boss people around, and Karolina is too nice to say no to people! I appreciate your enthusiasm, but it's not going to happen and that's totally okay, there are a lot of great cheerers on the squad! Well, you can't let them win! I mean, my dad let the people back home win and I spent so much time cooped up in a house alone because of it, but then I got here and I got to be whoever I am and whoever I wanted to be. I believe in you!

Clementine: :) :) :) How could I ever forget with such a sweet reminder? And adkfjl if that's the case, we need to make the most of this next year! If you get into Harvard it'd be crazy if you didn't go, you deserve it!

Clementine: Fights have a way of escalating or making people angry in general :-P But if you're set with the idea that it won't happen, that's even better! You handle expectations a lot better than I do, but then again, you are the smart one :) And I hear your point, I really do. But I don't know how to change people's opinions of me. You're cute and likable and fun and I'm apparently none of those things and if I knew how to fake it, I would've been faking it a while by now.

[thedarlingclementine]

text ✉ bazentine

Baz: Thanks! I reeeeeeally wasn't expecting any. And I think the Sea Witch one is great! I think it means that everyone thinks we're like, willing to sacrifice! It's cool!

Clementine: Really? I voted for you a few times lol so I suppose I assumed you'd win at least one.

Clementine: So you think it translates to, like, Most Generous?

[thedarlingclementine]

text ✉ sagentine

Sage: Yeah, I totes had to just Facebook you to remember who you are, but you seem nice! Hi!

Sage: Oh yeah! I think it meant that I was like, most likely to have sex with a merman or something? But I super wasn't sure about it. I know nobody treated me diff because of it or anything, though. Winning stuff's like, always a good feeling no matter what it is.

Clementine: That's honest. Hi.

Clementine: You also won some of the Pretty Girl categories too, though. Which, of course, makes sense because you're super pretty, but if you just won the Sea Witch one, would you have seen that as a good thing? It's the only award I won and people are saying it might be because I seem desperate or....something, idk. It seems silly to worry about but I worry nonetheless.

[thedarlingclementine]

text ✉ bazentine

Baz: Oh yeah, lay it on me sea witch buddy! What's up? =P

Clementine: First of all, congratulations on winning more than one superlative! But primarily, I was wondering if you think that winning the sea witch one means something...bad?

[thedarlingclementine]

text ✉ bazentine

Clementine: Hello, Baz! I hope you're having a good summer so far and enjoying a nice break before college.

Clementine: Sorry to message you out of the blue, but I was wondering if I could pick your brain about superlatives?

[thedarlingclementine]

text ✉ sagentine

Clementine: Hello, Sage!

Clementine: I know we aren't exactly texting friends but I've been going through a bit of a tough time because of superlatives lately and I don't want to complain to my best friends because they wouldn't understand and because it would rain on their parade but you won 'Most Likely to Sell Their Soul to a Sea Witch" last year and so I have to ask - what does it mean? Does it actually mean everyone hates you and thinks of you as the joke of the senior class or does it just feel like that?

Clementine: Also, I hope you've been having a nice summer! Sorry, that was rude of me to forget.

[deliajubilee]

I heard that your relationship with Lux was fake at first.

wild.

[thedarlingclementine]

What is in the water that makes people particularly hateful lately?

[thedarlingclementine]

text 🗒clyssa

Lyssa: You're great at drawing maps, if anybody could create a whole new world easily, I'd trust you! Oh gosh, so in this world people would probably fight to put them on the throne because of their royal bloodline? In the end it doesn't sound like I'd be a queen, though, in the end it sounds like we'd overthrow the queens and I'd be elected into power in a new democracy instead. Oh gosh, nobody can make goblins cute LOL.

Lyssa: asfjafafkslkfja if you say so! I'm still so surprised that Dudley didn't win, though! I thought the sports vote would get split between Lux and Cayo, and leave a path for him to be wearing the crown up there with me! I don't know, they could think we're just really good friends somehow? Or I don't know! It's not official so I don't know what other people think, really. Asking is even weirder! If I ask them it's almost like I'm asking him to be a couple and if he doesn't want to, it's embarrassing, and even if he does want to he might think it's just for the yearbook and that might make him feel bad!

Clementine: I wish I could draw new worlds and make them real. That would be fantastic. But anyway, yes, the story! A new power in democracy you would be indeed, but with a pretty crown and prettier boy lol.

Clementine: I know! Although it was a hard vote, all three boys are extremely adorable and likable. I suppose that means you are a couple now, though, right? After all, you won! You can't just ignore that lol and neither can he so yay! Victory! Another Lyssa win!

[thedarlingclementine]

lainelumos:

Oh, well, it’s up to interpretation I suppose! It could be interpreted as Most Naive, Biggest Bargainer, Biggest Opportunist, Most Naive…

And which of those would be the interpretation in my case, would you say?

[thedarlingclementine]

text 🎶💌👭 songtine

Song: I love you too! Who else could have made sure I didn't get totally and completely overwhelmed when I got to Walt? There's nobody better *hugs forever* And you deserve to believe it because it's true!

Song: Oh gosh, no. I mean, Noli isn't graduating and she was one of the co-captains, and I'm sure it'll be Sylvie since they're friends, or Sofia since she's super intense, or McKayla since she's famous or something. Or Karolina, since her sister's the graduating captain! Well, at least you're starting college, right? I know it'll be most of the same people but it seems like an exciting time to start over and reinvent yourself anyway! You can decide how you want them to perceive College Clementine.

Clementine: There are lots of great people in my grade who could've helped but I'm glad it was me. I thought I would be relieved to leave high school and I am but lol the sad part is going to a different school than you :(

Clementine: Maybe there could be three co-captains! Or Noli and Sylvie could get into a fight and Sofia could be too busy with other things and Karolina could idk refuse - regardless though, I'm sure you'll be a great cheer senior