and now i'm partying with corpses that are better than you

indie stranger things oc rp blog penned by ash (she/they); 26yrs old

[wandering-different-universes]

About!

hi hi! i'm ash (26; she/they) and welcome to my blog! i'm an independent rper who writes ocs (usually). this one's set up currently for a stranger things oc.

my timezone is pst and i do work full-time, so replies may be a little slow but i always promise to give you something to work with and get close to and/or always match length. i've been on and off rping for a handful of years now :)

if you wanna plot with me, let me know! i'm always up for plotting and getting to know people :) (ps: i'm really bad about initiating convos so like if you ever want to start writing with me, feel free to just send a starter prompt or a meme!)

general about / boundaries etc.

about the muse (stephanie "steph" rogers")

pinterest board

ask banner template

character header template

current starter prompts / memes reposted

permanent starter call

permanent plotting call

[zachrp]

ᝰ🚬 𝚉𝙰𝙲𝙷𝚁𝙿 .ᐟ OLIVIA RODRIGO - YOU SEEM PRETTY SAD FOR A GIRL SO IN LOVE (2026) PROMPTS. CHANGE ANY PRONOUNS IF NECESSARY. SOME MATURE THEMES MAY BE PRESENT.

we fight over who i'm hanging out with like a real couple.

all the girls at this party are so cool.

why can't you come stitch me up?

one night i was bored in bed and stalked you on the internet.

i feel dirty, i feel rotten.

i think we might go really nice together.

god, i love the way you look at me.

i tried to win her over with my cynical humor and yacht rock music taste.

it's better than begging for you to stand up for me.

you know you can take me anywhere.

i'm a car speeding down the boulevard without a brake.

you will never know my sorrow.

i like your big sister.

nobody's wanted somebody more.

it's getting harder every day.

it's a thing that i can't ignore.

time can heal even the worst of wounds.

i want you more than any stupid song could ever say.

went to the doctor and she said i was fine.

kiss me and i might drop dead.

past mistakes are just new information.

man, it feels like god threw me a bone.

you're being fucking weird.

man, i wonder what you think is gonna go down?

so i guess that it's true.

i met him at a party, i think he was on drugs.

i'd love if you held my hand.

they say modern love's a cruel endeavor.

i'm not feeling like myself and nothing ever seems to help.

you're posting another pic in clothes that i know are his.

new york city's never looked so blue.

my head is full of poison, and my heart is full of doubt.

i know that the bar closes at 11, but i hope you never finish that beer.

you're so, so pretty, boy.

i thought i'd done enough, but they keep moving the line.

why'd i try at all?

these days, i've got expectations.

i feel like i might throw up.

it's a small world when it only can revolve around us two.

pick me up, walk me home.

you say you can't stand to watch me cry a minute more.

i regret you and how long i stayed.

let me be direct, just stop.

that's it, i win.

i don't wanna talk.

would you sit and keep me company?

let's go steady, let's go out.

i'm a sad shell of a woman and i've got maggots for brains.

what if this isn't what i want?

it's feminine intuition.

that's never been a thing that i could do.

i'm going crazy, i'm going mad.

i went to a party but only on principle.

i'm a penny in a fountain just waiting on my luck to change.

took a couple months but now i am secure.

i'll do anything.

i love you, baby, i promise.

with a hand on my heart, i swore.

i know everybody changes, but i hope that we don't.er

i've been saying that like every night.

you've seen me truly happy, so you know right now i'm not.

i just reach and you're right there.

if there is a god, he's the bond that's between us two.

i'm too shy to say what i see when i dream of you.

i thought that we played the perfect couple.

tell me something honest so the memories turn dark.

i wish you loved me less.

you know i could never leave.

here's to hoping.

sometimes, at a low point, i even wish for tragedy.

they say that honest love is a cage that makes you feel free.

all that i want is to sit here silently and watch movies on tv.

it's not enough.

maybe i'm a petty bitch, but you made me resort to this.

i think you're what's wrong with me.

i like you better by a million times.

my head is spinning and my stomach is sick.

i have this thought when i lay in bed at night that i feel trapped inside my life.

everything i own just feels like ours.

what can i do but think of you?

last time that i checked, i won.

i'm a zombie in my body.

it's getting to me, embarrassingly.

i want you, baby, so bad.

you're lookin' like an angel on the walls of versailles.

i'm paranoid i made you up.

it's crazy how i used to visit your town like a tourist.

i often get the feeling that i'll never want somebody else.

some nights can be so fucking lonely.

i've been droppin' hints all night.

what a shame you're not here.

i won't settle for a guy with a fake job.

all my ex-boyfriends have heard these lines.

it'll never be the cure.

maybe it'll fix itself tomorrow.

give me back my time and i will give you back your heart.

i'm cool and forgiving.

all that i want is to know undoubtedly.

i'm not hiding it well.

i could try convincing you they're just intrusive thoughts.

let's just go to bed or something.

somehow, it's the weekend, i'm still bored out of my skull.

it's like somebody put a weight on my chest.

the cigarette smoke is a smell that i know.

have you ever been to japan?

i'll take what you're giving.

he wasn't smart or funny, i convinced myself he was.

sometimes, i get overwhelmed and way too far ahead of myself.

fuck it, whatever.

i'm sleeping in my dress and my high heels.

yeah, i've got hope, yeah, i've got drive, i will not lose my faith.

i thought that he was perfect, and now his number's blocked.

i had big dreams 'til i tied myself to you.

i know he'd come over and take real good care of me.

why can't it ever be enough?

tell me yet again about when we met and what you thought of me.

i keep looking for distractions.

he had a great apartment and a car his parents bought.

take me out to dinner.

if you promise, we can go real slow.

i'd love it if you walked me home.

babe, i think this is the end.

i feel right, i feel wrong, i feel totally insane.

let's get married when we both turn twenty-five.

i've got in my head.

i resent you for not being brave.

i should talk to a friend, but i can't get out of bed.

my day was so mundane, i don't think i left the house.

i got a feeling wounds are healing.

i thought i found the antidote this time.

it feels like medication, and it's good for me, i'm sure.

don't think my future husband's at this bar in silver lake.

i can't help but imagine what you say when you speak with me.

you're in my way now.

it's so weird, he's not here.

i always had a vision of us standing like this, all pressed up in the bathroom line.

you should feel how i feel when somebody says your name.

i think that you're killer with your floppy hair.

my friends are smoking blunts in the bathroom.

are we too attached?

so, where'd you get that confidence from?

i'm not kissing any boy that is passive.

tell your friends that you're mine.

it's a little hard to stomach all your amateur moves.

they say it's a virtue to not let good love slip away.

in the dark, i'm not scared.

i can't eat, i can't sleep.

you said that i made loving look easy 'til i made it hard.

if you let me stay the night. well, i think i might just have to stay forever.

could you make it clear?

you linger in the air just like a bad perfume.

let's just walk in the dark.

maybe i'm a stubborn overthinker but i've been thinking over this a lot.

maybe you're just tryna get me riled up now.

kind of insane how you keep calling, but you never get the message.

it's too hard to describe this in a way that feels honest.

[wandering-different-universes]

permanent starter call

feel free to like this post if you want me to type up a starter for you from steph! if you're multi-muse, please let me know which one you want the starter for :)

[hawkinsfoster]

An artist being recognized for their work rather than their attractive facial features sparked a kind of pride Mars couldn't explain. He'd made the requested works from Hellfire a labor of love; they'd been so exact in what they wanted and were excited enough about it that he'd have hated disappointing them. Glad to see all that passion had made an impact. His pieces are living on instead of being shoved away in a drawer somewhere, choking to death.

“Means I did good work,” he responds. Watching her for a moment, trying to decide if she was holding herself that way because she was feeling awkward or shy, he gestures to the spot with him before too much time passes. “Go ahead and park it, I'm not against having a bit of company.”

[wandering-different-universes]

Steph nods in thanks as she sits with him, keeping a bit of distance between the two of them. A snort of amusement escapes her at his comment about doing good work. "Good work is an understatement. Don't sell yourself so short, dude." She looks at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Is art what you want to end up doing something with down the line? Or is it a hobby?" She tilts her head in curiosity, taking the chance to get to know someone she'd shared the same hallways with but hadn't really gotten to know, as was the case with most people she went to school with. "Which totally cool if it's a hobby or whatnot. I just... I think you shouldn't sell yourself short, you know?" Her rambling was starting to kick in, scared of any silence that could linger being awkward.

[insidemyblood]

starter for @wandering-different-universes

"Oi!"

His hands were buried deep into the pockets of his coat as he walked nonchalantly. A crooked smirk tugs at his mouth.

"Heard you were askin’ about me. Figured you'd have the sense to stay the hell away. Has everything gone tits up 'round here or you just missed me charming personality?"

[wandering-different-universes]

"Oh please, you know me. Could never stay away from dangerous situations and men..." Lexi jokes, rolling her eyes playfully under her dark sunglasses, with a crooked smile. She was genuinely relieved that Butcher had decided to show up even if it took a lot of sneaking around and digging in places she probably shouldn't have.

Yes, shit had gone "tits up" as he said, but she wasn't going to admit it to him... yet. "What? Can't a girl miss someone who she had to cut contact with for her own safety per his request?"

[paladinstales]

Mike nods, chuckling a bit. He's not entirely sure paladins are underappreciated, at least not in the way he perceives it. Charisma-based classes are always quite popular, after all, and paladins are more than capable to protect the others. That's why it has always been Mike's favourite class. As the leader og the Party, it just works so well. Even if now the Party isn't as united as he'd like. He shakes his head at this thought, trying to not ruin his mood.

"Yeah, I hope they'll come back soon enough so they can join us." He has no idea when they would move back to Hawkins, but hopefully they will very soon. It's way too unfair to be away from El. Writing to her and speaking at the phone aren't enough. Of course he sees her sometimes, but it's also not enough. And he misses Will too, of course. Mike isn't sure they're as close as before, but they're still best friends.

He chuckles a bit. "Yeah, it's important to be ready to any kind of possibility, so a balanced party is the best." And in Mike's Party, everyone has always taken their part and their class very seriously. That's why they're this good. It's fun with the Hellfire, of course, but Mike would always prefer to play with his friends. "My girlfriend's character is a mage and my friend's character is a cleric. My girlfriend hasn't played a lot though. She joined us later. My friend has been there from the start."

[wandering-different-universes]

Steph nods and gives him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure they will be. Maybe they could come visit over one of the breaks... if they line up." She offers, trying anything to help Mike feel even a little better since she didn't know the whole situation. "Which, I know, isn't as good as permanently staying, but it might ease the pain a little." She looks out towards the horizon again.

A slight pang of jealousy stabs through her heart. Someone who was seemingly born and raised in Hawkins had made it out and Steph had chickened out of making her own great escape. She runs her hand through her hair, trying to pull herself out of her thoughts.

A whistle of appreciation leaves her lips at the mention of the classes Mike's girlfriend and friend play. "Mage is a pretty good starter too. I'm sure she's in good hands with y'all." The smallest smile flickers across her lips. "Especially since it sounds like the rest of y'all have been playing for a while, even if it's on and off."

[sleuthscreams]

▪ ♪ ♩ ♫ ♬ @wandering-different-universes indulged in my starter call

“I have too much going on to be swayed by a shitty rumor.” That entire whore label she'd been saddled with, even if it were true, hardly mattered to him. Funny how it was only women who enjoyed the presence of men who were labeled with anything negative, when men could get notch after notch on their belts without any trouble. “We all do, honestly. Anyone who has time for that crap should invest in a hobby, or get laid or something.”

“All that to say, I'm safe to talk to. If you ever find yourself in need of a slightly weird friend.”

[wandering-different-universes]

It takes Steph an honest minute to process what was said. She tenses, ready to go on the defensive if needed as she turns around, having only caught and processed the "a shitty rumor" part fully. Her shoulders deflate as the rest of it processes. A sheepish smile forming on her lips.

A humorless laugh of relief and agreement answers his statement about everyone having better things to do. "Yeah, I can agree with that."

Another smile, this time more genuine, forms on her lips. She'd been surrounded by weirdos her whole life. That was where she felt safe. What was one more added to that? "Yeah, I... I appreciate that. And the same goes for you." She moves a little closer to the man, that way they didn't have to shout to be heard over the distance.

[goodnightmemes]

PROJECT HAIL MARY (2026) SENTENCE STARTERS

❛ Yeah, where, um, are the living people? ❜

❛ Well, joke’s on them because I don’t even care. ❜

❛ You’re running away because you’re scared. ❜

❛ I ride a bike to work, and it’s not for exercise. ❜

❛ The sun’s really dying, isn’t it? ❜

❛ Am I expendable? ❜

❛ It’s almost like you don’t care if I die. ❜

❛ The consensus here is that it would be preferable if you did not die. ❜

❛ You’re not gonna believe this. Nothing happened. ❜

❛ Just, uh, realizing I was wrong about the only original idea I ever had. ❜

❛ Thank you for your help. I’m glad you didn’t die. ❜

❛ I need people who think they’re right when everyone else thinks they’re wrong. ❜

❛ The world is counting on you. ❜

❛ Been a long time since I’ve taken a pill from a stranger without knowing what it was. ❜

❛ So you wanna build a near-light speed spaceship, have it travel further than any human-made object has ever traveled, and visit a star just to “see what’s up”? ❜

❛ And the astronauts die in space? ❜

❛ There are infinite possibilities for this to go wrong. It almost certainly won’t work. ❜

❛ The alternative is to just do nothing and to starve and to kill each other and watch everything on this planet go extinct, including us. ❜

❛ That’s a long time to be in space. ❜

❛ Nothing about this is safe. ❜

❛ I must have known you, but I just don’t remember. ❜

❛ First, I owe you three bags of vodka. ❜

❛ You deserve much more than this. ❜

❛ I’ll do my best. ❜

❛ It could be a message. It could be a bomb. ❜

❛ Well, I guess there’s egg on both our faces, huh? ❜

❛ I’m wrong about everything and everything’s wrong. ❜

❛ You’re a long way from home. I’m a long way from home too. ❜

❛ I like what you’ve done with the gravity. ❜

❛ Thank you for what I hope is not handcuffs. ❜

❛ We’re here for the same reason. ❜

❛ If we’re gonna save our planets, we have to learn how to communicate. ❜

❛ You know, they say math is the universal language. ❜

❛ Jazz hands means “good”? ❜

❛ I’m sorry I’m talking so much. It’s just, I haven’t been around anyone in a long time. ❜

❛ So, I met an alien. ❜

❛ I like to keep a wall up in my relationships anyways. ❜

❛ He’s kinda growing on me. At least he’s not growing in me, you know? Which was a concern for a little while. ❜

❛ So maybe we can help each other. ❜

❛ Fist my bump. ❜

❛ “Fist my bump”? No. It’s fist bump. ❜

❛ Hey, look, I’m seeing so many sides of you lately, and it’s great. Right now I’m seeing the underside of you. ❜

❛ So, we watch each other sleep. ❜

❛ Someone has to keep you safe. ❜

❛ I don’t have the bravery gene that you all have. ❜

❛ You just need to find someone to be brave for. ❜

❛ Dirty, dirty, dirty. Why room so messy, question? ❜

❛ Well, I wasn’t expecting company, was I? ❜

❛ That is the disco ball. That makes me happy. ❜

❛ We can’t just show up in a space ball unannounced and move into someone else’s spaceship. Right? ❜

❛ There has to be boundaries. ❜

❛ So I have a new roommate now. ❜

❛ He tells me what to do, he tells me why to do it, he tells me how to do it, he tells me when to do it. And then when I do it, he’s like, “What are you doing?” ❜

❛ Grumpy, angry, stupid. How long since last sleep, question? ❜

❛ Personal space is at a premium. ❜

❛ There’s no way you can hear me right now. ❜

❛ Too fast. Do puppet show. ❜

❛ There’s no harm in pretending for a little while. ❜

❛ What do you miss most about home? ❜

❛ You’re very mysterious. ❜

❛ Camaraderie helps them do their job, you know. Not so much me. ❜

❛ You think you’re gonna pull it off? ❜

❛ Life is reason! ❜

❛ If ship not at precise angle and speed, we die! ❜

❛ This is a one-way ticket for me, pal. ❜

❛ Yeah, once we’re done, I’m … I’m gonna die. ❜

❛ I’ve made peace with it. ❜

❛ I didn’t mean any of that. That’s just something you say. ❜

❛ How do you know when the hug is done? ❜

❛ They have a great teacher. ❜

❛ Can you take a compliment please? ❜

❛ Oh, humor. Confusing. ❜

❛ Words of encouragement. ❜

❛ I don’t think there is gonna be a later. ❜

❛ I have an idea. First, no crash. Then, not explode. Deal? ❜

❛ I’m not an astronaut! I put the “not” in astronaut. ❜

❛ I’m not heroic in any way. ❜

❛ You’re smart. You’ll figure it out. ❜

❛ This might be very hard for you to understand, but some people are failures. Some people don’t rise to the challenge. ❜

❛ You’re missing out on an important part of the mission, which is the suicide part. ❜

❛ So, just so I’m clear, you’re asking me right now to give up my life. ❜

❛ I’ll watch you sleep, pal. But, uh you gotta wake up. ❜

❛ No pressure, but we did make a deal. ❜

❛ We can go home. ❜

❛ Is special clothing for celebration. ❜

❛ I understand that you think I’m the right person for this mission. But I can’t do it. ❜

❛ I’m sorry, but you just can’t talk me into it. ❜

❛ I’m not trying to talk you into anything. I am trying to make you understand what I’m about to do next. ❜

❛ You will be remembered as a hero. ❜

❛ This may seem like me betraying you, but it’s actually me believing in you. ❜

❛ Sure feels like you’re betraying me. ❜

❛ You know who you are. You’re gonna do great. ❜

❛ You are very brave. ❜

❛ At least I never have to hear you say, “I told you so.” Even though you were right. ❜

[wandering-different-universes]

just popping on here really quick to be like heeey i know i owe some folks replies, and i promise i'll be getting to them, but i'm currently dead to the world thanks to work. as soon as this weekend hits, i'll hopefully be less dead to the world.

[aurora-rph]

Sleep Themed Starter Sentences

You drool in your sleep.

Don't you dare sleep in those clothes!

Did I wake you?

You're going to end up with a sore neck if you sleep like that.

You're supposed to turn off the alarm clock, not break it.

Are you always this grumpy in the morning?

Keep your cold feet away from me!

The bed's big enough for both of us.

You can rest. I’m here.

Just how many pillows do you need?

Now that you're awake, can you let go of me?

Oh, so even you get bedhead.

You talk in your sleep, you know.

When was the last time you slept?

You kick in your sleep.

If you're not tired why do you keep yawning?

You were having a nightmare.

I'm going to smother you with a pillow if you keep snoring.

Would you stop stealing all the blankets?

I can leave the light on if it helps.

You can use my shoulder as a pillow if you like.

I hate morning people.

Please tell me your not just now going to bed.

Do you often have nightmares?

Five more minutes…

Ugh, somebody turn off the sun.

Can I sleep here tonight?

Can you even find your bed in this mess?

You’re exhausted. Go to bed.

You don't need more coffee, you need a nap.

You can have the bed, I'll take the couch.

You look way too comfortable for someone who has to be at work in twenty minutes.

You're warm. Don't move.

You always look so peaceful when you’re asleep.

Your desk is not a bed.

You sleep, I'll keep watch.

Did you sleep at all?

[hawkinsfoster]

✧ 𝄃 𝄃 𝄃 𝄃 𝄃 @wandering-different-universes sent » "sorry- am i crazy, or have we met before?"

Took a few moments to recognize her, but it was hard for him to completely forget anyone he'd done drawings for in the past. Perhaps that was overstating things; she'd never commissioned him for artwork herself, but he had done a little bit of artwork for that Dungeons & Dragons group she rolled with. Hellfire gave him a chance to break away from his usual work revolving around space and aliens to sketch something outside his comfort zone.

“Hellfire has gotten me to draw a few things for them in the past; I'm surprised you remember me from that. I was only around at the beginning of a handful of your sessions.” That vain part of him wanted to believe he was that memorable, but he wasn't that prideful. Guess anyone who was popular and willing to socialize with the Hellfire Club was someone who registered in their memories. He knew that quite a few saw them as freaks for one reason or another, especially Jason.

[wandering-different-universes]

Steph snaps her fingers and shakes her index finger in acknowledgement. "Right, right." A tiny smile tugs at her lips. It was kind of hard to forget one of the few athletes, at the time, who had treated her and her friends like human beings instead of well, whatever the hell they wanted to call it. The treatment got worse too after things got nasty during the last half of her senior year, so any bare minimum decency was clung to, even if she hated to admit it. And not to mention, the art had been simply gorgeous. She pushes the thoughts away outside of the art being gorgeous before she speaks again.

"They still hold the pieces you did in very high regard, by the way." She adds, trying to fight off the awkwardness that threatened to overtake this interaction, as she nudges a piece of gravel with the toe of her sneaker. "Mind if I sit with you for a little? Just don't want anyone to feel left out of..." She motions around vaguely to the surrounding people. "And I think you're one of the few people I even kinda know here..." She confesses with a sheepish smile.

[lapis-memes]

Anonymously confess something that your muse wants to tell mine.

[wandering-different-universes]

got a 4 day weekend going on rn, so if anyone wants to chat, plot, whatevs, now's a great time cause i'll be hella active

[rpclefairy]

strangers beneath the same sky starters.

dialogue starters for first time meetings in historical or fantasy settings.

“forgive my intrusion. have we met before?”

“you walk as one accustomed to long roads.”

“it is rare to find another soul in this place.”

“you bear the air of someone with purpose. may i ask your name?”

“the wind carries your scent of distant lands.”

“you seem far from home, stranger.”

“your robes speak of refinement, yet your eyes tell another story.”

“may i share your fire for a while?”

“it seems fate has led our paths to cross.”

“you handle that weapon with care. a practitioner, perhaps?”

“have you come seeking fortune, or fleeing something?”

“i did not expect company in such a lonely place.”

“you carry a heavy heart. the road must have been unkind.”

“are you a wanderer, or one with a destination in mind?”

“you move with discipline. do you belong to a sect?”

“the way you observe the horizon... what do you see there?”

“i could not help but notice your talisman. a charm for protection?”

“you seem unafraid, even here. that is uncommon.”

“your presence disturbs the silence yet i do not mind it.”

“do you often travel alone, or am i witnessing a rare moment?”

“you look as though you’ve seen ghosts.”

“the stars are kind tonight. perhaps that is why we meet.”

“a name has power. would you share yours?”

“i sense a story behind those eyes.”

“the tea is still warm, if you would sit and rest.”

“do you always meet strangers so fearlessly?”

“you wear no crest or banner, are you unaffiliated?”

“your aura feels… unfamiliar. what manner of cultivation is that?”

“there’s something about you the heavens seem to favor.”

“the world is wide, and yet we cross paths here. curious, isn’t it?”

“your silence speaks louder than words.”

“you carry an old wound. is it battle, or memory?”

“do you seek shelter, or solitude?”

“you’ve seen much, and yet your gaze holds wonder.”

“your voice carries conviction. you must believe in something deeply.”

“even the moon seems to follow you.”

“if i did not know better, i’d say destiny enjoys such meetings.”

“you seem out of place, or perhaps the place is out of time.”

“tell me, stranger. what is it you’re searching for?”

“the night is long. shall we pass it in conversation?”

“your weapon hums faintly. is it bound to your spirit?”

“you don’t avert your gaze. most would.”

“that pendant... it resembles one i once saw in the capital.”

“has the road been kind to you, or cruel?”

“you seem weary, but your steps haven’t faltered.”

“do you believe in omens?”

“you have the bearing of someone who’s seen battle.”

“tell me truthfully, do you trust me?”

“your presence feels... familiar, like a dream i’ve forgotten.”

“you stand as though waiting for someone.”

“if i asked what you’ve lost, would you answer?”

“your hands are steady. a healer’s, perhaps?”

“the forest seems quieter since you arrived.”

“you remind me of someone... though i cannot say who.”

“do you always travel under the moon’s light?”

“you seem untouched by fear. is that wisdom, or recklessness?”

“if we had met under gentler skies, would you still look at me this way?”

“the scent of rain follows you. were you caught in a storm?”

“i wonder, what kind of person leaves footprints like yours?”

“if fate is kind, perhaps our paths will cross again.”

[rpmemegraveyard]

Send 😢🎂 to find my muse celebrating a special occasion alone

Bonus: If My Muse Never Told Your Muse What the Occasion Was.

[wandering-different-universes]

open starter :)

The one Saturday that Steph had volunteered to cover someone's shift at the record store was the one day they were slammed. The person she was scheduled to work with had called off, so she was stuck working alone. Her arms were loaded with a stack of vinyls as she rushed around, trying to put them away while helping customers find what they need. The shop was buzzing with voices that were almost loud enough to drown out the record she had on.

A shaky breath leaves her lips as she forces a smile, trying to shove down the exhaustion and overstimulation, as she finishes helping out a grandmother shopping for her grandson. She'd gotten halfway through the stack of vinyls when she heard the bell chime, letting her know another customer had come in.

"Hey, welcome in! I'll be with you in just a moment!" She calls from the back of the store as she starts to head back up towards the front of the store. Her eyes looked tired but she refused to let the customer service smile slip. Her hair was tied back in a messy updo with a couple of stray locks falling into her face. She sets the vinyls down on the back counter before turning her focus to who had come through the door.

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM THE LITTLE MERMAID *  assorted dialogue from the 1989 film, adjust as necessary

i can't make out a heartbeat.

this has got to be, without a doubt, the single most humiliating day of my life.

look! he's breathing. he's so beautiful.

you really delight in these sadistic strains on my blood pressure, don't you?

a girl rescued me.

she was singing. she had the most beautiful voice.

i think you've swallowed a bit too much seawater.

we're just gonna forget this whole thing ever happened.

hmm. teenagers. they think they know everything. you give them an inch, they swim all over you.

my nerves are shot! this is a catastrophe!

don't you shake your head at me.

now look at me.

you'll have your looks, your pretty face. and don't underestimate the importance of body language.

i'm surrounded by amateurs.

you want something done, you've got to do it yourself.

first we've got to create the mood.

if only i could make him understand.

i just don't see the way he does.

i just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad.

look at this stuff. isn't it neat?

i just don't know what we're going to do with you.

it was ruined! that's all! completely destroyed!

now thanks to you, i am the laughingstock of the entire kingdom!

you went up to the surface again, didn't you?

how many times must we go through this?

they are dangerous.

i'm not a child anymore.

don't you take that tone of voice with me.

if you would just listen...

so much for true love!

i consider myself a reasonable person.

i set certain rules, and i expect those rules to be obeyed.

is it true you rescued a human from drowning?

he would have died.

one less human to worry about.

you don't even know him.

know him? i don't have to know him. they're all the same.

have you lost your senses completely?

the solution to your problem is simple.

the only way to get what you want is to become a human yourself.

gee, you must have really been through something.

i can't stand it. it's too easy!

i'm really looking forward to this performance.

listen to me. the human world is a mess.

are you sure about this?

have i ever been wrong? i mean, when it's important?

this... i haven't seen in years.

do you think i was too hard on her?

we haven't dicussed the subject of payment.

i'm not asking much. just a token really, a trifle. you'll never even miss it.

life's full of tough choices, isn't it?

do you hear what i'm telling you?

i hope that you appreciate what i go through for you.

you gotta look your best.

you gotta bat your eyes. you gotta pucker your lips.

you are hopeless. you know that? completely hopeless.

i've never seen a human this close before. he's very handsome, isn't he?

i'm going inside.

have you noticed she's been acting peculiar lately?

i know you've been keeping something from me.

i feel really bad not knowing your name. maybe i can guess it.

you're under a lot of pressure down here. come with me, i'll take you home and get you something warm to drink.

any sign of them?

what have i done?

isn't this great? the salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face. a perfect day to be at sea.

perhaps you haven't been looking hard enough.

believe me, when I find her, i'll know. without a doubt it'll just... bam, hit me like lightning.

time to come out. you've been in there all morning.

where are you going?

she's a demon! she's a monster!

there's something different.

i lost her once! i'm not gonna lose her again!

you've gotta get away from here.

no, i won't leave you!