x s x s x s x s

the day after — now private

Salem’s nicer suburban housing is closer to the waterfront. The tree-lined streets reveal varied homes with architecture harkening to different eras of building in the city. However, many homes favor a Victorian look and the incorporation of columns at the entrance. The closer to the water, the more expensive the house. There has also been a recent spate of building expensive condos in this area.
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#16

Post by Yonagoda »

Hm. Whoever made this room clearly didn’t really expect visitors in here, because it was a mess. Total mess.

She looked around wildly. Clothes pile #4? Nope. Under the bed? No idea how it’ll end up there, but nope. What is that thing in the underwear drawer? Oh. Nope.

Erika felt like she was taking 4d6 psychic damage, or whatever that one kid who constantly bombarded her dms whenever she drew anything even resembling a tiefling said. It didn’t really make any sense for her because she never played ttrpgs but it seemed catchy and it’s not like everybody didn’t think she was a loser and a nerd anyways, so… so yeah. She took 4d6 psychic damage from seeing what was inside the drawer.

And now she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Like, thinking about doing something really weird with it, like, pour hot sauce onto and/or into it, or to place it somewhere obvious and embarrassing, or to cut into it and see what it’s made of- it’s not like she wanted to do it, it’s just- it’s just- like, what if?

No, no. Bad Erika. Stop that. Stop thinking about it. Stop thinking about putting hot sauce on it.

Why did she even expect it to be in this room again?

Right, because teenagers like misplacing things, and if she didn’t put it somewhere dumb, then she could bet literal money on some other kids touching it with their gross sticky fingers. And other things. And maybe stealing her money. Because fuck teenagers.

“Hey, Penny, I don’t think it’s in this room…? Didn’t see anything either.”

Just, um, don’t wanna drag her around for all this. Yeah. Pen Pen really needs some more water. Is this technically trespassing? Because, like, she just opened the door and it was open and she swore she saw somebody else and saw the drinks still on the table and she just assumed that the party was still going on?

Oh, god, what if she was trespassing?
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#17

Post by Yugikun »

“Kay kay.”

Foot on the ground. Other foot on the ground. Penny was standing up, looking at Erika, and was just, like, making sure her feet were on the ground. Not teetering. She could stand without needing help, and, uh, that maybe meant she could be a pal. Hang out with ANTS. Maybe even get into the DMs if she was smooth enough. Yeah.

So she stopped standing and started walking. Took some steps — left, right, left, right — back up to the door. She leaned her arm against it and then turned her head around a little bit. Couldn’t quite see Erika ‘cause at this angle Penny needed a 180 to get more than just a glimpse but the little outline of Girl that Penny could see in the corner of her eye was clear enough. ‘d let Erika maybe think Penny was talking to her face.

“Let’s check the other places then. Cooooome with me.”
And Erika, like, did that. Came with Pen Pen. Checked out all the other places. Upstairs bathroom: nothing. Parents bedroom: zilch. Guest room Penny’d woke up in: nada. Hallway they were walking down right now: no bag. Was kinda the reason they were walking down it. They’d, like, snooped through every part of this dude’s house that wasn’t the downstairs and hadn’t found the thing they were looking for so, like, guess that meant it was maybe in the downstairs. It was a bit more of a workout than what Penny really would’ve liked to go through like, two seconds after waking up hungover, but it was whatever. Got to pay Erika a little bit back for helping her off the bed and got to snoop through a dude’s house. Both of those were cool, and, like, it was the morning after a big night. Most of Penny’s day plans would’ve been kinda just nursing her headache, so...

So they were heading down the hall. Movin’ for the stairs. Penny was just about to step down when she caught something. Brown shape obscured a little by one of the stairs. Set of straps hanging off it. Just kinda lying there

It took a second.

“Uh...” she said, turning her head to ANTS. “Think I found your bag.”
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#18

Post by Yonagoda »

“Really?”

Oh, uh-

“Oh are you kidding me?”

Whoops.

“Not directed at you, I’m just- I’m just blind. Wow.”

She blinked a few times. Laughed in that sort of self-depreciative way, kind of awkwardly, less of an invitation to laugh with her than to laugh at her.

“Sorry for, uhh… dragging you around like that.”

Erika picked the bag up, rubbing the pad of her thumb over cheap fabric and the faux-leather patch denoting the genericness of its brand.

She was aiming for kind of a semi-vintage look when she bought it, but... well, she wasn't really that bothered by the fact that it was counterfeit. Not like people cared, anyways. Not like dad cared. She took one look at the pack that clearly wasn't the one in the picture, shrugged, wrote her name on it, and then moved on.

Erika turned it over. Looked at the cream patch on the back. The one with fabric even coarser than its surroundings.

"Amerika" written in a sorry attempt at calligraphy. Yep, her's.

"Thanks, um... thanks a lot."

Suddenly, the gratitude-filled train of thought derailed as her mind forced upon her a vision of her pouring hot sauce down the, erm, toy she found in the big bedroom. Erika pinched herself. Checked the bag to see if anybody nicked her 20 bucks. Nope. Somehow it's still there.

She held up one of the little gummy bear baggies- one of, uh... six, not five, and admired the way sunlight bounced off of the garish translucent wrapper.

"Want one? As, er, as a thank-you?"

She wasn't sure if her body language dictated that she wanted Penny to take it or to turn it down. Her irises drifted downward, left-leaning as she pointedly avoided eye contact.
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#19

Post by Yugikun »

Man, that lolly bag right there? So much nostalgia. It kinda felt like Penny was six and she’d shown up a friend’s birthday. They hunted down the special prize, got themselves all tucked out, and right before Penny got picked up the mom and dad handed everyone a special bag filled with cake and lollies and, uh, some... other stuff. This was like that. Erika was giving off serious mom energy right now.

“Nah,” Penny said, shooting ANTS a smile. “You got me off that bed. That’s, ah, payment enough.”

And, like, also she was the whole reason Erika didn’t just immediately walk down the stairs and see the bag, so, like, by her book Penny still had some making up to do. Getting even more from Erika would just, like, make her feel more like a lil’ bitch. She just kinda stood there for a second, instead. Looked at the stairs. Looked back at Erika.

“Guess you’re gonna be heading off now?”
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#20

Post by Yonagoda »

"Yeah."








(Erika continued in a non-definitive thread)
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#21

Post by Yugikun »

“A’ight.”

She leaned against the wall that faced the stairs as ANTS started headin’ down ‘em. Watched her as she took the turnaround to the second flight halfway down; made it to the point where the two of them could look at one another again if they peeped through the bannisters. And they did. The other girl looked up, and Penny gave a smile. Got out the fingerguns. Shot Erika fifteen times. Bang bang.

"Catch ya later."

She kept her eyes on Erika 'till the other girl’s body vanished. She moved her own head up past the stairs after that. Looked at the ceiling. Tapped one of her hands against her hip for a little second.

Man, that was right. Penny needed to GTFO of here too.
You’d think that going downstairs was as easy as, like, going down the stairs. And you’d be right. Penny just had to strike out a couple things from her checklist first.

Number one: get a ride home. There was enough chattering going on downstairs to indicate that there were maybe some other dudes scrambling for a way outta here, but Penny didn’t have to go down and join that noise. For her, getting a lift was as simple as plonking her ass down at the top of the stairs, whipping her phone out, and shooting a couple messages to her favourite rideshare app. Deal was sealed after that. She was getting lifted. Romeo was gonna be the muscles.

She even got a little banter in during the whole process. Not much, but, like, hey, bonus. Penny was getting way more out of this than with any morning after she’d had before, and that was neat-o.

Number two: log in. There was a little part of the ‘get a ride home’ step where Romeo was being a shit and leaving Penny on dry and right about then she had a minute or so to check all the other stuff on her phone. Or, like, try to, anyway. There was a bunch. Texts. Group texts. FB tags. FB likes. FB chats. FB group chats. Emails. YouTube comments. Soundcloud comments. She spent, like, all that minute just kinda watching her phone blow up before Romeo swooped in. Saved her from the muck pile he’d dunked her into. She kinda wanted to, like, ghost him a little back — show him he couldn’t get one over her like that — but, uh, no, alternative was watching her DMs literally explode, so………... yeah. She shoved her phone back in her pocket once she was finished with Robin. Decided to leave all that shit to Future, More Sober Penny.

It kinda sucked when the world revolved ‘round you. Lots of things happening. All at once. Little bit hard to stop extinction when all the asteroids were crashing down at the same time, but... eh. Wouldn't be a problem. Penny was a superhero. She could manage.

...

...

...Or at least she could, like, try to manage. She could do that.

But for now she could just, like, hop up. Head down the stairs. Get a feel for the spatial detail of the lounge room. The people still here, milling ‘round, getting ready to leave. There were people here Penny knew. People here Penny didn’t knew. No Erika, but…

...but she knew who here to chill with. He was right over there. She couldn’t see a lot of him, but the bit of chestnut that poked up over the top of the couch he was lounging on was enough for Penny to grin. Missile towards his position. Cannonball down and sit right next to the one, the only…

“Yo.”
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#22

Post by Kotorikun »

The cannonball landed. The one, the only grinned back and it sent a smirk to his face, a tired but genuine one. The usual smirk when he saw something that sparked his interest.

((Matthew Bittlesgate: Pregame Start))

“Penguuuuu—” Matt’s voice grew hoarser and unsteady with each vowel until he cleared his throat. “Yo.”

Came in like a peng, alright. Though he wouldn’t really describe it as a peng since that indicated some sort of negative connotations in his mind with Penny when there were zero. He very much appreciated the company right then. It was better than the beige couch pillow that was resting against his chest, and while it was cozy (a bit rough to the touch, the kind of material that would produce good scratching sounds), he’d rather have someone to talk to. He moved the pillow aside while he rubbed his face in the process, indistinct chatter echoing from the back. Probably the kitchen.

Matt studied Penny’s face. A second was enough in this case.

“So, not gonna lie; you look like shit.”

Playfulness showed in his eyes as he squinted while the sun was coming in from the side in the morning stillness. His hand moved up and towards Penny’s leg, aiming to give her a light jab and pull her leg closer if she’d let him. Getting cozier and all while time allowed it.

“Slept well, huh?”
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#23

Post by Yugikun »

Okay, so, context: sometimes, when you're bored and lonely and you've recently decided that maybe hookups work a bit better than actual relationships, you kinda start taking peeps at the Zoom cams of all the cute guys in class, start sketching out which ones you'd kick it with when class came back. And sometimes, when you'd wait and pine for everybody to be real, you'd get one dude who couldn't wait and launched himself right into your DMs, talking 'bout your music and simping for DJ Pengu. And sometimes, when you've got a dude who's just so obviously coming that pussy, you decide that you actually kinda liked his hair and his body and how he's, uh, a literal daddy. And sometimes, when you vibe with a dude, you decide when restrictions ease to go out and catch up with him; learn what he's been up to when there's nothing to be up to. And sometimes, when you're shooting the shit, you both kinda get a little hungry. And sometimes, after the two of you hook up, you realize that he's pretty cool 'bout the whole one night thing and that you're both in the same kinda clique and that he's pretty cool to be with. 'Specially when he's the guy you know most out of everybody here.

But sometimes, when you feel his arm start to get a little touchy-feely with your leg, you kinda feel like maybe you could still be a little into him. That maybe with Matt the sequel won't feel as lame this time around.

"Feel like shit too," Penny said, leaning her back into the couch. Manspreading a bit — gave him the invitation to steal her leg. "Took, like, an hour to even get down here."

She brought her right hand up to her mouth to yawn. Had to stop herself from draping it over Matt's shoulder. Couldn't get comfy yet. He had to move in first. Show a little bit of interest 'fore she leapt on that.

"You remember what happened last night?"
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#24

Post by Kotorikun »

The leg has been stolen. Claimed, once she gave permission.

Matt's fingertips brushed against her thigh and he let out a chuckle.

"Your question implies you don't,” he said, curious. His back had been leaning against the couch, but he leaned slightly forward now as he straightened it while his hand squeezed Penny’s leg at the same time. It was relatable, really, when everyone’s desire for partying had been growing in the past year and couldn’t be satisfied until recently. Naturally at this point, Matt couldn't and didn't want to let himself go like that this time. Didn’t want to disappoint his own son at the meek age of one. Checking up on Toby was the first thing he had done after waking up. Was there anything more heartwarming than casually threatening his babysitters — the dagger emoji way — for more pictures?

“I’m proud you learned how to walk down stairs during that hour, but next time just shout my name three times and I’ll come and give you a piggyback ride, y’know. It's my secret service. Now regarding what happened....”

He grinned at her.

"That info will cost you."
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#25

Post by Yugikun »

Whoooooomp. There it was.

She leaned in. Smooshed her right against his left. Dropped her head onto his shoulder. Put her elbow on the back pillow behind Matt’s head. Bent her arm and put her hand up in his hair.

“Ugh.”

‘Least she was comfy now though. And with a guy she was down to get comfy with. Kinda sucked because she was gonna do this even before he started going for it and now it looked like he was picking her up, but she could maybe still spin this little game. Start ruffling his hair. Make the little puff of air that charged out of her lungs sound more like a yawn than a moan. Shit like that.

“You’re gonna ruin my rep like this.”
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#26

Post by Kotorikun »

One way to reel Matt in was through his hair and it seemed like Penny had figured it out. The fingers on his scalp felt nice, took away a bit of the pain too. It wasn’t too bad though and his head only felt like it was about to ache, but never began to. An uncomfortable dull feeling he knew would fade soon enough to not be a big issue. The warmth of the sun helped, Penny’s closeness helped, and the back pillow too.

“Don't you worry, little penguin," he teased, tapping the part of Penny's stomach that was revealed due to her crop top. “No one’s cancelled you yet. Unless you want a scandal.” Which he didn’t wish on her.

“Do you remember anything at all?”
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#27

Post by Yugikun »

“Uh…”

Penny let him give the stomachpats. Gave him a lil’ look into his eyes — showed him it was appreciated. Didn’t do anything touchy-feely back though. Not yet. Couple reasons why: a. she needed to remind him that, y’know, she wasn’t that easy, and b: she, uh needed to actually kinda think about some stuff. She brought the hand that wasn’t in Matt’s hair up to her face. Brought her finger to her cheek. Tap. Tap. Tap, and…

“Remember coming here. Remember, like, chatting with a couple people, having a couple drinks when those came out, uh…”

It was like text to speech. Thought to speech. The images popped up in her head and she relayed ‘em as they came in.

“Aaaaand then I got nothing. Woke up on a bed upstairs couple hours later.”

Or, well, relayed them as well as she could. All the photos after a while stopped looking properly developed. Were kinda like a blurry mess. Maybe needed to be dumped into dark room liquid for a couple more hours.

“So, like, basically, you could tell me I did anything last night,” she said, rolling her head a little further into Matt’s shoulder as she gave a grin and another look in the eyes. “And for a couple of hours I’ll have no choice but to believe you.”
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#28

Post by Kotorikun »

Matt grumbled somewhere in the back of his throat, musing, while he felt the weight of her head against him. A bold grin from her if he dared to judge it, one that he could only describe as cute.

Recalling the events from last night wasn't too troublesome for him, but most of them did not involve Penny.

“So…..” Now it was his turn for more bold; his arm quickly found its way around her shoulders, his fingers focusing on the material of her top around her upper arm. He wouldn’t mind falling back asleep like this, and he meant it in the most genuine and innocent way. Just vibing in the warm sun. “You’re telling me you didn’t even witness the alien invasion? Sad.”

He cleared his throat.

“I talked to them so, y’know, we’re safe and all. They were pretty cool. But what’s more important is that you owe me lunch. I know, I couldn’t believe it myself when you offered, but you can buy me something later if you're free."

Two subjects that were up for debate. Thinking harder about lunch made him realize how hungry he really was. Saving the earth wasn't easy. If his stomach was now to rumble to push the dramatic effect, it would be perfect.

"That was before you went upstairs. The aliens came after, just to make the timeline clear. I was down here the whole time."
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#29

Post by Yugikun »

“Holy shit.”

Penny’s mouth was agape. Girl’s eyes were wide as they looked into Matt’s. Was kinda hard to keep her head on his shoulders like this but eh, it suited the vibe. Faux-shock wasn’t faux-shock if the effort was all in the wrong places. Like, Penny’s face, the near-slide off his body when she’d jerked her head, that was how you were supposed to go when somebody was like ‘yeah so the aliens came down while you were drunk off your ass,’ but the way her body was still leaning snug into his, unmoving as he brought his right arm over her shoulder indicated that she knew he was joking. That she wasn’t really concerned about the aliens right now. That she was totally cool with letting her body get snatched.

So she pushed her shoulder off of the couch — let his arm drop under hers, made that side of her waist free to take. Her left hand gave his hair one last comb before it left, as she wrapped her elbow-joint round his neck, let her arm rest off his chest. She kinda wanted him to stroke her hair, but…

Nah. If she let him do that then he’d win. She’d be all his. That wasn’t really Penny’s style.

“So, like…” She leaned her head back on Matt’s shoulder, took a look towards the ceiling, and thought about having a lunch date with him. Romeo had wanted the same thing too. Man, everybody wanted Penny these days. “Anybody I know become a pod person?”
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