(Untitled)

[broken_brushes]

I really think I deserve credit for doing my best to embrace the steampunk Victorian lifestyle. I've never been a fan of cold weather, and I grew up in a place where a bikini was considered appropriate attire 90% of the time. When the island made the switch that December, I was definitely not in my element. I'd always loved pretty dresses, though,

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[off_the_ceiling]

"Oh, there you are, I knew you'd probably be around here somewhere," says Jess, adjusting her hat and not even taking particular notice of Shari's surroundings. "I was just playing around on the piano again, hoping that there's some tiny bit of muscle memory left from my piano lessons as a kid, but it might be a lost cause. I should just go buy myself a guitar, what do you think? I mean, when else am I going to be able to-" Only then does she realize that Shari isn't moving from the doorway for a reason. "Oh." She manages not to laugh, or even smirk, but she still can't entirely keep her amusement off her face. "Okay, so are we agreed on no tongue?"

[broken_brushes]

"Oh, go ahead," I huffed out with a roll of my eyes. "Laugh. Get it out." I'd really like to paint myself as the milk of human kindness, but the truth was I'd probably do the same were our positions reversed. "And yes, I think we can agree to avoid tongue, thank you."

Truthfully, I was glad it was Jess who had stumbled upon me first. There were many less comfortable options. With Jess, I at least knew it would get over quickly and with a minimum of fuss.

[off_the_ceiling]

"Although I should tell you, I have it on good authority that I'm an excellent kisser," said Jess, leaning in and giving Shari a quick peck on the lips, just enough to free her from the local plant life. "You might have just missed your chance at untold bliss."

[broken_brushes]

"Or an audience. I'm pretty sure there's a betting pool on whether or not we're secretly getting it on," I replied as I hopped gratefully down from the stoop and let the heavy door swing shut behind me.

"Thanks for the rescue. And sorry I'm not gay for you. I'm pretty sure life would be about a million times easier for me if I was."

[off_the_ceiling]

"Yeah, tell me about it," said Jess, adjusting her hat yet again. The damn things never seemed to sit right on her. "It would save a lot of time and effort, huh? But anyway, about the guitar. Do you think I should buy myself one for kicks from one of these shops? Or a mandolin, I bet I could totally buy a mandolin somewhere. Would you think I was less cool if I played the mandolin?"

[broken_brushes]

"I am pretty sure I would think you more cool if you played a mandolin," I replied with a grin. "Didn't the Beatles use them in their super hippie phase? That automatically makes them cool. Just don't cry when London's gone and your mandolin with it."

There was the slim possibility that we'd get to keep the things we picked up in the shops (Excuse me, shoppes) there, but I doubted it.

[off_the_ceiling]

"Everyone else will probably cry with relief," said Jess. "I'm going to do it. I'm totally going to do it. And it's going to be awesome."

[broken_brushes]

"Practice is practice," I allowed with a shrug. As long as Jess didn't keep me up at night plucking at her fancy Victorian mandolin, it seemed like a good enough idea to me.

"Let's go see what we can find," I added, and looped my arm through hers.