high art, baby

bia arantes | they/she | genderqueer | hey, you know [ LEAH GIL ]? i’m pretty sure they’re [ 27 ] and have lived here for [ 8 MONTHS ]. they spend most of their time at [ CINDERSAP FOREST ] but also go to [ THE STARDROP SALOON ] a lot. if you ask me, they can be [ CREATIVE ], but also [ SHY ] at times. if you want to get on their good side, give them a [ POPPYSEED MUFFIN ] next time you see them! | maric, 26, he/him, cst

“It’s SO weird! It’s like cous-cous if cous-cous were worse. And cous-cous is already super gross!” Haley exclaimed in obvious disdain, her nose wrinkling up unpleasantly. “I don’t mind black bean burgers, but I have to drown them in sauce or other toppings to mask the texture. It isn’t the best ever.”

“Oh you have the cilantro-soap gene?” she asked. “I always thought Alex was just being dramatic about that - because you know how boys are with greens. So dumb.” She rolled her eyes. “I guess it’s, like, a genetic thing and I should probably apologize to him for making fun of him… but I’m definitely not about to do something like that.” She tugged open the door for them as they got there, letting Leah walk in before her.

“cous-cous is so gross, actually,” leah said, wrinkling their nose with haley. “i can agree with you on that 100%.” leah linked arms with haley and leaned their head on her shoulder. “i will make you black bean burgers. you will love them, and i will be sure to drown them in sauce.”

then, leah nodded. “my dad had it too,” they supplied. then, “don’t apologize to alex. as much as i love the guy, i’m sure it’d go over his head, and he wouldn’t know what you were apologizing for.”

Shane wasn’t particularly having a bad day or in a bad mood for any reason. Being grumpy was just his constant state of being at this point in his life. Usually, someone stopping to talk to him about literally anything, would have just further soured his mood. At first, his expression did fall to an annoyed expression, but it then went back to a more neutral one when they held out the pepper poppers. They definitely had gone out of their way to get these for him, for whatever reason, so the least he could do was be as kind as he could muster up. “Thanks, Leah,” he said with a small nod and very forced closed-mouth smile as accepted the gift. He then shrugged his shoulders, eyes focused on the pepper poppers, “You can do what you want, you’re not bothering me,” he said.

they smiled faintly back at him, happy to at least get something of a smile on his face. the annoyed look had worried the artist just a bit, but it’d all worked out in the end.

“soooooo,” leah started, kicking their legs as they sat next to shane. “done anything fun lately?” leah was probably pushing it at this point, but they didn’t care.

besides, everyone in pelican town had been nice to her. she could be nice too, even if the person she was nice to was a tad grumpy from time to time.

or all the time. still. 

“hey shane! you looked a little down in the dumps today. i brought you some pepper poppers to maybe cheer you up?” leah’d never been a really outgoing person, but they’d always enjoyed giving gifts to other people. art. food. post it notes with words of affirmation? you name it, they’d gifted it. so, pepper poppers seemed well within leah’s league.

When Leah casually defended the quinoa burger, a downright appalled expression crossed Haley’s face. Honestly, how could they? “I mean, sure, I guess it’s sweet, but her health kick shit is so nasty. Why would you take something so yummy and make it… quinoa?” She shuddered, like the thought was genuinely shaking her to her core. “His muffins are super good, but I’m spoiled on the ones Libby’s mom makes now. I’m feeling like maybe a pizza, so if you wanna split one, I got you.”

“yeah. health food isn’t always the best. quinoa has a weird texture to me too. black bean burgers are good though! if you can manage to make them keep their shape. also difficult to do.”

leah pursed their lips, tilting their head to the side. “ok, but i haven’t tried libby’s mom’s muffins yet. i may have to sneak over and swipe some.” leah shoved their hands in their pockets as they walked alongside haley towards the saloon.

"i made frida a little toy," leah said, holding up a little wooden figurine. "it's not the coolest...toy ever, but i made it from scratch."

“Guess what Emily made for lunch. Go ahead, guess.” Haley didn’t give them enough time to guess, bursting out with an answer before they had any chance to speak. “Quinoa burgers. Doesn’t that just make you wanna hurl?” Her eyes rolled melodramatically. “Anyway. Come to the saloon with me to get something more edible to eat. I hate going in there by myself. But I’ll buy you whatever you want to eat to say thanks or whatever.”

leah opens her mouth to answer, prepared to give a decent guess, but she blonde quickly barrels through and responds. leah didn’t mind quinoa burgers. sounded weird, but leah had tried a thousand different food items.