Kick Back and Keep It Mellow.

Balo: I feel like everyone will get jealous if I hide by the birthday girl all night, I'm sure everyone will want to see you too.

Balo: But I'll be there, okay? And I know I don't have to get you anything - I want to get you something. You're my friend, friends get friends good gifts for their birthdays.

Bay: Already told you -- you, by my side, all night...

Bay: That's the best gift.

Bay: And if people get jealous, we'll just let them be jealous.

Bay: About time people actually recognized us as the hot stuff we are, right?

Bay: So, I'll see you later, then.

[Bay is typing...]

WARREN: for a second i thought this text's purpose was so everyone would congratulate you grandma

WARREN: you had me at jello shots

WARREN: i don't know... kind of seems like an invite

WARREN: and kind of want to see how you'd make someone sorry they were born in the first place

Bay: I mean, in some ways, it is??

Bay: Surviving until I'm 25, that's a fuckin miracle

Bay: Don't tell me it isn't

Bay: Ahh, see. I keep forgetting you didn't know me when I was a kid...

Bay: Only two people in this town really did.

Bay: Let's just say, I can pack my own punch.

Balo: I'll try to come out tonight but I've heard enough about the last party I missed for me to actually have to think about it. I'll try to at least swing by long enough to steal a hug and give you your gift.

Balo: You like art, right? Like if I draw something for you, it wouldn't be a bad thing?

Balo: I'll probably try to get you something else too but I've been meaning to draw Lucky for a while.

Bay: Just hang out by my side, then.

Bay: I'll protect you.

Bay: Promise.

Natalia: happy birthday!!!

Natalia: can i still come if i don’t have any alcohol?

Natalia: considering i can’t exactly buy it

Bay: thanks, Mitchell 😝

Bay: lmao yes of course you can come

Bay ( @baynotbayley )

Ches didn’t really think it should technically count as breaking and entering, the lock on Bay’s front door was pitifully easy to pick and she had a cake. If anyone broke in her home with cake and didn’t do anything bad, Ches wouldn’t be mad herself. Plus it was Bay, her favorite girl and the owner of the true love of her life - Lucky. “Anybody home? Come on, you have to be home. I didn’t break in with cake just for you to not be home.” She hollers as she sets the cake on the kitchen counter. “Bay.” She whines as if it would just make her friend appear.

The familiar clink of a collar meets her ears and she quickly kneels down to pet the golden retriever who came to greet her. “Well if it isn’t the love of my life, my Lucky boy. You’re not working, right? Because as much as I love you, you better not have left my favorite girl while on duty.” She kisses the top of the dogs head as she showers him with affection, glancing up occasionally in hopes of seeing Bay herself.

After all, she was truly here for the birthday girl.

Bay’s likes her new digs, for the most part.

The company could be better -- most of them seem to be keeping to themselves at this point, and Bay’s already missing Ches and Isabel and Sammy more than she thought she would -- but the mansion is HUGE, the room she’s claimed is nice, and Lucky seems to be enjoying the extra space, so Bay hasn’t found much of a reason to complain.

And she doesn’t really mind the quiet, especially this morning, when all she really wants is to be curled up with Harry Potter.

And cake.

Why does she smell cake?

Bay looks up from her book and is surprised to see that Lucky is not beside her anymore, and the door to her room is further open than before. She makes her way out of bed, heading out into the lavish hallway, following the aroma but also calling Lucky’s name simultaneously.

But when she hears that familiar voice, Bay can’t help but walk a little quicker in that direction.

Isabel: Modest and genuine

Isabel: My two most prominent traits obvi

Bay: OBVIOUSLY

Isabel: Do we even have any chickens or goats left in town?

Isabel: JUST BC YOU'VE NEVER TRIED DOESN'T MEAN IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN

Isabel: It usually works when I'm home smh

Isabel: You forgot stunning

Isabel: And gorgeous, beautiful, breathtaking, talented

Bay: Modest too.

Isabel: We live in a time of trade apparently

Isabel: It's not my fault your ceiling was too low smh

Isabel: You better be excited!!

Isabel: I don't just do this for anyone

Bay: That we do

Bay: Here's hoping that the first marriage of this "new West Ham" isn't because some idiot offered some other idiot some chickens and two goats

Bay: ISABEL ELVIRA MONTES-MARINHO

Bay: QUESADILLAS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE FLIPPED IN THE AIR

Bay: THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING AS PANCAKES OR PIZZA DOUGH

Bay: Smfh

Bay: You're so lucky you're hot

Isabel: Pls give me some credit

Isabel: I can at least cook a quesadilla

Isabel: Too bad I won't tell you bc I'm a woman of MANY surprises

Bay: ...can't. Credit is a thing of the past babe

Bay: We live in a no-card time now

Bay: Also, tell that to the ceiling in the kitchen of the Delta household

Bay: lol sure

Balo: Do you have a birthday wish list? I didn't realize your birthday was coming up or I probably would have gotten you something already. I'm sorry I didn't account for it sooner!

Balo: I'll start brainstorming gift ideas but I also want to wish you a happy birthday, Bay! I hope it's an absolutely amazing day because that's what you deserve!

Bay: no wishlist, just hoping you'll come out tonight

Isabel: I highly doubt you'd want to eat something I make but if that's what you want...

Isabel: But seriously, other than food poisoning, I'm sure I can find an impeccable gift to surpass hers

Isabel: Consider today a day full of numerous, never-ending bribes

Bay: Dear fucking lord please don't cook something

Bay: Our lives are already a sci-fi movie in the making, please don't make them like Happy Death Day too.

Isabel: Does this mean I'm obligated to bring a bottle for the birthday girl?

Isabel: But also, would anyone REALLY be down to party after the last one

Bay: Depends on if you want to bribe my love with alcohol or not

Bay: I would understand if your options for birthday presents are limited atm tho

Bay: That being said, Ches brought me a whole fucking cake this morning, so...

Bay: Alright losers.

Bay: The time is now 10:57 pm which means I have officially turned 25

Bay: And as your official town elder I request your presence for a party, in my honor, starting in a half an hour on the green.

Bay: Jello shots will be provided, but otherwise BYOB

Bay: Be there or be square.

“Well hi puppy, what’re you doing here.”

“Hey...j-just a PSA -- when...when a dog’s wearing a vest like that, it’s just....it’s probably best not to touch...” Bay’s sentence is broken into phrases by heavy breaths, which makes senses when one considers the fact that she just crossed the entire green at a rather quick pace to make sure Lucky was okay.

Which, of course, he is -- despite bolting away from her with a series of growls just a minute before, the dog actually seems quite content now, tail wagging and tongue hanging out of his mouth happily as he looks up at the other blonde.

“That being said, though...thanks, for being in the right place at the right time. Don’t know how far he would’ve gotten if you hadn’t been standing right there.

“i think the plan is to NOT have a plan.” gwen admits, with a small laugh, looking over at the blonde in question. “just to kind of… mind our own business whilst everybody else does their.. political thing.” she shrugs. the factions are a BAD IDEA in gwen’s opinion. “there’s an extra bed at the place, last time i checked.” she tells the girl. “if you genuinely want to come, you can. it’d be good, actually, to ALL stay in one house together. save supplies, electricity, and water. just to be SAFE.”

“No plan. We can get behind that -- right, boyo?” she turns her head down to Lucky, whose tail wags enthusiastically when he realizes that Bay is addressing him, which only widens Bay’s smile.

Though the last few weeks had certainly been abnormal to say the least, Bay seemed to fair better than the majority of the West Ham citizens in her age group. The rest of the town was still somewhat in mourning -- which certainly made sense, Bay wasn’t going to shame anyone for that -- but the sting of familial losses Bay herself had suffered had lessened significantly with the passage of time.

 And there was only so much alone time Bay could take.

“Sammy’s mostly been hanging out with his frat friends, anyway,” she continued, “so we’ve been a little bored in the house by ourselves.”

“ — look, i’m sure it’s a GREAT IDEA for some, but ‘with great power, comes great responsibility.’ and i don’t really want any PART of that. call me SWITZERLAND.” gwen said, honestly, with a shrug of her shoulders. “nobody should be in charge. we’re all KIDS basically, for fuck’s sake.” she laughs, thinking back to the meeting and sobering up slightly. “anyways. i appreciate your offer- but… i’ve heard about a safe house up in the hills. so.. i think i might, maybe, move there for now?” she chews her lip, hoisting her backpack up on her shoulder. “until everything settles down. seems SAFE. civil. diplomatic.” all of gwen’s FAVOURITE things.

“Safe house in the hills? Count me in.”

Gwen hadn’t been talking to her, of course, but that wasn’t going to stop Bay from butting in -- especially not when the other had vocalized a thought the blonde had been mulling over for a few days now.

She sits herself down next to Gwen with a cheeky smile on her face, Lucky settling right behind her.