we said our dreams will carry us

There’s a twisting in her gut at his question, a valid assumption to make that a week or two would be the longest she’d go without telling him something. Especially something as major as this. But no, that wasn’t the answer like Nibs is expecting it to be. She can’t help the frown that forms on her lips and the way her eyes dart down to her hands and remain glued there as she confesses the real truth. “More like a couple years…” she trails off, wanting to keep it at just that but knowing even just saying a ‘couple’ years is still inaccurate. “And by a couple I mean like… six-ish…” It felt wrong admitting to that, just as wrong as it had felt to keep the whole thing a secret from him in the first place (even though it had been Tink’s idea and insistence that nobody knew - but whatever, that was just a technicality), and she can just hope that this isn’t going to change anything about their friendship.

Hearing that the secret was kept for a couple years had him sit up, Nibs had figured that this had to have been a big secret and one that he really should be more awake to hear. Six years though, that long of a time was something else entirely, he couldn't even think of doing anything for six years. "Okay, that—okay." It took a couple more 'okays' to really process how much time this was kept from him, not even worried yet about the secret itself. There wasn't anger that she'd kept something from him for so long, just confusion. But regardless of what that secret could be, he just wanted to be there for Tink who thought now was the right time to share. "Six years is lowkey wild but we all keep secrets sometimes. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not even that bad." He reassured her with a small smile and a hand on her shoulder, "Just tell me already, the suspense is literally killing me."

closed starter for @bravestboy location: lost boy's house - day after sharpay's friendsgiving

He wasn't even that tired that he couldn't be bothered to stay awake, he just enjoyed how cozy he already was and didn't want to get up just yet. But for Tink he could make an exception. His arms stretched out before crossing under his chin to help lift his head as he laid flat on his stomach, The words Tink announced were finally catching up to his mind. "How long are we talking about here? Like a couple weeks?" It was a natural inquiry to try and figure out how long she managed to keep a secret from him. Usually she told him just about everything and he did the same, secrets simply weren't a thing kept from the other. He didn't want to jump to conclusions but he figured if Tink was keeping something from him then it was either so small she could've forgotten about it or so big that she didn't want anyone to know. He hoped it wasn't the latter but all he could do now was wait to hear what she finally wanted to share with him.

who: @bravestboy where: flo's diner

‘Don’t speak to the bitch’ were Tink’s exact instructions for when the lost boys ever came into contact with Shelly. Whatever feud was going on between the two girls was something he didn’t question, yet Nibs was willing to carry out the same anger harbored towards Tink’s nemesis despite never having been personally done wrong by her. And Nibs was very close to accomplishing this simple request had it not been for the fact that he was being brought into a conversation about his work which he always had to indulge in even if it was just bait. He held off for as long as he could before feeling the need to clarify what he was working on, “It’s gonna be a movie musical.” That’s all he wanted to say, he was fairly certain he shouldn’t say anything more at the risk of having to explain to one of his best friends why he was speaking to her enemy. He looked straight ahead, even through her claim that he’d get more famous. The idea of that happening was nice, indulging in the fantasy of it was easy to do but he’d never let it happen under the conditions she implied, “I don’t think fame is gonna get to my head, all the people I need will be right beside me when my career skyrockets.”

closed starter for @bravestboy location: engagement party

“I kind of don’t get why you’d want to leave all this behind,” Nibs stated, already getting in the spirit of what she was saying by stuffing his face with as many treats as he could find. “Shouldn’t we be, like, striving for these privileges?” He posed the question he’d been sitting on for a bit, thinking that if anyone were the right person to ask, it would be Tyla. She knew what it was like to grow up in a wealthy family so she had experience, but he also didn’t want to discredit any encounters she’d had that made her grow distasteful of the scene they now found themselves in.

Wendy didn't quite know exactly where to start with Nibs: there were the matters of Peter and Phil, respectively, though each boy had their own nuances that held her back from being able to fully commit to either of them. She was truly stuck, though Nibs knew Phil better than any of their other friends, which was precisely why she needed his advice rather than anyone else's. While Peter had been quick to tell her to. move on and forget about him, there was something about Phil she couldn't quite let go of yet.

Nibs only nodded along, with his hopes for a lighter topic than whatever romantic conundrum his friends had gotten themselves into, completely dissipated. He’d found himself in a remarkable situation, having heard accounts of what happened that night from three separate points of view. The timeline cleared itself up and now he was dealing with yet another friend’s turmoil. The man was strangely at the center of it all, now having each friend involved in some way so it makes sense that they’d all gone to him. He had to remind himself of this when he thought of complaining that he didn’t want to get into everyone’s love lives. It’s not that he didn’t want to help, he just wanted to talk about anything else. Still, Nibs was going to talk it out with each friend with a smile on his face because he was nice and figured the quicker this all got dealt with, the sooner things could go back to normal.

Peter nonchalantly shrugged, unconvinced by Nibs' attempt to consider. There was absolutely no chance that would be happening — of that, he was certain. Observing Nibs closely, Peter sensed a subtle difference in his demeanor today, meeting his gaze and tilting his head as if searching for something. After another casual shrug and a clap of his hands, Peter dismissed the matter with ease, not thinking too much of it. "No," he responded promptly, a smile playing on his face as he effortlessly brushed off any attempts to bring Phil closer into their lives. Peter wasn't one to overthink, and he believed his words settled the matter definitively.

The dismissive nature of Peter's answer told Nibs all he needed to know, in that nothing would change his answer. As much as he could question his friend's authority on everything, it wouldn't matter in the eyes of someone who'd been given the right to do so after years of compliancy. Nibs quickly sighed as he took note of this. This all came back to Phil anyway, it was strange to think Peter could easily reject someone that was actually fun while he still invited people like Pacifica to parties. Nibs was starting to thread together exactly why he had a problem with Wendy's date specifically but he wanted the other to admit it. "You hate Phil, why?"

~timeskip~

Late-night calls from Tink weren’t so much of a surprise to him, they weren’t planned but they weren’t unwelcome in the slightest. Though this one, in particular, happened to spring up on him without warning more than usual, given it was the night after a big event, he’d figured she’d be too tired to talk. His groggy mind still under some amount of drowsiness was surely woken right up as he heard her voice on the other end of the phone call. He could already tell something was wrong, someone doesn’t spend as much time as one does with a friend as they do without knowing when the other is in distress. It was clear from her tone and words unsaid that something happened tonight, it didn’t take much convincing for Nibs to agree to meet with her.

who: wendy & @bravestboy where: the darling house

It’s not that he ever felt uncomfortable around Wendy that it may have led to them not socializing as much, but more so that they had a mutual acquaintance who wasn’t exactly fond of Wendy that possibly divided them more than necessary. Nibs liked to think of himself as a neutral party in this situation but if he’d really stuck to that self-appointed label then he would know it wasn’t wise to interact with one of the sides more than the other. Regardless, he’d never been swayed by anything Tink might’ve said about her, in fact, he was one to shut down anything that could’ve been too nasty for anyone else’s ears.

"Cool, cool, cool," Peter nodded, his feet pacing around the room as his thoughts raced. The realization hit him that Phil might actually be good for Wendy, which meant, in reality, this man was competition. "I know," he answered, almost defensively. As Peter sat, he sighed deeply. So much had happened last night, and a part of him wanted to run away from it all. Feelings, with all their complications, were precisely what he wanted to avoid. This is why he wanted none of it. "He's not gonna be a Lost Boy though, that's an order," he immediately straightened up, making it clear to everyone that Peter wasn't going to recruit anyone soon, especially not the guy Wendy was having fun with.

“I thought that was more of a group discussion.” His comment wasn’t even meant to be taken seriously but seeing how quickly Peter shot it down made him feel like he wasn’t being heard out. It was the norm to go with what his friend had to say, a lot of Nibs’ actions, in fact, were dictated by his friend. However, Nibs didn’t exactly feel like blindly following his friend’s words at this time in particular. Especially when it came as a clear personal vendetta against Wendy’s date last night. “Gotta give the guy a chance, Pete, it’s not like any of us could like him more than you.” It wasn’t like him to be as mean-spirited as he was being but that potion from last night had a way of bringing out the worst in someone and right now, that meant having an attitude with someone he would never consider addressing as such.

Though she rolled her eyes at his remark, Tink wasn’t even going to deny it, considering it was the exact same thing she would have said if the situation had been reversed. “You already know I’m halfway in love with you. Don’t fish for compliments,” she jokes before turning her attention up to the sky and thinking over the questions he asked regarding her actual newfound crush. Why was it so bad liking Callan? He was great and they had a blast every time they hung out together. On paper he was exactly her type and things should be perfect but…. There was always just that one thing that got in the way. “Because Peter.” Really she felt like that was all that needed to be said but figured Nibs would likely ask for more of an explanation than just simply stating Peter’s name. “Because I still love him. And I don’t know how to get over him. I don’t know if I even want to get over him. It’s pathetic, still hanging on to this for so long but then… what if as soon as I decide to let it go, he’s ready?” Because in Tink’s mind that was the main thing that kept the two of them apart, the simple fact that Peter didn’t want anything romantic in his life yet.

"You'd really be willing to wait forever for him?" Having known about Tink’s feelings for their mutual friend, he felt it was best to not get in the middle of it all. Nibs really didn’t want to complicate things so he remained silent and let everything ride out on its own, wanting only the best for both of his friends. However, things lent themselves to complexity only as the years passed by as feelings only grew and more people got caught in the mix. Nibs’ bystander role was now finding itself to be biased in Tink’s favor, seeing as how close they were to one another. This mainly affected how key her happiness was in this scenario, it pained him over how much agony this love situation could cause her. “Peter's the greatest, makes complete sense how anyone could be hung up on him." He took a pause before having to be straightforward in how he saw this. "But I feel like you're asking a lot out of a guy who can't take a hint. Love the guy but he's basically clueless." Nibs was more of a 'take action' kind of person, which is probably what lead to this piece of advice: "Nothing is going to happen if nothing happens, d'you get what I'm saying?"

Alice the wallflower had almost planted roots by the time she was approached and asked to dance—or rather, asked to show him how to dance. She considered herself content to stand by and watch others as she let her imagination drift, inventing stories about the lives of those passing by to entertain herself, but she couldn’t deny a direct invitation to join in the festivities. Particularly when the young gentleman was asking for a favor. She never could resist following a well-dressed rabbit anyhow. “Not at all! I’m sure I could teach you the waltz in only a minute. It’s a simple box step,” she answered, offering her hand for him to lead her out onto the floor. Loath as she was to admit that her parents had been right about anything, it seemed the cotillion lesions she had dreaded in her youth were finally coming in handy as she was now putting that knowledge to use in real life. If only because this masquerade ball was a much more formal affair than many other parties of the day. “You know, it would be proper etiquette to introduce ourselves to our partner before dancing. I’m Alice.”

The grin on Nib's face only grew as he directed her to the dance floor. He found himself to be extremely fortunate that she’d agreed to teach him, his plans might’ve involved simply leaving the event all together if she’d said no. His attention was mainly directed to his feet making sure not to step on hers, but every so often he found the pleasure of stealing glances at her. “Sorry about that, I’ve never been to anything this fancy before. I should’ve brushed up on my manners on my way here.” His face briefly reddened at the sudden embarrassment but he quickly moved on, only wanting to learn from this moment for future reference. “It’s very nice to meet you, Alice. I’m Nibs, or — well, my friends call me Nibs. Full name’s Nicholas but you can call me Nibs, or whatever else you want to call me by.” Truly anything she'd wished to name him was alright with him, if she wanted to title him after the rabbit mask he wore then he would proudly accept it as long as she kept talking to him. "Does everyone grow up knowing how to do the waltz or are me and my friends just different?"

//closed starter //lottie's party @bravestboy

Waking up the day after the halloween party was rough to say the least. Thankfully, Nibs had the smart idea of filling up a flask with the drink he’d enjoyed so much from last night. A couple sips already helped him feel like a functioning person again. That being said, he was still feeling weird after having to comfort Tink last night. He knew it could be a messy situation getting her feelings into mix with their mutual friend but he’d never expected that Peter could hurt her that badly.

closed starter for @bravestboy location: lost boys' apartment

From the screams, Nibs could tell he should be preparing for some news and getting comfortable to chat about something for a while. He’d laid on his side, ready for her to say what she had in mind. “Aw, you’re finally admitting you’re in love with me,” he teased, hoping it would bring some levity. There was something stressful when it came to the discussion of boys in Tink’s life, it probably stemmed from the fact that he knew more than anyone else about her feelings. It was a tough job to keep, especially when it involved one of their close friends but Nibs held the secret close to him as to not make things messy. “I get the sense that you don’t like this happening. Why? What’s so bad about liking this one?”