KASE IN SPACE

sat cross-legged on a beach towel, daisy had music playing softly on their phone, a book on their lap, and their eyes closed as they took in the sun. it wasn’t hot enough to be wearing a bikini top, but they couldn’t have cared less — the sun was out, and that was all that mattered. at the sound of footsteps, they cracked an eye open. “you wanna come sit? it’s the nicest spot in campus, i’m not even lying, it’s so good i’d feel bad if i didn’t share.” @radopens​

“You like?” In what was probably the world’s worst Borat impression, Leo held a handful of knock-off crystals towards the other, “I got them in Provincetown, wanted my aunt to charge them for me for good luck and all that but she, like. Basically spat in my face. Said my energy was too negative right now. It was the biggest slap in the face, so I’m just gonna fuckin’ do it myself,” Hesitating for a few seconds - mostly, because he realized he didn’t actually have a clue what he was doing - Leo eventually inhaled deeply, before blowing on the crystals for a prolonged amount of time. Satisfied, he lifted one so that he could press a kiss to the smooth exterior, holding it up close to his counterpart’s face in invitation, “Okay - your turn.” @radopens​

Ainsley guided Kasey over so that they were both sitting on the edge of the bed, settling in for whatever was about to be discussed. “What happened?” She tried to keep her face still— the brunette had been told on numerous occasions that you could read all of her emotions on a matter the second somebody said anything, a trait she’d inherited from her mother. But this moment wasn’t about how Ainsley felt regarding the situation. Kasey already knew that she’d ceased being Marlowe’s biggest fan ages ago, and that this new development seemed unlikely to change that fact. “Tell me everything.”

Scrawled onto the back of a receipt, freshman year.

I love you I love you I love you

A similar receipt, found a year later.

You love you

An unfinished google search, left in a tab on her computer.

“Open relationships”

A crumpled piece of note paper, written in the back of an ethics class instead of notes, sophomore year.

There’s lightning inside me

In lipstick on a mirror, after one night at Splatterhouse.

You make these choices.

Scrawled onto her hand in pen as she doodles circles and lines onto the back of a gifted pretty sketch of herself. Her bed is still warm and unmade. Wildflowers wilt on her desk.

We can still be friends

Written with a stick into warm sand on a moonlit beach, long after Sage and the rest of Rhode Island has finally fallen asleep.

a sigh of relief left him as he felt her embrace  —  no matter how numb his body was, sage could always feel her warmth. unbeknownst to himself, hands were  ice,  circulation on the backburner while under the influence. he won’t respond to her question, too focused on gaining stability at the foot of her mattress. though his attempts were futile, and he collapsed on his back, gazing up at the girl through half-lidded hues.  “  don’t tell on me.  ”  he pleaded, syllables jamming together, feeling funny in his mouth.  “  i’ll disappear forever.  ”  nonsense spilled past his teeth, the product of the unnamed prescription the male had regretfully taken on a whim after making his usual rounds at the local bars. the emptiness of his bedroom threatened to swallow him up if he didn’t do  something,  and plus the alcohol in his stomach had been lonely.  “  it’s swimming inside of me.  ”  sage spoke matter-of-factly, as if she knew what he was talking about.

          in the matter of a few seconds, as long as it took kasey to unclothe and reach the sea, he’d convinced himself that the ocean was a portal. to what exactly, sage was unsure, but an unrealistic piece of him  ached  at the idea of losing the girl inside another dimension. he abandoned the rest of his clothes in a heap before joining her, losing track of the moments before the frigid water engulfed him. kasey was the moon as he swam towards her, pale locks slicked back and shining brighter than the real thing that hung in the sky.

          he spat out water, cringing at the saltier than normal taste.  “  do you think the moon knows how to swim  ?  ”  he was only a few feet from her now, but it still felt too far. instincts had him ducking underwater for just a moment, and though he couldn’t see anything through the murky blue, he insisted that the ocean was speaking to him. this was what it felt like to float in space, he thought, coming back up for air after what felt like ages despite how brief of a time it actually was. fingers unsuccessfully wiped droplets from his eyes.  “  you look like her.  ”  more spitting.  “  the moon, i mean. —and eminem, kinda. i don’t know why.  ”  sage snorted, coughing on some water as he laughed.

She allowed herself to sink under the surface of the water, closing her eyes as her head dunked under-- plunged into an ice bath. The previous fuzziness of her drunkenness stole away for something sharper, there were no soft edges to her vision anymore. When Kasey emerged, Sage was there, only a few feet away. He wasn’t close enough to touch, and she swam closer, pushing wide strokes with slender arms as pale as knives. “I think the moon knows how to float. She’d never dive, though. Too elegant.”

With all of the things she’d packed into her bag, you’d think Ainsley was getting ready to go on an overnight excursion through the wilderness rather than spending a few hours bopping around Provincetown with Kasey. But Ainsley liked to be prepared, and she knew her friend well enough to know that she had to be prepared— the likelihood of them sticking to their original plan, or any single plan at all, was slim to none. And when Ainsley actually saw Kasey after the blonde opened her door, all plans went flying out the window. “Yeah, we can get ice cream,” Ainsley replied. Her features were pulled into a frown, at odds with the smile Kasey was clearly faking. “But first,” the brunette continued, taking a step into Kasey’s room and shutting the door behind them, “tell me what’s wrong.”

↳ INSTAGRAM: @KASEINSPACE UPLOADED A PHOTO 3 MINUTES AGO FROM PROVIDENCE, RI

there’s a new moon in two days called the flower moon 🌼

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his feet are propped up against the back of the seat in front of him, gently so as not to disturb the person sitting in it. there’s a book open on his lap, though he’s paused reading for a moment, a hand in the middle of its pages serving as a temporary bookmark as he sneaks a look at whatever it is kasey is playing. they’re sharing one set of headphones, and he’s never heard this song before but he thinks he likes it. the bus catches momentarily on a pothole and his book falls out of his lap; he picks it up again and sets it down beside him, not particularly caring about relocating his place just yet. the view out the window is more interesting to him right now. so is kasey’s game. @kaseywallaces

           chilled ocean wind would’ve knocked the air right out of him if it weren’t for the fact that he was  floating.  flashback an hour and a half prior, the pair had shared a few tabs, courtesy of one of the provincetown locals. sage hadn’t imagined it would hit him this hard, but he definitely wasn’t mad about it either. warm sensations  (  comparable to the bliss of listening to some nostalgic guitar  )  buzzed in his whole body as he stared out at the vast sea before him, calm as it was alluring. he couldn’t quite remember when, but at some point they’d gone on a walk, ending up on the beach. the end of the world itself sprawling on forever in front of them. sun setting on the horizon made it feel like a picture had been painted for just the two of them, sage and kasey, to live in for a little while.

          without explanation, sage yanked his shirt over his head and abandoned it in the sand. followed by a quick motion as he removed the band from his hair, dark locks a mess cascading past his shoulders.  “  we’re going swimming.  ”  he looked over at the girl for a reaction, but mostly found himself transfixed with the shape of her face. childlike laughter fell from him.  “  right now. i’m pretty sure we  gotta..  ”  sage began fumbling with his belt next.  @kaseywallaces

She was drunker than she’d been in a while-- pale cheeks were ruddy with warmth, even the tips of her fingertips felt as though they held sparks in them, or stars. They’d found their way to the beach and Kasey had lost her shoes somewhere in the sand, each step sinking into the ground, still warmed from that afternoon’s sun. Sage started to laugh and the sound pealed over the beach, softened by the rush of waves. It in turn made her fall into a series of giggles, nodding when he spoke. Dark hair glinted blue in the brightness of the moon, and her own fell over her shoulders like silver strands. He looked at her and her smile bent mischievously, nodding in agreement. “Race you.”

dominic: good :) we'll check the pockets just in case

dominic: i'd love that kase

dominic: it's pencilled in 100%. we'll get ice cream after. jack can pay

kasey: i'll be ready to come over in 20!!!!

kasey: just need to find my laundry bag

kasey: if he's paying we're also getting lunch 😈

dominic: nah bring it on over to perkins, we can wash it here

dominic: abel will be fine

dominic: yea! i'll bring it on over too

dominic: also don't forget to set aside tuesday morning....me you and jack are going to hit the beach 🏖

kasey: i haven't painted lately so there won't be any accidents 🙏

kasey: i'll bring my switch i want to show you my new villagers

kasey: omg really???

dominic: i'm sorry kase ):

dominic: yea he's pretty cool

dominic: how much laundry?

dominic: i can help out

dominic: yea! i got everything good to go. i just need to double check my list and then i'll be golden

dominic: i can also help you pack after my shift

kasey: it's pretty bad i'm gonna go to the laundromat

kasey: so i don't take up all the washers again

kasey: i thought abel was going to pop a blood vessel when i forgot a tube of paint in one of my pockets that one time :/

kasey: you made a list????