❞i’m a damsel. i’m in distress. i can handle this.

“oh no, i know there’s nothing wrong with it…” webby answered with a shrug. mostly, it was the part of whether or not she should be as hyper what concerned her, but heck, if she didn’t put herself out there, she would never find new friends, and that was something she promised to granny she would do if she left. “do you have anything to do right now? i could show you how to make any burger the most amazing, ever.”

with her offer meg knew she should say no, it went against her whole don’t make friends rule to follow the girl and get food with her. she really should say no, and yet. she could reason it easy in her head, she felt guilty for being a little mean, and she was curious at what this girl had in mind. “sure, why not?”

meg tried to stay away from people, protect herself from the risk of getting hurt again, the sting of betrayal filling her veins like a poison that had never quite left her system despite her survival of it. if anything she adapted to the poison, it becoming a venom inside of her, turning the flower into a snake. she had to protect herself, but now a part of her wanted to protect the other girl. she seemed so innocent, so naive. it made her sad almost, how sweet the girl was in such a cruel world that didn’t deserve it. she would learn that eventually, and meg knew how heartbreaking it would be to see that fire for kindness in the girl simmer down into nothing from the capriciousness of how quickly the world could change. she wasn’t sure if she wanted to keep her light and hopeful or help her harden and toughen up, neither seeming like a good choice. “hey, what you up to?” she questioned the girl, trying to be amiable in the best way she could.

to be alone, was one of oswald’s biggest dreads. never one for friends, or lasting relationships, no matter how badly he wanted them, he always feared that he would end up forgotten and alone. so small interactions like this were what kept him sustained, and away from that fear. “that is true, thought she might just unhinge her jaw and swallow him whole,” he smiled at her, chuckle rocking his shoulders. “meghan, diminutive of margaret, which comes from the latin word margarita, which means pearl in greek,” he let go of her hand, suddenly worried he might have rambled on too long.

meg’s ideal world was being alone, no chance to be hurt or abandoned, no chance to feel the way she did once before. that’s what she told herself at least, that that was what she wanted, but deep down she knew it wasn’t true. they say being alone could drive someone insane, that it’s the worst form of torture, and she wasn’t free from that. she knew she needed human interaction, craved it, so she found excuses to find it without admitting to herself that it was what she wanted. “maybe she’s some kind of monster luring him in and she actually will swallow him whole, ever think of that?” she questioned, having gained a recent appreciation for horror movies in her alone years. “i’m from greece so you’re not too far off. i have no idea what oswald means so i can’t give you your little fun fact in return, but since you know random names meanings off the top of your head i’m sure you wouldn’t need me telling you yours.”

“that’s the secret, cap. i’m always tired.” he was completely honest in saying so. louie’s second love, after money of course, was sleep. he wasn’t just physically tired, but mentally drained constantly too, far too simple of a person to deal with the complex thoughts and adventures of those he grew up around “shit, i mean… i didn’t mean you pay for them.” and of course, his foot met his mouth. again and again. the charm really wore off if anyone got to know him for more than a few minutes “it’s fine if you did. not that i think that. but it’d be fine.”

meghan had never been the superhero movie type and had successfully avoided them at all costs, so his little reference garnered nothing but a eyebrow furrow and look of confusion mixed with annoyance on her face. “i didn’t pay for them, but either way saying that shit will either make you come off an asshole or an idiot, neither of which are good. so word of advice, i wouldn’t say that shit to anyone really.”

shame wasn’t very present in hell’s life as of late. new place, new people, new feelings. she was having fun, even at the expense of her own pride. and it felt damn good to let go, if she was being honest “there’s not many people here. we’ll figure it out.” she wasn’t exactly a believer in magic, but she loved looking into shit like that in the dark of their room, phone screen illuminating some bullshit expensive enchantments “there’s this one i read about somewhere that just makes fucking, like, excruciatingly painful.”

she was glad to have met hell, because while she didn’t like to openly admit that anyone was her friend, they both knew hell was. meg was far from the point of trusting or relying on the girl for anything, she wasn’t sure if she could ever do that with anyone but herself at this point, but if she needed some fun hell was always the girl to go to. “we’ll just have to harass everyone, make sure they all get the message.” she wouldn’t mind that too much, it was needed. “yeah, i think that’s just called an std.”

gluing his gaze to the much smaller brunette, henrik took his sweet time to analyze everything about her. from measurements, to posture and makeup; as sure, those things were useful when it came to flirting, but even more so when it came to other tasks. “so what you say your name is again?” the guy exclaimed, circling the other two, or three more times. “remember, gorgeous. i don’t strike deals twice. if you’re in, you gotta tell me now.” // @meghvn​

it was easy for anyone to tower over meg with her small stature, but there was something about this guy that made him seem even taller than he was. an aura of power that almost made her feel smaller than she actually was, almost being the key word. it had been too long since she really let someone make her feel small and insignificant, and she swore she would never let that happen again. “meghan, but you can call me meg.” she wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into, and she could only hope she wouldn’t regret it. “i’m in. what now?”

rachel knew her outlook on life could lead her to trouble. she always saw the good in people even despite her mother’s constant warnings that the world was full of evil and scary things. being in emporia was just helping rachel realize that none of that was true. “no, i never really got to go out at night. my mom usually wanted me home by eight,” she admitted. “i’ve always wanted to go to a nightclub though! have you ever been to one?”

meg couldn’t help the scoff of surprise that left her lips at the girls words, she thought she knew kids with strict parents back home but this was a whole new level. “by eight? that’s insane. how old are you?” she had to question it, just on the weird chance she was some child prodigy that just happened to look a lot older than she really was. “yeah, i have. not as great as the movies make it seem and are really only fun if you go with people you like.”

he had to shake his head. the whole situation was crazy. he didn’t understand the desire for public affection like that. especially with how grotesque it all seemed. even his own loneliness didn’t bring him to wishing that type of slobber. “he really must be going for sainthood. he’s just been working that poor girl over for so long,” he pretended to gag, finally turning back to face the girl. “i’m oswald, by the way,” he held his hand out to shake.

despite her insistence on being alone, she missed little banter like this and shared company that she didn’t completely mind. it was too early to say anything about this guy, if she’d ever even see or speak to him again, but his company was good for the moment. “poor girl? i really don’t think she minds, maybe she’s getting her moneys worth.” she snickered to herself. “i’m meghan.” shaking his hand, a big move for the recluse. 

“they are…” abigail’s voice fell through as she spoke. how weird was it that she really felt excited by something so popular? perhaps that was why people often criticized the mainstream media. she had become basic, and boy did she dread it. “it’s just –– these are new burgers. new town and all… plus, i don’t know that many other food joints here.”

meg felt bad watching the girls face drop, she doesn’t actively try to be mean in her quest to be alone, her cynicism inherently making her snippy and easily provoked. she walked on a thin line of trying to comfort the girl and take back what she said while still maintaining that i’m not someone you want to be friends with vibe. “i mean there’s nothing wrong with that, if you like burgers then good job on finding a place to get some. go crazy.”

if he wasn’t a cocky shit, he’d likely drown in all the ego in his family. not to mention, being the youngest provided louie with a lot of leverage; he didn’t endure much of the pressure huey did or feel ignored like the middle child. he had a pretty good place, he’d say, and if anyone asked louie would probably claim it was because he was clearly the best duck. most clever, most charming, most handsome “the guy deserves it, look at him.” he gestured back toward the window, where he stopped for a moment to flash himself a smile before turning back to her “do you not do that? you should. people pay good money for those lips.”

meg didn’t care for looks, for herself or for others, it just seemed so menial and pointless. she still put effort into herself, but that was more for herself than for anyone else, and she felt far from cocky because of it. he seemed the complete opposite, and unashamed of it. good for him, she supposed, but if anything it just made him less attractive in her eyes. “god, do you ever get tired just looking at yourself?” she teased, but his next comment made her smile drop. “please tell me that was a joke.”

violet had been having a bit of a rough time adjusting to her new living situations, mostly because it wasn’t her room back home. it was a new environment, with entirely new people. it made violet want to shrink into nothing. but meg had been someone who instantly clicked with violet, and that was a rare occurrence. she never really had a lot of friends. but it was nice to have someone. someone who wasn’t jack jack or dash– because she loved them, but god, did she wanna knock their teeth out sometimes. “it’s very easy to get people to not notice me,” violet said, nodding to the headphones and sunglasses. “covering my face with my hair or a book or something helps.”

meg couldn’t help but give violet a peculiar look listening to her, both of them liked to be on their own but there was something almost concerning about violet’s desire to almost disappear. meg was weird herself though, wanting to be left unbothered but rarely doing anything to stop it, and yet she wondered if there was something specific that made violet want to be invisible. “you like to hide, don’t you?” she questioned, her curiosity getting the better of her.

oswald was never very good at interactions. he could play the role and get through that, but just being oswald, never felt quite right. of course if he ever actually went to therapy, he was sure they would call it an acute lack of any type of self esteem. oswald just thought that’s how he was supposed to be. a little broken. “i don’t think he’s very good at his practice, what with all the drool,” he gestured around his mouth. “a kind dentist, but not a good one,”

meg didn’t even look at him long enough to see or process who he was, not that she was ever a big movie person to begin with. growing up in greece she never watched too many american movies, but if she had given him a longer glance she would’ve thought there was something about him that seemed familiar. she scrunched her nose in disgust but couldn’t hold back a small laugh at his comment, finally giving him an actual glance. “maybe that’s what led him to go into dentistry. he always had a drool problem and wanted to offer and help others that suffered the same.”

emporia was great for the youngest duck’s ego. he was so used to being crammed into a boat with his brothers, no one but each other and uncle donald to talk to. now, he really got to let loose… meaning, he had more places to fall asleep in, and more people to fall asleep on. today, he spent time out on the town after work, way more sugar in his system than he was actually allowed to consume on the clock. paused outside of a shop window, he watched his reflection “i’m so pretty, what the f-” hand running through his hair, he caught sight of the other person walking by “you’re pretty, too.” louie added, other hand leaving the pocket of his sweatshirt to give a thumbs up.

meg often went on walks to clear her head, try and forget about everything and just melt into the world around her. she couldn’t stand still, be cooped up in her room with everyone else doing nothing, she had to go out. despite claiming to prefer being alone, and a lot of the time she does, sometimes it gets equally boring being in her own head all the time. she needed some excuse for social interaction while still maintaining that cool i don’t need anyone persona she swore to hold up, and that’s where this perfect idiot came in. “are you seriously just complimenting your reflection?” she questioned, a small smile gracing her face as she held back a laugh.