( GHOST IN YOUR HEAD. )

  in this case, it’s snow sculpting. there’s some sort of competition going on, but as satisfying as it would be to win, she’s more concerned with enjoying herself. the problem is.. it’s more difficult than she thought to create the image she has in mind. a butterfly, to be specific.

  she groans, feels her frustration growing when it continues to not go as planned, && turns to see how everyone else is doing. not bad, in her eyes at least. that’s when she decides, pride be damned -- she wants to make something cool, && she needs help to do it.

     ❝ yo -- you have any idea what i’m doing wrong here ? i can’t get this shit to look right. ❞

          Oh. max is suddenly hyper - aware of their closeness, her small burst of confidence dwindling as the seconds drag on. warmth blossoms, making her face tingle and she’s  SURE  there’s an embarrassing amount of red that now tints her cheeks. her eyes momentarily flicker to the side to avoid chloe’s because wowzers, she’s cute and she’s close. it’s silly, really ── they’ve exchange numerous kisses before, so why have her nerves decided to flare up now of all times? and over a silly pocky game, of all things!

you got this, max. this is chloe of all people !! 

❝ well, yeah, i can’t let you show me up on everything. ❞  she retorts, though her averted eyes and rose - tinted cheeks don’t  quite  back up feigned confidence. max draws in a breath and takes a step forward, closing even more distance between their bodies. no going back now! chloe would never let her live it down! she leans forward on her toes so she’s level with chloe, her own hand gently pushing up chloe’s hand and, by extension, the pocky, so it hovers between their lips. 

❝ chloe? you’re supposed to, uh, put it between your lips. and try to eat the most. ❞  max instructs,  ❝i though you would have known that. ❞  she hesitates only a moment longer before she leans her head in, lightly biting down on her half of the pocky stick. she finally looks up to meet chloe’s gaze, an unspoken  ‘ go ’  flickering behind blue hues. 

   IT’S DIFFICULT TO HOLD IN her laughter as she watches emotions flicker across max’s face, gaze averting to signal her own embarrassment in spite of being the one to initiate this game. it isn’t that she thinks max is being funny, but downright adorable. she doesn’t want to ruin the atmosphere though, so she bites her lip to stifle herself.

  as it turns out, she doesn’t have to worry about laughing for long. whether max’s confidence is feigned or not matters little when she gets closer, standing on her tiptoes to reach her height. there’s no ignoring the blush on her cheeks anymore, eyes falling to her girlfriends lips before quickly averting. she only snaps out of it when max speaks up again, lids blinking slowly as she processes what she’s said. it’s her turn to be embarrassed, realizing her earlier attempt at looking cool && nonchalant had about this had completely failed.

           ❝ hey, chloe! come out here a sec’! ❞  she calls from her place in the kitchen after stowing away the rest of the groceries, unsure of her girlfriend’s current location in the apartment and not quite wanting to look for her. she waits, setting her phone down, and grinning slightly at the object in her hands. she’d seen it on social media for years but never had a chance to partake in the little game … so what better way to celebrate the day than with chloe ?? the answer: there is none !!

          as soon as chloe appears in the kitchen, max dangles a stick of pocky in the air. suddenly, she’s feeling a bit … sheepish, about being so forward, but she’s come this far and chloe definitely won’t let her live it down if she backs out now. so she won’t.

         ❝sooo … it’s pocky day. ❞  she smiles a bit, a faint red coloring her cheeks,  ❝and i just happened to get some at the store. how ‘bout it? you up for a little round of the pocky game? ❞

                                                                                            ♥ || @morphoric​

   SHE NEARLY MISSES IT; THE MUFFLED sound of her girlfriends voice calling for her over the blare of rock music from their shared bedroom. hearing her name is enough to bring a smile to her lips, excitement over her return causing her heart to beat a little faster. the magazine she’d been reading from the comfort of their bed is immediately forgotten, tossed somewhere off to the side in favor of rushing to meet her -- wherever the hell she may be, but not without flipping the stereo off first.

   her brief search brings her to the kitchen, bright ceruleans landing on her partner before squinting at the thin object in her hand. curiosity quickly builds within her, fueled by the almost embarrassed expression her partner wears, but her question is answered before she even has the chance to ask it. 

  pocky day ? the name is familiar, but it takes a moment for the meaning behind it to register. when it does, her eyes widen, taken aback by how.. unlike max it is to make a such a bold move. it’s definitely appreciated. her grin radiates mischief, the twinkle in her eye both due to the situation, and max’s presence as a whole.

       ❝ so, you just happened to get some, huh ? ❞ arms fold across her chest, tone light and playful. ❝ i’m beginning to think i must be a good influence on you if you’re starting to pull stuff like this. ❞ she closes the distance between them with a few steps, nonchalantly taking one end of the pocky between her fingers and leaning down slightly, purposefully ignoring the heat rising to her cheeks.

   She may have stolen some goods from a random stall a short while ago, and there may be people looking for her, approaching others to ask about some blue-haired pirate with a bag under her arm. She’s trying her best to blend in with the crowds, but it’s difficult when she’s convinced everyone is after her ‘treasure.’

   What she needs is a crew, or at the very least, a sidekick to aid her in keeping her things safe. When she comes to that realization, she wastes no time in grabbing the person nearest to her, both to pitch him an offer, and to attempt looking natural -- because there are definitely guards nearby.

       ❝ It’s yer lucky day -- how’d you like to join a real, bonafide pirate crew ? Complete with a captain -- yours truly -- an’ this treasure here ! ❞

   This time, however, it’s a little different. Not that she’s aware of it. As per tradition, she’s elected to wear a pirate captain’s costume, complete with sword and even an eyepatch -- both of which are essentially glued to her body, and are very real.

   She’s standing on top of a cider stall, cider in one hand and sword in the other, waving her weapon almost frantically to push anyone back that dares try to get her down. Laughter echoes from the rooftop from none other than herself as more onlookers gather around to see what the commotion is about, some amused, but most annoyed, unable to purchase a drink with her guarding the place.

       ❝ Back ! Back, all of ye scallywags ! Take another step forward an’ ye’ll all be walkin’ the plank or my name isn’t Cap’n Chloe !  ❞

📷 @morphoric 

          they scream at her. they tell her that it’s her fault, she did this to them. did what? max tries to cover her ears, tries to apologize for something she’s not sure of, but nothing works. she’s drowning ; drowning in their profanities and screams and, soon enough, she’s literally drowning. thunder booms ahead and lightning is her only source of light. that is, until, a hand reaches out. max grasps it and instantly, the storm clears. the words hush. chloe stands before her, much to max’s relief. but before max can speak, thank her, chloe has suddenly turned her back and the world is dark. chloe speaks few words: “ you did this, max. my dad dies and you had to go and let mom die, too. just give up, max. you’ll never save me when you keep hurting me like this. ”

max wakes up with a start. she reaches to the other side of the bed, her heart dropping when she finds only a mess of blankets. she blinks away a few stray tears and kicks away her sheets, body enveloped in a cold sweat. just what was that nightmare ? she’s no stranger to them, but ever since she got to the city, they’re different… and her head starts to hurt when she tries to think on them too hard. it’s all just too much. being without chloe on some nights hasn’t helped, though max makes it a point to spend as much time with chloe as possible. max sighs, jumping into a pair of sweats and pulling on a jacket. with complete disregard to her sloppy looks, max slowly makes her way out of the apartment, careful to not make noise that could disturb her roommate. 

she’s pulling out her phone as she walks down the hallway and out of the apartment complex, breathing in the fresh air. right away, she pulls up chloe’s contact. she didn’t want to knock on chloe’s door as to not wake her roommate either, and calling would be useless if chloe is asleep. so, max sends a simple text accompanied with a picture of the tree she finds herself near. 

to: chloe ♥ You awake? I can’t sleep, I’m gonna be hanging around outside and thought you could join me. Up for some late night adventures again? 

with that, max pockets her phone, and waits. she really hopes that chloe is awake and hates that they don’t live together. she… can’t even quite remember how that happened. why? oh well, at the very least, they were finally able to leave arcadia bay. something unsettles her… but she brushes that off as leftover feelings from the nightmare. with another sigh, max finds a bench to wait on, making sure her eyes are clear of tears for when chloe shows up ─ and max has a strong feeling she will. 

       THE NIGHTS DRAG ON LONGER IN THIS CITY. sleep evades her no matter how hard she tries to reach it. it seems as though every time her consciousness begins to drift, she’s startled awake by a feeling she can’t quite discern. she knows it’s partly longing, for the person she cherishes most. they are in the same apartment complex, but they rarely sleep together anymore, and though they still see each other often, that empty space next to her when the quiet becomes too much, when the voices in her head become too loud, leave her missing her partner dearly. 

there is something else as well. a feeling of guilt ( ? ) she can’t shake, the sense that she -- that they, have done something unforgivable, but she doesn’t know what. whenever she does manage to get some sleep, she’s plagued by nightmares that echo these thoughts, that she’s an awful person, and that so long as she lives, she will have to bear the weight of her sin. what sin? what has she done? sure, she wasn’t the BEST person, and she had made plenty of mistakes, but wasn’t deeming her actions sin a bit dramatic?

whatever. it was probably nothing. knowing her and her own innate need to sabotage herself, this was probably just her own subconsciouses way of trying to ruin the happiness she’s finally found. if she continues to ignore it, it’ll stop ( or so she tells herself. )

she’s lying awake yet again, arms crossed behind her head, when her phone buzzes. she doesn’t even have to check the sender to know who it is. a grin shapes her lips as she reads its contents, relieved to have a reason to get out of bed,  before shooting a few texts back.

to: ❤️ super max ❤️ do u even have to ask i’m hella bored laying in this crappy apartment i need a little adventure okay that’s a lie it’s not crappy it’s actually pretty sweet but you’re not here so it sucks b there in 5 hippie

she quickly gathers some of her belongings, slips on her jacket, and quietly exits the door to her apartment to enter the hallway. there’s a bounce in her step as she makes her way towards the apartment complexes entrance, but she’d never admit it. it’s still strange, in the best of ways, how giddy just the thought of spending time with max makes her. it’s a happiness she never thought she could achieve. how cheesy.

once she gets outside, she wastes no time in scanning the area for the tree she’d been sent a picture of. it doesn’t take her long at all to find it opposing a bench with a figure sitting on it. she COULD be mature, she thinks, and announce her arrival the normal way, but that’s not really her style. instead, she silently steps behind the bench, being careful not to step on any leafs, and gently grabs her partners shoulders.

cafe’s weren’t her usual go-to for a pick-me-up treat, but then again, when was the last time she ever had to go out of her way to get coffee? she used to be able to get it from the comfort of her own home with ease. she supposes she still could, if she had the patience to go buy some of the instant kind from the store, but that’ll have to wait until later. she wants it now.

as far as cafe’s go, the cappuccino districts was nice. as soon as she entered, she was hit with the strong scent of freshly brewed drinks, already giving some energy normally, she would go for a plain black coffee, but the heat outside reminded her that a piping hot drink probably wouldn’t be the wisest choice. rather than making her energetic, it would more than likely make her mood worse. instead, she ordered iced coffee -- and thank god she did, because no sooner than it was given to her did she turn around and run directly into someone, spilling the contents of her cup on the both of them.

❝ son of a -- i just paid for that! damnit, serves me right for getting too excited, i guess.. i liked this shirt too, but i think i should call it.. time? you know, like... calling the time of death... for my shirt..

        ..uh, jokes aside -- sorry about that.. i ruined yours too. i can’t pay for your dry cleaning or anything, but i can buy you a coffee if that'll make up for it? i at least have that much cash on me. hopefully i have enough to get me another one too.. ❞

maybe it was a bad idea though, on second thought. they needed somewhere calm to relax, and settle. cappuccino would always be there for them to explore when they were in the mood -- which in chloe’s case, is often, but when she isn’t wandering that district in pursuit of fun, or sitting comfortable in chamomile, lakeview seems to draw her to it. 

with its sunny atmosphere, and the beach nearby, it reminds her of her old hometown. funny, how she misses some aspects of it in spite of wanting to leave for the longest time. not badly enough to even consider returning ( not that she can anyway, ) but enough that she feels nostalgic upon seeing a place so similar.

as she continues along the districts boardwalk, reminiscing about events that didn’t happen too long ago, she suddenly lets out a curse when her foot collides with something on the ground. she barely manages to stop herself from tripping over the object before breathing a sigh of relief and whirling around on her heel... only to see that a person lying there, not an item as she suspected. 

❝ jesus christ, dude -- you almost tripped me! ❞ she exclaims, though she supposes she’s kind of to blame, since she wasn’t watching where she was going, and he was sleeping comfortably off to the side, out of the way of anyone who had been paying attention. 

❝ ugh, i mean -- my bad. i wasn’t really looki-- ❞ she pauses, blinking down at his still form. he hadn’t budge the entire time, despite being kicked and yelled at... could that mean...

❝ shit -- why aren’t you moving? hello? oh fuck me, are you dead?! please tell me you’re not dead, i can’t deal with this shit again! ❞ she’s bent down to his level in an instant, giving a swift slap to his cheek. ❝ WAKE UP! ❞

as if time warping powers and serial killers wasn’t enough, fate or whatever controls these kinds of things, has decided to place her in a city with no recollection of how she arrived. she would probably be panicking -- if she didn’t have max with her. thankfully though, the pair arrived together. well, in the loosest sense.

when she awoke in the city, she was in a room by herself, and immediately assumed the worst -- that she had been drugged, kidnapped, that max was in danger -- or that max had left her behind, but she knew better than that, knew she would never leave her in such a state, or in general. it took her a minute to steady her breathing, but when she did, she reached the conclusion that something else was going on. she’s been drugged before, knew what it felt like to wake up afterward, and she wasn’t experiencing any of it. no lethargy, no sickness, no foggy, vague memories -- no memories at all. the last thing she recalled was driving down the highway with max, but clearly something happened between then and now.

her first instinct was to check her phone, but when she pulled it out of her pocket, she was stunned to realize that while she did have a phone, it wasn’t hers. there was no contact information for anyone, no way to reach max -- aside from searching wherever the hell she was.

a little wandering ( or desperate searching to put it more accurately, ) lead her to the brunette quicker than she imagined it would, and through max’ information, and what she already knew herself, she learned exactly what she expected to -- that this didn’t make any sense, but since when did things ever when it came to them?

to be told that they weren’t going to be sharing rooms ( something she will be complaining about until it’s changed, ) had put a damper on her mood, but she was just relieved to have found max at all. she supposes things could be worse. they were going to try to find a place to settle down anyway, but she had thought they would go on a couple more adventures first. or maybe this is one, for all she knows.

anyway consider this a starter call! i’ll be capping at 2 with castmates exempt and if you’d like to plot, my IM’s are wide open, otherwise i’ll just wing it!

    Calm confidence resume on her face ,  trying not to break into any signs of giving up laughter ;  for that is weakness not to be shown in front of the enemy.  Oh yes ,  Rachel is taking this waaaaaay too seriously  though a smile can be seen from the smirk that turn up the corners of her mouth.

            ❝     A good pun is a bad pun like they say ,  yours is not too bad.    ❞        Arms cross  ‘ pon  chest ,  voice begins to lower every syllable to obtain perfect mimicry of that one wizard.  She’ll be so disappointed if Chloe doesn’t even know what’s this is gonna be about. 

            ❝     Yours is not too bad ,  but with that declass of a joke ?                               YOU SHALL NOT PASS !!    ❞

  ▬▬▬▬▬▬ ｛   @morphopriced . resumed  !

              her eyes go wide, lids blinking repeatedly at the loud declaration. for a moment, she isn’t sure how to react, what to say. she’s positive that’s a reference to something, but what exactly it is escapes her mind. it’s on the tip of her tongue, annoyingly familiar, but still not coming to her. she gives the girl a quizzical look, shoulders shrugging nonchalantly. 

❛ sorry, you totally lost me. what’s that all about? a movie reference...? no, no, a song--dude, i know this, just gimme a second-- ❜ she wracks her brain for any such quote--and it suddenly comes to her. well, sort of. 

❛ oh, wait, i know! the wizard! the guy in that one movie--lord of the.. the... flings. ❜ she finishes lamely, pocketing her hands. she’s not confident that’s the title, but who can blame her? it isn’t as if she’s ever watched the move herself. she’s only heard of it from a few friends who were into that sorta thing--the ones who played dungeons and dragons and whatnot ( which was an admittedly cool game. ) she didn’t expect rachel to be one of them.

( HALLOWEEN’S COME EARLY! // @morphopriced )

          THEY  WERE  SUPPOSED  TO  BE on a routine grocery trip ;  updating their pantry,  stocking up on toiletries ─  BORING things like that.  but,  apparently,  the city has  ANOTHER  fate in mind for infamous partners in crime & time!  the halloween store has just opened ;  it’s massive,  daunting reaper inflatable practically  BEGGING  them to come inside.  there wasn’t a debate.  words weren’t even needed.  it took a simple look to confirmed the detour into the shop.  how could they POSSIBLY pass it up,  anyway?

it’s not a disappointment.  every inch of the store is decorated and the variety of items and costumes is stunning.  max feels overwhelmingly giddy.  how long has it been since her and chloe were able to celebrate halloween together?  too long.  her hand clings to chloe’s tightly when she spots something that attracts her attention.  with a grin,  max tugs chloe towards it.

❝ chloe,  chloe,  look! ❞  she releases her grip in favor of plucking the skeleton off the shelf ─  one with an eye - patch  ( despite not even having actual eyes.  what a silly skeleton! )  and pirate hat.  max holds up it up in front of her,  peeking from out behind it. 

❝ ar,  we be huntin’ for the ultimate treasure :  all the candy in the world! ❞  she mimics a pirate’s voice,  albeit poorly.  before she can continue,  the skeleton’s motion censor goes off,  causing the animatronic to laugh a pirate laugh,  causing max to jump a bit.

❝ woa,  it’s even more rad than i thought.  what do you think? ❞

      it isn’t often that chloe price thanks god for anything--considering the fact that she doesn’t believe in a higher power, but if one truly DOES exist, she’s grateful to it at this very moment. not that shopping with max isn’t fun ( everything manages to be entertaining with her by her side--she’s sure the brunette could make reading a dictionary one of the most cherished experiences in her life somehow, ) but she can’t say she wouldn’t rather be exploring a halloween shop with her instead.

her eyes are alight with excitement as they enter the store, all her favorite things ( except for one ) stocked on the shelves and dangling from the ceilings, her version of paradise. the grip on her hand only serves to heighten her enjoyment, a warm comfort blossoming in her chest. this must be what dreams are made of.

she’s tugged forward suddenly, the action causing her to stumble slightly before regaining her balance. ❛ whoa, excited much? i forgot how much you like halloween, max. ❜ a blatant lie--she remembers nearly everything about her partner in time--though she’ll never admit it.

the smile on her lips splits into a wide grin at the girls poor imitation of a pirate, but she nearly doubles over when she jumps, her body shaking equally as much as the skeletons with the effort to contain herself. ❛ a-aye, matey--all the candy--but first we have to defeat this dastardly scallywag of a r-robot first apparently! ❜ she stutters between fits of giggles, straightening her back as she collects herself.

❛ i think it’s great--especially that little guy there, ❜ she gestures towards the animatronic, grin unfaltering. ❛ but aside from that, just... wow. would you take a look at all this shit?! they’re seriously crazy to not have this stuff out all the time. i mean, can you imagine? halloween all year ‘round! these stores would make hella bank if they just gave the people what they wanted and stayed open all year long. ❜ she laments, hands coming to her hips as she scans the store. it doesn’t take long for her to find what she’s looking for. 

         SOMETIMES,  THE  BEST  THINGS  HAPPEN  completely by chance. kaito hadn’t  planned  on stepping into the place called “ lights out ” ─  kaito hadn’t even known of it’s existence before he happened to walk by ─ but he felt drawn in by all it’s stunning appearance with lights  ( ironic,  considering the name )  that reminded him of rad, LED decorations that have a galaxy - aesthetic.  and once he discovers what the place is all about,  kaito is GRATEFUL he decided to step in.

laser tag !!! how suitable for someone like him! right away, kaito desperately wants to play. but… unfortunately for him, the only matches being hosted for the day were co - op. furthermore, he didn’t exactly come with a sidekick to join. he’d have to drag maki here sometime ─ she’d probably do excellent and they’d DEFINITELY win. but for now,  kaito needs a backup plan. he steps out of the building and onto the street once more, scanning the area for someone who appears up to the task

… he doesn’t have much choice. there’s not a lot of people around, limiting his options. and many of them are old, business-y looking people appearing FAR TOO high - strung for something like this. so, instead, kaito stops someone looking  decently laid - back,  a grin ‘pon his expression.

❝ hey,  you! ❞ he calls out, waving, ❝it’s your lucky day! see that laser tag place? i could rreeaallyy use a sidekick to join me for a round, and i think that can totally be you! ❞ he gestures to the stranger with a finger and then changes to gesture to himself, ❝and don’t you worry about losing because you’ve got me on your side: the luminary of the stars! we can’t lose! so c’mon, join me! ❞

      she can’t believe what she’s seeing. surely, her eyes are deceiving her, because there’s absolutely no way there’s a place to play laser tag in the city. how in the world could everyone fail to mention it?! this has to be some sort of crime or personal attack against her by the city itself. there’s no other explanation.

she’s practically shaking in her excitement to head inside, but she can’t go in alone. she’s about to turn around and head back to her apartment, drag her equally laser tag loving girlfriend to the establishment for some fun, when purple invades her vision. loud, excited purple and it--he is pointing right at her.

❛ lumin... come again? ❜ she questions, unsure of what to make of his exclamation. ❛ dude, are you, like, all there or...? ❜ her tone is teasing, lighthearted, but the question itself is... a little genuine. while she can appreciate his enthusiasm ( because who wouldn’t be excited about laser tag? ) his title strikes her as extremely odd--as does his overly friendly nature. what a weird guy.

❛ sorry, but i’m actually about to go nab my laser tag part... ner... ❜ she trails off, thoughtful. now that she thinks about it, the apartment is just.. so far away--and she’s positive she’ll feel guilty about it later, but... maybe she could play one round with the stranger. only one!

❛ on second thought--looks like this is your lucky day too. ❜ 

max would be okay with this--probably. if she told her. she’s not keen on keeping secrets from her, but if she saw even a hint of puppy dog eyes, or god forbid a pout, she’s sure she’ll combust instantly from the weight of her sin.