fabulous

“You know, the irony here is that I was fully expecting you to fire back with something sassy. Something like ‘you remind me of wisteria: pretty, dramatic, but leave it alone for five minutes and it’ll strangle the whole garden.’” Theo’s grin widened at the thought.

"And I thought about it– don't get that twisted," Pepper confirmed his suspicions with a soft laugh. "Those are all good ones. Should I be worried you have so many lined up off the top of your head like that?" she added, shaking her head at him at some of his choices in response. The last one initiated a shove from the blonde.

🌷 - go to botanical gardens/flower-picking

"You are absolutely ridiculous," Pepper's eyes rolling at his flirtatious quips. Despite her groaning it was nice to know there were some things that didn't change. She certainly wouldn't want Theo to be any other way, knowing him to be like this for as long as she could remember their friendship. "Ah, you'll make up anything to make sure I give you some compliments, won't you?" she teased him after hearing his proposition for a game. "What if I tell you that right now you remind me of a weed– able to grow anywhere and is always somehow in everyone's business?" Pepper jabbed playfully, not meaning a single negative thing by her choice of response. "Kidding–" she stated, letting herself take in the smell of the gardens and gentle breeze before forming a more genuine response, "Forget-me-nots come to mind. Not necessarily because of their appearance. It's more that you're like their name– it's hard to forget you and you're always tied to very fond memories. In some traditions they're considered to bring luck too. I'd argue that being your friend makes me pretty lucky."

Dakota nodded in understanding, "Yeah, I know," she told Pepper. "But if I get to involved, I get angry, and sometimes, I don't know how to control that anger. I'm sure that Auden has told you some things."

"I don't know what you're expecting to hear, Dakota, but I don't think I have ever heard Auden speak ill about you," she told her earnestly. "He loves you very much. I rarely hear him complain, especially on the topic of you."

"Mhm... well short of holding a ballot, I suppose we will never really have a full blown answer to that." Though she was fairly certain that she was correct in that assumption. Briar could cast her mind to a number of people who would confirm it without a second to pause. "I'm very happy to know that though."

"You sound almost surprised when you really shouldn't be," she laughed when Briar mentioned being happy to know that. "You're always going to be someone whose time I will prioritize over others. You should know that."

"I'll be fine, trust me, it's not the worst thing I've heard, nor has it been the worst thing involved mine and Auden's last name. Most of the time it is directed toward him though." Dakota ran her hands through her hair. "I just don't exactly do great being reminded about who my parents are."

"Doesn't mean you have to just brush it off like all the other times," Pepper told her. While she also was no stranger to rumors circulating around family reputations, sometimes you had to fight back on things like that. "You deserve to stand your ground, you know that, right? You're not your parents after all."

“You know me, I’ve always enjoyed my alone time but I’ve definitely learned that having people that are important to you around means far more to me recently.” He thought of Laurel and of Sebastian and it drew a soft smile to his features. They were good people, they cared about him in their own ways and he felt like he could rely on them. He also knew he felt good being the person that they could come to as well. Theo felt like it spoke to the person he had become. “Well, I’ve just had friends around a lot recently. It’s kind of become the place to just relax and be I guess?”

"That sounds so lovely, Theo. I'm really happy for you," Pepper looked to him with a soft smile. It really did seem like he was content with the way things were going in his life. It was apparent in the way he talked about things, but even more so in the way he seemed to be glowing. "You've always deserved this. To have these types of friends, to feel this way. I hope you know that," she added supportively, reaching for his hand to give it a comforting squeeze.

"Why wouldn't someone think that?" Briar pointed out with a soft laugh. She could be, on occasion, a little difficult to get to know. She wasn't ashamed of that fact but she knew it to be true, too focused on her work life rather than her social life. "Besides, we all know I prefer your company over anyone elses."

"Not everyone has the same picture of you as you have of yourself," Pepper pointed out to her best friend simply. She laughed however at the next remark, "And I love you to death. You'll always be on my shortlist when it comes to people I want to spend my time with."

closed starter - dakota & pepper ( @pepperrcsewccd )

"Take all the time that you need," Pepper insisted when she immediately picked up on the energy that Dakota had come over there with. "However, if you want to talk things out you can also do that. I am a notoriously great listener."

"I'm not sure what you'll be seeing when you look across my chest but I'll take your word for it," Auden teased as he pressed a soft kiss onto the top of her head, careful not to mess up the hairstyle he'd watched her perfect earlier. "Every year for me is like that. The school year always takes an age to pass but the second I have a break– whoosh, it's gone. Even when I purposely try to slow it down. I guess we're always destined for that, though."

"I'm sure I'll see plenty," she murmured happily in reply. "Besides, I'm not too worried about missing out on much. Everything I need is right here," Pepper confirmed easily, as though it were blatantly obvious. "I'm sure. Time always has a way of whisking by, but especially when you're not being taxed by your real responsibilities," she acknowledged with a laugh. "That being said, I know those students are lucky to have you. And I'm sure they value that. Even if sometimes I'm also confident that they find creative ways of doing your head in."