— YOUR SO GOLDEN !

even with ellis’ clear cheery demeanor, there was a certain amount of exhaustion  present behind his smile. they had endured quite the day at planet 7, the cherry on top being the assholes who tried to take away the safe space of those who came to the bar. it was about having fun, after all. 

seth is hard at work at the food stall. although it requires them to stand outside in the chilly weather, they believe it’s a great idea for the holiday season: offering fresh, hot food to passersby. his family doesn’t find it so brilliant, but psh, they just don’t appreciate his business acumen. when he finishes telling a patron in iloko about their NAIMAS TI MAKAN (delicious food), they spot their next potential customer. switching to english this time, he says, “hey! hi. it’s pretty cold out here, right?”  pots of ilocano dishes emit coils of pale steam in front of them. he gestures towards them. “can i interest you in some 100% authentic, affordable, lovingly cooked food?” they say, “i’ll pick a dish for you based on your vibe!”

there were very few activities that ellis found themselves engaging lately. when they weren’t at the bar, at the trailer or getting high at the trailer, of course they were going to go visit seth. ever since seth had arrived, they believed he had found someone who truly got him. the first in roswell, that is. they were a bit too tough-skinned sometimes to admit it, but seth meant a lot to them. it showed in their actions, like his visits. the closer they got, the more likely seth would realize that they were trying to sell food to him, an individual who ate from the restaurant at least three times a week. “what’s my vibe, seth? coolest motherfucker in the galaxy?” they teased, crossing his arms before winking. “you can always interest me in food... you already know i think it’s..” he kissed his fingers as they saw the chefs do in films. “chefs kiss.”

“i don’t know how to shop for a nerd,” sawyer muttered to herself, the words coming out in a huff. shopping for her brother was never easy, every year landing her at forbidden planet to stare blankly at comic books and trinkets, and she still had a hard time and kept it until the last minute. crossing her arms, the blonde puffed her cheeks out and glanced around, catching the firs tperson she saw with a gaze and a half-smile. “what about you? do you happen to know how to shop for a nerd?”

“haven’t you heard sawyer? hot people like comic books. and sci-fi.” ellis laughed, happy to see the familiar face. they totally weren’t referencing themselves, not at all ( note the sarcasm ). “it’s me. i’m hot people. anyway, who’s this for?” they asked, raising a brow as they examined the display the blonde was standing in front of. ellis was carrying quite the selection themselves; he saw it a bit as a self-christmas gift. “..and is there a series they’re super into or something? lets start there.”

         (  @roswellstarters​ !  )    ‘  i  know  my  seven  year  made  it  ,   and  no  one  trusts  kids  -  but  trust  me  .  ’   holds  out  the  hot  boba  tea  to  the  other  .    ‘  she  knows  what  she’s  doing  and  it’s  so  good  .  ’   and  free  at  cost !  

“free boba?” ellis certainly perked up at the mention of the drink. if there was anything they were a sucker for, it was boba tea. maybe that stupid tiktok manifestation sound he currently had perhaps fifty drafts or so to really did work. “i gotta try this --” with a nod of thanks he took the drink before taking a sip. “listen.. she’s got a gift. this is really good.”

it wasn’t until tonight that ellis had realized exactly how much time they spent behind the bar at planet 7. in a year it had gone from a way to pay the bills to his home away from home. even if others might have seen their lifestyle as boring or a stepping stone: he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. perhaps that was what made them even more vigilant than they already were about the enjoyment of the customers; this place meant a lot to him. this was also why they were on top of the situation with luna in a matter of seconds. “hey fucker!” he called out to the man, clearly angry as he tossed the towel he was using to wipe the counter down. “you’re done. out. now. before i get security.” before continuing to defuse the situation in the only way ellis knew how: by getting in the face of an individual twice his size ( quite like a chihuahua ), they turned to the customer. “miss.. is this shit-stain bothering you?” since they already knew the answer, for their final retort, he turned his gaze back to the offender. “because i can smell the dude-bro stench a mile away.. and baby, it reeks.”

audrey digs into her cheeseburger. she tries to be discreet as she observes a few other people seated on the opposite side of the cafe. “have you heard about them?” screw alien conspiracies; audrey finds townsfolk gossip more interesting.

at the inference of a piece of juicy gossip, ellis decided to bite. with a curious glint in their eyes, he tried to figure out where the woman was looking before his eyes finally locked with the other’s target. “oh - them? shit, no fuckin’ idea. there’s gotta be some story there though, they’ve been going at it for at least fifteen minutes.” after realizing that they had been gazing just a bit too long, he looked back to her with his signature goofy smirk. “you don’t fight like that without a story.” 

even though ellis spent so many hours under the roof of planet 7, that didn’t mean that they weren’t allowed to find solace at area 51 every now and again. there never seemed to be a boring moment at the crowded club, even if ellis had come to the conclusion that it reeked of toxic masculinity. when they noticed his roommate chatting it up with an individual that they looked particularly interested in, they took it as a sign to step outside and enjoy the rush of cool air on his face. the night wasn’t particularly bone-chilling, much to their delight. thank god, ellis thought to themselves before he was pulled out of his thoughts by a seemingly expectant individual requesting the use of his lighter. “what’s the magic word, pretty boy?” they smirked, raising a brow as he waited for the other’s answer. after a moment, they pulled out their own box and a lighter before setting aflame to the end of one of his own. after taking a drag, they turned to face the stranger again before bursting into laughter. “i’m fuckin’ with you, man. i’m not that much of a dickhead.”

RUDY PANKOW as JJ MAYBANK in OUTER BANKS (2020–)

“she [ taylor ] makes me feel things.”

quintessa swindell in voyagers (2021)