stay sweet!

Name: Tinsley Muttonfudge Nicknames: Tins Age: 23 Height: 5′3″ Sexuality: Straight

They were use to other people being skeptical with them, and it wasn’t like Peri could go up and tell them that the reason they weren’t cold was because their magic helped them stay resistant to it. Peri wasn’t naive, they knew bringing up magic in public wasn’t something that they couldn’t do, even if the girl was magical herself, Peri couldn’t assume in case of the fact that she wasn’t. But they supposed another way to prove to her that they were okay was to maybe show her that they were? “Do you want to touch my hand and see for yourself that I’m fine?” They asked, holding a hand out to her. “I’m naturally cold— which may not seem like it would help when it’s also cold out already, but me being cold helps keep me from becoming even colder when it’s, well…. cold out.” They tried to explain, hoping that any of what they said made any sense to her. Peri then smiled at the offer of a warm drink, not so sure why the girl wanted to help them, but they didn’t mind it too much. Maybe this would be a great way for the two of them to become friends? “If you know of a place that sells really good hot chocolate than I’m all for it. Oh, and I’m Peri, by the way. And you are?”

~

    Tinsley didn’t really feel the need to touch the stranger’s outstretched hand, content to just take their word for it, but she considered how offensive it would look if she refused to touch their hand after obviously assuming they were potentially homeless. She was actively working on not being a bitch, so she slipped off her right-hand glove and reached out to take the other’s hand as if for a standard shake, startling when she realized just how cold they were. “Oh! You weren’t lying,” she said as she pulled back and covered her hand again. The explanation really didn’t make any sense, but she couldn’t argue with proof, and didn’t know enough about biology to bother being too concerned. There was, of course, another possible explanation, but Tinsley didn’t make a point of assuming anyone who had a strange quirk was automatically magical.

Hopefully her awkwardness was looked at as her just not knowing the other was there, or that they’d caught her in what was essentially pajamas, and not that she had genuinely conflicting feelings about the other girl and all of her friends by extension. On one hand, they were all the youngest of young adults, all of them barely old enough to legally drink, and they were all still learning. She especially was experiencing the growing paints of adulthood, sometimes in an especially lonely and painful way. But on the other hand, they were all old enough to know the difference between right and wrong, what sort of consequences came with their actions, how others might be affected by things. Though she was raised differently than the other girl and her videogame friends, at the base she still thought they were all people, and all people should care for one another despite the obstacles surrounding them.

The fact that she was there specifically for Dewey didn’t come as a surprise, but the implication that they were going to be in the game room for the rest of the night did. The boys were almost never home, and she had never really imagined Tinsley as someone who liked to just hang out at home and play videogames for fun. She’d honestly always thought people who played for audiences on Twitch and Youtube just did it for a job or for some extra cash. Not only that, but she always sort of took the other girl in front of her as someone who loved to go out to clubs and parties, especially with her friends and a handsome piece of arm candy at her side, and live a more movie-like lifestyle she’d seen on the screen. In a way, it was a bit of a relief to know that some of her ideas were wrong. “ Ah. I… I didn’t know… ” Stumbling over her words, she felt weird just being there and for seemingly stepping into their date, even if it hadn’t started. “ I honestly thought you both were going out tonight, or something. Like you normally do, y’know ? ” Obviously not all of Dewey’s social activities revolved around his girlfriend, but many of them did, and they usually didn’t include her. It just wasn’t her scene. Yet the question, the gentle smile, the show of her own console - Tinsley was trying. It was obvious, and it made Webby smile just a bit in return. “ No no, it’s okay. I don’t want to interrupt or intrude, ” she conceded. “ Thankfully it’s a handheld thing, so it’s no big deal. I’ll just go play in in my room. ” Or one of the million other sitting areas in the mansion, or a heating vent. There were a thousand choices, and she was still small and lithe enough to fit just about anywhere. “ It’s just uhm… It’s Stardew Valley ? ” The statement was posed more like a question, not really knowing how the other, who was well-versed in gaming, would react to that, weather they liked the game or not. “ It’s one of those life simulator games. It’s cute - I really like the music. ” She’d probably heard all about, though, so the blonde stopped herself from babbling about it.

~

     The fact that Webby assumed she and Dewey usually went out at night was eyebrow-raising. For the most part, the couple tended to make outings during the day—trekking to picturesque locations where he could take as many photos as he liked and she could escape the stress of her life for a while and feel refreshed—but at night? Apart from occasional dinner dates, they tended to stay in and hang out, either playing video games, or Dewey singing and goofing around while she baked and decorated pastries. That was at her house, of course; when she came over to McDuck Manor, they generally stayed in Dewey’s room as much as possible, which explained Webby’s surprise at seeing her in the game room for once.

     “We go out sometimes, but not like, a ton,” she replied with a shrug. Ever since everything went down with Randy in front of the arcade, the fight being live-streamed and then spread across the internet like a fire that resisted being tamped out completely, there had been eyes on her and Dewey’s relationship, from supportive fans to trolls and haters alike. It was enough that Tinsley had to see nasty comments in her gaming streams on a daily basis and that they had to deal with some of their own friends being non-supportive of their relationship—the last thing they needed was more attention from people who weren’t involved in that relationship. It was why spending time away from it all was so nice; they could just enjoy each other’s company and not worry about anything else while they were together.

     “I mean, we usually just stay in Dewey’s room—I didn’t mean to take your chill spot,” Tinsley explained, realizing that even as the other blonde offered to head back to her room that she had initially planned to hang out here tonight, and it would be rude to let her and Dewey’s plans interfere with Webby’s night. She had the rightful claim, considering that she probably used this room more than they did. Tinsley didn’t want to run off and hide in her boyfriend’s bedroom either, however. This was a long-term relationship and if she and Dewey’s best friend couldn’t sit in the same room together for five minutes, that was eventually going to become a problem. They should just get this female-bonding thing out of the way as soon as possible; maybe they’d even be friends by the time Dewey got back. (That was hopeful.)

There was no hiding the laugh that came out of her at the comment of being characters in a rom-com. “Yeah something like that. Maybe we need some wine to go along with all too, huh? Candy, wine, and face masks… just make ourselves the main characters.” Cami made herself at home, emptying the candy on the others bed with a bright smile. “I may have the best collection and visit the store daily at this point. At least I have someone to share it with now!” 

Randy couldn’t help but give Tinsley a dirty look at her comment. He knew he could be a jerk at times, but he did have his moments of doing things out of the kindness of his heart. And, if anyone were to deserve some nice actions from Randy, it certainly was Tinsley. Sobering up had definitely helped him learn a lot about his actions and how people would always judge him for them. It also reminded him to not take people in his life for granted, his ex girlfriend included.

It was nice, though, to be able to be sarcastic to each other without hurting each other’s feelings. Randy had missed that about their friendship, how they could talk a mean game to each other and neither would get offended. It was moments like this that reminded him how much he missed Tinsley. “We’ll see about that,” Randy retorted, already ready for their next round. It didn’t take long for Tinsley to just barely surpass Randy, and it was a round that had both of them yelling at the TV screen at some point. “Jesus Christ,” he chuckled, putting the controller down on the coffee table. “Did that make you feel better?” He asked with a playful smirk. “Was that a good enough win for you?”

Tinsley’s threat made Swizz a bit nervous to hear what her mood was about: it wasn’t often that she was so caught up about something, nevermind threatening to kick him out of the racers if he slipped. “Yeah, no, of course not,” he promised, even holding out his pinky to seal the deal. “I won’t tell anyone, you know me. I’m, like, the best secret keeper around here. I know tons of shit you don’t,” he teased. “What’s up? Is it something with Dewey, then, if it’s not Randy?”

~

    The offer of a pinky promise was so childish, Tinsley rolled her eyes—but it was also sacred, and she had no choice but to accept it, twining her little finger with his to swear him to secrecy. It was scary how accurately he was able to pinpoint the issue without her even saying a word yet, but then again maybe all the drama in her life stemming from the two most relevant men in it was just...predictable. “Okay. My period is late and I’m, maybe, a little concerned. That’s it.”

It had taken a lot for Dewey and Tinsley to get to this point. When they first started dating, it felt like everyone and everything was against them, trying to get in their way and push them apart. They fought hard to stay together, though, and Dewey was continuing to do so to this day. It wasn’t easy to have to push his close friend away recently, but he couldn’t let Candy get between him and Tinsley after everything they’d been through.

The battle for their love was part of what made their relationship so special. In the past, he thought he had to fight for Fawn, even ready to jump through any hoop to get her back after the break up. However, his heartbreak from his ex was only a small bump in the road on his way to the real thing — a love he never actually felt before now. He’d finally told Tinsley he loves her at the ball, and it had brought them even closer. 

They had a few conversations about their future before, what they may or may not want in a few years from now, which in turn led to deeper conversations about Dewey’s parents. He couldn’t hide from Tinsley that not having his parents around made him scared to be a parent himself. Although, he also couldn’t deny that if he were to be a parent someday, he’d want to do that with Tinsley. That felt like an idea that was so far away from now, of course, still feeling like a kid himself and not even remotely ready to raise one.

Up to this point, Dewey had no complaints in terms of their relationship, feeling that things were better and stronger between them than ever. That was, until he heard the words we have to talk about something escape Tinsley’s lips. He could easily read Tinsley’s mood, and by the looks of it, this wasn’t something casual that she wanted to discuss. “Okay..” He forced himself to reply, giving her hand a squeeze as he followed his girlfriend to her bedroom. A million things were popping into his head, all worst case scenarios. Had he fucked up? Did he forget something? Was she ending things? “Is everything alright?”

    “Everything’s fine,” she immediately reassured him, sensing his hesitation as the possibilities for what serious topic she obviously wanted to discuss flashed through his eyes like a film reel. We need to talk always sounded like we need to break up, but that wasn’t where she was going with this at all...It was only after she assured him that everything was all right that she remembered that, in fact, it was quite possible everything was not all right and may never go back to normal again. The fear that she might be pregnant might even be one of the worse outcomes Dewey was imagining, which didn’t make confessing this any easier.

“Huh? Why— Oh, right.” After being confused for a second by the girl’s question, Peri laughed when they remembered that it was currently freezing outside, and they themselves wasn’t wearing anything that was considered as weather appropriate. With a grey pullover on that wasn’t even thermally stitched on the inside and a pair of cargo pants, anyone sporting Peri’s outfit would’ve been cold unless they had a thick coat protecting them from the cold. If anything, the only thing they would consider as decent for the weather was their boots which even then they were short enough where parts of their skin was exposed between the small gap of their pants and boots. Peri shook their head at her. “Not really. Sure, it’s chilly out but I’m a fan of the cold and am quite resistant to it.”

~

     She was naturally skeptical of this answer, pretty sure she’d never met anyone that resistant to the cold before, but the other person didn’t seem to be shivering or turning purple at all, so Tinsley decided she would have to accept it. Whether they were actually destitute or not, it would embarrass them if she insisted on playing the savior and buying them some warmer clothes. So she shrugged and replied, “If you say so...But, uh, if you want a cup of coffee or something, it’s my treat?” The offer was about as much as she could do while still maintaining everyone’s dignity, so Tins was just gonna be happy with her attempted humanitarianism whether it was accepted or not.

Swizz could tell from the moment she’d walked in the door that there was something off with Tinsley. It was hard to shake the intuition after being friends since they were children and were sleeping together for quite some time. Sensing her moods at this point was second nature. Still, she’d insisted on going ahead with their video, up to the moment he turned his ring light on. “Okay, what the fuck is going on with you? Is it Randy again? I’ll go kick him, you know that. I don’t think I can do that with Dewey, since he’s already been beaten up by one of us. I’m not stupid, spill it.”

~

     She should have known she couldn’t get anything past Swizz—let alone a whole mood like the one she was currently in. That didn’t mean she wanted to talk about it, but considering that he was already discussing who he had to beat up on her behalf, it was probably a better idea to just confess. If he wasn’t trustworthy to keep her confidence, then no one was; her only concern was embarrassing herself in front of Swizz himself, and at this point there was nothing secret between them. “Fine, but if I tell you, this stays between us. One word to anyone else and you’re out,” she threatened even though it likely wasn’t necessary with him.

“The only way I would ever like to go down.” She added with a small laugh. Though when Cami was given the power of events she was thrown off a bit. It wasn’t , if ever something she was used to around the other. “Um. well all the talk about candy has me needed to rip open a few bags and eat as much as I can.” She admitted with a small laugh. “Can we be extra and do a face mask while we shove our faces?” 

~

@fluggerbutterr

     “How can somebody who you’ve stopped expecting anything from keep letting you down? God, I just don’t get it. We came from the same place. We had all the same experiences. And—if anything, he was always just following my lead when I acted like a bitch. I was the worst one. So why can’t he get his shit together now if I’m doing it? It sucks, because I still care about him...He was my best friend, my first love. Even though he’s a dumb fucking asshole, I still want him to be happy. But it’s like he doesn’t even want that. He’s his own worst enemy.”