"Uh hi, I'm looking for.." Mae paused and pulled her phone out again to look at who the email had come from, "Eve Stifler?" Mae had made it a goal of hers to appear in at least two galleries this year as she tired out some new mediums and had found a lot more confidence in showing her work. "We're supposed to meet about the show she's putting together." @schmidt-stifler

"Yeah, I love it. I mean I'm her older brother so I do annoy the shit out of her sometimes but mostly we're just vibing. Share the chores, cultivate the space together and always start the day with a joint on the porch. It's good living." As someone who had experienced a lot of instability in his earlier years, he was grateful to be at a place where he truly felt settled and really loved his own space. Probably more than he had when he lived with Austin. "That's a fair point. I don't know if I'm the scorpion guy. Feels like the wrong kind of sting," he admitted, pressing a brief kiss to one of her shoulders. "Fuck it, stingray it is. But I'm gonna see if she can put like cool glasses on it or like a funny hat. What are you feeling?"

"You live with your sister, do you like that?" She had to assume so, but Gemma didn't have any siblings either so she couldn't be sure. It was nice though, that they were that close. Only recently did she move out of her dad's too so she couldn't talk much there. "Me neither, it's going to be the highlight of my day, besides this, of course," she told him, pressing her lips to his. They sat a while longer until they were satiated with each other, and then headed to the temporary tattoos. Even when he pulled her into his lap she felt some color rise in her cheeks, which she hid by sticking her head in the tattoo book. "Scorpion's cool," she agreed, nodding. "I don't know if its you though, the stringray feels more you."

"No you haven't and my home is pretty fucking great. Plus my sister is staying at our Dad's place this weekend so we'll have the place to ourselves." Simon never missed a chance to talk about how proud he was of their little home and he was excited to have Gemma over. He felt like it was sharing another piece about himself and so far she had treated all the pieces of him fairly well. "I like this plan. A lot. I really didn't want to leave without my tramp stamp," he told her earnestly, leaning into the touch of her lips as his fingers brushed against one of her thighs. After a while of just sitting there, he finally got to his feet and pulled her up with him so they could go towards the temporary tattoo station. He took a seat and gently pulled her into his lap as the artist handed them the book of options. "Shit...I was so team stingray but this little scorpion looks fucking cool."

As surprised as she was to be lifted off the ground, she found it impossibly hot too, smiling against his lips as they settled into the seating area. "It wasn't that long," she said with a shrug, a little giggly once they'd broke and were looking at each other again. "It's not a particular dream of mine, I mean, even if these are pretty comfortable. Plus I've never been to your home." The fucking part definitely wasn't lost on her but there was so much to learn about a person just from their room, so that had her a bit excited too. "After tattoos is good, and once I get this tramp stamp-," she didn't finish that thought, though the implication was there, and kissed his neck.

"Do you think we'll ever find anyone to match our freak?" Mae was sitting with Otis in her backyard, passing a joint back and forth. While the festival had been fun, it had felt a bit overwhelming to Mae for various reasons. She was happy for Afra living out her rockstar crush life and though seeing Simon make out with someone in broad daylight was less than ideal, it had been seeing Lyrica and Jimi on stage together that had really sent her head spinning. She was in a better place these days but it didn't make it sting any less, especially when it came to Jimi. It felt like Otis was maybe the only person left who could understand where she was coming from considering his not so secret (to her at least) feelings for her brother. "I mean not to sound pathetic or anything but it's getting a little depressing, O." @theteenagefloyd

"Gloss. So smart. Tastes great," he mumbled, eventually taking a hold of the back of her thighs to lift her up easily and carry her out of the walkway and towards a seating area that was really just a bunch of bean bags. He eased them both down and settled his arms around her as they kissed. He eventually dropped his lips to her neck and trailed kisses down to her shoulder. "Sorry I waited so long," he told her, pulling back for just a moment to look at her, sure his face was flush and his lips a little red. "But you should really come home with me today. After the tattoos. Unless you've always dreamed of fucking on bean bags. Which, would totally make sense I just don't want sunburn on my ass cheeks."

Since they'd met she wanted to hook up with him but she wouldn't call it a top priority of her's- sure it'd be nice but she liked just hanging out too. Gemma leaned into his touch as he pulled her closer and met his lips, arms draping over his shoulders while she kissed him. Passerby were the least of her concern, and they barely parted even as they were jostled around by the passing crowd. "Fucking rude right," she breathed back, sighing as his lips grazed her jaw. "On my lips? I wear a lot of gloss," she chuckled, closing the little gap between them to kiss hin again.

"They shouldn't be that big! Exactly. Just roaming around underneath the water. Sheesh." Simon had of course been thinking of this on and off since he met her but he had been enjoying the fact that she just liked his company and didn't seem to just want to be around him so she could hook up with him. Not that Simon was against that in any way. "I mean, now, later, after that," he told her with a grin before he slid a hand around her waist to pull her closer and leaned down to kiss her. He dropped his other hand to rest gently against her neck, not at all caring that they were standing in the middle of a walking path until enough people bumped past them. "You would think people know how to walk around, jesus," he mumbled, not quite pulling away as he kissed at her jaw a bit. "Do you use moisturizer? Cause wow your lips are so soft."

"Oh I don't fuck with whales. They shouldn't be that big." Gemma laughed with him as he assessed her sunscreen application, moving so he could help her out. "Thanks." She smiled as she turned back to face him and they started walking again, the feeling of his hands on her shoulders still lingering a bit. "Oh!- yeah." It caught her off guard for a second, how both direct and nonchalant he was, but then she grinned, nodding. "I mean, today of all days, it'd sort of be a crime not to right," she agreed, chuckling as she stepped closer too. "Do you... want to now.. or later..."

"That would be so fucking cool. Whale's scare the shit out of me but I feel like I could totally become their friend." He laughed as he stepped behind her and saw the streaks. "You missed a couple of spots," he told her and spread the sunscreen out smoothly, giving both of her shoulders a light squeeze before he pulled away. "There you go, all protected." He was still close to her as he put the sunscreen back in his fanny pack. As they walked to the tattoo station and the sun hit them both, he glanced over at her with a slow growing smile. "Hey, you can tell me to fuck off if this isn't the vibe but do you ever wanna like...make out? Cause i think today is a perfect day for it. I mean every day is a perfect day for it but the vibes today are giving major make out with the hottest person here vibes, you know?"

"I think they're fish. Right? What is it that whales use, echolocation- I don't know if fish do that," she went along with his train of thought, easily following a similar stream of consciousness. Gemma smiled back at him as she rubbed the sunscreen into her hands and got the tops of her shoulders, though it got a little awkward once she tried to reach back behind her. "Can you- Did I blend this in okay?" She turned her back to him, moving her hair aside to reveal her streaky application.

"True. I've never seen an interview with the stingray. I wonder if they speak a specific language. Like is fish language just one language or like different dialects. Wait is a stingray a fish?" He was mostly thinking out loud but once he started down that thinking pathway, it was hard to pull himself back out. "Oh, dolphins are so sick! You have great taste." He smiled as he squeezed a bit into her hand before finishing his own application. "Shoulders are important. They get so crisp out here. You need any help let me know."

"But we don't really know the whole story there," she said, sure no one ever thought to get the sting ray's side of it. "Oh same, I can't commit to shit. For sure, that'll look sick. I should probably stay on theme then too, right? I could get a dolphin, or a couple dolphins." She thought it over while they started walking, just about to say something when his watch cut her off. Her lips quirked up into a smile once she realized what was happening as Simon pulled out a bottle of sunscreen. "I'm okay. Or- maybe a little, sure," she changed her mind, holding a hand out to take a dollop. "Just to hit my shoulders again."

"Right? Except for when they killed that Irwin guy. So not cool. Otherwise, great vibes. Mostly because I change my mind all of the time. Not sure if I'm ready to commit to something so hard when my mood could change," he admitted, despite the few actual tattoos he did have. "Oh great call, you know what? I think we should get matching tramp stamps, very hot. A stingray tramp stamp does kind of go hard..." he trailed off as he thought about it before he started walking with her. As he opened his mouth to speak, his watch went off and he paused. "Oh shit sunscreen time," he told her and pulled a small bottle out of his back packet and re-applies sunscreen to his face. "I don't look sexy in red. You need some?"

Simon seemed to come out of nowhere and step between the two of them, Gemma shrinking back while he laid into the guy. It was hardly a situation she needed saving from, not in the way he'd did it at least, but watching it all go down still made her a little giddy. Just endearingly dorky. "Stringrays are dope," she echoed, smiling back at him. "Why fake though? I bet there's a real tattoo artist here somewhere. I'll probably go tramp stamp- fake. Obviously."

"Not this guy again," Simon said to himself as he spotted the same person who had tried to make an ass out of him earlier. "Hey man let me see that," Simon told the guy as he stepped into the conversation and grabbed the tiny mic from his hand. "Where you'd get this? At the ant emporium or something? Very cool. Let's see if it floats," he told him as he dropped the mic into the guys drink. "Damn, I guess it doesn't. Weird." He looked over at Gemma and smiled. "You wanna go get some fake tattoos? I'm thinking something on my neck. Like a snake or maybe a stingray. Stringrays are fucking cool."

“Wait where is this going?” Gemma just wanted to ask the guy where he got his tiny little microphone from and, instead, found herself the semi unwilling participant of an influencer video. She had trouble saying no though, that was on her, and with every question he asked she realized it was the kind of viral video edited down to make her look stupid. “Um. Okay,” she mumbled as she walked away. “What the fuck just happened?”

"Yeah I guess I sometimes forget they're Chadwells I guess until I see them around their family," he admitted. "Ooo a balcony. That's romantic. Let's go for it." He happily followed her inside of the room and worked with her to find the lock on the door before they finally managed to slide it open. He smiled as he felt the breeze, grateful that it wasn't too cold today as he held the door open for her, closing it slightly so it wasn't locked but wasn't wide open. "Alright, let the test commence," he said with a bit of a serious voice before grinning as he took the pre rolls out of his sweater pocket. "Here," he told her and gave her the joint to hold before he brought the lighter up to light it for her. He let her take a moment, watching the smoke rise. "Tastes good, right? Has a bit of a fruity flavor."

"Oh I didn't know you had an in like that. I met Jimi earlier, he seems nice. " With how tight knit Rosewood was, there were loads of people she knew of, like the Chadwells. Gemma wasn't super concerned with anyone outside her direct circle though, and so any gossip not pertaining to that group had to be particularly juicy to pique her interest. "I wouldn't trust any of my friends with my taxes," she joked, poking her head in the attached bathroom to see if maybe there was a window there. "Cool," Nodding, she led them through the hall again, peaking in a few rooms that were either occupied or not the vibe. Towards the end of the hall she knocked then opened a door, cracking it just enough to ensure the coast was clear. "This one's got a balcony," she called back to Simon.

"Three joints and it's my treat," he agreed with a nod, already putting his order together in his head. Now that he had said it out loud it seemed hard to ignore. He did want to do something more with his time, even if that more was just more chances to be as active as he was now. He really was a go with the flow kind of guy but with the time he and Mae had spent having to actually be responsible for taking care of a house, it had helped mature him a bit. At least in his own right. And he wanted to be able to keep having the life he had. Especially without having to lean on his Dad for help. He had borrowed enough money from him in his life and he wanted to stand on his own two feet for once. Even if he didn't have a fucking clue of where to start. "A plaque? How about I name a room after you? Or is that too like honoring the dead-ish vibes? I guess first step is to I don't know, pick a name? Names are like super important. Great starting point, right?"

"Taco bell?" Otis repeated after Simon with a slow nod of his head. "Well, that's definitely a start. I don't know if I quite want Taco bell at this very moment and time, propose that to me in about an hour or two and at least two joints in." He told his best friend, with a smile as he was happy that he'd managed to get something out of Simon. "Okay, okay. The wheels are turning..." Otis said, motioning for him to continue on the train of thought he was currently on. "and there it is." Otis let him know, as Simon's thoughts came to a conclusion. "I think if anyone can be the person behind a vibe-y community center, it's indeed you, my best friend." He said, patting Simon's shoulder. "And now that you have in mind what it is that you want, comes the hard part. Making it happen." He told him as it surely wasn't going to be a walk in the park to make this vibe-y community center happen but he had to say, it was certainly something that Rosewood would benefit in. "And before you ask, sure I'll help." Otis nodded. "I'll just need a plaque on the wall."

"Jimi and Afra are pretty cool. I've actually known them since I was a kid. Our Dad's are best friends. It's their cousins that kind of scare me a bit. Jimi's the one actually throwing this party that's why I'm talking so much shit," he joked but he loved the guy, truly. Even if he kind of hated him for how hung up Mae seemed to be. As a friend he was a great guy. One of his favorites. And as an older brother, he was kind of an oblivious jerk but he'd never tell him that. "Afra has tons of personality too but she's like smart and shit. I'd definitely trust her to like, do my taxes. She's best friends with my sister," he explained the more he looked around and tried to find an opening on the window but couldn't. "That's fucked, I'd hate staying in here, let's try somewhere further down the hall, you can pick the door this time."

"For science, of course." She smiled back at him, dancing through the rest of the song and heading for the stairs once it ended. "Kinda depressing too, filling all these rooms with stuff instead of people. Maybe that's why they love throwing parties so much." She poked her head in after he did, walking past him inside once he'd turned on a light and confirmed it was empty. "Probably, right? But I don't know them well enough to speak to any of their personalities, or lack of, in this case." Her fingers ran across the tops of the dresser until her curiosity got the best of her and she opened a drawer, unshockingly empty. "Must be a guest room. Big window too," she pointed out, though it didn't seem to be the kind that opened.

"I was. I mean it could be. Only way to find out is to do more testing you know. Like two really bad scientist," he joked. "Fuck yeah, let's do it. But after this song," he said and continued dancing, giving it even more energy until it was finished and he started off with her upstairs."Damn, this place is huge," he said as they got to the next level and looked down one of the hallways. "Why do rich people love having so many rooms? I feel like I'd get spooked." Still, he walked forward with her and opened the first door that called to him. He peeked his head in before he felt the wall for a light switch and flicked it on. "Woah, is this just like their standard guest room? This is way too soulless to be someone's active bedroom, right?"

His wink was a little cringe-inducing, but in an endearing way that her laugh. "Thank god, and thank you, that's really brave work you do, bearing the cold like that," she joked back, nodding a few times to really sell her sincerity. "You were? That's very cool, and considerate, of you. Though part of my issue there might be that I just get too high? Research is inclusive." She paused then realized she didn't actually answer his question, and pointed to the stairs. "Oh yeah, we can go upstairs. I kinda wanted an excuse to poke around there anyway."

"Right? Super hard to miss. And yeah of course, it's the Rosewood way," he joked. He was grateful that she was just enthusiastic as him and it made it easier to relax into dancing with her in the crowd. It easy lifted his mood and he needed it after how much deep thinking he had attempted over the week. His brain hurt and this moment was helping him remember how important it was to just dance it out and enjoy himself. "Yeah I know, I figured temperature had dropped enough I should cut these legs some slack. Next time you see me though, promise they will be on full display again," he promised with a wink. "I was actually hoping you'd be here. I was thinking about the last time we smoked and I chose a strain my buddy recommended, supposed to help ease the anxiety a lot of people can feel when smoking. I know you mentioned sometimes it doesn't hit right so I figure this one might be better. You wanna go smoke up in one of their fancy ass rooms? I'm sure they got windows in there or something."

"That's a good silhouette," she chuckled, nodding as she pictured the outline of a smoking frog, projected into the sky. "Oh even in my tragic and untimely death I'm catching the blame? That's fucked up." Gemma smiled back at him she he took her hand, and she followed him through the party. Although a lot about her probably suggested otherwise, she loved dancing in big crowds, just making a total fool of herself where nobody seemed to notice or even care. She drank enough too to not be too nervous around Simon, especially when he seemed to share a similar philosophy, jumping and laughing when he spun her. "Totally okay to say, I like your outfit too. Even if you're wearing pants- I mean, not that you shouldn't be wearing pants, I just feel like you're always in shorts. You know."

Simon pouted more despite how right Otis was. It was uncomfortable and Simon found it hard to motivate himself to get past it. He had been so sure about his path for a long time that to no longer be satisfied with it was throwing him off balance. And balance was kind of his thing. His cheeks flushed when Otis pressed him and he found the words bunching in his mouth. "Taco bell! Do you want taco bell? I think that would really hit the spot right now." He laughed softly, shoulders sagging as he tried to have a clear answer. "I want...to help people feel good about themselves. And see how awesome they are. I want..." he paused and as the thought dawned on him, his smile grew slowly. "I want to start my own gym. But like not a gym. Like a community space where you can do fitness and yoga but also like vibe out and learn shit about herbs and medicines and shit. Like imagine a meditation room? I don't know like a sanctuary space. I guess I kind of described a community center but like a way more vibey one yanno? Where we also grow weed out the back and shit or on the roof."

"Yeah, I know we're both right," Otis said as if it were the most matter of fact thing. "we said it for a reason." He let his best friend know, as he knew that they definitely wouldn't lead Simon astray. "Yeah, I'm sure it does because it requires you to not be comfortable anymore. And unfortunately, comfortable isn't always the best place to be." Otis let the guy know, with a shrug of his shoulders. "... And I wouldn't exactly argue that you're wrong." Otis admitted with a small chuckle, but most life coaches he knew... weren't qualified to tell others how to live their lives but yet they managed to make a shit ton of money. "You want to be shirtless yet it mean something, that's quite the oxymoron if you think about it." Otis said with a soft sigh. "Quit it, quit it. Okay, it's way too early for you to have an existential crisis on me right now. What do you want? Quickly. Off of the top of your head." Otis asked Simon, snapping his fingers and pointing to his own eyes. "Look at me, what do you want?"