LovelyComplex

Does anyone have any tips for an aspiring (small group) GM?

@Alix Lord Wraith and Rockette hit many points that I agree with.

I will add that with a small group it’s important that you lead by example and offer a safe space for your team to open up and blossom into great writers. Be transparent and real with your writers, reach out to them, especially when you notice that some might be more quiet than others. You, as the gm, are the driving force but you’re also human too. I try to do mental health check ins and reach out to writers to see if I can assist them in anyway if they are struggling.

A roleplay will have waves where everyone is active/hype and when everyone is burnt out/tired/going through it. Being resilient during those times matter especially if you know you have a dedicated batch of writers. I assure you those can be only a speed bumps in the road. You, the gm, just have to persevere. It’s okay to lean on others for support and it’s okay for everyone to take breaks. At the end of the day, there is no linear way to GM - small or big.

Big roleplays eventually trickle down to small roleplays because life is a beast in its own and a handful of people find themselves uninspired or unable to commit. And that’s okay. It happens. Life happens. But once you find your core group, keep attentive to them. Allow them to have some creative liberties, while also setting boundaries and limitations.

You have a vision but so do they. Allow them to expand your story and add color to it, make them feel like what they bring to the table matters - because it does, and as you guide them down a path, they’ll show you sights you didn’t think of but really enjoy seeing.

Collaborative stories can be a beautiful thing - and as the director of the film, you help push it forward. But like Rockette said, you need to know what you want out of the roleplay. Your goals, your intention, your ultimate destination. Once you set the foundation, it’ll be easier for others to help you build a house.

And if writers come and go like the seasons change, don’t feel disheartened (easier said than done). Pick up your chin, think of a resolution, keep going.

Ultimately we’re all just people trying to have a good time and it’s okay for you to not know what methods work best for you right now. You’ll never know your gm style until you gm a roleplay, you know? Trial and error. Practice. Keep going. In time, you’ll find people you adore that loves your creativity and that inspire you. Those same people will support you and express how they do things, and you can take a page out of their book to add to your ever growing manual of roleplaying.

Stay open minded, be kind hearted, and don’t be afraid to try new things/change things up. Be honest about the process.

I know for me - transparency has gotten me far.

BHHS: Limitless

_{LOCATION: Ms. Belmonte's Homeroom
TIMESTAMP: After the Morning Show}

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_{@LovelyComplex @Bee @Grimoire Gaming @Aces Away @Melissa @Fabricant451}

Missing the Morning Show due to plenty of distractions in the hallway, Philomena and Cael found their way into their homeroom, right in time to be marked ‘tardy’. Strategically though, Cael went to Ms. Cat and offered her first pick in sugar goodness (and even offered her an extra one). He could tell she needed it by how exhausted she looked. The school day just began! There was no need to end spirit week with EXHAUSTION. Thanks to his generosity and sweetness, his voice like honey and velvet, the two friends were no longer tardy. They were on time.

Neither Minty or Pixy Stix knew what had transpired prior to their arrival nor did they care. Yet. It was Game Day. They had better things to think about than drama. Like love, and love, and LOVE. Then again, they did have room for gossip. Okay, maybe they were a little curious. They liked knowing things just as much as Trixie and Jamie. They were Candies! It was their duty to understand the dynamics of their peers so they could interfere and assist them in their social circle for the better. Always for the better. Usually for the better. At least for the Power of Love.

Holding the cake pops, Minnie hid her distress of how she would handle her dare, having no idea who she should ask to the dance tomorrow that wasn’t her best friend. Instead she had her gaming face on and pranced around in the room to find the lucky first person, or people. She wasn’t just going to pick anyone. No. Minnie was just as smart as Cael, maybe less so in the books but in the sea of social high school society. She knew people that knew people that liked to talk. Being a Candy made it absolutely mandatory to be aware of who is who and what is what. For the Power of Love, of course.

The Lucky #1 that she had her eyes set on would be…

Drum roll, please.

Rat-a-tat-tat
Tat-ta-tat
Rat-a-tat-tat
Tat-ta-tat.

Andre King and her KPop sista’, Hana!

Hold the applause, please.
They still needed their dessert.

There was little to no challenge to get Andre going. He loved to talk and impressively, he knew plenty of what was going on. He deserved a cake pop and in return, she deserved tea. And Hana sitting right next to him was a happy coincidence so she could kill two birds with one stone and talk about the latest kpop sensations. Get gossip and feed her girl that loved KPop just as much as she did. “Hihi Andre!!! HANA!!!!” Minnie excitedly greeted, unable to wave because her hands were full. “Are you two hungryyyyyy? Because look what I have.”

She showcased the cake pops with flair and swag. “Stix and I worked super duper hard last night and thought we’d give all our friends a happy, sweet surprise. Do you like pirates? I did this one myself.” Minnie pointed at the one pirate face that looked disfigured and challenged. She wasn’t good at cake art. She was a dancer! But she did her bestest and she hoped her friends would appreciate the attempt. There was an attempt. “We also have cupcakes though. So if you don’t want a cake pop, Cael should be here soon with all the cupcakes. He’s just getting us a get out of jail free card right now. Oh!” She interrupted her train of thought with another train of thought. “Hana, did you hear the new song by SEVENTEEN (세븐틴)? Lalali?”

As Minnie and Cael rolled in as they typically do, Andre smirked slightly as he was bouncing a pen off of his desk. Minnie’s energy was incredibly infectious, and he couldn’t help but to feel his mood lift up as he witnessed her roll in with what appeared to be cake pops. Hopefully, Minnie was willing to share.

On the other hand, Hana was still pulling out her supplies. A binder, her pens and pencils, that one really good Japanese eraser, and so on and so forth. She was oblivious to what was happening at the front of the room, up until she heard a shrill voice scream her name.

“Huh- I-uh-what?” Hana stammered, before she put two and two together and saw what was going on. “Oh, cake pops! I’ll take one!” Hana beamed, as she plucked the pirate one from Minnie. It was definitely… rushed, but Hana appreciated the thought and effort. “Thanks, Minnie.”

“Biiitch, cake pops annd cupcakes? You don’t gotta say anything further. Lemme get both.” Andre said, sitting up in his chair and plucking his own cake pop. “How sweet of you.”

Staring at the cake pop, Hana was just about to eat it before Minnie said her name once again. “Oh yes, yes I did! I usually don’t listen to boy groups, but that song was sooo good.” Hana grinned again, “S. Coups killed it.”

“I ain’t into K-Pop like y’all, but from what I’ve seen… those dudes be making me feel some type of way.”

“Ugghhh, tell me about it, Andre,” Cael chimed in with a dreamy tone. The candy prince had a taste of the Korean persuasion once, and boy, was he an utterly delicious mouthful. Shaking himself out of his romantic reminiscing, Cael smiled and handed over a cupcake. “I hope you like them! …So, are you and the guys ready for the big game? Minty and I will probably polish up our routine during lunch… So excited to cheer you guys on though!”

“You know I’m fuckin ready.” Andre pointed the now-eaten cake pop at Cael, “I’ve never not been ready.”

The dancing princess nodded to her friends chatting, looking from left to right, side to side, and all around. She beamed when Hana and Andre acknowledged the delicious K-Pop boy band. Maybe just as delicious as these cupcakes they were serving. The boys were so hot and sometimes she wished she had a boyfriend just as hot. Alas, she didn’t. She would be forever alone because no boy noticed her that wasn’t her bestie. If she could explain her emotions in emojis it would be: Sad face. Lipstick. Disco ball.

Regardless of her lack of love life, she was one of the best genie-in-the-bottles there ever was to walk the halls of Beverly Hills High. It was her sworn duty to help her classmates harness the power of love. While she had no clue who would ever love her, Minnie knew that with a little fairy dust, wishes do come true. Dreams are what you make them. Life could be DISNEY. Cael soon entered the fray and it was then when she noticed Stella fuming. Fiery, fierce and frustrated, big boobie blonde goddess. That was Stella Manning. Lacking self control or spatial awareness, Minnie called out, “STELLA! YOOOHOOOO! COME GET SOME CAKE~!” She lifted the tray of cake pops high in the air before being rewarded with Ms. B reprimanding her.

“Philomena, please, I have a headache and it isn’t even 8 yet.”

“Sowwie,” Minnie apologized to Ms. Cat before profusely waving at Stella to come join them as she placed the cake pops on Andre’s desk. Whatever made her grumpy could be easily amended with something sweet. As they did wait for Stel to join them, Minnie decided if none of them would start the gossip talk, she would, “So, when Cael and I skipped down the hall, we ran into, what’s his name? He’s like two years younger than us… young lad, uh… no matter! We ran into that boy and he was holding Trixie’s bag and we were like well that’s weird. And then he was like Theo told him to bring it to her. Like, oh my goodness, do you think they’re getting back together? How do we feel about that if they are?”

“Eww, so not good. He gives me the ick.” Cael replied, following Minnie’s gaze to one of his other besties, Stella, who looked rather peeved. “Trix deserves a dance partner that can keep up with her. Ginger might be a spice, but it's not the right one for a salsa, ya feel?” Cael giggled playfully at his own puns.

“What twisted metaphor is this?” Ramón asked as he appeared behind Cael, having slipped into the classroom just moments before. The shortest boy had class in Mr. Phoenix’s class, so it had taken him some time to get there once the Morning Show had ended. After that, it had been a matter of walking up to Belmonte’s desk and sliding over a particularly nice bracelet from his bribery stash in his bag. The woman did let him spend quite a large amount of time in her classroom without reporting him, so some nice jewelry slid her way every now and then was the least he could do to compensate her. He’d imparted his own compliments to the woman, ever easy to be a suck up to, before making his way over to his gaggle of friends to catch the tail end of Cael’s words. “What are we talking about here?”

Stella Manning was fucking pissed.

God forbid she is thoughtful once and it comes back to bite her in the ass. It wasn’t often she thought of anyone other than herself, especially her on again off again beau, so the fact that she did that morning said more than words ever could. Was it mostly for her own personal gain? Sure! But nonetheless she had decided to do something nice for him and what did she get?

Ignored.

The blonde hated being ignored, it was the antithesis of what she stood for. Anyone with a pulse knew that Stella loved attention, and currently, she was receiving a lack of it from the one person she wanted most. So, she sulked in homeroom, hoping someone would ask her about it so she could fly off the cuff. And Minnie calling her over was the exact invitation she needed, even if her energy was a little much for her tastes at times. The girl stood from her seat and sauntered over, resting bitch face out in full force as she inspected the cake pops, taking one. “Thanks,” Stella plainly stated, before turning to Cael, “Theo can kick rocks with open toed shoes. In fact, I know a few other people who I’d recommend that to…”

“You look so gloomy, girl,” Minnie pointed out, adding a pout to emphasize her concern. There was a lot of conversation going on around them but it seemed like the focal point should be on the blonde bombshell with the rain cloud over her head, “Oh and Mimooooo, we were talking about Theo having Trixie’s bag for some reason and like totally sending some kid to deliver it but you know that might just be because he found it or something. Maybe they didn’t have sex. That’s irrelevant right now though. Stellaaaaaa, what happened? And why do you have all the coffees in the world?”

“Hi, I made you one with extra frosting,” Cael whispered to Mo, who had appeared behind him just moments ago. He passed the aforementioned cupcake back to him. Although he was talking to his third bestie that had arrived, Cael kept his focus on the drama unfolding before them. Stella looked ready to explode and the pixie was totally here for it, with a steaming cup of tea.

“Extra?” Mo whispered back, attention equally on the unfolding drama. That didn’t keep the eye roll from his face, however, as he took sight of the frosting laden cupcake he was handed. “Stix what the fuck? Take some of this, there’s more frosting than cake. And yes, Stella,” Ramón tilted his head in the direction of his childhood bestie. “Do tell on why you’re still…holding on to that.”

Stella sighed, setting down the tray with the three cups on a nearby desk. She popped the Chai and the extra shot out and set it down the two beverages in front of Cael and Minnie. “I won’t be needing these anymore, go nuts.” She grabbed her drink and took a long sip before turning to Mo, “Is the universe punishing me? I know I have my moments, but I like to think I’m a generally decent person.” The blonde quipped, ever the dramatic, “Ethan isn’t replying to me. Normally he replies in between 6 - 9 minutes because he’s needy, so anything above 15 means he’s purposefully avoiding me. That’s what I get for being generous, I suppose.”

“Oh, honey,” Mo intoned, staring at the broiling blonde in front of him. “This is exactly why this was supposed to be temporary. That boy was never meant to last for you, and now you’re stressing out over him?” The Candy King tutted, hand still holding the cupcake out for Cael to take some icing off of. He leaned against the nearest desk and raised an eyebrow. “If he doesn’t respond to you, he doesn’t deserve you, babes.”

Cael made a peeved face at Mo for rejecting his thoughtful gift. Feeling snarky and feeding off of Stella’s energy, Cael licked a dollop of frosting off of the cupcake and placed it back on Mo’s hand expectantly. “It’s true, he doesn’t… and, like, what else better does he have to do at this time of day?” Cael, perhaps a bit deviously, egged on the situation.

“Don’t give me that look like you’ve won,” Mo glared at his pixie before taking a bite of his defiled cupcake and chewing it defiantly in Cael’s face. “We’ve swapped spit before, you think that was going to scare me off?”

“I guess either way I made one special for you,” Cael smirked victoriously, clearly pleased with himself.

“Boys ain’t shit, Stella.” Andre remarked, ”Speaking of boys that ain’t shit, you know what y’all just missed?”

Andre leaned in closer.

“Y’all see Decky and Jamie? Those two were trading words, and I swear Decky was bouta deck his ass.”

Hana, eavesdropping slightly, leaned in to fill an excruciatingly crucial detail that Andre was omitting, “JJ’s chipmunk interrupted it though. You guys should’ve seen it. PJ screamed.”

“So that’s what that was…” Andre chuckled, “If it wasn’t for that rat, it could’ve become Drake v. Kendrick all over again. Hatin’ the way you walk, your talk type of shit.”

“Well that’s certainly more interesting than my homeroom this morning,” Mo mused, using the change in topic to avoid letting Cael know that he didn’t have a comeback. He didn’t blame PJ for screaming. Mo himself was no disney princess, the rodents could stay away from him as well. This though, this was what he was here for. “Was JJ a part of it? Do we know these words they spoke, or are we working on body language right now, dear Dre?”

“‘Dear Dre’ be working on both. With their body language, the looks on their faces, the words… ain’t no fuckin way it’s anything but.”

“Jamie this, Decky that, who cares.” Stella rolled her eyes, taking an angry bite of her cake pop. “You’re the ones who just said that boys ain’t shit, so why are we wasting our breath talking about them?” The blonde expressed with her mouth full, not caring that her words were mostly jumbled. She turned to Mo, “Are you sure you didn’t see Ethan in homeroom before you came here and crashed mine?”

“Bitch, did you not just say not to waste our breath talking about them? Pick a lane,” Ramón admonished with an eye roll before he finished his cupcake, making her wait for his answer. Once the confection was gone, Mo ran his fingers through Cael’s hair- his way of saying thank you, it was good- and shifted his weight from the desk onto the other boy while staring Stella down like a devious villain. “Not only was Ethan not in homeroom, but Andy was missing as well. It was another reason that I just had to stop by for our morning chat. Aside from the wonderful treats from Stix and Minty, of course. I was going to ask you if you knew anything, but it seems we’re all floating in the abyss.”

“Party planning! Or, or, or, WHAT IF he is trying to surprise you and ask you PROPERLY for the homecoming dance?! Maybe he’s getting flowers or he is keeping you on your toes so he can surprise you sometime today with a rizzy date proposal!” Minnie had downed the espresso shot and was currently covering her mouth as she chewed a nummy, white frosting, red pirate cupcake. “That would be so amazing if he just sweeps you off your feet today.”

“Hell would freeze over before Ethan Green attempted to woo a woman.” Stella scoffed, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, “Besides, we already made plans for the dance. He’s picking me up at 8pm sharp, not a minute before,” The girl sighed, exasperated. “My best guess is he and Andy are off doing god knows what in preparation for tomorrow. I take it everyone has heard about the party at the Vineyard?”

“The who what now?” Cael perked up, his eyes snapping open from the relaxation of getting head scritches from Ramón. He snuggled into the comfort of having one of his best friends leaning into him. If there was any merit to the whole love languages thing, physical touch was certainly one of his. “There’s a party? Tomorrow? Like after the dance — Oh, did you finish my outfit for tomorrow?” Cael’s words matched his attention drifting from one thought to another as he looked from Stella to Mo.

“All you bitches questioning me today,” Ramón scoffed, moving his hand off of Cael’s head to give him a reprimanding poke in his cheek. “First Stella in the car and now you? When have I ever failed any of you enough to deserve this? Of course it’s finished, you just need to come over once you’re done cheering so we can do final adjustments if needed,” He stared them both down, letting his displeasure at their perceived impatience be known before he moved on. “Ethan is throwing a party at his family’s vineyard tomorrow after the dance, they announced it on the Morning Show.”

“I’ve known about it for a while, Ethan has not stopped yapping about it.”

“A party for the whole school at the vineyard… these Green folks are different.” Andre said, “Wish I had a family vineyard.”

When Himani Chakrabarti heard that somewhere in the school someone was giving out cupcakes, she made it her mission before first period to acquire said cupcakes. It wasn’t a difficult mission given that she knew well enough that if anyone would have sweet treats during the breakfast hours it would be members of the Candies and Candies tended to congregate with the business teacher during homeroom. Business was something the Candies dealt in; the business of who was kissing who was a very lucrative business after all. Personally, Himani didn’t quite understand it. Who was dating who, who was not dating who, it all seemed very…exhausting. And considering Himani was one of the rare students who had the same level of energy at eight in the morning as she did when the school day ended, to be exhausting for her was…an accomplishment.

They called it ‘tea’ or whatever, but now that she thought about it most people drank coffee in the morning so why not call it coffee? Didn’t matter. What mattered was cake and so when the morning show ended and there was a little time after attendance and before first period, Himani was out of her homeroom like a bullet and heading towards Belmonte’s class. She didn’t sprint. Not after almost breaking her leg when taking a turn too fast and tumbling down stairs. She was fine. Totally fine.

While the conversation in room 105 turned from boys to parties (as was always the topic in school, it seemed), a voice announced her arrival before her body did. “I heard there was cupcakes and I’m here about cupcakes are they for anyone or just for people in this class I wasn’t quite clear, I just heard from someone who got a message about ‘cupcakes and kiki’ but I don't know any student named Kiki, she must be new I’m sure they’re great.” Himani entered room 105 and hadn’t taken a breath since she started talking.

“Anyway, can I have a cupcake?”

“Of course, sweets! Here ya go!” Cael chirped, holding the tray out for her to pick her favorite.

“Oh, wow, they all look so good and colorful and you made these yourself? That’s so cool, sometimes I bake things but they’re definitely not good enough to share like this.” Her hand hovered over the tray like a claw grabber arcade game, moving back and forth as her eyes tried to decide which one she liked the look of more. She settled on a cupcake with red frosting. It was a school color and Himani was repping the school all hours of the day today.

“Wow, they’re so light and fluffy to the touch and the frosting…” She didn’t finish her thought before lifting the cupcake towards her mouth. Just before she took a bite she lowered it and looked towards Cael, blinking her bright, wide eyes so quickly it looked like she was overcompensating or blinking for the very first time. “These…these are vegan friendly, right?”

Minnie had gone from the conversation surrounding her to her phone, going down the rabbit hole of her friends on Facebook, and their friends on Facebook, trying to decide who she should ask out to the dance. The espresso might’ve put her in an internal panic, since it isn’t something she drank often (if at all). Truth be told, Minnie had never-ever asked someone on a date before and Cael was CRUEL for daring her too. Not looking up from her phone, she speedily answered, “Yes, yes. Cael is really big on that stuff. Like vegan friendly, gluten free, uhhhhh…. no peanuts because we can’t risk allergies like that. Am I missing anything Stix?” Her gaze paused on a handsome face on her screen and thought to herself ‘what if’, trying to imagine a scenario where she would run into him.

“It’s my first time trying it, I hope they’re good...” Cael immediately interjected, as if to defend them up front, just in case they sucked. “I used vegan cream cheese for the frosting and everything! We wanted to make sure they’d be something everyone could enjoy, and I mean, if I’m gonna maybe have a bakery someday I ought to get a jump start learning alternatives!” He beamed proudly at Himani.

“Oh, vegan cream cheese? Not vegan buttercream? You probably meant the same thing, this looks way too good.” Given the go-ahead, Himani took an eager bite of the cupcake. And then she chewed. And kept her smile. And chewed. And really tried to maintain her smile. “Not used to not using eggs?” Himani would never say anything bad about anything a student, or a friend, made and that held true now. Even if it was a little…dry in the cake part. “I don’t wanna tell you how to bake because you’re great at it and I don’t know anything but in my experience eating vegan if you add just a little bit of applesauce to the batter you’ll be thanked by vegans everywhere. Or at least me. Don’t get me wrong, this one is so good.” As if to prove a point, Himani took another bite. It was not one she necessarily wanted to, but she gave a thumbs up as she did.

“Oh, well yeah, I meant to use cream cheese… because they’re red velvet,” Cael defended weakly, but it was already too late. She hated them, oh no. The sparkle in his eye faltered slightly. “Right, applesauce, I’ll try that next time! I hope you’ll still be willing to taste test for me?”

“Not only will I be willing to taste test, I’d be willing to share my recipes. Not that I have recipes I mostly just got stuff from the internet but I’ll bring you some pumpkin bars. Because it’s October and pumpkins are everywhere! You like pumpkin, right? Of course you do, everyone likes pumpkin! Did you know they put it in coffee? Anyway, taste test, yes, cupcake, good, pep rally, see you all there. I’ll be the one in the big pirate costume!”

“Sounds great, see you there!” Cael chirped in his usual bubbly tone. As soon as Himani was out of earshot, the temporarily red-haired pixie glared at his best friends. “Why didn’t any of you tell me they sucked?!”

BHHS: Limitless

@Bee@BrutalBx

Accepted loves

BHHS: Limitless

@Melissa accepted love

BHHS: Limitless

_{LOCATION: Sunshine Diner Parking Lot ➜ The Diner
TIMESTAMP: Who knows. They're high.}

_{@Hey Im Jordan & @LovelyComplex}
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This was new territory for Andrew Green, and he was nervous. He was breaking rules like never before! Leaving the building at 8AM when he wasn’t sick was a landmark moment for him. In the back of his head, he reminded himself this was probably what dad would have done. Dad, Aunt Hailey, both grandmothers, and his grandfather would have approved of what he was doing. Sneaking away to smoke weed was pretty par for the course for a Green, especially the generation before him. So why did Andy feel so bad about it?

Even as he settled into the passenger’s of his brother’s car, Andy still had the smell of oranges in his nostrils and the feeling of her breath on his neck. Andy was, for the first time in his life, infatuated. He wanted to chase it forever, but his brother had warned him off of it initially. As much as he didn’t want Ethan to say something he didn’t want to hear, Andrew found himself with a need to ask.

“Is Amy really as bad as everyone says?” Andy asked earnestly as they pulled away from the parking lot, heading toward the Sunshine Diner where they could grab a bite to eat. Andy hadn’t been sure about skipping so many classes, but Ethan had confidently assured him there was nothing to worry about. Besides, this way he’d have some time to pick Ethan’s brain before he made any more stupid fucking decisions.

As the air of silence filled the room, he looked out the window and watched the city roll past them. He thought about it, wondering how much of the encounter he wanted to tell his brother about. He adjusted his glasses, and wondered if his father had ever been in this position. His brother? Was he the only Green who had ever been motivated by a pretty girl? “She said I looked good with the guitar.”

“And she complimented my singing. No one’s ever done that.”

“So I’m no one?” Ethan questioned, his tone was flat and unamused. With his backpack on his lap, having stopped at his locker to get some of his stash prior, he pulled out his grade school lunch box. Placing the vintage lunch box on his lap, he tossed his bag to the backseat before putting all his focus on his treasure. He had customized it to have its own compartments rather than go out of his way to look for a good weed storage system. Plus, he loved TMNT. One compartment had his weed (which he had different types of flower in small lidded jars). The others were for his rolling papers, his tips and his grinder. It was all organized and placed in a way that made the most sense to him. His vape was actually in his pants pocket but he didn’t want his brother’s first time to be a vape.

This was an important moment for Andrew Green so he was going to do what any little brother should do. He was going to roll his brother a joint with hash. He preferred blunts because the mix of cannabis and its tobacco wrap gave an added buzz. It also had more flavors available in wraps. Most people thought it was gross so he could only assume his brother from the same mother would think the same. Nothing was wrong with a good joint and he was always down to clown if someone was offering. He loved a good joint. This was a celebration though! Andy deserved the best and honestly, his brother was the best of them all.

Sorry, Diana.

He was biased.

Hash would give off the same effect as a blunt anyways. He’d do a nice Maradona hash joint and before Andy knew it, he’d feel euphoria, relaxation, maybe some creative stimulation, a bit of a cerebral effect, and obviously, increased appetite. Good thing they were in the parking lot of Sunshine Diner. This was going to be lit. Splitting the layers, breaking his hash up into tiny pieces, Ethan continued, “I’m kidding, I know what you mean. You want someone to notice you that isn’t me. Amy is just…” His voice trailed off as he grabbed the rolling paper and filter. “Trouble. She made an enemy out of someone that had a lot of dirt on her. Like this person was wired in conversations and hacked her phone or something with her nudes….” He looked away from his workstation (his lap and lunchbox) to briefly meet his brother’s gaze. “I don’t want you to get caught up in that mess, man.”

“I don’t think you’d let any of that stop you.” Andy said, and shrugged. “It shouldn’t stop me either, right? I mean, sink or swim, y’know?” Andy watched his brother work as he talked, wondering what he was getting himself into. It was hardly his first time being in the presence of the drug, but it was his first time being this close to it while it was its rawest form. There was something mystifying about it. The smell of weed filled his nostrils, burning away whatever remained of the orange scent he’d tasted earlier.

“I can’t sink or swim if no one lets me jump in the deep end.” Andy was well aware it could end poorly. He didn’t know that much about the situation at hand, but even from what his brother had just said, it seemed like she was the victim. Not the other way around. “Isn’t trouble a Green thing, anyway?” He asked, letting the question hang in the air. He wasn’t sure what he was doing. He’d never stood up for himself this hard before, and he was starting to wonder if all he really needed was a girlfriend. It seemed to work for Ethan - in fact, it worked so well that Ethan had three, or four, or five. Andy had lost count.

“I’m not scared. I’m usually scared, so I want to see how this plays out. It can’t end that badly. I mean, doesn’t grandma always say she can buy our way out of any problems we get into?” She did. That was true. But bringing his grandma up as a positive? Andy really was pulling out all the stops he could to try and get his brother on his side. He knew Ethan well enough to know that in the end he’d side with him, but Andy didn’t want it to feel so terse. What would have happened if Ethan had interrupted a few minutes later? “I’ll be fine.”

Tapping the filter gently against his lunch box to get everything settled, Ethan didn’t respond right away. Instead he focused on the joint. It was almost ready. Since they were going to smoke it now, there was no need to twist the top. He grabbed his gold zippo lighter and lit the joint slowly and evenly. At this point he could make a joint in his sleep if he really wanted to. It was second nature to him. Smoking in general was second nature to him. A nasty habit his girlfriends didn’t like but something he thought made him look just like the characters in the movies he enjoyed watching. Truth be told there really wasn’t anything complex or deep about Ethan Green. He did what he wanted and what he liked consisted of three things: movies, freedom, his specifically, and girls. In the grand scheme of things, to those that knew him, knew he was just a teen boy trying to have a good time, not necessarily a long time. His stash box was a testimony in itself of how young he still very much was at heart, not thinking about his future, only thinking about the life he lived right now. Ever present, ever in the moment. Here.

Taking the first drag, closing the zippo while he did so, he took his time, allowing his brother to observe him. He drew the smoke in, deeply, and held it there for a few seconds before letting it seep out of his mouth and into the air. Offering the joint to his older twin brother, he gave a lazy smile, “Lesson number one. Don’t ask for permission. You want this girl? Go get her. It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission. At least then you’d already done the thing and won’t be missing out.” Missing out especially at this school was the worst. There were plenty of things going on and he knew once they graduated he, his brother and his cousins would have to buckle down. If his brother didn’t want a life jacket on anymore, he wasn't going to stop him. Safety’s off. He was the last person to lecture him on good and bad decisions but if this is what he wanted. Like really wanted. He’d support him, no matter what. And if he sank, he’d make sure to save him. That’s what brothers were for. Though if he was in the deep end with him, they could drown together too, but neither was alone and that was what mattered. He had Andy’s back, regardless if his choice in women was questionable.

“Also shit man, don’t bring up grandma. You talk way too much about our family. Lesson number two. Stop thinking about everyone else. You wonder why everyone helicopters you? If you’re like mom this, dad that, grandma this… bro. Stop. They ain’t going to hold your hand when you're in bed with Amy. What about you? What can you do to be the man you want to be? Without the Green name attached, I mean. Make this YOUR year. Fuck everyone else. Including me.”

Andy frowned. It wasn’t like he was asking people to helicopter him, they just did it. He didn’t ask his grandmother to have a direct hand in guiding his future, but she did it anyway. He didn’t ask his parents to treat him like a baby while their golden boy got to do whatever he wanted. They just did it. Andy didn’t know what he was supposed to say, and so he watched his brother hitting the joint he’d rolled in silence. He made some solid points, but Andy wasn’t fully sure Ethan understood his position. How could he? Ethan was everyone’s golden boy! Andy was… Andy. Getting out of his comfort zone to try new things was hard for him, hell skipping class was a big deal.

But that was okay, he supposed. It wasn’t even going to be the biggest deal that week, he had a date. At least, he thought he had a date. Had he even gotten Amy’s number? How was he supposed to contact her, especially if they were meant to give her a ride? Andy was thinking, and thinking long and far too much. He was lucky, though, that Ethan was a bit of a rambler. By the time Ethan was talking about making this his year, Andy's mind was made up.

Ethan had a point, he did need to start seizing opportunities. He stared at the joint that he awkwardly held between two fingers, and found himself wanting to say more negative things. It’s easy for you! He wanted to scream.

No one had ever even asked him how he felt about the tiger incident. No one had ever asked Andy how he got into the pen. The truth was… when his dad turned away, Andy had jumped in. When his mom was crying though? It was hard for a nine year old to admit he’d done something so stupid, so Andy had just lied through pursed lips. “I fell in, mama. I’m sorry I scared you…”

He lifted the joint to his lips and pulled in, drawing the smoke into his lungs. He sucked and he sucked until he couldn’t take anymore. He held it in, like he’d seen his brother and his father do a thousand times before, and when he couldn’t anymore he coughed with a closed mouth, desperately trying to do a good job. The smoke spilled out of his nose, introducing Andy to an unpleasantly unique feeling he hadn’t known was possible before that moment. He opened his mouth and drained the smoke, hacking and coughing as he did so. For a first timer, Andy had done well.

Unfortunately, his coughing didn’t stop as he handed the joint back to his brother. Andy had done well slurping the marijuana into his system, but now was the hard part: handling it. As he coughed and coughed, he shook his head and looked at Ethan for desperate approval. “is it… kaff supposed kaff kaff to be like this? kaff kaff” He looked at his brother, and wondered aloud. “This is kaff kaff kafff where I die, isn’t it?”

Ethan couldn’t help but smile at his brother as he watched him take a hit. A bigger one than he expected for a first timer to do but he respected it no less. Gladly, he took the joint back and assuringly said, “Just ride it out. You’ll be fine.” Placing the joint between his lips, freeing his hands, he reached in his back seat and pulled a bottle of water, just in case his bro needed some. While placing it in the drink holder in the center console between them, he took a long drag himself, sucking it deep enough so he could join his brother in a coughing fit, so he didn’t feel like he was alone. “See.” Ethan coughed. “Totally kaff normal.” He offered the joint again. “We ain’t eating until we smoke it all, so you best keep going.”

As he took the joint back from his brother, Andy was slowly beginning to realize what it meant to be high. He felt like every hair on the ends of arms stood straight up. He blinked a few times, amazed at how quickly his mouth and lips were drying out as the effect of the weed really started to sink in. Shit. Is it supposed to feel like this? He stared at his brother, waiting for a response. It was almost a whole minute before Andy realized he hadn’t actually used his words, and he had just been staring at Ethan with his mouth hanging slightly open. Maybe, Andy thought to himself, dad’s right. Maybe this shit is good for you. He lifted the joint up to his lips, either unaware or not caring about how goofy he looked, and took another fat hit.

This time, he mimicked his brother, tilting his head back before he let out the smoke, blowing it into the roof of the car. He licked his lips, and rubbed his eyes. “That’s pretty good,” he offered the joint back to his brother along with his words before another coughing fit struck and Andy found himself wondering how his brother could smoke as much as he did. It was a miracle Ethan could speak clearly with all the cigars, weed, and cigarettes he smoked. “I’m going to be so high. Do I look high? Oh man, I know I look high.’ Andy was rapidly approaching the state of highness where paranoia crept in, something that would either pass with time - or with smoking even more weed. After Ethan took the joint from between his lips, Andy picked up the bottle of water that Ethan had sat aside for him.

He ripped the cap off of the plastic bottle and dropped it in the floorboard, and tipped the bottle back to his mouth. He pushed it forward, smashing against his lips as he drained the bottle in seconds. He dropped the crushed water bottle to the floor alongside the cap, then looked at his brother. “I need more water. Or food. Or both.”

“Good thing we’re at a diner. Come on, let’s get some motherfuckin’ pancakes.” Ethan grinned, excited to be part of this experience with his brother. His phone beeped loudly with an iconic jingle that was like the bat signal for the Elite. He checked his phone, seeing the other texts from his girlfriends and deliberately ignoring theirs to focus on what mattered. His boys. Looks like they had an impossible task they needed help with later. Seemed easy enough. After texting bet in response, he pocketed his phone again and puffed the joint one last time. Man, this shit was good. “You ready big dawg?”

---

_{SMALL FT: Sully's Mom}

____________________________________________________________________

When they walked into the door of the Sunshine Diner, Andy’s eyes welled up with tears. For the first time in forever, Andrew Green was not crying tears of sadness, anxiety, or fear. These tears? They were tears of pure and unadulterated joy. Andy had never been overcome by such a ravenous hunger before, and the scent of breakfast food wafting out of the kitchen was simply overwhelming him. Was this the munchies he’d heard so much about? His eyes had to be bloodshot, they had to be glassy. He could feel it.

The hostess spoke to them, but once again Andy couldn’t find words. He was lucky his brother was there to handle the talking. Andy wasn’t sure why, but he was having a rough time understanding what the hostess was saying; was it just him, or did she sound like the adults from the Charlie Brown movies?

He may not have grasped what she said, but he could tell from her expressions that Ethan must have said something flirty. After twenty years of staring toward the kitchen with watery eyes, Andy felt Ethan’s hand on his wrist, tugging him along. He followed his brother to a booth and sat down. He was wordless as he sat there, but his mind was active. I probably look so high. Man, I wonder if my mom will be impressed a girl likes me. Does she like me? Ethan doesn’t think so. Fuck I probably look so high. He couldn’t help it anymore. He pulled out his phone and switched on the camera, lifting it up to look through the lens…

And he found staring back at him, his brother. Andy blinked a few times, and then commented. “I didn’t realize we looked so alike, E. I thought we were fraternal twins?” He frowned, and when the image on his phone didn’t frown, he came to the realization that he hadn’t flipped it to the selfie cam.

Andy Green dropped his phone and started to have his first fit of giggles.

Ethan’s face was beginning to hurt from the amount of smiling he’d been doing since they both got high in the car. He loved seeing his brother like this. Genuinely enjoying himself. He took a moment to pull out his phone and record, to eventually send it to his parents, to make up for the inevitable scene where his father would get upset he couldn’t be part of Andy’s first high. Speaking of cameras, he needed to catch some b-roll of the school next week for his documentary and maybe even some for his senior project. Luckily he had a whole year to work on both projects, this semester was pre-production and filming, next semester was post and reshoots, if needed, and then he’d have his senior capstone film and for extra credit, a documentary. Documentaries were easier to film but harder to make engaging and he really wanted to make a sort of love letter to his classmates and gift them with something sweet before they embarked on the next chapter of their lives. Ambitious, yes, but worth it.

Regardless if it seemed like it or not, Ethan’s mind was always thinking about film. Whether it was for himself or just in general, he had it in the back of his mind and when opportunities came their way, he seized it. This was Ethan’s passion and he would drown himself in it, if it weren’t for him needing a social life too. He was the Man. The guy that made shit happen and he was determined to bring as many of his peers along the way, to make this last year the best year of their lives.

“Ethan? Andrew? Shouldn’t you two be in school?” The twins were interrupted and pulled down from cloud nine when Sullivan Harper’s mother appeared in front of them, ready to wait and take their order. She observed the two with part understanding, smelling the weed right off of them, and part motherly concern. “You two okay? I expect this from one of you.” Her sharp gaze intently stared at Ethan. Even if he knew she was calling him out, he couldn’t help but give her a shit-eating grin. Her acute focus went from one boy to the other, resting on Andy, who wasn’t someone she saw often but heard plenty of, because one twin couldn’t stop talking about the other.

Ethan, of course, was the first to speak up.

“I know what you’re thinking Mama Darc. Ethan is up to his bullshit again, but this time, I promise this isn’t me actively avoiding my responsibilities.” Darcie was one of the few parental figures that Ethan spoke with full transparency. He wasn’t planning on playing hooky today. His brother needed him and it was his job to take care of him. And now that he was here, the ideas were coming at him full force. “Rough morning, but let’s talk about something worth both of our time. How would you feel about me setting up a little interview with you for my documentary? And to peak your interest even more, in the end, you can give a shout out to your baby boy so we can see him cry at graduation.”

“Slow down, Ethan. One thing at a time. I won’t pry into what happened this morning, but please, stop making it a habit to come here when you don’t want to be at school. You too, Andrew, don’t let your brother be a bad influence on you. You’re only high schoolers for so long… Sunshine diner isn’t going anywhere.”

Andrew… who called him Andrew? That was weird to him, even his grandmothers just called him Andy. Ethan was off talking about something that Andy wasn’t involved in, and the words of the pretty woman tending to them were barely legible to his poor, first time stoned ears. “Uhm. Andy is fine.” He offered in response, his syllables dragged out slightly and emphasis on the words, as if he were having trouble directing himself to speak. It was harder to lock in than he had thought it would be. Had speaking ever been this difficult? He needed a guitar, desperately. With music, he could talk even if he struggled to find the words.

He drew in a deep breath, almost comically so before he let it out slowly and tried again. He was focused on what mattered now, dialed in. “Can you bring me some French toast? With fruit, and bacon that’s extra crispy, and…” He sniffed the air, closing his eyes. “Some parmesan potatoes, and then I think I smell muffins… do you have banana nut?” After speaking, Andy relaxed and visibly slouched into his chair. That was… the hardest thing he had ever done in his entire life. Maybe all he needed to stand up to his grandma’s tyrannical reign of terror was to smoke a bunch of weed before they talked. That thought made Andy snicker, and then he straightened up as he had a realization.

“Oh! Please.” He was rich, but that didn’t mean he was an asshole with no manners.

“Yeah, sure kid. And Andy, got it,” Darcie commented, not one to call kids by their nicknames until given the okay. Plus Sully was detailed in his explanation on things, so Darcie knew more about the boys than they probably realized. “Usual for you, Ethan?”

“Yes ma’am. A giant plate of scrambled eggs—”

“Six pieces of burnt bacon, you want it so hard and crunchy, like a teenage boy getting laid for the first time. Hash brown casserole, drown it in cheese, five hotcakes, soaked in strawberry and whipped cream, and our cereal milk milkshake, extra lucky charms.”

“You got it pretty mama,” Ethan happily grinned. His stomach had the rumblies that only breakfast food could satisfy. “Can you get my bro the shake that tastes like birthday cake? We’re celebrating something big so I think he needs a good shake to go with his breakfast.”

“Got it,” Darcie answered, not needing to write any of this down. A long time veteran at this diner. She knew the menu and most people’s orders just as much as she knew every birthmark on her son. “As for your request, sure, you know where to find me when I’m off. We can get something going for your film.”

“Wait! That just reminded me,” Ethan raised his hand, trying to get Darcie to not walk away to go to another customer or the kitchen. “Could I borrow this diner for like a whole day? I’ll pay! I just think it would be dope if I made a one location film for the 48 Hour Film Project. No Sleep ‘Till Film Fest 2024, coming soon.” Ethan was so enraptured with himself that he was barely paying attention to his brother who was in need of food and sleep, desperately.

Andy ignored Ethan’s pleas, and turned his attention to Darcie. “Please go put our order in. He knows perfectly well you can’t give away the diner for a day, and I gotta eat. I might die.” Andy was being truthful, or at least he thought he was. He had never felt this hungry before, and he’d had two bowls of cereal before leaving the house that morning for school. Was this the munchies? How did people deal with this?! “I’m so hungry. I didn’t know you could get this hungry. Can you bring me orange juice?”

Darcie smiled, glad her son was making good friends (even if it baffled her that the two boys in front of her were exceedingly rich). They were good kids and she loved that her son surrounded himself with good people. It was nice to see rich kids not be so full of themselves. Well, more so Andy than Ethan. Ethan liked to talk a lot but she could tell he meant well. He just thought he knew what was best for him and his circle but she knew if Andy spoke, simply by how Ethan looked at his twin, that Andy could get his brother to do anything for him. The power dynamic wasn’t obvious but it was there. One boy didn’t think about much, besides maybe film, and the other boy thought too much, and had a better idea of how to make himself heard with fewer words. He might not be as aware of it as she, having been exposed to a similar personality, but she knew in time Andy would be the one leading the charge, not Ethan. “Absolutely, hun. And Ethan, next Wednesday night. That's when the boss and his daughter will be around. Can’t guarantee this place but maybe you’ll intrigue them.” Shrugging, Darcie walked away to get the boys their beverages, which included a side of water because both desperately needed it.

“Bro, you ready to devour all this food?!” Ethan bursted out, feeling ecstatic that he had a chance, albeit a small one, to get the diner as a film location. “And sorry man, you know how I get. I just love film so much.”

Andy nodded slowly. “Yep. I’m ready to eat, maybe it’ll help me come down. Maybe you should get a job at that video store in town. I bet people there would talk about movies all day with you!” Andy knew his knowledge of films was a bit too stunted to really engage with Ethan the way he wanted, so he instead tried to make a suggestion that, to his very high brain, made perfect sense.

“Yeah right,” Ethan chortled, finding it hilarious his brother would think he’d get a job right now when he didn’t have to. “Why am I going to waste my last year WORKING? I don’t need a job. We’re rich. And if people want to talk movies, that’s why there’s a FILM CLUB. It’s fine, I got you anyways. My girls don’t understand good cinema even if it hit them in the face.”

“To meet people, I guess.” Andy meekly offered with a shrug, though Ethan had a point. He definitely didn’t need a job.

“Like I need a job for that. Thanks though, bro, I will not be considering.” Ethan countered, extremely firm that a job would only ruin his year. His attention shifted when he saw Darcie coming out of the kitchen with their milkshakes, water, and OJ, “Oh look! Our drinks are coming.”

Hell to the yeah. It was time to feast like Kings and the brothers Green were definitely kings. Stoned ones but Kings no less. KINGS.

Post Deletion Request

@LegendBegins good morning or afternoon! Whatever timezone you are. I request these posts to be deleted, please and thank you kindly.

One & Two.

Thank youuuu for everything you do! Happy Friday and happy weekend!

BHHS: Limitless

@BrutalBx Accepted for when you wake up darling! looks like JORDAN overlooked this. just kidding. love you

BHHS: Limitless

@Aces Away@Fabricant451

ACCEPTED - obviously.

BHHS: Limitless

@BrutalBx Accepted :D

BHHS: Limitless

- snipped -