I CLENCHED MY FIST SO HARD I THINK IT STARTED BLEEDING
open like ur MOM
“H-hum, be careful!” She replied. “Go slowly and, hum, you might want to throw down your stuff first so you don't, you know, get weighted down.
She grabbed her costume. It even came with glittery shoes.
It was bartering. She needed to do this even if she found the idea embarrassing.
...at least, it vaguely fit her style.
Right?
Right.
She moved toward the stairs, her baton stuck in the loop of her leggings as she carried the lump of clothes. The entire outfit was glittery, and she just knew she’d end up with some on top of her. It just felt so tacky. It would totally rub off unto her.
Thinking about that, she bent down to also grab her makeup kit. She needed it to make it count. To escape, she needed to make herself worth the hassle. It was a trade, a clear cut cost-vs-benefit situation.
Even the zero-sum game she was participating had cooperation between the producers and her, and Pippi was going to take advantage of it until she’d be free again.
“See ya’!”
Maybe.
She grabbed her costume. It even came with glittery shoes.
It was bartering. She needed to do this even if she found the idea embarrassing.
...at least, it vaguely fit her style.
Right?
Right.
She moved toward the stairs, her baton stuck in the loop of her leggings as she carried the lump of clothes. The entire outfit was glittery, and she just knew she’d end up with some on top of her. It just felt so tacky. It would totally rub off unto her.
Thinking about that, she bent down to also grab her makeup kit. She needed it to make it count. To escape, she needed to make herself worth the hassle. It was a trade, a clear cut cost-vs-benefit situation.
Even the zero-sum game she was participating had cooperation between the producers and her, and Pippi was going to take advantage of it until she’d be free again.
“See ya’!”
Maybe.
"Yeah, I'll - okay! See you in a little bit!"
She watched Pippi disappear below deck.
She leant over the railing and looked straight down, her foot brushing against the cheese wheel as she shifted her weight. It would probably be a safety hazard if she left it up here, but she wasn't really sure how to safely lower it either. It was like a boulder. She must have been, what... sixty feet up? It was high enough that she couldn't tell for sure how high she was. It was also high enough that she'd definitely die if she fell.
She sniffled. Her lip started shaking.
She didn't look at the camera. She wasn't talking to them.
"Noreen."
She stopped for a few seconds.
"It's okay. I know you're okay. They didn't take your grade.
"You don't need to watch this. I don't want you to watch, and I know you're going to do it anyways, but you don't have to.
"You're gonna be okay. You'll - you'll make it through this. You're strong. You'll figure it out.
"I was gonna give you the Jag when I moved out. You can have it. It's fine.
"I'll be okay too. No matter what happens, I'll be okay. I don't think I'm gonna make it out, but - but I'll be okay."
Tears splattered against the deck below.
"You know, how when y-you have something you need to say, l-like really really need to say, a-and you need to say it so badly that you just - it's like any way you can think of saying it just isn't good enough and so you just don't know how to say anything.
"I-I don't know what I'm trying to say. I'm sorry - just -
"There's a page in my sketchbook, the big one.
"You'll understand when you see it."
The tears stopped.
"Okay."
She bent down and started zipping up her backpack. She saw something red and white and familiar. She stopped. There was a white shirt. On the white shirt, there was a red box. On the red box, there were big white block letters in Futura Heavy Oblique font. The letters spelled the word 'Supreme'.
And just like that, Luanne knew why Jewel had responded to Noreen's Warhol tweet, and why she'd been going on about the commodification of art.
The producers had the precision of military strategy.
...
She zipped up the bag, slung it over both her shoulders, and stuck her feet in through the rigging. Then, she began the long climb down.
She watched Pippi disappear below deck.
She leant over the railing and looked straight down, her foot brushing against the cheese wheel as she shifted her weight. It would probably be a safety hazard if she left it up here, but she wasn't really sure how to safely lower it either. It was like a boulder. She must have been, what... sixty feet up? It was high enough that she couldn't tell for sure how high she was. It was also high enough that she'd definitely die if she fell.
She sniffled. Her lip started shaking.
She didn't look at the camera. She wasn't talking to them.
"Noreen."
She stopped for a few seconds.
"It's okay. I know you're okay. They didn't take your grade.
"You don't need to watch this. I don't want you to watch, and I know you're going to do it anyways, but you don't have to.
"You're gonna be okay. You'll - you'll make it through this. You're strong. You'll figure it out.
"I was gonna give you the Jag when I moved out. You can have it. It's fine.
"I'll be okay too. No matter what happens, I'll be okay. I don't think I'm gonna make it out, but - but I'll be okay."
Tears splattered against the deck below.
"You know, how when y-you have something you need to say, l-like really really need to say, a-and you need to say it so badly that you just - it's like any way you can think of saying it just isn't good enough and so you just don't know how to say anything.
"I-I don't know what I'm trying to say. I'm sorry - just -
"There's a page in my sketchbook, the big one.
"You'll understand when you see it."
The tears stopped.
"Okay."
She bent down and started zipping up her backpack. She saw something red and white and familiar. She stopped. There was a white shirt. On the white shirt, there was a red box. On the red box, there were big white block letters in Futura Heavy Oblique font. The letters spelled the word 'Supreme'.
And just like that, Luanne knew why Jewel had responded to Noreen's Warhol tweet, and why she'd been going on about the commodification of art.
The producers had the precision of military strategy.
...
She zipped up the bag, slung it over both her shoulders, and stuck her feet in through the rigging. Then, she began the long climb down.
Pippi had been half way through removing her shirt when she heard the terrifying thud and then crack above her.
A small part of her assumed it was nothing, but the rest?
It expected Luanne to be nothing but broken bones.
Pippi looked up at the broken ceiling. There wasn't any blood dripping out.
Good? Bad?
Don't know!
Pippi moved toward the stairs, searched for Luanne around.
She was still tangled in the ropes, floating above Pippi.
"If you need help, holler!" She threw at the girl above as she retreated back under the deck.
The costume was hard to put on, and probably worse to remove. But once it was on, the top was surprisingly comfortable.
Now, she just had to put on the pants.
Yeah.
That's gonna' be harder.
A small part of her assumed it was nothing, but the rest?
It expected Luanne to be nothing but broken bones.
Pippi looked up at the broken ceiling. There wasn't any blood dripping out.
Good? Bad?
Don't know!
Pippi moved toward the stairs, searched for Luanne around.
She was still tangled in the ropes, floating above Pippi.
"If you need help, holler!" She threw at the girl above as she retreated back under the deck.
The costume was hard to put on, and probably worse to remove. But once it was on, the top was surprisingly comfortable.
Now, she just had to put on the pants.
Yeah.
That's gonna' be harder.
Luanne wasn't a very physical person. Just grabbing onto the rope ladder was hurting her hands. Her shoes weren't very good climbing shoes, and with every rung she went down it felt like they were going to slip off and then she would fall and smash into the floor and break apart like she was Dorothy Hale.
Part of her did want to just let go of the ladder. To just tell the producers 'no, screw you, I know what you're doing and I'm never selling out to you'. But that would be selfish, and there were things more important than her own personal artistic integrity. Plus anyways, artistic integrity was for artists, and while she was pretty sure the producers thought she wanted to be an artist, she wanted to be an art historian.
And so she kept descending, rung by rung. The ladder felt surprisingly stable, and she was glad it wasn't all that windy out. She couldn't imagine how much harder all this would have been with her hair lashing into her face and the ladder swinging around and all that.
Just like that, the boat kind of swayed like it had been hit by a tiny, tiny wave. Pippi probably hadn't felt it down where she was, but all the way up here, far away from the ship's center of gravity, it was like -
- well, it didn't feel great. Luanne was swaying back and forth and she was still maybe fourty feet up and she felt like she was gonna hurl, and she really didn't want to do that because if she did, she'd have to choose between letting go of the ladder with at least one of her hands or vomiting on herself.
So she was trying not to barf, when something big and round quickly flashed through the edge of her vision and smashed into the deck below. At first she thought it had maybe been a bird or something, but then she saw a yellowish-orange wheel-shaped thing laying on the ground and realized that the wave must have rolled the cheese wheel right off of the crowsnest.
Good job Luanne, you almost accidentally killed yourself with a cheese boulder.
She'd barely even flinched.
Okay.
Wait.
Oh fuck. Gosh. She meant Oh gosh. To Pippi, it probably sounded like she'd just, um, you know... died. She didn't want Pippi to think that. That sounded traumatic. She didn't want to traumatize anyone! She wanted to... to help them? To help who she knew she could help within reason.
Because, she had to try, right? It would be wrong to just give up and abandon everything, especially when she had a chance to change... something. Anything, really. Hopefully leave the world, or at least someone's life, better than it had been before she'd arrived.
So she was trying to decide between calling out "I'm okay!" or "That wasn't me!", when she saw Pippi's head poking around the corner of the stairwell (which was really sort of more like, um, a ladderwell, kind of, because for some reason most boats had ladders instead of stairs. Probably because it was really easy to lose balance and fall down a flight of stairs and die if you were sailing on rough seas). Luanne wanted to wave or give a thumbs-up or something, but, you know, she was climbing down a ladder and all that stuff, so yeah.
Still though, it was nice of Pippi to check in on her! She appreciated that.
"Sorry! Thanks! I think I'll be okay!"
She watched as Pippi disappeared back around the corner. There was a pain in her stomach, a little bit like butterflies. She focused on that feeling, and the rest of the descent from the crowsnest was uneventful. Once she had her feet on the ground, she walked over to a storage chest affixed to the deck's surface and sat down. Every so often, she glanced at the cheese-shaped dent in the floor.
If there was anyone else on this boat that she and Pippi didn't know about, they... they would have heard the crash, right? So hopefully that meant that there wasn't anyone still hiding here.
Part of her did want to just let go of the ladder. To just tell the producers 'no, screw you, I know what you're doing and I'm never selling out to you'. But that would be selfish, and there were things more important than her own personal artistic integrity. Plus anyways, artistic integrity was for artists, and while she was pretty sure the producers thought she wanted to be an artist, she wanted to be an art historian.
And so she kept descending, rung by rung. The ladder felt surprisingly stable, and she was glad it wasn't all that windy out. She couldn't imagine how much harder all this would have been with her hair lashing into her face and the ladder swinging around and all that.
Just like that, the boat kind of swayed like it had been hit by a tiny, tiny wave. Pippi probably hadn't felt it down where she was, but all the way up here, far away from the ship's center of gravity, it was like -
- well, it didn't feel great. Luanne was swaying back and forth and she was still maybe fourty feet up and she felt like she was gonna hurl, and she really didn't want to do that because if she did, she'd have to choose between letting go of the ladder with at least one of her hands or vomiting on herself.
So she was trying not to barf, when something big and round quickly flashed through the edge of her vision and smashed into the deck below. At first she thought it had maybe been a bird or something, but then she saw a yellowish-orange wheel-shaped thing laying on the ground and realized that the wave must have rolled the cheese wheel right off of the crowsnest.
Good job Luanne, you almost accidentally killed yourself with a cheese boulder.
She'd barely even flinched.
Okay.
Wait.
Oh fuck. Gosh. She meant Oh gosh. To Pippi, it probably sounded like she'd just, um, you know... died. She didn't want Pippi to think that. That sounded traumatic. She didn't want to traumatize anyone! She wanted to... to help them? To help who she knew she could help within reason.
Because, she had to try, right? It would be wrong to just give up and abandon everything, especially when she had a chance to change... something. Anything, really. Hopefully leave the world, or at least someone's life, better than it had been before she'd arrived.
So she was trying to decide between calling out "I'm okay!" or "That wasn't me!", when she saw Pippi's head poking around the corner of the stairwell (which was really sort of more like, um, a ladderwell, kind of, because for some reason most boats had ladders instead of stairs. Probably because it was really easy to lose balance and fall down a flight of stairs and die if you were sailing on rough seas). Luanne wanted to wave or give a thumbs-up or something, but, you know, she was climbing down a ladder and all that stuff, so yeah.
Still though, it was nice of Pippi to check in on her! She appreciated that.
"Sorry! Thanks! I think I'll be okay!"
She watched as Pippi disappeared back around the corner. There was a pain in her stomach, a little bit like butterflies. She focused on that feeling, and the rest of the descent from the crowsnest was uneventful. Once she had her feet on the ground, she walked over to a storage chest affixed to the deck's surface and sat down. Every so often, she glanced at the cheese-shaped dent in the floor.
If there was anyone else on this boat that she and Pippi didn't know about, they... they would have heard the crash, right? So hopefully that meant that there wasn't anyone still hiding here.
Pippi tied the crop top just above her belly button with a quick knot. Technically, she had fully donned her outfit. She hoped it scored her points that she could use later to barter for more leeway during her escape attempts.
Well.
Hopefully, there'd be only one more so she could drop the act.
Until then, she was Pippi Bloodworth and she was here to rumble.
She moved back up deck with her baton and bag on her arm. She looked fine as is. She would have preferred something with more coverage. There was also technically a swimsuit, but she noted that she would probably need it later.
You know with the point system and all. Swimsuit seemed pretty high up there when it came to fanservice and playing for the producers. As she went up the stairs, she mentally listed what she could do to earn back an attempt.
Team up with Luanne.
Kill Luanne.
Rob Luanne.
Abandon Luanne.
They were the four options she listed, and she abjectively refused the second and the third one. If Pippi could escape, then everyone else could, then that mean she needed to make the least amount of enemies as possible.
She swallowed.
Hard.
Killing was on the table. She wouldn't let herself die if someone attacked her but-
She preferred not to think about it.
She found Luanne sitting on the top of a treasure-looking chest. Pippi smiled. Luanne had made it in one piece and there was something warm buzzing in her chest. She sniffed and remembered she forgot to put on her makeup. She noted to do it later, probably during a monologue. That would totally earn her points.
"So Luanne," she started, "hum, aren't we in a precarious situation?"
She laughed. Drily. Pippi should really work on that.
"I'm going to go explore the island-" she turned around looking at the boats. She saw the cruise ship. She'd head there first. ""Island", you know. Anyways."
"If you wanna' come with me," she smiled genuinely, "it would be great, but no pressure!"
Well.
Hopefully, there'd be only one more so she could drop the act.
Until then, she was Pippi Bloodworth and she was here to rumble.
She moved back up deck with her baton and bag on her arm. She looked fine as is. She would have preferred something with more coverage. There was also technically a swimsuit, but she noted that she would probably need it later.
You know with the point system and all. Swimsuit seemed pretty high up there when it came to fanservice and playing for the producers. As she went up the stairs, she mentally listed what she could do to earn back an attempt.
Team up with Luanne.
Kill Luanne.
Rob Luanne.
Abandon Luanne.
They were the four options she listed, and she abjectively refused the second and the third one. If Pippi could escape, then everyone else could, then that mean she needed to make the least amount of enemies as possible.
She swallowed.
Hard.
Killing was on the table. She wouldn't let herself die if someone attacked her but-
She preferred not to think about it.
She found Luanne sitting on the top of a treasure-looking chest. Pippi smiled. Luanne had made it in one piece and there was something warm buzzing in her chest. She sniffed and remembered she forgot to put on her makeup. She noted to do it later, probably during a monologue. That would totally earn her points.
"So Luanne," she started, "hum, aren't we in a precarious situation?"
She laughed. Drily. Pippi should really work on that.
"I'm going to go explore the island-" she turned around looking at the boats. She saw the cruise ship. She'd head there first. ""Island", you know. Anyways."
"If you wanna' come with me," she smiled genuinely, "it would be great, but no pressure!"
Luanne just sat there waiting for Pippi, staring at the ground with her eyes unfocused while doing her best not to think. Her best wasn't enough. She was still sad. It was sad that this was normal.
It was sad that they could just kidnap children, murder them, and then fucking merchandise them. It was sad that once you were on this show they pretty much owned your likeness without your consent.
They'd bought Luanne and she hadn't even know she was up for sale.
They'd already been trying to build their fucking narrative with Jewel's twitter thing.
Well, Luanne'd oblige. It was the right thing to do in this case - or at least, it had the best end result.
She fiddled with her hair. She was still looking at the ground when she heard Pippi's voice. The other girl asked a question that Luanne was pretty sure was the kind she wasn't supposed to answer (hypothetical question? Or was it rhetorical?), then said she wanted to explore the arena. Then, she offered to let her come with her.
"Um, hm, so - we should stick together, I think, but I think it would probably be safer if we stayed here for now? Like, do we know -"
It was at this point that Luanne looked up.
At first, she had to squint because Pippi was so sparkly that her eyes hurt.
It was at this point that Luanne saw Pippi's outfit. It took her a few seconds to, um, understand what it was.
Pippi was wearing, like, an, um... okay, well, she didn't want to be crass, but she didn't know how to describe it in any way other than as a stripper outfit? Like, a shiny cowgirl outfit where the pants didn't have a seat or a crotch, with like, sort of spandexy undies. It looked like it felt incredibly uncomfortable and dehumanizing to wear. She looked like she belonged at a rave, maybe, or... hm, no. She looked like a poster someone bought in Las Vegas.
Luanne understood why Pippi was wearing it, though she wasn't sure whose terms it was being worn on. She didn't know Pippi at all. She didn't know if she was the kind of person who would be okay with wearing it under normal-ish circumstances.
She gave a sympathy frown. Pippi was smiling, but again, Luanne wasn't sure if she was smiling because she was happy or if she was smiling like Marilyn Monroe.
"- I like your hat? I think, um - do we know if, um - what I mean is I think we should at least take a look around here before we go."
It was sad that they could just kidnap children, murder them, and then fucking merchandise them. It was sad that once you were on this show they pretty much owned your likeness without your consent.
They'd bought Luanne and she hadn't even know she was up for sale.
They'd already been trying to build their fucking narrative with Jewel's twitter thing.
Well, Luanne'd oblige. It was the right thing to do in this case - or at least, it had the best end result.
She fiddled with her hair. She was still looking at the ground when she heard Pippi's voice. The other girl asked a question that Luanne was pretty sure was the kind she wasn't supposed to answer (hypothetical question? Or was it rhetorical?), then said she wanted to explore the arena. Then, she offered to let her come with her.
"Um, hm, so - we should stick together, I think, but I think it would probably be safer if we stayed here for now? Like, do we know -"
It was at this point that Luanne looked up.
At first, she had to squint because Pippi was so sparkly that her eyes hurt.
It was at this point that Luanne saw Pippi's outfit. It took her a few seconds to, um, understand what it was.
Pippi was wearing, like, an, um... okay, well, she didn't want to be crass, but she didn't know how to describe it in any way other than as a stripper outfit? Like, a shiny cowgirl outfit where the pants didn't have a seat or a crotch, with like, sort of spandexy undies. It looked like it felt incredibly uncomfortable and dehumanizing to wear. She looked like she belonged at a rave, maybe, or... hm, no. She looked like a poster someone bought in Las Vegas.
Luanne understood why Pippi was wearing it, though she wasn't sure whose terms it was being worn on. She didn't know Pippi at all. She didn't know if she was the kind of person who would be okay with wearing it under normal-ish circumstances.
She gave a sympathy frown. Pippi was smiling, but again, Luanne wasn't sure if she was smiling because she was happy or if she was smiling like Marilyn Monroe.
"- I like your hat? I think, um - do we know if, um - what I mean is I think we should at least take a look around here before we go."
"Thanks! It's very iridescent and shiny!" That was her type of thing. The rest of the outfit though? Maybe the top if it covered her stomach, and maybe the pants if it covered her ass and nobody had to see her granny panties through.
Yeah.
She didn't like it.
Not one bit.
But it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
A pound of flesh she was willing to part from.
"Anyways," she put her fists on her hips, "I really want to explore the island."
Her voice betrayed her frustations. There wasn't much here to do other than wait for someone to come and kill them. There was a cruel lack of technology here, and usually, that was what people needed to escape. They needed ressources, tools, items, keys: things to progress.
It didn't feel like much of those things could be found here.
Maybe a loose cannonball, but Pippi wouldn't carry that.
And maybe cutting a rope-
Oh.
She'd probably need a rope at some point. She nodded.
"Mhm, you're right. I'll stay here for a couple of minutes to find stuff." She tilted her head. "Do you have something sharp? I want to get a piece of rope."
Pippi looked down at the cheese and guffawed.
"That was your weapon, wasn't it?"
She giggled, her genuine smile shining through.
Yeah.
She didn't like it.
Not one bit.
But it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
A pound of flesh she was willing to part from.
"Anyways," she put her fists on her hips, "I really want to explore the island."
Her voice betrayed her frustations. There wasn't much here to do other than wait for someone to come and kill them. There was a cruel lack of technology here, and usually, that was what people needed to escape. They needed ressources, tools, items, keys: things to progress.
It didn't feel like much of those things could be found here.
Maybe a loose cannonball, but Pippi wouldn't carry that.
And maybe cutting a rope-
Oh.
She'd probably need a rope at some point. She nodded.
"Mhm, you're right. I'll stay here for a couple of minutes to find stuff." She tilted her head. "Do you have something sharp? I want to get a piece of rope."
Pippi looked down at the cheese and guffawed.
"That was your weapon, wasn't it?"
She giggled, her genuine smile shining through.
"It was."
Sometimes in the morning, Luanne felt like she was paralyzed, like there was someone sitting on her chest, like she was dying, and even though she was awake her eyes wouldn't open. She felt a little bit like that right now.
She looked down at the ground and fidgeted with her bracelet.
"There's probably scissors or something in the first-aid kits, but I don't think those would be very good at cutting ropes, so..."
She looked back up at Pippi and lifted her hand to block the sun glaring into her eyes.
"...I dunno. There's probably ropes all over the place here, like, keeping the boats from floating away. Or just like, for boat stuff? Or, um, the cruise ship probably has a pool, and that'll probably have a rope we don't need to cut."
She glanced sideways, out into the sea.
Rebellions were good for ratings and they wanted a hit.
"So, I guess I'll just follow you then, if you want to leave."
...
She looked back at Pippi's face and tried her best to smile. She'd never really been a smiley person, so it just made her feel sort of fake inside.
"I'm not gonna let you hang yourself, though, if that's why you want the rope."
Sometimes in the morning, Luanne felt like she was paralyzed, like there was someone sitting on her chest, like she was dying, and even though she was awake her eyes wouldn't open. She felt a little bit like that right now.
She looked down at the ground and fidgeted with her bracelet.
"There's probably scissors or something in the first-aid kits, but I don't think those would be very good at cutting ropes, so..."
She looked back up at Pippi and lifted her hand to block the sun glaring into her eyes.
"...I dunno. There's probably ropes all over the place here, like, keeping the boats from floating away. Or just like, for boat stuff? Or, um, the cruise ship probably has a pool, and that'll probably have a rope we don't need to cut."
She glanced sideways, out into the sea.
Rebellions were good for ratings and they wanted a hit.
"So, I guess I'll just follow you then, if you want to leave."
...
She looked back at Pippi's face and tried her best to smile. She'd never really been a smiley person, so it just made her feel sort of fake inside.
"I'm not gonna let you hang yourself, though, if that's why you want the rope."
"Hang-
"Hang myself?
"You think I-
"No."
She shook her head, her eyes filling up. She wouldn't. She-
Okay maybe.
If she slipped up again,
it would be the equivalent of suicide.
She sniffed.
"No, no, no, you got it wrong, I just... I just need it for
you know?"
She stretched her back.
"Come on, let's find important things! Like... stuff... and things... We need to get you something to defend yourself."
"Hang myself?
"You think I-
"No."
She shook her head, her eyes filling up. She wouldn't. She-
Okay maybe.
If she slipped up again,
it would be the equivalent of suicide.
She sniffed.
"No, no, no, you got it wrong, I just... I just need it for
for escaping,
you know?"
She stretched her back.
"Come on, let's find important things! Like... stuff... and things... We need to get you something to defend yourself."
"..."
...
"Mhm."
...
"Wait a sec, let me just," she said, sliding her backpack off and swinging it into her lap, then unzipping it and rooting around inside for a moment. Once again, her eyes glanced over the Supreme-brand t-shirt.
Her hand found something cold and hard and plastic. It felt like a pair of glasses, maybe? She pulled them out. Sunglasses, frames the same color as the lenses, the big fancy kind that had just always sorta been in- fashion for as long as anyone could remember.
Okay.
She put them on, and just like that, her fake smile looked and felt sincere.
She laughed nervously.
"Okay," she said. "Okay. Let's go."
She zipped up the bag, put it back on, planted her feet against the ground, and stood up.
Just like that.
((Luanne Grasset continued in Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?))
...
"Mhm."
...
"Wait a sec, let me just," she said, sliding her backpack off and swinging it into her lap, then unzipping it and rooting around inside for a moment. Once again, her eyes glanced over the Supreme-brand t-shirt.
Her hand found something cold and hard and plastic. It felt like a pair of glasses, maybe? She pulled them out. Sunglasses, frames the same color as the lenses, the big fancy kind that had just always sorta been in- fashion for as long as anyone could remember.
Okay.
She put them on, and just like that, her fake smile looked and felt sincere.
She laughed nervously.
"Okay," she said. "Okay. Let's go."
She zipped up the bag, put it back on, planted her feet against the ground, and stood up.
Just like that.
((Luanne Grasset continued in Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?))
Let’s go?”
……...okay.
That was simpler than she expected. She honestly expected Luanne to just rebuke her and then make her way on her own. Thing is, and thing was, Pippi and Luanne were vaguely similar if you ignore the outside appearance and some tricks and quirks of their personalities.
She wondered how much that played in their mutual decision to play together.
A bit for Pippi.
The rest was effectively out of a need for extra hands.
Cutting a rope with a shitty pair of rounded scissors wasn’t easy.
But it was easier than doing it alone.
……...okay.
That was simpler than she expected. She honestly expected Luanne to just rebuke her and then make her way on her own. Thing is, and thing was, Pippi and Luanne were vaguely similar if you ignore the outside appearance and some tricks and quirks of their personalities.
She wondered how much that played in their mutual decision to play together.
A bit for Pippi.
The rest was effectively out of a need for extra hands.
Cutting a rope with a shitty pair of rounded scissors wasn’t easy.
But it was easier than doing it alone.