originalgrilla    _{*  bugs.}

_{he doesn’t doubt it.   there’s a rasp of a laugh,   brushed off as he shifts his weight with a noncommittal shrug.       ‘     got a couple new leads.   nothin’ you need to be  sniffin’ around  for.     ’}

_{“     think i’ll sniff where i want.    don’t get me involved then do a freakin’ one - eighty !    what kinda shit is that ?     ”}

keptafloat    _{*  prissy bitch.}

                      ‘ it’s not just an opinion. just thought i’d let you know so you’d change it or something. but hey, if you wanna stay the way you are, i’m not stopping you. ‘

_{“     yeah,  my bad.    you got that right.    it ain’t  just  an opinion   –––   it’s a goddamn  waste  of my time.    does it look like i give a rat’s ass what you think ?    couldn’t stop me anyhow.    i do what i want ‘n  wear  what i want.    ”}

adatrox    _{*  raynne.}

      a sigh lifts, sounding irritation for a heartbeat.   ‘    hate when you do that.  spit it out.   ’   

_{“     bite me.     ”     a more civil alternative to  don’t tell me what to do.     “     just wondering if you seen someone.    shaved head,  looks kinda like a hard - boiled egg.    stupid - ass socks ‘n a rank hoodie  …  ?     ”}

originalgrilla    _{*  bugs.}

_{‘     whatever.    you  smoke  like that crazy old bitch.     ’       not that he’s one to talk.       ‘     y’ ever seen her up close    —    like,   real  close ?    'cause that’s what you got t’ look  forward  to if you don’t keep it fresh,   you know what i’m sayin’ ?     ’}

_{“     nope  —  just through the glass,  which is where linden’s gonna be seein’ me when they  lock me up  for straight murderin’ your  scraggly  ass,  fool !     ”    empty threats must be on special.    she isn’t above socking him in the gut again to prove a point,  though.     “     yo,  you get any more leads on that  case  that i should know about ?     ”}

originalgrilla    _{*  bugs.}

_{only if they’re a  success.    he likes to think he’s less easily manipulated than most.       ‘     why you always gotta be such a hater ?    i’m like a fine wine,   you know,   just gets better with age.    ‘n you best start exfoliatin’,   y’ hear ?    otherwise you’re gonna wake up one day lookin’ like  mama dips.     ’}

_{he’s wrong.    but she’ll save that discussion for a later date and instead focus on the conversation at hand,  which boils down to defending her own honour.     “     yo,  listen,  i ain’t no  expert dermatologist,  but i think i got about forty more years ‘fore i start lookin’ like  that  crazy old bitch.     ”}

adatrox    _{*  raynne.}

      dishevelment plays an easy pair to the slow curl of her attention, set only briefly on the speaker.   ‘   no, love, sorry                                 i wasn’t listening.   ’

_{scoffs.    pushes up the sleeve that droops to her wrist and rolls her eyes.     “     forget it,  yo.    doesn’t matter.     ”}

capturebond    _{*  kendall.}

           abigail never felt one way about horror movies. they had a habit of being disappointing and abigail can’t stand watching something bad just for the sake of it. what a waste of time. it’s still not really a lie when she says,  ‘ i, uh. used to. ’  there’s something so stomach churning about watching people kill other people on purpose when you know what it’s really like.

used to.    that’s not cryptic at all.     “     thought since it’s almost halloween,  ‘n scary movies are like  …  the shizz this month   –––     ”     before everyone throws decorations in your face and wishes you  happy holidays.    she’ll take gallons of  corn syrup  and red food colouring to holiday cheer,  even if they’re both artificial.

originalgrilla    _{*  bugs.}

_{‘     watch y’self,   li’l man.    you gonna be surfin’ through four channels on basic cable if you ain’t careful.     ’       not really.    (   like he’d ever be the one who deprives her of  animal planet.   )    brows raise in mock offense.       ‘     oh,   what,   you think i’m frontin’ ?    alright.    but lemme ask you this    —    when’s the last time  your  lady went home satisfied,   huh ?     ’}

_{“     oh,  quit trippin’.    you know better’n that.     ”     bullet wouldn’t  shut up  about it on principle.    her manipulation tactics are truly an art form.     “     t’cht.    ain’t got a lady t’ send home satisfied.    don’t need one,  either !    you’re the one who ain’t gettin’ any younger,  bugs.    fo’ rilla.     ”}

“     you like scary movies ?     ”     breaking the silence with no warning.    she isn’t good at this   –––   the in - between stages.    acquaintanceship to friendship.    but kendall has the kind of face that makes her  want  to be.    not in the weird way,  but in the  not desperate for companionship or at least i don’t think i am but i wouldn’t mind getting to know you regardless  way.     //  @capturebond

skintheft    _{*  cody.}

           it crosses the entire length of the apartment without looking at bullet, preoccupied by the state of its shirt, and digs its hands into clothes that aren’t its to find something to steal. it changes into a button up, found smooth and folded.  ‘ and who they messin with? ’

finds what she was looking for    (    among a lot of things she wasn’t    )    and sparks the flame,  pulling the joint from behind her ear to light.     “     someone that’ll  bury  their stupid asses.     ”     it hits  smooth,  and she gives the smoke time to settle in her lungs before exhaling.     “     you ever been in a fight ?    a real one.    ain’t talkin’ ‘bout no cat fight,  but actually  throwin’  hands.     ”