Cio

Our Last Summer Together

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𝑴𝓸𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝑯𝓪𝓻𝓽𝒆𝓵𝓵

Location: The beach party
Interacting With: Raven @Zaxter996
Text colour: #adff9f

---

To answer Molly's question, Raven simply grinned.
“Really, Molly? I’m a little hurt you even had to ask that question,” Raven replied, her finger tracing the back of Molly's hand gently. Molly felt her cheeks flush at the display of acceftion, somehow a thousand times more intimate than what she'd done in her past. And let me tell you, she'd done it all. “I didn’t think I was being subtle…” Raven all but laughed, her gaze heavily flirtatious. Molly found herself unable to maintain the eye contact, the shorter girl's gaze so intense she simply couldn't. Without Raven seeing, Molly bit her lip hard to keep from smiling like a loon.
It's good to note that Molly had never been a blushing virgin. She was usually never like this, so openly nervous and a borderline mess of a person, especially not around someone she didn't know all that well. But here she was, dodging intense gazes that made her feel... things. Speaking of which...
“But, it’s my turn, right? Are you a virgin?”
Molly was just taking a sip from her new drink, mid-sip in fact, when Raven asked the question. It was done with such ease, Molly hadn't seen that coming. Maybe she should've, but she hadn't, even though she had encouraged the other girl to ask harder questions. However, the surprise made Molly almost splurt the drink out of her mouth -- and her nose. She covered her lower face with her hand, trying to not look like a bloody weirdo. She just... couldn't help it. The question was so straight-forward and to be honest a bit comical... Molly could only let out a strangled giggle as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Wow, you really ain't playin' around, huh?" Molly laughed, still recovering from her self-inflicted drink splattering. This time she let out a small snort mid laugh, covering her mouth in embarrassment. She hated when she did that, it was so embarrassing.
"No. No I'm most certainly not," Molly answered with ease after she had gotten over the initial shock, "you might've noticed but I had quite a few boyfriends at school. An' those weren't the sorta blokes who'd just look for a blushin' bride," Molly revealed with a smile that was amused, yet hid a fleck of sadness behind it. There was a slight pause. That was more than enough for an answer, Molly could just leave it there. But... something in her wanted to keep going. Another part of her wanted to just leave it, not push it.
But Raven had quite explicitly hinted at her interest towards Molly. So maybe... But no, Molly didn't even know this girl so well. She really shouldn't--
"I just didn't get what the fuss was about, you know? Sex, I mean. I- I mean. It was nice sometimes -- 'specially with Sam 'cause there were no strings attached -- but all in all, it wasn't quite what I was..." Molly trailed off, getting lost in Raven's eyes in the process, "...lookin' for."
Indeed, Molly couldn't say it had been all terrible. With Sam, the friends with benefits thing had worked out. She had even enjoyed it. But she could never see Sam that way, and that's why it hadn't worked out after she realised she was gay. With her boyfriends... it hadn't worked out because they were mostly jerks. Plus there had been all sorts of strings, romance and kisses... Molly hadn't felt anything, not for them. She just didn't find her heart beating out of control whenever a guy touched her hand, didn't shake in anticipation with the mere thought of meeting a boy. That's why she'd ended it with Sam in the end, too. It all went sort of South, she did admit that, but it had to be done.
"So how about you? Wait, no, that's not my question. Forget that, I want to ask something else," Molly rushed, changing the subject abruptly. "How many people have you slept with?" Not quite the same, but still in that direction. Molly was pleased with that.

Our Last Summer Together

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𝑴𝓸𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝑯𝓪𝓻𝓽𝒆𝓵𝓵

Location: The beach party
Interacting With: Raven @Zaxter996
Text colour: #adff9f

---

“It’s a cliche answer, but people who feel the need to get involved in everyone else's business, and share their hateful opinions. Like, is that hard to let people live how they want and mind your own business?”
A laughter escaped Molly's lips at the answer: there was something so raw and honest about it, yet it was so true. Molly downed the rest of her drink in a dramatic movement, neck stretching up. As she brought down the now empty bottle, Molly nodded approvingly.
"Amen to that! Not that I'm a huge believer, of course. Just felt like good way to express my agreement," Molly chuckled, scratching the back of her head. "Sorry if that was offensive," Molly added genuinely in retrospect, not addressing Raven in particular, but not not addressing her, either. She didn't know what the girl believed in, after all.
“Well, I normally jump straight to the good stuff, but I suppose we can wade in…” Raven teased, and Molly huffed in mock offense, smile tugging at her lips all the while. She adjusted her sitting position on the dock, reaching for some more cheese puffs. The seasoning and grease stuck to her fingertips, which was only a mild annoyment for Molly at that moment. “What’s your favourite time of day?” Raven then asked with a raised eyebrow. Molly found her own brow raising as well at the question. She wasn't quite expecting a question like that, but it did have a nice tone to it. It wasn't unimaginitive like Molly's question had been, to say the least.
"Just because I was going easy on you doesn't mean you have to," Molly reminded with a teasing yet meaningful look. Looking back at the water, Molly swung her legs, which were hanging from the edge of the dock, peacefully. "I'd have to say dusk, though," Molly mused then, gazing at the horizon with a wistful look and a far away smile. "I've always found it peaceful and sorta merciful, really. When you've had a real shit day, you know? And you can just go to bed and leave it all behind. Just... for a while, nowhere to be, no one to please. Plus, it's really pretty, too," Molly explained, then added the last part in a witty tone. She continued to look at where the sky met the sea, lost in thought, thinking over her answer after giving it. Yeah, that had to be it. "Beautiful question," Molly complimented, her voice earnest but calm.
The smile on her stretched into a slow grin.

"My turn. Do you have a crush on anyone at the moment?" Still rather tame, but Molly didn't want to overstep. She didn't want to be... too obvious. Just... just in case. She already knew Raven probably liked her ('probably' my ass... it was pretty obvious at this point) but some part of Molly was still holding back stubbornly, telling her she shouldn't assume. She should be absolutely 120% sure that Raven did like girls before she could even think about letting herself do anything. Besides, she wanted to keep the mood light, and this was the only other question that popped in her head besides 'what's the most illegal thing you've ever done'. And it was obvious Raven had done something illegal to get the drugs. Molly didn't judge it, she just thought it would be a bit on the nose to ask such a question when it wasn't really something she was interested in knowing.
Still, it frustrated Molly that she didn't seem to be able to just let herself be who she was. Why was she holding back? It was beyond confirmed that there was something here, but Molly just couldn't keep from thinking about high school and how "she shouldn't" even though there was no reason for her not to. Maybe she'd been in the closet for too long to let go. It had been hard enough to confide in Jem earlier that day, so it was understandable... right? Molly shook her head mentally, refocusing on Raven's answer.

Our Last Summer Together

@Zaxter996 Oh, the game is on! ;)

Our Last Summer Together

---

𝑴𝓸𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝑯𝓪𝓻𝓽𝒆𝓵𝓵

Location: The beach party
Interacting With: Raven @Zaxter996
Text colour: #adff9f

---

Molly hummed, delighted by Raven's answer. She could get behind that, really. Forests were calm and vast in ways Molly couldn't quite describe. Even though she preferred the smell of the sea, forests had something to them, too. Camping, though... Molly had never been a big fan.
As they sat down on the docks, legs swinging over the edge, Molly accepted the drink offered to her and downed a good portion it with ease. It was nice, getting some refreshing liquid into you. Well, of couse Molly knew that alcohol actually dehydrated your body faster, but it wasn't about that. It was the feeling. Just sitting next to someone she'd always been kind of curious about, one-on-one time... It was thrilling.
Opening the pack of cheese puffs, Molly took a few of them between her fingers and ate them. The cheesy, spicy puffs were nice tasting, she noticed. Molly laid the puffs down between her and Raven as the girl in question was trying to come up with an answer to Molly's question. At last she admitted she didn't know if there was really anything to tell before turning the question upside down: what did Molly want to know? Well... Good question, really. Before Molly could even come up with a question to ask, Raven's face lighted up in an idea.
“Oh! Idea!” the girl exclaimed excitedly, a rowdy grin spreading on her face, sparking curiosity in Molly as well. “The question game. We take turns asking questions. If at any point you don’t want to answer a question…” the bleach blonde trailed off before moving Molly's attention to the tequila bottle she had taken with her, “We take a sip of tequila. You first?”
Honestly, it was a great idea. At least to Molly, who was already kind of drunk -- at least at the pace and rate Raven was handing her the spirits. Molly giggled at the thought.
"You're just trying to get me drunk, ain'tcha," Molly teased with a broad smile dancing on her lips, leaning her face closer for emphasis before pulling away. God, the past 30 minutes had had so much smiling. It was like her face was getting sore or something, from all the smiling, that is. "I mean... it's working," Molly added with an entertained murmur. Then she began thinking of a question, gaze drifting to the sunset before them. After spacing out for a moment with a thoughtful look on her face, Molly returned her attention to Raven beside her.
"'Kay, so. It's the first question so I'm making it easy, yeah?" Molly warned. She didn't want to dive to the deep end straight away because she didn't know what Raven was comfortable with. Giving the girl a challenging look, as if the question at hand was going to be hard to answer, Molly asked: "What's your biggest pet peeve?" Next question was going to be a bit more... daring, for sure. If Molly had the courage.
And well, Raven had a question to ask her, too.

Our Last Summer Together

---

𝑴𝓸𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝑯𝓪𝓻𝓽𝒆𝓵𝓵

Location: The beach party
Interacting With: Raven @Zaxter996
Text colour: #adff9f

---

Molly nodded at Raven's reminder. She was right, the house had booze left, too. Still, she found herself smiling as Raven agreed to her idea. It was nice, they could spend some time outside watching the pretty evening sun.
As they arrived at the drink table, Raven was already scooping up plenty of drinks for them both. Molly just grinned and stood at the side; it looked like Raven knew what she was doing.
“Hey… That doesn’t make you a mess, Molly. We all have our demons. Everyone at this party has something going on in their head driving them a little crazy. That’s what makes us human. It’s not something to be ashamed of," Raven answered Molly with a look that she both hated and loved. Hated because of how it made her feel, all warm and fuzzy, and loved for the exact same reason. Unable to argue with the statement, Molly just nodded nonchalantly.
Feeling a tad famished, Molly grabbed a pack of cheese puffs from the side of the drinking table.
"For snacks," Molly explained, although it was pretty self-explanatory. Then they were making their way back, and Raven's hand brushed against Molly's before taking it with seeming confidence. Molly couldn't help blushing at the bold gesture even though she had been the one initiating it earlier. The blonde glanced around instinctively to see if anyone was looking, only to realise that it shouldn't matter. Recieving a grounding squeeze from the shorter girl's hand, Molly's attention was brought back to Raven, who was smiling at her in a way that made Molly's heart thump faster.
“Sometimes we just have to talk it out, so it can all make a little bit more sense. Now come on.”
Walking in rhythm with Raven, the two made their way over towards the docks. The party noises grew gradually more muffled out, the music fading thanks to the distance. Molly found the noise oddly relaxing. It was like hearing a nightclub from the outside; a noise she was accustomed to. Hearing the bass but not being in the middle of it all.
"I love beaches," Molly admitted after a while of comfortable silence, her gaze straying away to look at the horizon. The sunset was beautiful, golden, orange and pink hues painting the sky and reflecting from the gently moving sea. The glow of the sun kissed Raven's face beautifully. It made everything more saturated and glorious. Now Molly really felt like she knew why people called it the golden hour. "I always found peace in the scent of the sea, y'know? In a strange way it reminds me of home even though I never actually lived next to a beach. But my family travelled a lot when I was a younger so... I always did want to live by the sea," Molly talked, for no reason in particular. Just to talk, just to share. They had moved a lot when she'd been younger. Molly had never really had time to get attached to the places she lived in, or she'd learned not to get attached. Moving from England to the US had been a major changing point in Molly's life.
They were walking at the waterfront, the waves occasionally almost reaching their feet. The line where the wet sand met the dry was clear; one side smooth and dark, the other lighter and puffier. Molly found their hands were swinging a bit between them, a motion which made the girl smile a bit.
"Anyway, tell me about yourself? Everyone knew about my stuff back in school, but I know barely anythin' about you," Molly tried. She was curious about the kind of person Raven truly was. And as she'd said, nearly everyone had known about Molly in school. Her break-ups had been rather messy and, well, public, too. It was like all her dirty laundry was washed in front of hundreds of seeing eyes; hardly any part of her stayed a secret.
Actually many parts of her did, but her relationships weren't a part of them. Molly was -- despite everything -- rather a private person, so she was glad she had been able to perserve a part of herself that didn't get out to the gossips, somewhere she could no longer control them.

Our Last Summer Together

@HaleyTheRandom can't help ittt 😂❤

Our Last Summer Together

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𝑴𝓸𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝑯𝓪𝓻𝓽𝒆𝓵𝓵

Location: The beach party
Interacting With: Raven @Zaxter996
Text colour: #adff9f

---

Molly raised her gaze at Raven's suggestion, initially surprised, but then smiling. To be frank, she did like the sound of that. Just her and Raven, far away from any people who might interrupt. Dicky people, at least.
Looking at the horizon thoughtfully, Molly gathered her mind. Then she smiled, feeling more at peace. How did this girl know just the right thing to say? It was almost weird how Molly felt herself being surprised pleasently every time the other opened her mouth.
"Sounds good," Molly began with a ruffle of her wind-messed hair, "the sunset is really pretty, tho. Plus, all the drinks are here. So... we could just go a bit further, walk along the shore a bit, if you want?" Molly suggested, feeling confident in her plan. "There are docks over there, and no one's there so..." Molly continued with a nod of her head and a pointing finger. The docks were further along the shore, where the party was far away for them to have some privacy. And they could see the beautiful sunset and walk along the waterfront on the way there. The way the waves lapped on the sand, the gentle push and pull motion... it made Molly feel at ease. She almost wanted to dip her starppy sandal clad feet in; or better yet, take them off completely.
Molly rose up slowly on the rock, looking for the best way to get down while maintaining even some level of dignity. Her being beyond tipsy wasn't helping, though. Fumbling a bit before taking Raven's hand in her own -- just for support purposes and to lead the way, she told herself -- Molly descended from the rock.
"Oh, be careful not to hurt ya feet. Didn't think that through when I threw the bottle," Molly noted with a sheepish laughter. She kept thinking about how stupid it was that she couldn't let go of her own old habits. She had no one to hide from, not anymore. She could be with whoever she wanted to, yet she kept coming back to the same thoughts about how she couldn't. And why not? There was no reason, really. That mental block was something alcohol better help lift, Molly thought, this time more determined than ever.
"So how 'bout we get some more drinks since I so rudely spilled mine and... Well, if... If you want, that is. We can go to the house, too, if you'd like," Molly backtracked, not wanting to go too much ahead without Raven's input. They were supposed to be hanging out, after all.
As they began walking for the drink table, Molly still holding Raven's hand (she was acutely aware that she hadn't let go, but she knew she probably would when they got closer to the party), the curly haired blonde fell silent, contemplating her actions all over again.
"...So yeah that's what I meant, by the way," she said as sand crunched under her feet. "When I said I was a mess, that is. Too much stuff going 'round here, too much thinkin'," Molly gestured at her head with her free hand.
"Most people see me as this gal who has her life together but really I'm a bleedin' mess," Molly laughed, a sound of many emotions, shaking her head.

Our Last Summer Together

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𝑴𝓸𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝑯𝓪𝓻𝓽𝒆𝓵𝓵

Location: The beach party
Interacting With: Raven and a rude prick @Zaxter996
Text colour: #adff9f

---

What Molly wished had been her first reaction, was Raven's instead.
“Damn right there will be, dickhead," the girl cussed, her accent boosting the effectiveness of her words. The dude seemed only more amused, laughing with what sounded almost like a giggle. Fucking prick, Molly thought, still too embarrassed to say anything. She didn't know why she cared, really. She didn't know this guy, so it wasn't like she had anything to be embarrassed about. Just... her very much reminded Molly of the sort of people that were popular in high school. The people she partied with. Something in him made her incredibly uncomfortable.
“But not the kind you want, mate. I can promise ya that," Raven continued in a threatening voice that was somehow steady all at the same time. Like a thunderstorm waiting to happen. It was fascinating, but also the contents of what she was saying was funny enough for Molly's lips to twitch up for a second. She admired how calm Raven was being, even when she was so obviously pissed. She was so cool and confident, standing her ground like a rock. If that had been Molly, well... She'd have handled the situation with less gracefulness.
"Aww... no need to get spicy, babe," the boy answered with a degrading tone, a tone which made my blood boil and cheeks flush with embarrassment all at the same time. "I was just enjoying the show."
That was it for Molly. Those specific words, the bloke couldn't have picked his words more poorly. She had been quiet and withdrawn in submission moments before, but now Molly's anger flared up like a phoneix from the ashes. She felt the need to speak up, not to leave it all to Raven.
Something in her expression must've visibly shifted, because the guy's attention turned to Molly as she snapped:
"Fuck off before I'll show you action," Molly all but growled, face red with heat and voice wavering with carely controlled anger, all fuelled by her insecurieties and embarrassment. The cider bottle was half empty in Molly's hand, and her fingers clutched the neck of it so hard her knuckles turned white. The boy, on the other hand, didn't seem to find Molly all that threatening. It was almost as if he liked teasing the two, seeing them get annoyed.
"Aww come on, hottie. I bet you'd--"
The guy dodged, barely, as Molly threw the cider bottle at him. The glass broke on the rocks, spilling whatever was left inside. Mostly on the sand, but a part of it landed on the intruding guy in question, too. The smile was wiped away from the guy's face as he realised the bottle just barely missed.
"Don't make me throw another one," Molly said, but her sudden surge of anger was already going away, leaving her deflated and... to be frank, quite exhausted. She felt like crying, but not in front of Raven, not now. How had this gone like this? She was having such a good time, and then this guy just had to ruin it all.
Speaking of which... he just stared at them for a moment, his nut sized, drunk brain clearly trying to comprehend what had just happened, before he threw his hands up in resignation:
"Alright, alright, got it... No need to get like that, man," he scoffed, backing off a few steps before cautiously turning away, fixing both Raven and Molly one last glance. Molly quite literally held her breath until he did so, only deflating as he was further away, all the tension melting from her body. Well, almost all of it.
They were left quiet, sitting there as the waves gently lapped at the rock formation. The sound of music drummed further away where the party was only getting wilder. Molly found herself unable to say anything, or even to look at her companion. She could still hear her own voice playing back in her mind, and it didn't sound nearly as badass as she'd wanted. Just scared, angry, wobbly and frustrated.
What could she even say to Raven now? She felt like she had to explain something, like she owed Raven an explanation for why she was acting all weird. The truth was, even Molly didn't know. She was being all chill first, and then she'd get all fight-or-flight, and then she'd get all quiet. No wonder Raven must've not known how to handle Molly; she herself didn't know why she was being like this.
Well, she did know. But she should just get over it, really. She should let high school go. It was in the past, and she no longer wanted to be hung up on it.
"...So," Molly said, voice barely above a whisper. It was like an awkward ice breaker; not that the two needed one. But Molly did feel like Raven had already noticed something was up with her, so why hide it? She wasn't sure if she wanted to answer that question, if it came, though. Or maybe she did, maybe that was exactly what she was waiting for at the moment. She didn't know, really. But when did she ever?

Our Last Summer Together

@Zaxter996 *evil laughter* >:)))

Edit: there is literally no way to not make it awkward with Molly... the girl has some issues, lol

Our Last Summer Together

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𝑴𝓸𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝑯𝓪𝓻𝓽𝒆𝓵𝓵

Location: The beach party
Interacting With: Ravennnn <3 @Zaxter996
Text colour: #adff9f

---

Molly felt a warm hand return on her knee and a finger curl under her chin, pulling her face up. Molly's unsure eyes met with Raven's soft, gentle ones. There was something incredibly caring about the way the bleach blonde gazed at Molly, something which Molly didn't think she was quite worthy of. Still, she could spend hours just looking at another girl's eyes like this, listening, taking it all in.
"Molly..." Raven began with a voice that was softer than she had anticipated. Maybe it was all in her head, after all. It always was. Her ex... well, he had called her crazy and delusional multiple times. He'd never quite understood how such words had hurt Molly. “Relax. Really. I told you that you didn’t have to, didn’t I?”
Molly pursed her lips together in silent embarrassment, nodding gently at the words. Raven was right, she had said so. It was just Molly who made it into a bigger deal than it was. It just... it wasn't that she wasn't curious to try it out -- she just didn't think she was quite ready for it. Yet. And depite it being dubbed 'the party drug', Molly did feel a bit apprehensive to try it out around people who. She was afraid of letting herself go around so many judgy faces.
“I’m all yours tonight, and whatever we do, we do together, alright?” Raven continued then, making Molly's breath catch in her throat: a subtle, almost invisible action. The girl's hand moved to stroke Molly's cheek. It was soft, everything felt simply soft at the moment. Without meaning to, Molly's eyes fell to Raven's lips. She didn't mean to, honestly. They just happened to be so close, and Raven's voice and touch were so soft and comforting, and...
Molly's eyes snapped back up to look at Raven, who had no doubt noticed her wandering eye. Blushing and feeling the urge to back away, Molly continued listening to the other girl talk in a hushed, calming voice.
It was honestly surreal. It was like she was not herself, yet she felt more like herself than ever before. With her past boyfriends, she'd always been the one in charge, more or less, the top, is she willed. But now... she just didn't feel like she was in control in the slightest, reduced to a stammering, sheepish mess, and Molly found she didn't mind all that much. Sure, she'd like to have her confidence back, but it felt refreshing to just let go. This meant infinitely more than those boys had ever meant to her, anyway. Excluding Sam, of course, but he had been her best friend, first and foremost.
Molly realised she must've spaced out at some point; too occupied by self-reflections and the warm touch of Raven's hand on her cheek and the other on her knee. Still, she could recall all Raven had said, nodding silently, eyes almost transfixed to Raven's.
"Yes," Molly answered with an oddly level voice, her eyes examining Raven's face curiously. Then her eyes did it again, those double-dealing, traitorous things: Molly's lashes fluttered as her gaze once again dropped to Raven's mouth. The girl was saying something, joking about something to lighten up the mood, but Molly could only hear her blood roaring in her ears. She noticed a piercing on Raven's tongue by accident, curiosity sparking in her all over again. Those lips looked so soft, too; she could just... lean in a little closer and...
"Oooooo, action's boutta happen~~" Startled by the stranger's voice, Molly jerked backwards. Quickly backing away from Raven to get some air between them, Molly's head snapped to look at the man who had somehow gotten oddly close to their location without either of them noticing. He was about their age, but even tipsy Molly could tell this wasn't anyone from their school. Mortified, the strawberry blonde scooted her legs closer to her body, as if she was shielding herself. 'Sod off' was the first thing that Molly could think of saying, but she was so caught off guard, so vulnerable, that all of her usual spunk attitude left her. The dude was clearly rather drunk, too. He had a bottle of vodka dangling from his hand, and he was swaying like a boat in a storm. Molly closed off in on herself, fixing her hair with a hand and looking down. This is exactly what she'd been afraid of. And of course, it had to happen right when she was getting comfortable.