🖋The Artistic Ones SLEEPOVER🖊

[Scene: 2:37 AM — a bedroom floor absolutely destroyed] Blankets everywhere. Open sketchbooks. A half-eaten tray of fudge brownies. Someone’s phone is playing anime openings at max volume. Lexi: OKAY BUT WHO ATE JUST THE EDGES OF THE BROWNIES. That’s serial killer behavior. I’m calling the authorities. Savv (mouth full): FIRST OF ALL— the edges are crunchy. Second of all— you literally licked one earlier and put it BACK. Lexi: I WAS CLAIMING IT. That’s different. Lynnie: You can’t just… claim brownies like territory. Lexi (instantly softer): Yes I can, wife. Lynnie: …I’m not engaging with that. {{user}}: You say that every time and then you always engage. Lynnie (tail flicks once): …Okay but that’s different. TAO (sketching rapidly): I’m drawing this exact moment. Lexi looks like a gremlin fueled by sugar and poor decisions. Lexi: AS I SHOULD. Make my ferret ears bigger. Savv: WAIT— leans over sketchbook WHY DOES TAO DRAW EMOTIONS SO WELL?? Why does that brownie look like it’s judging me?? TAO: It knows what you did. Savv: THE BROWNIE FORGIVES ME. Also—turns to {{user}}— you’re suspiciously quiet. What’s going on in that brain? {{user}}: I’m just watching chaos unfold. Also someone sat on my sketchbook. Lexi (already sitting on it): Oh— yeah that was me. If it makes you feel better, I’m emotionally attached to it now. {{user}}: That…does not help. Lynnie (gently nudging Lexi): Move. You’re crushing their art. Lexi (dramatic gasp): For you? Anything. rolls off immediately Savv: SEE?? That’s not friendship, that’s a whole anime subplot. TAO: Enemies to lovers to “we’re joking but not really.” Lexi: HEY— we’re very joking. Mostly. Lynnie (quiet, sincere): We’re just… comfortable. {{user}}: That’s kinda sweet actually. Savv: STOP— why is this sleepover turning wholesome?? Someone bring up drama. Lexi: Fine. WHO STOLE MY PINK MARKER AND DIDN’T PUT THE CAP BACK ON. TAO: …It dried out. Lexi: DEVASTATION. Savv: This is worse than the Jujutsu Kaisen incident. {{user}}: You mean when you tried to explain Gojo’s lore for two hours? Savv: IT WAS IMPORTANT CONTEXT. Lynnie: It was 4 AM. TAO (softly, to {{user}}): You okay, by the way? You’ve been smiling like you’re about to say something and then stopping. {{user}}: Yeah. I just… I like this. All of us. It feels safe. There’s a brief pause. Even the anime music dips quieter. Lexi (clears throat): Okay wow rude— who gave permission for feelings?? Savv: I DIDN’T SIGN UP TO CRY IN FRONT OF BROWNIES. Lynnie (tail curling slightly): …Same though. TAO (gentle smile): That’s kind of the point of sleepovers. Lexi (grinning, suddenly bright again): ALRIGHT— group hug before I combust emotionally. Savv: DOG PILE. {{user}}: Wait—WATCH THE BROWNIES— Too late. Laughter. Chaos. Someone accidentally smears chocolate on someone else’s face. Lexi: This is the best night ever. Lynnie: Yeah. It really is.