Devin shifted a bit, picking at a loose thread on his sweater and leaning back against the fence. Ricky was running around the track, Josh attempting to catch up.

"What's wrong?" Ryan-Ashley spoke up, gently nudging Devin's shoulder with her heel from where she was sitting atop the fence. "You look sad." She said.

Devin just gave a pout and looked up at her. "They're cute, huh?" He said. "Do you think Ricky likes him? I think he does, but he wont notice me." He said miserably. Ryan-Ashley frowned.

"I don't think you've gotta worry. Ricky doesn't have a thing or Josh, and Josh only likes Ricky as a friend. Trust me," She said, gesturing to the pendant she wore- Josh's pendant. "I know my tulpa, and if he liked Ricky, it'd be pretty obvious. Why do you think he avoids Ryan so much?"

Devin's jaw went slack. "He likes Ryan?" He asked with wide eyes. "I thought he hated Ryan." He said.

Ryan-Ashley hopped off the fence and smoothed her sweater out before sitting down beside Devin in the grass. "No, no. He doesn't hate him. He just acts like it because he gets drooly when he's with Ryan."

"He gets that way around you, too." Devin pointed out. "He likes you both?"

Ryan-Ashley shrugged. "I don't have a problem with him seeing other people, but it might be awkward for him considering he can't get very far from me without just.. fading. You know? I suppose what I'm saying is that if being around Ryan would make him happy, I'd do it for him, but he's too shy to ask." She said.

The two looked up almost simultaneously when they heard a pained yelp from Josh, who had fallen flat on his face and skid a bit on the gravel. Ricky was helping him back up, dusting him off.

"How about you tell Ricky how you really feel, if it's bugging you?" Ryan-Ashley suggested as she stood up gingerly and headed over to walk Josh indoors to clean him up, since in the midst of scraping the fuck out of his face, he had gotten a bit bloody.

Devin bit his lip and slowly drove a sewing needle through his cheek, pulling it back out. It was habit to just stick needles in his skin. Never did it hurt, and never did it bleed.

He heaved a sigh and stood up, pushing the needle through one of the holes for his earrings before heading over to Ricky.

He couldn't help but think, though. What if Ricky rejected him? Why would someone as handsome as Ricky even be interested in a cross-dressing patch-up voodoo doll like Devin? He could only hope things would go smoothly.

"Hi, Ricky," Devin said with a tiny smile, waving.

Much to Devin's surprise, Ricky returned the smile. They were friends, but for whatever reason, Devin never expected a smile. Even if Ricky always smiled at him, and even if Ricky always seemed bright and happy around him.

"Hi, Dev," The gargoyle replied as he dusted his black clothing off.

"There's.. something I'd like to ask you.." Devin said, picking at some of the stitches that trailed down his fingertips. There were no wounds, but stitches and sutures littered his body. After all, he was a voodoo doll.

And the prettiest one Ricky had ever seen, at that.

"Yeah?" Ricky asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Would you like to go out on a date, maybe? With.. with me, I mean.. If you want.." Devin said awkwardly.

Ricky lit up at that. "I'd love to."

- - - - - -

Josh winced a bit when he felt the paper towel touch his skin. "Ow-.." he mumbled. Normally, he'd be doing everything in his power to seem tough. But, he was with Ryan-Ashley. He didn't have to worry about her making fun of him.

"Sorry," Ryan-Ashley said gently, carefully dabbing the dirt and blood off of her tulpa's face. "How did you even manage this?"

"I tripped on something. I dunno wha-" He started, cut off with a yelp of pain.

Ryan-Ashley frowned. "Sorry." She murmured, finally clearing up all the dust and blood. "There. All better." She said.

Josh smiled slightly, running his tongue over the inside part of one of the two studs through his upper lip out of habit. "Thanks.." He said softly.

"No problem," Ryan-Ashley said. "Oh- And, there's something I've gotta ask you." She said.

Josh gave her that doe eyed look that just read 'oh fuck, what did I do wrong?' even when he hadn't done anything that she'd have reason to question.

She chuckled. "Look, it's nothing bad." She said reassuringly. "I was just sort of curious.. do you like Ryan?" She asked, even though she was well aware of the answer.

Josh's expression went blank, and he was blushing before he could stutter out an answer of any sort.

"Well..?" Ryan-Ashley asked gently. "I'm not mad or anything, I promise." She said.

Josh bit his lip lightly, glancing up from where he had been staring at the floor a moment ago. "Maybe just a little.."