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Michael Cunningham, from “The Hours”
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it always seemed to be work stuff with caroline , given the stature of her position aria sometimes couldn't help but worry that there were things going on behind the closed doors of bulletin sports that were worse than meets the eye . but that was a bit of probing she'd save for a future meeting , sure her friend would much rather spend a little time forgetting any and all things work-related than opening that can of worms . a laugh escapes her mouth at the way caroline described her job , starting to wonder if that was what everyone thought about aria's work life . " honestly it's been quite the restful week , i'm taking a mid-season pause from pub crawl to give my liver a break so i've just been trying to take it easy . . . mostly just lounging around my house putting the finishing touches on the september issue of cèline ⸺ speaking of which , don't think i've forgotten you're overdue for a feature . i was thinking maybe sometime in the winter ? isn't that when the sports scene quiets down for a bit ? "she asks , her eyebrows giving a slight raise as her glass lifts to her lips .
"work stuff, of course." a polite smile greeted the waiter as water glistened into her glass, eyes flickering across the room before resting softly on aria—finally, the world began to slow. "you know—everything that could go wrong decided to do so all at once." with a graceful flick of the wrist, she let the air catch her words and carry them away, wishing it might take the stress that had clung to her since the previous evening along with it. the delicate empire beneath her seemed poised to topple with the slightest breath; yet she had known the castle risked crumbling before they crowned her queen, pursuing the crown no matter its weight. “but enough about me and my disasters,” she said with a genuine smile. “you’re practically living in a whirlwind of glam and creativity, and I want to hear every last detail about it.” the pinot grigio cascaded in a pale, graceful flow within crystal walls, caroline's eyes almost reverent as she watched the sunlit hue. "what's been the highlight of your week?"
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" exactly , i love him too much to put him through that kind of torment , " she laughs , playfully nudging celine in the shoulder as her eyes slightly roll . it'd be a lie for aria to say she even enjoyed having to hide him in the first place , one night stands and situationships have started to grow tiring ⸺ is it too much to ask to find someone who accepts her in all of her emotional support plush lobster glory ? " ugh , malta looks gorgeous right now . i think my parents are actually there at the moment celebrating their anniversary . . . my mum sent me a picture of my dad nearly dying on the boat through blue grotto , " she can't help but chuckle , still unsure why her father refuses to accept the fact that sea-sickness runs in his blood . " but i could definitely be down for malta . . . then we could hop around italy and then go to greece , everyone's probably actually winding down from their summer holidays right now so i'm sure all of the more popular spots won't be packed and we can actually enjoy them ⸺ do you think lina would want to come ? i have a friend with a house somewhere in mykonos and then we could book another one near amalfi ? " it's amazing how quick the travel bug just bit her , already mentally filing through her mental rolodex of their favorite places to stay . " you could even bring the wife if she's not sick of us just yet . . . oh , by the way , any updates on the wedding ? "
❝ as long as i don't move too much, i think i can manage. ❞ because the second she started moving, others would realise she wasn't the most coordinated person and could never be using that lack of coordination on a sport of any kind. was chess considered a sport ? she was pretty good at that. ❝ that's actually an insanely smart idea. i knew we were friends for a reason. ❞ or several. ❝ drunk bowling and nail appointments. this should become a monthly thing. ❞ it wasn't like their little trio was short of personalised traditions that came out of a random joke just like this one. exhibit a was the unbelievable amount of coffee dates and gossip sessions or the many girl trips a year. ❝ i could say you may not have to. some visitors could find it a turn-on, but i just realised that the poor lobster would have to watch all that and changed my mind. ❞ céline could barely remember what it was like to have one night stands and flings. she had always been more of a committed relationship type of girl anyway, never really getting the idea of sleeping around for the fun of it. the whole no strings attached wasn't a concept that worked with the girl, she'd attach all the strings very fucking fast. ❝ mhm, a little tour of the mediterranean would be nice right now. i just had this talk with verity, i've been dyinf to go to malta. ❞
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" if you feel small it's because everyone in those rooms have egos the size of europe , " comment comes out a bit mumbled under her own breath , head nodding towards the pizzeria just a few shops down to indicate where to shift directions . talking to feyza felt like such a breath of fresh air , while aria definitely still did her fair share of partying and socializing , she was starting to approach a point in her life where nights in surrounded by her closest friends and a bottle ( or few ) of red felt closer to her idea of fun than being in a bar surrounded by a bunch of people she didn't know . " okay i get that but going out doesn't always mean going a club or something like that you know ⸺ like , instead of just going to dinner you could do dinner and a movie . . . " her words momentarily trail off and she pulls the door open for feyza to enter , the smell of garlic and fresh marinara filling her nose before they even set foot inside . " fuck me , i'm starving , " she huffs , arms comfortably folded across her chest as she stares up at the menu . " but anyways , i don't know all i'm saying is maybe it'd be nice to mix it up a little bit every once in a while ⸺ maybe we should go out for dinner some time this week ? oooh or you could come over and i can cook ? i saw this roasted chicken recipe in chèrie i've been dying to try . . . what do you think ? dinner party for two ? you can even bring your dog and he can frolic in the backyard . "
" i don't like surprises. i like spoilers. " but she wouldn't push. not when she had received a half answer from aria. a soft glint in the woman's eyes could say a lot more than actual words. " that guy. jeremy. the calvin klein guy. he's so popular but he doesn't seem annoying. " unlike most celebrities. she liked knowing the money-bringers of her company and celebrities, influencers, micro-influencers... they were all important to her. professionally. but most of them were whacky. her breath hitched in her throat and she gaped at aria. she was too old to be using the word 'crush'. " no... i do not. but it was nice being talked to. paid attention to. i feel so small in those rooms most of the time. " the people who had navigated through galas, evenings at the opera, fundraisers, royal ascots and whatnots had star power and seemed natural at the setting. very different from feyza who, for a reason, preferred to be tightly glued to the sides of her friends. " but dinners are what i like... " feyza pouted. " i honestly don't know. it might have been a bridal shower last year. clubbing is exhausting, and cocktail bars are loud. my natural habitant has little to no room for strangers. it's a shame but at the same time i don't know how much energy i'm willing to spend on meeting new people. "
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" always such an overachiever , aren't we ? " can't help but roll her eyes at his little added detail , twinge of jealousy that heats her ears quickly brushed off and disregarded . after downing the rest of her wine she finally brings herself to stand , eyes scanning across the perimeter of the green to find the unlucky targets of their bet . " you know he's only got like four strokes left and still half the green to clear , " and she didn't know much about golf , but from where she was standing the odds seemed to be leaning in her favor . " have you played yet since you've been here ? maybe after you go over there and embarrass yourself we can play a round ⸺ i was so cozied up with the tennis court earlier i honestly forgot we were meant to be here playing golf, " she shrugs , downing the last sip of her wine and glancing around the room to make sure she was meant to be leaving her used glass on the table . " if i'm being honest , i don't think i've ever actually played a real round of golf ⸺ just mini - golf when i was a kid and even then i was shit at it . . . remember those places with the neon golf balls and the courses attached to the arcades ? do you think those still exist ? "
"Chicken." But he knew her well enough to know that a fun little challenge wouldn't be shot down. It was about pride as much as it was about the thrill. In that way she mirrored him. "Confidence. Love to see it." He reached forward and clicked his glass against hers. The high note rang in the air between them and for the duration of the sound, he allowed himself to linger in her personal space, eyes trained on her instead of the center of their bet. It was irrational how little it required to make his heart race a bit. It was similar to micro-dosing. Much less harmful than the real thing though. Physically at least. Socially? Possibly catastrophic. But what was life if it didn't involve some risks? He didn't return to his seat but straightened his legs and back, standing up properly. The 'her' entered his line of vision easily. A pop of aggressive white fabric against the greenery. He was disappointed to note that she wasn't wearing a matching visor. It was the only thing missing from a nearly satirical outfit. "Oh, don't mind if I do. Maybe I'll have her add her number on the note as well? Wouldn't want a great opportunity to pass me by."
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" you're lucky i haven't blocked you after standing me up , again , " a joke , mostly , never took lightly to people going back on their word but caroline was a person she found it increasingly difficult to stay mad at . how could she really be upset ? especially since she herself had fallen victim to a busy work day one too many times . " two bottles ? with that kind of deal i should get upset at you more often , " this time it's obvious that she's teasing , a soft laugh falling from her lips as she eyes the menu that sat on the table in front of her . " i've already asked the waiter to put a bottle of pinot grigio on ice for when you get here so he should be back in a second , " she assures , scanning the menu up and down weighing all of her delicious options for lunch . " what happened last night anyways ? you've never cancelled so last minute , i figured it must have been something serious . "
𐫱 › with? @edenwest 𐫱 › where? the ivy, canary wharf
"i know, i know," caroline dismissed words unspoken, "i promised you dinner and i'm guessing you had conspired to keep me out late, but something came up so," she glanced around the room, where hungry guests were busy eyeing up the set lunch menus. "but you've got me for a full two hours and two bottles of wine." a warm smile spread across her lips—a two-for-one deal, both a promise and an apology.
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" haven't you heard the phrase ' diamonds are a girl's best friend ' ? you could come in here with your eyes closed and pick something random from the case and i promise she wouldn't be able to wipe the smile off of her face , " she assures . besides , picking through pieces of find jewelry until she found the perfect match was quite literally in aria's blood ⸺ and with her very own family's collection at her disposal it was impossible to choose the wrong thing . " this one's about two thousand pounds , but you don't want that one , " her hand motions for him to follow her through the store , leading him through the maze of glass encasements until she finds the one that houses the collection she's looking for . " considering what i've seen her wear i think any of these will go off much better ⸺ the ones on the right are quite steep in price but i guess it all depends on what the occasion is ? is this an anniversary gift or a ' just because ' gift ? 'cause anniversaries are definitely necklace - worthy but if it's just a gift for fun you might wanna go for something smaller like these , " she says , pointing down to a pair of glittering gold earrings .
𝐭𝐨 : aria ( @edenwest )
𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 : weston co store
❝ you know i am blindly trusting you here. if this just so happens to not be her taste, the fault will be entirely yours and i will be handing it to you. ❞ he'd never been good at buying presents and the one person he did not want to ask the help of was isoline. she'd snitch. so the next best choice was, of course, aria. and how fitting that her family was known for their jewelry. ❝ how much is this set anyway ? ❞
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one leg lifts to cross over the other as he debates his prize , glass of wine lifted to her lips for a drink only to nearly spit it out at xavier's conspicuously bad request . " oh fuck off i am not doing that , " she starts , letting out a laugh that was much louder than she intended ⸺ but , a bet's a bet , right ? " fine , i'll agree only because i know you're going to lose but if by the grace of god you do win and you publish that picture anywhere i will have all of your assets liquidated in a day's time , " they both know that threat is empty , but a threat nonetheless . " you know what, why don't we make it even . . . if you win i'll go up to him but when i win you have to go up to her , " her head nods in the direction of a woman dressed in an athletic set that practically screamed future trophy wife , which included the somewhat lost look that spread across her face as she scanned the crowd like she was in search for some sort of prey , " same deal , ask for an autograph and let me take a picture . . . for the unforgettable moment , of course . "
He jolted in his seat at the kick, his poor posture getting fixed in an instant. He shot her a glare, completely willing to ignore the concept of fairness. "Golf is fine at best. I like the social aspect and walking." But neither of those things had anything to do with swinging the club. "Okay, okay, those are some high stakes." Ten shots was a generous number on a par four. "But if I win..." What did he want? Definitely not one hundred quids or a drink for that matter. "If I win you have to go up to him and ask for an autograph. I'll snap a picture for you. You know, to help you remember the unforgettable moment."
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" well , if i told you who the guest was that would ruin the surprise . . . but let's just say not all the drinking was done on camera , " she says , shooting feyza a wink that hopefully conveys her guess wasn't that far off base ( or even off of the base at all ) . the quickening sounds of feyza's steps remind aria to slow down , often found it hard to not constantly walk like she was in a rush to get somewhere to avoid being caught in the stream of london foot traffic . " wait , which guy ? jeremy allen - white or the other one ? to be fair i like them both but their eyes are so blue it honestly fucking freaks me out . . . but that actually might make good content , thanks babe , " she says , making a mental note to bring that up to her producers later . their steps fall in near perfect sync as they stroll down the sidewalk , it's refreshing to be out with feyza , their blossoming friendship like a breath of fresh air in an environment that seems to rarely allow that opportunity . "oh my god i heard , what a fucking train wreck , i heard about fairchild , " she tacks on , honestly kind of regretting missing it simply for the show of it all . she can't help but let out a soft chuckle at the implication that meeting someone like bernard aldridge was a special occasion , " if i didn't know any better i'd say it sounds like you've got a crush , " she teases , sneaking a look at feyza in her peripheral to see if it warrants any kind of reaction . " i already thought you were an introvert but if that's the most exciting place you've been since i've last seen you then we definitely have to work on getting you out more . . . genuinely , when's the last time you've been out on a non-work related outing ? and going out for dinner doesn't count . "
feyza tilted her head to catch a glimpse of the offending criminals: unsurprisingly, aria's shoes were g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s. feyza nodded approvingly. " to be fair, i think you can blame the quietness here in the office. half of the people are spending their vacation days and it's so eery here. " she sort of missed the constant background nose that came from phone calls, co-workers chit-chatting with each other, and the pings from notifications. " huh ? " feyza pointed at herself and arched a brow. " for me ? " acting normally was a secondary issue, she needed to concentrate on breathing normally. keep her focus on vitals and then she could think about how to act cool. " damn. you came prepared. " a breathy laugh escaped her and bought her a few seconds to process the information properly. " i definitely won't say no to pizza. i'm sort of starving too. thank you, seriously, thank you. " she needed an assistant. not that she was equating aria to one, but if getting food could be this quick and easy, she needed to give the idea of an assistant another chance. " wait, whoa, wait ! who was the guest ? i swear it was going to be sabrina carpenter but that... doesn't... well, i've seen you drink. like a lot of times. she doesn't give off the right kind of a vibe. " she shot an apologetic look to the woman, quickening her pace to get in sync with aria. " well ! to be honest my life isn't that exciting ? i go to work, i walk my dog, i have dinner with whoever's available that evening. i started the new season of the bear though — maybe you should get that guy on your show. people are, or were, so obsessed with him just a year ago or something. " aria and her team probably had a long list of candidates but it never hurt to offer suggestions ! " i think the most exciting thing to happen to be was the industry awards gala last month. and i swear ! oh i swear ! i heard at least ten people say it's stuffy and dull. what does that make me ? kinda sad, no ? but at least i got to talk to people. i chatted with the bernard alderidge. it was a bit weird. he was nicer than i expected. i sorta expected him to be snotty and annoying. like most eton boys. you know the type. annoying. " she wasn't sure if the man was an eton boy but feyza believed the term described his upbringing accurately enough.
#( interactions )#( featuring : feyza )#if you decide you want to reply during your vacay i will gladly cut your reply for you <3
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" if you could trick anyone into thinking that you have any sort of athletic ability i honestly might have to find a way to get you an oscar , " she teases , only comfortable enough to do so knowing that their athletic prowess rests on similarly low levels, aria's likely worse . comment about their nails earns a roll of aria's eyes , " we can just go in between appointments , make a day out of it that ends with a fresh set for both of us , " hand extends out to assess her own manicure , from the looks of it she could definitely use a touch up sometime soon . the same hand she was just admiring quickly reaches up to dramatically clutch her chest , jaw slightly hung in feigned offense that cèline would even suggest she'd get rid of something that hold such a precious memory . " of course i still have the lobster , it's front and center on my bed it honestly adds a nice pop of color , but i kind of feel bad . . . i've had to chuck it across my room a few times after having some visitors , " she says , giggling into her glass as she raises it to her lips for a sip . " we should go on a trip again soon , i feel like we honestly haven't been on a proper vacation in ages ⸺ i've been dying to go to the south of france ⸺ oooh , or italy . . . honestly wherever i can drink a nice glass of red on a secluded beach would be perfect for me . we're due for a summer holiday , don't you think ? "
❝ say no more, i'm calling that off tonight. where are we eloping ? ❞ she did already have a much older relationship with aria than her fiancé anyway, probably the reason they could make jokes like those so freely. " well, you did not have to point that out, it was implied. we both know i'm not the most athletic but maybe i could fool everyone else here into thinking i could be an olympian." she couldn't, not a soul would fall for it. she'd tried volleyball in middle school only to be hit in the head several times because she couldn't do the right moves. ❝ we're gonna be breaking fingers, aria. or at least some nails. bowling balls are heavy.❞ but she did not say no to it, just stated what would happen when they did attempt it. because, as dangerous as it sounded, it would be equally funny and céline wasn't one to say no to a few good laughs. ❝ do you still have the lobster plush ? because i've kept the bear from the fair in hungary when we were in like year four safe in my house to this day. she's alive and well. ❞
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DUA LIPA via TeamDuaHQ (July 17, 2024)
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unstoppable force (thinking younger me would hate the way I turned out) vs immovable object (thinking younger me would be super proud of me for making it this far)
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Rainer Maria Rilke, from a letter featured in Letters to Merline, 1919-1922
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" looks to me like they've got exactly the right idea , " she nods as she raises her glass to her lips , she needs to get on their level . " alcohol is the only thing making this any fun , honestly considering the open bar i'm shocked everyone isn't shit-faced yet . . . since when did the upper echelon have so much decorum . "
" a round of gold among some people almost qualifies for a pub crawl, doesn't it seem like it ? " her eyes were trained by the trio of wobbling players. " perhaps they misunderstood the meaning of a shot ? " [ ;; @edenwest ]
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a laugh pushes past aria's lips just as it does from crete's , partly at her abrupt bluntness and partly because she was probably closer to the truth than either of them would like to admit out loud . " see , this is why we have to get rid of the whole cocktail attire thing , it's too ambiguous ⸺ at least with black tie you know exactly what to wear . when i think cocktail i think of a bar and what i would wear to a bar is definitely not what i need this particular group of our peers to see me in , " though honestly , some of them have probably already seen worse . " oh you'll look so darling in pink , especially with those baby blues . . . stunning , " she can already picture it now , soft shades of any color always had a way of making blue eyes pop . rounding the corner with a glass of water in hand , she finally joins crete in flipping through the inside of her closet . " it's funny you say that because i was actually thinking of wearing something black but then thought that's a bit depressing for summer , isn't it ? " glass of water is raised to her lips as a hand plucks an ivory dress from her collection . " what about this ? or is it a bit too close to business pitch-y ? do you think i could pull off something longer since it's at night ? "
"Cocktail for me is something above the knee. That way I don't need to decide if the dress is too formal or not." She drew a line with her hands at her knees, as if Aria was unfamiliar with the anatomical detail and needed a visual demonstration. "But I think we'll be seeing everything from wedding dresses to clubbing outfits." A laugh escaped her before she could catch it in her throat. Being unnecessarily mean was not advised at a semi-professional setting. "I have a powder pink dress, on the shorter side but it's too hot for anything heavier if you ask me." She scanned the insides of Aria's extensive closet. "What are your options? I personally like lighter colours in summer. And florals. Uniquely."
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" don't be so fucking grim , people place bets on things all the time it's just part of the human experience , " she assures him , corner of her lip twitching up with a smile as their eyes catch each other for just a moment before he turns his attention back to the green . " old age is definitely not the advantage , golf is all about the hips and from the look of it his might need a bit of t.l.c , " she says , playfully kicking xavier's seat right back as he teases . " i don't have any golf experience though to be fair ⸺ i used to try and play with my dad but after the fourth hole i'd just end up getting bored and turned into a free golf caddy , " a soft sigh falls from her lips even just watching , tennis was definitely more her speed . " alright , fine . when he doesn't get it in ten shots you owe me a hundred bucks and you have to walk across the green to get me a new drink since i'm almost done with this one , " cheeky smile finally fully spreads across her lips after sliding that last part in .
"Oi, fuck you too." He was slouching so poorly in his chair that his leg was able to reach the leg of Aria's chair. He gave it a gentle kick, the chair and the woman moving one good inch away from him. "I mean it's definitely a way to reserve a spot in hell but what isn't these days?" There was a bright spark twinkling in his dark eyes as he grinned at her. Had it only been appropriate, he wouldn't have turned his gaze away from her. He preferred to look at her to the man one year away from a hip replacement. "Well..." He narrowed his eyes as if he was capable of assessing the player from far away. "Maybe the old age is an advantage. He has had years to train. How many years do you have under your belt, huh? Two? He might have five decades. I bet he'll hole it under ten turns."
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aria eden - west at the opening cocktail hour of willow thompson's exclusive country club .
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