qvintcssence

[qvintcssence]

[qvintcssence]

texts || sky & tanner

Sky: hi...

Sky: dumb question but um, are you okay ??

Tanner: Hello, love. Typically, I would dissuade this particular line of thinking, but seeing as my girlfriend has yet to come home, I'd say I'm quite dissatisfied. How about you?

[qvintcssence]

She was surprised that Sky had asked her here. Not unhappy, just… bewildered. Ever since she had given her soul, moments like these had nearly ceased to exist. It was a foreign feeling—being estranged from the person she loved most. It felt a little like being stuck on the outside looking in at what her life used to be except every part of Sky was as fractured and wounded as her heart.

There was a time where unhappiness was just the way of life. She stayed invisible, emotions buried so deep she could hardly identify them at all. A small part of her wished she could revert to that now, but meeting Sky had colored her world so beautifully—so inordinately wondrous that she could hardly regress now. No, she wouldn’t surrender to circumstance regardless of how hard Sky tried. If there was an answer, she would find it, for moments like these would not exist without hope, and as tragic as it was, lying with the broken pieces of Sky topped living with the shell of who she’d become any day.

She could do it though. She could live without Sky. She’d done it before, and if it came down to it, the body’s natural instinct to survive would come through. She’d live… but she didn’t want to. Not like that. There was happiness before Sky, and there’d be happiness after her too. Ryder would make sure of that, but the happiness because of her? That was irreplaceable. And the loss was devastating. But tonight? Tonight was almost normal. Tonight was theirs.

Almost.

“It’s beautiful,” she answered, voice soft and small. “I understand the chemistry behind it all, of course, but there’s nothing quite like invention. Seeing it come to fruition for the very first time would have certainly been something. It’s hard to believe that all this—“ Her eyes stayed locked on the view, for looking at Sky and not being able to kiss her was simply unbearable. “—stemmed from bamboo tossed into fire.”

She stuck to the facts; to certainties. It had been a long time since something as simple as holding hands or kissing was even remotely questionable, and it left Tanner both stiff and heartbroken. What were the rules? Tonight, she felt vulnerable and honest, but what did that mean? Was it some sort of breakthrough? If so, what had caused it? Were there new parameters? Was she coming home? Tanner couldn’t bear to ask.

She stayed quiet, letting her words sink in. There was so much yet so little to unpack, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to analyze them at all. The probability of nostalgia answering her questions was too much. Tonight, she wanted to live.

It was easier said than done, with her mind. But it wasn’t impossible. She bit her lips together as though to collect herself and looked down, despite feeling her girlfriends eyes bearing into her. Slowly, hesitantly, her hand inched towards Sky’s. Her fingers trailed gently against her skin, sliding across her wrist and slipping beneath her palm. She drew a slow circle into her palm, before interlocking their fingers loosely. It was a calculated risk. Sky could pull away at any second, and it would leave her even more shattered and broken than moments before. Or, she could hold on. She could grant her this one moment before she did whatever she had to do to shut it all out. Had it been anyone else, she wouldn’t have done it. But Sky was worth it. She was worth the risk, and she was worth the wait, and however it shook out, she was worth the pain. She was worth it, worth it, worth it. She was worth everything. So she held her hand, and with baited breath, she said, “Me too.”

@qvintcssence​​ ( for tanner )

sky wasn’t sure why she had asked tanner to go out with her tonight, she would’ve been perfectly fine on her own, she’d lived that way long enough, after all. it also would’ve been less awkward, lately she spent more time at work and crashing from highs on astaroth’s floor couch than she did at home. and then there was the whole thing with her sister that she had little interest in explaining. maybe it had something to do with sky’s love of fireworks, the holiday held little meaning to her, but the sights, they calmed and thrilled her. bright colorful light to her otherwise dreary existence. like tanner. two things she knew she dearly loved, even with the emotions replaced by a dull ache, she remembered them.

having found a secluded spot overlooking the entire town long ago, sky knew it was the perfect spot to go. and maybe she’d infused a little magic to widen the view even more, what was the point of all her power if she rarely got to use it ?? settling next to tanner on one of the blankets she’d laid out among her makeshift campground, her gaze shot from the fire, up to the colors exploding in the sky, a hint of a smile on her lips. ❝ this time of year always makes me a little homesick, you know ?? ❞ she mused quietly, shutting down all the bothersome lights of civilization blocking her their view with a simple wave of her hand. ❝ i was living in china when mankind first discovered how to do all this, it was fascinating to see, you would’ve liked it. for all the blunders, there are those rare brilliant few from time to time. ❞ like her. the nephalem’s eyes eventually landed on her before she sighed and bit into her lip after a few silent moments. ❝ look i know this hasn’t ever been easy, especially lately, but i am glad you’re here. ❞

[qvintcssence]

[qvintcssence]

“Please don’t,” Ashton said. Her voice was meager and weak, sounding about as small as she felt. Her hands shook, and she wrung them together but the nerves persisted. None of this was supposed to happen. She wasn’t supposed to have a sister. She wasn’t supposed to have someone counting on her. All she ever wanted was friends, and she found them. She had a family and so, so, much more... but it was a stupid dream. Now she had people to lose; people to hurt. People to disappoint. “Please don’t ask me like that—like I have a choice. I never have a choice.” She hesitated, shifting on her feet. Her lip trembled with anxiety, swallowing the fear that lived in her stomach. “He’s—he’s going to hurt you. Hurt us.”  

@qvintcssence​​ ( for ashton )

❝ if you can’t do it for yourself, then do it for me. do it because i need you. ❞

[qvintcssence]

“I’m not staring,” Rory protested, a little too quickly to be convincing. She hated giving him anything more than what he’d taken, but trying to stomach the lie was worse. “At least, not because of that.” It made her nervous, just talking to him. Moving to New York came with a freedom that encapsulated her so fully, she knew she was going to be okay. Meeting Sam completed her in such a way that she’d never think of him again. But here he was. 

“I just don’t get it,” she admitted. “You could’ve gone anywhere but you’re here. I mean, you never talked about New York before, so... Why are you here?” 

@qvintcssence​​ ( for rory )

❝ you really still content staring daggers at me ?? you really need to get over it, girl, it wasn’t even me. ❞

[qvintcssence]

“Well, what do you feel right now?” Rory asked, her eyes falling upon the woman, sincere and unprying.

There was something different about Sky lately. She was darker and more cynical. She always had a bit of edge to her, but not like this. She felt almost empty—disparaging in ways that Rory had never seen. “Don’t think about anyone else. Just you.”

@qvintcssence​​ ( for rory )

❝ i’m not sure what i’m supposed to feel. ❞

[qvintcssence]

[qvintcssence]

[qvintcssence]

Tj Williams — [Open]

“Hey there,” Tj grinned, incapable of masking the smugness that often accompanied it. He tilted his head as though he knew something you didn’t, all while keeping his chest puffed and head held high. Even with the deep lacerations to the right side of his face, his confidence remained at an all time high. His right eye stung red, and it was already beginning to purple, but he paid no mind. “Did ya miss me?” 

[qvintcssence]

“I think the same could be said about most people,” Jay said, coming up behind the woman. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and she was sure there was about 30 different samples of saliva absorbed into her pretty lilac scrubs, but she didn’t much mind. She kept to herself most days, but the stranger’s frustration brought out her desire to help; to do good. 

“Sorry,” she waved awkwardly. “I couldn’t help but overhear.” 

@qvintcssence​ (for Jay) “Damn, it! I still have issues admitting that I could use others help”

[qvintcssence]

Liv wasn’t like her siblings. She wasn’t going to cry, or scream, or beg for her mother’s soul back. She wasn’t going to exhaust herself day after day, searching endlessly for a solution she wasn’t sure existed. No, this was her mother’s mess, and no one could clean it up but her.

“Alright,” she accepted, somewhere between amused and angry. “You’re an asshole.” Anger won.

@qvintcssence​​ ( for liv )

❝ if you have something to say, spit it out. ❞

[qvintcssence]

Ashton jerked, surprised by the question. It wasn’t often that people  addressed her, and when they did, it always caught her off guard. “Oh,” she said, gripping the edges of her book. “That’s okay. I’m usually alone.” 

Her eyes shifted back to her book, ready for the conversation to end, but then, she hesitated. The woman was a complete and total stranger, and though it was unlikely that she would notice or care, lies made her uncomfortable—even the unintentional ones.

“Well, that’s not true,” she admitted. “I have a girlfriend. At least I think she’s my girlfriend.” Her brows furrowed, but she didn’t dwell. “We spend a lot of time together, but I’m alone today.” The truth. She thought it would put her at ease, but it didn’t. Not entirely. “I’m just used to it is all.” She looked away, unsure of what to say next. She contemplated saying nothing at all, but for whatever reason, she felt she could talk to the woman. She hadn’t even realized she needed to before she asked. 

“It’s best that way.” 

@qvintcssence​​ ( for ashton )

❝ up here all alone… wanna talk about it ?? ❞

[qvintcssence]

“I’m not,” she insisted, crossing her arms and eying her firmly. She could be excruciatingly stubborn at times, and no one knew that better than Sara. “I’m moving on. There’s a difference.” 

@qvintcssence​​ ( for peyton )

❝ don’t change the subject. ❞

[qvintcssence]

“I suppose so, though it’s still unclear how exactly you might be of assistance,” she said indifferently. 

@qvintcssence​​ ( for tanner )

❝ guess we have to spend some quality time together. ❞

[qvintcssence]

Rory looked at her, unsurprised by the question but amused nonetheless. 

“Why would I?” She replied, the hint of a grin tugging at her lips. “Shame is just a trick for bullies to use when they think they’re better than everyone else. But I’m awesome so...” 

@qvintcssence​​ ( for rory )

❝ you seriously have no shame, do you ?? ❞

[qvintcssence]

Riggs squinted in the sun, looking up from the ground. The question intrigued him. It wasn’t something he had given much thought to or even something that particularly interested him. Perhaps it was his tranquil lifestyle or maybe it was the weed—either way, he never got caught up on things for too long. These kinds of questions didn’t have answers—at least not ones that people were looking for, and that kind of turbulence wasn’t welcome in the house of Riggs. 

He was laid out beneath a tree, legs crossed and hands folded  against his belly. It grew warmer every day, and yet, he kept his hair long like his sleeves, finding an odd sense of comfort in the sticky heat that clung to his skin. 

“Life is complex. Emotions are complex... Everything’s complex.” He looked at her without cracking a smile. “At least we’re not robots—though I do frequently dream about having laser eyes.” 

(Opened for all) “Why must emotions make life more complicated than it already is?”