silkear3d

[silkear3d]

it worked to his advantage that he looked as innocent as he did. it meant that, when clothes were strewn across apartments and lips were locked, he could turn the tables ; his lip flicked against his teeth as their bodies shifted together. their breath was high in his throat. their heartbeat drummed in their ears, deafening, and their lips felt as though they were magnetised to ruairi’s. the room was quiet except for their soft noises of pleasure, the clicking of their tongues, little breathy giggles and the slump of clothing. after a final kiss, jasper let his body roll back onto the bed — silver - streaked hair splayed on the pillow like a halo, legs falling apart. he had certainly hung his angel wings up by the door when he arrived. jasper's appearance was angelic, like some sort of woodland creature that had crawled out from beneath his mushroom home, but it had taken mere seconds for him to show ruairi he was anything but innocent. “you’re … ” the librarian was lost for words. he had read hundreds of books in his lifetime — maybe thousands — and had absorbed endless pages, millions of letters all strewn together in wild sprawling poetries. in that moment, nothing felt strong enough to describe how he felt about the man between his legs. little kisses littered over their pale skin, and a moan rolled from the depths of jasper’s throat — impatient, needy, desperate, his hips rolled upwards to close the gap between his body and ruairi’s mouth. “you’re perfect. you’re so sexy. you’re so — you’re everything.” their hazel eyes fell closed. it was almost as though they were speaking in tongues, as though the words rolled out before their brain could keep up. already, after only a few weeks of yearning, the irishman occupied every one of his thoughts. if jasper hadn’t been so warm, so desperately turned on, maybe they would have bitten back the stream of words that came like a flood. instead he continued, a hand finding the back of ruairi’s head, twisting into his hair. “you can do whatever you want.”  if he hadn’t been fully hard before, he was by the time the other’s warm breath met their thighs. blindly jasper reached to their bedside table, fumbled through books and deodorant cans, tossing a bottle of lubricant towards the bottom of the bed. but the promise of something a little more natural was too tempting to ignore. jasper tilted their head, breathing thin and quick, parting his lips to welcome two of ruairi’s fingers past onto his tongue and into the warmth of his mouth. a little moan. they bobbed their head, swirled their tongue, made ruairi know exactly what he was missing  — what was promised, if he had his turn between the other’s legs in retaliation. he let ruairi’s fingers go, draping one leg up and over his partner’s shoulder. “i want to feel you.”

"Cheeky," Ruairi grumbled at the sound of Jasper's laughter― the smile on his face radiant in the dim light of the bedroom softening his every action even as he strove to fulfill the instructions that had been presented to him. He pulled back again to fumble out of his own trousers, kicking them away without looking before he held himself above Jasper― silent aside from his slightly erratic breathing. In that moment, he thought, Jasper was more beautiful than anything Ruairi had ever seen in his life; he'd always tried not to shove the burden of perceived perfection onto anyone his life― cognizant of the fact that perfection wasn't a state anyone could expect to aspire to with any degree of success and his own affection for someone wasn't exactly a fast track to such things.

But there were few other words that came to mind as he stared down at them with half-lidded eyes, admired the marks he'd left on their skin and resolved to leave more traces of himself before their night together was through. Still, he grasped at the words tumbling end over end in his mind for one that could grasp even a fraction of what he was feeling in that moment and settled for kissing Jasper gently― perhaps the last gentle thing he offered them if the librarian had anything to say about it.

"You're beautiful," he murmured against Jasper's mouth. It still seemed too small a statement― too finite to encompass the force of the feeling that had risen in his chest, too small to carry the weight of the affection he was pressing into Jasper's skin with every brush against them. His head was swimming now― he felt dizzy and too warm and eager to the point that he might've been embarrassed if it hadn't felt so comfortable to settle into. He shifted again, shimmying his way down the length of Jasper's body and trying to maneuver himself into a position that was going to be at least marginally comfortable as he settled between their legs― pressed a kiss to their hipbone as he continued lower, not so impatient that he wasn't willing to tease them the slightest bit on his way.

He busied himself with pressing kisses to the inside of their thighs, carefully avoiding their cock even as much as he wanted to do anything but― he nipped at their skin, leaving dark marks in his wake as he looked back up to meet their gaze and grinned, no shortage of smugness in his expression when he finally took them in his mouth and made a pleased noise in the back of his throat at the taste of Jasper on his tongue. He'd meant to ask them about lube before he'd moved again― thought about doing so now as he pulled away and, casting that thought aside as a thought occurred to him and he raised a hand towards Jasper as he pulled back enough to speak. "Mind giving me a hand, baby?" He asked playfully, wiggling his fingers and hoping his intention was clear enough. "Or your mouth, really, is what I was thinkin'."

[silkear3d]

it wasn’t ruairi’s fault, and calahan never wanted his brother to feel that way — as though leaving had somehow hardened the concrete that the older sibling found himself encased in. the fault, in part, was his own ; calahan could have made his escape years ago, could have spurned his mother’s attempts at keeping him in a gilded cage. he had wanted to help the church, to give his life to the cross, to learn the world of god and preach it … but with forty fast approaching doubt had started to creep in. “i feel like i’m ninety years old, sometimes,” he confided. the longer calahan sat with ruairi the stronger their accents seemed to become. it felt as though they were back in the park again, making up their own secret languages to pull the wool over the eyes of their teachers, friends, parents. somewhere along the line,  calahan had forgotten that life was about that kind of freedom.  he was about to speak again, to open his mouth and change the subject, but instead he attempted to relax on the seat a little further. “you won’t believe it,” calahan could hardly believe it himself, “but i think there might be someone on the cards for me, there. it’s early days, and i don’t even know if she knows i exist in the same way i think about her constantly, but … you could say i’ve met someone.” the thought of liam was still in the back of his mind, his first and only love that had crumbled away and left him empty. finding sofia didn’t take away from the feelings that had been cut off at the root, but at the very least he could say he was starting to heal from it. “have you stopped by that new bakery, there in town? sofia owns it. and she’s … ” beautiful? illuminating? intoxicating? the right word wouldn’t come, but calahan knew his brother would be able to fill in the blanks. “ … i can’t stop thinking about her, deartháir. can’t get her out of my mind.”

"No," Ruairi said quietly. "I can't tell you that." The Macarthy boys and their collective relationships with their parents were as different as each of the brothers was themselves. Ruairi adored their parents but had chased down independence the moment it was offered to him― for better or worse― and that journey had led him overseas― something he doubted his parents had ever imagined for him even once throughout his life. He couldn't quite blame them― not when he'd been so shy and nervous as a child and couldn't quite stomach being away from home for more than an afternoon or two before he'd become deeply anxious. Still, with as overbearing as they had a tendency to be― Ruairi would have done anything for his parents. He imagined all four of them felt the same just as easily as he could recognize the tiredness in his brother's face as they discussed their parents, even if he chose not to comment on it.

He wanted desperately to be better with words in that moment― he'd learned to program and write stories, understood language more than he understood most things, and still felt entirely incapable of comforting his brother when he might've needed it. A shame, he thought, to have those skills and find them wanting. Ruairi snorted, "You make it sound like you're ninety years of age or something." He pointed out, offering his brother a lopsided smile that he hoped might earn the same from the older man. He wasn't holding his breath, of course, but stranger things had certainly happened. "What about you? Do you have someone right now?" He asked, a beat of silence passing between his brother's final bit of reassurance and Ruairi's endless curiosity. He hoped it would be a positive answer― hoped there might've been someone his brother had his eye on in some way or another; a person who might've brought him even a small amount of joy.

[silkear3d]

it was a sensation that was completely unfamiliar, a warmth in their chest at the knowledge that they were needed — that they were wanted. jasper’s cheeks maintained their pinkness, warm to the touch, and he easily leaned into ruairi as they started to walk. everything felt easy, the way that their footsteps fell into rhythm, the way that jasper’s head came to the perfect height that ruairi could kiss without effort.  their bodies were made for one another. they had discovered that much after the pride celebrations, when they had fallen into bed and not looked back since. “now that you mention it, that sounds like a perfect afternoon too,” jasper giggled softly. maybe it could be added to a list of proposed dates, one that would no doubt become reams long, things that the two boys could do together. as a couple. “i could read to you one time, maybe. there are so many books that i would love you to read. i don’t know whether you’ll ever get through my list of recommendations.” it was the way jasper got on best, showing his love through sharing the inanimate things he adored. hot chocolate, book recommendations, good television shows or little crystals — like a penguin might exchange a shiny rock with their lover, the librarian did the same.  buying a clothbound special edition book was easier than the three short words that were already threatening to bubble to the surface.  he idly played with his fingers as they walked through the backstreets and into the town, hoping that passersby would pause and notice just how handsome his new boyfriend really was. “that’s okay. i like it, actually. my hands get all clammy somet—” they swallowed, cutting off the spiraling overshare that seemed to flood out of them without warning, “—it’s perfect. i like this. i like you holding my hand. i don’t mind you touching me.” to others, it might have been small. to jasper, ruairi’s ability to hold him without panic meant the world.

Optimism had always come easily for him― in spite of his own lingering anxieties, in spite of his own talent for overthinking just about everything that had ever happened to him or everything he'd ever done― he'd always had a talent for looking on the bright side of things. He'd tried to keep his expectations realistic as he'd come to terms with the fact that he very much wanted to pursue something quite a bit more intense than a casual friendship with Jasper but now― now it seemed the easiest thing in the world to embrace how deeply he'd wanted them to agree and how pleased he was that they had. He'd have taken it on the chin if they'd turned him down but now, with warmth flaring in his chest, and his fingertips tingling with adrenaline and joy in equal measure― he was certain he'd never been quite so excited about something in quite some time. "You could've asked me to sit with you on the stoop while you... read a book or something and I'd've been delighted," he informed his boyfriend with a crooked, slightly dopey smile.

"I remember, love. I thought you were adorable when I gave it to you― I still think that, obviously, but I can remember thinkin' it loads at the time," Ruairi said with a low laugh. He wrapped an arm around Jasper's shoulders for a moment― loosely enough that they would be able to wriggle free if they had half a mind to do so but close enough that he could feel their warmth where they leaned against him and kiss the top of their head without much effort. "Hot chocolate with you sounds perfect to me," he said softly, pressing another kiss to their head before he pulled away― leaving his arm around their shoulders as they stepped to one side of the librarian. "Is this alright? Or is holdin' your hand a bit easier?"

[silkear3d]

“i got in a fight.” a bout of dark laughter followed the repetition, a noise that almost choked out of him like the splutter of an engine. calahan hadn’t truly laughed for a long time ; he always caught himself before the wave hit and steadied himself, maintaining his composure. now that the cracks had started to show, he wondered where the use was in pretending that he was anything other than a lonely, confused, shell of a man. and he had been for a good long while.  in one swift movement, he was beside sofia. calahan towered over her small frame, and every nerve in his body screamed out and begged for him to touch her. so he did. for the first time since he had moved to america, since he had settled down and forced a life for himself, he threw caution to the wind and made his own decision. not for jesus. not for god. not for his mother. for him. “you’ve been the only thing on my mind since the first moment i met you … ” he began, before laughing again and rolling his eyes at his own hesitation. they didn’t need speeches. they didn’t need sermons. calahan let himself act just as he needed to ; in one motion, he cradled sofia’s jaw in his large hand, hinged his knees, pressed their lips together in a needy kiss that had been brewing since that first slice of cake. 

"you got in a fight?" sofia questioned, glancing at calahan across the table she was cleaning, as though she was trying to read between the lines. "what happened?" she asked, resetting a few of the tables and returning her cleaning supplies to where they belonged. "i'm glad you're okay." she busied herself as calahan cleaned himself up, moving behind the counter to pour them both a glass of her famous lemonade, just like she did that first day they met. despite the circumstances, she couldn't help but think back to that day, and how the mysterious tall man had plagued her mind since then. she hated feeling weak, being vulnerable around anyone – even her brother – was something she rarely allowed to happen, instead choosing to brush her feelings off with a soft laugh and a bright smile. sofia set the cooler jug down as her name was called, lifting her head as calahan made his way towards her across the bakery, a curious look in her eyes as she finally allowed them to land on his own. "yes, calahan?"

[silkear3d]

jasper was so used to being the one that stumbled over their words, that said the wrong thing, that misread signals and had to deal with the consequences. their smile only grew watching ruairi deal with the same thing — it was just another reassurance that he wanted them to be together, that the irish man was perfect because of his imperfections. hands nestled into ruairi’s hair, and jasper needily kissed him back with one leg cocked into the air as if they were in a fairytale. “you’re my boyfriend,” every word was a mess of giggles. as they pulled away, just slightly, from one another, jasper rested his forehead to his boyfriend’s chest and slowly inhaled his scent. it was a smell they had committed to memory, a comfort that he craved whenever they were apart. even when they were just ‘friends’. “i think that makes sense, yes.” jasper was beaming. they slowly lowered themself back down onto the flats of their feet, staring up at ruairi — unwavering, brave, and enamored. “i don’t even know what i want to do now. wow. maybe … ” his small fingers squeezed the other’s, “maybe we should start with getting a hot chocolate. remember when you came in that first day, when you brought me one?” their eyes sparkled at the memory ; it seemed an eternity ago, when they knew nothing beyond each other’s names, where the other had made that leap and struck up a conversation. at that time, the last thing jasper had expected was to get a boyfriend out of the exchange — he was timid, anxious, and thought of himself as nothing beyond a nervous bookworm outside the realms of love. “as our first real, proper date.”

When Ruairi had asked Maggie on a date for the first time he'd thought he might throw up before the question had even manage to properly form in his mind; he felt much the same in the breathless moment between asking Jasper if they'd like to commit themselves to him in some small way and the confirmation that it wouldn't have been the worst idea in the world. He nuzzled his nose against Jasper's wrist the moment their hands cradled his face and the smile that curved along his mouth was easy and gentle and full of such happiness in response to such a small gesture that Ruairi wondered how it would feel to have that feeling in his chest again... forever. That was too much, he knew― too much hopeless wondering when he was teetering on the edge of something to begin with; when it was possible that even after they'd slept together, Jasper might've wanted nothing more from him than that.

And then― all of the doubts that had begun to rise up and clamor in the back of his mind were washed away in an instant. His smile widened, his cheeks twinging as he grinned broadly enough to dimple both of his cheeks. He kissed Jasper several times before he could bring himself to speak, his happiness an effervescent thing and one he intended to hold onto as long as he could manage it. "You're my boyfriend," he said softly, the sound of laughter rising in his chest that seemed almost reflexive. He couldn't help himself― couldn't seem to feel anything other than joy. "I suppose what we're doing today counts as our first date then, hey? Unless you'd like to save that for another time. You get the final say, baby," he continued, kissing the tip of Jasper's nose as he pulled back the slightest bit, fingers still tangled with theirs.

[silkear3d]

calahan had never expected, when buying the deeds to the pour house, that he would need to be so hands on with it, but after countless meeting with interior decorators the irishman had decided to take matters on himself. there he was, walking through the aisles at the assembly depot, searching for things to brighten up the place — new flooring, maybe some sparkling hardware to replace the tired looking taps. or a lick of paint. calahan slowed and thumbed through some of the swatches, fighting every urge to stay in the comfortable browns or the slightly browny reds. electric blue? too disco. maybe a green? too wicked-witch-of-the-west. he wasn’t afforded time to make a decision ; soon he was ducking, wide-eyed, out of the way of a stranger. “hey, hey … ” his laughter was lifted by his dublin lilt, “don’t apologise. you’re okay. did you hurt yourself?” once the pair were righted, calahan took a step back and narrowed his golden eyes to fully survey the selection. “definitely that jade color.”  

location: assembly depot who: open to anyone @bluestarters

Dani has decided she's going to repaint her childhood bedroom. Since it has now turned into her adult bedroom, it feels like it's finally time to get rid of the numerous teen beat heart throb posters she had from high school off her walls. And it's time the bedroom walls changed from an almost florescent shade of aqua to something a bit more... relaxing?

Looking between a soft neutral shade of grey (boring, but it screams adult), and earthy sage (was she an earth tone person?) and the most saturated coral she could find (it felt like her but less in your face), Dani let out a huff.

Turning to hold the tester strips for each color in the light, she swore under her breath as she almost struck a nearby shopper in the face. "Fuck, I'm sorry!" She apologized, grabbing their shoulder as if it could convey just how sorry she was for the near miss. "I didn't see you passing by." Too consumed by paint, it seemed. "Uh... which one?" She held up the three shades, hoping someone who wasn't desperate to make a sale would be honest about the colors and if any of them were worth buying.

[silkear3d]

“of course she loves us,” and calahan forced a smile, for ruairi’s sake. the last thing he wanted was to see hurt in his brother’s eyes ; it was a constant back and forth, the pair of them soothing and withholding in a lifelong game of emotional tennis. his spine remained straight, his chin pointed upward. “but you can’t tell me you never felt like you needed to get away — that you never wished for somebody to knock on the door and call you out to play, or that she might come home just ten minutes later than usual.” but, despite the weight that calahan had carried for almost four decades, he wouldn’t change it. in that stress, that expectation, the crippling need to make good and be the best he could be, he protected little ruairi. wasn’t that what brothers were for? what sort of brother would he be if he wished the tables to be turned? he braced himself with a deep breath inwards. “you deserve happiness too, ror, in whatever shape that comes. i’ve got a long way to go, but you … you’ve got life stretched out ahead of you.” a smile broke over his stony face, “don’t let an old grump like me take that away from you.” and, in that moment, he thought of sofia, the small raven-haired baker that had been so kind to him in his darkest moment. since their first meeting, calahan had struggled to get her soft features out of his mind ; liam was still there, somewhere, but for once he allowed the thoughts to bleed through. new and unfamiliar. “if you’ve got maggie’s blessing, then there isn’t anything else to say. if there’s someone out there that makes you smile like that, i’m all for it,” cal’s own lips stretched and contorted into a strained version of his brother’s smile. it was the same, only worn and tired and a little twitchy at the edge. “kids see all sorts these days. i bet fionn seeing da with another boy won’t even cross his mind. he isn’t losing his ma. he’s only gaining. so are you.” his voice dropped so that his nephew wouldn’t overhear, “you don’t have anything to be scared of.”

There was a certain sting to it― listening to his brother's even voice, the quiet knowledge that settled jaggedly in Ruairi's chest that his brother had always taken on too much― that those expectations must have weighed him down in ways Ruairi would never quite fathom, as much as he might've wanted to. He wondered if those expectations still draped themselves along Cal's shoulders― pulled hard around his throat― a chain of legacy and things that might've been but weren't. Things that should've been but never came to fruition. He turned his gaze away from his brother, something hard settling in his throat― the tension making him swallow hard against the sharp feeling in his chest. "She loves us," Ruairi said softly, his voice so low he wondered if Calahan would even hear him. He wasn't certain why he said it― couldn't quite fathom why he felt the need to remind his brother of something he hadn't forgotten in the first place. "I'm not gonna push you into it or anythin'..." he continued, sighing softly. "You deserve to do whatever makes you happiest."

His brother certainly had never needed Ruairi's permission to pursue his own happiness but he'd always thought giving him a push wouldn't go amiss. Cal seemed to struggle with it in a similar way to Ruairi― bucking against the things that might've made him happy almost for the sake of it, sometimes. They were more alike than not, he'd often thought, when push came to shove. "She told me the same," he said with a snort, a fondness in his expression as he recalled the amused look Maggie had given him when he'd fumbled through explaining what was going on with Jasper. Somehow, the hurt he'd finally cast behind him had reminded him that Maggie had always been one of his best friends and her encouragement had given him a measure of peace he hadn't realized he'd been searching for in the first place. "I am happy. I'm scared half to death about it sometimes but it's... easy, y'know? I'm still tryin' to figure out how to explain it all to Fionn but Mags offered to help so that'll... be alright, I hope?" He ran a hand over his face with a low laugh, "Lad's smarter than I ever was so I reckon he'll understand somehow."

[silkear3d]

it was stupid, he knew it. calahan had never been one to drink in excess, despite his irish roots, and he had never thrown a fist against anything other than a pillow when he was frustrated. whatever had brewed within him, the volcano that had bubbled in his stomach, erupted there at the bar. his body was still feeling the consequences. “i got in a fight,” calahan said plainly, sliding into one of the chairs, pulling a napkin and dabbing at the gummy blood at his nostrils. “and it was my fault. i know it was.” he was a sorry sight. it was almost embarrassing, being in the presence of someone so beautiful when he looked so worn and rugged. calahan’s golden eyes hadn’t once strayed from sofia. the ex-preacher tracked her like a wild animal, drawing in a deep breath, straightening his spine against the seat. “you couldn’t scare me off. not ever.” and it was the truth ; even if calahan avoided the cafe ( a symptom of his own self-hatred ) the dark haired baker remained at the back of his mind. no matter how far he ran from his feelings.  “sofia … ” calahan stood. he moved across the bakery as though he was walking on air. there was nothing to lose, no further to fall ; he had fought for so long to avoid rock bottom and now it almost felt comfortable there.

sofia's nose wrinkled at his comment. she was never one to think highly of violence, if anything she would shy away from it. even a customer raising their voice in frustration of an incorrect coffee order would have the small woman taking a few deep breaths in the kitchen out back. though she didn't know calahan, not really, she couldn't help but feel as though violence wasn't his natural calling either. "i'm curious to say the least," she murmured, setting the keychain in a safe place behind the counter, picking up a cloth and cleaning down a few of the recently abandoned tables. it had been a couple of weeks since she'd last seen calahan, a few fleeting visits and tucked in a corner with a friend, sofia couldn't stop her eyes wandering over to him to see if he was looking for her. it was as though they'd been attached to each other in a former life, some chemical reaction between them, a magnetism drawing them together whenever they were in the same room – it scared her. "i haven't seen you in a while. i thought i'd scared you off," sofia admitted as she wiped down the last of the tables, avoiding eye contact as she felt her cheeks flush with heat. "it's good to see you again."

[silkear3d]

miles scrunched his nose, tilting his head the opposite direction as if a new angle would help him understand what was happening ahead of them. “god. i mean … i guess we should call the record books. nobody is meant to bend that way. they might be the first person ever to make those shapes with their limbs.” it was an icebreaker, if anything. the middle monroe child straightened, breathed out, ran a hand through the front of his cropped dark hair. “yeah, i know them a little. not really enough to be here, though. i couldn’t say no to the promise of free food and booze.” and he had already consumed more than his fair share of nibbles. “do you have any siblings?” as though his stomach wasn’t already complaining, fit to burst, miles reached for another canape — something on a cracker — and ate it in one quick bite. “i have two, one older and one younger, and i’ll tell you we got up to some real shit. stealing and pretending to be each other. mind you, it was harder when i tried to parade around as my sister.” with a buzzcut and a gangly growth spurt at twelve, miles had been easily spotted in the classroom despite putting on a high voice and a skirt. “i think it’s cute. caring for your inner child, or something. isn’t that what all the self help books are saying?”

“unless they’re headed straight to the hospital, i really don’t think they are,” graham nodded in agreement, his eyes unable to move away from the strange acrobatic performance before him. although he and jasper were close friends, he hadn’t had as much time to get to know giselle. when he’d first met her, he hadn’t even realized she was the twin that jasper had brought up in their conversations. genetics surely was a strange beast. seeing giselle roam so freely among the crowd made graham wonder if jasper could do the same silly tricks. in his mind, there was no way the other finch twin would make themself as visible as their sister. “i know them both, but jasper a bit better. what about you? i’ve always thought it would be nice to have a twin, or any sibling at all. i once had the aspiration to pull a parent trap level trick on my parents, alas there was no doppelgänger of mine to make that dream a reality.” when he’d received the invitation, graham didn’t know what to expect or how to dress. he’d simply come with a pair of mouse ears atop his head and one of his usual suits. he hoped the dormouse reference was enough to fit the dress code. “it certainly is a very un-birthday. i think the last time i went this all-out on a party i was in the single digits and i was at a chuck e. cheese or a build-a-bear.”

[silkear3d]

“what am i, chopped liver?” miles chuckled, drawing his elbow into sofia’s side as they moved. in another life, they could have been siblings too. the middle monroe hadn’t known his father ; maybe he was a distant escobedo somewhere along the family tree. “i think monroe-escobedo has quite a ring to it. or monro-scobedo.” miles suddenly fell quiet. it was easier not to speak than to try and explain, that sweets were a luxury that the children never truly got to indulge in. maybe once a month they could split a sweet bun, if the eldest earned (or stole) enough for them to get by. otherwise, it was the off-cuts of whatever their mother cooked, or whatever they could scrape from the trailer park trash cans.  the ears of sofia’s new bunny friend swayed in the oncoming winter breeze. his head tilted, and miles watched with intrigue as she spoke. “but why is it red?” he questioned after a moment, “if it’s chocolate and vanilla. it should be brown, right? or, like, what’s it called when they — ” his fingers wiggled in the air, “ — swirl them both together. that makes way more sense.” and he would soon find out ; crave & co was quickly appearing out of the mist. 

"you're right. i'm a firm believer in found family. i'm still working on finding mine, but at least i have my brother," sofia spoke as they walked in tandem towards the exit, leading the way to her little bakery that had been curated from her own blood, sweat and tears. sofia raised an eyebrow at his question, laughing softly to herself. "you've never had red velvet? well, I'll be honored to be the person to introduce you to it's wonders," she grinned, her beloved bunny secure in her arms as they walked. you could always tell when sofia was talking about her passions, whether it be baking or music, her face and eyes would light up like she'd just won the lottery, telling anyone with the slightest of interest all about it. "it's a mix of vanilla and chocolate. pair it with a cream cheese frosting and you've got yourself the most delicious slice of heaven!"

[silkear3d]

despite the sun setting early, the days felt as though they drew on forever. miles had been shackled to the arcade all morning, shimmying plushies from selfish grabber machines, fighting snapping at the demanding children sniffing for change underneath the machines. a coffee would do him good — the middle monroe brother wasn’t one for frivolous purchases, having never had money before, but he was desperate for a caffeine hit that afternoon. when the stranger whirled around, his dark brow cocked and miles burst into a string of raucous laughter. “that thing? who do you think i am?” he snorted, “michael jackson?” 

open: ( capping at 3)

location: caffelicious

After an afternoon of teaching practice at the University, Lucas needed an afternoon pick me up before heading home for the day. That meant another coffee so he had to choose between two places across from each other. He looked around before getting in line to wait. Something caught his eye so he picked it up, realizing it was a winter glove. 'Maybe it fell out of a pocket.' He thought to himself as he hesitated before tapping the person in front of him. ''Excuse me..is this yours?'' @bluestarters

[silkear3d]

Jack Wolfe with a rabbit ear hat at ASOCAS2

[silkear3d]

it was special. intimate. a moment of humanity, there in the gallery. elspeth made a note to remember that day, to cherish it — and to get izulu’s phone number after the fact, so that their interaction wouldn’t fall into obscurity the moment it ceased. “i think so, too,” they replied warmly as they took a loop of the exhibit, moved almost to tears by the beauty in it ; those exact reminders that no light came without darkness. “i’m glad i’ve found someone that understands,” her words were soft, not wanting to disturb any other fellow museum patrons. they moved slow and calm, as though they were floating on air. elspeth paused to read the names of each of the paintings, to absorb their meanings, to mouth the syllables of the artists. “i don’t know about being strong,” they answered over their shoulder, “it can be exhausting, but it’s worth it knowing i’m doing something good … that i’m helping people. it’s rewarding, yes, taking away that burden,” she turned on her heels and asked, “what do you do?”

Izzy smiled at the compliment to her name. She didn't often go by the full thing, but she was proud of it. Hearing other people say it always warmed her and made her want to call her parents, to hear them say it too. "Thank you. It's from Zulu, my father's language. It means heaven." She smiled and repeated "Fēn Elspeth." It felt almost like they were exchanging little gifts, giving each other their magical True Name that most people didn't bother to use. "It's good to meet you."

The price of love is loss. Izulu nodded, trying not to let the trueness of that statement wash her away into memories. "It's worth paying, if you ask me. The worst thing in the world in exchange for the best thing. If the alternative is a life of feeling fine and nothing more or less than that, I'll take the pain. You must be very strong to work in that field; I imagine that takes a lot out of a person. You find it rewarding?"

[silkear3d]

@just-foster       /       assembly depot  ,     with     foster.

they never forgot a face. but, in their line of work, that wasn't always something to boast about. elspeth remembered every shocked expression, every show of grief, every suit and personal item that they handled to help the dead move into whatever came next. it meant that the ringlets of matty foster, those sad and pale eyes that always seemed to be rimmed with dark, were all too familiar — and so was his father. all they had wanted was some fresh paint for their living room. elspeth went through pots of the stuff with ease — it was par for the course, when all her furniture had to be black. for a moment she considered hiding behind a shelf, waiting for the man to pass, or shimmying to the cash register with a slab of wood obscuring their face, but what kind of person would they be if they ignored him? timidly, she coughed before asking, "mr foster? i'm not sure if you remember me. i remember you. my name is elspeth song."

[silkear3d]

karaoke was a serious affair, something that elspeth wasn’t going to let slip away from her. there weren’t many people she knew — working in a cold, dark basement made it pretty difficult to make friends — but if she was brave, just for a moment, she was sure she would find a partner in no time. that partner was sofia, the sweet dark-haired baker that was in the right place at the right time. or the wrong place at the wrong time, depending on their skillset. elspeth wouldn’t say they were the most amazing singer in the world, but they could hold a tune for long enough. besides, karaoke was meant to be fun, and after a few drinks nobody would remember the sounds of a distressed cat mewling from their open mouth. “you know the words?” she asked excitedly, reaching back to take hold of sofia’s hand. they squeezed into the empty booth, and elspeth took a small sip of her brightly-colored cocktail before choosing the song on the machine. “it’s like a rite of passage in tennessee. you gotta pay your dues to our mother dolly parton.”

as soon as she had received the invite, sofia jumped at the idea of spending some time with her friends, a few drinks and some entertainment in the form of a karaoke bar. with a few cocktails under her belt, sofia's confidence would shine, throwing herself into any activity requested of her – even if that meant singing in front of a crowd, probably off-key. she was shy, unaware of how talented she actually was, but she'd spent more than enough years strumming away on her old guitar and singing to herself in her bedroom, trying to be quiet so that damian wouldn't be bothered. sofia looked up as elspeth approached her, nodding her head in an instant and sipping her drink. "oh, you don't have to ask twice. i would be honored to be your dolly!" the brunette giggled.

[silkear3d]

jasper had a system. each of the coffee establishments in blue harbor had a mark out of five stars — organised in a faultless spreadsheet — as to how well they made a hot chocolate. now that the seasons were changing, the trees shedding their leaves and windows covered in frost in the early mornings, it was the perfect time to re-score some of the older cafés. latte love was the first on the list. but the moment he reached to pay for the cocoa, with whipped cream and marshmallows and a generous topping of chocolate dust, they were interrupted. jasper stared at the stranger, wide-eyed, silent, before taking the cup between both gloved hands.  “no, that's okay. you didn’t overstep,” but the librarian was so unsure of kindness that they stayed still for a moment longer, eyes narrowed, trying to second guess the other’s motivations. often, when people were kind to him, there was an ulterior motive, one that would leave jasper as the butt of the joke. hazel eyes tracked to the glass case, and he hesitated. “i … yes, that … that would be really nice. i, um. i like chocolate.” after determining that the stranger was, in fact, nice, jasper’s voice gained a little more strength. a british accent from the northern hills. “it’s really nice of you to do this for people. i was actually … well, it sounds a bit silly saying it out loud, but … ” the hot chocolate steam licked jasper’s nose and almost made them salivate, “ … but i like testing all the hot chocolates around here to see who does the best one.”

STATUS // open (feel free to assume connections), @bluestarters LOCATION // latte love

˚₊·—̳͟͞͞♡. ❝ DON'T WORRY, I’ve got it,” Winnie said with a warm smile, stepping forward to place her card on the counter before the person ahead of her could say a word. But as the cashier started ringing up the order, her smile faltered just slightly. What if they didn’t like it? What if they thought she was being pushy? Should she have asked first? Well, it was a little too late now, huh? “I’m so sorry, I hope that’s all right—I didn’t mean to overstep,” she said quickly, her words tumbling out in a soft rush. Her cheeks flushed as she added, “It’s just my good deed of the day, you know. ’Tis the season for giving, after all.” Her smile stayed in place, soft and genuine, as she gestured toward the pastry case. “Do you fancy a snack to go with that? Something sweet, maybe?” Winnie hesitated, realizing she might be overdoing it. “O-or not. Totally up to you.” With a quick glance at the clock on the wall, she exhaled softly, adjusting the strap of her bag. “I’ve got a couple of hours before I head to my nanny job, so I thought I’d make someone’s morning a little brighter.” She smiled again, earnest and hopeful. “I hope that’s all right?”

[silkear3d]

jasper puffed their chest and nodded excitedly. “oh, i’ve said before, i can find you a book on anything — and i mean anything. i know every corner of this place!” and they were right. it only took a customer to ask a question and jasper was off, reeling throughout the bookcases, tugging novels and hardbacks off into their arms in order to fulfil the most wild of requests. sometimes even their colleagues would save the most obscure for them, to save themselves the time and energy of running throughout each and every floor trying to recall the organisational system that was seared into jasper’s memory. “i don’t know whether i believe it all that much. i’m not sure. i feel like if there was something out there determining my life for me, they should be a bit kinder … even if it’s just for a little while.” a soft sigh. jasper cradled the gift to their chest, something precious, something to cherish. “i haven’t really had friends before. or people to buy me gifts. i don’t think i’ve had a present outside of my family in … ” their head shook and he scrunched his nose to help rid the memory. instead, small fingers turned to a random page. “we could try one together? let’s see … ” intrigued eyes scanned the page before tapping the paper. “in which city is studio 54 located?”

Rachel didn't want to disagree considering, Jasper obviously knew their sister better than she did. But she felt like Giselle had been a little more extroverted than Jasper had. A little bit more rock n roll in a sense whereas Jasper was a gentle soul. But she still felt like they were wonderfully themselves and she appreciated that. She appreciated the fact that Giselle was into tarot card reading. Rachel had loved going to Salem as she'd gotten older and loved learning more about the craft. "I will definitely remember that, thank you for the hint! It's a very interesting form of future telling or even just analysis of a question you ask of it. I bet you there's some books on it you might like to learn from!" She shared with Jasper, happy to help explain it to them. Watching as they went through each part of the gift, she nodded happily at their thanks. "Of course! I'm glad I could get those things for you. You'll have to let me know how many of those trivia questions you already know!!"