#// ft. cora deveraux

[atlasnolan]

closed for: @coradeveraux

where: anywhere that sells bubble tea

With a look of sincere confusion on his face, Atlas scanned the menu like he was deciphering hieroglyphics rather than drink options, his presence not there from curiosity but rather by request of a blonde he liked enough to play fetch-the-bubble-tea for while she studied.

The vague text hadn't specified what sort, and he didn't want to text back and ask and make it seem like he didn't know what it was.

( He doesn't. )

After another five seconds of deliberation, he turns to the closest person in earshot, which was a brunette he hoped would assist his plight.

"You ever had this stuff before?"

[xaviermattthews]

closed for: @coradeveraux

where: driftwood coffee

With a hardback book in one hand and a coffee in the other, X gave the summary on the back another once over as he waited, the possible collaboration on the horizon not one he would have entertained a couple of years back but he's intrigued by the idea.

He takes a drink of his latte and opens the book, reminding himself of what the author and the person he's there to meet looked like so he didn't accidentally miss her arrival.

[blake-michaels]

68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

“I think it’s a fair guess to say Cora. After I dragged her rollerskating, we both fell on our butts and all. Way too many times, I had bruises for days! But of course I owed my girlie a deep conversation. We bonded some more. Next guess would be Romi. We always talk about life together, our goals and random spontaneous plans.

Like buying random plants I may or may not have murdered.”

@coradeveraux @rominacortez

[silascody]

"They can keep all that freaky far away from me." Silas says, as if the words being spoken might echo through the vicinity like a warning. He doesn't trust that Cora's words won't end up being prophetic, making him somewhat apprehensive about the hayride.

"Could always skip this one and fuck on off to something else."

@coradeveraux

"I think clowns only have one look and it's freaky, so... Let's hope they keep their distance. I'm not really in the mood to watch you beat up a poor employee who's definitely not getting paid enough to be wearing three layers of face paint and an itchy wig." @silascody

[santiagodeleons]

"Doesn't change much at forty either if you're looking for spoilers."

Forty-one almost, which if he thought too long and hard on that would have him downing the rejected rum that was back in his possession quick enough to go immediately seek out another one.

"She does, I don't think she's here yet. You won't be able to miss her once she is." It's not that Santiago thought it Bradley's sole objective to captivate a room whenever she walked into one, she just possessed a skill for it that had been shaped into an expectation over the years. "Bradley Banner, she tends to turn heads when she shows up anywhere."

He's certainly on alert for her entrance, steeling himself for things he needed to discuss with her before the night was through.

"I could have but my last few dates were a little disastrous, didn't want to potentially deal with that for this. You flying solo tonight too?"

@coradeveraux

"I proved that I should've trusted my instincts and that taste doesn't suddenly change at thirty-three," Cora said with a chuckle, handing him back his glass. Rum tasted as disgusting as ever.

His reaction to her question makes it clear he isn't having a good time and his explanation makes it very understandable. "I'm enjoying more than you apparently. Your ex-wife owns this place? Yikes. Where is she? I wanna see what she looks like," she says, already scanning the room. "You should've just found yourself a date. It's not like it would've been hard." @santiagodeleons

[atlasnolan]

"You're doing the exact opposite of making it appealing."

Squishy wasn't the word he was looking to hear about something that was supposed to be consumed and he can't quite envision the texture without having to make an effort to.

His eyes look to the purple beverage she points out, which was a shade of something that should never be drank, or so he thinks.

"Right, that's the one I'm going to try so. I'll be coming looking for you if it turns me into Grimace."

@coradeveraux

"Tapioca, I believe," Cora informs him, despite never having them herself. "I think they're kinda... squishy? I'm not making any of this sound very appealing, am I? In my defence, I'm also a first-timer."

"Different kind of tarot. This taro is a root vegetable. See that purple drink? That's taro. Nothing to do with the card-reading scams, I promise." @atlasnolan

[xaviermattthews]

"You bet I am, I never half-ass anything."

That's not always the positive he likes to spin it as. At times, he can be obsessive in nature and having an addictive personality didn't help matters much, but he's not about to share that with a stranger when they were there to talk art and see if they could find common ground.

"Honest answer? Online buzz."

Twitter trending topics had taken him to places that years of therapy would be required to return from, but a chance review on his FYP had alerted him to the existence of her book and it was all over from there. The call with a conditional offer had been surprising until he realised he had accidentally included a the novel in the background of one of his Instagram stories.

"Which I don't usually pay much heed to but I thought fuck it, I'll see what this is all about. Picked it up, couldn't put it down."

He likes that he can still find himself surprised by what art he'll connect with and how, his horizons ever broadening even when he tried to maintain a certain image for himself.

"I know. Guessed, I mean. I didn't want to meet you to put in a good word for me, I think it's a pretty done deal if I just say yes."

His next album's lead single had all but secured that, made for this had been thrown around, which had made him instinctively want to correct and say that no, it was made for his fans.

"You got any crazy views you keep under wraps that might spring to light? I call that worry the J.K. Rowling apprehension."

@coradeveraux

"A very airbrushed and better-coiffed version of me, sure," she confirmed, cringing at the picture's sight. You could tell it was her, but it also made her day-to-day appearance seem almost lacklustre, in her opinion. "You brought your own copy and everything. I guess that means you were serious about this."

Cora chuckled as she pulled the chair back and took the seat in front of him, glancing down at this particular novel of hers. "You're not exactly my usual target audience, so I'm curious as to what drew you to the story."

"Well, first of all, I have to warn you that I have absolutely no say over pretty much anything to do with the movie. I may carry a little weight as far as creative decisions go, but barely," she warned, still a bit disappointed she hadn't been asked to write the script. Not many authors did and she most likely would've stared at a blank page until someone, somewhere pulled the plug on the whole thing, but... still. Would've been nice.

[atlasnolan]

"What are the bubbles?" He asks, knowing what bubbles themselves were but in this context they looked nothing short of ominous to him. He knows he could have googled it, but this seemed like a faster route.

"Taro doesn't sound like something you drink to me. Isn't that that shit people do with cards to scam you into thinking they can read your future? There's nothing here that's adding up for me."

@coradeveraux

Cora very much shares the look of confusion of the stranger next to her as she stares at the menu and then at the pictures plastered all over it. A friend of hers recommended this place and she's now seriously reconsidering said friendship.

"I can't say I have, but I've been told these are great," she tells the man, trying to convey as much excitement as she can gather. "The bubbles, though... I'm just not sure about them, like, texture-wise. Also, what's taro and is it that purple naturally?" @atlasnolan

[xaviermattthews]

"It's you," X says, holding the book up as if he was confirming her identity, the author's picture and the woman in front of him an identical visual match. He closes it again and places it back down, not wanting to appear rude by leafing through pages when it was far easier to discuss matters without distraction.

"I can be a bit of a fussy reader but this one actually did draw me in." In a way, that almost pains him to admit given the types of books he usually gravitated to. He keeps that to himself, wanting to keep the vibes light.

"My label is convinced that my band and the movie in the works for this--" He taps the book with his index finger as he places his latter back down. "--Are a perfect match. I'm curious if that's true or now, so I thought it be good to meet, see what your vision is."

@coradeveraux

It feels almost wrong to be discussing a possible adaptation of one of her books when she's currently unable to write another one, but Cora still shows up at Driftwood Coffee to meet up with Xavier to hear him out. If anything, she needs the paycheck.

"Nice to officially meet you," she says with a smile as she sits opposite him at the table. She points at the book in his hand, a small smile on her lips. "I see you've brought reading material." @xaviermattthews

[santiagodeleons]

Santiago watches as she takes his drink from him and then proceeds to look like she's been actively poisoned, doing his best to hold back a laugh at the mere sight of it.

"Did you prove it, whatever it was?"

At her question, the most he can do is give a roll of his shoulders, still half wondering to himself why he was even there beyond a conversation he needed to have that there would most likely never be a good time for.

"Am I enjoying the masquerade ball I'm at alone at a hotel my ex-wife owns?" If the silence that followed his question didn't answer itself, he does it anyway.

"Not particularly. You?"

@coradeveraux

Cora watched Santiago's reaction, her lips pursing in annoyance when he confirmed her initial comment. "Thought so. Don't make excuses for them, they've probably been told to go light on the hard liquor," she points out with a sigh, watching as he extends his drink to her. She hesitates but grabs a hold of it out of pure curiosity. The brunette brings it to her lips, taking a sip that immediately causes her nose to scrunch up in disgust. "I don't know why I tried that, I hate rum and coke. I think I wanted to prove something to myself."

"Are you enjoying this thing?" @santiagodeleons

[santiagodeleons]

Santiago was just about to ask how she had recognised him so easily in his themed getup, but Cora's gin issues seemed more pressing if her face was anything to go by. He brings the glass to his lips and takes a gulp of it, a frown on his face at the taste that filled his mouth.

"That does taste a little watery. But then again, I do give you a generous pour."

More than once he had server her a gin and a half along with a tonic when she had occupied a stool in front of him, especially when she had been so forthcoming with what had been going on in her life. He had been working his way through a rum and coke, offering it to her in a trade if she wanted it.

"The rum's a little better if you want mine."

@coradeveraux

CLOSED STARTER FOR @santiagodeleons

Cora stopped right in front of Santiago, holding her glass out to him with a scowl. "Taste this," she told him, visibly annoyed. "And then go show the bartender how to make my gin & tonic the way I like it. Please. This tastes like watered-down gin."