#bailesona

[proofwhisky]

TOMMY HAD NEVER EXPECTED TO meet someone so completely and totally in tune with his weaknesses as Fiachra Kelly. It's like the man knows exactly how to get under his skin; like he knows every in and out of his very soul. Already Fiachra's been able to successfully ambush Tommy, to successfully lure him out in the open another handful of times without even having to lift one of his own fingers. It's like he can see right through Tommy.

It sets Thomas on edge, makes him reckless & impulsive, which, in turn, makes him an even easier mark. The worst part is that Tommy hadn't even noticed it was happening; hadn't noticed Fiachra's presence in his life until far too late. Fiachra had been at least one step ahead of him before Tommy was even aware that there was a race. Hadn't been entirely convinced of the threat the other man posed until he'd found himself lyiing on the cold wet asphalt, warmth from his blood seeping out of the wounds in his head to flow into the gutters with dirty rainwater.

Thomas Shelby can confidently say that he's met his match.

Having to come to terms with his own shortcomings has been a long and brutal lesson in humility. No matter how many times he's tried to get info on the man, or how many men he's sent out in search of any modicum of leverage, he's come up empty-handed. Losing like this over and over again has forced Thomas to admit to his weaknesses. Without information, without knowledge, he is just a man with a gun & razorblades sewn into the lining of his clothes. He is not a threat. He is not an adversary.

Stanley had eventually been the one to talk him off of the edge. For some reason, Stanley had been the only one capable of reaching Tommy on the level required to spur him back into action, to rush headfirst straight back into another losing fight.

The heart monitor beeped steadily, the only signs of life for a long moment while Stanley laid still against the starched hospital pillows, glazed eyes looking out the window by the bed. Tommy stood there with his hands in his pockets, waiting for Aisling to return.

"Can you kill him?" He'd said.

"What?"

"Can you kill Fiachra Kelly? Before he kills one of yours?"

"..."

"It was your brother in the hospital before, wasn't it?"

"It was me."

Another long silence passed between them, the heart monitor keeping time between seconds. Stanley had made eye contact with Tommy. They'd held each others' gaze.

"I'll give you every last penny that I have if it means I know he'll be gone for good."

"I have no use for your pennies, Stanley."

"Please, Tom-"

"It will be done."

They locked gazes again, something unspeakable communicated between their eyes as Aisling showed herself back into the room & Tommy looked away, stepping back to let the two of them talk again. He worried his bottom lip between his teeth. He was going to kill Fiachra Kelly, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

He'd been so confident then. He isn't anymore.

Now, Aisling's been MIA for days, not answering his calls or his texts. He'd looked everywhere he could think of, & he's on his way to check out one last spot: Stanley's room at the hospital. He prays that she isn't there, not somewhere so obvious, somewhere so out in the open, practically begging Fiachra to swoop in and kill her ( nevermind him being so keen to go there himself ).

He stops short when he sees a well-dressed man sitting upright on the made-up bed, facing away, gazing out the window.

"Ah, look what the cat dragged in," the man says. "Just another peaky bitch."

Tommy stands, rooted in place for a long time, attempting to wrestle his heart rate into submission and keep the rush of fury and terror off of his face. He clenches his jaw, hand moving slowly to curl around the handle of his pistol where it sits in the holster at his ribs.

"... Fiachra," he says.

"Mr. Shelby," Fiachra says, turning to face him with a polite smile. "I think it's time you & I had a chat."

Tommy stays still, hand wrapped around the butt of his gun, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. Fiachra makes no move to attack, gives no indication of hostility. Minutes pass in silence. Finally, Tommy lowers his hands, glancing behind him to find the empty chair he'd occupied during his visit with Stanley, & he sits down.

Another few second pass in silence, the sound of the heart monitor eerily absent. Nothing fills the room but the sound of Tommy's heart, thundering in his ears.

"So," he says, meeting Fiachra's eyes. "Let's chat."

starter for @bailesona !!

[tsareviich]

“plots please” ( ONE FOR TINA, ONE FOR DANNY, AND ONE FOR UR OWN CHOICE!! )

-- you send meme, i give plots

blind date with danny. something thinking it funny to set them up and they're both like ???? when the other shows up. (results may vary!)

tina (grisha au): tina kind of stalking vasily bc she knows he's... friendly with aisling and doesn't trust him but slowly comes around. and then (later) teaching each other ravkan/shu

stanley being the dad vasily deserves. he will cry.

nate just... hating vasily since he's kind of the worst kind of person. (rich, spoiled, etc). could stay there or enemies to lovers kind of thing. both could be fun

[freezegirl]

@bailesona / tim

something's going on with tim. that's easy to see. what's not easy is figuring out what that something is. the others leave him be, claiming that he'll come to them when he's good and ready.

it's not the same thing, but it reminds her very much of the time in her life post maxwellness. how frustrated she'd been. frustrated, and angry. with others, yes, but mostly with herself. her body.

it took her months, if not the better part of a year, a year and a half, to get back to peak physicality. to operate on a level that wasn't just acceptable but perfection.

she doesn't live in maxville anymore, but a goossens is a goossens, inside and outside the house. and a goossens strives for perfection in all things.

not the best thing, nor the healthiest, because it came from a place of fury and fear, but she can confidently say that she's surpassed her old self. nobody would ever lay a hand on her again.

(these days, she's still in competition with herself, but she's much gentler too, striving to be only a little bit better than the khione of yesterday.)

for tim, khione thinks that it's not so much about being in competition with yourself, and surpassing yourself, but more something like letting it all go. letting it all out.

(she, too, knows what it's like to want to do so yet not having the space to do just that.)

it doesn't take very long for her to find him. "c'mon, focaccia boy. up you get. aisling said we're looking at a heatwave this upcoming week but we're braving the cold today. coat, shoes and gloves, please. i've got the goggles covered."

yes, she's taking tim to her studio - her own personal winter wonderland. home to every snow and ice sculpture she's ever made whilst living with aisling and the others.

"i'm not taking no for an answer."

he doesn't have to talk if he doesn't want to. but she's seen that he's much quicker to engage now. so the choice is his: he can take a crowbar to the statues or he can try to sculpt one himself.

either way, he will be doing something with his hands.

the body is connected. from head to toe and beyond that, too. perhaps working with his hands will stir his tongue eventually. but only when he is, indeed, ready and not a minute before that.

[lindscys]

𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐱 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐬   →   always accepting.

@bailesona : stanley slides over a milkshake to her. he, too, appreciates the importance of a good milkshake, and even makes sure to give her extra whipped cream on top to really brighten her day.

the sound of glass along the surface pulled her attention, eyes too busy staring out of the window, into space, lost in thought about a recent case for her to have seen stanley approach the booth where she'd made herself comfortable. eyes flit, firstly down to the milkshake, then up to the gentleman who had, so kindly, provided her with the glass of goodness. "my face make it that obvious?" she asked, hints of a smile dancing across her features. "extra whip? nice move, jones."

[dvarapala]

orange!

colorful memories // @bailesona

orange makes udyati think about aisling and the diner and aisling's family. she doesn't know why but orange has always been a color associated with her. aside from that, orange is also udyati's favorite color. or, rather, one of the many. it also reminds udyati of the sunset and, funnily enough, of one of her favorite cocktails: malibu sunrise.

[unvendaval]

@bailesona ( danny ) gets donna sheridan !

donna left danny's warm embrace the second sunlight peeked in the room . it's not like she didn't want to stay there , all day , even . but this was the perfect time to collect oranges before her neighbor let his goats roam the hills . she's learned it , by now . still , she's a few minutes too late . donna runs inside the house , careful not to slam the door shut to avoid it breaking .

one could say this old house was shattering , but she didn't care . this was her mess . she's surprised to find danny making his way to the kitchen . " shit ! " a laugh leaves her lips as she steps towards him . " did my screams wake you up ? i ... kinda got chased by a goat on my way here . " arms loop around danny's neck with ease , and donna stands on the tips of her toes to steal a good morning kiss .

[goldshadowsarchive]

❛  that cake. it looks delicious. spectacular. i mean it's magnificent.  ❜ ( FROM RICHARD FOR JAMI BC YEAH, THE GRUMPIER OF THE GRANDPAS LOVES JAMI ENOUGH TO SAY THINGS LIKE THIS )

@bailesona / meme / accepting

there's a wave of pride rushing through her as he compliments her. though her creation was definitely looking a little questionable. she doesn't have the same talent for baking as the jones family does. while all the ingredients were in there ( she'd memorized what and how much exactly she needed ) she just threw all of it into a bowl together which gave the cake a somewhat weird texture. along with the fact, she hadn't put it in the oven long enough and it didn't bake all the way through. there's a grin on her face, the cake pan standing between them. " try it. it's got chocolate. "

[nightmdic]

‘ it was just a dream. ’ FROM NATE!

     A huff of a breath escapes her as backside comes to rest against the headboard of the bed, hand rubbing at the back of her neck as though lightly embarassed he had to deal with such nightmares from her. One that felt too real at times; reminders of crimson-coated hands and shouts upon a battlefield - most times, she can tell the difference of victory shouts, & those of agony.

     “Yea, yea. . .just a dream - sorry, i didn’t mean to wake you. .. “

@bailesona​ || Only one bed

[couldfight]

@bailesona continued from here .

❝ oh , yes please . ❞ she offers a small smile as she watches him work before her attention is torn away by strange words from the other room . el likes it in here ; so different from the isolation of the cabin . sure , they enjoy spending time with hop - he saved her , after all , but ... she loves being around other people . the noise , the chaos .

as the mug is pushed towards them , el warms their hands on it , plucking a little marshmallow off the top to nibble on while listening to leo talk . she can't always keep up with what he's saying , but that's okay . ❝ your sister ? ❞ eyebrows are raised at the scandal , ❝ are you still friends ? ❞ finally , they take a sip of the hot chocolate & their eyes widen .

❝ this is good . you have to show me how to make this . ❞ she wants to make it in the cabin for her & hop . ❝ yes . i would like to spend forever with them . & you guys . ❞ eyes shift back towards the back , life bumbling on behind the counter . ❝ do you like it here ? in hawkins ? or just because your friends are here ? ❞

[bannannie]

𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬   →   accepting.

@bailesona : ❛  i failed.  like capital f failed.  with flying colors.  ❜

"okay, so what?" annie had never been anything close to an academic herself. high school had been hard for her, and getting pregnant during certainly hadn't helped with that aspect. but it had given her a different perspective, a different outlook. "so you fail one test. it's one test. you can make credit up, you can pass the next one. it's not the end of the world, dude." she knew that it might not take away from his own feelings about it, but she hoped that he might be able to find some comfort in what she'd said. "besides, who needs school? i didn't graduate high school, and look at me. i'm doing fine." they both knew that she was far from fine, but it might at least get a laugh.

[floripire]

higher tiers of evolution. that, she doesn't agree with. but he is of a higher tier than her. he is older. he has seen more. and her parents did raise her to respect her elders. and that's carried through, even now, whilst living with aisling and the others.

"the last one, please," floribeth says softly. ever the sweet tooth, this one. she tries not to look at the cameras. tries to pretend they're not there. but she's a curious thing by nature, so she has to ask.

(it doesn't matter that she can guess the answer.)

"what's with the camera crew, sir? are you making a documentary or something?" hopefully they can remove her in post production, or blur her out or something like that. it's probably not the best thing for anyone involved to have someone like floribeth on camera.

" yes, yes, i understand the confusion. well, old chum, as you have likely noticed, the cost of inflammation has demanded that even the higher tiers of evolution must work for their supper. fortunately, dear ms. jones was quite receptive to the idea of a bar at her eatery, and so now you can enjoy a rather tasty little cocktail with your nibbles. so what will it be? eh? an elderly fashioned? a sexy beach? pina colorado? i'm very familiar with the art of mixology, so you say the word and i'll get to it. pay no attention to the cameras... "

OPEN STARTER! ( introducing test guest muse: lasz.lo cra.vensworth !! )

[clochanamarch]

one day i'm gonna write a drabble abt how aisling negotiates with the new chapter of the company after learning that the squad accidentally kidnapped two members, and she goes to them to ask for leniency, and the reason that it needs to happen now is bc this dialogue entered my gd head and it unlocked an entire wave of aisling vibes:

" they deserve a second chance. "

" and you don't? "

" no. but they're it. "

[greyturned]

@bailesona​​ sent:    "  ben,  son,  do  you  have  a  minute?  "          stanley  cradles  a  mug  of  coffee  in  one  hand,  the  other  outstretched  to  wave  his  son-in-law  down.          "  don't  worry,  it's  nothing  serious;  just  wanted  to  talk  with  you  for  a  sec,  if  that's  alright.  it's  rare  you  and  i  ever  get  the  chance;  my  husband  seems  to  think  you're  more  interested  in  discussing  witches  and  their...  bodily  features.  "

        ❝      i’m . . .      not entirely sure how to respond to that.      ❞        witches and their bodily features?         . . .         it took him a moment of wracking his brain for where that could’ve come from,    but then he remembered what happened last time he talked with one of his father-in-law’s,    and he both shook his head and felt his face warm in embarrassment.        ❝      oh,    that--    i think i just confused Richard with some . . .      modern slang i picked up from one of the kid’s phone apps.      i try to keep up with the gibberish they come up with so i can understand them and their friends and used one phrase to express how cold it was,    that’s all.      ❞        god,    now at least one of Aisling’s father’s probably thought he was a weirdo and a creep.      fantastic,    Ben wasn’t sure how he was going to bring this up to Aisling.      the kids were sure to get a kick out of it,    Ben was willing to bet.      sighing,    Ben took a seat next to Stanley after running a hand through his hair.        ❝      i got a minute to talk,    yeah.      ❞

[goldshadowsarchive]

“ it’s okay! it’s okay! it’s just me! ” ( for sav from nate! )

@bailesona / meme / selectively accepting

she had been biding her time, not about to wait for someone to come rescue her or sit it out like she had when she was a teen. as much as she was hoping for one of those heroes to swoop in and save her, she felt in her bones she had to get herself out of this one. & she did. after two days of the horrors they put her through, she took her chance the moment it came. one of them got shot, two of them stabbed before she bolted for the exit, running until she felt nauseous from the breathlessness. after a quick glance over her shoulder, she eventually slowed down which is when she bumps into someone and panic takes over, convinced it was one of her captors immediately causing her to fight against who was reaching for her. at some point during her struggle, she realizes who it was and her movements begin to slow. " n - nate ? i " her voice cracks before she could say anything. hot tears streaming down her cheeks, fingernails dug into the fabric of his shirt as she felt her legs giving in under her weight.

[clochanamarc]

the link to the 2024 dorchadas arc can be found here (PLEASE READ!)! i'll be updating this as the threads develop, but in the meantime, this is a starter call that'll be applied here and on @bailesona !! specify a muse or a group of muses (which can be found in the link) that you'd like your muse to work with!

[freezegirl]

i feel like aisling / @clochanam welcoming kie into the family is so good for multiple reasons because i feel like aisling knows what it's like to have abilities that can cause some serious harm; aisling knows what it is to live a life in which you're denied that which you so desperately need (positive reinforcement, love, affection etc.) and i feel like aisling taking in kie kind of starts the healing process for her and helps her figure out how to give her bad experiences in maxville a place but also take the positive experiences with her and build on that because i think that being taken in by aisling finally allows kie to kind of open up and allow other people to get to know her beyond the act she puts on. and, also, so many of the workers in the diner as well as the kids are people of color and honestly they're all just a very good community to be dropped into; it's like a warm bath or a soothing balm for the soul, to kie. there is advik / @bailesona who is also indian like her but who also has abilities that make her think of l.ayla because l.ayla's mom can talk to animals too. and then there is tina who has been through a lot and there's victor and eli as well (and she loves all of the others, too, like tim).