#melodyxleee

[pcrdita]

"Existed." Jude replies, concerningly almost immediately. "They're a crime t'automobiles." If it didn't have the capacity to leak oil, Jude refused to let it fit in the category. Maybe he was getting old and struggling to accept the change in the times, but maybe self realisation could go fuck it'self — just like Teslas.

"Were y'always this cruel t'me?" Probably, that's how he liked them; pretty and mean. "Can't be worse than car oil" He reasons, knowing it probably had to smell a million times better. "Y'not going t'make me reenact t'Ghost scene with 'ya, are 'ya?"

— @melodyxleee

"Oh c'mon...what has a Tesla ever done to you. Saving the green earth and all." She said sarcastically. She didn't care much for electric cars, she always had this fear of it dying in the middle of no where with her son and she would have to flag down some serial killer or walk miles until she got to a gas station. As if she would ever go on a long road trip anytime soon, in a Tesla of all things.

"If the shoe fits Jude, if the shoe fits." She said jokingly as she flashed him a grin. "But c'mon...it's not so bad, a little dirty but something tells me you're not afraid of a little...clay."

[aurorabayrpg]

the following have 24 hours to post the minimum of 3 ic posts or to contact the main, or their faceclaims will be reopened:

@masoncambridge

@laceyxpierce

@laraxamarin

@alicexcheng

@melodyxleee

@yohanbae

@aprilxrose

@adiletopal

@orianacperez

@calhorowitz

@hollandbrights

@basaaragon

@jasrussell

@claudiahuxley

@kyleexanthony

@connievanderbilt

@pcrdita

@emiradursun

@xoimani

@axel-mathis

[aurorabayrpg]

please unfollow:

@haley-owens

@melodyxleee

the character of esme maxwell ( @esmemaxwcll ) will also be dropped, however as this is the main blog do not unfollow!

the faceclaims of josephine langford, nathalie kelley, and jamie chung are now available!

[aurorabayrpg]

please follow:

@melodyxleee

[pcrdita]

"Y'wound me, Mel." The mechanic places his hands to his heart, lazily mocking an expression of feigned pain. She's not wrong, per se, but there was no way he'd ever willingly admit it. "Not so much lately." Jude couldn't count how often he begrudgingly had to point his spanner to the 'No Electric Vehicles' sign outside of the garage whilst neck deep inside an engine. "If I see another Tesla break down around town I'll push it into the ocean myself."

"Can't tell if y'being polite 'cause y'feel y'have to, or that's some thinly veiled comment about me prob'bly not gettin' art." He probes back, with a grin half hanging off his lips.

— @melodyxleee

"You being a good boy sounds fake." Melody said with a slight humor in her tone. She couldn't help but to notice how much different he seemed and she wondered if something has happened but she didn't want to pressure him into telling her what was wrong. "So nothing exciting? Well I guess fixing cars can be exciting if you're into that and all." Melody shrugged.

With her son growing more and more, it had her realize how much time goes by with a blink of an eye. "I would offer you to come by the studio sometime but I feel like that's not exactly your scene."

[pcrdita]

Jude was slightly different man that he was a few years ago. Still as grumpy, but a little less hedonist. A broken heart would do that to a man, but he didn't want to think about that right now. Maybe a year ago he'd be more inclined to get a rise out of Melody, his self awareness of his own behaviour falling to the wayside. He was questioning himself a lot lately. "Oh, I'm sure you've imagined doin' it 'least once or twice." That's not to say his introspection was perfect by any means... "There she is." A half grin dangles from his lips, shaking a latent index finger up and down in Melody's direction. Leaning back again, Jude lifts his elbow to rest on the back of his chair. "Me? I've been a good boy, couldn't hurt a fly." He declares with a lazy shrug, in a vaguely facetious tone.

Jude didn't expect Melody to be so open with him. Maybe his naturally inkling towards keeping his cards to himself left him to assume others would often be the same. "Can't help 'ya with that one. It's all Greek t'me." When the Spring breakers brought their convertibles to his shop, Jude could barely understand half the shit they said to one another. "Me? I fix cars, eat, sleep, and fix some mo' cars." He was having some issues with his neighbours and the tree crossing onto his property, but he felt like an old man everytime he grumbled about those damn branches that fell when the wind came through. "Probably a little mundane for 'ya t'hear about."

— @melodyxleee

The whole atmosphere was always there between the two, but they never really talked about it. Which made it all the more complicated but she tried to be the good person and try to play it off with a simple small chat. Melody watched him for a beat, the hesitation, the way he seemed like he’d rather be anywhere else. It would’ve been amusing if it didn’t carry that edge of something heavier, something that almost made her feel bad for him. Almost.

Instead, she just let out a small chuckle, shaking her head as she took a slow sip of her own drink. “Relax, Jude. I’m not here to interrogate you,” she mused, setting her cup down with a quiet clink. “Unless, of course, you have done something I should know about.” Her brow arched, teasing, but there was an undeniable sharpness beneath it—an invitation for honesty, if he was bold enough to take it.

She let the moment settle before finally answering his question. “I’m fine,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “Being a single mom and all, I mean god...I love my kid but sometimes I'm like what's going through your head. The other day he was asking some bizarre question then proceeded to say I was lame but in a weird slang?” Her gaze flickered over him, "How about you?"

[pcrdita]

He shouldn't be feeling this way. Jude technically did nothing wrong, the pair were a flame that went out before it even properly burned. But he'd done so much wrong in the eye's of the women he slept around with, it was almost like an instinct.

After a moment of silence shared between them, he knew it would be rude to back out no, to say no to her offer. Melody probably knew that too. "Uh, sure." He should of just gone back to Pit Stop, god knew any time he decided to participate more in society it ended up backfiring on him. His usual hermit lifestyle prevented encounters like this. "Well, I'm sure I've done somethin', somewhere along the line." He slides down into the seat, taking a sip of his own coffee before placing it back on the table. Fixing his gaze on the familiar woman, he finally tries to make pleasant conversation "How're you?"

— @melodyxleee

Melody blinked up at him, her fingers tightening slightly around her own cup as recognition clicked into place. “Jude.” His name rolled off her tongue, slow, almost testing, like she was making sure it still fit.

For a moment, she just studied him, expression unreadable. Then, with a small, knowing smile, she gestured to the open seat again. “You gonna stand there looking like you’d rather be anywhere else, or are you actually gonna sit?” Her tone was light, teasing—like they weren’t dancing around something heavier, something unspoken. She took a sip of her coffee, eyes never leaving his. “I won’t bite. Not unless you deserve it.”

[pcrdita]

Jude, with large coffee in hand walks around the cafe failing to find an open seat before the scalding hot takeaway cup burnt a hole through his palm. Luckily, a soft voice calls out for him and offers a seat. "Thanks." When he finally gets view of the woman, suddenly the kind offer leaves him want to come up with an excuse to leave before an awkward situation arrises. Jude isn't sure Melody had even recognised him as of yet, so he immediately doesn't sit down, rather occupying his hands by taking a drink of his coffee. "Uh, hi Mel."

— @melodyxleee

Open starter: @aurorabaystarter location: driftwood coffee

The warmth of her chai latte sat untouched beside her, the steam still rising in delicate spirals. She’d been coming to this café for years, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans always drawing her in like a magnet. There was something about the atmosphere—calm but lively—that made it the perfect place to think, or not think at all. Her mind, as it often did, was scattered with a dozen different things, but here, she could let it all float.

Her pen hovered over the page for a moment before she sighed and let it fall, letting herself relax into the cozy corner. Maybe today wasn’t a day for writing. Maybe it was a day for simply being. She took a slow sip of her drink, the warmth comforting her as she glanced around the café, wondering who else was here today. "Hey, yeah that chair is free for the taking or you can join me for coffee." she said to the other with a simple smile.

[intermorior]

“catching smoke,” he mused, accent smooth on hoarse syllables, scarred fingers furling loosely around the plain mug the barista had handed him—black coffee, uncomplicated, just bitter enough to take the edge off, “aye, know that feelin’ well ‘nough… s’like nailin’ jelly to a wall some days,”

a name gets called out from behind the counter, sharp against the din of the cafe. simon flinched—just barely—but his features remained steady, the only thing to quicken was the rhythm of his thumb against heated ceramic, “writing’s a bit funny like that, won’t come when y’call it, but right as rain it’ll show up when y’try to sleep later,” pauses, dark eyes roaming again before they return to meet her gaze, “reckon the tryin’ counts more than the catching, though,”

his mouth quirks up at one corner, the scar there pulling slightly, “‘less you have a deadline, that is,”

Melody’s fingers idly traced the rim of her coffee cup, the steady motion grounding her, though her mind was anything but still. The bell above the door had barely registered in her head, the jingle becoming just another background noise in a morning full of unspoken thoughts. His voice, low and rough around the edges, cut through the haze of her own frustration, and she met his gaze with a flicker of something close to recognition, a slight lift of her brow. "You could say that," she replied softly, the weight of the unspoken words between them hanging in the air as if they'd been waiting for this very moment. "One of those mornings where it feels like trying to catch smoke with your hands, you know?"

Her eyes moved down to the notebook, the pen now an afterthought, abandoned mid-sentence like so many other things in her life that hadn’t been finished. She exhaled quietly, her shoulders loosening ever so slightly as she looked back at Simon, not bothering to hide the ghost of a smile that tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Maybe I was just too ambitious with the idea of writing this morning. Some days, it’s like the words are a distant memory, and all you’re left with is the ache." She paused, studying him for a moment. "Guess that's where you come in, huh? Offering that 'break' I didn’t know I needed." Her voice was playful, but there was something softer underneath, a quiet kind of gratitude for the quiet understanding between them, however fleeting.

[intermorior]

the bell above the door gave a hollow jingle, the kind that clung to the back of the teeth long after the sound had faded, and simon ducked his head beneath the frame, shoulders rolling with the familiar ache that never quite left him—not with rest, not with time. the air inside was thick with the rich scent of coffee grounds and pastries gone ever-so-slightly stale through the morning, a welcome change from the antiseptic chill of the va clinic that still stuck to his skin like a second layer, both wanted and unwanted.

his eyes swept the room before his mind could remind him to stop—clocking exits, counting heads, measuring the distance from one table to the next like it mattered. like anyone here was a threat. old habits never died, simply lurked in the marrow waiting to be proven necessary again.

“ta for the offer,” he rumbled, easing his frame into the chair opposite her. something in the soft curve of her expression, the hint of quiet frustration hovering at the edges, pulled him in before he had the good sense to walk away, and his gaze flicked to her pen—abandoned?—rubbed at the scar along his jaw as if the words might settle there, just beneath the flesh.

“been one of those mornings where the words don’t come, yeah?” he murmured, voice low, roughened about the syllables, head tilting toward the notebook, something like understanding flickering behind his dark eyes. “sometimes the only way forward's a break.” @melodyxleee

Open starter: @aurorabaystarter location: driftwood coffee

The warmth of her chai latte sat untouched beside her, the steam still rising in delicate spirals. She’d been coming to this café for years, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans always drawing her in like a magnet. There was something about the atmosphere—calm but lively—that made it the perfect place to think, or not think at all. Her mind, as it often did, was scattered with a dozen different things, but here, she could let it all float.

Her pen hovered over the page for a moment before she sighed and let it fall, letting herself relax into the cozy corner. Maybe today wasn’t a day for writing. Maybe it was a day for simply being. She took a slow sip of her drink, the warmth comforting her as she glanced around the café, wondering who else was here today. "Hey, yeah that chair is free for the taking or you can join me for coffee." she said to the other with a simple smile.

[aylinxc-s]

"Good point," Aylin says, slipping into the open seat. Normally, she enjoyed her coffee with a side of silence, mostly because if she was in her office all day, she'd spend the whole day talking with people. But today, she didn't mind so much.

Her eyes look down at the notebook, her curiosity growing. "What are you working on?" She says without thought. "If you don't mind me asking, that is." Maybe it was something secretive, mysterious. It only made her want to know more.

( @melodyxleee )

Melody glanced up from her notebook, pen still poised between her fingers as she took in the woman’s hesitant smile. With a small shrug, she leaned back slightly, nudging the chair out just enough with her foot.

“If I minded, I wouldn’t have offered,” she said, her tone easy, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “Besides, I could use a break from staring at this.” She tapped the edge of her notebook before setting her pen down with a quiet click.

[seversilencetobias]

"Easy target first, now line of fire? Am I...-and I mean this genuinely. am I making you uncomfortable? Definitely not my intention at all if so and I can stop bothering you if I am actually bothering you, you know." It was said with a sudden hesitant tone. Tobias should have thought a bit harder on how the situation could be seen given everything.

"I'm a world class talent at nothing but existing at this point. Which, while something, isn't much to write home about you know?" The dark haired man leaned away a little. "I'd want to say honored, but that feels edging on ego. Less than honored, definitely not concerned." @melodyxleee

“I’ll take special over easy target, I suppose,” she mused, tapping her fingers lightly against her cup. “Though, I’m still debating if that’s just your way of making me feel better about being in your line of fire.”

She took a sip, eyes glinting with something playful. “And I don’t think ‘bothering people’ counts as a talent unless you’re exceptionally good at it. Like, world-class level.” She tilted her head slightly. “Should I be honored or concerned that I made the cut?”

[seversilencetobias]

"Why not, right? Like diving into a pool or...another euphemism that is probably not worn out." The response half dragged out as Tobias attempted to think of said euphemism, but found no results in that head of his. Oh well! "Like I said, respect for that. Not, like, in a hipster judgy way. Just think it's cool is all."

A nod towards her answer. "Nothing wrong with a little chaos at all. I'm a fan of that flavor of life. Chaos that is. Not grocery lists. Doesn't sound appealing despite grocery being in the name."

Eyebrows lifted as his hand paused in pulling his drink up to his lips. "I have? Excellent," Tobias took a proper sip before replying. "A little bit of both? First off though, an easy target sounds harsh. You seemed special. How's that? But I do tend to bother people. Especially strangers. It's a talent of mine." @melodyxleee

"Well, look at you, jumping right in," she teased, shifting in her seat to make a bit more room for the conversation. Her fingers lightly drummed on the edge of the notebook as she thought for a moment, giving a slow shrug. "I don't know about the next great American novel, but I do keep it classic with pen and paper. No grocery list, though—just some ideas for a project I'm working on."

She gave a small, playful smirk. "You know, nothing too exciting, just a little bit of chaos scribbled down on paper. If I were writing a grocery list, though, I'd probably end up adding 'random thoughts' just to make it more interesting."

Her eyes sparkled as she leaned forward slightly, clearly enjoying the casual exchange. "But hey, you’ve caught me on a good morning. So, what’s your deal? You usually go around bothering strangers, or did I just seem like an easy target?"

[aylinxc-s]

Her eyes had scanned the bustling coffee shop a few times while waiting for her order. The usual routine was to sit inside and enjoy her oat milk latte while scrolling through her emails. It made the arrival into her office easier if she responded to all her urgent tasks beforehand. With her coffee in hand, she finally sees a free seat but the table is occupied. When the woman offers the seat, Aylin smiles slightly.

"Are you sure?" Aylin asks. "I don't want to intrude if you're busy." Pen in hand, she certainly looked it.

( @melodyxleee )

Open starter: @aurorabaystarter location: driftwood coffee

The warmth of her chai latte sat untouched beside her, the steam still rising in delicate spirals. She’d been coming to this café for years, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans always drawing her in like a magnet. There was something about the atmosphere—calm but lively—that made it the perfect place to think, or not think at all. Her mind, as it often did, was scattered with a dozen different things, but here, she could let it all float.

Her pen hovered over the page for a moment before she sighed and let it fall, letting herself relax into the cozy corner. Maybe today wasn’t a day for writing. Maybe it was a day for simply being. She took a slow sip of her drink, the warmth comforting her as she glanced around the café, wondering who else was here today. "Hey, yeah that chair is free for the taking or you can join me for coffee." she said to the other with a simple smile.

[emiradursun]

Every time Emira stepped foot into Driftwood, a smile always came to her face as the incredible smells of the coffee and pastries pulled her in. Moments later, she had more pep in her step with her coffee in hand and took a sip as she looked around. Hearing a voice, she looked over to see Melody and smiled at her, almost immediately taking the seat she offered. "I don't think I could ever pass up the opprotunity of getting caught up with you, Melody," Emira said to her friend as she sat down. "How have you been lately?" @melodyxleee

Open starter: @aurorabaystarter location: driftwood coffee

The warmth of her chai latte sat untouched beside her, the steam still rising in delicate spirals. She’d been coming to this café for years, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans always drawing her in like a magnet. There was something about the atmosphere—calm but lively—that made it the perfect place to think, or not think at all. Her mind, as it often did, was scattered with a dozen different things, but here, she could let it all float.

Her pen hovered over the page for a moment before she sighed and let it fall, letting herself relax into the cozy corner. Maybe today wasn’t a day for writing. Maybe it was a day for simply being. She took a slow sip of her drink, the warmth comforting her as she glanced around the café, wondering who else was here today. "Hey, yeah that chair is free for the taking or you can join me for coffee." she said to the other with a simple smile.

[seversilencetobias]

"You know what? Think I will bother you today. I've got the time this morning. Show's later tonight." Tobias slid out the chair and sat down next to the other. They had passed each other a few times here and there, but this was the most formal 'meeting' they had. So Tobias had the spark of excitement in meeting someone new. Also, offering him a chance to sit? Off to a kind start.

"You writing the next, great American novel over here?" He asked after a beat. "Or were you mid-grocery list when I bothered you?" Both seemed equally likely in a setting like this. Though if she was writing writing and doing so with a pen? Respect for sure for that. @melodyxleee

Open starter: @aurorabaystarter location: driftwood coffee

The warmth of her chai latte sat untouched beside her, the steam still rising in delicate spirals. She’d been coming to this café for years, the smell of freshly ground coffee beans always drawing her in like a magnet. There was something about the atmosphere—calm but lively—that made it the perfect place to think, or not think at all. Her mind, as it often did, was scattered with a dozen different things, but here, she could let it all float.

Her pen hovered over the page for a moment before she sighed and let it fall, letting herself relax into the cozy corner. Maybe today wasn’t a day for writing. Maybe it was a day for simply being. She took a slow sip of her drink, the warmth comforting her as she glanced around the café, wondering who else was here today. "Hey, yeah that chair is free for the taking or you can join me for coffee." she said to the other with a simple smile.