#thread: opal 001

[clementinebriar]

Clementine’s never pretended to be anything other than who she is — in this particular moment, that would be a full-blooded lesbian in front of an extremely attractive woman, enduring the sight of Opal’s tongue running along her bottom lip in a manner befitting that of a liar, indeed. “Lucky for you, I work with liars all the time,” she smirks, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms over her chest. She makes it no secret that she’s admiring the other woman’s physique, sure her gaze has darkened some, but also makes no move to do anything about it. They’re talking business, after all. Clementine learned some things about running a business from David, at least. Though hers is a little less — well, legal.

Details.

Am I that obvious? Clem raises an incredulous eyebrow at her question. “If you were here to fuck, we’d be fucking already,” she points out. “And if you were here to make friendly conversation, well — you wouldn’t be,” she smirks. “I don’t make friendly conversation, and I think we both know that.” She hums thoughtfully, eyeing Opal incredulously at her question. The truth is, she can get a lot more than IDs done — for the right price, and for the right person. Then again, she’s not sure how much she wants to incriminate herself right this second. “What else are you lookin’ for?” she answers with her own question. “If I can’t do it, I can always refer you to someone who can.”

Opal enjoyed this kind of game most, something about the exchange of words and the slow way Opal ran her finger over the lip of the glass Clem had so very graciously poured for her made her think of two lions circling each other. From where she stood, Opal watched Clem, studied her movements behind emerald eyes. "Well, it is spooky season," Opal murmured before delicately plucking the plastic cup from the counter top and taking a sip. She ran her tongue along her lip to catch the liquid there, holding eye contact over the rim as she did so. "And I am a liar."

It really did feel good to say out loud. Even if it was dangerous and even if it made her feel uneasy, it was still freeing. She hadn't realized that her vengeance might look like a cage all these years later, but it felt too late to try and go back now. Pouting, Opal set the cup back down again. "Well, now you're hurting my feelings. Am I that obvious?" A beat passed and she let the mask slip a little bit more. She couldn't help the default to toying with people. Maybe that was a defense mechanism, but Opal didn't often look inward. "Okay, maybe I was curious... is your specialty just IDs or can you do more than that?"

[lawlessfm]

INTRODUCING WINTER'S WAKE,    ( THE BEGINNING OF THE NOCTURNAL SEASON, THE CITY-WIDE BLACKOUT ),    001/,       

( HOUR ONE … )             The late afternoon hours of the day for    NEW YORK CITY BALLET COMPANY’S   Annual Fundraiser.     Mouthful,   isn’t it?      Join the company of performers and doppelgangers alike in celebrating their new winter ballet schedule   —    alongside the generosity of      THE GOVERNMENT WORKERS OF NEW YORK,    notably the    FBI,     CIA,        +     DETECTIVE departments.       All and everyone is welcome,     with bodyguards offered for security,     coat check in the lobby of the   METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE,      which is where this gala will be held.      (   HOUR TWO … )        The lights have been flickering twice,    there is no wind,     and no sudden shifts in weather.      The temperature is surprisingly humid for November.      Suddenly,    a city-wide blackout.     No power,     all technology is glitching and stuttering.       The event,   however,    was not canceled.    In fact,     it is more encouraged.      Civilians,    organization members,      senators,      criminals,     rats,    or deer.     Who wants to face the darkness alone,   after all?

This is a candlelit gala that includes tables and tables of food,    drinks,    speeches,     and live jazz music provided by a collaboration by     DOVE MORENO,       OPAL FONTAINE,     AND THE GODFATHER HOUSE OF BLUES' MUSICIANS.         During this gala,    enjoy the catered finger food,    champagne tower,     and several gift bags you’ll receive at the door.        All attendees coming from government agencies must be properly identified with their name tags and check in their weapons with the security guard up front unless otherwise undercover. All technology is left at the door.     This means no phones,     no earpieces,    no face-scanners.         We are back in time.    We return to the past amid this blackout frenzy of the winter’s arrival.       

* SUMMARY:        This is an event that will take place    FROM FRIDAY,     THE THIRD   -       MONDAY,      THE SIXTH.      All outfits,     aesthetics,     and other character information regarding this event can be shared through the discord’s    CHARACTER AESTHETICS    channel,      or on the dash with the tag    LAWLESSEVENT.        All current threads can be continued or tied up,     depending on you and your muse!          HAPPY EVENT,     HAPPY WINTER’S WAKE.            * ALL EVENT POSTS MUST BE TAGGED LAWLESSEVENT001

[feiiizhu]

Temp Verses post for the time being;;

:x: verse 001;; || Misc/Undecided - Verses catchall. Not sure where to put something or just rather default if nothing is specific about a thread. Mainly for threads taking place post book 4 / post comics~! ㅤㅤ

:x: verse 002;; || Book 3 shenanigans (just before and during) ㅤㅤ

:x: verse 003;; || Time skip and Book 4 shenanigans ㅤㅤ

:x: verse 004;; || Master with tattoos or Opal knows how to bend soundwaves and infrasound ㅤ

:x: verse 005;; || Childhood well before Book 3 (I hate how rude they made little Opal in RoTE. She was such a sweet character, how could she be so mean as a child??? nah. Mine is not like that. She tries to befriend and be sisters with Kuvira. but most likely Kuvira would try and push her away) Since there's not a lot of resources of child Opal, I'm going to use an icon banner for those threads.

:x: verse 006;; || I had this idea last time I had my blog, so I'm gonna add it again. Opal is an Equalist in book 1. She lives in Republic City with Lin, and leads a double life. Villain arc! ㅤㅤ

:x: verse 007;; || But irl verse, Opal's fc is Maki.Horikita. (I could change if anyone else has ideas? but I've used Maki for years and I'm pretty partial to her tbh she's so cute omg) and Juicy is a small pug with sinus problems. He's still a dork and snotty, but a little derpy pug! ㅤㅤ

:x: verse 008;; || Live-action verse, still using Maki, but all the other avatar stuff remains the same! Since I don't have a lot of icons of Maki anymore, I'm going to use an icon banner for those threads.

:x: verse 009;; || ATLA verse;; Opal lives in BaSingSe, no relation to the Beifongs. I will give her some NPC family members, but they live in the upper ring in a lavish household. She is a non-bender.

:x: verse 010;; || How.to.Train.Your.Dragon verse with @dragetunge, Opal has a Buffa.lord dragon instead of a sky bison. Still named Juicy and still has sinus problems.

:x: verse 011;; || Kyoshi Warrior;; Opal is a Kyoshi warrior (atla or lok- doesn't become an airbender) I did a drawing myself of kyoshi warrior opal, and will use that for my icon banner.

Updates;; Mar. 15th - Deleted original verse 4 (for post-b4/comics. moved to verse 1 as my default) - verse 4 is now my Master verse.

[flyingupward]

       there’s always SOMETHING left to learn. if keyleth has learned anything in her lifetime, it’s that. the winds had carried many messages to her, tales of orym’s adventures, of what he and his friends had accomplished, of what dangers they faced, of what had passed and what could still come to be. 

       she wouldn’t call herself a WISENED OLD LEADER of her people, not by a longshot. for all the years she has ahead of her, she’s scarcely lived a handful, but she has some experience, and just as she lends what aid she can to emon and whitestone, she wants to lend what aid she can here. she wants to do what she’s always done: help, however she can.

       ❝ THEODORA ? ❞ her voice is gentle as she calls out through the darkness. she wonders if the girl is scared, having to face these terrors like this. ❝ or... sorry, do you prefer ted ? my name is keyleth. i’m a friend. i’m HERE TO HELP. ❞

@theodoera

[saulweissberg]

saul laughed at her save, partly to be polite but mostly because it was amusing. “i suppose if this event planner in question is feeling magnanimous, he’ll let the assumption slide.” he volleyed back, giving her a small smirk. saul wasn’t offended by it, anyway. event planning was simply in his blood, thanks to his mother who chaired the country club in his hometown for over twenty years. his twin brother levi wasn’t interested in it much, so she handed all her tips and tricks down to saul. fortunately, it came in clutch right when he least expected it.

when her chest prominently displayed, he got a better look at her gemstone necklace. saul didn’t know much about crystals or whatever it was, nor zodiac signs or planetary positions, writing it all off as woo-woo bullshit, but above all, saul was polite. he could feign interest in topics that he thought were silly easily, as it was all part of the game. not just playing host for charity luncheons, but attending them as a guest. he loved the politesse of it all; it was his three ex-wives that hated the pomp and circumstance. “interesting! did you wear that in honor of bringing good fortune to bright sparks, or is that for your own luck?” saul asked teasingly, bordering on harmless flirting.

huh, kind of funny how she was wearing a large gemstone and her name was a gemstone. saul figured that was probably intentional. he could respect that. “well, it’s nice to meet you, opal. welcome to blue harbor.” like playing host, he had no problem playing captain of the welcome wagon. “ah! am i really that obvious?” he asked, even though he knew that he was. despite having lived in blue harbor for three years now, almost four come january, he could never completely get rid of that east coast sheen. he didn’t want to. “i’m a new yorker, actually.” by way of connecticut, but he doubted opal cared. “i’ve lived here for a few years now. if you’re looking for any recommendations, i’m your man.” it was his turn to lean in conspiratorially, “or if you want some town gossip.”

"Oh." Opal looked sheepishly down at herself, as though she'd made a social blunder. "Whoops. Well. You know what they say about people who assume." Her voice turned playfully conspiratorial. "They lavish praise on the actual event planner in question and hope he can forgive them for their poor etiquette."

As his eyes drifted to her necklace, Opal subtly arched her back, encouraging him to look at the baited fish hook that rested yellow and gleaming against her chest. She reached up to finger the crystal, looking both pleased he'd noticed and a little shy to admit exactly what it was. "Thank you," she accepted with a nod, smiling demurely. "It's a citrine crystal. It's supposed to bring good fortune." She toyed with the crystal for a moment longer before letting it fall back to her chest. "Saul." She repeated his name, taking the moment to try the sound out in her mouth despite knowing he was very unlikely to push this little meeting past polite conversation.

That was fine. There were plenty of other options milling about.

"I'm Opal. I actually just moved here. Figured an event like this would be a good place to meet some new people. Get a pulse on the town, you know? What about you? Are you a lifer or a transplant? You're giving... fancy New York transplant, but you've surprised me once already."

[reveriestardust]

Headcanon 001 -- The Exhausted Echo

     Created from the stardust of Dream’s left eye and therefore quite literally a part of him, Reverie has always felt a lingering connection with their Maker.  They are painfully devoted to Morpheus and exercise the utmost empathy at all times, perhaps having a greater unspoken understanding than most.  They know their King carries a heavy burden, so full and so empty both at once, and that he is very tired.  Despite their knowledge of this, they do not speak it with anyone.

     When Dream was imprisoned by Rodrick Burgess and the Order of Mysteries, Reverie felt a jolt.  The severing of the connection was jarring and traumatic, having never experienced such a loss in all their creation.  Initially panicked, Reverie quickly regained composure, knowing that if Dream was gone, then someone had to keep things going.  Though they did not have anywhere near the power of the Lord of Dreams, they did their best, worked in overdrive.  Unfortunately, they could not do it all and many things fell through the cracks, some of their own threads frayed.  Morpheus had always kept the order, but Reverie was a guardian and guide, not a leader.  They could only keep the ship adrift rather than sinking to the bottom of a tumultuous sea.

      While other dreams and nightmares left, Reverie was one of the very few who remained loyal, who had faith their Master would return.  In some ways, they could see where Dream was being held, but had very little power to do anything about it as guards were very focused and kept their minds occupied in further sleep precautions, living little room for daydreams at all.  Reverie even went so far as to cultivate Alex Burgess and Paul McGuire’s daydreams about one another, in hopes that Paul’s compassionate nature would influence Alex to release Dream.  Though unsuccessful, Reverie never stopped trying despite being overwhelmed with laborious tasks in the Dreaming.

     With the ‘accidental’ marring of the binding circle, Reverie felt the trickle of their Creator’s consciousness returning, resounding swirls in their essence with renewed vigor--this only inspired them to continue working, unwilling to stop until Dream’s power had been restored.  Though they would have gladly sacrificed themself and the Fire Opal to provide Morpheus with whatever power he needed to retrieve his tools, Dream did not call upon them to do so, perhaps recognizing their services were still needed so he could focus on completing his quest.  Only when the Dreaming had been restored did Reverie finally stop, collapsing in their Sanctuary and abandoning their added responsibilities in favor of Morpheus fully taking up the reins once more.  Daydream’s recovery was slow...and is ongoing.

     Though putting on a good face, Reverie is still quite exhausted after the whole ordeal.  They are doing their best to continue as things were prior to Dream’s incarceration, but the lingering fatigue remains coupled with ongoing disquiet in their heart, the residual damage caused by their separation from their Creator and the strain of firing all cylinders for one hundred years taking their toll on Daydream.

     But they are doing their best.

[chaseinflames]

[ Edie Sheeran ]: You two got Vaeda?

[spy-in-the-house]

SpyInTheHouse 674.fm Podcast 020 28012019

Another regular SpyInTheHouse all-vinyl ride by Psycho Thrill Cologne’s own Claus Bachor through all different Electronica genres like HiTech-Jazz, House, Techno, Industrial, Breaks, Electro/HiTech Funk, Detroit, Chicago and Acid. Live recorded and streamed on Januar 28th, 2019 via 674.fm broadcast in Cologne/GER from 19-22:00 cet. FULL TRACK LISTING 01 DUDLEY STRANGEWAYS [MARK PEARSON]: Intro [ A-side from “Everlasting Treasuries 7” Vekton Black VBLK-007 GER 12" | 2016 ] 02 LAUREL HALO & HODGE: [JAKE MARTIN]: TRU [ A-side from “Tru/ Opal/ The Light Within You” Livity Sound LIVITY-034 UK 12" | 2018 ] 03 MR.FINGERS [LARRY HEARD]: Outer Acid _ Upsammy Hearing Voices Remix [ B2-track from “Cerebral Hemispheres Remixes” Alleviated Records ML-2237-2 US 12" | 2018 ] 04 GONNO [SUNAO GONNO]: Es [ A1-track from “Es / Los Ojos En El Sol” MERKUR Schallplatten MER-001 GER 12" | 2008 ]   05 GONNO: Short Days With The Orchid [ A1-track from “Merkur 3 EP” MERKUR Schallplatten MER-003 GER 12" | 2010 ] 06 STEFFI DOMS & MARTYN DEYKERS: Feet Of Clay [ E-side from “Evidence From A Good Source” 3024-028 NL 3x12" | 2016 ] 07 THATMANMONKZ [SCOTT MONCRIEFF] feat. NIKKI-O [NICOLE COVINGTON]: Ooh Wee _ Norm Talley Remix [ B-side from “Ooh Wee” Classic CMC-279RMX UK 12" | 2018 ] 08 JEROEN SEARCH [JEROEN SCHRIJVERSHOF]: Theory Of Absolute Identity [ A2-track from “Monism” Figure FIGURELP-003 GER 3x12" | 2018 ] 09 PLUTO [RICHARD IAN 'ROLO' McGINTY]: Plutobeat [ A-side from “Plutobeat” Plink Plonk Plk-004 UK Promo-12" | 1993 ] 10 DIVETRAIN [DERRICK THOMPSON]: Inside You [ A1-track from “Honey” Soiree Records Int. SRT-171 US Test/Promo-12" | 2019 ] 12 OMAR S [ALEX O' SMITH] feat. SIMON BLACK: Freaky Type [ B-side from “I'll Do It Again” FXHE Records FXHE-S&O US 12" | 2018 ] 13 GABRIELE MANCINO: Hologram  [ A1-track from “Hologram EP” Future Plans FTPL-001 GER 12" | 2018 ] 14 AUTO SOUND CITY: Modality _ Posthuman Remix [ A2-track from “WOD002 Auto Sound City” Weapons Of Desire WOD-002 UK WL-12" | 2018 ] 15 GABRIELE MANCINO: Moonrider  [ B2-track from “Hologram EP” Future Plans FTPL-001 GER 12" | 2018 ] 16 CLUB M.C.M. [K-ALEXI SHELBY]: It's Me _ Rocman Mixx [ A1-track from “It's Me / Club M.C.M.” Rhythm Beat RB-203/ D.J. International Records US 12" | 1991 ] 17 ADONIS [A.SMITH] pres. HIEROGLYPHIC BEING [JAMAL MOSS]: Isosceles [ A1-track from “If” Mathematics Recordings 003 US 12" | 2002 ] 18 STEFAN REIN: Scan  [ B1-track from “#002” BLAST 002 GER Promo-12" | 2019 ] 19 TREVINO [MARCUS 'INTALEX' KAYE] & ROBERTO [ROB KIRKALDY]: Restoration [ A2-track from “Formacus” Fossil Archive FAUK-008 UK 12" | 2018 ] 20 STEFAN REIN: Mad Energy  [ A1-track from “#002” BLAST 002 GER Promo-12" | 2019 ] 20 DIMI ANGELIS: Crossfire  [ A1-track from “Act IV” Propaganda Moscow PROPAGANDAM-008 RUS 12" | 2018 ] 21 STEFAN REIN: Dark Tunnel  [ A2-track from “#002” BLAST 002 GER Promo-12" | 2019 ] 22 KIRK DEGIORGIO: The Convergence  [ A2-track from “Act IV” Propaganda Moscow PROPAGANDAM-008 RUS 12" | 2018 ] 23 THIRD SON [JOSEPH THOMAS PRICE]: Bach 1750 [ B-side from “Syncope” Sodai SODAI-007 UK 12" | 2018 ] 24 UNBALANCE: Blood Lust  [ B2-track from “Act IV” Propaganda Moscow PROPAGANDAM-008 RUS 12" | 2018 ] 25 ANNIE HALL: Lavandule _ Mattheis Remix  [ A2-track from “Statics” Musar Recordings MUSAR-004 ISR 12" | 2018 ] 26 FOREST DRIVE WEST [JOE BAKER]: Escape [ B-side from “Static / Escape” Livity Sound LIVITY-028 UK 12" | 2017 ] 27 DOPPLEREFFEKT [GERALD DONALD, MICHAELA TO-NHAN BERTEL]: Telomere [ B1-track from “Athanatos” Leisure System ?LSR-022 UK 12" | 2018 ] 28 SURMANN: Untitled B1 [ B1-track from “1” Surmann SURM-001 BRA/US Promo-12" | 2018 ] 29 DOPPLEREFFEKT: Mitosis [ B2-track from “Athanatos” Leisure System LSR-022 UK 12" | 2018 ] 30 ESCAPE EARTH: Bleep Inside _ Jensen Interceptor Remix [ B1-track from “Bleep Inside” Batrachian BTR-001UK Promo-12" | 2018 ] 31 YAK [JON RANDALL]: Lucid Nightmare [ A1-track from “3024 FYE1” 3024-FYE1 NL 12" | 2018 ] 32 SDX [BENJAMIN STRECKER]: MS 04  _ 138 Remix [ B1-track from “Nocturnal” Dusk & HazeD&H-002 US 12" | 2018 ] 33 STRATEGY [PAUL DICKOW]: Forgotten Encounter [ B2-track from “Future Shock” The Nite Owl Diner DINER-011 US 12" | 2018 ] 34 DJ SAM C:  [TOMMY THE CAT]: Alien Agent [ B1-track from “Untitled” Dosis Decibel Records DDB-004 NL Promo-12" | 2008 ] 35 THIRD SON: Bloodsport [ A2-track from “Machine Love EP” 17 Steps 17STEPS-023 UK 12" | 2018 ] 36 TIM XAVIER: UFO Kommt  [ B1-track from “Dust To Dust” BPitch Control BPC-340 GER 12" | 2018 ] 37 HOSHINA ANNIVERSARY: A Cid [ A1-track from “A Cid EP” Jack Dept. DEPT-011 US WL-12" | 2018 ] 38 TIM XAVIER: Dust To Dust [ B2-track from “Dust To Dust” BPitch Control BPC-340 GER 12" | 2018 ] 39 HOSHINA ANNIVERSARY: DZYYY [ A2-track from “A Cid EP” Jack Dept. DEPT-011 US WL-12" | 2018 ] 40 BAM BAM [CHRIS WESTBROOK]: Where's Your Child _ DJ Rush Remix [ A-side from “Where Is Your Child (Archiv #02)” Tresor 165 GER Promo-12" | 2001 ] 41 DJ SKULL [RON MANEY]: Met"L"Gear [ A2-track from “Met'L'Gear” Djax-Up-Beats DJAX-UP-201 NL Promo-12" | 1994 ] 42 JEROEN SEARCH: The One [ C2-track from “Monism” Figure FIGURELP-003 GER 3x12" | 2018 ] 43 LENSON [DJ LENSON]: Nice Town I'll Take It [ A2-track from “REVENGE3” Revenge Techniques REVENGE-003 NL 12" | 2018 ] 44 SYBERIAN [SAIBIRIAN ™]: Lamp Black [ A2-track from “Tales From Outskirts” SYBERIAN SYB-005 RUS/NL 12" | 2018 ] 45 DESERT SOUND COLONY [DSC]: Grabbing The Golden Goose [ B2-track from “Tickle Me Pink EP” Holding Hands HHANDS-006 UK 12" | 2018 ] 46 JEFF MILLS: Abali [ A1-track from “Str Mrkd” Str Mrkd/ AXIS AX-077 US 12" | 2019 ]   47 MONIKER [JOE BAKER & TIM GILGALLON]: Groove Only _ Peverelist Remix [ B1-track from “High Rise EP” Dawn State DS-001 UK 12" | 2018 ] 48 JEFF MILLS: Helix Nebula [ B1-track from “Str Mrkd” Str Mrkd/ AXIS AX-077 US 12" | 2019 ] 49 MONIKER: Morning At Night [ B2-track from “High Rise EP” Dawn State DS-001 UK 12" | 2018 ] 50 PIERRES'S PFANTASY CLUB feat. J.R.JORDAN: Fantasy Girl _ Pierre's Acid Mix [ A2-track from “Fantasy Girl” SRO-750487 US 12" | 1987 ] 51 OMAR S: One Of A Kind  [ B-side from “O.O.A.K” FXHE Records ?AOS-7418/ Detroit Threads US 12" | 2018 ] 52 WAAJEED [ROBERT O'BRYANT]: Strength _ Jon Dixon Remix [ B2-track from “Strength EP” Dirt Tech Reck DTR-014/ Submerge US 12" | 2018 ] 53 RENNIE FOSTER: Detroit City [ A2-track from “Honey” Soiree Records Int. SRT-171 US Test/Promo-12" | 2019 ] //

[clementinebriar]

“Hm,” Clem smirks, leaning over the counter to take the wine out of Opal’s grasp without much preamble. As she busies herself with showily inspecting it, she says, as if contemplating, “But you did just say you don’t drink cheap wine.” She digs in the drawer for a corkscrew, positioning the bottle firmly on the counter as she twists the metal spiral into the cork with practiced ease. With a little tug, the cork pops free with a soft sound, and she holds up the bottle triumphantly. Pouring two generous glasses, she meets Opal’s gaze with a mischievous glint, lifting her own glass in a toast.

“Guess we’ll just have to see if a ghost drinks that one or some shit,” she nods over the glass she’s poured for Opal, a challenge in her tone. Bringing her own glass to her lips, she takes a quick sip, her face tightening just slightly as the cheap wine hits her tongue. It’s a bit sharp, with a hint of something vaguely fruity — maybe cherry, maybe grape — but mostly it just tastes like alcohol with a slight burn on the way down. She smirks, lowering the glass. “Tastes just like my childhood,” she sighs dramatically. Bringing a finger to scratch at Dionysus’s little head, she finally says, “So. I assume you must want something from me if you’ve trekked all this way,” she raises an eyebrow, smirk widening marginally. “Something fun, I hope?”

The presence of the bird didn't startle her as much as it made her a little uneasy as it stared at her with its beady little eyes. As Clem turned away, offering her back as invitation, Opal followed her inside, turning to glance over her shoulder in the direction of the creep across the hall just in case she might catch a glimpse.

She didn't.

"That's fine, I don't drink cheap wine," Opal said around a smirk as she nudged the door closed behind her with her hip. She took her time looking around as Clem unearthed some wine glasses among a graveyard of Tupperware. In so many ways, her place was the exact opposite of anything Opal had ever lived in. There were pieces of her here, like a quilt of patchwork.

All of Opal's walls were bare. She didn't own more than what could fit in an overnight bag. Everything about her was manufactured, curated to be desired. What would she do with a place like this? How might she paint the walls with her very soul? Would she even recognize it?

That was far too much introspection— and the very thing she feared when it came to letting another person know her— so she leaned against Clem's counter as she made a show of counting the two glasses. "So she does know how to share."

[clementinebriar]

The thing is, Clementine usually leaves well enough alone.

Who is she to give another hardworking, scamming woman a hard time over working hard to scam people? A couple of fake tarot readings never hurt anyone — she doesn’t think. It’s not like she has the statistics to back that up or anything, but for the most part, she thinks what Opal’s doing is harmless enough. A woman’s gotta make a living. More power to her, honestly. Godspeed, and all that good stuff.

Except they’ve managed to intersect, somehow. Clementine works hard on her fakes, word gets around, bound to reach Opal, at some point. And now there’s something like — she doesn’t want to be so bold and assume the other woman is scared, but there’s some definite tension coming off her in waves when she’s around Clem. She figures it has to do with the fact Clementine knows whatever schtick she’s got going on around Blue Harbor isn’t real, but she cannot overstate how little she cares about what other people get up to. If she didn’t so badly want her mother to be able to find her still, Clem would’ve probably been forging her own brand new identity as well, to do crazy, questionable shit.

All that being said, it’s a little surprising to find Opal at her front door. Dionysus stands readily at her shoulder, knowing full well outside is not for him, tiny little bird claws firmly dug into her skin. Raising an eyebrow, Clem glances at the bottle of wine in Opal’s hand — one of the cheap ones Clem used to get drunk on at thirteen, looks like — then meets Opal’s gaze again. “Only if you’re aware you’re not getting any of that,” she gestures at the bottle in Opal’s grasp. Turning on her heel, she leaves the door open in a silent invitation, making her way to the small kitchen to look for two of those cheap, plastic wine glass imitations she stuffs with the Tupperware — despite her earlier declaration of selfishness. “Close the door behind you, would ya? The fuckin’ creep across the hall can smell it when the door opens.”

WHERE: clem's place WHO: @clementinebriar & opal

This was certainly not Opal laying low and playing it safe. Since she'd adopted this new façade, she'd done very little to actually build out the character she'd decided to play here. Was it that this town was full of more shady types like her that could recognize a game or was she just losing her touch?

Either way, she shouldn't have been here. Their business should have been a one and done— no well-worn path to trace between them. But for as careful as she always had to be, she couldn't deny that it felt just as good as it did terrifying to remove her mask. Clem didn't know her, even still, but she knew enough. Just as Opal knew enough about her should she ever need to indulge in a little mutual destruction.

So, here she was, perfectly manicured nails— painted a drab olive green she hated, but thought the character of Opal would probably love— curled into a loose fist to knock against the door. In her other hand, a bottle of grocery store wine. As the door opened to her, Opal smirked, raising the shit wine in offering. "If I pay the troll toll, can I come in?"

[saulweissberg]

the young woman he approached serendipitously was certainly a looker. if saul had been twenty years younger—hell, maybe fifteen—he would have done everything in his power to charm her into his bed. he was an old man now, though, and while he could absolutely appreciate her beauty, it would go no further than that. half the people in this very banquet hall thought he was sleazy enough, he didn’t need to add fuel to the fire. deacon edwards, his former brother-in-law, would never let him live it down.

“i’m so glad to hear that.” he replied, noticing there was just something a little bit… too enthusiastic about her. maybe she was just a little nervous around rich people. better than the abject hatred he received from leon’s bartender earlier—not that he was feeling all that charitable towards leon either. saul returned her warm smile, eyes drifting down to the gem that was at the center of her throat, then back up to her face when she complimented the event planner. “ah, i was the one to plan everything, but i'll accept the compliment anyway.” it wasn’t entirely by himself, but more than the lion’s share. he thought he deserved double the credit for how quickly he turned it from an intimate birthday dinner party to a charity luncheon for all.

his eyes drifted back down to her necklace. “that’s pretty. does it mean anything special?” thalia, his third ex-wife, would probably know. saul never had any use for new age woo-woo shit, but he supposed it was part of the job description for a yoga teacher like thalia. the young woman in front of him had a yoga teacher look. “i’m saul, by the way. i don’t believe we’ve met before. are you new to blue harbor?” twenty-something saul would have used that as the perfect opportunity to offer to show her around town, but alas…

Jade would have been dressed to the nines at an event like this. She would have slipped into something sexy and well-tailored, likely something sparkly with a hefty designer tag. She would have batted her eyelashes demurely, giggling softly at the men who thought their jokes were funny.

But she was Opal now, and Opal was a little more down to earth. She had a citrine gem dangling from an elegant chain around her neck— citrine because Google told her that was the crystal meant to draw good energy. She was dressed in a modest dress— still form-fitting because they could pry her youth out of her cold, dead hands— in an earthy green tone. And her face was a mask of warm friendliness.

And when her approachable energy paid off, she smiled politely, face blank enough to say she had no idea who this man was, despite the fact that she'd done her research. She clutched her drink delicately to her chest. "Oh, I'm having a wonderful time. The energy in this place is so inviting." God, was this really the character she was going with? She was already disgusted with herself. "Honestly, kudos to the event planner, she really knew what they were doing with this one," she said, like she didn't already know who had organized this event. Unfortunately for her, he didn't seem the type to fall for her charms, but maybe she could get him in her back pocket another way.