#yuri: claudia x elijah

[dalecooperwrites]

💌 : leave my muse a card from a secret admirer ( Eli x Cloud ) @elizabethtaylors / @kittybennett

Right. So, usually, she’d be a little alarmed by the idea of a ‘secret admirer’. She’s had issues in the past with ‘strange men’ in the bookshop who’ve attempted to woo her a little too aggressively, after all. But there’s something about this card that seems familiar and safe to her - something about the handwriting? Cloud can’t pin her finger on what it is, and has no idea who could have sent it, but after reading the card one too many times, she can’t help but feel like it’s not sent from someone with malice.

She wishes she knew who it was from, and wonders if she should be this excited over a piece of paper when she has feelings for her husband who isn’t exactly her husband.

But still, it’s nice to receive something so lovely when her ex-husband would frequently forget to buy her gifts on Valentine’s Day and had even told her once that she didn’t deserve Valentine’s Day gifts because she wasn’t worth the trouble.

She’s curious though, and she assumes that Elijah doesn’t share the same feelings she shares for him - possibly due to the complicatedness of it all - so she decides it doesn’t hurt to see who sent it. It’s not like she’s going to do anything drastic about this little Valentine’s Day gift, yet she does want to attempt to put herself out there simply because she enjoys feeling special.

So, due to this curiosity, she places a card of her own in the book where she found the card her admirer had sent.

“Thank you for the card, but I’m married. To someone I care deeply for. But again, thank you. That’s the most special I’ve felt in a long while.”

She’d given the card a kiss with her red lipstick, and had sprayed it with her signature perfume, hoping there’d be no hard feelings or thoughts that she’d been leading someone on. But it was true, it was the most special she’d felt in some time, and it was nice to receive a gift from an admirer with good intentions.

[lovefromnoah-archive]

SEND ‘🖤 + PAIRING’ FOR ME TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING: claudia x eli @adelaide-kane / @kittybennett (lmfao i rambled oof)

1) my muse’s initial impression of yours: Probably originally saw him typing away at one of the tables. Or mayhaps she saw him reading quietly in the back of the shop, behind some bookshelves she typically never sees anyone behind. I’d like to think they’d have known each other a good year or a few months before their fake marriage ruse. So she still would’ve been in the process of getting out of her marriage and all the stuff that came with it. Maybe even would’ve been arguing with Jack, so she was so taken back by Eli not being a jerk towards her and asking her opinions on books and things that interested her. Opposed to, you know, not caring? She basically liked that he listened to her, to be honest.

2) my muse’s favorite physical attribute of yours: Claudia likes his hands. She’s usually odd about touching, but she likes when he touches her in any way. And she likes messing with his hands. Even when they’re friends, she rests her hand on his shoulder or offers him a gloveless hand in a loud and busy environment. But when they’re romantically a couple, she likes offering her hands to him often. Or she likes when he caresses her cheek.

3) my muse’s favorite personality attribute of yours: She likes that Elijah sees people? I remember you bringing this up. And that’s something Claudia does, too. Except it’s probably in a different way. But still, she likes that he sees people. Especially since he sees her for her, and not as some concept. Like he sees past her façade she uses to get people to like her and it's shocking at first but nice

4) a moment that made my muse realize how much they care about yours: I’d say Claudia was too stressed and confused to immediately fall in love Elijah when she first meets him, but she fell for him one day, when she was closing shop and everyone left and he was still there after the two of them sat down at a table to discuss random things. Like she liked hearing him talk, and again, liked that he listened. And it sort of hit her that she really liked him more than she was supposed to.

5) something my muse never found the words to say to yours: God, Claudia has letters upon letters on things she wanted to say to Eli when they are fake married. I might write it as a 5 times thing because that might be fun and I get a kick out of first person writing. But most of what she wants to say to him is that she loves him as more than friend and that she appreciates how good he is with rory.

6) something my muse wishes they had never said to yours: I don’t know, honestly, even though Claudia can be a class a liar when she wants to be (due to the family she was raised by) she’s pretty honest with Eli. The worst thing she’d probably say is that she’s okay with him divorcing her a little after she has full custody of Rory. She’d be lying 800% and would regret it immediately because she would hate divorcing Eli. Also I can totally see them somewhere, a girl flirting with Eli and her just being like “It’s fine, we’re not a real couple anyways” and regretting saying as much immediately because she cares so damn much.

7) something your muse does that makes mine feel safe: just generally being there and listening means the world to claudia. like he just shows her support in a world where not many people show support for her. That’s more than enough.

8) something your muse does that makes mine smile: Pretty sure Claudia likes to find him book recommendations for her favorite books, or just quotes. And in general, when she’s comfortable around someone, Claudia can be silly. So I can see her making a dumb joke that’s so bad that he has to laugh due to the wtfery of it all. She also likes to compliment him when he looks like he needs a compliment. Sings to him her favorite songs

9) something my muse wants to protect yours from: She doesn’t want Jack to mess up their relationship and she wants Jack away from Elijah. Jack has a habit of egging people on and she doesn’t want him bothering Elijah. Also should note that anytime they’re in the same room, Claudia asks Elijah to walk out with her and Rory. Because she feels uncomfortable and does not want conflict.

10) ways my muse says ‘i love you’ without saying those words: Her little sketches and paintings of him that she does whenever he gives her permission. The way she writes love letters and letters in general to him. Singing to him little songs she thinks will make him smile. Knowing his exact order at the shop and knowing how he takes his coffee (if he drinks it) at home.

[mythcreated-a]

“  you don’t ever have to pretend. not with me. not ever.  ”eli to cloud again @keiraknigntley @tesscthompson​

“ You don’t ever have to pretend. Not with me. Not ever,”  Elijah told her as they placed books on their proper shelves. He was likely referencing the conversation she’d heard him having with Rory about her being a little over-the-top since Elijah’d moved in. Elijah hadn’t said she’d been over the top, it’d been Rory and Rory had seemed incredibly worried. Rory had asked him to talk to her, and Claudia had overheard and felt a bit foolish that her son had picked up on her odd behaviors.  

Up until recently, Cloud has always put on a role for different people. It’s not necessarily to be fake and manipulate others. It’s more because she doesn’t think people will actually LIKE  her if she acts like herself. So she tended to be overly confident and very much a ‘cool’ girl in public.

It’s not something she did for fun or was proud of. And before Elijah moved in, she was acting more like herself around him than she did around other people. It’s just, when he moved in, she was scared he wouldn’t like her anymore and would get tired of her being herself and would eventually grow to hate her just like Jack did a few months into living together. 

But apparently, that didn’t seem to be the case - because, well, Jack and Elijah were two different people.  “It’s just weird sharing my home with another man. I know I just moved from Jack’s not too long ago due to the divorce. But if I didn’t do some of the things I do around you - like wear makeup around the house and to bed, or act a certain way - he’d call me names, or would just make me feel bad.” Admitting as much was difficult, but she managed to look away from the books and at him. 

Claudia continued. “I know you wouldn’t call me names or make me feel bad, and that this isn’t exactly a real marriage, it’s just...this is...one of those things where I don’t know how to act. And where I feel like I should know how to act, since I’ve known you around the shop for a while now. I shouldn’t be treating things differently just because of our arrangement. But I am. There’s just so much new and it’s all so very confusing.” She rambled on, moving her hands as she spoke, though her voice was airy and light as she spoke. 

Elijah appeared to be in thought. Claudia was worried he’d think she was crazy. “It is confusing. But I don’t expect you to act like anything but yourself. Because you’re right, I’m not going to call you names or make you feel bad. I’m your friend, right?” The word ‘friend’, though it shouldn’t have, and it was unfair of her to do it, made her squint. But she nodded anyway. “Friends don’t treat their friends badly. And if I was going to treat you bad, why would I want to help you with your whole custody situation?” 

Claudia swallowed and nodded again, not really knowing what else to do. He made valid points. “Okay, that’s fair enough. I’m sorry if this has made you uncomfortable in any way. Again, I didn’t do it on -”

He stopped her. “You’re fine, Claudia.” He said, calmly. 

She looked down a moment, then back at him. “Okay. But now you’ve opened pandora’s box my friend. You now have to deal with me, as myself, which means you’ll be dealing with -”

“I don’t mind,” he replied.

She gently nudged him because she didn’t know what else to do. Or say. Which is a first because she usually knew what to do most of the time. 

[lovefromnoah-archive]

send a 🌈 + an oc and i’ll make a moodboard using the color i associate with them | @kittybennett / @adelaide-kane

🌈 for Eli x Claudia - Saying Blue because i've been listening to regina sp.ektor songs all night & YEAH

[lovefromnoah-archive]

@kittybennett

instagram edits: claudia x elijah

@adelaide-kane / @kittybennett

[lovefromnoah-archive]

send me a ship and i’ll make a parallels post for them with quotes and/or art | | @adelaide-kane / @kittybennett

claudia & eli

[lovefromnoah-archive]

“  i’m not going anywhere.  ” eli cloud again

There’s something about being around her ex-husband that just makes her feel so damn small. Usually, Claudia’s got her head held high and is beyond confident, but as soon as Jack’s around, she’s got slumped shoulders and her eyes make contact with the ground.

And it’s worse now, since she knows Jackson looks a little better in court than she does, minus her now marriage with Eli and the fact that Rory’s stated to the court that he feels unsafe with Jack.

The thing is, when she sees Jackson this afternoon, he surprises her, her cups her face, kisses her like before - when they were happy and she didn’t see him for the cold hearted bastard he was - and smiles at her a sincere smile. “I don’t want to do this, I want to be happy with you, again. I want us to try again. I miss you,” he says all too charmingly.

She looks at him with confusion, then she pulls away and points at him, hard. “You’re not being fair. You’re manipulating me to get your way. You don’t love me, and I don’t love you. You only want Rory and I because you see us as playthings, not people,” Claudia bites back, before she takes a step back. Jack grabs her arm, hard, twists just a bit and she lets out a noise.

She hates Jackson.

Hates him so much.

“I will get Rory,” is all he says, close enough that their lips are almost touching again, and then he lets her go, in a way that’s almost like a push.

Claudia feels her face burn red, and she can feel tears of embarrassment stream down her eyes. The fact that they’re not married anymore should mean he doesn’t get to treat her like that anymore, and yet he does.

She’s about to begin to walk away, and is rubbing her now racoon eyes with a napkin from her purse, when Elijah walks in her direction. It’s clear he’d been looking for her, because he gives her a ‘Gotcha’ type smile when he sees her.

“Hey,” is all he says, “Rory’s been looking for you. Says he has something to show you, but,” He looks at her and expression looks a little harder, “Are you okay?”

She nods and gives him a feigned smile, that he’d know what fake, just by living with her and the fact that she’s smiled genuinely at him many times before. “I’m fine. This is just...a lot. You can go with Rory if he’s looking for me though. I know Amya’s here, but Jack makes him antsy and you kind of keep him calm.” Which is great, she wants to say, but doesn’t.

He looks at her, her hand on her arm, and arches a brow. “ I’m not going anywhere,” he replies, making Claudia sigh heavy. “You don’t have to talk about it, but I’ll stay if you want me to.”

“I’d like you to. I don’t want Rory to see me like this.” Claudia sniffs, and gives an awkward smile. “I look a mess and I’m supposed to be brave and on high alert...but I’m ...vulnerable.” She sniffs again, but looks at him.

He nods at that, slowly, and then takes a seat, and she takes a seat after him. “Rory would understand that, I think. He’s a smart kid. And he loves you.”

This makes Claudia laugh. “I love him, too, But i like looking like I have my shit together in front of him, you know?”

Elijah nods.

“I’ll be fine though. I just...get around Jackson and I forget he’s such a jackass or that he’s just...some guy. And that leads to me ….hurting.” She shrugs. “But whatever, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Can we just...sit here for a moment?”

“Sure,” he says calmly, and not really thinking about it, Claudia leans her head on Elijah’s shoulder.

@adelaide-kane @kittybennett