d e v o n
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Xuebing Du
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
izzy's playlists!
oozey mess
PUT YOUR BEARD IN MY MOUTH
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YOU ARE THE REASON
taylor price
i don't do bad sauce passes
almost home
JBB: An Artblog!
Love Begins
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
Origami Around
$LAYYYTER
#extradirty
Keni
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@1deusex
# 1𝑫𝑬𝑼𝑺𝑬𝑿 . […] naked in moonlight, like a doll of wax, on the stone floor nocturnal, she stood still but moved her hands. the cruel mouth was curved, smiling a little. ⸻ private & dependent blog affiliated with fasthq.
𝐀𝐕𝐀AMARIN, legs , nariza bois import model ⸻ intro . inspo . pinterest .
SETTING: CLOSE TO FOUR AM, OUTSIDE OF THE 12WELVE, AVA LOCKS EYES WITH @overdr1ves
shifting her weight from one foot to the other, with the aftertaste of a melange of liquor and cocktails still lingering inside of her mouth, ava waits with a single hand suspended in the air, her each attempt at hailing a taxi proving to be futile. she sighs, waits, and tries again, only to realize that it's just started to rain. at this rate, it's safe to assume that she'll be home by eight.
arching her neck, her attention flicks to an all too familiar figure, his damning presence eliciting an old warmth that teethers on the edge of turning into something dangerous. everything plays out like a well-scripted déjà vu; they're always meeting. in dreams, in thoughts. in every life. they've been here before. danced the same dance. ''rome...'' she calls out, twisting at the waist, nose wrinkling despite her smile. this act is purely instinctive. ''how do i keep running into you? you must've put some spell on me.'' ava tuts, jutting out her bottom lip in disapproval. ''that's evil.''
﹆ .. ✷ ᝢ open starter / cap undetermined !
@ coyote casino, sometime past 11 p.m. 𓈒 🫧
❛ are you looking at me like that because it insulted you when i said i'd bring you the uje ? ❜ lesser lip extended to form a sulk as she wipes at mahogany countertops with as much conviction as someone who would rather die than be present in the moment. ❛ because, like, don't take it as a bad thing — just means i've been seeing you around more often lately. ❜
''oh, i think it takes a lot more than that to insult me.'' tongue over teeth, ava licks her lips, knowing that it's her turn to keep the game going. leaning closer, her tone and inhibition lowered, she mutters, ''i'll be a lot more disappointed if you got me mixed up with someone else. so go ahead, tell me, what's my usual?''
ᯓ track-one, after the race ᯓ open for anyone
ᯓ “ 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙸𝚂 𝙷𝙾𝚆 𝙸𝚃'𝚂 𝙳𝙾𝙽𝙴, ” xander boasts. it may not have been the gold, but it's third from last, which is at least something. “ what? no congratulations for that brilliant drive? ”
''you know, i do have to give credit where credit's due, but not when it's asked for.'' ava drawls, leaning closer, her tone a little warmer, yet a sliver sharper, her words like cat's claws reaching for tender skin. ''that's how they raised me in the modeling world, at least.''
SETTING: HALF PAST TEN, INDULGING IN A CLANDESTINE GAME WITH @lovedbeauty
''chrissy,'' ava begins, her mellow voice almost dropping a conspiratorial whisper as she leans against one of the mahogany tables, intent on snagging the model's attention. ''let's play a game. with a twist. this stays between us,'' and the man who is about to take their money. ''— but if you were forced to place a bet on any of the prowlers, who would you pick?'' champagne in hand, she can nearly taste the bliss that comes with the absence of worry, fiercely brazen and boldy reckless with her question. ''no counter-arguments, by the way.''
SETTING: RIGHT BEFORE EIGHT, ON THE STEPS OF THE CASINO, TWO FIGURES LOOM NEAR THE ENTRANCE, ONE OF WHICH BELONGS TO @badbrake
casually still, almost nonchalant, a bona fide model by all accounts and not just a good-looking face on some calendar, ava cants her head to the side in thought, her lithe arms extended towards the other. ''how shall we do this? hand in hand? i on your arm? you on mine?'' she questions, a genuine smile unfurling at her lips as she turns to gain the upper hand over her thin silken scarf caught in the wind. '' — and of course, how do i look?'' it's needless, certainly, to ask, especially when yani had been there with her nearly every step of the way, but it's a habit, some sort of tradition she isn't willing to so easily break.
▊▊▊ ⠀ ✶ ⠀ open starter ⏤ cap undetermined. ▊▊▊ ⠀ ✶ ⠀ the coyote casino, around 9 pm
“ you play one round of blackjack and suddenly you're on the shit list of an old guy calling you a witch! ”
''that's why i've always preferred poker,'' ava interjects, punctuating the statement with a simple flick of her wrist in the other's direction, only to reveal, between two slender fingers, a red lacquered chip. hers is the finesse of a magician. ''join us for a game then. we have space for one more.''
SETTING: CLOSE TO NINE, UNDER THE THRAWN CASINO LIGHTS, SHARING A MOMENT WITH @driftrz
fashionably late, as all good things in life are, and fashionably in trouble, like all beautiful women are, ava dashes through the casino extravaganza, the heat of the night sticking to the back of her neck, straying farther from her original goal. ''mali, darling,'' she calls out, cutting through the cacophony of feverish chatter and perpetual ringing of slot machine bells. both hurried and slow-moving at once, clinging to the soft fabric covering her chest, she corners the mechanic in a few quick strides, her voice purposefully low. ''could you check if my dress is properly zipped in the back? something just feels a little... strange.''
𝑳𝑼𝑪𝑲 𝑩𝑬 𝑨 𝑳𝑨𝑫𝒀 ; AVA SHOWED UP FASHIONABLY LATE, AROUND EIGHT, WEARING A VIBRANT ORANGE EVENING DRESS, ACCESSORIZED ONLY WITH A DASH OF PERFUME. / + THE DRESS IN MOTION.
there's something that calls to darius about the unknowable like a siren song. ava is such a being, and perhaps that's why he comes back time and time again, why they ebb and flow like the tide. easier to justify as mere curiosity than to sit and think, to bring any attention to why he might want to come back to her, why he's willing victim to the game between them when he so rarely plays with anyone else. " whatever you want. when have i ever denied you anything ? " she would not let herself be denied, and he would not dream of it. entering familiar territory : the request for her attention. loyal dog at her heel, waiting to see if he'll be rewarded or punished. he'll take whatever scraps she offers him — or perhaps she'll leave him out to dry, make him try harder to gain her favor. how lucky that she's one of the few he's so very willing to do so with. " my sparkling personality, my trust fund money, my handsome face... " circles her as he lists off ridiculous answers, until he settles in front of her again. waters tested — he's closer than before, and his hands are moving her way, resting over her waist. he's chancing her stepping away, but didn't that unknowing make this all the more fun ? browns on her features, studying her expression as if he might be able to read her thoughts. of course : that wasn't the way of them. he still tries. " but if you want to hear me beg, y'gotta ask first. "
eyes wide open, arms outstretched, she throws herself into the dark — for what else could be more frightening than her? ''well, i'm always in the mood to watch the barefoot contessa but,'' she pauses, tempted, yet unwilling to be complaisant, her front teeth sinking into the supple tissue of her bottom lip. she swallows then, abandoning her train of thought to move in another direction, glorious in her desire to coax anything and everything out of him. ''leave it to a man with a trust fund to always say that he has a trust fund.'' a careless shrug of her shoulders is the only thing offered, her indifference purposefully provocative. ''but it is such a handsome face...'' indecisive and yet horribly distrait, with her attention dispersed, her gaze meets his face as one graceful hand finds his anchored at her waistline, the other reaching for his neck. tread carefully. rising on her tiptoes, like aphrodite from the sea, making herself larger than she is, swathed in the luster of dreams, ava lets a simple ''oh?'' escape from her throat. ''well then, let's see how well you can beg.''
magpie ? the word spins in mari’s head fighting to be comprehended. “ a whaaaat ? “ confusion etched into her features as she twist towards her friend. coming from ava she’s unsure if the word is a compliment or curt assessment. twisting on the ball of her toes she spins at the others acceptance. there was nothing like a fabulous outfit coming together to send a thrill up her spine. especially when she didn’t have to spend any money to get it. “ you say that like it’s a bad thing, “ bouncing she comes to plop down on the mattress next to the other, “ obviously that means it’s a lucky top, “ amusement in her tone as she tucks the shirt to the side. “ just getting ready for my ‘ older, better wiser mari ‘ era, “ head rolls to look at the other. “ no more getting in dumb ass fights … no more losing dumb ass fights … and no more cheap outfits ! thank you for donating to the cause ! “
''oh mari...'' she sighs, open palm meeting delicate chin as she turns to the other, amusement colouring her tone. ''it's a bird, a very beautiful one, known for loving shiny things.'' it's redundant, of course it is, but she waits for the lesson in ornithology to sink in, abandoning all efforts to peel herself away from the mattress. ''i say a lot of things. i guess it all depends on interpretation. i just hope it'll serve you well.'' ava grins, unceremoniously pulling the silken covers in search of her rabbit, leaving enough room in the process for mari to nestle by her side — if she so desires. ''well if that's the case, then you'll be older and wiser and i'll be younger and dumber. we'll make quite the pair.'' a nonsensical sentiment, a promise that can't be kept — she revels in the idea of the impossible, oscillating between the absurd and eccentric, refusing to find the center. ''i have some amaretto in the fridge. you could tell me more about this plan of yours while we drink.''
if rome were the sentimental type, he'd admit that slow dancing had always been their thing. that no matter how fast life moved back then, how loud the world got, how tangled everything became, when he had ava in his arms, it all just slowed down. it was cliché — fuck, he knew that — but clichés exist for a reason. because there was something about the way she fit against him, the way she moved like she knew exactly where his hands belonged, the way they could sway to nothing at all and make it feel like a symphony. it was just them. always just them. even when there was no music, they danced.
if he could turn back time, he would. but he knew better. but then again, she isn't just some ghost of the past. she's here. in front of him. and it's rare to see this beauty nowadays. rare to have her within reach, to have her eyes fixed on him with that same unreadable intensity he remembers. and even though he shouldn't — trust, he doesn't — dwell on the past too much, he thinks maybe just this once, just for three minutes and forty - four seconds, he'll let himself get lost with her again. and rome oh is only human. so sue him — whatever.
his gaze shifts from her outstretched hand to her face, searching. he should say no. he should smirk, deflect, make some careless joke about how she's the last person he expected to be sentimental tonight. instead, he exhales, slow and measured, before setting his drink aside.
❝ still breathing, ❞ he murmurs, taking her hand in his, calloused fingers closing around hers like muscle memory. a perfect fit. always. he could tell her she looks great too, but that would be redundant. rome knew an ava amarin doesn't need the validation, and besides, beautiful was never just an aesthetic with her — it was a weapon, a currency, something wielded with intention.
rome doesn't think. he lets her pull him in, his free hand finding its place at her waist. the music shifts, something smooth, unhurried. perfect timing. thumb brushes absently over her knuckles. ❝ three minutes and forty - four seconds, huh ? ❞ his head tilts slightly, smirking just a little. ❝ better make 'em count, then. ❞
memories, unadulterated and capricious, are the best thing in life; he is hers. favourite memory, lingering thought, perpetual longing. what is it about impossible love that consumes the mind? maybe it's worse that she never speaks nor dreams of him. she thinks of him. with deliberate intention, a profound sense of indulgence, and insurmountable fondness. eve, eva, ava — every woman remembers her eden.
ava never blushes. laughing is her way of blushing.
holding her breath, half-smiling, she hopes that he'll defy her, that he'll put an end to whatever she intends to start, but he doesn't, acquiescing instead. what an awful thing it must be to be susceptible to the touch of another.
she wants to tell him a thousand things, here and now, from start to finish, thoroughly, everything that he has missed. a lifetime of dancing and conversations wouldn't be enough to make up for it. not for them. ''you know, life can be so beautiful at times. i guess it all depends on the angle.'' when she says it, she's looking at him, her every emotion seeping through fine veneer. one hand in his, the other on his chest, attuned to his every move, she dances in tandem, swinging her hips in time to his. for a moment, she forgets it all — the mise-en-scène, the people, the music, none of it matters, save for them.
three minutes and forty-four seconds has never been a lot of time. it's not enough, not nearly, but a minute longer would've prompted conversation — and their conversations often had a way of turning into something else.
resilient, resolute, formidable in reputation, larger than life, a dash of red, a living fire, in a continuous struggle with herself, ava knows that she must go. taking a step back, graceful and tender in her retreat, she lets go of his hand when the song is through. ''rome oh, it was such a pleasure to see you again. you can go, and i'll stay,'' she mouths, apropos of nothing, her voice softer than it usually is. '' and maybe the story will play out differently this time.''
Coco Mellors, from Cleopatra and Frankenstein
starter 4 @1deusex !
where : clock's ticking down the hours 'til march says hello, does it really matter where they are ?
they make quite the pair when he's nursing a fading black eye : her in all her feline glory, him the fucked up lookin' doberman trailing after her. how lucky that she blesses him with her attention even now, even despite their different natures. maybe that's what attracts, what has brought them together from the start — moth to flame, though he believes himself to be incapable of burning. him the moth, because she could never be anything but bright fire, calling out both warmth and danger if one got too close. those were worries to have later. for now, they are here. for now, there's distance enough. " i owe you a proper movie night. " plans ruined by the evidence of violence still plastered over features ( but fading, fading, in a way memories never could. it was almost unfair. ). let it be known that he was not the problem that night ! ... mostly. dog come to beg outside her door to be let in after it's done something it shouldn't. " think you'll let me make it up t'you soon ? "
he's becoming a recurring presence, a warm afterthought, even a familiar sight; she knows the length of his collarbone, how much it takes to cross the short distance between his mouth and throat — and now even the speed at which his skin bruises and tints. perhaps it's a good thing she hardly ever gives meaning to most things in her life; she's too prideful, too insouciant, adamant on suppressing any flicker of a fire that threatens to linger for longer than it should. reflexively, without thinking, she cants her head to the side, inhaling sharply. ''you do, but what are we gonna watch, darling?'' the way she says the last word ought to be enough to convey the fact that she's only joking, yet still, one thing remains certain. you can never simply ask ava for her attention; you have to barter for it instead. ''perhaps, but other than a movie night, what else do you have to offer?''
SETTING: WELL PAST MIDNIGHT, ON A BEACH NEAR THE NORTH BAY.
ethereal march moon, dangling in the sky like a pearl on a string, right beneath the night's throat, tells her that it's late but she does not need nor wish to heed its warning, trudging instead through familiar sand with her bare feet, a pair of heels caught in hand. ''you know,'' ava drawls, turning to @cutthro4t at last as her fingers find the top buttons of her blouse, the thrill of being caught accelerating her pace. she looks at cut like she's seeing him for the first time, like they're something or someone new. her smile is a fleeting flash, much like the rest of her, but right here and right now, everything's a game waiting to be played. ''i think i want to go for a swim. you could stay here and guard my things, i suppose. or you could join me.''
ordinarily, sloane would say no, but there are always exceptions to be made for an exceptionally pretty face. she wipes her hands on a towel and pretends to consider the offer. “now, darlin', you know i can't say no to you.” she chucks ava under the chin, grinning as she gets to her feet. “you sure you can handle ridin' a horse? it ain't anythin' like drivin'.” and teaching someone how to ride is an entirely different experience to actually riding with someone. it's a lucky thing ava's got one of those faces you just can't deny. sloane's always been particularly weak to those.
a simple bat of her lashes is easier and more effective than a plea or a more formal please uttered ever so gently, and just one of ava's famous smiles is always a better bargaining chip than a boring and banal thank you. ''i mean, i sure know how to ride a lot of things, i guess it's time to add a horse to that list.'' an obscene movement of her hips, albeit short and theatrical, trails behind her words, capable only of beckoning inappropriate thoughts. ''i think it's going to be a lot more fun than driving. besides, i'll be learning from the best cowgirl in all of florida. ''
