mixed up.

ADALINE VAN PAY. 24. AMALGAMATION.

[adalinexvanpay]

[adalinexvanpay]

[adalinexvanpay]

kayleighflies‌.     

The fake law her friend shared made Kayleigh laugh more, pulling the cupcake up to inspect it as if it were a scientific specimen. She hummed, turning it around in her hand so she could examine all sides of it. “Well, then I think this satisfies that rule,” she answered finally, grinning. “That’s good. Make anything interesting? Other than cupcakes for me?”

Adaline grinned, following the joke a little further. “Well, thank goodness,” she said. “The only thing I have available in the kitchen is some macarons and, I think, snickerdoodles.” At least, from what was fresh. She had two-day-old eclairs she had to clear out before someone thought she made stale treats, surely. “I’ve got a present for you,” Adaline said. “Are you free later?”

[pourlemeilleur]

Viens, on arrête de faire semblant

[adalinexvanpay]

kayleighflies.

If Kayleigh hadn’t been dripping, she would have shook her head, or waved the cake away, but she couldn’t do either without spraying Addie. “You shouldn’t have,” she answered, though she had to smile at the gift. “It’s easier to dry off when there’s a breeze.” The wings, specifically. They weighed down her shoulders when wet, even if she tucked them back into wherever they went when she shifted. In fact, that hurt worse. “How’ve you been, Addie?”

“I certainly should have,” Adaline countered. “If there’s a birthday, there must be cake, ora treat of equal or greater value, depending on the tastes and dietary necessities of the birthday person in question.” Her words sounded like they had been quoted directly out of a manual for bakers with friends. “I’ve been well,” she replied with a smile. “Baking, mostly.”

[inthemoodforchaos]

[lyrics-and-music]

Daylily // Movements

[adalinexvanpay]

kayleighflies.

Kayleigh was wet, specifically a fell-in-the-lake wet. She stretched her out, enjoying how the breeze felt on her skin, until she noticed that she was dripping on someone. “Oh, sorry,” she apologized, tucking her arms back into herself. “I wasn’t paying attention. My bad.”

“Lucky for you, the cupcake carrier has a lid,” Adaline replied with a smile. “Isn’t it a little windy to be all wet now, though?” As if on cue, a lock of her hair blew into her lipgloss, and Adaline puckered in surprise. “Oh, geez.” Moving the cupcakes into one hand to pull the hair out of her face, Adaline laughed, trying to resituate herself. “Happy Birthday,” she said with a grin, holding the cupcakes out.

[anissagraces]

Best of greys (in no particular order): 2/?

[adalinexvanpay]

oliverwestx.

Oliver looked up at the seemingly kind woman who stood there offering her help. ‘She does know where the library is’ he thought. He stared at her, her small hand stretched out. Oliver knew he needed the help if he was to find the library. He stretched his hand out timidly. “I’m Oliver” he stated shyly. He took her hand and gently shook it. “Sure, I mean if you’re not busy we can walk together.” Oliver looked at the smiling girl who had offered her help still unsure of her but she gave off a vibe of kindness that he felt safe with. 

Oliver needed to get online after all and this girl was his ticket to do just that. He knew he might also make a friend along the way but what he needed most at the time was an ally to figure out this place. She seemed to know the town ‘maybe she knows where we are at’ he thought. If she could help him figure out all this maybe that was a good thing and maybe she could explain his power to him, help him control it. This could be a good thing but he also didn’t trust this place so it would take some time to be able to let her in. 

“Oliver, it’s very nice to meet you,” Adaline replied, giving his hand a shake before letting it go. Her memories from first coming to Lake Grimstone were a bit hazy now. She couldn’t have been much older than Oliver was now, fresh off of her mother’s campaign trail. She had snuck out at night to help some of the city’s homeless with her power, combining things to work again, or be more useful than they had been. Someone thought that a story about the governor and congresswoman’s daughter having magical powers would be a better payday than what Adaline herself could offer, and her well-kept secret had suddenly been a one-way ticket to a place which both kept the world safe from her… and her from the world. She remembered being confused, and not only a little bit homesick. She remembered that she had wanted to know as much as she could, both about the world she suddenly found herself in, and what had been happening with her family, now that she was away. She wondered if Oliver was feeling that now. 

“It’s just this way,” she said, stepping next to him, and gesturing with her hand where they would be going. “If there’s anything important, I’ll point it out as we go,” she promised. “Oliver, do you mind if I ask you how long you’ve been here? If I had to guess, I’d say not too long, but…” she shrugged, letting her question trail off. “I’ve been at Lake Grimstone for… I think seven years now,” she said. “I was here when the town was on an island. I like the lake better, though. There’s better hiking.” She knew that she was babbling, but there was something about Oliver’s nervous energy which made her want to make it BETTER. She hoped that filling the air with gentle, meaningless words would help. She paused in her speaking, hoping to gauge where the younger boy was, and to see if she was doing more harm than help.

[adalinexvanpay]

oliverwestx.

As Oliver stood there on the sidewalk confused and lost a voice called out to him ‘Excuse me, are you lost?’ Oliver at the time in his own thoughts was a bit frightened by the voice who had interrupted his thought process of where he was going. He turned to the girl who was staring at him. ‘Are you lost? You look a bit new.’ She paused for a second. Oliver was a bit scared of this girl who had walked up to him and had so easily it seemed, confronted him. ‘I could help, if you want?’ she stated. Oliver knew he needed the help but was very apprehensive about asking strangers in this town for anything. He stood there and starred for a few moments until finally gathering the courage to spit out the word “Library” It was as if he had forgotten how to speak. He knew he needed to keep his emotions in check until he got a grip on his powers, he didn’t need to be turning into any beasts today and scaring off a possible ally. Oliver took a deep breath, “Um, Yea, do you know where the library is?”

Oliver was desperate to try to figure out why he was brought here and where exactly here was. He had hoped finding the library would answer these questions. Oliver didn’t have a computer after all and he knew at least where he was from libraries had the quickest access to them. He thought back to when he was taken and how scared everyone was that he had turned into some monster. The thought made him sick but not necessarily because the rest of the home thought it was frightening, but because of Drew. Drew was his best friend, his older brother and the look on his face when Oliver turned was one of absolute horror. He didn’t want that to be the last thing Drew had seen or heard from him. He needed to find him, he needed to make things right. 

He looked lost. –– And something a bit more, but Adaline knew she could help, first, with the lost. The helper in her wanted to say that she KNEW she would help him with what else was haunting him –– he was so young –– but… these things required baby steps. While Adaline was wont to help wherever she could, she also knew that… well, people had choices. Sometimes, they didn’t want her help. 

“I do know where the library is. I could give you directions, but I’d be happy to walk you there, if you’d like?” She looked up at him with dark, friendly eyes and her customary smile, shrugging a bit and making the bag on her shoulder slip by a fraction. “I’d just gotten done with what I was doing, and I have some time. I was going for a walk, and it’d be really nice to have some company. –– Oh! My name is Adaline.” She held out a small hand, remembering a minute too late the manners which were drilled into her by a mother who needed her youngest daughter on her best behavior for the sake of public appearance. 

[adalinexvanpay]

oliverwestx.

Oliver stood on the sidewalk confused, it’s not like they gave him a map of this place. He looked down the street in both directions hoping to see some type of sign but he was definitely lost. “Where is this damn library” he whispered to himself harshly. 

Sometimes, wandering with no clear direction was sort of lovely. Adaline, having left the science officers’ building shortly before lunchtime, had been taking in the sights for the last hour or two, reacquainting herself with the heartbeat of Lake Grimstone. Her dark eyes skimmed the small seams in the road –– some of the last visible vestiges of the attack on the Fifteenth –– with a thrill of apprehension, but she was happy to find that the sun was still shining, birds were still chirping, and Lake Grimstone’s town was still standing despite efforts for it to not be so. All that was left were scars, but she didn’t think that was such a terrible thing. While the attack never happening would have been ideal, scars were a visceral symbol of HEALING more than anything. The vein of fixed-up cracks in the walkway only meant that efforts of destruction hadn’t worked. That was a good thing.

The sun was warm; considering it rained more than it shined, Adaline had considered it a small blessing that her skin was warm ( and dry ) and summery while it was. It was truly why she had justified going on a tour of a town which was, after several years, all-too familiar. What wasn’t all-too familiar, however, was the boy she saw at the end of the road. He looked… lost. She knew that look: it was the sometime-overwhelmed, sometimes-too-angry-to-be-overwhelmed wide-eyed gaze of someone who was still new. She caught his murmuring as she drew closer, his harsh words for himself being carried on the wind. “Excuse me,” she said. “Are you lost? You look a bit new… I could help, if you want?”

[tocapturethisvoice]

[adalinexvanpay]

lucie-slater.

Lucie nodded and smiled. This girl seemed like a girl Lucie would want to be friends with. She wasn’t good at talking to people and it usually resulted in Lucie looking dumb. “It’s lovely to meet you.” She chuckled. “I hope I get the hang of it soon. I don’t wanna look like an idiot walking around with a map all the time.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll only need the map a little while longer,” Adaline promised. “Most of the buildings you’ll be going to are in the same area, so as long as you know how to get from there to your house, you’ll be able to figure it all out. The rest’ll come in time. –– Oh!” She turned quickly –– perhaps a bit too quickly –– and looked at Lucie with sparkling eyes. “Would you like something to eat? The cafe makes a grilled cheese that I, pun totally intended, MELT over.”

[adalinexvanpay]

tyson-collins.

Tyson rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yes, I remember.” He shook his head repeatedly. “No, no, no. She uh, doesn’t like me like that.” Tyson laughed and placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. “Of course we’re friends, Addy.” He replied. 

“She’s lovely, you know,” Adaline said, gently pressing a little further. She believed Tyson at his word that there wasn’t anything currently happening between him and Katherine… that didn’t mean she didn’t want to dig a little more into her friend’s… love life? Was that what she was doing? “A little rough around the edges, but I sort of came to the conclusion that everyone around here just moves too slow for her, so I don’t take it too personally.” Adaline shot Tyson a sideways glance. “Do you like her like that, Ty?”

[adalinexvanpay]

tyson-collins.

Tyson shook his head and laughed. “I know you would never let me bake alone.” He tilted his head back and laughed louder. “Me? Trying to impress someone? No, no. I’m just making something for Kat. She’s just a friend, I promise.” He said, cracking his fingers. “At least with you here, she might actually eat them.” He shrugged. 

“I know who Kat is,” Adaline reminded him. “We were dating when you guys met, remember?” It was ancient history, but she still grinned at the memory. “You can tell me if you’re not just friends, you know,” she said. “We’re friends, right?”

[adalinexvanpay]

tyson-collins.

“Addy. Come on, you don’t have to lie to me. If you have other things to do, you don’t have to help me.” He replied. “But you do know I suck at baking. I would really appreciate the help.” 

“Ty, I really have NOTHING to do. But you said BAKING! Do you really think that I’m going to let you do that all by yourself? One: baking is fun for me, and two: you’d poison whoever it is you’re trying to impress.”