you fail only if you stop

My name is Autumn Belcastro. I'm 22 and I live in Arum City. You may know my sister Emily. You can probably find me interviewing someone for the Gazette, or at a party with Ivy. Good to meet you.

[celebjunction]

[cherrysource]

[iconsfire]

[autumn-belcastro]

The Ghost of You

Autumn lay in her bed, her reading lamp illuminating her side of the room and Scott’s peaceful snoring beside her. She had long abandoned her book, and had just as long abandoned the idea that she was going to be able to sleep tonight. Instead she was just staring at the ceiling and twiddling her thumbs wishing she could wake Scott up and talk through her constantly ruminating thoughts with him. She glanced at the clock besides her bed and watched the numbers blink back at her, 3:00am. So she was alone with her thoughts for at least 3 more hours. Scott had been working hard these past few days, so maybe she’d give him four. 

The blank ceiling above her was the perfect canvas for her thoughts. Thoughts of her sister, trying to prove herself in Seattle. Thoughts of the months where they fought over a planted article, something that was so small in the face of what was the come. She started to feel scarier memories bubble to the surface and instead turned to Scott, his chest gently rising and falling with his breath. She thought through the earliest years of their relationship, the bad parts. Names that she hadn’t thought of in years came to her mind. Hayley, Sean, Nate. All people she had left behind. Eventually the name that she hadn’t allowed herself to speak since it happened popped into her mind. 

Taylor

She shook her head, her vision blurring. Only then did she realize she had been crying. Maybe this wasn’t something she would wake Scott up for. Bringing her out of her thoughts she felt a sharp pang in her stomach, looking down fast enough to see the shape of a little foot pushing against her skin. Rubbing the spot she remembered what had initiated all of these thoughts. Today Scott had brought up the topic of names, and she couldn’t help but hear the names of her past. Especially the one of a baby who never had a chance. 

Again, a small kick to pull her back. That was something that this child was always doing for her, pulling her back into reality. Already Autumn was allowing her baby to carry to weight of her damaged past, to take care of her. That wasn’t what she wanted, and that most definitely was not something her child deserved. She pulled out her notepad, propping it against her stomach, and began to write the names of all the people that this child would never hear. 

[autumn-belcastro]

Medicine

“I miss you, there it is,” she yelled through the closed door, folding her arms. She didn’t come home often, and when she did she didn’t love having the door slammed in her face, so there wasn’t as much love in her voice as intended. “Emily, I swear to god if you don’t open this door right now I’ll turn right back around to New York.” she knew deep down her sister wanted to see her, no matter how displeased she was. 

She watched the door creak open and saw a face that was just as angry as hers. “You don’t just appear on people’s doorsteps if it’s not a pity visit,” Emily grumbled. Autumn rolled her eyes and pushed the door open further. Her old apartment looked so incredibly different now. The only thing that remained the same was the endless amounts of paper strewn throughout. “Thank god you haven’t switched to digital editing. It’s so boring,” she said, collapsing on the couch. “Also, this isn’t a pity visit.” It was. “I just miss you and I haven’t seen you since Christmas,” she said, patting the cushion next to her. 

“Right, yeah, my rejection from my literal dream job isn’t a pity visit. Great poker face Autumn.” Emily poured a glass of water for her sister. She might be angry but she was still thoughtful. Gratefully Autumn accepted the glass. “I thought the Gazette was your dream job.” she joked, knowing the feeling. Editor of the Gazette was great...for about 3 years. Then you realized that there was a whole world out there. “The worst part is the asshole that got it is literally the worst journalist I’ve ever seen. He got to interview the Secretary of State and asked about his greatest fashion inspiration.” Emily complained, throwing her head back against the couch. 

Autumn placed her glass down turning toward her sister. “You are better than the San Fransisco Chronicle, Em. His dad is literally their biggest donor, he could have asked the Secretary of State what his Starbucks order was and still gotten the job,” she said, attempting to make eye contact. Finally, Emily looked up, nodding. “But, I come bearing gifts!” Autumn said, digging into her bag and pulling out a piece of paper. “The Times has so many visiting reporters come through and I met this guy from Seattle and he asked if I was interested in moving jobs, which I’m not, and I told him I’d send him a few pieces from a good reporter I knew and” she took a dramatic breath and clutched the paper to her chest, “they want you, Emily,,. Like, they need to know by Tuesday want you.” she said, sticking the paper toward her now pale-faced sister. 

Emily took the paper and scanned it, her eyes darting across the page. Autumn sat practically shaking from excitement. When Adam had gotten back to her she booked the next flight out, knowing Emily had been devastated by her rejection at the Chronicle. Slowly Emily’s face filled with color again and a smile crept across her face. “You scheming bitch.” she laughed, swatting Autumn’s arm with the paper. “Oh shut up.” Autumn replied, smiling. “So what? Are you going to take it?” she asked. Emily bit her lip, looking at the paper and then back at Autumn. “I’m moving to Seattle!” she squealed, throwing her arms around Autumn. “Seattle.” Autumn breathed, suddenly feeling the thousands of miles that would be between them. But for now she focused on just this hug. 

[yvesdot]

oc asks that reveal more than you think

Do they sleep with a stuffed animal? If they have multiple, who’s the favorite?

Can they take care of a plant? What about a pet? What about a child?

Ask them to describe their love interest.

Do they look good in red?

Speech! Speech! Speech! Speech! Will they give one, and what about?

Who will they take advice from, no matter what it is? Who won’t they take advice from, no matter what it is?

Describe them in three words. Now let them describe themself in three words.

Do complex puzzles intrigue or frustrate them?

Do they empathize with non-sentient things (dolls, plants, books…)?

What age do they most want to be right now?

They’ve won the lottery. Spend, or save?

Do they like romance in the books they read (or in the book they’re in)?

Name one thing their parents taught them.

Would they agree with the term ‘guilty pleasure’? Do they have any?

What would they consider a waste of time– other than school or work?

If money wasn’t a limit, what would they wear?

Do they like children?

Kissing: tongue or no tongue?

Do they study before tests? Practice before job interviews?

What do they like that nobody else does?

What would it take for them to break up with someone? What would be the last straw?

Do they like being called pet names? Do they call other people pet names? What’s their go-to?

Stability or novelty?

Honesty or charity?

Safety or possibility?

Talent or effort?

Forgiveness or vengeance (or…)?

Would they date a fixer-upper?

What recurring dreams do they have?

What would they do if they knew it would be forgiven?

[autumn-belcastro]

Well it’s 3am and I am bored so if anyone in the universe sees this that is why rijfeifie

Here’s some CURRENT autumn insight using these Q’s. I’m on mobile so this is going to be gross but no one is going to see it bahaha

1. No stuffed animals!

2. Autumn kills plants and fish so I imagine she’s very nervous about the child that’s on the way. Scott takes care of them at the school he teaches at so maybe it’ll survive?!!

3. “Scott is so much more than meets the eye. He is caring, comforting, funny, and honestly the best person I know. When I feel down or confused he’s the first person I want to see. He’s also kinda hot.”

4. Not her favorite color to wear but she doesn’t look bad in it.

5. Autumn gives speeches at women’s empowerment rally’s and has been highly involved in the #MeToo movement. She has come to grips with her story and wants to help other women who might be struggling.

6. She always takes advice from Ivy, who knows autumn better than she knows herself. Her mother’s advice however? Kind of touch and go.

7. Ambitious, Loyal, Thoughtful. “Focused, Hard-Working, Anxious.”

8. Autumn. Loves. A. Good. Puzzle.

9. Autumn doesn’t really feel empathy for non-sentient things, she’s far too logical for that.

10. Autumn wants to be exactly where she is right now. She never thought she would make it to 30 so she’s grateful for every year that passes, knowing many lost their lives in Arum.

11. She definitely saves it, especially with the baby on the way. Scott and her are living comfortably now, so it would be much better spent on their new child’s future. Doesn’t mean they won’t get the Tesla she has always wanted.

12. Autumn doesn’t care too much for romance books because she feels like she’s already living in one.

13. Never give up, no matter what.

14. Her guilty pleasure is definitely phish food from Ben and Jerry’s. If there’s not a pint of it in the freezer, there will be one soon.

15. She considers Scott’s cliff diving and other reckless pastimes a huge waste of time but she would never tell him that .

16. She would definitely wear Kate Spade every day. That is so much her vibe.

17. Autumn likes children, she likes going to the carnivals and things at Scott’s elementary school, but she’s also scared of children. She doesn’t want to fail at anything in life and she is infinitely scared that she would fail her child.

18. Tongue but sparingly

19. Yes. Obsessively.

20. She likes to order her food in an annoyingly specific way.

21. If someone touched her or pressured her into something she didn’t want to do, it would be over then and there.

22. Autumn loves pet names, and she calls people babe a lot, having picked it up from one of her coworkers at the times

23. Stability

24. Honesty

25. Safety

26. Talent

27. Vengeance

28. Oh ya.

29. She has a particular recurring nightmare about the bloody nightmare sneaking into her childhood home and taking Emily. She sees him, sneaking in and heading toward Emily’s room but she’s paralyzed and she can’t do anything. It always wakes her up in night sweats.

30. Steal a Tesla. Duh.

[autumn-belcastro]

In The Morning Light

Autumn sorted through the endless pile of mail that had stacked up on the kitchen table. It was her favorite thing to do on Sunday mornings, while Scott was still sleeping and the apartment was quiet. They had never gotten mail in Arum, the postal service didn’t really survive the switch, so now she treasured every piece. Another strange hold over from her past. As she threw the junk into the garbage the glint of her mothers personalized stamps caught her eye. Curiously she picked up the heavy packet, wondering what could be inside. 

Jesus Christ not another one.

She pulled out the baby magazine and tossed it away with the rest of the garbage. A handwritten note fell out of the packet. 

Saw this in the store and thought of you! You never know when a good baby magazine could come in handy, plus the clothes are just cute to look at!

Call me, 

Mom

Her mother had been hounding her about babies for about two years now. If she heard ‘You know, once the clock starts ticking...’ one more time she was going to vomit. Baby magazines, cute videos on Facebook, excited chattering about her friends who were having children, it never stopped with her mother. She understood the worry, She and Scott had been married a few years and she could vividly hear the clock ticking in her head, but she just wasn’t ready. 

She had her position at Times and was barely home enough to remember what Scott’s face looked like. When she was home she liked the peace, the routine, Sunday mornings sorting through mail. She liked her life as it was and a baby would just mess that up. Scott turned in their bed, activating the annoyingly creaky floorboard in their room and effectively drawing her out of her thoughts. She tossed away the note and walked over to the fridge for her Sunday morning cereal to hold her over until Scott woke up and could make her actual food. 

She pulled out the milk and started pouring. Soon the smell hit her and she felt an immediate need to throw up. She barely made it to the bathroom, swearing off cereal the entire way there. “Scott, I’m going to kill you!” she shouted. He was supposed to protect her from expired food items. The fridge was his domain, and this was the third morning in a row she had been sick. She heard a groan from the bedroom and marched back out to the kitchen, making as much noise as possible on her way there. She was no longer quiet, considerate wife, she was irritated, loud wife now. “Just so you know the milk expired...in three weeks.” She quieted, carefully smelling the milk. It was fine now. 

Puzzled she leaned against the counter. The baby magazine peered out of the trashcan at her. 

‘29 Superfoods to Combat Morning Sickness’

“Oh, Fuck.”

[autumn-belcastro]

Set Them Free

New York was beautiful. More beautiful than Arum by quite a bit. There, of course, were pockets of unrest here and there, especially since election night. But overall it was beautiful. Autumn and Scott had finally settled down in a great apartment on 72nd street, something she was thankful for each and every day. After he asked her to marry him everything started falling into permanence very quickly. This was the apartment they were going to spend the next while in, she had a job that she felt she would be at for the rest of her career, and Scott had found a place he loved. She finally had stability in her life, and yet she still wasn’t satisfied. 

She and Scott had regular appointments with therapists concerning Arum and what happened to them there. He still dealt with his DID and she still woke up in the middle of the night from horrific memories that haunt her. Slowly she came to grips with the fact that her dream of getting away from Arum, leaving the mess behind her, would always be just that, a dream. She may be physically in New York, but her roots were still anchored in that god-forsaken city. 

But she dealt with it. She wrote, a lot. Stories on people like her, people who had roots somewhere they didn’t want. People imprisoned in their past. She tried to understand what they could all do. How they could finally be set free. Scott could see it, could see her obsession with freedom. He could see everything. She was lucky he was there. To pull her out of her hopelessness, to remind her of the bright future they had. Scott was the only part of her roots that she would never ask to erase. 

But still, it wasn’t like the thought never crossed her mind. 

[autumn-belcastro]

Autumn Headcannons!

Her and Scott exploring New York and getting into all sorts of shenanigans

Wondering if she should change her last name to Belcastro-Sparks or just Sparks

Attempting to guess how/when Scott will pop the question

Taking special interest in covering oppressive government and war

Hating Donald Trump

[autumn-belcastro]

Ending with the Beginning || Scottumn

[autumn-belcastro]

She saw him look around at the piles and started to defend herself. “All of this is completely necessary. I promise.” She said, praying that it would all fit. “Worst case scenario we can just strap you the roof and I can drive.” She said smiling at him sweetly and touching his nose. It was still a little dizzying to think that her and Scott were settling down, but not once did she regret it.

She noticed Scott was reluctant to go back and shook her head. “No, no we don’t have to. It’s fine Scott.” She looked into his eyes and saw a small sort of panic there. “Scott this isn’t final. Not anymore, I promise. They’ll come to us, we’ll come to them. It’s okay.” She couldn’t imagine what this was doing to him, considering what had happened in the past. She took one of his hands in hers and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “It’s different now. We’re…free.”

Autumn stood and dragged him along with her to start putting stuff in suitcases. “If you want to leave today, you better help me.” She said placing the hair products and makeups into the compartments of one. “So my mother missed the chance to say goodbye to you. She still talks about the time she came in and you didn’t have a shirt on.” Autumn laughed referring to a time long ago when Scott had simply been a friend fixing her mom’s sink.

But she hadn’t brought up her parent’s for no reason. “So…I need to talk to you about something.” She said quietly tucking her hair behind her ear. Her visit with her mother a couple of weeks prior hadn’t simply been to talk about leaving. “I told my parents…about what happened to me. T-the rape.” She said, letting the word fall carefully out of her mouth. “My father convinced me to go to the police. They’re a lot better now. The new mayor really cleaned them up.” Her father had been removed as mayor when it was revealed that the bloody nightmare had been blackmailing him. It was something their family was working past. “Anyway. We went. And they opened it up. Started looking into it you know? Well since I remembered what he looked like and kept a lot of stuff from that night they took a sketch, asked me some questions, collected all the information they could and told me they’d call me in a few days.”

Autumn took a deep breath and looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"They found him. That’s why I haven’t packed. I was at the police station because they found him. It was some DNA on my clothing. That’s all it took." She had been able to see him, in handcuffs, staring at her behind bars. "I didn’t want to tell you because I know you were focusing on the move and everything and I didn’t want you worrying about it. I thought I might tell you now, considering I might have to fly back in a few months for court."

[recklessspark]

“Har-har,” he deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “How about we strap you the hood?” Scott wrinkled his nose when she poked it, before his mouth broke into a grin.

He felt himself starting to relax when she grabbed his hand, her lips pressing gently against his clean-shaven cheek. How did Autumn always just know? He released a breath, his shoulders seeming to drop a burden he wasn’t aware of. Scott knew he needed to get over this fear; she was right, things were different this time.  Because they were free. God, it was still hard to get used to that. Scott was sure part of him still didn’t register that.

He allowed himself to be pulled along by her, a soft smile on his face. Even if he was being ridiculous, he was glad that she didn’t point it out. She just let him deal with things at his own pace, and sometimes that was all he needed.

She began taking charge, as she did best, and soon they were being productive once more. Frankly, all of the goop and stuff they were packing of hers diidn’t really seem necessary, but he just shrugged his shoulders and shoved it into the bags she handed him. As long as they had the room, he didn’t think it was fair for him to tell her couldn’t bring things that mattered to her.

Scott let out a laugh at the memory. They’d been so awkward then; neither one of them had been sure as to what their relationship was. He was relieved that they’d sorted everything out. Though, Mrs. Belcastro’s confused and slightly horrified face never would cease to make him crack up. He was also glad they’d sorted that out—she wasn’t as scary as Autumn had made her out to be. She was just like Scott’s mother, in that she cared.

When Autumn’s voice changed from cheerful to unsure, Scott looked up at her. The sudden serious tone made him know that something was up.

At the mention of the rape, Scott’s mind was transported back to that day in the clearing. It might have been the first time he’d ever seen her break down. He’d never realized how skilled Autumn was at hiding her emotions until then. It must have been hard for her to open the wound up again, because something like that doesn’t scab over so easily.

“You could have told me, you know,” he said quietly, averting his gaze. It hurt that after all this time, she still couldn’t tell him things. “You don’t have to be so worried about me all the time.” He took her hand in his, holding it loosely and rubbing his thumb back and forth over her fingers. It gave him something to concentrate on so he wouldn’t have to pay attention to his words.  “I would have gone with you…if you wanted.” He hated how she dealt with stuff all by herself. Wasn’t that what he was there for? “Still, I’m glad that you did that—told them, I mean. That must have been hard for you.”

His blue eyes rose to meet hers. “But it paid off. You did it.” He could imagine her standing in the police station, shoulders back, trying to look like she wasn’t hurt at all. “I’m proud of you, Autumn.” She amazed him every day with her strength. He was in awe of her, all the time.

Maybe after the court date, she could finally begin to heal. Really heal. It’d been a long process thus far, but having the asshole that did this to her behind bars might allow her to rest easy. His jaw clenched at the thought of it. There were a lot of fucked up people in the world, and now they would be exposed to so much more of them.

“This really is a new start,” he realized. “Everything is going to be different from now on.” It was a second chance, for both of them.  

[autumn-belcastro]

"It was hard. My mom cried, my dad nearly punched a wall. I think...I think half the reason I hadn't told them was because up until now we've been 'The Belcastro's'. Perfect you know? My dad sort of crashed that train so I guess the pressure was off." She folded a pair of jeans and placed them neatly in the suitcase biting her lip. "I know I should of told you but I needed this Scott. If I had walked into that station, hiding behind you, this angry pissed off boyfriend...well that would have been expected. I wanted him to know, that I wasn't scared. I'll never be scared of him again. That I could face him alone. I just...it was selfish, but I needed it. Your protectiveness is cute, but I'm a tough cookie." She knew that he was proud of her. He had been so supportive through the whole process, and she couldn't ask for a better boyfriend. "But at that court date, he can definitely see pissed off boyfriend. The grand finale." She said rolling her eyes and smiling a little.

"Yeah, brand new. Okay, I have one more thing to say before we're in the clear." She said, hesitant again. She sort of regretted dropping all the bombs at once now. He could still just go home. "So...since Hayley left, you haven't been...you've been more predictable." Autumn gulped, her stomach still turning at the thoughts of the mess of a relationship they had once had. "But...I still worry about you. And I'm overprotective and sneaky and I know you hate when I get involved-" She stopped talking and reached over to her purse, pulling out a card and handing it over. "He's the best doctor in New York. He's really interested in our situation."

She twisted her fingers and looked at him. "Understand why I get involved. I almost...I thought I was going to lose you for a little bit there. I can't risk losing you again." She let him read the card and shoved some more things in a bag. 

[autumn-belcastro]

Ending with the Beginning || Scottumn

[autumn-belcastro]

She smiled as Scott’s face came into view. “It’s fine. I just have so much stuff.” It wasn’t so much the packing that was overwhelming her at this point. It was leaving. She was leaving this city. No one really knew what to call it. Arum, Arareium, the logistics were still being worked out. Half of her life had been perfect. Carefully planned out by some gentle tyrant, like a game. The next half had been hell. But never, in all her life, had she left.

Would Autumn Belcastro still hold as much value out in the real world?

But she looked at Scott, his eyes sparkling like the ocean, and knew it would be fine. He was her rock, and he wasn’t going anywhere. “I can’t believe it either. We made it Scott. Unscathed, for the most part. Now we can start brand new, far away, and together. Today, if I can get all of this in your car.” She smiled at him and nodded toward her whirlwind of things. “Still sure you want to live with me?” She asked laughing.

Her and Scott had become very serious since the gates opened. Her parents and Ivy were on constant ring watch. Autumn, however, would never pressure Scott into that kind of decision. They had a whole, long life ahead of them, and for once, she could be patient. Autumn hated to admit that since Hayley disappeared she felt more comfortable with Scott. It wasn’t a constant battle.

She shook her head of these thoughts and sat up. “Did you get everything out of your house? I half hope you left something behind because I never got to say goodbye to Chester and Logan.” She had grown close to the whole Sparks family, spending many nights at their house ‘preparing for the move’. She was excited to meet his extended family on the way to New York.

[recklessspark]

Her brown eyes locked onto his, and his whole body felt like it was tingling. We made it. Thinking too much about it made the uncomfortable ball of emotion inside of him want to burst, so he was happy when she shifted the subject.

Scott puffed out his cheeks, before releasing the breath. There were piles of Autumn’s belongings everywhere, and his Corvette was only so big. Still, he couldn’t help but smile and shake his head, because this wasn’t any surprise to him. He hadn’t expected anything less from Autumn; she always had to be prepared for anything.

“Of course I still want to live with you.” He grinned at her. ”I’m just not sure if I’ll still fit with all this stuff.” Seriously, the amount of stuff she was bringing made him reconsider the few suitcases he had packed. He just hadn’t felt like a lot of it was necessary. He’d packed some clothes, toiletries, a few snacks for the road, but what else did he need? It wasn’t like he couldn’t buy something if he forgot it along the way. Plus, his brothers were shipping out the boxes he’d taped up. He couldn’t fathom what Autumn could possibly be bringing, but he didn’t ask questions.

“I mean…we can go back, if you want,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes scanned the room. The idea of going back scared him. They were finally almost out—why were they going back? “But, I don’t know. The whole ‘saying goodbye’ thing, it just…it seems so final, you know? Like that’s it, forever.” Like last time. He sighed. “I just…. I gave them a hug and told them I’d see them around, and then I left.” Chester knew it was their goodbye; Scott could tell, because Chester always seemed to know these things.

The last time he’d said goodbye to his family was the last time they’d tried to leave Arum, and look how that turned out? It’s not going to happen like that again. Scott shook his head; he was being stupid again, wasn’t he? He rubbed his face with his hands.

[autumn-belcastro]

She saw him look around at the piles and started to defend herself. "All of this is completely necessary. I promise." She said, praying that it would all fit. "Worst case scenario we can just strap you the roof and I can drive." She said smiling at him sweetly and touching his nose. It was still a little dizzying to think that her and Scott were settling down, but not once did she regret it.

She noticed Scott was reluctant to go back and shook her head. "No, no we don't have to. It's fine Scott." She looked into his eyes and saw a small sort of panic there. "Scott this isn't final. Not anymore, I promise. They'll come to us, we'll come to them. It's okay." She couldn't imagine what this was doing to him, considering what had happened in the past. She took one of his hands in hers and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "It's different now. We're...free."

Autumn stood and dragged him along with her to start putting stuff in suitcases. "If you want to leave today, you better help me." She said placing the hair products and makeups into the compartments of one. "So my mother missed the chance to say goodbye to you. She still talks about the time she came in and you didn't have a shirt on." Autumn laughed referring to a time long ago when Scott had simply been a friend fixing her mom's sink.

But she hadn't brought up her parent's for no reason. "So...I need to talk to you about something." She said quietly tucking her hair behind her ear. Her visit with her mother a couple of weeks prior hadn't simply been to talk about leaving. "I told my parents...about what happened to me. T-the rape." She said, letting the word fall carefully out of her mouth. "My father convinced me to go to the police. They're a lot better now. The new mayor really cleaned them up." Her father had been removed as mayor when it was revealed that the bloody nightmare had been blackmailing him. It was something their family was working past. "Anyway. We went. And they opened it up. Started looking into it you know? Well since I remembered what he looked like and kept a lot of stuff from that night they took a sketch, asked me some questions, collected all the information they could and told me they'd call me in a few days."

Autumn took a deep breath and looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"They found him. That's why I haven't packed. I was at the police station because they found him. It was some DNA on my clothing. That's all it took." She had been able to see him, in handcuffs, staring at her behind bars. "I didn't want to tell you because I know you were focusing on the move and everything and I didn't want you worrying about it. I thought I might tell you now, considering I might have to fly back in a few months for court."

[autumn-belcastro]

Ending with the Beginning || Scottumn

Autumn rushed around her house, putting things into their respective piles. Hair products here, toiletries here, random clothing she finds here. Slowly her apartment was emptying out. She was leaving her apartment for her sister to take care of, but most of it was being shipped to New York for her new apartment with Scott. Her life was finally falling into a comfortable place. The New York Times had recognized her for her coverage on Arum’s war with the bloody nightmare, asking her to come out for a small editing position. Emily had gotten her dream of taking Autumn’s place, and Autumn was moving on to bigger and better things

As she threw a hair brush into the hair products pile and collapsed onto her - well now her sisters- couch. In her head she ran a mental checklist, making sure everything was done. The house was carefully labeled, so Emily would only have to call in an emergency. The keys to her mini cooper were on the counter so when Emily came out she could drop it off. Autumn knew there wasn’t much driving in New York but she couldn’t leave her car.

Lost in her thoughts she barely noticed the door open.

[recklessspark]

Freedom.

It was a funny word. Not like he’d never heard it uttered before, but it almost seemed like something out of a fairy tale, or a dream.

Freedom.

It reminded him of when he was a little kid, and he’d sat on his father’s shoulders, trying to reach out and grasp the air as the wind caressed his face. It wasn’t something you could touch; it wasn’t obtainable.

Freedom.

But now it was finally here, and at first, Scott didn’t know how to feel about.

Sure, everyone always talked about being free of this place and what they would do and how and when, but now that the time was finally (actually, really!) here, he was dumbfounded. There wasn’t a manual for “What to Do When the City’s Crazy-Ass Tyrant That Has You Captive Finally Kills Himself.” As much as he awaited the day, he wasn’t prepared for it. Fantasy and reality were two very different things. After he and Autumn had decided to take a “realistic” approach and pulled their heads out of the clouds, he didn’t fantasize about the fateful day and what they would do. And then it seemed like he blinked, and it was here.

Now that it was an actual thing that was happening, and not just an idea, there was so much to think about. And, frankly, all this thinking made his head hurt.

There had been a lot of arranging (which Autumn is very good at) and devising (also very good at) until they’d decided on a plan. To be honest, Scott didn’t really care where they went, or when, as long as he was with her. She’d always had a path she wanted to follow, and he just felt lucky to be along for the ride. Besides, they were going to New York—people always found something for them in New York.

They were driving across the country (in his car, of course), making a bunch of stops along the way—his aunt’s ranch, Six Flags Great Adventure, you name it. After all, the two of them couldn’t cross everything off on their bucket lists in New York alone. And there was so much out there.

He never found out what’d happened to Hayley; he’d gone to her apartment to tell her the good news, only to find her gone. She must have left immediately after the doors opened, but she never said goodbye. He tried not to think too hard about it.

Scott let out a breath, shaking his head to return to reality, his blonde hair tickling his forehead. He knocked lightly on the front door before entering, not really asking for permission but rather telling her he was coming in. It wasn’t like he didn’t have a key at this point.

“How’s the packing going?” he asked, closing the front door behind him. He eyed her exhausted appearance. That bad, huh?  Scott crossed over to the edge of the couch and nudged her legs to the side, sitting in their place before resting them on his lap.

 “Well, look at it this way,” he reasoned, turning his head to face her. “At least we’ll be gone for awhile, so the amount of time you spent packing is nothing compared to how long we’ll be away.” 

Packing . They were leaving.

“It’s all so…surreal, isn’t it?” He sighed, resting his arms on top of her legs as his eyes turned to the wall. “I still can’t believe it.”

[autumn-belcastro]

She smiled as Scott's face came into view. "It's fine. I just have so much stuff." It wasn't so much the packing that was overwhelming her at this point. It was leaving. She was leaving this city. No one really knew what to call it. Arum, Arareium, the logistics were still being worked out. Half of her life had been perfect. Carefully planned out by some gentle tyrant, like a game. The next half had been hell. But never, in all her life, had she left.

Would Autumn Belcastro still hold as much value out in the real world?

But she looked at Scott, his eyes sparkling like the ocean, and knew it would be fine. He was her rock, and he wasn't going anywhere. "I can't believe it either. We made it Scott. Unscathed, for the most part. Now we can start brand new, far away, and together. Today, if I can get all of this in your car." She smiled at him and nodded toward her whirlwind of things. "Still sure you want to live with me?" She asked laughing.

Her and Scott had become very serious since the gates opened. Her parents and Ivy were on constant ring watch. Autumn, however, would never pressure Scott into that kind of decision. They had a whole, long life ahead of them, and for once, she could be patient. Autumn hated to admit that since Hayley disappeared she felt more comfortable with Scott. It wasn't a constant battle.

She shook her head of these thoughts and sat up. "Did you get everything out of your house? I half hope you left something behind because I never got to say goodbye to Chester and Logan." She had grown close to the whole Sparks family, spending many nights at their house 'preparing for the move'. She was excited to meet his extended family on the way to New York.

[autumn-belcastro]

Ending with the Beginning || Scottumn

Autumn rushed around her house, putting things into their respective piles. Hair products here, toiletries here, random clothing she finds here. Slowly her apartment was emptying out. She was leaving her apartment for her sister to take care of, but most of it was being shipped to New York for her new apartment with Scott. Her life was finally falling into a comfortable place. The New York Times had recognized her for her coverage on Arum's war with the bloody nightmare, asking her to come out for a small editing position. Emily had gotten her dream of taking Autumn's place, and Autumn was moving on to bigger and better things

As she threw a hair brush into the hair products pile and collapsed onto her - well now her sisters- couch. In her head she ran a mental checklist, making sure everything was done. The house was carefully labeled, so Emily would only have to call in an emergency. The keys to her mini cooper were on the counter so when Emily came out she could drop it off. Autumn knew there wasn't much driving in New York but she couldn't leave her car.

Lost in her thoughts she barely noticed the door open.

[autumn-belcastro]

Maybe my parents should learn to mind their own.

[ella-grey-deactivated20131025]

Parents can be quite a nuisance sometimes, can’t they? 

What happened?

[autumn-belcastro]

I just hoped that when I moved out it would stop.

They're worried about the public image I'm putting out.

[autumn-belcastro]

So how is everyone, I feel so cut off.

[seth-c-fox-deactivated20131029]

Oh, you know me, Nancy Drew. Trying to stay out of trouble — for the most part.

[autumn-belcastro]

Oh, that’s an impossible task in this city. 

[seth-c-fox-deactivated20131029]

What is? Me staying out of trouble?

I’ve actually been staying out of trouble quite well, Nancy Drew. Things have changed a little I guess.

[autumn-belcastro]

Everything has changed actually. This town is not the same anymore.

[recklessspark]

Comfort | Scott & Autumn

[autumn-belcastro]

Autumn stood outside Scott’s door holding a carton of crackers. She felt like he deserved something after the way she had treated him. She had been so horrible to him lately, and it made her uneasy. All of her senses told her to give up, to admit defeat, but she was Autumn Belcastro, and she loved Scott. She would never leave him. 

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Tonight was not about the problems. It was about them, as a couple. That was what she was looking forward to.

[recklessspark]

At the knocking sound, Scott crossed to the front door in the living room and opened it. Even though he’d been expecting her, his whole face lit up when he saw Autumn standing there.

 “Hey,” he said, grinning, like it was his face’s instinctive reaction upon seeing her. He stepped aside to let her in, before closing the door behind them.

Scott stepped toward her and rested a hand on her waist, his blue eyes peering into hers. It had been awhile since she’d been here with him, in his house, on common ground. His eyes flickered to her lips, and he leaned down to kiss her. When their lips touched, everything became simple—pure and whole, like how it was supposed to be.

His hand brushed against hers when he touched something hard and unexpected. He pulled away and looked down at her hand, spotting the small box of crackers she was holding. A knowing smile formed on his face; Autumn Belcastro never went anywhere empty-handed.

“Dinner’s almost ready, if you’re hungry,” he told her, jerking a thumb towards the kitchen.

[autumn-belcastro]

When she saw Scott's face she could have melted right there. He loved her so much, and it was easy to forget that when they weren't together, but when they were together it was so clear it was almost heart breaking. She stepped in and turned to face him, never saying a word. They didn't need words. Words are what made everything confusing, words made her head spin. 

She looked into his eyes, and noticing when they looked down at her lips. She felt some strange calmness when they kissed. Something that she couldn't experience anywhere else but in his arms. He noticed the crackers in her hand and she smiled handing them to him. "I thought we might want these." She said grabbing his free hand and dragging him toward the kitchen with her. She could smell the chili and it was absolutely mouth watering. 

She spotted the pot and peered in, looking back at him. "Oh my god that smells so great. This has potential to be better than the pasta." she said smiling.

[autumn-belcastro]

Maybe my parents should learn to mind their own.