THE SYCOPHANT.

AVERY HILL. 21. FAIRFAX, VA. REPUBLICAN. INTERN TO MRS CYNTHIA BELL AT THE HOMEFRONT FOUNDATION.

[avery-hill]

lolavillarin‌:

Running sucks. The same two words play themselves over and over inside Lola’s head as she struggles through her last lap for the day — which might as well turn out to be her last lap for good. Panting for breath, she nears the water fountain… and if small talk is the price she has to pay for hydration, fuck, so be it. 

“So pretty,” Lola breathes, nodding along. With the opening, she dips her dead down to the fountain, drinking from it. Not enough, she goes in for a second time. It takes a few seconds; finally, she’s able to will her body to stand back straight — droplets of sweat all around her hairline, her chest. Lululemon ads never looked quite this… moist. “Yeah. Well, it’s quite brave of you.” Don’t make a joke. Don’t make a joke. Don’t make a joke. “You put sunscreen on, right?” 

Slowly, the face clicks in Lola’s mind. Quinn’s boyfriend’s girlfriend. Or something along those lines. Not that she had ever registered a name. “Lola,” she offers on her own end. “I intern with the Supreme Court.” 

Avery doesn’t miss the poke at her fair -- not pale, pale meant sickly, and she looked far from sickly -- complexion, but she chooses to ignore it. There’s no use picking a fight this early in the morning, it would just put her in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Besides, she didn’t recognise this girl, so that meant she probably wasn’t important enough to take up much of Avery’s time.

“I wear moisturiser with SPF.” She answers instead, “It’s better for the skin, gives it a nice glow, too.” The girl seems to have a change of heart as she introduces herself to Avery -- finally figuring out that being rude wouldn’t get her anyway, Avery supposes. She looks the girl up and down, Supreme Court intern, she had to admit, was rather impressive. Either this girl had some strong connections with higher-ups, or she managed to stand out enough on paper to impress them. 

“Avery,” She offers in turn, “I’m interning with the Homefront Foundation. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lola.” 

[avery-hill]

perseusandrews‌:

Percy nodded, a weight lifted off his shoulders as he slides his phone back into his pocket. Not before he catches messages from Quinn, though. He refrains from letting his body tense up at all, finishing his beer quickly. He doesn’t dare answer them in front of Avery. “I wouldn’t call myself a natural,” he shrugged. “I just know what my dad wants to hear. A learned skill, if you will.” A survival skill, he thought to himself. Sure, maybe he had gotten a kick out of it, but was the kick the thrill of it all? The fact that for once in his life, he wasn’t scared of what was going to happen to him? He didn’t dwell on the thought too long. 

“Just gonna throw this out,” he says, shaking his empty craft bottle, realizing that there’s a little more in his system than he had expected. A little bit of liquid courage goes a long way, he thought to himself. Something one of his first romances had told him when he was too nervous to make a move. “Grab myself a glass of water,” he says as he moves into the kitchen, slyly pulling out his phone to send a quick message before he gets back to Avery. “Want anything else? Or, a more pertinent question, what are you up to for the next few hours? Wanna help me get this place unpacked a bit? I could really use an extra set of eyes to help me decorate,” he said, a gentle smile on his face.

Avery shrugs, “I’d argue that makes you a natural. There’s nobody else who would be able to convince him as well as you just did. I don’t think I could have.” She’s careful to avoid the word lie -- after all, if they’re going to pull this off, the first people they need to convince are themselves. They need to live as though what they were selling was true, the closer they came to the truth, the less likely they were to slip up. And Avery didn’t do ‘slip ups’, she did everything perfectly or not at all, and this rouse was going to be no exception. Not ruse, relationship. Need to form good habits.

Avery nods as Percy excuses himself, fiddling with the hem of her skirt as she waits for him to return. She glances around the apartment curiously, reading labels on boxes and observing the scarce few things that have managed to be unpacked. She looks up again as he returns, a smile on her lips as he asks what she’s up to for the next few hours. “Thank God, Percy. I thought you’d never ask. I can barely stand the state of this place, I don’t know how you’ve put up with living out of boxes for so long, I was unpacked within a few hours.” She chuckles, “And my taste is unparalleled, so you’ve come to the right place.”

[avery-hill]

adamconnelly‌:

Some part of him had futilely hoped that the early hour would mean he would have little company. It had been a convenient enough location for a run - after all, his office building was within walking distance, and a quick dip into the gym for a shower and a stop for coffee would mean he could get into his office about as early as possible. 

Of course, no such luck, and no luck, either, at evading conversation. He mirrored her polite smile and nodded her way. She looked no older than a college student - incredibly young, to his eyes. “Oh - yeah. Nothin’ like it.” Waterbottle in hand, he had come for a refill, screwing the top off and glancing back at the blonde for a moment. “It’s pretty popular over here, whenever it’s warm enough.” While he fills his bottle, he studies her for a second, mulling over her. “NoVA?” He proposes, tipping his head. “None of my business, course, but it sounds like you’re from my neck of the woods.”

It doesn’t take her more than a moment to place Adam Connelly’s face -- she would seem incredibly ill-informed if she didn’t at least know the names and faces of the Congressmen from her on state, wouldn’t she? Besides, Adam was an easy one to remember, the Connelly’s all but a household name in Virginia at this point. “I can understand why,” Avery says, looking around at the scenery that surrounds them, “I don’t understand how anybody can ever get used to this view, makes me feel like I’m in a movie or something.”

“Fairfax.” She says with a smile, though it may have been a few years since she’d lived there permanently, Avery’s accent was still a dead giveaway of her roots. “I know who you are, of course, sir. It’s an honour to meet you.”

[avery-hill]

qprice‌:

It was early. But Quinn was a morning person. He was a night and afternoon person as well that was true, but he liked to get to work early. Enthusiasm was a perfectly valid way of getting noticed, it had worked for him so far. Besides taking a nice walk from his favorite coffee shop, to the White House iced coffee in hand sounded like a good way to clear his head for the work day. At least that was what he had expected before a figure ran past him and stopped at a water fountain ahead. Normally some blonde girl running around would not catch his interest, but well …

Okay, maybe Quinn had spent some time stalking this “Avery” girl’s instagram after Percy told him about the “relationship” they were pretending to have. Only a little bit of time. It wasn’t weird, it was curiosity. In all honesty … she just looked like every single Upper East Side girl he’d gone to high school with – which was the nicer thoughts he’d had. Not that she absolutely looked like she was the sort of girl who would call him a homophobic slur or something. Which must be very unfair of him to think. She was helping Percy, right?

That had to mean she was at least not terrible? Right?

Either way … He didn’t know her. But, he couldn’t be blamed for the curiosity that caused his legs that took him in her direction.

“There are no new ideas under the sun, as they say,” Quinn said with a polite smile, as he lowered the ice coffee in his hands. “Your name is Avery, isn’t it?” He offered his hand for her to shake, “my name is Quinn. I’ve heard about you through some mutual friends.” One. “I wanted to say hello.”

Quinn. Avery has to work hard to keep her face passive as she hears his name, her mind instantly switching into a higher gear as she looks him up and down. He’s attractive, she notes, handsome, one might even say. At least Percy has taste. She didn’t know much about him, in fact, she couldn’t have picked the man out of a line up before this moment, she only knew what Percy had mentioned in passing -- that they’d met at the Fourth of July party and had hit it off. What -- if anything -- had transpired after that was conveniently omitted from the story, and so Avery took this to mean that nothing had transpired.

She did still think it was rather odd that Percy had texted him before they went ‘official’ on social media, but she’d done her best to ignore the uneasiness she felt about this. Surely he wouldn’t have given up their ruse before it already began?

“I’ve not heard that one before.” She says with a laugh. Anyone who knew her better than just in passing would have been able to detect the fact that it sounded stilted, forced, but she counted on Quinn not being one of those people. She doesn’t question the fact that he already knows her name ( why wouldn’t he, after all? ), and whether or not this is self-absorbed never crosses her mind. “It is.” She answers, taking his hand with what she imagines to be a fairly close approximation of a friendly smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Quinn. I’ve only heard about you by name, I’ve never had a face to put it to.”

[avery-hill]

perseusandrews‌:

Percy nods, the words stuck in his throat, refusing to come out. He could feel the pit in his stomach growing larger and larger, threatening to swallow him and all his lies whole. It was better this way, though. If Avery thought he was actually holding up his end of the bargain, at least if it fell apart she’d be surprised enough. He didn’t want to think about how hurt she might be, though. He pushed the thought aside. He also knew if it got out any further that it would be him that would have hell to pay. That his father would tear him to shreds before Avery ever got the chance. So… at least there was that. Her gentle squeeze on his hand is comforting, despite the fact that he feels like a fraud for feeling safe within her grasp. 

“Yeah… yeah. It’s… It’s not,” he said, trying to reassure himself. He looks up at her again, his eyes never really being able to focus for too long on her without a twinge of guilt, but he tries. He knows from experience that eye contact is the key to making someone believe you. “I really appreciate this, and you, Avery. A lot.” he says, holding her hands softly in return, savouring the moment before he felt his phone vibrating more agressively. He picked it up, looked at it. Dad. He showed Avery the phone screen before picking it up and holding the phone to his ear.

“Your mother just told me what she saw you post… Is it true son? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“Hey dad,” he said gently. “It kind of just… happened,” he trailed. “You know us, we’ve always been close,” he said. He told his dad little, that Avery was here with him, that they were happy together. That it was still new. The lies started to flow off his tounge like they were a perfected script instead of a haphazard truth. Maybe it was because he knew his survival relied on his performance. His father’s voice echoed through the phone line, probably loud enough that Avery could hear despite the phone not being on speakerphone. He mentioned something briefly about First Lady and Don’t screw it up. He cringed a little, as he hung up. “Sorry… my dad can be a little… Well, you know my dad….” he trailed. “You’re right,” he said, proud of the charade he just pulled off on the phone. Dare he say, Percy kind of got a kick out of it. “Nothing to worry about. We can do this.”

Avery shrugs, “You don’t have to thank me,” Tumbling from her lips, though she basks in even the slightest bit of gratitude that Percy is showing her. In theory, she deserves it. In theory, she’s putting her own neck on the line to try and help out a friend, and if this were ever to come to light -- which, if she had it her way, it never would -- then she would either be caught out as a liar or a fool. Avery, of course, didn’t intend to be either. If she played her cards right, this situation could stand to benefit her as much as it helped Percy, catapulting her to a higher status, along for the ride while Percy made his way up the ranks. If he could keep up the ruse for long enough, she imagined they might even see themselves in the White House.

She was getting ahead of herself.

Her eyes light up as Percy shows her the caller ID, immediately grasping the gravity of the call. This was the first hurdle, convincing their families of the lie. Of course, Avery had little doubt that Percy’s parents would take the bait -- they seemed desperate to see their son with any woman, and Avery was like pick of the litter. She anticipated that they would be far too excited about this all to probe too deeply with questions.

Avery doesn’t mean to listen in on their conversation, but Percy’s father speaks down the phone so loudly that it’s quite difficult not to. She misses bits, but hears enough to discern that he had, in fact, bought it. If she hadn’t been speaking to him only moments ago, Avery could even be forgiven in thinking that Percy sounded confident when speaking to his father. “That went well.” She says as he ends the call, a smile on her lips. This, dare she say it, was fun. “He sounded excited.” She notes, “You’re a natural.”

[lucyboyntonstills]

Lucy Boynton at the Bohemian Rhapsody Press Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel - October 8th, 2018 (Part 1)

[avery-hill]

avery hill + social media : instagram

[avery-hill]

perseusandrews‌:

He could feel his phone in his lap vibrating, notification after notification popping onto his lockscreen. Likes, comments, a handful of text messages from old friends. Get it man! one said. Finally! another said, a mutual friend of both him and Avery who had pried for ages when they were getting together because You two would have the cutest children!! It was enough to make him nauseous. He pushed it back down with another swig of his beer. “We really are… aren’t we?” Good god. What in the fuck had he gotten himself into?

He looked down at the rim of his beer bottle, fiddled with the label for a moment before looking up at Avery, an excited smile perched on the edge of her lips.“Ave, If this… if this ever goes sideways… Just pretend you didn’t know about it, okay?” Percy said, looking up a her, catching her eyes. There was a hint of depressed desperation in his voice where there had been anxiety before.. “I don’t - I don’t want to drag you down with me. You don’t need that.”

“It’s great, isn’t it?” Avery says, eyes fixed on her phone as dozens of notifications start popping up on her screen, entirely oblivious to the trepidation in Percy’s voice. The likes were pouring in and she was receiving messages from friends from Virginia, Yale, and even some new ones she’d made since coming to DC. She’d always craved attention, ever since she was a child, learning to speak loudly and command the attention, and this volume of it -- if only virtual and undeserved -- was nearly euphoric. She’d expect a phone call from her parents soon, her mother would congratulate her for finally snagging a decent man, tell her to grab on with talons and not let go.

She finally looks up from her phone when Percy speaks again, a puzzled look coming across her face. “It’s not going to go sideways.” Avery says, unjustified certainty in her voice. She knew that Percy had more to lose than she did if news of their lie ever saw the light of day, which is why she was certain he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise their position. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t considered contingency plans -- playing the betrayed lover would be a role all too easy to slip into -- but she didn’t think she would need them, not for as long as Percy was stuck under his father’s thumb. Not so long as he wanted to find success in the avenue he’d chosen. 

She grabs one of his hands and gives it a squeeze, the closest to reassuring that she can muster. “I’m not going to tell anyone, Percy, and as long as you do the same, I don’t see how anyone will find out. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

[avery-hill]

perseusandrews‌:

Percy nodded. “Yeah, Hans Starke,” he mumbles as he pulls up Quinn’s number. “He uh… He thinks I can go far in politics. He’s going to teach me the ropes of playing the game. That’s all politics is, lying, isn’t it?” he shrugged. He knew that was how his father got along in life. He didn’t tell Avery the truth though, about Hans. She didn’t need to know that there was someone else in on his little charade. About the fact that he saw him kissing Quinn in New York. “I just uh… just someone I’ve… Quinn. I need to message Quinn,” Percy said, typing something out. “I just don’t want him to think I’m a complete asshole,” he said, shrugging, playing it off as if it was a lot less than what it really was. 

He had told Avery about Quinn briefly, a boy he met at the Fourth of July Party. But he hadn’t told her that he had travelled all the way to New York to hook up with him, nor had he told her that he actively wanted to see him again. He really shouldn’t be keeping secrets from her, but something in him told him to. Just this one, for himself. Maybe he’d tell her if it went anywhere else, after all of this, but right now, he wasn’t sure it was going to. Why put that on her? He sent the message quick, turning the notifications onto do not disturb so that they wouldn’t pop up around Avery, tilted his phone so she couldn’t peer over his shoulder. 

OUTGOING TO: Quinn Price

It isn’t what it looks like.

“Okay… okay. Let’s do this,” he said, pulling up his draft on his Instagram. They had talked about the perfect way to reveal this information. Big, flashy. Old Hollywood photo of them from a benefit they had gone to recently, one both their parents had attended. The caption was picturesque, and so was the photo. “Three… Two… One…” he said, sending the photo into the universe. He put his phone down, took a swig of his craft beer. “Done.”

“Hm.” Avery hums, impressed. She may not know Hans Starke personally, but if he sees enough potential in Percy to try and teach him the ropes... that had to be a good sign, didn’t it? She, of course, has long thought that Percy has the potential to go far -- she wouldn’t be backing him like this if she didn’t believe in him. Still, hearing that the rich and powerful of DC also saw potential in the man she’d chosen to back was reassuring, the dreams of power and adoration that existed deep in her mind growing clearer and closer by the second.

“Oh.” Quinn. She’d heard about Quinn, if only briefly. She knew very little about the man, and she didn’t particularly care to learn more. She knew that he and Percy had met at the Fourth of July party -- one she had unfortunately been absent from due to an awful cold that had plagued her the entire week preceding -- but she had imagined that to be the end of the story. Why, then, was Percy sending him messages just moments before their ‘relationship’ became official? “Okay then.” She says, making a note to dig into this more later. 

Avery forces the smile back onto her face as Percy pulls up the drafted post. God, she really did look incredible in that photo. She watches in anticipation as Percy counts down, clapping enthusiastically the moment he presses post. “You did it!” She giggles, feeling her own phone buzz with the notification that she’s been tagged in something. “Let me go like it.” She says, pulling the device out and liking the post, commenting a couple of hearts for good measure. “We are going to be all people can talk about.”

[perseusandrews]

[ july 29, 2020. percy and avery make their relationship public ] 

@avery-hill

[avery-hill]

perseusandrews‌:

Percy nodded, chuckling a little. “I think the cheapest bottle in here is at least $50, so you’re good on that one,” he said as he headed into the kitchen to pour her a drink, pulling out one of the fine wine glasses from his cupboard and popping open a bottle from the shelf. He followed up with a cider for himself. Nothing too strong. He wasn’t trying to forget this was happening. 

“Don’t worry,” he said, handing her the glass as he took a seat beside her. “It won’t be a habit. Promise,” he said, although he wished he really meant it. He had told her a lot, but there were some things that were still his secrets to harbour. “I don’t know if you’ve ever met him, Hans Starke….Big Oil CEO. He, uh… we ran into each other the other day…. and… suffice to say, he’s kind of decided to take me under his wing and teach me some of the ropes. I’ll be better. It’s just…” he exhaled again, hoping pushing the air out of his lungs for the thousandth time would help him ground his train of thought. This time, it kind of helped. “Let’s just get this over with before I actually lose it. The suspense is killing me,” he said, pulling his phone out of his pocket, before he paused. “Wait a second,” he said. “I’m just gonna… I have to send a text first.”

Avery hums contentedly as Percy tells her about the price of the wine -- if she was going to drink it, she would need to make sure she was only drinking the very best, there was no class at all in drinking cheap alcohol -- even if it were just in private. She takes the glass from him with a smile, a soft, “Thank you,” making its way past her lips as she holds the beverage out in front of her. “Cheers to that, then.” She says. Perhaps if she were a little more attentive, she might have picked up on the fact that Percy seemed unsure in his promise, but she takes him at face value, no reason to believe otherwise. She supposes he’s right to be nervous -- she’d be concerned if he wasn’t, she’d be concerned that he hasn’t fully considered what he’s getting himself into, or how long he’ll need to keep this ruse up.

“Hans Starke?” She repeats, tilting her head in confusion. She thinks the name might be familiar, but nobody she’s ever bothered to learn too much about, nor someone she’d ever met in person. “The ropes of what exactly?” She asks, only the slightest hint of accusation slipping into her tone. The ropes of having a fake girlfriend to avoid being outed? Surely Hans Starke of Big Oil didn’t have such particular expertise. 

“The sooner the better, Percy. You’re sure you’re ready?” She asks, more out of obligation than consideration. She, personally, couldn’t stand waiting much longer. She wanted people to know -- more than that, she wanted people to talk about them. Mostly her, but she’d be okay if Percy was mentioned, too. She frowns as he mentions having to send a text -- it’s probably none of her business who he’s conversing with, and it’s probably nothing she should be prying about. In fact, it’s most likely harmless, and there’s no real point in asking any further questions about it. “To whom?” Curiosity, as usual, gets the better of her.

[avery-hill]

Perhaps there were people who wouldn’t be content in a role that mostly involved busy work, but Avery understood that if she ever had any hopes of rising to a higher position in DC, she needed to start from the ground up. She may have come from an affluent family, but she didn’t have the same kinds of connections that a lot of other young people had starting out here. So, she wasn’t foolish enough to take for granted the opportunity to work with Cynthia Bell at the Homefront Foundation. It was an opportunity a lot of people like her would kill for, to work directly with someone with so much power to influence politics. While many young people would seek out internships with Senators or in the White House -- Avery preferred the work she was doing with Mrs Bell.

Cynthia was someone she had long admired. She was the kind of woman she thought she should emulate -- she was kind and polite, well-spoken but not domineering. Plus, she was well on her way to becoming the next First Lady of the United States. Avery had little doubt that Cynthia’s husband had the potential to be the next President, and he would certainly be getting her vote, he was the kind of man who should be leading America, and Cynthia the kind of woman who should be standing next to him as he does. One day, Avery knew she would be in Cynthia’s position, her future husband, whoever he may be, running for President with Avery at his side. That’s just the way it was supposed to be, she was sure about it. And through her internship, she had court side seats to the entire election process. 

Avery quite enjoyed the fundraisers and events that the foundation often put on, they were a great chance to mingle with likeminded people, to make sure they knew who she was and wouldn’t soon be forgetting the name Avery Hill. Plus, they were a nice reprieve from otherwise more mundane work. She’s just finished setting up a catering table for the event they’re currently putting on, and spots Cindy across the room, marching towards the older woman to give her a status update. “Mrs Bell,” She greets, “The catering is ready - I’ve had them set it up on that table over there, I figured it would be enough out of the way not to be annoying, but close enough that people don’t need to go too far. I can move it if it’s not a good spot. What do you think?”

@cynthiabell​

[avery-hill]

perseusandrews‌:

Percy nodded. Took a deep, nearly forced breath in. He begged his lungs to just retain… a little bit of air at the very least. God, why was this so nerve-wracking? he asked himself. It’s not like he hadn’t pretended before. But this time, it was a full on charade - one they were both in on. For the first time, he was actually relying on someone else keeping up their part of the story. The lack of control scared him. It didn’t help that more than one person knew. Sure, a couple of randoms at college, but who was going to believe rumors, if they ever got out, that is? Especially when most of his hookups from years past were closeted at the same time. He knew the kinds of people he attracted when he was still coming out. Behind closed doors was the name of the game for both parties involved on more than one occasion.  

He watches her lips move gently, watches her smooth her skirt down, keeping his eyes anywhere but his fidgeting hands before he realizes his response time is delayed. “I… yeah I guess it’s a little early. Can you blame me?” He doesn’t read her chuckle. He also knows there’s ativan in his cupboard. He doesn’t like delving into it unless it’s an absolute emergency. Prescribed for emergency panic attacks. But he wasn’t there yet. He still had control. A small drink would be enough to satiate his erratic brain.

“Honestly, Ave, my dad packed half the liquor cabinet it seems. The drink counter’s already laid out. Wine, white or red, a couple of strong liquors - vodka, gin. Some beers and coolers. A little bit of everything. You know him. Always be prepared to entertain your colleagues,” he mimics with a gentle smile, the laughter still slightly nervous.

Avery shrugs, a smile quirking at the edge of her lips. Part of her said that it was much too early to be drinking, but another part argued that there was no harm in having just one with a friend -- boyfriend, she needed to get into the habit of saying, she couldn’t be having slip ups like that, not even in the privacy of her own mind -- especially not if she chose something with a little class. “Alright then,” She chuckles, “You’ve tempted me. I’ll have a white wine -- make sure it’s not a cheap one. Not that I’d expect your father to buy anything of the sort.”

Avery’s mother had once told her that wine was the only sort of drink a woman should have in her hands. Cocktails were for children, and beer was for men. Avery herself had never enjoyed the taste of wine, she thought it was much too bitter, and no matter how many variations she tried, it always seemed to leave a bad taste in her mouth. She figured that she’d eventually grow to enjoy the taste, or at least tolerate it, and so she continued to order it whenever she could and tried not to let her displeasure at the taste reach her face.

“I suppose I don’t blame you.” She says, her head bobbing around with the words. “But you know you’re going to have to get a lot better at lying if this is going to work -- you’re practically shaking with nerves. And I will not have you turning to alcohol every time you feel a little uneasy -- that’s just a recipe for disaster waiting to happen.”

[avery-hill]

Perhaps it was a cliche way for Avery to start her morning, with a jog around National Mall, taking in the very best scenery that Washington DC had to offer. She’d always dreamed about being here as a child, and now her apartment was within walking distance -- sometimes she had to pinch herself just to make sure it was all true. Not that she ever had any doubt that she would end up exactly where she wanted to be one day, she’d just been fully prepared for it to take a little longer than twenty-one years. Of course, she still had a long way to go, but now she was in the right place to gain the experience -- and more importantly, the connections -- to propel herself closer to her ultimate goal: The White House.

She’s run a couple of laps when she stops for a drink at one of the fountains, ensuring she keeps her mouth as far away from the device as possible whilst still managing to get enough water to quench the thirst that has built up since she set out. It’s really very beautiful here, at this time of morning, she notes as she wipes her mouth dry, stepping back from the fountain. It’s early enough that the morning commuters were only just starting to trickle in -- waiting for the sun seemed to be too big an ask for many of the people who worked around here -- and one could be forgiven for thinking that the scene were peaceful. Avery herself found it quite inspiring.

She’s still catching her breath when she hears someone else approach the drinking fountain, snapping her head to the side to get a look at the intruder -- don’t they know there’s dozens of these things? Why choose the same one as me? -- but offering them a kind smile as she did so. There’s no use in making enemies for no good reason, not this early in her rise to the top. People can forgive a rude man, Avery, her mother’s voice echoes in her head, but they won’t forgive a rude woman. “It’s really quite pretty out here at this time of morning,” She says to the newcomer, her voice, if nothing else, giving away the fact that she isn’t a local. “Should’ve known I wouldn’t be the only one with the grand idea of heading out here with the sun.”

[avery-hill]

perseusandrews‌:

Percy let out a sigh of relief when Avery began talking. She was comfort, a home that never existed in his own house. To be honest, he was surprised he hadn’t told her before a few weeks ago, but he was scared of how she was going to respond. He’d seen friends from his inner circle get left behind in the past, once they had come out, and the prospect of losing Avery at all was too large for Percy to risk for the longest time. 

But Sanford scared the shit out of him. The GOP scared the shit out of him. Maybe more importantly, his dad scared the shit out of him.

He was thankful for her, for helping him come up with a plan, but he was still nervous. He noticed her then, in that moment, her caring-yet-serious blue eyes meeting his. If he was straight, he would have fallen head over heels for her, he was sure about that. His dad would have loved it. A pretty blonde republican girl with wealth on her shoulders? It was a recipe for perfection. By perfection, he meant a recipe for getting elected. 

He took a deep breath, inhaled where his lungs were desperate for air and exhaled slowly. “Yeah, you’re… you’re right,” he said. They really couldn’t have been in a better situation. Their friendship made the connection seem natural. And - she was right - downright convincing. 

“Do you want something to drink? Water or… something stronger?” he asked her, gesturing for her to take a seat on the couch as he stayed standing. “Cause I think I need a drink,” he said, if only to calm his nerves.

“Of course I’m right.” Avery says with a wink. She practically exuded confidence, or, at least, she tried to. Many people might consider her to be arrogant, but she would argue that she simply knew what she wanted and was able to visualise how to get it, any confidence she had was entirely warranted. This was just another case of warranted confidence, people wouldn’t look too closely at a passionate young relationship -- they would disregard it as sweet, and refuse to comment further for fear of having to take a look at their own loveless marriages. If Percy wanted to keep his... personal business private, this was the way to do it.

The fact that it also benefitted Avery was inconsequential.

She takes a seat on the couch he gestured at, smoothing over her skirt as she does so. He’s still nervous, anybody with two braincells could figure that much out, and though she doesn’t necessarily blame him for feeling this way -- it’s understandable, she rationalises -- it wasn’t something he could present in public. What would a young man in a relationship with somebody like Avery have to be nervous about? That’s what people would ask -- and they couldn’t have people asking questions.

“A drink?” She repeats, checking her smartwatch for the time, “It’s a little early for that, don’t you think?” Avery asks, a chuckle filtering from her lips, “What have you got? It better not be packed away in one of these boxes. You really should do something about these, you know.”

[avery-hill]

perseusandrews‌:

Percy paced around his mid-size Washington apartment. Boxes surrounded him, the living space still half-unpacked. The one good thing about his internship with Sanford is his father was quick to agree with him about how a grown man should have his own space. To entertain… his father had trailed. Network. He knew that secretly maybe his dad would hope that this included a girl… That maybe Percy living on his own in Washington would allow him to cozy up to another Republican intern. 

Well, his father was about to get his wish.

He looked at his watch. Avery should be over any minute now. But he couldn’t help himself. He wished he at least had the capability to direct his energy into unpacking a couple of boxes, but he didn’t. Instead he moved them around, adjusting them so at least they were mostly pushed to the side. He took a seat on the couch, got up, moved to the dining table. Back to the couch. And then, a knock on the door. He moved to it quickly, spotting Avery on the other side as he opened it and ushered her in. “Hey… Are you - are we sure this is a good idea?” he said, nervous energy radiating through his tone as he moved back into the apartment, rushed.

[ @avery-hill​ ]

Avery wasn’t the kind of person who made many close friends. Friends, sure, she had plenty, especially back home in Virginia -- she amassed them like a flame did moths, but that was more to do with her money, her looks, and her parents’ mansion than her personality. Perhaps Avery’s lack of close friends could be explained away by the simple fact that she wasn’t particularly likeable -- but that would be too simple. There were a number of layers to Avery’s personality. The superficial one was on display for anyone to see, and tended to be all that most people were privy to. This layer was courteous, charming, polite, and endearing in a simple, homely way.

The second layer resided just below the surface, the tiniest bit of scratching at her presented persona would see to it being uncovered. This part of her was crueller, manipulative, and driven by an insatiable desire for power and recognition. Everything on the surface was constructed in such a way to keep this part of her hidden -- these were unbecoming qualities for a young woman to possess. What lay below this layer was a mystery, but perhaps this was the part of Avery that her few true friends actually saw -- something sincere, something intrinsic and unchanged by the expectations Avery thrust upon herself. Then again, maybe they never saw her past the surface.

Percy was perhaps one of the only people Avery would consider to be her friend. They’d known each other since elementary school, drawn nearer or further from one another over the years, but never drifting too far out of each other’s orbits. Are you two a thing? Was a question she’d heard a couple of times through the years, one she’d always quickly dismissed. Percy’s family was powerful, and he was destined for great things, she was sure, but Avery was never really interested, and neither was he. 

Percy’s revelation to her a couple of weeks ago had been stewing in Avery’s mind ever since the words had exited his mouth. It would have been very easy for her to react poorly, to dodge his calls and cut him out of her life -- she didn’t need him causing a scandal for her. But she didn’t do any of these things. Not because she was kind, or an exceptionally good friend, but because Avery was an opportunistic creature, and in Percy’s predicament, she saw exactly that. This, she had assured him, will be good for both of us. Besides, Percy was just about the only person she knew in DC, she didn’t want to lose him over something stupid.

She knocks on his door with a plastered-on smile, waiting somewhat impatiently for the door to open, she lets out a huff as Percy shows her in, eyeing the apartment ( it’s big, or big enough ), as he speaks, practically feeling the nerves radiating off him. “Of course.” She says, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Have I ever lead you astray? This is the best solution - it’ll keep people from asking too many questions about... you know, and we already know everything about each other - so it’s convincing.”

[missmichu]