[btwnthepines]

btwnthepines a multi - muse blog penned by char for pinehaven

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evelyn dae ( isms   socials   pinterest graphics )

valentina santos (   isms   socials   pinterest graphics   ) 

rocky hughes (   isms  pinterest graphics   ) 

genie beaudelaire (  isms   socials   pinterest graphics   )   

lukas nilsson (   isms   socials   pinterest graphics   ) 

saffy harlow (   isms   socials   pinterest graphics   )   

dante park (   isms   socials   pinterest graphics   )   

jay jeong (   isms   socials   pinterest graphics   )   

juniper nasr: (  isms   pinterest graphics  )   

orion kish: (   isms   socials   pinterest graphics  )   

anthony steele: (   isms   socials   pinterest graphics  )   

temperance sinclair: (  isms  pinterest graphics  )   

freddie madden: (  isms   socials   pinterest graphics  )   

vada davis: (  isms   socials   pinterest graphics  )   

noah grayson: (  isms   pinterest graphics  )   

felicity wilde: (  isms   socials   pinterest graphics  )   

ginger rose: (  isms   socials pinterest graphics  )   

ada sora: (  isms   socials   pinterest graphics  )   

[arabesq]

「   ✦   valentina   .ᐟ   ✦   」

cardinal   🗨   |   i'm   also   noticing   you're   not   one   for   gathering   with   the   town   ,   eh   ? cardinal  🗨   |   can't   really   say   i'm   surprised   by   that   one   .  cardinal  🗨   |   i'm   pretty   sure   we   could   find   a   beer   tent   somewhere   around   here   if   we   looked   hard   enough   . cardinal  🗨   |   and   let's   face   it   ,   i   don't   think   anyone   would   say   anything   if   we   pitched   one   ourselves   . cardinal  🗨   |   i'm   only   half   tempted   to   .

[btwnthepines]

✉︎ ➜: no shit sherlock ✉︎ ➜: group activities give me hives ✉︎ ➜: and so does listening to the town council debate the structural integrity of a fucking bouncy castle valentina is typing ✉︎ ➜: oh they'd talk but only behind our backs ✉︎ ➜: i could be down to pitch a rough tent to stick it to all the wholesome family friendly shit ✉︎ ➜: public intoxication is my favorite hobby

[btwnthepines]

angel didn’t move. he stood frozen over his desk, his massive chest heaving beneath his shirt as he watched her. watched the way her eyebrows scrunched up; that same, infuriating, self righteous expression she always wore when she was cornered into admitting she wasn't completely infallible. to anyone else, her huffing would look like genuine remorse. to him, it looked like a calculated performance, a defense mechanism designed to soften a blow that had already fractured his entire life. mistakes. she called thirteen years of deliberate silence a mistake. like she’d forgotten to turn off the stove or left her keys on the counter. "mistakes." the word scraped out of his throat, dry and lethal. he let out a sharp, breathless sound that was supposed to be a laugh but sounded more like a choked sob. "you call standard errors a mistake, yasmin. you call missin' a free throw a mistake. you don't call thievin' a man's flesh and blood for over a decade a damn mistake."

while she was playing poet with his missing years, he was mourning a phantom life he hadn't even known he’d lost. and part of that lost life was within the vicinity, a reality that hit him like a physical hand around his throat. the old bed and breakfast, a five minute drive from the life he’d spent ten years meticulously assembling. "you tellin' me what i owe?" angel's voice dropped an octave, vibrating with a low resonance as he leaned lower, his face mere inches from hers, the heat radiating off his skin. "i owe her everything. i owed her thirteen years of a daddy who would've torn down the sky to keep her safe. i owed her sundays in my mawmaw’s kitchen. i owed her seein' her brother grow up."

angel pulled back slowly, the tight angles of his jaw flexing so hard the skin over his cheekbones looked strained. he closed his eyes, forcing a slow breath through his nose. his shoulders rose and fell, the massive frame of his body visibly fighting the violent tremor of his own pulse. cool off. as much as it burned to admit it, she was right about that one thing. his mother hadn't just raised him to be polite; she’d raised him to be a man who protected his kids, and he wasn't about to let his daughter's first memory of him be wrapped up in his rage at her mother.

he reached down, his large hand wrapping around his keys on the desk; the heavy brass ring clinking softly against the wood. the sharp edge left his posture, replaced by a heavy, profound exhaustion that seemed to age him ten years in a second. he didn't look at her, instead keeping his eyes on the keys in his palm. "you're right about that at least. i need a minute. she don't need to see me like this." he walked around the desk, his movements slower now, more deliberate, as he made his way to the office door and held it open for her. the anger was still there, a simmering undercurrent in his chest, but the civil cap was back in place, held together by sheer willpower.

"go on back to the inn, yasmin," he murmured, his gaze finally lifting to meet hers, softer now but fiercely resolute. "give me an hour to get my mind right. and then...tell her...her daddy is comin' to meet her."

[arabesq]

                    the   last   thing   yasmin   would   ever   be   was   afraid   of   somebody   else   .   no   matter   who   decided   to   yell   ,   scream   ,   or   shout   at   or   around   her   ,   she   could   damn   sure   yell   ,   scream   ,   and   shout   right   back   .   and   louder   .   but   what   she   had   gained   over   the   years   was   not   only   a   sense   of   maturity   ,   but   the   inkling   to   know   when   to   sit   there   and   keep   her   mouth   shut   tight   .   not   every   situation   called   for   the   matching   of   energies   .   sometimes   ,   the   best   thing   she   could   do   was   be   quiet   and   keep   her   thoughts   to   herself   .

                    so   she   watched   as   anthony   got   angry   ,   got   in   her   face   ;   unflinching   as   he   spouted   off   the   validity   of   his   anger   towards   her   .   she   couldn't   even   argue   ,   not   really   .   she   could   make   up   a   hundred   excuses   on   the   spot   ,   but   none   that   would   accurately   disavow   her   of   her   misdeeds   .   of   course   it   was   all   much   more   than   simple   mistakes   ,   and   she   knew   that   in   her   heart   of   hearts   .   deep   down   ,   there   was   no   way   to   deny   that   she   had   been   at   the   root   of   it   all   .   what   she   had   kept   from   anthony   ,   she   had   also   kept   from   sashony   .

                    there   was   no   real   way   to   forgive   that   .   all   they   could   do   now   was   move   on   and   move   forward   .   as   he   opened   the   door   for   her   ,   she   stood   and   smoothed   down   her   dress   ;   the   fabric   wrinkled   from   where   she'd   been   sitting   .   taking   one   last   look   around   his   office   ,   she   met   angel   at   the   door   .

                    “   we'll   be   waiting   ,”   she   promised   ,   glancing   into   his   eyes   once   more   before   she   turned   and   walked   off   .   so   many   memories   ran   through   her   mind   in   that   one   telltale   moment   ,   the   flash   of   years   gone   by   .   she   saw   in   them   what   she   so   often   saw   in   sash's   ,   and   not   for   the   first   time   did   she   wish   that   they   didn't   look   that   much   alike   .

[arabesq]

                    it   had   never   been   in   the   cards   for   yasmin   not   to   inform   anthony   of   their   child   .   when   she   first   found   out,   she   was   terrified.   she   thought   she   would   wait   a   while   for   the   dust   to   settle   between   them   ,   for   the   newness   of   the   breakup   to   wear   off   into   something   that   both   of   them   could   stand   .   that   moment   seemed   destined   not   to   come;   and   part   of   it   ,   she   knew   ,   was   her   own   insistence   on   moving   the   goal   post   .   there   were   moments   where   she   thought   she   might   call   him   up   ,   explain   what   had   happened   ,   maybe   even   try   to   rekindle   the   lost   romance   ,   but   she   hadn't   gone   through   with   that   .   she'd   not   even   so   much   as   dialed   his   number   to   let   him   know   that   she   was   pregnant.

                    it   wasn't   that   she   didn't   want   him   to   know   ,   but   time   moved   on.   their   lives   elapsed   ,   and   she   was   in   the   hospital   giving   birth   before   she   knew   it   .   all   alone   except   for   her   mother   ,   no   angel   in   sight   .   that   was   her   own   fault   ,   but   by   that   point   ,   everything   felt   .   .   .   too   late   .   would   he   want   anything   to   do   with   her   -   with   either   of   them   -   after   so   much   time   had   passed   ?   a   year   was   an   awfully   long   time   to   wait   between   connections   ,   and   she   didn't   even   know   where   he   was   by   then   .   taking   her   baby   girl   home   to   her   apartment   was   more   important   than   informing   anyone   of   sashony's   birth   ,   even   the   girl's   father   .

                    that   was   her   mistake   to   bear   .   she   also   fully   recognized   that   she   ,   at   any   point   in   the   last   thirteen   years   ,   could   have   picked   up   the   phone   to   call   him   .   could   have   looked   him   up   on   social   media   and   sent   off   a   message   without   so   much   as   a   second   thought   ,   it   would   have   been   that   easy   .   but   her   brain   moved   faster   than   her   fingers   were   apparently   capable   of   .   no   matter   how   many   good   intentions   she'd   had   ,   none   of   them   mattered   because   she   hadn't   acted   on   them   .   she   hadn't   called   ,   hadn't   sent   the   message   ,   hadn't   hadn't   hadn't   .

                    she   wasn't   surprised   or   upset   that   anthony   was   livid   .   he   was   well   within   his   rights   to   be   .   he    was   also   within   his   rights   to   lash   out   ,   get   mad   ,   tell   her   off   and   send   her   packing   back   to   new   york   .   the   fact   that   he   hadn't   done   as   much   already   was   beyond   commendable   ,   but   then   ,   she   remembered   him   as   being   the   more   levelheaded   of   them   both   .   while   she   would   have   pitched   a   fit   over   the   smallest   inconvenience   ,   he   would   have   been   there   to   calm   her   down   and   talk   her   off   of   the   ledge   .   oh   ,   how   time   had   so   quickly   passed   ;   like   smoke   slipping   through   fingers   in   wispy   tendrils   that   couldn't   be   caught   .   how   desperately   yasmin   wished   she   could   trap   it   in   a   jar   ,   now   .

                    “   i   didn't   say   i   made   the   right   choices   .   it   may   surprise   you   to   know   that   even   i   don't   think   i'm   one   hundred   percent   perfect   ,   ”   she   huffed,   eyebrows   scrunching   up   in   that   know-it-all   way   she   had   .   she   was   damn   near   close   to   perfect   ,   though   ,   if   she   had   any   say   in   the   narrative   .   “   what   i   did   wasn't   the   right   way   to   do   things   but   everybody   is   prone   to   making   mistakes   .   god   knows   i've   made   my   fair   share   ,   and   i'm   more   than   willing   to   admit   to   that   .   ” 

                    (   so   long   as   there   were   no   reporters   around   to   hear   it   ,   of   course   .   )

                    “   she's   here   .   we're   staying   at   that   old   bed   and   breakfast   .   if   you   want   to   see   her   ,   i'm   not   gonna   stop   you   .   the   only   reason   i'm   even   here   now   is   because   she's   been   asking   about   you   ;   wants   to   know   who   you   are   ,   where   she   comes   from   ,   what   her   daddy's   like   .   you   don't   owe   her   anything   ,   and   more   importantly   than   that   ,   you   don't   owe   me   anything   ,   ”   she   explained   ,   though   it   wasn't   anywhere   close   to   enough   .   “   but   you   take   some   time   ,   first   .   cool   off   .   don't   come   and   see   her   while   you're   pissed   off   at   me   ,   no   matter   how   bad   you   want   to   .   that's   not   a   version   of   you   i   want   her   to   meet   .   ”

[btwnthepines]

angel didn’t move. he stood frozen over his desk, his massive chest heaving beneath his shirt as he watched her. watched the way her eyebrows scrunched up; that same, infuriating, self righteous expression she always wore when she was cornered into admitting she wasn't completely infallible. to anyone else, her huffing would look like genuine remorse. to him, it looked like a calculated performance, a defense mechanism designed to soften a blow that had already fractured his entire life. mistakes. she called thirteen years of deliberate silence a mistake. like she’d forgotten to turn off the stove or left her keys on the counter. "mistakes." the word scraped out of his throat, dry and lethal. he let out a sharp, breathless sound that was supposed to be a laugh but sounded more like a choked sob. "you call standard errors a mistake, yasmin. you call missin' a free throw a mistake. you don't call thievin' a man's flesh and blood for over a decade a damn mistake."

while she was playing poet with his missing years, he was mourning a phantom life he hadn't even known he’d lost. and part of that lost life was within the vicinity, a reality that hit him like a physical hand around his throat. the old bed and breakfast, a five minute drive from the life he’d spent ten years meticulously assembling. "you tellin' me what i owe?" angel's voice dropped an octave, vibrating with a low resonance as he leaned lower, his face mere inches from hers, the heat radiating off his skin. "i owe her everything. i owed her thirteen years of a daddy who would've torn down the sky to keep her safe. i owed her sundays in my mawmaw’s kitchen. i owed her seein' her brother grow up."

angel pulled back slowly, the tight angles of his jaw flexing so hard the skin over his cheekbones looked strained. he closed his eyes, forcing a slow breath through his nose. his shoulders rose and fell, the massive frame of his body visibly fighting the violent tremor of his own pulse. cool off. as much as it burned to admit it, she was right about that one thing. his mother hadn't just raised him to be polite; she’d raised him to be a man who protected his kids, and he wasn't about to let his daughter's first memory of him be wrapped up in his rage at her mother.

he reached down, his large hand wrapping around his keys on the desk; the heavy brass ring clinking softly against the wood. the sharp edge left his posture, replaced by a heavy, profound exhaustion that seemed to age him ten years in a second. he didn't look at her, instead keeping his eyes on the keys in his palm. "you're right about that at least. i need a minute. she don't need to see me like this." he walked around the desk, his movements slower now, more deliberate, as he made his way to the office door and held it open for her. the anger was still there, a simmering undercurrent in his chest, but the civil cap was back in place, held together by sheer willpower.

"go on back to the inn, yasmin," he murmured, his gaze finally lifting to meet hers, softer now but fiercely resolute. "give me an hour to get my mind right. and then...tell her...her daddy is comin' to meet her."

[monochromctic]

When Jay asked her if she was having fun, Night slowly turned her head to face him. Her breathe was shallow as her lips were held tightly together. Being around this many people -- this many strangers -- was not something Night ever considered fun. She wasn't even sure how there was this many people in Pinehaven. But she knew that if she had not relented and given into Jay's invitation, his hounding for her attention would only triple.

Her coworkers assumed that Jay had been stalking her, and he was dangerously close to achieving that label. The sticky notes on her windshield was already a boundary crossed; showing up at her workplace should have been a hardline. Thus, she was worried what might happen to him if she gave Jay any opportunity to push further. How long until someone stepped in and hurt him? Granted, Night did not want to be at this festival. She hated the crowds, the didn't like riding the rides, and novelty food never interested her.

Night blinked. She kept her eyes forward and she slowly processed what Jay said. "Wait. You want to eat deep fried cheesecake before going on a rollercoaster?" Night asked. Even as she said it out loud, it felt like a bad idea; one that would end with her holding Jay's head while he hurled in a nearby trash can.

Night did not hide her misery, but her emotionless expression was caused by her disassociating sometime between her arrival to the festival and standing here with Jay. Crowds were the worst thing imaginable. So many people brought her awareness high and caused her anxiety to bubble beneath her skin.

A part of Night wanted to fight back. But where was her energy to do it? She was trying not to get walked into by random strangers, especially the children who didn't know any better. People just walking in front of her was not helping her anxiety because each time someone stepped in front of her path, she felt her anger begin to mix with her nervousness.

"I..." Night started to fight, but then she tossed her hand up. She took in a deep breathe. And she looked down at the ground. "Fine. Sure. Let's get the fucking milkshake thing before the line gets bad."

[btwnthepines]

"wait, no! no, no, no, i said milkshakes first, then the ferris wheel, then the cheesecake! i'm dumb, night, but i'm not that dumb. eating deep fried cheese before getting whipped around at ninety miles an hour sounds like a shortcut to a hospital visit. or at least a really ruined shirt." jay paused, his explanation dying in his throat as the literal words she said finally processed through his slow moving brain. but it wasn't the timeline of the carnival snacks that made him freeze. it was the way she looked. or rather, the way she wasn't looking at anything at all. he’d been so wrapped up in his own massive, energetic campaign to fix things. so focused on being the loud, unstoppable force that could smash through ten years of silence. that he hadn't actually looked at the space she was occupying. she wasn't just being her usual guarded self. her breathing was shallow, her lips pressed into a tight line, and her eyes had that distant, checked out look that jay suddenly remembered from their childhood. it was the look she got when the world got too loud, too pressed in, and too heavy.

and right now, the pinehaven carnival was a screaming, neon nightmare of strangers pushing past them. a group of kids ran past, nearly clipping her shoulder, and jay automatically shifted his massive frame, stepping into the space between night and the crowd like a human shield. his broad shoulders slouched, the easy confidence totally evaporating. oh, god, he thought, a sudden, cold spike of panic hitting his chest. i did this. i forced her here. all because he was too stupidly desperate to get his best friend back. "i'm an idiot. i am the biggest, most oblivious moron in this entire town," he let out a self pitying groan, resisting the urge to crouch down beneath the weight of his own delayed realization. "you aren't having fun, of course you aren't. you hate this. you hate all of this. the people, the noise...aish, 멍청한 stupid."

a hand sank into the shaggy, untamed strands of his dark hair, his knuckles knocking against his own skull with a dull thud, as if he could forcefully recalibrate his stubborn brain and figure out how to salvage the wreckage of the evening. his bottom lip jutted out slightly in a subconscious pout, dark puppy eyes rounding with a raw remorse that made him look far younger than he was. "we don't have to get the milkshake," he reached out, his hand hovering near her elbow but deliberately not touching her, keeping his physical intensity completely checked. "we don't have to do the ferris wheel either, we can leave if you want. i'm so sorry i pushed you into this. i just...i missed you so much it made me stupid. i can definitely get you out of here."

[arabesq]

「   ✦   valentina   .ᐟ   ✦   」

cardinal   🗨   |   i'm   noticing   something   . cardinal  🗨   |   this   town   takes   any   excuse   to   throw   a   festival   -   is   that   normal   ? cardinal  🗨   |   i've   been   here   less   than   a   year   and   there   have   been   ,   like   ,   5   or   6   major   town   events   . cardinal  🗨   |   i   never   participated   in   that   many   things   for   my   entire   life   in   houston   !

@btwnthepines

[btwnthepines]

valentina is typing ✉︎ ➜: welcome to pinehaven. it’s a cult disguised as a tourist trap. ✉︎ ➜: give it another month and they’ll throw a parade for a particularly aesthetic leaf falling off a tree. valentina is typing ✉︎ ➜: if you get dragged into whatever aggressively cheerful nonsense they’re planning next, you’re on your own ✉︎ ➜: I don't do communal joy. unless they have a beer tent that serves stuff that can double as paint thinner

[odettecarlisle]

Closed starter for @btwnthepines Pinehaven Pride Parade 🌈 Odette + Dante

It had taken Odette a long time to figure out where she fit in on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. She'd always known what she wasn't, but didn't have the words to describe how she did feel. Now, finally, as an adult, she had a pretty good idea about how she felt and what it meant. And she was proud of it, and wanted to show the town that she wasn't ashamed to be who she was. When this years pride parade was announced, she decided that this would be the year she went. Naturally, Odette was nervous about everything else that went into attending a pride parade.

All the people, the noise, the close proximity to strangers... it all rattled Odette. She'd never been brave enough to attend the parades in Seattle, they were much too large for her liking, but the ones in Pinehaven were more manageable. All month she'd been hyping herself up to attend. She picked out an outfit (a subtle display of pride in her cream colored sweater with rainbows stitched on it), decided where exactly she'd stand, and what time she needed to arrive to save herself from having to push through crowds. And here she was... off to the side, hugging the wall by herself, but she was still here.

Odette swayed slightly to the music coming off the passing floats and waved her little rainbow flag, her eyes flitting around to try and take in everything that was happening. She hadn't been reacting beyond a smile when people got close to her because no one had stopped to say more than hello, so it didn't register that someone was leaning against the wall next to her until she turned her head. "Oh, hello," Odette greeted. "Happy Pride!" She held her flag up a little higher and waved it.

[btwnthepines]

dante had been leaning against the weathered brick wall for all of three minutes, long enough for the condensation on his entirely discreet, matte black travel mug to begin weeping against his knuckles, before he noticed the absolute portrait of overwhelmed sweetness standing a few feet to his left. he’d been scanning the pinehaven crowd internally ruminating on weather he thought it was was blessedly less of a sweaty, claustrophobic mosh pit than the seattle festivals he usually frequented or if the affair didn't possessed quite enough glitter to satisfy his appetite. then his eyes locked onto her.

one look at her sweater with the tiny stitched rainbows and dante decided on the spot, it was the most aggressively precious thing he had ever seen in his life. this coming from a man who treated personal style like a competitive sport with an undisclosed prize pool. yet, despite the softness of the wool, he could see the telltale tension knotting her shoulders. she was practically trying to merge her spine with the masonry to avoid the drifting, boisterous groups of festive strangers, but she hadn’t given up; she was still swaying, a little out of time, stubbornly waving a tiny plastic flag. when she finally turned her head, drawn perhaps by the sheer gravity of his towering, meticulously styled presence if you asked him, dante met her gaze and offered a slow, effortlessly charming grin.

"happy pride, darling," dante purred, his voice a smooth, comforting velvet that immediately claimed the pocket of air around them, sectioning it off like a private vip lounge in the middle of the sidewalk. he reached out and clinked the rim of his travel mug gently against the plastic stick of her waving rainbow flag. "and let me just say, that sweater is doing absolute wonders for the cottagecore aesthetic. it’s chic, it’s subtle, it’s giving i support the cause but i also deeply appreciate a high quality knit."

he shifted his weight with a fluid grace, hip jutting out into that signature, load bearing stance he used when he intended to stay somewhere a while. as he turned his face back toward the passing float, he deliberately kept his broad shoulders positioned like a stylish, linen clad shield between her and the bustling crowd. "i'm dante," he introduced himself, flashing a devastating smile that made it entirely clear he was now at her disposal. "and you are far too adorable to be hiding back here against the brickwork all by your lonesome. tell me, sweetie, is this your first time braving the local festivities, or are you just pacing yourself before the real debauchery begins?"

[monochromctic]

Dante was one of the few people Night felt safe with, even though he pushed her buttons. No matter how cruel or angry she could get, Dante accepted her as is. And she repaid him by treating him as she treated anyone she had gotten close with. Small details she had noticed were constructed like teasing jabs, but were from her genuine observation of Dante. She cared about him, even if how she showed it was through bullying.

Hearing how annoyed Dante was at being called fucknut tickled night. A smile extended across her lips, wide enough to cause the corner of her mouth to turn her eyes into crescents.

"Civic duty?" Night huffed. She tilted and let out a deep laugh. After how many years of friendship and Dante thinks she would date someone out of charity? "Maybe I like them financially subservient? There's a lot of people out there who want a pretty woman to insult them. Maybe I prefer people beneath me? And how come you keep thinking my type is your type. I dunno maybe ask me what I'm into? And no it's not you. Ew. With complete offense."

As soon as Dante secured himself in front of her camera, a small flicker of a smirk danced on her lips. A cruel joke had entered her mind because why else would she be filming Dante? Surely, he did not think that Night had pure intentions or that she really wanted to have the video for anything that he was suggesting. His embarrassment on camera would be absolutely priceless.

Then the smirk disappeared. "Oh, ew behind you!" Night cried out as if she had seen the very rat Dante feared. Her camera was rolling. All Night had to do was wait and watch whatever it was that Dante would do. And whatever it was was bound to be comedy gold. Blackmail to send him whenever he had annoyed her too much or his ego had gotten a little to big.

[btwnthepines]

dante let out a sound that was half scoff, half wounded gasp. "ew? ew? with complete offense?" he repeated, his voice climbing an octave into pure melodramatic outrage. "honey, people fall to their knees for this package. you couldn’t afford the down payment on my attention even if i was running a charity for the aesthetically challenged." he rolled his eyes so hard it looked physically exhausting, though his hips stayed perfectly posed for the lens. he wasn't about to actually analyze her taste in men; mostly because the mental image of night acting as a financial dominatrix to some jawless, bankrupt loser was a level of psychological horror he wasn't prepared to process before midnight. "and for the record, pooks, i'm everyone's type. i'm like a universal donor, but for raw sexual magnetism," he added, tossing a wink toward the rolling camera. then, the trap snapped shut.

the warning barely left her mouth before dante’s entire facade violently disintegrated. the calculated posture vanished, replaced by a frantic, uncoordinated scramble as his brain registered the word rat. his boots slid against the grit of the concrete floor as he did a panicked, high kicking spin in mid air, his designer windbreaker swishing loudly in the damp quiet of the room. "where?! where is it?!" he shrieked, his voice abandoning all its smooth composure for panic. he grabbed the nearest piece of structurally unsound drywall, practically trying to hoist his own legs off the ground like a cartoon housewife on top of a stool. "night, if that thing touches my shoes i am burning this entire building down with both of us in it!"

he was breathing heavily, eyes darting wildly across the shadows of the floor, his perfectly coiffed hair now slightly disheveled from the sudden, athletic outburst. it took him a solid three seconds of pure terror to realize the floor was completely empty, and that the only sound in the room was the unmistakable, wicked snicker coming from behind the glowing screen of her phone. dante froze, his fingers still clutching the dusty drywall as he slowly turned his head back to face her. his features twisted from raw panic into a dark, deeply offended pout. "you are an evil, malicious little creature," he hissed, his voice dropping into a dangerous, quiet octave as he smoothed down the front of his windbreaker with trembling, manicured hands. "delete that footage right now or i will find your family group chat myself and tell them you’ve been doing urban breaking and entering in knock off sneakers."

[susie-harlow]

closed starter for @btwnthepines

Susie arrived at the diner twenty minutes before she and Saffy were supposed to meet. She needed a minute to get Gaia settled with her coloring book and iPad, and to settle her nerves. She didn't know why she was so nervous about seeing her sister. Sure, it had been a few years since they'd seen each other, but they were sisters. They'd grown up in the same world, they knew the types of things the other had gone through as a child. Susie was just nervous about... god, everything. She desperately needed this to go well, because she couldn't leave Pinehaven. She'd spent all her money to get them here, and she desperately wanted to relax somewhere for the first time in her life.

Even though Susie had been in town for two weeks, she hadn't actually seen her sister yet. She'd claimed that she needed time to settle in and needed to focus on starting her job and getting Gaia situated in day care. The first week at her new job had been busy, and each night she and Gaia were passed out before 8 PM. And this past week, she'd been waiting on her first paycheck. Now, she'd gotten paid, and could actually afford to splurge on a meal. So, she'd asked Saffy to meet her at the local diner.

Susie found a booth for them and let Gaia climb in first. "So, you're gonna color and watch your movie while I catch up with Aunt Saffy, right? And we're going to use our best inside voice?" Gaia nodded happily, pulling her pink cat headphones out of her backpack and putting them on her head. Susie helped her get her movie started, and then looked back to the diner's door. When Saffy finally arrived, Susie took a deep breath and stood up from her seat, smiling softly as her sister approached. "Hi, Saff..." Her nerves dissipated slightly, and she pulled her sister into a tight hug. She pulled back, placing her hands on Saffron's cheeks for just a moment before letting her go. "It's really good to see you... I've been..." Susie trailed off, shaking her head. "I'm just happy to see you... happy to be here."

"I hope it's not weird that I just... showed up here... in Pinehaven, I mean." Susie said once they sat down. "I didn't know where else to go." There was no way in hell she'd ever go back to California. Susie didn't want much to do with her parents these days. But she still needed family.

[btwnthepines]

the bell above the diner door didn’t ring so much as it rattled a loose brass tooth against saffron’s skull. it was a cheap, tiny sound, the kind that cut right through the low hum of the refrigerator units and the sizzle of grease on the flat top. saffy had already dialed their left hearing aid down a desperate notch or two about twenty minutes prior, mostly to create some semblance of a dam against the spectacular tantrum of a toddler three booths back. which unfortunately meant that when susie’s voice actually hit them, it arrived wrapped in a wall of wet wool. stepping into the familiar encircle of their sister's embrace, saffy didn't quite manage to return the gesture in any measurable way. they didn't stiffen, though, which was their version of progress; instead, they simply sagged, sinking for a fractional second into the comfort of her laundry detergent and skin.

"hey, sus," saffy said. their voice sounded flat in their own ears, a habit they couldn't shake when trying to gauge their own volume. they managed a small, crooked smile, the one they usually reserved for customers trying to return scratched vinyl. "look at you. you look...stable." they slid into the booth opposite her, knees instantly knocking against the underside of the formica table. shifting, they pulled their thrifted blazer tighter around their shoulders. their eyes instantly darted down to gaia. the kid was a spitting image of the early california days; bright eyes, but completely checked out under a pair of neon pink cat ear headphones. saffy felt a ache in the center of their chest, staring at those plastic cups muffled against the little girl's ears. at least someone was protecting hers.

susie started in before the waitress could even drop the laminate menus, saffy watched her lips move, catching the shape of the words more than the actual sound of them. there was a nervous flutter in susie's throat, the classic harlow panic response. they all had it. they just wore it differently. susie ran toward stability, saffy ran toward the nearest exit sign. "it's not weird," saffy lied, leaning their forearm on the sticky table and tilting their good ear slightly toward her. "well, okay, it’s a little weird. but you're here. you spent the money. no point in looking backward now, right?" saffy reached over and flicked the stiff edge of susie's menu with the pad of their thumb, the laminated plastic letting out a sharp, definitive snap.

the silence between them felt heavy, filled with all the years they'd missed and the specific brand of neglect they'd shared like a secondhand jacket. saffy wanted to tell her they were glad she was here, instead, saffy tapped their fingers on the table in a neat, four four beat. "top five reasons pinehaven is better than topanga canyon," saffy announced, a faint, recognizable smirk finally breaking through the gray veneer of their face, even as their vocal tone dropped right back into that dry, profoundly cynical default setting. "number one; no one here uses organic as a personality trait. number two; the coffee actually tastes like coffee, not hot dirt. want to hear the rest, or are we gonna order some greasy breakfast food first?"

[btwnthepines]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DANTE .ᐟ

[btwnthepines]

dante park ( @ drprettyboi ) updated his story : @angosturaa

[btwnthepines]

𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 .ᐟ IN THE SUN

CLOSED EVENT STARTER FROM: VALENTINA @cryforlxve WHERE: XAVIER'S PLACE

the silence of the previous few months had not been a simple absence of sound, nor had it been the domestic sort of quiet that settles over a house after an argument has run its natural course. it had felt, to valentina, like an act of starvation. a withholding of oxygen. she stood on the narrow, salt pitted concrete slab just outside xavier’s front door, her hands shoved deep into the pockets of her jacket, feeling the familiar weight of her own stubbornness pressing inward against her ribs like a cracked bone that hadn't healed right.

she had not spoken a single word to her older brother since the night of the explosion outside the pinehaven precinct. that had been less of a fight and more of a scorched earth campaign, the kind of screaming match born entirely from the grey, marrow deep exhaustion of yet another late night bail out from yet another back alley bar fight. they had stood in the gravel lot under the yellow buzz of the streetlights, throwing cruel, hook shaped words into the dark. things designed specifically to bypass the skin and tear directly through the bone. and then, when the venom ran dry, they had simply ceased to exist to one another.

but xavier was getting married.

the sharp reality of him standing at an altar, pledging his life away while the two of them were still operating under the malice of a cold war, made valentina’s stomach turn with a rare, wholly unwelcome sensation; raw panic. she didn't knock. valentina didn't do courtesies, least of all with the man who had spent the better part of her life dragging her by the collar out of both metaphorical and literal ditches. instead, her fingers fumbled in the dark of her pocket until they caught the cold edge of her old brass key. she shoved it into the lock with a hard, impatient twist and let herself in. the heavy thud of her boots against his polished hardwood floor immediately shattered the stillness of the foyer, announcing her arrival like a gunshot.

she found him exactly where she knew he would be, sitting under the low glow of the pendant lights at the kitchen island, a half empty mug between his thick palms. rather than hovering on the threshold, she made the split second decision to skip the preamble entirely, to bypass the months of rotting pride and dive straight into the marrow of the thing. straight through the bullshit. "alright, you know i'm bad at this shit, so here it fucking is." valentina didn't look at his face; couldn't, not yet. her own fingers curled so tightly into the meat of her palms that her short nails dug red crescents into the skin. "i didn't mean what i said. of course i fucking didn't. i was bleeding, i was drunk, and i was mostly just pissed off because you were right. like you always are."

[btwnthepines]

𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚜𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 .ᐟ IN THE SUN

CLOSED EVENT STARTER FROM: GINGER @monochromctic WHERE: MAIN STREET

the midday sun had actually managed to burn through the usual pacific northwest mist, leaving the main street of pinehaven unusually warm, buzzing, and completely alive. rainbow banners draped from the brick storefronts, and the pavement was a dizzying blur of local vendors, sizzling street food carts, and crowds gathering for the town's pride parade. ginger was practically vibrating on the curb, her heavy boots clicking a frantic, irregular tap dance against the asphalt and was currently in the middle of a full body, celebratory shimmy that made all her heavy silver rings clack like castanets.

"i’m just saying, the charity boxes are a stroke of absolute genius!" ginger gasped, the words exploding out of her at a breakneck clip as she spun around to face connor. she grabbed her hands, swinging them back and forth between them. "anonymity is beautiful, right? it's for the old school locals who want to do good but still have that weird, quiet stoicism or whatever. which is totally fine, we love them, let them be mysterious benefactors! but a net positive is a net positive! and look at my ears. look at them." she leaned in, shaking her head so her messy hair flew wildly, pointing frantically at a pair of ridiculous, oversized rainbow dinosaur earrings.

"the accessory vendors down by the old theater are a goldmine! a literal goldmine. i also found three vintage button pins. one has a cat on it. banjo would approve, obviously, if he understood the concept of localized activism, which he doesn't, because he's a dog and he's currently hiding from a very loud tuba player down the block. i think the tuba is offending his soul, connor. truly."

[btwnthepines]

ginger rose ( @ tragickingdom ) posted 3 hours ago : are you even homies if you don't color coordinate? @kekoa-reyna

[liloubaudelaire]

⸻ Bella remained silent, her sparkling grey-bluish hues calmly observing her cousin as the raw weight of the confession settled between them. Impulsiveness seemed to be a volatile trait woven directly into the parameters of their genetic line, a recurring curse that frequented their family archive. In truth, Bella recognized the pattern all too well; she had engineered a remarkably similar monster when she had initially fled away from Lukas, long before destiny had violently rewritten the timeline to throw him back into her life. Reaching out with her gelid fingers, she gave the brunette's knee an awkward, slightly stiff squeeze. It was a calculated attempt at physical affection, a silent transmission meant to convey a solitary fact: I am here. The blonde occasionally wished her system was wired to deliver comfort like a normal person, but she was fundamentally incapable of wrapping reality in cheap, plastic promises, no matter how desperate the situation.

❛ You see… If you open up to him in the exact way you are using with me right now, he will listen. ❜ She murmured, her velvet rasp low and steady in the quiet room. ❛ Hopefully, he will recognize that he is not simply one of your little games, or whatever else usually occupies the male's mind. What truly matters is that you are serious. Once the truth is delivered, you must leave the next sequence entirely up to him. ❜ Her gaze dropped momentarily to evaluate the twins. Leon was still anchored in a deep sleep, while Louise had settled comfortably near Genie's knee, letting out a series of quiet, contented babbles.

As Genie stood up and announced her unscripted departure, Bella’s features settled into a more comfortable, stoic calm, her dimples briefly flashing through her cheeks as she watched her cousin lift her chin. ❛ Okay, do this… ❜ Bella agreed, rising smoothly from her own position to stretch her limbs. ❛ They say crying is a necessary purge for the soul. And… ❜ She paused, intentionally letting her sharp gaze wander across the counter space to inspect the aftermath of Genie’s emotional baking session.

❛ Imogene, I have by no means forgotten that you created an absolute catastrophe in my kitchen. ❜ She noted dryly, her tone shifting back into its familiar, pragmatic frequency. ❛ Solely because I can see you are clearly distressed, I will allow the infraction to pass this once. But next time, I will not care if your heart is broken, fixed, or entirely absent; the moment those hands of yours start moving around to bake something, they will be deemed equally useful for the cleanup protocol. ❜

[btwnthepines]

genie let out a soft, wet snort through her nose, the familiar, pragmatic bite of her cousin’s dry tone acting like a sudden, grounding reality check. it was exactly what she needed. a sharp detour away from the edge of a total breakdown. she looked at the countertop, which was currently wearing a tragic coat of flour and stray sugar crystals, the collateral damage of a girl who didn't know what to do with her hands when her life was fracturing. "hey, that catastrophe was baked with pure love," genie countered, her voice still carry a slight, watery rasp but lifting into a fragile imitation of her usual cadence. she reached down to give louisa’s soft cheek one last, gentle stroke of her finger, watching the baby girl bubble a quiet, contented sound against the carpet. "and for the record, emotional calories don't count, so you’re welcome for the free therapy pastries."

she stepped backward out of the playpen, her limbs feeling strangely light now that the heavy armor of her tragic script had been dismantled. looking back at bella, who stood there like a stoic, unyielding pillar amidst the sea of plastic toys and sleeping infants, genie felt a profound surge of gratitude. bella didn't know how to wrap the world in cotton candy, but she knew how to keep a person from drowning in their own head. "message received," genie said, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder. she offered a small, crooked smile that didn't hide the raw redness around her eyes, but possessed a quiet determination. "next time i have an existential crisis, i’ll make sure to lay down a protective layer of tarp before i start measuring out the flour. or better yet, i'll just buy the grocery store version."

she paused at the doorway of the nursery, her fingers curling around the frame as she looked back into the warm haven of the room. the world hadn't stopped spinning, the boxes were still waiting in her house, and max's departure was still looming. but the paralyzing certainty of the ending had vanished. "i'm going to go face the music," genie whispered, her brown eyes locking onto bella’s grayish hues with a final, unvarnished look of shared understanding. "wish me luck, ma poupée my doll"

[angosturaa]

closed starter: @btwnthepines

zaire enjoyed the banter they had over text and would've loved nothing more but to keep it going, but he had to come to the rescue and not waste any more time. he meticulously prepared the coffee in a tumbler he promised to bring to her, adding creamer and ice. he looked at his phone once again and smiled to himself, starting up his car to drive to ginger's location.

he pulled up to her stranded car on the right side of the highway, hazard lights blinking. his plan was to have ginger leave her car there and safely escort her to his car without being hit by oncoming cars. it wouldn't be such a feat as their cars are both on the side with hazard lights blinking. he stepped out, approaching her slowly and asking her to come out of the car. once they made eye contact, he smiled warmly, extending his hand for her to take.

“you know, how does one ”hypothetically" find themselves in this situation? you're going to have to be on house arrest from now on." he joked, leading her safely to his vehicle behind them. “i left your coffee in the tumbler, added some ice incase you were feeling hot now that you've seen me.” his lips curled up into a smirk, merging into traffic seamlessly while slightly going over the speed limit.

whilst he was driving, he couldn't help but to steal glances of ginger here and there. it's been a while since they were together, or even hung out as friends, and he'd be lying if the flirtatious texts didn't excite him. “so what have you been up to outside of this? i'm assuming you don't get into obstacles like this often.” his fingers tapped the steering wheel as they drove in silence, a part of him wanting to turn on the radio and another part wanting her voice to be the only thing he hears.

[btwnthepines]

ginger checked her reflection in the side view mirror one last time, applying an intentional swipe of brick red lipstick just as the headlights of zaire’s car sliced through the misty pinehaven air. when he stepped out, flashing that warm, acquainted smile and extending his hand, she let out a theatrical sigh of relief and took it, her heavy rings clacking softly against his palm. "oh, hil-arious," she shot back, her voice a rapid fire blur as he led her away from the dead car. "my truck didn't break down, okay? it’s staging a peaceful protest against the concept of linear time and mechanical reliability. it’s a vibe thing. you wouldn’t understand." she hopped into the passenger seat, a motion she'd done so many times back when they were still involved that she swore she could still feel the exact groove of her hips in the cushion. the sudden blast of the car’s air conditioner hit her face like a holy miracle. her eyes darted straight to the cup holder. grabbing the tumbler, she popped the lid and took a massive, grateful gulp.

the rich, sweet swirl of creamer and the crisp shock of ice hit her tongue, and she practically melted right into the upholstery. she turned to him, her eyes wide with endeared delight. "you remembered," ginger trilled in a sing song voice, a hand flying to her chest alongside an coo of appreciation escaping past her lips. "i usually pretend i’m too tough for anything but bitter diner coffee, but this? you know me too well. you remembered exactly how to sweeten my existential dread. i’m honestly touched. genuinely." she took another appreciative sip, letting the icy sweetness settle her nerves. "and i guess seeing you did give me a mild case of heatstroke, so the ice is highly necessary. hypothetically."

as he merged seamlessly back onto the highway, ginger immediately shifted into high gear, her hands gesturing wildly in the confined space because she simply could not sit still while talking. "what have i been up to? loaded question, baby" she rattled off, her tongue flicking over her upper lip to check on her smiley piercing, a subconscious habit. "the band has a lot of gigs lined up in the next few weeks, i'm talking dive bars from here to seattle galore. which is rad but also, a lot more activity than we are used to." she caught his sideways glance, her words stumbled for a split second as she fought a smile. the air inside the cab grew thick with a familiar warmth that a breakup hadn't managed to erase. it was a quiet undercurrent of old history and heavy, unspoken attraction that made the atmosphere feel suddenly, thrillingly tight. she swallowed hard, her pulse jumping a fraction as she realized just how easily they fell right back into their old orbit.

she leaned back against the headrest, cutting her eyes toward him with a playful glint, "but enough about my rockstar trajectory," she murmured, lowering her voice just enough to bridge the space between their seats, letting her gaze rest on his jawline. "you’ve been driving for a whole three minutes, zee, and i haven't received my rescue tax yet. are you dodging the hypothetical peck, or are you just waiting for a red light?"

[btwnthepines]

on an island .ᐟ IN THE SUN

CLOSED EVENT STARTER FROM: ANGEL @hotbobbys WHERE: STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL

the pinehaven strawberry festival was loud, sticky, and smelled overwhelmingly of spun sugar and macerated fruit. at thirty eight, angel steele was content to let the chaos swirl around him rather than chase it down. he stood near the edge of the main pavilion, a towering figure even in a crowd this thick. his wife and their son, zion, had split off twenty minutes ago; zion dragging her by the hand toward a tent selling oversized strawberry shaped plushies. angel had opted out, leaning his frame against a sturdy wooden support beam, his hands tucked loosely into the pockets of his dark shorts. the afternoon heat was rolling off the pavement, making his old knee ache with a dull, familiar throb, but he just shifted his weight to his good leg, his gaze tracking the crowd with steady, observant eyes.

the sight of a familiar blonde heading his way brought an inviting smile to his face. "well look at this, saint mary's actually let you out while the sun was still up," he called out in greeting, his deep southern drawl carrying over the noise as he raised two fingers in a lazy salute. as sylvie approached, he gestured vaguely to the bustling pavilion around them. "nice turn out so far. zion saw something red and fluffy, and his mama went to go bankroll it," angel said, a fond but relaxed expression crossing his features as he nodded toward the far end of the crowd. "they're around here somewhere. what about you?"