FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH

Commentary: The Gala - Part 5

"Miss Fontaine..? Are- Are you alright?"

"Hm? OH, I must have blacked out. All this beige. I cannot comprehend it, so my brain must have just switched off, ha! Did none of these people read the guide? Look, there's another. And one more right behind them. Embarrassing, really."

Commentary: The Gala - Part 4

"...What in God's heaven is that person wearing.. I feel like I need to make the sign of the cross, and that goes against this year's theme. Someone douse them with holy water. What is— Wha—

Make sure they are not invited next year. Block them- Just, block them."

"Yes, ma'am.."

Commentary: The Gala - Part 3

"I have been imposed with a headache. Where is that boy with the champagne? I need it to cleanse my spiritual palate. These people have no decorum for following the theme. None. Why do we even bother..

How much longer now?"

"..it's been ten minutes, ma'am. So, a little longer."

"Well, fuck me."

Commentary: The Gala - Part 2

A loud sigh is pushed out from the editor-in-Chief's mouth. "Here we go. The first disappointment. Not too surprising coming from them.

— How long must I stand here??"

"Ma'am, it's only been three minutes.."

Another sigh.

Commentary: The Gala - Part 1

"Every year, they disappoint me. E v e r y, year. These people thinking they are doing something revolutionary, but instead they take the safe road.

Fucking inutile. Well, we' shall see if they've put on more of an effort this year."

"Oh God, no. I don't want to go through surgeries and be at a hospital, I hate them." She'd rather be small and struggle than stay at the hospital for who knows how long.

Ah. Asking for help, yes, she was one of those. "I'm working on it, it's kind of hard sometimes, you know?" And then she felt her eyes on her, then Darcy noticed that she was wearing a very old sweater and felt a little embarrassed.

"Oh, the troubled young minds of today." the Editor-in-Chief looked almost exhausted, her wiry and well manicured hand waving to and fro in a calmer tempo now.

"It's always one thing after another, tut tut. Always seeking, always pushing away- it's awfully hard to tell what it is you want!" she let out one single laugh.

"So you must express it!" the fiery bravado in her demeanor quickly halted as her gaze fell on the young woman's clothes again. Well, some people were not good at expressing themselves through fashion. "Tell, me, what is it that you want? Besides being taller."

"Really? I thought it was the stone thing." Again, she wasn't an expert in the topic but Darcy was going to listen to Carmen on this. "Okay, fine. I guess. It's just stupid that people can be so tall. And reach the higher shelves without having to climb stuff."

"Like everything else, life is a lottery." she gave Darcy a wry smile. "You know there are surgeries for that. Maybe you can, grow an inch. Not that it would help you that much.." the woman was very short.

"Are you one of those people who are opposed to asking or help? How difficult is it to ask a handsome man to grab something for you?? This is the optimal way to meet people!"

Her eyes swept Darcy's attire, and she pursed her lips.

"I-" She moved a little bit to dodge her hand and Darcy was starting to believe or maybe hoping that Carmen wasn't talking literally because doing that was... No.

"Great advice, yeah." She was quiet for a moment. "I meant like, people are really tall and I'm really short."

Carmen blinked for a minute, maybe a little disappointed they weren't talking philosophically. But, oh well.

"Well... You have closer to the ground, darling. You know why Goliath died? It wasn't because he got hit in the eye, it was because he dropped about a hundred stories."

catchymemes

"People are stupidly tall."

"Well then get taller!" her hand flew up as if she was swatting away a fly. "Why must you, or any of us, sit here and just take it. No, darling, you must grab it by the balls and bend it to your will!"

They were talking metaphorically, right?

carmendelafontaine:

The retort made her eyes narrow, looking like she was seething from the finality in their response. But she could see it, the hurt and the pain, the insecurity and uncertainty of what all of this meant. Yes, he had a very long road ahead.

But, it was possible to get ahead.

The revelation that Gabriel had lost his powers made her sit up straighter. Well how, in the world? She wanted to ask but she didn’t think she could, or should.

But this, she could say. “Gabriel, dear, no one is asking you to do this at rapid speed. That’s impossible!” she threw her red gloved hands up again. “I am simply telling you to sit with it. Feel it all. Feel it until you don’t think you can feel any more. Whether that be one week or a year, it does not matter my dear boy.

But there will come a day when you decide that enough is enough. It doesn’t mean you wont feel sad anymore, but at least you have lived through the worst. And then, you can charge at it headfirst again.”

And why did she care? “I care because I’m your goddamned grand aunt, that’s why.” sure she was very bad at keeping in touch with her family, but she’d be damned if she would stop trying. It was worth holding onto. and she believed her family thought so too.

He let her words settle, as straightforward and blunt as they were, he almost preferred it to sugarcoated reassurances and gentleness. He’d rather hear what someone was actually thinking any day.

But what she was telling him to do, sounded.. almost impossible.

By the time his goddamned grand aunt finished, he’d had to look away, face hot and eyes burning with unshed tears that he was so fucking tired of crying until his head hurt.

“Jesus..

okay.” He cleared his throat, shaking his head. He used his arm to quickly wipe away at the dampness. “i’ll,

send them an email.

let them know i’m, taking a break.”

Her sternness softened at the reception she was given, but the boy had listened, and that was all she wanted. Because sadness she understood. She had grieved, she had lost, she had regretted. And no matter how much advice she could throw at someone, it was up to them to do something with it.

"Halleluja!" she exclaimed loudly and threw her hands up higher this time, taking steps closer to the boy. She placed her gloved hand on their shoulder, in leu of another kind of show of affection (had the boy even showered??).

" 'To weep is to make less the depth of grief.' " she quoted, giving his shoulder a few light pats. "Gabriel, dear, you should take a shower."

carmendelafontaine:

Mouth turned into a thin like, the waiting was too long, too drawn out. Surely there was an explanation for all this nonsense-

Carmen’s eyes fluttered as she was fed the information, a little too unreal to comprehend to the point that she wondered if the boy was pulling her leg.

But the more she stared at Gabriel, the more she just.. had to resign herself that they were telling the truth. Her gaze moved to the band aid on their cheek, her head tilted to the side.

What was his boyfriend’s name? Something with an r… Roland. Rrrriver. No. Richard? Rick. Ralph.

“Well have you asked them?” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. “If you want to lay here, marinating in your own juices, go ahead. Mourn your boyfriend and the life you could have lived with them. Grieve over your scars. Cry. Scream. Curse everyone on this planet, and the next. Your family will still be here through all of it, holding your hand if necessary.

And once you’ve done all of that, move on. Because you were handed the opportunity to work in fashion. But now you have to work to stay in it.”

Gabriel blinked at her frustration, opened his mouth but it was quickly shut by the intensity of her speech.

His own frustration welling up, expression pinched as he stared at her. It’s pointless, he wants to say, to shout back. I’ve had enough! I’ve had enough I’ve had enough!

"Why do you care? I’m quitting.” He reiterated.

Something in him falters though, because it wants to take that back. Some stubborn sliver of hope for a life that was worth living. That getting to the other side of, this, if there was another side of it then he would need something to come back to.

He let out a harsh breath, let his head lean against the wall beside his bed, eyes flickering up to the ceiling, then to the wall like he was sorting through some argument in his mind.

Then his gaze found Carmen again.

“I’m not ready for that.”

Was what he settled on. “If I stay, with this.. I’m gonna need, time. I don’t have my powers anymore, and I haven’t adjusted enough to even go outside.”

But, it was possible to get ahead.

The revelation that Gabriel had lost his powers made her sit up straighter. Well how, in the world? She wanted to ask but she didn't think she could, or should.

But this, she could say. "Gabriel, dear, no one is asking you to do this at rapid speed. That's impossible!" she threw her red gloved hands up again. "I am simply telling you to sit with it. Feel it all. Feel it until you don't think you can feel any more. Whether that be one week or a year, it does not matter my dear boy.

But there will come a day when you decide that enough is enough. It doesn't mean you wont feel sad anymore, but at least you have lived through the worst. And then, you can charge at it headfirst again."

And why did she care? "I care because I'm your goddamned grand aunt, that's why." sure she was very bad at keeping in touch with her family, but she'd be damned if she would stop trying. It was worth holding onto. and she believed her family thought so too.

Yeah. Stuff.

He blinked at her, seemingly unfazed by what it meant to leave Gianni Marzano of all people hanging. “Sorry.” He apologized anyway.

Her demand for an explanation left him rubbing his arm uncomfortably. But, he didn’t find it hard to explain. It was the only thing on his mind, all he could think about. That, and pouring over and dissecting each new memory that came back to him.

None of it helped to make it any more bearable.

“I accidentally killed my boyfriend. Twice. Brought him back, and got stabbed.” He relayed, and made a little gesture toward his face.

“Kinda doubt my agency wants to book this anyway. It’s gonna scar.”

Mouth turned into a thin like, the waiting was too long, too drawn out. Surely there was an explanation for all this nonsense-

Carmen's eyes fluttered as she was fed the information, a little too unreal to comprehend to the point that she wondered if the boy was pulling her leg.

But the more she stared at Gabriel, the more she just.. had to resign herself that they were telling the truth. Her gaze moved to the band aid on their cheek, her head tilted to the side.

What was his boyfriend's name? Something with an r... Roland. Rrrriver. No. Richard? Rick. Ralph.

"Well have you asked them?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "If you want to lay here, marinating in your own juices, go ahead. Mourn your boyfriend and the life you could have lived with them. Grieve over your scars. Cry. Scream. Curse everyone on this planet, and the next. Your family will still be here through all of it, holding your hand if necessary.

And once you've done all of that, move on. Because you were handed the opportunity to work in fashion. But now you have to work to stay in it."

He grunted as he straightened up, felt the twinge in his abdomen. Dull brown eyes turned up to Carmen, grimacing.

He looked, very un-model like, he knew. Dark circles under his eyes, hair a mess. This was the same shirt he’d been wearing.. yesterday? Two days ago. Oh.

“Sorry, Carmen.” He’d gotten voicemails, he just didn’t..

“Should’ve answered. About the gala thing.

But I, uh. Some stuff happened. I’m quitting.”

If it wasn’t obvious already from the pink healing scar across his face. He didn’t think he had much of a career to go back to.

The state of the boy was more alarming that she wanted to let on, but her brow smoothed out in shock and then knitted back together at their statement.

"Some stuff?"she repeated, unconvinced and unamused. "You left Gianni Marzano without a model, for some stuff?" what even was that on the boy's cheek, lipstick?

"I've been getting calls from your agency, God knows why. They were this close to filing a missing person's report. What happened to you?"

fuascailt

Ouch.

Oh, right.

Josh sighed, his hands on his hips, wondering just how much he should tell her. Because honestly, whatever had happened, it was kind of out there and he still had some trouble believing it all. Would she believe it?

Well, maybe it wasn't up to him to share the story.

He gestured towards Gabe's room, walking up to the door and knocking two times before opening it a little. He stepped half into the room, not yet letting the woman head inside, to check with Gabe first.

"Hey... You up for visitors?" well too late now if they weren't. "It's Carmen."

@onlylivinboy

@carmendelafontaine

He wasn’t sleeping. He’d tried listening to music, scrolling through his phone, but even that felt too purposeless. All looking at a screen did was make his head hurt, made him guilty as unanswered texts began piling up.

So lying still on his side, the covers pulled up to his shoulders and doing nothing but feel the breeze float through the open window, the door opened.

…Carmen?

His brow knit together in confusion. “Uh.” He rubbed his eyes. “Okay.”

fuascailt

He hesitated, because maybe it wasn't the right time for whatever Carmen was about to talk to Gabe about. Fashion, probably. But, seeing another face other than himself was good. The kid had.. done nothing but stay in his room.

Josh nodded and stepped back, opening the door wider for Carmen to step through, which she did. But not before giving her grand nephew a hint of a distrustful look.

"I'll be right outside." he told Gabe, closing the door enough for privacy, leaving a gap, and returned to the kitchen to tend to the soup.

@carmendelafontaine

@onlylivinboy