love & light.

don't take it personal, but i don't want to hear it. yes, your words are pretty, the delivery's coherent but talk is cheap & see, i've got expensive taste.

[dewitcs]

noah.

a breathless laugh fell from noah’s lips as he shook his head, a big part of him still struggling to believe this was the same cleo he’d been so close to in primary school. how had things changed so drastically? how did people change so much so quickly? his brow pulled together ever so slightly as she spoke, clearing his throat as he dropped down into the chair across from her. if they were doing this, they were doing it right. “huh, i don’t know. was it you keying my car, making sure your fucking twatty boyfriends always called me whatever nasty name they could think of, or was it that you were my best friend who turned out to be the nastiest, lowest human being i’ve ever met?” noah mused, finally looking back at her with a face void of all emotion. “this is fucking stupid. like you said, you’re done with it all. there’s the door.”

    to bite back the scoff that waited eagerly on the tip of her tongue was far too much effort. she could hardly fathom what it was Noah expected to get out of his recital – an apology, a heartfelt vow to change her ways? it was the last thing she could muster the incentive to do. even at fault she clutched onto the pride that held her chin up, refused to admit defeat. a change of heart wouldn’t be, would never be, possible. she kept silent as he rang off the accusations, head tilted in fascination. “ hm. ” she said finally. it took all her strength to avoid a roll of her eyes. “ all fun activities. don’t make it sound like you MISS ME being close. i never really thought we were. ” it was an absurd farce she threw up, attempting to set the belief in concrete with an incredulous laugh. she knew there was a point she had to stop perpetuating the lie she didn’t care about him, about what he thought. she’d try tooth and nail to put it off as long as she could. “ i’ve heard that all before, not just from you. maybe you thought a little too much of me. ”

[dewitcs]

zoe.

   stepping through the door of the costume place, zoé’s eyes searched for the familiar figure of cleo. why she’d chosen this place of all places to look for a costume was beyond her, she was sure there were better places with better options. but then again, sometimes the worst the costume was, the better it was. after deeming the front of the store free of cleo, zoé moved forward deeper into the store, quickly typing out a text just in case to let cleo know she was here. her movements paused as she picked up a soft chime, something that caused her brow to furrow. 

   the moment zoé stepped around another corner, she should have known. the sudden appearance of a ghostface mask out of the corner of her eye, caused zoé to flinch.  “jesus fucking christ—” the cursed words fell from her lips before she’d even registered thinking them. it wasn’t until a few moments passed and the hammering of her heart in her eyes faded to a dull thumping once more in her chest that zoé finally focused on cleo, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she did. “you’re the worst—the actual worst.” she stated simply grabbing the mask from cleo’s grasp before she allowed her eyes to take in the full costume cleo was decked out in and finally a smile broke across her features. “that’s definitley a look, think you’ve found a winner there—” she paused for another moment before tilting her head to the side, her nose scrunching up as she held up the mask she held. “definitley not this, and wednesday addams is probably off the table right?” 

    as Zoe reached for the mask in her hand a soft snort escaped and another bout of laughter threatened to bubble up in her throat. “ i know i am. i’m sorry. but we agree on the clown suit, that’s what matters. i’m onto something here. ” she fiddled with the top fluffy pom-pom button fastened to it, which had come loose from the fabric. it bordered on hanging by a thread. there was a soft noise of alarm as she worked to tug it back into place, distracted, before glancing up again. a mock-serious frown tugged the corners of her mouth down in thought, tapping on her chin with a finger dramatically. “ Michael could work. you just have to walk around all night and say nothing. be extra creepy. ” there wasn’t a chance it would happen ; the two were bound to pass judgement on other costumes and from previous experience, haggle over candy.  “ i would support Wednesday. if you do, i’ll shave my hair off and be Uncle Lester. wait, look at this! ” Cleo’s attention went to a cheap pouch hanging in the aisle, close to bursting with a shiny plastic wig and swathes of satin fabric. “ disco! flares are back in right now. ” she glanced over knowingly. “ why don’t you try it? ”

[dewitcs]

    an onlooker might’ve thought the outfit ridiculous – a cheap ( yet somehow, laughably overpriced ) ghostface mask hid her features. it didn’t compliment the scratchy satin clown suit Cleo’s body seemed to swim in, though it matched the cherry red clown shoes on her feet. she expected to meet Zoé soon, her phone screen flashing with her text barely ten minutes earlier. another soft chime. she must be here. on tiptoe she peered over the shelf to find the familiar shock of dark hair and waited by the aisle shelf, holding back a barking laugh that broke out in an obnoxious “ BOO! ” once her friend was close enough.

    she didn’t wait to catch her reaction and doubled over in laughter, arms clutching at her stomach. “ my god, Zoé, i’m sorry! i had to do it, i couldn’t not. hey, here. ” she held up a Michael Myers mask that smelled of plastic. “ try this on? we’ve got so much to look around for. what are you thinking for this year? ” @zoeraymcnde

[dewitcs]

getting around to writing owed replies now but i’d love more connections for cleo and along with that, to write a few closed starters !  i’m totally feeling like a fresh start to get my muse going again so give this a like and i’ll im you to plot something soon !

[floraos]

Visit Original Link

Tove Styrke - Brag

[dewitcs]

i’m Dead™ rn because lowkey sick af ?? not sure if i’ll be on later but i’ve been dyin the past couple weeks, fingers crossed this’ll sort itself out soon and i can manage to write a coherent reply or two sometime this afternoon !

[dewitcs]

what's one thing you wish you could change from your past?

honesty hour !

    “ there’s nothing i want more than to have spent just a little longer with my mum, even if that meant i had to give up other things i’d committed myself to. i don’t care about what i might’ve had to miss out on because of it. she’s that special to me. ”

[dewitcs]

if you could only live with and talk to 3 people for the rest of your life, who would you pick?

honesty hour ! 

    “ definitely Zoé ; we never get sick of each other. i could live around her 24/7 and never have a dull moment. also Isla. she’s honest to god a lifeline and whenever i’m going through a tough time, she’s there to make sure i don’t fall apart. maybe Noah, too. i need at least one person to annoy. ”

@zoeraymcnde @islakaplan @noahshq

[manchestershq-blog]

— HONESTY DAY

for the next twenty-four hours you can ask me anything, anonymously or otherwise, and i will answer truthfully, no matter what it is!

(after noticing from our members that they missed out on honesty hour due to timezone differences, we’ve extended this to twenty four hours! please make sure you’re sending questions to everyone! and tagging your responses as ‘mhq: honesty hour’!)

[cowboyhudsons]

[dewitcs]

noah.

there was something about the way cleo stretched and leaned back in her chair that made noah uneasy, the mere thought that she was actually making herself comfortable and settling in with no intention of leaving making him want to scream. he kept his eyes trained on her face as she spoke, still sounding exactly like the same sixteen year old who made his life hell. there was nothing about her that noah found genuine. her hair, her words, the smiles that flickered on and off her face — he didn’t believe in any of it. “may not be sixteen anymore, but i still very vividly remember the shit you did to me. so, yeah, sitting down for a friendly catch up is that hard for me.” he tightened his gaze on her eyes before pacing closer, dropping the folder with her information inside down on the table between them. if he hadn’t been the one to do it, the obnoxious noise would have made him jump. “go on then. lets play catch up.” noah dared, his voice completely void of all emotion.

    “ that’s too bad. ” until this point she made sure each word was drenched in sincerity, faux emotion there only for the hell of it. the last three words, however, were heavy and bland, lacking any of the feeling she so painstakingly injected each handpicked word with. Cleo tired of holding his gaze, dropping in boredom to inspect her fingernails. “ let go, nobody cares anymore. i’m done with it all. ” she made the point to sigh loudly, a slow exhalation that caught in soft laughter as the folder in his hand impacted with the desktop. she leaned forward in her chair then, chin resting on the palm of her hand. “ i’m curious, though, ” she wasn’t afraid to bite, take the bait and spit it right back up. “ what is it, exactly, that you’re still strung up about after all this time? ”

[dewitcs]

zoe.

    Zoé stuck out like a sore thumb. the only thing that made her look somewhat similar to the people mingling around in the room was the dress she’d borrowed from Cleo earlier in the day, something that had seemed to have taken forever to do and that she still wasn’t completely comfortable in, and the ability to act like she was overjoyed to see someone she’d never met before in her entire life. why she had even agreed to show her face was beyond her. she was sure no one would miss the girl that had more or less ditched the whole society she’d once lived in years ago. but she knew appearances were important to her parents and the need to make them proud still burned deep down. the only upside of the whole charity event was that she knew cleo would be right by her side, and that the blonde wouldn’t be anymore happy about the idea of being there as she was. though even that had been dampened when they’d both been whisked away by their parents as soon as they’d stepped foot into the venue.

    it seemed like hours had passed before Zoé was finally able to slip away from her parents, making an excuse that there was someone she just simply had to talk. when in reality she hoped to be able to catch Cleo’s eye and escape the questions even for just a second and to her luck, it wasn’t long before her saving grace appeared beside her. “can’t do that,” Zoé started as she brought the champagne flute she held in her hand up to her lips one last time, downing the rest of champagne. something her mother would have most definitley sent a scathing look of disappointment in her direction over if she’d seen. but at the moment the expensive alcohol, that she was sure cost more than one month of her rent, was the only thing keeping things somewhat bearable. “because then that would mean i’d have to suffer through this without you and that would be worse than this which seems completely impossible but—” a breath escaped her lips before she quickly plastered the smile she’d mastered over the years, her hand coming to rest upon cleo’s arm gently. “just think of all the opportunities, cleo! the world’s yours if only you’d take it!” it was almost painful to hear a version of the words she’d heard so many times today come from her own lips. though it wasn’t long before her smile turned more genuine and a soft laugh left her, “please, i need you alive and in misery with me, i can’t do this without you.”

    “ of course you can. ” Cleo’s eyes rolled in jest, draining the last of her champagne. her nails clicked idly on the crystal flute. “ but if i were out of my misery, so to speak, where would you be? talking and laughing with god knows who. maybe HER. she looks like the life of the party. ” a subtle motion was made towards a woman who stood across the room, shoulders draped in an undoubtedly real fur stole and a mass of glittering jewels around her collarbone. the smile on her face, like most of the attendees, was forced. it made sense ; these things forced her own shoulders to knit together tightly, clamp her throat with nervousness, always anticipating the next guest that someone called over. 

    “ the only opportunity i need right now is one to get us out of here. ” in an almost defeated gesture her head tilted to rest gently on her friend’s shoulder. the corner of her mouth quirked oddly to puff away a tendril of hair that tickled her cheek. several attempts to shift the stray hair were made until finally, out of breath and laughing childishly, there was some success. “ shh, don’t panic. i’m not going anywhere, and there’s no way i’d let you enjoy these drinks alone. and i do appreciate having you here as well. ” to recall a time either one had left the other to fend for themselves in such a setting was hazy. imagining years without Zoe sent a chill across her forearms, an uneasy thought she didn’t like to dwell on. at least she could say with confidence that tonight wouldn’t be like that. “ at least you look good, and not just because they’re my clothes. they suit you. ”

    in a good way Zoe did indeed look out of place in the pricey satin, to be wearing an adornment of timeless jewellery that sparkled against the pale of her skin. it was equal parts disjointing and fascinating for Cleo. “ hey, ” she began. “ once this is over let’s go get takeout, yeah? the snacks here are nice, but i’m craving something greasy so bad. ”

[dewitcs]

lola.

“yeah, totally.” brushing the comment off, lola took in the woman by her side. she only had vague memories of cleo, most of them from hushed words of annoyance from noah with almost no explanation, but she didn’t see any of what he’d said reflected in the face of the woman by her side. “so, you’re on the inside of the icing? how much do i have to put on the line to buy out your secrets? what do they put in it that makes it taste like, god worthy?”

    the flatness in Lola’s words were noticeable. she wondered just how much Noah had spoken of and although tempted to ask, thought better of it. she suspected the topic was a touchy one and willingly let it be whisked away. “ of course. i’ve been there long enough to know most of the ins and outs, picked up a few tricks from co-workers too. i’m not much of a cook myself, though, ” she said lightly. “ i like my secrets, and the carrot cake icing isn’t one i’m willing to give up just yet. ”

[bedfordwrites-blog]

moodboard — @dewitcs

well i’m here to tell you babe, the game you’re in is just a game; so damn pretentious.

[dewitcs]

noah.

noah felt his eyebrows raise as she told him to sit like he was some common dog just waiting to be told what to do. he’d spent way too many years playing these games with her, and he wasn’t about to fall back into whatever mess she was trying to create. not here. he crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned on the door jamb, keeping his eyes locked on hers in a silent way of telling her that he had absolutely no intention on doing what she was asking of him. her sickly sweet voice was no doubt deceiving to people who didn’t know her, her words coming across so sweet it was almost believable. “what are you doing? like - what do you think you’re going to get out of this?” noah asked, his voice thick with amusement as he struggled to keep the smile off his face. “you’ve got no idea how embarrassing you are, do you? you’re not sixteen anymore, love. probably about time you grew up.”

    she watched the silent protest, a bemused smile of her own curving her pink lips up and refusing to budge. upon a second, closer glance the way she grinned might’ve been almost predatory, a cruel show of teeth that mirrored her intentions. Cleo leaned back in her seat, a languid stretch of her arms that reached up towards the ceiling. there was still a tedious tug of war they were caught in, sharp words the only thing they dared to exchange anymore. “ seventeen, ” she corrected him. truth be told, she didn’t remember when it was, nor did she particularly care for it. “ and i have grown up. ” she said softly. “ enough, in fact, to not keep throwing up the past when something unpleasant happens to me. ” a partial lie ; there was enough frost between them that she couldn’t quite let go yet. “ it gets a little tiring to keep going back on things. like i said, what i want is a friendly conversation. that so hard for you to manage?  ”

[dewitcs]

sms ✉️ ellar

ellar: check your snapchat

ellar: i'm glad to spend my time on people that are actually worthwhile now :)

cleo: you're right. i'll never get that year of my life back either

cleo: aw you've finally managed to hook up with someone that's drunk enough they can't see your face properly, happy for you x

[dewitcs]

sms ✉️ ellar

ellar: you don't want to know what i think of you

ellar: how nice! now you have one pretty thing going for you!

cleo: isn't it great? i'm glad to spend my money on things that are worthwhile

cleo: do tell!!

cleo: your tweets get a little too vague sometimes