a melody lift, a minor cord fall .

[driftse]

𝗂 𝖽𝗂𝖽𝗇'𝗍 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗂 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖿𝖺𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝗍

[miserableuntil]

" you're in here so often i'm thinking we'd better start reserving your seat. " it's half-teasing, half-jab. a risky move when her boss is already on her case about adjusting her bad attitude. counters it by placing their usual drink in front of them before they even need to ask. may be moody by nature, but she doesn't miss a beat. " got nowhere better to be ? "

closed + @driftse .

[driftse]

" still can't believe my eyes, i suppose, " and there's a glint in his, similar to the one that had always been there at the sight of her, something born a long time before she found her way to behind a bar. his lens somehow, accidentally, always ended up capturing more of her than any of her former bandmates. which left the question, was it the sight of her behind a bar that left him jarred or simply the sight of her that had him naturally gravitating towards her every other night ? " what better place to be after wrapping up for the day than a ole' bar in the middle of nowhere that plays questionable music ? " maybe it was a little bit of both.

[miserableuntil]

" you seem a little defensive, " he muses, smirk concealed as beer bottle raises to his lips. but he wants a reaction — lives for it, even. " all i'm saying is you look a little bored with him. but boring can be fine, i guess. for a little while. "

closed + @driftse .

[driftse]

pursed her lips together at the sound of his voice. too familiar for comfort, even with the time that had passed. " been keeping tabs, kerr ? " she prompted once she turned towards him. " might be news to you, but, " she drawled, " not being pictured screaming at one another every other night would be considered good to most. "

[popsprincess]

“yeah,” his brows furrowed. “like neil armstrong, or.. neil diamond. i don’t see what the pr-” but as she continued, guilt had settled in the pit of his stomach. they were friends, they had been friends for awhile. same friend groups, small town, they went to the same parties and the same bars. it had never been a problem for him before. sure, she was attractive. but there was more than just that to get his attention. the problem started earlier in the summer, when they first started the class. when they talked more, spent more time together, went from being surface level heys at a bar or at his friends of her friends. he figured out small things about her, little things that started to stack up before he could really see it. he went from indifference, to knowing her take out order,. how she liked her coffee in the evenings, favorites movies– most of which he hasn’t seen, and the fact that her shitty boyfriend wasn’t actually shitty. but he was boring. and now she was going to marry boring. “no,” he said finally. “i wouldn’t switch you without telling you, but..” his tongue pushed against his cheek. “i’m going to be in the ring more often, training. you know? i don’t want you to feel like i’m not.. available.”

[driftse]

" i'm just saying, leviticus, it feels like a downgrade. the greek devine to a mere neil, what's he gonna teach me ? how to use a whistle ? " and maybe it wasn't fair of her to judge neil the way that she did ––– to bite a man's head of, judge him for something he'd never had any part of, but she wasn't willing to let go of her time with levi yet. her fiancé, he would break open a bottle of wine over it. he'd turn on a movie, tell her that she never needed the fuss anyway, but there was something about someone encouraging her to not be afraid of the unexpected that had her hooked. not to mention, he hadn't been bad company. had been thoughtful, even. something solid to build upon, had he not been pulling back in plain sight. " you need to warm up before you enter the ring, don't you ? " it was an attempt at changing the time, rather than to cut it entirely. " ––– if your schedule allows it. " an addition, something to linger in the air to keep her from jumping to conclusions, leaving the decision in his hands.

[popsprincess]

“i don’t think i can teach you anymore,” it was bad enough watching their fiancé pick them up. now he was wrestling with feelings he didn’t exactly have anywhere to place. “neil is a good instructor, you’ll like him.”

[driftse]

" his name is neil, " she dead - panned, as if that was enough of a reason not to do it ––– distaste more than clear in her tone. brows furrowed instead, " you're gonna tell me you've already made the arrangements and everything ? i could care less about some type of neil. you're the only reason i said yes to this in the first place. "

[trackmind]

⋆.𐙚 ̊ @driftse  !

eyes had been anxiously averting to catch glimpses of the conversation between his girlfriend and alessia the moment blonde with high ponytail sat next to brunette. it seemed to be going well, from an outsider's perspective, until heels suddenly meet sticky bar floor, clicking towards the exit, without so much as a goodbye. tall frame short of flies from the counter to the booth where his — what ? friend ? it doesn't sound right — remained, taking a sit across from her, features the very picture of panic. “ what the hell just happened ? ” brows raise and furrow, two deep lines of stress forming between. “ you could at least pretend to like her, ale ... give her a chance. ”

[driftse]

       she  had  tried.  her  lips  were  curled  into  a  smile,   the  attention  aimed  at  the  femme  in  front  of  her  hadn’t  drifted  to  the  anxious  man  who  she  didn’t  even  have  to  see  to  feel  him  near   ———   and  the  conversation  was  easier  before  she  began  to  talk  about  felix,   about  their  relationship  and  all  the  things  he’d  do  to  make  her  feel  special.   about  how  well  she  knew  him,   and  how  alessia  could  trust  her  with  him.   the  latter  is  what  tipped  her  over  the  edge,   and  within moments,   the  previously  occupied  seat  across  from  her  was  now empty.   not  for  long,   however.     “   don’t  you  have  a  new  girlfriend  to  follow  ?   ”     a  challenge,   stay.     the  game  of  gazes.     “   i  gave  her  a  chance,   engaged  in  conversation  and  apparently  she didn’t  like  my  compliment  towards  you—   why  am  i  at  fault  here  ?   ” 

[andloves]

“ maybe i’ll go back in there, find the girl i was with before i stumbled into your sorry ass. ” his words lack any true bite. he already knows that as much as he despises other, he can’t leave him like this, and it’s fucking annoying. he can finally catch a proper look at the extent of his cuts and bruises in somewhat better lighting, a light hiss leaving his lips. he looks awful. he laughs, unhelpfully, “ bad luck. ” he smirks. his tongue swipes along his gums as he considers his options. “ as much as i’d pay to see that, i don’t think you can take much more, and i don’t wanna get wrapped up in that drama. ” he doesn’t live far from here. it’s a crazy thought, one that he’s sure mika will fervently refuse, but he’s not sure the other is in any position to be picky. “ listen. come back to mine and i’ll clean you up. it’s a one time offer. talk shit and i’ll leave you right here for that asshole to find. ”

[driftse]

still couldn't believe his luck ––– mika hadn't been back in their hometown for quite some time, let alone stuck around long enough to wander into one of their local clubs. not only did he get caught up in a lovers brawl, stellan, of all people, had to be the person to find him in the aftermath. all he had to offer in response to the other was a roll of his eyes, not quite caring about the girl he'd been with or how much it'd amuse him to see round two go down. annoyance simmered beneath the surface, and if he had any confidence in being able to make it back home on his own, he would've. though wasn't foolish enough to believe that he could stand on his own and breathe simultaneously without stellan's help, and it drove him insane. " you finally got a better couch ? " perhaps it was crossing a boundary, bringing up a past where he had known the colors of his cushions and where to find the hidden pack of cigarettes, but it was the only response he could think of that would color his tone in curiosity rather than what was brewing inside of him.

[andloves]

he somewhat tries to disguise the disbelief on his face. he can nudge her in the right direction, sure, but he can't make her see what she isn't ready to. his brother will have to make that clear by himself, but he hates the thought of her being hurt. “ i guess ... are you happy ? ” selfishly hopes the answer is no.

[driftse]

was she ? couldn't tell what the answer was, especially while dwelling on the couch over the umpteenth argument they've had. " sometimes. " it was the most honest answer she could give, though her tone was dulled. a not - as - often - as - i - used - to - be lingering in there that she was too afraid to say out loud. give her a microphone and a show and she will talk your ear off, yet she hadn't dared to dive into all the ways her boyfriend had disrespected her recently. " do you think he's cheating, that it's me ? " and fuck, most of all ? she hated the insecurity he'd instilled in her.

[parisgoodbyes]

"you want my help ? looks like you need to earn it ." / @driftse

[driftse]

had figured that he'd ask for something in return, but the way how almost intrigued her. almost, had the situation not been as dire as it was. " earn it how ? "

[deryapinar]

“it’s  gonna  be  a  while  until  i’m  back  in  town  again” / @dreamse

[driftse]

" same routine then ? " allowed the words to linger as she combed her fingers through her hair, trying to distract herself from what was happening. " just leave. no need to make a thing out of it. "

[trackmind]

composed features disguise his sorrow, tormented ( and slightly offended ) by how easily peyton believes he would cheat on her. in plain sight, at that. " exactly ― not once. so why would i fuck it all up now ? not to mention, let myself be caught doing it, " perhaps not the strongest argument to his case, though it's one of the few max can wield. there's no chance at resolution unless she trusts him ... and trust has always been precarious between them. " deuxmoi posts some bullshit and you don't even care to listen to my side of the story. "

[driftse]

" i've been trying to keep this–– " she motioned between the two of them, " keep us together, to let you have the space you need to deal with whatever may happen next because you seem to be hellbent on dealing with it on your own, but this ? " hated the way the pain was spreading through her, going beyond what a regular fight would cause. for the first time since the accident, she felt utterly defeated. " it might be some bullshit, max, but you couldn't even muster up the respect to tell me yourself. i had to hear it from my brother, see it on every news - page, and you're telling me i don't care ? "

[andloves]

he scoffs at mika's ability to be difficult even in the dire state he's in. there's a strong temptation to loosen his grip, to leave him exactly where he found him, but something about the way mika leans into him has him tightening his grip instead. he sighs. this is not how he planned on spending his night. he knows it must take a lot for mika to ask for his help though, and as much as he'd enjoy making him work for it, he finds himself scanning their surroundings before hauling him toward the exit. “ what's your next great plan, hm ? crawl home ? or into the gutter ? ” stellan asks as they finally make it outside, the cool air fanning his skin. “ who the hell did you piss off ? ”

[driftse]

couldn't help the sharp inhale when the fresh air hit his face, both relieved by the cold sensation and regretting the change of temperature as it brought attention to his split lip that had simply felt numb up until then, amongst other things. " i don't know, stellan. what's yours ? " wished the drawl sounded more confident, but the longer he'd gone without ice, the more it felt like his face was getting a heartbeat of its own. bruises blossoming, though at the very least the bleeding of his nose had stopped. figured it was something. " you're in charge, after all. " and maybe he shouldn't be egging on the person that was helping him, but it was quite literally the only thing he was capable of doing on his own. " something about someone's girlfriend––– never seen her before, but here we are. " tried to smile the last few words, though all it resulted in was a pained wince and a sudden realization that he hadn't even thought of what his ribs must look like. " sticking around for the encore ? "

[andloves]

he nearly regrets bringing it up when he sees the way she seems to withdraw, but he's not one to shy away from the truth — unless it involves masking his feelings for her. “ are there any good days ? ” it's kinda harsher than he means to be. he huffs a breath, tone notably softer, “ i just know what he's like, what you're like, and i don't get it. ”

[driftse]

" there are good days, " it was grumbled, and as he asked the question, she almost began to wonder the same thing. it started out with only good days. dates, surprise visits, flowers. it had been everything she'd hoped the start of a relationship would be. it's all that happened after that made her doubt it. " what's there not to get, wyles ? we work, most days. every couple has days on which they don't, right ? "

[andloves]

for @driftse based on x

“ i don't know what the hell you see in him. ” it's supposed to sound playful, like a throwaway comment, but even he isn't oblivious to the underlying bite in his tone. he can't help it. wylie's never been one to hold his tongue, and his brother is an absolute dick. he's convinced the guy's only interested because he can sense how badly wylie wants them. why they want him ? he can't fathom.

[driftse]

" you said we wouldn't be mentioning your brother, " she noted, raising an eyebrow before deflating back into the soft cushions of the couch, gaze slipping to the ceiling. wasn't sure if wylie had heard the fight they'd gotten into last night, but it was the only way she was able to explain why there was that much bite to his words. head fell onto its side as to face the other again, bottom lip jutting out ever so slightly. " can't you ask me that question on a good day ? why ask me now ? "

[parisgoodbyes]

[　angel　→　rory　]: idk about always but sometimes, yes :) [　angel　→　rory　]: the blueprint huh? what do the headlines read [　angel　→　rory　]: don't play coy, rory it's annoying

[driftse]

[　rory　→　angel　]: i just happen to, conveniently, have a place in the same city [　rory　→　angel　]: nbd [　rory　→　angel　]: something about fashion, something about my taste in girls? which adds up [　rory　→　angel　]: they have no reason to be jealous though?

[parisgoodbyes]

[　brodie　→　baylen　]: nothing i said is a half truth [　brodie　→　baylen　]: she called, i didn't answer [　brodie　→　baylen　]: but when she called a third time, i did [　brodie　→　baylen　]: that's it

[driftse]

[　baylen　→　brodie　]: okay, brodie. [　baylen　→　brodie　]: good to know that if someone tries hard enough with you, you'll go for it.

[parisgoodbyes]

text for @driftse,

[　angel　→　rory　]: you left your jacket here

[driftse]

[　rory　→　angel　]: on purpose

[　rory　→　angel　]: aside from it looking better on you, it’ll be less of a surprise i show up next time

[parisgoodbyes]

[　angel　→　rory　]: the prodigy son will make a reappearance on my behalf?

[　angel　→　rory　]: careful, the girls might get jealous

[driftse]

[　rory　→　angel　]: haven’t i always?

[　rory　→　angel　]: you’re the blue print according to today’s headlines

[　rory　→　angel　]: which girls?