☼ * // SACCHARINE ! ;

❝ — well it takes O N E to know one, ( * K I D ); i think you got it b a d ! what's so e a s y in the evening, by the morning is such a d r a g ... and i'm N O T sure what the trouble was that ( * s t a r t e d ) all of this, the reasons all have RUN A W A Y , but the feeling n e v e r did. it's not something i would r e c o m m e n d , but it is ( * O N E ) way to live ... what's so simple in the moonlight, by the M O R N I N G never is, it was so ( * s i m p l e ) in the moonlight, now it's so C O M P L I C A T E D !

[irloli-blog]

HELLO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM !!!!!! DONE WITH FINALS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u will see me around here much more often but Not Tomorrow bc i’m going out w/ my family :D but all the times after that ,, i’m here !!! hello to everyone new and if u guys wanna plot we totally can :’)

[irloli-blog]

HEY NEW PEOPLE !!!! i’m tyler i’m on a semi-hiatus right now ( that’s lookin a lot more like a hiatus bc i haven’t been on :/ ) bc finals is KICKING my ass so i probably won’t be able to see any of ur intro posts when u post them but if you guys wanna plot pleeeease feel free to like this or just come and message me ok !!! 

also: welcome to manchester !!! :D

[irloli-blog]

Mythology Asks

Anubis: How do you feel about death?

Atum: What are your greatest imperfections?

Bastet: Do you have any cats?

Hathor: What brings you joy?

Horus: What is one thing you've had to fight for in your life?

Osiris: Do you believe in the underworld?

Ra: Do you have any major responsibilities or importance?

Thoth: Do you like to read/write?

Arawn: What is the most terrifying thing you've ever done?

Bran: How is your health?

Brighid: Tell us about your relationship with your father.

Cernunnos: What is your favorite animal?

Danu: What is your relationship with your mother?

Morrigan: What do you think happens when we die?

Olwen: What is your favorite flower?

Rhiannon: Have you ever been betrayed?

Bragi: What kind of music do you listen to?

Freya: Have you ever been in love?

Freyr: Do you have any children?

Hœnir: Are you a silent or talkative person?

Iounn: How old are you?

Loki: What is the best trick you've ever pulled on someone?

Odin: What is your family like?

Thor: Would you consider yourself pretty powerful?

Tree: What have you done with your life? What are you going to do with it?

Aphrodite: What do you think of yourself?

Ares: Are you an easy person to anger?

Athena: Would you consider yourself an artist?

Apollo: Do you play any instruments?

Dionysus: Do you drink?

Hades: Do you have a bad reputation?

Hekate: Have you ever tried to communicate with the dead?

Hermes: Have you ever stolen anything?

Poseidon: Are you a moody person?

Zeus: Are you a confident person?

Jupiter: Would people say that you are intimidating or fairly approachable?

Pluto: Where do you think we go when we die?

Apollo & Dianna: Do you prefer to be up during the day or at night?

Mars: Have you ever gotten into a fight?

Minerva: Do you generally give good advice?

Proserpine: Have you ever felt trapped?

Plutus: Do you have a job?

Venus: Have you ever had your heart broken?

Vesta: Do you like being home or do you try to get out whenever you can?

Morpheus: Do you daydream often? Of what?

[irloli-blog]

ALL THOSE REPLIES WERE HELLA DAUNTING SO I WAS WAITING UNTIL I FELT PREPARED TO DO THEM AND I FINISHED !!! yay i’m so sorry for late replies guys :(

[irloli-blog]

dear tempe, arizona:

— sometimes, i still think i can feel your warmth on my skin.

do you ever think about

why did you lea

could i ever have gotten you to stay?

dear tempe, arizona:

if i concentrate hard, real hard, i can hear what your voice sounds like. i’m starting to forget but i’m trying my best not to. i think that’s why i’m hooked on american television. american candy. why i’ve got an american girlfriend.

dear tempe, arizona:

if there’s one thing i can’t forget, it’s that night on the highway. dad with his hand on the steering wheel, you in the passenger’s seat. i can see where your curls stick up against the headlights of other cars, and you’re looking over at him with a small smile on your face. your hand reaches out to touch his cheek. he smiles against it, holding your wrist with his free hand and kissing your fingertips. when we get home, when you tuck me into bed, i reach out for your cheek. you kiss my fingertips, too.

dear tempe, arizona:

did you fall out of love? is that what happened? is there anything that could’ve made you stay in it? if there is, please tell me. i promise i’m not blaming you of anything — i’m not, i swear i’m not. i think you did what you had to do. if you had to leave, i don’t blame you. that was what you wanted. it’s just, see, i’m still terrified of people leaving. i know it sounds like i’m thinking it’s your fault, and i’m so sorry. i don’t mean it like that, i could never, and i’m not blaming you for it — i just don’t wanna feel it again. if you could tell me, so i could prevent it, that would be awfully kind of you.

dear tempe, arizona:

i’m waiting for people to fall out of love with me. i’m waiting for everyone to be tired of it, of me, of blushing, of rambling, of worry, of whatever it is i’m made of. i’m waiting for “oliver, this isn’t enough.”

dear tempe, arizona:

i’m afraid of falling in love, too. i don’t know if i want it. i don’t know if i like it. because all of the good stuff, all of the butterflies and the goosebumps come with this overwhelming fear of what it’d be like if they were gone. it comes with a trust that they won’t be tired of you by the next morning. it comes with a complete honesty i haven’t even come to terms with myself. i don’t know if i’m ready to cross that line. i don’t know i’m ready to be this open. i don’t know if i’m ready to be vulnerable. isn’t much better to be safe?

dear tempe, arizona:

i think i hurt someone.

dear tempe, arizona:

i know i hurt someone.

dear tempe, arizona:

i miss you

dear tempe, arizona:

i’m scared

dear tempe, arizona:

i don’t want to be alone

dear tempe, arizona:

hi! hello, how are you? is everything okay? i haven’t seen you in a while, but i hope you’re doing well. is it still sweltering over there? it’s december, but i read somewhere that you get an average of 300 sunny days a year. 300 days! isn’t that crazy? that means you’ve only got around two months of cold, which is less than a regular winter. that’s what makes arizona so memorable, huh? i swear, i still can’t get it off my skin — i’ve got freckles all over to prove it! i haven’t had christmas in a t-shirt in ages, you should see all the sweaters i’ve accumulated over the years. we’ve started competitions, over here, for the ugliest sweater. i never win, but that’s because i don’t know where dad gets those ridiculous pun shirts. it’s been eighteen years, and he’s been wearing them since — well, you remember! probably longer than i’ve been alive, that’s for sure. i’m frightened by novelty pop culture christmas apparel now, which is a niche dad seems to slot into quite comfortably. we all love him anyway, but i’ve got a sneaking suspicion that only josie thinks it’s as funny as dad does. anyway, i tried to get the popcorn tinsel tradition going this year, but it doesn’t work out so well with a family of this size — been meaning to ask you about that, too! are you sure that’s a real thing, or is it just a you thing? no one i’ve asked has ever heard about it, but i’m sure things are different over in america. one thing i do love, though, is that once upon a christmas tape — y’know, the one with mickey and the harmonica and the repeating christmases with the ducks? absolute classic, that is. aunt cam is still trying to fix the vhs player, but i reckon it’s hopeless. thing’s gone haywire for five years now, bless its soul. i think i’ll try to go look for another one; scour the pawn shops, maybe. who knows?

if it’s cold where you are, i hope you’re staying warm (with the popcorn tinsel and your favorite movies queued up!). 

happy holidays!

best regards, oliver.

[racheldenti]

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— joshua :

THE MOMENT OLI’S HAND touches his skin, joshua’s entire being seems to react. his eyes flit to the younger’s face, holding his gaze with an intensity he hasn’t be capable of for so long. and with tears streaking his cheeks, oli’s expression so soft and the feeling of his fingers so tender, joshua can’t keep up the cold act. tonight seems like one big moment of weakness for him, because his own expression has softened into something far more intimate, far more bare than he’d ever intended. it shows his heartbreak as though he were wearing it upon his sleeve, the red rims of his eyes attesting to it, along with the quiver of his spit slick lesser lip. there’s an affection about him that’s aimed directly toward the curly haired lad before him, and he can’t reign it in no matter how hard he tries. he needs to remind himself that this isn’t real – that this moment in time isn’t them anymore. but it’s near impossible to do that when he can feel the softness of oli’s small hand against his own stubbly cheek. 

his heart begins to rabbit in his chest when oliver tells him to stay put, and his mouth opens as though he’s about to beg him not to leave. ‘ stay with me, please – don’t go. don’t leave me behind, not again, ’  he manages to shut the words down before they pass his lips, and instead his mouth closes once more and he’s giving a small nod to indicate that he understands, that’ll he do as he’s told for once. the petname is almost too much, as it certainly does not escape joshua’s notice. his eyes mist up with it once again, and fresh tears are making their way along his cheeks as the door shuts behind the younger. 

silence ensues, feeling as though it spans a small eternity. his chest aches, and his stomach muscles tense and dance like they’re threatening to throw up again – he manages to calm them somehow, sitting himself with his knees tucked under his chin, arms resting upon them and his face buried against his sleeves. he only looks up when he hears the door reopen, and his eyes land on the familiar figure once again. he shouldn’t be this happy that oli came back. “ thanks, ”  he murmurs as the other sits beside him and offers him the bottle. he grasps it and takes two large gulps of the clear liquid, letting it wash away the bitter taste of bile left on his tongue. “ thank you, ”  he reiterates, though this time it isn’t for the water. it’s clear in his eyes that it means more. he’s thanking him for staying, for caring enough to. for coming back. “ i should probably head back to my dorm. ”

his hand twitches with a need to touch joshua again, but he refrains — he doesn't want to push his limits, doesn't want to break this strange, delicate balance that somehow procured and came into existence in lieu of anger. so oli's knees draw up to his chest, mirroring the other's, and he folds his arms atop his jeans, resting his cheek against them. he still can't tear his eyes off of joshua — could he ever, really ? — and the dimpled side of his cheek quirks up a bit, a silent ‘ hey, it's okay ’. the thank you is heavy with meaning and oli gets it, how there are some things you just can't say outloud sometimes. he knocks into joshua's knee with his own, cheek still mashed against his arm. ‘ if it helps, your alcohol tolerance is very impressive, ’ he offers, trying to lighten the thick air. ‘ not that i doubted it. but still — any other person would be keeled over by half of what you had, i think. ’

a small part of oliver wishes that he and joshua could sit like this, on a stranger's tile floor, and just talk. he wants to ask joshua about his vacation — if he had fun with his family, if he took any cool pictures. he wants to tell joshua all about the station, how he doesn't have that much of a role yet but sometimes he gets an entire hour, just playing his favorite songs. he wants to tell joshua that there's a person he's thinking of when he plays any song — fleetwood mac for his father, ella fitzgerald for his grandmother, dance-y tunes for his best friends. he wants to tell joshua that some of them are for him, too. but joshua speaks again, says he should go, and oliver realizes that this moment wasn't meant to last long — there's a smaller part of oliver that wants to say no, don't, but he doesn't. he realizes that this is what it must feel like when someone else pulls away.

so oliver stands up first, his tight jeans and uncoordinated legs leaving him entirely graceless as he straightens himself, and offers a hand out to joshua. ‘ m'headed back, too. i'll walk you. ’ it's not so much a suggestion, but it isn't a command either. they're more than words, though: ‘ i'm not ready to let this go yet ’ hanging over his head. he hopes it isn't obvious.

[irloli-blog]

⁇&ø

send “⁇” for a DRUNK text.

☾ 1:07 am → hahahahahhhahafia☾ 1:07 am → rememberb that time wehn .i slipped in that pud dl e☾ 1:07 am → andn spraiend my ankle☾ 1:08 am → hahahahahhahahaa☾ 1:15 am → well.................................

send “&” for a LOVING text.

☾ 12:00 am → happy birthday babe!!!!!!!!!!!! ur one year older than u were and i’m so happy that the world got another 365 days of afia bc we all needed it :D u are so strong and beautiful and i’m so happy to have you in my life. i’m very proud of all that you’ve accomplished - i know you must hear it all the time bc ?? how could anyone not know how amazing you are ?? but if u happened to have forgotten for a millisecond i wanted to be here to remind you that u are a force to be reckoned with and i appreciate you so much. here’s to day 1/365 on another year of you :)))

send “ø” for a LATE NIGHT text.

☾ 11:47 pm → hey babe!!! i know ur awake so i’m just here to remind u thatttttttt sleeping is importantttttttttttttt☾ 11:48 pm →u’ve got an early class tmrw i just wanted to make sure u set ur alarms and set aside time 2 rest up after studying so much☾ 11:49 pm → ur gonna ace ur test don’t worry about it at all☾ 11:49 pm →i have a lot of faith in you☾ 11:51 pm → plus if it’ll help i’ll stop by with donuts n tea in the a.m. :D

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— gavin :

one of the best things about oli is the fact that he’s so fucking sincere, which is something that gavin finds difficult to mirror on a good day. as it stands, it’s far easier for him to be as genuine when he’s actually in his presence, and the fact that his movements literally tailor themselves to his existence is probably just another form of that. on top of what’s already there, of course – which is years upon years of taking care of younger siblings, children, and having to remember things for them like the lid and the straw. he supposes he’s a bit built for it at this point, but it doesn’t stop his amusement from showing on his face, a hand moving up to cover it up, like he means to hide it away despite how obvious it is. ‘ okay, one, i wouldn’t be a food critic if it were the last job on this earth, and two, i’ve actually never found skittles to be that bad. a bit sugary, rot-your-teeth-out, but not that bad. not as bad as american chocolate, at any rate, which i wouldn’t touch if someone paid me to. ’ he holds out physical proof of a thoughtfulness he consistently tries to hide to him, expecting it to be taken so as to avoid future accidents. ‘ it’s okay, we all sometimes forget major innovations of the human race. they’re so common now, after all, it’s almost as if it’s normal to put a lid on your cup in order to prevent spills. ’ he’s teasing. always teasing.

‘ really ? never ? being a food critic doesn't seem so bad ! ’ oli's astonished by this, for some odd reason, but he amends it when he puts some more critical thought in — ‘ actually, it probably sucks for the people who're havin' their food criticized, doesn't it ? nevermind. i couldn't do that, i don't think. ’ there's a false pout on oli's lip, faux personal offense as he puts an affronted hand to his chest. ‘ kit kats ? reese's ? twix ? c'mon, gav, throw me a bone here ... there's gotta be at least one ! skittles over kit kats ? really ? ’ the pout melts into a smile, a concession that has his chin in his hands and a wrinkle on his nose. ‘ but american chocolate isn't that good, yeah — a bit plastic-y, but i think that's the all-american taste. 've had the fake cheese stuff — s'god awful, gav, truly. the stuff nightmares are made of ! 've gotta write a letter to the fda, or somethin'. ’ oli snorts, snapping the lid onto his cup and poking a straw through, smile still in place while he takes a sip. it's cheeky, his grin, and aimed right at gavin. ‘ england is so different from america, ’ he enunciates carefully, in a heavy, southern accent. ‘ i don't know anything about your customs over here, darlin' ! ’

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— afia :

 ✧ ° ｡——  “hmmm, lets mix it up.” her bubblegum popped and bits of it ended up on her outer lip. such an embarrassment. “sorry.” the word was almost automatic. she’d been saying it for much lately as a way to excuse her fervor that it literally came after everything that she did. but it was obvious that afia had no reason to pass over her actions around oli. he made her smile and she never felt like she needed to hide it…even if it was covered in mint flavored orbit. “can i have a patty please?” her jitters were starting to move her around, much to her dislike. so to fight the unnecessary nerves afia slid her hand into his and took a deep breath. “your turn, ilo.”

oli frowns slightly, shakes his head and pulls afia to him. ‘ don't apologize t'me, love ! you did nothing wrong. ’ he returns the smile back to her, beaming twice as bright to ensure that she knew it was okay — that she felt comfortable to not apologize for minuscule things in the future. he rubs his finger against the back of her hand in attempt to soothe her, looking up at the fluorescent sign. ‘ think m'gonna stick to the chips ! ’ he says, cheek dimpling towards the employee. ‘ can i make that a full meal, please ? ’

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— spencer :

when oli tapped her on the shoulder, spencer was pretty slow to get up. sitting up begrudgingly, she gave her friend a tired smile. “hey oli..” she whispered before glancing at her psychology book and most of her other school supplies strewn across the floor next to her chair. “shit. the plan was to do work, not sleep. how long was i out?”

a fond look passes over oli's features when his friend smiles up at him, her quiet voice breaking the silence of the library. ‘ m'not sure, exactly, ’ he replies apologetically, hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck. ‘ i only just saw you right now — 've been hitting the books, m'self. i've still got a paper to write; if you want, we could relocate to the commons ? that way i'll be there to keep you up ! ’

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— aiden :

“at least there’s one place that you know. i just know how to get to my dorm and that’s about it. at least you were nice enough to show me where i have to be. others aren’t so kind, unfortunately.” he sighed, not having had the best encounters before this one. at least oli didn’t really seem angry with him which was definitely a good sign. “you’re just doing paperwork? i guess you just have to work your way up. is that something that you’d want to do later in life? like become a radio host or something? i’m sure more people listen, more than you think. no, it’s fine. i have played in front of people before but just not a lot. that could work, making me anonymous.”

‘ m'still getting lost every day, but i'm workin' on it ! ’ oli frowns at aiden's misfortune, running into someone unkind. ‘ if it makes y'feel any better, ’ he tries, ‘ y'found me ! not sure how much of a consolation that is, but i've got a map you could have, if you'd like. for future reference ! ’ he draws the folded square out of his pocket, handing it over to the other boy. ‘ i picked his up after i went into that building so many times, ’ he admits, bashful smile on his face. ‘ yes ! hopefully i can work in radio. maybe i'll end up doin' somethin' else — m'still testing the waters. anonymity's got some power in it ! what would your alias be ? ’

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— elijah :

“good,” he murmured rather absent mindedly, watching the wheeze of smoke rise above the pair for a moment. eli didn’t particularly care for the aesthetics of smoking, as some others did, but coming from oliver’s mouth, it looked some how more artistic than his own. eli returned the grin easily. “oh, sure. i bet you say that to all the girls.”

‘ nope, ’ oli says, popping the p and giving his companion a cheeky grin, passing the spliff back over. there's something he likes about smoking that he doesn't like about other drugs, feeling it work over the tension in his shoulders. ‘ s'just you, eli ! my one 'nd only, of course. ’

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— dizzy :

Dizzy fiddled with her coffee mug, more using it for the warmth between her hands than to drink, really.  "Oh nothing terribly exciting.  I thought about doing a piece on how well maintained the salad bar is here, but then I wouldn’t be able to eat it anymore.“  She laughed and tossed her head.  "The pains of being an investigative journalist.”  She laughed again.  "It’s sad that’s the hard hittingist piece I can think of.  I think college is frying my tiny mind.“  She pursed her lips in thought.  "I don’t know if I’d like that.  I like my morals are shiny white.”

‘ for the record, ’ he defends, waving his spoon around. ‘ i would one-hundred percent read about how well-maintained the salad bar is here, because it's true — but you're right. you wouldn't be able to enjoy the salad bar, which is a very, very awful loss in itself. ’ there's a thoughtful beat while he thinks up another topic for his friend, humming in contemplation. ‘ you could write about study habits. finals week is comin' up. i've got awful habits for you to investigate. but it sounds like, awfully vanilla. we need a crime here, don't we ? or, well — it's probably a good thing that we don't. it's probably nice to only have salad bars to talk about ! ’

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— wesley :

A SOFT SMILE FLICKERS TO HIS LIPS, fondness just edging around the corners. “If you insist, I suppose.” He lifts his first finger up without hesitation, not needing to think when he starts off with: “You, obviously. We’ve already made that much clear.” His middle finger is then going up alongside his forefinger. “My sister, of course.” He pauses on the next one, three fingers now held up in the air as he semi-awkwardly mumbles out the next name: “Uh, Joshua.” He clears his throat, going onto the fourth finger after thinking for another moment. “Cece’s cool; like a little miniature lesbian version of me. So her, definitely.” And then he’s holding up five. “And Gavin,” he finishes, voice wavering just the slightest bit, a lingering sense of longing lacing his tone as he slips both hands into his coat pockets again. “There might be a few people that I tolerate outside of that, but I suppose that’s mostly it.” Wes can’t help but let out a chuckle at that, eyes crinkling up at the edges from the force of it. “Ah, yes– whatever you say, dumpling.” Then he’s reaching over to ruffle at the boy’s curls once more, the action coming off more fond than condescending, if anything.

oliver holds up his fingers along with his friend, smile still at play when they count out the people that the other can stand to be around. ‘ me, obviously, ’ he repeats, grin widening at his friend. he nods along at the next, aware of wesley's love for his sibling, and pops his second finger up. when joshua's name comes along, there's a hesitation and a tension that both of them don't talk about, but oli smiles through it, his third finger lifting. ‘ immaculate facial hair, ’ is the comment that leaves oli's mouth. ‘ a fine choice, wesley ! ’ his fourth finger follows that, then the fifth, and oli lets out a thoughtful noise, wiggling his fingers in front of him. there's a tone to wes' voice that oli doesn't miss, but he isn't quite sure if he should bring it up. the quake in the taller boy's voice is something that tells him not to — or was it the longing in wes' voice that reminds him of his own situation, one that he's not ready to talk about, and tells him to not make it harder than it is for his friend ? either way, oli doesn't press it, beaming at wesley while holding out his left hand to continue counting on other fingers. ‘ see — that's where you go wrong. you haven't met my dad or my nan yet, so that's a potential seven. ’

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— wynter :

HER FISTS FALL QUICKLY, head whipping around fearfully as if his words were able to evoke that sort of trepidation. “ oh no. ” the words come out as a hushed whisper, body leaning towards the tall frame as she breathes, “ do you think anyone saw? i just came for the chips and company – i do not mean any harm. ” wynter laughs, feeding off of oliver’s jovial energy as her gaze travels from his feet all the way up to his chocolate curls. “ oliver, in heels you are still this much tall than me, ” she gestures with her hand, raising it straight above her head and standing on her tip toes to get even more height. “ your physician may be lyin,’ and i doubt that. i am more a verbal fight person than a physical one. ”

his tone matches hers, playful glint in his eye. ‘ if they did see, what's the escape plan, wyn ? i'm a shite driver — they'd catch up to us in no time. we'd need another plan. ’ he shakes out his hair, rearranges it into his beanie and lets out a loud laugh, looking at the height difference between them. ‘ no, unfortunately — a lot of physicians have expressed dismay that a growing boy of my age is this vertically challenged, but don't tell wesley about that. he'll never let me live it down ! and okay, shakespeare, ’ he teases, banter flowing easily between the two of them. ‘ donteth hurteth thy feelings — thou art ... um - sensitive ? ’

[irloli-blog]

* ☼ —— naeem :

the second the curly haired lad started wondering whether or not naeem was choking, it didn’t really come to his mind to just shake his head and get it over with. instead he focused of chewing as fast as he could to get the brownie down. he had to clear his mouth to be able to speak, but suddenly and without a warning he got lifted up into a tight hug. or what seemed like a hug. desperately chewing the last bit of the brownie and swallowing it, the skinnier male relaxed in oliver’s grip and let out a heavy sigh. “ please don’t squeeze, i’ll vomit if you do, “ he chuckled, a bit hoarse, “ but look, look! “ naeem swung his arms around oliver’s neck and legs around his waist, hanging onto him. “ i’m like a koala bear, “ he chuckled. ugh, why did he do stuff like this?

oli lets go quickly, trying his best to accommodate his friend's comfort. ‘ sorry, i just — ’ his apology is cut off by how own yelp ( a real, bonafide yelp ) when his friend clings to him. oli, who is not the strongest nor the tallest in their group of friends and is also slightly high, buckles underneath the weight of the other boy and the stumble is a mighty one — it's ungraceful, a tangle of limbs shaking and suddenly collapsing and it all happens in slow-motion in oli's head, so slow motion that he can barely get out a warning before they tumble to the floor. ‘ uh ... ’ oli starts, staring at his friend before bursting into a fit of giggles, right there on the floor.