* C R U S H I N G

an amused grin appeared on catherine's face when sloan admitted to pinching herself on the plane, before letting out her own confessions. "i won't lie to you...i did not want to be recognized," she shrugged her shoulders and sank herself into the sand. her hands combing through it as if the texture alone could ease her mind. "not that i wasn't pleasantly surprised, let me just make that clear!" the dark haired woman let out an infectious laugh as she continued, "it had just been so long that i was more so embarrassed for myself - look where we are together. i know the both of us couldn't have imagined this in a million years." if catherine were to say what she really wanted to, the words that would fall out of her mouth would suck the both of them into a deeper path. a path she didn't know if sloan wanted to take - everything just felt so beautiful between the two of them. it always felt as if they could accomplish anything together, but maybe that's where the problem lied. maybe they always got too ahead of themselves before they got to think of their own convictions. "all i'm saying is..." she paused momentarily before a delighted sigh followed through, "i am glad we're here together. i know i needed this." following sloan's eyes out into the horizon she agreed with a nod before softly whispering, "it's just magnificent." the sound of the waves hitting against the shore brought a lot of clarity to catherine's mind. "i don't know if i asked on the plane - i was dying with nerves practically, so i may have forgotten but...uh...were you ever close to finding the one in recent years?" she didn't know if the question was too forward but they needed that, she needed that. catherine was sure sloan could see the way her eyes were almost begging for a no. years apart and she still felt a bit of sting at the thought of another woman getting to know the beautiful, fun person sloan was.

#( SLOAN E. // INTERACTION. )#( sloan x catherine. )

there was an appreciation to catherine's softer tone. the woman always had a way of releasing the tension in sloan's body. the sarcasm could rest. her walls could become translucent. where play came to light to tuck emotions behind a curtain, sloan felt safe enough to allow catherine behind the scenes. that was just how they managed. it was silly for sloan to think that time was only going to reveal that truth they held. fondness. though, it was deeper than that. wasn't it? always had been. sloan even found that to remain when they were apart. they were still...apart. that realization caused sloan to slip her fingers beneath the crystal grain of sand. the cool sensory grip was a necessary distraction. it was so easy to fall into catherine completely. even more so when sloan braved her chin to turn. the sight of the ocean's orange, and blue glow mirroring inside of catherine's eyes was a further emotional slip.

"the 'one' ..?" flat and meaningless. how did a three letter word become full opposite of catherine? incomparable. sloan's hands resurfaced from the sand, and wrapped around herself. her body language was searching for some protection. "sure, swept completely off of my feet. whirlwind of a romance so gushy that nicholas sparks wrote a book about it." that wasn't true. reality felt easier to digest skirting around the truth. sloan could keep everything tucked under rugs until she couldn't. "you don't want to hear about my dating life, do you?" salty air gently brushed against sloan's cheeks. dating had been few. horrid at first. mostly pressured by those around her. there had been one that stuck a little longer, but sloan couldn't pin point if she was trying to prove to herself that she was in love, or if she was trying to let go of the past. there was always a lean towards monogamy. some days she thought it was just settling. "i'm not in a relationship if that's what you're getting at." was it? was catherine being curious for the sake of conversation? sloan didn't want to ask about catherine's dating life. passing years couldn't coat that sting. that ill feeling that would burrow inside of her. still, she dared, "you?"

THE LAUGH LEFT HER LIPS SO EASILY, and she immediately remembered why she always ends up here. there was nowhere else where she feels this at ease, this seen, this understood. this free to just be herself and speak freely. sometimes there were days when val wondered where all the joy had gone in her life ⏤ but just a few minutes with dani and all of those worries were gone. "this seems like the place to do it," val grinned, took a sip of her wine as they walked, "i would never judge." and maybe it would be fun, to indulge. to have a night where they enjoyed all of the things they used to love. not the kind of indulgence that they could partake in regularly. she was fairly certain her body could no longer process blue in its truest form. the night air was refreshing, and val wasted little time in settling in next to her companion. "don't even get me started," val groaned, playfully rolling her eyes, "midterms are always rough. a lot of them realize they're not doing as well as they thought, and they panic."

dani let out a quiet hum of amusement. as val talked beside her, a memory made itself present of a younger dani pushing herself through school. absorbing more words than understanding. sleep deprived, and hungry for success. swirling the rosé once before taking another sip, “mm, same look clients get right before mediation,” she said lightly, eyes fixed somewhere out beyond the terrace lights. recalling, “that very specific expression people make when the realization hits. that confidence and reality have never actually met each other.. then falls panic.. sounds like its sink or swim for them. they'll be alright, no matter the outcome, i'm sure.” a faint smile pulled at the corner of dani's mouth after. softened by the wine and the hour, she reached to lend a sharing gesture of the blanket over val's lap. “at least your students still have time to recover,” she added. “most of the people i deal with are discovering they’ve wasted fifteen years on someone who chews too loudly.” the comment was more dry than the wine. she didn't mean any direct contact to val's own divorce. just simply put to her own daily witnessing. there had been a subtle warmth beneath it. threaded with understanding. from long exhaustion. the night settled comfortably within their orbit as it always had on these nights. the distant city noise. the glow of a few distant porch lights. dani's chin slightly turned, “panic makes people strangely honest, don't you think?”

#( VERA V. // VISAGE. )#// the cigar photo took me tf out

christinaguilera

Rosamund Pike photographed for GQ Hype (May 2026)

filmgifs

BEFORE SUNRISE (1995) dir. Richard Linklater

#( musings. )

VAL LET OUT A LOW CHUCKLE, SHOOK HER HEAD, mulling over the statement. "most companies marketing blue anything seem to be doing alright." what was a blue raspberry? was a question that plagued her quite often. it was also one of those questions that she wasn't entirely sure she wanted answers to. all val knew was that the likelihood that this wine in particular was more artificial colorings and flavors than actual wine was higher than she would like, but ⏤ "free does have a tendency to taste rather nice, doesn't it?" and val really didn't want to cheapen the gesture. it had come with high regard from her much-younger colleague. val listened intently to the impromptu speech, her smile only growing as it continued. lifting her glass, all val could manage herself was a quick, "cheers." out of curiosity, she waited until dani took a first sip, watching her reaction carefully. the fact that her face had not immediately contorted in disgust was a fair sign, and val felt more assured in her own sip. she couldn't say it was one she would ever reach for on a shelf while at the store, but she wasn't disappointed either. "some air would be nice," val nodded, moving to follow her companion outside. she hoped it would help her to fall asleep, that it would be the key to everything after being trapped in her office all day.

"blue sells me less. seems more staining to the mouth. i can't walk around town looking like a five year old who ate crayons." dani humored lowly while feet guided them. some chapter of her life, back in her youth, had enjoyed that stain. indulged in color. freedom stretched like limbs on trees. so freely, and somewhere as age grew onward, dani, among many others, lost touch of that youthful whimsy. out the back door was stepping into a realm that shed a different light than what the day provided. stripped from stress, it was a setting that dani already could feel the tension in her shoulders ease. the temperature called for comfort. when the brunette took a seat, wine in hand, her fingers tugged at a throw blanket to complete the cozy aesthetic. the night was a maximalist sought out security. wine, the night air, and val's company seemed like a bundle to complete just that. there was no need to build any walls. judgment was left outside of some invisible barrier when she returned home. her own judgment left when val saw her porch light on. "tell me, how gruelling were the confines of your office today?" a smile curled at dani's lips knowing all too well what a needy, strenuous monster the work environment could be. demanding in all nature. "looks like it didn't drain you completely. you had enough energy to walk a few feet over here." that humor stretched out a little further. nudging the stress away. or so she often tried.

"oh don't be an ass," catherine giggled at sloan's modeling comment. the weight of her glasses sitting on her nose bridge made a toothy smile appear. "i will consider modeling once you have. if you don't get in, there's no way in hell i would." and she truly believed that. throughout life no one had ever captivated catherine the way sloan did. from the very first glance, she'd been hopelessly enchanted by the blonde. drawn in as if sloan herself were something written from poetry - which eventually she was. catherine believed love was such a rare thing to come across and to be in love could be a once in a life time opportunity. she was lucky enough to have found that with the other woman, until their fate had separated the two of them.

pushing her hair back with sloan's glasses she examined the selfies that had taken together, a smile creeping onto her lips before she spoke of her concern. noticing sloan's visible concern had catherine nodding her head immediately. "promise," she put out her pinky to keep her word. she knew there would be judgement, especially from catherine's friends. it wasn't that they disliked sloan, but they knew the hold sloan had over her. many years have passed and they wanted catherine to move on, they wanted her to find love - they were practically casting spells for it to happen. they told her it was sloan holding her back and she always denied it. how could she if they hadn't spoke or seen each other in years, right? "it's a good thing you and i are adults. we can let them gossip. i'm having a great time with you and i won't let them ruin it," picking the best photo out, she posted to her story. now the world could talk. slipping her phone away into her bag she sighed happily. "you're amazing, don't try to think about what people can say. words are powerful but i believe in that strong, brilliant mind of yours to not let it get to you," she playfully poked her side. "i'm really enjoying this - probably way too much if i am being honest here. here we are about to watch the sun set together...it's almost like a dream."

#( SLOAN E. // INTERACTION. )#( sloan x catherine. )

"i just know that we will become the bold highlight of an evening cocktail chat." concern dripped from sloan's lips. overthinking was fine tuning itself to the brink of catastrophe. there was a desperate wish to be as calm, and collected as catherine. instead of rattling off any further anxiety, sloan's chest lifted allowing her lungs to fill with a calming breath. "you're right." as she so often had been. sloan linked her pinky briefly with the others digit. a simple gesture that had a wild recentering power. muscles eased. so did her mind. "alright, that's it, come along." the blonde directed even though she began pulling catherine along with her.

hand in hand, sloan chose to sink into the presence. forget the outside world. there had been too many times she allowed over thought to command her actions. all she wanted was to see catherine smile warmly. just as the woman had looking at their selfies. god, how the wings had fluttered in the pit of her stomach. "definitely not a dream. you don't know how many times i had pinched myself on the plane. im going to be peppered in bruises, surely." the over exaggeration punctuated once sloan sat on the mound of sand. a small tug at the brunettes hand, and sloan was on the brink of shedding far more emotion than she wanted to. a beautiful nature scape paired with beautiful company was bound to make her overly spill emotions. not yet, she relaxed. her feet slipped from her shoes quickly to bury beneath the cool sand. "going to burn this image into my brain. there's just nothing more breathtaking." the glow, orange and vibrant reflecting from rolling waves. whatever fate pulled in with the tides had created a moment in time sloan didn't want to slip out of.

VAL ENJOYED COMING TO DANI'S HOUSE. mostly because of the other woman's company, but also because of how her home felt. where dani's home felt whole, val's felt as though it had been halved. the odd bits of furniture or decor taken. photos absent from shelves and walls, the only evidence of their existence being rings of dust or slight bleaching of color from sunlight exposure. the home had been theirs, something they had built together. and now that she was living alone within it, she felt like a stranger within its walls. her mother and friends assured her it was nothing some fresh coats of paint and a shopping spree at home goods couldn't fix. val wasn't so sure, but she appreciated their enthusiasm. "it's midterms," val gave a half smile and a shrug as the only explanation. she didn't need to mention the text from her soon-to-be-ex. not yet, anyways. "it was a gift from a colleague," she mused, looking over the bottle, "i was promised it's a refreshing and not-too-sweet rosé, but i'm worried the flavor might just be pink." it had been a thoughtful gesture in return for a favor that val has long since forgotten. the bottle has been sitting on a shelf ever since, and if there was ever an occasion to take a leap of faith ⏤ "i'm trusting one of us has a suitable alternative should this go poorly."

"trusting anything that is the flavor of a color is setting the bar pretty low." yet, dani stood untwisting the cap. also a low bar, but desperate times called for desperate measures. there could be joy within simplicity. the woman just feared asprin would be needed the moment she'd wake up tomorrow. sugary wine made for the sharpest headaches. "free makes it delicious." she noted with a finger pointing in the air. the rose slipped into the glasses effortlessly with the woman's steady hand. the stream spiraled at the bottom of the glass before it settled. while speaking, dani lifted one glass and held it out for val to take. "cheers to your friend for providing tonights starter. i will say, i think something a little refreshing would be good for the night. cleanse the day... and," posture dipped her hip, one hand smoothed flat on the marble, while the other held her glass in the air. "well, something super profound, and encouraging should come out of my mouth, but all i got is cheers." the first sip eased its liquid way into dani's mouth, down her throat, and left a sweet floral residue on her lips. the wine, she judged it immediately...too pink, too delicate, too eager to be liked. yet, there was something about it she did like.. and didn't want to admit to the air. instead, "care to sit outside?" she needed the air more desperately than she cared to admit. "i've got a throw blanket already out there with your name on it, and my ears are dying to be filled with anything other than myself." to escape into another's world was where the brunette wanted to settle. she'd grown too tired of her self lately. loneliness crept whenever the night fell. poison to her secure mind.

catherine's laugher softened into something more tender as she listened to sloan, her playful antics never failed to charm her. she had missed sloan deeply and she knew it must have been obvious. catherine was completely smitten, "don't worry about all that sand being in areas you couldn't have imagined. you just have to take a little longer in the shower." she said with a big smile. in truth, this might have been the best outcome for her solo trip. catherine never had trouble connecting to the world around her. her extrovertism made her seek out strangers, learn their stories to fuel her own imagination. yet sloan's presence hinted at something different, something catherine had never experienced or written before. "no i mean precious," she shrugged her shoulders not minding that sloan didn't like the word she had chosen to describe her, but that's how catherine viewed her ex-lover. "but i will also say chic because you do look chic, i am a tad bit jealous." pulling her phone from her pocket, she opened the front camera. when her gaze caught the reflection of her face besides sloan's, earned a genuine smirk. the past slipped into the present, blending so seamlessly it almost felt like they were still the same as before. "ready? i'll just snap a few," catherine held her phone up to get the right angles. she took sloan's advice and made sure the orange sky sat in the background of their photos together. making herself more comfortable, catherine came to sloan's side, rested her head against hers for the selfie. a soft smile with her flushed cheeks showed in the images before she separated herself, "now how am i supposed to share these photos on the socials? you totally out-did me in all of these." not shying away from sloan, she took her hand in hers once more. maybe this was too close for comfort, but she didn't care. maybe this was platonic (catherine didn't believe so, but she could make herself think that).

#( SLOAN E. // INTERACTION. )#( sloan x catherine. )

her index finger hooked at the bridge of her prada sunglasses. black, and curved, sloan pulled the expensive plastic down the bridge of her nose so pale blues could hover over. "so eager to show me off, i see." the smirk that curled at the womans lips was taunting. almost like calling out a crush. everything was soft, and playful between them. the bitter end of the past felt far off in the distant. sloan could hardly recognize that portion of their once life now that catherine had been intoxicating her space. the perfume. that effortless glow that the other radiated. sloan nearly felt ill with the yearning that crept up her neck. "are you fishing for a compliment? oh catherine the great." this was an unrecognizable attempt at flirting. her finger peeled the sunglasses further down until they fell from her face. the glow of the setting sun was blending the flushed color scheme that rose on sloan's face. standing in front of the dark haired woman, sloan's hands lifted. she tucked thick silky hair back with the ends of her sunglasses. "have you ever considered modeling?" the tone fell sarcastic, but again, this was how sloan drove in the lane of flirtation as she slid her sunglasses onto the others face.

the weight of reality started clearing fog that hazed her brain. social media. all of the eyes that would center on a photo. there could be disruption to whatever bubbling bliss she was feeling. outsider opinions. the past would feel closer, perhaps. sloan didn't know what she was doing with catherine. it felt harmless. her heart wasn't in pain as it had been for a length of time. on the surface, she felt.. good. "if you post those, can you just not look at your phone after? at least for the rest of the night." the last few words sighed slowly out. there it was...that subtle shift of concern laced around her words. sloan's tongue swiped at her bottom lip to try and wipe it all away. swallow it down. "i just think we could do without any outward ....judgment, yeah? i mean, cath, can you imagine what your circle of people would think seeing my face blown up next to you? pure combustion."

jofridapettersen

click the source link to find 500 gifs of CAILEE SPAENY in BEEF SEASON 2 EP 1-3. please reblog if using!

#gif pack

lcvedecayed

there was no such thing as a small decision when it came to weddings. that extended to something that some might see as trivial as dessert. vera had seen all sorts of brides, the ones who had planned out everything before she even came into the picture. the others who weren't too sure and she had no idea which dani was. she nodded, laughing a bit," hasn't it bitten everyone?" her gaze traveled across the table as she took a bite of one of the salted caramel chocolate tarts. it was the perfect bite as it landed on her tongue. one of the perks of her job was times like the one they currently were sharing. she nodded as she went to write down another note," and you know there are those crazy people who don't like cake." her gaze lifted when she realized that dani was sliding a cup towards her. it took her a second to realize that it was chocolate orange mousee. her eye brow arched up as the spoon was taken from her," it looks almost too pretty to eat." the spoon was dipped into the dessert before being brought up towards her. maybe she should have reached to take it. instead, she leaned down to take the spoon into her mouth. the taste seemed to burst on her tongue as she pulled back," bravo? how can he hate that?" she leaned back and propped her chin on her hand," we all have our pleasures that we indulge in, don't we?"

#( DANI S. // INTERACTION. )#( dani x vera. )

"we do." the brunette left it to that. the sight of vera being fed from her own offering burned a little too warmly across pale cheeks. she'd blame the blush on the wine she'd soon sip to cleanse her own curated tension. there were moments dani caught herself in the net of vera's words: we all have our pleasures that we indulge in. the curve of vera's spoon slid into the mouse like silk before she returned her hands to her own space. manicured and maroon, her fingers wrapped around the stem of the wine glass. a palate cleanser. a clarity chaser. "what do you indulge in, vera?" dani's voice was curious. wanting to fill herself with the knowledge of the other. to forget about the planning. the wedding. the shift didn't feel like avoidance when vera had been organically magnetic. "besides the abundance of trash television." a smirk curled, just slightly. awaiting the other woman's answer, the bride-to-be reached for the salted caramel bite. "i'm honestly tired of the decisions, and talking about myself." her wants. was it too much to just not need to provide anything for a moment? to indulge elsewhere? to indulge in the company vera provided. "tell me, if i'm curled on your couch on a thursday night, spooning mouthfuls of that mousse, what is it on the television....housewives? are we pouring wine? - because i don't know about you, but i can never find myself to watch reality tv sober." a small laugh escaped. "more importantly...are we ordering take-out?"

CLOSED STARTER for @lavenderrpages PLOT: this plot from your tag - thinking val has lived there for ages and she's also a bit of a workaholic so it's the first time she's really meeting any of her neighbors MUSE: valerie "val" acosta, 54, she/her, bisexual, law professor

VAL WOULD SAY IT HAD BEEN A LONG WEEK but she didn't know any other kind. midterms, though, were certainly a special kind of hell. at least after finals she wouldn't have to witness the spirals or breakdowns ⏤ but now she had weeks of facing what seemed like an endless stream of pre-law hopefuls swallowing that bitter pill of realization that this might not be the path for them. it was always sad to see. needless to say, her office hours had been fully booked following the exams, teary-eyed students seeking her advice for how to help the material sink in or what they could do to help boost their grade before finals. by the time she left campus it was nearly ten and she was so hopeful that she would actually get a decent amount of sleep because that tired ache in her body was begging for her bed ⏤ but when she finally settled in and did that one last check of her phone she saw the notification from her husband. or, well. soon-to-be-ex-husband. and just like that, val was wide awake. grabbing a bottle of wine and two glasses, she peeked outside before crossing the lawns to the other's front door. val had barely knocked before the door opened. "i should have grabbed another," she said with a tired smile, "it's feeling like a two-bottle kind of night."

dani's home was elegant with clean lines. every corner was curated with such intent. warmth didn't find its way in family photos peppered around. instead it rested within cashmere blankets draped in a picturesque scene. she had traded a tailored outfit, and red lip for a washed face, and the softest fabric that made up sleepwear. within the low-lit amber lighting of her still house, dani felt everything press inward. as it often did when her mind should be lulling to slumber. insomnia often came, but its teeth sunk deep and kept her eyes begging for solace. "good news, you haven't drank me dry," skated smoothly as the brunette stepped to the side. the porch light was an invitation, yes, but almost a plea for comfort. in many ways, val had brought dani a taste of that solace she had yearned for. "that kind of day?" their dance was graceful. two restless women relaxing the more wine was consumed. "sorry to hear about your day, i am, but i'm glad you're up." the door clicked shut behind. "i've already got the glasses waiting on the counter. call me intuitive... or needy." lips stretched to a pearly grin. soft, and tired, but still trying to amuse. moving around val, dani sighed as if the other woman was hope personified to silence her mind. "what notes are we serving tonight?" manicured fingers smoothed along the marble to meet the base of their soon to be filled glasses.

wholelottamuses

She'd been one of the first hires when he'd taken over the company from his father all those years ago. A will they won't they dance which always seemed to land on won't as he chased after people that never seemed to work out. Now landing him in a nasty divorce where both parties seemed to hate each other. So as Richard stared at the bottle of wine she'd been kind enough to pour for him he couldn't help, but wonder what he was doing there. Not in terms of location, but instead the situation he'd landed himself in. "Yeah, it's a shit show. She was willing to sign a prenup. So I'm protected, but at the same time. It's just" His words trailed off as he took the glass in his hand and chugged it the wine disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. "It's not great."

#( PHOEBE R. // INTERACTION. )#( phoebe x richard. )

the untouched wine was settled in the glass in front of her as she listened. crimson and rich. the notes of smokey fruit lingered on her tongue from a previous sip. divorce. phoebe imagined the act of it all would be as dry as the barrell that fermented the wine. she herself had never married. not one for finding the attraction in such a commitment. humans were often tiring, and disappointing. phoebe rather keep the thread of relationships taught. not allow the thread to tangle, or loosen. she'd seen richard do enough of both. beneath the tannic, phoebe's tongue swiped along her lips. removing any residue of the sip. the gesture bided her time to collect a more prepared thought. "i'm sorry to hear this all, richard." cautious, blue eyes flicked up to the man. phoebe found richard often foolish, but perhaps that was part of the charm. "-despite the landscape shifting in your personal life, do you see you're finding some sense of clarity?" fingers wrapped around her glass. phoebe pulled the curve of it to her lips to indulge.

emilybluntsource

EMILY BLUNT for VANITY FAIR ITALIA April 2024

#( SLOAN E. // VISAGE. )

TIME JUMP

the rest of the flight seemed to go by like a breeze. the two of them were able to keep a lovely conversation before it was time to deboard and enjoy their vacation that was meant to be solo, now together.

the sunlight draped over them as she guided sloan down the the beach. "so do you regret it yet?" catherine questioned sloan with a cheeky grin, "i think you're kind of lucky i didn't make us come down in our swim suits. i know how thrilled you'd be to dip in the ocean." glancing over the horizon, catherine took a second to take in the beauty of nature. this is what vacationing was all about to her. being able to admire things that many people may look over on a day to day basis. taking a look at her watch she squealed, "the sunset is supposed to happen in about 15 minutes! and after the sunset, we are having dinner together." her eyebrows raised with her laughter, "you were so close to getting rid of me, but nope. you must endure what is my version of a little torture." without any hesitation catherine intertwined their hands together. in her head it was innocent, yet heart heart fluttered with electricity flowing in from their touch. "do you want to take a little selfie with me? i think you look quite adorable with those sunglasses on, they're almost too big for your precious face," she teased playfully.