Bren Clery

Bren. They/She. Well Dip me in honey and throw me to the lesbians. 

[oilstainedhearts]

fromedxns·:

 Had Eden expected to be seeing a friendhere when she originally brought Lo here for a checkup? No, but it was a nicesurprise when the lights ended up going out, and even so after the generatorskicked in but they were sort of stuck inside, waiting for the crazy stormoutside to pass. Lola was her best friend but it was nice to have another adultshe knew to talk to while everything else was sort of chaos around them.

But chaos also meant a headache. Eden didpretty well under pressure usually, but with everything else going on, this wasjust the icing on the cake. Caffeine was needed in her life, and preferably ina large quantity. Hospital coffee will have to do.  When Bren offers to either go get the coffeeor watch Lo, she shakes her head “want to take a walk with us? Maybe get awayfrom the crying baby over there,” she asks, gesturing towards the baby that’s whiningacross the room. “Might be good.”

Bren was grateful for Eden. Ever has things started to go to shit with the storm, she was still calm.Perhaps it was part of being a single mother maybe it was just Eden. Bren could already feel the tension in her own body building as her leg started to bounce.It was an infectious energy making its way around, and not a good one at that. Maybe getting up and walking would do her some good. Bren glanced around at the room and nodded. “A walk sounds fantastic, I think I still remember where they kept their good shi.. stuff from when I was here for a couple days” Bren said, a light blush hitting her cheeks when the swear nearly left her lips. Bren was worried about being a bad influence. All she ever knew for most of her life was bad influences and she refused to continue the cycle. Bren stood up and offered her hand to Eden. “I think I still got enough charm in me to get me past the nurses station”

[soldierxmase]

The silence was a godsend. In a hectic hospital it was no surprise he’d needed to go down a wide array of halls to find a quite and empty one with a window he could crack open. After all the smoke would set off an alarm if he were to light up without some kind of ventilation nearby. Not without concentration, Mason blew smoke toward the window each time he exhaled, leaning his head against the wall next to it. All the white walls and hospital smells were trying to mess with his mind. If he closed his eyes for too long, he was no longer in a US hospital, but an Iranian one, carrying comrades bleeding and in pieces, men screaming all around at the top of their lungs in excruciating pain. Just thinking of the memories had his hands shaking violently as the broad shouldered male shifted uncomfortably where he stood. No, anything but that. Focus. You’re here, not there. The sudden sound of a voice cut trough his mental ramblings, causing Mason to turn his head, one eyebrow arched. “What?” he asked, too tired to be polite. 

@oilstainedhearts​ 

[oilstainedhearts]

Staying in one place after the Emergency power kicked in almost felt like a trap. People were getting anxious and nothing about the storm was helping anyone. The drab walls brought her mind back to a place that she didn't know how to handle. While Bren had managed to serve her time and get out, the days spent behind bars seemed to crop up more than she would like. She felt like the winding white walls would go on for ever, and once again Bren would be lost o the outside world. Trapped. Bren was grinding her teeth, focusing on one foot in front of another, knowing even if she could get out the medical center, the pouring rain didn't make  a better place to be. Bren was pulled out of her own head by the small of smoke. A far to familiar vise for Bren when she was kicking some of her harder habits. She decided to follow her nose to make sure the building wasn’t on fire on top of everything else. Seeing the man in the window, she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Dude, you know we’re not to smoke in here” Bren could admit that came off worse than she meant it to. Yet it seemed like one of the basic rules of a hospital, Dont smoke. Bren knew there was the general health hazards but there was so many things that could blow up here that it made Bren anxious.

[fromedxns]

Lola has an appointment, which means she’s been taken out of school and that the shop is being run by someone else so they can be here. It’s a general thing, a scheduled checkup, but with everything going on, with the shop and King being back and piles of things to do, she already feels overwhelemd, especially now that there’s the sound of a crying baby somewhere in the room.  They’re waiting, always waiting, when there’s a boom of what she thinks is thunder, and that’s when the lights go out for a moment, a moment too long because Lola screams, and then the generators kick in, keeping the lights at now at a fraction of what they were, working overtime to power the whole place, she thinks. And suddenly, what was a boring, mostly quiet med center, was now abuzz with activity, nurses and doctors rushing around. Eden begins to rub her temples, her headache suddenly getting work. “I need coffee,” she suddenly says, looking over at her daughter who was clearly terrified. “do you want coffee? I’m going, anyway. The machines have to be working right? Or maybe a nurses station or something.” she says to the person next to her, figuring that with the storm and the blackout, they’ll be here awhile. @crystalcitystarters​ 

[oilstainedhearts]

Bren had come in for her final appointment to see how she was healing up from the couple broken ribs she had sustained at the engagement party. While only a few months had passed It almost felt like a year with all the restrictions that Bren had been struggling with. They were really looking forward to being able to have the docs clearance to go about all their normal duties in the shop. The ten pound limit was really hurting their ability to do their job how they liked.  It made Brens skin crawl with how bland the offices seemed to be.  What was brightening her the incredibly long wait time was watching Eden and Lola. Seeing a mother who cared for, and loved her daughter just brought a smile to Brens face. Maybe it was because Bren never really had a solid home life but it was wonderful. When the lights went off and the screaming started Bren stiffened. Taking deep breaths as the lights kicked back on, even if it was a bit dimmer than what she was used to. Bren hated feeling trapped, and that was exactly what was happening right now.  Bren looked over at Lola and than back at Eden. Bren know what a child looked like when terrified and it made the pit of her stomach drop. “ I can go hunting for some coffee if you want to stay with Lola. Or if you want to go I have some great games on my phone and could stay with her”

[oilstainedhearts]

The holidays had hit Bren like a freight train, shaking her to her very foundations. It was sitting alone on the roof of her apartment building on Christmas night, drunk and sad, that made her realize that she may need to rethink some things about how she was dealing with life. It was a sobering moment. The first holiday in years that Bren felt truly alone. It took a few weeks after for Bren to swallow her pride, but they knew what they needed to do. It was how Bren found themsleves in front a shop they had been avoiding for months. Bren stared at the spin that record shop window, her heart pounding in her chest. It made her feel like she was about to drop dead from a heart attack.  Bren pushed the door open, the tinkle of the bell making the hairs on her arms stand up on end. She had been staking out the shop to figure out the schedule of one Kat Clery.   Bren cleared her throat to get her half sisters attention. “Hey. Happy Holidays. Sorry im a little late”

@kathrynclery​​

[oilstainedhearts]

axbelen​:

One thing Ayla enjoyed about living in Crystal City for just 7 years short of her entire life? The friendships she’d managed to have ever since, even if some were reignited after years of radio silence. But Bren? Bren was someone she definitely liked, especially with what their friendship had morphed into ever since they’d crossed paths again. So when the gorgeous person sat down across from her, her smile warmed in a way that only those close to her got to see. A laugh escaped Ayla as she shrugged, sipping at her coffee before answering. “Honestly it isn’t normally, but some of those clients that hire me to translate for them also try to get hands on with me. Which as you can imagine I’m not too open to. Not all of them are as charming as the present company.” She winked playfully, nudging Bren’s foot with hers underneath the café table. Of course her friend was an exception to that hands on rule, and Ayla thoroughly enjoyed that fact about their friendship at this point. “If that first cup of coffee doesn’t wake you up enough, the second one’s on me.” She offered genuinely. “Because I’m definitely going to need a second one after this and I’ll happily get you one too.” At that she sipped her drink again, sighing. “So, how have you been lately love?”

Bren couldn’t stop the sly grin that tugged at her lips when she was able to make Ayla laugh, it sounded almost like music to Bren. Maybe this day wouldn’t be to bad after all. Bren felt her eyebrow twitch at the mention at the idea of a client crossing Aylas boundaries. Bren arched an eyebrow leaning forward, placing her elbows on the table. “Which client? I just want to talk a little” Okay, maybe talk was code for take a tire iron to his knees, but it was a joke. Mostly.  The joke was quickly forgotten as a blush took over Brens face as Aylas foot made contact with her own.  Bren gave a light chuckle. Normally Bren liked to think she was a bit more smooth and not so easily flustered. She decided to blame it on the lack of sleep for how easily her thoughts were derailed.  “It’s easy to be charming with someone like you sitting across the table” Bren gently nudged Aylas foot with her own,sliding it up her leg slightly. Bren left her leg to rest gently against the translators. “I honestly feel like I could drink a pot and still feel like a zombie today.Rough night and all that nonsense. So I won’t turn you down, as long as you promise next time I can buy you a drink” Bren finished off her sentence with a long drag of her own coffee. Half the cup was gone in a blink of the eye. Bren shrugged. “I’ve been around. Dragging myself out of the holiday funk and into the new year. I think this morning is shaping up to be a lot better then I expected though. How have you been? Asshole clients aside.”

[cosmeticbitc-deactivated2025110]

“Evelyn, we’ve been over this. You need to make sure that the client knows I’m their translator, not some extra assistant that they can have their way with. This last one thought I was a hooker, and I nearly broke his hand when he tried to get handsy.” Ayla stressed, her fore and middle fingers on her right hand rubbing gentle circles against her temple. “Translator, got it? Make that clear next time, I don’t them thinking their fee is some payment for something else. Yeah yeah, ciao.” She groaned slightly, hanging up the call before setting her phone to the side. If there was anything that made her like her more checkered job better than her translator one, it was the clients who tried to take liberties. Lifting her mug to her lips, she sipped at her cappuccino with him, before green eyes moved over the bustling cafe’s patrons. Busy places were something of a safe space for Ayla at times. Her gaze landed on someone that appeared to be looking for a place (in her opinion) and she lifted her hand to get their attention. “If you’d like a place to sit, I’m not expecting anyone so you can take that seat.” She gestured to the chair across from her at her table, smiling softly. “I wouldn’t mind the company.”

@crystalcitystarters

[oilstainedhearts]

Bren was pretty sure that their blood at this point was mostly caffeine. If someone told her that she was awake more night than she slept, Bren would believe them without hesitation. It seemed like a revolving door of reasons. When Bren weren’t coming off of some sort of party, it was some sort of all nighter in the garage to finish a project, or the option Bren hated the most, was the nightmares that would keep her tossing and turning all night. The night before it had been the last option. Flashes of her childhood had plagued her most of the night, which meant Bren needed coffee more than ever if she wanted to be functioning the rest of the day. Bren held the coffee close to her chest,clutching for dear life. Blurry eyes searching for anywhere to rest her weary bones. God she sounded like some god awful Victorian poet, and it made Bren question her sanity. Just when she was about to give up a familiar face caught her eye, and made a smile come to her tired face. Ayla. It was a face that brought a soothing feeling to her soul. A childhood friend that had changed into something else over time. Bren waved back, moving closer just to half collapse into the chair across from her.  “Howdy. That seemed like a heated phone call. I didn’t know the translating business was that serious”

[oilstainedhearts]

olivia-ortiz​:

Olivia gave a small grin when Bren accepted before handing her the pain meds and her chosen request of food. “I’ll eat the bagel.” Olivia didn’t mind the carbs anyway. She listened as she took a couples bites of her food. “I see. Well I’m always down for that you know.” There were a lot of things and memories that Olivia would be happy to try and forget at times  “But since I made sure to come with the next best things so eat and drink up.” Another small smirk came to her lips. “It’s okay I think I’ll be able to pull thru today but I will make sure to remember that come the next time.” 

Bren was thankful now more than ever for the shop. Olivia was an employee but also a friend. Bren could probably count on one hand how many people that would probably go through this lengths for her. Bren gratefully took the smoothie. Sipping on it thoughtfully, Bren stumbled her way to her feet. “Youre a good person you know?” Bren paused again, digging her toe into the dirt. “Perhaps we can do something outside of getting roaringly drunk” Bren said. “Sometimes a night in with popcorn and a wonderfully bad movie is just as fun.”

[oilstainedhearts]

kainoa-kupaa​:

“Of course I have it, I may be mean but I am not cruel” Noa said with a laugh, pulling a wrapped sandwich from her jacket pocket and tossing it onto Brens stomach. “I saw you from the cart and figured you would be oh so grateful for some good greasy food. I was going to grab a whiskey spiked cider from that place around the corner and would offer you one as well. Ya know, hair of the dog. But they won’t serve me two, so you would have to get off the ground for that” Noa held out a hand in casual offering of assistance up.  Hungover mornings were one of Kainoa’s specialties. She had started young, with her drunkard of a father, and a few nasty foster parents. But later it that knowledge came in handy for herself, to be popular with the other theatre students you had to party and drink. And the warmth from whiskey was a comfort in colder months.

Bren caught the sandwich and gleefully unwrapped it. The warmth brought a joy to Brens foggy brain that honestly were the highlight of her morning. Bren was two bites into the sandwich before realizing that Noa was still talking. Bren turned her attention back to their savior. “You drive a hard bargain. Wait.. youre twenty one right? Youre not using me for criminal behavior are you?” Bren slowly stood up, eyeing the other up and down. Munching on the sandwich during her skeptic pause. The idea of a whiskey spiked cider didn’t sound to bad though. “You know to much about this. You almost got me worried about you kiddo”  Bren paused in her self absorbed train of thought to really pay attention. Noa was newish to Brens life but she already found herself worried. Well worry happened when the kid rolled in with a car she was clearly living in. This was a new insight to worry.

[oilstainedhearts]

kainoa-kupaa​:

Kainoa decided to spend her lunch break in one of the cities gorgeous parks when she stumbled across her… boss felt like too strong a word at this moment, but considering she had never met the man who owns the shop, Bren was the closest to a boss she had at the auto shop. Chuckling to herself she nudged Bren’s boot with her foot. “You know, you should be nicer to people. They just might bring you deliciously greasy egg and cheese sandwiches from your favorite food truck around the corner.” Kainoa said with a smug grin, holding one of the aforementioned sandwiches in her hands. “You know, if you take a break between hangovers they don’t knock you on your ass so hard.” She said with a smirk. “so what do you say, want a sandwich meanie?”

Bren know that voice. Thats the kid. Kiddo. Kainoa. The ball of trouble Bren helped out and sometimes let ‘lock up’ after everyone else had left for the day. totally and was not sleeping in the shop because that would require so much paperwork. Which was not Brens favorite. “I am very nice to you, kiddo. Most of the time.” Bren opened her eyes, allowing the shadow to stay on her face “have you already got my a sandwich or are you teasing me to force me to stand up” Bren slowly sat up, rubbing her temples as the headache started to built back up “Look this was not planned. Maybe you should be a bit nicer to me instead.” Faking a pout.

[oilstainedhearts]

thatssotaylor·:

“Excu–” Taylor expected to turn and see someone standing behind her. Having seen no one there, her snippy response died on her lips. Who said that? Taylor frowned in confusion until looking down on the ground answered her question. Side stepping as requested, she moved just enough so that the sunlight spilled back onto their face. “Didn’t see you there. Uh…rough night?” Taylor questioned, honestly she didn’t know what to make of the person laying in the park at this hour. The city was coming alive for the day, it was usually when she took her run. Which is what she was in the middle of doing when they complained. “Wait, Bren?” The more she looked at the other’s face, the name came to her memory. They met a while back in November during the pumpkin chaos season. 

Bren had to resist barking out a laugh at the obvious confusion in the voice somewhere above her. Brens amusement quickly died down when they realized they were alone with a stranger in a city known for crime.Bren was dumb but she wasn’t stupid. Okay, maybe she was but she did have self preservation. Bren opened her eyes, pulling her sunglasses down from the top of her head to block the sunlight, allowing her to look at the figure above her. “That is my name.” Bren had to take a moment to study the face of the person in front of her. “T...ta.....Taylor right? “ Bren fought through the fog in her mind to find the name from what seemed like ages ago. “Rough couple of nights if I’m being honest”

[oilstainedhearts]

olivia-ortiz​:

Olivia shook her head at Bren laying down in front of her. “Not until you sit up and take these.” she continued standing in the way while handing Bren a water and some pain relief. “Because clearly you need it after the night you seem to have had.” Olivia grabbed a few other things. “I also have a bagel and fruit smoothie so pick one because you need something in your stomach.” She let out a sigh. “You know honestly I don’t know whether to be happy or mad that you didn’t include me in your party plans.” she gave a light smirk. Olivia wouldn’t consider her self a party girl per say but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy some fun nights out. “But then again I have to be at the shop today so it was probably a good thing, even if I would of totally been down for some fun.” 

Bren couldn’t be sure if she wanted to kiss or kill Olivia when that rattling of pain meds and water were offered. On one hand it promised sweet relief, on the other it caused the awful thumping to pick back up in her head. “Fruit please, if you're willing to share.” Bren mumbled pulling her sunglasses back down, groaning as she sat up. She dumped a pair of pain meds into her palm, swallowing them quickly followed by the water. “To be fair, plans is a strong word. I hadn’t really planned anything, it was more escaping some... unpleasant memories. I promise, next time it is planned you will be the first person I text” Bren gave a cheeky smile at Olivia, brushing over the circumstances of her drinking. “I mean I make the schedule I could always shift it around if you are truly hurt from my shenanigans”

[oilstainedhearts]

@crystalcitystarters​

Bren realized she may have taken pregaming a tad to far since they were in fact pregaming new years eve for a couple days now. Maybe it is no longer pregaming at this point, but Bren didn’t feel like addressing her own problems, maybe for new years.  The park was a nice place to recover, a soft blanket in a sunspot was just about the only way Bren could get rid of hangover now a days. The sound of the city and  Bren was enjoying her sunspot, feeling the warmth on her face when she felt a shadow fall over her face. Opening one eye slightly annoyed, Bren called up “youre in my light if you could scoot like three feet to the left” Her voice was gravelly and sore from screaming and partying the night before. Her sun was hitting her eye directly so it was hard to make out who the figure was

[oilstainedhearts]

@crystalcityinspo

[faetbound]

@crystalcitystarters​

As if pulled by some invisible magnet, Callie found herself walking along the carefully erected aisles of paitings and sculptures. Some of the artists she’d read about in various articles, others were completed unknown to her but she would never forget their names now that she knew them. One canvas was splashed with color in haphazard fashion; another showed meticulous detail that formed what could have been a photograph. She would have to speak to her boss at POMEGRANATEart about featuring some of these works at a show there soon. No doubt it would bring them immense foot traffic.

Callie jumped a bit when she realized someone was standing beside her, gazing at the same artwork her eyes had been glued to. She cleared her throat, trying desperately not to be embarassed by her own anxiety, and offered, “ It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? I mean, it all is. I can’t begin to imagine the amount of work that went into this festival. ”

[oilstainedhearts]

Bren firmly believed local artists were the backbone of any community. You could find bankers, lawyers, doctors and shit anywhere in the country, but artists changed with each location and breath life into the community. It often came as a surprise to people how invested Bren was in art, considering she didn’t even step foot into a museum until she was twenty years old. But here she was staring at the the latest canvas of one of her favorite artists. She didn’t even realize she was standing next to someone until Callie spoke. Bren’s hand immediately shot up to cover the high pitched squeaking noise she made as she was startled.  Bren tried to laugh it off as a blush covered her entire face.

Clearing her throat Bren tried to save a little face. “Callie fuck, its good to see you.” It was true, looking at the other women Brens blush couldn’t fade completely. “It’s amazing. All this art, and then the market place also has so much more, not to mention the dance. “

[xcarmellax]

Some time in between ordering her coffee and waiting for it at a table, Carmella had fallen asleep. She’d been awake most of the previous night trying to finish a story for the paper, but writers block had gotten the better of her in the end. It was only when the coffee shop worker came over to the table to give her the much needed coffee that Carmella was woken up. She jumped, slightly startled by the voice of the stranger. Embarrassed, she quickly apologised and took a sip of her coffee, turning to the person at the table right beside her. “Was I snoring? Please tell me I wasn’t snoring?” she asked. @crystalcitystarters​

[oilstainedhearts]

Bren loved coffee shops, they were the place that Bren often went to when trying to be reunited with their humanity after a particularly bad night, or in this case set of nights. It seemed liked Bren hadn’t had the worst though, as they sipped their coffee and watched the women who was hardcore asleep. Bren idly wondered what had clearly been keeping this women up. They had to raise their coffee cup higher to cover their small smirk when the worker set the coffee down and startled the women awake. What Bren had not been expecting was to be addressed cause them to fumble for a moment with words.  “Well Shit I honestly wasn’t paying that much attention” That’s a lie, this sleeping women had been Bren’s source of entertainment for probably about five minutes. Bren did know this was the perfect chance to get some of their questions answered. “but I don't think so. Something must have been keeping you up late to be passed out like that though”

[oilstainedhearts]

Text: Aly & Bren

Alyssa: 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Alyssa: Sure Jan

Alyssa: you're gonna eat those words when next that i'm imposter!

Alyssa: what are you up to?

Bren: Planning operation holiday

Bren: why, you got something in mind?

Bren: what are you up too?

[alyssastales]

“Shh. Stop fussing. I’m just braiding your hair.” With Bren, starter or memory or if your not feeling it, its all good

+ @oilstainedhearts

Alyssa still protested, wiggling where she sat on the floor between Bren’s legs. Her friend was seated on the couch and had been playing in her hair for quite a while now. Alyssa hadn’t been paying much attention because she was engrossed in the movie they are watching. “Bren, you have been saying that for over an hour now. My ass is starting to fall asleep!” Of course Alyssa was exaggerating, and Bren called her out immediately. “You are such a drama queen, it has not been that long.” They laughed. “Just be patient, you’re going to like the style.” Even though Bren couldn’t see, Alyssa narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Wait, are you trying one of the styles from that YouTube tutorial we watched?” Alyssa reached a hand up and patted her hair trying to figure out what Bren was doing. Her wandering hand was met with a playful swat. “Ow!” Alyssa cried out, instantly pulling her hand away. “You’re always so impatient. Give me a few minutes.” Bren reasoned, leading Alyssa to sigh. “Fine,” she mumbled, then settled down, waiting for the big reveal of Bren’s masterpiece. “This better look good, or I’m not going out tonight.”