the flowers fade

ophelia chay . 30 . ballerina penned by starling dependent blog with merrock

[opheliachay]

━━  ⊰ OPHELIA CHAY , BALLERINA ; [ go minsi , 30 , cis-woman , she/her ]

full biography * / musings * / visage * / connections * / merrock

⚘ graphic credit: dayslily

[anthwang]

Giving a small smile at the gentle touch, he laughed. “You’d be too,” he decided to be bold and compliment her in return, before realizing what he’d be referring to. “Not that you’d be on a wanted poster, obviously, I just mean having the kind of face you can’t forget as well.” he rambled, before deciding to cut himself off, not wanting to make himself sound any more awkward around her.

“That’d be nice,” he nodded, turning slightly once she stopped, not quite knowing whether or not attending her performance would come off as too forward. Something he hadn’t considered until a few moments later. “I’m sure you’ll be amazing,” though it was no surprise, her career leading her abroad which he’d always been in awe of. “Oh, she did?” he raised an eyebrow, not sure if he’d forget whether or not his cousin mentioned her return, he was sure it was something he’d recall. “Yeah, I’m mostly just working out of the high school. Kind of wild being back there after all this time.”

[opheliachay]

Ophelia narrowed her eyes at Ant and stifled a laugh. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, and let her hair fall to cover her face as she cleared her throat. "Maybe I'm wanted in several countries and that's why I had to come back," she shrugged with a laugh. "Who knows, you could be talking to a wanted criminal."

When she was abroad, she had always hoped people from home would come and see her performances, which was probably hard to do since Ophelia had cut off ties with many others. Still, she had sometimes wondered and hoped that Anthony might show up one day. It was a silly thought to have. "Yea! I ran into her this morning actually at Lavendar Lane," Ophelia admitted. "Well, I hope I can get a tour of the high school next time." Hopefully there would be a next time; now that she saw Ant again, Ophelia realized she still wanted hiim in her life. As with the high school, she was sure everything probably was mostly the same but she couldn't imagine the nostalgia that was sure to rush through her. "Um let me give you my number, by the way. To stay in touch this time."

[stellylee]

"Hi!" Stelly grinned as Ophelia stepped into the home, gesturing her further inside, "you're practically Santa Claus, waltzing in here with an arm full of packages." Which was not a bad thing, at all -- mixed drinks were always a little better when you had snacks to go with them, especially if they were going to be sampling most of the night. "Oh! Perfect," they grinned, reaching for the bottle of wine and turning it over in their hands to read the label. "Thank you, you didn't have to do this! Oh, can I take your coat or anything? I know it's freaking freezing out there."

[opheliachay]

"I mean it is the holiday season," Ophelia chuckled as she handed the bottle of wine to Stelly. "Ohh yes coat, please. How formal," she giggled. Placing the bag of snacks down, Ophelia then shrugged off her coat. The cold weather had her bundling up all the way up to her neck. "I sometimes forget how I was not made for the winter cold but it's hard to deny how beautiful Merrock looks when it's covered in snow!" Following Stelly in, Ophelia gave a small clap before beginning to lay out the snack options. "So, how can I help? I wasn't sure what sort of drink profiles you were thinking of but hopefully these will match and complement those."

[samuelxkwon]

"Maybe. Though don't people usually wait until ten years or something for that?" he said, letting out a soft chuckle. "I don't think they know how to make it not fun," he added and only partially joking. Most of the events that happened in town, regardless of how he felt about being in the middle of a crowd, they had always been fun. So, why not a wedding. Or a vow renewal. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about it anymore then," he laughed as well. She had a point. "Were you at work or...?"

[opheliachay]

"Probably?" Ophelia shrugged. "I'm too single to know or say," she added quickly with a laugh, holding up her hand and giving her fingers a wiggle, displaying a clear lack of a wedding ring. But, financially speaking, it made sense that most couples probably don't do a yearly vow renewal. "I had to take care of my parents," she explained. "They're getting older in age and they still insist on driving long distances at night which... worries me." Furrowing her brow, she couldn't help but laugh. "And now I probably sound like them lecturing me when I was younger." The irony was not lost on Ophelia. "What about yourself? What was your excuse?"

[narilily]

WHO: Nari & @opheliachay

WHERE: coastal area

WHEN: December, 2024

When shopping in Merrock, the coastal area was a guaranteed bet to find the best shops. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, trinkets... not to mention the fact that you were so near the ocean that you could smell the salt as you walked down the sidewalk. That was maybe her favorite part. Well, that and the shopping. Nari was sitting on a bench, bouncing her foot from where her legs were crossed, scrolling through Instagram on her phone when she glanced up, seeing a familiar face approaching, and broke into a smile. "Hey! You made it! Ready to score some deals?"

[opheliachay]

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Ophelia said, a little out of breath as she rushed over. She gave Nari a quick hug before pulling away. "Sorry for being a little late. Holiday traffic is no joke sometimes," she laughed. "I almost never think to expect it in a place like Merrock!" It was definitely something Ophelia was still adapting to, especially when to leave her place earlier for certain places. "So, where do we start? Have you figured out what sorts of presents you're looking for?"

[opheliachay]

who: ophelia & @stellylee

where: stelly's home

when: december 2024

"Okay, I'm here and ready to get some festive drinks going," Ophelia chuckled as Stelly opened the door to their place. In one hand, Ophelia had a bag of snacks so that they could nibble on some food while tasting drinks, and in the other, an unopened bottle of wine. "This is just for you, by the way," she said as she handed the bottle over. "Not necessarily for your drink testing."

[anthwang]

“Yeah?” he gave a bashful smile, not quite knowing if he should return the comment, catching her eyes briefly before looking away again. The simple comment, whether intentional or not, had him wondering if there was something still there, but he chose not to linger on it. Instead, he just rubbed the back of his neck and gave a nod at her next sentence. “Mm, you’re probably right about that though. The last thing I need is getting kicked out for looking too suspicious. Think that would be even more mortifying somehow.”

“I’ll have to catch your next performance if that’s something you still do around here, of course,” he wasn’t sure how it all worked, but always willing to support her, her talent being something he’d always admired about her. “I think we both know I’m not coordinated enough to do anything dance-related, that was all you. But uh, I’m back at the school district, working as a counselor there.”

[opheliachay]

She scrunched her nose, doing her best to suppress any sort of lingering feelings she thought she might still have. It didn't seem like the time nor place for that, but it was hard not to let some feelings rise to the surface after years of not seeing each other. "Yea, you know, you'd be pretty unforgettable on a wanted poster or something," Ophelia quickly teased with a small laugh, hand gently patting Ant's arm.

"I uh I would love that. I'll let you know when our next performance is," Ophelia said in surprise, momentarily stopping in her tracks. "Can even save you a seat if you'd like." Though she was confident in her abilities, it was always a little nerve-wracking to have a familiar face in the crowd. "Oh! Right, I... uh I think Nari might have mentioned that to me," she said quickly, having run into his cousin earlier in the morning. "That sounds like very fulfilling work. Do you work out of the high school?"

[savstone-rp]

"Something like that." She said, the therapy speak hit. At least this time around. Sav just about ready to crawl out her own skin. Shaking her head feverishly at the inflatable anythings, contemplating more so on the neon— thinking of Chandler's bare as fuck kitchen. "Okay right? Who's putting those things out there? I mean I would, record the kids walking by. Better than Halloween I bet you."

[opheliachay]

"Seriously! I guess this place has something for everyone," Ophelia laughed. She was only in here to find something small and decorative for her place. It seemed appropriate to swap out all the autumn stuff now for some winter decorations. "But uh if you're looking for string lights, I think I saw some a few aisles down. If it's something more decorative like a single light-up reindeer or something, then that's in the other end of the store."

[narilily]

"Oh! Yeah, please do," Nari shifted her weight a little to pull her phone out of her pocket, unlocking it and opening her contacts, starting a new one and then holding it out to the other woman to put her information in. "I should have it, anyway, just because," she laughed. She had once upon a time had Ophelia's number in her phone, it really didn't hurt to have it again, she figured. And besides, it would be nice to rekindle a friendship, get to know how her life had changed in the years that she spent away from Merrock. "I would say that sometimes you just have to give him a chance to speak, but… also, he's a man. Do they ever really say what's on their mind? Maybe it's just a good thing that he listens."

[opheliachay]

Ophelia took the phone and quickly tapped out her information before handing it back to Nari. It was refreshing to slowly rebuild connections and hopefully community back in Merrock. With a laugh, Ophelia shrugged and rolled her eyes playfully. "He did have that habit but that was years ago. Maybe he's changed a lot since the last time I saw him. I mean, I'm sure we've all changed to some degree," she sighed. "But it's true. He really was always good at listening. But speaking of listening, I did not mean to talk your ear off about Ant," Ophelia admitted sheepishly. "I actually am hoping to buy a new house plant if you have any recommendations."

[samuelxkwon]

"Yeah. Everyone had a great time, from what I've been told," he said, nodding. That other medic really owed him for the switch, which he definitely reminded them the next time he saw them. He then let out a small smile to what she said about seeing the photos online. "The photos do make you feel like you're really missing out. I had a feeling it would be one of a kind. Something about this town was just... There was no way it would be like any other wedding."

[opheliachay]

"Maybe they'll do a vow renewal next year or something," Ophelia laughed lightly, half-joking. She still felt a bit bad for having missed such a big event, but sometimes that's how life was. "I'm sure they'd make it just as fun!" Or maybe someone else in Merrock would get married soon, but Ophelia was pretty out of the loop for who any of the couples were in town. "Ah, the more you talk about it, the sadder I get that we missed it!" she laughed.

[anthwang]

It was nice to have finally gotten some semblance of closure, the late-night thoughts of what-ifs he once had would seemingly seem to fade away eventually, their reunion gone better than expected. He’d just have to accept whatever it was between them, after all, being friends, if he could call it that, was better than fraught silence.

Giving a sheepish smile, he cast a sidelong look at the bookstore as he continued down the sidewalk of the downtown area. “Pretty sure they have a picture of me up on their wall somewhere, so that might be wise. Maybe I should get a baseball cap or a fake pair of glasses in a ‘Clark Kent’ sort of way,” he kept a playful lilt, it easy to fall into a conversation with her, even if he hadn’t always been the most chatty person. “Lucky enough, small towns don’t change much, so you can catch up on what you missed out on back then, even if it’s just the businesses. Slippers, huh? Are you working there now?”

[opheliachay]

"You do have a pretty unforgettable face," she blurted out quickly before realizing how that might come across. Ophelia pursed her lips, blushed, but made no other attempt to linger on her comment. Had she pictured him many times in the past few years? Perhaps. Did he need to know that? Absolutely not. "You and I both know that this town is small enough where the disguises would raise suspicion," she teased.

"Ah I use their facilities to practice but I'm with a small dance troupe for the time being." Probably until she decided to transition out of performance and move into teaching. That had been a vague, general plan with moving back to Merrock, at the very least. "What about you? I mean, obviously you're not working at Slippers, unless... you are?"

[savstone-rp]

Who: Open (0/5) Where: The Holiday Shoppe

The lights were all she popped in to The Holiday Shoppe for—a place mentally on a forever no fly zone—however, no longer with the surprisingly long lasting set she had up at her old apartment for over two years as year-round decoration, as there was no longer anymore apartment either— here she was. Cracked out Santa's singing Jingle Bells started and stopped with every step of her own. Candy cane and some weird herbs mixed only induced headache on top of these insane toys that felt like stepping into that one childhood movie where the toys waged war (toy soldiers, hello) , she turned the corner to spot an actual very much alive person, "Oh, thank god. This place is like a fucking maze. Lights. All I want are lights, not my two front teeth, not Mrs. Clause's raunchy elf kink display, you know? Unless, I mean cool if you do. But damn where are the signs. Any idea where the lights are?"

[opheliachay]

With a slight jump, Ophelia was startled by the sudden appearance of a person acknowledging her presence. "Oh yea, it's a lot. Very damn easy to get overstimulated in here." The oncoming migraine was a sign that Ophelia had a very limited amount of time left that she could spend in The Holiday Shoppe before she lost her sanity. "Uh lights? Depends on what kind you're looking for. I saw inflatable lights out front and neon holiday lights next to the massive nutcrackers. Now those are nightmare fuel."

[chloenwckobia]

who: CHLOE & OPEN.

where: Treasure Chest.

when: sometime during November.

Chloe loved going to thrift shops. It was like going on a treasure hunt every time she walked into one. She was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she looked around, rummaging through the assorted dresses and tops hanging on the rail. The main thing she was looking for was more fall and winter pieces to fill her wardrobe. "Do you think this would look good on me?" asked Chloe as she turned to the nearest person, holding up a flannel jacket that had the colors orange and brown throughout it. "I don't usually wear these colors, but this is kind of cute."

[opheliachay]

"It's super cute!" Ophelia gushed as she turned to see the jacket on full display. "It does feel very seasonal but I think it could work well year-round if styled correctly." While it wasn't a piece she'd normally pick for herself, it did suit the other very well. "And sometimes we all gotta try something in a color we wouldn't normally wear. Easy way to discovery something brand new."

[stellylee]

"Do you ever watch the videos of people restoring old stuffed animals? The ones that are really well loved, but maybe a little too well loved? Or they were abandoned or forgotten, or thrifted from somewhere?” They could work wonders with restoring them to look brand new, to make them soft and fluffy and perfect again. Stelly wished that it was a talent they could have, but knew that they would spend entirely too much time searching for cute stuffed animals to give new lives to. “Yeah, right? Preferably with a new car in the driveway and while we’re at it, few extra in the bank account just to have fun with?” they grinned, shrugging both shoulders. “I feel the same way. I love this town, I understand why people would want to move here… but I’m glad it’s not a super fast, overwhelming kind of growth.”

[opheliachay]

"Yes! Some of those are so satisfying to watch, but sometimes I feel like the washer is so aggressive with their cleaning," Ophelia laughed. "And yet everything comes out clean somehow." Though she was sure some of these videos had to be fake and made purely for engagement. "The funniest ones are the videos where the dirty plush looks completely different from the clean one, like it is a completely different plush altogether."

She nodded in agreement. "It did make moving back and adjusting a lot easier. Not too much has changed where it feels... completely different. But just enough to really feel like we all changed and grew even though I was away."

[anthwang]

The banter had been light, Anthony finding himself enjoying it more than he’d thought, something he’d been worried about after running into Ophelia. He thought the distance and time muddled with the past feelings on their relationship would’ve changed things, but although things felt familiar, he was trying to be careful. He wasn’t sure how she felt after the time passed.

Giving a slightly bashful look, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, maybe I was slightly bummed I wouldn’t get it-” he started, watching as she took it from his hands before he could continue as she headed towards the register, standing nearby so he could wait for her. “Oh?” he gave a shy grin at her comment, taking a minute to return her gaze. “I wouldn’t mind you using it as an excuse if it means I get to see you again,” he boldly admitted, taking the record from her with a nod of thanks, tucking it in the crook of his arm. “You got it.” he opened the door for her, stepping out behind her as they entered the downtown area. “And as we exit, we’re passing by the recently renovated Bookends where I took out a display of books a few weeks ago and am now mortified to step in again.” he joked, mimicking his best tour guide voice that he heard from tourists thinking they knew their way around, offering a sly grin.

[opheliachay]

Maybe this was just how their friendship (if there was still one) was going to be like. Holding onto any hope or expectations seemed unfair to both of them, and it certainly had her feeling some complicated emotions. Ophelia figured she needed to do her best to just appreciate their friendship? relationship? as it was.

Brow raised with a small chuckle at the mental image of Ant knocking over a book display at Bookends. "Oh dear. I think we'll have to get you a disguise of some sort if you want to go back in ever again," she teased, finding it quite easy to fall back into the flow of banter with him now that she felt a bit more relaxed. "I truthfully can't recall the last time I went to a bookstore--every time I ever passed by Bookends was to make my way to Slippers, which hasn't seemed to have changed too much in the time I've been away."

[samuelxkwon]

WHERE: anywhere downtown WHO: Sam and open

"Did you go to the wedding?" Sam asked the person who just happened to be standing next to him after hearing someone talking about the Newman wedding. He unfortunately had a shift when the wedding happened. He had to come in last minute after the person he was supposed to switch shifts with called and said that they got sick. He was a little bit suspicious but in the end he agreed to switch back. "How was it?"

[opheliachay]

Ophelia pursed her lips in disappointment and gently shook her head. "Unfortunately I also had a prior engagement and was unable to make it, but I hear it was a beautiful event!" she acknowledged. While she was certainly not in any position to plan a wedding herself, it did tickle her brain to consider what sort of wedding she would want if and when she had one. "Seeing all the pictures online did give me major FOMO though."

[monixoconnor]

”We just moved here, yeah. Literally like… two, three weeks ago now? And absolutely. I’m a little bit of a shocker when it comes to capturing moments. I love looking back at old photos and videos and just having a good laugh, reminiscing.” Monique shrugged nonchalantly, lips in a wide smile. “It seems to be going well so far. I think she just misses me, which is sweet, but also breaks my heart a little and makes me want to go and pick her up.”

[opheliachay]

Ophelia's eyes widened in surprise before her lips broke out in a smile. "Oh! Well, welcome! I hope the move hasn't been too difficult," she offered. "How are you finding Merrock so far? And if you don't mind my asking, what made you choose to move here?" To Ophelia, Merrock was so far removed from the world, truly a small town in every sense of the word, that she was surprised anyone outside of town knew of this charming place. "Aw, I can imagine it must be hard for both of you to part ways so that she can learn. Truly a sign that you two must love each other lots."