𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖋𝖔𝖔𝖑

with her arms out like an angel through the car sunroof !

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　pixiiewings ; a study in wishing on dandelions even though they’re weeds , glow in the dark stars on the ceiling of your childhood room , never being able to fully rid yourself of body glitter , spinning in your highest heels , laughter like sodapop , twirling around until you’re dizzy , not all those who wander are lost & humour as a coping mechanism .

𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 & 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐜 !

[antdesilvs]

if it was any other situation, anthony is sure he would laugh at georgia’s comment. agree with her that, yes, they both were being weird, snooping around in the dark, but isn’t that what made them so perfect for each other as friends? but in reality, they weren’t friends. at least not at the moment.

“i asked you first,” is his knee-jerk reaction, the phrase eerily similar of conversations he would have with his sisters when they would always answer his questions with questions of their own. he used to hate that, when it felt like they were deflecting because he was too young to understand whatever it was they were talking about. in a small way, the response was his own way of deflecting, considering his answer was never anything his sisters wanted to hear either.

after a few seconds, anthony’s shoulders slump, and he glances over his shoulder at the desk. he spots the pen almost immediately now. of course.

“i was looking for something to write with,” he says simply, his gaze moving slowly back over to a shadowed georgia, “to keep track of something.” a pause, the confession settling between them. “your turn.”

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　there’s a pessimistic thought that crosses her mind , though she doesn’t dare say .  she should have known better than to expect honesty from him. it’s irrational, considering their friendship had been built on being more honest with each other than they could be with others. that’s why it had hurt so much. then again, georgia wasn’t hiding in a dark room because she was being totally rational right now. she can just make out his head turning back to the desk, and it feels like the final nail in their coffin.

she should just go. there were probably plenty of other hiding spots in tilly’s place that she could use to screw her head back on properly, considering that a stand off with anthony had nothing but make things worse. his simple explanation cut through she spiral. her attention cast back up to him as he disregarded the desk again. “ specific. ” but he had still told her something.

the truth ? well, that was probably something to dissect later. no doubt, the conversation would live many lives in georgia’s mind. disassembled to be put back together again. of course, the texts she used to get are her first thought. the vagueness caused her to second guess. was this something to do with blythe ? was that why he didn’t tell her what ? were they simply awkwardly tense yet polite strangers and former traditions were so far from his mind ?

the prompt of it being her turn was surprisingly welcomed, considering now she had a new thing to overthink. vague enough to be equal. find the appropriate distance to hold anthony back. it wasn’t a new person she was letting in, but it also wasn’t someone that she was still performing for. “ uhm, ” she started, immediately hating that her voice had lost all its prior steadiness. the breath she had just taken exhaled, as if it were the cause of the shakiness. “ i wasn’t having fun. ” which seemed like a given for them at the moment. but at a party ? georgia ? “ i just needed a moment. ”

[intcgrities]

The combination of THC beverage and copious amounts of smoking made Justice bouncy; they were almost certain they'd be crashing the moment it all faded away, but for now they were hand-in-hand with Georgia Mei, having a good fucking time. When Georigia first said ' j-cub ' they didn't even realize she didn't mean like the name Jacob until she confirmed ' baby bear ', so it took them a moment to process - their eyes a map into the steps of putting it all together - and then they came back to the conversation: "Yes! The wings!"

She shimmied her shoulders, the wings moving and catching wind behind them. Another bonus to the accessory: they could use it to hit people who got too close. Maybe her own attempts to directly hit someone had failed in the recent past, but their pure dumb luck should fare better (she hoped). Nope - nope, not thinking about it! Not thinking about it.

"You look soooo pretty," Justice said, fully aware that the effects of the glitter make-up around their eyes were intensified with the blurry sparkles they'd sometimes see when this high. But Georgia was practically radiating light and glitter and goodness, even though the seconds of darkness on the dance floor between flashing lights felt like it was ready to engulf the two of them into actual hell. "I think you should wear glitter every day."

And she meant it, too!

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　it wasn’t a secret that justice was under the influence ,  but georgia didn’t doubt the compliment as anything but genuine. why would she say it if she didn’t mean it ? perhaps it was naive to assume, but this was her friend. the bright smile rivalled all the glitter on her face . . . and body. and in her hair. “ why thank you ! ” she beamed, tossing dark hair over her shoulder. it probably got a little caught on her wings, but they were too busy dancing to care about that.

“ are you gonna tell me i look sooo pretty everyday if i do ? ” it’s a playful question, and honestly, georgia probably did have glitter in some shape or form on her everyday without even trying. not that she ever tried to be completely rid of it.

how boring !

“ and y’know, now that you mention it, ” a pause, like it was something georgia was really considering. “ i think you should wear your wings everyday. they look amazing. ” in a sea of mostly black, white and red — they stood out. “everything, you did a really good job. ” making them ? just putting them on ? it wasn’t slightly unclear. “ you look great. ”

[sundrifts]

LOCATION  :  tilly's party. OPEN  STARTER  :  uncapped.

the  music  in HELL  pulses  through  the  walls  like  the  house  itself  has  a  damn heartbeat  -  bass  rolling  under  the  floors,  curling  up  through  the  soles  of  her  heels -  and  blythe  has  been  sitting  with  it  for  the  better  part  of  an  hour  now,  doing  very  little.  watching  people.  nursing  the  same  drink  she'd  poured  when  she  first  arrived,  condensation  slow  around  her  fingers,  the  ice  long  since  surrendered  to  the  warmth  of  the  room.

in  typical  blythe  fashion,  she  looks  like  she's  dressed  for  a  softcore  bdsm  event  she'd  been  personally  invited  to  by  the  devil.  all  black  -  corset  laced  tight,  fishnet  stockings,  black  feathery  wings  pinned  at  her  back  like  something  clipped  mid-flight,  and  a  halo  sits  nestled  in  the  dark  waves  of  her  hair.  a  fallen  angel.  she'd  thought  it  was  a  bit  on-the-nose  when  she  put  it  together.  and  then  she  thought  -  well,  yeah,  duhh  !  that's  the  point.

she  clears  her  throat,  turns  her  head  toward  the  person  beside  her,  and  extends  her  cup  outward.  an  offering  more  than  a  question.  " d'ya  want  this? "  cue  a  beat  while  the  cogs  in  her  brain  begin  to  turn.  " …  i  think  i'm  staying  sober  tonight. "

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　georgia had kept the news of blythe and anthony close to her chest .  after all, her best friend had asked her not to tell anyone. even if it was hard to see that same person when she looked at the other woman, they were still two people she never wanted to see hurt. so she didn’t tell anyone. exception granted to william, who unfortunately had to deal with georgia afterwards. without that bit of context, it would have been awfully hard to explain why she had stopped speaking to two of the closest people to her — so she didn’t. they were still a happy little unit as far as anyone else was concerned. a very carefully worded text to eliza when she asked if blythe was still mad. she wasn’t technically lying to anyone !

it also meant that when she looked up to the sound of someone clearing their throat, to see that someone was blythe . . . she couldn’t just excuse herself immediately. wouldn’t be the one to cause a scene. they stood next to each other, black and white. it looked coordinated. on a better day, georgia would have asked if this was some kind of soul tie telepathy. now the words died in her throat behind a tight lipped smile.

there was no hesitation in accepting the cup that had been extended toward her. a quiet thanks mumbled against the plastic already brought to her lips. it’s tilted back, finishing the drink in one go. preparation for a conversation. an excuse to leave without having one. georgia didn’t even know. “ yeah, that’s probably wise. ” technically, it would be for all of them. except she wasn’t thinking about a tag appearance. instead of looking at blythe, georgia studied the bottom of the empty cup. “ have you seen, like, anyone else around ? ” just please don’t say anthony.

[antdesilvs]

the small ache still lingering from anthony’s bruised ribs was nothing compared to the gut punch that came from georgia’s request. it had been, what? a month? ant obviously didn’t expect her to forgive him that quickly or even really want to talk to him, but the blunt phrasing of her question felt more like a demand than anything. the slightly sober part of him was sure that a flicker of hurt probably crossed his face, but the room was too dark for georgia to notice, thank god.

after a few seconds frozen in place, the shock of finding not only another person in the room but the other person being georgia, ant sighed and dropped the letter opener back onto the desk. his phone tilted slightly down, the flashlight aimed now at georgia’s feet instead of her face, did little to illuminate the room around them, but ant didn’t move to turn on the overhead light. being submerged in darkness was a reprieve. it meant he didn’t have to see the look of disgust or hurt on his former friend’s face when she looked at him.

the alcohol in his system, however, kept him from obeying her request. instead of leaving, he leaned back on the desk and folded his arms across his chest. he tried to keep his voice even. though ant knew he was lucid enough to have this conversation, he wasn’t sure how georgia would feel if she knew that he was working with a small buzz. or that the whole reason he was in this room was so that he could stop himself from keeping up their tradition.

“why are you sitting here in the dark?”

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　why did it have to be anthony ?  the thought almost made her feel guilty. almost. until the realisation that it probably still would’ve come if they were on good terms. admittedly, it would have stemmed from not wanting to ruin his night in that scenario. something that was already more than likely difficult for him. he shouldn’t have had to worry about georgia making it harder.

while there were some differences now, it all boiled down to the same thing. anthony de silva was perhaps the only person she couldn’t lie to. if it had been anyone else to stumble into that particular room, it would have been fine. hide and seek anyone ? silly georgia totally got lost ! possibly even just take their hand and whisk them away to something much more exciting.

the light moving down to her feet was a mercy. not just for the obvious reason of no longer staring down his phone’s torch, but it was the only way she’d ever stand a chance at lying to anthony. or perhaps more achievable, deflecting. “ why are you walking in here in the dark ? ” even with the assistance of the darkness, it’s a pretty poor attempt. “ see, now we’re both being weird. ” a comeback the level of i know you are, but what am i ? — georgia wasn’t sure she would ever be good at fighting with anthony. hated that they were in a position where she’d ever have to be.

[intcgrities]

event: thank heaven tilly's throwing one hell of a party location: hell's dance floor characters: justice & georgia @pixiiewings when: late

It was the point in the evening where Justice had to just get on the dance floor lest the tension in their body eat them alive. Despite having gotten used to the paranoia and the discomfort of Tag, they still couldn't relax. Something about having a history of feeling like their every move was scrutinized kept them at a heightened state of awareness regardless of being stalked, so it wasn't a new problem, but it never became comfortable. Usually they solved it by riding their bike, or going to the rink, but tonight? Dancing would do.

It started off with them dancing toward the side of the crowd, but after maybe 30 minutes they were enveloped in it. Part of their strategy was to keep moving, that way if someone were to try to find them, they'd be a moving target. Those were harder to catch, right? That's what they'd been thinking the whole party, so it'd be a real shame if they were wrong.

It was one of those nights where even music pounding through speakers couldn't drown out the thoughts that filled her head. Blonde curls bounced as she spun, and she only stopped when she met familiar eyes - "Georgia!"

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　georgia knew she had heard her name ,  but didn’t immediately locate the source of the noise. despite being right in front of her. though her movements significantly dropped in energy as she tried to look around, it would have been impossible for georgia to stand completely still by this part of the night. luckily, the search is extremely short lived because her eyes finally focused in on her friend.

she leaned in closer to justice naturally with the small chorus of giggles. laughing entirely at herself, of course. georgia took their hands in hers as encouragement to keep moving. “ hey j bug, ” she greeted. “ i didn’t expect to see you all j.lo , on the floor. ” then another small chuckle at her own ( unintentional ) joke. “ j bug, j.lo ! they match. ” as if j was a rare letter. “ what about j cub ? like the baby bear, but also elordi. the wings, y’know ? ”

it wouldn’t have been the first time they danced together. if you considered hanging out at rollaways a form of dancing. georgia did, but also figured that probably wasn’t the kind of thing to bring up at a party. especially a dance floor conversation that required at least a little bit of shouting to be heard over the music.

[pixiiewings]

⸻　　somewhere in heaven ( upstairs ) ,  early-ish midway ⸻　　closed  for @knewitalls

　　♡　　georgia was trying her best to have a good time .  for their group, it seemed that was against the odds. like, really against the odds. when had maths ever stopped her ? pretending everything was great all the time was a skill georgia had spent the better part of her life perfecting — but admittedly, the stakes had been lower before. each new thing just seemed to stack, nothing ever replacing anything. there was everything she had been balancing before. then add crazy stalker ! take away two best friends ! she didn’t know much about construction, but she could give a first hand account of how unsteady things felt when you started ripping out support beams.

still, there were some bright spots. notably, things had been going well with william. it was hard to think of their budding romance without thinking of the previous year’s halloween party. tilly’s, specifically. or maybe it was the other way around considering where they were. regardless of which thought prompted the other, georgia had taken a break from the dance floor and gravitated towards the quieter level of the house.

it wasn’t sneaking up or surprising him. even she knew better than to do that in the midst of all this chaos. just a tap on the shoulder. making sure he knew it was a friendly touch was so focused on the gentleness of it, logic failed to advise that she should have stayed in place for a moment after it. not that she went far — just that she had continued to move.

her eyes remained on william, taking a few steps backwards. upstairs was less crowded, or people moved out of georgia’s way, but there was no collision. her index finger curled to make it clear she wanted him to come with her rather than just saying hi in passing.

there was probably somewhere in there that an actual hi would have been beneficial, but georgia was on a mission. besides, it wouldn’t be the first time she had roped william into something with little to no context. new year’s eve being a notable example, and look how well that had turned out ! luckily, covering a little bit of distance upstairs was less of a journey than leading him out on the roof of the porter house. within a few moments, it was obviously clear what she was trying to do.

a few quick, short steps to get to the other side of the fish tank than him removing what little doubt was left. it was cheesy ( and probably a little stupid ) but they deserved the sense of normalcy, if you asked georgia. her fingers combed through her hair. mostly to make sure that it wasn’t caught on her wings. a brief moment spared to actually look at the fish before her eyes flickered up to where she hoped he’d play along.

[antdesilvs]

closed starter for @pixiiewings location: some secluded room upstairs, about mid-halfway through the party

four drinks in. four times that anthony picked up his phone to text georgia and cursed himself for forgetting they weren't speaking. at this point, it was getting ridiculous. he looked ridiculous, muttering curses at his phone every time he finished a drink.

so by the fifth, he was upstairs, trying different rooms until he came across one that looked like somebody's office or study. anthony paid no mind to the rest of the room, just the fact that there were stationary items on the large oak desk. it was dark, the only light coming from the moon and streetlight through the window, so ant was looking in near-darkness until he got the common sense to pull out his phone and use his flashlight. it was then that he heard the noise behind him. it was quiet, almost indiscernible, but definitely human. bracing himself for another attack from tag, he picked up the closest thing to his free hand on the desk-- a letter opener, it seemed-- and whirled around to face the noise.

"who's-- georgia?"

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　georgia wasn’t the kind of person that needed to take breaks from a party .  these were meant to be her breaks. no one wanted to talk about anything beyond the music choice or rules to the current drinking game. cracks in the surface threatening to peek through was no longer an issue. at least, not for a few hours. drinking, singing, dancing… georgia genuinely enjoyed it. it was fun ! even tonight was fun. mostly. maybe it was because tilly went all murder on the dance floor or just that she had never had to pace herself before, but there had been a moment that everything had just become too suffocating. the pain in her abdomen knocked the wind out of her. the instinct was to double over, but that was the complete opposite of making sure everything seemed okay.

so, instead, she retreated. needed to take a break from the party. that would probably make things worse when she had a moment to reflect on that, but for now the solitary was a reprieve. until there was the sound of someone rifling in the dark. she probably should have assumed it was tag, but the idea of another party goer somehow seemed worse. as if she were being caught in the middle of something wrong.

the flashlight lit up part of the room in front of them. they weren’t facing her, at least. she stood up on unsteady legs, removing her back from where it had been pressed up against the wall. “ get out, we’re hooking up. ” she instructed the source of the light. that’s why normal people snuck into a room in the middle of a party. admittedly, not alone. but if the person got out as quick as she expected with that excuse, they wouldn’t know that. until they whipped around and said her name. anthony. of course it’s anthony ! “ like, seriously, can you get out ? ”

[rosecoloredjordan]

jordan had left her sling, which georgia had helped her lovingly bedazzle, at home this evening. according to her doctor, she didn't really need it anymore. regardless, she was still favoring her other arm when possible, and found her shoulder to be pretty sore with excessive use. while she danced, she kept her right arm at her side (for the most part... she might've gotten carried away a time or two). something about not being able to use both of her arms at will made dancing feel just a touch more awkward than usual, but it was nothing she couldn't get past.

there was karaoke to sing and, thanks to tilly's expertise in party planning, plenty of vegan treats for her to eat.

as if on cue, georgia held a chocolate covered strawberry, made with vegan chocolate, out to jordan. "hey, you!" she responded in return, taking the strawberry excitedly. "i haven't, but saying they look heavenly would be an understatement." jordan gushed, before taking a bite from the chocolate covered fruit. sure enough, they were absolutely divine. "to die for, truly. did tilly make these or order them?" then, in a whisper, "do you think she'd notice if i walk out with whatever's left of the tray later?"

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　georgia watched the other woman take a bite of the sweet treat ,  a soft chorus of laughter still lingering from the earlier pun. it was no surprise that jordan enjoyed the strawberry as much as georgia had. “ she had to have ordered them, right ? ” not that it was particularly hard. just that it seemed there had been so much effort put into the party as a whole. maybe she was had just perfected the art of party planning in all her experience. was it frowned upon to ask ? probably. they’d probably forget about it by the time they wrapped up their own conversation anyways.

“ no way she would, ” georgia answered with a shake of her head. a level of confidence in her words that could have been chalked up to the logic of tilly being too into her own party — but this was georgia ! “ because team work, i’d totally distract her while you scooped everything up and snuck out. ” not logic. a scheme, obviously. “ or if you, like, hold it. we can get . . . ” a quick glance around the room, trying to come up with the finer details on the spot. “ a sheet ? “ clearly, not that well. “and just fold it a bunch of times. like a bunch of times. then we can wrap it to cover it up. say it’s for your arm. y’know, like a really, really big sling. ”

there were many flaws to the plan. unsurprisingly. at the best of times, a plan concocted between the two girls would be a little kooky. tipsy at a party ? it was basically a recipe for disaster. at least it would be in an entertaining way.

[pixiiewings]

⸻　　hell level ( downstairs ) ,  towards the start of the night ⸻　　closed  for @loverzhq

　　♡　　everything about wrensted had changed recently .  at least, it felt like it had. perhaps not for anyone but their little group. it seemed like everyone else had been able to sweep tragedy under the rug and discard it with the new year. even as things kept spiralling, everyone seemed to move on in the blink of eye.

not in the same way that they were trying to hold things together. of course, georgia was pretending. that everything was okay to most. not as bad, to the rest. they were probably all downplaying it to one another — let alone to those on the outs of their brat pack.

a silly little house party was the perfect backdrop for it. to pretend things hadn’t been broken beyond repair.

georgia held eliza’s hand ( not currently occupied by the bedazzled sling ) and led her off the dance floor after the song they had been dancing to ended. “ do you wanna get a drink ? ” she yelled over the music. “ or we can go upstairs and see what else they’ve got. ”

[pixiiewings]

⸻　　taste of heaven ,  towards the start of the night ⸻　　closed  for @rosecoloredjordan

　　♡　　there had plenty of distractions available to distract georgia from the reality of her recovery .  the fact she was trying to play it down to not worry her father. becoming carrie at the sweetheart’s dance was the result of an anti - valentine protest to this hallmark holiday. right place at the wrong time ! this had been an unfortunate accident involving storm debris and slippery terrain.

all very normal things that pointed to bad luck rather than being harassed by a murderer !

then, there was also the fact that she could focus on her friends. two people to bedazzle slings with, and william by her side. if she kept herself busy enough, she wouldn’t have time to pity herself. it mostly worked. until she couldn’t spot her students tumbling. or demonstrate anything in class.

or dance as much as she wanted to — the way she wanted to — at a party !

luckily for georgia, there were plenty of excuses to slip away that didn’t include having to admit she was in pain or frustrated. places to go, people to see, lipgloss to reapply. currently the sweet treats laid out upstairs. and speaking of sweet — “ hey angel, ” georgia greeted. “ have you tried these strawberries yet ? “ followed by picking one up to hold it out towards jordan. technically it was usually goddesses rather than angels… and it was usually grapes, but it was close enough !

[antdesilvs]

there’s nothing wrong with either of you. even as georgia’s words echoed in anthony’s head, he couldn’t help but feel like that wasn’t true for him. maybe it was true for blythe because, well, it was blythe after all. but anthony? the whole reason he was back in wrensted was because there was something wrong with him. he didn’t need mandatory therapy to tell him that much. he had felt it since he twelve years old, waking up to find out that whispered i love you from his mom was really a goodbye. the feeling had only grown deeper, digging roots into every fiber of his being, since then. but he couldn’t explain that to georgia, not now. he’d be shifting the attention to his pain, like he always does, and this moment is about hers.

georgia’s use of the past tense, not just once but twice, is a cut deeper than anthony's ever felt before. there weren’t many people that he let into the most intimate parts of himself, but with georgia, it had always been so easy. he never felt judged or weak. she had been a pillar for anthony to lean on when he needed strength. he had hoped he’d done a good job at reciprocating that for his friend, but now he wasn’t so sure.

“we don’t like each other,” he says limply, knowing it’s futile. what kind of sane person sleeps with someone you don’t like? not just once, but twice. it didn’t make any fucking sense, despite the reality that it was.

anthony can feel himself sinking now, especially at the sound of georgia’s voice, how small and betrayed she sounded. he wanted to tear himself open, show her that he was still the same ant that she knew and loved but had just made a mistake. a pretty fucking big mistake. one that was apparently costing him one of the best friendships he’s ever had.

“i wanted to tell you.” his voice is quiet, weak. “but anytime i might’ve thought about it, i just felt… kinda like how i do now. ashamed and pathetic.” his grip on the chain around his neck tightens for a second, his breathing becoming more shaky. “it wasn’t even supposed to happen. but then it did, and it was so much easier to act like it didn’t. plus, with me and blythe… it felt like an unspoken agreement to just never talk about it again. i-i didn’t think… god, musa is gonna hate me, isn’t he?”

it wasn’t georgia’s job to placate him, not anymore. but for anthony, he couldn’t help himself. the little devil on his shoulder was always searching for assurance, despite knowing he wasn’t going to be getting it. a pity, knowing he needed it now more than ever.

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　“ so you weren’t , ”  disappointment carried through her tone despite the fact that answer had been the one she expected. there’s a sick curiosity about how else this situation could have played out. a night where georgia hadn’t circled back to take blythe home and thus gotten that drunk confession. anthony stuck to the aforementioned plan and told musa. would he think he to tell georgia ? mention it casually as if she knew ? would the confession come with a clause similar to blythe’s of ‘ not telling anyone, especially georgia ’ ? it was just toying with her own broken heart because of hypotheticals that could never happen.

who needed tag ? they would betray each other regardless. georgia could torture herself the same.

truthfully, she didn’t know how musa would react. anthony’s assumption would probably be more accurate than anything georgia could come up with. usually she would be too optimistic. sweet until your stomach hurt. understandably, that felt a little harder to muster in the wake of everything.

“ i hope not, ” she admitted. it lacked the silver lining certainty that every statement usually carried. her tone uncharacteristically flat, but every word honest. “ for his sake. it really sucks to have to hate people you love. ” it was never something georgia could swallow. handed out endless chances like candy, made up excuses for others people they even had a chance to scramble for one. even now, she didn’t hate blythe or anthony. perhaps it would be easier if she did. maybe the sting would start to dull.

however, the same logic didn’t translate. no matter how bad she had it… musa had it worse. could be hurt without feeling utterly stupid for it, without being utterly stupid for it. he had dated blythe. they had been in love. not only would he have to hate someone he loves — he’d have to hate someone he was in love with. at some point, at least. in georgia’s opinion, always would be in some form. at least the teensiest bit. maybe it would feel like the way a broken bone from childhood ached in the new mature winters. she didn’t know if she’d ever be brave enough to ask musa if it were true or something more violent felt right.

[intcgrities]

Justice nods as Georgia keeps explaining, their self consciousness turning to self awareness in real time. "Sorry," they said, trying to blink away their selfishness (never worked, but always worth a shot). Their face heated as they started reflecting on how they jumped into this conversation; "I've been so wrapped up in my own shit. How's everything been since our wildly successful party? Jordan told me the exciting news," she added, "William finally put two and two together and asked you out?"

Tag was turning them into someone they didn't like. Someone who didn't give an alibi that could have saved Wren, someone who spent a few hours pretending everything was okay with a girl they have been on the brink of loving since they were sixteen only to leave quietly - just a note on the counter - out of fear of what remembering what they'd done the next morning would do, someone whose stomach churned just thinking about friends they were comfortable with only a few months ago. Guilt had become embedded in the very fabric of their relationships; it felt like there wasn't a single person they hadn't let down. It was never too late to try to be a better person, right? Maybe Tag needed to hear it more than them.

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　even though there’s a sense that justice might not be serious about wildly successful , georgia absolutely would class it as one. not only was she a chronic optimist that celebrated the bare minimum — she was also one of the unlucky twelve to star in the wrensted horror flick without their knowledge. instead of losing the rose shades, standards of successful just got lower. no one dead or injured ? no secrets spilled ( by someone that wasn’t 1/2 of that secret ) ? the town didn’t find a new reason to publicly hate them ?

yeah, that was pretty good !

“ jordan told you ? ” admittedly, georgia didn’t know much about where william and justice stood post cliff incident. he had brushed right by it when he originally told her at the dance, didn’t seem openly hostile towards them since. still, that didn’t mean they were as close as they had been before. maybe william would have preferred jordan as the buffer of news delivery between them.

perhaps that was something to ask about, considering the update of seeing anthony would definitely be something she couldn’t keep to herself. strained relationship for strained relationship ? even the task of adding that to her mental checklist couldn’t stop the way the bright smile spread across her features as justice brought it up. “ i mean, i wouldn’t phrase it like that. ” yeah, maybe she had actually used the words ‘ ask me properly ’ during the exchange, but that was just pedantics about format. not that she believed justice meant anything bad either. of course, there would always be a difference in the way your girlfriend spoke about you compared to your almost sibling. maybe. used to be ?

“ we just spent a long time waiting for the right time, and he did a great job of picking it. we were by the bonfire. just really perfect. ” and then finding blythe immediately after lacked all the giggling and squealing that georgia thought she’d get to do over the ‘ new ’ relationship. instead, finding out about a different relationship. “ and then, as you know, nothing else happened. ” paired with a shrug of her shoulders. “ wildly successful party. ” justice’s earlier words echoed back.

[wrenpoe]

his eyes narrowed for a moment as he looked georgia over when she acted like she wouldn’t be bothered by the cold. he wasn’t sure if he believed her, but times changed people and it was entirely possible that she had grown to be able to handle cold temperatures. so, instead of saying anything more about it, he just nodded and moved to sit next to her, his thing of fries in his lap.

wren on the other hand had always had the blood for the cold. it didn’t matter that his nation was in arizona, growing up in the four seasons had always done him well. shifting so she could siphon his heat if she needed to, he flipped open the container and put a few fries in his mouth. chewing and nodding at the same time when she spoke. “hi,” he offered with his mouth unoccupied with his gaze at a lake that haunted his dreams.

now that he was sitting with her, he didn’t really know what to talk about. at the dance, it was about ant. looking for him and being worried about him. in the jail, it was asking for a favor and explaining how worried he was about it all. but sitting in a spot they used to hang out at as kids, was an odd moment in his mind. the spot was no longer a good memory, not because of georgia – other things haunted his memory.

“do you think it’s crazy that we’re sitting together right now?” he questioned softly, wondering if she was feeling the same thing. “two months ago, i would have left a room if you were in it,” was added without malice but fact. it was true. wren would have changed what side of the street he was walking on if he had spotted her for all those years between then and now.

turning his head, he looked at georgia, “but now you get why what you did was so fucked up, right?” he knew she had mentioned understanding in that cold room but he needed to know it wasn't just that moment. that it really sunk in for her.

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　despite her earlier statement, georgia moved in closer as wren shifted .  mostly for warmth, but also partly ( the bit that she might admit out loud in the unlikely event he pushed ) that she had missed him. it was no secret that georgia was quick to get attached. wren had been no exception. especially back when georgia hadn’t understood why he had made his jarring exit from her life.

different now, as she nodded at his question. “ yeah, ” she confirmed, teeth dragging delicately on her bottom lip as she debated wether or not to voice her concerns. on the one hand, the fear of being the cause sat heavy on her chest. that this would be speaking it into existence.

still, the words tumbled faster than she could stop them. “ i’m worried that with all that, i can’t protect you. that we — ” a vague gesture around, as if any of their friends were around. “ can’t protect you. ” technically, it didn’t seem like they could protect anyone. at least not from physical harm. or reputation assassination. but landing wren in jail ? that was something entirely different.

tag might not have kept him locked away this time, nor did it strike at the party it threw for eliza, but that didn’t mean it would be scares forever. “ what if it just wakes up and decides it wants to put you back there ? ” maybe for amelia, maybe a more intense framing for another one of them murdered. by tag, obviously. but not to the townsfolk.

georgia wanted to look at things optimistically. believe tag would be the boy who cried wolf. after so many false accusations, everyone around them would wise up and see they were obviously targets, but there had barely a second glance thrown their way in months. it seemed as inescapable as their small town. then, a thought, “ did anyone tell you about amara ? ”

[antdesilvs]

a part of anthony knew that georgia had a point. that maybe it wasn't the indiscretion itself that was hurting her, but the fact that he'd kept it from her. but there's also an inkling in the back of his mind telling him that this would have happened anyway. even if he had told georgia a year ago, after the first time it happened, they would still be having this same conversation. he would still be losing a friend. one of his closest friends. because of a stupid fucking mistake that he made when he was drunk and grieving.

"i was ashamed and embarrassed," he says, his voice small and defeated. even though it was true, ant knew that it wouldn't lessen the blow for georgia. the damage was already done, anthony could see it written all over her face. when they walked out of this room, he knew they were no longer friends. it hurt, but there was nothing he could do about it now. even as he flinched at the weight of her words, assumed that georgia was now doubting everything about their friendship, he knew anything he said now was pointless, an echo in a void where her trust in him had been.

"i'm sorry. you did have me. and i'm really fucking sorry that this is ruining that. that my actions are the cause of it."

ant slumps further against the table he had been leaning on at the mention of his best friend. maybe this was why he hadn't told georgia yet-- because she would keep him honest, would make him tell musa even if it was the last thing he wanted to. which, for the record, it was.

"i'm going to," he agrees, his head dropping between his hunched shoulders, "i actually planned on doing it some time this week. i know he needs to hear it from me and not someone else."

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　“ i don’t understand why you guys keep saying that . ”  perhaps it was something they had been telling each other this past year. maybe they spoke about it beyond the subtle jabs that had gone over georgia’s head at eliza’s. how many conversations would she find it in if she started to dissect the past ? “ there’s nothing wrong with either of you. ” even their dishonesty had somehow circled back to being something wrong with her. “ you’re both amazing. you’re so amazing. you were my best friends. ” first, spoken like it was a good thing. a glowing review of the people she held close to her heart. another bullet point on the list of reasons why she couldn’t imagine either of them being ashamed of the other.

then again, hurt creeping into her words. “ you were my best friends. ” to someone that didn’t know georgia, the title probably didn’t hold any weight. she was a friend to all. walls covered in bright paint, posters, and art were still walls. even if she dressed it up pretty, georgia was more closed off than she seemed. “ and there were times that i needed you guys. i’d be worried about dad and then i can’t just call you both to come or just have a group chat because i have to worry about you guys bickering because i thought you didn’t like each other. ” wrong in the case of they climbed into bed together more than once. maybe technically correct in the way they both seemed to make it sound like that was the bad part, not everything that followed. “ but hey ! it’s fine now, problem solved. ”

the admission of planning to tell musa, though it should have been a relief, was another twist of the knife. she isn’t sure what she hates more — how small her voice sounded when she asked, or the fact that she even did. “ when were you planning to tell me ? ”

then, as if to cover her own question up, georgia rushed to speak again. “ but, i mean, secret’s pretty safe until you get there. blythe was very clear that musa can’t find out. ” she tried to be happy that he had two people that clearly cared. prioritised him in the mess. of course, he was probably the one with the right to be upset considering the bro code of it all.

[rosecoloredjordan]

"i'm glad i ran into you, my day was feeling kind of... lackluster." a day surrounded by friends, or even potential friends to be made, was a much better day to jordan than one spent alone. she was an extrovert through and through. now that she lived alone, she started her days without any opportunity for social interaction, which was clearly wearing on her. she hoped moving into the complex would alleviate that. while she'd still live alone, friends would be just outside her front door.

jordan matched georgia's pace, ready to go wherever she lead. she was always ready for an adventure, even if it was just a trip to the post office or bank. "nothing new, hm? not even a change in relationship status? a little birdie might've told me otherwise." with that comment, jordan gently bumped her shoulder into georgia's, her smile spreading into a full on toothy grin. the little birdie was, of course, her six foot three best friend. "i'm so happy for you guys."

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　“ well, luster is my specialty . ”  realistically, it was something jordan would have probably said to anyone, but it was nice to pretend. the two had always gotten along. considering how similar they were, and the kind of people they were, it seemed pretty impossible to imagine them not. due to her line of work, jordan knew about things that barely anyone else did. despite all of it, they weren’t the closest. jordan had a warmth about her that made that easy to ignore as the new distance from blythe and anthony brought on a chill. the feeling of the other woman’s shoulder against hers brought out a soft round of laughter.

of course, the ideal was that william got to be the one to tell jordan. not that she thought either of them locking it down was really gossip worthy. nor that tag would bother to deal in something so trivial. even misplaced good intentions were unlikely considering she couldn’t think of anyone he would tell before her. maybe eliza, just due to the proximity. but they didn’t seem to talk that much. not enough to get in before william. the people that georgia has been planning to tell first had ended up derailing her night, so the cards had been unintentionally held close to her chest. william, thankfully, seemed to be the likely source. “ that is a serious accusation, jordan yates. tell me, what did this little birdie look like ? ” her hand reached up to gesture height, though it was probably far from accurate. " about yay high ? pretty eyes, prettier smile. ” then, her head tilted to the side in consideration. “ beak ? ” did jordan care about the bird analogy that much ? then, explicitly, “ from william, right ? ” even though she had ruled out pretty much every other option, it wasn’t certain until she asked. “ but thank you. we’re really happy. ”

[wrenpoe]

closed starter for @pixiiewings location by the lake lullaby

like dejvu wren sat atop a bench that he hadn’t even looked at in years. it seemed like a lifetime ago that he would sit in the same place by the lake, waiting for the same person. with his dad constantly drinking, he didn’t really like having anyone important at his house. that included georgia for a time. the lake had been their hang out spot. if it wasn’t the lake, it was the forest.

but there wasn’t a fucking chance he would ever step in the forests again. not in specific spots. the lake was bad enough. reminders of secrets he couldn’t even tell anthony, not yet. maybe never. sighing, he ran a hand over his face, pushing the mask he had been wearing down and allowing it to sit around his neck.  wren had been wearing it since before he was arrested but after that talk with nic, he might have put an order in for one of the ones that fucked up videos and pictures of people when they wore it.

really keep that piece of shit on their toes. was it a pretty fucking penny? yeah. but anything to give him an edge with that fucker. he might of gotten ant one too but hadn’t said anything yet.

sighing, he leaned back on his hands, while tilting his head towards where he knew georgia would be coming from. it was surreal, waiting to meet her again. that he was even willing to. seeing her covered in blood and their talk after the dance, when he was in jail. having her finally realize what she did to him. how much worse it could have been. how it still shadowed him. it triggered something in the back of his mind, that yearning for closeness they once shared.

catching sight of familiar long dark hair flying in the wind, he moved to sit up as a chill ran down his spine from the cold. when she got closer, he found himself wincing before speaking, “sorry i made you hang out in the cold, but i am getting really fucking sick of those assholes in this town,” he murmured in greeting, moving to stand and help her with what she was carrying. “not that it’s new that they are assholes but being accused of murder and them just not finding enough evidence to convict you seems to turn up the degree of hate…”

[pixiiewings]

　　♡　　for a long time, the idea of meeting up with wren had been nothing beyond an optimistic wish .  then, recently, only as necessity. an update on william in the hospital, assistance when anthony was potentially in danger at the dance, feeding the strays while wren was incarcerated.

the idea that they were once again hanging out just to hang out ? well, it was worth every chill that ran down her spine as she made her way towards the lake.

especially with the lingering thought in the back of her head pointing out how fleeting the moment could be. there was a very real possibility that grace had come as a favour to anthony. a sacrifice made to have the other man in his life. like knowing that he’d be seeing much more of anthony ( some was still more than none ) had been part of things when william had started seeing georgia. was it so unbelievable to think that wren was just gritting his teeth and making the best of a bad deal ? what happened when it was no longer an obligation ?

she hadn’t expected anthony and william to be getting lunch by the lake. probably couldn’t even force them ! as it seems, would probably never get the chance to test that. wouldn’t need to anymore. wren and georgia, however, were. that had to be a good sign. they had history, but it all just felt delicate now.

“ no, no, ” georgia jumped in, shaking her head at wren’s apology. “ no, i like it. this sweater is sooo cozy. ” and admittedly she has been hugging the warm bag of food on the walk over. “ that bug in his rug has got nothin’ on me. ” and she would continue to say that ( even if her teeth began to chatter ) because she was grateful just to be spending time with him once again.

the bag finally relieved of its heater duties as she allowed wren to help. a soft thanks slipping past her lips as they got everything settled on the bench that had once been so familiar to them. then, finally, her attention focused on him. “ hi, ” once she had settled into the place next to him. “ it’s really good to see you. ” though the breeze was cold, it was a nice reminder that this wasn’t just another prison visit.