like a moth to a flame

[quinnems]

[quinnems]

aliyahxmorrell‌:

@catalinastarter​

open starter.

OUSIDE CATALINA COFFEE & COOKIE CO.

Aliyah was a social creature by nature. Her mother was the kind of person who made everyone feel comfortable around her, no matter what mood she was in. She was stubborn as all get out and stern when she wanted to be, but she was loving first. Aliyah supposed she passed being a “people person” on to her. But as much as she enjoyed being around people, she enjoyed watching them just as much.

She sat outside a cafe idly flipping through the photos she had taken that day on her camera, her eyes flickering up every once in a while to take in the people moving around her. Catalina hadn’t changed much in the time she had been away, not that she expected it to. It was a sleepy town full of people who rarely felt the need to leave. Aliyah simply didn’t share that same sentiment. It was her home, of course, but she was like a shark. She couldn’t stay stagnant too long. Of course, even though the people of Catalina hadn’t changed, it didn’t make them any less interesting. 

Chewing on her bottom lip, she lifted the camera to her face, adjusting the lens to take in the person who had caught her eye. They didn’t know they were being photographed and Aliyah would probably never actually use it, but there was something about them that made her want to-

-FLASH- 

Aliyah held the camera away from her face and blinked. Of course, as she was trying to take a picture of someone without them noticing, she would forget to turn the flash off. “Um,” She began, her gaze shooting back and forth between them and her camera. “…I am so sorry about that. I, uh, I’m not a crazy person, I promise.” Awkwardly clearing her throat didn’t seem to help matters, either. “I’m a photographer, see? I take pictures for a living? I just really liked how you… looked…” She cringed and hung her head in her hands. “Oh god, just kill me now.”

One could argue that someone like Quinn McCoy didn’t really need a self care day. After all, her life was pretty low-stress in general. She didn’t have money worries, her kids were old enough that aside from family time and the general living, they didn’t need her to dote on them. She had it pretty easy - but she was trying to hire a few people for the store and honestly, it was proving to be more complicated than she’d expected. 

She’d decided, upon waking up from a bad dream in which Perez Hilton interviewed for the position, that she needed a break. That led her to today, a full day of relaxation and pampering planned and of course that had to start here. Where else could she eat her weight in cookies and pass it off as breakfast? With a too-large to-go cup of coffee and a stack of cookies sitting in front of her, Quinn flipped another page of her magazine that sat in her lap. 

Quinn had just started to read about Brad Pitt’s last exploits when a bright flash caught her attention and she glanced up to make direct eye contact with a camera lens. For a hot second, Quinn felt an instant burn of white hot heat. Had her ex-husband hired someone to check up on her, a one-up for custody arguments? As quickly as the thought came though, it disappeared when she watched the girl react to her own flash. She couldn’t help but melt at the sight, a chuckle slipping as she raised a brow. Quinn watched the fully body cringe as it happened with a laugh, hesitating for a moment between grabbing one of her cookies with a napkin and moving to set it in front of the girl on her table. 

“Don’t worry about it,” She laughed softly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other for a moment before returning to the next table where she’d been sitting. “I’ll take it as a compliment.” The brunette laughed softly as she took a long sip of her coffee, moving to lean forward on the table and tipping her head. “So, is it like - a collection? Or just random?” 

[quinnems]

emmaainsley‌:

For: Anyone/@catalinastarter​ Location: McFlanagan’s Time: Tuesday evening

“So, hey… pretend you’re talking to me.” It wasn’t a request, it was a demand. Emma had walked straight up to the first person she’d seen and presented herself in front of them, her words uttered rather hastily. Tonight, it seemed, she’d made a mistake in who she’d chosen to flirt with. That was her own fault, of course, she needed to be more selective. The guy wouldn’t take no for an answer now, though, and was refusing to leave her alone. He’d been following her around for the last hour. She’d even visited the bathroom for a good twenty minutes (purposely) and he’d been standing there at the door, waiting for her.

She’d fucked up, that was the long and short of it, and now she needed a way out somehow. Hopefully someone would happily take pity on her and she’d be free as a bird again before long.

Quinn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, but she didn’t miss a beat regardless. She wasn’t even aware of the reasoning at first, as she went into a whole tangent about Brad from the office and how he needed to go to another seminar. She’d just gotten into the loud and dramatic part about Brad hitting a duck with his car, full with tears and hand gestures when a man sighed heavily and walked past them. As soon as he was out of the bar, Quinn flashed a smile and laughed as she wiped away the crocodile tears spilling down her cheeks. “I’m assuming that was your need of distraction?” She nodded toward the door, chuckling and taking a long sip of her drink. 

[quinnems]

leahtierney‌:

WHO / OPEN: @catalinastarter​​

WHERE: Ventura Coffee

WHEN: Early Afternoon

Leah’s pen was quick as it moved across the pages of her notebook, the woman having found a groove in her writing that had consumed all of her attention. That was often the way it went; either frustratedly staring at blank pages, or running out of room as soon as her pen hit paper. Nowadays Leah was kept busy, a fact that she had never minded, though a significant change. of pace from the way that she had spent her time over the last handful of years. But it was something that she wouldn’t trade for the world, and as she continued to write, the woman on her second cup of coffee and halfway through a chocolate chip muffin she almost missed the presence of the person who had just stopped by her table. When they didn’t move after a beat, Leah finally got the picture. “One … second …” she informed them, finishing off her sentence as quickly as she could before her train of thought was pulled elsewhere. “And … done.”

Leah looked up from the notebook splayed open in front of her and to the person standing to her side, offering them a friendly smile and her full attention. “Hi – how’re you? I don’t have chocolate all over my face, do I?”

Deeply underrated, in Quinn’s opinion, were friend dates. People put so much pressure on relationships and meeting the right person, but only ever “hung out” with friends without much of a plan. If Quinn had learned anything over her time growing up and even as an adult, it was the effort that should be placed into each friendship and she tended to hers like little plants, making sure they were all fed and cared for enough to stay happy and healthy. Of course, there were times she paid more attention to some; like Leah. Leah was a pretty new friend compared to most on the island, and sometimes those just needed that extra foundation. She smiled faintly as she watched the woman scribble away furiously while she waited for her macchiato at the counter. It was something Quinn had tried - and failed - a few times. Writing had never come easy to her and she had to admit, she was a bit jealous of those that were actually good at it. 

When she finally approached with her cup and scone in hand, Quinn waited until Leah noticed her so she didn’t spook her too much by just randomly sitting down. “Only a little, but you rock it.” Quinn teased, punctuating the sentence with a wink before moving to sit down across from Leah and taking a long sip of her coffee. “What are we writing about today?” 

[quinnems]

clouds in my coffee;

[quinnems]

theodora--clark‌:

“We’re a lot alike.” Thea insisted, a grin on her face as thought of the countless number of projects she’d had over the years. How many jobs she’d taken - though most of them revolved around some form of art. “Before I moved back to care for my aunt, I was working on an indie film with some Canadian and London friends of mine. I’ve always traveled in art circles so I know a lot of people here and there. I think people from high school probably thought that I might head to L.A. or New York for the art scene but I went to London on a full scholarship to study animation and art.” 

 “I don’t like the L.A. scene; I’ve been and it’s all Hollywood. There’s drama - a ton of it - and none of it having to do with art. I didn’t feel inspired there so I was never encouraged to stay. And New York is lovely but my friends weren’t there, you know? London had become my home and so I started working for a video game studio there - just little stuff here and there, nothing major. And in the meantime I switched between different projects my friends were working on; drawing in children books for my friend Christina who had been published, helping with web design for Philip who was an entrepreneur, collaborating in a few art exhibitions with other friends, starring in a few web-series and a film.. I think my diverse interest stems from how I was raised; the woman who raised me.” 

Carrying off, she shrugged and made a face. “My aunt… She’s very strict. I used to think she was hard on me because of what my mother did but then I realized that it’s how she loves people. She pushes me, yes, but she’s never not there for me; always encouraging me even when my ideals don’t line up with what she wants for me. She originally told me that I shouldn’t go into a career in art because it wasn’t stable enough but she was right there the day I graduated from art school…” Clearing her throat, eyes going a bit misty, Thea drew her eyes away from the woman and worked to compose herself. It was difficult to think of her aunt these days as the thoughts of her current condition was never far off. “I.. I’m thankful for her. I think she knew that I needed stability after not having it for so long. And I’m glad that she never tried to curb me from exploring.” 

An affectionate smile pulled at the corners of her lips as she watched the woman carefully handle the flower. “I’m happy that we’ve both found something that we love; something we can’t imagine being without.” Turning her attention to the taffy once more, she picked up a ball of it a little more than a palm size and pinched it off with some difficulty from the rest. “And I’m happy….” She began, a furrow forming in her brow as she began to mold the candy into a miniature swan, its long neck become visible after she had carved out its body. “That I’m here with you and I get to experience your happiness when you’re in this space. Because its so obvious that you are so happy here..” The artist carried off, focusing on the candy in her hand. Picking some more candy out from the large slab of it, she tried her best to form a head but the details were lost as the material was far too hard to shape. Laughing, she shook her head ruefully and sat the headless swan down. “Yeah, this material isn’t the best to work with I’m afraid. Maybe i can try chocolate next time!” 

Quinn could barely reign in the awe that she watched Thea with, a small smile occupying her lips as she listened to the woman’s story quietly. All the while, her hands absently worked the taffy into multiple pinched off pieces in front of her. It’d become such second nature that she didn’t have to put much thought into it as she listened to the other woman speak. Nodding along every so often to show she was listening, her gaze fell to where the girl started to play with sculpting the taffy into something once more and chuckled. “That - sounds amazing. I love traveling, honestly. And your aunt sounds like an amazing woman - I’d love to meet her someday.” 

She couldn’t help the way her cheeks flushed though when the subject came back to herself, in that kitchen. Thea was completely on the money in a way that Quinn hadn’t even realized before today. “I am happy,” Quinn agreed, biting her bottom lip lightly for a moment before laughing when she accepted defeat, picking up the taffy swan and pouting. “Ouch.” She laughed, scrunching her nose before glancing over at the younger woman at the mention of next time. 

“Actually.. that could be interesting, if you’d like a project. I could outsource less of my candies - you know, if you’d want to come in and do the designs for them instead. Handmade molded chocolates and stuff like that - they can be real moneymakers. And I’d pay you of course.” Quinn looked down for a moment, busying herself with starting to wrap the taffy candies with wax paper for a moment before peeking over at Thea. “Only if you want to, obviously. Absolutely no obligation.” She chuckled, shrugging one shoulder. “I’d love to see what you could do though.” 

[quinnems]

clouds in my coffee;

[quinnems]

theodora--clark‌:

Thea couldn’t help but watch Quinn’s face as she mixed and heated the sugar on the stove. The artist found the woman to be incredibly cute but also sexy - she was still riled up from earlier and her mind wasn’t completely on the task at hand. But could anyone actually blame her? Quinn was hot and interesting and Thea found her ability to banter and play addicting. She had the biggest crush on this woman.. 

Snapping herself out of it, she cleared her throat quietly and watched her work. The sugar had released a sweetness into the air that reminded Thea of how Quinn’s skin smelled; sweet and addicting. Her movements were a little slow before she moved to wash her hands, distracted once more. 

Returning the woman’s smile with one of her own, Thea held her hands out without question, only frowning when the greasy substance was put in her palms. Nodding at her explanation, she too laughed quietly and awaited further instruction. Feeling like she now had a mission, she watched the woman work with the sticky warm substance before following her motions; studying the way the woman’s hands expertly molded the candy, Thea couldn’t help but wonder out-loud. “Have you ever sculpted anything before? This kind of reminds me of sculpting; it can also be very therapeutic.” 

Shaking her head fondly but with clear exasperation at the name, Thea gently pushed her shoulder into the woman whilst pulling up a piece of candy and beginning to mold it into a shape. It didn’t work as well as clay - it was still too warm to really get it into the form that she wanted it so the confection only just looked like the flower she’d meant it to be. But it still resembled one even though it lacked detail that she would have normally put in had she had the materials. 

“For you.” Grinning mischievously, Thea glanced up from her creation and tried to meet the woman’s eyes. “I can see why you like this; there’s art to be found here. You’re an artist.” Theodora could see herself here - within these walls - helping out a lot more now that she knew she could bring her creativity along with her. 

“Honestly,” Quinn started as her hands words over the candy absently, not putting too much thought into it as she turned to glance over. “I’ve dabbled in.. a lot of things. But I actually haven’t tried sculpting, no. I don’t really have much of an artistic touch. Tried drawing, and painting. They didn’t last very long. I always got too frustrated when I couldn’t get things to look the way they did in my head.” She laughed softly, glancing back down at the candy in her hands and turning it over a few times. 

She lifted her gaze though when she hears the words. For you. Quinn wasn’t sure what she expected, but the flower that the girl handed out spurred a soft laugh and a blush all the same. “I’ll cherish it forever,” She murmured, and to her own surprise, there’s no teasing tone to her voice. It’s such a little thing, but so fucking sweet that the brunette could barely stand it. Her cheeks only flushed deeper when she’s called an artist of all things. Quinn shook her head, scrunching her nose. “It’s just candy.” 

It wasn’t just candy though, was it? “I -- spent a very long time kind of.. lost. I was lucky in that my parents were kind of happy to throw money at me to keep me occupied. It let me try out pretty much anything and everything that crossed my mind, but I guess I never really felt like anything fit me. Even this store, this whole idea - it was on a whim. And like.. I’ll probably try other stuff too, but this.. it feels like home. If that makes sense. Just snuck up on me.” Quinn admitted, voice soft as she looked around the kitchen for a moment before turning her attention back to Thea. “Honestly, I don’t think I realized how important this place was to me until I brought you here.” 

[quinnems]

anxliese-atwater‌:

@quinnems​

“It absolutely was, Q,” Anna said, voice sickeningly sweet before breaking down into peals of laughter. She had missed this. It was hard when her friend wasn’t in town, even more so when the girls were with her. Nodding to herself at the other woman’s response, she started carding through the jeans near the shoes, looking for a ripped pair in particular that would make Quinn’s ass look a m a z i n g. Not that it wasn’t already but, yah know. Details. 

Popping her head up at the question, Anna felt the grin before it even peeked through, mouth pulling to the side in a lopsided grin. “They’ve been alright. I finally got my website up and running. Hoping to upload some choreography videos there soon. Designing and engineering shit on paper, dancing when I’m mad at my mother you know. Same old, same old. Tell the girls they gotta have a sleepover soon. I’ll make them pizza and we can watch trashy Hallmark movies.”

Quinn did miss this. She’d had mixed emotions growing up an only child. Sure, it was great to be a bit spoiled because resources weren’t split but she was sure she would’ve been less lonely growing up if she hadn’t been. Because of that, she kind of latched onto Annnaleise and thankfully, the relationship had lasted through the years despite any drama and distance that could be had. Now that they were both on the same island, it felt like everything was coming together and she actually had family again. 

She laughed softly at the mention of hallmark movies, scrunching her nose before dropping her head back to hang over the other arm of the chair with a dramatic groan. “Not Hallmark.” Quinn laughed, looking over at Anna and sticking her tongue out. “Kidding, they’ll love that. And I’m really glad things are coming up roses for you. You deserve it.” She nodded, matter-of-factly to driv e home her point before arching a brow. “Any boyfriends I should be googling?” 

[jackadler]

“Here’s another secret: some days I am falling in love and other days I am just falling. Here’s a bigger secret: I cannot tell those days apart.”

— Darshana Suresh, “A Plea from Shaking Knees,” from Howling at the Moon (via shitiunderline)

[quinnems]

della-slade‌:

“I don’t know if I would have done this though or at least I don’t think I would have done this anytime soon,” She admitted. It was hard. Finally getting rid of his things really meant that things were over. That he wasn’t coming back. That part of her life was over and she finally had to admit it to herself. “I kind of wished I had done this a long time ago. It might have made things easier.” Or at least it would have made her heart break easier to deal with. Looking at the boxes, she sighed, “I’ll be alright. He left a long time ago. I just…” She looked at her. “I just wished we would have said good-bye. Instead I came home to the papers on the table and a mostly empty house. I don’t know what to do with this stuff.”

Quinn’s lips curled into a sympathetic smile at the words the woman spoke, recognizing them all too well. “I get it,” She admitted. She sighed after a moment, scrunching her nose as she moved to lean back against the wall. “If it’s any consolation, it wouldn’t have made things easier. All of this - it always sucks. Just depends when it sucks.” She chuckled weakly, lips falling open when the woman explained how they broke up before arching a brow. “Seriously? If it were up to me, I’d put it on the front lawn and torch it. Send a video to him. But - that’s me. To be fair though, possession is nine tenths. If he’s left it here long enough..” Quinn trails off, sticking her tongue out at Della. “Maybe you could donate it or something?” 

[quinnems]

clouds in my coffee;

[quinnems]

theodora--clark‌:

“You don’t have to stop touching me.” Thea immediately assures the woman, a slightly disgruntled expression on her face the further Quinn moves. Her hand reaches forth and seeks the warmth of the woman’s skin once more, catching her forearm and running her fingers over the woman’s soft skin; enjoying the feel of the subtle strength there.  

She’s not surprised by the way the woman touches her - firm but respectful - but the artist is surprised by the emotion that Quinn shows at her apology. Swallowing down her own emotion, pushing them away regarding the situation, she keeps careful watch over the woman and allows the candy maker to take up permanent residence in her heart; carving out a tiny little piece for her there. It’s obvious that Quinn has quite the protective streak; something that Thea isn’t used to. Thea’s always taken care of herself but… maybe it might be nice to have someone to confide in. 

The artist watches and listens carefully to what the woman is saying to her. Her previous nerves have been abated but they leave behind a vulnerability that Thea resents. She’s always afraid of looking weak but she doesn’t even have to ask Quinn if she thinks she is; she can practically see what the woman thinks of her and Quinn doesn’t think she’s weak. That’s solely an insecurity of Thea’s; just little anxieties that whisper themselves in her ear each time she doubts herself. She know’s that. 

Smiling at the kiss Quinn presses to her knuckles, Thea decides to elaborate on something. “I had the chance but I never took it.” Thea informs her, eyes sliding away in silent shame for her own actions once upon a time. There were a lot of reasons why Thea did what she did but she didn’t know if she wanted to tell Quinn just yet or if she wanted to keep those things a secret. But wasn’t that what the woman wanted? For them to be honest with one another? “I…” Hesitating, thinking of a way to say what she had done, her brow furrowed and she shrugged finally. “Sometimes I did it to fit in, sometimes because I knew they wanted to in the moment even when I sometimes didn’t really care. But, I don’t know… Mainly, I just wanted to feel normal in a normal relationship.” And here, a self deprecating grin pulled at her lips and she sighed. “It’s not really what people think of me that gets to me - though sometimes that hurts. I’ve always kind of thought that I was created to stick out; to live my life differently, to push boundaries and to make people remember who I am. It’s what I think about myself that sometimes get’s me into trouble.” 

And wasn’t that the fucking truth? Most of Thea’s troubles came from her own making in some way. “But then I realized that I’m not normal and I’ll never be normal; I’ll always do whatever I can to stick out. To be different, to live my life the way that I want to and to never conform to anything that I don’t personally find belief in. And why shouldn’t that carry over into my relationships? So, I haven’t really seen anyone since my last partner…” And how long had that been? Well over a year ago at least, Thea thought to herself. 

Tucking a piece of hair behind her ears, feeling a little self conscious as she realized that she normally didn’t talk about herself for this long basically EVER, Thea cleared her throat and moved on to the change of subject. “No, I think I’ll stick around and go on an adventure with you.” Because adventures were pretty much the BEST things ever and Thea thrived off of learning new things so this was pretty much heaven for her. “Teach me how to make candy, mistress.” But she couldn’t stop the teasing nature of her soul if she tried and she threw the woman a wink even as her smile stayed genuine and affectionate as she stared at Quinn. 

I mainly wanted to feel normal, in a normal relationship. Quinn felt that too deeply, the sentiment hitting a sore spot in her; a spot that three away twelve years of her life to fall into a trophy wife role nobody thought she could rise above. She’d tried - desperately. To be the perfect wife, the perfect mom, the perfect daughter; the cookie cutter that was just enough but not too much of everything. It never felt right. It never felt like her and the mask she had worn was suffocating. 

“I understand,” Quinn murmured after a moment, tone too serious and she wondered afterwards if maybe it come out a little too unsympathetic. “I understand - doing what you have to, to feel like you’re doing the right thing. The normal thing.” She sighed, nodding as the woman continued talking.Quinn hesitated for a long moment before reaching out to rest a hand on Thea’s where it sat on the counter, nodding slightly. “I get it. I haven’t really -- entertained the idea of real relationships in a while, I guess.” 

The subject change was welcome though, as happy as Quinn was to continue talking about what’s bothering Thea, because she worried it’ll come back into her territory again and she just wasn’t interested in that right now. Instead, when she mentioned the adventure, Quinn practically lit up. It was highlighted only by the red in her cheeks when Thea uses that nickname, rolling her eyes as she turned away from Thea. “Anyway. Taffy is actually kind of simple and complex all at once. It seems pretty simple to make but there are a lot of ingredients, a lot of steps.” She nodded, chuckling softly before setting a sauce pan on the stove and mixing some of the ingredients into it. “The most important thing, in my opinion, is timing,” Quinn explained, stirring the melting mess of sugar, corn syrup, and flavoring. “Once it hits two fifty, you’ve gotta pull it right away. Any higher, and you’ve got a banana brick.” She laughed, scrunching her nose at Thea. 

Quinn dipped her head to watch the thermometer closely, grabbing the pot off the stove as soon as it hit that number and setting it aside. “Now comes the fun part! Come and wash your hands, and I’ll show you.” She chuckled, washing her own hands and returning to the fridge to pull out a tub of butter from the fridge. Once Thea returned, she smiled brightly and raised a brow. “Put your hands out.” She waited until the girl complied, taking a handful of butter and plopping it in the girl’s hands with a chuckle before starting to rub some over her own. “It’s either this, or you basically disappear in that taffy like quick sand.” Quinn laughed, taking the sauce pan once it’d cooled down a bit and pouring it onto a big tray. “Now.. you basically just play with it. This is where the stress release comes in. You can pull it in strips, or punch it, or throw it down. The goal is just to get all the air bubbles out and to make it lighter, and opaque. Once we do that, we can cut it into pieces and the Taffydoras will live!” Quinn chuckled at the name, starting to pull and push at the yellow concoction on the counter, glancing over at Thea. 

[quinnems]

txt ;; thea + quinn

Thea: You’re highly entertaining so even if I don’t like the show, I’ll still like you.

Thea: You used to do that with me so are you sure this isn’t some crush you have?

Thea: Oof...Childhood. Something embarrassing...

Thea: My dad was pretty much the coolest person I knew when I was really little. He had all these stories and all of these ideas that he used to tell me about. I remember distinctly that I wanted to be like him when I got older. He had this leather jacket that I used to put on when he went out drinking with his friends and left it at home. I don’t remember a lot about him but I remember that jacket and how I would go around the house mimicking his voice and his mannerisms when he left me alone. That’s embarrassing to me now but not so much back then.

Quinn: ..... listen

Quinn: don't call me out like that

Quinn: besides, she's just annoying. You're -- more good than bad. Even if you drive me nuts sometimes.

Quinn: That might actually be the cutest shit I've ever heard.

Quinn[delayed]: I wish I had a relationship like that with my dad.

[quinnems]

txt ;; thea + quinn

Thea: That’s a high compliment. I would too.

Thea: Haven’t seen it but maybe it would be enjoyable with your commentary.

Thea: [ read ]

Thea: What do you want to know?

Quinn: Oh, you'll regret that idea about ten minutes in.

Quinn: I basically just yell at Jessica the whole time. She drives me up a wall.

Quinn: I dunno. Everything. What about.. okay. This one's easy enough. What's an embarrassing thing that you did or thought as a kid that most people don't know?

[quinnems]

txt ;; thea + quinn

Thea: If they can’t show, we could just hang out. You’re good company.

Thea: My aunt’s hooked on it. Now that she spends more time at home, she’s been reading and trying to keep her mind occupied. I keep her company sometimes so I’m well versed on reality tv. I don’t do well sitting still for prolonged periods of time unless I’m working.

Thea: westworld. It sounds familiar and like something I’d definitely be interested in. Sounds like you know me.

Quinn: I'd take your company over mother nature's any day.

Quinn: okay, I might watch like.... a little. Definitely no Kardashians though. But Love is Blind is trash that has a little spot in my heart.

Quinn: i'd like to think I do. also like to know more though.

[quinnems]

txt ;; thea + quinn

thea: no ones ever told me that in my life. I’m usually the coolest person in a room.

thea: ah yes, how could I forget? Do you have her number? Could you hook me up?

thea: please tell me you aren’t stuck on reality tv... are you a kardashian fan? what are you watching now? as someone who never watches tv and is always either painting, sketching, sculpting, or gardening, what would you suggest I watch?

quinn: of course, we'll all buddy up and hang out one day, I'll invite the whole troupe. ;)

quinn: i'm deeply offended you would think so. I, surprisingly, am not a huge fan of reality stuff for the most part. I wish I did more interesting stuff like you do, though.

quinn: hm. I think.. you'd probably like westworld. kinda gritty, but makes you think. really makes you question morals and philosophy and stuff. it'd make for a great debate topic.

[quinnems]

txt ;; thea + quinn

thea: so, what do candy makers do in their free time?

thea: do you partner with leprechauns and hide gold at the end of rainbows? do you know the easter bunny? santa claus? whose the coolest 'supposed-fake' imaginary being you've ever met? i bet its the leprechaun - he just seems like someone you could hang out with.

thea: not cupid - the discussions about love and romance would wear thin. and not santa claus - the constant talk of ethics would get tiring.

quinn: you're such a nerd, you know that?

quinn: besides, it's /obviously/ mother nature.

quinn: sure, the leprechauns always have the irish whiskey, but mother nature has trees. :P

quinn: but also, I watch like -- way too much tv. It's honestly unhealthy.

[austincabot]

“I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it — to be fed so much love I couldn’t take any more. Just once.”

— Haruki Murakami (via ninanobreva)

[quinnems]

clouds in my coffee;

[quinnems]

theodora--clark‌:

The tension in the room is dizzying, and it’s all that Quinn can do to keep her own breath even. She doesn’t have a preferred answer to the question she’s asked or even one she’s hoping for, but to her own surprise, she feels relief upon hearing Thea speak. It isn’t that she doesn’t want Thea, but the lingering sentiment is Thea felt comfortable enough to tell her to stop when she needed to and that’s what Quinn wanted. It’s what they needed if they were going to do-- whatever this was. So she immediately lets go of Thea, takes only maybe a half step back. It isn’t too much not because she’s trying to pressure Thea, but because she doesn’t want her withdrawal to appear as some offended recoil from the woman. This isn’t a rejection, and she knows it. 

Her brows furrow when the woman continues to speak and, god, she apologizes. There’s a fire in Quinn’s eyes for just a second - a flash easily missed if you’re not looking for it - but the anger is only reserved for whoever the hell made this sweet, sarcastic, infuriating gift of a woman feel like she needed to apologize and justify when she needed space. Quinn shakes her head quickly, reaching out to catch Thea’s chin between her thumb and forefinger so that she can catch her gaze. “Hey, no. I - got carried away, and I’m sorry. But you -- Thea, you have nothing to apologize for. And I’m so fucking sorry that you’ve been with someone that made you feel like you do.” Quinn surprises herself with the angry tears in her eyes and she looks away for a moment, inhaling a sharp breath. This isn’t about her. It’s not her time to be upset. Licking over her lips, she finally turns back to the other and rests a hand on Thea’s jaw once more. This time though, it doesn’t wander along her lip or down her throat. It’s gentle, soothing even. 

“I would never, never want to jump into something you’re not ready for. The fact that you stopped me, and you told me you weren’t ready for - whatever this is. I’m not disappointed, and it’s not you thinking too much. You’re allowed to have thoughts about your own choices. That is not a bad thing.” Quinn sighs softly, moving to brush a few locks of Thea’s hair back behind her ear with a frown. “Thank you, for telling me. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. The idea of you not telling me -- or you feeling like you couldn’t --” Quinn sighs, dropping her head to rest against Thea’s shoulder for a moment before leaning back and looking up at her. “I don’t know.. what this is, that we’re doing. But I would like for us to both be ready when we do it. I’m not upset, and I’m not offended. If anything, I’m fucking flattered that you trusted me enough to tell me because I kind of get the sense that maybe you haven’t always had that chance.” Quinn whispered, brushing her fingers through Thea’s hair gently before sighing. “You’re more than what they think of you, Thea.” She took one of the other’s hands in her own, bringing it to press her lips against the girl’s knuckles gently before taking a bigger step back in case she needed more space. 

“So.. here’s where we’re at. If you want to stay.. I’m happy to still teach you how to make some candy. Even see the stock room if you want - it’s kind of a child’s dream, honestly. However,” Quinn pauses. Her voice has been gentle so far, and she’s careful even as she leans on the word to not be too firm with Thea. This isn’t that, and she doesn’t want the woman thinking she’s trying to make it so. “If you need or want to go, and have more space, and we can spend time together another time. That is absolutely fine too. I won’t be upset. I won’t hold it against you. Whatever you need, okay? Because all of this? All of it. It’s only fun for me if it’s fun for you.” Quinn shrugs a shoulder, offering a soft smile as she catches the girl’s gaze. “So - make sure you’re picking for yourself because otherwise, neither of us is having fun and what’s the point in that?”