MARLEY.

marley reid, #9 palmetto state foxes 🦊" i'm everything they never wanted me to become. "

[reidmarley]

secretpatchword‌:

Patch’s lips quirked up in a soft wistful smile as Marley agreed about Rosie, before she looked away as Marley continued to speak. Her words were soft, but they cut her to the core. She was right of course; there wasn’t anything she could do to erase what she had done, but she could always ask for her forgiveness later.

Patch found her eyes suddenly growing misty at Marley’s empathy, the way she accepted Patch and what she had down with barely a blink. She didn’t placate her, but she wasn’t cruel either. Patch found herself pausing to grip Marley’s unpainted hand.

“He doesn’t even love me back, but I don’t care,” she whispered, and finally a stubborn tear she could stop slid down her face. She took a deep shuddering breath and gave Marley a soft smile, rolling her eyes at herself. “God, look at me. We’re supposed to be having fun, and I’m crying all over you,” she said, shaking her head and wiping her eyes.

“ oh, please don’t cry. ” with the hand patch gripped, marley worked to twine her fingers through hers and she gave a light squeeze. “ if you cry, so will i. ” she gave a small sniff, her mouth twisting into a watery smile. “ what a pair we’d make, crying together on a girls’ night. ” 

“ love is ... hard. ” the last word was said with a sigh and her shoulders fell. “ wouldn’t it just be a dream if it were easy ? if everything were like fairytales and storybooks ? i think i’d like it if it were, but -- ” she hesitated, taking a breath. “ we learn from love, about ourselves, about others, about the words. again, it’s hard. but maybe it’s a good thing it isn’t easy. if it were, we wouldn’t want it. it would be boring. i know love is painful, but in the end, i think it’s worth it. ”

[ofsami-deactivated20220710]

Location: Outside Fox Tower Date: February 20 Time: Late afternoon

Sami came to a stop with Fox Tower looming over her, hands on her knees and chest puffing with exertion. She wasn’t stressed. She wasn’t – that had absolutely nothing to do with her run to and from court, or enlistment of anyone she could find, even if she couldn’t stand the sight of them, in drills. It wasn’t why her arms ached and her knees throbbed and the itch pressed deep into the center of her back. Nope. Nothing to do with it.

She stood slowly, breath coming in strange, sharp bursts, and wiped her hands on her thighs. It didn’t help much. February was fucking freezing, but she’d run until she thought her lungs or feet were bleeding. Every spare inch of skin was now slicked with sweat, even in the chill. She wondered if Marley would say something about going into shock, and swiftly dismissed the thought. Sami didn’t care, so long as she wasn’t thinking.

“Fuck.” She heaved and spat on the pavement. Another few seconds and she stood again. The temperature really did a number on her, apparently. Probably had something to with the cold she’d been ignoring for the last few days. “Fuck – hey – yeah, hey. Got your keys on you?”

[reidmarley]

marley was headed back to fox tower after a quick lunch alone. she had left campus to clear her mind, to get a distraction and just relax. it wasn’t something she did often. too much time was spent on the court and in her room, but every once in a while she could justify going somewhere and just losing herself in the moment.

in one hand, she held a milkshake. pink. strawberry. half-drank. the other floated above her bag over her shoulder.

she could see the figure in front of the tower before she could really see who it was but, when she could, a smile spread across her face. “ sami ! ” she exclaimed, reaching a hand into her bag as she talked. “ you look -- you look hot. not attractive hot, but sweaty hot -- not that you’re not pretty, you are but -- ” she cut herself off. she finally grabbed her keys from the bottom of her bag and she held them up triumphantly.

“ you look like you could use a nap. i assume you’re going to take one ? ”

[tfcrp]

Hey Foxes!  Please see the below character development meme, featuring questions based on all of the canon characters. This is entirely voluntary, so if you want to participate please just reblog! Members, please be sure to send everyone who reblogs this meme questions for them to answer!

AKIRA SATO: What would you like to be known for? ALANNA NGUYEN: Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic? ALIS TAN: What is your worst memory? ARLO BOOTH: Do you get jealous easily? What do other people have that you wish you had? BIANCA SHAY: Is it best to always tell the truth? In what circumstances is it okay to lie? CADE MITCHELL: How often do you seek out the company of others? Or are you more comfortable alone? CAMERON TRASK: How do other people perceive you? Is it correct? CARTER MADDOX: What has been the greatest turning point in your life? CASEY HENDRIX: What have you had to sacrifice to get to where you are today? CLAUDIA JEWELL: Do you know who you are? DEL RAMSEY: Are you more of a leader or a follower? EMERY COPELAND: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? ELIANA FELIX: Do you find it easy to express your thoughts and feelings? GLORY HOSKINS: Have you ever been in love? Do you want to be? GRAHAM SOSA: Is the ability to forgive a weakness or a strength? GRANT ROLLINS: What are your goals in life? GRAYSON SHARPE: What’s more important to you, truth or peace? JASPER LEWIS: Is pain a good teacher? JUSTIN BYRD: Who is the most important person in your life? KENT CHEONG: How do you cope with negative emotions?   LOGAN TRASK: Do you set high standards for yourself? How well do you measure up to your own expectations? MARLEY REID: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? MCKENNA MONROE: How often do you do what other people expect of you? MEREDITH COTES: What does family mean to you? NEEL AVERY: What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done? Does that define you? NICO RAMIREZ: How do you feel about violence? Does it ever solve problems? NOAH NAKAMURA: What are three things that you’re good at? OLIVIA FINCH: Who in your life are you most afraid of disappointing? RALEIGH EVERHART: Do you control your temper or does it control you? RIVER TATE: Do you find it easy to stand up for yourself? SASHA HART-ASHBY: How much do you care about what other people think of you? SIENNA HARRIS: Is it better to fit in or stand out? STERLING WALSH: If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what three things would you want to do in the time you had left? SYDNEY MCCRAY: How easily do you trust other people? VIVIAN BROOKS: What’s more important, friendship or success?

[reidmarley]

patch

Patch couldn’t help but grin a little bit when Marley sighed softly, and she glanced up at her. “Oh. It really was. I’d never done anything like that before. It was… surreal,” she said softly, before she smirk. “And have you seen Rosie? She’s gorgeous too. Gorgeous, and with a heart too big for her,” she said, turning her eyes back down to Marley’s fingers as she moved to the next one.

At her question, Patch’s eyes flew to hers and her response was immediate: “Yes.” Of course she would pick Caleb every time. It was hardly a question. Rosie… she had people. A family. She would be okay. But Caleb? There was something there that Patch recognized and understood. And yet, there he was, constantly doing something other than waste his life away on the streets like Patch had done for so long. Caleb was messy, but so was Patch, and he deserved to be loved. “I wouldn’t choose differently. But maybe I would’ve handled everything in a different way,” she said softly.

“I don’t want to lose Rosie as a friend, but I’ve put her through so much heartache. But it hurt me too,” she gripped the nail brush in her fingers. “Marley… have you ever loved more than one person at the same time? Because that’s how it was. I loved them both and I hurt her because I can’t help it, but I also can’t lie. I want her… but I need Caleb. And because I had to choose, I chose him. I always will,” she said quietly.

“ i can imagine. ” really, though, marley couldn’t. her trysts with love were never substantial, never anything real. except for once maybe last year, but she couldn’t quite put the words to say how that made her feel. sometimes she wondered if was really even real. time muted the hurt in her heart but it still lingered and stung at the oddest of times. “ rosie -- ” marley spoke aloud as she thought “ -- she’s the red-headed vixen, right ? if she’s who i’m thinking of, i agree. she’s beautiful. ” 

she hadn’t been expecting patch to answer so quickly but when she does she can only nod her head. “ then know that you made your choice with certainty and that it counts for something. it doesn’t erase the hurt that rosie’s feeling, but it saves all three of you from the wishy-washy poking pain of indecision. ” her words hang in the air. “ i don’t think you can erase the hurt you’ve caused, but maybe you can numb the pain a little. maybe try and talk to rosie. if she doesn’t want to now, okay, you should respect that. but time heals sometimes. wait a bit. try again. that’s what i’d do. ”

“ i thought i was in love once, ” she said, exhaling deeply. “ but only once. and really i was in love with the idea of something i’d never have. anyways, to answer your question, though, i’ve never loved more than one person at a time. the idea of loving one person at all seems foreign to me actually. ”

“ i think you know that you’ve made the right choice for you. it might hurt, sure, but sometimes the right things do. not all choices are painless, as easy as that would be. ” a sardonic smile pulled at her lips. “ i hate that you had to make a choice at all, knowing that it’d hurt you in the end. ”

[reidmarley]

raleigh

It’s a habit she’d picked up and never lost, looking at other girls and asking herself: is she a threat or not? Sizing girls up in foster homes, in juvie, picking fights with the ones at the top of the food chain, making sure that everyone saw, that everyone knew that they couldn’t fight her and win. Things changed with the Everharts, and at Palmetto. She’d learned to kill with kindness, then, learned how to smile to someone’s face and scheme behind their back.

Maybe she was never as good at it as she thought, using sickly smiles instead of fists. Her schemes hadn’t worked: she’s here with the Vixens, with the Foxes, instead of the Captain of her old squad—the squad she had chosen. But either way, she still sees the world the same: there are leaders for her to fight for her place at the top, and followers for her to lure to her side.

She looks at Marley and doesn’t see a threat. Looking at her, it’s almost hard to believe that she’s a Fox, that she’s one of the orange-and-white mob that Raleigh sees on the court that seems so fearsome and physical. But then, it’s not like she knows Marley that well. But, from what she sees, there’s no reason for her to be cruel. Nothing, yet, that she has to prove.

“Don’t worry, if you don’t like it, I won’t post it,” she says, favoring Marley with the flash of her smile, her phone still held at the ready loosely in front of her. “All you’ve got to do is smile, look like you’re having a good time. You are, aren’t you?”

marley shakes her head. “ i’m not worried that i won’t like it. ” that’s honest, true to a fault. she’s always been the sort to put all or nothing into photos. silly photos are her favorite, where it didn’t matter if you were mid-word or mid-laugh. but serious photos ? serious photos meant to look nice and show her as pretty and perfect ? they never feel real to marley, not really. they’re a paused play-pretend, nothing more.

“ i feel like since you had to ask me that, you won’t believe me if i say yes. ” marley shifts awkwardly, folding her arms across her chest. she does her best to put a genuine smile and she flashes her teeth towards raleigh. “ but i can pretend. see ? ” there’s a brief moment before she adds a long and drawn out ‘ cheese ‘ .

she’s never been good at faking her feelings. she wears her heart on her sleeve and the rest of her emotions are always tucked just under.

[reidmarley]

alanna‌

Alanna smiles brightly the moment she sees Marley, but then Marley’s only here to say she wants to leave. “Oh,” Alanna says. She’s not disappointed—or she doesn’t want to be, at least, and that’s almost the same thing. Because of course Marley can do whatever she wants, and that includes leaving early. It’s just that Alanna wants Marley to stay and have fun—with Alanna, if possible. Marley’s so quiet, but Alanna’s sure these carefree nights could be good for her, if she gave it a chance. 

They’ve been good for Alanna, at least. Alanna’s hardly comfortable in her skin, but it’s easiest when she’s surrounded by Foxes and Vixens, unarguably one of them. Even if Alanna still feels like she has to prove herself, it feels like that’s possible to do. It’s not like her old squad, where the standards were impossible, where Alanna was only there so they’d have someone fall short. She never would’ve danced back home, but she does now, even if she’ll wait until someone dances with her. Maybe Marley’s the same; maybe she just needs someone at her side first. 

“I totally understand,” Alanna promises her, first and foremost. “Are you sure you want to leave for good though? I think tonight’s gonna be really great,” Alanna says, and from her, it’s completely genuine. The Foxes won, and it’s Valentine’s Weekend, and either one of those would be enough for Alanna. Marley’s the one who earned that win though, in the end. She deserves a celebration even more than Alanna does. “We could take a quick break or something too. Maybe some fresh air would help, you know?”

marley’s shoulders fall when she sees alanna’s reaction to her saying she was thinking of leaving. she should have expected it. the other girl’s enthusiasm usually radiates off of her and it seems like her disappointment does as well. her heart clenches in her chest. she glances over her shoulder towards the door and then back towards her friend. “ i just -- i feel like i’m only a wallflower here. i’m not contributing to the fun of it all. if anything, i’m bringing the mood down. ” she ducked her head down, shaking it slightly at her own expense.

she pulled her phone out of her pocket, glancing at the time before tucking it back in. “ it is still early, ” she admits. “ is there anything else planned ? surprise valentines superlatives or something ? ” her own little remark draws a slight laugh from her lips. “ okay, yeah. i’ll take a minute of fresh air then come back in. maybe that’ll help. you won’t mind if i tag along behind you when we come back in, though ? i just -- ” she gestured broadly at the party going on around them “ -- i’m bad at this by myself. ”

[reidmarley]

mckenna

         If McKenna had lived with her mother growing up, she might have actually learned more about cooking because she probably would have had to make her own food unless she wanted to eat takeout all the time. Her mom never was the responsible type. McKenna bet that she got her cooking skills from her mom—and she wondered if her mom’s new boyfriend was a decent cook. “But most people can at least cook basic things,” she frowned and looked around the kitchen. Maybe one of these days she’d take a cooking class as an extracurricular class because learning from someone other than her grandmother might be helpful. She just didn’t want to fail at it. Or maybe Alanna could help her. She wanted someone that was at least a little more patient than her grandmother. “But maybe those things would have happened if I hadn’t started to smell the burning. And how do you melt a metal pan?” she asked, her voice worried that she could actually do that.

         “Oh, you could probably help me make another batch, but I’m ninety percent sure I’ll just screw them up again, even if you did help.” She wasn’t well versed with cooking. The microwave was easy and anything that came precooked that just needed to be reheated was good, but everything else was a struggle. “If you want to try though, I’m not going to stop you. I’ve tried to learn so many times, I just am too easily distracted to be able to bake.” McKenna wondered if learning to cook was a learned skill or if someone had to be born with the natural ability to cook. She was in awe of those that were able to whip up something in the kitchen with just whatever they had on hand.

         McKenna’s skills didn’t involve cooking—she liked to think that she was very organized and a good listener. She didn’t know why that didn’t translate in the kitchen, for some reason it just didn’t. Her room was actually very clean and she usually did her homework way before it was due. She was book smart, she didn’t have any other skills. Luckily, there were other people that had the skills she lacked and part of becoming an adult was learning those skills that she wasn’t good at. Life was a learning process.

         “Um, well. Let’s clean up a bit first. There’s butter already out in that box,” she pointed over to the box. “I’m trying to make them for everyone, so it’s vegan butter.” The blonde looked at the sink. “If you start on the counter, I’ll get the dishes.” 

" honestly, you would be surprised at how many people can’t even boil water, ” marley said this seriously, looking mckenna straight on. she thought first of her father. the man had never stepped into a kitchen for reason beyond opening the fridge and grabbing a drink or grabbing leftovers. her ex-husband hadn’t been very handy in the kitchen either. she’d be surprised if he could do more than ready a bowl of cereal. for both of those men, she did all of the cooking. 

“ and it isn’t something that people either can or can’t do. it’s a skill. it can be developed and you can definitely get better. honestly. i wasn’t good when i was younger, but i learned. ” there were so many nights of dried chicken and watery pasta before she found her knack for it.

she shook her head, backtracking. “ no, no, no, i’m sorry. those were poor examples. you can’t melt a metal pan, at least not in these ovens. they don’t get hot enough. i was talking more along the lines of a silicone pan, or something similar. ” she kept wiping at the counter, brushing up burnt crumbs and flour. she brushed them into her hand and then shook them off into the trashcan. 

“ believe me. i won’t let this batch turn out badly. ” she let out a quiet laugh. she took pride in the things she made. and -- even if mckenna wasn’t the best -- marley was here to temper any mess she might be in the kitchen. “ and we’ll do it together, but if you really want to stand back and watch me do it, i’m okay with that, too. i think you’d like it better if you were able to say that you made them yourself. ”

marley grabbed the margarine and put it to the side of the counter she had already cleaned. she pulled the sugar and flour towards it, as well, before moving to clean again. “ once you get the dishes finished, mix together the sugar and the butter. then i’ll start getting the dry ingredients together. do you still have a clean copy of your recipe ? ”

[reidmarley]

river

location: fox afterparty date: february 15 open

They’re nursing a water for the moment, not yet keen for more drinks to sip on. They’ve been slinking near the back, avoiding the shots and the beer and the general celebrity nature of the event. Not that they aren’t participating in the festivities; truly, this is perhaps the most social River has been with the team since they started playing. 

Their cheeks are beginning to hurt from how often they’ve smiled tonight. And they’re aware how they are not known for beaming smiles and a welcoming nature. But the thrum of victory is something not even they can deny. It settles in their skin, lets them bask in something like joy, something like accomplishment. 

They haven’t felt like this in a long, long time. And it was something to be celebrated.

And yet, the words that leave their mouth, to no one really, but perhaps to anyone listening, is, “What the hell are we going to do when we get back?”

where to go. where to go. marley is still wandering around the party. she wants to find someone to talk to, fall into a conversation or into the rush of the party without worrying about everything else. that’s the thing about marley. she can throw herself into everything, but despite it all nagging thoughts always detract from the moment, pulling her out of full enjoyment. it’s sad. she’s completely aware of it.

they see river and their smile and -- she smiles, too. it’s infectious, contagious, and she wonders if they’re smiling because of the win. maybe they’re just having fun. either way, she’s happy for them.

“ i bet we’re gonna practice some more because we have a harder game ahead of us ? ” marley shrugs her shoulders. it’s the easiest thing to answer, it’s the most obvious answer. “ and then there’s the vixen’s party -- the belated valentine’s day one. we’ve got that, too, if you’re not ready to lose the high of the win and the rush of the party. ”

[reidmarley]

glory

Long before Glory had ever set foot on an Exy court, it had been this that had made her feel the most free: leaving her worries behind on the ground, entering a world that felt like it was all her own, where no one could find her if she didn’t want to be found—where, even if they did find her, they couldn’t catch her.

In Louisville, when she’d traded her home and it’s acres and acres of trees for crowded concrete group homes, she’d lost the easy freedom of her world amongst the trees. But then she’d found Exy, and she’d learned to love the pounding of her feet on the court, the feel of a racquet in her hand, the thud of bodies hitting each other.

The trees in Palmetto aren’t as big and as wild of the ones she grew up climbing, but she likes that she can have them both, now, the court and the trees. And as she looks down at her roommate from among the branches, she thinks that she’d much rather coax Marley up rather than bring herself down to meet her.

“It ain’t that hard,” she says, trying to make her tone sound encouraging. “I’m sure you could do it. What’re all those Exy muscles good for if they can’t get you up in a tree?” She shimmies down a few branches until she’s closer to Marley, dangling an arm down so she can give the textbook back. “Here, give me the book so you have both hands and, if you get stuck, I’ll help you out.”

when was the last time she climbed a tree ? marley thinks and she thinks, and she can’t quite remember. there was a time in the schoolyard when she was maybe seven or eight that she and her classmates climbed a pine tree higher and higher until the teacher’s whistle blew and they all scrambled down. maybe it was then, but maybe it wasn’t. it’s strange that there are times in people’s lives where something is done for the last time and no one realizes or knows until later in their life.

“ i know it’s not that hard. ” uncertainly shows on her face. she hands up the book to glory and she drops her own bag at the base of the tree. she tucks her phone in her pocket, making sure it’s in, and then she reaches up to grab the closest branch. her palms scrape on the bark as she gets a good grip, and she puts her heel on the trunk of the tree.

she pulls herself up slowly, shakily, and she almost considers dropping back down to the ground. she thinks briefly that she’d never forgive herself if she did that. “ you better not be laughing at me, glory, ” marley mumbles under her breath. finally, finally, she manages to maneuver herself so that’s she sitting on the branch, her back to the tree.

marley looks around towards the ground before glancing up at glory. “ i can see why you’d like it up here. ”

[reidmarley]

jasper‌

Marley takes what he says at face value, and he appreciates her for it. His expression softens as she commiserates, and he nods his head. “Yeah. It is,” he murmurs softly, and though he was ready to listen to her continue and take the heat off of him, he couldn’t help but be slightly relieved that she changed gears completely and moved onto flowers. 

Jasper definitely believes that there was a flower beautiful enough to cost that much. While Jasper usually had his eyes towards the skies, he could appreciate what the earth had to offer as well. He wasn’t sure if he had a favorite flower like he had a favorite bird, but seeing Marley’s face light up made him think about maybe looking into it.

He was slightly taken aback when she mentioned gifting him a flower with a meaning. “A cactus, hm?” he asked softly, looking at the ground and huffing out a soft breath. Endurance. Is that what she saw as she looked at him, crying outside the Court? Jasper wasn’t sure if he believed her, but it still made him smile a little bit. “That’s kind of you to say. I think if I were to send one to you, it would have to mean sweet. Or maybe one about empathy. What would that be?” he asked. 

how do you comfort someone you don’t know top well ? marley’s unsure. she could keep talking easily, explain her views and her thoughts and her feelings, prattling on until the words don’t come anymore -- but she doesn’t know jasper well enough to know how he’d react. she didn’t want to make things worse. so being short and quick had been the right choice to make. if he wants to talk, he’ll circle back. 

“ a cactus, yes, ” she repeated, holding her choice steadfast and firm. she hardly ever says things she doesn’t believe. what’s the point in lying ? it had never done her well before, and now that she was surrounded by people she called friends, or at the very least teammates ? she doesn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize those relationships, lying or otherwise. it’s as simple as that. she had been surrounded by people who would hurt others for her whole life, physically or verbally or mentally, and she had resolved to never be like them.

“ i’m not sure if there’s a flower that means empathy exactly, but peonies can symbolize compassion. that’s close, right ? ” her brow furrows with the question. “ and then lilies of the valley can be sweetness. they’re both beautiful. ”

[reidmarley]

patch

Patch’s eyes lit up as cocoa was deposited into her hands and she immediately cradled it in her hands and held it to her face, smiling. She took a sip and groaned obscenely into the cup. “This is great. Really hits the spot. You’re the best,” she sighed happily, before she set the mug to the side and nodded her head at the color Marley picked out. 

“You really are a girl after my own heart, huh? This is going to look great on you, darling. Excellent choice,” she said as she lightly shook the glass bottle to mix the paint up, before taking one of Marley’s hands into her own. She immediately set out to work, but not before she looked up and assessed Marley’s face in a quick once over. 

What had happened with Rosie and Caleb had been chewing away at her heart since it had happened, and if Patch was being honest, she really needed to get it off of her chest with someone who wouldn’t hate her for it. She knew where Mars stood, and it wasn’t like she could confide in Caleb. He didn’t even know what was really going on.

But Marley was sweet, and even if she didn’t like Caleb, she doubted she would do or say something horrible, like what Rosie and Mars had said to her about him. She knew it was because they cared, or some sort of version of it in Mars’ case, but it still hit her somewhere soft. They didn’t support this about her, and it stung. 

So that was why she turned away from Marley’s face after a breath of hesitation and opened her mouth to speak. “Well…. It’s kind of complicated,” she began as she lifted Marley’s pinkie to paint it. “First, there’s this guy. He’s been one of my best friends since I transferred here. I mean like, a mad close homie. You know? And, well, we had a bit of a falling out and I realized that I… well… I really really liked him in a less than friendly way,” she said. “But, he doesn’t like me like that. I mean, like, there is just no way in hell,” she said, aiming for aloof, but falling a little short. She pushed by it anyways.

“But, at the same time, I hit it off with this girl. And she really took care of me after that guy messed me up. Like, she took me home and I met her family and spent the break with her in this beautiful place by the beach and everything. Super romantic. She was amazing. Perfect. Loving and everything,” Patch said a little wistfully.

“But… there came a point where I totally slept with this guy. But, just to sleep with him, y’know? Like… I did it because he’s super hot, but also because I care about him. And…” she paused, embarrassed, before continuing, “and I wanted to be with him in some way. Pathetic, huh?” she asked lamely, shaking her head. 

“And this girl and I… well, we weren’t exclusive, but when I told her what had happened… well, it was clear she wanted me to pick. Not to mention she hates this guys guts. And…. god, Marley. She had given me so much, and with this guy I would probably just be begging for scraps, but I still chose him. And now she hates me, along with most of her friends probably, and this guy will literally never see me the same way, but I’m hung up all over him anyways,” she finished in a rush, not realizing her hands were shaking until she accidentally painted some of Marley’s ring finger.

“Shit, fuck, sorry. God, I’m a mess,” Patch muttered, using her finger to quickly swipe the nail polish off before it could really dry and stain. “But isn’t that the stupidest, most rom-com situation ever? God,” she said, shaking her head. “You must think I’m crazy,” she continued as she glanced up to look at Marley almost warily. 

" i’m glad you approve, ” laughed marley. she let patch take her hand and she relaxed her fingers. there was something soothing about this. it reminded her of soft moments with her sister, moments tucked away in the room they shared. there were nights they’d paint their nails ( pink, always pink, emma would insist ) and nights where marley would read from whatever book she had on her nightstand, doing all of the voices and all the effects. she had never expected it to happen, but patch filled up a hole in her heart she was never expecting anyone to. the pair of them hadn’t been friends for long, but it felt like longer than it had actually been and she was ever so thankful for that.

she listened carefully, hmm-ing and mmm-ing in all the right places. she was genuinely curious as to what patch had been through and all she was feeling. “ that sounds dreamy, ” marley sighed, hearing about patch and the girl and their spring break. her eyes were wide, her expression saddening as she went on. 

“ don’t be sorry. ” marley drew her hand back, blowing gently on the wet polish before extending back out to patch. she took a breath, exhaling loudly as she nodded. “ that definitely is a messy situation. ” she reached her other hand out, putting it on top of patch’s. “ i don’t think you’re crazy at all. lovesick, maybe, and a little sad. but those are all okay things to be. ”

“ now, mind you, i did say i know nothing about love -- ” she’d been married, yes, but there had never been love. there had been fear and fists and certainly nothing good. “ -- but i feel like you’re in a tough situation. obviously. you know that. sorry for stating the obvious. but how do you feel ? do you feel like you did the right thing ? that you ... chose the right person ? ” her brows drew together, her expression serious. “ i can’t tell you what’s right and what’s wrong, but if you had to do it again, would you make the same choice ? ”

[reidmarley]

jack

location: los angeles international airport time: morning date: feb 16 open

“If you’re going to keep making noise, you better have coffee.” Jack still had glitter on their skin and hair from the party last night, though they’d traded the tight jeans for sunglasses and an oversized sweatshirt. Everything hurt too much for tight jeans or neon orange accessories, even though they weren’t normally one for looking like a mess in public. Or at least not the ‘lack of effort’ kind of mess. 

They shifted slightly from how they were sprawled in the gate’s waiting area, moving their long legs as so to not cover the entirety of the bench. Despite popular opinion, they did have some manners. At least when it came to the team, and when doing otherwise wasn’t more convenient. 

When a beat passed and they still hadn’t been handed coffee despite their attempts at basic human dignity, Jack opened their eyes to find out who had betrayed them so entirely. Not worth it. The sun was a cruel orb determined on making them suffer. “I’m going to burn down Hollywood and everything in it, and I’m going to build a coffee shop on the ashes.” 

“ lucky for you, i know you well enough by now. ” marley sat down on the bench beside them, holding out a latte towards them. in her other hand, she held her own coffee. it was a latte with oat milk and cinnamon and it was probably more flavoring then actual coffee, but she was going to enjoy it and damn anyone who had anything poor to say about her choice of drink. she leaned back on the bench, pulling her bag onto her lap. she set her coffee down on the ground by her feet and started going through her bag. 

she hummed thoughtfully as she pulled out a book. “ if you really are planning that, ” she said to jack, “ you might want to be a little quieter about it. people don’t take too well to arson. ” she started flipping through the book, idly skimming the first few pages. she had planned to read on the flight back and didn’t want to really start it before the plane took off. “ what will your coffee shop be named ? jack’s solution to mondays ? are you big on name puns ? good ones are good but bad ones ... are bad. mine was bad. sorry for making you listen to that. jack’s joe ? that one’s sweet and simple. but do you have any ideas ? it’s your shop, after all. your hypothetical shop. ”

[reidmarley]

patch

Marley was a bundle of energy as she flit about, and it made a small slow smile split Patch’s face from where she lounged on the bed. Marley was adorable, and charming, and the breath of fresh air Patch needed after wracking her head about how to fix the situation with Rosie, which seemed more and more unfixable as she thought about it. Which was partially why she needed this night as much as Marley did, it seemed. 

“Darling, you are just enough,” Patch said with a smirk that was more genuine than usual as she laid her hands over Marley’s for a moment. “Milk sounds wonderful, as does popcorn and a rom-com. Ug, I feel as though I’ve been stuck in a rom-com myself, speaking of Valentine’s Day,” she said with a soft huff that was part for show and part very very real. 

“I love the Valentine’s idea, I really do, and I’ve already sent out a couple, but I’m, well, I’m torn about one. I think I’ve broken someone’s heart, but I can’t really fix it…  but I still care. And I want her to know that,” Patch said, tracing a pattern on Marley’s blanket. He couldn’t deny that she was practically bursting at the seams to say that out loud, and it stung, but it was also a relief at the same time. 

She didn’t skip a beat as she hummed and eyed the nail polish basket with a curious expression, before nodding at it. “Why don’t you pick a color? I’ll do you first,” she offered as she reached in a wiggled a clear base coat in Marley’s direction.

" it sounds like it’s going to be a good evening already. i’ll be right back. ” marley left the room for no more than two minutes. in that time, she heated up the milk in the microwave and poured in the hot cocoa mix. she went back into her room with two mugs, one blue and one yellow. she held the yellow one out to patch. “ but what’s this about your life being a rom com ? tell me all the sordid details. ”

she hummed a sound of acknowledgement, her hands wrapped around the warm mug. “ then i’d say something. better than bursting with the words kept inside your heart. ” she offered a sympathetic smile. “ but really, who am i to be giving advice ? love has never been my forte. ” she wrinkled her nose up before letting out a small laugh, one given at her own expense. “ all my knowledge on romance comes from rom coms and romance novels. are those the best guides ? probably not. ”

she put her mug down on the side table before reaching for bin of nail polish. “ i’m thinking -- ” her hand hovered over the bin before she reached down and pulled out a light purple “ -- that this is the color. ”

[reidmarley]

jasper‌

Marley’s voice was quiet and soothing, such at odds with her intensity on the court and during practice. But Jasper found that he didn’t mind it. In fact, there was something about the tone of her voice that had his throat closing. The kindness there was too sweet, and he felt almost as if he didn’t deserve it. Didn’t deserve it at all.

He smiled at her weakly, chuckling a little. “‘S not really a big deal,” he said, rubbing at his eyes. “I’m just missing someone right now, that’s all,” he said quietly. There was no way he could explain the complex swirl of emotions he was feeling without going into Derek and what he had done and how he had left Jasper like this. So he would leave it at that, plain and simple, even if the truth was neither of those things. 

“But, I won’t pass on those flower facts, either,” he said, aiming for relaxed and humorous and feeling like he landed somewhere just short of it. 

hearing jasper, marley doesn’t quite believe what he says but she doesn’t say that allowed. instead, she let him speak, nodding her head in acknowledgement. “ i know what that’s like. ” and she did. she missed her sister. sometimes, she even missed her mother. but the ache would settle in her stomach and in her bones, leaving her with a longing that she could never quite soothe. “ it’s hard. ” there wasn’t much more she could add without thinking like she’d sound condescending. surely, if jasper was missing someone, then he knew what that entailed. there was no need to explain it. it would do any good. 

“ but flowers -- that i have a lot to say on. ” quick as it can, a smile spread across her face. it was her own personal favorite distraction. her room in the dormitory was filled with flowers in vases. they were bright and fragrant and beautiful. her favorite to have were sunflowers. they were big and vibrant and they made her smile. “ an english rose breeder spent nearly three million dollars trying to breed the most beautiful rose he could. he called it the juliet rose. it’s beautiful -- and then, did you know flowers can be used to send messages ? it was big in the victorian ages, and you could say so much. right now, i’d give you a cactus, if i was into sending messages with flowers, which while it would be amazing, slightly out of my budget. anyways. back to the cactus. it means endurance. ”

[reidmarley]

mckenna

LOCATION: Vixen Den  DATE: February 12th  TIME: 1:15 PM  OPEN

          Her last class of the day was cancelled and instead of heading to the library to work on some of her homework, the blonde decided to trek back to the Den before practice. Grab a book from her room and read for pleasure. She was caught up on her homework for the most part and didn’t think it was necessary to start on her next assignment because she had a few weeks to work on it. Normally, she would do her assignments when she got them especially on a game week, but it was nearing Valentines day and she was trying her best to get herself hyped for both the game and the party on Saturday. Lately had felt like she wasn’t spending as much time with her fellow Vixens and the Foxes because she’d been so busy lately—she wanted to change up her routine and make sure that she made more of an effort to see them regularly. The blonde wished that there was more time during the day. As much as she wanted to focus on socialization, school was the reason she was here at Palmetto and she wouldn’t be happy with herself if she didn’t put effort into her work. After a few minutes of trying to focus on the book and failing, McKenna put the book down on the table and headed into the kitchen.

         To say she was a good cook would be stretching it by a lot. As much as her grandmother spent in the kitchen, she’d never been able to teach McKenna anything about cooking or baking. Everything seemed to go over her head—and it wasn’t as if McKenna cared to learn. She always made some excuse to not help in the kitchen. She knew some of the basics of course, but even that didn’t usually turn up with something edible. She wanted a snack though and didn’t feel like eating someone else’s food or going all the way back to campus to get something there. So was going make something simple sugar cookies. Maybe if they were okay, she could give them to people for Valentine’s Day or something. But twenty minutes later, the kitchen is a disaster and so is McKenna. Covered in flour with the timer going off on the microwave, McKenna rushes over to the oven, wondering if whatever she made was even salvageable—looking at it, she objectively decided: it was not. “I’m an absolute disaster,” she mutters as she dumps it into the trashcan and glances around at the mess she made. 

“ you’re not a disaster -- those cookies are the disaster. ” marley stared down towards the cookies in the trashcan before looking around at the kitchen. there was a moment of pause before she said, “ and maybe so is the kitchen. ” it’d be overwhelming if she hadn’t seen worse. despite mckenna, despite the mess, she let out a laugh before reaching for a sponge. she started wiping at the counter, getting some of the flour off of it. “ really, i promise this could be worse. the oven could be on fire, your pan could be melted -- and none of those things are happening. ”

marley glanced around once more before giving a reassuring nod towards mckenna. “ tell you what: do you have enough ingredients to make another batch of cookies ? we’ll get everything cleaned up together, and then i’ll help you make the cookies. i’m pretty good at it. ” she smiled at mckenna.

she was familiar with cooking. she had done it for her father, for her ex-husband. no one else was going to do it, so she had to. there was no other way it would have gone. despite the situation, she did grow to like it. she wasn’t anything near a chef but she could hold her own -- and she could definitely make a batch of cookies. she remembered when she was younger, when her mother was still at home, the counter covered with cookies. the smell of sugar and chocolate filled the air. it was warm and gentle and -- the memory was faint, but good. there were few of those and, even with the mixed feelings marley held towards her mother, she couldn’t not like that.

“ right. do you need me to tell you where to start ? -- and pull some more butter from your fridge. we need it to soften. ”

[glxryhoskins]

Location: Palmetto Campus Date: Sunday, February 10 Time: Afternoon (open)

The trees in Palmetto aren’t like the ones back home, the ones that Glory grew up climbing, staying high up in the limbs even when her siblings tried to call her back in to dinner, or to do chores. This is all carefully manicured college campus, and those had been—old, and big, growing there since long before Glory was born, when it was other Hoskins climbing them. 

Back home, she could step into the woods surrounding her home and feel like she was the only person around in the world. She knew it by heart. She had her hiding places, and no one could find her in them, because none of her siblings knew the woods like Glory did. And even though she knows that Owls Bend isn’t the only place in the world that feels like that, that’s open and spacious and wild, the places she’s been since she left haven’t been like that. 

There are always too many people. There’s never enough open space. 

Sometimes it feels suffocating. Sometimes it feels crushing.

She knows how many of the Foxes like the roof of the Tower, but Glory’s always preferred trees: it feels familiar, putting hand over hand and foot over foot to get as high as she can go, settling in the bend between the trunk and a sturdy limb to try and finish some of the reading she’s been putting off for her morning class tomorrow—it’s all Exy, all Championships, and it’s easy for classes to take a backseat, especially when she’s never thought of herself as one of the smart ones, anyways. 

She’s secure enough not to fall, but the heavy textbook she’s reading it a different story: she finds her attention drifting from it, and doesn’t notice when it starts to shift until it’s falling from her lap, narrowly missing landing on someone passing by below. “Sorry!” She calls, peering down between the branches. “Can I talk you into bringing that back up to me or am I gonna have to come down there?”

[reidmarley]

Marley has been making a point of it to study outside when the days are nice. She finds a chair on campus or a nice grassy spot, spreads her things out around her on her lap, and just enjoys herself ( -- at least, she enjoys herself as much she can while studying. sometimes it’s exhausting and even Marley can’t fool herself into liking it ). It’s nice. It’s stifling to be surrounded by four walls sometimes and there’s so much freedom in the outdoors.

She had just finished up studying for the day.

A glance at her wristwatch tells her she has about twenty minutes before she wanted to go to the court and get some practice in. She’s walking with her head down when she sees the book on the ground and she hears the voice from above.

She looks up, holding a hand over her eyes as she squints upward into the tree. “ Glory, of all the people it could have been, I ain’t so surprised to see it’s you.” She crouches down to pick up the book. She hesitates as she looks up towards the branches. “It’s been years since I’ve last climbed a tree.” Marley sounds unsure of herself. “I’m not sure I could do it now.”

[reidmarley]

louis

At the moment, every day feels like a bad day. Things have been…not good since Christmas, eespecially where Louis’ parents are concerned. His refusal to join them and the rest of his family in Australia for the Foxes’ last Christmas break had left some bitter, heavy tension between he and his parents. He didn’t know if it was better or worse that he was in Palmetto and they were all the way in Canada.

They didn’t like that they hadn’t seen Louis in so long and he didn’t like that they were constantly trying to see him. A part of him truly did understand and empathise with them; they knew what he was capable of doing to himself and before he came to Palmetto, they’d had 3 years where they could keep a constant eye on him. He just wished he knew what it was that was worrying them so much; what was causing them to try and call him twice a day? They said he was acting different, strange, distant, but Louis didn’t see it - he just wanted a little space.

As it was, things were not improving any time soon and it was starting to leak into his life in Palmetto. After a heated argument with his father one morning, Louis had was so angry that Wymack told him to go and take a breather when his temper made it’s way onto the court during practice. A similar argument followed that evening and Louis was still seething in the morning, so much so that he said ‘fuck it’ to practice completely and he sped away in his car from Palmetto for the day. It wasn’t a choice he’d ever make again; Wymack had given him the verbal bollocking of his life and Louis was so ashamed when he left the coach’s office that he genuinely thought about writing him some kind of apology note.

Then the Foxwatch post happened.

Louis was human. He liked gossip but that didn’t mean he wanted to be apart of it. He looked awful: his clothes rumpled from a lack of motivation to do a proper load of laundry, dark bags under his eyes and his hair messy and tangled from poor sleep or lack thereof completely. He sat in the common area, leaning forward in his chair and his laptop propped up on the coffee table. His foot tapped anxiously as he read the post and it ignited the anger, anxiety and shame that had plagued him like a bad cold for the past few weeks.

‘Watch out little Fox, it looks like you’re on thin ice.’ Louis slammed his laptop shut and at the same time, the door to the common area swung open. It surprised Louis enough that he shot out of his chair. “What? What the fuck do you want?” He barked, before even looking to see who it was.

marley startled at the sound of louis’ voice, the harshness of it. she was thrown instantly into another moment, one from the past. the tone of voice was familiar, too familiar, and she was reminded of her ex-husband and her father. she remembered the shouting and yelling and a shiver ran down her spine. she looked louis, eyes wide, and she opened her mouth but nothing came out. her fingernails were digging crescent moons into the palms of her hands as she struggled to keep herself grounded. “ i -- sorry -- i’m sorry -- i -- ” she was struggling with words still.

it had been some time since she’d reacted like this to the sound of someone’s voice. when she had lived with it, she would duck her head down, stare at shoes or the ground and just wait it out. now that she had been distanced from it, though, she felt like she was on unsteady ground. it felt like new territory despite it being so familiar.

she swallowed and her gaze turned upwards to the ceiling. she counted silently to herself. one. two. three. four. five. six. seven. eight. nine. ten. marley took another deep breath. “ i just made cookies. ” the sound of her voice startled herself and she winced again. “ I wanted to see if anyone wanted any -- but obviously, it’s a bad time. i’ll come back later -- or not. ”