* / DECIDED TO GET HURT.

[sanguinecharm]

mrsnadia​:

“The movies?” Nadia laughed, not noticing that it was the first time in weeks she truly had, “What, you try to go see IT, and they tell you ‘nah, sweetie, not without a parent’?” She shook her head, still smiling. “It’s because we’re small, too. I bet you that tall girls don’t get kids’ menus handed to them at restaurants.”

IF ONLY RILEY KNEW WHAT A RARE THING SHE HAD ELICITED — SUCH JOY ! — WHEN NADIA SINGH LAUGHED , AS IT WOULD CERTAINLY COME WITH A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.

after all , it was a goal of hers — an unconscious one , embedded in her nature — to shed light and warmth upon others’ lives wherever she could. to be a warm embrace , a fireplace , or a coat lent on a cold night . . . a giver , even when she hadn’t much to offer ; being friends with riley leigh was to have a friend who would give even the clothes off her back , if you truly needed them. 

“ exactly ! ” she exclaimed , “ being short is just the worst sometimes. except never having to worry about hitting our heads on things , that’s pretty sweet. ”

[sanguinecharm]

WHAT HAD LED HER TO RETURN , WITH A SENSE OF FINALITY HOVERING OVER HER HEAD ? SHE WASN’T SURE YET.

“ it’s a touch strange , being back in that place you half-grew up in . . . you know ? ” 

because cassie hadn’t been back in elmerton long ; she’d left when her high school group had went its separate ways , her homeland ( and oxford university ) calling her name , and she had made a career in london rather than returning to america ; she’d spent the past while familiarising herself with all the changes , unsure on her feet , thinking of the moment she’d have to confront people she used to know.

[darkexistences]

𝖑𝖔𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 ¦ Cave Bar

❝ Please don’t judge the slight vice. I’m off the clock and my children are safe at home with my husband. ❞ Of course she knew that she was never really off the clock. Having a glass of wine at the bar, it could be used in unsavory ways later. But she deserved a drink, and it wasn’t the worst thing she’d done. Years of keeping up appearances was exhausting, and every once in a while, she liked to relax. Besides, what better way was there to get to know the inhabitants of her beloved town? Even if she was anticipating a judgemental call from her mother later. ❝ One drink after work is a deserved reward, don’t you agree? ❞

@fortyhqstarter​

[sanguinecharm]

“ NO JUDGEMENT HERE , IF YOU’LL EXTEND ME THE SAME , MADAM MAYOR. ”

levi nartey would not judge serena regardless , but it seemed to be basic courtesy & the least he could ask for ; he , too , is both finally off the clock and on call at any moment , though law enforcement & politics were separate enough professions. but even the mayor of elmerton was entitled to a reprieve from the stress of the job , and he absolutely wasn’t going to say a word about it with a cider in-hand either way.

[sanguinecharm]

mrsnadia​:

Everything was annoying lately. Nadia refused to even think the word hormones, as the mere thought of the word sent chills down her spine, but that’s probably what it was. Pregnant women were meant to have a glow to them, a sparkle in their eye, but Nadia was just pissed off at literally everything. And now this beautiful woman was telling her that it would only get worse seven years from now. Nadia sipped the juice she was trying to pass off as wine to swallow the scream in her throat.

“I’m sure it’s not all bad,” she said, turning her charming fake-smile on with relative ease. “Surely there are good parts… to having a child…”

PREGNANCY WAS NOT A PREREQUISITE TO BEING PERPETUALLY IRRITATED , BUT IT CERTAINLY LENDED A HELPING HAND —

       she could be considered an expert in the relationship between annoyance and the dreaded ‘ h ’ word nadia singh refused to even mentally utter ( as though being heard even by herself was an unthinkable horror ) due to three things : a) being a woman , b) having been through the wrath pregnancy wreaks upon the body , and c) being annoyed by everything regardless. 

“ oh , there are definitely good parts, ” florence reassured , her own smile coming to grace her features. “ that can just be difficult to remember , during the harder ones ; but without question , it’s worth it when you add it all up. i’d just like to forewarn past me so i can be more prepared. ” 

[sanguinecharm]

retiredvariety​:

sighing, she looked at the other woman. it was a hell she’d always wanted to know and never had. the pang in her chest left domi staring blankly at the other woman as she thought about how to respond to that. at least playing with her lighter gave her a few moments, though it did nothing to curb her tongue. ❝ i think plenty of us would enjoy such a ‘hell’ as having a child. is she just extraordinarily misbehaved? did she try and cut your hair while you slept? ❞ the condescension and repulsion was clear in her tone as she let pale plumes escape from nose as she watched the other woman. as she saw what time it was and nearly scoffed. school would be out soon and the mother of that poor child was sitting there, having a glass of wine. reminded domi of her own mother.

OF LATE , THERE WAS A BIZARRE BEAUTY TO THE INFERNAL ; BUT OF COURSE, THIS COULD BE FLORENCE RESIGNING TO ( AND RATIONALISING ) WHERE SHE WAS — UNDOUBTEDLY — GOING.

         well , not undoubtedly. it was florence villiers-whiteley’s enduring life philosophy that the world ( & its too impulsive tendencies ) could stand to exhibit a modicum more doubt , and so she doubted practically everything ; to her , it was a simultaneous olympic endurance sport & intellectualist pursuit. 

THE THREE EXCEPTIONS TO THIS DOCTRINE :

that her fiancée loved her ;

that she returned this love in kind ;

and that there was no other route out of her marriage , no other way to ensure her prosperity and her safety with her truest love , than to murder her husband , roman villiers.

such a thing as murder bonded deeply at the soul , even a method so quiet and bloodless as the one she had employed , and the nature of this inexplicable & deep-set bond had left her atheist beliefs . . . wavering. yet this ‘ wavering ’ status had been so for the seven years since she had killed roman , so there was no expectation that she’d be repenting for her sins any time soon.

“ no, ” florence’s gaze affixed itself onto her glass , attentive and yet distant somehow before she set it down with the liquid undisturbed. the condescension stirred something within her , something deep and furious , but in the end she’d decided upon the truth ; or the truth that everyone knew — gazing through a glass darkly — and had unerringly believed for the seven years past. somehow her tone had twisted anger into a practiced hurt , teeth pulling at her lower lip until it flushed with colour. “ she’s just . . . asking about her father , and what the bloody hell do you tell a kid about someone they don’t remember ? ”

before meeting her now-fiancée , florence had genuinely loved roman. 

georgiana had been born a handful of months before her father’s demise , and it was necessary to have it over and done , out of compassion for the child lest she forge an attachment to him. out of compassion for roman — or that was how she justified it to herself , when she laid there in the night — because he struggled with the concept of fatherhood ( she’d never met most of his messed up family , but they were furious when everything was left to her in the will ) and some . . . melancholy she had never truly been able to put a patch on. 

“ no , shit — ” she shook her head , tears ( genuine , but they were tears of frustration and not upset ) springing to her eyes. “ no, i can see what you think and . . .i don’t mean to get touchy. she’s an angel , and my fiancée’s been a veritable saint. of course i’m lucky to have both of them. and i’m not perfect , but she’s all roman and sometimes . . . it’s difficult to look at. you know ? ”

[sanguinecharm]

IF YOU WERE BORN WITHOUT WINGS , DO NOTHING TO PREVENT THEM FROM GROWING.

     — it’s one of those pithy aphorisms by a questionable author ( though the history of this originator of a dynasty , to this day enjoying the heights of fashion celebrity even five decades deep in her six-foot grave ) that , unfortunately , happen to make some degree of sense if you squint. words blur just barely into new context & colour , and suddenly . . . you understand. or perhaps the thought process riley leigh was experiencing — break-neck , race-track speed , thundering pulse ; she was ayrton senna in san marino , and we know how that story ended — made no sense at all. who knew at this point whether the thoughts were hers or the hallucinogen ?

( to roll was to fly ; to grow those wings and escape the mundane. and truly riley could use being in a club , but that came with a good deal too many risks. )

“ shit. hey — tell you what. ” when riley’s eyes landed upon alistair ( and the tell-tale bottle of amber liquid his hand fisted around ) her visage first expressed surprise , and then her lips pulled into a hazy grin. “ i won’t tell if you don’t. ”

                                        @retiredvariety​.

[sanguinecharm]

enlightened-midge​:

“Okay, but you’re so right. I just wish my voice had matured a little bit. I mean yeah, it makes connecting with my kids…but geez Louise does it make it hard to date. Nobody likes to hear someone that sounds like their kid talk about their drunken escapades in college. Kinda takes the punch out of it.”

“ or their drunken escapades after college . . . had a lot of those. ” 

( riley’s grin had always been bright : projecting the image of icarus’ wax wings melting & his calamitous plummet from the skies. too curious , too reckless for his own good. a parable she had heard many times , and ignored almost as many. amanda didn’t deal in the same poetics & maybe that is the secret of how she got through to riley. you can be too metaphorical , when sometimes what someone needs is the harsh truth. )

when dating is mentioned , the tidal wave of desire to gush about dominique and kayla soars in her chest & once again she is forced to shove it down. 

“ . . . well — at least you don’t sound much older than you are , though. that wouldn’t be great either. ”

[sanguinecharm]

mrsnadia​:

The woman’s hair flew in the wind like feathers, or silk. It was easy and free, a stark contrast to Nadia’s own slicked back, pinned up, hairsprayed hairdo. She wondered what it would be like to be free and easy like that…

“Oh god, I know. Sometimes I still get carded at the bar, you should see the looks on their faces when they see my birth date,” she smirked, deciding not to mention that she hadn’t been to the bar in months and wouldn’t be going anytime soon. “Although I’m sure you’ve seen it, you look about 20 yourself.”

the issue most commonly associated with riley leigh was precisely what nadia had just put her finger upon : one can be too free , not secured to the ground & thus blown about and away by the gale. ( which was how she had ended up in her present predicament . . . predicaments . )

“ oh , definitely — i’ve seen it many more times than i’d like , ” albeit not for a while — much like nadia — yet for a very different reason. “ the bar , the club , the movies . . . gets exhausting , doesn’t it ? ”

[sanguinecharm]

retiredvariety​:

a smile graced her lips as she thought about the night before, all those warm and …warming images. ❝ we were quite distracted. i look forward to more of such distractions. later. i think, for now, we should decide if it’s worth keeping the rug and attempting to repair it, or if we should get our third and just find a new one we can live with. ❞ sighing, she looked back down at the destruction before walking over to riley.  ❝ did you rest well, ma petite? ❞ she murmured, running her hand over the other’s back and pressing a kiss to her cheek. ❝ coffee. i was on a mission for coffee when i was distracted by our destruction. we’re lucky that we knocked the candles over after somehow smothering the flame. ❞ it was a shame, the rug was rather nice, but she wouldn’t be too broken up over and excuse to have the three of them out in public together. though things were still under wraps, it was enjoyable to her. 

roseate colour spread steadily across riley’s pale visage , beginning in her cheeks as she too reflected on what had transpired ; she , too , could hardly wait for the next night of shenanigans to ensue. not that this showed on her face for very long , as when their third was mentioned she seemed . . . troubled. with the issue brewing around them , it felt to riley as though she were walking on broken glass. 

nonetheless , the smaller woman breezed on , as was the way with riley ‘ i’m always fine ( nervous laughter that indicates the contrary ) ’ leigh. “ we were , weren’t we ? i’d say we outdid ourselves , but . . . aren’t we always this good ? ”

( spoiler alert : they were. )

“ i rested . . . okay, ” she hummed , tucking her head into the warmth of the juncture between dominique’s shoulder and neck , pressing butterfly kisses to the skin. being out and about with the two women was . . . difficult for riley , because she wanted to be affectionate with those she held dearest , but it just wasn’t possible ; she’d go along with it for domi’s sake , though. “ and you? ”

[retiredvariety]

@sanguinecharm​

❝ ma petite? ❞ she called out, knowing that riley was around somewhere. ❝ do you know what happened to the rug? we weren’t that destructive last night… were we? ❞ of course, if riley didn’t know, she might have to ask their other ‘roommate’. a sigh of frustration was barely held back as she turned away from the sight and towards the doorway, hoping her small love would come through it. confliction was tearing her apart inside, unsure what to do about their current dilemma, but she was determined to enjoy the wonderful life that they had for themselves. as long as she could, anyways. 

[sanguinecharm]

we weren’t that destructive last night , were we ?

riley appeared , stretching and yawning , departure from the warmth of their covers painfully recent & only triggered by dominique slipping free from the bed about ten minutes prior : otherwise , she could merrily have stayed in bed a considerable time longer. yet the rug — oh , no , that was . . . rather destroyed , indeed , and while she had some very delicious memories of last night’s shenanigans , damage to the interior decoration wasn’t one of them.

“ no . . . maybe . . . ” a thoughtful frown , inspecting the congealed wax on the rug & something that looked like an amaretto stain , judging by the faint almond-scent. “ . . . probably. ”

[sanguinecharm]

coconutmuses​:

“it won’t be soon enough so maybe they’ll just leave. if i wanted to live in benidorm, i would have.” she complained and glared at the tourist who dared to look her way, having heard what she’d said - at least, she assumed that. she couldn’t care less what they thought of her. “i hate it even more when people around here cheer on this kind of ‘economy’.”

“ if you give them many more looks like that, they might well go away. ” she chuckled , watching the expression on the unfortunate tourist’s ( some woman who indeed had shorts , sandals and a ludicrously sized camera ) face change before they hastily looked in another direction. amanda’s lack of care for others’ opinions really wasn’t a trait riley had , so she hoped that she could pick up a few things from the older woman in the interests of her self-confidence. “ my boss is like that : all about the business. it’s a little bit exhausting. ”

[sanguinecharm]

coconutmuses​:

“you don’t look a day over thirty, so i don’t know what you’re talking about.” vera said and she wished she looked like riley… sometimes she felt insecure, even if she did like what she saw in the mirror more and more. would she ever be attractive again to her wife, to the one person whose interest in her really mattered. “you’re gorgeous.” she complimented.

“ see, exactly — mum was right. i do appreciate it. ” 

the benefits of the baby-face she wrestled with in her twenties took some time to reap , but most certainly they were being enjoyed now. twenty-three year old riley could likewise never have fathomed feeling so complimented about ‘ thirty ’ being suggested as the ball-park for her age ; ah, youth. 

a grin was offered , hand running through her hair as the other pauses the walkman she still owns. she also has a discman , but the skipping of the cd is just a little more annoying than cassette. “ coming from you, that’s a high compliment. ” 

( it was sincere : vera was truly beautiful. and riley believed in helping people feel good about themselves , if she can. )

[sanguinecharm]

‘ seems to me— ‘ he said, feeling for the words, ‘ seems to me the place you fight cruelty is where you find it, and the place you give help is where you see it needed....’

                                                                         — Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials

ooc introduction ;

hello hi there ! my name is shannon , i use she / they pronouns && i’m from the not-so-good old united kingdom : this is the third muse i promised myself i wouldn’t make because i am , in fact , a clown who got ideas while rewatching luther so — here’s my boy , levi , who i have come to love and am so excited to share with you all !

aesthetics ;

the dying sunlight of a day that dragged on far too long ; the mini-clock ticking away on his desk seems to drag on , another quiet night whiled away between intermittent drunk & disorderlies. a small pile of promotion offers to the big city he’s been ignoring for two weeks. texts from his family in the windy city. a drink after that long day but no more. his little girl all grown up , now. deductive reasoning & quiet thoughts. slow drives around the neighbourhood just to think ; the car still plays cassettes. a desire for the old days conflicting with a curiosity toward the new.

muted shades. polished boots. breaking the mould. believing in soulmates. classic noir films. but also james bond films. midnight showers with the water just a little too hot. pasta for the third night in a row. a collection of flavoured water bottles on the bedside table ; half of them are empty , half of them are full. an intense love of family and a broader definition of it than most. sunday night barbecue. another coffee.

xanny by billie eilish. people help the people by birdy. broadchurch ( 2013-2017 ). midnight, the stars and you by al bowlly. dancing in the moonlight by toploader. 

basics ;

NAME : Levi Kacely Nartey

NAME MEANING : “attached” , “man born on a Sunday” 

AGE : Fifty-two ( born 17 November , 1968 — Chicago , Illinois )

GENDER : Male ( cisgender )

ORIENTATIONS : Bisexual && biromantic ( moderate preference for women )

RELATIONSHIP STATUS : Married

CURRENT RESIDENCE : Elmerton , Florida

NATIONALITY : American

LANGUAGES SPOKEN : English , German ( high school level )

OCCUPATION : Sheriff

TIME IN ELMERTON : Twenty years

personality ;

levi’s often asked what he’s doing in elmerton ; that his intuitive habits could be used somewhere more ‘ lively ’ as it’s put , an asset to a city unit . . . but more than he necessarily says , the community spirit of elmerton has warmed his heart : it’s where he largely raised his now-adult daughter after moving for the promotion , and has a lot of memories. he’s comfortable in his career here , and he doesn’t want to give it up for anything.

MBTI : INTJ-A ( 52% Introverted , 59% Intuitive , 62% Thinking , 82% Judging , 90% Assertive )

ENNEAGRAM : One , with a Two wing

ASTROLOGICAL PLACEMENTS : Scorpio sun && Libra moon && Taurus rising

HOGWARTS HOUSE : Gryffindor

MORAL ALIGNMENT : Lawful Good

THEME SONG : Perseus by Unknown Brain

LANGUAGE OF LOVE : Words of Affirmation

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS : Protestantism

appearance ;

levi’s an unmistakeable presence , really , and he wouldn’t want to be anyone else ; he looks fairly like his father , though his father would argue there’s more of his mother in him than anyone notices. you can tell whether he’s working or not by how muted his wardrobe is : the more so , the more likely it is that he’s on the clock.

FACECLAIM : Idris Elba

HEIGHT : 6 ft 4 in

HAIR COLOUR : Black

EYE COLOUR : Brown

COMPLEXION : Deep

FASHION : Shirts && ties && suits && long coats && Doc Martens. Fairly neutral shades ( grey, tan etc. ) with the occasional shock of darker shades of red , if he’s off the clock & feeling it.

familial ;

MOTHER : Delia Nartey née Kamara

FATHER : Kindo Nartey

SIBLINGS : Evie Nartey

PAST PARTNERS : N/A

CHILDREN : Charlotte ‘ Lottie ’ Nartey

[sanguinecharm]

starter for @coconutmuses​ ;; florence && vera.

‘ officially i was never wearing this. but i’m feeling stupidly sentimental at the moment , so this . . .’  

florence gestured up and down at the slightly large blue hoodie within which she was warmly ensconced ; it would be sacrilege if anyone knew the town fashionista resorted to such comfort , but it seemed safe within the confines of her home’s four walls. ( the hoodie was her fiancée’s and she was currently out of town with her their seven year old daughter , so florence was missing her : far more than she wanted to admit to. ) 

‘ . . . this is happening. ’

[sanguinecharm]

starter for @retiredvariety​ ;; florence && josie.

florence’s circle of friends & acquaintances was , generally speaking , a venn diagram of the wealthy and those with similar interests , and to fall in the centre ground was generally quite infrequent. but josefine caspersen was intriguing , certainly. hence why she was so willing to clear her evening — as much as was possible when one had a seven-year-old daughter — to have what would be known in the high school circles of youth as a ‘ girls’ night in. ’

“ i don’t know how you do it — ” referring to the woman’s ever-refined state , “ after the day’s over i just need to be comfortable. my fiancée jokes that the florence the world sees isn’t the florence she lives with. ”

[sanguinecharm]

starter for @retiredvariety​ ;; riley && katrina. 

for a handful of moments , riley teetered upon a metaphorical precipice ; she’d left the house in a whirlwind of tears after another argument with her and dominique’s other partner , and . . . ended up at the bar , in what seemed to be an exercise of the universe’s intention. a test , if you will. 

and while she wished this trial hadn’t come immediately after a heavily emotional argument , that was usually how life worked , wasn’t it ? katrina had gotten her home on countless occasions , or cut her off to prevent her from drinking herself to death , and she’d visited the cave bar more nights than not for an incredibly long time.

but riley had been sober for six months , and when she perched on the edge of the stool , she shook her head. “ no , i’m not gonna throw it away over this. can i just get a coke ? needed to clear my head , and . . . muscle memory brought me here , i suppose. ”

[sanguinecharm]

fatelincs​:

“Well isn’t that just a glowing endorsement for motherhood,” Lizzie said with a small chuckle. She’d never admit it but comments like that were making her ever more nervous about her own pregnancy, but she didn’t think Florence had meant it like that. 

florence quickly caught up on the connotations of her statement and had the wherewithal to appear ( briefly ) contrite. “ i wouldn’t take it back , though , not for the world ; for every hard moment , there’s twice as many that remind you of just why you did it. ” 

( it was a double-meaning that she only realised in the moments just afterward ; she always looked at gigi — who’s all roman , truly ; people commented less on how much their daughter resembled her late father , these days , but it was still true — and was reminded of why she did it all for love. for herself , for her fiancée , for gigi. )