curiosity killed the cat

IT WAS FUNNY, HE COULDN'T HELP BUT THINK, THAT A MAN WITH HAIR THE COLOR OF THE SUN COULD BE SO GODDAMN EMPTY INSIDE.

[summaiden]

millie-hastings: 

In recent years, promises had become much more complicated than those sworn in with tiny pinkies in the school yard, and Millie was preparing herself for whatever it was Aiden wanted her to promise him. When he finally spit out what he wanted, a brief laugh escaped her lips, followed shortly after by an amused grin. “You know, Aiden, that is one promise that I can definitely keep,” the brunette replied lightly, shaking her head slightly at the boy. His quirked lips were a comforting sight, and she hoped that he would be able to remain his sarcastic disposition the second time around. “Maybe this time around we’ll be spared that dare that made me kiss you, hm?” 

They both knew how unfair it was to ask someone to keep their promises in this lifetime, or any lifetimes they had lived. But he didn’t think his was too much to ask, given any circumstances. It was a little alarming that being pulled away by the FBI was somewhat of a common occurrence in his short life, and it no longer even made the list of traumatic experiences. “Thank you.” Eyes widening at the mention of their kiss, his smile only vanished then, remembering not only it but the time he’d been forced to pretend he wanted to sleep with Faye as well. Shaking his head, he squeezed his eyes shut as if that would stop him from seeing it play out in his mind. “Damn you, Millie. Up until this very moment I had blocked that memory out.”

[summaiden]

hammondsrose: 

Rose’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She hadn’t intentionally flirted, but truthfully sometimes she couldn’t tell anymore. Some would say it was just her natural disposition. “For both our sake, i’ll turn it down just a little,” she said, a hint of humor in her tone, giving the boy a wink. She listened intently to the boy, secretly hoping he had some idea of what was going on. Letting out a sigh, she sat on one of the chairs that surrounded the common room table. “We really are screwed if even you don’t know how to fix this.”

“Thank you,” he smirked, though it faded as she took a seat. They really were screwed, weren’t they? “I’m not saying that I don’t know how. I just need a little more time to figure out what exactly is going on.” A little more time wouldn’t help, he knew. Maybe he said it to give her a bit of hope. Maybe he thought he could will himself to believe it. But Aiden didn’t think there was anything he could do. He didn’t think there was any fixing this. And honestly, he was tired of trying. It wasn’t like anything would ever work. “So what part are you looking forward to living all over again? There’s gotta be something.”

[summaiden]

faybiandavis: 

This combination of Aiden’s and Faye’s felt like fighting fire with fire and her normal attitude adjustment hadn’t quite transferred, although she was sure that his hadn’t either. “Are you going to go into Zach mode? I have a lot of confusing memories but in all of these lifetimes I’m able to kick your ass so watch your mouth.” Arms crossing in her age old stance, Faye’s focus was on everything and nothing all at once as she realised at the mention of Zach that there was a very important thing that she hadn’t done yet, “Aiden, I’m going to clarify this only once. Apparently we’re back in time and we might actually have a chance to not fuck up this time so right now I need to go into an abandoned burned down part of this campus and retrieve a decapitated body. Feel free to pitch in at any time.”

“Zach mode,” he rolled his eyes. “I think you’re forgetting that I’m the OG Zach.” Speaking of Zach -- where was he? He must have decided not to attend. Maybe the other guy had more sense than he did. “I’d like to see you try,” Aiden remarked though he would not, at all, like to see her try. He might consider himself emotionally tough but he was well aware that Faye could physically destroy him and he wasn’t even ashamed of that. Okay, he was a little ashamed of that. Or a lot ashamed of that. It was what it was. “Faye, I’m ninety nine percent sure we’re always going to fuck up, but hey, why not?” Shrugging, he tucked a strand of long blond hair behind his ear. “I’ve got nothing better to do.”

[summaiden]

I wanted to actually do a decent amount of replies today and finally head into the starters tag but it’s seven am and I just got home and I’m EXHAUSTED and tomorrow is going to be so long and my laptop is slow af right now and just... I’m so sorry... I love y’all... s o m u ch... forgive me... tomorrow... maybe... ily...

[summaiden]

millie-hastings: 

The sigh that escaped the boy gave her enough time to really look at him, to be thankful for the sight. Seeing everyone so young still felt wrong, in a way, even though she could remember them like this so clearly. So many of her memories were filled with Aiden, both before this had happened and after, but there were significantly less after. Millie flashed the boy a comforting smile, although it was weak at best. Time was unpredictable. They had been here before, and in the process lost more lives than they’d been trying to save. Then they had come back and had to live with the memories of lives that, for some, were happy. Was it better to risk everything for a future you could not be sure you’d like? One you might not even live to see? Aiden’s tone was as serious as the thoughts running through her mind, and she nodded solemnly in response. “What is it, Aiden?”

Millie’s smile was missing some of its usual brightness, and for the first time since he’d woken up -- or whatever one would choose to call it -- a portion of legitimate worry danced across Aiden’s features. He didn’t address it just yet. He wasn’t an overly emotional person (the understatement of the year, really) and there was a part of his young self that refused to show concern for anyone or anything, though ultimately he had grown soft over the years... that never happened. “Promise you’ll give a warning before you send the FBI agents banging on my door this go?” The corners of his lips twitched up then, any trace of sincerity vanishing. He could feel no real anger towards her even if he tried. “I believe I’ve had enough surprises to last, well, all of my lifetimes.”

[summaiden]

hammondsrose: 

Rose didn’t sense any sarcasm in his tone and figured he must have realised how serious she was being. “I was just not born to be blonde i’m afraid.” She had attempted it for a while during her ‘nightmare’ years (this was what she referred to it herself anyway). As a last minute ploy to ‘have more fun’ she thought blonde would be the best thing she’d ever done. In reality it worked out about as well as crashing almost every car she drove. “Very few people can pull off hair like yours Aiden Summers, you have a gift.” The thought of blondes lingered and one certain blonde came to mind. “Oh thank god,” she said, holding her hand to her chest in relief. “If we were sent any further back, i would never have slept with the Hemsworths.” Looking towards the boy, she shrugged. “I have to take the small victories Aiden, some of us aren’t geniuses.”

“I was kidding, Rose.” Aiden shook his head. He may not have been the nicest person in the world but he wouldn’t knock someone else’s appearance like that. Okay, well, not anymore. “I am flattered, really, I am. But if you’re trying to flirt, it’s really not a good time for me to get involved in a relationship. I’ve got some stuff going on in my life right now... I’m sure you understand.” Amusement was evident in his voice, he didn’t believe for a second she was actually flirting but humor was all he knew and it was better to laugh at the situation they were in than even think about it at all. “That would be quite the travesty. I’m rather confident in saying being a genius hasn’t gotten me any further than sleeping with the Hemsworths would have. We both ended up here again, didn’t we?”

[summaiden]

millie-hastings: 

There were scorch marks on the brick wall, something she found so ironic that it nearly made her laugh. No matter how much money went into rebuilding the school from the ashes, no matter how much time passed, no matter what reality they were in, they still couldn’t escape the reminder of the flames. Absentmindedly running her hand across the rough surface, a distressed sound drew her from her thoughts. Stepping out of the alcove, she was both surprised and relieved to see who it was. A smile pulled at her lips despite the gloomy mood that seemed to cling to the blonde boy, and she was quick to step closer. “All of it. Again, I imagine. Unless we change things, or are even here long enough to change things, or are even able to remember what it is we’re changing.” It was hardly coherent, but there were too many memories fighting for precedence that she was amazed anything had come out at all. 

Aiden felt like throwing a tantrum. He didn’t want to live all of this again. But his expression didn’t falter, he only sighed, running his finger over the signature at the bottom of the invitation, almost hoping it would wipe away. That all of it would wipe away and he would blink and wake up and realize this was all just a horrible bad dream. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” he admitted, and when his eyes finally met Millie’s he was overcome with the realization that because of this something was missing, she’d lost something important. She must have known it too. But he didn’t bring it up, not yet, maybe he should make sure he knew what he was talking about first. Carefully folding the slip of paper and placing it into his back pocket, he stared at the girl with a serious expression. “Can you promise me something?”

[summaiden]

faybiandavis: 

While everyone else seemed to be questioning what the hell was going on Faye had basically bitterly accepted her fate at reliving the angsty year of her 21st birthday with a bunch of over dramatic adults trapped in their young bodies. Her life had always followed the laws of logic until she had been part of Howard Cross’ ridiculous plot to build a time machine in exchange for her freedom from the FBI. From there on out her world had been turned upside down and turned apart by the seams. If there was anyone in her world who she was sure would agree with the fact that just when you thought you had a handle on things they would be thrown entirely out of the window it was probably Aiden. As she lulled against the wall, a cigarette between her fingers (a habit she definitely hadn’t had back in the real 2001) she raised her eyebrows, “Some more Whittemore bullshit, of course, darling.”

It was still strange to Aiden that the girl’s voice had become a welcome sound, one that after all this time actually brought comfort to him. They had been through so much together that apparently now had never happened, they shared a mutual knowledge on all things Whittemore. The refolded paper pushed back into his pocket, he turned to face her, not letting on how happy he actually was to see her -- as happy as Aiden could get. “Okay, first of all, not your darling,” he held up his index finger, “and second of all,” his middle finger popped up beside of it, “I was looking for a more detailed answer than ‘some more Whittemore bullshit’. But thank you, Faybian, thank you so much. It all makes sense to me now.”

[hammondsrose]

“It’s easier just not to question it okay,” she said, looking around the kenilworth common room. “The more we wonder, the more confusing it gets.” Rose wasn’t sure if she really minded this predicament. On one hand, she knew everything happened for a reason. Her life in the future may not have been the glamorous, fame-filled life that so many had envisaged for her. In fact, the last thing she did remember was waiting tables at a diner. Though she hadn’t necessarily regretted the way her life turned out, she had sometimes wondered what it would have been like if things had gone differently at the reunion. Would she still be at the theatre? Would she still be having those mid week dinners with her godchild? Would she have ever fallen in love with Charles? These things had plagued her mind and yet she didn’t like dwelling on the past. It was hard not to dwell on things when you were stuck in the very thing you tried so hard to forget. “On the bright side, i know not to ever dye my hair blonde,” she said, cringing at the memory. “Trust me, it wasn’t pretty.”

[summaiden]

Aiden felt like there were five different versions of him all fighting for dominance, but he was too tired to care who won. Lives muddled together, there were blue lights, he couldn’t figure out what had and hadn’t happened and when it was supposed to. Nothing made sense anymore. He sat in a common room that he knew did not belong to him, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair around his finger and he barely paid attention to the words that were coming out of Rose’s mouth but he knew that he agreed with her. The him that he was in this moment. He had not been sleeping, he had been dwelling over any theories that could make sense, trying to piece things together that just wouldn’t go, and now he was exhausted and back to not caring. It was so much better to not care. “Oh, I don’t need any convincing,” he remarked after he caught onto what she was talking about, sounding serious though he wore a smirk. “The mental image is scarring enough.”

[kittyvalance]

Never the one for any sort of vanity, Kitty Valance was an odd sight to be presented with as she stood reflected within the frame of a floor length mirror — the glow of her youth and vitality nearly blinding as nimble fingers trailed over the smooth edges of her jaw right down to the velvet of her skin now clear and unmarred from her treatments. “Is this real?” she voiced out loud, an open ended question full of just as much surprise as there was belief as a sudden dizziness had overcome her. It was like the more rational parts of her brain we’re working overtime as she tried to clutch at something to hold onto — the image of a more fragile version of herself that had found peace in awaiting the key to death’s door burned in her mind. “What day is it?”

[summaiden]

Aiden was not in a great mood. He wasn’t sure why. But he felt irritated and nostalgic and confused, not to mention he was nursing the worst headache of his life. Trying to remember even the smallest details caused a throbbing feeling that put every hangover he’d ever had to shame and he couldn’t figure out if he was awake or dreaming or neither. Maybe he was dead. Hearing Kitty’s question, he realized that he himself wasn’t sure of the answer, he wasn’t even sure how old he was. 20. Or 22. Or was he in his 30s? “Oh, I’m sorry,” he commented after a moment, “I didn’t realize that I looked like a walking calendar to you.” She didn’t deserve his harsh sarcasm, she hadn’t done anything wrong -- had she? -- but that didn’t cause him to soften his stance. “Have you been living under a rock?”

[summaiden]

Dogs. There was something about dogs. And the... FBI? No. That couldn’t be right. Aiden was ready to rip his hair out -- which was, for the record, much longer than he thought it should be. Hadn’t he gotten that cut? Apparently not. He had been trying to put the pieces together for a full twenty four hours but they didn’t seem to fit quite right. Something was missing. Hastily unfolding his invitation for the third time in the last five minutes, he read over every word carefully, the confusion he felt growing. For a man that always relied on logic, he was at a loss. Perhaps he was losing his mind. Geniuses were supposed to be a little off, after all. Paying no mind to if anyone was standing in earshot, he let out a frustrated sound, somewhere between a growl and a scream, questioning anyone in passing, the universe and God himself. “What the bloody hell is happening?”

[90210-ladies]

[worsethiings]

[sadgrl09]

I can’t be me without you. 

[ygthang]

[summaiden]

Y’all, first I want to apologize because I am trash. Second of all,,,, I am going to try to get to the starter I’ve yet to answer in the tag and the two Beatrice replies I owe, it’s only Friday and this weekend is so busy it is going to kill me, how am I going to juggle making a living and writing ??

[dailyaustinbutler]