#volatileteeth

[omatics]

‘i don’t know who i am.’ ( from sam :( )

♥   ──   atlas  couldn’t  catch  a  break ,  either ,  but  sam’s  only  twenty .  he’s  twenty  and  tired  and  begging  without  saying  a  word  for  grace  to  ease  that  hurt . 

she’s  sitting  in  the  window ,  him  tucked  against  her .  there’s  a  pillow  at  his  back  and  rain  shaking  the  panes  of  glass ,  grace  pushes  a  hand  through  his  hair  and  hums  low  in  her  chest . 

❝   it’s  one  of  the  easiest  things  to  forget ,  sweetie ,  don’t  be  too hard  on  yourself .   ❞

grace  lets  out  a  soft ,  needless  breath  and  tries  her  best  not  to  look  sorry  for  him .  she  tucks  her  knees  up ,  giving  him  room  to  get  properly  comfortable . 

❝   but ,  if  it’s  any  consolation ,  i  know  you’re  my  friend .  the  other  things  matter ,  too ,  but –  it’s  a  lot  of  sudden  responsibility ,  huh ?   ❞

yeah ,  she  thinks ,  yeah  it  is .  she’s  not  quite  sure  what  else  might  ease  the  hurt .  so  she  holds  him  a  little  tighter . 

* (  @volatileteeth  )  ↳ soft  angst !

[islestrandeda]

Hello???? I love you ???

funny you should say that bc i absolutely love you, right back ??? you’re truly incredible and i thoroughly enjoy all the effort and thought you’ve put into paul !! and also now sam !! ahah, i really do stalk ://// but oh my gosh, i’m so happy to follow you and hopefully we’ll write together soon bc you’re absolutely phenomenal !!!!

[omatics]

♥   ──   sam  uley  takes  up  a  fair  amount  of  brain  space .  but  grace  knows  that  paul  has  some  idea  about  that  kid’s  been  through .  she  trusts  him  to  understand . 

but ,  nevertheless ,  she  feels  she  owes  her  son  this .  a  quick  dip  of  the  head  and  her  red  lips  brushing  over  his  forehead .  she  kisses  him  again  very  nearby ,  just  at  the  temple .

❝   come  on .  let’s  go  have  fun .   ❞

* (  @volatileteeth  )  ↳ forehead  kisses !

[danger-archive]

            𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃, 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐃.

It wasn’t at all an inaccurate way to describe Miss Daphne Blake. But it also wasn’t the only way. Objective observers might comment on her aesthetic and personal choices, that she wore a lot of purple and was consistently late to first period. Not so objective observers would tell you she was ‘super nice and smelled pretty’, as if pretty could be one thing, not many things. Now that was inaccurate; she’d readily correct that she didn’t smell pretty ( though, gee, thanks! ) she smelled like flowery perfume and sugary lotion: a gift and a treat. A TRICK, if anything, if you really knew her. But that was the point. 

No one really knew Daphne Blake. Unless you spent most days in a van with her hunting down haunts, then you didn’t. Arguably, could anyone really know anyone? 

A MYSTERY for another day. Today’s was more tangible, solvable... criminally punishable. Trespassing. A common day’s work for Mystery Inc. But she wasn’t Mystery Inc. just now - she was Daphne. A lone ranger, waltzing through the woods... definitely late for first period, and chasing a lead that would more than likely lead her to a dead end. Maybe hers. 

This is how it started: a creak, a crack in the thick of the woods. Sunlight dim through the thicket above, it no longer felt like nine in the morning, but rather, a setting day. She just barely resisted calling out. She would so not be THAT GIRL. 

Still... She scanned the tree-line. Shook her head. Nothing there. Right? There was nothing there. 

❛   ♚   ––––– @volatileteeth. 

[omatics]

☂ oh mAN

❝   didn’t  i  knit  you  this ?   ❞

♥   ──   she  asks  as  her  head  fits  through  the  hole  in  the  neck .  yarn  in  forest - green  pools  around  her  shoulders ,  gathers  past  her  fingertips .  grace  shoves  the  sleeves  up  her  arms  so  they’re  hugging  her  elbows .

hands - free ,  now ,  she  reaches  out  to  paul .  her  palms  are  cold  and  his face  is  always  warm ,  grace  kisses  his  cheek . 

❝   i  did  a  good  job ,  if  i  do  say  so  myself !!  are  you  sure  you’ll  be  warm  enough  without  it ?   ❞

she  never  thought  places  could  be  this  cold ,  nor  is  she  used  to  feeling  it .  the  servants  quarters  were  always  comfortably  cool  in  the  summer  and  fires  burned  in  winter .  but  the  woods  around  forks  are  misty  and  frigid . 

❝   don’t  worry ,  i’ll  come  back  up  to  temperature  in  about  fifteen  minutes .  then ,  you  can  have  it  back .   ❞

* (  @volatileteeth​  )  ↳ reactions !

[omatics]

♥   ──   he’s  got  a  lot  to  cry  about ,  grace  isn’t  surprised  when  the  wall  breaks .  but  the  odds  of  her  being  here  for  it --  she’s  on  her  knees  beside  him  in  a  heartbeat .  he’s  right ,  she’s  reaching  for  him  but  falters ,  too  terrified  of  crowding .

then ,  paul  sobs .  he’s  prone  and  torn  up ,  unabashedly  vulnerable  and  unable  to  stop .  he  can’t  get  up ,  couldn’t  if  he  wanted .  grace’s  knees  touch  his ,  she  puts  a  hand  on  either  side  of  his  face . 

❝   i’m  here .   ❞

she  assures  him ,  her  hands  are  cold  against  his  burning  cheeks .  grace tugs  him  towards  her ,  going  gentle  on  his  neck  until  she  can  wrap  her  arms  around  him . 

❝   but  you  have  to  breathe ,  all  right ?  can  you  do  that  for  me ,  honey ?   ❞

grace  takes  in  needles  breaths ,  inhales  slowly  as  if  to  remind  him  how . paul  shudders  in  her  arms ,  he  accepts  and  denies  her  efforts  at  the  very  same  time .

it  was  hard  when  she  looked  at  him  to  tell  where  he  started  from ,  what  pain  this  might  be  in  reaction  to .  perhaps  all  of  it ,  what  a  terrible  thought .  grace  pulls  back  just  enough  to  stare  at  him  again .  in  the  face  of  tears  and  grief ,  she’s  stone .  he  needs  that  right  now . 

❝   you’re  doing  well .  just  breathe .   ❞

he’s  getting  older ,  changing  all  the  time .  he’s  railing  against  unfairness and  fear  and  monsters  in  the  dark .  but  every  so  often  his  insides  catch up  with  how  gruff  he  can  be .  his  soul  runs  as  innocent  as  something  with  hooves .  grace  brushes  a  thumb  over  his  cheek ,  her  hand  comes  away  wet  and  warm . 

* (  @volatileteeth​  )  ↳ pain , pain , go away !

[omatics]

20. carrying while half-asleep. He got you mom, don't worry.

♥   ──   she  had  fun  days ,  once ,  back  in  toronto .  but  the  appeal  of  her  old  life’s  been  steadily  slipping  since  the  move .  she  runs  a  tight  ship ,  keeps  to  the  old  ways  but  the  pressure  of  loneliness isn’t  so  sharp .

not  when  saturdays  are  spent  livening  up  a  gloomy  beach ,  learning  new skills  and  gazing  wistfully  at  the  cliffs  once  someone’s  safely  dived .  grace  realizes  she’ll  be  up  there  one  day ,  maybe  even  soon .  with  the  clouds  and  the  grey  sky ,  she’ll  jump  and  she’ll  make  it .

but  not  right  now .  

there  are  crickets ,  they’re  too  distant  to  focus  on .  everything’s  a  little  softer ,  more  forgiving .  she’s  come  back  from  the  very  edge  of  sleep ,  it’s  a  familiar  sensation .

still,  grace  is  moving –  how’s  that ?  she  lifts  her  head ,  just  a  touch  and  blinks  through  an  artificial  haze .  she’s  looking  at  paul ,  his  hair  still  wet  from  the  fourth  swim  lesson  and  the  sunset painting  the  sky  vermillion . 

he  doesn’t  see  her  looking ,  doesn’t  see  her  struggle  not  to  tell  him  she can  walk  just  fine .  he’s  tough ,  she  told  him  that  before .  this  isn’t  any  trouble  for  him .  grace  closes  her  eyes  again . 

* (  @volatileteeth​  )  ↳ cuddles !

[islefairest-moved]

@volatileteeth ▶▶ *𝙿𝙰𝚄𝙻 !

‘ yeah, well it ain’t a very HEALTHY way, if i’m gonna be completely fucking honest with you . ‘

       forgive his bitter tongue PRINCESS,  but his lack of empathy and understanding is not completely unwarranted. he’s done his own time on the ISLAND - his dear old dad is the one responsible for him being stuck in this wrenched place. Tanned fingers run themselves through short cropped hair before his arms fold back into place, as he eyes her up and down.   weighing the words she’s speaking,  struggling to figure what grains of truth are embedded within them.

     ‘ Evie, you’re bringing all these kids’ hopes up. Everyone thinks they’re gonna be chosen by you and - whatever this fucking squad you have, and they’ll be able to go to Auradon and live happily fucking ever.

              that’s not how this shit works. Yer’ breakin’ all their hearts. ‘ perhaps it was too harsh of him to judge - she was doing the best she could. it just wasn’t good enough.

   @islefairest.

            𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐇𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐒 . internally , however , evie’s heart aches . it’s a struggle she’s battled with for too long , these actions that couldn’t be justified even with every word in the english language woven together in a tapestry that foretold the fate of the isle of the lost’s inhabitants . evie understands how this must all look to people on the outside    . . .    people who didn’t know the full story .

            still , she feels his scrutiny like it’s a knife and grimhilde’s daughter squirms under the pressure . hands clasp together , knuckles white and bones carrying a dull pain from the tightness of her own grip . ❝ it’s not that simple , ❞ she finally croaks , though the words feel scripted , even to her own ears . evie winces . ❝ i did my time here , paul . we all have . but we can’t bring everyone over at once   ;    you know how chaotic that would be . it’s not realistic , ❞ 

            every day , every night , evie thinks of the children left behind on the isle of the lost . she thinks of the poor , unfortunate souls that were there due to circumstances out of their control . the evil queen’s daughter has lost plenty of sleep over it all , and even more tears . but what position was she in to go against the royal court ? she was a friend to them , at the most . she holds no authority . 

            ❝ i’m doing what i can . i’m doing everything i can . ❞   –– . .  and it was killing her .