taciturn

thea mercado   ✧˚✧˚ ☾☾☾ — So it’s true, when all is said and done, grief is the price we pay for love.

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

isobel wasn’t one to get easily flustered. usually, she prided herself with being the object of many a tongue tied individual. but there was something about thea that was threatening to throw her off guard, a spark that could turn into a roar if the other girl merely wished. it’s another thing that intrigues isobel, the ability to turn that power off and on. she silently curses herself for the excitement that blooms inside her chest when the promise of date is laid out before them, one that rarely ever appears. “that’s a lot of pressure.” the corners of roseate lips lift ever so slightly. “lucky for you i don’t get performance anxiety.” the laugh spills from her lips after the words, unbidden but surprisingly welcome. “god, i sound like a frat boy, don’t i?”

thea hadn’t thought it was possible to let a laugh escape her that didn’t sound bitter, that wasn’t the product of frustration or bordeom and yet here she was -- laughing along with the words of a date, her date of all things. if only her family could see her now, if only she could see herself now -- freeze this moment in time and replay it over and over so she could hold onto the idea that maybe things really did get better. “i will admit you do kind of sound like a frat boy.” her lips quirked up, “but you’re a lot cuter than most of the frat boys i usually deal with so i think i have to give you a free pass.”

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

a sculpted eyebrow lifts with thea’s retort, a semi-permanent smirk etched into smooth skin. “i might. but it doesn’t mean that it’s any less true.” isobel’s words are surprisingly sincere, a moment of kindness that she doesn’t bestow upon many. her game is all about the thrill —— the chase, the thrill, the ultimate languid affair that they fell into. but all of that was time limited, allowing isobel to get in and out before she got too bored. but with thea, the expectations were dropped, and she found herself adopting an actual honest expression towards the raven-haired beauty. she leans over the bar to order their drinks and settles back into her chair, eyes widening slightly in surprise as she catches thea’s eye. but it only lingers for a moment before the smirk is back, masking anything that could be perceived as a vulnerability. “so i’m gonna have to know.. is this a date? because if it is, i have to make sure to bust out my first date small talk.”

thea couldn’t help but laugh at isobel’s response, the honesty mixed with charm was a look that so many people struggled to pull off, and somehow thea had managed to find herself at a bar with the one person who managed to truly get her heart racing with every word she spoke. her eyes trailed around the bar itself as she willed herself to try and make eye contact with the blonde, convincing herself she wouldn’t crumble into a blushing mess at the first sign of flattery that she got. at her worst however, she couldn’t help the breakneck speed that she made eye contact with the other girl. a date. of course it was a date -- there was no way thea would let someone like this girl slip in and out of her life without the intention of a date at least hovering between them, but saying that out loud was certainly something else. something thea found herself ready to accept. “yes.” she said happily. “it is a date. and if your date talk is anything like how you’ve been so far, i’m sure you’ll knock it out of the park.”

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

the prick of insecurity that managed to trickle up her spine in situations like this was one that isobel despised. there was no place for that where she had grown up —— only people that wanted to scour every weakness out of you, to take until they were satisfied and then to come back to pick up the scraps. usually, isobel was the paradigm of confidence, carefully gleaned from her father and his team of advisors. she knew that her looks attracted stares and glances from women and men alike. there was a certain comfort in the hungry gaze that travelled up and down her form in the half light. but this girl was something different and it was setting her nerves on fire. “it’s nicer know that you’re in it.” the words, though meant to be smooth, convey a deeper meaning that she’s not sure she’s even aware of. “what’s your poison?”

“very smooth. do you use that line on everyone?” thea laughed, ignoring the tug in her chest that suggested her laugh was more sincere than she would’ve liked -- ignoring the notion that this girl potentially flirting with her was something for thea to dissolve into a giddy kid over. thea used to know how to do this expertly, how to wrap people round her finger and keep them there for days, but things were different now and the unfamiliarity of it all was finally starting to hit home with her. “just a rum and coke. nothing too fancy y’know?” thea smiled, leaning closer, resting her chin on her palm as if deep in contemplation, when in reality the only thing on her mind had been waves of blonde hair and a voice softer and more appealing than it had any right to be.

[isobelpls-blog]

the bar was pulsing with energy, loud conversations and laughter filling the air. this little dive spot had quickly become her favourite place in the city and she was finding herself more and more excited at the prospect of seeing the brunette from earlier today push through the doors. she had ordered two whiskey sours, just one of the few drinks she planned on ordering that evening, and her fingers tapped on the side of the glass as she waited for thea to show up. @thea-mercado

[thea-mercado]

the pit of nerves in her stomach that had been steadily overtaken by a sensation of excitement served as an obvious reminder that for basically four whole years now thea had been basically neglecting her impulse to have fun and let herself go, so here tonight was, a chance to cut lose with a girl who had seen past the rough exterior and had wanted to see her again anyway. short dress, curled hair and a deep breath motivated thea to keep heading towards the blonde head she spotted at the bar. “nice place you picked.” thea said affectionately, sliding into the seat next to isobel.

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

it was unusual for isobel to hear the word ‘no’. not on the tour bus and not when people found out who her father actually was. it had built up a sense of confidence that had felt infallible up until recently and it was the reason she went ahead after everything she wanted fearlessly. but she hadn’t expected a tingle of nerves to shoot up through her body while she awaited the breathless words of the stranger in front of her. she wasn’t sure she liked it. but then the game was on again and she was smirking, grabbing a pen and a napkin to scribble an address and time on it in her slanting cursive. “i’ll see you then.” the black suits were visible once again, undoubtedly towards her location and it was her to cue to leave. with a wink, she pushed away from the table and out the doors, anticipation already settling in her stomach in the best way.

thea took a few moments to lean back in her seat, sip her coffee and then acknowledge what had just happened and how it had left her practically breathless. so much for getting to spend a year lurking around in the background again. however, if an evening with the beautiful blonde was the price thea paid for letting herself live again she couldn’t justifiably say it would be the worst thing. running her thumb over the napkin, repeating the address and time over and over in her head thea couldn’t help but smile coyly as she watched the blonde walk away, excitement building with every step she watched her take.

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

isobel was having more fun in these past few moments than she had for the past few weeks she had been in new york. she had grown up on tour and her body was practically craving the unpredictability that came with being in a new city every few days. the monotony of being in the same place, even one as exciting as this city, was starting to get to her. but she was feeling invigorated in the presence of this stranger and she didn’t want these moments to end. she relaxed as she realized the security detail had wandered off and all her attention was focused back on the brunette, leaning just the slightest bit closer. “let me buy you a drink and you can find out first hand.”

this was not who thea was anymore, the old her was certainly invested in flirting with practically anything that moved, and even the new her was prone to her bouts of attraction -- but rarely was she consumed by spontaneity in the same way she was currently. thea wasn’t exactly going to complain or reject the other girls advances though, especially since she was so drop dead gorgeous. a shiver ran up her spine as the blonde leaned even closer, her words causing thea to bite down on her lip as she nodded a yes. “you can definitely buy me a drink.”

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

isobel watched the girl come alive in front of her. the stranger was beautiful, that much was clear from the very first moment. but it had been muted, something to hide between rather than wear proudly. now, this girl was practically irresistible as she leaned across the table, eyes gleaming in way isobel couldn’t tear her eyes away from. “sure. whatever gets you going.” and isobel was finding that she was very interested to find out what got this stranger in the mood. isobel leaned across the table, matching the other girl’s conspiratorial movements. “i’d tell you but then i’d have to kill you.”

thea had no idea what was really coming over, but she found she didn’t mind it, there was a little spark insider her worming its way out from where it had been buried for years and if a chance encounter in a coffee shop was all it took to give her that, who was she to deny it? “what about you -- what kind of freak are you?” thea asked, her inquisitive nature leaking into every syllable she spoke. she appreciated the girls motions to mimic her behaviour and found it made her lean in even further. “you the ted bundy type, then?”

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

interaction was something that isobel was used to. growing up on the tour bus had given her a certain knack to socializing — she had been bred to know what to say and when. but there was a lack of unpredictability that she hated and more often than not she found a thrill in going off script. “everyone’s a little bit off a freak. what kind are you?” isobel’s eyebrow arched at the beautiful girl’s question. christopher king was a world wide star and isobel was an extension of that — it was rare to come across someone without a barrage of questions. but she genuinely didn’t seem to know who she was and isobel was going to take full advantage. “i’m an escaped convict actually. just couldn’t take time on the inside anymore.”

thea had once thrived off this kind of socialisation, the fun energetic spark that flew between her and someone else had given thea a buzz like nothing else. for four years that had been severely lacking in almost every conversation thea had, people either knew all too much about her and walked on eggshells, or they didn’t know anything and threw her right into the deep end, floundering around like a scared child. this girl was something else though, beautiful and full of life and thea couldn’t help but feel responsive, leaning across the table, her chin resting on her palms as she gazed at the other girl. “does being a neat freak count?” thea couldn’t count all the ways she’d been labelled as a freak over the years, neat was the easiest one to roll out. “damn. what did they have you in for?”

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

a cursory glance hadn’t done this girl justice. she was gorgeous and had a tough facade that isobel had always been a sucker for. she couldn’t ever resist a challenge and this wasn’t the first time it was going to get her into trouble. her gaze shifted back to the window and hastily back to the other’s face when she realized the security detail were lingering on the sidewalk outside. “— yeah? you seemed better than the old perv over there. it looks like he’s wanking off underneath that newspaper.”

it’s not that thea was opposed to an incredibly pretty girl taking the seat in front of her, not that it hadn’t happened before, it’s that thea new she never quite kept her head on straight around girls like this. the last time she’d seen someone almost this pretty she’d ended up in bed with her, gasping and writhing and ultimately left alone once it was all done. thea didn’t have time for that anymore, and yet she kept talking. “fuck. he probably is, you get all sorts of freaks here, i’ve noticed. i guess you definitely picked the more accommodating seat.” thea murmured. “so why are we fake talking? you trying to avoid a boyfriend?.. girlfriend?”

[thea-mercado]

isobelpls:

it had taken isobel a little longer than usual to shake her security detail. usually, she had it down to a science — out of their sight in under ten minutes on a good day. but before this month, they had only passed through new york in a tour bus and isobel was still learning the ins and outs of the city. the starbucks was the closest stop to duck away into but she could always liven up with a coffee with the little flask hidden in her boot. a flash of black startled her into grabbing a seat at the closest table, body twisting away from the window and green irises landing on another female. “pretend to be talking to me for a few minutes, alright?”

startled would be the best way to describe thea’s current reaction. while it wasn’t uncommon for someone to occasionally sit down beside her, they’d usually open with something more more understandable, a stupid pick up line or something -- not a plea for fake conversation. raising her eyes from her laptop thea almost wished she hadn’t, the girl in front of her radiated trouble in the best way and thea knew she always had trouble dealing with the kind of hecticness those type of people often brought. “uh -- right.” thea managed to get out, deciding that at the very least their fake conversation could contain some actual truth. “i’m thea and you’ve probably made the worst possible choice for a fake conversation partner.”

[thea-mercado]

“althea -- please, don’t hang up.” thea visibly cringed at the mention of her full name before she pressed her finger down on the end call button, her mothers display contact fading from view as thea slumped down onto the chair located in the corner of her favourite coffee shop. no starbucks for her -- not because she was a coffee snob or anything, but because it was rare anyone came here -- solitude was the closest thing thea had to peace these days and the scolding feeling of her cup of coffee in her hand was a familiar sensation that urged her to open up her laptop and start observing her essay. she’d thought she was making good progress, no disturbances, until she heard the bell on the door signalling someone else had made the unusual decision to get their coffee fix here too. not that thea bothered to look up, that would potentially invite conversation and she wasn’t the best at that these days.

[inthenameofsephiroth]

# what a beautiful creature tbh