* heaven / HELL !

❛ — when pomegranate seeds were handed to me, i crushed them between my teeth like bones and said ‘thank you’ with a mouth dripping blood red juices. ( has no one ever told you it’s impolite to refuse offerings such as crowns and kingdoms ? )

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

Aria inhaled sharply as Addie started getting changed, immediately turning her attention away. Since the two had come out to their friend group within months, she was used to people suggesting they dated - as if two lesbians could not be within ten feet of each other without being into each other. But that being said, Aria wasn’t blind. Addie was gorgeous - no matter the animosity, she knew that couldn’t be denied. 

At the question posed by Becca, Aria’s head turned to the older woman instantly, her eyes widening a smidge as she held her breath for the answer. The breath she was holding, she exhaled slowly at the half-hearted compliment Addie supplied. “Thank you.” Aria whispered softly enough that if Addie gave any indication that she didn’t mean it, Aria could deny ever saying it. “That dress will look gorgeous with your skin tone.”

Addie raised an eyebrow, surprised at how genuine and soft Aria’s response was. She’d been prepared for snark or arrogance, but the blonde seemed actually... appreciative of her words. It didn’t change any of the conflict between them but it definitely was enough for her to relax and match Aria’s energy. Even Smith and Becca seemed relieved that the energy between the two thawed, even a bit.

“Thank you...” She responded, straightening up as Becca walked around her to secure the dress in place. The nerves threatened to settle in once more as she got adjusted to the look of her character. Honestly, they were similar in a lot of ways — out and proud, fearless, and passionate. It would be easy to completely lose herself into the role. Still, there was a part of her that worried. “My dads wanted me to tell you to break a leg, by the way.”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“Who said I was worried?” Nova shot back before her breath hitched as his fingers brushed against her jaw. Okay, she thought, that definitely worked on her. She tried to keep her brothers’ words front of mind regarding Jules, but it was hard to when his focus was narrowed in on her like she was the only girl in the world. 

“Oh, she’s definitely into Sawyer. And likewise for him.” Nova felt a blush come to her cheeks, but she refused to let it take over - if Jules was the player that her brothers said he was, then a girl falling all over herself for him would be the most boring thing imaginable. “I just had to know if Sawyer had competition to worry about for her heart. Make sure he had already started working on a song called Scarlett.” 

“You didn’t have to say a word. I know you.” Jules murmured in response, though he kept his tone gentle so it didn’t seem like he was teasing Nova. Even if he did find it pretty fucking cute to see the blush formed on her cheeks, despite her best efforts. It only incited a desire in Jules to see just how flustered he could make her. 

Masking his half-smile with his glass, he took another sip of his wine, his free hand haphazardly running through his hair. “He’s too good.” Jules replied, shaking his head ruefully. It was exactly what Scarlett needed though, so he couldn’t be all too mad about it.

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“People like cute.” Ivy argued with a shrug, though she doubted it was that deep. Cute poses in a club were hard to come by; usually, one looked like a hot mess, but what did she know? Axel never played any games with her, so she had no need to be anything other than what she was. It was comfortable, but because it was Axel, it was also exciting, as hell. Still, she knew Axel didn’t have as big a problem with cute in general as he claimed; after all, his ex, Lea Moreau was many things, but most especially, cute. 

“Excuse you, you found me.” Ivy pointed out, smacking him lightly on the chest, though it was all in jest. At the mention of tacos, her entire face lit up as she pumped her fist. “Tacos!” Grabbing his hand, Ivy started pulling him towards the door. “I need a taco in my hand STAT, and if we get there and the truck is closed, I will eat you for not delivering tacos to me.” 

Axel shrugged at that. It didn’t seem like a serious enough conversation to continue. Ivy was going to think what she was going to think at the end of the day. Though he couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t slit his wrists if she ever reverted into some giggly, far too colorful girl who blew too many kisses. It just didn’t feel right.

He allowed himself to be pulled along, holding back a smirk at her evident excitement. “How the fuck would the truck closing be my fault?” Axel blurted out with a roll of his eyes, even as he definitely had a pep in his own step. The possibility of missing out on tacos when the opportunity was near was something he sure as hell couldn’t deal with. “Is that a promise?” He inquired with a smirk, knowing that his cheekiness would likely warrant another smack. But she’d set herself up for that one.

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“Hopefully it will. I asked Ezra to put in a word.” Aria admitted, wishing that people didn’t so often associate her with her family’s successes, while also knowing that those successes would help guarantee a good start to this show. People loved her uncle, and if just a little of that could rub off on this show, then they would be in a good place. 

Aria’s lips pressed together as Addie asked about the costumes, but she refrained from making any remark about it. Addie had her convictions and she fought for them; she would never admit to it out loud, but Aria admired that. She thought that she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice anything if it meant she was a success. It wasn’t a quality that many thought was good to have, except maybe her Aunt Kiri - no wonder that Aria and Ezra were as close as they were. 

Addie kept her focus on the costumes, thumbing through the rack to take a look at them all. She was impressed by the costume designer. She’d definitely been on set for bit roles where they dressed her in things that were neither flattering to her body type or skin tone. It was a relief to know that she wouldn’t have to endure it on a project that was so important to her. Instantly, she stripped out of her shirt to slip into one of the dresses.

“Doesn’t Aria look great, Addie?” Becca piped up after a moment. She didn’t miss the conspiratorial glance exchanged between the older woman and Smith. Jesus, they really were like their friend group. Exhaling sharply, she turned to look at the blonde, forcing a smile on her lips as she took a moment to take er in. Of course she looked good. She always did. But admitting that felt like puling teeth. “Yeah. You look nice.” 

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“Slick.” Nova pointed out with a smile, grabbing her glass and taking a small sip. The blonde couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous he looked for a night when he was just going to be relaxing at home - it almost wasn’t fair. The minute she got through her door, she was hopping into sweats, taking off her makeup and grabbing her chips and guac. Leo used to tell her that it was the most insane thing he’d ever seen someone do in thirty seconds, to which Nova tossed a chip coated in guac at him. 

Balancing her head on her hand that rested on the couch, Nova crinkled her nose at Jules. “No Scarlett tonight?” She asked, though she had seen Sawyer huddled up with the petite blonde for most of the karaoke night. Good for her cousin, she thought, especially if it meant that Scarlett was no longer in the running. 

Jules couldn’t help the upturn of his lips as Nova mentioned Scarlett. She attempted to ask the question casually enough, but he knew her well enough to detect the edge on it. It was laughable how many people in their group seemed to think that something was going on with the two of them. Of course, Scarlett was beautiful but she was also... Very sweet. Innocently so and in a way that Jules couldn’t connect with on an attraction level. Sawyer was much more of the blonde’s speed.

“You don’t have to be worried about Scarlett.” He answered easily, a twinkle in his eyes as he absentmindedly tucked a lock behind her ear. His fingertips trailed against the slope of Nova’s jaw for a moment before he retracted, smirk still intact. “I think she may be into Sawyer.”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

Ivy nearly jumped at the sound of Axel’s voice over the music, a smile instantly coming to her face once she saw him. It was such a dumb reaction - one she was desperately trying to rid herself of - but she couldn’t help but occasionally let her mom’s genes take over, and her mom’s genes could not be lassoed when it came to Axel. “I can be cute sometimes!” Ivy insisted, seriously doubting that Axel wasn’t sitting on at least three kissing pictures in his phone at this very moment. 

“Thought I lost you to the beast.” Ivy indicated the crowd with a nod of her head. It didn’t take a mind reader to notice the look on Axel’s face was conveying complete and utter boredom, and while it wasn’t her responsibility to make sure he was having fun, she didn’t like knowing he wasn’t. “Want to get out of here and hit a food truck?”

“Why would you want to be cute?” Axel inquired with a raise of his eyebrows. Ivy was so much more than such a meek adjective. There was nothing cute about a force of nature and that was exactly why he fucked with her. She had no need being something so endearing when she was something far more ferocious.  

“I did a lap. Didn’t find anything interesting.” He admitted with a shrug, blinking through his bleary vision to really take a look at her. The only bit of the night that hadn’t been a total wash was when he was near her. Maybe that was why her suggestion sounded like the best thing in the world. “Fuck. Please.” He huffed out, glancing at the time of his phone. If they got to talking now, they could hit up their favorite truck before it shut down for the night. “Tacos?”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“A little birdy told me that they were bringing in your uncle to play your dad.” Smith smirked at Aria, looking knowingly between her and Addie in a way that she recognized from countless of their friends when they were conspiring to get the two to engage in a conversation with each other. Aria saw right through it, having been on her fair share of the other side of things, but she didn’t push back against Smith’s attempts. 

“Uncle Colt may or may not be considering it and my dad may or may not be breathing a sigh of relief that no one has asked him to step in front of the camera. I swear, every time he does a music video, he breaks out in hives.” Aria responded, her eyes trailing over to Addie in the reflection of the mirror. “It also works for me since everyone always says that I look more like my mom’s side than my dad’s. Somehow the Turner genes did not come through.” 

“That’ll be cool if it happens.” Addie replied a bit hollowly, in no mood to indulge in Smith’s attempts. She and Aria had nothing of note to talk about. It didn’t matter that they ran in the same social circle; the two would never see eye to eye. Something about the blonde was a complete turn-off... Maybe it was the superiority complex. All she knew was that she had to thank her lucky stars that their two characters hated one another and she didn’t have to pretend to be friends or in love with her for the cameras.

God, she hoped the writers weren’t planning for an enemies to lovers type of shit.

“None of the clothes are animal-based, right?” She inquired towards Becca, the other wardrobe staff. Addie hadn’t come marching in with a ton of demands but having a vegetarian option for craft and avoiding things like leather were non-negotiable. An appreciative smile formed on her features when Becca reassured her that the coats were all fake fur. “They’re gorgeous.”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

Nova had a feeling that her siblings were going to kill her. Well, not so much a feeling as it was a knowledge based on nineteen years of data from observing them. For this reason, while Jules was in the other room getting her a refill, Nova took a picture of herself on his unmistakable couch - unmistakable only because of the family picture of the Turners in the frame - and sent it to her sibling group chat. 

She didn’t wait for a response before immediately leaving the chat. 

It was doubtful any of them were going to do anything about it until the next day, anyway. Axel was out clubbing, Luna was at a FYC event, and Leo was out on a date - which meant perfect timing for Nova to prove to them all that she wasn’t completely naive. She pocketed her phone as Jules came back to the room and smiled at him. “Thanks for letting me crash your night in. I figured you could use a bright spot to your evening.” 

Jules stepped back into the living room with two glasses of wine in hand, his eyes automatically landing on Nova as he ventured forward. It was good to have her there; he’d always enjoyed her company more than most. The petite blonde was a ball of light in any room she decided to grace. It seemed only fair that he relish in that.

“You’re definitely not crashing.” He answered good-naturedly, a charming half-smile in place as he offered one of the glasses to her. Gracefully, he took the seat next to her, reclining against the back of the sofa to get comfortable. It was probably infuriating to some how effortless he looked in that moment. Perfectly disheveled curls paired with a half-buttoned silk blouse made for an aesthetic that he’d grown accustomed to indulging in. Taking a careful sip of the wine, he turned his head to look over at Nova. “And this is definitely a highlight of the evening.”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

Ivy took a step down from the DJ booth, relieved to have music playing now that didn’t make her head want to explode. There was no point in scanning the crowd, she thought, doubting that Axel would be where she left him. Besides, there was no need for her to monitor him, they weren’t together. That much was made entirely clear by literally every interaction the two had since they began whatever they were doing. 

An uncomfortable feeling churned in her gut when she thought back to their last text exchange about his latest hook up with Haley, but she pushed the thought aside. Pulling out her phone, she smirked at the picture that one of Asher’s teammates sent her, doubting that her big brother would be entirely happy about that turn of events, but what he didn’t know wouldn’t kill him. Deciding to go with it, Ivy angled her phone in front of her and took a quick pic of her blowing a kiss before sending it off. 

This party was boring as fuck, if Axel was being quite honest. Same music, same people — even the copious amount of alcohol and pills he’d inhaled hadn’t made much of a difference. He got in these moods often. Like he was sorta living outside of his self-destructive body, watching it all crumble to the ground. It was equal parts fascinating and frustrating, but at least he usually had Ivy around to make things better. 

At least, he did but he’d lost her to the crowd ages ago. The only reason he found her again was because he was doing his very best to avoid a former hookup who just showed up to the party. Once he spotted her next to the booth taking pictures of herself, he lifted an eyebrow as he stepped closer to be heard over the music. “Since when do you blow kisses?”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

Aria’s fists curled tightly as her wardrobe guy, Smith, made adjustments to the hem of her skirt. She knew that she should feel lucky to have gotten this part, but it wasn’t the part. She wanted to be playing the woman who was confident, empowered, unapologetically herself. Why Eli thought it was best for Addison to be that girl, while Aria was playing the complete antithesis, made doubt curdle uncomfortably in her gut. Did he not think she was good enough? Was her casting just part of a network desire to play on her parents’ popularity? 

She wanted to tear off the dress, even if it was doing wonders for her, but if there was one thing that Aria refused to be seen as, it was a diva, so she remained still, even as she saw Addie enter for her own fitting. “Stunning or spectacular, Smith? Which compliment would you prefer?” 

A combination of excitement and anxiety seemed to permeate through Addie’s stomach as she headed for the fitting room. Honestly, she still hadn’t come to terms with the fact that she was actually playing her dream role. The normally lion-hearted woman felt a bit more speechless today as she took it all in — the dressing room, the call sheet, the scripts, the congratulatory flowers delivered from her dads... Absolutely nothing could bring her down from the high.

At least, that was what she thought until she walked into the room and was reminded of who was her co-star.

Pursing her lips together, she hardly spared Aria a glance as she stepped over to one of the other members of the costuming staff. They guided her towards a rack with her name labeled on it, and her eyes widened a bit at the luxurious costumes. The 1920s had such fucking cool fashion. So instead of focusing on the blonde’s grating voice, she focused on the clothes before her.

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

Scarlett shook her head instantly, wanting to reassure him right away. “No need for any apologies! I probably would have made the same assumption, and Jules is great, so there’s nothing bad about being thought of as his date.” Scarlett hoped that it didn’t sound like she actually wanted to be dating Jules, though. He really was amazing, but he wanted to date whatever beautiful woman caught his eye, and Scarlett wanted to be in love. Fundamentally, they just wouldn’t work. 

“But you… um, you’ve noticed me before?” Scarlett asked, brushing her hair behind her ear at the question. She knew what answer she wanted - Sawyer was insanely handsome and his voice was low and rumbly in the way that made her feel like she was curled up in front of a log fire. She wanted to have been noticed before. 

Sawyer didn’t think his cheeks could get any redder, but all the same he could feel the blood rush to them yet again when Scarlett spoke up. Damnit. That was what he got for being too earnest. Now, he had to make sure he didn’t seem like a total creep. “Uhhh well, I asked one of my cousins about you when you walked in. They just told me that you’d been around the group before with Jules... I wasn’t at the last thing.” 

He cleared his throat, hoping that was a satisfactory and sane answer. Shyly, he dipped his head downwards, a hand reaching out to absentmindedly rub against the back of his neck. “You’re sorta hard not to notice.”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“I’m aware of that.” Nora pointed out bluntly. Obviously they were going to see each other again, that was just a basic reality. “I’m hardly going to burst into tears at the sight of you, Ezra.” She was far from a woman who let her heart lead her wherever it wanted to go - while his avoidance stung, it wasn’t enough to make her actively avoid her friends and family. 

“You go about your life and I’ll go about mine; it’ll be the exact same way we’ve gone about things for the past few years.” Had it made her feel utterly disposable at the time? Completely, but she was hardly going to admit that to him while he stood there acting like she was a blip in his radar. “I haven’t told anyone. Clearly Aria knows, but she’s capable of discretion, so I see no reason why anything needs to change.” 

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t expecting that.” The imagery caused his first chuckle of the night. If Nora had seemed like the type of girl who would get overemotional about this kind of thing, it was doubtful Ezra would have pursued her to begin with. It wasn’t like the two of them were incompatible -- they simply wanted different things. 

“You say that but you’re the one who decided to approach me.” Ezra responded easily, sticking to the facts. If they were going to just carry on ignoring one another, then why did Nora feel the need to approach him tonight? It could only be one or the other. No in between.  “Yes, Aria knows but she’s not going to gossip about it.” He wouldn’t have told her otherwise. “Though I am surprised that not even Luna or Ruby made the cut for this information.”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“You’re on. Hopefully by then I can tell you more about how the show is going.” Eli couldn’t help but return her smile, knowing how rare it was to be gifted with one of those. If she hadn’t been in such a reflective mood, he might have called it out, but as it was, he decided to just be happy it appeared and not waste time teasing her over it. 

Watching her carefully as she seemed to mull his words over, Eli placed his hand on her lower back and gave her a few soothing circles in hopes of offering a small bit of comfort. He didn’t know if he had the right things to say all the time - sometimes he even wondered if it was okay for him to offer his opinion on anything involving her relationship given his own feelings on the subject, but selfishly, he liked being a person she could confide in. She was that for him, after all. “Dunno. Scarlett’s been asking me for advice on stuff lately and I figured if I steered her in the wrong direction, her mom might kill me and then my dad would kill her and it would be a whole thing. Figured if I read some articles in Cosmo and prevented widespread disaster, it would all be worth it.”  

“I’m really curious.” And the words were genuine. Films may have been Luna’s forte but she’d been thoroughly fascinated by this process since Eli first got the deal. It had the makings of being a show that everyone would talk about, and she wanted that for him. She couldn’t help but wonder who would be the centerpiece of it all: Addie or Aria.

At the gentle gesture, Luna propped her chin up with her hand as she looked over at him, instinctively leaning against him. He was certainly doing wonders with calming her frayed thoughts. Honestly, he always did. “What kind of advice? About Jules, maybe?” Her curiosity got the best of her, and there was a part of her that wanted to know for the sake of Nova. Though if the current scene was anything to go by, Scarlett seemed far more interested in talking to Sawyer. Good. That was a better choice for her anyways. “You’re far too good at being wise. You’re going to take my job.”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“Oh, I love Luna! She’s always so glamorous. Every time she shows up for a breakfast, I end up quizzing her the entire time on where she got whatever she’s wearing.” Eli liked to call Scarlett Luna’s own personal paparazzi with how often she was peppering her with questions, but Scarlett couldn’t help it. For someone only a few years older than her, Luna seemed like she had the entire world figured out. She had always wanted to be that way, but again, she lacked the mysterious vibe that would have allowed her to have that. 

“My date? Oh god no. We’re just friends, but he’s a sweetheart.” Scarlett blushed at the idea, knowing the two of them definitely were not suited for each other. “We had a shoot together today and I didn’t have plans tonight except to organize my new apartment and he invited me to come.” 

“Yeah, Luna’s the best.” Sawyer agreed easily with a bright smile. When they were younger, Luna had always been the one to make sure he wasn’t teased too much or forced space in their very loud group for him to get the chance to speak. He adored all of his cousins, really. He wasn’t sure what he would have done without them. 

“Oh!” His cheeks instantly flushed red and he prayed the dimness of the bar would protect him. “Sorry, I-- I just thought... Uh you know, you’ve been showing up with him to things.” Sawyer winced at himself for being presumptuous. “Sorry.”

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“It’s his night. He’s just doing what comes naturally.” Nora picked up on the intense judgement in Ezra’s tone, and raised her eyebrow in a silent warning to him not to go any further with it. She and Jax might have been as different as night and day, but if anyone said a single thing against him, then she and that person would have a problem. If there was one thing all Marshalls had in common, it was that they were loyal to their family. 

“Maybe a little.” Nora admitted, feeling a slight sting at how clearly he was about no fond feelings remaining on his end. Truth be told, though she hadn’t been sitting pining over him for two years, it hurt to hear that she wasn’t worth a conversation upon her return. But then again, she shouldn’t have been surprised. No one trusted Ezra Wells to care about people’s hearts - it was hard to do that when he didn’t have one of his own to speak of from what Nora could see. Rather than risk allowing any hurt to show on her face, Nora turned towards her brother, almost begging him with her mind to be done so she could leave. 

Most people probably would have wavered under Nora’s stare, the sternness and protectiveness evident within her gaze. But Ezra was not most people. He didn’t blink away from the warning once, even as he took another sip of his beer. He stood by what he said, after all. It was difficult to fathom Nora and Jax coming from the same parents -- they were such polar opposites. 

Once she admitted to her feelings, he heaved a deep sigh, finally breaking their eye contact to place the now empty bottle back on the bar counter. “We run in the same circles. Chances are we’re going to see each other again.” The statement was for himself just as much as it was for her. Unless they wanted every single time they saw one another to be weird, it seemed wise to just address it. He wasn’t afraid of confrontation.

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“My undying loyalty and a cronut tomorrow morning?” Eli offered up, though with his luck, she would be on a new diet for awards season and not be able to eat carbs for the next whatever. That was one thing that he never envied from the actresses in his life - it seemed like they were always being told to be something that they weren’t, it was utterly screwed up. 

“No one who matters thinks that you’re like that.” Eli admitted, being most honest than he usually was with her. Sometimes he worried that the more truths he revealed, the more likely that the deepest truth he kept hidden would burst out of him and then what? He would lose his best friend. That was a reality he wasn’t going to let happen. “You want different things, it’s not that surprising. Irene always says that if she met my dad at a different time, they wouldn’t have been right for each other. You and Avi have been going around and around for as long as you can remember - maybe it’s a good thing to get off that carousel for a breather. Figure out what Luna wants, not what Avi wants with Luna.” 

“I already had the first one, but I’ll happily accept the second. Sidecar tomorrow?” Luna inquired, tucking a lock behind her ear as she flashed a rare smile at him. She had yet to find a better cronut than the one at Sidecar. That cafe held a special place in her heart, clear by how many cheat days she’d spent there.

She fell silent for a moment, taking a long pause to take a sip of her water. But her shoulders instinctively relaxed at Eli’s words. There were times when she worried that she was leading Avi on, knowing that she couldn’t give him what she wanted for at least a couple of more years. But there was also a part of her that felt frustrated that he didn’t seem to want to wait for her to be ready, no matter how much he claimed to love her. If she thought about it for too long, it made her head spin. Like a carousel, just like he said. “When did you become so wise?” The blonde teased, leaning against the bar counter as she looked over at him.

[undrwrlds]

underworldss​:

“No! No, you were great! Especially with being pulled up there unexpectedly. Not everyone is great with surprises. I threw Eli a surprise party once and he nearly punched a clown in the face. I mean, I probably shouldn’t have gotten a clown, but I don’t really know why anyone let me plan the party in the first place, I was only twelve and he was not the type who liked a clown party…” Scarlett laughed at herself and the image of Eli trying to fight the clown that, to this day, he insisted had a murder vibe. 

While she hadn’t grown up with siblings, she at least always had Eli, who looked after her in all the ways a big brother could have. “Sorry, you probably don’t even know who Eli is and here I am revealing deep dark family secrets about him.” If only she could stop herself from talking, she thought. Her mom would tell her to take a deep breath and be mysterious - guys liked mysterious, and Sawyer was insanely handsome. She wanted to be mysterious enough for him to like her, but she doubted she would be able to pull that off very well. “But we both know Jules, so that’s something, right?” 

Sawyer couldn’t help but smile, grateful that Scarlett was leading the conversation. Had it been left up to him, he wouldn’t have managed more than a few words before he was blushing and tripping over his own feet. It was clear that their shared nervousness seemed to manifest in different ways. “I know Eli. He’s best friends with my cousin...” He replied, hoping that being on common ground would make the blonde feel more at ease. “Luna.” He clarified. He wouldn’t have been surprised if that connection caused more questions than answers. Whenever he was around most of his cousins, there was always the initial confusion of how they could possibly be related. He’d dealt with it since he was a little kid being toted around with his moms. 

“Yeah, we do! Jules is also my cousin.” He admitted with a gentle nod, though the mention of him reminded Sawyer that he didn’t stand a chance in all of this. “He’s your date, right?”