throwing her debit card back into her bag instead of putting it back into her wallet was a shitty habit, but she always felt as though she was in too much of a rush to pull out her wallet. which led her to this: digging around in her bag for her debit card, cursing silently, and not noticing when the wrapper of a candy bar fly out and away from her. she did, however, hear when person behind her decided to be a bitch about it. not just a bitch though, a little fucking bitch. she turned slowly, immediately recognising the new face as one of the latest additions to wisteria lane and maybe the latest additions to lucy stewart’s own personal shit list considering his comment, but that was yet to be decided. “ there’s nicer ways to let someone know they’ve dropped something, you know, ” she said, holding out her hand for the wrapper. not unlike she would to one of her students misbehaving during a practical class and about to be sent into the hall.
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shit –– of course, she heard, noah cursed internally, digging into his pocket for the wrapper. against his better judgment, he stuck with his withdrawn attitude, unsure of how to proceed with the unhappy stranger. (he’d seen her around but, for the life of him, couldn’t recall where or when. noah was never good at remembering these things. it also didn’t help that people here seemed to know remember everything.) “i know, but it wouldn’t be as fun,” he said flatly, hoping she would get his dry sense of humor. his hand extended to drop the wrapper into hers. “’hey, you dropped this’ doesn’t have as much spice, y’know? gotta solidify my status around here as the town jerk before someone else takes it.”
“Maybe I should send in my resume, I could be their lead,” she didn’t actually have a resume, nor did she have any idea what sort of roles a news team could offer, other than the people that read shit out in front of a camera but the sentiment remained, she thought as she joked with him in return. The glower that naturally decorated Hayden’s face shifted for a moment, clearly Noah’s words had resonated with her in even the slightest way. She thought about her parents for a moment then. They had recently been declared legally dead, issues death certificates by the State of Illinois and everything. She’d been resolved to not give a shit about it, to remind herself that nothing had actually changed, it was just a dumb piece of paper that entitled her and her brother to their inheritance. Yet, try as she might, her heart still ached when she gave it enough time and thought, despite every effort she had made to stop it. “Just Monster Energy drinks and CLIF bars, actually,” she offered facetiously in response, somewhat copying Noah’s waving hand gesture at herself. “Speaking of which, I dumped an empty can of Monster in the Walgreen’s parking lot, if you wanna pick that up too,” she informed him, pointing down the street in the direction of the local store.
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“sure, let me know if you need a reference,” he quipped, joking along with her. “although... you’d probably need a college degree first. national news is elitist like that.” noah didn’t know her that well, but, from their brief interactions, he assumed that she didn’t plan on going to college after high school. he couldn’t hold it against her –– he had only taken a couple credits before dropping out to start his family. (of course, it helped that the calores were, well, loaded. he didn’t really need an education to get his career going.)
noah had kind of hoped for a real response so he could better understand where the girl was coming from, but instead was met with... “monster energy? god, those are still a thing?” he responded, face souring at the thought of the monster-CLIF combo. “ha, ha,” he drew out slowly, “that’s actually a bit above my pay grade... you’ll have to hire, like, a toxic waste specialist for that.”
“i’ve only lived here what eleven years, but thanks for the heads up.” emily replied with a short laugh. “there’s only so many ways to get out of here so it shouldn’t be that hard. then again, like you said, one wrong turn and you end up on a different street, same subdivision. they probably made all the houses look the same on purpose. though don’t that have those talking GPS things you put on your phone so you can’t take a wrong turn? or even if you do, you get redirected in the correct direction?“
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“never too late to learn,” noah quipped, letting out a short laugh to match hers. eleven years. he wondered if he’d make it that long in this town, or if things would be normal by then. “theoretically yes. but, i’m trying to this revolutionary thing where i leave my phone at home every now and then,” he said, his typical sarcasm reflecting in his voice, “it’s my first go at it today – and i can’t tell if it’s down right genius or just plain stupid.” he lifted his shoulders for a small shrug. "besides, who needs maps when an old friend can show you the way?"
savannah scoffed. she had no reason to believe her little sister ever had any fun—no parties, no drinking, no drugs, no vacations. only work and work harder. sav turned around, not bothered by isabelle’s little digs. it was just jealousy. like everyone else who wished they could live her life. “but i can,” she said blithely.
she wrinkled her nose at the thought of an essay—let alone one on political bullshit. “ew. i will never understand how you find that crap interesting.”
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“yeah, okay –– but it’s not something you can do forever,” she replied, annoyed that her sister seemed to have zero concern for what isabelle considered to be real work. sure, savannah was successful, but, to isabelle, instagram fame and influencer deals didn’t seem like a sustainable lifestyle. something would have to give.
“of course i find it interesting... it’s, like, me, and literally all the people who’ve made history,” isabelle explained. “besides, what would you wanna take? a class on VSCO filters? c’mon, sav.”
as soon as he heard her curse, he knew it was isabelle. he recognized her voice and her… intensity. wow. he hadn’t seen her in a while. “sorry,” he said again, laughing to himself. “didn’t mean to scare you.” he watched her slip the book she was holding back onto the shelf and shrugged. “just looking. i need something new to read.”
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“ah, got it,” she replied, eyes scanning the shelf next to them for any recommendations. isabelle couldn’t remember the last time she read something for fun (as opposed to something assigned for school). “um, not sure if i can be much help, but...” a familiar title caught her eye. “oh! how about this?” she pulled out the prince, holding the book out to show him. "i read it last semester for a polisci class."
She snickered at his suggestion, as ridiculous as it was, it had managed to amuse her at least a little, “Do I look like the kinda person that tunes into CNN every morning?” she asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively as the words left her lips. She woke up in the morning, rolled on to her side to check her social media notifications and then scrolled her TikTok feed until Lucy pounded on her door, reminding her that if she didn’t haul ass, she’d miss her ride to school and have to walk. On days when she had training, she was a little easier to scrape off of her mattress but no less grumpy about it. She shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t care,” she assured him, it was her default approach to most things. Unphased, unaffected, never bothered, rarely interested. It was easier to mask her vulnerabilities with ambivalance then with anything else. “People say shit all the time- most times they mean it too,” she reminded him, “No point in taking it to heart, right?” she offered, wondering if he was the kind of guy who did take things to heart easily or not.
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wishful thinking, noah mused as he offered a small chuckle matching hers. “yeah, pretty sure you’re their target demographic,” he joked, “they have a weekly segment on how to be an edgy teen. tuesdays at 5.” he vaguely remembered telling that joke to his own son before, which makes him feel like the two would get along. (at this point, noah wondered what hayden must’ve gone through to turn out so jaded already. if it’s anything as heartbreaking as cael –– well...) there’s something he feel like he should help fix, but he hadn’t put his finger on it yet. maybe he should just mind his own business, he thought briefly. “i mean, sure, no point,” he answered, his somewhat cynical attitude peeking through, “but, hey, sometimes it happens. against your will. like, i’m sure there’s a beating heart somewhere in all this, right?” he waved a hand as if to gesture to her. “sometimes it does its own thing... kinda annoying if you ask me.”
I understand that you’re angry, but I’m happy with Jakob. Why can’t you be happy for me?
No, you’re pretending to be happy, Mom. You’re not the relationship type. Stop kidding yourself. Or maybe you’re just not as independent as you thought.
savannah had been having a rough day. more money had gone out of her accounts to some freak with a camera who could be watching her every second. and yeah, she posted most of her life online anyway… but that was her prerogative. but she’d decided to her ignore her problems and have a day-long fashion show/dance party/spa day combo. it mostly consisted of bulldozing through her extensive closet and lounging in her en-suite bathtub with her favorite playlist on.
but the fun came to an end with the annoyed voice of her younger sister. savannah eyed isabelle from her mirror, giving no other sign of acknowledgement until she was sure she’d finished. “i know fun is a foreign word to you, isabelle, but there are more important things in life than… whatever you look so disheveled over.”
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“oh whatever –– i can have fun,” she responded with probably a bit too much conviction. it didn’t help that isabelle wracked her brain for some recent examples to tack on... and nothing came up in time. hiding her internal disappointment, she opted to give her sister a good glare. “besides, we can’t all work from instagram and call ‘traveling to fancy places’ a full-time job.”
she swore, sometimes it felt like things just fell into savannah’s lap. it didn’t seem fair that she could sit in a bath all day while isabelle worked her ass off for mere internships. (albeit, they were high-profile internships but they took a lot of work. and that was to just get there.) “but, for your information, i’m disheveled over a comparative political systems essay due at midnight. it’s, like, fifteen percent of my grade, and i’d appreciate it if I didn’t have to listen to your spotify while writing it.”
If Hayden hadn’t been in the process of picking a new playlist to listen to, she might not have heard what Noah had to say for himself. She turned on her heel just in time to catch him moving his hand from his pocket, finding herself amused by the fact that he’d just kept the trash like that, “World’s fucked anyway. If you think my CLIF bar wrapper is the difference between saving humanity and toppling the global climate into full blown apocalypse mode, you’re dumber than you look,” she noted as she pulled one of her headphones out from her ears. They were cheap, they sounded like crap and they amused some of the other girls on Wisteria Lane, she was certain but the headphones were the only ones she had. “-besides, you picked it up. There’s always somebody to pick shit up. World keeps turning,” she shrugged casually as she concluded her indignant speech.
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noah blinked twice, not sure how to approach the hostile girl in front of him. “uh, hey hayden...” he started, his grumpy mood fading away as his dad mode kicked in. noah couldn’t help but feel a hint of concern as she went on, elaborating on a rather nihilistic view of the world. (there’s always somebody to pick shit up. yeah, it was also scary that a teenager had him pegged so well.) “well, i don’t know if you’ve heard on CNN this morning, but CLIF bar wrappers are actually single-handedly destroying the planet. nothing else,” he said sarcastically, hoping to come off more relatable and less didactic, “but, yeah –– i mean the world is fucked, but the little things still add up.” noah met her shrug with a shrug of his own. “and, look, sorry if i pissed you off with my comment. not great at the whole ‘think before you speak’ thing.”
anthony had been standing here for what felt like ages, but the person standing in front of his favorite section of fairview’s local bookstore—the used books shelf—had not given any implications that they were going to move. finally, anthony cleared his throat and spoke up, “’scuse me, sorry, i’m just trying to get to that shelf behind you.”
he tried to give a pleasant smile but, as always, it came out more nervous and awkward. “sorry to interrupt your- um, whatever you’re doing.”
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“oh, fuck!” she yelped, startled by the person behind her. his interjection wasn’t even that abrupt, but isabelle was particularly jumpy at the moment. (for reasons beyond her, she agreed to hide some money in a book. it seemed a bit extra, but the person offering her a summer internship was pretty paranoid and it made her paranoid as well.) quickly stuffing the money-filled book back on the shelf, she turned around to find... “anthony?” she said, some surprise filling her voice, “god, you kinda scared me... uh, let me get out of your way.” she let out a small, nervous laugh, pivoting the conversation, “so, whatcha looking for?”
POSSESSED BY AN ANCIENT RHYTHM , dainty feet are bond to an eternal chase , lost in a fever dream of everblooming femininity ; unchained from gravity and restrictions , what flourishes violent , primal , effortless graceful ; like a drunken angel diving down the empire state building , her tiny , moldable body pirouettes and leaps across the ledge , teetering between life and death with the carelessness only youth can hold . each beat , a lightening . the soul begs to be unleashed from this mortal coil ; it climbs through the gap between her freckled thighs , through hidden crevices along her neck & throat , and through protruding ribs that stretch through the paleness of her doughy girl - flesh . limbs sway & bend , free and unkind as a natural disaster , beautiful and cruel - clashing against the night sky , birth and rebirth , dragging itself through the floor & back into the air —– she is a puppet on strings , and only feels the impact & weariness of it all when it all comes to a halt—— the swan falls in a short breath , black mane down bony shoulders , waiting to be popped like buttons by boys who would be forgotten too soon , and a cheeky , dimpled smile that reeks of expensive alcohol and prideful galore .
“ are you gonna push me , hmm ? ” boldly , she taunts , dares – purring like a cat , propping down to slither those feather fingers around the meddler’s shoulders & pat it , gently , like a consolation . “ you should never wait so long for anything . you’ll miss the best things in life . ”
.
isabelle hated clubs. it was very much not her element... but, people her age loved it and, well, she wanted to relate more to people her age. still, she was wildly uncomfortable (and wildly sober). the flashing lights, sweaty bodes, and people saying nonsense, like the familiar voice nearby… “wait, adelaide? what the fuck are you saying?” she interjected as she overheard the girl talk to some guy next to her.
taking a step closer into the light, she checked to make sure it was her friend addie. yep, definitely addie — definitely a drunk addie, to be exact, she thought, smelling the alcohol on her dress. “sorry to interrupt, but i need a friend to join me in the bathroom,” she said to the random boy, gently grabbing addie’s arms and pulling her away, “y’know, it’s a girl thing or whatever.”
noah’s eyes followed the stray plastic wrapper as the person in front of him dropped it onto the ground. from behind, noah couldn’t tell for sure whether or not they meant to do it on purpose, but it bothered him nonetheless. (it didn’t help that he was in a sour mood to begin with. trying to finish up the move while making sure his family was safe... well, it was all rather overwhelming.) he let out a small sigh as he moved to pick up the trash and stuff it in his pocket. "i thought it was, like, cool nowadays to love the environment... guess littering is back in,” he mumbled to himself, not thinking the person in front of him would hear.
noah must’ve taken a wrong turn on the way to the store because now he was walking along a street he didn’t recognize. (it didn’t help that he left his phone at home.) roaming aimlessly around his new town caused some anxiety –– not just from having no idea where he was but also due to what actually got his family there. he was luckily lifted from his train of thought upon seeing a familiar blonde head of hair. “oh –– uh, em!” he exclaimed, running a couple feet to catch up to her, “bad news. you may get lost ‘cause it seems like they’ve made all the streets look the same here. yeah, might be a good idea to google maps where whole foods is before you take another step further.”
isabelle groaned in frustration. setting her pen down, she left the desk with her studies and headed over to the source of the distracting noises –– savannah’s room. (to be honest, savannah wasn’t even playing her music that loud, but isabelle had grown tired of hearing song after song come from her sister’s room day in and day out. plus, it seemed like savannah was always in the house when isabelle needed peace and quiet the most.) “hey sis,” she called out, opening her older sibling’s door without a knock, “didn’t you have a partnership with beats once? i heard they made headphones... y’know, like, the ones you can use so you don’t have to blast your music on weeknight.”
( adam brody, cis male, he/him. ) — see NOAH CALORE? that’s the TENACIOUS of wisteria lane. the FORTY year old has been a resident on wisteria lane for A WEEK and currently works as an ANGEL INVESTOR. they were rose’s CHILDHOOD FRIEND. since the news broke their usual PROTECTIVE manner has seemed to been replaced by a CYNICAL demeanor cracking under the surface. maybe it’s the fact that a dark cloud in the form of HAVING ANOTHER FAMILY HE’S SUPPORTING is hanging over their head. unfolded clothes strewn all over the room. unsent postcards and handwritten notes. sitting on a windowsill to smoke. (andy, 23, pst, they/them.)
character inspo: luke danes from gilmore girls, stevie budd from schitt’s creek, ron swanson from parks & rec, danny castellano from the mindy project, rosa diaz from brooklyn nine nine
noah comes from old money and a large family. as the eldest of his five siblings, he’s always been the “responsible” one –– known for being rather stoic while dealing with random family fights and squabbles. (it’s where he got his impulsive need to help others. no matter how indifferent he may seem on the surface, he’s really a big softie on the inside.)
a no-nonsense kind of guy, noah always envisioned himself having a straightforward life... he’d use his parents money to get educated and become a successful businessman, marry his high school sweetheart, have some wonderful kids, and live relatively drama-free. (of course, it turned out to be anything but.)
while he did have a high school sweetheart, their relationship ended spectacularly. (she picked up and left without saying goodbye after a particularly brutal fight.) still set on his life goals, he quickly turned around and met someone else –– his now wife. while noah never got real closure with his first girlfriend, he fell fast for the new girl, asking her to marry him within six months of first meeting.
after a year of marriage, noah found out his wife couldn’t have kids and instead opted to adopt his son cael. he knew cael came from a rather tragic (and dangerous) background, but, being the bleeding heart he was, noah wholeheartedly took him on.
while the calores lived a normal family life at first, things in the past year have gone haywire… first, noah’s highschool sweetheart contacted him out of the blue asking for money. while he objected at first, she soon told him she had a kid that was his. he’s been secretly supporting them ever since, insisting to his wife that they’re losing some money because his investments have gone wrong.
next, cael’s real parents have tracked him down, causing noah to relocate their family to wisteria in the past week. the move was fine at first, but then noah found out someone who looked awfully similar to his childhood friend had died. (so far, he’s decided to ignore this –– he has too much on his plate now to sit down and understand what’s going on.)
PLOT IDEAS.
like i said on isabelle’s post, i’m down for anything and everything!!! pls send noah all the plots
his wife: kinda self explanatory but would love to have this connection for him!
his highschool sweetheart: yep, the girl from his background… will probably send in a formal wc for her soon.
family friends: while the calores are new to wisteria, i imagine noah knows some high-powered people thanks to his family background. give him some people to socialize with! maybe even someone he’s close with!
business colleagues: maybe y/m has a business he invests in. maybe y/m and him are both investors for the same business. maybe y/m and him have run in the same circles for a while.
mentorees: once you get past his sardonic personality, noah actually loves to help people younger than him. maybe y/m came to him for advice one day. or, maybe he’s meddling in y/m problems.
unfriendly neighbors: uhh noah can be a grump sometimes, and i’m sure he’s rubbed some people the wrong way already. give him some people to bicker with!
