━ 𝓈𝑒𝒹𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝕄𝔼 .

i used to be soft. i used to be gossamer and silk, until it was all TORN A W A Y and i was a b a n d o n e d and a l o n e . i used to be BROKEN. i used to be shards of I R O N and ice; a W H I R L W I N D of B R O K E N glass until i l e a r n e d to be M O R E . now i light UP the night sky. BEAUTY fighting against d a r k n e s s , fire and lightning mistaken for nothing more than a P R E T T Y picture. but i’ll burn you alive — and look D A M N  G O O D doing it.

[cindykimberlys]

[cherrylipssara1]

[valeriecvstillo]

nataliehxrt‌:

“Oh please don’t do that to your turn. I can’t imagine it actually happening and ruining all of your things. I would cry if that happened to me.” She said with a chuckle. She smiled when Valerie ordered her drink for them, giving the bartender a smile as well before looking back at the girl. She listened carefully when the girl spoke of watermelon margarita. She shook her head slowly, “Never had it, only because i’ve never been to Dave & Busters sadly.” 

Mouth hangs open at the other’s comparatively quiet confession. “You’ve never been to Dave and Busters?” Her eyes are practically popped out of her head. A cartoon character in the making. “You’re joking! I’ll have to take you some time — say, are... are you into video-games, though? Like, were you ever a Chuck E. Cheese’s kind of person?” Two margaritas are now placed before them, and Valerie expresses her gratitude to the person behind the counter. A manicured hand reaches for her drink and lifts it an inch above the marble surface. “Guess this is cheers to me dragging you off to Dave and Busters, and what I hope’ll then become a beautiful friendship?”

[valeriecvstillo]

ofsebs‌:

“why thank you, val.” sebastian smiled, shaking his head. he glanced around, looking at all she was looking at. “oh, you don’t even want to know how long it took to put everything up. i think a few of the bulbs went out after we got them up too, so i had to replace them.” he chuckled, shaking his head. seb got lost in his thoughts after a while, thinking of all he accomplished and the hard work he had to put into this place to make it it’s best. “hmm?” he mumbled as her next question popped into the air. “i think i usually just stick to a beer, but something tells me that’s not what you’d go for? i make a mean mojito if you like those.” 

A small gasp emits upon none other but the man of honor approaching. Valerie frankly didn’t think she’d get a moment to actually speak with Sebastian tonight, considering the mass of people who decided to attend. Did he really know all these people? Leave it to him, however, to properly address each and every guest. “Seb! This place looks remarkable. You wouldn’t believe the amount of pictures I’ve taken for reference for my room — I’m telling you now — if you’d like them for your website, it’s going to be twenty a piece. You don’t find this kind of photography just anywhere, y’know?” Groomed brows flit upward playfully at the other, before a hand reaches up to cradle caramel visage at his offer. “Is that a Seb's Special, I hear? I suppose I’ll have to take you up on that offer.” A finger lifts to tap the air between them. A small look around at the crowd, before her voice lowers in volume. “Only if time permits, of course. Just... don’t give me another reason to stop by as much as I do, yeah? Might be nice if you could actually get some work done for once.”

[valeriecvstillo]

( LOCATION: some... secluded outdoor area in the back. TIME: around the middle of the party. STARTER: CLOSED. @mcreau )

A soft laugh escapes painted lips at their haphazard little set-up. Suppose it’ll have to do for now. “God, I feel so out of place doing this. You sure it’s okay if we sneak away for a little bit?” Leave it to Valerie to worry about the less important things when they were simply trying to amuse themselves. The children they were! A round, plastic bulb Cam happened to pry off a tree bounces off wooden surface of a picnic table, before ricocheting off one of the plastic glasses Val happened to snatch from the kitchen. Out. Again. A gruff exhale at horrible hand-eye coordination. “I totally would’ve sucked at actual college. What did you say this game was called again...?”

[valeriecvstillo]

banditohickory‌:

A Grand Opening. Something Riley had no interest in. However, these sorts of things tend to come with food, food means scraps and scraps means free dinner. So naturally, Riley made an appearance towards the end of the night. He made his way casually through the room, mingling with various people and taking plenty of time to stuff his face with leftover cakes and sandwiches. He was about to grab another half slice of chocolate cake when someone slammed the table. “Sorry mate! Is this your plate? I thought it was mine.” he gave the other a forced smile, not very comfortable with formalities. “I’d offer you it back but it’s touched my fingers and I don’t remember the last time I washed these bad boys.”

“Oh...” A soft but broken exhale carries the note, upon the male now picking up her plate. His rather off-putting admittance forces a reminder that she should stay on her best behavior. Inner hygiene freak, and all. A little clear of the throat upon debriefing what’d just happened, before polite composure takes over doll-like features once more. “That — that’s okay. As enticing as that sounds.” Playful sarcasm is tossed the other’s way, as the Spaniard goes to briefly scour other food items on the table. “Delicious, isn’t it? The cake, I mean.” Bottom lip tugged askew at the extra calories she would’ve consumed, had the stranger not swooped in. “Perhaps that was a sign to ease off another slice.”

[valeriecvstillo]

nataliehxrt‌:

Natalie looked up at the lights as the girl spoke. “Hours probably but the work looked like it was worth it.” She smiled. It was beautiful and it made her feel warm inside. It made her feel like a kid again. When she was young, her mother use to put lights up like this in her backyard. Her imagination was crazy, wild, creative. She would make it seem like they were fairies that would light up the night sky and she was the princess. The memory made her smile, slipping a chuckle from her lips. When the girl spoke again, she looked over at her, “I don’t know if i really have a favorite drink but a margarita sounds really good right now.”

“Right? Remind me to nag Seb for all of his extra lights after this party. I need to make my room look like one of those beautiful fire hazards you find on Pinterest, stat.” Another appreciative once-over at decor, before her attention ultimately lands at the female beside her. “Oof, a margarita! Good call.” Shoulders playfully jut upwards at the idea of tequila in her system alone. Valerie politely orders for the two, before turning back to Natalie. When was the last time she had a margarita? “Oh! Speaking of which, have you ever tried a watermelon margarita? At Dave & Busters, they do this thing where the ice is actually frozen balls of just... more watermelon margarita. We’re in 2018 but Dave & Busters is in like, 2050, or something. We have so much to learn from that beautiful corporation.”

[valeriecvstillo]

officermattypayne‌:

Matty was here for one reason and one reason only; free booze and enough time outdoors or indoors, he figured there would also be food, so it was a plus. He loved people watching, and knew that everyone in town would be coming to the opening, therefore he had made sure to clean up his schedule for the night and make sure he was where everyone else was. Valerie Castillo was an enigma he had yet to figure out, her connections to the town not entirely made sense in his mind, therefore he had never approached. Not until tonight, when he was already half drunk, though he hid that fact with a warm smile on his face. “I’m a pretty simple man, a good scotch or just cheap bar when I’m not feeling fancy enough. Cocktails are too sweet for my liking, if I’m honest.” He replied easily. “You want me to pick one for you? I used to have this little game with my best friend growing up that I’d pick something and she would judge how well I knew her based on my choice.”

Brows amicably raise at her company. Val had seen this face before. She doesn’t remember it looking so inviting the last time she did. Where did she see this face before? A kind smile greets him, as she studies his demeanor. The geniality his warm personality radiated was enough to make the Castillo feel like her old self again, even just for a moment. She reminds herself not to get too comfortable, however — despite her inhibitions being good. For tonight, at least. All she had to do was keep up her charade. As he shares his drink preference, she weighs the idea of it all in her head. “You know what? I can see it. Rugged, but not high maintenance.” Feathery tone makes an easy observation; that much was plainly obvious. A soft gasp emits from painted lips at his little idea. Her childlike side is intrigued! “I love games,” a double entendre in passing, as her hands clap together excitedly. Spaniard beams at company, as a manicured hand slides the drink menu closer to him. “Very well, acquaintance.” A simple shrug at the instructions, they were easy enough. “Let’s see your best shot.”

[valeriecvstillo]

♔ TREEVILLE EVENT 003; CLOSET ☞ seb’s grand opening

an off-the-shoulder button-down paired with a patterned bandana around her head. casual ensemble made for a warm gathering at seb’s.

[valeriecvstillo]

lconardos‌:

“HM?” leo hummed softly as he heard the raven haired girl alongside him speak up. once he realized that she was actually speaking to him, he gave her his undivided attention. “oh! yeah, sebastian did an incredible, job. he has some of the original plans in the kitchen, you can see how his whole plan really came to life. it’s insane.” he mused gently, shaking his head in disbelief. leo absolutely looked seb. to have something that you want for so long and to finally be able to achieve it, it was an incredible thing. “i’m all set,” he assured her, raising the beer he was holding in his opposite hand. “i’m sure you can’t go wrong with whatever you decide, though. seriously.”

“Yeah!” She beams at company, getting rather excited over a little factoid about the B&B. “He told me about that! Speaking of which, I should really go give it another look now. This whole time I thought those were something an architect drew up of the place. High school Seb, could you even imagine?” A laugh escapes her at the thought of the male once being hunched over a notebook at his desk, doodling away how a schoolgirl would of her crush’s name in big hearts. Val now scrunches her nose at the beer in Leo’s hand. Not her taste. Perhaps she ought to use other methods of ultimately deciding. Leave it to her to make such a little decision so complicated. Manicured hand slides over the drink menu in front of Leo, before giving him a childish grin. “Okay, close your eyes and point anywhere on the menu. Whatever your finger lands on, I’ll get. Though perhaps we should make it clear to the jury that I’m lightest-weight of them all, so...” eyebrows waggle playfully at the male, before she cocks her head to the side. “No pressure.”

[valeriecvstillo]

( LOCATION: bar counter in the kitchen. TIME: earlier on in the event. STARTER: open. )

“I really love what they’ve done with the place,” wide eyes take in the mass of fairy lights and other twinkling ornaments adorning potted foliage. Childlike wonder lights up doll-like features at the elegant decor; Seb’s establishment looked like something fresh out of a dream. A hand pries off drink menu to hesitantly reach up to one of the minuscule bulbs, of course — because appreciating had to mean touching and ogling. Fingertip stops just an inch away, upon the sudden radiation of warmth. Easy, don’t want to burn that. “Couldn’t imagine how long it took to put these up, really.” Inquisitive eyes flit back down to the menu now, before up over to the person sat beside her at the counter. “Say, what’s your favorite thing to drink? If you don’t mind...” A sheepish smile greets the other as manicured digits place the laminated sheet onto the counter in defeat. “I still can’t decide on what I want to have.”

[lconardos]

texts ; leo 📲 wrong number

[valeriecvstillo]

lconardos‌:

leo: what is this

leo: what are you doing

leo: yeah, this?

leo: not a fan of whats happening rn

val: donald trump

[valeriecvstillo]

heynaomi‌:

”NO?” naomi repeated, seemingly unconvinced. actually, it wasn’t far fetched that she wasn’t convinced. the blonde simply found it far too difficult to believe that after all of her time in treeville, valerie hadn’t taken interest in anyone. there was just no way. “you expect me to believe that there’s no one? come on, val. you can talk to me, you know,” naomi urged, raising her eyebrows at the younger. now her interest was peaked. “if there really is no one, we’ll have to do something about that. i mean, everyone drools over you. you’re stunning.”

Amusement now takes over Val’s features upon Naomi’s seemingly incredulous tone. The brunette was well aware of the other’s immaculate lie-detecting skills, seeing that she works in the legal aspect of all of the mob’s functions. One that required no less than superior intellectual and emotional competence. However, the Spaniard shakes her head once more at the boy’s name sat atop her tongue, like honey. No, not this time. Fork continues to toy with pasta pieces. Suddenly she didn’t feel hungry anymore. “And what do you intend on doing about it, Naomi?” Brows flit upward playfully at the other. I mean, everyone drools over you. You’re stunning. A light hum from painted lips, as head now cocks curiously at the blonde. “Everyone?”

[valeriecvstillo]

mcreau

she couldn’t have possibly been serious, and yet it was her initial reaction. a seemingly genuine fight or flight response. perhaps she should consider taking a less shady route. “pokémon?!“ laughter continues to ring in his voice. dark brown curls bounce with an incredulous shake of the head. “wouldn’t you have had to say something like pepper spray it’s your turn!” cameron continues to tease, tone resembling a mockery of ash ketchum from what few memories he could recall of the popular show. next up is his grand pokémon impression complete with a higher pitch in tone and a shift of weight from side to side as he speaks. “cam..cam…cameleon!” pause and return human cameron for a second. “right? they just say there names.” and wait —back to the argument. “and my attacks are much better than level oneth, I just missed okay. you’ll see next time.”

lips stretch back into a growing smile once more as she dismisses his tale of hurt. “please the big bad wolf and I are bros…we always got each others backs.”  yet another fable to add to his repertoire. cameron’s happy to help valerie out with her bag. he’s nothing but positive and equally as expressive with her response. could’ve dropped my rings. could you imagine how bad it would be if I lost my rings? it almost feels as if part of his heart drops. well aware of the brunettes status, the con can only let his imagination run wild with the opportunity he might’ve just lost out on. his cheery expression drops as this dawns upon him, eyes grow hungry for the split second between his loss and her ‘taylor doesn’t know how to handle you. unlike me’. left brow quirks at this statement but he chooses to ignore it for her previous proposal. “that sounds perfect. I could totally go for a cup right now.” with that he’s already on a start to the nearest cafe though he pauses as val retrieves her dangerous weapon. when their eyes meet again there’s something a touch softer to her voice that pulls yet another soft smile from him. “my eyes and lungs…and face definitely thank you.”

It’s now Val’s turn to watch the other incredulously. Cameron's Pokemon impression could’ve even been believable, if it wasn’t for one thing. The brunette is practically craning her neck to watch this man jump back and forth on tip-toes with an octave far too high for his beyond six-foot stature. It’s almost like an unfortunate glitch to a Slenderman ending. Disbelief almost overcomes her more than genuine humor. Her laughter rings out in the alley, as she curses herself for not retracting her phone sooner. “Wow, I wish I got that on Snapchat. Think you can do that again?” She challenges, though the answer was painfully obvious. A part of her wished someone else’d seen his ridiculous antics, but a bigger part of her was glad she got to see it alone. There was a kind of magic in their moments together. She wouldn’t give any of them up for the world.

“Next time?” Brows knit together in jest at the male beside her. “Oh, you’re so on. Catch me dropping level 40 moves in the Cinnabar Gym — God, nevermind. My smack talk is now starting sound more like a last-minute breakfast option. Not very threatening on an empty stomach, am I?” The lisp is quick to catch her attention now and all she musters is a pointed glare. Every time she thinks they’ve progressed further away from the god-awful inside joke, someone finds a way to bring it around again. It’s quick in passing this time, though — the topic changes before she can go to address it. The dancer effortlessly hops on tip-toes, now beaming playfully at her company. “That’s exactly what he’d tell you before he eats you for lunch,” a sinister whisper, as she bares incisors before gently snapping them for full effect. Of course, her little act of mischief cuts short at his spontaneity — something Val was yet to learn from the other. She pops off her toes, habitual innocence washing over her features once more. “Right... right now?” She nearly squeaks out, still foreign to the concept of being seen in public in anything less than her put-together attire. A small clear of the throat, before attempting to resume a somewhat placid tone from before. “And what makes you think I wasn’t just on my way to go see someone else?” She hums a little to herself after the question, as eyes flicker between forest hues for an answer. She just catches the change to the look on his face. Subtle. Kind of like Cam. Pink lips and softened gaze volleys a new emotion to the brunette. That smile... kind smile. When was the last time she’d seen that? Her heart begins to thump a little louder. Instead of fighting for the last word this time, she simply tosses him a reassuring smile of her own to mirror.

[lconardos]

texts ; leo 📲 wrong number

[valeriecvstillo]

lconardos‌:

leo: the record player!

leo: ha ha

leo: very funny

leo: i was just talking hypothetical, yanno?

val: your skin... it’s pale

val: you talk hypothetically about important matters

val: and you hide under a luscious tuft of hair

val: dramatically looks 2 the camera... i know what you are

[valeriecvstillo]

STARTER CALL ! hit that heart button for a little something from val.

[valeriecvstillo]

heynaomi:

”CHRIS,” naomi repeated slowly, her voice just above a whisper. naomi still wasn’t sure how to approach talking to the mob about chris. sure, he’d taken the initiative to show up and make things right with blake, but at the end of the day he was still a cop. she supposed she couldn’t blame them if they had any resentment towards him for that. at one point in time, she had too. “he’s good.” naomi finally huffed out, managing a small smile before she lifted her fork to dig into her pasta. “—got a puppy the other day. we decided to name her honey.” the blonde shared gently, laughing softly at that fact alone. she let a moment of silence fall over them both before she turned to valerie, arching a brow. “you seeing anyone? i find it a little hard to believe i’ve never asked until now. do tell.”

Features soften at Naomi’s hesitation. The way her tone noticeably falters, despite the subtle smile which makes itself apparent at the mention of the male. The inclusive pronoun ‘we’. Dark hues drop themselves down to the blonde’s fork ghosting over pasta, before prodding into a piece. She wondered what it felt like, to have a we. To be a part of one, rather. The difference between Naomi and Valeria perhaps had to be the fact that the former, in the end, had more courage than the latter. She seemed comparatively less rigid when dealing with her job, and letting someone in. She couldn’t have imagined it was an easy ride. Definitely not, if Blake had anything to do with it. But Valerie was never one to pry about matters that didn’t regard her in the first place. Her gaze now shifts back to her own plate, before the question is turned.

It’d be a lie to say that a face didn’t pop up in her head almost immediately. One with kind green eyes, and a contagious smile. Topped with the curliest mop of chocolate hair she’d ever seen. He was a nice boy. A charming, nice boy who at the end of the day went home to his art studio. Images of the time he’d almost kissed her in one flicker in her mind like an old photo reel. She shakes her head to herself, almost as if to physically shake off the goosebumps that prickled across smooth skin at the one time he allowed himself to ever get that close to her. He wasn’t some trained, experienced authority figure like Chris — the man known to hold his ground before Blake. Perhaps he wouldn’t last, finding out what she truly did for a living. She’d never forgive herself, should she somehow rope him into her lifestyle. Maybe she just wasn’t made for a ‘we’. Fork toys with a piece of pasta once more, before lifting it to her mouth. Monotone finally answers the other’s question. “No.”