altogether beautiful

willow clarke || 21 || " the hostage "

[willcwclarke]

itxadrian‌:

willcwclarke‌:

( PRE EVENT THREAD ) 

as adrian walks through the door to the hotel room, there’s a small tinge of guilt as he catches the scene of willow’s silhouette contrasted against the new york view. the color of the window sill is enough to make it look like a prison cell and he’s almost convinced to let her have the afternoon outside of his view but it soon passes as adrian realizes that he couldn’t risk it. leah would definitely give him a lecture if he had let a few seconds of pity be the reason why the group was forced out of the city with budding anxiety. - but maybe adrian didn’t have to tell anyone if he was careful. 

“i actually just woke up,” the door closes behind the male and he’s just standing there awkwardly in her room. all he can do to pass the silence is by housing his hands in the pockets of his jean jacket before he clears his throat. “my neighbors were being loud so i couldn’t exactly sleep-” it’s a sheepish lie, but it’s enough to continue their conversation. 

his eyes find the hotel’s brochure on the coffee table, the big white text that is highlighting the various attractions that the city offers causing him to ask the next question. “you don’t happen to like broadway, do you? there’s a show here that i saw on the television last night - and you know. i don’t exactly imagine the rest really want to sit down in a theater.” 

her brows lifted at his words, surprised he had come to her room to combat insomnia. although she knew he put up the front that he couldn’t stand her, she was starting to think it was just that - a front. you don’t exactly come calling on someone you hate when you can’t sleep, right? “i guess it ain’t just the streets that are loud here, huh?” she asked, peaking at him over her shoulder as she continued to look out at the view. 

her attention shifted at his next words, her gaze peeling away from the scenery and landing on his face. she looked at him a moment, mouth hanging open slightly - had he just asked her to the theatre? “i’ve never been t’ broadway, but i think i’d like it a lot.” she said, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “the closest i’ve been is the play the kids put on at the county fair, and i wouldn’t exactly call that broadway.” she said, laughter laced in her voice. “what’s the show called?” she stood from her position at the window, stretching her arms over her head - she had been cooped up in that spot longer than she realized. “i’d love t’ join ya.” she looked down at what she was wearing - worn out jeans and a tattered sweatshirt - definitely not what one would wear to the theatre. “i guess i could see if piper would let me borrow some of her clothes, i don’t think they’d let me past the front doors in this.” she said with a sheepish laugh. 

[willcwclarke]

willow had always wanted to visit new york. she grew up watching gossip girl, and what pre-teen didn’t want to grow up to be serena? her mother had always said she would take her one day - when she was older and could appreciate the big city. she had never expected to be here under these circumstances - stuck inside a hotel room, the empire state building visible in the distance. she wondered what her mom would say, had she known she finally got to visit the big apple.

the gang couldn’t risk willow being recognized here. sure, alabama was a long ways away from new york but word on missing people travelled far and fast. if someone happened to recognize her, they would be screwed. so, she had to settle for watching the traffic pass through the window, staring down on a world she had always wanted to experience. 

they had been leaving her alone more often as of late, and it felt nice to know that their trust for her was growing. of course, she would appreciate it more if she were allowed to leave the room but she was taking what she could get. her back faced the door, not bothering to turn around as she heard someone come through. “ how was it? ” she asked, a sigh following her words. “ did you try a hot dog? i heard that they have the best hot dogs ‘round here. ” 

@itxadrian​

[countrymusicvideosonline]

[alicent-florent]

GILMORE GIRLS (2000 — 2007)

[lifeinpoetry]

“Not every girl survives the forest. / Sometimes she becomes it.”

— Catherine Garbinsky, from “The Princess & the Thorns,” Even Curses End

[musingfms]

[willcwclarke]

time you most feared for your life?

“ that would be every day at the moment. ” 

[willcwclarke]

if you could talk to anyone dead or alive who would it be?

“ hmm, dead or alive… this might seem cliche, but i think it’d have to be miss dolly parton. her music got me through my childhood and i’d love to give her a big hug. ”

[willcwclarke]

do you still believe in god?

“ of course i do. it’s hard when you feel lost to keep faith, but i know he has a plan for me - this must be part of it. ”

[willcwclarke]

who do you trust the most?

“ can you really trust anyone when they’re holding you hostage? i guess if i had t’ pick one, it’d be logan - that boy is a lot sweeter than he lets on. don’t tell him i know though - wouldn’t wanna ruin his sad boy rep. ” 

[willcwclarke]

ofxlogan‌:

This was getting to be a pattern in Logan’s life. The bandits seemed to like coming to him for help; a confidante they knew would never breathe a word of their problems, because he rarely breathed any words at all.

Once again, he found himself in the center of an emotional crisis. Willow was crying, clearly exhausted, and asking him for help.

And really, did he have any other choice but to let her in?

“Come in.” he said thinly, clearly struggling to process all of the information being handed to him. He rubbed the tired out of his eyes - stepping aside to let Willow work her way into his room. 

“Did something happen — ?” he asked after a long silence. A sudden fear had introduced itself, that maybe the cause of her stress had been one of the outlaws here. Logan had never relented in his skepticism of Johnstown, and badly he hoped that he wouldn’t be proven right tonight.

Did something happen? That was a loaded question. She couldn’t help herself from almost laughing at it in response. What hadn’t happened? Her entire life had been uprooted and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t plan her future - she didn’t even know what tomorrow would bring her. 

Was it wise to tell him about Adrian, or should she push it down the depths of her memories, never to be spoken about again? Her head shook slightly, hands pulling away from her face now. “My life was stolen from me.” She said, voice cracking as she spoke. “Things were goin’ great and now - now I don’t even know if I have a future. I don’t know if I’m ever going to see my family again or get to go back home. I don’t know anything - I don’t know anyone. I don’t fit in here.” Words were spilling out now, so much so that she hardly even knew what the actual problem was - it all just seemed to rain down on her.

“I slept with Adrian.” She said, tear-filled eyes meeting his as she looked up at him. 

[leadyfm]

“Oh wow.” he said, which felt stupid in hindsight. 

In all fairness, Logan was still groggy, having been pulled from his sleep just as it’d begun. There was Willow at his door, or maybe a particularly vivid dream of her, puffy eyed and tear stained. She looked like a ghost that had come to haunt his nights now. He found himself at a loss for what to say. 

“Hi.” he eventually stammered, panic flushing his face cold. “I — do you wanna come in?”

@willcwclarke​

[willcwclarke]

Willow was overdue for a breakdown, if she were being honest. It had been a hard few weeks - she had been taken from her home and held against her will by a group of people that didn’t care for her at all, forced to live off of a diet of Doritos and Welch’s fruit snacks. 

The last thing she expected was to sleep with the very boy that helped kidnap her, the leader of the group that had taken her hostage. What was worse was the fact that she had liked it. No matter how hard she tried she could not shake the memory of his skin against hers, his warm breath creeping down her neck.

Her eyes glazed over with frustrated tears as she stared at the ceiling, a spring from the lumpy mattress beneath her digging into her spine. She tossed and turned, snapshots of that night reeling through her mind. With each second she grew more emotional, warm tears stinging her cheeks now as they ran down her face.

Before she knew it she was out of bed, her feet taking her somewhere - she wasn’t sure where, but they seemed to know where they were going. Next thing she knew Logan stood before her, confused expression etched across his features. She nodded her head at his words, small body pushing past him and into the room. She plopped herself down on his bed, face buried in her hands as the tears continued to flow.

“I-I’m so sorry.” She said, voice muffled by her hands. “You’re the only one here that seems to care about me even a little and I couldn’t stand being in that room any longer.” 

[willcwclarke]

itxadrian‌:

adrian has never had the opportunity to open up about his previous life with any other members of the bandit group until now. of course- it’s with willow, someone who had the power to cause him to become annoyed but also shatter with the same look. she’s got a way to crack the shell that is often built around himself, and that frustrates adrian. the redhead had stumbled into his life unexpectedly at the request of the brains but it had never been in the plan to invite someone who would make him question the fundamentals of his created belief system. 

the creation of the group had been as an escape. and adrian had ran away from his home- not the least bit guilty but now as he’s sitting here with willow, he begins to fantasize what his life would be like if he had stayed. would it still be just as fucked up?

his mother’s wedding band weighs heavy on the second finger of his right hand, the metal threatening to burn him as memories began to cloud his judgment. “yeah, there were things i liked about it-” he said simply, his hand now clenched so that the single strip of metal is now out of sight. it had all been in the past, though. 

instead of elaborating, adrian offers to listen to willow talk about her past life. this was the kind of moment the two would fall into but then soon forget the next morning when adrian was back to pretending that he only tolerated willow. “it sounds like a great way to wake up.” there’s a simple smile on his lips, but rather being filled with pity, it’s with understanding. “i had a black lab back in the day. she was a beauty - but damn, could she fucking sleep all day.” 

talking about home seemed to be working - he was opening up, even if it was only a little. willow didn’t know why she had such an urge to connect with the boy,  lord knows he didn’t want to connect with her. but still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to him. she could see there was good in him, whether it be deep down or not. everyone in the group was running from something, and willow was determined to learn more.

“like what?” she asked, daring to prod further. her eyes searched his face carefully, her thumbs twiddling in her lap as her teeth nibbled on her bottom lip. it was nerve wracking, trying to figure out the different members of the group. although it wasn’t her choice to be here there was nothing she could do about it now - if she was going to be with them 24/7, the least she could do is try to connect with them. “do you ever wonder what it’d be like if ya’ stayed?” she questioned in her southern drawl. “what did ya’ want to be when you grew up?” 

a chuckle escaped her lips at his next word, her minds’ eye picturing a lazy black lab sleeping on adrian’s lap. “labs are the laziest breed, but one of the sweetest best friends you could ever ask for.” her voice was laced with amusement, animals having always been something she cared deeply about. “i had my sheepdog otis, two guinea pigs named triscuit and trudy and a whole litter of barn kittens at one point. everyone used to joke that i was dr. doolittle.” she said with a laugh. 

[theclassicsreader]

She was as easy to find in that crowd as a rose among nettles. Everything was made bright by her. She was the smile that shed light on all around her.

Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (via theclassicsreader)

[heartial]

ro·se·ate

/ˈrōzēˌāt/

adjective resembling a rose especially in color.

overly optimistic; viewed favorably.

[willcwclarke]

your six word story — "you, you deserve to be happy"

she looked sad. 

he had seen her around for the past few days, her bright hair hard to miss in a crowd. most people that passed through were the same: outlaws on the run, trying to hide from their problems back home. but she - she was different, that he knew from just looking at her. she didn’t seem like the rest; she wasn’t glad to be here, she wasn’t running. she looked trapped.

even with an underlying aura of sadness that seemed to float around her, he couldn’t help but notice that she was beautiful. yes, she was physically gorgeous but there was something deeper about her, something that shone from within. that was where the real beauty lived within her, that much he knew but just looking at her. 

he admired from afar for as long as he could, not wanting to cause the girl any distress, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t shake the feeling that she was something special. 

he couldn’t stop himself from approaching her this time, the sadness behind her eyes evident from across the room of the abandoned saloon. he approached cautiously, not wanting to startle her in any way. a crooked smile pulled at his lips as he leaned against the bar beside her, her own soft smile seemingly warming up the damp room. 

“well hiya,” her voice rang, laced with friendliness. “what can i do ya for?” she asked with a laugh, her head motioning towards the empty liquor bottles.

a chuckle escaped his own lips, his shoulders lifting in a shrug. he hadn’t expected her to be so welcoming - he hadn’t even said a word and she had already brightened his day. she continued to look at him, brows arched in curiousity as he stood before her.

“sorry,” he started, realizing he had yet to speak, “i’m adam. nice to meet you..” he paused, realizing he didn’t know her name. weird - he felt like he knew her, yet he didn’t even know something as simple as her name. 

“willow.” she finished, holding her hand out to shake his. “pleasure’s all mine.” she said, smile stretching across her face. 

“you’re with the bandits, huh?” he asked, fingers tapping against the counter. “you guys are sort of famous around here. what’s a girl like you doing caught up with a grimy group like them?” 

as soon as the words left his mouth her smile faltered, and there it was - the sadness behind her eyes. he couldn’t help but want to reach out and hold her, tell her everything was going to be alright. 

“ah,” he said, slowly lowering himself onto the stool beside her. “not by choice, i’m guessing?” she nodded her head in response, her bright hair falling over her shoulders in loose waves. he bit his bottom lip, wanting to choose his next words wisely. 

“look - i know we don’t know each other,” he started, gaze fixated on hers, “and this is going to sound really, really weird but i can’t shake the feeling that you deserve much more than this.” his arms motioned around them. “i can tell you’re a good person. i know that sounds weird, but i just know.” 

her eyes searched his face for a moment, eyes glazed over with what he assumed were tears she wasn’t letting fall. “you don’t know a thing about me.” she said quietly, almost under her breath.

“you’re right.” he started, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. “but i do know one thing. you, you deserve to be happy. i don’t know how i know it, but i do. and i just wanted to tell you that.” 

before she could say anything else he was out of his seat and through the door, leaving her there with her mouth slightly open, a single tear falling down her cheek. 

[willcwclarke]

ofxlogan‌:

He reached for Willow’s sandwich when it was clear she wasn’t going to finish, Logan flashing her a corked smile as he took a large bite. Sixteen was younger than he would’ve guessed, for her to stop the pageant circuit. He would’ve believed her if she’d said she was still in them, right up until the point of capture. 

At her question, he gave a half-hearted shrug. Truth be told, his sister and Willow were a lot alike; she probably would’ve been pretty good at the pageant life too. But ever the protective older brother, he didn’t take kindly to the idea.

“— Sadie.” he supplied, when Willow asked. That was a life Logan had left behind a long time ago, but he wondered how she was doing almost every day. Probably better now that he was gone, all things considered. 

Logan didn’t offer any other information. He knew she would probably pry, as the gang tended to do when it came to him, but this was one he wouldn’t budge on.

He finished the remainder of the sandwich in two more bites, and dusted his hands off onto the floor.

“Pretty name.” she said, offering up a smile as he took her sandwich from her. How the rest of the gang ate stuff like that she would never understand. Where Willow came from, food was important - if your Mama didn’t make the best dish every gathering, something wasn’t right. Living off of vending machine food wasn’t doing her any good. She found herself dreaming of a homecooked meal each and every night.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Logan chowing down on her soggy sandwich as she chanced a glance at him every few seconds. He was hard to read, but Willow was sure she was cracking him the tiniest bit - her mother had always said she had a gift in reading people. He seemed cracked; not broken, but on the mend. There was a reason he had joined this group of bandits, after all.

“Y’know,” she started, getting up from her rickety seat, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone finish food as fast as you do. Let me guess - you won every pie eatin’ contest at the fair, didn’t ya?” She said with a chuckle. She held out her hand to him, half of it covered by the tattered fabric of her hand-me-down sweater. “Shall we go for a gander?” She asked, brow cocked.