avaxthompson

[avaxthompson]

WITH › @ligtas LOCATION › the cafe

"Well...shit." The blonde watched as her iPhone faded to black and the outline of a battery appeared on the screen before going completely dark. With how common this occurrence was, one would think Ava would learn to keep a spare in the car or somewhere in her purse. There's another swear that slips past her lips as blue hues glance around the cafe for a solution until she saw him. That signature smile taking root on her features as she approached the familiar looking man seated alone at a small table by the window. "Hi, Marino! It's so good to see you." Though as soon as her gaze looked onto the man before her, surprise flickered over her face. "Oh, you're not--I'm sorry, I thought you were an old friend of mine." Her body moved as if to step away, retreat to her seat, but something in her caused her to turn back, holding up the phone. "You wouldn't happen to have an iPhone charger with you, though?"

[avaxthompson]

The little voice that rang throughout the house had Ava's head whipping up from the laptop before her. A bright smile already spreading across her lips. "Hi, baby gorgeous!" Cece's cute face was nearly hidden behind the box of pink bulbs, so Ava had extended an arm to lend a hand. "Let me help you with your Barbie lights."

Her gaze flickered up to brunette as her face contorted into a look of shock and confusion. "39 hours?!?" It was absolutely dumbfounding, though the feeling hadn't been relished in long as Cece's little hand taken Ava's free one to tug her up from her seat. "Are you kidding? I love Christmas decorating. It's my favorite holiday! And what better than a Barbie tree?? You know, Cece, you're really onto something with that idea."

TO: @avaxthompson

"Ava! Ava!" Cece cheered as she ran towards the blonde, a box of pink bulbs held tightly against her small little chest, looking 2 times her size. Once she got up to her, she tried her best to hold up the box. "Mommy said you'd help me decorate the tree in my room!" She squealed, "I want a pink Barbie tree!" Camila followed up behind her child, offering a smile to her wife. "To be fair, I offered to help, but she said she wanted you. So, now you're doing it while I sit back and drink Tequila thinking about the 39 hours of labor I had to endear to bring this little brat into the world." Cece whipped her head up at her mom and gave her a look, "Hey! I'm not a brat! I'm just a baby." Cami smiled at her child, shaking her head at the cute attempt of looking tough. "Sure." She replied, then looking up at Ava, "I hope you're cool with this... we kind of overdo it in the Moreno house during Christmas."

[avaxthompson]

There's a chortle of a noise that erupted from Ava akin to a mixture of a scoff and a laugh of some sort in response to her sister's quip. The audaciously thin stem was spun between her fingers momentarily, as her lips pursed in faux thought. "Chardonnay. I'll fetch you a glass." Despite that statement, she hadn't so much as moved from her place more than one step forward, and one step back--as if rocking to and from how she'd be bringing up this new revelation. "However...." A sing-songy voice lifted the vowels that accompanied that mischievous glint in her eye. "Shouldn't you be avoiding alcohol? You know, considering...." Her head canted, to allow her gaze to seek out her sisters, as one hand lifted the glass to her lips for a drawn out sip before she whispered "the baby thing."

Christmas at the Thompson family home was always a tradition and despite the incredible cold front that both the sisters were going through—she knew better than to skip out and invite her mother’s wrath. So she’d entered the foyer and called out to her mother, trying her best to keep her happy mask in place as she got ready to face the two ladies who truly did know her better than she’d realized. Ava had been right in calling Elena out the last time they’d spoken but that didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt or that she wasn’t displeased with her sister’s words aimed at her. 

Of course while she was feeling this way with her sister’s martial status—it was brought to her attention that now Ava also had ammunition to throw her way since Eren had disclosed approaching Ava first in regards to this whole sperm donor situation which meant her sister had found yet another thing that Elena had kept from her. “My timing has always been impeccable,” she returned before she reached over and took hold of that stocking before giving her sister another smile. “What are you drinking? And is it strong enough?” Because the reality was that they’d both need something strong to get through this evening which was going to be strenuous at the very least. 

[avaxthompson]

"Ah, a Stanford guy. I've met a few like you." She's almost certain she's dated a guy or two that attended that place. The kind her mother would have loved. With an education to be proud of. The kind of school she had been urged to attend. And though it was never Ava's style, she's quick to clear her throat, shake those thoughts away from her head that want to compartmentalize him to be just like the rest of them. That signature bright grin was returned to her face, with a nod as she began to lead him to the front of the home again. "Would you prefer to walk or drive? We can take my car. I usually drive clients to showings anyways. This time it'll be like a showing of the neighborhood!" Her hand was already digging through the Chanel bag hooked on her arm to locate the keys of the sports car in the driveway. "Oh, do you golf? The country club has a great course."

Nazim grinned at the chance to talk about Stanford. “Stanford,” he said. “The documentary hit me hard when I realized engineering could fix real problems.” He’d been such a nerdy idealist back then, thinking one guy with a calculator could save the world. The late-night documentary had his brain buzzing and here he was, proving that being a total nerd with big plans wasn’t so bad after all. Her kitchen disaster jokes made the conversation way funnier. A bistro seemed like the perfect place for him to check out, he’d only been there for a few weeks and he could use more recommendations. The choice between seeing more of the house or grabbing food was easy. “I’ll take those grilling lessons. I’d rather be watching soccer or chatting about golf than explaining the smoke alarm to the fire department again.” He once burned microwave mac and cheese so badly the whole fire squad showed up in their gear. Never again. “The bistro wins. I need a local guide to show me where the good food is anyway.”

[avaxthompson]

@amosdeleon

[avaxthompson]

Ava smiled at her thoughtfully, her arm remaining intertwined with the brunette's as they walked. There was a vulnerability in her voice, eliciting a pang of empathy rising in her chest. Though it wasn't pity--no, never. She knew the woman at her side was likely stronger than anyone else she knew. It was the fact Ava was impressed, that Feyza made it through the world and found her, and offered a mutual comfort they both seemed to be relishing in at the moment. Ava knew all too well how ghosts of the past could linger, haunting the spaces between moving on and feeling stuck. "Secret spice blend, huh? I'll take it to my grave. Scout's honor." Her tone inquisitive and playful at the same time in an attempt to lift her friend's spirits. "Oh--my favorite topic!! And don't think I'll let this slide for how long you've hid this news from me." Her free hand worked to order them a carshare, as they made their way out of the amusement park.

Feyza didn't know how, but Ava got what she meant. Like, properly got it. There was something so real about sharing stories of her parents without the awkward "I'm sorry" moments. The arm squeeze from Ava brought back a million moments with her mom - those quiet kitchen talks. Knowing she had a best friend made Feyza want to laugh and cry at once. After her parents died, she'd done the whole lone wolf thing for way too long. With Ava here, she didn't feel so alone. A simple suggestion of food therapy and cheesy movies made her heart melt. "I love that idea. And I'll even teach you my dad's secret spice blend ... at least half the recipe," she said. Her parents would've liked Ava. The whole sharing-recipes thing would've made her dad so happy. Good food and bad movies with someone who understood ... that was exactly what she needed right now. "Let's go. I have to update you on my dating life too."

[avaxthompson]

Had she known Cristina moved back? Ava wasn't sure--seldom could the distracted woman remember what she had done the previous day, let alone what everyone in town was up to. "Wow. Well, congratulations on the move back and the new job. How are you settling in? Or back in, I should say? I'm good, I moved back last year... and I completely understand you. I already miss the cobblestone streets of Italy. My mom loves to tell me that it's inevitable for us to all flock home eventually." Her shoulder lifted and fell in a nonchalant shrug. The anecdote from her mother had done little to no good for Ava's ever wandering thoughts. Unlikely was it to believe it would do any sort of good for Cristina, either. Though her habit to rattle off just about anything that came to mind was more so to blame.

Cristina's podcast-induced bubble bursts at the sound of Ava's voice. It's inevitable she'd bump into Nicole's friend's little sister at a bubble tea shop. The universe really has it in for her today. Her mum must have sent out a search party by now. Three missed calls aren't exactly subtle. But here's Ava, asking about Sydney like it's still home. It isn't anymore. Not since the museum job brings her back to Wilmington. "I'm back here now. Have moved back for work. Sydney was brilliant while it lasted. The Opera House never gets old. But now I'm at the Museum of History. How about you? It's been too long." She shouldn't have mentioned her work. That's bound to lead to questions about Sydney and her sudden return. Better to keep steering this chat away from that whole mess. At least Ava doesn't know about the cave incident. Everyone in this town loves asking why she came back, like moving home is some sort of defeat.

[avaxthompson]

"A mastermind, you say?" It's extremely easy to inflate Ava's already large to begin with ego. And without a moment of hesitation, her hands were on the bottle. One moving to pull it forth, the other working on maneuvering the cork out with a loud pop noise that made her burst into laughter. "Cheers to your acting skills and my... silver tongue." She had almost pressed her lips around the bottle entirely, though realizing she had just met this woman, the blonde chose decency--a rare sight to see--as she poured out two glasses of the bubbles. "Well I can't reveal all my secrets upfront. Now, can I? What kind of naive mastermind do you take me for?" Taking one flute into each hand, Ava performed a cheers to herself with a satisfactory shrug before offering one up to the brunette. "I believe I should be asking you that question. On command tears is quite the talent, darlin'."

Hazal tried not to crack up at this ridiculous but brilliant scheme. Their little act was working better than she'd expected. She actually got a kick out of pulling one over on the bartender. It made her giddy inside. She studied her new friend's expression, impressed by how naturally deception came to her. When the bartender returned with their prize, she stayed in character despite wanting to burst out laughing. "You're like some kind of social mastermind," she said, meaning it. "I bet you could talk your way into or out of anything." The hundred-dollar bill sliding across the bar made her eyes go wide. She couldn't believe someone would drop that much cash just for a bottle—this girl was either loaded or crazy. Maybe both. "What other tricks do you have up your sleeve? Because this is actually kind of fun." She was having way too much fun with this whole scheme. It felt good to let loose and be silly for once—like she was back in college before everything got so serious. And definitely before this whole stalker situation happened.

[avaxthompson]

Her glossy lips pressed into an o shape as she teased with "ooouuu look who's got car rules." Though she was quick to let out a chuckle while her head canted to one side, as if to size him up. "Classical piano is quite the surprise. I didn't take you for a Beethoven kind of guy. But I do love 2000s hip hop and rap. My first celebrity crush was Lil Wayne, believe it or not." One manicured finger reached out to poke into his arm before she was turning on her heels, already steps ahead of him while she whipped a look over her shoulder. "I'm going to start introducing you as a music critic to clients. I'm already counting down the seconds to hear this playlist of yours, hurry up."

Taking the coffee with a nod, Axel watched Ava flash that bright grin of hers. A small smile crossed his face despite his best efforts to keep it hidden. She had this way of making everything brighter. The woman was a ray of sunshine, yet she had a way of giving him a migraine too. "My car, my music—those are the rules," he said, fishing his keys from his pocket. "And lunch? You're really trying to butter me up today." His usual serious expression cracked under her sunny disposition. "A whole day with you... How will I survive?" he joked. "My playlist might surprise you. Hope you're ready for some early 2000s hip hop and rap mixed with classical piano. It's a great mix of music unlike whatever the hell the young ones are rocking to these days." Don't get him wrong, his mom didn't understand rap from back when he was a teenager either. But these days, people mumbled into a mic and dared to call it great rap. The hell?

[avaxthompson]

[avaxthompson]

WITH › @elenaxthompson LOCATION › thompson family home

As soon as Elena's voice echoed throughout the home, Ava's stomach sunk a little with a weighted sigh soon escaping her. They hadn't spoken much since that day. Since the news was sprung on Elena. Unfortunately for Elena, Ava had more news that was unlikely to bring a happy reunion for the sisters. Fortunately, for Ava, said news pertained to Elena's life this time. Her hand cradled a glass of wine, stem between her fingers, as her other hand helped busy herself with setting up the stockings on the mantel over the glass fireplace. Except her sisters wasn't placed just yet. Instead, it was held up as she glanced over her shoulder to catch sight of Elena with the corner of her lip tugging upwards in a smirk. "Great timing. You can put up your own stocking."

[avaxthompson]

In fight or flight, Ava will always choose flight. This time, however, there was nowhere far she could go. Nowhere she could run from this conversation. Or perhaps there were. Her arms found themselves tightly folded across her chest in a physical barrier that matched the defensiveness taking over her while she held her sister’s gaze. And there it was–that sigh, that air of disappointment, that stature that she presumed the entire family held against her. That Ava couldn't amount to the success that was Elena Thompson. Elena would never be in this situation. No, never. Elena was the good one. "I don't know, maybe I expected you to understand? To empathize? Or maybe, just maybe, all I expected was for you to be my sister."

As if she'd suddenly been struck by lightening, Ava's features shifted all too quickly. Hardened. Her sister had triggered a nerve. A wound that was buried deep down that made Ava feel like a vulnerable child being reprimanded. Her voice rose instinctively, frustration seeping into her tone as her emotions took over. "You want to talk about family? About telling family everything? You've been a shell of a fucking person since you got back from New York and don't think you're fooling me by saying you're back for mom. Or for whatever the hell is going on in this god damned city. You're lying." Despite the twist of guilt that pained her stomach, her blue eyes never left her sisters. "At least I told you the truth. I told you the full story when I was never supposed to tell anyone. So don't tell me I'm the fuck up. Don't you dare tell me I messed up all over again. Don't tell me that I have to be better for a family name that's dealt with worse than I could ever do."

A sharp exhale was let out, to fill the space between them before Ava was turning. Quickly. Fight mode had now transitioned to her comfort of flight as her feet were carrying her towards the door with a passive aggressive "enjoy your massage."

Elena could only stare at her younger sister when the other spoke about her promising she wouldn’t get upset. They both knew Elena had never promised any thing of the sort, because somewhere she’d known she would be upset. Of course this was slightly hypocritical since she was keeping some plans of her own from her younger sister. But Elena justified that easily by declaring she hadn’t actually made any decisions yet. So that was different. 

“You’re insane,” she murmured under her breath as soon as the other mentioned that if she asked for them to wipe the security footage where their heads would go. This entire conversation was quickly slipping out of hand and if she didn’t try to rein Ava in once more, she wouldn’t get any of her questions answered. How Ava didn’t think getting married would be a big deal was beyond her. Because this wasn’t something people just did on a whim. Okay wait, people did do it on a whim in places like Atlantic City and Vegas, but not Ava. She had to uphold that name that was attached to them. The Thompsons didn’t make drunken mistakes like that.

“I’m not going to tell her.” She said with an exasperated sigh, clearly this conversation was undoing a lot of the relaxation that Elena had felt prior to walking into this massage therapy room. “How you didn’t even bother to tell either of us before getting hitched though—I mean what were you even thinking Ava? We’re family!” And then she asked who it was and that was an answer that truly blew her away. Camila the writer. So Camila Moreno—Elena’s client. This just kept getting better and better. “Camila…my client. Wow that doesn’t make things weird at all,” she sighed as she turned around and shook her head. “I’m just…I’m not even sure what to say to you right now Ava. I thought we were close and then you go and drop this—this—bomb on me. How did you think this conversation was going to go? Hmm?” 

[avaxthompson]

Ava rarely spent much time at home. Always a person who needed to be on the go, darting from place to place. Despite having recently moved in with Camila, she'd kept her home by the beach. A minimalistic little place, but it was enough for her to not feel entirely tied down to the town. She could pick up, move, leave, flee the country whenever she so pleased. Most days, her home was used for working, or an escape from everyone. Today, it pertained to work. A manicured finger had just pressed the button to brew a new cup of coffee when the doorbell rang. Other than packages, she knew very few people who rang her front door rather than barging in.

The man on the other side of the door was especially unexpected. She took a moment to allow her blue hues to take him in, the surprise evident in her features before she'd realized she was staring a bit too long. Recovering briefly, Ava leaned onto the doorframe, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Eren? What are you doing here? Now don't tell me–don't tell me. You missed me so much you just had to come see me. Or, the more plausible, you're delivering my package from Chanel." But he wasn't holding a box...or a bag. What the hell brought him here? "If you're looking for Elena she's not here."

closed starter for @avaxthompson location: Ava's home

It hadn't been easy to find Ava's address, but Eren was impressed with his makeshift internet sleuthing skills in order to find it. But finding her was the least of his problems. Eren didn't consider himself a particularly anxious person, but he was pretty sure having to go up to your ex girlfriend's sister to ask if she had maybe used your anonymous sperm donation would make anyone a little queasy. There wasn't even someone close to him he could ask for advice since he hadn't wanted to tell anyone about the situation if it ended up going nowhere. No, it was better to handle it alone for the moment, as difficult at it was.

Pulling up to the side of the house, Eren parked and turned his car off. He groaned in frustration. Frustration with the situation, but mostly frustration with himself. How little he had thought of the true consequences of his actions all those years ago when he'd only thought about the cash. Hindsight was always 20/20, though. It was easy to judge his past self when he was no longer barely an adult and had more money than he ever thought he'd have.

Eren got out of the car and tugged his jacket closer around him. Soon he was at the front door, forcing himself to ring the doorbell. He definitely should've rehearsed what he was going to say to Ava in advance, but it was too late. Ava opened the door; Eren was pulled from the tornado of thoughts in his head and back down to reality. "Ava. Hey. It's me. Uh, Eren. Eren Ozkaya? I don't know how much you remember...." he trailed off. He was pretty sure Ava would remember him, but he didn't want to assume and cause things to be even more awkward than they already were.

[avaxthompson]

"Sounds like you're seeing me in your dreams, Thorne. Or delusions. Do you also happen to hear Mariah Carey's Obsessed during those moments?" Unfortunately for everyone, when there's a trigger of Ava's attitude, it must blossom into a fire. But for now, she held back. She doesn't want to feel this way towards the man before her–she doesn't want to carry this burden of trauma that hung like a storm cloud over her due to a handful of officers' mistakes decades ago. Hell, she had run off to Europe to escape the burden of carrying a plagued family name, drowned those traumas in temporary vices. And yet, here she was. Back in the very place she ran from, with her name hung in big letters on FOR SALE signs all over town. "I believe Young and the Restless was before my time." The coffee before her was brought to her lips for a sip, though her blue hues never left his. "Tastes lovely to me. You think bribing me with latte art is the way to win me back? Now, depends. Have you decided on a new profession? What do you think they would do on Young and the... whatever?"

He cracked up at how salty she was about the whole minding business thing. The way she gave him the cold shoulder made him want to mess with her even more. "For real though, you're straight up dodging me. I literally saw you hide behind that plant at Nash's last week." The way she smirked made him want to win this little game they had going. "Young and the Restless! That's it!" he said with a finger snap that was probably too extra. "And by the way, I think about a bunch of stuff. Like how you still won't admit my coffee slaps harder than whatever this place serves." His blue eyes lit up while he sipped the basic coffee from The Cozy Cup. Getting her riled up was way too fun to stop now. "Here's the thing ... I'll make you an offer. Stop acting like I'm a ghost, and I'll hook you up with one of those bougie lattes. You know, the ones with the cute little hearts that everyone loves. What's the verdict, Thompson? We good?"

[avaxthompson]

[avaxthompson]

Lost in the bright screen of her phone, Ava's attention was pulled back to the line when she seemingly heard a familiar voice. It happened quite often while being home over the last year. Each time feeling similar to a case of deja vu. She'd turned to match the voice to a face but the woman that she found was perhaps the last she'd expected to see. "Cristina??" Ava's eyes lit up as soon as she recognized her, as if jolted awake by childhood memories filled with their families get togethers. A smile beamed across her face while she took a moment to let her eyes access her after so long. "Oh my god.. It's been...years? How are you? How's Sydney?"

open starter : capping ( 0 / 5 )

where : bubble time !!

Cristina stands in line, lost in the latest podcast about maritime trade routes while waiting for her matcha tea. The screen of her phone shows three missed calls from her mom. She's been avoiding talking to her. Today is not the day to listen to her mother’s lecture. A tap on her shoulder makes her jump. Right. Someone's been trying to get her attention. She pulls out her earbuds, offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, did you need something?" The words came out before she notices she's blocking the way to the counter. Naturally, she is. Trust her to be that person who gets so caught up in her own world she becomes a human roadblock in the busiest bubble tea shop in Wilmington.

[avaxthompson]

If there was one thing Ava always embraced, it was taking a risk. It was in her bones, her very essence. And it was the trait that had led her straight into marrying her best friend. Well, their mutual best friend, actually. Now, as Cami worried about Ishani, how would she feel about Ava? The reassurance that she was doing fine eased some of the tension from her shoulders. With a deep breath, she followed Ishani's instructions, leaning into the turns. Her focus was so sharp that she almost missed what the brunette behind her was saying. “How’d you learn all this?” Ava called out.

She let out a bright laugh as Ava's shouts carried over the roar of the engine. "The engine's pretty loud, but you'll get used to it," she yelled back, watching her friend take another curve with smooth precision. This brought her back to those long nights spent learning the basics. "And no, Cami doesn't hate bikes—she just worries too much. Since I take too many risks." She rolled her eyes at the thought of her overprotective best friend, secretly appreciating how much Cami cared. "Let's take this next stretch nice and easy. You're doing amazing for a beginner!" Pride swelled inside her as she watched Ava having such a blast. Number one rule in riding: always have fun! "Just remember to lean into the turns—that's the secret." The wind rushed past them, carrying away her words into the afternoon air.