rcmantisized

[rcmantisized]

                        “tulio,  i’ve  just  had  the  grandest  idea.”  never  mind  the  fact  that  miguel  had  just  busted  through  the  door  to  tulio’s  room  without  any  warning  ---  he  had  an  idea,  that’s  all  that  mattered.  “hear  me  out,  hear  me  out  ---  altivo  needs  a  brother  or  sister.  he  told  me  himself.  our  bond  is  strong,  but  he  needs  something  stronger.” //  @tuilos​

[rcmantisized]

chiarxscurx​:

Joy hadn’t wished to make Lena feel bad for offering a tea date for the two of them - they sincerely hoped smiling through the piping hot drink was convincing enough. Besides, this was more about enjoying each other’s company than it was the tea or cookies, wasn’t it? And no teacher was around to slap their elbows if they rested on the table… “Well, not all-that green, but I suppose it might be fun to learn! We had flowers planted in our garden professionally, usually, I’m sure it’s not much different than that? Only tinier!” The blonde’s eyebrows shot up, imaging how adorable their terrace might look, “Oh, we should do it together then, it’ll be like our little project!”

                        it  was  at  times  like  these  marlena  wished  she  had  asked  more  questions.  the  whole  point  of  this  get-together  was  to  get  to  know  joy  more,  but  they  continued  to  surprise  her  with  little  things  she’d  pick  up  on  in  their  conversations.  the  offer  prompted  a  raised  eyebrow  from  lena.  “are  you  sure  you’d  like  that?”  her  hands  fidgeted  with  the  cloth  napkin  in  her  lap.  “i  mean..  i’ve  never  really  done  that  type  of  thing.  how  d’you  know  i  won’t  destroy  your  whole  garden  with  my  clumsy  thumbs?”

[rcmantisized]

secondstcr​:

               THIS WAS THE first time ever wendy got to join a meeting of this high importance – a famous author was coming in to discuss a new book which they wanted for the company she interned at to publish. it was beyond exciting, and she had been preparing for this for days ( even though her main task was sitting in silence and listening, taking notes ). the brunette was relieved that marlena was with her. the woman was quite resourceful, right ? surely she could help out. “ are you sure ? “, the eldest darling asked, panic clearly present in her voice. wendy was not one to panic easily, she was in fact quite good at remaining level-headed, even in difficult situations. but right now, she felt defeated because it was so important to her that everything went perfect. this was far from perfect. “ about an hour, a little less. “, she answered her friend’s question. upon the suggestion of going to marlena’s flat, wendy looked around as if she needed to be reminded where exactly they were. “ your flat… it’s not that far, right ? “, the girl asked, trying to keep a clear head.

                        marlena  picked  up  on  the  panic  in  her  friend’s  voice  and  tried  her  best  to  soothe  her,  easing  her  concerns  with  words  of  encouragement.  she  had  been  in  wendy’s  shoes  (  ironic,  no?  )  before  and  knew  it  would  be  best  not  to  heighten  the  tension.  “we  can  do  it.”  marlena  gave  a  decisive  nod  and  wrapped  her  arm  around  wendy’s  shoulder.  with  roughly  an  hour  to  work  with,  she  was  certain  they  could  find  a  suitable  replacement.  she  had  done  more  with  less  pressure  in  the  past.  with  her  arm  around  the  petite  girl’s  shoulders,  marlena  led  the  way  with  haste  toward  macguffin  flats.  “what  size  are  you  again?  if  you  don’t  fit  mine,  i  can  probably  borrow  a  pair  from  elle.  i’m  sure  she  won’t  mind.”

[rcmantisized]

rcpunzcl​:

( @fantasiafallsstarters​ ) 

“I’m supposed to be working on a draft sketch of the prince for this new book I’m illustrating…” Realizing she was about to potentially give away information that she’d signed a contract not to talk about, Rapunzel pursed her lips. “Don’t ask what it’s about –it’s top secret. What I can tell you is that he’s supposed to be handsome and dashing and I just can’t seem to get his nose right. I didn’t realize that would be so important,” the brunette sighed, placing down her pencil in favor for her sugary sweet iced coffee that sat beside her sketch book. “Talk about frustrating.”

                        “maybe  you  can  draw  inspiration  from  my  nose?”  marlena’s  fingertips  tapped  along  the  bridge  of  her  nose  while  she  nearly  went  cross-eyed  trying  to  admire  it.  “it’s  quite  cute,  isn’t  it?  maybe  too  feminine  for  a  dashing  prince,  but..”

[rcmantisized]

elsaxarendellex​:

@rcmantisized​ *throws snowball at*

      AS OF LATE, no matter where she went, she always seemed to be watched. It’s like, they were worried that she would lose control or something. And she might, but that didn’t need to matter to them because it’s not like they were the ones that had powers and had to deal with them, or regretted them either. From where she’s stretching in the park after her run, Elsa lets out a sigh as she feels a tingling sensation go down her back. Now there really was someone watching her. Turning around, Elsa spotted a woman staring at here. She eyed the woman out of the corner of her eye, noting that she did indeed keep on staring at her but so, Elsa decided to do the one thing that was, well, her. “I’m sorry, but have I got something on my face? Or are you just looking at me because….?”.

                        it’s  not  the  first  time  marlena  has  been  caught  being  so  blatantly  obvious.  it’s  just  that  some  people  happen  to  be  too  eye-catching  not  to  stare,  and  this  woman  ---  well,  lena  was  compelled  to  watch  her.  admire  her,  really.  there  was  a  grace  to  the  young  woman  that  marlena  found  too  alluring  to  disregard.  however,  reality  spilled  down  her  spine  like  a  bucket  of  ice  water  as  she  was  called  out.  shaking  her  head,  she  immediately  apologizes.  “i’m  so  sorry.  i  was  being  so  rude,  huh?”  she  chuckles,  hoping  to  ease  the  awkward  tension  surrounding  her.  “there’s..  nothing  on  your  face.  i  was  just  staring  because..”  but  she  trails  off,  unable  to  explain  with  complete  honesty.  “i  was  admiring.”

[rcmantisized]

chiarxscurx​:

“Not in the mood today, Lena,” Jules ran a hand over his forehead, a sigh of exhaustion on his lips - and it was only noon. He really, really wanted to like Lena - they’d been such great friends when they started the job around the same time. She was bubbly, creative - a lot of the things Jules wished he saw in himself. But he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t jealous that all her cases seemed to turn out with the happiest of endings, while his only broke into pieces. Sparing a glance to the piles of papers scattered around his desk, the man sighed again, “Let’s go get coffee. I don’t have a meeting till 2 and I can’t stay cooped up here.”

@rcmantisized​

                        her  lips  had  barely  parted  to  speak  before  jules  was  already  shutting  her  down.  her  frown  was  immediate,  but  she  was  grateful  he  seemed  too  distracted  by  his  paperwork  to  notice.  marlena  was  not  entirely  sure  why  her  friendship  with  jules  had  grown  so  distant  and  cold.  he  was  a  talented  man  and  pleasant  company  ---  or  used  to  be.  even  as  jaded  as  he  was  to  begin  with,  she  had  hoped  to  see  some  of  those  walls  come  down  around  him.  instead,  it  seemed  matters  only  got  worse  for  her  coworker,  and  she  hardly  knew  how  to  talk  to  him  now.  her  demeanor  perked  up,  however,  when  he  mentioned  grabbing  coffee  ---  not  only  that,  but  grabbing  coffee  together.  “sure  thing.  my  treat?”  it  was  a  small  thing  to  offer,  but  marlena  was  not  about  to  let  the  tiny  window  of  opportunity  close  up  on  her  before  they’d  even  began.

[rcmantisized]

folklorewhispers​:

                    this wasn’t part of the plan. not at all. she was supposed to be at home, unpacking and cleaning up her new place and she was actually headed that way, but when she passed by the pet shop and saw a sad-looking fish through the window glass, she knew she had to get inside. it was like her feet had a will of their own and they led her straight to that little aquarium.    “    what’s wrong, buddy ?    ”    she asked, pouting her lips when she realized he was the only fish left here.    “    oh, dear. you’re feeling lonely, aren’t you ?    ”    she could communicate with animals and she felt her heart breaking a little when the small fish agreed with her. she tapped the glass with one of her fingertips and whispered something to the marine creature, not even realizing that somebody could overhear her conversation with the fish.    ( @fantasiafallsstarters​ )

                        it  had  to  have  been  sheer  dumb  luck  that  miguel  had  not  made  ten  different  stops  to  chat  or  windowshop  along  his  journey  to  the  pet  store.  altivo  was  in  need  of  some  fresh  dog  food  and,  since  tulio  never  wanted  the  dog  in  the  first  place  (  but  loved  him  dearly  nonetheless  ),  miguel  always  tried  to  handle  all  the  pet  care  needs.  with  a  bag  of  dog  food  slung  over  his  shoulder,  the  conman  was  making  his  way  toward  the  checkout  when  he  spotted  something  that  made  him  do  a  double-take.  the  young  woman  was  lovely,  but  that’s  not  all  that  stopped  him  from  carrying  on  about  his  business.  he  could  have  imagined  it,  sure;  his  imagination  ran  rampant  sometimes  ---  but  he  could  almost  swear  she  was  talking  to  a  fish.  not  only  that,  but  it  almost  seemed  like..  the  fish  was  communicating  back.  eyebrow  quirked,  miguel  let  out  a  soft,  disbelieving  chuckle  before  casually  asking,  “you,  uh..  you  asking  if  that  little  guy  wants  to  go  home  with  you?”

[rcmantisized]

cristianopisani​:

@fantasiafallsstarters​

“So… what exactly is that?” Cris asked with a bit confused look on his face eventhough he tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible. But he really had no idea what the other was offering to him. “And may I ask, why are you giving it to me?” It wasn’t his birthday or any kind of holiday that included giving gifts. So whatever this was, Cris really needed some kind of explanation to it. He knew whatever it was he wasn’t going to just throw it away when he got the first chance, because whatever it was, this person thought of him and that always meant a lot to Cris. Even if it was just a joke, it was still the thought that mattered.

                        “it’s  a  friendship  bracelet.”  he  would  never  tell  cris  that  he  found  the  thing  left  behind  at  a  restaurant  one  day  and  decided  to  take  it  home.  something  about  the  hand-woven  beading  spoke  to  him  in  a  way  he  couldn’t  quite  place  into  words,  but  upon  running  into  cristiano,  miguel  suddenly  felt  as  though  it  were  meant  to  be.  “i  just  thought  it  matched  your  eyes,”  he  explained  with  a  halfhearted  shrug.  “and  frankly  no  friendship  is  completely  solidified  without  a  piece  of  jewelry  saying  so.”

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(  diego  boneta,  cismale,  he/him  )╰  ✧  ˔  ⭒  magic  is  in  the  air  !  oh  wait  -  that’s  just  my  old  friend,  MIGUEL  VIVES,  the  TWENTY-EIGHT  year  old  CON  ARTIST.  they’ve  lived  in  rome  pines  for  ages,  so  everyone  knows  that  they’re  ENTHUSIASTIC  and  IMPULSIVE,  just  like  MIGUEL  from  THE  ROAD  TO  EL  DORADO.  they  may  not  have  any  magic  in  them,  but  the  neighborhood  sure  knows  them  from  their  MADDENING  HERO  COMPLEX  &  A  CONSTANT  TRICK  UP  HIS  SLEEVE.  apparently,  they  are  EAGER  about  meeting  these  magical  citizens  from  pastoral  city,  so  let’s  just  hope  they  will  get  along  with  their  new  neighbors…⭒˔  ╮  {  ooc:  gray,  25,  cst,  she/her  }  

what is there to say?

                        miguel  has  had  an  overactive  imagination  since  he  was  formed  in  the  womb,  and  he  would  insist  on  this  as  fact  if  you  asked.  while  his  sister  appeared  to  get  all  the  brains  (  alleged  ),  miguel  certainly  got  all  the  personality  ---  and  the  good  looks,  he’d  say.  miguel  never  seems  to  run  out  of  energy.  he  gave  his  family  hell  throughout  childhood,  and  they  were  almost  disappointed  to  see  it  carry  on  into  his  adolescence  and  ever  further  into  adulthood.  needless  to  say,  he  never  quite  met  their  expectations,  but  they  can’t  say  they’re  too  disappointed  in  him  either.

                        his  childhood  was  nothing  special,  but  he  turned  everything  into  an  adventure.  the  monkey  bars  at  the  playground  were  jungle  tree  limbs  and  that  shiny  penny  on  the  ground  was  lost  treasure,  belonging  to  the  most  mystical  creature  on  this  earth.  he  earned  a  skinned  knee  in  war  against  a  dragon,  and  he’s  saved  the  world  more  times  than  he  could  count.  miguel  could  take  the  most  boring  thing  in  this  world  and  turn  it  into  something  magical.  it  really  should  be  no  surprise  how  convincing  he  is  at  his  job  ---  if  you  can  even  call  it  that.

                        miguel  and  tulio  have  waged  imaginary  battles  and  won  fantastical  wars  and  lived  as  gods  among  men  for  decades  in  their  own  bubble  of  the  world.  their  bond  goes  beyond  friendship.  one  would  argue  they  were  meant  to  find  each  other,  the  missing  piece  that  made  the  other  whole.  they  have  been  inseparable  since  childhood,  a  natural  fit  since  day  one.  and  so  it  seemed  just  as  natural  to  go  into  business  together  ---  the  conning  business.

                        miguel  has  a  blast  playing  his  many  roles  in  his  and  tulio’s  little  slab  of  paradise  in  rome  pines.  sometimes  he’s  a  healer,  sometimes  he’s  a  potion-maker,  sometimes  he  has  visions  ---  but  he  is  all  the  time  lying.  lying  to  himself  more  than  anyone,  unfortunately.  for  as  much  as  he  tricks  people,  he  really  is  tricking  himself  in  believing  he’s  making  a  genuine  difference  in  the  world.  for  all  his  ill  deeds  in  this  world,  miguel’s  heart  is  ten  sizes  too  big  and  that’s  really  all  he  wants  ---  to  make  a  difference.  and  maybe  he’s  convinced  himself  he  has  that  capability.

as far as charms go,

                        big  himbo  energy  miguel  is  full  to  the  brim  with  charisma.  he  is  a  laugh  and  a  half.  he  enjoys  smiling  and  making  those  around  him  smile.  he  is  loyal  to  a  fault,  it  seems.  tulio  never  can,  never  has,  and  never  will  do  any  wrong  in  miguel’s  eyes  and  the  same  goes  for  most,  if  not  all,  the  people  in  his  life.  his  role  in  the  conning  business  relies  heavily  on  performative  magic  ---  miguel  is  here  to  put  on  a  show  and  to  fill  his  pockets  at  the  end  of  the  day.  he  is  creative,  imaginative,  quick  on  his  feet  (  though  not  as  quick  as  tulio,  respectively  )  he  longs  for  adventure  in  the  great  wide  somewhere  (  lookin’  at  YOU,  belle  )  but  most  of  all,  he  wants  to  be  remembered  for  all  the  great  things  he’s  done  ---  even  if  they’re  all  a  farce.

                        on  the  flip  side,  miguel  has  a  jealous  streak  in  him.  he  is  needy  for  attention  and  often  quite  annoying  over  it.  he’s  also  quite  impulsive,  to  the  point  that  tulio  has  had  to  bail  him  out  on  multiple  occasions.  he  prefers  to  act  first,  think  later  ---  or  even  not  at  all  as  long  as  things  are  going  well  for  him.

his feelings about the collide

                        miguel  is  super  invested  in  the  magical  people  from  pastoral  city.  he  clearly  does  not  share  the  same  concerns  as  tulio  about  getting  caught  for  their  false  gifts.  instead,  he  likes  to  think  he  can  enhance  his  ‘gifts’,  whether  that  be  learning  actual  magic  from  a  fairy  creature  or  a  witch,  or  that  he  can  pick  up  on  the  true  mannerisms  of  magic-wielders  to  create  a  more  convincing  performance.  he  has  a  much  more  optimistic  view  on  his  new  neighbors  than  the  rome  pines  natives,  but  thank  the  gods  he  has  tulio  to  keep  his  feet  on  the  ground,  lest  he  truly  put  their  business  asunder.

let’s talk wanted connections.

                        i  want  them  ALL,  as  per  usual.  but  really  though  ---  miguel  can  be  connected  to  just  about  anyone  in  just  about  any  way.  i’d  always  love  some  friendships  outside  of  his  relationship  with  tulio.  they’re  attached  at  the  hip  98%  of  the  time,  but  that  leaves  2%  for  outsiders!  past  flings,  maybe?  i’m  not  sure  i  see  anything  long  term  from  his  past,  but  he  knows  how  to  talk  a  stranger  into  bed.  clients,  of  course!  regulars  or  newcomers,  alike!  he’s  always  thrilled  to  put  on  a  show.  a  magical  mentor?  someone  who  maybe  doesn’t  know  any  better  and  truly  thinks  he  wants  to  learn  for  the  right  reasons  (  which  he  does,  lowkey,  but  like..  he’s  still  a  con!  )  people  who  ABSOLUTELY  do  not  believe  anything  he  does  or  says,  with  good  reason.  but  really  ---  i  will  take  almost  anything  you  want  to  throw  our  way!

[rcmantisized]

miguel vives tag dump !

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patchwcrkheart​:

There was something instantly captivating about the Anderson observatory that caused Sally to gravitate towards it. Maybe it was the scientific vibe that the building gave off that reminded her of home in a strange way or her fascination with the stars, but Sally found herself making her way up the mountain and stopping at the top to take in the view of her new home. She wasn’t worried, relying a bit on her visions to guide her that there was no danger being up there as the day turned to dusk. Hearing the footsteps of someone behind her, Sally turned to face her company. “The view is breathtaking, isn’t it?” // @fantasiafallsstarters​

                        the  heart  of  bald  mountain  ---  it’s  quite  the  journey  for  one  to  partake  in,  but  the  payoff  is  oh-so  worth  it  in  marlena’s  eyes.  one  would  think  the  observatory  to  be  a  big  hit  (  and  it  is,  in  its  own  way  )  but  it’s  almost  like  a  hole-in-the-wall  for  rome  pines.  the  labs  and  the  telescope  were  impressive,  but  marlena  mostly  came  for  the  view.  the  air  is  thinner  at  the  top  of  the  mountain,  but  the  blonde  carries  onward  with  determination  to  reach  the  top  before  sunset.  imagine  her  surprise  to  find  she  wasn’t  the  only  one  admiring  the  view  this  evening.  “it  truly  is.”  marlena  suddenly  remembered  her  manners  as  she  quickly  added,  “i  hope  i’m  not  interrupting  you.  i  just  ---  i  wasn’t  expecting  anyone  to  be  up  here  tonight.”

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beaulumiere​:

@rcmantisized​

“marlena!” he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as his friend walked up the drive, excitement bubbling over on his face and in his body language. “i’ve sequestered charlie in his office for the night, so we’ll be uninterrupted.” he’d missed their wine nights, and had found that as they got older, they had become a little less frequent. but there was no time like the present to start doing them with regularity again, so he’d invited her over and, just as he’d said, sequestered charlie in his office to occupy himself with work. “i got the cheapest wine i could find, so it’ll be just like the good old days.”

                        the  invitation  came  as  a  small  surprise,  but  marlena  was  delighted  nonetheless.  while  she  and  beau  maintained  a  strong  bond  over  the  phone,  they  had  unfortunately  seen  less  and  less  of  each  other  in  person  as  the  years  carried  on.  it  is  as  the  story  goes,  of  course  ---  life  happens  and  whatnot,  but  it  only  made  marlena  appreciate  their  time  together  that  much  more.  she  nearly  squealed  with  joy  as  she  closed  the  distance  between  them  to  wrap  beau  in  a  tight  hug.  “oh,  i’ve  missed  you  so!  ---  but  you  know  you  don’t  have  to  hide  your  husband  away  from  us  the  whole  night,”  she  teased,  releasing  her  grip  on  him.  “then  again,  he  may  prefer  it  that  way.”  she  laughed  and  clapped  her  hands  together.  “i  am  so  ready  to  reenact  the  good  ole  days  ---  i  even  brought  snacks!  would  you  help  me  get  them  from  the  car?”

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Annie Murphy as Alexis Rose in Schitt’s Creek 4.08 The Jazzaguy

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eloisewvtscn​:

“matchmaker?” elle blinked a couple times and laughed gleefully. there was such joy that came from being around marlena–someone who understood her, who had stood by her. yes, princes and dreams and romantic gestures were all well and good–and surely something elle wouldn’t pass by–but there was something to be said for a solid and true friendship. nothing could ever hold a candle to that. elle’s blue eyes caught her friend sneaking the snack cakes, but she figured she’d let the woman have it–after all, she had been kind enough to help her clean it up. “of course we’re going to share–you can’t possibly think i’d eat them all by myself!” even though it was more than likely she would. “oh–ice cream–now that’s a brilliant idea! i think that’s just what we need. maybe we can do a movie marathon when we get back? you pick the genre this time–and then we let the tv decide the rest? a little game of netflix roulette?”

                        marlena  gave  her  friend  the  side-eye.  “you  say  that  as  if  i  don’t  know  for  a  fact  that  you  can  eat  all  of  those  in  one  sitting.  i  know  you,  elle.”  it  wasn’t  as  though  marlena  was  innocent  of  this  either.  when  her  sweet  tooth  kicked  in,  there  was  no  stopping  her.  her  grin  widened  as  elle  indulged  her  ice  cream  dreams,  eyes  drifting  toward  the  frozen  foods  with  anticipation.  “you  know,  i  have  wondered  how  the  ‘shuffle’  feature  on  netflix  works.  i’d  like  to  see  what  it  suggests  for  us.”  based  on  their  search  history,  marlena  had  an  inkling  whatever  it  suggested,  it  would  be  cheesy,  romantic,  or  maybe  even  musical.  the  girls’  tastes  might  be  a  tad  predictable,  but  boy  ---  do  they  enjoy  themselves.  marlena  swiped  the  last  carton  to  place  back  on  the  shelf  and  rose  to  her  feet.  “well,  we  should  probably  combine  groceries,  yeah?  we  don’t  really  need  duplicates,”  she  said,  already  seeing  a  few  common  items  between  their  two  carts.

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eloisewvtscn​:

“i don’t see why you would need too–that sounds as perfect as can be!” elle nudged her best friend, returning her grin with exuberance. “bu you hardly need it lena–you’re an absolute catch without a special phone number. anyone would be lucky to scoop you up.” a pause passed over the blonde as she considered it. “well, it surely can’t be that hard–and I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be a hit with some people. i’d say its worth a shot.” she teased, adjusting her own basket on her arm for better weight distribution. “well consider me shocked and awed. you’re really to sweet though–and i’m sorry i got in your way! i could always leave and let you handle the rest–so long as I get to keep the mint oreos!” She giggled as she bent to help her out. “oh psh, sometimes when you see something you want, you have to go get it. i just didn’t expect to make such a spectacle of myself.”  

                        lena’s  nose  scrunched  at  the  compliment  and  she  tossed  her  old  friend  a  coy  smile,  avoiding  the  urge  to  poke  her  tongue  out  teasingly.  she  and  elle  had  spent  so  many  evenings  gushing  over  their  knights  in  shining  armor,  their  happily  ever  afters,  and  while  maybe  not  everything  had  come  true  (  yet  ),  marlena  couldn’t  help  but  think  this  is  her  happy  ending  ---  being  in  the  love  and  light  of  her  truest  friends.  “i’ve  never  played  matchmaker  before,  but  i  suppose  it’s  always  worth  a  shot,  huh?”  her  hand  landed  on  some  snack  cakes,  which  she  discreetly  (  not  discreetly  )  tucked  under  her  arm  for  later.  “the  mint  oreos  can  stay  as  long  as  we  share.  that  reminds  me,  though  ---  you  want  some  mint  chocolate  chip  ice  cream?  i  was  thinking  about  grabbing  some  when  i  bumped  into  you,  actually.”  elle  was  not  the  only  one  with  a  love  for  mint  chocolate  mixes.

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eloisewvtscn​:

“lena, you are an angel–but we both know you did,” elle giggled slightly, taking her roommates hand with a sheepish grin. if anyone was to have seen her, she was glad it was marlena. the woman had seen her do worse, she was sure–though not much worse than looking rather pathetic in the cookie aisle of a local grocery store. nevertheless, a friendly, familiar face was all she really needed to bounce back from her mortification. “oh, do you have one of those people just…hanging out somewhere we could call up? a personal prince charming hotline, perhaps?” she teased lightly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she looked at the mess she made. “oh dear, can’t leave this here–but wait, what are you doing here?” her smile slid into a sly smirk as she gave her roommate a quizzical look.

                        marlena  laughed  and  hoisted  elle  to  her  feet.  “you  know,  if  they  had  a  prince  charming  hotline,  i’d  never  get  off  the  phone.”  she  joked  with  a  roll  of  her  eyes.  “but  while  we’re  talking  about  it,  we  may  as  well  invent  it  ourselves,  right?  patent  pending.”  lena  scooted  her  cart  off  to  the  side  so  she  would  not  block  traffic  and  her  gaze  moved  over  the  spilled  sweets  on  the  floor.  “well  the  plan  was  to  surprise  you  with  grocery  shopping  i’ve  done  all  by  myself.”  she  briefly  gestured  to  her  semi-full  cart  of  groceries  before  stooping  low  to  help  clean  the  mess.  “but  clearly  you  had  the  same  idea  today  and  my  timing  couldn’t  have  been  more  perfect.  only  you  could  make  such  a  mess  out  of  the  sweets  aisle.”

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toothlove​:

@rcmantisized

IN THE WEEKS since she had assumed her position in rome pines’ historical city hall as an interning clerk, tatiana had come to learn quite a lot about the natives of her charming, newfound home. for one, she learned— and rather quickly— that many of them did not care for her knowing the personal details of their lives. whether or not she meant to learn them didn’t seem to matter. she had tried explaining, on n u m e r o u s occasions, how immediately her power seemed to work ; how impossible it was to “ flip a switch, ” to turn it off, to un-know.       ( the memories came to her unbidden ; there was nothing she could do but accept them ). even the simple and clerical acts of fetching someone’s briefcase or borrowing a pen had become decidedly off-limits for tatiana, now. nobody wanted the intimacies of their childhoods exposed at a mid-morning meeting. 

far less dangerous, her superiors had decided, was tatiana knowing their coffee orders. and so she stood in line at kiki’s once again, her foot tapping with absent impatience as she waited on the barista to compile her order into an array of cardboard carriers, her eyes snapping to the watch at her wrist every couple of seconds. 

in between glances, tatiana scanned the coffee shop, which seemed almost to hum with customers. it was in this absent appraisal that she caught the act of a jacket slipping from the back of someone’s chair, crumpling delicately to the tiled floor. tatiana cast a spare glance over the counter, before stepping out of line — the table was only a short distance from her, and her order was clearly not ready. in a blur, she knelt to retrieve the jacket ; then stood and cleared her throat. “um– excuse me,” she started, strobing a smile. “i noticed your jacket fell. i thought it might get stepped on.” she proffered the item as proof, extending it at arms length toward the pretty blonde who sat before her. even once the jacket was accepted, tatiana’s smile held on her face. she opened her mouth to depart, and — almost as if she could not help herself — blurted, instead,                        “the orphanage — what was that like?” 

                        daydreaming  had  never  been  so  all-consuming  for  marlena,  but  in  the  days  following  rome  pines’  new  arrivals,  she  had  had  the  hardest  time  focusing  on  much  else.  coffee  usually  helped;  actually  enjoying  the  coffee  while  in  the  comfy  confines  of  the  coffee  shop  nearly  always  remedied  her  lack  of  focus.  but  it  seemed  today,  her  mind  truly  was  at  a  loss  as  she  sat  quietly  by  herself  and  tapped  a  pen  against  the  padding  of  a  file  too  thick  to  mean  good  things.  her  coffee  remained  mostly  untouched,  just  out  of  reach  of  her  left  hand,  and  her  gaze  was  fixated  on  nothing  in  particular.  she  could  not  tell  you  where  her  mind  went,  but  she  knew  she  was  not  as  present  as  she  could  be  ---  or  perhaps,  should  have  been.

                        the  movement  behind  her  caused  no  alarm.  she  hardly  noticed  that  her  leather  jacket  had  slipped  from  the  back  of  the  chair.  but  it  was  the  cleared  throat  that  managed  to  jar  marlena  back  to  the  real  world  and  she  turned  toward  her  unexpected  company  with  a  grateful  smile.  “oh,  thank  you!  you’re  a  life-saver.”  while  she  wouldn’t  call  herself  materialistic,  marlena  did  appreciate  some  of  the  finer  things  in  life  ---  and  that  included  her  wardrobe.  as  she  reached  to  retrieve  her  jacket  from  the  other  woman,  she  expected  perhaps  a  bit  of  small  talk,  but  was  instead  met  with  a  question  that  landed  right  in  her  gut.

                        her  smile  slipped  as  her  mind  registered  the  unexpected  question  and  marlena  searched  the  dark-haired  woman’s  features  for  anything  remotely  familiar.  how  else  could  she  have  known  marlena  from  the  orphanage  if  she  hadn’t,  in  fact,  been  involved  with  it  somehow?  but  her  scan  had  garnered  no  results,  her  mind  blank.  “i’m..  sorry  ---  have  we  met?”