rhiannonfalla

[rhiannonfalla]

laracruzs​:

“Do you really think so?” Lara stretches the hem out from between her fingers, a Cheshire-cat grin enfolding across her features. It had existed as a potential. But the compliment from her friend nestles comfortably between the spaces of her bones and she basks in it. As expected, Lara takes it at face value - an original request for honesty hanging in the air between them. “Please,” she drawls. “I’m pretty sure I could ‘shake ass’ in a onesie.” A glass of wine in possession and she could do just about anything. “What are you wearing?”

Her eyes fall to the dress again, trying to fall in love with it to appease Lara’s request for reassurance. Her head tilted, resting in the palm of her hand as she admired her friend’s graceful beauty. “Babe, you make everything sexy. I don’t think it’s possible for you not to look good in anything,” she said. She giggled, a hearty sound as she envisioned Lara dropping it low in some animal onesie or another. “Honestly? Would pay to see that,” she mused. She’d pay in cash too, make it rain over her head while she danced. “Mm, I was thinking just this? Unless you have something for me,” she sang, drawing out each vowel.

[rhiannonfalla]

She plucked at her guitar strings, mimicking the immortalized riff from Whole Lotta Love with a distracted ease. Her shoulders bounced back and forth with her head, Rhia throwing in an experimental chord here and there. She ended the sequence with an abrupt note when Jacqui called to her. She had no idea her friend’s birthday was coming so soon, though she’d never thought to really ask before either. “Wow, love that for you. Happy early birthday, cutie,” Rhia enthused, cheeks strained from her smile. Her face sobered a moment later, her eyes wide and her lips pouty as she listened to Jacqui’s worry. There was notable drama happening around campus, though Rhia rarely stuck her nose in any of it, complacent to be unbothered and uninvolved. “What do you mean? Why would it be weird?” Rhia asked, tone deaf to why someone may not have been in a partying mood given their recent circumstances. “No, I say we go all out. Cake and sick music and tons of people to give you the royalty treatment,” she cooed.

who: @rhiannonfalla​ when: september 29th, mid-afternoon where: one of the music rooms

Jacqui was laying on the floor, back against the cool tile as she still held her drumsticks in her hand, absentmindedly tapping them against their thighs. Their head bobbed slowly in beat with the music they were envisioning, the post band practice time often turning into make the music room a hotbox time. That day was no exception, Jacqui and Rhia deciding to hang out after - sorta - playing together. It was also normal for them to get quite easily distracted. “You know,” Jacqui said slowly, rolling over to her stomach so she could look at Rhia. “My birthday is this week,” they added. “Think it’s weird to try and celebrate with all…that going on?” she asked, waving one of her drum sticks towards the door, the presence of the cops having returned on campus making everyone (or was that just her?) uneasy. 

[rhiannonfalla]

Rhia’s shoulder leaned into Avery’s, their personal bubbles almost nonexistent as Rhia watched her scribble from over her shoulder. She gave a small nod of her head and echoed a hum of Avery’s melody, her brain fine tuning for the perfect words. She hadn’t expected Avery to collapse beside her, though Rhia followed suit, turning to lie on her stomach. “Nothing wrong with a work in progress,” she reassured. She contemplated the line again for a moment, tucking Avery’s straight hair behind her ear. “Say a lot of words but they’re see-through,” she sang in a soft, melancholic lilt. “Never say my truth, but I know that I need you,” she said, with a light boop to the brunette’s nose, inevitably turning another lyric into a vision of romance.

CLOSED STARTER for @rhiannonfalla​ LOCATION: Avery and Nate’s Dorm, Room #207 in Alcott

“Okay, how about…” Avery dragged the vowels in the word out as she arranged and rearranged some lyrics in her head. “Say a lot of words but they’re see through...” She wrote the words down as she spoke them. “Something, something… things I don’t mean… but I need to…” Her face scrunched up. Not knowing where she was going with that last line. “Something, something.” She dropped the pen. “It’s a work in progress,” she declared before falling back into her pillows. Songwriting, when uninspired, was a tedious process.

[rhiannonfalla]

julietaxherrera​:

          Thankfully, she got a ton of stuff from companies that wanted to be featured on her page. Julieta loved not having to pay for things. She’d worked her ass off to get it though. All this fame was her own doing. She didn’t share her wealth with just anyone. Julieta had to like them and she loved Rhia. She’d been nervous about having a roommate, but Rhia was amazing. “Of course! I have to send some of them back, but I’m allowed to pick as many as I like.” She liked getting to share her things with her roommate. “I think some of them I have to unbox life, but they should be marked that way.” Julieta laughed and sat back on the bed. “Have you had a good day?” 

Rhia had no idea how sponsorships or brand deals worked, but if this was Julieta’s norm, Rhia would rearrange her whole lifestyle to make room for this surplus. Her hands ran along every package, contemplating the first bag to open like it was a test of luck. She finally clutched one and pulled it to her lap, looking up at Julieta as a final request to uncover its contents. “Today has been amazing. No class so I’ve just been lounging. Nate actually just left. Dunno if you saw him,” Rhia mused half-mindedly. She ripped open the package without grace, cases of sunglasses were thrown and strewn across her lap and the bed.

[rhiannonfalla]

who: @adrianmasri​ where: lecture hall when: early thursday afternoon

There was a simple solution to Rhia’s tardiness problem; adapt and wake up earlier than she would. Between nurturing a hangover and hating mornings, her first classes of the day knew to expect her several minutes after lectures began. She had yet to receive an absence notice this year but knew it was coming. Rhia slugged to her acoustics class with no sense of urgency, too preoccupied with her head fog to remember she hadn’t completed the reading for today.

The door creaked slowly open, revealing the inquisitive eyes of her peers who’d made it to class on time. Rhia didn’t so much as offer a cute, half-smile; instead, scanning the hall for an open seat. Without a second thought, she lumbered to the seat a few rows down, uttering small apologies as she passed other students in the row. She didn’t bother to give her neighbor a glance until she’d sat down, but she instantly recognized his dark helmet of curls. She looked up at Adrian’s face, grimacing at the reminder of how poorly she treated him.

Did he hold it against her? Did he even think about her? Rhia knew they’d shared a class together but figured it was big enough they would never cross paths. Of course she waltzed right to him and sat down like they were casual acquaintances. Maybe that was what they were reduced to now because of her. She set her bag in between her legs, turning to face the stage and failing to ignore him in her peripheral. After a few prolonged moments, she turned to Adrian again, peeking over to get his attention. “Hey,” she greeted in a soft whisper. “Did you- uh.... do the study guide?”

[rhiannonfalla]

🪱🪱

@montyrichler

[rhiannonfalla]

“Okay, first of all-” Rhia said as she grabbed Kian’s hand and pulled him off the wall he was so comfortably leaned against. “Rude. Why would you not want to dance with me?” she reprimanded with a small huff. It’d been awhile since she’d spoken to Kian; most of their time together was spent in the company of Jesse or because she was looking for information on Jesse. She kept a hold of his hand as she ascended the stairs, not so much as giving the brunette an option in the matter. “Second of all, this party is lame as shit and I have drugs,” her voice lilted at her revelation. She turned to give Kian a grin of mischief. “Don’t worry. You may return to your regularly scheduled broadcasting in a couple hours. I just don’t like tripping alone,” Rhia said.

location: some lil waverly dorm party status: closed for @rhiannonfalla​

      Not unusually, Kian was propped up in a corner on one of the sets of stairs while most people mingled around the crowd in the lounge of the bottom floor of Waverly dorm. A red cup in one hand, Kian had a cigarette ready behind his right ear for when he’d finished his drink and gathered the strength to push through the crowd to get outside somewhere. Before he had the chance to do so however, a blonde eagerly waltzed out of the crowd, eyes directly on him in a way that gave him the feeling he should run away. Was Jesse around still? He should totally run. Yet, nothing happened and Rhia had closed in on him. “Girl, no,” he almost warned her as she rached her out for him, confused as she grasped his hand to pull him up. “I don’t want to dance, Rhia. No.”

[rhiannonfalla]

n8-shaw​:

Rhia’s hand fisted in his shirt, Nate letting her pull him closer, pressing his hips against her, grinding into her with little care for who may be behind him watching. “I wouldn’t mind keeping you here for a little while longer,” he said, eyes staying on hers, lightly nuzzling his nose against hers as he spoke, close enough that just the motion of the words leaving his lips almost made them brush against hers. Half of him was tempted to put it up to her - to make it be something she chose instead of what he asked for, but the other half of him was too scared that she’d take the opportunity to back away, to put a stop to this and go play spin the bottle with whoever else was playing - each and everyone of them a better choice for her to be kissing instead of him. 

Nate growled at the feeling of her thighs clenching around his leg, the hand on her waist sliding down her side and around her hip to grab the curve of her ass, pulling her towards him and pressing her into his thigh at the same time. Rhia taking the lead was more than okay with him, her tongue and lips commandingly claiming his. His arm was still leaning against the wall above them, supporting his weight from completely collapsing into her small frame, his fingers occasionally clenching at the feeling of Rhia, and the sounds she was making, the movement of her lips against his. He lightly closed his teeth on her bottom lip, sucking it between his lips before he pulled away, running his nose along her cheekbone until he could speak into his her ear. 

“Do you even know how crazy…” I am about you? The sentence so easily could’ve gone that way as Nate spoke, a heated flush on his cheeks that rose practically every time he even thought about Rhia. “-you  make me?” he finished instead, teeth lightly running over her earlobe before he ducked his head slightly, nudging her jaw up with his nose so he could close his lips around the soft spot of her neck underneath, sucking lightly on it, determined to leave his mark on the girl. 

“I wouldn’t mind staying,” Rhia said. Her eyes pleaded with Nate, silently asking him not to change his mind and suddenly run dry with patience for her. If only she could express how much she’d wanted him, all this time, but she didn’t know where to begin. She was almost certain it started with those brown eyes of his though, the very ones that kept her magnetized as Nate leaned into her. She arched her back, grinding into his thigh and encouraging his hand to grab her harder.

Her tongue swiped against his, melding and swaying with his between her quickened, desperate kisses. She let out a soft yelp, his teeth pinching the skin of her lip. The graze of his nose sent a shiver down her spine, as if her body was bracing for more of his touch. She giggled manically, his teeth sending a wave of giddy pleasure up her side. “Is it as crazy as you make me?” Rhia teased. She moaned and tipped her head back against the wall, closing her eyes to focus on his biting kiss. “Keep going, baby. I wanna see them and think about how you did it to me for days,” she breathed, sliding a hand to massage his bulge.

[rhiannonfalla]

Between cheer practice and raves and dance and bar hopping, Rhia slacked on her promise to find a Kit-friendly social event to get Kit back in the pool of lighthearted social relation. She’d just gotten off the phone with another cheerleader, having bartered two grams of her best shit for a dorm party at her lacrosse boyfriend’s dorm. People would be there who Kit was familiar with enough, but most importantly, it was strictly a small venue with only a couple dozen friends or so. A satisfactory enough welcome into the party world, and Rhia was willing to guide Kit through the kiddy pool before forcing him to the deep end.

She called Kit without a second thought, feeling high and mighty from accomplishing what she’d set out to do for the day. “Kit! Oh my Gosh, how have you been?! It feels like it’s been forever, but look, listen, I have got an amazing proposition for you, so you better be grateful, okay?” she lawled, rushing through her greeting like she was under a timer. “What are you doing right now? Can I stop by?” she inquired, already walking at a good pace toward the dorm hall she was pretty sure he was in.

CLOSED STARTER for @rhiannonfalla​​ LOCATION: Kit’s Room, Waverly Dorm

“What the fuck…” Kit pushed himself forward to sit up on his bed, a hand of his coming up to rest on the back of his neck as he tried to make sense of the dream he just had. It came back to him in flashes. Playing behind his eyes. Bright laughter, a wide smile, blue eyes and hands that always touched. Kit shook his head, hoping the motion would slough off the images. Talk about random. He hasn’t even hung out with Rhia in a while, not since he sat in on one of her practices in the name of moral support. He couldn’t make sense of why he’d be dreaming about her. Maybe he shouldn’t take naps in the afternoon anymore…

Reaching over to his bedside, Kit disconnected his phone from where it was charging and fell backwards into his mattress, figuring he’d check his notifications and scroll through social media until he felt motivated enough to leave his bed. He was halfway through backreading the school group chat when his Rhia’s face took over his screen, his phone alerting him that she was calling. “Oh shit–” Panic shot through him. His body went tense. He scrambled for a moment, unsure what to do until he realized this was literally just a phone call and there was no way for Rhia to know Kit just had a seriously weird dream about her. He swiped upwards on ‘accept call’.

“Rhia, hey–”

[rhiannonfalla]

n8-shaw​:

“Nervous?” Nate repeated, looking up at Rhia with his eyebrows turned up in the middle. “I suppose I’ll take that, considering you scare the shit out of me.” It was alarmingly honest, especially for Nate. If Rhia had been any closer to sober - if he had been any closer to sober, he never would’ve admitted that. But she did terrify him. Rhia had always appealed to his desire to have someone who understood, recognizing more of himself in her than in pretty much anyone else he had been with - and he was pretty sure she was aware of it, too, which somehow made it worse. He craved to have someone understand and yet pushed away the vulnerability that it required, and Rhia always managed to dodge his attempts to get away, somehow ending up closer in the process. 

His arms tightened around her waist, pausing on the tickling as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling her into him, he tipped his face up to hers, their noses brushing against each other. “It is nice,” he agreed in a low voice. “You’re nice. This goddamn dress is bloody nice,” he said, running his hand up and down her back, fisting into the fabric for a moment. 

“Then come home with me tonight,” Nate said, the words pleading with her, needing Rhia to agree, the idea of her turning him down already unbearable. His expression shifted into something somewhat wary, the answer too simple for him to just believe it. Rhia had to know it was that was easy - if she wanted him, she would have him. The only reason she didn’t was because she hadn’t wanted him, at least not before this. He had put himself out there, offering himself to her, and there was no reciprocation. He wanted to push, to question her, but Nate knew he wouldn’t like whatever answer came from it. Instead of speaking, instead of questioning her, Nate used the hand grasping her chin to tip her face to his, his lips just barely brushing against hers, the softest, briefest of kisses.

“Me?” Rhia asked in an exaggerated plea. She smirked down at him with half-lidded eyes, almost relieved he felt it too. The utter dread of knowing you loved somebody; that your heart was in their hands to do what they wanted with it. If her heart ended up crushed, it was no big deal. Rhia would likely end up apologizing for that too. “Scare you?” she completed her inquiry, punctuating it with a playful finger jabbed to Nate’s chest. “Good. I’m fucking dangerous,” she slivered, humming softly as her fingers came to trace his pouty lips.

Her head tilted and swayed with his, a quiet desperation on her features at Nate’s low rumble, Rhia’s lips parting as if to catch his words in his soft exhales. “You’d like what’s under it better, baby,” her voice darkened, playing the role of the impish tempest. She bit back a squeal at his plea, knowing (or rather hoping) tonight would be the start of something different. For once, she wasn’t crippled by the possibility of this being another sexual transaction. She’d always sought more than that, and gradually learned she needed to be cynical in her search for the one. In the face of Nate’s previous, not-so-subtle implications of interest, Rhia’s cynicism turned him away.

Too cynical, she’d decided now. Thankfully, he’d kept his faith in her, and Rhia’s heart ached to make up for every forsaken moment of theirs. She tilted her chin up eagerly, as if waiting for his hand to find his chin and for their lips to meet. She barely puckered, brushing the skin of his lips with gentle care. “It’s about time you asked me home, Nathaniel. I am your date, after all,” Rhia teased in a commandeering tone.

Her skin stung where he sucked, and she ditched any effort to be shy about her enthusiasm to have him come in her. The thought didn’t last long, as she ended up soaked in his lap instead. Still, she was smitten as she watched his come down, too greedy to let him off the hook so soon. Rhia dipped her fingers in the pool of cum that settled between them, and leaned into Nate’s chest. She lifted her hand to his mouth, a polite gesture for Nate to suck off the cum dripping from her fingers.

“Not here,” Rhia whispered, as if suddenly cautious about being seen. She let out an airy groan when he touched her, the teasing pressure of his knuckle making her sway her hips in desperation. “You wanna help me get clean, baby?” she whined, tucking her chin to her chest to examine the mess of their laps. “Little too late for that, but uh... Yeah,” she said.

His sudden outburst surprised her, though she tilted into his head all the same, embracing his closeness and wrapping him into a tight hug. “Nate,” Rhia pleaded in a soft voice, overwhelmed with a need to make him feel better. “You don’t have to apologize. I... kinda liked it.” She kissed the top of his head, massaging the back of his head until he could look up at her again. “You missed my face, though,” Rhia teased.

Nate pulled away all the same, leaving Rhia in a small pout. Though, his simple command sent a chill down her spine, and she immediately pushed herself up to stand in front of him. She fell speechless, too astounded to do anything but watch and go along with the panty theft. Not that she had any complaints, in fact, she decided she liked this a lot more than if he had simply asked for them. She giggled, her hips dipping at his touch, and her hands rested against his chest.

She nodded her head softly in agreement, too enticed by their shared moment together to offer any complaint. All she could think about was kissing every part of his body, letting her tongue nurture another erection from him until he came for her again. “The bathroom?” Rhia offered, a bit too eagerly. She liked the sound of her turn too. It felt unbearable, knowing how long she’d put it off now. His hand tilted her gaze to his, and she watched him contemplate kissing her, Rhia almost amused how obvious she could read it on his face now. She wondered how many times before they’d given each other that exact look... “Are you going to kiss me, or are you going to think about it all night?” she teased, her form of asking him to do so.

[rhiannonfalla]

Rhia laid on her back across Lara’s bedsheets, eyes focused on her phone above her, swiping through various TikToks without letting a single one play all the way through. She’d gone more casual tonight than she normally would have, but she’d shown up impulsively in the jeans shorts she’d fallen asleep in the day before. She turned on her stomach to give Lara her full attention, eyes dazzling at the brunette’s performance in her lengthy dress.

Any normal girl would have been able to say what she was thinking; the color was lovely and complimentary to the girl’s skintone, but her outfit was giving Sunday church core rather than something risque enough for a night out. Rhia smiled ear to ear, stumbling for words to answer her friend. “You look amazing. I love it,” she cooed, never one capable of brutal honesty. “Can you shake ass in that?” Rhia questioned, playfully rolling her hips as if to ask Lara to test it for her.

time: 18:00 location: #204 waverly dorm availability: closed for @rhiannonfalla​

nate: u taking rhia? lara: always.       Lara’s got her forefinger hovering over shuffle, a medley of familiar 00′s tracks proceeding to play throughout the dormitory. There’s a hum which falls between songs. Her grin shaping like a half-moon as it hides behind a half-empty wine glass. She’s told Rhia about her outfit choice; dabbling between one or the other before favouring a particular piece. But an opinion would be necessary - the brunette entrusting her friend to be completely and brutally honest. A moment to wound her ego where necessary.        “Honest opinions only,” as a ballerina within a trinket box, she circles on the spot. A long-sleeved maroon dress hangs from her petite frame, the hem falling half-way down her thigh. It still has the tag. “Yay or nay?”

[rhiannonfalla]

who: @jessehart​ when: september 27th, couple weeks after ollie’s party. where: alcott dorm, #202

There was always nonstop gossip about Jesse, thus Rhia rarely thought twice hearing the trouble he’d get himself into. She knew Nate already pressed Jesse this year, though she failed to question why, always overly cautious of bringing up his name in front of Nate. It wasn’t a surprise when she’d heard he’d taken a beating at the party, though undeniably she hadn’t expected the perpetrator to be Kit and she definitely didn’t expect to hear talk of his ruthlessness with Jesse. It was relatively easy to guess what the altercation was about; Kit and Rhia existed on two sides of the same coin, after all.

Except she’d known about Jesse’s night affairs with Greer almost the entire time throughout their relationship, and she certainly hadn’t hit Greer over it. Because she didn’t deserve that, just as Jesse didn’t deserve to be manhandled by every person he provoked. She had no excuse for taking so long to approach him as she did, other than she was afraid of seeing him again. Afraid and possibly a bit stupid, considering they should have been long past being each other’s comfort. Yet, she stood in front of his door, chewing her bottom lip and silently cursing her lingering feelings of responsibility over him.

Rhia knocked, a gentle shot in the dark, considering he had yet to text her back about meeting up and she had no idea how he’d been spending his free time. “Jesse?” Rhia called through the door. “I- uh.... I thought we could talk?” she proposed, sounding meek and uncertain. “I also have something for you.” She held a sweater to her chest, keeping it undisclosed until she knew he would be willing to talk to her. Some may have recognized it as her form of emotional bribery, though Rhia would only admit to it being a good deed that she happened to remember this morning.

[rhiannonfalla]

n8-shaw​:

“You should’ve been, but instead you’re so eager to get away,” Nate murmured, teasingly reprimanding her as she leaned against his shoulder, tilting his face in towards hers so his nose brushed against her cheek. He felt lighter, somehow, teasing her and holding her like this, even with the darkening of his mood thanks to none other than Jesse Hart. But he didn’t want to think about that, knowing he would go find him to finish the job he had started after speaking to the cops. Instead, he let Rhia be his distraction, for the moment feeling like perhaps he wasn’t the type of guy to get dragged out of the pool and blamed by the cops, and he wasn’t the easy suspect, and wasn’t the guy that ultimately wouldn’t have the girl he wanted in his arms. He could pretend for a moment that this was capable of working. 

When Rhia hitched a leg up, he took the opportunity to slip his foot between hers, thigh sliding between her legs until his knee pushed against the wall as another point of contact to hold Rhia in place for him - not that she seemed to mind in the least. “I like it,” Nate breathed, barely audible in the second before their lips meshed together, tangling his tongue with hers. His fingers tightened where he was grasping her waist at the sound - and feeling - of her moan, practically licking it out of her mouth as he leaned into her. He pressed the thigh she was now straddling against her, little shame about the fact that they were at a party and anyone could be watching them - it’s not like they had removed themselves from the crowd, even if a lot of people had decided to busy themselves with the spin the bottle game. 

His nose tickled her skin, and her chest tightened, Nate’s closeness instantly making her knees weak. “You aren’t gonna let me, right?” Rhia instantly challenged, even as her face tilted so their eyes were locked and their noses touched. She grasped at his t-shirt, like the thin fabric would be her undoing if it kept them apart any longer. She pulled him closer, hands on his waist like she wanted his hipbones to dig into her torso.

Her thighs slowly spread, only to squeeze Nate’s leg as he slipped between her. She let some of her weight rest on top of his leg, her mini skirt swaying as she danced along his jeans. She kissed him with a grin on her lips, holding his face to hers, unwilling to let him pull away even for a single breath. His tongue slithered and skated across hers, Rhia tracing its trail and circling his tongue with hers.

Her hand latched onto Nate’s throat, and she gave him a warning squeeze when he pressed his thigh into her. She caught his dug, sucking and pulling, refusing to give it back to him until she pulled away from the kiss. Rhia’s eyes sparkled at him, admiring his flushed face as if to memorize it. Slowly, she leaned in again, tilting her head upward as if to test Nate’s patience for her. Her lips enveloped his, gently massaging while her hand caressed his jaw. She kissed him slow, breathing softly against his cheek. Her tongue made long swipes against his, refusing to relent her control over their pace, intent on kissing Nate until her lips were sore and bruised.

[rhiannonfalla]

wrathblooded​:

He sometimes believed her to be a child at heart, but she just represented innocence to him, a warmth he’d missed out on in his teens, an otherworldly beauty and charm to match her innocence. Though he knew better than to truly call her that. Masked innocence, was a better fit, the idea of what innocence would look like in a corporeal form – and he couldn’t help but seek forgiveness whenever she was around, for her to forgive his sins of the past. “Um..” he quickly got overwhelmed with her actions, but grinned the whole time. The soda he was supposed to drink slightly spilled down his chin, which prompted him to react quickly by drying his mouth with the back of his hand. “You really told me to take a sip and made sure I wouldn’t drink more than that,” KJ chuckled. The conversation took a dark turn and he just looked to the side for a moment, trying to find the right words. “Just to make sure you’re alright,” half true, at least, “I don’t think you will ever understand what you mean to me,” with Rhia KJ felt almost too comfortable for his own good. Looking at her was like looking at the sun – you always tried to look directly into it, even though it would end badly every time. “You’re just like the sun, it’s impossible for people to ignore you.”

“You were spilling it anyway, silly,” Rhia mused. His call out did little to deter her behavior, if anything the grin she wore grew in mischief. She drank it eagerly, making a tart face as she pulled the can away to inspect it. It was rare Rhia drank something as sweet as this, always overly cautious of her dancer physique, and thus overly familiar with filtered water and non-yeast liquor. She handed the can back to KJ, giving him little choice but to grab it from her again.

He did it again; Kj turned his face from her as if she’d asked something overly personal, but she hadn’t. Refusing to let him pull away from her, she crossed her arms over her knees and leaned against his side, face peeking over to his with a curious expression. “Hey. Where’d you go?” she called softly to him, staying still once he’d answered her. He was... worried about her? Why? Her well-being had nothing to do with his. His next words seemed to serve as an answer, and KJ left her speechless, even as she opened her mouth to reply.

Rhia could recognize the way she magnetized people, and in most scenarios she milked her likeable nature to further her own end. She weaved an elegant web using this intrigue, promising to turn everything she touched into gold. People adhered to this performance with little complaint, all the way up until she cocooned them with their own devotion to her. She did it so much she rarely paid attention to the effect it had on those around her. Rhia smiled a soft smile, retreating to rest her chin in her arms and stare contemplatively out in the dark distance. “I’m glad you see me like that,” she said, earnestly. “Just don’t forget to look out for yourself too, okay?”

[rhiannonfalla]

montyrichler​:

He’d mostly been joking, but it was simpler to keep on bullshitting, answering with a noncommittal shrug, “Fucked up is hot, right?” The Mari namedrop had him frowning, though, any reflection on their shared history making Monty feel like he was picking at a nasty scab that had no hope of healing without infection – destined to fester in hatred forever. “I don’t think a healthy sex life was really what kept me and Mari together.” Had he ever had a healthy sex life? His past relationships were mostly comprised of college hookups and throwaway dates, along with one or two people that he’d deliriously thought he was In Love with during high school. The common thread was that sometimes he felt like being less than was the best he could achieve in a relationship. He was an okay option amongst worse, his chronic underdog syndrome always in effect.

But that wasn’t Rhia’s problem or anything he wanted to dump on her. She probably had too much insight on his dysfunction already, from the first time he texted: well you could blow me lol

“Thank you, thank you. All I can do is try.” As Rhia clutched her chest, he exhaled a huge, gracious sigh and gave a dramatic bow while staying seated. It made it look a little bit like he was dry heaving more than anything, but whatever. Gotta commit to the bit. His fingers slid through his hair as he straightened up again, carding the strands back and out of his face with a grin, mentally cataloguing Rhia’s pharmaceutical shopping list as she rattled it off. Monty had to admire her efficiency. His subconscious head bobbing paused after a minute. “Opiates?” he echoed dumbly, surprised. That was out of character for her usual tastes. “… Lemme check. I know I have a fuckton of Percocet right now.” Swiveling to the side, he tugged open the bottom drawer of his desk, hunching over to rummage through it. After a moment, Monty glanced at Rhia again, and shot for casual as he asked, “Are you doing some party planning I haven’t heard about yet?”

“Right,” Rhia agreed reluctantly, settling to move on from the topic rather than delve into why such treatment appealed to him. She smiled, tone deaf to Monty’s discomfort if only because he continued joking around with her. “So what was?” she probed. “Intimidation?” she jested, tapping his knee with the tip of her toe. In all honesty, she knew very little of their relationship besides that they hated each other, Mari always hesitant to dive into details with her. Most times when she met up with Monty last year, she’d been a bit too... preoccupied to ever ask. Though, this didn’t stop her from being curious.

“Your effort doesn’t go unnoticed, love,” Rhia played along, grinning ear to ear at Monty’s failed attempt to pay his respects to her. The smile fell in a matter of seconds at his reaction to her request, having hoped she could slip it in without much notice being drawn. “Dosage?” A simple question, one she used to evade his accusatory echo more than anything. She watched him silently, kicking her legs while she waited for his selection. At his question, Rhia pursed her lips, slightly irked by questions she swore were overly intrusive. “My darling,” she sang with a widening smirk. “Life is my party,” she answered, as if that were a sufficient answer to his question.

[rhiannonfalla]

jessehart​:

An echo of their used-to-bes lingered between them and Jesse felt himself almost desperate to reach for it. He had a lot of regrets when it came to Rhia, a lot of things he wished he’d done differently. Most of them were selfish things for selfish reasons, but he thought they still counted for something. 

There had been times where she’d been lying in his arms and peace would creep in, a feeling like maybe this could work. That maybe he wasn’t a puzzle piece so warped that nothing would ever fit quite right. But then they’d fight or argue and all it took was someone else to shine a light on him and he’d forget that she could bring out the sun. 

Guilt, like an ever-present shadow, threatened to sweep in, his mind too easily drawn into the reminder of the night that made entertaining any idea of them impossible now. And even still, even knowing, he tried to play into the things he knew she’d loved about him once. Because he would always be a little bit addicted to her warmth.

She blinked up at him through her lashes and he felt it then, leaned into it. And then her words sliced through him and he winced like they’d dealt a physical blow. He dropped her gaze, eyes falling to the ground to find his stomach that had also seemed to land somewhere near his feet. 

“I know,” he rasped, voice rough as though it had been dragged over gravel. Again, quieter: “I know.” It would be impossible to make up for the summer, he knew, but didn’t say. Instead, he took it as an invitation to try. A soft and sort of impish smile tugged at his lips. It was false, felt too harsh in the gentleness that had managed to live between them. But he’d always been good at this part, in the game of pretend. “But it’s a place to start, right?”

Countless nights Rhia sat on the floor of her room, consulting her pendulum and her cards about how she could make this work. She'd engraved his birth chart on her mind, if only to piece together an answer in which they were meant to be together. Countless nights she pleaded to strengthen his love for her, and at times she was almost convinced it worked.

Even now, she struggled to let go of those lingering hopes; her heart was so set on it being him. His cheating, her subsequent cheating, their emotional distance, they were only trials and tribulations in the grand scheme of their divine love. At some point, the end goal seemed unreachable, and she was dealt more feelings of jealousy, betrayal, and resentment. She hated those feelings as much as she hated herself for not being enough for Jesse.

It'd taken her the whole summer to accept they hurt each other more than they healed, and Rhia couldn't be responsible for breaking the boy she loved. Chips and cracks existed from their time together, but she'd never forgive herself if she ended up being the one to ruin him like he ruined her (and how countless people before him ruined her). Yet, Jesse made it so easy to fall back in the same pattern, tempting her with blissful memories and false promises.

She'd seen it clear as day, the way her reprimand left him in shambles. Her heart ached, regret and remorse taking over and blaming her for inflicting such a blow. He meant well, didn't he? It was unfair of her to hold onto a grudge from months ago. He seemed remorseful, but somehow that made it worse; the fact he was aware what he'd inflicted on her and yet remained just as eager to do it again.

Yet, the strain in his voice, the falter in his over-confident facade, Rhia felt responsible to mend it. She nearly reached out to grab his arm, caress his skin and apologize for her ruthlessness. Instead, her eyes softened like melted butter, watching -and hating- him struggle in the face of her coldness.

Jesse looked up at her again, a hint of optimism on his features that Rhia recognized as one of her own trauma responses. She smiled back, eyes wrinkled from his insistence for another chance, the beginning to another cycle. "Yeah," Rhia said, quiet as a mouse. "Yeah, it is," she reiterated again. She let out a soft sigh, glancing around like she was going to be caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "Should we, uh.... Yours?"

[rhiannonfalla]

kitkallberg​:

Kit’s body went rigid at the word ‘sext’, eyes going wide at the possibility that he was just carrying around eight by elevens of Coach’s junk in a manila folder. Rhia really had a knack for casually saying things that would make anyone’s heart seize. It was having that thought in mind – of printed nudes – that had his head whipping to the right when the words ‘teammates’ and ‘personal’ left her mouth. “What?” He leaned over without thought, brows pulling together as he took in the contents of the folder, nosiness be damned.

Kit was busy trying to make out the writing on the yellow sticky note when Rhia squealed about his inclusion in the packet. “Wait, forreal?” But he didn’t even to check and see himself because soon enough Rhia was holding out the print-out of his ID next to his face. “Lessons? What kind of– Dancing? Oh no–” That immediately had Kit shaking his head from side to side. No, no, no, no, no. Kit was all for pushing his body to new limits for the sake of the sport but he wasn’t sure if dancing was something he wanted to explore. Especially if it was ballet or anything. He was so sure his body didn’t stretch like that. He also didn’t want it to.

Ease settled into his body as they moved on from the topic of dance. More than happy to focus instead on possibilities of him hanging out with people and having fun. “Yeah? Thanks, Rhi. That’s really cool of you. Beers on me if we end up anywhere that serves it.” It was the least he could do if she entertained him. In return. A brow of his pushed upwards, tension creeping up his back at Rhia’s tone. Uh oh, where was this going? And much to Kit’s dismay, it went right back to dance. He made a small face. Though with Rhia’s cheeriness and infectious warmth, it was hard to stay reluctant to the idea for long. “Do I have to dance if I go to one of your practices? Can’t I just sit and watch? Like moral support or something?“

She grinned, satisfied she’d managed to peak Kit’s interest despite his initial hesitation. Rhia tiled the folder toward him, watching his face as his eyes scanned the paper. “You recognize them, don’t you?” she urged rhetorically. Though with her intimate knowledge of the members of the lacrosse team, she recognized a good chunk of faces, including Jesse Hart’s.

Rhia recognized Kit too, as displayed by the dopey grin on her face as he crumbled from the proposal. “Don’t tell me you don’t have any rhythm. That’s just tragic,” she teased, finally dropping the paper from beside his face. All throughout high school, she’d held a similar sentiment, a victim of stage fright and constant degradation that led her to believe she was incapable. In her free time, she practiced anyway, intent on paving the path to being a worldwide rockstar. Last year was her first official year of ballet practice, and her determination and fervor quickly rose her to the top of the class, despite her imperfect technical execution.

Beer? Of course Kit liked beer. She smiled in appreciation, accepting his offer to provide beer for her despite her avid hatred for it. She would likely end up drinking it with him too. “I would love to have you quietly cheering me on from the sidelines,” Rhia enthused, mindlessly grabbing the tips of Kit’s fingers in her fit of excitement. She forced a frown, her down-turned lips almost comical given the playful look in her eye. She wasn’t done just yet. “Promise me I can get just one dance, please please please? Even if it’s just you and me.” She looked at Kit expectingly, hoping her pleading would cause him to crack.

“Oh, I should probably get back to class! I didn’t even look at the time. Listen, I’ll take these off your hands, get them to Nureyev when I see her. I’ll see you later, yeah?” With that brief and sudden goodbye, Rhia turned on her heels and pranced back to class.