a-baldwin

[a-baldwin]

Lily-Rose Depp by Richard Kern for Interview Magazine, 2024.

[a-baldwin]

[a-baldwin]

"You do know you're allowed to live in the easy of it all." Axel let her boyfriend know, although she knew Flynn far too well at this point. He thrived under pressure, he enjoyed himself some chaos and it was something that she admired in him. "But, I know you wouldn't be you if you did." Axel tilted her head, the grin on her features only grew as he spoke. "Sabrina and I have certainly done wonders for the beautiful blonde babe community. We needed to, Marilyn was the face of our community for far too long." She joked, before pulling him towards her for a quick peck to his lips. Even after their photo session came to an end, Axel didn't stray too far from her boyfriend's embrace. Being with Flynn had been a lot different than her previous relationships where it'd simply been easy being with him. Whilst Flynn enjoyed the madness that came with his choice in work, that craziness was nowhere to be found when it came to them. She knew exactly what she was getting with the man, which was an abundance of love. He might have just uttered those three words, but she'd felt them for quite sometime and she could only hope that she'd also made him feel that way. "Oh, that's the winner right there." Axel laughed, putting their pictures away in her clutch. "Actually, I know exactly who needs to pick our winning shot, your sister." She teased Flynn, as she jokingly began to back away from him in the direction of the party.

"Well I think I'm ready to take on new challenges. Honestly, life has been too easy breezy," he joked. But really things felt smooth and he wasn't trying to create more chaos but he was always interested in leveling up. "They're definitely fucking though. Dating or not, I mean, come on, they're so publicly horny you have to admire it. I can get being absolutely enamored with a beautiful blonde babe." Flynn truly felt like he was in his own rom com, feeling like his face might break from how much he was smiling. He had laughed off the idea of a relationship for so long, so determined to not be some lovesick fool. Or worse, a heartbroken fool. But from the moment he and Axel had re-connected, he knew he would be anything if it meant getting to be next to her. It helped that she genuinely loved and cared for him in a way he wasn't used to. But he was coming to really appreciate it. Especially when he saw how excited she was to hear those words. He slid his hands along her waist to pull her closer as their picture was taken again. "This is perfect." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. After a good amount of other photos, Flynn thanked the photographer and got his information so he could send him the photos immediately. But he told them he could print one of them out and told them to pick which one they wanted printed. "What do you think? The one where my eyes are closed is really sexy."

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"Oh, does it? You know that comes with it's own set of challenges—" Axel began to let her boyfriend know before she realized that she was talking to the man who knew all about parties. He was the keeper of good times around these parts. Anything concerns she probably had, Flynn had probably already figured a solution for. "You might be barking up the wrong tree there, according to some of my sources– they might not even be together anymore." Axel said, before bring her finger up to her lips despite her job being to literal report these things. "I most definitely think you can pull it off." She laughed, before placing a quick kiss on his cheek. Axel hadn't needed to hear those three words as Flynn had very much showed just how much he loved her often but that didn't stop the giant grin that appeared on her features once he'd uttered them. He loved her. "I love you." She told him, with such ease as she knew that she loved him. "Okay, I've wanted to say that to you for the longest. I love you so much." Axel let him know, turning to the photographer to apologize for the moment they were having. Not that she was really all that apologetic. "He just told me he loves me, could you believe?" She said, teasingly before drapping her arms around his neck. "How's this for our next pose?"

"Of course you do. Always prepared. I'm thinking, New Years Eve, has to be a rooftop party. Need to get a top non-Rosewood performer to really knock everyone's socks on. So naturally, I've been DM'ng Barry Keoghan so he can connect me with Sabrina," he joked, though one too many tequilas last week with Collin and the messages had actually gone through. "I think I can pull it off." He laughed at her confusion, glad that she seemed to be less chronically online than he was, even in her line of work. "There's like this girl who goes around greeting all the people she seems a 10 at events. Like festivals and shit like that. I'll show you the videos later. And you know, you're probably right, but I still love options." He smiled big at the camera, unable to help himself as he held her. He thought of his high school self for a moment, what it would have meant back then if he and Axel had actually gone to prom together. It made him laugh to himself. Rosewood Academy really did take itself seriously with all the lore and gossip. But he was glad that they were standing here now and not when he was some knucklehead high school student. "I love you," he whispered as he leaned his head against hers. And though that hadn't been how he planned on finally telling her, it felt more perfect than any plan. The photograph paused to let them switch their pose and he stood to face her with a grin. "You can pick the pose this time. Let's hear it, creative director."

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"Flynn," Axel whined, ducking her face into his chest for a moment. If there was one thing she'd never get use to from Flynn was just how unapologetically into her, he was. He always made her feel like she was one of his top priority, it was heartwarming. "I'd say that we're both quite lucky, actually." She told him, before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "They most definitely will be a mainstay on fridges." Axel nodded, not seeing how their joint beauty would be replaced by a bunch of magnets. "I don't see why not? I have just the dress for a New Year's shoot." She began to let her boyfriend know, as they found themselves outside of the festivities. The music now a soft hum in the background as they joined those waiting for pictures. "Okay, you lost me. What's dapping up the 10's?" Axel asked Flynn, as she didn't believe she'd ever done such a thing. As they found themselves in front of the camera, Axel ran her fingers through her hair to lay it exactly where it needed to. Flynn's arms wrapped around the front of her, as they found themselves in the all too familiar prom pose. "Watch these be the exact one we want." She smiled, before striking a pose for the picture.

"I'm always thinking ahead. But mostly I just want to remind everyone how fucking lucky I am. Every single year." Flynn was far past his little existential crisis about being corny or in too deep. He liked who he was becoming, which was not something he could always say about himself. Really not until recently. But Axel made him feel on top of the world. Especially when she was kissing him and staying close to him like this. "I think they can handle it. I better see it on everyone's fridge. Or we could do multiple holidays. Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Years too. A whole photoshoot." He followed after her, letting his eyes move over her for a moment as he did. "Oh I'm looking. We would both be in those videos where they dap up the 10s at the party." As the group in front of them moved away from the camera, Flynn gently led them into the frame and tipped the photographer with 100 bucks to ensure that he'd take good photos of them and wouldn't rush them along. "Alright, first pose," he told her and stood behind her like it was a prom picture. "Just for shits and giggles."

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"I suspected as such," Axel let her boyfriend know, his smile only making hers that much brighter. The mere sight of him was enough to turn her days around, as of lately and today was no different. "Probably something about how you're infinitely cooler than basically everyone here, I assume." She told him, cupping his face in her hands for a moment before he leaned into kiss her. "You're already thinking ahead to the holidays?" Axel asked him, laughing lightly. "Truly a man after my heart. You think our friends and family can handle the gorgeousness of a Christmas card with us, two?" She asked Flynn, her hand finding his and intertwining their fingers as she led the way towards said steps. "I mean, look at us." She pointed between the two of them. It went without saying, they were 10's apart and brought together... they scored far too high for most to catch up.

"I mean you don't hear me complaining. I can't even remember what I was talking to those guys about." His smile was goofy as he looked at her and the entire room melted away behind her. "Kind of feels like I've been stuck in this loop of mid parties though," he admitted with a soft laugh before leaning forward to press his lips to her forehead. "We gotta get a picture in front of the step and repeat before we go though. I may be a hater but I love a photo op. Especially with you. We could make it our Christmas card," he told her with a wink.

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"Excuse me, gentlemen." Axel interrupted a conversation her boyfriend was currently having. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important here, but there's a matter that I just need to steal Flynn away for a second to resolve." She let her boyfriend know, with a nod of her head as she took a hold of his hand to lead him away from his conversation. Once tucked away from the masses, the brunette pulled him down for a kiss. "I just needed that. And before you say anything, blame how great that suit looks on you, okay." ( @flynn-bueller )

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"Now I wish I would have seen the version with the flippers." Axel let him know, with a playful pout before he went about revealing the outfit he'd had underneath the wetsuit. "Woah, that reveal was seamless. Have you been catching up on your Drag Race lately?" She asked, as she stepped closer to him to drape her arms around his neck. "Never did I say that nor would I imply that as you happen to look hot in whatever you're in or... not in." Axel told him, biting down on her lower lip for a moment as her mind wandered. His lips soon found hers, Axel was beyond happy. "I certainly did try. This is the event to actually try, I don't want the girl who looked terrible at a ball." She said, as she couldn't think of a worse crime in that very moment and time. "If I recall correctly, you and I made plans to end the night together so... I'd say, I intend on having quite a fun time. And I hope the same rings true for you."

"You know I almost wore the flippers too," he said and did a little twirl before unzipping the plastic jumpsuit he had worn over his actual outfit. "It's mermaid theme, I was assuming there would be splashing water somewhere. Are you saying I don't look hot in the snorkle?" He took her hand and brought it to his lips for a moment. "You look stunning, babe." He took her hand and walked them through the crowd to the bar wit ease, greeting people along the way. As they waited for their shots, he popped a few bubbles in the air before leaning in to kiss her. "How drunk are you looking to get tonight because I heard the shots are packing a punch."

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"What are you wearing?" Axel asked her boyfriend as she caught sight of him, laughter slowly escaping her. He just looked utterly ridiculous. "A snorkle and goggles? You can not be serious." She shook her head as she very much knew that Flynn was in fact not at all serious. "Let's." She told him with a nod of her head. "I think we are more than deserving of shots and then some." She told him, holding out her hand for him to take so that he'd lead their way towards the bar.

"Oh hell yeah, now this is what I'm talking about." Flynn slid the snorkel and goggles he had been wearing off of his face as he stepped inside, pretty proud of himself for having been prepared for the water. He was three minutes away from his first outfit change of the night. He pointed at the nearest person and grinned. "You, let's go. We're gonna go take some shots out of some shells or something. Unless you're sober then much respect, you can have some sea punch or something while I have a shot but I am not doing it alone."

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"Incredible, if I do say so myself. I don't see the judges knocking any points off on my form." Margaux let the guy know with a smile as she began to serve herself once again. "I mean, isn't that the best way to go into any family function?" She asked Chan, as she didn't quite have a lot to worry about when it came to the makeshift family that her mothers friend's and her had brought together but she always thought better safe than sorry. "Do you want to indulge?" She asked him, reaching into her bedazzled Gucci purse to pull out the packaging. "Your choice, of course. Don't succumb to peer-pressure and all of that." Margaux said, teasingly before stuffing an appetizer into her mouth. "That only means that you've got what it takes to hold your own around here. Not something many could say." She told him with a playful wink. "No, no. Rosewood is literally like an episode of that old television show, Dynasty. It's just a whole bunch of families who have been here forever trying to out messy each other." Margaux told him with a nod. "I'm sure they have. But have you caught anyone's attention you've actually come to enjoy?" She asked, a sly smirk finding itself on her lips.

"And how's your dinner party keg stand form?" He was good at it when he wanted to be, the small talk that kept acquaintances just interested enough without giving away too much. With his father it had been a necessary survival tactic, but now it just felt like a wall keeping him from living. He wasn't even sure he'd ever made a real friend before, or if he could if he tried. "Edibles right before a family function... I'll admit I'm nowhere near your level. Maybe I should be though," he chuckled under his breath, helping dish up their food on the plates she'd found. "Well, from one hottie to another, it hasn't chewed me up and spit me out yet. As much as some have tried," he started, shrugging as he ate. "You don't get new people around here often, huh? Everyone's been treating me like some kind of unicorn."

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"I wouldn't be shocked if that's in fact a part of the itinerary tonight." Margaux joked, as she topped off her empty glass. "I think he just lived it a little too right for any of us to truly catch up." She let the guy know with a small laugh. "Likewise." She agreed, as Margaux enjoyed a good time just like the next person but she drew the line at landing behind bars. "Oh, really? Well, I was." Margaux confessed to Chan. "So full disclosure, I most definitely popped an edible right before this just so I could get second and thirds of this." She let him know, before taking a small sip from her glass. "So, dare I ask..." The blonde looked back at him as she found a spare plate. "How's Rosewood treating you, so far?" She asked. 'I'm sure a hottie like you has assimilated with ease."

Chan didn't remember much of his time in Rosewood when he was little, so even if he'd met Margaux before he'd left it didn't make a difference. His sister had given him a quick run through of dynamics though so knowing she was Tara's best friend was everything he needed. Not that he needed to try to play nice, but he wasn't about to give her another reason to have it out for him.

"If he had his way we'd probably be doing keg stands in the dining room," Chan agreed. "Man's got some insane stories. Makes me feel like I'm doing life wrong. Except the prison part, I'm good on that." He hummed when she got his name right, not so much awkward just not the type to fill the air with noise for the sake of it. "I wasn't actually in here looking for food, could probably find something if you were..."

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Margaux had to admit, dinner nights at the Mikami's were always a highlight on her social calendar. Both Jessie and Polo were so anti the pomp and circumstance that so often affected just about every aspect of Rosewood, it almost became a bit too Bridgerton for her liking. So she enjoyed how just laid back and actually, fun dinner happened to be at her aunt and uncles— and tonight happened to be no different. She found herself making her way to the kitchen, hoping to get herself another drink when she found herself with company.

Willow's son. Now, she couldn't say she knew much about the guy, other than she was told by her mother to play nice as he would now be a main stay in Rosewood. "I actually don't think they'd mind us, partaking. I can actually hear Polo right now letting it be known, he'd rather us do it in his house." Margaux let the guy know, with a small thank you as she took the bottle from him. "Chan, right?"

Chan was used to dinner parties - his father had dragged him to plenty over the years - so he was certainly on his best behaviour when his mom had told he and Daphne they were all spending the evening at the Mikami's. Still, he hated feeling all eyes on him when conversation turned to everyone's life trajectories, so he faked his way through an answer before excusing himself to the kitchen under the guise of wanting seconds. Feeling a presence enter a little after him, he figured there was no point hiding the fact that he'd instead been sneaking a shot of what he assumed was Polo's good whiskey and tilted the bottle in silent offering. "Think we could still get away with topping it up with water?"

@jess-suvari @a-baldwin @diondempsey @smokingaceschw

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"You know what that means? We're just going to have to try just that much harder to make sure she knows nothing of what we did tonight," Margaux let Tara know with a bright grin, enjoying pushing Tara to live a little. While she adored her aunt Jessie, they were currently in what people often referred to as the prime of their lives... so why shouldn't they live a little? "You know, I happen to enjoy having all of my teeth," Margaux let Tara know before running a finger against her pearly whites. "so I think I'll also be skipping out on meth." The blonde said before laughing. "Weird, how?" She asked, as she began to the lead the way towards the DJ set they wanted to enjoy. "Or better yet? Fuck whatever was weird about today and let's just shake off whatever it was. Weird has no place here with us." The blonde turned towards her best friend. "C'mon on, when have we ever not had the best view?"

"I'm sure it's easier to relax when you don't live with a mom who can and will send you to jail overnight just to teach you a lesson." Tara replied, scrunching her nose at the thought. "Whatever. I'm down to try anything once. Except meth. You know i'm ride or die for you but I gotta draw the line somewhere." She nudged her shoulder against her best friend's playfully. "It's been a weird day. I needed a pick me up. And this beat standing in that line for the frozen margs." She took another sip of of her water as she felt her mood picking up once the pill started taking effect. "Let's do it. Are we making good time? Or are we gonna have to kick some people in the shins to get a spot with a decent view?"

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"You don't look all that chill." Margaux let her best friend know with a shake of her head. "You have the look of someone who thinks they are about to go on some bender. I promise you, ecstasy is one of the fun ones. It's not like... crack or anything." She explained to Tara, as she could already feel the effects of the pills she'd given herself and Tara begin to kick in. "Exactly. And there she is, my girl." The blonde said, happily as Tara began to act like herself again. "For a moment there, I was truly beginning to think you'd been body snatched and replaced by an utter bore." Margaux told her, just happy to be next to her. "Well, like nowish. And perfect timing, I want to go check out Lyrica's DJ set."

"What do you mean? I'm so chill. Do I not look chill?" Tara asked guiltily, her eyes wide as she slowly took the bottle of water from Margaux. It wasn't like she had never tried anything recreationally. Hell, for the last few months she had been going in on pain meds she no longer had a prescription to without anyone batting an eye. She was just more used to keeping herself down, numbing everything out, instead of riding a high. "Fuck it. What happens at Rosechella stays here, right?" She shrugged as she took a swig of water. "How long before it starts taking effect?"

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"Oh, relax." Margaux said with a roll of her eyes, as she handed over a bottle of water. "It's just ecstasy. And if you didn't realize, you're at a music festival." She said, motioning all around them. "The exact place where you went to be high off of ecstasy. You're welcome." She said with a shake of her head. Amateurs.

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Axel: Okay, not to sound like one of those girlfriends, but you wouldn't believe how much I've missed you. Axel: Well, that depends on who the leprechaun is, right? Axel: Like if you're the leprechaun in question... then yeah, there can be sexy leprechauns.

Text 📱Axel 💖

Flynn: Hey beautiful 😘 Flynn: Do you think there's such a thing as a sexy leprechaun?

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"I have to say, whoever your dealer is now a days— please feel free to send him my way." Axel let Patton know teasingly, before enjoying a spoonful of her frozen yogurt. "Well, if that's indeed true, whoever is in charge of my sim must really love me because I don't have too much to complain about now a days."

“I have played nothing but Sims for the last three days. I got so deep in the rabbit hole that I started watching Sims history videos on YouTube." Patton didn't want to admit that those videos were hours long. "I’m completely convinced that we are all just sims now."