apcthetics

[apcthetics]

DEV PATEL as Joshua in MODERN LOVE (2019–2021) | 1.02 “When Cupid is a Prying Journalist” dir. John Carney

Here’s this kid bringing thousands of people together, and yet he’s all alone, carrying a torch that’s so bright, it’s burning him.

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹ ────────  is  wren  walking  into  every  personal  drama  playing  out  at  her  party  ?  waving  her  hand  in  front  of  aniyah’s  face,  wren  is  asking  “  he-ll-o-o  ?  “  to  try  and  get  their  attention,  but  they  seem  too  wrapped  up  staring  at  the  black  phone  screen  and  scheming  like  a  cartoon  villain  to  notice.  wren  has  no  choice  but  to  knock  her  on  the  arm,  ruining  her  ‘  manifestation  ‘  attempts.

“  earth  to  aniyah  ?  “  she  huffs,  arms  coming  up  to  cross  over  her  chest.  yes,  of  course  she  wants  all  their  dreams  to  come  true,  clementine  to  show  up,  and  the  two  of  them  to  live  happily  ever  after  (  or  whatever  the  hell  aniyah  is  hoping  for.  )  but  she  also  wants  to  have  fun,  something  that’s  difficult  to  do  when  aniyah  is  moping  in  the  corner,  watching  the  door  impatiently.  “  i  don’t,  “  she  admits  with  a  shrug,  “  but  people  kept  inviting  people.  it’s  not  that  big  though.  i  think  she’s  just  not  here  yet.  it’s  barely  been  an  hour.  you  know  standing  here  staring  at  the  door  is  not  going  to  make  her  show  up  any  faster  ?  “  

status / closed , @apcthetics location / wren's star party !!!

               aniyah   wasn't   looking   at   her   phone   again   !   they   were   looking   to   the   ground,   counting   to   ten,   and   singing   the   chorus   of   honey   in   their   head   before   she'd   check   her   phone   again.   that   was   until   wren   bumped   into   her   and   ruined   her   manifestation   method   (   and   they   knew   it   was   on   purpose   )   !   "   see,   now   if   she   doesn't   show   up   or   send   me   a   text   that   she's   coming   it's   going   to   be   your   fault.   "   aniyah   chided,   locking   her   phone   but   keeping   it   close   to   her   chest.   the   '   she   '   in   question   being   clem.   aniyah   had   invited   her   to   come   tonight   (   it   only   took   four   tries   and   looking   at   the   wall   beside   her   head   instead   of   directly   at   her   ),   and   she   was   sure   that   she   would   show   up   !   until   she   hadn't.   at   least   not   yet.   "   have   you   seen   her   ?   for   a   small   apartment   it   sure   is   hard   to   find   anybody.   since   when   do   you   know   this   many   people   ?   "

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*˖ ⊹ ────────  well,  they  didn’t  laugh.  caleb  considers  it  a  win at first,  but  winces  when  she  leans  down  to  start  gathering  up  all  the  cups.  his  embarrassment  is  punctuated  by  the  ridiculousness  of  his  knee-jerk  claim.  “  no.  i  didn’t  actually  mean  to  do  it.  “  he  admits,  head  ducking  sheepishly.  he  ducks  down  to  rest  one  knee  against  the  brick,  folding  some  of  the  cups  in  on  themselves.  “  i  don’t  know  why  i  said  that.  it  seemed  right  in  the  moment, i guess.  “  glancing  up  at  them,  caleb  drapes  one  arm  over  his  leg,  “  i  think  that  i  would  lose  some  brother  points  with  nevaeh  if  i  made  her  ex-boyfriend  play  pick  up  50.  i’ll  just  pick  them  up.  but  uh──  “  he  looks  pointedly  at  the  few  cups  remaining  on  the  table,  “  ──you’ll  probably  want  a  cup  that  hasn’t  touched  the  cement,  yeah  ?  “

｡*˚:✧｡ the timing is almost comical, she is talking back over her shoulder, puffing away on her vape pen as she goes to grab one of the cups that had not been incorporated into caleb's tower. that seems to be the perfect moment for plastic cups to tumble to the ground with a clatter. it's in her nature to help, hardwired into their being. "here, lemme give you a hand" she accepts the cup but she's already bending down to gather up the cups "you meant to do this? so should i just" she holds her hands up "like, just leave it? i'm sure we could get seba to pick it all up

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹ ────────  caleb  doesn’t  always  feel  like  he  understands  trinity.  there  are  times  where  their  childhood  friendship  mimics  what  he  believes  it  should  be,  full  of  shared  yet  unexplainable  jokes  and  memories.  then  there  are  times,  especially  recently,  where  she  seems  closed  off.  somewhere,  her  childhood  confidence  in  her  abilities  faltered,  and  then  eventually  just  fell  off.  

that’s  what  addiction  did  to  someone,  caleb  guesses,  but  he  thinks  he’s  felt  like  this  for  a  long  time.  infatuated  with  trinity  in  a  way  only  a  childhood  crush  could  be,  it’s  hard  for  him  to  reconcile  the  cognitive  dissonance  between  the  juvenile  trinity  he  knew  well  and  the  one  currently  sitting  across  from  him.  he  observes  her,  eyes  narrowed,  as  she  launches  through  a  tiraid  of  fears  that  come  with  the  opposing  idea  of  a  whole  new  hand,  and  then  seems  to  come  to  the  conclusion  herself  that  it  isn’t  worth  it.  she  doesn’t  actually  believe  she’s  just  hungry,  he’s  certain,  but  nonetheless  the  change  in  conversational  topic  is  welcomed.  

it’s  been  long  enough  since  his  rejection  that  caleb  is  over  it──

──well,  he’s  pretty  sure  he’s  over  it,  anyway──  

──but  the  urge  to  please  her,  just  like  the urge to please everyone,  still  itches.  as  she  snaps  the  cup  from  his  hands,  he  breathes  out  an  affectionate  huff  and  falls  back  against  the  back  of  the  chair.  for  a  minute  he  thinks,  rubbing  his  hands  together.  “  there’s  that  new  sushi  place  that  opened  just  on  the  other  side,  “  he  ‘  suggests,  ‘  then  shakes  his  head  following  an  exaggerated  sigh,  “  nah, there’s  no  way  you  wanna  go  there. i'll think up somewhere else.  “ 

               trinity   constantly   felt   like   she   was   walking   a   tight   rope.   it   didn't   matter   how   far   away   from   the   ground   and   the   crowds   she   thought   she   was,   she   could   feel   the   watchful   eyes   of   through   a   telescope   waiting   to   watch   a   star   burn   out.   as   trivial   as   it   might   have   been,   trinity   couldn't   help   but   imagine   the   upturned   features   and   whispered   giggles   if   anyone   else   saw   even   a   shadow   out   of   place.   she   thought   if   she   could   get   caleb   to   corroborate   her   story   then   she'd   have   a   good   excuse   if   her   parents   questioned   the   double   manicure   charge.   except   he   didn't.                it   wasn't   fair   to   him   for   trinity   to   be   wary   of   how   much   she   let   him   see.   caleb   had   always   been   a   good   friend   to   her,   but   she'd   thought   that   of   another   friend   and   nearly   ended   up   in   a   rehab   center.   so   trinity   had   learned   to   be   cautious.   "   i   can't   ask   them   to   do   one   nail,   what   if   the   color   is   slightly   off   or   the   gloss   is   weird,   then   i   have   to   do   the   whole   hand   and   then   the   other   hand   so   everything   is   the   same.   "                she   explained   taking   her   hand   back   but   not   looking   at   the   nail   again.   she'd   just   have   to   push   down   her   worry   until   she   could   get   a   new   set   the   following   week   to   avoid   raising   concern.   "   it's   fine,   i'm   probably   just   hungry   and   seeing   things.   "   trinity   swiped   his   drink   before   he   could   drink   any   of   it   and   took   a   small   sip.   "   what   do   you   want   to   eat   ?   "

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹ ──────── “  you’ll  get  sick.  “  grace  doggedly  cuts  her  off.  raised  in  a  home  where  every  decision  was  scrutinized,  not  just  her  own  but  those  of  others,  it  was  inevitable that grace would grow up to be judgemental.  simultaneously  in  the  eyes  of  her  parents,  she  was  better  than  everyone  else  and  also  never  good  enough,  and  she  learned  to  turn  her  gaze  outwards  with  a  superiority  that  could  mask  the  never-ending  stream  of  insecurities  that  eat  away  at  her  fragile,  false  confidence  like  parasites.

there  are  two  exceptions this rule  :  her  deep  love  for  gina  and  giselle  transcends  her  anxiety  for  broken  social  norms.  instead,  there’s  a  direct  line  between  her  loyalty  and  her  concern.  she  sees  their  bleeding  hearts  and  mistakes  them  for  a vulnerability she can't achieve.  they’re  not  like  her──  they’re  better,  more  honest,  more  genuine.  they  share  a  natural  kindness  grace  can’t  even  pretend  to  have and is desperately jealous of.  to  protect  that  she  fits  herself  into  the  role  of  bodyguard,  and  it’s  a  job  she  takes  very  seriously.  she  defends  them  with  teeth  bared  ;  fusses  over  them  with  the  worry  of  an  older  sister  who’s  job  it  is  to  make  sure  they’re  looked  after.  

reaching  across  the  table,  she  rests  a  firm  hand  against  giselle’s  wrist.  “ giselle, " she starts,  " i’m  offering  you  dry  clothes, not  my  first  born  child.  relax.  “  she's resolute giselle  WILL  accept  the  clothes──  or  at  the  very  least  a  ride  back  to  her  apartment afterwards──  but  grace  yields  for  now.  with  narrowed  eyes,  she  sits  back  against  her  chair  and  folds  her  legs,  breezing  past  her  friend’s  apologies  for  being  late  and  insistence  on  paying,  things  grace  knows  giselle  has  to  offer  as  if  to  relieve  her  own  guilty  conscious  for  just  being  human.  “  are  you  okay  ?  “  she  repeats  stubbornly.  giselle  didn’t  answer  the  first  time.  “  what  happened  ?  “ 

               giselle   was   shaking   her   head   in   disagreement,   but   to   no   avail.   grace   had   long   turned   her   attention   away to   the   bag   beside   her.   if   it   were   anyone   else,   giselle   would've   felt   the   familiar   weight   of   guilt.   as   if   her   inability   to   foresee   all   unfortunate   events   and   avoid   them   accordingly   was   some   type   of   burden   to   those   around   her.   that   was   never   an   issue   with   grace.   the   typical   (   brutal   )   honesty   that   slipped   out   more   often   than   not   led   giselle   to   the   easy   belief   that   if   she   was   doing   something   that   bothered   grace   she   wouldn't   hesitate   to   let   her   know.                "   no,   no   you   don't   have   to   go   out   there   right   now.   we   can   get   them   once   we finishing   eating.   "   giselle   would   accept   the   shoes,   but   knew   she'd   adamantly   disagree   to   taking   a   pair   of   pants   from   her   too.   despite   knowing   she   wasn't   a   burden   to   grace,   giselle   still   couldn't   remove   the   innate   fear   that   she   was   taking   advantage   of   a   kindness.   "   the   pants   will   probably   dry   by   the   time   we're   done   eating,   you   worry   too   much   !   "   giselle   waved   her   away   before   picking   up   her   menu.   "   have   you   even   looked   at   what   you   wanna   get   yet   ?   my   treat   for   being   so   late.   "

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹ ────────  carmen's  attention  shifts  abruptly  to  something  going  on  over  her  shoulder  mid-conversation  and  wren  furrows  her  brows,  glancing  behind  her.  "  huh  ?  "  she  echoes,  unsure  of  what  to  expect───  she  sees  nothing  unusual,  except  andre,  who  wren  is  very  sure  is  not  the  one  causing  such  a  reaction  from  anyone.  it's  the  waving  that  clues  her  in.  "  oh.  that's  andre's  roommate,  "  she  explains,  her  confusion  dissipating  as  she  pulls  a  face  towards  her  cousin  and  then  looks  back  to  carmen.  "  e...  something  ?  i  don't  know.  i  haven't  ever  really  talked  to  him.  "  she  studies  her  for  a  minute, suspiciously,  and adds, "  but  i'm  sensing  maybe  you  have  ?  "  

｡*˚:✧｡ "no, but seriously, how am I supposed to be looking at the stars when you're right there?" the smile on her face vanished in an instant as her gaze darted, catching a glimpse of someone familiar. no, it couldn't be. what would he be doing here? she quickly brushed it off, turning her attention back to their conversation with a forced nonchalance. "sorry, I thought I saw someone." she can't help but look back out on the crowd, who was that talking to andre? all she can see is the back of his head "who is that talking to your cou- no! what is he doing here?" (@apcthetics)

[apcthetics]

closed starter for BIANCA ( @cherrywcves ) location : 🌃

*˖ ⊹ ────────  "  shoot,  "  caleb  mutters  under  his  breath  as  the  cups  he's  been  stacking  on  the  unsteady  pop  up  table  start  to  wobble.  what  happens  next  feels  like  it's  in  slow  motion───  the  (  rather  large,  considering  he  had  been  standing  there  alone  for  a  while  building  it  )  tower  of  plastic  goes  toppling  over.  he  makes  an  effort  to  catch  them  but  it's  fruitless,  and  by  the  end  he's  left  standing  there  with  a  handful  of  cups  in  his  arms  and  the  rest  on  the  brick  around  his  feet.  perfect  timing  for  someone  to  walk  over,  he  thinks  bitterly  as  a  second  pair  of  shoes  appear  in  his  line  of  sight.  stiffly,  and  without  looking  up  from  the  ground,  caleb  holds  one  of  the  cups  out  towards  them.  "  i,  um,  i  meant  to  do  that.  "  

[apcthetics]

closed starter for ANDRE ( @cherrywcves ) location : 🌃

*˖ ⊹ ────────  "  ───...i  didn't  know  your  cousin  knew  carmen.  "  in  the  lull  of  silence  that  overcame  him  and  andre,  elijah  thought  he  felt  eyes  burrowing  into  the  back  of  his  head.  his  hand  darts  up  in  an  eager  wave  when  he  meets  carmen's  gaze,  unfazed  when  the  familiar  woman  across  the  warmly  lit  rooftop  turns  away  instead  of  acknowledging  his  hello.  his  fingers  drop  back  to  rest  against  the  cool  can  he's  holding,  but  he  turns  back  to clarify to  andre  with  a  triumphant  smile.  "  she's  the  one  in  my  art  forgeries  class  ? who's  obsessed  with  me ? "  

[apcthetics]

closed starter for DECLAN ( @wcitingroom ) location : roof top roof top

*˖ ⊹ ────────  wren  had  given  up  on  the  secret  password  thing.  there  were  a  lot  more  people  than  she  was  anticipating,  and  when  levi  arrived,  looking  clueless  when  she  asked,  she  decided  that  maybe  some  of  her  ideas  didn't  need  to  come  to  fruition.  that  didn't  mean  she  wasn't  having  fun.  buzzing  around  her  telescope,  cradling  a  red  cup  of  cheap  red  wine,  she  jumps  seamlessly  between  conversations.

movement  by  the  stairs  catches  her  attention,  and  she  notes  a  familiar  figure  creeping  through  the  propped  open  metal  door.  excusing  herself,  she  darts  over  and  stumbles  to  a  halt  in  front  of  declan──  she  had  given  up  on  the  secret  password  thing,  but  now  it  came  in  handy  as  an  easy  excuse.

"  hi,  "  she's  blocking  him  on  purpose,  but  the  burst  of  confidence  that  overtook  her  a  few  steps  ago  disappears  as  soon  as  she's  standing  face  to  face  with  him.  pulling  her  hand  away  from  where  she  had  placed  it  against  his  shoulder  to  stop  him,  wren  gnaws  on  her  lower  lip,  poorly  suppressing  the  nervous,  goofy  smile  that  wants  to  break  free.  she  clears  her  throat.  "  sorry,  but  um...──  i'm  gonna  need  the  password  before  i  can  let  you  through.  "  

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹ ────────  it’s  difficult  for  kal  to  buy  into  the  idea  that  anything  good  could  happen  to  him.  his  life  has  always  felt  like  one  string  of  bad  news  after  another,  whispering  in  his  ear  like  ghosts  while  he  tries  his  hardest  to  keep  his  feet  planted  firmly  on  the  ground.  every  day  he  watches  people  suffer──  strangers,  his  sister──  fighting  the  deeply  buried  knowledge  that  he  has  very  little  influence  over  their  fate,  no  matter  how  much  he  wants  to  save  them.  he’s  stubborn,  but  it’s  an  uphill  battle  and  kal  is  losing.  nihilistic  grief  permeates  his  thoughts.  every  free  moment  he  has  is  spent  with  an  internal  monologue  that  lists  all  the  terrible  things  that  could  happen,  and  all  the  ways  he  could  have  prevented  them.  

for  the  last  few  months  he’s  applied  that  pattern  to  gina,  too.  he  forces  himself  to  snuff  out  any  flicker  of  hope  that  maybe  he’s  being  given  a  second  chance,  because  it  has  to  come  with  a  disclaimer.  kal  wasn’t  sure  he  could  live  with  the  idea  of  hurting  her  again,  nor  was  he  sure  he  could  survive  through  yet  another  devastating  break  up.  it  doesn’t  seem  fair  to  him  to  project  his  hopes  onto  her,  hovering  around  her  door  like  some  kind  of  guilt-ridden  stray,  banking  on  her  pity.  he  made  mistakes  and  kal  had  to  live  with  those  mistakes.  it  felt  wrong  to  ask  for  forgiveness  when  kal  didn’t  think  he  deserved  it.  

── but it’s  impossible  to  reconcile  his  guilty  conscious  with  the  last  24  hours.  kal  doesn’t  do  casual.  he  can’t  justify  the  way  his  heart  skips  a  beat  when  his  gaze  meets  hers  as  nothing.  isn’t  this  exactly  what  he’s  been  asking  for  ?  when  things  are  so  difficult,  why  is  he  trying  to  fight  the  one  thing  that  seems  to  be  going  right  ?  

some  of  his  anxiety  evaporates,  leaving  a  warm,  fluttering  feeling  in  it’s  wake,  and  he  leans  his  head  into  her  hand.  “  i’m  sorry,  “  he  apologizes  again,  and  he  winces  sympathetically  before  giving  her  a  wry,  knowing  smile.  “  i  just  wanna  get  everything  right  this  time.  “  he  lowers  his  voice  a  bit  towards  the  end  of  the  sentence,  as  if  he  runs  out  of  confidence  midway  through.  he  really  does  wish  he  was  better  at  this──  some  metaphorical  prince  charming  that  can  sweep  gina  off  her  feet  and  always  knows  what  the  exact  right  thing  to  say  is──  but  kal  has  to  acknowledge  that  he’s  not,  and  that  doesn’t  seem  to  deter  her.  

he  catches  her  fingers  in  his  fist  and  presses  them  against  lightly  his  lips  before  they  pull  away.  using  another  deep  breath  to  steady  himself,  kal  forces  his  thoughts  to  quiet  a  little.  that’s  much  easier  to  do  when  gina  is  there,  although  his  stomach  twists  in  a  different  set  of  knots  as  the  reality  of  the  situation── not  what  kal  worried  it  would  be──  starts to set  in.  it's hard to fight off the goofy smile that threatens while he  pulls  the  orange  in  half,  handing  the second piece to her.  " tea would be nice. " he agrees quietly, holding her eyes for a moment longer and then breaking his gaze away to turn it back towards the stove. " it's... honestly, it's kind of a shitty breakfast as far as impressing you goes anyway. " he sputters out a laugh at his own ridiculousness, " all this and i...── i couldn't find where you kept your flour. "  

sound asleep, entering into this hazy dream-like state between sleep and awake as she reached out to the other side of the bed, just to be met with the emptiness she had grown far too used to. the way her stomach dropped, she was awake now and shooting up in the bed, sheet pulled up close to her chest as she looked around for any sign of him, proof that last night wasn't just some sort of dream she had been yearning for too long now. the rational part of her brain knew that kal was not the type, he would have never just spent the night like this and ran for the hills in the morning. he would never. but could she blame him for getting into his own head, she had been the one to initiate. he could have panicked.

she rubs away the sleep from her eyes, and the sheet is thrown aside as she slides from between them. bare feet make contact with the plush rug that her bed rested upon, she takes a moment to let the sun warm her skin through the window, arms stretching above her head. she reached down to pluck a sweater from the floor, pulling it over her head, the comforting weight of fabric falling over her frame. just then, the subtle symphony of movement emanated from the kitchen, accompanied by the aroma of something cooking. a renewed sense of hope surged within her as she followed the scent, arriving at the doorway where she finally found him.

"good morning" she breathed out with a smile. she is waving off his apologies for even the thought of waking her which only caused the smile on her face to grow even more "i was just wondering where you had gone. but here you are, you know, you're the guest i should be the one cooking you breakfast" crossing the floor toward him, she noticed his head ducked in embarrassment. unable to resist, she gently reached out, coaxing his chin back up with a tender touch "it's perfect, kal. you're here and you're making me breakfast. there's nothing better than that. how about i make you some tea, hmm? something to settle those nerves" she added, brushing a curl away from his face, having fallen when his head had bowed.

[apcthetics]

OPEN starter location : comic book store <3

*˖ ⊹ ────────  "  she  looks  good  and  it  keeps  her  warm.  "  damien  drags  the  little  spiderman  hood  over  rogue's  head,  gently  threading  her  floppy  ears  through  the  holes  cut  out  for  them.  she  looks  ridiculous,  as  any  beagle  in  a  spiderman  costume  would,  but  damien  beams  proudly  and  places  her  back  down  on  the  store's  creaky  wooden  floors.  she  is,  after  all,  his  mascot.  he  would  argue  she  needs  to  dress  the  part,  and  it  clearly  doesn't  bother  her  as  the  small  dog  shuffles  away  and  disappears  behind  one  of  the  aisles.  "  i  got  her  an  xmen  one  too.  "  he  turns  back  towards  his  new  companion,  the  person  unfortunate  enough  to  walk  in  during  the  dog's  fashion  moment,  "  anyway : did  you  need  something  ?  new releases aren't out until tomorrow, so if you were hoping to get a sneak peek you still gotta wait. "  

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹ ────────  "  oh right.  i  forgot  you  don't  know  how  to  read.  "  kas  leans  back  as  she  squints  towards  it.  using  the  end  of  his  fork  has  a  pointer,  he  gestures  to  each  word.  "  see,  it  says  :  beware──"  he  sounds  the  word  out  slowly,  in  a  mocking  attempt  of  teaching  her,  "  little──  you  know,  because  you're...  "  the  fork  shifts  to  her  and  he  motions  downwards,  as  if  indicating  her  height,  "  ...──gnome  sized.  "  the  paper  dents  when  he  stabs the handle into  it  again,  "  ──corn  shucking  freak.  it's  pretty  self  explanatory if you think about it.  "

he  breathes  out  a  disbelieving  snort,  carelessly  tossing  the  paper  onto  the  counter  where  it  will  get  lost  in  among  the  old  mail  and  random  trinkets  that  have  gathered  in  a  little  piles,  destined  to  end  up  either  in  the  bin  or  among  the  various  other  unusual  "  art  projects  "  decorating  their  fridge.  the  kitchen,  the  most  populated  common  area  of  their  uncomfortably  small  apartment,  was  the  epicentre  of  their  incompatible  aesthetics  ;  a  battleground  between  the  unravelling  hair  ribbons  tied  to  drawer  cupboards  and  weird  stickers  they  stuck  onto  their  appliances,  (  and  the  eerie  baby  doll  head  that  lives  on  top  of  the  microwave  ).  at  some  point  it  stopped  being  clear  what weird flea market crucifix nailed to the wall belongs to kas and which ones belong to dilan── nowadays, it seems like the two of them are united in one goal of trying to collect the weirdest home decor possible.

"  i  thought  the  manic  pixie  dream  girl,  artist-muse  thing  wasn't  popular  anymore  ?  besides,  cold  pasta  doesn’t  really  seem  like  the  type.  "  he  remarks  distractedly,  focusing  his  attention  on  throwing  his  fork  into  the  sink.  it  lands  in  the  basin  with  a  metallic  thud,  and  kas  gives  himself  a  nod  of  approval.  "  anyway,  "  he  settles  back  into  the  counter across from her,  his  spotty  attention  coming  back  around  to  dilan.  "  i  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  more.  i  think  if  this  was  survivor  and  our  neighbours  could  vote  who  was  getting  kicked  off  the  island,  you  would  be  second  only  to  that  really  nosy  woman  on  the  first  floor.  "

bunched up white socks kicked back and forth gently through the air, chin sat in the palm of her hand. she is picking at a piece of the meat with her fork, not a thought thrown towards her roommate as he begins scribbling away on a piece of paper that had been pulled from the fridge. his spontaneous creativity was as predictable as the sunrise. dilan had grown accustomed to these impromptu bursts of artistic expression. putting it down to an artsy kid thing. yet, deep down, she knew it was more than a generality— it was simply a kasper thing. but dilan always found herself stood in front of the fridge looking over the ones stuck there while she drank from the carton of orange juice or had her bedtime treat of a pickle. she would even find herself adding the ones left lying around to the fridge to join the others.

she is in the middle of chewing, lost in her own world when kasper's voice had her drawn back to reality for her opinion. it was a rare moment—dilan, not the go-to person for artistic opinions, was being sought after for her viewpoint. she was already in the middle of throwing out a "looks good" before her eyes even land on the sketch. "wait.." once realization hit "she looks kind of hot and like she enjoys to shuck corn a normal amount" of course she is acting like she can't make out what the writing says. she is squinting at the words scrawled beneath the drawing of her "is that what it says?" she knew rightly, even in poor writing it read very clearly "beware: hot girl shucking corn" she's still squinting, nodding approvingly "i've always thought of myself as a muse. i think this is just going to make our neighbours love me even more"

[apcthetics]

OPEN starter the diner's kitchen

*˖ ⊹ ────────  "  okay,  i  promise  it's  not  that  hard.  "  she  reassures,  balancing  a  mixing  bowl  against  her  hip.  there's  one  time  of  day  where  clem  seems  to  be  even  somewhat  at  ease,  and  it's  the  late  evenings,  when  the  diner  filters  out  to  nothing  but  the  usual  midnight  crowd  and  she  can  step  back  to  finish  up  preparing  for  tomorrow. 

"  all  you  have  to  do  is  just  fold  it  over.  not  mixing  !  it's  a  lifting  motion  instead  of  a  spinning  motion.  but not for too long, because then it will get stiff and won't rise properly. "  she  rushes through an explanation,  passing  the  bowl  to  her  latest  kitchen  recruit  (  that's  their  fault  for  popping  in  to  see  how  she  was  doing.  )  hurriedly,  she  pushes  the  bowl  into  their  hands.  yes, this is what she considered to be ' restful. ' "  thank  you !  I  really  need  to  start  making  this  filling  or  else  my  timing  will  be  all  off.  " 

[apcthetics]

clementine bailey. ── (updated) tag dump.

clementine bailey. ── thread. clementine bailey. ── musings. clementine bailey. ── mirror. clementine bailey. ── character study.

clementine bailey. ── featuring. faye clementine bailey. ── featuring. loren clementine bailey. ── featuring. aniyah clementine bailey. ── featuring. nate clementine bailey. ── featuring. nevaeh clementine bailey. ── featuring. dilan clementine bailey. ── featuring. tadgh

[apcthetics]

*˖ ⊹ ────────  his  inability  to  see  his  own  stupidity  doesn't  hamper  his  excitement.  whatever  that  little  guy  in  there  was,  he  thought  he  was  pretty  damn  cool.  despite  most  of  his  personality  saying  otherwise,  kas  liked  unusual  shit  that  people  had  no  choice  but  to  stop  to  look  at.  under  a  purposefully  shallow  exterior  came  an  innate  attraction  to  things  that  forced  someone  to  feel  something.  kas  often  had  difficulty  distinguishing  strong  forms  of  negative  emotions  for  positive  ones, but  if  it  sparked  a  reaction  then  he wanted to figure out why.

( it a unhealthy personality quirk and the reason he's here with gabriella at all. their negative traits are amplified in each other, thus it's an addictive game of cat and mouse that kas is using to mask the deeply buried yearning for something else. )

"  i'm  not  stupid,  gab.  i've  seen  horses.  "  kas  says  it  with  an  unwarranted  amount  of  confidence,  scoffing  in  the  direction  of  his  loosely  termed  '  date  .  he  pauses  to  wait  for  her  to  give  him  a  real  answer,  before  adding  :  "  they  don't  swim.  " it  takes  him  a  few  seconds  to  notice  the  informative  plaque  sitting  on  the  wall  beside  the  tank,  and  he  has  to  reread  it  a  second  time.  "  oh,  shit.  "  he  mutters  to  himself  as  the  realization  dawns  on  him,  and  he  glances  sheepishly  in  gabriella's  direction.  "  that's  crazy.  those  things  do  NOT  look  like  horses.  "  

౨ৎ    ‎‎‎‎‎‎˒ weaving   through   congregations   of   other   aquarium-goers,   gabriella   swipes,   pinches   and   taps   at   her   phone   screen,   brow   furrowed   in   concentration   as   she   works   on   curating   a   photo   collage   for   her   instagram   story;   pictures   that   kas   had   taken   of   her   in   front   of   a   flurry   of   different   fish   tanks   perfectly   positioned   alongside   one   another   on   the   screen   ( and   perhaps   a   sly   `soft-launchˊ   that   had   been   snuck   in   there,   too ).   she   had   become   so   engulfed   in   creating   her   masterpiece,   in   fact,   that   she   had   barely   taken   notice   of   the   tanks   that   she   had   wandered   past,   or   who   she   had   been   wandering   off   from;   despite   having   pleaded   with   kas   for   him   to   come   with   her   because   it   would   be   `cute.ˊ   with   that   being   said,   though,   any   `dateˊ   with   kas   that   wasn’t   just   him   showing   up   at   her   apartment   for   a   night   of   intimacy   was   a   win   in   gabriella's   eyes ──   okay,   perhaps   she   was   still   trying   to   convince   hope   that   things   were   slowly   ( more   like   at   a   sad,   squashed   snail's   pace )   blossoming   into   something   more   serious,   but   maybe,   just   maybe   .   .   .   ?   nevertheless,   with   a   triumphant   `hmphˊ   escaping   her,   gabriella   taps   to   post   her   collage;   just   in   time   to   be   snapped   out   of   her   social   media   trance   with   kas   shaking   at   her   arm,   urging   her   to   come   and   look   at   something   he   had   spotted   inside   of   a   small   tank.   based   on   his   animated   reaction   to   whatever   was   in   there,   gabriella   was   expecting   to   see   something   exotic,   never-seen-before,   perhaps   even   exclusive   to   this   aquarium   alone.   what   she   didn't   quite   bet   on,   however;   was   what   she   was,   in   fact,   met   with   when   turning   towards   the   tank   that   kas   had   glued   himself   to.   ❝   it's   .   .   .   a   seahorse,   babe.   ❞   she   replies   after   a   moment   of   stunned   silence,   features   somewhat   forcing   themselves   to   express   something   along   the   lines   of   excitement   ( that,   combined   with   something   of   an   apologetic   smile   of   her   own   in   the   direction   of   the   less   than   impressed   mother   and   child   duo   next   to   them ).   ❝   look,   there's   more   of   them   over   there.   ❞   she   leans   a   little   closer   towards   the   tank,   pressing   a   finger   against   the   glass   to   point   out   another   one   of   the   peculiar   creatures   entangled   in   a   strand   of   seaweed.

[apcthetics]

rooftop star-gazing party : hosted by wren noor

in  honour  of  spring break  and  one  of  the  clearest  nights  in  new  york  city  for  actually  viewing  the  stars,  wren  wanted  to  invite  a  handful  of  her  friends  over  to  come  vibe  on  the  roof  of  her  building  and  admire  space.  she  sent  out  texts  to  all  of  her  friends  to  see  who  would  be  interested  in  attending.  it's  byob,  byow,  just  come  hang  out  and  look  at  space  !

invites  (  via  text  )  went  out  to:  declan,  levi,  caleb,  carmen,  gabriella,  nevaeh,  luvena,  bowie,  andre,  aniyah. @cherrywcves @bcnztruck @wcitingroom

plus  ones  ( or  twos  or  threes )  welcome,  but  wren  can't  promise  she'll  be  nice if anyone brings someone she doesn't like. 

playlist here

[apcthetics]

closed  starter  for  GINA  (  @cherrywcves  ) location  :  gina's  kitchen,  morning  😈 time  skip  from  the  aura  thread  😌

*˖ ⊹ ────────  should  he  have  woken  her  up  ?

kal  can't  figure  out  of  it  was  rude  to  leave  gina  alone  in  her  room,  but  he  needed  to  keep  himself  busy.  as  much  as  he  wanted  to  stay  wrapped  under  the  warm  quilt,  the  feeling  of  gina's  hair  tickling  his  face,  watching  the  orange-tinted  sunlight  filter  through  the  windows  and  dance  across  her  sleeping  features,  his  thoughts  are  always  so  loud,  so  overbearing,  that  he  had  to  find  something  to  keep  himself  preoccupied.

his  fingers  dig  into  the  peel  of  the  orange  he's  holding,  pulling  it  apart  as  eggs  sizzle  in  a  frying  pan.  quietly,  he  mutters  to  himself  like  he's  working  on  a  problem  ;  like  he's  having  a  conversation  with  someone  who  isn't  there.  the  smell  of  fruit  overwhelms  the  kitchen,  and  it's  like  he's  stepped  back  inside  a  memory.  he  feels  like  he  transported  back  four  years,  before  everything  fell  apart,  before  he  fucked  everything  up.

he  didn't.  this  was  real  life, not another nightmare──  he  pinched  himself  when  he  woke  up,  just  to  be  sure.  what  if  it  was  a  mistake  ?  what  if  when  gina  woke  up  she  regretted  it  ?  of  course,  that  line  of  logic  doesn't  make  any  sense,  considering  it  was  gina  who  invited  him  upstairs, gina who was just as eager to pull him towards her room,  but  he  finds  it  difficult  to  quiet  the  personal  critic inside his mind,  no  matter  how  much  he  argues  with  them.

spinning  around,  he  moves  to  put  the  orange  on  the  plate,  and  startles  when  he  sees  the  form  of  her  standing  in  the  doorway.  instantly  his  eyes  widen,  guilty,  as  if  he'd  been  caught  doing  anything  but  making  her  breakfast  in  a  kitchen  where  he  still  remembered  what  was  in  every  drawer.

"  hi  !──  i  mean──  good  morning  ?  i  mean──  i'm  sorry  i  didn't  wake  you  up──  or  maybe  i  did  !  i  hope  i  wasn't  too  loud──  you  looked  so  peaceful  while  you  were  sleeping  i  didn't  want  to  disturb  you──  "

kal  fumbles  over  his  words,  stringing  them  together  into  anxious  sentences  that  don't  make  any  sense  until  finally  he  clamps  his  teeth  shut.  he  takes  a  deep  breath  and  sighs  it  out,  pinching  the  bridge  of  his  nose,  squeezing  his  eyes  shut.  "  can  we  start  that  over again  ?  "  when  he  speaks  again  it's  quieter,  and  kal  opens  his  eyes  to  let  them  sheepishly  meet  gina's.  he  ducks  his  head  down  in  embarrassment,  fidgeting  with  the  orange  peel.  "  i  had  a  plan  of  what  i  was  going  to  say  and  it  was  supposed  to  be  way,  um...  better  ?  than  whatever  that  was.  i swear. "