darcy-leon

[darcy-leon]

oflilyana​:

Lily was used to the cold weather and ever since she moved to Savannah, seeing snow was a rare sight unlike in her birthplace but she was glad that her son was at least able to enjoy it whenever it fell. She left Alex at her neighbor’s place, in order to have some time for herself and hopefully hang out with some of her friends - and maybe get a little wasted too. Tossing the butt of her cigarette into the empty beer bottle in her hand, she glanced around and met the gaze of a familiar face. “Someone’s getting real cozy here”, she grinned at the other, taking the offered seat and leaned back, placing the bottle beside the chair. “So, what’s up?”

“Someone just got swindled out of a cool fifty for this thing.” She ran a hand over the blanket. It was an impulse. She had the money in her pocket, the desire to stay at the bonfire, and also not the appropriate attire. The vendor was probably cackling somewhere up the pier. When Lily took the seat next to her, she offered up some of the ribs. “Right now? I’m wondering how Tybee Island didn’t consult me when they hired this band.”

[darcy-leon]

harpandrews​:

Harp all but rolled his eyes playfully as he took a side glance and flashed pearly whites to show he was playing, shoulders shrugging. ‘’I guess there is none for you then, Mrs Smarty Pants.’’  Harp states, reaching to pull out another beer, flicking the top and raising it to his lips with a knowing smirk spreading across his features. Darcy was someone he’d known for some time, hell, wasn’t it like that for everyone in Savannah, or, at least around here it was.

As he took a glance around he felt like he knew every face here tonight, or at least a good eighty percent of them. When he heard his pride and joys name, he flashed into a wide grin, a proud father was on his features like a shiny new badge. 

‘‘My brother has him, I think he’s secretly trying to get some practice in for the next one. With having a girl, things are going to be a whole lot more tricky— or at least I think so.’‘ Harp chuckled, as he turned to face her more. ‘‘Who are you here with tonight? Or are you all on your lonesome?’‘ He paused as he kinks a brow, taking in her outfit.

‘‘You look like an art student.’‘

There it was. Harp’s face transformed the second she brought up his kid. It was weird, but not in a bad way. Weird in the sense that she’d known him since they were both young idiots. Now it seemed that only she’d stuck to that title. “Passing them off to the cool uncle then, huh? Classic move. Remind me later, I got a playlist for the nugget. Got to cultivate those tastes early, you know.”

She gave him the middle finger at the comment on her fashion choices. She put less thought into the look of her outfit and more into comfort. Plus, The Beatles were always a win. “I’m here with this cup of rum and hopefully,” she nodded at the barbecue, “a big serving of those ribs.”

[darcy-leon]

asherfarkas​:

Asher had split off from the rest of his friends, taking a quiet stroll with hands buried deep within his jean trousers, even in this moment he’d wished he’d brought something warmer to wear, as he felt a shudder run through his body. It’d been a weird night, filled with emotions he tried his hardest to avoid if he could, but as he walked he tried to let it drift away. There was a chilly breeze that nipped at his skin, dark eyes flickering back to the burning fire, as he headed back in that direction. 

He’d rather not freeze to death this evening, that was certain. 

He had hardly been there a few moments before he heard her voice, eyes dashing over to her as he offered a warm smile. ‘’Well hello there, darling.’’ He all but chirped, as he looked to the offered seat. Head snaking around to see if his daughter was anywhere to be seen, before he slid in without another word. 

‘‘Marshmallows are from the gods.’‘ Asher states with fake disbelief. ‘‘Never, ever, compare them to the likes of this….band.’‘ His face scrunches up as a note goes off key. ‘‘I hope to god they don’t attempt the national anthem this year, I can see the local band hasn’t improved…’‘ Asher was already laughed as he took a peak at Darcy.

‘‘How are you?’‘

She stretched out her plate of ribs to Asher, the other holding her glass of hot rum to her chest. “Did you hear them butchering Midnight Train to Georgia?” she asked. Asher’s big name status meant very little to her. He was a Savannah kid just like her. The only thing separating them were two very different bank account and ten years. “I wouldn’t let them play at the store even if I was flat out broke and drunk off my ass.”

She licked a little sauce off her fingers as she considered his question. The music shop was still bringing in revenue, her dog was healthy. One the surface there was nothing to complain about. And digging any deeper wasn’t likely. “Ten for ten,” she said simply. “At least until all those spring breakers pop into town next week. What about you? Retirement all you dreamed?”

[darcy-leon]

Beach chair. Check. Blanket. Check. BBQ ribs. Check. Darcy had been coming to the bonfire since she was in pigtails. Winter in Savannah was a bit of an oxymoron. For as long as she’d been alive snow had fallen only twice, and yet saying goodbye to the short days, packing up her sweaters, finally shoving the hot chocolates into storage, it felt about as real as any other season. She was just starting to dig into her plate when she noticed a passing face in the crowd. With a smile she nudged the empty chair next to her toward them. “Join me,” she said. “I’m about to roast this band harder than the marshmallows.” 

[darcy-leon]

She’d arrived at the bonfire late, and underdressed, and since acquired a scarf and hat from friends that were capable of a little thing called planning ahead. She didn’t stray far from the bonfire and the extra heat it was providing, even if the live music was tempting her closer to the stage with every piece. “Noted,” she said, when she heard Alex. “All this time spent trying to woo you on peaches and gin, when all you need is a little beach barbecue.”

Location: Tybee Island Bonfire

Status: Open

Tagging: @savannahstarters​​

Bonfires had always had a special place in Alex’s heart since he was a kid. Ever since he had learned of the history behind why the Brits celebrated bonfire night, he had become fascinated by it. Frankly speaking, bonfire night had been one of his favourite things to do with his family back in London. Needless to say, moving to New York had certainly made it much more difficult for the poor Brit to make it home for bonfire night. But when he had heard of the bonfire event in Tybee Island, he was not going to miss it for the world. “You know, being at a bonfire really makes me feel more at home.” Alex admitted as he took a sip of his beer. Three years if had been since he had left the Big Apple for Savannah, and it was safe to say that he was starting to embrace the finer things that the town had to offer. 

[darcy-leon]

“Cold beer? In winter? A big fat college degree and I’m still smarter than you.” Darcy stretched one hand out toward the fire, letting the heat rattle over her. In the other, she was holding some hot buttered rum obtained from a stall just up the pier. She’d thrown on a Beatles sweater over her overalls, layered up her socks under the boots, even tucked her hands into fingerless gloves but the wind off the water was insidious. 

Finding Harp in the crowd was a bit of a delight. Like many of the people they’d followed through grade school he was now a card carrying member of the Savannah dads association. “Who’s the little Dot with?”

LOCATION: TYBEE BEACH

EVENT 001: BONFIRE.

@savannahstarters​

The crackling fire had hues of chocolate brown watching with such intensity, as a cold bottle sat in his over-sized hands, cuddled further into his coat as he tried to keep his hands warm. Who ever had thought it was a good idea to do this in the winter must have been absurd, as he blew out, a cloud of smoke following. Damn. 

However, as he looked around and took in the atmosphere, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He liked seein the community together like this, like they were seperate to the rest of the world and how it tried to tare people down or apart. Not here. They were all family, still one. Even now as he waited for his eyes to settle upon his usual group of friends, he couldn’t help but wonder about home — how his daughter was doing, what she was up too. 

‘‘I have another beer if you need one’‘ He said without looking to see who had joined him. ‘‘They’re cold, if that’s what you were wondering.’’ He half-smiled.

[darcy-leon]

{ Priscilla Quintana, CIS FEMALE & SHE/HER } Is that DARCY LEON , the THIRTY-ONE year old  from DOWNTOWN. SHE is a BUSINESS OWNER of DAISY’s VINYL  and has lived in Savannah for THIRTY-ONE YEARS. They are known for being INDEPENDENT, CHARISTMATIC, and GENEROUS  but also because they are BLUNT, OBSTINATE, and IMPULSIVE . If you see them around Savannah they are probably singing MR. BLUE SKY by THE ELECTRIC ORCHESTRA. {Claire, twenty-five, she/her, EST.}

Bio below

TW: death

The Leon household never lacked two things. Good food and good tunes. Some weekend meals could be planned out around an album, or derailed by a bit of friendly competition. From the Led Zeppelin to Queen to Fleetwood Mac. By the time Darcy was in grade school she could name every song by the artist and release year. If the Leon household also became the number one address for noise complaints in Savannah, Georgia then that was simply a badge of honor.

Darcy was a bit of an unconventional only child in the fact that her parents, Pascal and Daisy Leon, never applied pressure to her life or saddled her with expectations. Her father was a Savannah native for generations and her mother was a import, blown in on a strong wind. They were high school sweethearts that built their life together piece by piece. Marriage, check. Home, check. Business, check. Their music store was their life. Even in the midst of the digital world, they had their regulars that kept the place afloot. Eventually the store would home instruments for sale and lessons from locals in the area who needed a space to teach. To Darcy it was a second home.

Their final check mark was Darcy. The girl whose birth certificate listed her middle name as Bowie. Could she have turned up any different? In school, she led with her heart above her mind. They called her a bit rough around the edges, but that didn't suit her well. When the other boys came up from their wrestling matches with black eyes the same wasn't spoken about them. She wore her scraped knees like they were a badge of honor. The friends she had took her without judgement and the best of them would stay with her for life. The connection they forged over legos and naptime would take them through many hard times.

In high school, she was part of the soccer and swim team and started wearing varsity jackets over her Electric light orchestra t-shirts. The academics of it all meant nothing to her, but she kept her grades up so that she could stay on the team. When she started dating it was sporadic, never serious. It could last as short as the bonfire and as long as the month. After graduation she found odd jobs and paying gigs. Catering, dog-walking, eventually bartending and games commentary. About four times a year or so she would DJ a wedding. Once a month she'd oversee a social at the local retirement home. She moved out of her family's home and into an apartment with her friends.

That was a good time. No student loan debt. No responsibilities. Few bills. In the midst of it, she met someone who knocked her back a step. Someone that turned on the lights inside her. One year with Owen rolled into two and then three. They bought their own place, adopted a dog they named Mercury. He tried to keep it secret when he started showing up a jewelers, but that was a lost cause.

And then July 4th. A migraine kept her from the then tradition of taking a boat out fishing. Whatever the catch was became dinner that evening. She slept straight till noon, slept straight through the sudden thunderstorm. One missed call that afternoon turned into three. That evening, on her way to her parents house the phone call came through. Words like accident and sudden didn't offer her comfort. Two gravestones in the cemetery could never reflect what had been lost.

That was four years ago. On July 5th, she became the sole owner of her family home and Daisy's Vinyl. She quickly learned that grief didn't strike all at once and that the aftershocks could be just as destructive. The main casualty of this was Owen. She shut herself off from him and what they had withered on the vine. Her focus turned to the store, to preserving her parent's legacy. Under her care it's grown with a small cafe out back where records and company can be imbued. It's a life and if she's lost a bit of her projectory, lost what she never thought she could, then what does it matter? She is too stubborn to admit to any of that.

[darcy-leon]

To me, this band’s more about the drama.

High Fidelity 1.01: Top Five Heartbreaks

[darcy-leon]

Priscilla Quintana for Hollywood Life November 2020.