fairchildisms - Tumblr blog

[fairchildisms]

jessica alexander x something about rocks

[fairchildisms]

" THE GOLDEN GIRLS ? " she echoes, with a laugh. " damn, good for him. though doesn't he know that if you have merchandise to show, it shouldn't come for free ? maybe if he was on onlyfans he wouldn't be spending his on the side of the street like this, " alex smiles, an amused sparkle in her eyes. " that's just men for you, right ? but please, lying to them about their talents in bed is just giving them an ego they don't deserve. and sometimes it's worth it to see them all butthurt to find out they couldn't make you come. "

The blonde grinned at the other as her thumbs worked at lightning speed to air-share the note. "No problemo - just out here doing more than Jesus, himself." She joked with a flick of her blonde hair and a chortle. "Yes! And no, but hi!" The quirky personality shining through as she mirrored the other's smile. At the clarification, DJ snorted. "Ahhhhh, I would assume so if he's the talk of the city. Especially amongst the women." The blonde shook her head. "Pretty sure The Golden Girls hiked their way up here just to meet him." Her brows raised as she spoke. "Not that size matters, anyway. I'm over all these Chad, Brad, Christian mother fuckers who claim they can get me off but rub my leg for 20 minutes. Makes me think maybe I should've went into acting."

[fairchildisms]

FOR ONCE ALEX IS AT A LOSS OF WORDS. it's not every day you slap somebody and they give you techniques on it for the future. eyes narrow for a second, trying to see what kind of game the girl is playing—but eventually, fuck it, alex snorts out a small laugh. " it's still early, cut me some slack, " she shakes her head, taking a sip of her coffee. " but noted for next time. same time next week ? "

               the  slap  doesn't  even  come  as  a  surprise  to  miyeon  as  she  purses  her  lips ,    trying  so  hard  not  to  laugh  too  much  at  the  absurdity  of  the  situation .    she's  not  even  sure  where  she  went  wrong  in  what  was  said  but  no  part  of  her  cares  enough  to  continue  a  meaningless  fight .    instead ,    it  becomes  a  little  amusing  at  this  point   ...    there  wasn't  any  reason  for  all  of  this .       “        i'll  keep  that  in  mind  next  time  i  go  to  get  my  nails  done .    think  i  got  an  appointment  next  week .    you  should  work  on  the  slap  technique ,    think  you  could  add  a  lil  more  OOMF  to  that  hit .    not  bad ,    not  horrible ,    but  could  use  a  little  work .        ”      

[fairchildisms]

SHE'S NEVER KNOWN HIM TO APOLOGIZE, but despite his question, that's not really the point. her chin tucks a bit as she gives him a straight-faced look to show how exactly she feels about him pointing it out : unenthused. one could argue that the fact that he's not one to apologize is exactly why she's doing it, trying to make him squirm a bit. alex knows enough about him to know that, as ridiculous and incredible as taking the effort to put together something like this just for her was, it's not exactly out of his comfort zone to plan a situation that leaves him center stage. he enjoys the limelight almost as fun as she does ( okay... maybe the same amount ) , therefore this not-apology didn't take much out of him, other than his uncharacteristic decision to think about her at all. so it's a good thing that he finishes everything off with offering to say an apology—and the way he says it makes it sound like he's offering to go through the motions, rather than being genuine about it—because the little pieces in the middle about being good for each other does get to her, a little. although his examples do make her eyes roll lightly. " you make me sound like such a bitch, " she says, but there's a knowing smile growing on her lips, because alexandra is nothing if not self-aware. " you didn't hurt my feelings, " she adds, with a scoff. it's a teensy lie, but he doesn't need to know that his actions have an effect on her feelings whatsoever. let him think she's the ice queen everyone knows her to be. " but i'm not a dog, 'less. you can't just tell me to get lost and then call me back whenever you want the company. maybe nora lets you treat her like that, but i actually like myself. " except there's warning bells in her head right now, because she does feel her anger melting away slowly but surely, which isn't something she wants. alex is the type that feeds on anger and disgust, keeps it in the back of her pocket for whenever she needs to turn the attitude on. she can't make it this easy for him. " i'll unblock you, " she graciously decides, shoulder brushing against his as she moves past him, taking a few steps towards the end of the bridge. " but i'm not promising anything else. you're going to have to work a little harder than this, babe. " as if a literal production isn't enough.

to  know  each  other  so  well  was  a  blessing  and  a  curse  ,  it  seemed  that  sometimes  it  was  all  the  wrong  people  that  knew  you  too  well  .  alessandro  was  the  type  of  person  who  didn't  mind  taking  the  path  of  most  or  least  resistance  ,  even  the  posts  that  alex  had  made  about  him  online  had  only  fuelled  the  fire  when  it  came  to  him  getting  unwarranted  attention  .  there  were  only  a  few  dark  spots  on  his  heart  that  were  still  open  for  a  finger  hole  to  slide  into  and  cause  him  pain  ,  a  few  wounds  that  were  still  willing  to  bleed  but  they  were  completely  out  of  reach  to  most  .  in  the  right  lightning  then  alex  and  aless  seemed  like  the  perfect  match  ,  both  of  them  craving  and  desiring  the  same  things  out  of  life  which  was  mainly  to  be  loved  and  worshipped  by  the  masses  .  it  was  fickle  but  he  knew  as  well  as  she  did  that  it  brought  them  joy  (  not  just  empty  hollow  joy  like  people  painted  out  but  something  greater  ,  a  taste  of  infamy  )  .  "  have  you  ever  known    me  to  apologise  ?  "  he  asks  ,  the  words  lingering  in  the  air  as  his  light  eyes  sparkle  …  at  first  seeming  that  it  might  be  out  of  the  question  .  he  knew  that  it  meant  to  give  up  ,  to  admit  to  some  wrong  and  forfeit  a  slight  of  power  over  to  her  if  he  stepped  forwards  and  apologised  …  if  he  even  pretended  to  hold  some  kind  of  feeling  of  the  sort  .  he  might  have  been  full  of  smooth  words  when  it  came  to  flirtation  but  aless  never  liked  to  say  things  that  he  didn't  mean  ,  if  nothing  else  could  be  said  in  his  favour  then  it  was  promised  that  he  truly  never  committed  more  than  he  felt  was  true  . still  ,  there  was  so  much  riding  on  this  interconnection  ,  the  offering  of  something  between  them  meaning  so  much  more  for  his  progression  back  to  the  limelight  than  he  cared  to  admit  and  although  he  couldn't  say  he  would  never  do  the  same  thing  again  ,  he  was  willing  to  admit  to  some  truths  .  he  moves  slightly  aback  ,  just  when  it  seems  the  silence  has  gone  on  too  long  and  adjusts  hem  of  his  shirt  ,  arms  crossing  over  his  torso  as  he  says  ,  "  i  just  think  that  we  were  so  good  when  we  were  in  each  others  lives  and  maybe  we  could  have  a  lot  of  fun  if  we  were  like  that  again  .  there's  nobody  who  i  would  rather  watch  insult  service  people  and  fight  with  models  …  "  mischievous  in  his  words  but  they  are  all  true  ,  holding  an  air  of  sincerity  .  he  hadn't  cut  off  alex  because  she  wasn't  an  interesting  person  ,  more  so  ,  aless  just  found  moments  where  he  drifted  into  a  new  hemisphere  ,  went  cold  and  moved  on  with  his  life  …  he  was  a  hard  worker  and  at  times  relationships  became  collateral  damage  (  although  he  was  more  than  his  fair  share  of  toxic  during  their  entire  situationship  .  two  people  who  never  really  let  anyone  in  …  or  so  he  thought  )  .  "  i  can  say  an  apology  …  that  i  never  meant  to  offend  you  with  my  behaviour  .  i  didn't  know  i  could  hurt  your  feelings  because  i  didn't  know  you  had  any  ,  "  not  talking  of  romance  but  in  general  ,  teasing  in  that  alessandro  way  that  seemed  to  he  seemed  to  somehow  get  away  with  .

[fairchildisms]

IT'S UNCLEAR IF THE MOVEMENT OF HER LIPS is a smile or a grimace, but thankfully she's able to wipe it away with the bottle brought to her mouth, taking a much needed chug. as if the cocktails from earlier wasn't already making the street spin a bit. " fine, i won't tell you, " she says coyly, though the non-answer says it all. after another swig from the bottle, she hands it back to him lipstick smudged. " did you know what his great plan was ? he did a flash mob, tris. and sang. like he's heath fucking ledger. " despite the sheer ridiculousness of it, a laugh does escape out of her. " he's an idiot. "

(     ───      ) 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐇𝐎 + 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃 .

𝐰𝐡𝐨 : alex , @fairchildisms . 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 : somewhere random in the middle of the night . . . some random new york streets to be messy in .

            despite  tristan  not  realizing  alex  was  the  same  alex  that  happened  to  be  the  cousin  rosalind  had  recently  told  him  she  had  a  𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇  relationship  up  until  recently  .  he  really  didn't  know  how  he  didn't  put  the  pieces  together  up  until  recently  .  . . .  tristan  wasn't  about  to  get  in  their  business  . rosalind  was  someone  he  considered  himself  close  to  and  alexandra  was  someone  that  he'd  always  got  on  with  ,          (     at  least  when  it  came  to  all  the  chaos  they  could  cause  .     )          a  very  𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓  relationship  to  the  one  he  had  with  her  cousin  .          ❛    did  you  actually  met  up  with  him  the  other  day  ?     ❜          tristan  asked  bringing  up  his  cousins  .  while  cousins  were  on  the  brain  .  bringing  the  bottle  of  alcohol  up  to  his  lips  and  taking  a  swig  of  it  before  handing  it  over  to  alex  .          ❛     please  tell  me  you  didn't  .     ❜

[fairchildisms]

" — RIDICULOUS. " she finishes her sentence for herself, since none of the options he's given her work remotely. still, she can't hold his gaze for long, because the straight face she's hold comes crumbling to the seams at his earnest expression, especially when she still thinks it's bullshit. an earnest alessandra may as well be a modest alexandra—and the only time she ever acted even slightly modest was when she needed something. already her mind is running a mile a minute trying to think about what this is really about. surely it's not because he's missed her presence, considering how he already had a back-up alex in his life before they even stopped talking. it's not like he's the type to struggle with someone to fuck him, unfortunately... despite all the rumors she tried to start a year and a half ago about him having a microdick. alex can only assume that whatever his reason is for wanting her back in his life, it's coming from some level of self-serving. if this was alex, that's where it'd be coming from.

but despite that all... well, maybe her features do soften a little when he explains his ( surface level ) reasoning for the flash mob, watching the crowd beneath the bridge finally start to disappear when it's become clear they're not going to kiss or fight. i know how much you like to be part of a spectacle. alex has had guys bring her flowers on a first date, open the car door for her, buy her whatever she wanted just because she pointed it out. but somehow this may be the most thoughtful thing someone's done for her, even if it makes her ashamed to admit that it's ALESS who knows her best to do something like this. even when nearly two years have gone by, and even when she swore that she'd never talk to him again. the touch of his fingers on the curve of her waist is so light that she nearly misses it, but alex makes an effort not to react to it. lips pursed slightly, she considers all he's said to her so far—and more importantly, all he hasn't. " you wanted me here, " she tells him, raising a hand to motion to their surroundings, " i'm here. that was... a spectacle, " to use his words, " but it's not an apology, aless. " but at the risk of sounding like a bitter, heartbroken bitch, alex flips some blonde hair over her shoulder. " but i'm willing to consider forgiving you... if you tell me what brought all this on. " which is all she really, really, really wants to know.

"  handsome  ,  intelligent  ,  sexy  ?  "  the  response  comes  out  of  his  mouth  fast  ,  quick  -  witted  in  that  way  .  it  seems  that  just  like  that  they  are  back  to  their  old  ways  ,  eighteen  months  having  made  no  significant  impact  on  their  lives  or  on  their  desire  to  become  better  .  sometimes  when  you  had  time  to  go  away  and  look  at  your  choices  ,  reflect  on  your  behaviours  then  you  would  do  some  work  on  yourself  before  returning  to  the  same  messy  situations  but  on  the  contrary  ,  here  were  alessandro  and  alexandra  more  than  willing  to  continue  being  terrible  and  run  back  into  each  others  arms  .  (  well  ,  she  hadn't  exactly  opened  her  arms  yet  but  aless  had  no  doubt  she  would  and  he  would  run  back  into  them  in  dramatic  fashion  pretending  this  was  the  most  special  moment  of  his  life  )  .  he's  on  his  feet  standing  with  the  same  grin  when  she  finally  comes  to  a  conclusion  that  she  will  think  about  it  ,  the  battle  already  won  which  was  clear  from  the  look  on  her  face  .  he  had  the  power  to  tell  what  that  look  really  meant  ,  that  forgiveness  was  on  the  tip  of  her  tongue  or  something  that  would  be  dressed  like  forgiveness  but  still  have  one  thousand  layers  of  bitterness  and  hate  that  he  could  enjoy  for  weeks  to  come  .  possibly  ,  for  his  entire  life  .  how  exciting  .  

"  filming  ?  i  wasn't  filming  ...  "  that  didn't  mean  that  nobody  else  would  ,  the  public  crowd  gaining  attention  and  his  carefully  placed  instagram  dramatic  geotags  and  posts  stating  :  waiting  for  my  dream  girl  .  will  she  find  me  ?  probably  garnering  undue  interest  in  what  on  earth  he  was  up  to  now  ,  the  culmination  of  this  with  a  sighting  of  him  and  alex  dramatically  reconciling  on  the  green  bridge  in  that  park  ...  it  would  be  a  gossip  columnists  dream  .  he  was  already  picturing  all  of  their  future  dramatics  ,  all  the  fighting  and  screaming  and  yet  they  couldn't  stay  away  from  each  other  .  eighteen  months  hadn't  taught  him  anything  and  weirdly  in  that  moment  he  felt  a  true  tingle  of  happiness  at  the  reuion  .  he  wasn't  an  unfeeling  person  ,  sometimes  distant  from  building  any  real  connections  but  that  didn't  mean  he  hadn't  felt  their  distance  from  one  another  ,  a  distance  that  was  bound  to  be  created  again  but  he  was  biding  his  time  ...  "  this  is  all  for  you  .  i  needed  to  show  you  that  you  need  to  forgive  me  ...  i'm  dying  out  here  without  you  ,  alex  ,  "  this  time  he  does  touch  her  but  it  is  so  gentle  that  it's  barely  a  touch  at  first  ,  fingertips  brushing  by  their  sides  as  he  waits  to  feel  her  reception  ,  to  see  if  she  will  pull  away  from  the  touch  and  leave  him  with  his  tail  in  between  his  legs  .  how  he  would  love  it  if  she  gave  in  to  the  touch  ,  how  he  would  love  it  if  she  didn't  and  made  him  work  for  it  ...  it  was  all  the  same  .  he  has  those  soft  eyes  like  a  harmless  creature  when  he  looks  at  her  ,  reaffirming  ,  "  i  know  how  much  you  like  to  be  part  of  a  spectacle  .  i  was  thinking  of  you  .  "

[fairchildisms]

HE FLUSHES LIKE A SCHOOL BOY and it doesn't stop alex's smile from widening, like a cat to a mouse. honestly, it's kind of adorable—although most of what he says goes completely over her head. she didn't call him nerd boy for no reason. " batman ? " that part she gets, laughing at his frown. " even i know that guy. but if you're looking for something with good hearing... i don't know, rabbit boy ? " she grins, because that sounds like probably the worst superhero ever. " super peter cottontail ? that's adorable. "

being called ' nerd boy ' by alex fairchild specifically is probably supposed to be an insult, but drew beams at the moniker, and as her fingers fling playfully against his nose. he claps a hand to his face and laughs, flushed and flustered. "that - that'd be cool," he agrees, "would my ear - nose be called a near or an earose ? don't get me wrong : i love spidey, but if i've got an extra, potentially superpowered ear, then i think my superpowers would be less spiderlike and more ... " drew thinks of animals with heightened hearing abilities. " ... batlike," he concludes. "oh ! i could be batm — no, wait, fuck." he frowns. "i think that one's taken."

[fairchildisms]

" I KNOW. " the smile she flashes him is shameless, plucking the cigarette from his carton. it's not often she smokes, but it's awfully boring to let someone do it alone. placing it between two of her fingers, she extends it back towards to him, silently asking him to light. " haven't seen you in a while, " alex observes. " any jail stints lately ? " she's mostly teasing ; far be it from alex to judge those that get in trouble with the law.

"you're a lifesaver, you know that?" jack responded with a laugh as he reached out to grab ahold of the lighter in alexandra's hand. "of course," he pulled the carton out of his shirt pocket and held it out to her.

[fairchildisms]

THE PORTFOLIO COMMENT goes in one ear and out the other, waiting to hear the most important word : instagram. once he offers his handle she's quick to search it up, browsing through his feed. alex has no use for a poker face, never one to care about someone's feelings, so she little face she makes while scrolling is completely genuine. it's not that he's bad, but... " i don't see much fashion work here, " she observes, glancing up at him. of course he's one of those photographers, who has to make everything into art. a hand reaches out to stop him before he gets too into his vision. " i'm gonna stop you right there. see this ? " she motions to her outfit. " i need someone to capture this on camera without making me look like a slag. if you can do that for me, then i'll consider whatever project you're talking about. " it seems like a fair trade, considering all her instagram followers just for tagging him in photo credit.

fortunately  or  unfortunately  ,  depending  how  you  saw  it  ,  the  fates  had  brought  them  together  and  brought  him  a  free  drink  and  her  …  kellan  .  "  i  don't  carry  around  a  portfolio  …  it's  normally  quite  private  ,  " ��it's  clear  that  he's  not  lying  ,  at  least  not  on  purpose  .  "  you  can  look  at  my  instagram  .  kellanthalman  ,  "  he  suggests  with  little  more  thought  into  it  ,  random  selections  of  photographs  of  projects  from  art  to  film  to  actual  real  photography  on  there  although  it's  questionable  whether  they  are  aiming  for  the  same  style  .  "  i  actually  have  this  vision  that  you  would  be  perfect  for  …  it's  about  the  soulless  nature  of  new  york  city  ,  "  he  explains  with  enthusiasm  ,  cogs  turning  in  his  head  .  you  see  ,  kellan  was  harmless  in  his  own  way  ,  spewing  nonsense  everywhere  he  went  ,  awarded  a  lot  of  respect  in  multiple  injuries  and  occasionally  ,  he  even  seemed  to  do  something  good  .

[fairchildisms]

SHE'S BEEN WATCHING HIM PAT HIMSELF DOWN in search of what she can only assume is another lighter, so when the man's attention is finally snagged onto her, she's already got her own dangling between her two fingers. " you mean this ? " she offers, cheekily. " i'll trade you for one of those, " alex nods to the cigarette between his lips.

location: unspecified participants: jack valmount & your muse ( @nepofmstarters )

"fucking useless," jack muttered under his breath as he tossed the used lighter into the nearest trash can, his hands immediately beginning to search his pockets for another as an unlit cigarette dangled from his mouth. his frustration only growing as he came up empty. fortunately, one was never really alone in new york and he was able to stop the next passerby. "got a light?" he asked, making zero effort to use his manners.

[fairchildisms]

SHE'S NOT SURE HOW LONG THE PRODUCTION LASTS. it sort of feels like she's been standing there forever, but enamored enough that by a blink of an eye, she can feel it winding down. the dancers below the bridge start to stall, and she can feel dozens of eyes on the two of them as alessandro closes the space between them. he's smart not to get too close, because even as he nears, she's not sure what to do with him. everyone whose had the displeasure of hearing her rant about him would be able to identify the main problem in their relationship immediately : they're too similar. fire and fire only makes more fire, and there's no denying that she runs HOT whenever she's around him. a star can't shine the brightest if there's an identical one beside it, and in the end that was all that mattered. sure, there's more than that, too—she'd never admit how hearing about the other morons he was sleeping with got to her, especially when for a time he had been the only person she allowed in her bed. and the way he had handled it all had been less than stellar, although she hadn't exactly approached it the sanest, either. if they were smart, they'd leave each other alone. but alex has never been going for smart ; she's just been bitter.

alex still doesn't know what he's trying to accomplish with all of this, but at the very least, it's broken the ice. him asking her to unblock him makes her genuinely laugh, glancing down for a second to try to hold herself together. if this was a movie, this would be the part where they'd kiss, and all would be forgiven. but as much as alex likes to pretend she's the main character in life, this is NOT a movie—although it does feel like it a little bit. why else would she feel so tongue-tied ? god only knows the last time she didn't know what to say. " you're so... " her words trail off, still not knowing where they're going, though her eyes roll in a way that's more affectionate than not. huffing out another laugh, she reaches out and shoves him in the arm, as hard as she can. " i'll think about it, " she persists, because god knows she can't just completely roll over. she's not a styles fan that much. " were you filming that ? what is this for ? " realizing there has to be more going on than just this, she starts looking around for the hidden cameras.

it  was  a  plan  that  shouldn't  have  worked  .  under  all  normal  ,  sane  circumstances  and  from  all  possible  perspectives  then  waiting  eighteen  months  to  do  a  flash  mob  for  a  woman  who  you  had  practically  ex  -  communicated  was  a  terrible  idea  .  luckily  for  alessandro  ,  he  and  alexandra  were  not  the  most  sane  individuals  else  they  would  have  never  been  attracted  to  one  another  ,  trapped  in  the  same  orbit  .  it  was  true  that  sometimes  you  attracted  the  energy  that  you  put  out  into  the  universe  and  aless  hardly  fathomed  the  fact  that  he  had  actually  hurt  alex's  feelings  in  any  way  .  more  than  that  ,  he  wasn't  aware  alex  had  feelings  .  not  just  for  him  but  in  general  ,  seeing  her  partly  as  an  indestructible  evil  mistress  who  wasn't  capable  of  feeling  any  true  love  (  that  he  thought  about  )  .  in  so  many  ways  ,  his  view  of  others  was  so  one  sided  ,  his  self  insert  only  positive  and  when  he  was  done  then  he  hardly  spared  a  thought  about  the  fact  he  might  have  impacted  someone  else  . his  performance  was  beautifully  curated  ,  the  moves  and  words  in  all  the  right  places  ,  the  crowd  something  that  he  could  feed  off  and  in  one  moment  ,  as  he  looked  at  alex's  face  ,  he  knew  …  he'd  done  it  .  he  could  rely  on  the  fact  the  two  of  them  shared  their  mutual  obsession  with  attention  ,  talent  .  aless'  jobs  had  grown  lesser  even  though  he  was  successful  and  he  knew  that  he  needed  her  back  ,  that  she  could  change  his  image  and  make  him  more  desirable  …  sad  in  a  way  that  he  felt  he  needed  to  be  a  blood  sucking  leech  just  to  matter  more  to  strangers  on  social  media  and  yet  here  he  was  .  as  the  music  came  to  a  standstill  and  he  looked  into  those  pretty  eyes  of  hers  the  same  way  he  had  eighteen  months  ago  ,  the  smile  stayed  on  his  face  ,  own  gaze  fixated  on  hers  .  there  is  a  moment  of  silence  ,  the  music  faded  out  and  the  crowd  below  not  hearing  now  as  the  microphone  light  flickered  off  with  the  movement  of  his  thumb  …  his  voice  quiet  and  purposefully  thickened  italian  accent  as ��he  steps  closer  ,  "  so  ,  let  me  adore  you  ,  alexandra  ,  "  words  smooth  and  even  ,  space  now  shared  although  he  doesn't  touch  her  .  a  kiss  or  a  slap  could  come  with  the  same  current  and  it  isn't  worth  the  risk  days  before  his  next  job  ,  the  hopefulness  of  this  moment  that  no  matter  which  direction  it  went  in  ,  they  would  be  linked  and  he  would  be  able  to  attach  himself  to  the  narrative  .  yet  ,  up  close  and  personal  maybe  there  was  a  part  of  him  that  desired  their  back  and  forth  ,  the  way  he  knew  he  could  make  her  feel  and  the  arguments  they  could  have  …  they  gave  each  other  the  attention  that  they  thrived  from  but  drove  each  other  insane  in  the  same  breath  .  both  of  them  wanted  the  limelight  and  aless  thought  that  mutual  love  was  greater  than  anything  they  had  shared  .  "  what  do  you  say  ?  will  you  unblock  me  ?  "  like  a  marriage  proposal  but  there  is  nothing  slimey  about  this  comment  ,  the  proposition  a  tease  in  some  senses  ,  he  knows  what  he  is  doing  .  there  he  is  with  that  boyish  charm  ,  all  the  ugliness  of  the  past  falling  away  as  if  they  had  never  been  apart  at  all  .

[fairchildisms]

" ALMOND MILK MAKES ME BLOATED, " she tells the girl, happily passing it to her. " please. it seems like a shame to throw it out. and i've already got this, " alex holds up her other drink—the correct version of what she wanted—before taking a much needed sip. " hmm ? oh, you mean beside the coffee ? just having to be up at this ass hour in the first place. i have an interview in a few, and i had to look all— " she motions to her face, " —glammed up. or human, anyway. how are some people morning people ? i just don't get it. "

*˖ ⊹       "  IS  THERE  THAT  MUCH  OF  A  DIFFERENCE  ?  "  destiny  screwed  her  face  up  in  confusion  as  the  other  woman  was  thrusting  the  drink  in  her  direction.  for  the  most  part,  she  tried  to  go  through  life  with  a  positive  outlook—  seeing  the  GOOD  in  people,  so  to  speak—  so  her  aggression  felt  abrasive.  still,  she  forced  a  kind  smile.  "  i'll  take  it,  if  it'll  make  your  day  a  little  better... and we can go get a replacement ?  "  don't  ask,  don't  ask,  destiny  !  she  chastised  herself  for  being  so  nosy.  "  ...—  what's  gone  wrong  ?  it's  only  like,  9am.  " 

[fairchildisms]

" NOOO, " her nose scrunches at his words. " you did not just say moo juice. that's so gross. " but it manages to make her laugh anyway, not so much because she thinks it's funny, but because there's a goofy charm to him that's pretty impossible to ignore. " i think there's a lot of people out there with the name jesus without having to grow out a beard, " she makes a face, but reaches out to touch one of his bare cheeks lightly. " but you're right. this baby face wouldn't look good with one. it'd probably grow out all patchy, like road kill. you may wanna stick to xavier. " she knows enough about him that the idea of his little brother working a food service job makes her brows raise slightly, mostly in disbelief. " no way, " she shakes his head. " of all the jobs to get. does he hate himself that much ? but which is it ? i'll be sure to pay him a little visit, " lips press together in a slightly devious smile. " i clearly need a new location. but don't worry, i'll be nice. "

xavier  chuckles  ,  almond  milk  coffee swirling  in  his  cup  as  he  nods  to  alexandra’s  commentary  .  they  take  a  sip  and  smirk  ,  playfully  raising  an  eyebrow  .  “  unlike  you  ,  i  don’t  discriminate  against  milk  ,  alexandra  .  not  even  the  regular  moo  juice  .  ”  he  quips  ,  waggling  his  eyebrows  ,  playing  up  the  goofiness  .  “  you  see  ,  i  actually  took  it  as  a  compliment  ,  but  if  folks  start  calling  me  their  lord  and  savior  ,  jesus  christ  ,  well  ,  that’s  a  whole  different  ball  game  ,  you  know  ?  i’d  have  to  grow  out  my  beard  to  look  more  like  the  guy  up  there  ,  but  seriously  ,  i  can’t  work  any  miracles  ,  man  .  have  you  seen  this  baby  face  of  mine  ?  it  ain’t  happening  .  ”  he  points  to  his  smooth  cheeks  with  a  dramatic  flourish  .  “  but  you’re  right  ,  those  baristas  ,  they’re  master  pranksters  .  they  probably  have  a  secret  betting  pool  on  who  can  come  up  with  the  most  butchered  names  .  i  bet  it’s  their  only  form  of  entertainment  .  ”  they  shrug  nonchalantly  ,  the  corners  of  his  lips  quirking  up  as  they  hear  alexandra’s  threat  .  “  you  should  totally  check  out  the  starbucks  where  my  little  brother  works  .  i  might  be  a  little  biased  since  i’ve  known  him  since  he  was  born  ,  but  he  only  messed  up  my  name  on  a  cup  once  .  that’s  like  a  winning  streak  in  the  barista  universe  ,  y’know  ?  ”

[fairchildisms]

" UH, HONESTLY ? that'd be fucking fantastic, thank you. " she looks the blonde up and down once. " dj, right ? i don't think we've ever officially met. i'm alex. " tossing some hair over her shoulder, alex offers her a warm smile. she likes this girl already. " no, not that kinda packing, " that makes her laugh, " i mean like... packing. " she uses her free hand to motion to between her legs, like a man. " you know, his dick. "

DJ watched as the other was able to make it into the garbage delicately. A warm smile coming over her lips as the other managed to snicker. "Meanwhile I have a whole note on my app dedicated to which is good and which to avoid like the plague." Her smile perked up some more as she noted the difference between the two. "If you'd like, I can always send it your way. It's nice to know so your whole day isn't ruined int he first couple hours." The blonde notated, already having her phone out and pulling it up. This time, it was DJ who snorted every so slightly. "Leaving? He, like, planted roots on that street and is thriving apparently."

[fairchildisms]

" TO SEE IF YOU'RE WORTH TALKING TO, YEAH. " his chuckle makes her smile widen, almost kitten-like. " not a total loser, " alex teases, guiding her straw to her lips as she watches him thoughtfully. as much as alex loves to indulge in flirty banter, a volleying of witty remarks back and forth like a tennis match of intellect, there's something understated about flirting with your eyes. her soft baby blues take him in curiously, holding his gaze and taking her time sipping her drink after he's asked about what she's doing here. " i'm here with my friends, " she tells him, eyes rolling over to their direction, though it doesn't linger for long. to be fair, they're not looking at her either. " actually, i came over here for this. " she raises her drink so she can give it a little shake, ice clinking from inside the glass. by now, it's already half finished. " you're just a happy accident. do you usually come to busy bars alone ? " alex has to ask.

of  course  jude  knew  of  her,  but  he  didn’t  really  know  her.  he’s  heard  stories,  people  talk,  but  he’s  never  been  one  to  listen  to  what  everyone  else  has  to  say.  maybe  she’s  just  misunderstood,  maybe  she  isn’t  what  people  say  she  is,  or  maybe…  she’s  trouble  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  but  something  about  her  is  drawing  him  in.  it  might  be  the  alcohol,  or  the  fact  that  she’s  really  pretty  and  is  possibly  wearing  the  best  perfume  he’s  ever  smelled  before,  but  he’s  attracted  to  her.  most  importantly,  it’s  just  what  he  needs  –  a  distraction.  ❝testing  me?  to  see  if  i  actually  knew  you?❞  a  light  chuckle  leaves  his  lips,  looking  down  at  his  phone  as  she  taps  the  screen.  ❝would  you  think  i’m  a  total  loser  if  i  told  you  i’m  here  alone?❞  he  wasn’t  meeting  anyone,  and  didn’t  really  have  any  plans,  he  was  just  letting  the  night  take  him.  ❝definitely  not.  are  you  waiting  for  someone?❞  he  flips  her  question  back  at  her,  pretty  sure  she  didn’t  come  here  by  herself.  ❝or  did  you  ditch  whoever  it  is  you  came  with  to  talk  to  me?❞  to  be  clear,  he  isn’t  being  cocky  when  he  asks  this,  it’s  a  genuine  question,  but  anyone  who  doesn’t  know  him  might  think  he’s  teasing  her.

[fairchildisms]

" WHAT SUPERHERO ? " eyebrows push together to show a level of confusion that's purely theatrical. of course alex is aware that her cousin landed the role of one of the x-man ( the redhead, naturally ) . the same week that news broke, the tabloids had suddenly acquired photos of alexandra fairchild skinny-dipping at the after-party of a movie premiere in LA. purely a coincidence, she'd tell anyone who listens—but the fact of the matter is she was already SICK of hearing about her cousin's career. apparently being pretty and a nepo baby meant you didn't have to talent. ( and she wouldn't know how much talent rosalind has, because she makes an effort not to watch any of it. ) " evelyn hugo ? is that that tiktok book ? " she asks, taking a sip of her drink, holding back a roll of her eyes. what a bragger. " is that going to be a show or movie ? honestly, i don't know how you enjoy having no down time like that. "

       at this point,  rosalind can't even pinpoint when this all started.  it's perhaps buried in their childhood,  with her mother and father,  aunt and uncle  -  the woes of having only one child,  no ?  you could either  ...  turn out like rosalind,  or turn out like alex,  she supposes.   "they're a bit hard to avoid."   and trust her,  rosalind has certainly tried.  if she could,  she'd rather never see her cousin again.  she has her muted on instagram for a reason  ( but won't ever block her ... yet ).  jaw clenches for a moment,  she'll follow the younger girl through the restaurant,  and how tragic is it that they both know this place like the back of their hands ?  it's their mother's favorite place to go.   "sorry to say, i think i'll stay with marvel superheroes for the time being."   a forced grin,  she'll pull out her seat and settle down,  already reaching for her glass of wine  ( pre-set, the restaurant knows it's a condition at this point ).   "i'm a bit locked and loaded with current roles, actually. i haven't told anyone yet -"   except close friends,  is all.  she doesn't mind if alex leaks it,  though.    "i just landed evelyn hugo. i'll be blonde so long as dangerous weapons isn't filming."    her daphne blake centric show,  she playing daphne,  of course.

[fairchildisms]

IT'S BEEN EIGHTEEN MONTHS SINCE THEY'VE BEEN THIS CLOSE. granted, they hang out with a similar enough crowd that being completely out of his hair has been easier said than done. oh, they've attended the same parties before, but that was different ; alex always had the hottest fit as her armor, and the hottest man she could find on her arm as her sword. it's not often that someone manages to bury their way under her skin the way alessandro lombardi has, but since their falling out she's gotten used to their new normal. alex trying very hard to look like she's not trying at all. so being so close to him now without a group of friends at her disposal to disappear with, or a date to taunt between them, makes her feel more vulnerable than she usually allows. on the bridge in the middle of prospect park, all alex is armed with is her chanel red lipstick, and her unwavering pride.

maybe it's because they haven't seen each other in so long, but aless seems different today. there's distraction in those brown eyes that should be focused solely on her ; after all, he's the one who asked her here. arms fold over her chest impatiently as she waits for him to launch into whatever speech he must've been practicing for days, sure that he hadn't come to meet her without a plan. but while alex had figured he had a PLAN, what happens next isn't one she expected. it's the bodies around them that she notices first, starting to move in a freakily accurate synchronization. then she notices the music that comes from seemingly out of nowhere. blue eyes flit around in confusion, and when they land on aless again, he's singing. jesus f-ing christ.

her fingers are itching to grab her phone out of her purse and film this for her socials, but somehow she knows that is exactly what he wants from her. whatever he hopes to achieve from this, it revolves around her being entertained. and... unfortunately, it's working. alex has to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling. yes, this is completely overwhelming and insane and maybe a normal person would shy away from being in the middle of this symphony. but her eyes are sparkling as she takes it all in, the leading lady in a scene straight out of a romcom. a bad romcom, mind you, but a movie nonetheless. it's no surprise that he's found her weakness, because it had always been one of his as well : being center stage.

alessandro  lombardi  was  shameless  .  it  didn't  matter  that  he  hadn't  spoken  to  alexandra  in  over  a  year  or  that  he  had  to  communicate  via  his  loathed  cousin  due  to  being  blocked  ...  he  had  the  confidence  that  only  a  fool  could  possess  .  what  seemed  to  be  worse  was  that  he  was  somewhat  right  ,  alexandra  unable  to  resist  his  sirens  call  of  absurdity  .  morbid  curiosity  driving  her  back  into  his  arms  it  seemed  but  even  the  time  she  took  ,  the  extra  moments  waiting  there  on  that  green  bridge  didn't  have  him  sweating  .  he  had  known  all  along  that  he  would  continue  his  relentless  pursuit  whether  she  turned  up  or  not  and  yet  convinced  himself  she  would  never  really  stand  him  up  .  it  was  a  paradox  how  one  man  could  be  so  big  headed  and  yet  have  such  a  bizarre  need  for  attention  ,  to  be  noticed  and  cared  for  on  some  level  whether  it  was  good  or  bad  .  alessandro  didn't  know  why  he  chose  to  behave  how  he  did  but  he  knew  he  liked  it  ...  that  just  seeing  her  pretty  face  standing  there  and  knowing  she  had  came  just  for  him  gave  him  the  thrills  that  he  dreamed  of  .   "  finally  .  do  you  know  what  they  say  ?  always  late  yet  worth  the  wait  ,  "  he  responds  with  that  strange  and  slightly  off  smile  that  he  always  wore  ,  jacket  shimmying  in  the  afternoon  breeze  as  he  makes  a  jerking  movement  out  of  nowhere  ,  hand  in  the  air  as  if  he  is  inviting  some  kind  of  action  that  at  first  is  unclear  until  slowly  the  sound  of  harry  styles  -  adore  you  begins  drifting  in  the  air  ,  sound  magnetic  (  in  his  opinion  as  a  harry  styles  stan  )  .  out  of  nowhere  individuals  on  the  ground  in  sight  of  the  bridge  begin  moving  from  their  position  and  it  is  too  late  for  any  escape  ,  it  all  happening  so  fast  that  the  harry  styles  flash  mob  is  in  full  affect  ...  a  beautiful  fluid  symphony  of  surprise  dancing  in  the  distance  to  the  sound  of  the  song  that  he  is  demonstrating  as  an  ode  to  his  true  love  of  the  day  ,  alexandra  fairchild  .  and  then  ...  he  starts  joining  in  ,  dancing  around  her  in  oddly  fluid  and  solid  movements  ,  the  beat  truly  taking  him  as  he  pulls  out  a  microphone  from  his  back  pocket  ,  the  transmitter  flickering  red  as  he  brings  it  to  his  lips  and  launches  into  the  iconic  lyrics  ; you  don't  have  to  say  you  love  me  ,  you  don't  have  to  say  nothing  ,  you  don't  have  to  say  you're  mine  .  honey  ,  i'd  walk  through  fire  for  you  .  just  let  me  adore  you  .  oh  ,  honey  ,  i'd  walk  through  fire  for  you  ... each  word  launched  out  with  passion  and  truly  meant  ,  the  performance  of  a  lifetime  as  he  owns  his  stage  (  read  :  the  green  bridge  in  prospect  park  )  .  it  was  unclear  as  he  moved  around  ,  dancing  to  the  lyrics  and  belting  them  out  whether  he  thought  this  would  be  a  grand  success  or  it  was  more  of  an  opportunity  to  pretend  he  really  was  harry  styles  .  but  ,  who  could  resist  harry  ?  it  all  made  sense  .