laureljacobs - Tumblr blog

[laureljacobs]

closed: @nomadjones

location: laurel's house

"Thanks for coming over," Laurel said gruffly, balanced precariously on the dining room chair she'd brought up and frowning as she reached deep into the back of the top shelf of her closet. "The movers put all of this shit in places I can't—" a fruitless swipe at the box, "fucking reach."

Boxes they'd put off unpacking for years had been dragged in from their closets and the guest room and were now strewn around the bedroom, half-opened. It was mostly old keepsakes, pictures, a high school sweatshirt or other odd piece of clothing, but she figured it'd been long enough; maybe her place could use a little more personality.

"There's Thai takeout on the way — as promised," they said, finally getting a hand on the box. With a groan of effort, she pulled it out and stepped down from the chair before tossing it carelessly on her bed. She reached for the beer on her bedside table. "I think that's all of 'em." They glanced over at Dallas. "You find anything good over there?"

[laureljacobs]

LILY GLADSTONE on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

[laureljacobs]

18. how does your muse feel about marriage? would they ever want to get married?

"Yeah, absolutely. I did, and I think I'd still like to. I just need to find my person, and I thought I had, twice before. So after being wrong two times, I lost some of my steam in trying to really put myself out there. It's not that I don't try, I do, when it comes to meeting new people, but my track record isn't great. Laurel brought up a good point, though. I need to expand my horizons, get out of this zip code. Small towns are... limited, and maybe the person I'm supposed to meet it outside of Aurora Bay."

@laureljacobs @delilahcarreno

[laureljacobs]

a look into laurel's senior yearbook with @benj-hyun

[laureljacobs]

Laurel thought Cole probably could've found a better, not-crime-related metaphor to use in reassuring her, but she bit her tongue on that one. Instead, she reminded herself that he was innocent until proven guilty, and a grown man, at that. They were going to give him the benefit of the doubt, and he'd either let them down or pleasantly surprise them.

Clearing her throat, Laurel uncrossed her legs, picked up her cup of coffee, and checked her pockets to make sure she had everything on her. She wasn't one to linger or indulge in small talk just to prolong an interaction for politeness's sake. "Good," they said succinctly, holding out a hand for him to shake. "Don't fuck it up."

@colexwalters

Cole leaned back in his seat, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he absorbed Laurel's dry remark. He couldn't help but find amusement in the irony of the situation. "Ah, Laurel, always keeping me on my toes," he remarked, his tone teasing.

"Don't worry, I'll be as careful as a cat burglar in a china shop," he assured them with a smirk. "But hey, if things do go sideways, just think of it as an exciting plot twist in the grand adventure of life, right?" Cole's confidence bordered on cockiness, but deep down, he knew that Laurel's concern stemmed from genuine concern. Still, he couldn't resist pushing the boundaries, reveling in the thrill of uncertainty and the promise of adventure. "I'm fully aware this is my last chance." @laureljacobs

[laureljacobs]

closed: @robinsantos

location: neptune

Laurel plastered on a polite smile as she stood, extending a hand to officially wrap up their meeting and send her new client on her way. As the jilted, soon-to-be ex-wife stepped away from the table and wished Laurel and Robin goodnight, Laurel watched her go before slumping back into their seat next to Robin with a groan.

They resisted the urge to light up a cigarette right there at the table. She absolutely would've if Neptune didn't act like a second office for her so often, the meeting point for her and all of the scorned spouses of Aurora Bay who hired her after Robin had collected enough research to bury whoever they were set on divorcing. There seemed to be an endless well of them, at this point.

"Jesus Christ," Laurel huffed, shifting a little in her seat so an elbow was on the table and her body was facing Robin. Their partnership was still relatively new, but things were already working out pretty well, and Laurel had liked what she'd seen through these work-dinner meetings.

"Where do you find these people?" they asked with a sigh, a hand going to their jacket pocket instinctively, where their pack was sitting and taunting them. Before she could stop herself, she took out two and tapped them against the table. "Fancy a debrief drink at Four Leaf? Stop for a cigarette on the way?"

[laureljacobs]

Laurel took a long drag as she listened to Will explain, expression contorting in something like disgusted confusion. It was kind of funny to her, the disagreements that rich people let unravel themselves and their relationships with people they were supposedly close to. It was so often about...things, which Laurel couldn't fully begrudge, because they did love their things, but generational wealth was, in a lot of ways, another thing entirely. She figured she'd keep that particular line of thought to herself, though.

She blew out, nodding as she let her brain explore all of the different ways this could go. In their experience, nothing was ever really too farfetched, and nothing wasn't worth considering. "Alright. First of all, I'm going to need a copy of this will if you haven't already sent it to me. Second — you're sure she doesn't have anything? No...voice note, no bar napkin agreement? If you think that shit only happens in movies, you'd be surprised." They ashed their cigarette. "Why is she so set on the house anyway? She just wants to sell it herself?"

@willxmeyers

His eyes darted to the pack and the lighter, precariously placed in temptation. There would be hell to pay if he goes back inside smelling of smoke, he was meant to be quitting after all. Instead, his teeth grind down, wishing they were resting on the edge of a filter instead. Will tried not to fixate on it, tucking his hands in his pockets to stop from reaching for the pack. "My sister," he turned his attention back to the matter at hand. "I put my parents house on the market, she's saying that my father told her that she was getting the house along with everything else. Not me." While that may have been true, verbal agreements on a man's deathbed were nothing compared to an airtight will.

There was no legal standing, Will knew that. It just made it all the more puzzling. "She's got nothing but I assume she just wants to waste some time and money," Will shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant about the whole thing. Anna had a lot more of both of things when compared to Will. "Just wanted to give you the heads up, things will probably get ugly. My family has never been known to play fair." Leaning against the white fence that bordered the cottage porch, he looked over at Laurel. She could handle it, there wasn't much she couldn't. "It'll be an easy win though." Or at least he hoped.

( @laureljreyes )

[laureljacobs]

It was a little funny and a little infuriating that Laurel had just told him they weren't here to play mommy, but there they were, feeling very much like a parent reprimanding their wayward son. The urge to slap him around a little at the sight of his smirk probably wasn't the most parental instinct, though. "You know, for some reason, I don't really believe you," she said dryly.

Her eyes rolled about as far back into her head as they'd ever gone at his wink, and she shifted agitatedly in her seat, took a sip of her coffee to distract herself for a second. She wondered if he actually meant anything he was saying, but despite the mild frustration that had set in, she decided to take a breath and shrug it off. "I'll take you at your word," she said, meaning it. "But it won't be on me if things go the hell for you, yeah? You get one free pass out of me, and that's it."

@colexwalters

Cole leaned back in his chair, a nonchalant smirk playing on his lips as he listened to Laurel's lecture. He had heard variations of this speech before, from various authority figures throughout his life. But there was something about Laurel's no-nonsense demeanor that made him pay a bit more attention. "Got it, Laurel," Cole replied, his tone casual but his eyes focused. "Blend in, look normal, stay out of trouble. Smoothie shop - if need be, got it." He nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. He knew he didn't have the luxury of messing up, not with Laurel pulling strings for him.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to make your life any harder I've been doing a fantastic job so far," Cole added with a sly grin. "Just trying to stay under the radar, you know?" He flashed a wink before taking a sip of his coffee, the wheels already turning in his mind about how to navigate this new gig without stirring up trouble. @laureljreyes

[laureljacobs]

"Hm," Laurel said shortly. Her tongue grazed over her teeth as she considered his particular conundrum. "You're really just a poor, lovelorn son of a bitch, huh?" She wondered for a second what she'd be like if she was even half as seemingly eager to find love as Ben, but found it didn't really compute even as a thought experiment. They were too different when it came to love.

Ben's insistence not to speak poorly of Delilah when, blame aside, it was clear that something monumentally hurtful had transpired between the two of them was also pretty different from what Laurel's approach to something like this would've been. Not that they'd exactly be spouting vitriol about their own exes, but they certainly wouldn't be quite as virtuous or protective as Ben seemed to be about Delilah.

"Sure, I can understand that," she allowed with a slow, considered nod. "This town is...disgustingly small, so I guess you couldn't really avoid her forever if you wanted to. Jesus. I don't really know how you've been here this long. Hell, I don't know how I've been here this long, and it hasn't even been three years."

Laurel's attention was pulled away by a waiter stopping at the end of the table, and she put in her order quickly before making sure the waiter knew to bring just one check, and straight to her. As the waiter scribbled down their order, they looked back at Ben. "You ever think you're just fishing in a pond that's gotten too small?"

@benj-hyun

Ben lifts his coffee, his brows raised and his eyes meeting Laurel’s, not in a knowing or challenging way. She’d been insistent, he can’t decide she’s lying about preferring this ‘no strings attached’ approach. “I did do that, and one time it’s bit me in the a**. It still is.” He chuckles, but it’s humorless, when Layla crosses his mind.

“It’s just not my style. I can date without getting attached after the first one.” It’s half a lie — Ben gets attached to the idea that it might pan out. Then it doesn’t, and he’s, at best, just disappointed. 

The cup is placed down so he can warm it with a fresh pour from the pot, nervous energy by mentioning Delilah making him feel like he has to fidget. “Okay, just a little biased.” A gentle smile curls his mouth. “But even outside of that.” Ben can admit that, and even if he doesn’t elaborate, he means it. 

Then Laurel drops the big question, one he has a quick answer to.

“No. I don’t.” He can’t humor it, not after what Delilah did. “It was hard going from thinking I would be spending the rest of my life with her to…” he shrugs, not wanting to paint Delilah in a bad color. It’s not in his character to tell Laurel the reason behind the split. “It’s just a good feeling that I can see and talk to her, and walk away level-headed about it.”

@laureljreyes

[laureljacobs]

LILY GLADSTONE

Interview Magazine (September 2023)

[laureljacobs]

"It's quarters, Clint," Laurel said, disbelief coloring her tone. "You spend this much time at bars and you don't know what quarters is?" She took the not-quarter back, placed her wrist on the corner of the bar, and flicked it to bounce the coin smartly into her empty glass. With a satisfied smile, she upended the glass and slid the nickel back to Clint. "One-zip, Laurel." She raised her eyebrows and gestured toward him. "Your response."

@clint-bennet

He watches her curiously but not exactly getting the reaction he wanted, she was too even headed it seemed. She dug into her bag which he didn't pay much attention to until she slid the coin his way with an expectant look. Taking at least some of the hint from her body language, he downed the rest of his drink and raised an eyebrow at her challenge. "First t' five what?" He questioned not really sure what game she was proposing, there were about a dozen he could think of on the top of his head that may or may not involve a coin.

@laureljreyes

[laureljacobs]

Laurel was surprised that he hadn't heard — it seemed like the kind of thing one would tell their partner — but she didn't express it. She was far from one to tell people how to conduct themselves in their relationship, and it wasn't lost on her that her own history with Sloane was hard to explain. "Sure," she said, conceding the point. "But it's also a sensitive subject, and I want her to be as comfortable as possible. Customer service is half of my job." Without waiting for an invitation, she took a seat next to Axel at the bar. "Can I buy you a drink? I was gonna save the questions for later, but since you're clearly so hard to find..."

@axel-mathis

He shook his head no when she asked if Sloane had said anything. When she mentioned what the case was Axel nodded. "Well it's about fucking time someone put that dumb fuck away." Axel was all for it. Anyone who made Sloane feel that way should be locked up in his opinion. He remembered how horribly it had affected her. "She's a new mom.. not bedridden. Sometimes she likes getting out there and not being cooped up at home." @laureljreyes

[laureljacobs]

"You look like a fucking felon, which is precisely the point," Laurel said, exasperated, bringing a finger down on top of the table to mark her point. Her many years as an attorney had taught her a great deal of patience where she had very little to start, but she still had her limits. "Look, Cole, I'm not here to play mommy. Or parole officer. All I'm saying is blend in, look normal, keep out of trouble. Get me? I can only ask for so many favors from ABPD. I don't have the time to argue with those fuckers, and god knows they're so bored they'll arrest you just for fun. If we need to get you another job, we'll get you another job. Somewhere else innocuous — the fucking smoothie shop, or something."

@colexwalters

Maybe she had a point, but Cole also liked to protest, especially regarding the police. "It's boring as fuck though." He knew Laurel didn't care but, he was gonna whine about it anyway. That is what he did best after all. He could've spat his mouthful of coffee out when she suggested he read one of the books. That sounded like hell on earth even if it was another fair point made. He could do an audiobook or something, but he'd need to spend money on that and he'd rather spend it on pizza and beer. "Do I seriously look like the type of person who reads books to you?" He should have been offended by the dig, but instead, he was dramatic. "I've read The Little Mermaid. Even that was too much." @laureljreyes

[laureljacobs]

"You can be a creature of habit," Laurel agreed as she let her hand fall into her lap. Her head rolled back so she could give Maggie a teasing smile. "But you knew I'd be up, so maybe we both are," she offered. It probably wasn't hard for Maggie to guess at that, though; Laurel called herself a night owl, but what she meant was that she was an insomniac who had spent many years training herself to run adequately on just a few hours of sleep. Was it healthy? Definitely not, but habits were habits.

The fact that Maggie was well aware of Laurel's, though, was something that stirred both an intense warmth and intense insecurity in her. She really couldn't wrap her head around the idea that someone knew her well enough to know her down to the little things. She couldn't do it with Kat, the only other person who'd really known her well here — and that was sort of different, as Laurel had always been holding something back there — and she certainly couldn't with Maggie, who was more discerning than she had any right to be, and who Laurel had already let in in a way she knew she couldn't take back even if she tried.

"I'd wither away and perish in here if it wasn't for you," she said, joking but in some ways kind of not. She shrugged, inhaling and then blowing out smoke, watching it dissipate, briefly silver by the porch light. "I started to really dig into a case around 2, then I looked up and, tada, it was midnight. What's your excuse?"

@margaretxalexander

“You knew I was coming,” It was less of a question and more of a statement as Maggie plucked the cigarette from Laurel’s fingers. She flicked off what few ashes had already gathered, a small smirk lining her features, “Looks like I’ve become predictable. Talk about boring,” She chuckled because it was and it wasn't. Maggie knew the value of having routine, she simply wished it didn't always include insomnia induced walks. Tonight wasn't too bad though. Spring was well on the way, the night air warm with a soft breeze that stole the smoke from her lungs as she took a drag and exhaled.

Yes, it was a lovely night and Laurel never disappointed when it came to good company. It was part of the reason she often found herself in Seabrook Quarter. "Predictable or not, I'm happy to take this metaphorical bullet for you, I needed a smoke tonight and you know I hate to think of you here all alone," she sat beside Laurel as she spoke, her smirk returning after taking another soft pull, "So, what has you up? Other than the incredible opportunity to catch me wandering,"

[laureljacobs]

"What can I say," Laurel asked, though it was more of a deadpan statement than anything else. She really had nothing to follow it up with, because what could she say? Definitely nothing that she'd ever disclose in the light of day, and certainly not while she was sober.

"I maintain that it's better this way. No feelings, just fun. You should try it, actually. You might get that little heart of yours broken less."

Ben's momentary bumbling around the correct terminology was certainly interesting, but she let it slide without pressing him. She was letting him in slowly, so she'd be something of a hypocrite to demand he totally spill his guts about touchy subjects whenever they were broached. Besides, it already made these meetups of theirs more interesting. She liked picking up little tidbits and putting the pieces together in her head.

And, well, at least one of them had an even semi-positive interaction with an ex. Or, at least, not horrible. Her own conversation with Kat had made her feel sore all over, like she'd run a marathon she hadn't spent a second training for.

"Sure, not biased at all," she said, deadpan once again, even though it definitely wouldn't take Ben's particular brand of bias to acknowledge that Delilah pretty much always looked good. She'd keep that part to herself, though.

"Is that a you thing, or is it about her? Do you want some kind of relationship with her again or are you just looking for closure?"

@benj-hyun

“Your aversion to anything remotely romantic is so fascinating.” There Ben does realize it could be due to certain events. His own privilege of a nuclear family with a mother and father that are both still married to this day are his influence in this facet of life. Laurel, well… 

Ben isn’t going to turn this into a deep-prying session. It’s only been a month of sporadic diner dates, and he’s not going to risk them now.

“Ex-... well, girlfriend, technically. I can’t help it, I was— it doesn’t matter. But ex-girlfriend,” he corrects himself. 

Ben doubts anything will come out of explaining how he’d been so ready to call Delilah his finance, and eventually, his wife. After everything with Auggie, he felt this time he’d gotten it right, only to find out he’d gotten it wrong. “But we did talk. It wasn’t bad.” It wasn’t great, either, he mentally adds. The sting has long since dulled into a very mild ache for the loss of something great.

“She looked good. And I mean that in the most neutral way possible, she did. I’m not biased.” He was-is- for that particular shade of blue she’d wear, and the way she'd smile, or how her hair fell just above her shoulders, but he didn’t leave that conversation feeling any different than he already did.

“It’s good to know it sucks exponentially, less holding a conversation with her than it used to, that’s for sure. It counts as a good thing in my book.”

@laureljreyes

[laureljacobs]

"Yeah, alright," Laurel said, rolling her eyes and refusing to play along. Instead, she put her now empty glass down onto the bar in front of her and rooted through her coat pockets for a second until she found a nickel. Well, it wasn’t a quarter, but it'd do. She slid it over to Clint and motioned to the cup, inviting him to take his shot first. Who didn't love an idle bar game? "First to five gets a drink on the other."

@clint-bennet

With her facing away, he couldn't make out what she said, but did hear her voice respond, it wasn't until she had looked his way that he was able to catch her question. "Already toldja, I didn't do nothin'." A bit of a shit eating grin played at the corners of lips. Honesty he saw someone stumble into one of the shop displays outside, causing it to crash to the ground and break, there was nothing he was getting out of this leg pulling except a little fun.

@laureljreyes

[laureljacobs]

Laurel had actually found herself pulled into a random Maggie Nelson book she'd taken off the shelf before she remembered to look up, check her watch, and look around to see if Kat had showed. Getting on her tiptoes to peer over the shelves, she spotted a familiar figure by the register and dropped back down before she could be seen peeking. A deep inhale, a slow exhale — she resisted the urge to turn and leave unseen, figuring that standing Kat up would be the nail in the coffin for any kind of relationship she was trying to build or rebuild here.

She put the book back on the shelf after noting the title and reminding herself to come back for it later before putting one foot in front of the other and making her way to the register. Out of habit, her free hand reached out to touch the small of Kat's back gently to alert her of her presence as she stepped up next to her. "Hi," she greeted simply.

Her other hand, holding the book she'd bought for Kat, came up to place it on the counter and slide it over to her. "I know you're probably going to have a lot to carry home, but I picked something up for you," she said, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her choice, a collection of essays by Carmen Maria Machado — was the subject material heavy, too dark? — and resisted the urge to snatch it away and go look for something else. "I actually read it a while back, thought you might like it."

@katrinaxbeauford

Honestly, a few weeks ago, Katrina was pretty certain she never wanted to be near Laurel again. Especially after the New Year's incident. But that night at the diner had changed things, and despite the hurt, Kat couldn't help but see things in a different light. If she'd had the determination, she probably could have avoided Laurel, ignored her messages and simply accepted that despite the woman having her reasons to have broken up with her, it had been hurtful and she wasn't going to rekindle things.

That wasn't the case however, Katrina having the soft heart that she did. So when Laurel had asked to meet up, Kat had agreed. She wasn't sure what she expected from seeing the other woman again. A friendship? That would be sort of odd, since they'd never even had a friendship stage before they'd started dating, so that would be a new experience. But Katrina was sure that if she didn't say yes, she'd always be wondering 'what if'.

__

When Saturday rolled around, she couldn't help but be a little nervous. Which was so silly, considering Laurel had.. seen her naked and stuff. So seeing each other at the bookstore was hardly something to be nervous about. The dynamic had changed, however, and she wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

The bell on the door rang as she entered, a pretty familiar sound, since Kat had bought more books than she could probably ever read. But they were her safe activity when she was in pain and stuck on the couch or in bed, so she didn't care. Making her way over to the counter, she wasn't sure if Laurel was there yet, but she figured she'd pick up her order first and then look for the other woman. @laureljreyes