noralevin

[noralevin]

"I feel like I need more specifics — how big is this bucket, first of all. Do I have a lid for this bucket? Because I'd worry about standing water getting gross. Also, am I allowed to keep what I don't use in a day?" Nora asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Because if so, that's easy. Drink however much I need to six out of seven days of the week, then use the leftovers for a nice shower on the seventh day. Everyone in this dystopia would smell at least a little bit like shit most of the time, so I could live with one shower a week."

@itsbrimarquez

WHO: Anyone! (@aurorabaystarter)

WHERE: Anywhere!

It had been five years since Briseida's critically acclaimed documentary came to the world. After that high for her first release as a filmmaker, she had receded into the shadows. Her father had produced hit after hit with his roster of successful movies. How could she live up to that? Wanting to shake the cobwebs off, she had a concept, but she needed to gauge response and temperament. "Question. What would you do if we were in a dystopian society with rationed water? How would you use a bucket of water a day?"

[noralevin]

"Ooo, you're forward. I like that. Fuck yeah, but just give me a sec."

Nora held up a finger as she swiped a shot from the unassuming stranger next to her. (If they didn't want it to be stolen, they'd pay closer attention). She downed it and slid the glass further down the bar before turning and putting her hand in the stranger's.

"Okay, let's go."

@beatricexdubois

open starter: @aurorabaystarter

where: Sharky’s/oasis/any bar with live music

After running out on her boyfriend when he asked her to marry him, she couldn’t help but assume that was the end of their relationship, which was something she’d yet to come to terms with. In fact, the mere days she’d be in Aurora Bay, Beatrice had done little more than party, drink, and shop. Anything to take her mind off the very heavy reality that she may have ruined her longest romantic relationship with someone she genuinely loved.

When she spotted a stranger by the bar, she didn’t even hesitate to walk over to them with a smile on her face. “Do you want to dance with me?” She yelled over the music as she set down her drink and held out her hand for the other’s.

[noralevin]

"Classic, all the way."

Nora paused her flipping through a stack further down to look up at the options being presented to her.

"But also, pro tip. If you go classic, you don't want the reissues that cost, whatever, thirty bucks. Go for the secondhand; it's way cheaper and they usually play fine. They'll usually put a note on them if not."

@nicomackenzie

who: open / @aurorabaystarter where: tidal wave

Nico was no expert on music, nor did he know why he was even trying to look for something. He had a record player and a few records that he enjoyed listening to, but for the most part, he wasn't a collector. Maybe one of these days he'd start collecting albums that he liked, get his mind thinking about something other than hockey. "You know, I never thought I'd be the type to be contemplating starting a record collection, yet here I am." He had a Bowie album in one hand and a Paramore one in the other hand. "Should I start classic or modern?"

[noralevin]

"Uh, yeah, thanks. Just a water?"

Nora followed him into the kitchen and placed the bag of takeout she brought on the island before posting up on one of the stools. Her fingers tapped against the marble. It was a strange to feel so out of sorts in a house she'd half grown up in.

"So, uh, how's dad life treating you?"

@arkin-oconnell

Arkin considered the house on Aurora Bay drive his home now but there were aspects of living there that still had him feeling a little awkward. At this moment he felt it because he didn’t know what to do when there were guests over that he didn’t know that well. But he was hoping to break the tension and get to know Nora better.

“ no you’re totally fine.” Arkin replied waving his hand about the situation as he closed the door behind them. “ I’m sure it’s weird sometimes when there’s a new factor in a place you’re used to. Do you want anything from the kitchen while you wait?” @noralevin

[noralevin]

𝐚𝐬𝐡 : what has your muse lost that still haunts them?

"Literally every piece of jewelry I've ever owned. I swear, it's like they get up and crawl away from me. I've tried everything— ring dishes, boxes, whatever, but I can never keep track of the damn things."

[noralevin]

"Santi, literally no one else is here, and I'm allowed to be excited about this."

Nora would've readily admitted that her arguably inappropriate level of investment in her boss's surprisingly messy love life was at least partially because of a desire to live vicariously through it, because she had nothing thrilling going on in her own. (Though she would insist that she preferred it that way, for the moment.)

She hummed, lips pouting in consideration. "It doesn't ring a bell. Paint me a word picture."

@santiagodeleons

"Nora, we're indoors." Santiago reminds her, in case she was somehow unaware of how loud her voice had suddenly gotten. He should have anticipated that would be the case, he had never known a gaggle of people who enjoyed gossip more than his employees.

( That's what he told himself at least to not be paranoid about how often he stumbled on whisper sessions. )

Not unlike a dog with a bone, he accepts that there would be no escape for him from her questions if he didn't give her some sort of answer.

"Her name's Delilah, you know her?" He hopes so to save on him having to divulge how he knew her before winding up at the same speed-dating table as her.

@noralevin

[noralevin]

"Dude, trying to get shit out of him is like pulling teeth," Nora lamented. "It took me literal months to find out what went down with him on Valentine's Day. Do you know about that? If you don't, I've got a lot of shit to fill you in on."

She looped her arm through Roxy's and started to lead them to the drinks table, set a little further away from the crowd so they could get a better view of everyone as they floated around the room.

"God, I hope she's not just a friend, that'd be boring as hell."

@roxdelrosario

Roxy let out a little yelp as she felt her arm being pulled, in an instant she thought to herself that this was the end, this was when she got kidnapped. She really needed to stop being such a good step-sister and listening to Kali's true crime podcast so much.

"Oh Nora, thank god it's you. My life flashed before my eyes." Roxy let out a breath as she held her chest. She couldn't focus too much on the fright Nora had just given her because her co-worker was suddenly mentioning their boss on a date.

"What!? Oh my gosh, no! We have to go find them because I need to see! He didn't say anything to you about it? Why doesn't he tell us these things?"

@noralevin

[noralevin]

"Uh, yeah, sure," Nora said, giving Arkin a half-smile and stepping into the house, takeout in tow.

Sterling seemed happy, so far be it from Nora to tell her what to do or cast judgment (aloud, at least), but if Nora was asked, she'd admit that she was a little winded by how quickly Sterling and Arkin had taken things. As long as he was treating her well, he and Nora wouldn't have a problem, but she'd maybe subconsciously kept her distance.

"Sorry to just, like, spring this on you," she said, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot in the foyer. "I guess I'm still kinda used to it just being cousin time 24/7."

@arkin-oconnell

It was kind of funny how large Sterlings family and his own seemed to be within Aurora Bay. Because there seemed to be no shortage of people Arkin hadn’t really gotten a chance to know. He’d talked to Nora in the past but never without someone else present so when he opened the door and saw her standing there; Arkin was a bit surprised. “ oh hey! “ Arkin replied as a smile appeared on his face. “ she’ll be here any minute. Do you want to come in?” @noralevin

[noralevin]

What is their favorite position?

"CEO. Hashtag girlboss."

"Nah, I'm fucking with you. It's doggy."

[noralevin]

Who was their first crush?

"It was probably both Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody at the same time. I was watching The OC way too young because I had a nanny who loved it. Real life, though — Atticus. I had a crush on him before I even knew what a crush was."

[noralevin]

👀 + do you miss living on Aurora bay drive with your family?

"Oh, god no. Fuck no. Like, sure, I miss being a couple houses down from my cousins, but Liza's in Seabrook Quarter now anyway. I don't think even they could've kept me there, though. Getting out of there — both times — was the best thing I've ever done."

[noralevin]

Nora discarded the rabbit on the end of the bed and took a seat close to Sterling on the bed. Her eyes stayed locked on the baby, a hand tentatively reaching out to stroke a finger over his cheek. "Hi, Kai. Oh my god, he's got the Levin nose," she marveled gently, poking at his a little with the tip of her finger.

"You did good, Sterl. Seriously. This is a fuuuu—freaking cute baby."

@sterlingxlevin

Sterling looked up when she heard her cousin’s voice and smiled wide at the girl. “Nora, hi!” She didn’t see her cousin often but she really did love her, and it made her so excited to see she’d come over to visit. “That is absolutely adorable! Come sit.” Sterling complimented the rabbit then patted a spot on her bed beside her. “This is Kai.”

@noralevin

[noralevin]

"I'm usually quicker on the draw with the clever excuses, but I'm blanking on this one. Would you have bought it if I said that a kid made me do it?"

Nora was, indeed, a literal thirty year old woman, but in her defense, she'd definitely seen some rat-faced, mean-looking elementary schoolers who were already getting close to her height. Fuckin' growth spurts.

"I mean, like, it's not comfy, but no, no pain. I think it might be that my sleeve is caught on something? But I didn't think that trying to rip off my shirt in a place filled with kids was a good idea."

@thebellamyxcalvert

Bellamy tended to expect shenanigans with working at an arcade; from unruly teenagers skipping classes to adults screwing around after having a few drinks, so really, she shouldn't have been too surprised as she turned a corner and saw a woman with her arm seemingly stuck inside one of the games. And yet...

"Honestly, I was kinda looking forward to whatever you came up with for your reasoning for fisting one of the games." She mused, huffing out a breath as she shook her head and walked over, trying to look around where the woman's arm was stuck to try and figure out the best way to help her get dislodged. "I uh...shit. Are you okay though? Nothing's in pain or bleeding or gonna be detached when your arm comes out, right?"

[noralevin]

Nora scoffed and rolled her eyes but otherwise bit her tongue to keep from saying something smart in response to the clearly rhetorical question. Santi already gave her a pretty long leash as it was, but even she knew that there were better moments to test exactly how long it was.

"Okay, wait, you just understated the fuck out of 'went home with someone.'" She brightened and abandoned her cleanup duties on the other side of the bar to lean forward and use it as leverage for a couple of delighted hops.

"Who who who. We can come back to the blood feud in a sec, because okay, yeah, that sounds serious, but one thing at a time."

@santiagodeleons

Santiago arches an eyebrow at Nora, not quite buying that she would hold up her end of the bargain if he agreed to it.

"Will you be leaving me alone about it on the same week that pigs'll fly or will there be no overlap there?"

He can only avoid her queries -- and Ben's apparently huge mouth -- for so long, prompting him to move from behind the bar to where his regulars liked to sit on the stools against the otherside of it now that the last patron had filed out with closing time passed.

"What do you want to know? I went, had some abysmal conversations. Had a couple decent ones, went home with someone and now I seem to be in a fucking blood feud I didn't anticipate."

@noralevin

[noralevin]

"Okay, clingy," Nora scoffed, reaching out to push Aiden right back, but the accusation was undermined when her arm immediately slung itself around his neck and she went up on her tiptoes to hold the position.

"Oh, dude, that's sick. I am...also drunk." She grinned and grabbed his hand to force him into a limp high five. "And I haven't actually be hanging with anyone, really. I got weirdly nostalgic for this place, which, gross, I know. Spent most of my night walking around and thinking about the shit we used to get up to. High school was kinda fun, huh?"

Now that she was over a decade out, the old remnants of teenage angst had mostly faded into (at least mostly) fond memory, and their high school years had taken on a slightly golden sheen of sentimentality.

It was that same sentimentality that had her eyes lighting up a little. "Look, I know we're being adults or whatever — and we've literally been doing such a good job — but... we could do something kinda dumb. For old times' sake. I'd bet you any amount of money they haven't fixed those cameras up on the roof."

@aiden-stevens

CLOSED STARTER for @noralevin at the under the sea prom

"Finally fucking found you, asshole."

Aiden huffs, pushing Nora by her shoulder when he comes in probably a little too hot. His tone isn't anything malicious, though the force behind his push might be more than he intended, he wears a lazy grin.

"I am drunk," he starts, pointing at himself with pride. "So this shithole is a lot more tolerable now, but that doesn't mean you're off my shit list for being busy hanging out with other people most the night." Mack entertained him until it was time to release him back to Cricket, of course.

Then he hid in the library after poking and prodding that Alfie guy, and he scratched small graffiti designs in the hallway. "Nikki made me dance with her, called me a 'softie' and said I'd dance with Phoebe and Cricket and too many people to name, and I didn't, but I'm also behaving and not picking fights. And I'm bored. Very bored."

[noralevin]

📞 – your muse's contact information in my muse's phone + Liza

@thelizaxevans

[noralevin]

📺 – three shows our muses watch together + aiden

@aiden-stevens