olympb

[olympb]

iddlehcarts​:

Johanna’s disdain for their sister ran deeper than the hell Evangeline had put Olympe through. 

Of course, as Olympe’s friend, one of their main concerns were her well being and happiness and the way Evangeline had spoke about her wife and the little respect she had for the woman who had been devoted to her throughout the years, even when she never deserved it, had been the spark that had ignited their fury; yet it had been nothing but the tip of the iceberg.

If Joey’s time in the Banks household (and even beyond that), had been hell on earth, big part of that they owed to their sister: Evangeline. She started as the Banks matriarch’s little puppet from a very young age, telling on her siblings whenever they misbehaved or using her power with the rest of the family to get whatever Lilian wanted. However, as things went, the student quickly surprassed the master; becoming more and more sadistic as the time went by. Her favorite prey? Johanna. At least for as long as the petite brunette allowed her to wound them. 

Years of torture and pain went through that reckless reaction and although Johanna regretted knowing one way or another it would affect Olympe and Lizzie, the most important people in their life, the music producer couldn’t quite regret the action itself. 

Taking the bag of peas out of their hand, Jo examined their hand, moving it slightly to test no bones were broken. A sigh escaping them as Olympe spoke again, evident panic all over her. “No. Knowing Evangeline—” they paused. Johanna was well aware their older sister knew about their feelings for Olympe. The day of their wedding their sister had given them an entire speech on how she had ‘gotten the girl’ over them before uninviting them to the ceremony, there really was no doubt in their mind they could use that against them. “She’ll say I was jealous. Or drunk. Or on coke. Maybe all of them” they mentioned nonchalantly, shrugging ever so slightly. “This says more about me than you. I don’t— I know she won’t talk about you to the press. It’ll make her look bad if she does and I doubt she needs that right now so I wouldn’t worry about that. I really didn’t mean to drag you into this fucking mess, Lym. I am sorry.”

.

growing up, no one had given a crap about olympe. she was just another nameless child in the system, bound to be scraping the bottom of the barrel their entire life. yet, from the moment her relationship with evangeline had gone public, that had all changed. even the idea of needing to ‘go public’ had been... well, bizarre. sometimes, she wonders, even now, what had put her in the public eye first. being the best young prosecutor or elizabeth banks’ girlfriend?

maybe if their relationship hadn’t been so public, if evangeline had come from an unknown family and olympe had strived for something different in her life, she wouldn’t be so scared. maybe anyone even having a semblance of understanding of the truth wouldn’t terrify her so.  or maybe she’d be the same. the public nature of their relationship and olympe’s role in the justice system had nothing to do with the fact that olympe had loved evangeline. she had loved her despite everything. 

tv static played in her mind, barely catching jo’s explanations and apologies. so many fuckin g apologies she didn’t deserve. “you didn’t drag me into anything jo. i did. i loved her. i stayed with her. i gave myself to her and no one forced me too. not her, not you, not anyone.” with every word, she spiraled a little more, trembling to the point where she could barely keep her cane steady. jo’s story had pierced her skin, cracking her armour and now the blood wouldn’t stop coming.

[olympb]

iddlehcarts​:

There was an anxious edge to Joey’s moves they couldn’t not associate with the events of the night altogether. Every turn, step and blink a bit more on edge than normal; harsher, wave after wave of emotions taking over them, irrational. 

In their urge to exit the Banks mansion and be as far away from their home as humanly possible, Jo hadn’t even realize the first place that popped into their mind to come to had been Olympe’s home. There were friends who would surely let them spend the night in their homes, people who would talk through their conundrum from an unbiased perspective. Still, they had unconsciously chosen to come to Olympe, yet another one of their actions they couldn’t understand, couldn’t even think of without getting more anxious than they already were. 

It didn’t take a scientist to notice how the mention of Evangeline had tensed up Olympe, how her whole demeanour had shifted at the mention of her ex-wive. It was a surprise for Johanna to see it up close, it had been that way for longer than they cared to admit, how Olympe’s natural spark and joy would disappear at the mention of Evangeline. However, every time it stung. It hurt, knowing everything their sister had done to hurt one of Joey’s favorite people in the world and how much it affected her, to hear about Evangeline. 

Johanna deliberated, between telling Olympe how it had all gone down, why they had reacted the way they did. If they didn’t, there was a chance some sleazy magazine in the upper east side would write something that could blow the whole thing out of proportion and make Johanna look bad in their sister-in-law’s eyes and potentially harm her public image, it was something the Banks were known for. If they did tell her, it would hurt her. It was a lose-lose situation.

Grabbing one ice package, the music producer put it on their injured knuckles, tittering as the cold compress hit their skin. As they were both in the kitchen, Joey’s eyes fell on the counter as they rested their elbows on the counter, ice pack placed securely on their knuckles as they began musing. “She was being a dick, talking about you” Jo whispered, hissing at both the memory and the pain in their hand. “And being fucking gross about everyone… I blacked out and then I was hittin’ her, hard. I’m sorry, you’re gonna get dragged into this fucking mess I know you will and I am sorry. I fucked up.”

.

at the beginning, any mention of evangeline would bring such joy to olympe that she could barely contain it. she would beam and blush and do all the other things that was associated with new love. those days felt so long ago. sometimes, they felt like something she had only dreamed. after all, how could someone who had made her so happy, who had filled her with such love, turn all of that against her? it simply didn’t make sense. maybe it would, if she really thought about it but she couldn’t even do that. even thinking of evangeline seemed to drag her into this deep dark hole that took hours to climb out of.

sometimes she wondered if she had even crawled out of it, that the act of coping was fake and she was still in that hole in the ground.

she looked away from jo. one of the few things that had given her any kind of hope was the certainty that evangeline didn’t want anyone knowing about how he treated her wife. however, it seemed like her family weren’t anybody or maybe she was just wrong and evangeline believed so much in her actions that she couldn’t believe anyone would blame her for them. either way, she wanted to hide away from the world. to bury herself in her blankets and never come out again.

at the mention of being dragged into the mess, her eyes snapped back to them. “the press. the fucking press. they won’t know will they? what she said? why you did it?” she let go of jo’s hand then, backing away as the panic started to claw at her. “no one’s supposed to no jo. she’ll spin it, you know she will.” while she might have said jo’s name, she barely saw her now. instead, all she could see was evangeline. it was as if she had never left,

[olympb]

isamartin​:

—

“You say that as if that could ever stop me,” Isa replied, pursing her lips and looking directly into the camera. “Besides, we both know you’ll end up pullin’ your ‘just five more minutes’ crap and then you’ll never be ready in time…” Isa knew Olympe’s job could be pretty demanding and time consuming, and while she admired O’s dedication to her job, Isa felt it she was obligated to remind her old friend what ‘all work and no play’ did to a person. “ — And that’s definitely not happening tonight, babe.” Time away from work wasn’t the only reason Isa was pushing the other woman to go out for the night. While Isa still wasn’t quite sure what happened between Olympe and Evangeline, Isa refused to let her friend bury herself in paperwork and spend the night alone. “You deserve a night of fun. And maybe even a few phone numbers…or more if you want,” she added with a smirk.

.

sometimes olympe cursed having anyone who had known her for as long as isa had. it made trying to get out of things and lie quite tricky when one knew you like the back of their hand. “it’s not my fault my phone is constantly going off and taking time out of me getting ready. it’s part of the job sweetheart,” she responded, trying to keep the wry smile off her lips. at the mention of fun, she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. the honest truth was that between evangeline and jo and the complicated feelings she felt for both woman, there wasn’t any chance of such a thing happening. not that isa knew the details about evangeline or absolutely anything about what had happened with her and jo. “i’m not really up for that yet.”

[olympb]

lena-oconnell​

“Oh, god. Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who thinks everyone needs patience and hand-holding all the time.” Lena knew that it could be helpful, in some situations, but she also found it to be difficult to pull off. She wasn’t exactly a patient person, and it was probably one of her bigger flaws. “You seem really invested in me getting in there, considering you’re not going out there, yourself. I promise, I’m not interesting enough to live vicariously through.”

olympe almost laughed. “god no, but i’ve seen enough to know that there are some things that need a little bit of hand holding. only a few however.” she never had anyone to hold her hand and in some ways, she knew that she had still turned out decently but then sometimes she thought that with a little hand-holding, she wouldn’t be in the position she was. “i meet a lot of people and i’ve never met one that isn’t interesting, so i would beg to differ.”

[olympb]

lena-oconnell​:

“Honestly, it sounds like the kind of thing people do when they can’t make a connection with someone otherwise. Which… is sad, in my opinion.” That being said, Lena wasn’t exactly showing up with a yellow or red bracelet on her wrist, so… she wasn’t exactly a person who should be judging. “Who’s saying it shouldn’t be? If I’m going to speed date, I’ll need a distraction. I can almost guarantee that nobody out there is interesting enough to make it worthwhile.” That wasn’t remotely true, and Lena almost felt bad for saying it. “I mean, maybe there are some people. But is the ratio worth wasting an hour of my life?”

“connection can be hard, it’s not their fault” olympe stated firmly, briefly looking over at the younger woman. god knows she found it so. sometimes she wondered if it was because she was never shown how has a kid. or more accurately, were never shown that doing so could be a good thing. as a foster kid, connecting with anyone seemed like the worst thing you could. after all, what if you had to up and leave again? besides, not all foster homes fostered such wholesome ideals as connection. swallowing her own wayward thoughts, she shrugged. “from what i’ve heard, some people do it purely for the interest. you can get some good stories from it at least. let that be your motivation.”

[olympb]

iddlehcarts​:

Living with the Banks had been a shattering experience for young Johanna Banks. The gorey details of how was it like, living with a controlling, manipulative and abusive family were out in the open for anyone who had ever had a conversation with the former heiress— including the vicious press who had tried to do various exposés on the emblematic New York family after Johanna left the family in disgrace.

There had always been, however, three sources of light during those times trapped in the ivory tower that was the Banks mansion. Walter and Elizabeth Banks; Jo’s father and youngest sister and Olympe; Evangeline’s wife. Their relationship had started off simple and platonic, Olympe being the complete opposite of her wife and, before Jo could notice, she had found herself falling for the DA. They knew, from the very first day, their feelings would never be reciprocated and they had learned to live with the fact, until the day alcohol, anger problems and Olympe bringing herself down had become too much for the volatile and passionate Johanna. That night still burned the back of their mind from time to time weeks later, painfully so.

“Someone had to do it, call me the no STDS fairy godmother” they tried to joke, a dry chuckle escaping their lips, hating how awkward they had made things between them. As they heard Olympe speak again, their eyes glued to the floor where some ash from their cigarette fell, teeth digging onto their lower lip nervously. “No, it’s uh—” Jo gulped. In their eyes, Olympe always looked good, even now with the deem light of the moon and pollution all around them, even if they couldn’t quite see it because they refused to look up, they simply knew. “It’s great. Traffic-stopping. You may cause a crash so, be mindful” they mumbled, another chuckle erupting from their lips. “Yeah. You tryin’ the whole… speed dating thing? Or you came for the vibes only?”

.

over the years, olympe had met hundreds if not thousands of people. first there was all those schools they went too as a kid. then it was the explosion that was college. finally came the frankly bizarre range of people she was exposed to through her work. sometimes it felt like the whole world came through her office or was placed on her desk. even so, despite all those people, she had never met anyone like jo and most certainly no one that ever spoke like them.

the fact was, jo never failed to surprise them. they almost choked with laughter at their words. for a split second, in her surprise, she forgot the awkwardness and why it was there in the first place. the next moment came however and with it, she remembered. she just had to look at them and the way they didn’t look in their direction. it broke her heart a little and it hurt. sometimes evangeline would say she didn’t deserve to be looked at. the memory came to her mind now, ignoring her inward plea for evangeline to get out of her god damn head. would this be the rest of her life? never being able to experience anything without the words of her wife in her head? as if she was right there next to her?

it felt almost wrong to be complimented in that way. for her heart flutter like it was and her cheeks to redden like they did. “thanks, although i’ll try not too. wouldn’t do for the Da to do such a thing’ she joked or tried to at least. she wasn’t sure if it worked. “just the vibes or more accurately to avoid the wrath of isa. it’s because of her really that i’m here.” now, standing here, next to jo, beautiful, brilliant, out of this world jo, she couldn’t decide if she regretted it or not.

[olympb]

iddlehcarts​:

Valentines day was, against all odds, a favorite of Johanna. 

While certainly, they were acutely aware of how bad capitalism had ruined the holiday and knew the concerns and points against the holidays were concise and truthful, the record shop owner had to give points to the festivities and what it did for the people they cared about. Most of their favorite people were coupled up or on their way to become an item, alas there was no question how their happiness had rub off on them; hence the outfit for the night. 

And although the night had turned out to be better than they had expected, seeing so many people enjoying themselves and even asking for their service as ‘cupid’, like every party it became unbearable at some point. Reason why they were outside, lighting their second cigarette in the span of ten minutes when a familiar voice made them freeze on their place. Last time Joey had seen Olympe, the youngest had made a fool of themselves and had ran away, deciding to block out everything that had to do with their former sister-in-law out of shame. “Shit” they whispered after a few seconds once their muscles remember how to move again and air found a way into their lungs once more. Joey was about to run away for the second time when Olympe spoke, making them close their eyes painfully. Facing their sister-in-law during a Valentines day party after a pathetic love confession wasn’t what Joey had expected of their night— but of course, life had proven them a million times before their expectations didn’t quite matter when it came to divine comedy or karma. So they stood still, cigarette trapped between trembling fingers. “Yeah well, someone had to get the gays together and bring the condoms” they pointed out with a wry smile, pointing at their wings still secured on their back before gulping, eyes finally looking up at the other. “Same to you I uh— red’s your color” they granted, taking a drag from their cigarette. “I didn’t see you inside— though I highly doubt you were up onstage playing indie rock so not that surprised I didn’t see you before. Having fun?”

.

growing up in foster care, bounced from unpleasant place to unpleasant place meant that olympe never really had a blueprint for what love was supposed to me. not the love of family and most certainly not the love of lovers. it had been evangeline who gave her the blueprint for the latter. whatever evangeline gave her was what she believed to be both what she deserved and what was normal. even now, away from evangeline, she could not wrap her head around the fact that maybe that hadn’t been love.

jo had always been there. in the background. someone that she couldn’t imagine not speaking too even when evangeline told her too. yet, they had always been just out of grasp. she had loved evangeline after all and evangeline loved her. whatever jo had meant to her... it hadn’t mattered. olympe hadn’t mattered. or she had felt like she hadn’t mattered. she was trying to remember the opposite now, but it was hard. how did one retrain their brain after a whole life of believing such a thing?

“an admirable quest” she responded, trying not to let her eyes rest on them for too long. it almost felt wrong, like she was doing something deserving of punishment. that’s where such a moment had led before. “thanks. bit to fancy for court so thought i’d pull it out for this.” she chuckled, “god no. don’t quite have the talent for that. but yeah, it’s interesting. you?”

[olympb]

olympe knew that she was supposed to be relaxing here, that isa would probably murder her for taking a work call. but this was important and she didn’t want to have to wait another week to get a hold of him. spotting a way out back, she quickly slunk outside, phone already to her ear. “look, i know your busy but i need you to look over the case. you’re the best forensic anthropologist in the state and having you as the expert witness would do more then you know. call my assistant in the morning and book a time to come in. i’m not waiting another week this time round.” by the time she hung up, she was standing out the back, leaning against the wall. it wasn’t until she slipped the phone back in her pocket and looked around that she realised she wasn’t alone.

she felt her heart leap up into her throat, the last time she saw jo playing back in her mind. it had been a night full of pain but had an ending that was... unexpected to say the least. there was still pain in that one moment they had shared but there had also been something else. something that she wasn’t ready to think about yet. seems like the world had other plans though. “i didn’t know you came tonight. you uh, you look... wonderful.” to say the very least. she could barely process jo’s appearance right now actually. @iddlehcarts​

[olympb]

lena-oconnell​:

Lena groaned, though she was glad that the woman hadn’t taken her comments to heart. “Lucky you, then. The rest of us are doomed to wander the bar, hitting on each other until we either find the one or die alone, I guess.” Not that Lena believed in the one. Soulmates didn’t exist. If they did, her dad wouldn’t have cheated on her mother, and the divorce rates wouldn’t be so high. “Okay. Audition time. What’s your best speed dating cheer for me?”

“sounds perfectly thrilling.” olympe couldn’t imagine anything worse. she also couldn’t imagine the act of it in general. she’d never been very good at flirting. it had been evangeline that had made the first move between them. and then jo... well, that was something entirely different. something that she didn’t know how to think about it because it had always been evangeline and months on, she still didn’t know exactly who she was without her. oh god, that wasn’t what she was supposed to be thinking about now. instead she was supposed to be thinking about a...cheer? “wouldn’t be distracting? calling out in the middle of the night. holding up a sign might be a bit smarter.”

[olympb]

isamartin​:

FaceTime 📱 | Olympe

( @olympb​ )

Waking up that morning, Isa was more than relieved to find her mother’s bed was still made. If the woman had known what Isa had planned for the night, her mother would have invited herself to the event, and that’s the last thing she wanted to happen. Her mother tagging along would’ve meant Isa would have to play ‘babysitter’ for the woman; when her mother set out to have a good time, she had zero limits.

Checking the clock on her phone, she quickly texted her friend at the hair salon to see if she’d be able to squeeze her in for the day. While she waited for a response back, she decided to facetime Olympe. As soon as the other picked up the call, Isa didn’t waste time with proper greetings.

“What time am I pickin’ you up tonight?—and don’t you dare pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about,” she stated firmly.

olympe had been hoping that isa would forget about that night. although she should have known better. this was isa after all. however, she was determined not to make a day of it and to actually get some work done. that’s exactly what she was doing when isa called her. now, if it had been almost anyone else, she would have ignored the call. she would have turned her phone over and turned back to what felt like a never ending pile of cases. yet, once again. this was isa. so, she picked up.

“six o’clock. i have work to do before i get ready. you turn up any earlier and you’ll be wasting your time” she responded, equally as firmly. to a stranger, it might seem as if they didn’t particularly like each other. the truth couldn’t be more different. 

[olympb]

lena-oconnell​:

The woman next to her wasn’t much fun, it seemed. Lena was hoping that someone would rip apart the idea altogether with her, or at least have something witty to say. But instead, she was on the fence, trying to make it seem like it wasn’t even a bad idea to begin with. “Lucky you. Are you doing it tonight, then? Or will I have to find out all by myself? – And you don’t have to butter it up for me. Small talk with like, twelve strangers just to maybe find someone to take out next week is way too much effort.”

now that made olympe laugh. “oh god no. blue bracelet for me. although, i can always cheer you on the sidelines if you like.” she supposed it could be quite fun, watching from the sidelines and then finding out what it was like afterwards and laugh of it. that’s what people did right? god, she didn’t even remember what it was like being single, let alone have the time to do things like this.

[olympb]

lena-oconnell​:

For most people, the clearly defined bracelets on people’s wrists tonight might have meant something. But Lena didn’t care as much about that, as she did having a good time. As a single person, it wasn’t her responsibility to worry about everyone else’s relationship status. Instead, she much preferred for other people to remain in charge of themselves and learn how to stick to their own boundaries. She’d arrived only slightly late, largely due to the difficulty choosing a ‘casual’ outfit to wear. “So…” she said to someone who happened to be standing nearby. “Do people actually enjoy speed dating? Or is it an actual form of torture like it seems in movies?”

@codstarters​

olympe knew that a suit might have been slightly overkill but there was reasoning. suits made her feel good. they made her feel strong. they were associated primarily with her best moments. she thought she might need that for the night ahead. although the god damn blue band clashed with the deep red of her suit. oh well. she’d only recently stood back up, trying to dare herself to just go in, just like it was any other fancy event that she always excelled in. then, someone did the job for her. “i wouldn’t know but i can imagine it could go either way depending on you end up with. like most things” she responded, tearing her eyes off the crowd and to the young woman beside her.

[olympb]

[olympb]

lucyvelasco​:

“morning, morning,” lucy greeted as she walked into her boss’ office — still in a respectful kind of way, but a bit less formal than her very first day at the new job. “i have a meeting at one thirty with a witness, and i almost had to fight the other deputy for it — it was so weird. i only managed to convince him because the witness speaks spanish, and he doesn’t. do you come across sh— things like that often?” she sighed before sitting on the opposite side of olympe’s desk. “ but anyway — how is your leg doing? would you want to get some coffee with me?” | @olympb​

olympe looked up from her work, still not quite used the casual way in which lucy tended to greet her. “i gave the case to you for a reason, if anyone tries to argue for it send them to me.” after a moment, she closed her case file and turned her full attention to her. “miss velasco, i am a gay woman working in a job that many still believe only a man should hold so yes, i do come across such things often,” she paused, realising that perhaps such harsh words weren’t what lucy was looking for. “you learn how to deal with it, men like that are always going to be around. however, i am sorry that you had to experience such a thing.” automatically, she shifted back into her chair slightly with the other woman sat down. “my leg is fine and it depends on where you’re going. the coffee next door isn’t fit for human consumption.”

[olympb]

as much as she didn’t like too, olympe tended to take the afternoon off after a physical therapy session (yes, her version of taking time off is doing work at home instead of at the office but lets ignore that). no matter what she liked to admit, the sessions were tough, both mentally and physically and really, the idea of facing actual human beings after it was a bit too much.

however, it seemed as if the world had decided that interaction with a human being was exactly what she needed. more specifically, with someone who emitted the kind of joy that she wasn’t even sure she could dream of and that was christian. she spotted him in the reception just as she reentered it after her session. before she could sneakily get away, their eyes met briefly. submitting to her fate, she straightened her shoulders and gave him the same cool, charming smile she’d give a colleague. “christian, it’s nice to see you.” the thing was, that was truth. @christianbrotherton​

[olympb]

yazsanchez​:

When had this giant wedge formed between the two women? Was this really the same woman Yaz had gaped at for weeks on end, who she idolised? Now, Olympe felt… distant. Too far away from Yaz for her to even reach. The shine had worn off, and here was Yaz, almost begging for it to come back. “Right, of course. Hard worker, how could I forget?” she chewed on her bottom lip, tapping her fingers on her arms chair, “look, I’m thinking of going away for a week. If you want me to stay, I’m really happy to, I’ll even stick around all holiday break with you. But yeah, you probably don’t want me around, so… can I?”

.

olympe hadn’t thought about the fact that she might lose yaz, that her curt replies and impossibly high walls would eventually turn the young woman away. or maybe the thought had been there and she had simply refused to think about it. this moment however, felt almost made to force olympe to see this a possibility.

“no, you should go. it’ll be good for you, but i-.” she stopped, the same fear that had her stuck infront of yaz’s building that morning like a coward, stopping her again now. she hadn’t really believed that her decision to not go in and give yaz her gift would have any serious consequences other then being something else to be ashamed of. it was now clear though, that that wasn’t the case. with that knowledge weaselling it’s wear infront of her fear, she opened one of her side drawers and pulled out two wrapped gifts. clearing the throat, she grabbed her cane with her other hand stood up to head over yaz. 

suddenly bashful and struggling to hide it, she thrust the gifts out to her. “i don’t know if you like christmas, i know don’t, so just think of this as an expression of my gratitude.” because i can’t find the words. the gifts themselves were some cookies she had ended up making at three in the morning when she could sleep as well as a fountain pen with the necessary inkpot with it. both had meaning that she was still tossing up the idea of actually admitting.

[olympb]

iddlehcarts​:

“I forgot my coat” was the simple question to the other’s query as the wannabe music producer made their way into Olympe’s home, grabbing the dressing gown that had been promised and putting it on, hissing as their visibly irritated hand came in contact with some of the fabric, anger filling them as the seconds passed by and flashbacks of the night kept on coming, torturing them.

Unable to hold Olympe’s gaze on theirs, Johanna made their way into the kitchen they already knew by heart, a dry chuckle escaping them. “You’re not gonna believe it. You’re not gonna believe me, or how fucking stupid I am” the humor in their voice was rather wicked, filled with adrenaline and built-up anger more than amusement itself as they opened the other’s fridge, hands shaking. “You have ice? Or… peas? I don’t fucking remember what I’m supposed to use, I haven’t beat the shit out of anyone since I was like twenty-two and back then, alcohol was enough to help with the pain” they enthused. 

Taking a deep breath after finding something suitable for their hand, Jo placed it on the irritated skin, wincing. There was a small chance their wrist was damaged, that much they knew, however the small victories kept them from worrying. “I was invited to the Banks Christmas dinner. Which, fuck, I am so fucking dumb for thinking was a fucking olive branch. I should’ve know those people don’t fight fair. I even knew it was wrong going when I RSVP’d, but you know what? My fucking fault, for believing I had a chance on going back to the family. I was never a part of the family in the first fucking place” a pause as they tried to blink some tears that were starting to form on their eyes. Then, Jo whispered “Evangeline was there, Lym. Of course she fucking was.”

.

jo had been in olympe’s life for years now and despite evangeline’s desires, she knew them well. so, it took only one good look at the dress they wore and another at their face to guess the who behind the distress. maybe not the why, but at least the who.

“look in the fridge, i’ve got a few icepacks” they took up most of her small freezer. it was a habit that hadn’t changed when she moved, simply changed purposes is all.  instead of being there for multiple passing injuries, it was for one that might never do so. the one thing she hadn’t needed to use them for were bruised knuckles (not her own at least) and it worried, seeing them used for such a thing now. So much so that olympe closed the distance between them and grabbed their good hand with her own trembling one. if asked, it was steady only jo but in truth, she needed to be steadied as well. and that was before she found out the why.

evangeline was there, lym. suddenly, her grip on jo’s hand was the only thing keeping her on up. with the banks family behind as notable as they were, it was hard to avoid mention of them, let alone when she still shared a last name with them. those times however, were easier. she had her armour shield in the form of suit and sharp wit. all she had now though was a ratty t-shirt and continually trembling hand. her home was dark cold but somehow, the mention of the banks made it darker and colder. “it’s not your fault. you were hopeful and that isn’t- it doesn’t make you stupid. it just-.” she tried to focus on jo, to ignore the mention of evangeline and just focus on comforting them. but how she ignore it, when that woman was part of the whole god damn problem. 

her grip on her cane became so tight, her knuckles were shining white through her skin. she had tried so hard to keep everything to do with her wife locked away in her little box but even before tight, the box was straining to keep it all inside. it was as if, hearing the name dumped a jug of water on the little cardboard box and turned it all soggy and weak, slowly falling apart. bit by bit by bit.