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[shapiros]

TRIP.

     HE LETS OUT AN OFFENDED scoff at her repulsion, quickly followed by a matching fit of laughter and a playfully tightened hold as she attempts to push away. ❝ no promises ! ❞ he practically sings. ❝ i mean, unless you’re wanting a repeat of every other time i’ve told you things after a few too many. ❞ not that he’s actually planning on saying anything, for both selfish reasons and not. for one thing, he does know blair better than that, and he also knows that his best chance at maintaining some kind of a positive relationship with her is to not upset this hot and cold, love / hate balance they’ve struck. they can never really go back to what they had before, but for trip, this is close enough. dancing together, laughing together— he doesn’t feel the need to ask her for more than that. right now, at least, he’s content.

     of course, the moment he thinks that is the moment it has to change.

     ❝ um, so much for not getting sentimental. and ominous much ? ❞ he tries to keep up an air of levity despite the sudden mood change and his mounting confusion, but as her eyes drop, his stomach follows. just as he’s about to ask blair what the hell she’s talking about, she cuts him off with the answer. it nearly knocks the wind out of him. ❝ oh. ❞

     trip’s lived in a woodstock without blair shapiro before, and he’s seen a blair shapiro without woodstock. the concept isn’t anything new to him— the opposite, really. it’s an inevitability, and one he welcomes. for all the secrets he learned that night, trip never needed a cracked mask in los angeles to know that blair never belonged in any of the places she’d been ; he’s known that for as long as he’s known her. birds of a feather and all that, like recognizing like. he recognized this facet of her like he recognized a mirror, sitting across from her in a shitty garage, blue eyes on blue - grey, that same conspiratorial twinkle, the feeling of displacement, of non - belonging, of being too big, too loud, too bold, too— too. 

     he lifts his gaze to stare over her head, takes in the smiling faces of their perfectly boring friends in their perfectly boring town, too small for either of them, and he knows that the only thing sadder than him losing blair would be blair losing herself.

     ❝ tomorrow, ❞ trip echoes, feeling the weight of the word on his tongue, the bitter reality of it, the necessity of it, and he nods slow. once, twice. when he looks back down at her, he’s wearing a softer version of that characteristic smile of his. he’s happy for her. ❝ where to ? ❞

– BLAIR FEELS AN UNCHARACTERISTIC SWELL OF AFFECTION in her chest, it manifests itself in a short laugh, like if she can make some kind of sound, it’ll force it out. it doesn’t quite work. after all, she’s not quite sure what she expected from him, but it’s not this sweet smile or soft look in his eyes. she’s certain she hasn’t done anything to warrant it, but even more than that, she doesn’t want it to provoke such a reaction. in fact, it makes her mad to even think about the chemical reaction between her brain and body when he’s around, because it’s not like he’s done anything to warrant it : he’s never done anything to say or show that he wants her during the light of day, holds her in closets and steals looks like she’s a secret to be kept. she’s always allowed it, after all, it wasn’t like she was going out any particular limb for him. but that was for marty’s sake as much as her own. she supposes he’d say the same. 

but all the more reason to run away. 

“ nashville, ” she says with a finite certainty. “ figured it was time to try something new. i’m going to rot from the inside out if i keep sitting around here, i might as well do it somewhere with better weather. ” and where she can see graceland up close and personal. there’s a couple dreams she still needs to realize. 

still, she can see another one of them when she looks up at his eyes, bright and containing multitudes so deep she’s sure they could swallow her. “ you know what they say, anyway,” she lowers her voice an octave, puts on a goofy country accent, “ this town ain’t big enough for the both of us. ” which is exactly what she thought the first time she locked eyes on him after his return. there’s a playful crinkle of her nose as she settles on his gaze again.

maybe they always have just been twin flames ; destined to burn each other out rather than burn together. this thing has probably run its course long before it started, but it doesn’t change the drunk, addicted feeling she gets from being around him ever since he came back, reminding her of everything she used to dream about before she left. maybe whatever bolt of lightning trip tadlock had zapped her with back in la had been exactly what she needed. she doesn’t know where they go from here, but she’ll certainly remember him forever. 

“ so, ” she drags her fingertips over the collar of his shirt, playing with it in a way that seems absentminded, even though it’s not. just because he makes her want to run for the hills doesn’t mean she’s done playing cat and mouse. “ if there EVER was a time for dramatic love confessions, this would be your last chance to admit how much you adore me, ” blair teases. 

[shapiros]

KEM.

“ not… not intentionally. ” he says, rubbing at his neck as she examines him. he’s choosing to ignore her honeymoon comment — even if she has a point — a small roll of his eyes in response to her instead. his hands will retreat to let her do her thing, literally able to breathe better once she’s got started. “ oh, yeah, ‘cause she’s marrying me for my rock star looks. ” kem notes, holding in another roll of his eyes. he’ll nod his head once she’s sorted it, fingers gently placed upon it to check. “ thanks. ” a pause. “ and thanks for being here, too. ” as his friend, his best woman, as someone to just reassure him that he’s worthy of being max’s anything. 

– “WELL, DUH, OF COURSE SHE IS,” BLAIR LAUGHS, running her fingers through his hair to give it more of an “intentionally messy” look. “ what else have you got going for you ? ” she’s teasing, tongue poking out slightly from between her lips as she steps back to admire her handiwork. much better. “ of course, ” she nods, “ i wouldn’t have missed it. honest. i know my track record hasn’t been the best, but – ” i’m trying to be better, she thinks. and it’s true. especially with kem, since they actually managed to heal the impulsive rift she tore in their friendship before moving onward. the idea of laying in unknown bedsheets in some nashville motel 8 with mistakes in her wake makes her feel sick. she swallows thickly, trying to do this right. “ i’m not skipping town until tomorrow. ” 

[shapiros]

TRIP.

     JUST ABOUT. TRIP SUCKS IN a breath at that, a jolt of electricity shooting from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. blair’s belief in him has never failed to set him alight like a live wire, raising goosebumps on his skin and returning the stars to his eyes with just so much as a smile and a handful of syllables. but like electricity, it stings too. he gives her hand a gentle squeeze, lifting it up to guide her into a slow spin. he uses that second to compose himself, schooling the look on his face before it can betray the hint of melancholy he feels under the surface. the last thing he wants to do is disappoint her ; she doesn’t need to see that he still has doubts.

     ❝ is that supposed to be a love confession or a pep talk ? ❞ trip teases, knowing full well what she actually meant. ❝ ‘cause i was under the impression those weren’t allowed —— pep talks, i mean. ❞ confessions too, but she’s never rebuked him for those the same way she has his pep talks. maybe because he has yet to give her the satisfaction of actually hearing one.

– “EW, NEITHER,” BLAIR LAUGHS, pushing against his chest. “ you should know me better than that. though if you were planning to finally confess your love, could you save it until i’ve had a few more drinks ? ” she asks, teasing. the time for confessions has passed, it’s been a long time since she told him to come find her once he had his head sorted out. she’s packed her bag by now ; no more waiting around. 

“ besides, my honesty isn’t a pep talk. i’m not going to get all . . . sentimental on you, but i think you’ve always known what i think about that stuff since we were kids writing stupid campfire songs, ” she says, arms draped loosely over his shoulders. it’s no secret to her that he’s still unsure of himself, otherwise he wouldn’t still be hanging around woodstock. “ i don’t know. maybe i just wanted to point it out one last time before i’m not here to hold you accountable. ” 

she’s not really a goodbye person, and she can’t quite look him in the eye, eyes resting on the line of his jaw. she doesn’t want to see his reaction – she doesn’t know what scares her more, the idea that he wouldn’t care or the idea that he would. “ i’m leaving. tomorrow. ” 

[shapiros]

CHASE.

“Stop checking me out, Shapiro,” he retorts with ease, bringing the glass to his lips to take a sip. The conversation with her is always easy, in a way that the words slip out of his lips without needing to think about it, in a way he knows that she’ll accept whatever he says and retort back with equal ease. Does his tie look bad? He has no idea; it’s a miracle he’s even wearing a suit. “Closer to Max, yeah. Didn’t think weddings were your scene.”

– “IN YOUR DREAMS, RAYNOR,” she retorts, though the roll of her eyes is somewhat playful. he can’t be serious. he’s actually one of the few people she feels relaxed around tonight, though. chase isn’t the type to get attached to her presence, to be owed a goodbye. what they are to each other has always been simple enough, so, weirdly, she finds it easier chiding him tonight than say, goofing off with marty. there’s nothing she can do to disappoint chase. “ well, max is that kind of person, i guess – friendly to all the losers, ” she acknowledges. “ they’re fine as long as i’m not the bride. open bar, dance floor . . . it’s just a party with a fancy name. ” 

[shapiros]

MAX.

     NORMALLY  ANY  MENTION  OF  THE  STABBING  would’ve  made  max  wince,  but  instead  she’s  laughing  now.  «  yeah,  you  know.  something  like  that,  »  she  giggles,  giddy  as  ever.  it  doesn’t  really  seem  like  anything  can  bring  her  mood  down,  when  doubt  comes  creeping  in.  «  we  haven’t  really  talked  about  kids,  so  ..  »  max  tries  to  shrug,  but  her  shoulders  suddenly  tense  and  the  movement  looks  more  like  a  shiver.  «  oh  my  god,  blair.  what  if  he  doesn’t  want  kids  ?  »  a  little  late  for  such  a  big  question.  frantically,  max  looks  around.  «  again,  not  pregnant.  »

– THIS IS THE GIDDIEST BLAIR’S EVER SEEN MAX. sure, she’s seen max smile before, even made it her personal mission to make max laugh at times, but this is different. like something has been lifted off her shoulders, makes her look like she’s fucking floating when she walks. is that what love does to people ? blair had always thought love would be grounding, heavy, full of responsibility, but max makes it look weightless. “ have you met that man ? he’s whipped. he wants whatever you want, ” blair waves max’s worry away with her hand. “ i don’t think you have to worry. but i’m not babysitting. ” 

[shapiros]

ERIC.

“ WHY DID THEY EVEN BOTHER HIRING A DJ ?   they have a free band at their disposal, and we all play music in the store, like, for a living. ”   even eric could do a lot better than THAT—  suddenly the idea dawns on him, eyes lighting up.   “ wait… should i become a dj ? ”   suddenly it all makes sense !   only when she mentions sera does the light fade from his eyes a little, though just enough to roll them instead.   “ no. we’re… we’re good. i’m over it, really. ”   and this time, he really thinks he means it.   “ hard to compare with a fucking rockstar, huh ? ”

– “WELL, I THINK THE POINT WAS SO THAT . . . the band could also be part of the reception ? ” an eyebrow ticks upward, “ considering they are friends of the bride and groom, after all. ” a teasing grin, “ you SHOULD become a dj. ” actually, she can see it. though he’s not quite douchey enough, but those traits can still be learned. she watches the way his face changes, not looking quite as gleeful as he did in moments before. “ wow, ” she exhales, “ she must’ve shut you down real hard. ” there’s a slight grimace before she nudges him lightly, “ don’t sweat it. you don’t HAVE to compete with a rock star, you’re sexy in your own right. some girls are into . . . cute, former jocks who got fired by their grandmothers. if you think sera whatever-her-last-name-is is all that’s out there, then you REALLY need to get out more. ” 

[shapiros]

ketamine wedding outfit <3

[shapiros]

MAX.

      WHEN  BLAIR  TAKES  MAX’S  GLASS  she  barely  even  register  it  happening  at  all  —  so  used  to  sharing  with  the  other.  at  the  mention  of  baby  maxine  fights  the  urge  to  roll  her  eyes.  she  feigns  a  confused  expression  instead.  «  josie  seems  fine  to  me,  »  she  states,  then  cracks  up  in  a  smile.  «  still  not  pregnant,  blair  bear.  »  she  announces  this  statement  a  bit  louder  so  that  everyone  in  their  immediate  vicinity  will  hear  her.  «  though  auntie  blair  has  a  nice  ring  to  it,  no  ?  »

– BLAIR GRINS, “SOUNDING AWFULLY DEFENSIVE THERE.” though she’s really teasing this time, and you can hear it in her tone. “ then i guess what they say is really true : nothing like seeing your boyfriend get stabbed to put you in the mood for wedding bells. ” obviously no one’s said that, but if it’s not a shotgun wedding, that’s what blair is gleaning from this entire scenario. “ ooh, i would LOVE to be an aunt. ” she’s already an aunt. but she hates her nieces and nephews, devil spawn. they don’t count. max and kem’s baby would be different.

[shapiros]

SERA.

     SERA BLINKS AT BLAIR’S QUESTION, focus back in the barn, and she hopes she just didn’t get caught staring at ethan. maybe what they say about weddings is true because sera’s been feeling a lot more intense feelings than she had before. there’s a nervous laugh that escapes from sera, and she ponders the question for a moment. “i mean, i hope so,” sera says, and it’s not even like she’s putting on a show as the doting girlfriend anymore. no, she hasn’t told ethan she wants to do this for real yet, but blair doesn’t need to know that. her head tilts as she looks at blair, but her tone is still light. “you don’t know something i don’t, right?” sera starts to spiral, and god, the embarrassment she’ll feel if ethan’s been telling blair he doesn’t see them working long term. 

– SHE SIGHS, A PROLONGED LOOK AT SERA. she still finds her confusing, her and ethan’s sudden and random union, the guarded way ethan used to be about it at first. “ i could ask you the same thing, ” blair shrugs. she’s standing on the precipice of whether to be completely honest with sera, especially when she knows she doesn’t owe her it. but the fact remains that sera is sticking around and blair doesn’t really hold that same kind of permanence. she doesn’t imagine she and ethan will schedule sunday calls or anything. “ i just need to tell him i’m moving out. but i’m trying to make sure he’s in good hands, you know ? ” 

[shapiros]

TRIP.

     GOD, IT’S SUCH A PERFECTLY blair - like thing to say —— a prime example of that turnabout, force of nature, rollercoaster type beat she embodies so well and he’s grown so accustomed to. ❝ fair enough, ❞ he yields with a soft bubble of a laugh, allowing her to lead him away with only a second of playful foot dragging. they come to a stop somewhere just off - center of the floor, and it’s only then that trip actually acknowledges the song that’s playing. really, does this dj know anything other than slow songs ? it’s not like he’s nervous. his free hand isn’t shaking or anything when it finds blair’s waist. even around her, trip’s capability for being anything other than recklessly confident is fairly low. but, at the same time, he doesn’t really believe that she simply ‘ changed her mind ’ just like that, and it’s been a while since they were this close …

     alright, yeah. maybe he’s a little nervous. but only the teensiest bit.

     ❝ so now that we’re alone— kinda, ❞ the relative emptiness of the dance floor offers some privacy at least. enough so that they don’t have to worry about being overheard. ❝ tell me straight, best woman to man of honor, you think they’re gonna last ? ❞ trip’s head tilts in the direction of where kem and max are, his eyes never leaving blair’s.

– BLAIR TAKES THE OPPORTUNITY TO AVERT HER GAZE, can feel herself on the verge of blushing under the intensity of his eye contact and she needs to temper that emotion, control herself. she uses the moment to seek out max and kem on the dance floor, giddy and free and completely unguarded around one another. she can’t remember the last time she didn’t feel spitefully jealous when seeing someone else grin like that. confidence fills her chest again. “ if anyone is, ” she agrees, gaze drifting back to trip’s eyes “ they’re just about the last thing in this world i believe in. ” 

she pauses to smile before she echoes :  “ just about. ” she’s sure he’ll know what she means – that through everything, all of his highs and lows, she’s never stopped believing in him and his dreams. sometimes it’s even hard to distinguish between wanting him and wanting more for him.

[shapiros]

MARTY.

🎸

marty gives blair a look, a smirk betraying the amusement at her best friend’s words. “i always use things like this wisely, shapiro,” marty remarks, “who do you think i am?” she winks at blair before turning around on her heels to open the bottle with a ‘pop!’, trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible. “you don’t have to worry about that, best woman.” marty smirks before taking a sip. “i actually like the people getting married so i’d never ruin it for them. or maybe i’m just saying that to keep you on your toes.” marty shares the bottle with blair. “guess you’ll have to wait to find out.”

– “A FUCKING IDIOT, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU,” she teases in return. she does look impressed when marty manages to pop it without drawing any attention, though, no shaking or sprays of foam. “ pretty honorable title, huh ? i’m just a figurehead, too, max did pretty much all the planning, as you’d expect. ” she tilts her head in max’s direction with an adoring smile. blair takes the bottle back with a swig, “ i’m not really that patient, mars. ” 

[shapiros]

KEM.

is he freaking out ? no, but that doesn’t completely rule out being a bit nervous. anytime he feels nervous, he remembers max in any capacity and calms down, but the clock is ticking and soon  wondering about max makes him wonder perfectly normal thoughts like if she stands him up at the altar. can’t really happen given there’s not an official altar, and he doubts max would ever do that, but still.  “ does this look fucking stupid ? ” he points to his bowtie with both hands. it wasn’t stupid a few minutes ago, it also didn’t slightly choke him a couple moments ago, but kem’s been fiddling with it for longer than he’d like to realise. 

– BLAIR GLANCES AT HIM A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY, “ yeah, you’re looking a little red in the face, buddy. what are you trying to do, choke yourself ? that’s supposed to happen IN the honeymoon suite, not before, ” she teases with a wink. blair takes two steps forward and tugs at the tie, “ it’s supposed to look a little relaxed anyway, so you look more rock star and less . . . professor, ” she adds, patting his chest with the palm of her hand. “ better ? ”

[shapiros]

LILAH.

Lilah cried during the ceremony, and she had only just fixed her makeup - she’s always been a sucker for love, it’s like, half of her personality, if she’s being entirely honest with herself. And while everyone deserves it, she feels like Kem and Max deserve it just a little bit extra. “No!” She says, but with a laugh because she knows it’s a joke. ‘I think weddings are my favorite kind of parties. I just… Love love, you know?” 

– “OH, COME ON, WHAT ARE YOU? A GREETING CARD?” blair laughs, eyebrows raised in disbelief. if this was a reality show, she’d look at the camera like, ‘ can you believe this girl ? ’ but still, she’s amused. she doesn’t understand how people come about this outlook. “ what makes you so into love anyhow ? i mean, i don’t see you holding hands with anyone. how do you know it’s legit ? ” kind of a blunt way of putting it, but that’s blair’s way. 

[shapiros]

STARTER FOR LEX. ( @lexgordons​ ) 

– “SO,” BLAIR OPENS, handing lex a shot from the bar because she can already tell the other girl needs one. and even if she doesn’t, why not ? a peace offering. she holds out her own shotglass to clink. “ when are YOU getting the hell out of dodge ? soon, i hope. ” 

[shapiros]

STARTER FOR CHASE. ( @chaseraynor​ )

– “THE WAY YOU TIE A TIE MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE A TODDLER, it’s embarrassing, ” blair remarks cooly, taking her drink from the bar. it’s probably not even a true statement, but she doesn’t know how to open a conversation with him without insulting him. the most relaxing thing about tonight is knowing that it might be the LAST that she ever has to lay eyes on chase raynor. it’s a relief. “ i didn’t know you were that close with kem or max, ” she adds, not that she pays remarkably close attention to chase. but he didn’t seem like he’d come out to a party for no reason, the loner that he is. 

[shapiros]

STARTER FOR SERA. ( @serafinastm​ )

– “SO, YOU THINK YOU GUYS ARE IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL?” blair asks, looking over at the stage where ethan is doing sound check. “ i know, i know . . . none of my business. but someone’s gonna have to look out for him. certainly not gonna be me, so. i guess i’m just wondering if it’ll be you, ” she hasn’t widely told everyone that she’s leaving yet. in fact, she’s got to tell ethan SOON. somehow, talking to sera about it seems easier than talking to someone who has become one of her best friends. 

[shapiros]

STARTER FOR ERIC. ( @stonerisms​ )

– “ARE THEY SERIOUSLY PLAYING UNCHAINED MELODY AGAIN?” she leaned over, voice low. “ we have got to do something about this dj. ” she figures that in all of woodstock, there probably weren’t a lot of options in terms of sound mixing. well, there were the high volume employees, but they were pretty busy tearing up the dance floor. “ unless you’re too busy stalking a certain someone. ”