softstouch

[softstouch]

semi hiatus! i’m going through some shit right now and need to relax. i’m still logged in on mobile, if anyone wants to plot, you can always hit me up in IMs. i’m going to be writing alone for now on pages and highland, lol. i just feel so bad about all of the work i’m putting out right now and i want to give people quality replies when i have my heart in it again. if you ever miss ember like i know ember misses y’all, just hit us up. i lurk occasionally. likewise, if anyone needs anything or want to get anything off their chest like they’re going through stuff, i’m a really good listener. brb! :)

[softstouch]

lonelyfeel‌:

                    thoughts of her family usually jaded her mind. thoughts of how much she wished she could escape but also knew that she didn’t have the guts to get up and leave. reluctantly, lauren almost gave her the bottle because she couldn’t brace the taste of alcohol once again. it was disgusting, but the buzz she felt in her body helped her make sense of why people always drank it. to forget, right? “just because my mother fucked you doesn’t mean you know a thing about her. she’s sweet to you, i’m sure … i’m sure she’s still sweet to you, but you don’t realize how evil she can be.” the words came out quickly, and now lauren was ready to rag on her own maternal figure. she avoided talking about her to anyone — therapists, counselors, her brother — but that was because she swore to herself to keep her secret. but ember was one of her secrets. “snow is cold, and there are no nice looking boots that actually keep your feet warm. or dry. unless they kill like, twenty animals to make one pair.” shrugging, lauren leaned back and let her head fall back and stared up at the ceiling, barely noticing the other drinking until the bottle was back in her hands. “i don’t actually hate the state…” she mumbled, more to herself. “i just hate that i’m here right now, i hate that snow happens when it shouldn’t, and i hate that no one understands me or my life.” anyone would realize how ridiculously bratty they would sound saying those last few words – except for lauren. her whole life was a whole big act, but there were things she kept to herself.

                   the  way  that  lauren  had  lingered  on  the  fact  that  she  was  certain  ava  was  sweet  to  ember,  only  hinted  at  the  fact  that  ava  was  not  so  sweet  to  lauren.   this  made  ember’s  heart  tight.   she  could  feel  the  generational  disconnect  the  more  she  spoke  with  lauren,  the  more  she  got  to  know  lauren.   for  god’s  sake,  she  was  nineteen  and  yearning  for  her  mother’s  love  but  ava  was  too  selfish  to  give  it  to  her.   obviously,  it’s  easier  said  than  done.  what,  with  the  rebellious  tendencies  that  lauren  had  and  the  perpetual  separation  between  mother  and  daughter  that  went  on  for  millennia.   it  was  a  problem  humans  have  had.  ember  worried  that  it  all  came  back  to  the  distribution  of  love  over  time.   “you  know,  it’s  so  hard  to  believe,  i  know,  but  i  was  your  age  at  one  point.  and  i  had  the  same  kind  of  disconnect  with  my  mother.”  granted,  my  mother  wasn’t  sleeping  with  women  while  still  married  to  my  father.  “i  think  it’s  inevitable,  especially  at  this  age  and  especially  the  given  circumstances.”  she  knew  that  lauren’s tangent  about  snow  had  some  context.  “i’m  not  here  to  try  to  convince  you  that  i’m  good  for  your  mother  or  that  i  think  she’s  good  for  me,  because  at  the  end  of  the  day,  we  sleep  together.  nothing  more.  nothing  less.”  she  doesn’t  know  how  to  phrase  this.  “i’m  not  here  to  be  your  enemy.”  although  she  was  hesitant  to  make  this  conversation  about  their  relationship,  she  knew  for  lauren’s  sake,  it  would  be  healthy  to unravel  this  ball  of  yarn.  “have  you  thought  about  severing  ties  with  your  family? you  mentioned  broadway.  i  know  a  few  people.  i  could  get  you  an  audition.”  now,  ember  was  just  stunting.  working  at  the  times  had  it’s  benefits.

[softstouch]

formidablekind·:

       Ripley offered a smile, a true and genuine smile, at the woman. “ His name is Brayley. A good kid that takes after me a little too much. ” People have told them that Bray was quite literally a mini him. Only, he was interested in fashion photography than nature and animals like himself. Still, he took after his love for photography.        “ Maybe if this date doesn’t go to hell, you can meet him. You guys would get along. ”

@softstouch·

          “I’d love that, Ripley,” she insisted. Out of pure curiosity, and perhaps self preservation, Ember remarked, “How long has the other parent been out of the picture?” She learned to stray from a heteronormative narration, with the world changing. It was ignorant to assume gender of anyone and on a first date, Ember didn’t want to appear ignorant. Especially since we knew this guy could have children, so that’s a step in the right direction here. 

[softstouch]

bllacao‌:

          AS BUDDY HOLLY PLAYED from the speakers acting as a soundtrack to the diner, eleanor nodded her head once at the others request as she used her foot to scratch the back of her leg. she was always hyper aware of how she looked in her work uniform which she found (similar to the rest of the establishment)  incredibly tacky. eleanor could handle it, though she didn’t have much of a choice, just as long as she didn’t have to hear how historically inaccurate it was by her parents ever again…and her uniform had pockets; she never did know what to do with her hands. turning on her heel with her hair straight hair flipping behind her, eleanor went back to the bar and took out a glass and a ceramic mug. pursing her lips at the half-empty coffee pot–she’ll have to make another pot sooner or later–and poured it into the mug, leaving enough room for cream or sugar. she brought the mug over to the table, commenting that the small cups of milk or cream were on the other end of the table before she’s back at the bar, pouring the rose coloured lemonade. eleanor finally brought the glass of lemonade over and took out a pen and pad of paper from her apron. she opened her mouth to ask what she wanted to order from the menu but she was a little taken back by the others invitation and compliment. it didn’t reek of the same amount of creepiness that it usually did when it came from old men. “thanks i guess.. i’m named after some powerful woman in twelfth century europe,” as had been drilled into her from childhood by her mother despite the assumption most people had that her parents simply loved the beatles. ‘ no, my last name is not RIGBY ‘.  peering around at the empty booths and bar stools in the diner, this woman was her best bet for tips at the end of the night. if the other had not noticed by now, however, eleanor was not much of a talker. the girl turned back again to go to the kitchen, shaking a pile of fries onto a plate before going back to the table and placing the plate down in the middle and sliding in opposite her, stealing a fry and taking a bite. “you like chips?” she asked. ‘ Well, that’ll be the day, when you say goodbye, yes, that’ll be the day, when you make me cry ‘ sang from the speakers.

        AS ELEANOR LEFT TO FIX a cup of coffee for ember, she kept browsing the menu, debating what really was a good fit for tonight. anything sounded wonderful and anything would fill the grumble in her tummy. as fitting as it sounded, she was going to see if a burger would be too much of a hassle. it was a diner after all. ember was certain it was this or their milkshakes that would be their best. she added sugar and cream to her cup and took a hefty swig. it almost burned, but the feeling faded. it felt good to feel something, anyway. when eleanor came back, fries on plate in hand, ember grinned. “i do, thanks,” she leaned over and plucked a fry from the plate. “my name’s ember.” she figured that was important information before this poor girl spent much of the rest of her shift in front of a stranger. before she even thought about it too much, she muttered, “i actually think i’ll just stick with fries for the night.” she said, finishing her thought aloud. she became too mindful of what she was eating and when and where. a burger at this time of night would probably not sit so well with her and she figured that it would just cause the kitchen some trouble; the grills were probably clean. ember never wanted to be that woman.  “have you worked here long?” the question came out of nowhere, maybe just a conversation starter. ember wasn’t so sure what else to talk about but she was grateful for the company. 

[softstouch]

bllacao‌:

       ‘ AND MAYBE NEXT TIME we come, you could actually have a smile on your face ‘ 

grabbing the scribbled on receipt paper and the three one dollar bills, eleanor rolled her eyes and shoved the bills and receipt into the pocket on her apron. it was safe enough to say, waitressing was not her calling in life ( not that she imagined it was many others ) but at least her coworkers were able to fake it. nonetheless, coupled with her lack of desire to attend post-secondary school and complete lack of any extraordinary ability, this is where she found herself. dressed in a uniform consisting of a blue dress with buttons down the front with white fabric around the short sleeves, a white collar, a white apron tied around her waist and black shoes. god, was this the type of life she envisioned for herself? 

now that the one table had left and besides pamela, a diner regular and a notoriously slow eater , the diner was empty..that was until she heard the all too familiar sound of the bell being rung by the opening of the door. eleanor looked up at the person and gave a small smile, going behind the bar and grabbing one menu with one hand, and set of utensils which were neatly wrapped in a napkin before placing them both on the table. “hiya, welcome to the hound dog diner. did you want something to drink? or we have a special ‘ pink lady ‘ lemonade on special this afternoon.” eleanor said, her tone rather cool and her accent as thick as ever, as she slid her hands into the pockets of her apron.

the accent had caught ember off guard but she wasn’t disappointed. the girl seemed to know her way around the diner, and she more importantly, looked adorable in the 50′s get-up. “actually, that lemonade sounds wonderful, yeah. but could i also get some coffee? i feel like i’m dying without any caffeine in me.” she pulled the menu open and began scanning it for anything that appealed to her. ember eyed the name tag and offered her a soft smile. “i love your name. so elegant.” she didn’t want to guess that the other wasn’t from new york with the accent or the name, but she could only make the assumption. as the night dragged on, ember found herself yearning for attention and company. “y’know-- if you don’t have much going on, i could buy dinner for you if you’ll keep me company; sit and chat for a bit. i totally get it if not, though, you are working and i understand that.”

[softstouch]

closed for @bllacao​ 

sometimes, especially after the great war, ember found herself on auto-pilot. the traumatic experience of having to save the country from the fire and flood that was astroth and rin’s reign had left her a shell of the woman she was. she would get in her car and drive. she’d hop on i-95 and just go. it was nearly three hours of listening to shitty podcasts on spotify before her stomach began to grumble. she kept peering at the signs, hoping to the gods that they’d advertise something. anything.

she was pleased to see a sign for a vintage diner coming up in a few miles. it beat fast food, that was for sure. once she reached the exit, she took it without debate. the 50′s diner loomed at the horizon and she could feel herself growing hungrier. once parked, she made way into the diner and sat herself. she pulled her wallet from her purse and sat it on the table, a look of anticipation on her face as she waited. 

[softstouch]

GOTHIC   LITERATURE  

bold what applies.      talicize what sometimes applies.      repost don’t reblog.

i.   DRACULA.   cold to the touch. flickering candles. cold breath upon your neck. billowing white gowns. midnight strolls. pearl trimmed bands. indulging in your deepest desires. the fall from grace. the fear of outsiders.  bloodstained sheets.   dark imaginations. something lurking in the shadows. the urge to run away. glowing eyes in the darkness. the scent of garlic.   preying on the weak. the power to both bring and take life.

ii.    THE   PICTURE   OF   DORIAN  GRAY. old bookshelves. kisses on the hand .  a devotion to the finer things in life. prizing youth and beauty above all. paying the ultimate price. the pursuit of pleasure. blood red sins painted over in white snow. a drug-induced stupor. breaking the heart of the one you love. losing what’s left of your humanity.  

iii.   FRANKENSTEIN. frantic sketches. the stench of something rotten. unorthodox beliefs.  a scream from the woods.  candles burning out. dangerous knowledge. contemplating existence. the crunch of leaves. the chill of winter in your bones. dark ambitions. prometheus reborn. the contrast between life and death .

iv.   THE   COUNT   OF   MONTE   CRISTO. false accusations. taking justice into your own hands. divine justice. elaborate schemes.  playing upon others’ weaknesses. the solitude of the ocean. an ever-changing identity. dissatisfaction in your life. an alienation from humanity. escaping from prison.

TAGGED:  @radiatesmagic​ :) thank uu :)) TAGGING: @southern-gothics​ @callovs​ @weaponguided​ @formidablekind​ and whoever is wearing pants!!

[softstouch]

okay so i’ve been really sick for the past five days, so i haven’t been able to get online, but i’m gonna try to do things today! that said, please like this if you’d like me to make you a starter!

[softstouch]

formidablekind‌:

       The man never knew what to talk about and was doing his absolute best to keep things interesting. To learn more about the woman in front of him without overstepping any lines. “ I’ve never been up that north or east. ” He admitted but heard stories of how beautiful it was. New York City he had been for some jobs though. “ The city is certainly it’s own world, ain’t it? ” He admitted.        “ North Dakota, born and raised. ” Ripley mused, almost proudly. “ Settled down here when my son was six and have no plans on moving anytime soon. ”

          “God,  yeah,”  she  husked  softly,  only  to  take  a  sip  of  her  tea  as  she  pondered  the  thought  of  going  back to the city.  At  the  mention  of  his  son,  Ember  lit  up.  She  loved  children  and  yearned  for  her  own,  but  had  been  unlucky  thus  far.  She  hadn’t  miscarried  or  ever  even  read  a  positive  test.  “Oh,  that’s  so  sweet.  What’s  your  son’s  name?” 

[softstouch]

THE EMPTY LOT WHERE AN OLD  apartment  building  once  stood  just  last  week  was  beginning  to  get  populated  with  cars.  just  a  few  nights  ago,  a  camper  had  shown  up  there.  if  ember  were  frank,  when  she  saw  the  camper  parked,  not  only  did  it  worry  her,  but  it  made her  paranoid.  in  portland,  you  never  know  who  would  own  their  own  camper  and  live  out  of  it.  unfortunately,  ember  was  certain  it  would  have  been  a  den  for  one  of  her  niece’s  boyfriend’s  friends.  she  was  relieved  when  she  saw  a  friendly  enough  looking  woman  standing  on  her  porch.  although  she  peered  around  the  door  out  of  habit  and  maybe  a  sense  of  fear,  ember  greeted  the  woman  with  a  grin  and  eased  up  sooner  rather  than  later.  she  opened  the  screen  door,  her  arm  outstretched.   “oh  my  god,  come  on  in!  i  saw  you  coming  over  and  you  have  NO  idea  how  relieved  i  am.  𝒾'𝓂   𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇.”

@softstouch​ hit the ♡ for a starter !

CANDY STOOD ON THE PORCH of the unknown woman’s house with a storage container full of homemade chocolate chip cookies. she wasn’t used to being in more than one place for more than a few weeks at a time. having neighbors was a completely new experience. she might not have been sure on how long she was planning on staying in maine but she figures if she’s going to be staying in the lot across the street in her own personal camper that she might as well attempt to be friendly. besides, there were plenty of cookies to go around —— that’s what happens when she decides to bake when she was baked herself. “hello? is anyone home?” candy clears her throat as she raised her hand to knock on the door. “i’m not trying to sell you anything, i swear… i have something for you.”

[softstouch]

𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧. 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ʜᴇᴀʟ. 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ʙᴜʀɴ.

[softstouch]

lonelyfeel‌:

                though ava was the one to blame for her constant infidelity ( and there was a lot to unpack there ) lauren seemed to blame ember for the affair. unfortunately for both parties involved, ava would strike again and lauren would feel forced to keep her lips tight about everything. “nope, definitely cannot think of anyone worse. literally.” the last word was given with a little huff — stubbornness was common within the wolfe family. but lauren had to be the most stubborn, always needing to have something to prove. deep down, she knew that she was being irrational … but admitting that would mean she’d have to admit to every moment she was irrational, and there weren’t enough hours in a day to recall every moment. wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, glanced toward the fridge and then forced herself to take another drink without ice. “i just don’t know why my family decided to live in new york state where there’s snow all the time when we have enough money to live literally anywhere else.” she always had to complain about something, despite her life-long dream of being on broadway. either way, she sat down on the couch across from the woman and hugged the whiskey bottle like it was a teddy bear. 

             ember  was  certain  that  lauren  hated  her  for  no  other  reason  besides  her  hooking  up  with  her  mother.  ava  was  a  grown  woman,  was  she  not?  it  was  by  ember  to  judge  the  family  or  lauren  alone  for  that  matter,  knowing  that  there  was  more  to  it  than  an  affair.   as  far  as  ember  could  tell,  this  had  context  that  she  wasn’t  so  sure  she  wanted  to  figure  out.   canting  her  head  to  the  side,  ember  narrowed  her  blue  hues  at  the  younger  woman  as  she  contorted  her  face,  taking  another  warm  swig  of  whiskey  against  the  advice  ember  offered  her.   “let  me  have  some,”   she  leaned  forward,  beckoning  for  the  bottle  with  an  open  palm.   “i  think  that  if  you  were  to  talk  to  your  mother,  i’m  sure  she’d  reconsider  the  living  situation.”   sarcasm  laced  her  words,  but  she  also  didn’t  doubt  that  if  lauren  bucked  up  and  actually  confided  in  her  mother,  things  could  go  well.   “i  also  don’t  know  what  you  have  against  snow.  it’s  so--  well--  i  understand  it  locked  you  in  this  situation,  so  maybe  it’s  a  bias.”   a  shrug.   she  took  the  bottle,   hardly  waiting  for  lauren  to  pawn  it  over.  ember  took  two  gulps,  each  as  a  marker  for  every  time  lauren  said  literally.   her  own  face  scrunched  up  against  the  liquor  and  she  puffed  out  a  soft,  “wooo,”   then  handed  the  bottle  back  to  the  angsty  teen.   “do  you  only  hate  the  state  for  the  change  in  seasons  or  is  that  just  the  icing  on  your  cake?”   might  as  well  make  time  pass  with  some  conversation.

[softstouch]

               “literally?”   ember  pouted,  a  sigh  falling  from  defeated  lips.  lauren  and  ember  never got  along.   when  she  began  seeing  lauren’s  mother,  it  wasn’t  anything  the  two  of them  planned   (if they had planned it at all).   ember  was doing  an  article  on  ava’s  high  school  for  the  new  york  times.   the  two  hit  it  off  and  ember,  reluctantly  but  not  regretfully,  went  home  with  ava.   sneaking  out  the  next  morning  was  the  hardest  part  and  unfortunately,  that  was  when  she  met  lauren.   obviously,  this  was  a  common  occurrence  for  ava,  one  that  lauren  didn’t  approve  of.   “c’mon,  i’m  sure you  could  think  of  someone  worse.”   anybody.   it  wasn’t  like  ember  was  ecstatic  that  she  had  to  stick  around  with  a  teenager  the  head  of  the  entire  cabin.  ember  fell  to  the  couch,  observing  lauren  as  she  jipped  her  father’s  whiskey  bottle.  “add  ice.   goes  down  like  juice,  then.”   she  pulled  her  phone  out  to  check  the  radar.   the  storm  didn’t  look  so  forgiving.   “also,  lauren,  it’s  for  christmas.   i’ll  leave  once  the  storm  lets  up  and  you  can  get  a  ride  back  with  someone  else  who  you  don’t  think  is  literally  the  worst  person  you’ve  ever  met.”

open to: f/nb/m.

suggested connections: a rival in college, someone that had been having an affair with her mom, someone who bullied/bothered her in high school, roommates that don’t get along, her brother’s gf/bf (that she doesn’t get along with).

plot: your muse accepted $500 to drive lauren to her family’s cabin for christmas, but everyone decided to wait until the morning to drive so now they’re stuck.

“you are literally the worst person i’ve ever met.” loren wasn’t impressed with their current situation — she had no choice but to have them drive her family’s cabin only to find that no one else had been stupid enough to drive out and now the roads were closed. there was no other option other than to spend the night (and possibly the weekend) with someone she absolutely hated. and to top it all off, it was her own fault because they were the only person dumb enough to accept her offering them $500 just to drive her north for fourty-five minutes. “honestly, you didn’t think to spare our lives by just saying, no it’s too dangerous to drive? god fucking dammit.” she trudged through the pretty cabin, decorated and warming… and yet, she didn’t fee warm at all. she rooted through the cupboard, finding her dad’s whisky and hastily opening the bottle to drink… followed by intense coughing.

[softstouch]

weaponguided·:

            ADRIAN    GIVES    HER    A    QUIZZICAL    LOOK…    “   what  are  you   ?     a  fucking  philosophy  major   ?   ”     he  utters  the  words  with  disdain  .    then  she  helps  him  and  he’s  trying  to  reach  for  the  right  reaction   ,    he  grumbles  a  rushed   ,   “   thanks   ,    princess   .   ”    not  that  he  means  it   ,   he  never  means  anything   .    “    i’m  glad  you’re  sorry   ,   ”    and  then  he  lets  his  eyes  roam  over  her  body   ,    it  had  been  a  least  a  month  ,    what  with  break  there  had  been  a  definite  dry  spell   .   “   you  wanna  grab  coffee   ?   ”    he  knows  it  makes  him  look  like  a  real  asshole   .    he   didn’t  realize  he  simply  needed  to  scratch  an  itch   .   “  what’s  your  name   ?   ” 

                           THE CONFUSION WAS CLEAR ON HER FACE.   she  scoffs  once  and furrows  her  eyebrows.   she’s  not  unused  to  men  giving  her  a  once  over,  especially after  they  spit  vile  comments  over  incidents.  “actually,  yeah  i  am --  that  is  my  major.”   she’s  both  disappointed  and  impressed  he  guessed  correctly,  but  it  figures  that  she  matched  the  stereotype.   she  ponders  his  invite,  albeit  worried  she  should.   “i  probably  shouldn’t--”   her  eyes  turn  attention  to  her  watch,  contemplating  it  once,  twice,  three  times  before  she  shrugs.  “what  the  hell?  sure--”   her  hands  hold tight  to  her  own  laptop  case  and  few  notebooks.   “  𝒾'𝓂   𝑒𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓇.  ”

[softstouch]

               IT TOOK EVERYTHING IN EMBER not to stomp away and complain about the interaction later. for the first time in years, she bucked up, and turned back to look at the other who she had the misfortune in collision with. “and you do know if i were nearly as courteous as i evidently am stupid, i wouldn’t be so goddamn stupid, now would i?” slowly, ember puts her walls down and squats to help him pick his papers up. there’s a beat and, “--if you had waited a moment, i would have apologized.” and then, “i am sorry.” she hands him a few slips of his paperwork with a huff before standing upright. 

             ADRIAN’S RED BOTTOM SHOES click along the path to his house. he’s got his briefcase, and several important papers with him. someone, probably a local, runs past him and knocks the papers out of his hand, and nearly knocks him over. “you know if you were as courteous as you were stupid there wouldn’t be these kinds of problems.” adrian lets out a tired sigh, and picks up his papers. // open to all

[softstouch]

hi! please like this if you’re ONLINE and would like me to tool through your open starters !

[softstouch]

               Ember knew that after the fallout with Reagan, she couldn’t immediately go back to her ex-husband. Blind dates were her next best idea. She knew she wouldn’t be able to judge the person until they were literally in front of her. A friend knew a friend who knew Ripley and they were set up. It wasn’t odd or far-fetched. It was adulthood.

               The quick smirk ripley offered her was sweet. She hadn't felt uncomfortable from the small chit-chat thus far, so she supposed opening up about more than just the weather or the day wasn’t a terrible idea. “Actually, no. I’m not-- I’m out here for work right now. I’m originally from maine, but my heart lives in New York City. And you?”

open connection: blind first date

          He was nervous and Ripley did his best to try and hide that. His palms were sweating and he pushed them against his thighs. Dating was never a strong suit of his and so he tended to avoid it. It didn’t help that some people didn’t like the fact he was half deaf and had to use hearing aids. Something you wouldn’t think would bother people. He figured they thought it was too much.           The worries and the past failed dates ran through his mind as he sat there across from the other. They were attractive and nice from the little conversation the had. “ So, ” He finally spoke up, giving a small smile. “ Are you from Arizona originally? ”