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♡ OLIVIA RODRIGO via tiktok ( livbedumb )

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nina + ??? : may 3rd, midnight @ kitty's jazz club cap : 0 / 4 ! @boneyardstarters

in spite of the disastrous weekend that came to pass, nina didn't levy it as an excuse to miss work. nothing and no one could peel her away from the comfort she found behind a drum set; more so, she knew she'd certainly encounter withdrawals from having no drumsticks blistering the soft skin of her palms - which is precisely what happened whenever she clocked in and assumed her usual place, playing from the heart, even if it was simple jazz numbers. she could feel that familiar, delicious ache linger in her cramped up digits, and she could feel the unquenchable thirst pool in her stomach the longer she played. typically, she drowned in the music. tonight was no different. really, her ambition seemed all the more evident in lieu of the weekend of horrors, when she was shown how delicate life was in the ever-expanding desert she called home. it felt eerily similar to the night she found out her brother passed - in truth, all she wanted to do, aside from speak to him one more time, was play until she went deaf. the only thing that prohibited this was a shadow eclipsing her figure as she slowly opened her eyes after finishing the final crescendo of my way. startled, her brown eyes grew twice their size and she found herself frozen in place before she offered a lilted smile. "lemme guess, you're here to make a request?" she asked, a chuckle escaping her lips as she went to stabilize one of the cymbals. "normally they don't let me, but because of everything going on..." she trailed off, casting a knowing glance up at the individual. "i can do just about anything except for death metal. that shit is hardly music - but, uh, yeah. whaddya got?"

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spoiling others was one of nadine's love languages; persevering through hard times, only exacerbating when she did find herself wealthy by means of the second love of her life - music. honestly, if you'd have told an 18 year old dina that she'd discover someone who made her feel even more alive and electric than the metal touch of a guitar's fret board, she'd hardly believe you. "thought i'd surprise my favorite girl. hope you don't mind." she said, a wicked grin forming on the corner of her red tinted lips. there was such an impactful sense of belonging that dina encountered while in ava's divine presence, something that couldn't be replicated. it's precisely why she invested every atom she was comprised of in spoiling her rotten. what had made it even sweeter was the fact that ava had felt the same - truthfully, dina wasn't certain if she ever felt so wanted and needed in her life before she was graced by her girlfriend's company for the very first time on that frigid winter night; when nothing existed but a fondness for one another that brought them warmth, that cultivated the hearth that remained forever aflame.

"don't tempt me," nadine laughed blithely as she carefully lay the bundle of roses on the side table standing beside the lawn chair her girlfriend was reclined on. "you're always one step ahead, aren't 'cha?" without any reluctance, she peeled off her black tank top and tossed it aside, then leaned further down so she could press a sweet kiss against ava's lips. "feels like work's been killing us both. think we deserve some reprieve." leaving a sneaky peck on the other's blushing cheek, she skirted around and unbuttoned her shorts without fully tossing them aside, instead leaving the zipper down as she relaxed on the adjoining lawn chair. "pass me the sunscreen? or would you wanna put it on me yourself?"

Glossy lips pulling into a chesire grin at the sound of that oh-so familiar dulcet voice, Ava perked up in her chair, reflexively fluffing out her blonde curls at the sight of her girlfriend making an appearance. "Hey, baby, you're home early!" she chirped in a significantly softer tone than the one that had first greeted Nadine when she arrived at their abode. There was just something about Dina's presence that had always put the hairdresser at ease. Dina had a way of bringing out her best side, the sugary sweet girl with hearts in her eyes, a side of herself that she'd tried to hide from her previous romantic entanglements. Ava was used to being "too much" to handle for most, but thankfully, that had never been an issue with Nadine. If anything, she seemed to embrace Ava fully and all the chaos that came with her, a kindness that she would spend the rest of her life attempting to repay tenfold.

At the sight of the bouquet of flowers Nadine had hidden behind her back, the blonde let out a breathy gasp, blue eyes filled with nothing but fondness as she threw a hand dramatically over her heart. "Consider yourself forgiven! You keep showing up with presents for me, and I'll forgive just about anything," she teased, lazily leaning back into her chair. "Hmm... you would have to shed a few layers to sunbathe with me, wouldn't you? And who says that wasn't part of my devious plan all along?" Ava fired back the coy remark with an eyebrow raise of her own, but was unable to help the girlish giggle that bubbled forth.

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subtlety remained a lost art when it concerned the youngest heiress of the vitelli dynasty. she was remarkable at failing every invisible stealth check; inserting herself forcefully, crashing into precarious situations, and very rarely did she find her person involved in an interaction wherein she wasn't expressly scolded for her impishness. while she was often afforded a voucher from her family, people in the so-called 'real world' were not as forgiving as her doting father or as accustomed to her antics as her siblings. however, that hardly impeded on her skill to come barreling through and interrupting a stranger's moment of solace. though she knew her gaggle of nannies would discourage her from engaging, she thought it would leave a worse impression if she simply cowered rather than facing whom she had her gaze fixated on. with a sugary milk coffee cupped in both hands, she cleared out the tickle in her throat and joined the person at their side. "my bad," she apologized firstly, not forgetting her manners after having spent half of her childhood being indoctrinated into the fine art of politeness. at least she excelled at something - but only a quarter of the time, really. typically her curiosity drove her to be more impulsive, surpassing the need for niceties. "was just wondering what you're writing, or drawing. i get it's not totally my business, but - you looked super focused. i get that way about donkey kong country, so."

@boneyardstarters ; open starter ! date: april 29th location: a quaint café somewhere in vegas

fun fact: your bones always ached the day after a mission. or maybe that was just him. there was always that dull, insistent throb that hummed beneath the skin, nested deep in marrow, as if his skeleton remembered what he didn’t want to; as though his body knew it had never been built to carry this kind of weight. a slight, slender frame that spoke of cathedral halls, faded sonnets, and tragic french novellas; better suited to waste away in verse, not weave paths of blood with someone else’s heartbeat in his hands. and yet. the others moved like soldiers, all muscle and momentum — he was the scalpel in a drawer full of sledgehammers. precise. quiet ( unless he had fully gone off the deep end, which, thankfully, hadn’t happened in a bit ). lethal. easy to underestimate once, never twice — if you didn’t mind losing your throat, that was. still, it left him tired, though he was tired at the best of times. he sat alone in the booth the lémieuxs had always claimed — back when legacy was louder than loss. the cracked leather beneath him remembered better days. so did he. it had seen him at his worst. held him when nothing else did, and continued to do so. it was, in every way, a refuge. the kind of place that knew better than to ask questions. his usual arrived without him asking. refills appeared as if by instinct. they knew his order even when he couldn’t remember it himself. a journal lay open before him, its spine worn and pages crowded with black ink, as the same coffee went cold in front of him — same cup, same bitterness. his elbows rested on the wood, spine curled forward, a soft crescent over the table, dark curls falling over his face like shadows. unbothered, untouched, unseen … except, not really. he let the silence stretch, and then, without lifting his head or giving the pen pause, he finally spoke, “i can feel you staring, you know.”

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lyonet had the same blind loyalty as a canine. even in spite of the recent strife that left her family fractured at the roots, she would've done anything for them - that was who she'd always been. most of the time, at least. still, that hadn't prepared her for witnessing her future sister-in-law hijack the passenger seat of her '89 honda accord. she had a lap full of snacks, a paper cup crushed between her thighs as she indulged in the food offered by the staff, and was elbow deep in her bag of potato chips whenever she heard the door open and close suddenly, prompting her to jolt in her seat and observe stella with widened cerulean eyes. she had half a mind to wonder if this was going to result in some sort of peace offering - god, she hoped it was, even if she had played the role of a stubborn, petulant little sister that held grudges in her hand like it was a grenade that could explode on her at any second. and normally, it did. yet still, she had refused to learn her lesson. another thing she'd have to sort out in the therapy she could hardly afford. just pretend we don't know each other for now, okay? well, if the gunshots weren't enough to perturb lyonet, those words certainly were enough. without thinking - her mind proliferating with escape plans - she jammed her foot on the gas after yanking the gear shift from park to drive. "what the fuck is going on?" she asked over the self-induced panic she felt swell in her chest. "why the hell are there gunshots? did you do something? did cy?" perhaps a little late to be questioning her, but when it concerned stella, lyonet felt she had owed too much to gamble with her safety.

who : @starstckrs ; lyonet adler where : drive in @ the weekend of horrors when : april 21st, after 8 pm

AS SOON AS BIKERS WERE MENTIONED BY THE DISTORTED VOICE, Stella knew it wasn't some kind of pre-show excitement but rather an declaration of attack to be taken more seriously. Previously, she had been slowly meandering through the maze of cars towards the snack section with the intent to buy some popcorn, spending more time turning around with every step so she could make increasingly more obscene gestures at her fiancé as he walked in the opposite direction until he had left her line of vision. By the time she was just about to join the line was when all hell broke loose, the queenpin one step ahead of chaos as the suspicious announcement gave her a head start to start stalking away before the armed did. Whatever inconspicuous nature she originally had was lost when she broke out into a run, once gun shots did ring out, pulling open the first car door she recognized and planting herself into it before sliding lower in attempt to hide her visibility from all passing. The visage of Lyonet beside her almost shown as a mirage in the midst of her panic, but as she turned towards the driver seat, a sigh of nothing but relief left her, the younger girl offering at least some refuge against the hell breaking loose across the drive in yard. "Oh, thank fuck." She was still attempting to slow her beating heart as she said it, the base of her hand placed against her temple as she leaned on it. Her eyes peeked out of the passenger window, a hopeful attempt she should've known was empty to somehow see her partner entirely safe, before she turned back towards her soon-to-be sister-in-law. "Just, pretend we don't know each other for now, okay? I'm not saying we're attached to all that's going on right now, but-" Well, there was no way she could promise the other, either. "Someone rips open these doors and you say I just hopped in this car, okay? Otherwise...fuck, I hope they all just keep walking."

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@hcartstring lyonet + evaine : april 30, lyonet's trailer in cactus ridge @ midday

the strain that resided between lyonet and reina was unprecedented. yes, sisters bickered, but it seemed in the past year or so their relationship had further deteriorated - some may even argue beyond repair. this is why lyonet began investing more time into her twin, who she knew wouldn't part from their sister in a million lifetimes. after decades apart, it was paramount that they remained at one another's sides. of course, they encountered their occasional spat, but she had yet to cross a line that she couldn't retrace her steps from. it's why she invited evaine over for lunch after finally departing from her company with stella following the weekend of horrors, although, lyonet was a lousy cook. as a result, she purchased a bag containing one hundred pizza rolls and let them cook in the oven while waiting for her door to come swinging open, as it always did when her sibling arrived. sat criss-cross in front of the oven, she only perked up whenever the familiar sound of creaking sounded throughout her trailer. "in here, evie!" she called out, still adjusting to the name as it fit oddly on her tongue. she was so accustomed to their first name, the one she would babble incoherently as a child: abbyabbyabby. "remind me again, do you like the pepperoni pizza rolls or the three cheese? i mean, i already have the pepperoni in the oven, but i think i have some freezer burnt hot pockets, too." spinning around on her linoleum floors, she beamed up at evaine. "i missed you, sissy. you would not believe the week i've had. c'mere, help me up so i can hug ya."

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nina was the furthest from a festive individual as one could fathom - which is precisely why she expertly avoided the strip while en route back home, fearful of wayward celebrators . alas, fate had a wicked sense of humor, and when it proved impossible to avoid, she pulled her hoodie up, tightened the drawstrings around her face, and avoided eye contact as she traversed the streets. she could still feel the stiffness lingering in her appendages from a full, grueling shift at the jazz club. of course, it's the exact kind of twisted environment that nina craved, much more than she ever desired a so-called weekend of horrors. she enjoyed the throbbing pain in her scarred palms; the restlessness sunken beneath her eyes as she recalled her performance, dissecting each move she made behind the drum kit; the blood that dribbled from her fingertips - drip, drip, drip. that reminded her, she needed fresh gauze for each hand whenever she returned home. stuck in yet another endless thought spiral, she hardly even noticed another figure ahead of her until they met in a crashing of bodies. "ah - uh, yeah, i'm all good," she assured the stranger, despite feeling ever so slightly disoriented from the impact. "sorry. it was my bad, i wasn't paying attention," eyebrows knitted together whenever the other suggested they step aside, out of the street. "um, i guess. yeah, definitely. sorry, again. are you okay?"

( weekend of horrors, april 21st, shortly after 8:00 pm ) @boneyardstarters

Cassandra couldn't have devised a better excuse to wander the strip freely if she tried, beyond thrilled for the evening crowds to get lost in during her clandestine evenings out that weekend. But even despite the comfort she found in the surging throngs of people spilling out of fluorescent establishments, she still donned her usual disguise, the blonde wig firmly in place, lest she run into any of her family's associates during the festivities. The last thing she needed was any of her father's lackies reporting back on her whereabouts and movements, which would no doubt prompt a barrage of questions she would rather not answer. So you can wander around Vegas at all hours, but you can't be bothered to leave your apartment during the day? Instead, she opted for anonymity, anything to find some answers. But it seemed that she had underestimated the reach of the Weiss family. Her eyes catching on the commotion brewing over at the drive-in across the street, of vaguely familiar figures clad in dark clothes and masks (accompanied by dogs that would surely pick up her scent), Cassie swiftly turned on her heel towards the opposite direction. But not before she collided with an unsuspecting person on the sidewalk. "Shit, are you okay?" she blurted, shooting a paranoid glance over her shoulder towards the masked guards, hoping to get out of the area as soon as possible. "We should probably get out of the street, yeah?" Anything to keep from being recognized.

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HEY, i think i just saw NINA OLVERA walking down the strip. stop by to catch up and you’ll learn the TWENTY-FOUR YEAR OLD is working as a JAZZ DRUMMER AT KITTY'S JAZZ CLUB and lives in THE SHADY DELL RV PARK given they are CEREBRAL but INSECURE, it’s likely that they ARE NOT a vampire. i bet you can find them tearing up the dance floor to TANK! BY SEATBELTS and you’ll know why they’re called THE CRESCENT MOON.  ☾ .⭒˚ isabela merced. cis woman + she/her. homosexual homoromantic + virgo.

╰ * STATS. + PINTEREST.

TW: abuse, death, car accident + mental illness

AUGUST 31, 1971: nina dolores olvera is born into a fractured home. of course, she doesn't know this - for a long time, she lives with wool pulled over her eyes. she learns how to create her own reality by the age of five, and after that, it's all kind of a blur.

DECEMBER 25TH, 1979: it’s a strange feeling, knowing who you are from a young age. most people spend their lives searching for something to call theirs and theirs alone, but nina always knew what she was: a musician. and more, what she wanted to do—study the music. it wasn’t the future that her parents had tailored for her, but there was little that anyone can do to convince her that it was an ill-met fate. she receives her first book on music christmas day.

SEPTEMBER 19TH, 1982: music threaded through her veins and made her heart beat. without it, she was bereft. so, too beloved by her family for them to deny her, the olvera’s changed their idea of what nina's life would look like.

MAY 22ND, 1984: in lieu of a tornado super outbreak that destroyed their town, her parents found their marriage collapsing with her father's spiraling alcoholism and her mother scooped her and her brother up and relocated them to las vegas, nevada. still, even across state lines, her dad coined her as a music savant by the time she was thirteen, putting her in a small rivalry with her step - father, neil, who tirelessly vied for her mother's attention that was won out by nina or sonny.

AUGUST 30TH, 1985: she was frequently seen with her nose in a book discussing music theory or music history, and for her fourteenth birthday she was gifted her very first drum set after begging and pleading for months on end. she was seldom seen not behind the drums, mastering the craft with steadfast dedication. although it wasn’t what they envisioned for her, she had represented more than most did when it concerned discipline, audaciousness and tenacity. and who better knew that than her own brother?

JUNE 1ST, 1988: they were always close, nina and sonny. he was the sunshine that beams through nina's overcast skies, the missing puzzle piece that connected their hearts, the bread to her ’jam’. he supported her at every football game she played drumline in and lifted her high on his shoulders, parading her around like his own trophy, and she didn't mind at all. especially when she got into her spats with neil.

JULY 4TH, 1988: once, when he dared to strike her across the cheek after finding her crawling through her bedroom window with a girl, sonny did nothing but watch as she took his baseball bat and slams it into the hood of neil's precious trans am, which does land her in an inpatient program for six months.

JULY 5TH, 1988: sonny was still there when she received her major depressive disorder and derealization disorder diagnoses from a psychiatrist while in police custody. but while she was away, what she didn't know about was his own struggles.

JANUARY 13TH, 1989: nina lost sonny the same day she left the hospital. a car accident he was responsible for, having jackknifed another car while drunk. the funeral was arranged quickly, perhaps too quickly, and by neil, like he almost wanted to be done with the mourning before it even began.

APRIL 19TH, 1990: without the sunlight in her life, nina went dark; she withdrew from others, from society, only focusing on her music. she figured it was the right thing to do, attending juilliard on her full-ride scholarship and honoring her brother the best way she knew how, even at the expense of herself.

SPRINGTIME, 1996: following graduation, she chose to return home to vegas for a while, and despite retreating from the imminent fame that awaited her in new york, she's still committed to be greater than she's ever been before - besides, who needs friends or family when you have music?

tidbits !!

most valued possession is her late brother's mood ring that she's never taken off since the day he died. now collects mood jewelry

main colors are plum and lilac

the second most valuable possession would be the dr. peppers she drinks daily.

lived a very whiplash life at juilliard and turned out a classically trained jazz drummer, having played in orchestras before taking a job at the jazz club

headphones on = world off

keeps her hands wrapped in gauze or covered with gloves pretty consistently due to the sometimes painful callouses and open wounds she develops from playing drums. not to mention the blisters

personal hero is buddy rich. jazz is also her favorite genre of music as well as classic rock

do NOT ask for a sip of her dr pepper

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reina offered emmeline the satchel, that smile persevering on her face as she tried not to become too enraptured with the clothes on the rack yet so that she could focus on their conversation. "not too bad, i don't think. there's a few holes in the elbows, plus a couple stitches came loose at the cuffs - normally i'd do them myself, but really, you're the best of the best, and they're so delicate," beaming in excitement, she jumped a little in place. she was having a very good day, which was a welcome surprise, considering she spent that entire winter deep in the throes of borderline psychosis. it helped being around people like emmeline, who had repeatedly welcomed her with open arms, even if she wasn't as chipper as she was that day. "take your time with them. i know it's more than i usually bring in. oh! i was also hoping you had some kids' dresses here. i have a visit with my daughter on easter weekend, and i want to get her a nice outfit to match the flower crowns i'm making her."

emmeline immediately smiled when she saw it was reina that had entered the boutique. she really appreciated the other's presence here and that she would come back, time and time again - to her. growing up, emmeline had been gifted in music, the violin to be exact (and she would still be able to play it perfectly) yet the instrument was gathering dust in her apartment. textiles was something she'd picked up but she'd always loved garments and it just felt right for her to go with it from the gift of the funds to open the store. she would never be completely honest - she'd not managed to hold down a job until she'd bought the boutique but she'd hope that would also be telling... "oh! don't worry about the new additions for now. what would you like enhancing with these?" she gestured towards the satchel. "don't get shy on me now." she chuckled. "it can't be that bad, right?" she jested.

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there's a lot of deeply embedded pain within annisa that hermione wished they could've stolen from her. however, they had slowly begun figuring out that perhaps their presence alone was enough to satiate their girlfriend - that she didn't need a savior, she only needed someone that understood. and hermione understood. they might not have endured the same obstacles, but there was a silver string tethering their souls, and that counted more than a shared experience. even when annisa wasn't around, hermione could still feel her in the air. what more could anyone ask for?

"you're so very welcome," hermione returned as they slipped the jacket over annisa's shoulders and felt themselves beam. it looked wonderful on her, and in that moment, they could feel all the breath being driven from their lungs. how did they become so lucky? what had they done, throughout all those years consumed by self-absorption, to deserve someone as precious as annisa in their life? they knew that their girlfriend wouldn't agree with the sentiment; still, that didn't prevent hermione from feeling it. as they were embraced, they quickly wrapped their arms around annisa and lifted her up off the floor from the copious amounts of joy that was overflowing from their heart. "i never really know, since we get so many people, but i think i can work out something to get home early," they said, eagerly sitting once more so they could resume eating. they were starved, often forgetting to eat throughout the day. "i'd love to watch a movie. what are we thinking? you know, i've been meaning to introduce you to audrey hepburn's filmography for a while now."

Of course I did. I thought you deserved it. To be honest, it was still difficult to accept the prospect that she deserved anything--though of course, she kept this thought to herself for the time being. After all, it was something to discuss with her therapist and not her girlfriend. However, in the short time that they'd spent together, Hermione was continuing to remind Nisa that she did in fact deserve good things, despite her past mistakes. She still didn't really believe it but...she was getting there. And Hermione's kindness and patience were certainly making a big impact on Nisa's once purely black-and-white belief system.

So instead of shaking her head and disagreeing with the notion that she deserved good things, instead, she simply said "Thank you so much." Standing up, she turned around when Mione prompted her to do so and held out her arms so her girlfriend could put the jacket on. The jacket fit perfectly and in the oddest way, the jacket itself felt like a big warm hug from Hermione that she could take with her wherever she went. Now getting a closer look at that embroidered cuff with their initials, for just a moment, she felt as if she could burst into tears from happiness--blame all of her Cancerian energy on that one. Still, the misty moment passed and she was left with a giant smile on her face. "It's perfect. Thank you so, so much," she said, wrapping Hermione up in a big hug. God, she never, ever wanted this to end. Nisa honestly couldn't remember a time in the recent past when she'd been happier than this--nothing really came close. Sitting back down, wanting to give the seamstress an opportunity to finish their food, she said "How late are you working tonight? I was thinking, if you get off at a good time and you're not too busy, maybe you could come over to watch a movie or something?"

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lyonet's relationship with her mother was complicated. hadn't it always been? she was first surrendered by her birth mother, forsaken by her first beloved foster mother, and she knew that khadroma must've judged her for the ways in which she conducted herself as a young mother - which was the last thing she thought she needed. perhaps there was truth in the worry that was perpetually ingrained in her mother's brow, but lyonet didn't think it was warranted. she might've toed the line between immaturity and responsibility, however, marceline hadn't paid any penance for it. yet, at least. whenever the guitarist skidded onto the front steps and beheld her mother wrangling her daughter, she gulped, feeling like she was caught in a trap. "... uh, yeah, thanks," she said, waving in marceline so she would hop off the curb, but the seven year old seemed too fixated on her grandmother to obey. "um. for sure. it's still - kind of a fuckfest in there - i mean, uh, it's a real mess," flinching at the curse, she pressed her index finger against her lips and made an audible hush toward marceline, who broke out into giggles. clearing her throat, lyonet pushed open the front door and nodded the two inside. paint buckets and tape were left haphazardly across the floor of the record shop, forcing them all to traverse through it if they wished to sit somewhere that wasn't the cold vinyl floors. "i didn't expect to see you here today. is something wrong?"

Khadroma had been wanting to catch up with her daughter--primarily to check on in her because she was worried but also simply because she'd missed seeing Lyonet around. The young woman avoided her house like the plague and while she tried not to take it too personally, she missed her. So when she made her way down to the record shop that was currently being renovated, hoping to find her daughter, she was surprised to see her granddaughter, Marceline, outside as well. Even more so, she was surprised to see her granddaughter alone, talking to a stranger that was passing by. Given the woman's past and all the shit that she'd seen in her life, she sprang into action without much thought, speeding up her steps so she could interject. Sure, maybe this was one of her daughter's friends but what if it wasn't? Was Marceline just talking to a complete stranger? Why was she out here alone?

Approaching the stranger and her granddaughter, she said "The store's not open yet--but we'll be happy to see you when it is open, thank you so much." Sure, the person was probably harmless but they seemed to catch Roma's vibe that she wanted them to fuck off. Just then, her daughter appeared, and she could tell that Lyonet hadn't yet seen her. However, even though the offer to help had seemingly been offered to the stranger that was now gone, the blonde wasn't going to waste an opportunity. "I'd love to help out in exchange for some lemonade!" she said, smiling down at her granddaughter. "Why don't we all go inside?" Now, Khadroma knew better than to scold her daughter about leaving her own daughter outside--that wasn't going to score her many points. At the same time, though, how could Lyonet just let her stand out there? Perhaps Khadroma's guard was up far too high but she couldn't help it. She also couldn't help but wonder why Marceline was here instead of in school. And whatever the reason was, surely, Lyonet would get more work done without having to keep an eye on her daughter. Why hadn't she called Roma up to see if she could watch her?...

[starstckrs]

in that instance - honestly, in most instances - kenny was immensely relieved that her processor hadn't the sensitivity to pick up the sound of wet, chewed bubblegum. still, she resumed her customer service demeanor and offered a friendly smile. "uh, kind of, i guess? i mean, they're allowed, i think," her incompetence was normally very thinly disguised, such in moments like these, when it was evident that she was strictly winging her entire life. she began a mindless pursuit of searching their computer for any mention of a tab system, however that worked. "my brother? you know him? i'm sorry," the role of the petulant little sibling was one that did not sleep, it seemed. just as she started making progress when it concerned the aforementioned tab, she was distracted by an inquiry about their snack collection. grinning widely, kenny kicked herself away from the counter and leaped from where she had sat for the past three hours. "what kind don't we have would be the better question. we've got chocolate, sour candy, gummy candy, sour gummy candy - no sour gummy chocolate candy, not yet anyway." as she spoke, she nodded toward the display cases of food. when it came to things of leisure, like junk food and video games, all of kenny's efforts were put forth - which probably wouldn't have pleased her father a great deal, but hey, the less he knew, the better. "plus chips, crackers, everything, really. and bubblegum, of course. oh, and we have movies."

There was nothing that Bandit hated more than a boring night in, which was a gracious rarity with the roommate of hers and her penchant for biding her time at the burlesque club only to blow all her cash on her days off in front of the slot machines. However, something came up, and she did have to conspire other plans. After staring at the shelves and flitting from aisle to aisle indecisively for a good twenty minutes, and piling her arms full of DVDs that she wasn't bound to finish and essentially waste cash on, she dropped them unceremoniously in front of the clerk — who had the inauspiciousness of being the little sibling of someone who may as well be her better half. In a platonic sense, exclusively. "Do ya have like, tabs here?" The dancer was noisily smacking around a strip of Hubba Bubba and a hood pulled over her head to deflect her lack of makeup, at present. "'Cause ya brother's good for this if ya might, like, put it on his." This was disregarding the fact that once she had looked at the stack of movies, she was unsure the few dollars in her bank account were going to cover it, and her credit card was exclusively for pulling 'cash advances' from the ATM for her next alleged big win when she was convinced a machine was about to pour out. "You sell snacks here? What kind?" Eyes lit up with renewed interest, scanning the front of the counter and peering over the edge on the tip-toes of her running shoes ( from a time when she'd convinced herself it would be her next hobby. )

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nadine was not partial to cyrek's opinion. perhaps she should've been, considering he lorded over the darkest aspect of her otherwise calm and uneventful life - besides the occasional thrush of adrenaline that she encountered when someone recognized her iconic visage and began inquiring about her whereabouts in vegas, the cactus cats were her solace when it concerned chasing a thrill. still, she didn't believe that warranted blind devotion. standard loyalty cut it for her, couldn't it for him? "my sincerest apologies," she said, an accentuating pout on her lips as he persevered in swearing at her. nothing she hadn't learned how to drown out eons ago; it was strange, though, despite the lack of blood ties, he and ava's voices were resoundingly similar when vexed at her. it only made the biker miss her girlfriend more, which triggered her to begin tapping impatiently on the counter for her drink. "i thought i told you once i despised small talk. don't we know each other better by now?" she couldn't resist quipping cheekily, a sly smile eclipsing the exaggerated pout. so, what's up? she cleared her throat and unwound her shoulders, unsure whether or not she should've withheld the truth; she wasn't even certain she wanted to recount the chain of events that led her there on that particular day. "well, it may surprise you, but work's been a kick in the ass. teaching adults guitar may actually end up being more torturous than the kids - at least they are somewhat willing to listen. thinking of just closing up shop and staying home forever. i have the money for it," she said, and before she could think twice, added, "i'm good for being a housewife, i think. spend all my time between your sister's legs when i'm at home, anyway."

Had he, in a million years, thought that his sister would be living with a biker who was sort of a person of few words? Not really, but then again, maybe it worked out in Ava's favor that she could talk for hours without gaining on a lick of exhaustion, uninterrupted. Cyrek hadn't really questioned it — there had been a long line of people in his life that thought he and his best friend were... too similar to pan out without leading to utmost disaster, too, and instead of crashing out together, they'd kind of made it work ( after crashing out together... In his defense, it was before they were making out again. ) "Yankin' my chain as usual," he griped when he noted a shift in her visage upon seeing him, as if he had anything to bitch about if he had a break from the guy who was probably on his tenth drink before it was even dark out, "Get the fuck out of my bar if you're gonna keep givin' me lip. Just tryin' to make small talk and sell these specials." Setting her drink on the counter, he scrubbed at a stain on the bar to her left, soaking it in the warm rag and scoffing to himself. "Tell me about it. Good thing this bar's not really a tourist trap when you could drink at a much nicer joint ten feet from the slots 'stead of two biker bartenders who don't stop insultin' you the whole time you're here. Although..." Now that he thought about it, that was probably why must people came: the masochism of humiliation, or something. "Well, I don't gotta think about this place much longer unless I'm in here with the Cats." Not drinking, preferably. "So, what's up?"

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OLIVIA RODRIGO via Instagram (April 14, 2025)

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possessing a heart that beat loudly for romantic gestures, it went without saying that hermione utilized every opportunity they were given to spoil their girlfriend. if anything, it was what they awaited most whenever they received their pay check every other week. aside from developing their vintage record fund, buying trinkets and other pieces they knew annisa would like was now a fond past time of theirs. when once they only had their cat to spoil, now, they had a person - their person - that they were praying they'd have around forever.

"of course i did. i thought you deserved it." they said honestly, joy propagating in their fluttering heart whenever annisa observed the initials and didn't seem thrown by them. "plus, i knew you'd look magnificent in it." whenever annisa asked if she could wear it, hermione was quick to nod and pushed themselves out of their seat. "here, allow me," standing on their tippy toes, they gently claimed the jacket from their girlfriend's hands and motioned for her to spin around so they could slide it over her shoulders.

She smiled as she watched Hermione dig into their food, happy to to make them smile, even if just for a moment. Nisa think she finally understood the prospect of gestures--big or small--and how much joy it brought her to bring joy to the people that she loved. She almost wanted to say something about how the waffles were as just as sweet as Hermione was but that felt a little too cheesy, even if it was the absolute truth.

When her girlfriend held up the jean jacket, her eyes darted to the gorgeous floral embroidery. "Oh my god, Mione, this is amazing! You did this for me?" she asked, her giddiness evident. However, when they brought the initials to her attention, for just a moment, she could've cried happy tears. Get it together, she told herself. "Oh my god, Mione, that's...gorgeous. And so, so sweet." She leaned over and placed a soft, sweet kiss onto Hermione's lips. Honestly, what had Nisa done to deserve such a delightful, kind love in her life? She wasn't really sure but what she was sure about was that she wanted to keep Mione in her life for as long as she could. "Can I put it on?"

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visiting the boutique was one of reina's well-earned rewards she enjoyed at the end of each week. while wholly dedicated to her work as an archivist, she knew that it couldn't consume her life, though, admittedly, it had swallowed a considerable amount of free time - free time that she otherwise dedicated to proving her sanity. whenever her case worker had their phone turned off, that's when reina finally felt comfortable enough to stretch her wings and flock to where she knew she'd find some solace. "it's always good seeing you, emmeline," she greeted kindly, a warm smile on her cheeks as she was greeted. "i do actually have a couple of things in need of mending - just an old skirt i found and a jacket i thrifted a few weeks back." holding up the satchel she carried, she began gravitating toward a rack of clothes that resembled the vibrant colors she favored in her wardrobe. "and, of course, i need some new pieces for spring. any recommendations? you know what i like - all the whimsy you can imagine."

OPEN LOCATION: casual edge boutique. @boneyardstarters

although he hadn't ever understood her, emmeline would always be grateful to her father for the life she now had. she'd never really had the opportunity to hold down a job for very long but after she purchased a unit and it had become a boutique, she had finally felt some sense of achievement. business wasn't exactly booming but it was comfortable enough and she enjoyed that she'd come across different people. hearing the door charm ring, she smiled. it was a quiet afternoon so she'd sit on the comfortable chair at the counter. "welcome. please do take a good look at everything it has to offer and if something isn't quite right for you, do let me know! i mean, i've mended a lot of it myself but i'm not open to critique or if things need adjusting for a person." after how much she'd felt like an outcast, of being unworthy, emmeline would always go above and beyond if she could.