sunpaintedsea

[sunpaintedsea]

clem had spotted the bad date from across the room almost immediately as it started going bad. out of instinct, she kept her eye on the table, just in case she needed to swoop in and save someone. she watched the girl stand up from the table, uncomfortable panic in her eyes, and stood from her chair. she greeted the girl with a wide smile and open arms. "darling, how are you? it's so good to see you!" she embraced the girl lightly, as to not spook her. "come with me for a minute, i need your help." she motioned towards the door with a conspiratory glint in her eye.

location: any restaurant/cafe/bar in town

starter for: anyone @palmviewstarters

drea sighed softly, hoping not to draw her date’s attention. she didn’t go out often and so when someone from her journalism class asked her out she figured what could go wrong. a lot apparently. he was loud, he was late meeting her, he hadn't asked her a single question and he kept talking about how good she would look with him. she looked around for a host or waitress, she needed a drink or an escape. “ excuse me for a moment, i just need to run to the restroom.” drea smiled quickly, excusing herself. she got up quickly, spotting just the person she was looking for.

[sunpaintedsea]

what am i doing here what am i doing here what am i doing here?? the internal panic ran through dorian's head, underscoring every thought like the bright red ticker reel at the bottom of an emergency news broadcast. he was not a party person, and didn't even like champagne. and yet, he'd had three already. his head was buzzing and pounding along with the music, and he felt beads of sweat roll down his temples. new years was doe's holiday, the one event a year he really cared about. he was a big believer that how you rang in the year was a foreshadow for how it was going to go. and maybe it was his author's heart, but he didn't fuck around with foreshadowing. this year, he was trying to manifest getting out of his shell a little more. so here he was, surrounded by gyrating, sweaty bodies, reaching for his fourth glass of champagne. it was almost over, the countdown had ticked to less than thirty seconds. the dancing stopped and people started counting. his voice was lost amongst the crowd, but he didn't care. he still counted with enthusiasm. the clock struck twelve and suddenly someone's mouth was on his.

it was by instinct and instinct alone that he kissed them back, a muscle memory from his relationship days. however, after a moment, he pulled back and let his eyes open again, fluttering as they tried to readjust to the dim lighting. "i--..." he started, but then his eyes focused on the man's face and he felt his cheeks flame bright red. "y-you...w-w-we..." he stuttered, feeling as if his tongue had grown three sizes too big in his mouth.

location : nye party. status : open. @palmviewstarters

the  music  thudded  through  the  floorboards,    a  relentless  pulse  he  could  feel  in  his  chest.     it  wasn’t  his  usual  scene  —  crowded,     glittering,     overdone  —  but  there  was  something  about  new  year’s  eve  that  made  him  feel  reckless.     or  maybe  it  was  the  champagne,     which,     judging  by  the  tilt  of  his  grin  and  the  unsteady  sway  of  his  steps,     he’d  had  far  too  much  of.     his  glass  dangled  between  two  fingers,     the  golden  liquid  sloshing  dangerously  close  to  the  rim  as  he  leaned  against  the  bar.     the  bartender  gave  him  a  wary  glance.     “  alright,     mate.  ”     he  muttered,     words  thick  with  his  cockney  accent.    “  not  like  i’m  about  to  fall  over,     yeah?  ”    he  straightened,     as  if  to  prove  his  point,     and  promptly  had  to  grab  the  edge  of  the  counter  to  steady  himself.     the  room  sparkled  —  too  much,     really.     sequins,     glitter,     champagne  flutes  catching  the  light.     all  around  him,     people  laughed,     kissed,     danced  like  the  year  wasn’t  about  to  end  in  a  countdown  of  bad  decisions.     he  smirked  at  the  thought.     “  ten,     nine,     eight…  ”    he  muttered  to  himself,     tipping  back  the  rest  of  his  drink  before  pulling  the  person  closest  to  him  into  a  kiss  that  tasted  like  straight  champagne  and  heartbreak  as  they  welcomed  in  the  new  year.     “  ‘appy  bloody  new  year.  ”

[sunpaintedsea]

{ @serinxo }

clem was sat on her brother's couch, a sobbing mess, when she heard the door open. "atlas? is that you?" she asked, wiping at her eyes with a tissue. he'd given her a key for emergencies, but this was an emergency. caleb had broken up with her again, when they weren't even really a thing again yet. it was bullshit and she just needed the comfort of a brother. but instead, she was greeted by the sight of his roommate. her heart sank a little, and she felt another wave of tears spill over, streaking through her long-ruined mascara. "oh, hey serin. sorry to let myself in. it's important."

[sunpaintedsea]

dorian was minding his own business, looking for a new jacket in the aisles of his favourite thrift store in town, when someone's confusion caught his attention. he was proud to have a very wide knowledge base, but this item stumped him. "i'm not sure..." he adjusted his glasses to get a better look. "may i hold it? it looks like one of those medallions made out of human hair from the victorian times, but i doubt that's the type of thing this store would have on it's shelves. they're typically found in oddity shops." he explained, his eyes fixated on the small object in the other man's hand.

closed : @sunpaintedsea kyro ft. utp. location : retro roots.

KYRO WANDERS THROUGH THE AISLES OF RETRO ROOTS, careful curiosity as he aimlessly looks around, no real find in mind. he simply likes to support local businesses, and has on occasion found his mother some rare antiques she seemed to be pleased with despite him having no real idea of what they were meant to be used for. it's the same situation now, brows pulling together as he picks up a small object that only serves to confuse him. " what is this supposed to be ? " he questions, holding it up into the view of the nearest person.

[sunpaintedsea]

she wasn't sure if she wanted to punch kenny or pull him under the mistletoe and kiss him for his incredible timing. things had been tense with caleb since that night at the winter festival, when they left with each other after that disaster of a date. clem hadn't been planning on attending kenny's party until she heard caleb was going, so of course she had to pretty herself up and make an appearance. however, when she approached caleb and tried to talk to him, he simply shut her down. caleb had been in the middle of telling her he wanted nothing to do with clementine anymore when her friend had interrupted them. "c'mon, caleb. it's a holiday tradition. and maybe it's a sign." she leaned into him, resting her hand on his chest but letting him make the move to kiss her. things were fragile right now and she didn't want to push him too hard.

    new   year's   party   at   kendrick's   apartment   with   clementine   &   caleb. @cfrevelries + @sunpaintedsea

    he   was   still   going   around   the   room   delivering   the   tasks   he'd   created   when   a   small   detail   caught   his   eye   and   he   had   to   make   his   way   towards   the   duo.   “   not   trying   to   interrupt   whatever's   going   on   here.   ”   but   he   had   already   interrupted.   “   buuuut…   mistletoe.   ”   he   pointed   up,   right   above   the   two.   and   yes,  ��he   and   feyza   had   placed   those   around   the   room   strategically.   fuck   it   if   it   was   a   christmas   tradition,   it   had   only   been   a   week   and   it   was   their   party   so   they   could   do   whatever   they   wanted. 

[sunpaintedsea]

something with rose on it...kez thought hard about what it could be until he felt leon's hand on his chest. he stopped walking, giving his friend his full attention as he spoke. well, as much attention as kez could give him with the alcohol running through his veins. the corner of his lips twitched up in a mischievous grin, and he nodded enthusiastically. "you genius bugger, you know i'm in. but we should hit up an atm along the way. treat those ladies right."

"you're welcome," leon grins. he knows he and kez are way too similar in some aspects, they like having fun even if that means getting into trouble. "i don't know. something with rose on it?" the blond can't really remember and fuck, he doesn't remember where in sunny shores the bar is. "hold on," leon stops in his tracks and holds out a hand, pressing it against his friend's chest. "what about the satin rose?" he smirks. the gentleman's lounge is actually closer to where they are. and it's also closer to his place.

[sunpaintedsea]

"fifteen years? that has to be most of your life, then. you can't be much older than what? twenty-two? twenty-four?" too young for him, then, although she was gorgeous. and great conversation. and would provide him access to free baked goods. however, if she hadn't already realized he was an idiot, mentioning her age might tip her off. he should know by now that mentioning a lady's age was taboo. "i'm gonna hold you to that. if i don't see you come by the bar soon, i'm gonna have to stalk the bakery." he said casually, as if that wasn't an extremely creepy thing to say. it took a beat for his brain to catch up to his mouth and he grimaced. "that sounded...wrong."

"  i'd  say  that  i  had  a  few  before  i  became  a  baker.  i  used  to  have  a  few  other  jobs  here  and  there.  but  i  think  this  one  has  probably  became  my  favorite.  and  i  happen  to  think  that  i'm  pretty  good  at  what  i  do.  so,  why  not,  right?  "  she'd  respond  with  a  smile  on  her  face  at  his  question.  hadley  didn't  take  it  as  rude  though.  she  had  just  figured  that  he  was  probably  curious  to  know.  "  i've  lived  here  for  about  fifteen  years  so  definitely  not  as  long  but  long  enough,  i  suppose.  "  who  was  she  to  deny  a  free  drink  from  him?  "  well,  since  you've  said  that  now  you  can  totally  count  on  me  being  a  visitor  at  your  job  one  of  these  days.  "  hadley  listened  to  him  speak  and  responded  with  a  quick  nod  of  her  head.  "  that's  always  the  most  important  thing,  isn't  it?  to  be  happy  with  what  it  is  that  you  do.  "

[sunpaintedsea]

his genuine interest in what she had to say warmed her heart in a way she had almost forgotten was possible. for the longest time, it felt like her brothers were the only ones who still believed in her. and even then, she wasn't entirely sure they did. she could even feel caleb's trust in her waning, and it left her feeling lost and untethered. "do you wanna come back to my workshop and see them? i've got a hall of fame of successful inventions that just never took off. i can even show you the graveyard of failed experiments." she blurted, her words spilling out faster than her mouth could keep up.

he chuckled at the genius comment , surprised at her agreement — but welcomed her enthusiasm nonetheless . wyatt listened intently , feeling suddenly inspired by the energetic atmosphere . it was as if clementine was the main protagonist of a thrilling novel that he suddenly had the pleasure to catch of a glimpse of . often feeling like a secondary muse , wyatt was always drawn to stronger personalities — ones he felt he could better support in their development than his own . hence the role of teacher . “ i love it . all of it . it's incredible , ” he responded , earnest and of interest . “ you are right . they can't all be winners . but you'll never know if you never try , right ? man . i would love to see some of your other works . "

[sunpaintedsea]

she was a little surprised to see celeste pull out her phone and save a date in her calendar, but was glad she seemed to be taking it seriously. the fastest way to clem's heart was to take care of your machines. she believed that things like cars were akin to works of art, meaning they required constant care and attention to maintain their beauty. "you don't always have to run over something for it to pop like this, sometimes they wear oddly in one spot, are affected by temperature and weather changes, or are just plain made shitty." she nodded as the girl asked her about the spare in the trunk of her car. "yep, that's it! it takes about 20 minutes when you know what you're doing, it's not hard at all. what we'll do, i'll get a new tire on this rim and we'll change it manually, so i can walk you through it. then i'll check your spare to make sure it's good."

“tuesday,  late  morning,  got  it,”  and  she  meant  it,  phone  pulled  out  to  set  herself  a  reminder  for  the  first  tuesday  of  the  next  month.  oil  changes  were  meant  to  be  scheduled  once  a  month,  anyways.  (  that's  what  she  thought,  at  least.  )  “i  don't  think  i  ran  anything  over  though,”  or,  she  couldn't  remember.  “i  looked  but  i  didn't  really  know  what  i  was  looking  for  so  maybe  you  can  show  me  ?  and  i  think  i  have  a  spare,”  …  “that's  the  thing  in  the  box  in  the  trunk,  right  ?  i  don't  know  how  to  use  it  but  that  big  lump  is  always  in  my  way  when  i'm  trying  to  pack  my  trunk,  so  i'm  pretty  sure  that's  what's  in  there.”  a  bright  smile  crosses  her  features,  more  than  grateful  for  the  offer.  “i  don't  know  if  i'll  be  the  best  student  you've  ever  had,  but  i  sure  will  try  !”

[sunpaintedsea]

"do i accept? of course i accept!" bean had never once turned down a challenge. unfortunately, that lead to some really stupid decisions, the type of decisions that cost limbs. however this one seemed innocent, even playing to his strengths. see, as dumb as bean truly and deeply was, he was a fantastic bartender. "what're we thinking? something fruity and sweet? or something low-key like a long island iced tea?" he was more thinking aloud at this point, his eyes staring into the abyss past sean's head. one could almost see the gears working, and if the bar were less busy, you could even smell the trademark burning odour that emanated whenever bean tried to think real people thoughts.

closed starter : benedict / @sunpaintedsea

" hey, i've got a new year's challenge for you. " he leaned over the bar counter to speak directly into bean's ear. " i want you to create the flashiest fucking drink you can think of. it needs to look bomb, taste bomb, and be a liquor bomb. " he mentally cringed at the last item on the list. he could've come up with something better than that. the important part, however, was whether he had inspired bean to make something exceptional. " what say you ? do you accept ? "

[sunpaintedsea]

he watched archie's expression shift and immediately knew he'd said the wrong thing. not that he knew what the right thing was. kez wasn't exactly well known for always having the right words for any situation. he was more of a do-er than a talker. his stomach felt like it was made of lead, so he just ordered a plain black coffee when the waitress came around. there was an awkward moment of silence before archie's eyes finally met his. a wave of longing and nostalgia hit him like a freight train, and it took everything in him to resist the urge to reach across the table and take archie's hand, just like he used to.

"i, uh...i don't know. i'm here for at least a year, i've got a lease on a little antiques shop down in the mango bay art district. i've been...making friends." if that's what you could call what he's been up to since moving to town. he thought of his ice-skating date with sadie and bar fights with leon and the little life he was building here. "but like...if you want me to leave, i'll go. this is your home turf." the thought stabbed at his chest like a knife, but he hid it from his face. he didn't want to make archie's decision any harder than he's sure it already was.

An accident. Archie wasn't sure if that answer made him feel angry or relieved. Truth be told, it was probably somewhere in between the two, whatever that happened to be. Kez hadn't come to find him. "Funny how that works," he deadpanned. Archie hadn't come into this with many expectations, or any in fact, but still, he felt himself deflate. He caught the eye of the waitress and ordered a hot chocolate and belgian waffle, just so he'd have something to do with his hands soon, before turning back to Kez.

Sometimes, Archie thought the time he'd spent with this man had all been a fever dream, some sort of prolonged hallucination. Other times, he couldn't help but think that it was all some karmic rebalancing. "So," Archie puffed out a breath and met Kez's gaze for perhaps the first time since they'd sat down. "What now? Do you..." He paused not really sure what he was asking or why. "Are you planning to stick around or are you off again?"

[sunpaintedsea]

clementine was excited for a girls night. since things had started souring with caleb, she desperately needed a distraction. but not only a distraction, an education. clem was determined to turn herself into the type of girl caleb wanted to be with, but in order to do that, she needed to know what type of girl to be. while sure, she'd never seen caleb watch a romantic movie without being forced, she knew micah would deliver some classics that were classics for a reason. movies that could inspire clem to be better, softer, nicer. "and i've brought snacks." she held up the graphic-print tote bag with a wide grin. she began unloading the snacks on the table as micah filled her in on the itinerary for the evening. "oh, ever after is my favourite! but i've never seen the other two. i started reading p&p in high school but never finished it. i think i quit when the little sister ran off with the old creep who'd been hitting on lizzy."

who: clem @sunpaintedsea where: clem's apartment

Micah was no expert on real life romance, but when it came to fictional romances, there was hardly anyone better. So, when Clem had asked, Micah had delivered like some sort of fairy godmother. "I've brought research materials," she announced as she placed the stack of books and movies she'd pulled from her personal collection on the table. "I suggest we start with Pride & Prejudice the 2005 version, of course, because Matthew Macfadyen's Mr. Darcy is a dream and then move on to Ever After. After that we can see how we feel and maybe throw something more modern in like 13 going on 30. Sound good?"

[sunpaintedsea]

[sunpaintedsea]

it wasn't unusual for kez to traverse the city on foot, so his feet started moving automatically alongside leon's. he loved this city at night, it held a peacefulness he'd yet to find elsewhere. even though his heart was still racing with adrenaline. "what can i say? you bring out the best in me." he teased with a fake-apologetic smile. in truth, leon was someone he could always count on for a good time, even if that got him into a bit of trouble now and then. "so what's this new place called?"

"i can't take you nowhere," leon jokes with a laugh. "come on, there's this new place at sunny shores. little far but drinks are good." he starts walking south even though said bar is at least thirty minutes away. but the blond doesn't mind, he likes a long walk. especially if he's in good company. and after his disappearing act for a month, leon appreciates seeing kez again. "so have you getting into fights lately or do you just reserve those experiences for me?" he grins. "the extra muscle."

[sunpaintedsea]

"have you had many jobs since you came here? how long have you been in town?" he asked, although he realized a moment too late that, as a palmview grove-native, that might come off a little as rude. he'd seen her around, sure, but didn't know enough about her to know if she was a native like he, or if she was newer to town. "yes, please come visit me at work! your first drink is on me." he flashed her a charming grin and a wink, stretching one arm behind them on the bench. "it's a good little bar, and a great place to work. i'm quite happy there."

"  it's  most  certainly  a  chaotic  place.  but  at  least  at  the  bakery  it  isn't  all  that  bad.  even  if  a  ton  of  people  come  all  in  at  once.  it's  doable,  for  the  most  part.  "  she  laughed  a  little  at  the  thought  of  just  how  hectic  the  lines  at  the  bakery  could've  gotten  from  time  to  time.  "  i've  been  working  there  for  a  couple  of  years  now.  it's  probably  become  one  of  my  favorite  places  to  work  since  i've  been  here.  "  it  was  nice  to  be  able  to  talk  with  someone  that  had  genuinely  seemed  to  be  interested  in  the  conversations  that  they  were  having.  "  it  looks  like  i'm  going  to  have  to  make  some  more  trips  to  the  salty  sailor  bar  then,  i  suppose.  seems  like  you  had  an  eventful  work  day  but  some  relaxation  time  after  those  long  work  hours  are  always  needed.  "

[sunpaintedsea]

she blinked at him in surprise before a warm smile spread across her face. "i'm glad you appreciate my genius!" she exclaimed eagerly, sitting forward again. she often struggled with sitting still for very long, especially when she was excited about something. "i do, it's my favourite past time. i love inventing all kinds of things. last week i was working on a device that could basically wrap your gifts for you. it didn't turn out as well, but that's okay. they can't all be winners, right?"

wyatt watched with curious eyes , following clementine's process with interest , “ oh ? ” wyatt looked on at the pedals , now spinning wildly , “ well i can say that today has been quite productive for you , no ? something like this would take me a lifetime to achieve — if not simply because i don't think i could see it through in the way you just did . incredible work , really . do you make things often ? " wyatt nodded , arms folded . 

[sunpaintedsea]

kez had been surprised to hear from archie, as he assumed his ex's hatred of him ran deep. it was a hatred well-deserved, even he couldn't argue that. they had once been engaged, kez pictured spending the rest of his life by archie's side. and then...he was gone. in the blink of an eye. he had a good excuse, of course, but not one he ever shared with anyone, which, he knew deep in his heart, was as useless as not having an excuse at all. so when he got the text, asking to meet, he almost said no. he almost packed up everything and disappeared again. but he had started to like this place and the people in it, and didn't really want to leave. so he agreed to meet archie, let him set the place and time, and tried to swallow his nerves when their eyes met across the cafe.

"it was an accident, really." he said, softly at first before gaining confidence in his words. "i sold an antique car to a guy and he stiffed me a lot of money. so i followed him here." he explained, staring at his hands for just a moment too long. "he's since took off again, but paid me at least part of what he owed me." as if that's what archie really wanted to know. "i didn't remember it was where you were from until..." he trailed off, knowing archie would remember what happened at the winter festival and their abrupt reunion.

who: @sunpaintedsea, kez where: sunrise cafe

Archie had been avoiding this moment for days now. Ever since he'd run into Kez at the winter wonderland, his life had felt off kilter -- it was like he was as if he was moving in slow motion while the world around him rushed by in hyper speed -- and Archie knew that the only way to fix things was to face them head on. The very idea of it, though, made him want to curl up into a ball and hibernate for the next decade or five. But avoidance could only serve him for so long. So, instead, he'd chosen the most neutral location he could think of -- the sunrise cafe -- with the promise of being able to drown his anxieties in breakfast foods regardless of the outcome of the meeting.

"So, Palmview, huh," he questioned, eyebrow raised, as he regarded the man in front of him. "Honestly, when I imagined where you could have run of to -- not that I spent too much time doing that," he added immediately (a lie, if ever one had been told), "I didn't really consider the town where I'd been raised, but I guess stranger things have happened, I guess."