unearthcd - Tumblr blog

[unearthcd]

the softest of footsteps padded across the kitchen floor, its cool surface sending small shivers running up the backs of andromeda’s calves. presently, she was a contradiction—a carefully choreographed flurry of dark brunette hair, a forest green cotton t-shirt loosely hanging from her frame and moving in accordance to each step and turn. coffee, she was in search of coffee. the machine had been easy enough to find, but the grounds? or beans? not so effortless to locate. for a moment, as she gazed across the cabinets and her mouth twisted to one side in consideration, she cursed herself for practically having cold brew on tap back home. where did people keep their coffee grounds, if not next to or above their coffee maker? one svelte arm reaching forward, a cabinet door was opened and then promptly closed, then another. then, another. then—aha.

not two minutes later the machine began to whir, drom already having perched herself atop the counter in simmering anticipation. without the distraction of her phone, which was undoubtedly somewhere beneath a blanket or discarded pair of jeans in the other room, she passed the time by gazing around the space. without much thought, a hand took grasp of a nearby bottle opener, twirling it between her fingers. once, twice, until another set of steps could be heard coming from down the hall. “it’s ungodly how long it took me to find your coffee,” drom noted once they came into view. “sacrilegious, on your part.”

@irvingstarters​

[unearthcd]

solitvdcs​:

it took a second for the weight of her words to hit him, one eyebrow rising an almost imperceptible amount. a clear question in his gaze as his eyes scanned the area, noted the surplus of pool chairs. he wasn’t against it by any means — quite the opposite — but it was a purposeful step on her part, taking him from occasional house guest to…what, exactly? there was obviously something going on between them, but they’d both been staying a safe distance away, not crossing any lines. and august — she wasn’t just another hook-up. crossing that line meant more than it normally would, and yet he found himself treading a little closer…closer…

before he could do anything besides close the distance, her question brought him back to his senses — he moved back an inch and turned his head to follow hers, brows furrowed in concentration. he’d seen night skies all over the country, but as he mentally flipped through them, none of them stood out in his mind — not when suddenly his favorite sky was the one he was looking at right then. “colorado,” he said without thinking, and was surprised when he realized it was true. “i grew up there — fort carson, the army base. it’s in the rockies, like almost six thousand feet up. light pollution isn’t a factor, so it’s just sky as far as you can see. my siblings and i would sometimes sneak up onto the roof of one of the buildings and stargaze until we fell asleep on the concrete.” memories of his childhood home flooded his vision and he blinked them away before any of the bad ones could sneak in, his fingers impulsively reaching for august’s through the water. he hadn’t told anyone a truth about his past since freya, but august wasn’t freya. maybe — maybe it was worth opening up again. “august, i need to tell you something.”

august found herself taking mental notes as he began to answer; colorado, army kid, siblings. the small action, however, wasn’t calculated—not quite akin to piecing together a puzzle or deliberately digging for clues. rather, each detail he gave her was like a paint stroke that altered or added to the shape of him in her mind. she smiled naturally at the thought of him falling asleep high in the sky, under the stars, and next to loved ones. how telling, to be so captivated by something that you drifted off despite the absence of a bed or sheets, a comfort greater than the physical. she yearned to know more, a couple questions already lined up and eager to take to the mic, but they slipped away at the feel of his hand reaching for hers. practically instinctively, she reciprocated, though she looked down in such a way that ruined any smoothness her reaction may have possessed. still, a significant part of her felt, in that moment, that she knew what would happen when she returned to looking at him. her pulse quickened just noticeably in anticipation and, for the first time since jumping in, august could hear her breath begin to labor. just noticeable against the quiet soundscape of the night.

“hm?” august rapidly looked back up, grasp readjusting slightly. the pad of her thumb brushed over the back of his hand, reassuring for reasons she couldn’t predict, before relaxing into a steady hold. “okay,” she nodded, “fire away.” there was a levity to the phrase, despite the obvious nerves that typically came in response to a statement like his. a gut impulse on her part to make things seem cool and okay. a sort of go-with-the-flow she truthfully couldn’t claim as her own, let alone pull off as entirely authentic.

[unearthcd]

eastrnhighway​:

he  shrugs  —–  she  can  do  whatever  she  pleases,  really.  as  long  as  it  doesn’t  make  him  look  like  a  fool  or  hurt  him.  luka’s  just  simple  like  that.  says  nothing  because  despite  knowing  a  bit  about  the  batfamily,  luk’s  knowledge  outside  of  bruce,  jason  and  dick?  limited  as  fuck.  not  so  much  of  a  nerd  as  he  thought.  the  movies  were  good  and  comics  were  okay,  but  for  someone  like  him,  it’s  hard  to  keep  your  attention  on  something  for  so  long  ..  especially  when  the  internet  exists,  and  his  parents  let  him  use  it  with  no  supervision.  that’s  an  error  on  their  part,  but  it  also  let  him  to  be  able  to  do  tons  of  stuff  with  computers,  so  is  it  really  all  that  bad?  (  yes  and  no,  no  he  won’t  elaborate  )  .  “a  bit  of  both,”  shrugs  one  shoulder.  is  there  really  such  a  different?  semantics,  maybe,  but  luka  is  sure  they’re  pretty  much  the  same  thing.  he  snickers  ——  mostly  because  slushies  sound  like  a  better  idea,  and  also  he  never  gets  a  brain  freeze,  ever.  “if  you  curl  your  tongue,  you  don’t  get  brain  freezes.  it’s  like  —  like  science,  or  something.”

luka’s response prompted a smile—at least he was being honest. or, rather, at least it’d come off that way. to each their own; roller-skating wasn’t exactly appealing to everyone, even if you were a resident who’d grown up coming to rockin’ and rollin’ for just about every other birthday, holiday, or family-friendly celebration. “hm... pretty sure that’s not true,” august countered with a mischievous smile as she began to move towards the nearest rink exit. it wasn’t that she had any actual, factual reason to deny luka’s claim, but doing so meant they’d likely just have to test it out for themselves. a risk she was willing to take—for the good of science or whatever, of course. “i’m not convinced. the proof is in the... slushee,” she added, tone teetering between jesting and skeptical. a touch awkward with the delivery, but she always figured there was something disarming about her lack of suave. both hands then grasped at the railing, august stepping onto the normal floor while her eyes sought the locker she’d stuffed her own shoes in. in little time and with a lacking explanation (plainly, none) she approached the metal boxes that covered a nearby wall and began switching from skates to sneakers.

“so,” she began again, bent over and untying her laces. doing so caused a vail of light brunette hair to shield her face, a hand reaching to tuck in behind her ear as her gaze found his. “if not roller skating, what is the great luka forero doing here? waiting for a date? running an underground drug deal? oh, uh, hush-hush crime bust?”

[unearthcd]

vrtex​:

OLLI:

olli couldn’t help but to be slightly bummed hearing the fact that she didn’t seem to be staying long. not trying to let it show on his face, he grabbed a frozen pizza and turned back to her – giving his full attention. he could feel his whole demenor change in front of august. it was almost like he was 16 again. but, he wasn’t. it’s been nearly a decade. he’s a different person, in more ways than one. he instantly wanted to tell her how he’s sober. how hard the last fews years have been – and how he missed her too … not just her, though. his life before he left – minus the drugs. he wanted to tell her how he’s sorry for the drugs, and then leaving without a word. but, all that shouldn’t be laid out like that; he knew that. “oh new york, huh? that’s fancy.” he said, a bit of tease hooked onto his tone. “please, THE gavin oliver was my father – i’m just olli. retired actor; living a more simple life back in irving. i work over at cutie pies, now.” he continued, smiling. “i guess i just missed it too much. i mean, my mom’s still here and my dad – well, it’s just nice to be home i think.”

fancy. her head tilted to one side, giving the same sort of reaction as a half-hearted shrug. it was accompanied, however, by a burgeoning smile. playful, even. olli hadn’t even gotten around to answering her question yet—they’d merely been speaking for a minute or two—and august could feel a sense of comfort coming back to her. the tension that’d held her muscles in a momentary iron grip had dissipated, replaced by an ease that almost felt familiar. all in a matter of seconds. nostalgia was funny in that way, wasn’t it? “retired? i’m... sorry?” august asked, tone rising in a way that implied she didn’t know if that was the right thing to say. that, apparently, was a piece of news she hadn’t caught onto. “sorry, i mean—that sounds nice. i’m sure your parents are happy to see you back. and, uh, cutie pies must be loving the hoard of new customers that probably come in trying to get your attention.” slowly, she stepped around him and in the direction of register. still, her shoulders and then her upper body angled towards him, not so eager to end the conversation. a silent beat passed as her weight shifted onto the next foot, eyes flickering over his face. trying to spot the similarities and differences to the olli she’d once known. “you look great, by the way.” a fairly generic comment, but it was true. and while she didn’t say it aloud, her gaze begged the question, but how are you doing? are you doing great?

[unearthcd]

solitvdcs​:

milo halted as she did, eyes darting around as though looking for a reason for the sudden stop. when his eyes came to rest upon her again, he realized she was watching him. a moment passed between them, like the ones before that made his heart beat a little faster — was she aware of the effect she had on him? he hadn’t felt this close to another person since freya, and that had blown up on him spectacularly — though, august also still knew him as sam. it was the last protective measure he had to keep history from repeating itself, but when he saw that brief glimpse of her smile, heard her actually say she’d like to have him stay longer — god, he was almost ready to risk it all again. almost.

he didn’t have much time to think on it further, as she made her challenge and ran off. he took off after her, jumping into the pool after she’d already dove in, fully clothed. he broke through the surface and pushed his long hair out of his eyes, blinking through the droplets stuck to his lashes until he spotted her again. “i hardly think that was fair,” he said, swimming over to her. he stopped about a foot away, treading water though his feet could easily reach the bottom. “sleeping outside isn’t too bad, though, and it’s a nice night. could be much, much worse.”

she hadn’t even broken the surface yet when the water broke into another series of ripples and waves. through immensely blurry vision august could just make out a limb or two of his, the pool lights bouncing off of his body being the last thing she saw before pushing off of the bottom. head once again above water, both hands came up to briefly wipe at her eyes. she then chanced a quick look down to make sure her slip hadn’t shifted in any way that was too revealing. hardly fair. august looked back at him and laughed at a volume that would’ve suggested they were swimming in the hot late afternoon sun, not the middle of the night. but such playfulness gained a bit of gravity as he neared. she blinked a few more times, otherwise keeping her eyes on him. with his hair pushed back she naturally focused more on his eyes, their depth and warmth. it was an undeniable thought now—she liked it when he was looking at her. preferred it, even. it was unlike any other way she could recall being looked at; the cruel side-eyes of passing classmates, the leering gaze of ‘up-and-coming’ photographers, the critical stares of casting directors. no, sam looked at her as though there was more to see past the exterior. though they hadn’t exchanged many intimate details about themselves at all, when he looked at her she felt seen. it was enough to almost make her look away. almost.

“you’re not wrong,” august agreed, bobbing in place. she was perhaps just an inch or two too short to stand without the bottom of her face dipping underwater. “maybe we’ll both sleep out here, then. although, i guess that’d ruin the point of it being some sort of punishment for losing—which you did.” more laughter, quieter this time, followed the small tease. “besides, i don’t think we’d both fit on a pool chair.” a slightly gutsy last-second comment, considering there were clearly several chairs off to their side. she wouldn’t take it back, though, instead shrugging some and subtly waiting for some sort of reaction. after a few seconds of her own silence, however, she asked, “hey, what’s the most beautiful sky you’ve ever seen?” her eyes then flickered up towards the darkness, speckled with what stars they could see.

[unearthcd]

vrtex​:

olli:

it was late. late enough to which the moon was unmistakeningly high above the horizon, providing an eerie glow when combined with the faded lights of the small gas station. he could tell something was different. something was … off. he’s only been back in irving for a little over 2 months now – but, some things still felt the same. including the small gas station, until tonight. it wasn’t until tonight that walking into the small gas station felt … weird. he had a weird feeling as he walked pass the guy sitting at the cash register. he had a weird feeling as he made his way down an aisle he’s gone down hundreds of times before. it wasn’t until a distantly familiar voice spoke up next to him that he realized why he had the off feeling in the first place. “i, uh –” he took a second to clear his throat as his breath got caught. “i don’t doubt it, actually.” he said, giving her a small smile back. “fancy seeing you here, auggie.” he said, his smile widening. “i would have thought you’d leave irving by now.” he continued, not really sure why he assumed that. she wasn’t the one who bailed. he was. 

"hm,” she hummed—or, rather, something between a hum and a bit of quiet laughter. the thing was, she had left irving. just about eight years ago now she packed up her belongings—or, at least, those that would fit in a couple of suitcases—waved her dads goodbye, and took off from the only city she’d ever known like a longtime favorite film or her own handwriting. she’d touched down at JFK with the intention of only ever coming back to visit. and she’d accomplished quite a bit before that plan came folding in all around her, hadn’t she? see, the thing was, she had left. the thing was, he’d never heard. he hadn’t chanced a phone call to her dads or even a glance at her instagram. not that he owed it to her at that point. still, it stung some to know that while she’d kept an admittedly loose eye on how he was doing and what he was up to for some time, olli had never thought to do the same. or perhaps he had, but never acted on it. had he ever wondered?

“i’m actually just visiting,” august decidedly replied, though her thoughts on the matter were entirely undecided. a week had become six months before she could manage a blink and still, she was no less lost than when she’d come home. but that wasn’t something you brought up in situations like this. that wasn’t a burden—a worry—you just gave to someone like a sweatshirt they could borrow for the time-being. especially not with a history like theirs. “i live in new york now.” not a whole lie, considering her name was still on an apartment lease. still, she glanced down for a moment, fumbling with the phone and wallet in her hands. “but, uh, what about you? what in the world is the gavin oliver doing in an irving convenience store?”

[unearthcd]

solitvdcs​:

freshly changed out of his “reenactment” attire, carson strolled through the festival with his hands tucked into the pockets of his overalls — one of his favorite pieces of clothing, though he hadn’t worn them since leaving new york. granted, there had only been a few occasions he’d been out of coveralls since arriving, but regardless — with the acting and the clothes, he was starting to feel like himself again. maybe irving would never be home for him again, but he could at least avoid losing himself while he was otherwise stuck in town.

a voice calling his name pulled his focus, a smile sliding easily onto his lips. august had been one of the few bright spots in his otherwise dull existence, someone who’d seen and understood both of his worlds. it still baffled him that they hadn’t been closer until recently, their lives seeming to run parallel to each other — close, but not close enough. he let himself be pulled across the grass without a hint of resistance — why would he, when he always found himself wanting to be where she was? “what a coincidence; i’ve saved a dance for you, as well. definitely was aware that there was a silent disco before this moment.” he hadn’t paid much attention to the fliers or emails, admittedly, because he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to close the shop or not. luck had clearly been on his side, though. “actually, i had a recent cancellation and can probably squeeze in a second dance.” eyebrow quirked, he obviously didn’t have plans other than wandering around and trying to pretend he belonged. “that is, if you’re not so blown away by my moves and can handle a second round.”

“you might be joking,” she began to respond, taking another quick glance over her shoulder as they neared the tent, “but the odds of me being blown away by you are very, very high. you are a professional, after all.” her chin tilted in a courteous nod; she’d been referring to carson’s career back in manhattan. revealing, ever so casually, that she’d been aware of it. “i’m, uh, actually not a remarkable dancer myself,” she then admitted after a beat, letting go of his hand and finally facing forward. a funny thing to confess now that they were only a few feet from the entrance. “i can manage a sway, but i was also once compared to a giraffe on stilts, if you can believe it, so... no judgement.” despite the less than flattering claim, august tossed an amused smile his way. she seemed to own the admission, shrugging as though she were literally allowing it to roll off her back. an ease and confidence she’d been sorely lacking whenever they’d last interacted in high school.

upon entry, the two were each handed a pair of comically large headphones—the stuff of DJ enthusiasts’ dreams—and motioned towards inward towards the open space. “ready?” august asked in a near whisper, sliding the headphones on, but holding them a couple inches over her ears as she waited for his reply.

[unearthcd]

eastrnhighway​:

there’s  still  places  he’s  not  sure  of,  despite  being  an  almost  complete  irvingite  through  and  through  -  maybe  not  as  eccentric  as  some  other  residents,  but  he  likes  to  think  he’s  found  his  stride  here  in  some  way  or  another.  the  place  is  a  nice  little  town.  can’t  see  himself  moving  away  for  a  while,  despite  being  halfway  to  thirty  by  now.  though  the  only  thing  standing  in  his  way  is  his  easy-to-tell  lack  of  social  skills  that  are  considered  acceptable  by  society,  because  parents  were  parents  and  essentially  let  him  to  do  his  own  thing  up  until  they  left,  and  then  continued  to  really  not  care  what  he  did  once  they  moved  to  florida.  that’s  fine  with  him.  though  it  really  sucks  when  he  feels  like  a  deer  in  headlights  as  the  blonde  comes  up  to  him,  either  very  annoyed  or  very  curious.  or  both.  maybe  both.  “i  like  to  think  of  myself  as  more  of  a  tim  drake  than  a  bruce  wayne,”  or  a  jason  todd!  except  he’s  not  as  tough  nor  almost-ruthless  as  jason,  and  luka  looks  like  he  does.  it’s  a  no-brainer  that  tim’s  the  way  to  go.  fuckin’  nerd.  “i  don’t  —  uh  –”  makes  hand  gesture,  can’t  think  of  the  word  for  what  this  is.  “do  that.  i’m  trying  to  not  break  a  bone  this  year,  actually.”  new  years  resolution!

“well,” august picked up, her own hand haphazardly rising and subsequently falling back to its previous resting spot, “as long as i can claim barbara gordon. the girl’s a badass, much like myself.” both hands rose to motion over herself at that point, a silly movement equally matched by an easy bit of laughter. what she neglected to mention, however, was that babs was far and away the singular comic book character she’d read the most of—ever since she’d come across an anniversary collection book or something of the sort in the library back in middle school, becoming hooked for at least a summer. not that they need be reminded of the fact, especially when it’d only hinder her case. “you don’t actively do this or you just never really have?” august proposed, chin tilting some. “come on, i’m something of an expert. i’ll hold your hand all the way through. master instructor.” though the comment could’ve easily been teasing, a genuine smile refuted such an attitude. “or,” she added, eyes flickering off to the side, “we can get one of those slushees and see who can fight off brain freeze the longest.” an out, should he want to take it.

[unearthcd]

Kristine Froseth via @welovecoco on Instagram.

[unearthcd]

→ @eastrnhighway​

if one thing and one thing only should be said about rockin’ and rollin’, it was that it did not disappoint. despite years of absence, the spot—speckled with various colored lights and filled to the absolute brim with chatter—had the ability to transport a now mid-twenties august directly back to high school. to say she hadn’t been something of a frequent customer at the time would be a lie—then again, the same could be said for about eighty percent of her graduating class. before one acquired a license or, more paramount, an ID with a birth date that displayed you were over the age of twenty-one, the rink was the spot. just flashy enough to be exciting, just chaotic enough to conceal some of the more scandalous activities that took place. even now, as splashes of pink and purple floated over her skin, it managed to captivate the young woman’s mind. not so much, however, that when gazing around the room she didn’t notice a familiar face across the way. a lone figure she simply couldn’t keep herself from approaching. august glided across the floor as gracefully as she could muster until reaching the barrier, forearms coming to rest atop it. “hey, bruce wayne,” she called out, looking in luka’s direction. “you gonna continue the mysterious, sulky thing over here or are you going to hop in?”

[unearthcd]

solitvdcs​:

imogene had lost most of her people in the crowd, but they’d planned to meet later at the beer garden… too bad they were late as usual. she glanced at her phone as tossed the empty slushie cup she’d purchased on her walk over. the vodka it had been mixed with made the edges of her vision blurry, her skin flush, and a pleasant buzz filter the undesirable thoughts out of her head. she approached the nearby bar and ordered a beer — lady’s choice, she’d said to the vendor with a quick wink, not expecting the company that appeared suddenly next to her.

she leveled a suspicious gaze at her best friend’s sister, the one she’d spent too long pining for when they were younger. she’d learned her lesson the hard way, and though the alcohol flowing through her veins made it harder to remember the lesson, she held onto it as tightly as she could. “i don’t know where atty is,” she said, turning her gaze back to the vendor as she passed them the drinks, though she made no move to pay — it was the least drom could do for her. “lost him earlier in the day,” she explained, because why else would the other girl approach her? “good luck finding him, though; hope your luck fares better than mine.” she grabbed her drink and turned to walk away, but something held her back… “that is why you came over, right?” and she hated the hint of hope that weaved its way into her words.

a crease formed between drom’s brows as she took her card back with one hand, secured her drink with the other, and began stepping away from the bar in the same direction imogene had. the expression was leveled out, however, by a small smile. amusement, clear as day, though it dissipated into a more casual look as her head turned forward. “atty’s fine,” she began, though if imogene were looking in that moment she’d pick up on how drom chanced a fleeting glance around the beer garden. always looking out for her siblings, even when it was entirely unnecessary. “he’s probably caught up with delphine. or calling to check on g... for the third time.” after walking a few feet she came to a stop, arm resting atop some makeshift fencing that was meant to outline the area. her head tilted to one side, motioning for imogene to post up beside her. either bold or naïve, considering how short she was being with her. “are you this dismissive to everyone who buys you a drink or am i just special?” bold, definitely bold. though not all that unusual for her. “come on, how’s the festival treating you?”

[unearthcd]

→ @vrtex​

the moment played out as one might only expect them to in film. every movement made after her eyes had landed on him dragged on in slow motion, the murmur of a few voices and the early 2000′s music that backed the nearly empty convenience store going quiet. to be fair, the entire situation august now found herself in may as well have been ripped from your standard romcom or dramatic coming-of-age film, down to the neon lights from the sign outside pouring in through the windows. a boy, a girl, separated by circumstance and state lines and eight entire years of distance, who happened to find themselves in the same tiny gas station store in the middle of their hometowns late at night, all those years later. it felt so liminal, so imaginary that she nearly reached out in his direction to see if he was, in fact, real. but common sense caught up with her before she could truly embarrass herself, august tearing her gaze from the back of his head for a moment before shoving both hands in her jacket pockets. but despite her efforts—despite the part of her that figured it’d be better if she dodged her way out of this—her feet began moving, walking her down the snack isle in the direction of the roller grill near the register until she came to olli’s side. “believe it or not, the pizza tastes exactly the same as it did back in high school,” she noted, eyes remaining on the glass for a second or two longer before offering a small smile in his direction. there was no mistaking it from this close—it was him. not an apparition, not some sort of visual manifestation of a memory, not a face on the cover of entertainment weekly, but the real deal. “guess you could consider that a good or a bad thing.”

[unearthcd]

solitvdcs​:

milo could hardly remember the last time he’d had a somewhat stable place to live — if that’s what you would call the current situation; he supposed a place to sleep would be a better word for it. he’d forgotten how nice it was, though, to not have to worry about finding someone to take him home or chance it outside for the night. and august had a nice fucking house, one of the best he’d ever staying in, probably. it was something a person could get used to, and that’s exactly why he didn’t let himself. every two or three days he allowed himself the privilege of climbing in through the guest room window and waking up to breakfast in the morning, because somehow she always knew when he’d stayed over. but he’d be gone again by noon, off to a shift at the diner or kahlo’s or wherever he’d managed to pick up work for the day. lather, rinse, and repeat again a few days later.

the book in his hands was a battered copy of the time machine by h. g. wells he’d swiped from the library’s donation bin, knowing full well it wouldn’t make it to the shelves in its condition. three-quarters of the way through it already, it was a short read that fit in the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt, and careful fingers flipped to the next page as his eyes pored over the words. it took him a second to register the knocks, but when the door cracked open he managed to pull his eyes away from the book, widening slightly at the girl in the doorway. “hey,” he said, allowing himself a quick but appreciative glance over her figure; he was seeing much more of it than he was accustomed to. his eyes moved back to hers with the ghost of a flush on his cheeks, words caught in his throat before he could answer — luckily, she didn’t give him much of a chance to. but who was he to turn down such an invitation? setting the book down carefully on the nightstand, he slipped out of bed and followed after her, his pace quickening so as to not lose his way. “you really do have everything here, don’t you,” he said, more of a statement than a question. “next you’re gonna unveil a movie theater and underground bowling alley.” he’d meant it as a joke, but feared his tone had come out more bitter than he’d meant. “maybe i’ll have to stick around a little longer sometime and explore.”

a quiet, breathy laugh left her at the mention of what other extravogent things she could be hiding throughout her home. things she was sure other residents who lived in the houses that carved out aquila drive did possess, but her family did not. however, august wasn’t quick to dispute his guesses—whether he was joking or not. not if keeping it something of a small mystery meant he’d stay even just a bit longer. she’d grown fond of his company, of him. while becoming acquainted with someone new often gave the opportunity to be someone new—present them with any number of sides you might have—august felt, already, even now, that she could be her whole self with him. despite the fact that, lately, she herself hadn’t been fully aware of what that looked like or meant. there was something refreshing about being in his company, something relaxing and reassuring. since a young age she’d formed a habit of always moving on to the next thing; the next thrill, the next place, the next job. seemingly against her own nature, she didn’t want that so badly now. she wanted things to stay as they were, if not become more somehow. she wanted them both to stay, if only for a little while.

but saying those sorts of things aloud usually ruined them, so halfway down the staircase, as one hand came to rest atop the railing, august came to a stop. there she looked over her shoulder and at him for a few long seconds, then said, “i’d like that.” for a moment her smile grew, only to disappear from view as she returned to looking forward and continued down the stairs. with quiet, hastened steps she padded towards the french doors at the back of the house that lead into the backyard, opening them without pause and breathing in the night air. “last one in sleeps outside.” allowing only a brief moment for the comment to register, august practically leapt through the doors and across the porch, doing a full sprint across the grass until she met the far side of the pool. then she dove in.

[unearthcd]

[unearthcd]

dcspicables​:

       at  the  response  he  got,  sasha  wasn’t  quite  sure  how  he  felt  knowing  the  fact  that  things  weren’t  likely  to  get  better  from  how  they  were.  curiosity  pulled  him  in  about  ten  minutes  ago  when  he  was  more  open  minded  and  less  cynical,  yet  now  he  was  stood  against  a  tree  where  the  bark  dinging  into  his  back  only  fueled  his  slow  growing  agitation.  if  his  leg  wasn’t  giving  him  shit  then  sasha  would  get  the  fuck  away  from  this  part  of  the  festival  and  find  somewhere  lacking  live  music  where  he  would  actually  getting  drunk.  maybe  there  would  be  better  alcohol.  with  a  dejected  sigh,  sasha  adjusts  his  weight  to  lessen  the  load  on  his  left  leg  before  downing  the  shit  remnants  of  his  drink  and  letting  the  red  cup  fall  to  the  grass  beside  him.  it’s  when  the  voice  speaks  again  that  sasha  turns  to  face  the  brunette,  mild  amusement  dancing  across  his  features.  ❝  you  sound  like  you  are  trying  to  convince  yourself  not  me,  ❞  he  answers  with  a  snort  and  meets  her  gaze.  ❝  first  and  last.  ❞  sasha’s  smirk  matches  her  own.  ❝  you  seem  familiar  with  this  amount  of  mediocracy.  ❞

a breezy shrug lifted her shoulders some, drom briefly looking back towards the source of the music. “i’m a musician myself, so i try not to shit on everyone who's at least trying.” for a moment there was silence. consideration, even. then, there it was—that small glint of mirth that, despite her minimal efforts, once again occupied her features. “even when it’s hard. really hard.” quiet laughter pushed past her lips, both arms crossing over her chest. as she considered how to reply to his other comment, her eyes flickered down towards his cane. a glance that wasn’t done in haste so much out of embarrassment or an attempt to be courteous, but out of simple observation. “and i’ve seen my fair share of founders day fairs,” she picked up, taking a few steps backwards until she could lean her arm against the same tree the stranger occupied. “—and, believe me, this isn’t the really exciting part that some other local mentioned to you when convincing you to come.” andromeda’s voice dipped into a lower volume, as though she were sharing a secret, though what she spoke of wasn’t exactly classified information. the intrigue—if it’d inspired literally any at all—lingered for a moment before she cast a glance down at the red cup that now rested on the ground nearby. effectively breaking the act. “you gonna pick that up? there’s a trash can, like... right there.”

[unearthcd]

NATALIA DYER as WILLIS in THINGS HEARD AND SEEN

[unearthcd]

ofalycia​:

it didn’t take long for alycia to become entranced with the festival and all its glory, even if the music had been sub par. mentally she had been on an entirely different planet, mixing between warm bodies with a plastic water bottle clutched in her hand though she couldn’t even place where she’d received it. the mix of both alcohol and an edible she’d consumed was fueling her daze as her eyes glossed over and she sauntered towards the crowd set before the stage though she detoured at the first sight of the beer garden. tucking a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear and adjusting a stray flower tucked above, she spotted a familiar face though between the haze over her eyes and the lack of contacts set in she couldn’t be certain. “sweetie!” she called out, arms opened at the figure with a mischievous smirk set upon her lips. “say you’ll come dance?” she purred with a soft pout protruding from her lower lip.

@irvingstarters 

august nearly dropped her beer, the call in her direction causing her to suddenly part it from her lips. she’d been in the middle of a conversation with someone—a drummer, apparently, who’d been attempting to get a beer or two in before taking the stage—though they seemed to have no problem stepping away at the sign of a face more familiar to her. offering a quick wave, they began to walk away, august now fully turning in the direction of the voice. the thing was, once her eyes landed on the other girl, she didn’t exactly recognize her. there was a vague recognition that often told her that this was also someone that’d grown up here, but any placement beyond that was lost on her. still, it seemed that the girl had recognized her, and in her own tipsy state she didn’t want to let her down. besides, august wasn’t above asking beautiful strangers to dance in the first place. “tell you what,” she started, “help me finish this beer and i’ll dance for as long as you like.”