valeriixchen

[valeriixchen]

THE PROPOSAL (2009)

[valeriixchen]

@emberwexley

Maya, you're having a panic attack. MAYA & CARINA | Station 19 - 3x11 "No Days Off"

[valeriixchen]

📖 for what my muse would write about yours in their diary.

[ two years + of notes detailing the exact times and dates of every injection ashton has had of the nlvax down to the second. the list also includes the date and time of ashton's initial infection from sada. towards the back of the notebook there are various observations made of potential side effects, times he's gotten sick or seemed to have a reaction to the dose. ]

@ashton-ryder

[valeriixchen]

@emberwexley

You are now and forevermore the coolest, most mysterious student at Rosehill Country Day.

MAYA HAWKE & CAMILA MENDES as Eleanor & Drea DO REVENGE (2022)

[valeriixchen]

Send ♮ and I will place my music player on shuffle to make a playlist to represent each of the following listed below. @emberwexley

a song that represents our muses in general. ribs - lorde

a song that represents what valerii thinks of ember. waiting game - banks

a song that represents what ember thinks of valerii. little bit - lykke li

their theme song if they ever fell in love/became friends. dirty love - mt. joy

their theme song if they are enemies or were to become enemies. angry too - lola blanc

what my muse would sing or play at your muses funeral. panic room - au/ra

[valeriixchen]

PARKS AND RECREATION 7.04 – leslie and ron

[valeriixchen]

Her routine had provided just enough opportunity for social interaction that Valerii could feel satisfied returning to her empty loft at the end of the day. Heated discussions at the lab, arguing on behalf of the evidence that sometimes the others just didn't see. Drinks at whatever gay bar was offering the cheapest liquor. Small talk with neighbors as they slid past each other on and off the elevator. All of it was gone and Valerii couldn't deny that ugly gaping hole that had reformed inside of her. She'd put so much work into closing it after the divorce. To being okay with being alone.

And here was Ember Wexley, tugging at the invisible strings of Valerii's heart without even knowing it. She could kiss her.

She should kiss her.

A manicured finger gently traced across Ember's cheek as Val smiled at the sentiment. She leaned in to whisper, "Good thing I know CPR" before closing her mouth over Ember's in a kiss of hunger and passion and gratitude because here was a woman who climbed all those walls she'd put up to stop the world from getting in.

Scrunching up that same nose when it's mentioned, Ember basks in the warmth that was blooming in her chest as if the heat from the water was seeping inside her, radiating from Val to herself. She wasn't so alone, and she did have someone who cared. Val had come and lifted her from the abyss, or at least started the process. This strong, beautiful woman, looking at her like that... it softened the sharp edges if her guilt just enough to stop the bleed inside.

"What?" The Request catches her so off guard that the words take a second to truly register and Ember is left starting at her lover with affectionate surprise. "With you?" Shaking her head to stifle the idea that she'd rather stay anywhere but here, with her. Beau and Ziggy had enough to deal with and really, this was where she wanted to be.

"I know." There's conviction in her words enough to make it clear she did know and expect that the worst was yet to come. "We can grab Hugs and some of my things later... I'm not going anywhere. I want to be here... with you." Lifting her head enough to connect their gaze, Ember smiles softly at her brunette counter part, brushing some of the wet hair from off her forehead.

"I think I almost forgot how to feel... but you make my heart beat again. You-... you make it flutter."

[valeriixchen]

lesbian thoughts → lesbian thoughts ↓ ↑ lesbian thoughts ← lesbian thoughts 

[valeriixchen]

Her hand flexes in a signal of surrender. If the book gets to the doctor that would be good enough and he's right--borrowing it from Vik would be a lot easier than fighting over it now like children. "Sure. Sounds like a great idea." Sarcasm drips from her words. "The words would probably have been too big for me to read anyway." As if someone with two masters degrees would struggle with the material.

Valerii's irritation has simmered as she realized how stupid the whole interaction was. Poor people skills and a lack of sleep weren't a winning combination.

"And I'm guessing that hasn't changed," he challenged further, letting the ridiculous classification (Warlock? Please) slide. "So don't worry. I'll pick up the slack and as soon as I'm done I'll make sure it gets in the doc's hands," he assured her.

He was sure Dr. Vik could find something useful in it, outdated as it was. He had after all. And it was only right that the real doctor of the building should have it. Not her. Whoever she was.

"Wait. You weren't hoping to get ahold of it, were you?" he asked rhetorically with obviously feigned revelation. He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Sorry about that. But I bet if you ask Dr. Jain nicely he might let you borrow it."

[valeriixchen]

Ashton seemed to have a lot more optimism in the general goodness of mankind than Valerii did. She suspected some ulterior motive, buying into the conspiracy theories that the crime thrillers she read had put into her head. Plots for international coups or engineered bioweapons. Maybe she should spend less time reading Alex Cross and more time catching up on her microbiology.

Valerii didn't see a point in returning to the ship but she wasn't going to bring that up now. Instead she nodded, as if the idea was one she'd take into consideration. He had enough to worry about right now. "Yeah, sure."

"Consider it government efficiently." Making survivors come to them ensured they could control who was actually getting the cure and stopped the waste of resources from sending out shipments to random points in the city that may be devoid of any actual survivors.

Don't let our people go there yet. "I'm trying."

It's the last comment she makes before the door begins to open and she straightens. Valerii isn't afraid of Sada or her lackies and holds herself with confidence as prying eyes fall onto them. Her jaw tightens as she swallows words she wants to give; offerings of strength and support. She knows that if they were overheard it would only bring Ashton more misery.

It was clear that Sada wanted him hopeless.

Ashton could only shrug as she mused on the possibilities, he didn't have his expertise in this field, leaving Val as the one who understood this better than him to trust her own judgement. "Probably every resource available in the world. Doubt the WHO would hold back any punches to stop this." Who knows if any semblance of an international effort and organization was still alive and kicking, but if vaccines were still coming to them, there had to have some form of organization trucking along. If this was something that could be cultivated from immune blood.. Ashton could see a path for them to figure something out.

"Maybe another trip to that ship is in order," Ashton murmured, not really wanting anyone to take that risk right now, Zach and him had some understanding of that ship and could possibly take another stab at it. "Our time there was cut short by a horde. We could--" but Ash sighed, talking right now as if he had any say left in anything suddenly felt dumb, he's lost every right to exist, much less give an opinion, "..you could see if that's worth exploring again, and who could do it." Ash would've volunteered with Zach again but, well. Might as well preemptively take himself out of the equations.

Ash raised an eyebrow at some of the new information Val was sharing, "phase one? What's phase two then." World domination or whatever. It was exactly so that Ashton already flagged this up the day Sada flaunted it, that their supply would run out, they needed to focus on making some kind of contact with the North, prove that people are still surviving, and a way to recreate this on their own terms, instead of just pillaging from the entire city. "..one point? What do you mean?" That raised alarm bells. Ashton blinked himself more awake at that note, he knew a red flag trap when he saw one.

But they both heard the doors begin to unlock again, with a bang of the door, as if signaling Val's time was up. Ash's gaze darkened with seriousness, "it definitely doesn't feel right.. don't let our people go there yet." They can take away his keys, his headquarters and his position, but Ashton still felt the heavy responsibility in the teams, if he can help them, he would. That was all they could say before they were no longer alone, eyes doing their best to finish their conversation silently before he was left alone.

[valeriixchen]

Initially she reads his question as sarcasm but something makes her reconsider. Val decides to cut the bullshit, just slightly, and give him a genuine reply. "Nine infected." But only eight had been bitten. Ashton had been infected by Sada personally. "But It's only a matter of time before it spreads." Maybe that was the pessimist in her but Valerii didn't everyone who'd been infected to follow the basic guidelines she'd given them.

"Wow. You mean they were bitten?" She could mean many things but only this one was something he was genuinely worried about. If they were relying on that whole vaccine a day keeps the virus away it better be true for the minority of the building, but somehow, he and Petronella never got to know the scale of the problem.

[valeriixchen]

The lips against her neck only solidifies the feelings Val was becoming aware of in her chest. The gesture is so entirely Ember. Valerii's lashes remain tightly closed for a long moment as she drinks in the kiss. Her hand falls to the back of Ember's neck and her fingers massage the areas. "I've always loved your nose." The corner of her lip turned upward. "Reminds me of a cute little bunny." She'd always wanted one, but Val had imagined it having more fur and less human-like features than the woman in front of her.

Her focus returns to Ember's long hair and lathering a floral shampoo into it. "I think you should stay with me for a little while." Because it felt just the smallest bit safer to have Ember hidden here out of sight and out of mind in case Sada decided to finish the Wexley line once and for all. It didn't feel like she should be alone right now anyway. "--Or Ziggy and Beau, if that's better." Valerii included the second option to give Ember an out if her offer was too much ( if ember decided to stop pretending valerii was the right person to support her right now ).

She gently scratches her nails against Ember's scalp and meets her gaze for a moment. "I don't know if things are going to get better any time soon." There was a very real possibility that her father's death was just the beginning of Sada's reign of terror.

Feeling softness radiate from Val, who had always seemed like the strongest and smartest of all warrior women, melted Ember back against her, fingers dancing over silken skin. Breathing in the steam of water she forgot ran hot, and letting her focus be on the surprisingly comforting words, a smile budded onto her lips that of course it was about blood. Surprisingly romantic and very much on brand for this woman who leaned back against her.

A mutual support, instead of one against the other.

Chuckling softly, forehead pressed against the thrumping pulse in her throat, Ember pressed a kiss to her clavicle, finally pulling back enough to be able to really look at her.

Hands lifting to brush ebony strands from the elegant lines of her face, she let her thumbs brush along the curve of her jaw as she pulled back to once more tangle her fingers in her hair. Sure it was supposed to have been Val washing her hair, but it was nice to lose herself in the silken strands, to drink in this woman who had come to pull her from the pits of despair.

"I've always loved your hair, you know that? Even when I'd just see you in the halls. Felt like I should be able to see my reflection in it."

[valeriixchen]

There was something about a hot shower that eased all the invisible aches and burdens that so often held her down. Valerii had spent the first three months after her divorce coming home to melt in the shower and finish a bottle of wine, the combination enough to make it through the night.

This shower was less about disassociating through the pain and more about rekindling a connection between two human beings who were very afraid. She can't admit it but Val knows she needs this moment of intimacy just as much as Ember does. She is alone at the end of the world and has just let the closest thing she's had to a friend in two years get kidnapped by a fucking lunatic.

Her fingers begin to work in Ember's hair in an attempt to forget about the way the heated body feels pressed against her. But when Valerii feels a finger pressing gently against her back and drawing circles her desire turns from sexual to something softer. She couldn't think of the last time a woman had touched her like that. Valerii lived her life fast and had largely outran any attempts at an emotional connection. Fuck. She hadn't had these feelings for someone since her marriage ended.

"They started to figure out blood typing in the 17th century. This French guy in King Louis XIV’s court started experimenting with blood, testing all kinds of theories and trying to understand what it is." How did something as simple as red liquid the key to life? "He was the first to document the reaction between incompatible blood samples." The first to even realize that not all blood was inherently the same.

Val's lip turned up slightly. "And for all his hard work the king had him arrested. The French decided it was all too distasteful."

Following the gentle lead of Val's hands with not a hint of hesitation, Ember stood there watching as Val started the water, turning to look at her reflection for the first time in what felt like years.

It didn't even look like her. It was like staring at a stranger, someone she'd never seen before in her entire life, and for the barest of seconds she almost lost it. Stomach jumping into her throat like when you get too close to the edge of a big drop, but rather than bring her over it seemed to shock her back to the moment. To the present.

To Val.

Just in time to hear 'hot shower'. And that did sound incredibly nice, especially if it was together. Close. Nodding her head to the question with the softest of little smiles, Ember as well started to strip away the layers of clothing that felt like they'd begun to coalesce into her skin. She'd never been ashamed nudity, and it didn't pluss her now.

Stepping beneath the spray with her, the warmth of the water running over her seeped into her muscles and somehow deeper, like it was cascading over the walls of the chasm that held her. Arms lifting to wrap around Val, Ember pulled herself into her, skin to skin and rested her head on her shoulder, leaning against her so her hair could be reached without having to lose the comfort of her closeness.

"Tell me something... " Whispering the words, her own fingers started to move through the rivulets of water, brushing small circles along her spin in movements as soothing to herself as they may be to Val. "Something that didn't change..." When the rest of the world did. "Science."

[valeriixchen]

She took the bite of his words without offense. She deserved that and more for not stepping in, but Valerii was content to take her punishment in whatever eventual form it took. In some ways siding with Sada had compromised Valerii's personal values but her commitment to survival had one out.

Valerii doubted this would be the last time she had to make that compromise. Sada's power would grow and with it her ability to inflict cruelty. No doubt there was a line that Valerii would eventually refuse to cross but apparently torture wasn't it.

Her head bobbed in assurance that his understanding was correct, neck beginning to crane in curiosity as she considered his own proposal. "That..." She paused in continued thought. "I could see that." It would be a hell of a lot more efficient than her mad scientist committing crimes against humanity theory. "We don't even know what resources they had when making this." Although it had been delivered from Canada perhaps the country had been collaborating with countries that were still capable of this kind of research. The US may be beyond any sort of organized attempts at resistance but there had to be other countries that were keeping the infection in check. "Those test kits came from Korea. That tells us they had a head start on solving this." After Zach and Ashton had checked out the docks where the outbreak started for their city, the question of the Korea's involvement had been on everyone's mind. Had they been responsible for this? Had they somehow engineered this nightmare in a lab?

"That's only phase one of the plan." And sending people out to scavenge and steal against unorganized survivors who couldn't stand a chance against the blood thirsty bastards Sada employed was bad enough; but the next part would be so much worse. "But there are only so many of those cases in New York." And the others, sent out across the border of US and Canada along densely populated areas, would be impossible to track down. "And any future drops are only happening at one point in the city." Anyone after the stuff would be funneled right into what Valerii could only assume was some sort of trap.

"I don't like it. It doesn't feel right." Even Sada couldn't be certain of what awaited them if they took the bait. The government had sealed them in here to die and blown the bridges behind them--why would they give a shit about their survival now?

Valerii knew that her time was coming to and end. She'd already overstayed the acceptable amount of time for a simple blood draw.

"I mean, this is also above my pay grade right now," Ashton gestured around the room, despite the pain has enough sarcasm left in him, "they don't pay me enough to be here, said it was for the exposure." Or at least perhaps he was starting to feel the effects of the painkillers settling in, a light ease of the pain spreading across his body. "Depends on how much she trusts you and how much she needs you," Ash lowered his voice compared to the lightness in the precious joke. He believed that they would've given Val everything medical related to Val for her input. No one else on that team had any enough knowledge to work with it. Information is useless if they don't understand it. What worried Ash was the rest of the potential information, contact details, international relations, negotiations, instructions, there were so many other information they could have hidden in order to leverage it at the right moment on them.

His eyebrows raised, giving her the space to share her hypothesis freely, while it wasn't really his wheelhouse of science, he was more than willing to at least be a soundboard to her. From one person of science to another, there was no judgment nor burden of truth, a thought experiment, that's all. "That's white blood cells right?" Ash tried to confirm with the rudimentary knowledge he had of what she was saying, "maybe they found a way to make these white blood cells to purposefully produce the antibodies." He was thinking out loud, the scenarios range from the hopefully microscopic level of using immuned blood to macro levels of using immuned humans altogether. But the fact remains that Canada was still a question mark, and in Ashton's mind if he had any say left, it was paramount to establish communication in some way.

"..and with that also given her all the leverage," the moment Sada knew the value of the real deal she had, that was it. If she wanted to could infect a whole lot more of them and use the vaccine as a form of control. Ash didn't say the statement as if blaming her, but rather as just a fact, a consequence of who Sada is. "Considering they were so gracious to give these to their neighboring country, safe to say they have made enough, that fast," the cost had to be high.

Ash carefully leaned forward and reached over to help hold pressure on the cotton bud over the puncture wound while she kept the blood, "knowing Sada, is her plan just to raid every single vial over the city at any cost?" He scoffed at the idea, how much more different does that make them from the raiders? That just seemed to be a mountain of problems with it, but she did seem to love hoarding power.

[valeriixchen]

"It keeps half of the building from eating the other half." Valerii was quick to point out, a hand jutting to her hip in building irritation. "Or have you forgotten that most people in here are walking around with an expiration date?" Expiration dates that Valerii could tell you from memory, to the minute, after keeping meticulous track of when everyone was given their last doses.

Eminem... That sounded familiar, but not familiar enough for Knox to say how offensive the comparison was. Slim Shady? What a nickname and it fit! Not bad. He wondered if that also was someone he should know.

"It's already fallen apart and all I can hear are adults whining about everything. Not quite sure how that solves any of the problems, but you do you." Knox shrugged, clearly enjoying being a frustrating addition to the community, even though his face remained rather inexpressive.

[valeriixchen]

👥

She's hooked up with Ashton's TA. She and Ashton were in Rosie's Diner late one night grading assignments and Ashton stepped out to make a phone call. By the time he came back his TA was gone and he didn't hear from her again until the next morning.

Ashton had to pick Valerii up from the hospital after a minor car accident because he was listed as her emergency contact. She'd put Ashton there after getting into a fight with her brother several months earlier and never got around to letting Ashton know.. . It's not like she ever thought it would matter.

Every now and then Valerii and Ashton will find themselves sitting across from each other in a random part of the wexley, each of them lost in a puzzle from their respective careers. Val would have a stack of case records and Ashton would be reading through theories. They'll nurse a few warm beers and order Chinese, planning to stay until the late morning hours. First to fall asleep pays for take-out next time.

She had an unfortunate habit of hitting Rosie's just in time to grab the last of the morning's brew so that whoever came after would have to wait for a fresh pot to be boiled. Ashton's timing had it so he was always the poor soul coming into the diner's doors just as Val left with a satisfied grin and warm to go cup in her grasp.

@ashton-ryder

[valeriixchen]

📷 for what my muse would say to the paparazzi about yours. (Ember)

@emberwexley

She doesn't say anything to the paparazzi that slink outside of the Wexley, try as they might to get a comment about the socialite's personal life through the people living in the same building as her. Valerii does as she always has, brushing past the leering faces that are so desperate to invade that poor woman's privacy. They'd love to have something they could use to drag September Wexley through the mud with; the bigger the mess the bigger their payday. Val has no interest in giving them that satisfaction.