— my mother always said . . .

         “   MARK VERNON.   “    tea kettle boils over ; her tempers not been so quick to rise since high school !! yet here we are, lee - anne stood defiantly in front of her brother, crossed arms and creased brows and warning tone.    “    you take that right back. that’s a damn LIE and you know it.    “    she’s careful not to yell, voice trembling as tone tugs betweens emotions she’s unwilling to decipher.    “    i mean, FUCK, marky — if you wanna see the worst sister ever i can bring her RIGHT ON OUT.    “    her words — those three words, the ones drumming through her mind and causing any defense to catch in her throat — they’re said in an almost mocking tone. one defeated by the way her voice trembles as it stumbles off her tongue.

           “    just — don’t — don’t do this today !! STOP THAT. you stop that, alright ?? don’t you even start and don’t you DARE yell at me. i tried my damn best !! i tried my best for all you boys, y’know ?? you’re almost half my age, your brothers are almost ten years younger — i did what i could to be there for you as much as possible !! i still do !! so don’t go and say i only ever care about myself when you know better than that. i mean, shit, mark, whaddya WANT from me ?? fuck !!    “    chest falls with a deep breath, hands shooting out to her sides before falling in defeat.    “    and don’t say that about mom and pop. i was their FIRST DRAFT. they only liked me better ‘cause i didn’t pull shit like this.    “

ok, so, guess we're gonna do this ;

IT’S WHAT SHE DESERVES // @fllenstars​ !!

           "   the nicknames i give YOU ?? oh, come on, it ain’t as bad as the others and you know that !!   “   but laughter is quick to fade, smile pressing into a thin line wracked with disappointment.   “  c'mon, mark… don’t give me that act, alright ??   ”   gaze is PLEADING, green eyes dulled and coated with sorrow as they land on the younger. the words that slip past painted lips sound out seeming too hollow, as though they beg to maintain her usual pep as she speaks. “i’m trying, little buddy, y’know that ??  ”   hands stretch outward as though to rest on his shoulders, but are tugged back to wind together at her chest when she concludes that contact was not necessarily what mark was looking for.

[hair]: length, colour, texture, whether it grows quickly or slowly, how manageable it is, whether it requires lots of styling, do they leave stray hairs everywhere, is it present on their face, is it present on the rest of their body, etc.

[eyes]: not just the colour, but the shape, the length of their eyelashes, whether they're alert or usually half-closed, large or small, sunken into the face, ringed by bags, etc.

[mouth]: are their lips always drawn thin or are they plump and kissable, what's their "default expression"/resting face, do they have all their own teeth, do they use their teeth to smile, etc.

[face]: what is the shape of their face, do they have pronounced cheekbones or a strong jaw, what's the size and shape of their nose, what's the size and shape of their ears, do they stick out, are they pointed, etc.

[skin]: obviously colour, but also if they're inclined to run hot or cold, do they have any blemishes or unusual markings, are they inclined to blush, are they freckled, do they tan, what does their skin feel like, etc.

[build]: are they skinny and petite or do they resemble a body builder, are they tall or short or average height, are they lean and wiry, are they overweight, are all of their features proportionate, etc.

[hands]: are they large or small, do they have pianist's fingers or short stubby ones, do they tend to get sweaty or are they always dry, is the skin rough or delicate, are the nails painted or chewed or sharp, etc.

[legs]: are they solidly built, short and stubby, or long and graceful, do they have knobbly knees or rounded knees, what's their gait, etc.

[feet]: do they have a habit of going up on their tiptoes, what's their usualy stance, do they tend to shift their weight to a preferred side, etc.

“I hate this.” he mumbled, smirking slightly. “I mean..I look better than Alexander so, its not so bad. A little itchy but..” he shrugged.

     kid is unaffected by the unpleasant word ( he’s heard far worse from his dear old sis ), more worried about the unwelcome help coming his way. “lee, i’m thirteen, i can handle the word ass.” he’s certainly glad that he’s able to have a relationship with his sister ( so many age gaps leave relations in tatters and he’s more than grateful that, if anything, his siblings love him ), but days like this, where they’re both dragged out to family events, really take a toll on his ability to process. 

     head pulls back as soon as her hand leaves his hair, shy gaze landing on the floor. “i thought it was fine.” he hates how easy it is for him to get overwhelmed ( no big deal, just the entire family, making constant noise surrounding him ! ) and he wishes he could just suck it up and interact with everybody else. “when is this over?”

            “   yeah, yeah, i know that — and i know you and the boys probably say worse when family isn’t around, but that doesn’t mean mom and pop won’t give me a hard time for it.   “   she provides an exaggerated roll of her eyes, arms crossed as gaze is cast to the younger.   “   that doesn’t mean i condone it, by the way. don’t repeat the things i say, got it ??   “    (    do as she says, not as she does, or … something. preferably, don’t do EITHER. )