blue valentine

TIMESKIP.

"That's all we can ask for." Aniyah smiled softly with a nod. She knew that they both had very stressful jobs so relaxing was a bit foreign for Stevie. Aniyah's family had always had the work hard, play harder mentality and they instilled that in both her and her brother.

TIMESKIP.

at the very least, her protective nature is seemingly coming off as friendly. as a lingering feeling of a best friend who only wants what's best for someone, instead of the insane and white hot jealousy that it actually kind of is. delaney has spent a very long time learning how to manage the crush that has turned into some full blown feelings for victor, and it would be a bit stupid to go blowing all of that up now over some random guy at a bar. and hell, if victor tells her that he wants to go home with someone, she's not going to stop him. she'll sulk about it quietly, but she'll back off. "yeah, well. we were both a little sauced, and i didn't want you running off with someone if you weren't fully coherent. you would have done the same for me if i was getting hit on, i hope. sadly, the only guy hitting on me last night was the bartender, and i've already been there, done that, so..." her nose wrinkles a bit, and she shakes her head. "anyway, i'm ordering us greasy diner breakfast."

"only the bartender? are you serious?" he mulls over it, visibly deep in thought as if the idea of men not flirting with delaney is the most mind-boggling thing on earth. "you know what it is? i think guys think we're together. see, this is why you should stop bringing me to bars with you." offhandedly, he says, "i mean, if we weren't such good friends, i'd date you in a heartbeat. it's truly either they mistake us for a couple, or that particular establishment is filled with men who are out of their minds." he grins. "greasy diner breakfast, my favorite part of the day."

the mumbling is a bit annoying, because daisy doesn't quite catch what he says, and the pout that forms on her lips is immediate and obvious. "that's not fair! you can't just say you dream about me and not tell me what happens. i've totally told you about that time i dreamed about you being a prince and us doing a whole ass retelling of cinderella." the pout lingers, but she still rolls over and faces away from him, a little huff slipping through her nose. "come on then, big spoon. show me how strong you are while you keep your secrets."

"ha-ha-ha," he says, sounding robotic and awkward, when she brings up that one dream again. "that was such a random dream. besides..." he sighs, wrapping her in his arms, "don't you think i'd be better as a superhero than a prince? i mean, that's why i dyed my hair a very sci-fi color." his heart quickens, both because he's so close to her gorgeous, gorgeous face, and because he feels like he's letting raymond down. not that someone can call dibs on a person, but still... raymond liked daisy first. maybe that counts for something. despite it all, he gets caught up in their banter -- it's all too easy. "i'll be your superhero," he murmurs. "i am, in some of my dreams. they change so often. but most of them lead to this..." before he can stop himself, he leans in, trying to give her a quick kiss.

an eyebrow quirks, and she takes note of the words without responding to them. becoming close to people, real people, is a more dangerous game than being aloof and distant and mildly confusing to them. some people linger, even when she's got walls higher than everest, but eventually they grow tired of the mysterious act she puts on as well. so while she clocks something, she chooses to let it slide for rose's safety, and her own. instead, her body moves to lean back and grab a music box from a low shelf behind her. "the little girl that used to own this only wanted to be a ballerina. it plays a little bit of swan lake. leave the thing unattended in a dark room, you might just hear the swan theme playing, or see a flash of a little girl doing a wobbly spin."

rose sits in silence for a moment. "...wait, is that it?" she shakes her head. "does the ghost girl tear your head off or...? 'cause if it's just like, a harmless silhouette of someone dancing, then that's nothing." she lets out a brief laugh. "i don't know what kinda people you hang out with, duri, but i'm not a coward. is that the best you've got?"

tonight's an event set for new york's royalty. they're out in force, here to support a charitable cause for a foundation that blair happened to chair. and honestly, with blair BURNING UP at work, the distraction is like, perfect - she always did love throwing a party, or pouring herself into the logistics.

"i hate to crush your hopes and dreams, but i filmed it. just a little though! and it's for personal use only and no one else will ever see it, i swear!" she quickly tucks her phone under her, just to be safe, to keep that precious video for at least a little while longer. then again, it's not as if he doesn't know her password, if he wants it gone, he can make it disappear. "honestly? it's the yoga. first thing in the morning, wake up with the sun, get good and stretched out, feel energized for the rest of the day." there's a pause, one where her cheeks flood with a bit of color. "that and the three redbulls, probably. anyway-- uh.. no. i didn't get his number. i wasn't interested in him. he just seemed really... into you. i was more protective mode than annoyed mode."

"oh my god." he lets out a disbelieving laugh, burying his face in his hands. "you know what, i teach history. and i know the value of documentation." he sighs. "modern people like us are so lucky we can easily create video evidence of us having a great night. so i won't tell you to delete it. but you better keep it to yourself!" he chuckles again. "i'm up for that next. the yoga, not the red bulls." his buoyant mood subdues a little when she seems genuinely embarrassed by his teasing. tone softens as he says, "and i really do appreciate your protectiveness, d. you know how to make a 36-year-old man feel so special." still teasing, really, but he hopes she can sense how fond he is of her.

"that's not ridiculous. ridiculous is that time i fell asleep on top of a washing machine. i think it was to prove a point. can't be assed to remember what the point was at the moment." she falls onto the mattress with a bit of a thud, a giggle slipping out of her as she spreads her arms open and wiggles her fingers at him. "come on, then. cuddle time. i'm actually a really good human teddy bear, and my feet only get a little cold, so you'll probably be alright." she blinks, and then sits up a little on her elbow. "you have dreams about me? now you have to tell me how they end."

he lets out a chuckle at that. "could never be me. i like being comfy," he says. but he adores that about her, her stubbornness or tenacity, whichever word you prefer. "can't i be the big spoon?" he flexes a tattooed arm. "i know i'm the nerdy one but i'm strong, i swear. i don't just sit in front of my computer all the time." he freezes when she asks to know how his dreams about her end. "it doesn't always end in sex," he mumbles. just most of the time. more loudly, he says, "i mean... that's confidential information!"

"gutsy, certainly a way to put it." she flips the knife in her hand, lets the handle land beautifully against her palm before stabbing it gently into the wood of the counter and letting it rest there, wobbling a bit on it's point. "he's convenient. i think things that are convenient." he's a cover, and that's part of what makes him so convenient, but it's not as if she can tell rose that. instead, she shrugs her shoulders and pulls a bottle from under the counter to place between them. "most of them are haunted, you know. those freaky vintage things. that's the appeal of them."

rose doesn't flinch, and hardly blinks, when duri shows off her skills with the knife. she observes every little motion intently. when the display is done, she has to take a few moments to collect herself. "...that lucky bastard," she finally says. despite the reasons provided, a man with the personality of oatmeal pulling duri continues to puzzle rose. "i don't believe in ghosts, but maybe you could change my mind." she leans in closer. "tell me a story about one of your antiques."

continued from here for @bluevclentines

continued from here for @bluevclentines

continued from here for @bluevclentines

mai shook her head, though she couldn't fight the smile blossoming on her lips the more that chai spoke. her usual retorts were nowhere to be found, as she wrote down the qualities that the other woman named in silence. "...more words than needed, but thank you," she said. was it obvious that her heart was fluttering? hopefully not. "i'll choose my favorite later. let's think of some deeper things for your sheet, though."

open to; anyone based on; this meme

"Experiencing the joys of a hangover, thanks to you," Victor said. "My students have never seen me like that. But weirdly, I think they liked seeing me act like a mess." He chuckled. "You're a bad influence."