* 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 / 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 . ˚ ◝

𝐬𝐚𝐦  𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐝𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐭  /  ...  intro.  visuals.  playlist.  pinterest. 𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲  𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢  /  ...  intro.  visuals.  playlist.  pinterest. 𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜  𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐫  /  ...  intro.  visuals.  playlist.  pinterest. 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫  𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚  /  ...  intro.  visuals.  playlist.  pinterest.

when  henry  met  henri,  he  felt  his  mind  spiral.  he  doesn’t  like  to  make  a  habit  of  consuming  himself  with  his  thoughts,  but  it  was  nearly  impossible  not  to  think  of  the  thousands  of  different  scenarios  where  henri’s  existence  has  a  place  in  theirs.  in  his.  the  evidence  that  something  is  off  is  overwhelming  —  the  fact  that  if  there  wasn’t  something  to  hide,  then  lisa  would  have  told  him  about  her.  that  if  this  truly  was  a  coincidence,  surely  their  names  would  be  different.  she  wouldn’t  be  from  woodvale,  the  town  the  bianchi’s  so  narrowly  escaped  at  birth.  she  wouldn’t  have  lisa’s  eyes,  or  her  nose  ...  all  the  features  she’s  hailed  for,  that  he  thought  were  unique.  he’s  her  fraternal  twin,  but  henri’s  something  more.  she’s  more  than  him,  and  he  doesn’t  know  why.  he  doesn’t  know  how.

“ I DON’T, NOT REALLY, ”   she tells him, before realizing that’s the opposite of what she had just said.   “ okay, i mean… i ran into her on the street the other day, ”   henri explains, speaking slow and steady, so he can process it a bit more easier.   “ apparently she’s new in town, which was news to me, but i’ve lived here my whole life. we had dinner together at my flat, and… talked a bit. ”   unsure if she should mention their arrangement together, henri keeps quiet.   “ that’s about it. i don’t know why i look like her, just that i do. ”   don’t they work for a modeling agency ?   the idea of having anything to do with that is so funny, she can’t help but snort, shaking her head.   “ i work at burgers and berries in town. i’m the manager, ”   henri adds, so he doesn’t think she’s only a waitress.

HENRY.  the name — her name — makes her run hot, then cold, heartbeat rising to her ears. was he her brother, too ?   or was he just someone with the same name as her, the brother to the girl who looks like her ?   henri doesn’t even realize she’s shaking her head until she sees her hair flicking over her shoulder from her peripherals.   “ i’m not your sister, ”   she blurts out, then glances around, only to grab him by the arm and pull him down a nearby alleyway anyway.   “ i’m not your sister, ”   she says again, this time lower, looking straight at him.   “ i know who she is, though, lisa. but… she’s not me. so, uh, you might want to talk to her yourself. ”

❝ i think , our time would be better used indoors tonight,❞ chess says mildly in his sweeping way to henry that may or may not, hide truer reasonings behind such a quick change of heart. for now, the times had changed and nightlife was rightfully more tense than satisfying to most anyways. ／／ @fablelores .

a  small  head  tilt  matched  with  a  slight  furrow  of  henry’s  brows.  “  you  want  to  stay  in  on  a  saturday  night  ?  ”  he  thinks  this  is  strange  coming  from  chess,  but  he  wouldn’t  argue  against  spending  more  time  alone  with  the  other.  henry  reaches  out  toward  the  boy,  fingertips  tracing  his  arm  before  they  rest  laced  together  in  chess’  grasp.  he  brings  his  hand  to  his  lips,  pressing  a  kiss  to  his  fingertips  before  looking  up  at  him  with  a  soft  gaze.  “  okay,  ”  he  smirks  a  little.  “  i’ll  do  whatever  you  want.  ”

HENRI GIVES HIM A LOOK, a small smile on her lips that doesn’t reach her eyes.   “ thank you, ”   she says to him, although she wishes he wouldn’t bother. she’s not looking to be gassed up,   “ but that’s not what i meant. she’s a ceo of a company, sam. apparently she’s in charge of models or something. ”   brown eyes roll, because henri honestly doesn’t even care about any of that.   “ i don’t even know if i want to get to know HER, it all seems messy and complicated. but she’s going to find out what the truth is about the two of us, and hopefully that’s… enough to put it to bed. ”   she suddenly feels very tired, glancing away to take a moment to herself. a deep breath. complicated’s the best way to describe what’s going on between her and lisa, and complicated’s the last thing she needs right now. or ever. she certainly doesn’t need fake family. at his voice henri looks back over at him, wanting to tell him that she hadn’t meant it as a way to push him away, even if their distance is probably better off while she’s with philip. lips press together as she meets his eye, nodding slowly.   “ i know, ”   she says, and she means it. if there’s anyone to talk to about family – for better or for worse – it’s sam.   “ but thank you. i… i’ll remember that. are you having fun, today ?   are you here with greta ? ”

“  right,  that’s  ...  a  lot,  ”  sam  settles,  unable  to  place  his  finger  on  the  correct  word.  impressive,  for  starters.  they’re  only  in  their  mid-twenties  ...  it’s  practically  unheard  of,  in  a  small  town  like  woodvale.  as  she  continues,  though,  sam  only  nods  his  head.  things  still  feel  so  stiff  with  henri  —  like  he’s  tiptoeing  around  what  used  to  be  so  simple,  unable  to  stop  himself  from  nitpicking  every  word  that  leaves  his  lips.  he  wants  to  feel  normal  with  her,  but  what  is  normal  ?  is  it  the  past  two  years,  avoiding  the  girl  at  every  cost  ?  is  it  something  yet  to  be  forged  ?  he  doesn’t  know  —  but  if  their  conversation  is  a  dance,  then  sam’s  got  two  left  feet.  he’s  useless,  but  he  wants  to  try.  “  er,  i  know  it  isn’t  my  place,  but  just  ...  give  her  a  chance,  i  guess.  it  could  be  good  to  know  her,  find  out  about  your  parents.  i  can’t  begin  to  understand  how  you’re  feeling,  henri,  but  surely  all  of  this  has  got  to  be  for  something.  you’re  pretending  to  be  her,  for  christ’s  sake.  i  dunno.  ”  sam  lets  out  of  an  airy  breath.  “  it’s  ...  complicated,  but  maybe  that’s  what  makes  it  worth  it.  ”  there’s  a  frown  on  his  lips,  for  he  hopes  he  hasn’t  come  off  the  wrong  way.  he  only  wants  her  to  be  happy.

          (  @fablelores​  for  peter !  )    eyes  narrow  at  him  ,   she  wipes  some  car  grease  off  her  hands  ,   before  placing  them  on  the  curvature  of  her  hips  .    ‘  what  did  you  do  and  do  i  need  a  shovel ?  ’  

        ‘  you  are  worse  than  phillip  .  ’   it’s  the  best  insult  she  can  come  up  on  the  spot  ,   and  both  know  how  much  she  has  a  dislike  for  the  man  who  is  indeed  her  fiancé  .    ‘  usa il cervello, fratello. se c'è rimasto.  ’   because  she’s  starting  to  believe  that  he  doesn’t  have  any  working  .    ‘  people  want  to  see  people  who  look  like  them  ,   even  if  they  are  short  and  have  red  hair  .   a  few  fixer  uppers  into  the  mix  will  not  mess  up  the  business  .   if  we  can  do  it  for  the  women  ,   i  see  no  issue  with  doing  it  for  the  men  .   besides  ,   we  need  our  fair  share  of  cover  ups  after  nights  out  .  ’    lisa  bianchi  ,   as  per  usual  ,   is  more  business  than  friendly  ,   even  with  her  brother  .   that’s  for  when  she’s  a  few  glasses  in  .  

IT TAKES HER A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE NAME — LISA — only because the man’s italian accent is so heavy that she expects it to mean something different altogether. but when she hears it henri immediately stiffens, glancing around to see if anyone else has noticed. it’s strange how her and lisa have apparently lived in the same town together for a few weeks, but only now is she’s beginning to get confused as her. henri doesn’t like it.   “ um, i think you’ve got the wrong impression, ”   she says carefully, not really sure WHAT to say. her and lisa didn’t exactly want this getting around, but she’s not yet in a headspace to play the role of the rich girl.   “ sorry, what’d you say your name was ? ”

BY SOME MIRACLE SHE DOESN’T REACT WHEN HE TOUCHES HER, a feeling once familiar and loved, now she can count on one hand the amount of times it’s happened in the past year. thankfully she’s not looking at him right now, trying to scan the crowd to see if lisa is somewhere around, so she could point her out. but she’s probably not noticeable, henri realizes — that would make all of this for nothing.   “ no, it’s not, ”   she says earnestly, finally looking back at him.   “ she’s not interested in being sisters, and honestly, neither am i. she’s here because of work, and she’s… she’s rich and powerful and everything i’m not. ”   it stings a little to say it, but the words come out matter-of-factly, because there’s no denying the obvious.   “ look, it’s a whole thing, but she and i both don’t want it getting out, because it’d be bad for her company or whatever, and i just… don’t want a pity family. but in order to do that, i told her i’d pretend to be her for a little while, when her fiancé’s concerned. ”   eyes swivel over to where she left philip just before.   “ so if you see me with him, just don’t… ”   think it’s me, she almost says, but that doesn’t sound right,   “ blow my cover, i guess. it all sounds mad, i know. ”

the sound of her dearest  friend’s voice brought her attention away from the spilled beer, a laugh escaping her lips as she was now facing and looking up at him. she playfully narrowed her eyes at peter, a teasing tone to her voice. “more than you could handle.” she hummed, finishing off the remaining beer that was in the cup, chuckling softly. “that stumble was more due to me not being use to these torture devices everyone seems to call dresses.” she noted, using her free hand to pick up a corner of the skirt and lifting it a little before letting it fall from her fingertips. “i’m hoping that perhaps i’ll drink enough to where i just might start liking to wear it.” 

blue  eyes  roll  playfully,  peter  figuring  there’s  no  chance  she  could  be  a  match  for  his  tolerance.  she  could  try,  though.  “  you  wanna  turn  that  into  a  challenge  ?  ”  a  brow  raises  —  it  isn’t  clear  whether  he’s  joking  or  not.  given  his  track  record  and  tendency  to  get  into  trouble,  the  former  is  more  likely.  “  then  change  —  who  said  there’s  a  dress  code,  anyway  ?  ”  and  who  would  stop  her  if  she  didn’t  follow  it  ?  “  how’s  that  worked  for  you  so  far,  trix  ?  ”

HENRI’S MINDING HER OWN BUSINESS about to turn into the book store when she’s stopped by a man — or rather, a HAND. she doesn’t know if it’s meant to strike her or reach for her, but she doesn’t give it a chance, jumping back and scowling at him.   “ excuse me ? ”   at berries & burgers she’s sweet as honey, but henri’s been on her own long enough to know how to take care of herself, eyes as sharp as daggers. it’s not the first man she’s met who doesn’t know how to keep his hands to himself. 

    she listened to the moms she got caught up with, giggling over the kids as they watched the wreaths float. one boy started crying hysterically because his sank,  it earned laughter from the others but odette cringed, slowly she walked backwards from them. out of place per-usual, ettie made sure she was a safe distant before turning her back, a light sigh passed out of her with the mask falling. everyone loved a good sport, especially married moms who had nothing else to do. her feed carried her right to a sangria stand, silent prayers given at the proximity it was to the pizza one.

     “are you in line?” she questioned the person in front, one of many scattered around the front.  

he’s  stumbling  through  the  crowd,  paused  near  the  cocktail  stand  thanks  to  a  distraction  from  his  phone.  “  me  ?  nah,  ”  peter  starts,  turning  to  face  the  brunette.  “  i  don’t  really  like  sangria.  just  trying  to  find  the  line  for  pizza.  ”  perhaps  it’s  sophomoric  choosing  pizza  when  there’s  so  many  traditional  woodvalian  options.  but  peter’s  gotten  around  to  trying  everything  in  his  twenty-one  years  in  this  town,  and  he’s  found  he’s  a  bit  too  picky  for  any  of  the  festival’s  other  options.  he’ll  stick  to  what  he  knows  when  it  comes  to  food.

this isn’t her first Midsummer event, the tradition is one she’s enjoyed growing up in Woodvale. as a child she’d await the mornings to make wreaths of flowers and ultimately fail in her craft– her fingers were typically not patient enough for weaving–  she’s watching her wreath of blue roses, orange mini ranunculus, baby’s breath, eucalyptus sprig and yellow tulips. it looks like a little circle of fire floating in the stream. “At least it’s not sinking, right?” her grim outlook refers to the tradition of sinking wreaths symbolizing an early departure of the earth. “Well, I guess if it did, I’d have to take that admonition as a compliment–” the tiny wrinkles forming in her cheeks with her smile, would speak otherwise. “Would you point yours out? I’d love to see it.”

he  hasn’t  been  in  woodvale  his  whole  life  —  this  past  june  marked  two  years  —  but  he’s  grown  quite  fond  of  the  small  town’s  traditions.  there’s  enough  splendor  to  keep  him  enthralled,  but  it’s  also  quaint  enough  that  he  feels  at  rest.  his  attention  focuses  on  the  woman  as  she  speaks,  head  tilting  at  her  words.  “  a  compliment  ...  how  so  ?  ”  eric  misses  the  joke  completely,  too  distracted  by  the  foreboding  of  it  all.  an  early  death  is  what  took  his  father  too  soon,  after  all.  “  mine’s  there,  ”  he  points  with  a  hand  beyond  the  vernon  river,  to  a  spot  where  only  a  handful  of  wreaths  are  floating.  “  it’s  the  one  with  rosemary,  lavender,  eucalyptus  —  with  the  willow  branches  poking  out  ?  ”

“ I’M FINE, ”   she’s quick to say, so used to saying it that henri doesn’t even think twice at first. once she does, she finds herself hesitating.   “ it’s… a bit of a long story, ”   the admits, glancing behind her to make sure philip’s not paying attention before motioning for sam to follow her behind a few trees, easily out of sight. when she finally looks at him, trying to figure out how to even start with everything, henri begins to second guess herself. she wishes it didn’t feel like she OWED him an explanation, especially when she knows he’d never make her feel that way, but every time she tries to start talking, it sounds suspiciously like an excuse.   “ it’s no big deal, ”   she finally prefaces, fingers running through the ends of her hair,   “ but, erm, i think found my long-lost twin sister i never knew i had. ”