𝓰𝓲𝓵𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓵𝓲𝓵𝔂

being in the mere presence of madeline was enough to make kaia more nervous than she had any right to be, but painting her and making sure it was good enough for her standards? it was nearly impossible. even if she wasn’t shaky, the feat was too difficult for her. the fact that maddie herself seemed so concerned was enough to make her hide her face behind paint-stained hands. how was she supposed to do this? “i’m just… not normally like this, i’m not shy or quiet or anything like that.” she mutters, frustrated. her confession is silly, but she also doesn’t understand why she feels this way either. “it looks really bad, can we just scrap it?”

relief pours into her at the other woman’s insistence that they have hot chocolate. kaia visibly relaxes in knowing that she isn’t being viewed as a child, something that she didn’t often mind but in the presence of madeline? it’s a different thing entirely. she gasps as she reenters with her clothes, already ready to deny such beautiful garments. that didn’t mean she couldn’t try them on, however. standing up, she easily slips into the proffered piece before spinning around in it and looking over her shoulder at maddie. “how do i look? prepared for the winter?”

Noa watched as the door was opened to the main storeroom. This was something Noa had never done before, which was mainly the reason that she had bid on it to start with, plus she did love wine. “Why thank you,” she grinned, heading through the door but really unsure where to go after that, holding back to let Madeline take the lead. She grinned as she was complimented, “well I’d be pretty terrible at my job if I wasn’t,” she joked. 

@gllded​​​ X closed. — jodha. location: palace library of records    

Sabina’s fingers grazed against leather bound spines as she walked along the many shelves containing documents she’d been itching for years to read. Alfred had told her to meet there, but he seemed to be running unfashionable late. 

“I was beginning to think that–” she turned with a smile that quickly dissolved the moment she realized it wasn’t Alfred who’d joined her. 

There weren’t many ways she could explain why she was there without Alfred’s company, and if there was a reason (other than sneaking, that is) she could not think of it. What’s worse is that it was Jodha. A woman she’d long admired and envied.  

“Oh, hello.” She forgot herself, and how she was supposed to greet such royalty. “I was just admiring the room.”  

there was a history to be learned from records, especially that of a small country like genovia. she had borrowed a few on agriculture practices in the neighboring village, fascinated with their irrigation system she hoped to take back to her home country to improve on and adapt for their own use. her fingers tensed around the leather-bound book when she saw she wasn’t alone, eyeing the woman before her. 

she had heard whisperings about sabina, a lady of the night with clients in high places. there was something about that that jodha respected, after all she was standing in the presence of royalty and in the palace without accompaniment. clients in high places indeed, she muses. 

@gllded​ X closed. — madeline. location: pear festival, tree lighting.

He’s had just enough mulled wine to keep him warm, bring some color to his face, and make him a little too sociable (as if he wasn’t already). He’d been dragged along to the village square for a promised tree lighting ceremony by a few of his coworkers, but all the standing around was beginning to bore him. 

He was looking at the crowd around him, smiling, when he came across a familiar face. 

“Shoooooot.” Casey gave a long whistle. “I know you. Yer that gal on the internet, ain’t you? What do they call that, again?” He stops to think. “An influencer! I seen you on there with all those promos. Good for you, gal.”  

if she was going to be spending the holiday season in genovia instead of someplace warm like bali or costa rica, she might as well generate some content with it. maddie navigates her way through the crowd to where people gathered to take pictures in front of the lit up tree in the town square. a feat done all over the world in every way possible way, it’s still an easy way for her to get likes on her instagram page. #festive. #christmas. 

she has a kind stranger she’s agreed to exchange picture-taking services line up the shot she’s carefully planned only to be interrupted by a loud whistle. she squints at him, always nice to meet a fan, but not particularly one that borderline CAT CALLS her in public.  

of course. he let out a low chuckle, as though he should have been expecting the answer before even asking it. how easy it seemed for her to just… walk away from everything. edward simply doesn’t understand, doesn’t get how she can just — do that to them, to the life that he was so ready to build for the two of them. it was clear to him that she just… no longer cares. and that just made all of this so much worse.

“ yeah. yeah figures. ” he lets the silence between them settle into an uncomfortable mess created just by the mere presence of her. something that would have never happened all of those years ago. “ it’s fine jodha. forget it. ” the remark came out bitter, the anger that he held for her — for what she did, seemed to slip through. 

and despite that, despite the anger that was slowly bubbling back up, edward still offered his helped, “ if you need anything, just let me know. ” it was as if that was on autopilot — and maybe he still needs it. “ i hope you’re stay at the castle goes by smoothly. ” and with that last formal remark, edward turned to walk away. at least this time, it was his turn to disappear.

his words come unexpectedly, a stinging feeling spreading in her chest like salt in a wound. she’s hurt by his terse words, maybe not visibly so, but it’s enough for her to reach out and grab him by the arm to stop him. she does it without thinking, feeling warm muscle underneath her palm.  ‘ edward, wait. ’  

but what could she say now that would absolve her of this feeling of -- of guilt, of regret, of validation ? jodha couldn’t tell him why she really left, nor could she tell him what she’s been up to since. she knows she can’t tell him any of this, yet she still yearns for his forgiveness. how can he forgive her when he doesn’t even know what she’s sorry for ? 

( starter called by @gllded )

          if he wasn’t outside smoking a cigarette & he wasn’t at the gym practicing his boxing or capoeira, sunwoo could more times than most be found in the palace’s kitchen - eating everything & anything he could find with a book in hand. it’s when sunwoo looks up from his plate of fish & chips that he recognizes the person that stepped into the kitchen.  “   매들린. 당신은 내가 평화롭게 먹을 수 있다고 생각합니까 ?   ”  the sentence seemed to just roll off his tongue but he was definitely in no mood to argue.

honora gave her a look and hid a pristine smile behind a gloved hand. “i believe we’re all tired of the pear wine, my dear. it’s like–  pick another fruit, right?” she leaned on the bar. “what have you been up to?”

“no need to be rude here” he berated, completely unaware, or simply unbothered by, the fact that he was intact the rude one in this situation. his own self absorption making him completely oblivious to situations in which he is in the wrong. “maybe if you had the sense not to stand in the way of everyone this wouldn’t happen”

          dark hues had been caught staring for a little too long & soon enough it seemed that the other noticed.  “   shoot ! i’m sorry. i’m not judging you or anything.   ”  nolan is quick to try & reassure her & finds himself taking a seat.  “   i’m jealous of the fact that you’re eating a sundae.   ”  he smiles,  “   i’d love one but i’ll have to pass. what do you have on yours ?   ”

in any other situation, rhys likely would have laughed at the sight of madeline baek taking a seat on the ground. but he was far too lost in his own thoughts, his own mind where a dangerous mixture of how he felt about himself and the words that others that uttered about him plagued him. he hadn’t realized everything that had piled up in there until that very moment and he brings his long legs up to lean his head against his knees. he wants to make himself as small as possible, a nearly impossible feat for someone who stood at a whopping six foot five. “i’m not even sure if what i did was the right thing, i just knew i couldn’t let him hurt oliver like he hurt me.” he expresses, pain bleeding into his words. he doesn’t want to think about his childhood, the neglect and the dismissals because he had never been good enough. maddie’s hand in his offers little comfort, but he gives it a squeeze anyhow. “how am i supposed to help him when i can’t even help myself? all i do is press more of it down until it becomes this part of me that i’m afraid to tell anyone about.”

kaia takes her hand without question, quickly falling in line with whatever the other wanted. her place is a welcome relief as she enters, the temperature just perfect as it drew her in. the next thing she knows, she’s blinking in surprise at madeline’s voice as she takes a look around her bedroom. she hardly knows where to sit, opting for the edge of the bed as she quietly tries to remember how she got herself into this situation again. “oh, i’d love a hot chocolate.” she states just loud enough for her to hear, before remembering that she’s supposed to be an adult. “i mean, a coffee!”

@gllded​, the art studio // where kaia had once found solace and peace in painting, this was certainly not the case while madeline was around. her strokes were shaky at best, compromising her work of art as she continually sighs. it wasn’t that she was cold, though that was the excuse that she would definitely provide if asked. she didn’t know why she was so nervous, only that the other girl made her feel some kind of way that she couldn’t place. “this is ridiculous,” she murmurs under her breath, setting down her paint brush to peer over at maddie. she shouldn’t have advertised painting if she was going to be so bad at it tonight. “i’m so sorry, i just don’t feel like myself today.”