GILDED / cage*

emily alyn lind, she/her + cis woman, 20 | well of course you’ve heard of lane king, right? they are a second year student living in the town of rye taking visual and performing arts at rye university, and as per the blinds, they are like overflowing champagne flutes, mascara-stained cheeks, and the flickering florescent logo of 7/11 at 2 am. ©

        to no surprise to anyone, quinn and lane had dedicated an entire day to just hanging out with one another. how they didn’t get tired of each other after living with each other was just as good as a question to him that it was to anyone else. he couldn’t help but laugh along with the girl, smiling as he took his first shot and of course demanding a lemon or lime in return. “this never gets easier, huh?” he shrugged, once again dodging those questions. how did she know about a crush? was all he could think about, but now that they were alone it was a little bit more difficult to avoid the conversation. “hey, don’t give me those puppy dog eyes.. and it’s no one! it’s not a big deal, missy.”

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of course lane and quinn had carved out time in their spring break trip for one another. candidly, she wasn’t sure what a day would look like where she didn’t spend a good chunk of her time with him. he was comfortable, a safe space for her — and someone she often confided in. it was a true wonder they didn’t grow tired of each other, though she wouldn’t take it for granted. she tossed a lime his way after he had downed the shot, a bright grin splayed on her visage — displaying her pearly whites. “it’s so a big deal,” she purred with a devilish smirk threatening to tug the corners of her lips upward. “you haven’t shown any interest in other people in quite some time, so don’t mind me if i’m suddenly interested in who might be joining our home for late night rendezvous.”

Kasey was well accustomed to days spent out on the water, where the reflection of the sun off of the crystalline surface would turn fair skin into something peeling and lobster-like in the span of just a few hours. She had been wise to apply enough before heading out, and now a massive hat shaded her face and most of her shoulders as she kicked back on the boat, wiggling her bare toes. Her sandals had been lost somewhere between shore and sea, a problem that would she’d have to come up with a solution for eventually. “I’m going to go on a glass bottom boat tour with Cal soon,” she admitted, “I think it depends on the kind of boat. Maybe this one just isn’t sneaky enough.” Kasey tapped a finger against her lips. “You know, I’d probably feel really bad about eating fish for dinner tonight if I knew we were meeting them all on the boat. I think this is for the best, not to remind you of the whole,” she gestured now, laughing. “Sourdough starter thing.”

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lane was not a beach bum, though she had always been entranced by the ocean and it’s wonders. perhaps it was the fact that her family was not full of nature lovers, but rather hollywood starlets and a-list producers. what time had they for the simple joys of nature? but she had missed it, missed being so close to the beach and water. it was a nice change of pace. the duo had dolloped a bountiful amount of sunblock on their pale bodies before setting out on their ocean excursion, them both being rather fair skinned in nature ( though lane could probably stand a second coating at this point ). “that sounds so lovely,” lane crooned, dark eyes bright as she swirled the water in her bottle around slowly. “is it.. a date?” she asked, eyebrow raised in inquisition as she scanned kasey’s face for some suggestion at the answer — though a laugh was soon to follow at the suggestion, the blonde nodding slowly. “i’ll be sure not to befriend any of the sea creatures if i plan on dining at any seafood restaurants, promise.”

for: @lanefm where: around an ibizan centre

Léon is not someone that needs to be constantly moving all the time. On the contrary, he’s rather happy to park himself on a bench, stretch out and admire the day; especially in a place as pretty as this one. It’s nice, watching the people buzz by — tourists, most of them, trying to shove in as many things to their itineraries before time runs out and they return home, just busy little bees. Like the one that nearly runs over a bicyclist to get into a nearby wellness studio. It brings a soft chuckle from Léon’s lips. “What about you? Have you ever tried yoga?” He asks aloud, head turning to the person closest nearby, eyes landing on a somewhat familiar blonde figure. Lane, he thinks her name is. “I don’t think anything in there could get you more relaxed than the right blunt could— but I guess it could be fun to try. I wonder if they really say ohm all the time.”

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it was really nice to get a change of pace, though lane wasn’t entirely behaving differently than she would back in town. that being said, the warmth of the sun beating down on her face and the sound of the environment whirring past brought her some sense of peace — a reminder of the world outside of rye, the world they’d all be soon to inherit once they crossed the graduation stage and were handed their degrees. well, those of them who managed to graduate. a chuckle bubbled out of lane’s lips at léon’s question, the blonde nodding once though her cheeks flushed a soft shade of pink. “only a few times, though i can’t say i’m very good at it. i can’t get my mind to quiet enough for it to really relax me at all,” she admitted sheepishly. “now a blunt, on the other hand ? a sure-fire prescription for relaxation. an hour later and you’ll find me solving the world’s issues from the comfort of my couch.”

who? @lanefm​ where? ibiza, outdoor shops

        he walked next to the blonde girl only mere hours after they had both stepped off the plane into their week-long destination. “can we at least get a coffee? a shot? something to wake me up, laney?” she was dragging him along to see the city in all its glory, even talking him into going to the beach later on, so the least they could do is stop for some caffeine or alcohol first.

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of course lane’s luggage got lost. of all the things that could possibly go wrong on this trip, that was amongst the more tame yet most annoying. while the airline worked to track her items down, the petite blonde was left with a conundrum — the only clothes she had were the ones she wore on her back, and she did not think any meet-cutes or rom-com moments paired well with grey sweatpants, slides, and an extra large t-shirt with holes in it. in short, lane did not look put together. though, in her defense, she hadn’t expected to lose her luggage. she had sworn to avery that if he helped her compile a new “ibiza” wardrobe, she would accompany him to the beach — and she did intend to keep that promise, she just wanted to be certain she would not be skinny dipping when fulfilling her side of the deal. “how is the barista supposed to fall in love with me when i look like this?” she teased, rolling her eyes as laughter flooded her lips. “fine. let’s grab coffee, but then we have to get serious about getting me some clothes.”

where: dive bar on the beach after a day spent snorkeling

there was a wonderment that had not left her eyes since she and quinn had gotten off the boat and completed their snorkeling expedition. it was incredible, and the blonde had always been truly amazed at the natural wonders of the world. a laugh bubbled past her lips as the bartender brought them another round of shots, lane downing hers with ease and grinning at her roommate with bright eyes. “why do you keep dodging my questions about your crush?” she retorted, a tiny pout tugging at the corners of her lips and her skin prickling with electricity that was often only brought about after a tequila shot... or three. “i won’t judge you, whoever it is. pinky promise.”

where: beach-side cabana

the cold, sweet juice of the plump strawberry lane had just popped into her mouth had burst, a sheepish grin unfurling on her face in glee. the duo had been lounging in the cabana on the beach for quite some time, having a few food items brought to their side - primarily to lane’s behest. “the fruit here is so much sweeter than it is back in new york,” the blonde cooed, plopping another berry into her mouth before tossing one towards finn. the day had been spent sunbathing, lane fully embracing the animalistic wonder of laying out in the warmth of the sun. “hey, i’ve got an idea. truth or dare?”

where: a yoga retreat in ibiza

my body is not meant to be bent into this position, the petite blonde thought to herself as she stretched her hind leg up to the sky in three-legged dog. lane tried to steady her breathing, calling upon every daily intention podcast she had listened to and all mantras she had ever read sprawled on bathroom walls before. not very girlboss of you to struggle, she thought to herself, the thought bringing a cheeky grin to her visage. she maintained the pose almost as long as the instructor had asked, pulling through to a lunge and finishing out the sequence with as much fluidity as a gauche creature like her could muster. once the session had completed, she patted her face on the fabric of her shirt, padding over towards adrian as laughter bubbled past her lips. “i am so not meant to be a fitness guru.”

where: a rental boat after a paddle boarding expedition in ibiza

the warm sun beamed down on the golden duo, lane’s petite frame adorned in a strawberry gingham one piece. her skin offered the faint blushes that mimicked the berries of sangria, a sign she should have worn more sunscreen. however, she did not mind - the afternoon spent paddle boarding through the crystal waters of ibiza was more than enough to make up for the tender state of her skin. she shifted in the seat she lounged on, moving her sunglasses to the tip of her nose as she downed a large gulp out of the water bottle she’d brought along. “you’d think we would’ve seen more fish given the crystal clear waters, but i guess they don’t love the impending threat of oars splashing in their habitats.”

        the man rolled his eyes jokingly as she mentioned he was the designator cleanup person for the night’s game. “oohh, you make this big mess and then you tell me I have to be the one to clean it up? that’s making me consider breaking my lease on this place.” he was bluffing, of course, he’d never change his living situation for the world. as nervous as he was to have a roommate, let alone a girl, living with lane somehow made his life a whole of a hell lot easier. “hmm… can ice cream help lessen your anger?” he playfully batted his eye lashes knowing he didn’t clean up his dishes that well.

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"I made this big mess?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow in inquisition as her dark eyes landed on the male. lane shook her head, an incredulous laugh leaping from her lips. “last time i checked, you were the one making it rain monopoly money all over our town home.” her eyes rolled at the mere suggestion that he would move out, breaking their lease and absolving their friendship. “hm,” she pondered the idea. in lane’s mind, there was nothing that ice cream could not solve. “it depends on the flavor, aquino,” she retorted. “it better be good if i’m excavating your fruity pebbles from porcelain.”

    He wasn’t as quick as her, but Lane’s enthusiasm was enough to put a smile on Finn’s lips and make him laugh. It was a rarity these days. He had turned from a positive, constantly grinning man into a grumpy pessimist. Smiling wasn’t his daily business anymore. “I’m sure we can get one of those things for you, if not both.” Finn winked at her before he followed her lead, the short way towards the café was quickly conquered. He pushed the door open, gesturing door Lane to go inside first. “It’s my treat, you can get what you want.”

lane had always had quite the sweet tooth — a bad habit that had carried into her adult life with ease. that, coupled with the sheer possibility of allowing her to procrastinate brought a bright grin to her face as the duo darted across the street, trekking the pavement as they made their way toward the café. it was a smaller local spot and they often carried incredible pastries — though the coffee they served could be pretty hit or miss depending on the beans they had in stock. then again, lane was a bit of a snob when it came to her coffee so it could’ve just been her fussy eating habits. her dark eyes brightened at finn’s words, a grin splayed across her lips. “you don’t have to do that,” she reminded him. “but thank you.” with that, lane spun on her heel, greeting the barista in front of her and ordering her usual — an iced dirty chai and a raspberry scone, though she had heavily contemplated their new clementine tart. “looks like you’re up.”

     Despite being very focused on his exercises and a somewhat healthy diet, Elias couldn’t say that his day had a good structure when it came to meals. He ate whenever he was hungry, without concept or fear of the consequences of eating too late for example. He’d fall asleep after today’s exercises one way or another. “They would most certainly think you are an awful friend, yes,” he agreed, a smirk growing on his lips. “How about we just pretend to be chefs together then? Pinterest has nothing on us. Though I think as long as it feeds you, it doesn’t have to look like it belongs in a food magazine.”

"i do happen to be a pinterest extraordinaire,” lane countered with a devilish grin, “though i don’t feel strong enough in my cooking abilities to go without at least some guidance from a blogger on the internet that has a little too much time on their hands.” elias made a great point, though — it didn’t matter what the food looked like, so long as it was good. “i find that the best foods i’ve ever had were the ones with the least plating attention. the uglier, the better.”

The fireball had done its trick, and Sage leaned heavily against the bartop— gone was the rigid structure of her spine or her smile, instead she curved into the material and looked over at Lane through makeup-dark lashes. “Do you think that the world would crumble now, if you let one or two things go?” Her head tipped and dark hair fell against one side of her neck in waves. Often, she questioned if her own presence was as important as she made it out to be: she owned nothing that she had built on her own, there was no one who relied on her really. Full lips pressed together, sticking briefly from the gloss that she had applied before leaving that evening. “I think you should just take an entire day for nothing more than enjoying yourself. Give it a go, do something crazy. The sun’ll still come up, the world will keep turning, and you’ll feel better about it too.”

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lane took the beer stein into her grasp, downing the last swig of her drink before answering the question sage had asked her. would the world crumble if she let one or two things go ? the logical answer was no — lane was not nearly important enough to take on the role of atlas, and yet her heart echoed “ yes. ” she sat deep in thought, pondering the question with lips pursed before the brunette. “i just might take your advice yet,” the blonde admitted with a sheepish grin. a day for herself? wasn’t her entire career at rye for herself? did that make her selfish, wanting to reinvent herself ? "perhaps i’ll spend the weekend doing nothing but what i want. lots of ice cream, board games, and begging my roommate to make dinner for the two of us so i don’t have to.”

“If we don’t eat them, then it’s like they were sacrificed for nothing.” Kasey shook her head, “It would be the responsible thing to do, to make sure they all get eaten up.” Light eyes cast towards the fridge and she grinned brightly once again, despite the line of teasing that they engaged in. “Cinnamon rolls need icing, it’s basically in the rules of fine dining.” These pastries were, of course, under the qualifications of fine dining in the handbook of one Kasey Wallace-Sinclair. “Icecream?” Like a dog hearing the word walk, she perked up completely. “Yes, I think we should. Just to cleanse our palates and our chakras. I went for ice cream the other day with Léon. Apparently the psych department thinks we’re going to fall in love, isn’t that nice?”

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the petite blonde nodded in agreement. they couldn’t do that to their fallen starter-soldiers, now could they ? "i think i read somewhere that sourdough is considered vegan,” lane began, “but i don’t know the intrinsic details well enough to speak on it.” the starter was bacteria — as far as she knew. and according to her favorite source for higher education, google dot com, it was well-known to be vegan. “i would never ask you to eat cinnamon rolls without icing, i’ll have you know,” she cooed, bumping her hip into kasey’s with a cheeky grin dancing on her lips. “maybe the psych department is playing with us like we’re little sims. personally, i hope i get to woo-hoo in the hot tub with a vampire.” a joke. kind of. “or maybe i can get abducted by aliens. could be a fun way to spend the weekend,” she mused. “how did your ‘date’ with leon go, though ? was it love at first cone ? and, more importantly — what flavor did you get?”