tidal wave

                   MAVERICK DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL. on the outside, he seems cool as ever: confident and cool, like he knows his parents’ lawyers will get him through this whole ordeal. on the inside, he struggles balancing the emotions of knowing that someone, namely melanie, who has essentially been part of his entire life, is missing—potentially gone. he doesn’t know how to sift through judgmental glares when they stem from a place of distrust, rather than disappointment. this is a whole new ballgame. 

so when aurelia shows up at his doorstep with a bottle of tequila, he feels the pit in his stomach fall away, even if he knows it’ll return with a hangover in the morning. 

“ sorry, ” he responds, his tone a bit downcast. an entire day spent in bed has rendered him completely LETHARGIC. “ i guess i don’t really have a preference. we trying to get happy drunk, or sad drunk? ” he asks, grabbing the bottle and topping both of their glasses up. “ this whole thing’s got me feeling like absolute SHIT. you think … you think she’s okay? ”

          she doesn’t remember the last time she saw her friend like this. she’s seen him sleepy, and drunk, and hungover … but aurelia knows this is different, that his spiritless movements don’t stem from physical exhaustion but rather something that runs far deeper. and although she cares about maverick enough to want to help, aurelia can’t even begin to fathom a way to help him sort through his own emotions when she can barely handle her own. it’s the reason why she brought alcohol rather than heartfelt advice — all she’s ever known is ignoring feelings until they leave her alone, and drowning them in tequila felt like the right coping mechanism.

          but it isn’t. she realizes that when maverick asks a question she doesn’t know how to answer. their friendship is based on a trust that goes back years, on a mutual upbringing and thirst for deviating from the norm — except where he did, she was never brave enough to follow suit. she doesn’t share feelings, not even with him. not even about an investigation they’re both suspects in. aurelia sits up, cross-legged, as her fingernails tap against the glass and she looks at maverick with her brow furrowed in honest concern. 

         ‘ of course i think she’s okay, mav. i also think you worry too much,’ she adds, and moves closer to place a comforting hand on his shoulder and give him a genuine smile. ‘ and that you deserve to get happy drunk, but if sad drunk is inevitable, i’m here for you anyways. unless you start crying,’ aurelia teases. though maybe there’s a hint of honesty in her words.

the problem with being stuck at covington was that there was not a lot of places to go to when she needed to leave her apartment - not that hemlock was the biggest city around, but it at least had more variety than the university. donatella was not the biggest fan of coffee, she mostly just drank it because it was trendy and it looked cute on her instagram feed, so she had been at bean me up more times than she’d like to admit ever since the interrogation. it was, after all, the busiest place at the moment, even if that didn’t mean a lot, and she liked being around people. she liked the attention she could get.

so her day really took a turn for the better when the person next to her was one she actually liked being around. aurelia was the embodiment of success for her and she liked to surround herself in positivity, even more so when her head was full of negative thoughts. ❝ maybe we should go to the doctor to see what makes you react that way everytime. ❞ donnie joked, barely glancing at the barista as he gave her the coffee. ❝ i didn’t know you were also stuck here. ❞

          aurelia is observant. she’s always noticed how donatella’s eyes linger adoringly onto her every move, the way her everyday routine has turned her into a god upon a gleaming pedestal to be gazed upon from a respectful distance. and it’s annoying, being followed around by a wide-eyed girl who needs a role model. she has never softened her words towards donatella in hopes that someday, the other will understand that she does not want to lower herself from her place in olympus to walk side by side with the devotees. she has no interest in becoming donatella’s friend, and no fondness that would make her be kind.

          however, aurelia is also egocentric. deeply rooted issues of insecurity wage a constant war against her delusions of grandeur, as she carries herself with poise and sets herself upon a pedestal. she doesn’t need donnie’s wide eyes and friendly smiles, but she welcomes them nonetheless. it’s the reason why she avoids telling donatella to leave her alone — she’d rather keep her at a comfortable distance. she smirks at the other’s joke, but offers no other response as she takes a long sip of her coffee and starts walking towards a table. ‘ unfortunately, i am stuck here. it’s … ’ aurelia hesitates, searching for the proper word — and gives up within moments. it’s donatella. she won’t judge her. 

          ‘ it’s bullshit and a real waste of my time. i could be doing something far more important than getting coffee and staring at the ceiling of my apartment until melanie fucking rivera pops back up from wherever she’s hiding. ’ 

          maybe it’s unwise to sit at a table in a coffee shop, empty as it is, and talk shit about a missing person. but she knows donatella would probably drag herself down before letting anyone lay a finger on her reputation, and a quick, intimidating glare and a gesture of her hand is enough for the cashier to hurriedly make his way into the back of the shop to give them privacy. the power of being a bad bitch, as she knows some would say.

          shiloh furrows her brows as she adds some purple to the tree bark, not quite liking how her drawing is turning out. she’s never considered herself much of an artist, but the funny-looking tree on covington’s grounds was interesting enough to spend some time on, and the repetitive movements combined with the cold pleasantly distract her from her own thoughts. she’s seated on a bench, one leg tucked underneath herself and a blanket thrown over her lap, when she is pulled from her meditative state by the sound of someone’s voice.

          shiloh looks up to find her cousin standing over her, making some bitter comment that’s probably supposed to provoke her. she rolls her eyes, already packing her things in the well-worn backpack she brought with her. ‘ about to grab lunch, actually. you coming with ? ‘ as much as she could respond to aurelia’s provocations in kind, she can’t find the heart for it. years of seeing her cousin being molded into her parents’ perfect daughter have made shiloh’s feelings toward the girl shift closer to pity than to anger. so she has found a kind of middle ground in dealing with aurelia, ignoring her jabs and stubbornly forging ahead with decorum. it’s not out of kindness, exactly — more out of the innate sense that she should probably try to get along with family.

         she should know to expect an indifferent response by now. her proximity to shiloh, both due to them sharing a campus and sharing blood, has meant that their interactions are more frequent than aurelia would like. unlike shiloh, she always obeyed instructions and delivered exactly what was asked of her — if not more. aurelia grew up in an asphyxiating world of expectations, as atlas carrying the world of the world on her shoulders while keeping her body poised and her expression stoic.

         she should know to expect nothing but indifference, yet she’s still taken aback by shiloh’s dismissal of her vile attitude — and invitation to lunch. for a second, aurelia fumes. it feels almost disrespectful, as her venomous words are brushed off and disregarded without a second thought. aurelia knows she should be used to it by now. yet as features remain unfazed, something within her stings. she blinks in surprise a couple of times, parts her mouth — speechless, for once, but she masks it with a fake cough. ‘ i … suppose i have nothing better to do, ’ aurelia concedes, cursing her empty schedule and the lack of people on campus. despite everything, family is family. and she knows her parents would approve of her having lunch with shiloh. ‘ so. which five-star restaurant in campus are we having lunch at ? ’

✦ * · ˚ 001. with aurelia → @ofaurclia​ .

location: bean me up on campus .

it was a weird concept, seeing the bean me up satelite location as empty as her bank account but it was now a very real situation. that freaked donatella more than the disappearance of melanie rivera. it was standing there waiting for the only barista, incel looking skinny guy that was always working the morning shifts, finish preparing her iced coffee that she heard it: the delicate sneezing sound she knew so well. ❝ bless up. ❞ she automatically replied, wincing when she realized the exact response she would get.

donnie wasn’t bothered, however, because she knew people were only mean to people they liked, right ? so if she ever felt like aurelia was being rude, she should be thankful. even more so because lia was everything she could only aspire to be, so as she stood there, waiting for the inevitable words, she did so with a smile on her face.

          it wasn’t often that she resorted to coffee. aurelia always claimed that drinking tea was a healthy choice, that it helped her keep her caffeine levels in check. it’s part of her carefully crafted image — a woman who cares for herself, who lives a healthy lifestyle pursuing knowledge of mathematics and classics alike. yet here she is, sunglasses concealing weary eyes, adding whatever powdered substance will somewhat mask the overwhelming taste of coffee with one too many shots of espresso. as she removes the lid from a jar labeled ‘ nutmeg ’, aurelia feels as some of the powder navigates towards her nose and brings up a hand to mask her mouth as she sneezes — softly, quietly, in a manner labeled as polite and ladylike by overbearing family members.

          she doesn’t expect a response, and softly smirks to herself when it comes in the form of a casual bless up as a female voice she recognizes cuts through the relative silence of bean me up’s satellite location. aurelia doesn’t bother to turn towards donatella as the snarky reply they’ve both grown used to spills out. she doesn’t bother to keep her tone playful, as the words are cold as the december air outside the windows. she hopes it’ll be a clear sign of the fact that she’s not in the mood for a conversation.

          ‘ excuse me. i got an allergic reaction to your face. ’

location: somewhere on covington’s campus 

time: twelve seventeen pm, december seventeenth 

with: aurelia ( @ofaurclia ) 

the december cold nipped at ella’s skin, slipping inside her coat, down her neck and up her arms. she hadn’t thought to grab a hat or scarf, and it was proving a poor decision. she ducked into the first campus building she got to, finally pulling her hands out of her pockets to rub them together, puffing her warm breath against them. she was used to the cold, being a minnesota native, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. 

it was as she was warming her hands, eyes glued on the ground, that she literally bumped into someone. she reeled back, going pale as she realized it was the worst possible person to bump into. “aurelia,” she said, unable to even smile or look like anything more than a deer in the headlights. “um, i’m so sorry. i didn’t mean to- i’m sorry.” 

          she is leaving the library with three books in her hands, balanced one on top of the other, to keep herself entertained during the time she’s forced to remain in the campus. one by shakespeare, one by apollonius in rhodes, one dusty, worn book written entirely in latin. aurelia’s opted against borrowing more at a time, to keep them from falling prey to the unusual mess in her apartment. she’s spent more time breathing the cool december air and passing silent judgement on the other students that could be seen wandering aimlessly around the campus, trapped within its confines, than tidying up her bedroom.

          and then, a body collides against her side, and aurelia barely manages to catch herself before dropping one of the books onto the floor. her gaze is already cold as she turns towards whoever was unlucky enough to bump into her, yet there’s only more chilling hatred in her eyes when she identifies them as ella. poor ella, at the wrong place, bumping into the worst person. she’s apologized twice and somehow, possibly gone even paler before aurelia’s even managed to compose herself. and then, crimson lips curl into a malicious sneer, to then part and let venomous words spill without an ounce of regret or sign of a filter. ‘ don’t bother apologizing, ella. you already ran into me. i’m sure you didn’t mean to, but i guess your single brain cell malfunctioned and thus, here we are. maybe just leave the campus so a reasonable distance can be between us -- a couple of states, at least ? or would that be too much to ask ? ’

*: ･ﾟ∙ * ⁕ closed  starter  for  @ofaurclia

based  off:  canyon  moon  by  harry  styles

griffin  hadn’t  so  desperately  wanted  someone  to  be  her  friend  until  she  met aurelia  choi.  she  truly  admired  aurelia’s  demeanor  and  personality,  and  it  struck  a  chord  in  griffin’s  chest  as  well.  like  aurelia,  she  was  cold,  but  she  wasn’t  as  willing  to  show  others. “it’s  crazy  to  think  that  before  the  whole…  party  fiasco,  i’d  be staring  at  the  ceiling,  thinking two  weeks  and  i’ll  be  home,”  griffin  remarked,  though  fully  lying  about  the  fact  that  she  would’ve  went  home.  over  breaks,  griffin  simply  bummed  around  hemlock  and  took  another  job  to  help  save  up  for  her  next  semester.  “sorry  that  the  party  turned  out…  you  know.  i’m  glad  that  you  came  though.  it  was  really  fun  having  you  there.”  it  was  all  griffin  could  say.  the  party  as  still  too  much  for  griffin  to  comprehend  and  frankly,  it  wasn’t  helping  her  seem  too  cool  around  aurelia.

          she finds griffin endearing. she never understood why people would follow someone around in blind admiration, and aurelia is perceptive enough to tell that griffin doesn’t view her as an equal, but rather seems to watch her movements and select her words carefully. as if not to disappoint her. still, not only does she find it humorous, but aurelia’s developed a fondness for the other girl. she follows her around, boosting her ego and the air of grandeur that aurelia always irradiates, but at the same time, she’s actually pleasant company. it is not something she can say for others who have tried to take up griffin’s space in her ( cold and self-proclaimed nonexistent ) heart. ‘ sure. just know i am never partying with you again,’ she teases, though there’s a concealed playfulness in her words, accentuated by the way that crimson lips curl into a smirk. ‘ it was fun being there, ’ she adds as an afterthought. hoping it’s enough to make griffin feel like she didn’t mess up when inviting aurelia to the party.

𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: darcy and aurelia’s apartment

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: @skleton​

inspired by the garden by mirah !

your heart has hardened ...

         ‘ so.’ the single word cuts through the silence of the living room the moment her best friend enters the space. only here, with no company other than darcy, aurelia allows herself to sprawl across the couch as long limbs dangle from the edge, and good posture is disregarded in favor of lazy comfort. a window’s been opened, letting in the cold, and allowing the odor of the cigarette she’s just put out to escape. it also means that aurelia’s draped herself in a blanket to keep warm. a hand pops out from under the covers as she shifts, moving her feet onto the floor and tapping the space next to her, and a brow quirks upwards as she looks at darcy. ‘ how do we really feel about melanie rivera going missing ? and would it be too inappropriate to throw a little celebratory get-together here ? ’

𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: bean me up on campus

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: @fiilledwithfire​

inspired by which witch by florence + the machine !

i’ve had enough, it’s obvious ...

          gaining a fragment of aurelia’s trust is a feat that takes time and perseverance. one victoria has yet to achieve. however, that doesn’t mean that aurelia doesn’t enjoy her company, or that she’s unwilling to share her thoughts with the other. she takes a sip from her cup, lets hot tea pave a scalding path down her throat. it’s too hot, but when everything is already desensitizing, she doesn’t care. she meets victoria’s eyes, then silently looks off in the direction of the covington estate. the place that has become a crime scene, a tribute to covington’s missing golden girl -- as if she needed more people following her every move in adoration. as empty as the campus is, aurelia knows that all students have their eyes on the case and probably expect them to have something to do with melanie’s disappearance. aurelia turns back to victoria, sets her cup down on the table in front of her, rolls her eyes, and speaks bitter words.

         ‘ this is bullshit, don’t you think ? she’s probably just going to turn up in some other city and we’re stuck here waiting until she decides to appear. ’

𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: maverick’s bedroom

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: @flightsrsk​

inspired ( very loosely ) by tainted love by hannah peel !

sometimes i feel i need to run away ...

          ‘ shit. i dribbled. ’ aurelia raises a hand to wipe the stray droplets of alcohol from her chin and grimaces at the small stain on the front of her shirt. she’s not drunk enough for her behavior to be this sloppy, yet not sober enough to bother wiping it off. maverick is one of the people she feels most comfortable around, and aurelia feels at ease knowing that there is no perfectly crafted image to strive to uphold, and no pressure to work towards constant perfection. his presence has always been comforting, and with tensions quickly rising, aurelia chose to run away from unwelcome glances thrown in her direction and her parents’ judgmental phone calls. she knew he wouldn’t ask any questions when she showed up at his doorstep, carrying a bag that contained nothing but a large bottle of tequila, and told him to put on netflix while she brought out glasses. 

          she needed to escape the world, and he welcomed her with open arms. aurelia’s laying on his bed now, as comfortably as if it were her own, and she nudges him with her foot as she holds out her empty glass. ‘ first, you’ve taken forever to pick a movie. it’s not that hard, just make up your fucking mind already. second, refill ? ’

𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: covington university campus

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: @ofshilch​ 

inspired by do you by carina round !

the hurt that the head forgets, the heart will always remember ...

          having a cousin whose life she’s envied since the two of them were children is hard for aurelia. it has always been, as resentment spreads and anger builds within her. shiloh always seemed to have it easier than her, with parents who gave her some degree of freedom from their plans. it’s a liberty aurelia’s never had, and it’s been there, teasing her, just out of her reach, ever since she can remember. and then shiloh followed her into covington, and escape was impossible. her cousin, with her idyllic life, followed her right into her safe haven.

          and now, covington is in tatters. a victory party was all it took for one of her classmates to vanish, seemingly without a trace. aurelia’s felt the stress building within her ever since then, as an empty campus somehow manages to make her feel as if she’s trapped. for years she has been under her family’s close scrutiny, the smallest movements analyzed and corrected if they deviated from the norm. the investigation is no different.

          aurelia’s gone for a walk across campus, airpods in her ears as vivaldi’s winter soothes her mind and a thermos filled with tea in her left hand. the apartment was chaotic, and she’d felt the need for some air. instead, she sees her cousin, and her feet gain a mind of their own as they carry her towards the other, her face void of emotion. a missing persons’ investigation isn’t enough for aurelia to forget her resentment.

         ‘ hello, shiloh. what are you up to ? ready to jet off on another trip in search of self discovery ? ’

𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: december 16th 2019

𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: hemlock police station

𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃: @covingtonhqs @voidgriff @flightsrsk @paintingpeyton@unsccnangcl @edcns @skleton

there has always been something ominous about hemlock’s atmosphere, a stillness in the air that warned of an inevitable day where something would happen -- until it did, and one of her college’s own went missing. a grey sky looms above aurelia as she makes her way to the site of her questioning, one hand tucked into the pocket of her coat and the other holding the last of her cigarette as she smokes while walking. it’s her third one of the day. the tension in the air, and the outburst of feelings ranging from surprise, to outrage, to even relief for a select few make aurelia cling to her vice of choice to keep herself stoic as always.

she puts out her cigarrete using the sole of her white tennis shoe, tosses it into the nearest trashcan, and heads into the lobby. she’s fifteen minutes early, and the sound of distant chatter and a clock ticking are the soundtrack to her wait. she stands the whole time, her posture impeccable as always. eventually, a man calls her name. he introduces himself as the chief, she shakes his hand and offers a polite smile. aurelia introduces herself. he already knows her name, she clarifies that it was meant as a formality.

he steps into the interrogation room first, and a chair is pulled out for aurelia. he asks if it’s okay if he gets straight to the point, and eager to avoid any and all small talk, she agrees.