hips sway // hearts drop!

rory held her tiny makeshift sign in front of her, tilting her head as she examined her handiwork. the sign read, TAROT READINGS BY MADAME AURORA, crudely written in her handwriting. she bit her lip as she looked, before reaching for the red magic marker next her and adding some stars and ringed planets in the corners. “perfect,” she muttered, before placing the sign on her wooden picnic table and taking a seat. she had sent out a text to most of the residents of tercet court, alerting them to her $10 tarot readings she’d be giving for the day. with shimmery gold eyeshadow delicately placed in her inner corners and a starry printed headband wrapped across her forehead, she was feeling rather mystical. of course, this was all an elaborate way to avoid writing her album, but nonetheless, she was enjoying herself. “HEY NEIGHBORS!” she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound. “COME GET A READING IF YOU’RE NOT SCARED!” @linksopens​

“i think you just want me to call you cliché names like mon chou.” renan mirrors thea’s eyebrow raise, both shooting up in mild surprise when she mentions the guy from one of their frequented tea shops. “he does? really?” he thinks for a second, clearly intrigued. renan can’t recall a name, but he’s pretty sure he knows who thea’s talking about — huh, interesting. “but i don’t even try to flirt with him, i’m just, like, super passionate about kombucha. if i give people heart eyes, it’s because of that. totally not my fault.” and then he’s hitting her with the classic model smolder, the kind renan’s too embarrassed to look at himself make in print for longer than two seconds. “is this hot enough for you?” he asks, but doesn’t last very long before he breaks out into laughter, sending another small splash thea’s way. “it better be, because i’m not doing that again unless you pay me.”

@linksopens​

          “ i know you probably like, expect the paps to be around every moment of your life at this point — ”     ayla sounds pretty unconcerned by the whole thing, nails with chipping navy polish tapping over the keys of her laptop. photo editing was easily the most tedious but also somehow also relaxing moment of the day. gaze floats up to the other, shoulders rising in a shrug,      “ — but just a heads up that there’s one behind that bush over there. with a zoom lens even better than mine — so you know, don’t do anything too crazy. unless that was your plan all along. ”

*

“no, no, that ruins it,” he laughs, mimicking thea’s squeak as he lets himself get hit by her own splash, and then begins to protest, “heart eyes? since when have i ever made heart eyes?” it’s not immediately clear whether renan is oblivious to his super-charged adoring gazes or just pretending to be for the sake of riling thea up, sinking under the surface again before he can give any indication. he comes up for air at a speed that sends droplets flying in thea’s direction, and breaks into a grin at her splattered sunglasses. “that’s revenge for trying to murder me,” he says pointedly, and then tilts his head to the side, staring intently as his smile fades into something softer — his attempt at nuclear heart eyes. “is that better? or should i, like, make it sexier? i’m open to feedback.”

          the cookie is finished off as fitz hums out a thoughtful noise at that, completely for show.      “ i don’t tell you what to do — free will and all, right ?? ”     it’s not surprising that his mother liked her ; his mother liked just about anyone just as most people tending to love her. fitz hadn’t been so lucky to inherit the lovable gene from her. that was fine with him. he takes another cookie from the tupperware even though he probably shouldn’t. a frown draws his lips down in a not uncharacteristic fashion, the soft dough crumbling between his fingers as he breaks it in half.      “  — don’t you run a fashion vlog ?? why are you baking anyway ?? ”

          fitz takes a long drought of juice straight from the bottle because again, his house. the liquid sloshes against the plastic sides as he places it on the counter. leaning on one hand flat against the marble he drags the container of cookies closer with a couple fingers. he plucks one from the top, idly examining it for no reason before taking a bite. it’s pretty good, he has to admit, certainly worth the break in a carefully cultivated meal plan.        “ so tell me — ”     he begins around another mouthful. swallows.     “ — did you bother my mother more or LESS than me ?? ”

-

         which, what ?? listening comprehension has never been something fitz has struggled with but he’s struggling a little right now. it manifests itself as an unimpressed look over his shoulder at thea.     “ whatever you say, ms. lemaitre. ”     he continues his stroll toward the stairs, pausing once more to call back,      " — and if you do tell laura you didn’t hear shit from me. “     he enters his kitchen a few minutes later ( admittedly not much more clothed having just swapped out his towel for a pair of shorts — but hey his house and all ) to find thea still there.     ” go ahead — make yourself at home, “     he teases, opening his fridge door to retrieve a half-gallon of juice.     ” the entertainment at your house not suitable for you at the moment or something ?? “

          fitz shuts the door behind her with a firm shove, turning around with a roll of grey eyes — though it is less ANNOYED and little more goodnatured as he listens to thea ramble on.      " did laura tell you that’s what happens ?? because whatever ryan said to get out of eating her baking is definitely a lie. “     it’s probably against the bro code to throw a teammate under the bus like that, but ryan can cope. besides, laura’s pies aren’t the WORST.     ” i’ll be fine and the kitchen is fine. “     does part of him just not want renan to get the cookies ?? maybe.      ” you remember the way ?? “     he asks, already wandering off in a direction that isn’t toward the kitchen,     ” because i think your boyfriend would appreciate it if i put some clothes on. “

          he does recognize her when he finally bothers to actually look at who’s at his door. even if he didn’t, thea always was dressed better than any solicitor that’d come to visit him to date — except those that weren’t really solicitors, of a conventional sense anyway. he doesn’t say anything for a moment, one hand planted on his hip. sorry isn’t really a word in fitz’s vocabulary — it’s a good thing his father never saw it fit to try to get him canadian citizenship because he’d be a damn embarrassment. but he does feel a LITTLE bad about it.     “ you’d be surprised how many people still think my mother still lives here, ”     he mutters finally, and does at least have the decency to sound a BIT rueful about it. he steps aside, a silent invitation to come in.     “ you might die anyway — if my nutritionist gets wind of this. ”

*

okay, maybe he’s guilty of trying to check out the neighbors — sue him, it’s not his fault everyone in the neighborhood is unrealistically attractive. the pool noodle hits him, and renan immediately pretends to die on impact, falling over sideways and crashing underneath the water, remaining submerged for ten seconds or so. when he comes back to the surface, he grins mischievously at thea, and lamely splashes water in her direction. he’s courteously avoiding hitting her hair, because he’s not a monster. “my poor sugar-muffin-honey-pie-baby-angel,” he coos, and then bursts into laughter at his own nickname ( renan thinks he’s hilarious ). “i swear, you’re like tinkerbell, you’ll die without attention.”

@linksopens​

          fitz doesn’t even try to muffle the exasperated sigh that falls from his lips as he wrenches the door open, half expecting no one to be there considering he’d been all the way on the other side of the house when the doorbell started ringing.     “ i don’t want to buy anything, i don’t need to find jesus, and reyna alvarez hasn’t lived here in almost two years — ”     he says, on autopilot, attention very much on the towel he’s wrapping around his waist ; more for the other’s sake than his own. okay maybe a little for his own benefit : he really doesn’t need any desperate paps getting a shot of him naked ; somehow he doesn’t think that’d go over too well with his agent or the kings organization. gaze is finally dragged up to the other’s face,        “ — does that about cover it ?? ”

☆ . · . emilija baranac, twenty two, cis female, she/her/hers . · . ☆ teodora stamatović lives in that huge mansion over there! no, not that one. look for the huge infinity pool and that’ll be it. the fashion influences has offered occasional glimpses of pastel pink walls and an impressive collection of vintage clothing in the background of social media posts, but all of that is nothing compared to seeing the opulence in person. they’ve remained + excitable as ever since moving to tercet court three years ago, but it seems like they might’ve gotten a little more - entitled too. maybe that’s why they’re rumored to have such a jovial relationship with everyone else who lives on this street. ☆ . · . ooc info: bee, they/them, 22, est . · . ☆

a smile broke into cecilia’s face. the relief she felt that the girl wasn’t angry or at the very least flustered was undeniable. “that’s his desperate need for love and attention. i swear i’m a great owner! but he’s a little traitor. he wants the most love from everyone,” she joked as she picked him up and lovingly pet his head, causing him to try to lick her nose. “well, i’m glad he was in good hands. and that he didn’t ruin your clothes. he likes to get dirty when we go out, which is terrible for my carpet.”

“ i’d never try to get out of something you planned , i love social events , ” she said sarcastically , following thea’s gesture to the slick furnishings around them and beautiful people dotted around , enjoying themselves . “ the met gala is over-rated anyway … ” she smirked , shrugging her shoulders in nonchalance . she grinned at her response and placed her own hand in thea’s , happy to oblige her . she was already here , she may as well have as much fun as she could , she thought as they headed over to the drinks table . 

“ okay , okay —— ” she reasoned with her . “ it’s actually quite fun , ” she admitted begrudgingly . not too loud , but still full of people she barely recognised . nora swirled the small amount of wine remaining in her glass around for a second before tipping it back and finishing it , the liquid bitter in her mouth . “ hmm … so like , the beckhams ? ” she honestly didn’t know much about the hierarchy of celebrity families , so that was her best guess . nora smiled over at her friend and tapped her empty glass . “ do you want another drink ? ” she asked her . 

“wait, wait, you were supposed to say no, renan, you’re actually super smart and not stupid at all,” he tries to copy the feminine lilt of thea’s voice, but ends up cracking himself up before he can finish his sentence. it always stings a little when someone agrees with his self-deprecating wisecracks, particularly about his intelligence, but thea’s compliments keep him from sulking where he sits. he can laugh it off, it’s no big deal. “for the record, i’ve killed many flies, like, at least three. not so mysterious now, hm?” with that, he starts nudging her feet under the table with his own, a juvenile attempt to distract her from the text she’s sending. “hey, cherry tomato, pay attention,” he says, laughing again as he leans in, readying himself to kiss her again once she’s done texting. at this point, it’s just gratuitous, the paparazzi already slipping from renan’s mind. “cherry tomatoes are cute, that’s why i didn’t call you a normal tomato,” he says. her near perfect pronunciation of his last name has him immediately going in for that kiss, gently holding her face with his hands and still not letting go when he pulls away. “sorry, sorry. i’ll learn your last name… ah, at some point.” renan dismisses, giving thea another mischievous smile as he finally pulls away, leaning back in his seat. “hey, do you want to go to melrose avenue soon? we could go to those thrift stores you like.”