⋅ ⋆ — 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐀 & 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈

A word of thanks was given to a vendor before he turned to inch towards another tent. Not even five steps away, and he was stopped in his tracks. Not directly, but rather the spontaneous throw down that happened meters away.

Nosy as ever, Ambrose took a few sips of his hot cider ( and immediately regretted it when it scalded his tongue ). “Damn, didn’t know sparring sessions were going on,” he drawled from the sidelines.

          𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑  her shoulders courtesy of her position over the man, arm still in tight grasp. head lifts as another speaks, dark gaze studying his features before she finally drops the other’s arm and moves a few steps to the side.

-

Back in their hometown when he swore loyalty and to act as her shadow, he had apparently summoned some kind of power that would always put him in her way, no matter the time nor the distance. The change of nature and attitude that took all over her body as she turned his way was obviously noticed by him who could recognize every single cell in the girl’s body; the smile went wider when their eyes connected and an unexplainable fluttering ran down his stomach as one hand tangled in her hair at one side just to confirm she had, in fact, arrived. “Must be the cold weather”, Blake followed the joke and then tilted his head slowly, “I know you call the shots here, but you are prohibited to leave for so long ever again. I don’t think you know how BORING and quite meaningless it gets around here without you”, he added. His hand dropped from her hair just to pull her in for a tight hug. “I missed you too, OBVIOUSLY. You got me thinking I was gonna spend the holidays by myself or at a random party, but since you are here and I am craving hot chocolate, let’s go home, yeah? Now I am going to be the touchy one ‘cause you ain’t getting rid of me anytime soon”. 

         𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐌  her, regardless of not actually touching her skin, and she cannot help but lean into his hand. there’s a brightness to her that comes with his presence, one that she loves. in all honesty, she just loves who she is around him. scary but true. the dark haired latina chuckles, smile widening into a full blown grin. ❝ must be. ❞ she agrees jokingly. his words further warm her, heart seemingly faltering as he pulls her into a hug. her delicate grasp on him slowly tightens, nuzzling into him for a moment before she nods.

         ❝ i only call the shots because you let me. ❞ mariana laughs, shaking her head lightly in amusement. ❝ i wouldn’t ever dream of leaving you alone for the holidays. that’s why i stayed past sol’s birthday so i could spend thanksgiving with my parents. ❞ mari shares, her little sister’s birthday having been the main reason for her departure. that and an urgent call from anarchy. it was ridiculous that tk’s second in command and now... successor was so... well, inexperienced. ❝ you’ll never beat me at being touchy but i do want to add that i wouldn’t survive a day without you so... don’t ever rid yourself of me. ❞  mariana draws out honestly, dark gaze studying his.

Oh, that voice he could pick it out within a yelling crowd; heartbeat accelerated as hazel eyes looked quickly over his shoulder to find a never changing petite figure that was bending a man down with pain after the poor specimen failed to recognize danger in the eyes of the young Reyes.

For the sake of their safety they never programmed arrivals to Wickway and so, every single encounter was meaningful and this time, after months of waiting and feeling absolutely bored, a little smile showed up as he approached quietly behind her, knowing he was risking a broken nose due the surprise, but it was absolutely worth it.

“I think the gentleman gets it, boss; he will probably think it twice before approaching a girl again, you can let his arm live”.

          𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒, 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐍 𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐑  impossible to deny the clear pull. the gravitational pull that always led the two to each other, sure she was bound to return but he had no way of knowing where she would be. her body freezes as he speaks, sane enough to not swing. delicate hands release the other man’s arm, gaze lifting to meet her absolute favorite pair of eyes by far. she pays no attention to the thud and grunt that follows. even less when the man stands and mumbles irrelevant insults.

ᴛᴡ: ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ɪꜱʜ

           𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐌 𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋  as the man towering over her speaks. she’s not paying attention and while a blind man could see that... for some reason, this one can’t. she hasn’t been back long, two hours at best but that does nothing to keep people from intruding in her personal space. doe like hues flicker around the town, back to the driftwood where she had just left after announcing her arrival and thanking her bosses for the time off to visit her hometown. her gaze snaps back towards the other, darker with the sudden irritation of having been touched. 

open. loc. cee’s diner @misplaced-misc·

   The hours were unusual for her to be in Cee’s, typically favoring the later ones when normal people slept. Yet today she visited during the mid-lunch hours, looking over random papers for work, no real meaning from what she was getting. Tossing another to the file near her cup with a soft sigh, moving to lift her glass she caught a tail end of a conversation from the table near by. She’d keep her tongue bit but curiosity had it.

        “Did that really happen?”

        𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐎𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄  smaller one belonging to her son. she’s in uniform, only having taken him from the hospital’s daycare to enjoy lunch together as she often did. though, her steps slow at the angry chatter coming from the nearby table. hand releases her son’s before she moves to rest it against his face, pulling him further closer towards her and finally moving to pick him up. she huffs, he’s not as light as he used to be. but she would never complain. bright gaze shifts towards the nearby voice and she nods, eyebrows furrowing significantly to further add to her discomfort.

status: open ( anywhere ) | @misplaced-misc·

“Have you heard of the restaurant in outer space?” There was a slight pause to let his question sink in. “Great service, but no atmosphere.” Preston hadn’t even finished delivering the punchline before the corners of his lips tugged upwards. Yet the smile didn’t reach his eyes completely. 

How could it with the state of things on this sunny-side up island?

Still, he tried to dish out some amount of laughter. Lord knows how chock-full of jokes he was.

        𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐇𝐔𝐄𝐒  are locked on preston, curious twinkle shining in them. she’s attentive, as if he’s preaching the gospel - if she were to be a dedicated religious civilian. slowly, feminine features shift to accommodate her genuine amusement just as soft laughter spews from lips. ❝ oh, i like that one !! ❞ nina chuckles, expectant eyebrow lifting as she awaits another. 

       truthfully, she was grateful for preston’s jokes - lame as they may be. though, that made them all the more funny. 

RE: 𝙾𝙿𝙴𝙽 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁

SLEEP WAS A FOREIGN CONCEPT AT THIS POINT. he didn’t really remember the last time he’d been granted that particular gift, and from the way it was looking?  he didn’t need to worry about it, either. between the trauma he never admitted to, above the table work that paid the bills, and whatever this was? it wasn’t like his eyes were ever closed for too long. an annoyed sigh pushed passed lips as he moved across the hardwoods, leading right to the offense that was the front door. 

‘ ain’t it a little late, darlin’?  ’  granted, it wasn’t like his second profession really abided by office hours, which was the reason that grin would soon come calling. broad shoulder leaned against the doorframe as he looked out at them expectantly, clearly waiting for an answer before allowing them to bleed all over his welcome mat; or whatever they were actually here for.

            𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍  as to why she’d stepped foot on his part of their common grounds. at least, not a personal reason. doll like features remain neutral, head tilting delicately as he speaks. just who she needed to see, the medic. mariana allows silence to ring between them for a moment longer. 

this just in - DOMINIQUE “ NINA ” SANTORO has been in wickway for TWENTY SEVEN EIGHT YEARS. apparently SHE is a DOCTOR and a CIVILIAN / SANTORO RELATIVE, or so HER passport says. so far it’s known that SHE favors EAST BAY, and resides at EAST SIDE. SHE is also said to be AMIABLE & RELIABLE, but also GUARDED & BLUNT. at the end of the day, SHE can be described as THE PATTER OF BARE FEET ON WOODEN FLOORS, HUSHED SUNG LULLABIES AND THE SMELL OF MARC JACOB’S DAISY.

hello, everyone !!! i’m cami aka your local angst whore and i’m so very excited to be here <33 this here is nina who’s messy little pinterest you can find anywhere on this here little link.

this just in - MARIANA “ MARI ” REYES has been in wickway for ( MORE THAN, BY NOW ) A MONTH. apparently SHE is a DANCER AT DRIFTWOOD and a CIVILIAN or so HER passport says. so far it’s known that SHE favors JOE AND GO, and resides at WEST PORT. SHE is also said to be LOYAL & CLEVER, but also CALCULATING & GUARDED. at the end of the day, SHE can be described as RED STAINED LIPS, DELICATE HANDS WIPING BLOOD OFF OF DAGGERS AND MISCHIEVOUS SMIRKS FOLLOWING UNDERESTIMATION.

hello again, loves !!! i bring you all the devil reincarnated herself, my baby mariana <33 her pinterest can be found anywhere here !! but it’s kinda messy

@volantisand​

“Hey, Mari. How are you doing?” María wished she hadn’t been as surprised as she was when she encountered her own sister on the street, specially since she already knew Mariana was staying in town as well. Even so, she couldn’t help it; Perhaps it was because their contact was so scarce ( María having an important role in that ) which made it seeing her a reminder of the fact that she had a sister at all. 

Despite her usual cold nature, the smile that appeared on María’s expression seemed sincere enough. “I’m not sure if I ever thought that we would both be living in town at the same time after we discovered each other’s existance.” The woman wasn’t dumb; she didn’t think of herself the best sister ( or a good one, even, considering the small amount of times they had seen each other at all ), but she liked to believe Mariana and her had a relationship good enough to care about the other despite their distance. “How is Wickway treating you?”

          𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐎 𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐎  the dark haired girl to even think about the existence of her older sister. not to say that she had any negative feelings for the other, she simply didn’t know how to completely register the information. especially considering that her father had turned his back on her... completely. they knew him to be totally different. for maria, he was perhaps... a deadbeat. and to mariana - he was the best father she could’ve asked for. her life had been an utter lie. ❝ hey. ❞ she echoes, offering her sister a half-assed smile. how completely inconsiderate of their family to not bring them together earlier. 

“And you’re perfectly capable of ordering that yourself, too.” One glance taken toward the approaching bartender has Dante leaning back in his seat. He is absolutely winding up, preparing to be every bit the devil he is. All in good fun, on his end. Always in good fun— though likely, this isn’t at all fun for those around him. “She’ll have the virgin coconut juice.” Again, intentional. “Put it on my tab.” But a gentleman. "Work. You mean running around that filthy fucking hole in the wall. You need a job? I will give you a job. The shit you’re doing is a hobby, at best.“

“Well, I could not just… leave it behind. We left in such a rush and I barely had time to grab my things, sorry for leaving it the first time”, Blake apologized with a hand scratching the back of his head. “It is the first time you drew a heart on something you gave me and damn sure I was gonna treasure that, then we went on six years of bullying and then another two of not talking at all before reconnecting in high school”, he remembered. Now he could get a proper frame for this picture and display it safely on his night table. “Okay, tomorrow, then! I haven’t been to the beach properly in years!”

“I missed you too, missed someone to boss me around Rosewick the whole time”, he replied with a playful smile. Blake had a clear problem when it came to opening emotionally, every hint of it would turn into a joke when vulnerability presented itself; he was still working on this, he wanted to be as emotionally sincere as Mari was with him, but it would still take some extra effort; what he did not show in words, he showed in caring eyes gazing at the girl. He really missed her and was so calm and happy to be back.

When talking about her sister, Mari’s glare turned his lips into a thing line and he even looked away, but was inevitably defeated by soft laughter when listening to the arguments she was using the keep his interest away. “Oh, she’s an actress? That’s really cool! Has she been in popular shows or movies? Because imagine if she was famous, then you could—”, but he went dead silent when he realized he was sidetracking, “sorry… you say your family… knew, but are we talking about your Rosewick family or your aunt family or your half-sister family or…?”

        𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏 𝐈𝐍  doe like hues when he speaks and the girl nods, adding to the reflection in her gaze. ❝ you went on six years of bullying, i was mostly patient and... occasionally stuck out my tongue. ❞ but of course, they both knew she had done her fair share of calling him out during the last year of bullying which added to the two years of silence. ❝ tomorrow. ❞ mari agrees, mentally moving on to gather a plan. she’d have to wake up earlier, prep some snacks for the beach and all. plus breakfast.

        he’s lucky that she knows him better than he knows himself. at least, that’s what she thinks just as he diminishes the importance of him missing her in return. however, she knows he’s trying. it was progress and as they both knew, he wasn’t as vocal about emotions as she was. which... wasn’t good at all considering she often held the emotional intelligence of a rock. ❝ yeah... the good ol’ days. ❞ mariana agrees, an effort to make sure he doesn’t assume his words have bothered her. ❝ i can boss you around some, if you really miss it that bad. ❞ there’s a mocking falter of her heartbeat and a linger of a stare mixed with a hint of something she knows isn’t how you’re supposed to look at your best friend.

Sympathy from her was always a gift, knowing she would have his back no matter what. Even back at home, Blake was most likely to spend his time in Anarchy’s hideout or with Mari than his own home, a little smile showed up at her upset expression and a hand went to pinch her cheek softly. “I hope their keys break too and if anything, I left some odor bombs hidden in the house and a friend is gonna keep them coming for the next couple of months”, he shrugged, he knew it wasn’t the most mature way to deal with it, but it was satisfying enough for him. “Don’t frown so much, you will get wrinkles soon”, he teased her in an attempt to lighten the mood.

When Mari asked about the item, he pulled back to reach for his backpack and get something from the laptop area: a photograph. “This. It is you and I in our first Elementary School festival, I think we did… the Little Mermaid?”, he showed her, “you even signed in on the back for me, I love this picture”, Blake grinned. “Beach day, hm? Well, I need some fun, why don’t we go tomorrow?”, he suggested.

Blake scrunched his nose as well with the nickname showing his little disgust about how excessively corny it sounded. He leaned down to poke the tip of her nose with his finger, “you know same goes for you, Mari boo”, god, he almost threw up after saying that. The lack of interest in the dead bodies worried him a little bit, but when she finally confessed, he shook his head. “Wait— what? What do you mean? Where did she come from? First your aunt and cousins and now a half-sister? —–is she pretty, though?”, he asked this last part as a joke, obviously, but it hadn’t to be forgotten that Blake too had a hoe phase.

         𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑  cheek urges a smile from the dark haired latina and she shakes her head, laughing. ❝ good. the very least they deserve but it’ll do for now, i suppose. ❞ he was so good even when people didn’t deserve it. had it been her, the house would’ve been... well, that’s not the point. but if one must know, they’d be lucky to have it standing upright. ❝ and i’ll rock them. ❞ she’s joking, as well, the goofy grin on her features is enough proof.

         hazel gaze settles on the photograph, an eyebrow raising. though, her heart quite literally melts. ❝ i can’t believe you went back for this... ❞ she would’ve done the same had she not shoved all their pictures in her little blake box prior to their departure. ❝ the little mermaid, yes !! god, i didn’t even have a signature back then - it’s just a scribble and my name over it. ❞ the girl chimes, shaking her head though her amusement is clear.  ❝ yeah, we can go tomorrow. it’ll be fun ! ❞ 

        she tosses her head back, playfully, right after his finger pokes at her nose. she laughs, regardless, small hand lifting along with her body as she stands on her toes - squishing his cheeks together for a moment. ❝ i really did miss you. ❞ mariana admits, releasing his face and settling her feet back firmly on the ground. she’s preparing herself to answer just as he questions her new sister’s looks and a firm glare is thrown right in his direction. and while she remains silent for a moment, eventually, she shrugs and nods. ❝ is she pretty ?? she’s an actress, of course she’s pretty. she’s also thirty and out of breath but whatever. ❞ that was probably not true but hey, whatever. 

“Nope, not really. My parents changed the locks, so I had to pick them and my room is being turned into my mom’s yoga room”, he commented with a little shrug; Blake seemed pretty okay with it, but very deeply… it hurt and he was glad he left. A brief pause was made after processing his own words longer than expected before shaking his head and looking back at her with a little smile, “but managed to find what I was looking for alongside with some other things I had in the same little hideout. Gonna miss the rains and cold weather, gotta admit it, but I definitely am too pale and some Wickway sun won’t be so bad”, he added with a little side smirk.

“All by yourself? And here I thought you’d make some other friends in my absence”, he teased her jokingly and a soft chuckle. “Oh, I know I missed plenty, I heard they found three bodies in the church…”, he began and then tilted his head slightly with squinted eyes, “…or did I miss anything else?”, Blake asked suspiciously.

        𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐅𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍  at the mention of his parents. she never understood how they could have worshipped his brother and ignored blake’s very existence. he was the best one, she thought. always. his heart was bigger than his body, even his brother knew it. but now that she’d learned of her father’s other family... the one he’d left behind for her mother... well, now she understood things less. what could possibly drive a person, a father, to turn his back on his own kids ??

        ❝ i hope their dumb key breaks in their stupid new locks. ❞ mariana huffs out, shaking her head. she smiles, slowly, at his next words. he was too good to her, looking at plus sides even though he was not at all built for the heat. rosewick was nice and cold at most it was breezy during summers. wickway was hot, all around. ❝ good, i’m glad you were able to recover... what was it again ?? either way, we definitely need a beach day. ❞

His smile fails to be contained and upon seeing her entirely, the heat felt when she opened the door is quickly forgotten as he receives her with open arms.    He needed this.     Until now, he didn’t realize how STRESSFUL that trip back to Rosewick had been and how tense he was the whole time. Arms closed around her and his face rested on top of her head, dropping a heavy sigh of relaxation.

         “That trip was horrible”, he admitted with a little chuckle, but soon stepped back and grabbing her by the shoulders, Blake looked at her with a little frown. “Are you okay? I heard about the storm; I am so sorry for leaving at such time”.

         𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅  comfort brought forth by his embrace that she can’t quite pin point. or, rather, she refuses to. her arms tighten around him for a moment longer but she obliges as he pulls away, releasing him. 

         ❝ did anyone give you any shit ?? ❞ she had no actual jurisdiction in rosewick, not anymore, but one call to her successor and it was over for whoever had dared to look at blake the wrong way. her family, even, was still under the protection of anarchy, one more favor to her that not a single member had denied.

He’s in his own little world, pondering over recent events, when a quiet voice reaches him. A small smile appears, amused breath following as he casts a sideways glance at his young, somewhat estranged cousin. “Vete a la mierda..” comes the muttered response. One sip of the amber liquid in his glass is taken before he flags down the bartender with a raised finger, giving a nod in Mari’s direction. “I’m aware. That was the intent.” Unclear as the driving force behind that is, Dante has no plan to elaborate. “Are you even old enough to drink?” He knows— he’s just being an asshole.

               Back to the hellish south.

Blake almost felt happy when he was back at his hometown to pick a very particular thing he had missed when moving out; the rainy climate welcomed him and this time, he got sure to give one last glance to everything he had known for the past 25 years before heading back to Wickway.

He had seen the news about the storms hitting the coast and in the road he also heard some people talking about some dead bodies found in the church. What kind of paradise was Wickway supposed to be? He didn’t sign for this, he definitely didn’t sign for this.

Dropping his bags in his bedroom, he was quick to get rid of his jacket and flop on the couch of the living room upon finding the house empty, but as soon as the main door opened, he raised his head, but kept a lazy position on the couch.

              “Well, hello there. Rosewick certainly ain’t the same without you”.

@volantisand·

          𝐈𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐋𝐋  like features, as usual. somehow, however, the passing days had called for an unusual increase in irritability. that and a much more busy schedule. extra shifts picked up just to keep out of the empty home. she missed blake, that was undeniable. 

          there’s a huff drawn just as keys slip from her hands, childish stomp of her foot following before picking the keys back up and successfully slipping past the open door. the first thing she does is drop her dance duffle bag just as hazel hues settle on the lights that she knows she hadn’t left on. and then she flinches, voice urging hues towards it.