citrine444

[citrine444]

abril always prided herself on her ability to read people's energies. she felt that mere seconds spent in someone's presence was enough to tell her who they are and what their intentions were. while many dismissed this 'talent' as a way to guard herself, she held onto the belief that her ability to assess energies was both genuine and powerful. however, in a place where abril desperately needed a fresh start, she realized her old ways of sizing up strangers needed to be dialed back. like, a lot. it was difficult, but with each encounter, she began to access this warmth a bit more easily.

with this in mind, abril's expression softened and she accepted the stranger's greeting. "absolutely," she answered, shaking yaz's hand. "i'm abril, likewise." a brief moment of silence passed before abril recognized it was probably her turn to reciprocate the dialogue. she took a moment to decide what to say, wanting to offer the same kindness yaz had given her. finally, she cleared her throat and answered, "i was thinking you look really familiar. are you like famous or...something?"

There was so much culture, so much vibrancy to learn about the Valpo region, that often Yaz didn't know where to start -- but she was grateful for just the chance to start over fresh, at the very least. It can be tough to be weighed down by all the ghosts of your past (lord knows it feels like she's moving a mountain sometimes), so these moments, while they may be minute to some...really meant a lot. It was the little things, she was quickly becoming to understand.

At Abril's kind reply, Yaz still found herself pleasantly surprised. Everyone had been so pleasant to her for last few weeks, so there shouldn't have been any expectation of otherwise, but the novelty still hadn't worn off on her as of yet.

"I did see she was pregnant! That's going to be so adorable, especially since she's already so naturally pretty? I think you might have me sold here." Yaz replied kindly, eyes lighting up while she tucked the vinyl under her arm to outreach in greeting. "I'm Yaz, by the way. Nice to meet you."

#abrilvaldiviathread

[citrine444]

"  how  do  you  even  come  up  with  this  shit?  ”  a  phrase  noah  only  uttered  when  he  was  unable  to  fire  back  with a  quip  of  his  own.  still,  the  sternness  in  his  question  lasted  momentarily  before  his  lips  twitched  into  a  grin  and  he  took  hold  of  astrid's  hand.  the  strength  of  her  pull  was  deliberate,  and  it  caused  noah  to  nearly  lose  his  footing.  he  attempted  to  stabilize  himself  by  leaning  back,  and  with  a  grunt  he  lifted  her  off  the  couch.  “  seriously?  next  time  it's  a  red  card  for  unsportsmanlike  conduct.  ”  amused with  his  own  joke,  he  stood  there,  hand  still  clasped  with  hers.  it  wasn't  until  astrid  apologized  and  released  him  that  he  noticed,  and  his  eyes  met  the  puzzling  expression  crossing  her  face.  “  jesus  sid,  it’s  not  like  i  have  cooties,  ”  he  replied  with  another  laugh,  retracting  his  hand  into  the  pocket  of  his  hoodie.  though  the  thought  crossed  his  mind  that  maybe  something  was  wrong  with  astrid,  it  left  just  as  quickly  as  it  had  entered.  while  he  had  no  trouble  discerning  basic  emotions,  any  subtleties  in  body  language  eluded  him.  legend  has  it  that  it  takes  the  cogs  too  long  to  infer  the  intentions  of  everyone  he  encounters,  so  he's been  doomed  to  a  life  of  blissful  unawareness.  “i’m  scared?  remember  how  you  were  curled  up  on  the  couch  a  second  ago?  meek  as  a  mouse?  practically  trembling?  ”  noah  mused,  making  his  way  towards  the  television  to  prop  up  his  phone  for  their  video.  “  we’ll  just  film  it  and  let  the  audience  decide,”  he  declared,  adjusting  the  phone's  angle  just  right  and  observing  his  reflection  as  he  stood  up  and  stepped  backward  until  aligned  with  astrid.  “  unless  you  need  some  pointers  beforehand.  show  me  your  woah  real  quick.  "

                  ⋆.˚ ❝  really  ?  mr.  cowell  ?  i’d  take  it  as  an  insult  but  that’s  the  mind  that  produced  the  greatest  boy  band  of  our  generation  so-  ❞  his  claps  cut  her  off,  drawing  a  long,  slow,  somewhat  painful  eye-roll  from  her.  still,  noah  stood  before  her  evidently  adamant  about  their  joint  participation.  she  knew  there  was  no  way  out  of  this  one  no  matter  how  she  tried.  she  takes  his  hand  begrudgingly,  pulling  herself  up;  she’d  half  expected  him  to  fall  forwards  given  how  hard  she’d  pulled  him.  one  might’ve  said  she’d  done  it  intentionally  to  bait  him  into  tripping  just  a  bit,  all  in  an  attempt  to  further  throw  him  off  his  game  of  course.  her  now  foiled  plan  leaves  her  with  the  slightest  pout  but  there  was  no  time  to  sulk,  only  time  to  beat  noah  at  his  own  game.

it  takes  a  second  for  her  to  realize  she’s  still  holding  onto  him,  an  apology  and  light  laugh  leave  her  as  she  releases  him.  a  thought  flies  through  her  mind  too  fast  for  her  to  take  note  of  it  ‘  what  the  fuck  was  that  astrid  ?  ’  shaking  it  off,  she  makes  a  show  of  stretching-  twisting  and  turning  about,  her  pout  already  replaced  by  another  grin.  ❝  ok  fine.  i’m  up  !  play  the  song  already,  it’s  almost  like  you’re  scared  to  put all that talk to the test.  ❞  she  pauses  tilting  her  head  towards  him,  ❝  wait.  how  is  this  getting  graded  ?  how  will  we  know  who  won  ?  i  don’t  really  trust  you  when  it  comes  to  counting.  ❞   ─  ✶⋆.˚  

#noahfontainethread #NOSTRID SAVE ME SAVE ME NOSTRID

[citrine444]

abril  struggled  not  to  roll  her  eyes  as  he  responded  to  her  suggestion.  the  only  thing  harder  to  stomach  than  the  idea  of  kissing  vanni  was  the  idea  of  kissing  vanni  and  it  not  being  believable.  now  that  she  knew  which  friends  they  would  be  seeing  this  weekend,  the  stakes  suddenly  felt  higher.   “if  we’re  going  bowling,  then  we’re  going  to  have  to  show  affection.  i  don’t  want  it  to  be  weird  and  gross  when  we  do  it  in  front  of  people  we  know.  i’d  rather  it  just  be  weird  and  gross  now,”  she  advised,  her  tone  leaving  little  room  for  persuasion. despite  the  mutual  understanding  that  there  were  no  romantic  feelings  between  her  and  vanni,  she  knew  kissing  him  would  be  different  than  kissing  any  of  the  other  men  in  her  life.  typically,  these  encounters  were  tactical,  serving  as  a  means  to  an  end.  how  else  was  she  supposed  to  get  free  drinks  and  make  people  jealous?  but  vanni  wasn't  her  pawn,  which  made  this  experience  all  the  more  vulnerable  for  her.  she  knew  she  needed  to  get  it  over  with.  “here,”  she  began,  releasing  her  grip  of  his  hand  and  rummaging  through  her  purse.  “just  take  these  first.  the  whole  thing,”  she  instructed,  handing  him  a  tin  of  altoids.  “five  seconds,  no  tongue,  and  no  wandering  hands.”

he stopped in his tracks, his entire body freezing up as if he was just pixels on a screen in a video and a person had pressed the spacebar to pause the entire world. "what?" vanni asked. he turned his head slowly, unintentionally adding to the dramatic effect of the whole ordeal. in actuality, he couldn't believe his ears.

"sorry, i think i need to go get my ears checked. i thought you just asked if we should kiss." vanni continued on. he turned to look forward and swung their hands again, although his grip around hers had drastically loosened. "and that was before asking if i brushed today. that's how i know i'm probably imagining things."

seriously, this was abril he was in a fake relationship with. there was no possible way she had just suggested what he thought she had suggested. in public too? the man seriously needed to go get his ears checked - or maybe he got hit one too many times in the head.

#abrilvaldiviathread

[citrine444]

“first of all it was a yeezy drop, and second of all, i’m not sure i like your tone,” noah called over his shoulder as he forged ahead towards the living room. though astrid’s comment was intended to be a jab, it wasn’t far off from the truth. it was kind of eerie how well she seemed to just get noah, especially considering their short time as friends. he liked to think it was because they were so alike. like the moment noah thought of something, the words had already left astrid’s mouth. he’d never tell her that though, she’d probably take offense to it.  noah narrowed his eyes at astrid as he considered her claims, watching her closely for any tells that she might be lying. “yeah that’s cap,” he replied, his thoughts interrupted as he watched her settle onto the couch in the center of the room, her confidence undeterred. there was no way he was letting her off that easy. “ummm not so fast mr. cowell, you’re doing it with me," he instructed. “c’mon! up! chop chop!” with a quick clap, he gestured for her to join him, extending a hand to help her up from the sofa.

there's an air of nonchalance with which astrid enters his place, her steps slow and heavy. she'd barely been there for more than five minutes and already she was set on throwing off his game. what better way than to relentlessly annoy him until he reached the point of no return ( messing up a step ) " oh relax, i was not that loud, maybe if you'd opened the door faster- " she pauses just steps beyond the threshold, calling from over her shoulder " what do you mean again ? did you get too excited reviewing a mschf drop or something ? " her question is offhanded but tinged with genuine curiosity, she knew noah lacked the ability to stifle his excitement but getting law enforcement involved had to be a new low? high? who knew when it came to him.

" i'll have you know i watched not one youtube tutorial, " she'd actually been on wikihow thank you very much. " even if i did ! skill is skill and it's obviously something i've been gifted with. " there's a smug grin glued to her face as she all but falls back onto his couch. " well ? cue the music ! don't worry i solemnly swear to be the most unbiased judge ever. i'll only dock.. two points per mistake. "

#noahfontainethread #astrid vs noahs inflatable ego yasssss

[citrine444]

abril had been called a lot of things in her lifetime, but none of them made her skin crawl quite like the word 'babe'. vanni knew that, which was why the comment earned him a scowl. how many times did she have to remind him of the 'pet name quota'? it was like he found enjoyment in this. "you wish." she finally answered, clasping her fingers around his. as their fingers intertwined, she tinkered with the mechanics of her grip. technically speaking, she hadn't held hands with someone since, well, ever. it seemed that her aversion to intimacy with men had left her ill-prepared for this moment. she tried to mimic the motions she'd seen in movies, but the more thought she gave it, the more mechanical it felt. she thought vanni may have sensed her overthinking as his grip gently tightened around her fingers. though they bickered, she appreciated his ability to always make sure she was comfortable. he had a gentleness about him that she had yet to encounter with his species. so she relaxed her hand a bit, offering to relinquish just the tiniest bit of control. "no... which means this will be both slow and painful," she breathed, easing into the movement so that their arms swung more fluidly. the two are silent for a moment, before abril prompted, "so now what. do we kiss?" abril posed the question, recognizing it as an inevitable step for their charade to be believable. though it was something she had been avoiding, part of her knew they needed to get it over with sooner than later.

"did you get under the nails too?" vanni mimicked abril's voice with a roll of his eyes, even going as far as using his free hand as a hand puppet of sorts. "man, fuck you. just hold my hand, babe." he spit out the pet name as if it were venom, all while letting her adjust their hands as needed.

it wasn't that he was annoyed - okay, yes it was, but that's not the point here - but rather he absolutely hated the fact that abril couldn't seem to shake off the image of him that painted him as some... freak (for lack of better words in vanni's small little brain). vanni let their hands dangle freely between them, squeezing her hand gently as if to reassure her while also attempting to ground himself.

"see? you're still alive. the world isn't on fire. was it truly that hard?" he asked. vanni swayed their hands back and forth gently with the attempt to make it feel just a little bit less awkward for the both of them. standing still was seriously beginning to get to the man's head and he could feel his unease itch right under his skin.

#abrilvaldiviathread

[citrine444]

"luna, no tienes que hacer eso," abril offered with a shake of her head. "i think i thrive in the chaos anyways." without waiting for luna's response, she poured them each a glass and made her way over to the couch. the ambiguity in luna's response stirred suspicions within abril. her friend had a reputation for having a lot of thoughts, which led abril to suspect that there was more to the situation than what she was leading on. when in doubt, she knew exactly who to blame. "one of those weeks? what did the sock puppet do this time?" she asked, her playful remark hinting at the tiniest bit of disproval. placing their glasses down, abril met luna in a tight embrace, feeling those warm feelings in her stomach again. “i seem to have that effect on people,” she laughed, releasing luna before plopping down onto the couch. however, her demeanor shifted when luna asked about abril's well-being. where to even start. there was so much she wished she could tell them -- the stuff with mal, the stuff with vanni, the stuff with aivryn. but she knew she couldn't. instead, she offered them a tight-lipped smile. “mostly working at caos and hanging out with vanni. i needed a ‘me-day’ to do some sketching,” she answered, pulling her knees to her chest. abril hoped that her brief answer would shield her from any follow-up questions.

               luna   felt   relief   in   an   instant.   there   was   no   discomfort   or   annoyance   written   in   abril's   naturally   bright   features.   they   could   tell   that   their   friend   was   excited   to   see   them,   and   that   was   enough   to   make   luna's   night.   she   could   breathe   a   lot   easier,   and   relax   the   stiff   shoulders   that   were   holding   their   body   captive.   "   the   mess   is   never   that   bad   anyway.   "   luna   reassured   as   they   passed   through   the   threshold.   "   i   can   help   clean   up   a   little   before   i   go   too   so   you   don't   have   to   worry   all   that   much,   i   know   you're   busy.   "   she   offered,   and   had   already   begun   making   game   plans   of   what   she'd   start   with   first.   it   was   funny   to   luna   that   abril   talked   about   them   being   psychic   when   she   felt   the   same   way   about   the   girl   in   front   of   them.   how   easy   it   was   for   her   to   tell   that   something   was   bothering   luna,   but   not   even   luna   could   articulate   so   instead   they   offered   a   smile   and   shrugged   their   shoulders.   "   nothing   really.   just   one   of   those   weeks   i   guess,   and   i   knew   that   seeing   mi   abrilita   would   heal   all   my   ailments   !   "   she   offered,   laying   their   head   on   her   shoulder   and   wrapping   their   arms   around   abril   in   a   tight   squeeze.   "   and   it's   working,   i'm   already   feeling   better.   "   they   released   her   to   turn   to   the   food.   "   what   about   you   ?   what   have   you   been   up   to   ?   "   they   asked   as   she   started   to   unpack   the   food.

#abrilvaldiviathread

[citrine444]

“are you serious? the tortured poets department just dropped. I’m giving swifties the chance to reminisce,” noah answers, tearing his attention away from his computer to shoot esme a pointed look. like most people, he too sometimes wondered how they ever dated. the name-calling and intimidation he could handle, but the digs at his favorite artist? that was where he drew the line.  “like i’d take musical advice from you. i bet your idea of a good time is listening to ravens caw,” he mumbled, shaking his head as he redirected his attention back to his setlist. in an act of defiance, noah firmly pressed the play button. he nodded as the intro to ‘our song’ began to play, the singer’s vocals saturated with a heavy bass and electronic background music. "you can't tell me this isn't a bop."

closed / @citrine444, for noah location / catch me if you can (pre-opening for the night)

" look at me, noah. in my eyes — " very brave words for someone who doesn't like eye contact in most situations, but this wasn't most situations. this was an opportunity to make fun of noah, which wasn't very rare, but something esme would always snatch up regardless. she stands beside him on the stage; the lights are on, catch isn't open yet, everyone getting ready for another night of partying in a new place. esme's going to bounce when that happens, but she'd wanted to come bother aksel and bring him lunch, " — you've gotta put something else on this setlist. that is debut era taylor swift. this is a club. be realistic. "

#noahfontainethread #edgar allen poe night at catch when!!!

[citrine444]

abril approached her first commission seriously, investing weeks in sketching and researching until she felt confident in creating something worthy of display. she was grateful birdie had given her the chance to do something like this. it was one thing to doodle in her journal, and it was another to do a piece of art on a single person. now here she was, doing a real mural for hundreds of people to see. she narrowed her eyes while painting in the lines of the dragon's scales, only briefly breaking her concentration to reply to birdie. "i appreciate it. you can tell it looks like a dragon breaking through the wall though, right? it doesn't look like the tail felll off?" she asked, taking a step back to fully assess her art. even while listening to birdie’s praise, she couldn’t help but look it over with a critical eye. "i bet you could. you should fill in a few scales," abril suggested, offering her paintbrush to birdie with a soft grin. despite her usual inclination for control and perfectionism with art, she felt it was fair to let the person who granted her this opportunity leave their mark. "i won't take no for an answer, by the way."

closed / @citrine444, for abril location / casa dragones

" i knew i could trust you with this. it's looking really cool, dude. " birdie's tone is colored with awe as she walks outside, eyes scanning over the wall abril was currently painting on. when they had hired abril to paint a mural on the side of casa dragones, they weren't so much apprehensive ( that wasn't a feeling birdie felt often) as they were ... protective ? casa dragones was her baby, their life, and they wanted to put into it love and care and anything that could increase longevity. which is why anything on the outside of it had to be perfect — and abril was definitely making it perfect, " you really do all of this by yourself ? that's sick. i could never. "

#abrilvaldiviathread #ITS PERFECT THANK U ANGEL

[citrine444]

noah sensed something was bothering vanni, but it wasn't until he spoke that his suspicions were confirmed. vanni, usually sporting a brooding demeanor, was delivering his words quickly and clumsily. noah struggled to follow what exactly he was saying, only really catching the part about him being good-looking. his expression softened into a smile. vanni was so nice. “thanks man, you look good too. of course we’re cool,” he replied, scuffing vanni’s shoulder with his knuckles to offer some reassurance. “look you can give it to me straight. if the photos sucked i’m happy to do more –” before noah could finish, vanni declared he had to go change. noah's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of vanni's abrupt departure. the pictures couldn’t have been that bad could they? oh god was he going to make him vomit? “change?” noah echoed, standing up to follow him. “now? we just got started.”

it eased him to see the tense way noah was holding himself. of course, it didn't make the shot look any good, but rather he found comfort in knowing that this was something new to both of them. an understanding lingering underneath everything that they didn't know what they were doing but they were trying. well, at least vanni was trying.

but then came the way noah seemed to switch into a state of calmness as he began to talk about his tattoos. this was exactly what he wanted - needed even. he needed noah to be comfortable and he seemed to be perfectly fine as he pointed to several tattoos that inked his skin. vanni snapped photos as noah continued to talk. with each click of the button, vanni could feel his hands shake under the weight of the camera.

now, vanni wasn't ever afraid to admit when someone else was attractive no matter their gender identity and his own (questionable) heterosexuality. but this reaction? for fucks sake, this was noah.

he pulled the camera away from his face, bringing it down so that he could observe the photos and looking everywhere but the real noah in front of him. vanni found himself pausing on the photo where noah was slightly lifting his shirt to reveal another tattoo.

noah asking if he was alright snapped him out of his thoughts, and vanni's head shot up to meet noah's gaze. "yeah, i'm.. good. yeah, i'm good. you look good. we good? i think we're good. do you want more shots? i mean, photos. i'm... i have to go change." the words fell from his lips at a pace that was uncharacteristically fast. nervous. vanni recognized this feeling as being so nervous and hot and - was he sweating?

#noahfontainethread

[citrine444]

noah stood with his gopro mounted on his head, hands on his hips, one foot tapping impatiently. he examined the tiger's enclosure closely, mulling over every possible way to get inside. it would be sick to get some shots next to the animal, but it was clear that the zoo was crawling with feds (security guards). "of course, did you think this was my first time sneaking into an animal enclosure?" noah laughed with a shake of his head. "i know how to handle the cops." arlo's suggestion of the snake pit intrigued him. "hmmm the 'noah constrictors' would have a nice ring to it, and i could do like a britney spears thing… okay i’m sold. what were you thinking as a distraction?”

status / closed , @citrine444 location / quilpue zoo !

               there's   no   way   we're   getting   into   the   tiger   enclosure.   "   the   disappointment   was   evident   in   the   way   arlo   sighed.   it   wasn't   that   he   was   disappointed   noah   would   suggest   such   a   thing,   arlo   was   disappointed   they   wouldn't   actually   be   able   to   do   it.   it   would've   made   a   really   good   video.   "   look   how   many   security   guards   there   are.   and   what   if   we   get   separated   ?   can   you   speak   spanish   ?   do   you   know   how   to   say   lawyer   ?   "   the   more   he   thought   about   it   (   which   wasn't   all   that   much   ),   the   more   the   plan   crumbled.   "   maybe   we   should   look   into...⸻   i   don't   know   getting   into   the   snake   pit   ?   i   thought   you   could   clean   the   pits   with   a   worker   or   something   so   one   of   us   can   distract   the   worker   and   the   other   can   get   some   great   clips   with   a   boa   construction   or   whatever   they're   called.   "

#noahfontainethread #I LOVE ITTT SMOOCHIES FOR ARLO

[citrine444]

status / closed, aivryn (@acosmicdisappointment) location / aivryn's apartment

abril ascended aivryn��s apartment stairs with deliberate slowness, her legs moving heavily as she mentally rehearsed her lines. each step afforded her another moment to contemplate how to tell aivryn the truth. thought the guilt of deceiving her friend weighed on her, abril couldn’t explain why she was so nervous. aivryn was a loving and reasonable person most of the time. there was no reason to feel this way. she told herself it was because it would be difficult to explain what she did without sounding pathetic. but a part of abril knew another reason, one that years of conditioning was making really difficult to confront. it was something she never felt secure in and never let herself feel fully. it was an ‘unsafe’ feeling, one that bred uncertainty and threatened abandonment. but in her strange, misguided effort to prevent the people she loved from leaving her, she was pushing them away.  after two days of silence, abril knew that aivryn was serious about ending their friendship if she didn't come clean. despite countless mental rehearsals, and a flood of ‘what if’ scenarios, she still found herself at a loss for the right words. and the only person she would normally turn to for advice in such a mess was the very person who was upset with her.  nervous energy surged through her as she approached the door, her fingers picking at her nailbeds in a futile attempt to distract herself. as she raised a knuckle to knock, her gaze was met with a sign of her face and a giant X that read: "No Cheaters Allowed!!!!"  a faint smile crossed abril's lips and her tension eased for a moment. fine, maybe she deserved that. with one final deep breath, she knocked, calling out, "aiv, it's me!"

#abrilvaldiviathread #NO CHEATERS ALLOWED GET HER AIV

[citrine444]

#noahfontainemuse

[citrine444]

kissing a woman was very different from kissing a man, or evenly drunkenly kissing friends.  it wasn’t exactly delicate and soft like how everyone else described it. but it also wasn’t like her hurried encounters with men, where each kiss felt like a performance and an attempt to conform to an ill-fitting mold. kissing mallory was in a league of its own. she was like a drug. abril grew more intoxicated the longer they exchanged breath. she needed her in ways that were concerning, in ways that made her chest ache and her heartbeat quicken. 'careful' was the word abril whispered in her head, and it was the word she was ignoring. despite her plea for restraint, the exchange was lost in her act of defiance. and when mallory kissed her back with fervency, she felt a surge of confidence, as if her presence was acknowledged and desired. it was a small victory, but a significant one. she was determined to remind mallory why she was, in fact, unforgettable.  yet, amidst the euphoria, the nagging voice did not back down, reminding her of the internal struggle she had been waging for so long. she was aware of the boundaries she was crossing and the lines she was blurring in pursuit of making herself known, but she couldn’t deny the attraction she felt towards mal. abril was forced to confront the fact that maybe hatred and desire were not mutually exclusive, but rather, two sides of the same coin.  in an attempt silence her voices, abril cupped the side of mal’s face and tilted her head back. she felt mal’s desire for control as she pressed her body closer. abril responded by entangling her fingers in mal's hair, gripping a fistful of it as she gently pulled mal's head so that their lips parted briefly. she used the moment to catch her breath before resuming the kiss. as they stumbled backwards towards the rail, her hands traveled away from her head and gripped her hips, eager to eliminate any space remaining between them. she feels the pace of the kiss quickening as they settled into a rhythm that was far too natural. then mallory pulled away, abruptly bringing her back to reality. abril listened to mallory’s words. guess i’ll remember this one. this was supposed to be a victory, right? mallory was acknowledging that abril was unforgettable. she had proven her point. then why did it feel so awful that they stopped?  before abril could gather her thoughts to respond, she watched as mallory’s expression shifted, and a knot formed in her stomach. it mirrored exactly what she was feeling – uncertainty, a sense that something had shifted between them. they had found themselves in uncharted territory and were unsure of how to proceed. the weight of the moment hung heavy in the air, leaving abril to question her actions and wonder if she had made a mistake.  and then she watched mal run.  "what the hell?" abril muttered, sobering up with alarming speed. she remembered where she was, her eyes darting around to the nearby groups of people. in that fleeting moment of intimacy, she had allowed herself to let her guard down. and as she watched her run away, the familiar ache of abandonment formed a pit in her stomach. she felt anger bubble to the surface again, at the sting of what felt like rejection. she wanted to scream, to demand answers, but the words caught in her throat. all she could do was stand there, fists clenched at her side, as the bitter taste lingered on her tongue. abril was supposed to be the one to leave. she hated being left. she was always getting left. eventually she mustered up enough clarity to hastily wipe away any trace of mal from her mouth before shouting angrily. "you're a shitty kisser anyways!" the words tore from her lips, ensuring that if anyone had missed their moment of intimacy, they would certainly catch her moment of rage.

Mallory had kissed so many girls that their faces blurred together in her memory, their names forgotten almost as soon as they left her lips. It was a coping mechanism, a way to distract herself from the pain of heartbreak. She had embraced the idea that the best way to get over someone was to get under someone else, but each new encounter left her feeling more empty than before. She tried to convince herself that she was moving on, that she was in control, but deep down, she knew that these hookups were just a temporary fix, a band-aid over a wound that refused to heal. Mallory longed for something deeper, something more meaningful, but she was afraid to open herself up to that kind of vulnerability again. So, she continued to seek solace in the arms of strangers, hoping that one of them would help her forget, if only for a moment. When she challenged the woman to prove her wrong, Mal hadn't expected a kiss, especially not one that stirred something so profound within her. It was different from all the other encounters, a spark that ignited a flame deep within her chest. She had been so used to the emptiness of her previous encounters that this sudden burst of emotion caught her off guard. But despite her surprise, Mallory didn't pull away. The blonde didn't hesitate to take control of the kiss. With a sense of urgency, Mallory's hand cupped her face in return before she pulled her close. Their bodies pressed together as she turned them around, pressing her against the rails. The world around them faded away as Mallory lost herself in the moment, the intensity of the kiss washing over her like a wave. It was a moment of raw passion, a fleeting glimpse of something real in the midst of all the emptiness. As their kiss deepened, Mallory felt a surge of desire course through her. The girl's eagerness ignited something primal within her, and she responded with equal fervor. The exchange of breath between them was intoxicating and addicting. In that moment, all Mallory could focus on was the heat of her body against hers, the taste of her lips, and the overwhelming desire that coursed through her veins. With a daring move, Mallory's hand slid from her face, trailing down her neck for a moment before firmly grasping her backside. It was a bold move, one that spoke of her desire and need for more. Mallory's actions were instinctual, driven by a desire to feel close to her, to lose herself in the passion of the moment. After a few moments, Mallory pulled away, her chest heaving as she tried to regain her composure. Mal's thumb brushed against her lower lip, a silent caress that spoke of unspoken emotions. For a moment, the air between them crackled with tension, neither of them daring to break the silence. "Guess I'll remember this one," Mallory finally murmured, her voice soft and tinged with uncertainty. It was a statement that hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. Mallory had been caught off guard by the intensity of their encounter, and now she was left grappling with the aftermath. But before she could give her a chance to respond, Mallory's expression shifted, a flash of fear crossing her features. For Mallory, the intensity of their encounter had been overwhelming. In that moment, things had felt real in a way she hadn't experienced in a long time. But with that realness came vulnerability, and Mallory couldn't bear the thought of getting her heart broken again. The fear of opening herself up to that kind of pain was too much to bear, so she did what she always did when things got too intense – she ran.

#abrilvaldiviathread #SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG #IM SCREAMINGGGG #SHE A RUNNER SHE A TRACK STAR

[citrine444]

AHHHHHH I LOVE U SO MUCH THANK U THANK U THANK U FOR UR KIND WORDS <<<333 !!!! (づ๑•ᴗ•๑)づ♡

RESIDENT OF THE MONTH : APRIL 2024 .

Congratulations to our March 2024 Resident of the Month recipient, Noah Fontaine ! There's never a smile absent from our faces whenever you're around. Whether it's your never ending video ideas, or your way of speaking what's on your mind without a care for consequence. We hope all our residents can be as carefree and fun loving as you are. You've brought so much laughter in the short time you've been here, ad we can't wait to have plenty more. Thank you Noah for being the bright light shining down on the Valpo region. ( @citrine444 )

OOC NOTE:

HI SOPHIE!!!!!!!!!!! We want to take some time to express our gratitude and love towards having you in our group. From the start you've been so warm and inviting. You're always ready with a fun idea, a funny joke, and an open mind! We've enjoyed watching Abril grow over the her time here and Noah had us in tears with how funny he always is. We love seeing you on the dash and in the chat and we're so grateful you find our little corner of the rpc. WE LOVE YOU !!!!!

[citrine444]

noah stood before his bathroom mirror, focused intently on his own reflection, mentally counting himself in before performing his dance. he executed the 'woah' before extending his arms forward and clapping his hands together, after which he groaned and pressed his palms to his eyes. “no no, sloppy again,” he muttered to himself, reaching for his phone to restart the song.  noah was mostly excited about his idea to mix songs from popular dance trends on tiktok and showcase them in his next video. however, learning the dances didn't come as naturally as he had hoped. they demanded good memory and hand-eye coordination, two things noah didn't usually have. just as he paused the music, a loud knock sounded at his front door. uh oh, astrid must already be here noah realized, quickly grabbing his phone before rushing to answer the door. “woah, why all the yelling? do you want my neighbors to call the cops again?” he warned in a hushed voice, peeking over astrid’s shoulder to ensure they hadn't attracted unwanted attention. stepping aside, he gestured for her to quickly enter. astrid's remark earned her an eyeroll and eventually a smile from noah. despite his struggles with memory and hand-eye coordination, he couldn't help but think astrid might be even worse than him in those areas. he was actually elated to finally have a shot to be better at something. “oh word? i can only imagine how many youtube tutorials you crammed on the way over here.”

───✮ ˙ ̟ 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭, 𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒅𝒆, 𝐠𝐨, 𝐠𝐨, 𝐠𝐨, 𝐠𝐨 ── 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗍. 𝗇𝗈𝖺𝗁 @citrine444 ─ 𝖺𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝖺𝗁'𝗌 𝖽𝗈𝗈𝗋

with the wikihow article detailing the steps of how to do the renegade still open on her phone, astrid hammered against noah's door. it'd certainly looked easy enough when she'd scoured tiktok for the challenge, it also looked incredibly old. astrid was a proud bandwagoner she'd gotten the app near late 2021 long after the dance had overstayed its welcome so it wasn't as though she'd been heavily exposed to the simple albeit cringe-inducing dance outside of word-of-mouth. " noah !! it's astrid ! " she shouted raising her fist to knock against the door once more, barely catching herself as the door swung open. " hey, " she drew the word out, a smile curling the corners of her lips " ready to meet your maker ? "

#noahfontainethread #ASTRID UR SO CUTE ILY

[citrine444]

abril felt overwhelmed by the pace of her life lately. if she wasn’t at school, she was at caos tattoo, and it wasn't at caos, she was scheming and plotting with her friends. however, abril woke up this morning declaring today a “me day”. her plan was simple: get a fun drink, do some shopping, then lay out in the sun like a lizard. the first item on her list was completed, and now she was sat on a bench with a coffee in hand deciding where to resume her journey. her eyes fall upon a handful of people entering and exiting inherited escapes, which seemed to be a bit busier than usual. abril's curiosity was piqued enough for her to abandon her bench and investigate. she took another sip of her coffee as the bell hanging above the door announced her arrival. abril wandered over to where the vinyls were, her eyes looking over the colorful artwork before a voice catches attention. she smiled at the stranger, who happened to be holding up one of her favorite albums. “absolutely, sin miedo is hard to beat but igual que un angel is a masterpiece. i mean look at this cover,” she mused, gesturing to a nearly nude kali uchis lying with flowers. “the art alone is enough to make me buy it. did you know she's pregnant now?"

" girl, put your records on... " -- feat. Abril (@citrine444) location: inherited escapes // vinyl hunting

Fully intent on having a chill day before work, Yaz made her occasional stops, places that she was beginning to find herself as a regular. In its own way, there was a comfort there and despite rocky beginnings, it was beginning to feel a whole lot more like home. What more could she ask for?

As she entered Inherited Escapes, she waved to the person working the corner and immediately made a beeline to the vinyl collection. While looking at the modest section (which she loved), she turned to the person who came into the shop behind her, offering a kind smile.

"Have you listened to this album yet? What do you think, worth the buy?" Yaz held up a copy of Orquideas, the newer album from Kali Uchis. "Sin Miedo was a really great project...so I'm almost wondering how this stacks up."

#abrilvaldiviathread #YAZ AND ABRIL ON THE DASH I WINNNNN

[citrine444]

abril was a firm believer that the man who was angered by nothing cared about nothing. and by that logic, contrary to popular belief, abril cared deeply about a lot of things. for instance, just last week she was angry that mal had forgotten who she was and then accidentally kissed her for the second time. the problem was that this kiss was very public, and because mal had amassed quite the following over the years, abril worried that it was only a matter of time before their PDA popped up on fan accounts or the daily mail. abril wasn't mad because she cared about mal, but because she cared about how she would be perceived. abril needed to create a plan. and once she had that, she needed someone nice and insane enough to go along with it. enter vanni, one of her regulars at caos tattoos with whom abril shared a contentious yet familiar relationship. beneath their bickering, abril knew he had a good heart and could be persuaded into helping execute her evil plan. as much as she hated to admit it, she needed his help. she needed him to play her public boyfriend. abril’s eyes drifted to vanni's extended hands. “did you get under the nails too?” she asked, her lips twitching into a grimace. “fine, but my hand is going on top. give it to me,” she directed, extending her hand awkwardly, palm facing downwards. with some effort, she attempted to intertwine their fingers, though the fit wasn't exactly right.

closed \ @citrine444

vanni knew the very little friends he had all come from the most unconventional situations. this friendship between him and the brooding tattoo apprentice at his favorite tattoo shop started because he just... kept coming.

he was obsessed with getting knew ink and getting his body covered as if it were a canvas. he had his first stick and poke when he was 12 and was on hold until he was old enough to get it done professionally because it had gotten infected so horribly and scared him off from doing it again.

so to him, becoming friends with the tattoo apprentice who he didn't mind letting her retouch a few of his tattoos and even give him a few new ones so she could get more hands on practice was only natural. what he didn't expect was for the natural progression of their friendship to lead him here - walking through the streets after treating abril to her birthday dinner and trying to get her to hold his hand. not because they liked each other romantically, no, but because he was simply a model for her... very weird antics.

"i'm clean, you know. you watched me wash my hands after we ate dinner and i used hand sanitizer." he groaned out, his hand still outstretched towards abril from where he stood facing her.

#abrilvaldiviathread #LETS GO LESBIANS #LETS GO BEARDS