tailshazelwood

[tailshazelwood]

margotmoore​:

-

Margot listened to him fight the door, her back still facing him. She didn’t need to look to know that the door was winning. The loud smack of skin against metal painted the picture. Her eyes danced across the few stars you could see in this part of town because of all of the lights. Going home seemed like the better option now, in hindsight. Wasn’t hindsight just the biggest pain in the ass there ever was? Cause, in hindsight he could have just not closed the door. Margot wasn’t worried about freezing to death up here. The idea of being stuck up on a roof with a guy who rejected her felt like a personalized version of hell created just for her.

A scoff morphed into a chuckle at the words he chose to say in that moment. How grand. Margot turned slowly, holding the cigarette casually between two fingers. Like everything Margot Moore did, there was a layer of effortlessness. Her pink lips pressed into a smile, as she studied his face. All at once she was reminded he was just a man like the rest of them. He felt the need to tell her that the cigarette was bad for her, like the box didn’t tell her, like she’d never picked one up before, like she hadn’t graduated health class in the 5th grade. He knew he knew they were bad. So, what was the point? “Classic.” Margot noted before tagging another long drag just to spite him.

Maybe she’d have felt different about the statement the first night, mixed together with the sweet words he used to describe her and her desire for someone to at least pretend they cared when they took her clothes off. Now, she realized it was all pathetic. It was all the same garbage as the guys who fucked their sorrows into her. “Did that make you feel better about leaving me standing there like an idiot in my entry way? Giving me that sage advice?” Margot asked through a thick layer of sarcasm. “It sure isn’t working quick enough.” The dark joke punctuated by another inhale.

She didn’t want to sit through an apology. That kind of apology, an apology with good reason, only made the recipient feel pathetic in her experience. “What’s next? You gonna explain to stock market to me?”

.

Tails felt her words like a visceral slap to the face. He’d been off his face that night and yet, as she spoke, every memory returned to him in vivid detail. It was the rest of the night that remained a blacked out blur.

Thanks, whiskey!

Margot moved like a cat. Or maybe it was like a predator. Each movement was fluid, nothing without thought and premeditation. He was nearly in awe of it when his eyes flicked up to meet hers as she took a long drag. He swallowed thickly, begging himself to look away but unable to do it all the same. 

“No,” he answered immediately. He wasn’t even sure why he’d said it. He was a stereotypical author after all, prone to locking himself away in some room in some desolate cabin, surviving off cigarettes and coffee like a starving poet of the nineteenth century. It was just far enough removed from them. 

But here he was drowning in it, anyway. 

“No,” he said again, her last question piercing like a lance. He had never wanted to be that guy. Something about her had drawn him in despite all the way something about him tried to keep him from being caught up in it. He’d failed spectacularly at that part, though.

“It wasn’t about you. That night. It had nothing to do with you and I know that doesn’t mean shit, but...” he laughed, the sound entirely without humor as he scrubbed a hand over his face. He fought the urge to pace and found himself pacing anyway. Several quiet beats passed, several uneven heartbeats. And then: “Google me.” 

And like every single word he’d spoken to her in the aftermath of his own god awful decisions, this one felt just as flimsy. But an apology would just be met with the same wall. And he desperately wanted her to understand. He barely knew her, could have walked away and pretended he didn’t care. But it would have been a lie. “I mean it. I know that sounds like a line — probably a really douchey one — but maybe you’ll understand? ‘Talos Hazelwood’. Or ‘Talos Hazelwood wife’. That should give you exactly what you need.”

#c: margot

[tailshazelwood]

ofprettyvenom​:

“When I’m in the mood to solve them.” Skyler responded with a laugh, catching sight of the man’s raised brow in her direction. To her he seemed like he had more hidden under the surface and he had her attention, maybe the book in her hands would play a part in revealing more of his layers?

“Yeah I’m getting all the basics classes out of the way, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll be able to pass those.” Sure the blonde didn’t know him personally so she couldn’t accurately judge his skills, but something in her gut told her he’d be able to handle a simple cookie class. “Lock me in for week four, what happens when I win?” She teased, laughing at his comments on cereal. “I think…that’s impossible. How would you burn cereal?”

.

Tails lifted a brow, drawn in by curiosity. He was always in the mood to solve a mystery. “And what’s your mood like right now?” he questioned, allowing an easy smile to tug at the corners of his mouth. He could almost forget his book — the one he’d loved, the one that nearly ruined him — was tucked against her chest.

 “Week four,” he said, pretending to jot her bet down in an invisible notebook. “You know, I hadn’t really thought that far. It was only me betting against myself. What do you— wait.” He paused, narrowing his eyes on her, “when you win, huh? Someone’s feeling cocky. I don’t know, what’s a good prize? I’ve never been much of a betting man.”

#c: skyler

[tailshazelwood]

Of the major holidays, Halloween was probably one of Tails’ least favorite. He’d chalk it up to childhood trauma and body dysmorphia, probably. Skirting along the edges of a party had always been Tails’ comfort zone, and lately, that had grown even truer. But in an effort not to turn into a hermit who was one step away from erecting a shack in the middle of the woods, he’d dragged himself out tonight, had stepped into line for one of his least favorite rides, and had stuck it out.

The universe wasn’t done taking hits. He reached the front of the queue only to be met with an impatient ride operator, spittle flying from his mouth as he repeated no single riders for the third time, waving him forward. He did as he was told, eyes flicking to his ride neighbor. He faltered, taking a small step back. He didn’t imagine she wanted to be stuck with him anymore than he wanted to be stuck with her and did his best to attempt a gracious bow-out that was met with steely gray eyes and he was— almost aggressively— herded into the seat. 

The metal bar snapping into place felt like the final toll of a death bell and Tails’ throat felt sticky and hot. The ride began to move and the silence was a surprise, but Tails welcomed it. He didn’t love heights, so he pressed back and let his eyes closed, simply enjoying the cool air on his face.

And then a screech and an abrupt stop had his eyes flying open, blinking wildly around to find that they were at the very top. And that the ride had stopped. 

“We’re stuck,” she said, and panic made him bite back a sarcastic you’re kidding. Instead, his fingers wrapped tightly around the iron lap bar until his knuckles had gone white. 

Her question drew a single, throaty laugh from him. “You mean aside from this one?” He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, peering over the side. His stomach swooped at the height and he sat back again. When he spoke again, his voice was shaky, though he did his best to hide it. Talking, at least, was a distraction from the tumbling in the pit of his stomach. “There’s that one about the girl who wears the ribbon around her neck? Her husband would always ask her why and she always said she’d tell him later or something. On her deathbed she told him she could untie it and then her head just... rolled right off. I don’t know why that one has always stuck with me, but it has.”

TAILS. FALL FESTIVAL FERRIS WHEEL

@tailshazelwood​

She needed a breather, an escape. It was as if everywhere she turned, some family friend was frowning at her, telling her to call her mother. Some trite variation of forgive your family no matter what terrible thing they do to you ringing like an echo behind the carnival sounds propelled Isla to the Ferris wheel, where in a daze, she poured herself into a cart alone. No single riders. She gripped the bar and shot a steely gaze up at the attendant, daring him to make her move. He rolled his gray eyes, turned his back, and singled out another lonely rider, You. Isla didn’t look up not until they protested, and she swiveled her head to assure them she didn’t bite. Until she saw his face and thought, well, maybe he wouldn’t believe her. She didn’t say anything, no protest- not even his forced proximity could pull her off this ride. Especially when she could spot a few people back, another woman who knew Manon Chastain and undoubtedly had been given an earful about how Isla had disrespected her mother in her own home. In front of my new Matisse! The absurdity, the ridiculousness of it all-the anger Isla felt could not be tampered by another just as absurd situation. So she shifted against the metal wall of the bucket and watched a gray-eyed ride attendant  who towered over most people bully Tails into the space next to her. He slammed down the metal bars closing them in, and pressed the button to start the ride. Isla lurched a bit as the ride sent them upward and backward into the fading daylight. The higher they went, the more the ground and all its problems faded. She said nothing- for once she was content to be silent, to let the moment take her away. Once around and one more to go before she was thrust back into the world at hand, but if, by some twisted Halloween miracle, the ride sputtered and stopped with them at the very top. Looking over the edge, Isla could faintly see the attendant scratching his head- “We’re stuck.” She pointed out the obvious slouching back against the metal seating. A curious glance over at Tails as the ride buzzed from the bottom that they were having technical difficulties and would be fixing it as soon as possible. In the meantime sit tight. Isla spoke without looking at him, popping her lips, “So, know any horror stories?” She asked, peering down and finding they were quite high up. Maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible. Stuck up here with him rather than on the ground dodging nosy affluent ladies with too much time on their hands.

#body dysmorphia tw #c: isla #vchalloween

[tailshazelwood]

isla-chastain​:

…

She wanted to tell him it got easier, that after years of grieving, you woke up one day and reached the end of grief. It was a false hope that you somehow came out the other end the same, and it was a lie that there was an end. Grief was not linear, with a clear end in sight. It was something Isla had just learned to live in, and on the days she felt like it would smother her, she threw herself into her work. She felt she could only honor Cass’s life by exposing the same kind of people who would have swept her death under an ornate rug. Few people still apologized for her loss, and even now, Isla didn’t know how to be with it. Sadness and longing for someone who would never come back untangled from someplace beneath her ribs. Words strangled before they could form, and Isla nodded with the only gratitude she could muster without words. Isla didn’t dare drop her eyes from his. There was something profound and terrible in speaking of loss between people who’d also faced the same heartbreak. “I am too.” Her voice came out thin with emotion. Isla suspected death was difficult because there was no telling what came after. She’d never be one of those who found solace in the promise of a better place in death. There was no better place than living up to your every potential and dream. Cass would never get that, and those who loved her were left trying to fill the void her death had left in the world. His but was clear, and she waited for him to fill it in, and once he had, Isla blinked away the wash of emotion- he was still in it. Looking at him, it would have been so easy to have seen herself had she not been so quick to jump on the opportunity to expose the man who should have been haunted by what he had done- it wasn’t Tails. He shouldn’t be the one to have to shoulder the burden of guilt when he hadn’t been. Isla swayed on her feet, her green hues orb-like as she took in the weight of his loss. It was so easy for her to push the emotion aside- at least until it spoke until she could see it, hear it. Her hand pressed firmly over her abdomen, trying to hold herself together. He’d lost his wife. Isla hadn’t had a partner like that with Warren, and when she thought of losing someone she loved that way, only one face came to mind. The thought alone was nearly enough to double her over. “Is your timeline working for you?” She asked, “Do you think after years I woke up and wasn’t grieving anymore?” Isla asked, “I wish that was the case. I hope one day you’ll wake up and you’ll find your grief has left you. But I doubt it does for anyone. You have to live with it and all the ways it changes.” Isla sighed and shook her head, “I’m not trying to tell you how to move through it. I just believe it will be awful to wake up and think back on what you could have done and what you missed out on- you’ve lost more than just someone you love.” Isla pointed out, “I don’t think you deserve to keep losing.”

.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing, was that she wasn’t wrong. He did, despite all of the things he’d said to the contrary, understand where she was coming from. That was both the blessing and the curse of being a writer: the ability to put yourself in the position and mindset of others, to grasp at understanding, to make it all make sense. 

The irritation remained, however. If he could see from her point of view, he wondered why she didn’t seem inclined to see it from his. Or maybe she had and hadn’t deemed it important enough to linger. “I know how grief works,” he said, a tad sharply. And then he immediately regretted it, running his hand over his face with a sigh before folding his arms tightly over his chest. 

“Listen, I get what you’re saying. I do. But—” There it was again. That but that he didn’t believe mattered at all. She was a dog with a bone, and while he didn’t know her from Adam, he thought if he knew anything at all about her, it was that she was unrelenting. And it was those last words she’d spoken that continued to circle in his mind. I don’t think you deserve to keep losing. “You don’t even know me.”

#c: isla

[tailshazelwood]

He’d thought a change of scenery would make a difference, thought that his drinking wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if he did it somewhere else. And really, it wasn’t a problem. It only had the potential to be. And therein lay the difference, one that Tails would cling to should anyone point it out to him.

Which, they wouldn’t. Because no one here knew him.

Fingers wrapped around the neck of his beer bottle, he brought it to his lips, giving the venue a cursory glance. Not for any real reason— he had no one to look for, no one looking for him— so the last thing he expected was to settle on a familiar face. Their eyes locked the half-second before he continued his people watching before his brain caught up and his heart seized as his eyes tracked back to her. 

She wasn’t looking at him anymore. In fact, she was busy throwing back the contents of her glass and disappearing into the crowd and cowardice had Tails considering leaving it like that. They were strangers, and while guilt festered like an old wound, they didn’t owe each other anything. But his conscious won out quickly and he muttered a quiet fuck under his breath before he was following her through the crowd and up the stairs. He pushed his way though the door and let it fall closed behind him as apologies formed on his tongue.

They died almost as quickly with her question. His brows drew together, head whipping back to look at the door that he had, in fact, let close and lock behind him. “No, it’s not locked,” he said, walking the few steps backwards before giving it a tug. The door didn’t budge. He tried one more time. Nothing. He hung his head and pressed his palm flat against the door. “Okay, it’s locked.”

He breathed through the panic of that for a moment before he straightened and turned back to her. He had his cellphone, it wasn’t like they’d be stranded up here forever. And if he didn’t say something now, he wasn’t sure he ever would. He sighed as he turned, eyes falling on the shape of her, watched the smoke billow from the end of her cigarette. “That shit will kill you, you know.”

who : @tailshazelwood​

where : music venue

Another night, another distraction.  The alcohol seemed to numb the dull ache in her chest less and less. It felt constant now, affecting every aspect of her life. She barely rolled out of bed by 2pm today. She hadn’t posted content in a couple weeks, which meant her revenue slowed down. Margot tried to ignore how familiar this feeling felt, not wanting to admit she was slipping into a mindset that took her so much work to pull herself out of the first time. She nursed her drink in the corner of the room, trying to focus on the vibration of the floor. Her eyes scanned the place, looking for someone to fill the night with.

Fuck.

Margot’s eyes dropped to the ground. She’d made direct eye contact with Tails for all of 2 seconds. Maybe he didn’t realize it was her. She didn’t dare to look up again, knowing full well there was no escaping another shared glance. The one gave her reasonable doubt, the ability to deny it. The brunette downed the glass in her hand, before heading out the first door she could get her hands on. Without thinking much about where she was going, her feet brought her up the stairs of the stairwell she found herself in. Margot pushed the door open to the roof, noticing the brick to the side that felt precisely placed. She propped the door open in case it would lock behind her. Hands dug through her purse to grab a cigarette.

As she took her first drag she heard the door slam closed. Her head whipped around. “Fucking hell. Please tell me we’re not stuck up here.” She gestured to the door Tails let close behind him. Margot sighed turning back, knowing the answer before it slipped through his lips. She took another long drag of her cigarette.

#c: margot

[tailshazelwood]

asrabxt​:

“Well if you insist,” he got up. “I dunno. You can pick where.” He didn’t really care. He ate just about everything. Right now was a little complicated. He didn’t really mind wherever Tails picked. He was sure he could find something. At the admission, Sasha stopped for a second before walking again along side of him. “What kind of really fucking stupid? Did you let your ex give you a handy on a cruise while you made out in a coat closet or a different kind of stupid?” He asked the question with such a normal cadence, as if it wasn’t something you probably shouldn’t do, or that he did do.

.

“No,” Tails responded immediately, his attention wholly on the story he was about to tell, desperate to get it all out before he lost the gumption to do so. It was only after he’d said it that Sasha’s words caught up to him and he blinked, confused. Turning his gaze from his hands to his friend, Tails stopped walking. “Wait, what? Okay, put a pin in that one because we’re definitely coming back around to it.” He resumed walking, eyes returning to his hands because it was just easier to talk about embarrassing shit when he could pretend he wasn’t talking to anyone in particular. “I... almost went home with someone from the bar the other night. Or, well, I did go home with her. And then I absolutely freaked out on her and just...” He threw up his hands with a single, mirthless laugh, “I’m pretty sure I apologized a bunch of times and then just... like, literally ran away from her apartment.”

#c: sasha

[tailshazelwood]

The interloper was getting on Tails’ nerves.

Why did he have to walk around all buff and handsome? It hadn’t been since middle school that Tails found himself standing in front of a mirror, poking at himself in wonder of the cooked pasta that made up his entire body. Why was he suddenly feeling so self-conscious about it now? It had taken about twelve seconds to decide he didn’t like the guy and a whole two days following to admit to himself that he had absolutely no reason to feel that way in the first place.

And now here he stood, dragging his attention away from the small towel tucked around Bram’s waist, and feeling like a petulant child who wanted to stamp his foot and demand some personal space in the bathroom. “I’d rather just wait. But...” Tails screwed up his face to the side, “thanks?” 

Still, though, he didn’t move. This dude looked like a Crest commercial. If he smiled at him right now, Bram’s teeth would probably sparkle. It was so annoying. Tails leaned a shoulder against the door frame. “So, uh. How long are you planning on staying?” 

who: @tailshazelwood​

where: mari + tails’ place

when: idk, we can say he’s been at their place for a couple days now?

“Sorry.” He wasn’t, actually. The apology, like most things involving Bram these days, felt dead. Hollow. Empty. Flat.

Tails had just caught Bram post shower, clothed in nothing but a thin towel of Mari’s he had draped around his waist. His torso, along with the rest of him, was still glistening and dripping wet from washing it down not even five minutes ago.

Never in his life, has Bram ever been shy about his body. He had no real reasons to be. He worked hard on it. Though, it was lidded in bruises now and showed clear signs of trauma. He constantly has to remind himself that his new blemishes would heal. That one day, he’ll look in the mirror and not be hit with a tidal wave of flashbacks of Silas wailing on him.

“Did you need to use the bathroom? Go for it, pretend I’m not even here.” Bram will resume brushing his teeth in the meantime, as he gets ready for work. Because although he’s homeless now, at least he still has a job.

#this is sending me already lmfaoooo #c: bram

[tailshazelwood]

asrabxt​:

“Of course, totally valid reason,” he chuckled, “I’m surprised you’re only this late then.” Sasha didn’t really mind. Sometimes he ran late to meet ups but usually it was because of work, or sleep..due to working. He’d appreciate any time he got with friends, even if they were late. Any time was better than no time. 

He looked over at Tails, putting his earbud away and stuffing it in his center hoodie pocket. “Not yet. You wanna go get somethin?” He wasn’t sure if something was eating at him or not, the way his body language seemed normal, but there was always a lot of psychology he didn’t quite understand. He used to have a friend that taught him that. It was always the peppy ones that hid so much. It was a reminder to him to send him a text, maybe just asking how their “shared” stuffed child was doing as a starter.

.

Tails nodded and rubbed his stomach. He didn’t exactly feel hungry at the moment and he was also entirely certain it had nothing to do with a lack of appetite. “Anything but Roxy Burger or else my roommate will make me eat an entire BBQ menu again.” He shuddered dramatically at the memory, though a fond smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and he reached out a hand to help Sasha up. “My treat for dragging you out here.”

There. That was a perfectly reasonable segue, right? He rubbed his palms down his jeans and glanced up at the sky. There was a cover of gray— a Vancouver staple— but the bitter cold hadn’t yet gotten the city in a chokehold. “So. Uh. I did something... kind of really fucking stupid last night.”

#NOT THE SIR LOIN MENTION I'M CRINE #AND ALEC #my hearrrtttttt #c: sasha

[tailshazelwood]

ofprettyvenom​:

Skyler tucked the novel away for now, placing it in the basket so she’d remember to bring it to the check out counter before she left. She was interested in the story his evil twin in question wanted to tell, seeing it as a potential way to learn more about the man in front of him at the same time.

She offered him a smile while her gaze looked over his face, her lips curling into a smirk briefly as he moved a hand through the hair she’d just complimented. “Your hair and bookstores? There has to be more you’re not telling me that goes beyond that.” The blonde told him with a smile, wondering how much he’d be willing to share. “Week two? Surely you’ll make it to week four at least, I figure the first couple classes might be going over rules and the basics. I’ve got a little more faith than that, maybe they’ll start with something simple like grilled cheese.”

“Not a fan of mystery then?” he asked with a quirk of his brow and a roguish tilt to his lips. He had plenty he wasn’t telling her and as far as he was concerned, it could stay that way. Despite the rocky start, he preferred stealing these small moments where he felt like just another person having just another random encounter with a stranger. 

His grin grew wider and his hands settled on his hips, leaning casually against the table now. “Week four, huh? So much faith in someone you’ve only just met. It’s admirable. I’m locking you in for week four, but I’ll have you know I’m an absolute disaster in the kitchen. I could probably somehow burn cereal. How would you even burn cereal? I don’t know, but I’m sure I could do it.”

#c: skyler

[tailshazelwood]

Nothing about this event was really his scene. Yachts were far too rich for his blood and while now that he was in it, the hot tub was indeed very nice, he wasn’t usually one for pool parties either. Call it insecurities stemming from his formative years that never quite went away. 

There was a period of time back in New York when he’d had to smile and schmooze his way through many a party, but that time had come and gone. And all he could really feel was a wonder at why, exactly, he’d come in the first place. But the hot tub had been empty for the better part of half an hour and aside from the occasional, creeping worry that he might once again be accosted in public, he finally found some peace.

Which is why it made perfect sense that the moment the thought entered his mind, he found himself suddenly pelted by water, a veritable wave as someone else made a crash landing opposite him. Wiping his eyes, he blinked several times before his gaze landed on a familiar head of dark hair, eyes a little glazed over with drink but still just as pretty as he remembered them. Tails smiled, his uneasiness loosening enough to allow fondness to slip in. “Lola. She is beauty, she is grace...” he said with a chuckle, readjusting himself where he sat to face her more fully. “No, but really, your performance earlier?” He made a show of kissing his fingers. “Flawless. Not that I have any faith you’ll remember this conversation tomorrow, but.” He flashed a boyish grin and settled back, realizing that, for the first time since the boat left the shore, he was actually enjoying himself a little.

who — Lola & @tailshazelwood​​ when — Sunday, September 25th over dinner where — SAIL UNDER THE STARS

It wasn’t really the night Lola had hoped for. Work wise, everything went perfectly. The obligatory photos of both her dress and bikini were posted to her instagram. Designers from both brands had already DMed to say they were happy. All three of her sets went well. She felt grateful for the opportunity to perform with other artists, yet she herself wasn’t happy. 

After miserably searching most of the free parts of her night for a date who had obviously ditched her, Lola decided to have fun on her own and drank a little too much before she stumbled into the hot tub. Literally. After dropping her skirt she tumbled in, sending a wave across the near empty tub. 

“Sorrr-ry!” Her sweet but slurred voice called out before her glossy eyes settled over a face very familiar to her. Someone she had met what felt like a lifetime ago when he was the high rising celebrity, and she just a girl with a dream. “Hi, T.”

#c: lola #event: sail beneath the stars

[tailshazelwood]

STEVE HARRINGTON

Stranger Things | 3.02 “The Mall Rats”

#i'll allow it #muse things #visage

[tailshazelwood]

talitadr​:

—

Though her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment from the scene her clumsiness had caused, Tali couldn’t help the soft laugh that left her lips at the man’s Monty Python quote. “Looks like you’ve still got your arms, though. I think you may be right, though if you need to be rushed to the hospital please let me know.” She joked with a warm smile, accepting the books as he offered them back, taking special care to stack them up from largest on the bottom to smallest on the top. She wasn’t about to have this large stack fall over and scatter about the store for a second time. “Thank you.”

Once she’d gotten everything situated, she’d gathered all the books back up in her arms and stood up, holding it all carefully as the embarrassment slowly started to ease. “A method?” She parroted back before shaking her head with a chuckle. “Unfortunately not. I collect the cook books, I look for the ones with notes written in them to try out the recipes the way other people loved them, not just the way they were written. The series covers looked fun so… I grabbed them.” She chuckled, the flush in her cheeks coming back as she explained her choices. “And with Halloween coming up I thought a supernatural book would be a fun, festive read. So no method, but reasons for all of them? I guess? Kind of.”

.

“The moment things get dire, you’ll know. Trust me.” Tails eyed the stack of books in her arms like he didn’t believe they wouldn’t go toppling down once more. After a moment, he felt confident enough in her balancing act to glance away from them, though the left side of his body remained aware of it all the same. 

Amusement had one side of his mouth curling up at the corner, but her clear passion for reading had something warm flooding his chest. It would have been easy enough to assume from the giant mountain of books in her arms that she was a reader, but hearing her talk about them with clear love in her voice brought a piece of that back to him, too. 

He was intrigued by the cookbook thing, though, unable to just let it go without comment. “Ever tried one that was just godawful? I wonder how many secret family recipes you’ve wound up with. You might be haunted by ancestral grannies and not even realize it. There’s a good Halloween story for you.” He grinned and his attention shifted back to the stack of books. “Can I help with that? It’d be on my conscience forever if you took out another unsuspecting customer.”

#i love how consistent we are in being inconsistent <3 #c: tali

[tailshazelwood]

sofiazetterlund​:

+

     Generally, Sofia liked to believe that she had a pretty good read on people. At least not when it came to her own personal life and attachments given the way she’d recently discovered that the man she’d been married to was an absolute stranger. By profession, the therapist had honed her skills for years, and was even someone the police used for soundness checks on employees. Sometimes Sofia had even been asked to help with investigations. So, Diane’s reaction to both of their words told her that not only had her scolding done it’s job but she’d hit the nail on the head.

     “Oh, good,” the Swede heaved in relief, her hand clutching Talis’ arm, “we can keep this friendship.” The offer, or maybe it was a suggestion, brought Sofia to pause and her expression to fall serious. “I think that’s exactly what we should do.”

     The thing about spending time with Talis was that he just let her be. Not once did she ever feel judged in his company; not for all the random shit that rolled out of her mouth or for the fact that she day drank her pain away. Most of the time he joined in and partook with her. It was a nice feeling to just be with someone. “Why preferrably someone else’s kidney?” Was that a way of saying he cared about her or was there something else to it? “I mean, mine’s in pretty good shape, might get more for it.” She shrugged soon after, adding, “I’ve been to them, spoken on stand at them as an expert and all, I think I can manipulate things. No one will suspect a Primal Fear ploy.”

.

“Wow,” Tails said, feigning hurt, “and I didn’t even realize it was on the chopping block.” He glanced down at her hand around his arm fondly. They said misery loved company and he was certain that was true, but he didn’t ever feel quite so miserable around Sofia. She was like a balm, a momentary reprieve. Was it unhealthy? Maybe. But it had been exactly what he needed.

“Post-op sounds like it’d be a bitch,” he said with an easy shrug. “You wouldn’t even get to enjoy your murder hornets for at least fourteen days.” His easy demeanor shifted a little as his own experience in a courtroom returned, the memories bright and vivid as if being played out on some overhead projector. He didn’t shy away from it, though. If anyone could appreciate a little dark humor, he knew it was Sofia. “Remind me to call you the next time someone accuses me of murder.”

#murder mention tw #c: sofia

[tailshazelwood]

margotmoore​:

Of course she noticed how the words feel in place to enable him avoiding answering the question. Margot basically invented sexual tension in replace of being open and honest. It would be hypocritical of her to call him out on it. Her eyes settled on his lips as the word shame pushed through them. It would be a shame, wouldn’t it?

Margot knew he was different than a lot of guys she’d sunk her nails into in the past. He was your quote unquote nice guy - whether or not he’d claim that title. Maybe she shouldn’t be doing this, but that seemed to be the trend in her life lately. “Do you want to get out of here?” She smiled softly, pulling her purse to her side. “I don’t live too far.” Margot lived the perfect distance from Sully’s that made taking men home too easy.

.

Do you want to get out of here?

Instantly, his answer was both yes and no. Yes, he wanted her. Unmistakably. Yes, he wanted to move forward, outrun the past that continued to nip at his heels. No, he wasn’t ready. 

In the end, he nodded, stood, and offered a hand. Tossing more than enough in bills on the table, he allowed her to lead the way. His heart raced, mouth going dry with nerves and anticipation. Doubts crashed against the shore of his mind only to retreat back to sea. An endless back and forth he hoped to have a handle on by the time they got to where they were going. His mind was hazy with drink, his body warm with desire, and his mind frozen on thoughts he couldn’t seem to shake himself free of.

He’d given her hand several anticipatory squeezes on their walk, shared looks from the corner of his eye and an old familiar stirring in the center of his stomach kept him moving forward.

At her door, he caught her around the waist, grinning into her hair and the skin of her neck as she unlocked it and let them inside. He operated on instinct then, fingers trailing slowly down her arm to her hands where he clasped his fingers with hers and drew her in. Her eyes were dark and hooded and far too easy to lose himself in. It’d been such a long time since he felt desire and even longer since he’d felt desired. His forehead pressed against hers, his hands winding up to settle on either side of her face as he leaned in to kiss her. His lips moved with intention, tongue tracing her bottom lip before sweeping into her mouth. He wasn’t entirely out of practice, no fumbling or awkwardness. 

They’d barely made it past the entry as he walked her back against the wall. It had been a very long time since Tails had gone home with a stranger but he knew that he was skipping steps here, eager to move past the noise in his head before it could overtake him. He wanted this, wanted the beautiful woman who had, for some reason, set her sights on him that night.

But even giving room for that single thought seemed to be enough to allow the rest of them to come barreling through. His hips pressed into hers as the flood came rushing into his mind. He tried to force it away, tried to lose himself in her, but they’d made it inside and there in the very center of it all was Elise.

He dragged himself away at once, chest rising and falling heavy as he yanked a hand through his hair and then down his face. “I’m sorry,” he said, voice ragged and raw. He took another step away and then another, an icy sort of cold filling the space where her warmth had just been pressed against him and he felt like he might be sick. He couldn’t do this. It felt wrong for feeling right, and he was far too drunk to pick through exactly how fucked it all was. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, stepping away again. “I’m sorry. I— I can’t do this. I can’t— I can’t— I have to go. I’m sorry.” 

And so he turned, and anguished and absolutely horrified with himself, he left.

#it was TIME lmfao #c: margot #end here or with your reply so we can MOVE ON BBY #idk why he looks like he's eating her face in that gif but there are tragically very few gifs of my lil tv head kissing ppl so we gotta do #what we gotta do

[tailshazelwood]

isla-chastain​:

…

Isla nodded, yes, hiding. What else could you call it? She didn’t need to point it out again. It was clear to her he was…upset, angry? Good. Anger was better than complacency and acceptance. She couldn’t work with indifference, but anger was palpable. Anger was human, and anger could mean justice. Isla knew it well. She felt as if anger had been blooming, seething inside of her since her childhood. She nurtured it like a secret pet she kept in the dark corner of her room. Something no one else could take from her. Most of the time, it felt like the only thing she was allowed for herself. Because no one wanted her anger. Anger was not docile, soft, or sweet. Anger was seen and heard. A mirthless laugh parted her lips, and Isla almost felt guilty for it. The emotion crossed her face. For a contemplative beat of her heart, she nearly apologized. Still, it felt as if he’d misunderstood. “Yea. It’s an okay story. But Gillian Flynn’s told it. You’ve told it.” She pointed out, referencing his book. “That’s not where my interest comes from.” Isla started, her chest ached for him, and she softened all at once. “I get it is your life. Who was before you? Who else did that detective what’s his face railroad because he couldn’t do his job?” She asked and then backed off a slight amount, “When I was in college this girl…” Isla stopped, “My friend Cass she died. A rush accident ” Isla explained with skeptisim.

 "Only it wasn’t an accident. It was a malicious and cruel game and the girls who did it were getting away with it.“ A lump formed in Isla’s throat. She rarely told this story in any form, a little bit or at all. She slowed, pressing her palm against her chest. "The school, the detectives, they were all content letting them get away with it. Everyone painted Cass as this alcoholic freshmen gone wild. The maker of her own death.” Isla swallowed the angry urge to cry. 

“I was angry for years. It burned and ached and there was no justice for Cass.” She explained, “She was my first story.” Isla concluded her story with a shaky breath. “I’m not trying to make you relive the awfulness…” She frowned, “I don’t need your permission or help to make a story. Frankly, you wouldn’t even be the headline.” She added lightly, a soft, assuring smile that ghosted from her face a moment later. “Sometimes the only way out is through. Hoping we come out the other side with pieces of us we like still intact.”

.

Slowly, very slowly, the knot of tension and frustration and anger eased away into something else. It was just as vile, tasted just as bitter, but it was adjacent to him now. Her story, and that of her friend’s, was a tragedy, no doubt about that. And he understood viscerally just how tragedy and injustice could reshape a person. He was still a work in progress, yet to meet the new version of himself that would come out the other side.

His eyes mapped her face, fell to his feet, and his shoulders slumped a little on a sigh. “I’m sorry about your friend,” he said honestly, eyes meeting and holding hers. “I really am. Losing someone...” he resisted the very sudden urge to place a hand over his heart as if, surely, it was cracking in two where he stood, “it feels impossible on a good day, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

His but hung in the air unspoken for a moment as his jaw worked, fight or flight still kicking around inside his chest and making his hands shake. “But I’m still in it. I haven’t had years to be angry. Like you said, you don’t need my permission, but you also don’t get to decide my own timeline for me. I lost a hell of a lot more than a friend.”

#grief tw #murder mention tw #false accusations tw #c: isla

[tailshazelwood]

Tails’ relationship was Sasha might have been the result of a vulnerable moment, certainly far from Tails’ bright and shiniest, but it had been exactly what he’d needed. A confidant, a friend, someone who had no idea of a before and an after. It was the blank slate he needed, a safe space to simply exist.

Tension eased itself from his shoulders as his eyes fell on Sasha, a small, tilted smile at the teasing. “Oh yeah, sorry I’m late, I had to look at myself in every reflective surface on the way over. Took longer than I thought it would.” He took a seat next to Sasha and wondered what the socially acceptable time to start venting about his awful, embarrassing night was. “You eaten yet today?”

@tailshazelwood​

Sasha had been laying in the grass at the park waiting for Tails to show up. One earbud in listening to his current favorite song, he looked up when someone approached him. Taking it out, he sat up, grabbed his phone and paused the song. Putting the bud back in its case, he grinned up at the man. “Well hey beautiful, what took you so long,” he teased. 

He was never one to walk away from someone in trouble, even if he wasn’t on shift, even if he wasn’t needed. He had to check it out, to see if there was a way he could help. When he met Tails mid anxiety attack, he couldn’t just leave him there. He calmed him, talked to him, and struck up a friendship. He was always a good sounding board for the other to bounce ideas off, ask for advice, or just bitch to for hours on end where he just listened. Sasha wanted to protect Tails at all cost, but that wasn’t much different he supposed from anyone else he was close to. 

#c: sasha

[tailshazelwood]

SAIL UNDER THE STARS

okay, yeah, so he’s completely out of his element. but look at his cute shirt, though.

#vcevent #vcnightcruise #muse things #visage