Acoustics gotta be right i guess.
starletwritesâ:
he sighs at mention of mrs. coyneâs ever-growing guest list. âshe just wants to make sure the right people are in attendance, and i donât wholly disagreeââ given his parentâs long spanning diplomatic careers, their colleagues included everyone from fortune 500 ceos to an ethiopian prince. and even his wedding day could be seen as an opportunity to rub shoulders with the upper crusts of society, expand his real-estate investments beyond toronto. still, he doesnât expect her to roll over and submit to laraâs micromanaging, at least not with out a fight. âjust let her take control of the seating chart amelia, thereâll still be plenty of room for all of your college chums and the girls from the salonâ he glances over at her, sensing her immediate displeasure with the whole ordeal. âbesidesâ he pouts a little, imitating her sour expression, âthe more guests we have, the more gifts there are for you..â fionaâs wedding last summer resulted in enough blue tiffanyâs boxes to fill the entire living room of their vacation home in tahoe. he expects to top it.
 rubbing the pad of his thumb over the space between her ring and her knuckle, he pretends to think, âperhaps something with longer sleeves, mother was hoping youâll keep it modest for mimsyâs sakeâŠâ a smile breaks on his features before she can tell him where his mother can go, âiâm kidding. get the best thing in the store. whatever you like, iâll love.â he imagines that most girls dream about this moment, when they see the dress, and the music swells, and the heavenâs open up when they can practically see themselves wearing it down the aisle. most of them then go on to settle for whatever dress appeals to their budget. he likes the fact that he can get her whatever she wants, canât decipher whether itâs pride or power he feels when heâs able to fulfill her every materialistic desire.
they arrive at the biltmore, valets opening both doors and welcoming them back with hospitable smiles. he grins tight-lipped at their doorman and waits just until he gets in the elevator to loosen his tie just slightly. âhave you eaten?â declan inquires, glancing at himself in the gold reflective paneling until he hears the ding. he steps into their luxurious suite, makes a beeline for the bar where he pours himself a short glass of something brown. âyou should order something from the kitchen, perhaps to soak up some of those cocktails you sampledâ she can usually hold her liquor, but he still keeps close contact with the bar managers to make sure they donât serve her more than three in one sitting. kind of contradictory, considering this is his fourth of the night but he calls it a reward for a job well done.
âThe right people should be who I want there,â Rolling her eyes and a harsh sigh from her lips, she understood his parents role in the world. Diplomats knew everyone of power and wanted to be as friendly as they could to all sides of things. But Lia wasnât raised that way, her parents helping people even if they knew they werenât good people. She learned to invite once, or help out once, and then it was over. Nothing more nothing less, but every-time there was a new Coyne family event they had to pull all the stops. No matter how big or monumental the occasion, and just after a few years Lia was done with it all. Wanting her wedding day to be perfect for her, and not the matriarch of the Coyne family. âI would hope thereâd be enough room considering itâs **my** wedding, she had one of her own. She took over Fionas, this is mine. No matter the amount of gifts I can get, I donât like it Dec,â a small pout now centered on her face, and ultimately knowing she had no choice in the matter even if she put up a fuss.
âMaybe she can keep it modest and not show up,â she spoke under her breath, the annoyance evident in whatever way she conducted herself. Every part of her felt hot, like a heat wave only she could feel. Every bit of her wanting to yell about everything she had been feeling with Declan never making time anymore, and his mother trying to take over a wedding he wasnât even there to learn about. âIâll wear lingerie and call it a day,â knowing he could afford whatever and whoever she wanted, it was a blessing but also a curse. She didnât want to be perceived as the gold digging fiancĂ©, even if he always allowed her what her heart desires. It still felt like she had to be cautious when looking at price tags, like it would bounce her account at any second. Even if she knew it wouldnât.
Following him absentmindedly through the doors, sending small waves and smiles at the workers. She enjoyed talking to them, making sure they had what they needed to make their lives easier. If someone needed a day off and wasnât given it, Lia made damn sure they got that day off. Even if no one else knew or figured out what she was doing, it was contentment for her to help them. âI had some salmon and vegetables after I realized we were no longer going out to eat,â she spoke, making her way to her little study quickly and finding her box of smoking supplies. âIt was quite delicious but the drinks were much more delectable. Just a pity I had to self serve because I couldnât get them to look at me after a couple,â the clicking of her heels signifying she was heading to the balcony.
starletwritesâ:
âdonât tempt me, li!â she responds with a cheeky once-over, doing one final spin in front of the mirror and pushing her boobs up to imagine a little extra va va voom. âitâs been forever since iâve gone out out, if you can believe itâ her entire time in italy she went to one nightclub, and her experiences behind the bar at this new upscale lounge she works at do not count, mostly because sheâs forced to stand there in the most dreadfully boring black dress and oftentimes spends her evening deciphering whether the clientele is just being friendly, or trying to invite her to a threesome on the yacht (more common than one might think).Â
âi was weird for a while about who kept herââ apparently the post partum separation anxiety they tell you about extends both ways. âbut now that she has my mom and her dad and welllâŠi have you, we gotta do something fun and crazy like we used to. enjoy these precious moments before youâre somebodyâs wifeyyyâ her voice is sugary sweet, with a lilt of amusement as she goes to start the oven. and thereâs a smile that sneaks on her lips as she watches the two of them interact. no one ever warned her of what itâd be like to see two people you love most in the world start to love each other too, but she feels like her heart could burst right out of her chest. âbigger everyday, now since sheâs babbling jake thinks he can get her to pronounce the names of power toolsâ she announces with a playful roll of her eyes. itâs way more endearing than she lets on. âwell push comes to shove thereâll be plenty of leftoversâ she informs fondly, always ends up making more than she needs, blames the italians and their insane portions and being the ones that taught her that dinner was supposed to be an experience. âyou gotta catch me up on everything else though, howâs wedding planning? oooh, and whenâs the next runway show for your lineâi need front row seats!â it shows in her speech, how immensely proud of lia she is for being such a little girl boss, itâd be just as easy to sit around and capitalize off her wealthy fiancĂ©. honestly, she couldnât blame her if she did, knows from experience that holding onto a man like that can feel like a job of its own. but one thing about their pair, since they were young girls, independent by both nature and design, they know how to get it on their own. and by any means necessary.
âYou deserve a good night out, I think we both do, and I can make sure itâs better than some passes towards you about a yacht,â she teased, having heard one or two stories from Toris days behind the bar. Something she had been thinking about, wanting her cousin to make a little extra cash for Veronica. Lia knew Tori loved her freedom, and what she was experiencing, but Lia wanted to bring her a little closer. Having spent so far apart, it was a way for her to spend more time with Tori if she were to maybe offer a position in her company.
âI hear that a lot from moms, and I hear itâs good to keep them close. Theyâre used to be bundled and wrapped all the time in the womb,â Lia spoke, smiling softly at her niece. And flashes of a little toddler running in and out of frame popped in her head. She couldâve had that, already had a cousin for V, but she choose a different path. And never had she regretted it more than finally getting to meet her niece. âTrust me, I need a day outside of this whole atmosphere, recharge in a way only we know how,â her signature mischievous smile on her face, âyouâll learn soon enough V, Iâm the aunt thatâs gonna keep you out of trouble,â she spoke softly, already knowing sheâd had her back in any situation. âIâm excited to see all this fancy food youâre cooking up, I can only imagine the skills and flavors youâve picked up,â making her way into the kitchen, placing V in the high chair she had purchased before Tori got back to the states. âPerfect fit, see I know how to plan ahead, and yet everyone doubted me,â Grabbing the bottle that Tori brought, and moving over to the large glass cabinet above the counter. Filled with all sorts of different cocktail glasses for when her and Declan hosted at their place. âI still need your help in the wedding planning, but weâve got the venue and the date. I set an appointment for dress shopping this weekend, I was hoping youâd come, with V or not.â Bringing Tori glass to her and placing it on the counter, jumping up onto the island to take a seat. âThe show is coming along amazing, we need one more model, but we are booked and ready to go in a months time. I canât believe itâs my third show already, time is fickle. But I guess marrying rich has its benefits in terms of business,â faking a cheers and taking a sip of her drink. Thankful that she had started her business before getting into her relationship. It seemed near impossible to get into something in this world if you marry into it, expected to be almost a perfect housewife and never step out of line. And yet it was still everything she dreamed of since she was a kid.
starletwritesâ:
to some extent, though heâd never completely admit it, angel loves hearing himself talk. so the fact that she humors him, acts even the least bit interested in his tales of an inner-city hippie make him like her, just that much more. she didnât yet fully embody the pompous air that surrounds them, it doesnât emanate from her and stink up the room like that old lady white diamond perfume that doesnât come out of this shirt post-shift no matter how many times he runs it through the wash. unlike her man, who in his opinion was too far gone, there was something about her that was still real. Â
âcourse notâ he chuckles, suspects that sheâs been cute all her life. one of those girls that somehow evades the awkward pre-pubescent phase. but heâd be lying if he said he wouldnât get a kick out of a picture with braces, or dorky glasses, or her rocking a pair of brightly colored skinny jeans with converse all the way up to the knees. but maybe theyâd save the embarrassing photo exchange for the next time her boyfriend fiancĂ© stands her up at his own restaurant.Â
his grin grows twice the size as her story continues, and he tries to paint the picture for himself, poofy princess dress and all. has only ever seen that kind of thing on tv, where girls get dressed up and basically compete to be the prettiest. âoooh, not the carebearsâ he doesnât try to the stifle the laugh that bursts as her story concludes, even claps a little, surprised at the commitment. âwell at least you kept it going. my ass wouldâve been off the stage asap. but i think itâs cool you used to tumble. iâve always wanted to know howâcould probably use it in some of my dances and shit. âŠthink you couldâ?â before he can get the words out the air changes, dishes clank faster, conversations lull, eyes point in a certain direction. he looks up to see him approaching, cutting their fun short, bringing him back to realityâjust a little.Â
âsweetheartââ the boss man greets his lady divine, placing a chaste kiss against her cheek. âmy meeting with the gentlemen that own the space on king street ran late, but weâre in talks to break ground for a separate location by juneâ his breath smells like whiskey, they went out for drinks after in celebration but he neglects that minor tidbit. itâs just then that he just barely acknowledges angelâs presence, sends a dismissive glare in his direction, and as quickly as he appeared, angel waves a small goodbye to miss amelia.Â
A small part of Amelia had missed this, just a light hearted conversation and laughs. No mention of business or wealth, instead swapping childhood stories. It was refreshing, a change of pace from what she had become accustomed to. And watching Angel talk so animated, not caring how he looked or sounded, she missed it even more. For a while she was used to that, just being open and honest. Never worrying about what people thought or how they reacted to what she had to say. Lia was always the girl who spoke first, and thought second, it was her norm. But after a few years in the big leagues, she had lost her touch and became more self aware of her words.
âIt wouldâve been ridiculous, I learned the ways of curling irons and straighteners at a young age. Also learned straighteners didnât work on sexuality at a quick age as well,â she joked, and a small laugh bubbled from her. But the fashion choices she made didnât get all to grand until middle school, and even then they werenât exactly the fashion trends of the time but at least she was matching the colors finally.
A grimace appeared on her face as she laughed, the image clear as day in her head. Lia was pretty positive her mom had a video somewhere of the tragic event, but she also couldnât remember the last time she spoke to her mom. âIt was,â a pause as the thought of the right adjective. âEmbarrassing, but also taught me at a young age that I was able to just push through I guess,â Nodding along with the his statement, âI would-â began to leave her lips before she felt the atmosphere thicken around her. The dinging of dishes being cleared faster, a slight squeaking from the cleaning rags on the glasses at the bar, and a sigh from her lips as her conversation was ended and the explanation sheâs heard over and over ready to hit her ears.
A soft smile on her lips as he pecked her cheek, turning her attention from the man in front of her and turning towards the man on her side. âIâm glad you guys have finally figured that plan out, it seemed like it was never ending. Hopefully the blueprints and planning will go smoothly,â ignoring the notes of whiskey hitting her senses, and trying to relax into his presence. The wannabe heiress in Lia coming out to play once more, and only a flicker in her stature as Angel walked away from the couple.
izzyindieâ:
indiestars-rpâ:
âAnyway they can?â Her mind could assume what that meant, but Vanessa wasnât as naive as she looked. Vanessa had brothers; she knew how they talked about the girls they liked and even heard how they spoke around their friends. Wouldnât be surprising to hear worse from the hockey boys. âFigured you had enough people in your life, plus my Mama always said when youâre wanted, theyâll know,â Vanessa recited, a hint of softness in her tone.
âHey, never said theyâd be cheat day worthy. Dancers gotta stay inn shape just as much as hockey players do!â
Once again, Vanessa found her eyes fluttering at hiss words, finding a warmth she didnât realize Vanessa wanted. âAnd we could⊠um, hang out after too.â And for once it was a direct statement. Not dancing around the topic or showing fear, but asking directly for what she wanted. âUnless you gotta curfew, Mikey,â Vanessa teased, using the nickname for the first time.
âSome people like to take extreme measures to ensure theyâre seen,â he shrugged, âIâm not gonna sit here and lie to you and say I havenât taken them up on their offers, but itâs few and far between,â he knew the secrets of the hounds werenât really secrets, the boys tending not to keep their mouths closed when other people are around. But he also knew they liked the overdramatize their escapades, making for a lot of unknowns and rumors.
Dallas couldnât help the chuckle from his lips, her physique making much more sense now that he knew she was a dancer. âLet me guess, youâre one of them ballerinas? Even a ballerina needs a good set of waffles, maybe Iâll have to take you to my favorite stop,â
He smiled softly as she spoke, noticing a sudden confidence lacing her words. Her words more direct, not a question, or assumption, but a plan. âNot so much a curfew as the team always likes to have a lil party of sorts, but I will be more than glad to blow them off for you. Some of em have been in my life for way to long, but I also canât see it without em,â a small sigh following his words, looking down for a second. , âanyway,â he spoke shrugging it off, and glancing back up. âSince I happen to have a new nickname, looks like I gotta figure one out for a beautiful girl,â
starletwritesâ:
âyour inability to adhere to the three drink limit i imposed says otherwiseâ he mutters snarkily, diverting his gaze to the picturesque view below. he can dish it but very much cannot take the way she looks at him after. growing up heâd always been the golden child, leaving it to his twin to pull some heinous stunt to evoke his parentâs ire and make anything he did seem like mere childâs play in comparison. itâs made him increasingly resistant to criticism over the years. however, his ability to pass judgement holds strong. while fiona has seemingly opened herself up to the world beyond michelin stars and valets he only sinks further into it. becoming more and more like his parents by the day. lia was supposed to be his redemption. a girl, completely unlike the oneâs heâd spent his life around. she didnât grow up in seersucker skirts, with nannies, and a trust fund sheâll blow through by the time sheâs 30. and he thought thatâs part of what he loved about her.Â
âiâm not asking you to be perfect, just mindful. regardless of how far youâve come or how well you carry yourself people take one small thing and run with it. iâm just looking out for you, sweetheartâ the term of endearment he uses whenever heâs trying to reason with her. and perhaps the rationale behind his request isnât completely unselfish, but he does know how vicious the big shots can be, doesnât want to see her fall victim to the ruthless rumor mill.Â
 itâs growing more apparent to him that this is an issue that wonât be solved in just one night (if ever). and the secondhand smoke, usually something that doesnât bother him in the slightest, keeps wafting past his nostrils, aggravating him further. so he gets to his feet, signaling a retreat. âa friend of mine that was at the table tonight mentioned to me that sheâd want to have you dress her for an event she has coming upâŠiâll put you in contact with her tomorrow.â his tone is semi-detached as he leans against the railing, eyes cast on the toronto skyline. and maybe itâs the scotch on the brain that triggers the absentminded revelation that he was in the company of more than just his colleagues tonight, but he breezes past that minor detail, feeling the makings of a migraine beginning to thrum against his skull. âiâm going to bed, are you coming?â
âI think you forgot Iâm not a little thing who drinks wine coolers for fun at the parties. I never have been, but Iâm also aware of myself and what Iâm doing Declan,â their lives were similar in many ways, Lia having relished in the finer things in life for most of her life. But she fell back down the ladder even faster than her parents climbed it. She discovered the darker side of life, sneaking out at 1am to go hang out with the drug dealers and teen alcoholics. Signing up for websites to make money for herself in less then safe ways, all while spiraling inside her own head. But Declan was different, raised entirely surrounded by the upper class and never straying from their values and morals. Lia had always wanted to be a part of it, to never have to worry about things, but as time went on she was questioning more and more.
âAre you looking out for me or yourself? I can handle whatâs been thrown my ways, lord knows more than one rumor has flown around about me. No matter what tier of life you are on people are gonna do whatever they can to bring you down and make you look worse than them, and itâs how you handle yourself and the people closest to you having your back when push comes to shove,â she knows he has her best interest at heart, but she also doesnât like to be protected and coddled. Lia would always rather handle her own problems, no matter how big or small, and deal with the consequences afterwards. But she appreciated his attempts none the less, but she was finally getting fed up with everything.
Heaving a sigh before she took an inhale of her blunt, her gaze taking in the skyline around her. And trying to focus on something besides her annoyance towards the male in front of her. Everything about the night finally coming to a head, and her mouth working faster than her brain as he spoke. âI thought it was just you and your colleagues? You know a couple of the guys?â Rolling her eyes, tapping the ash off the top and watching it fall apart in the glass ashtray on the table. âSend it to my assistant I have to be in the office at 5, which means I probably should take you up on that offer,â Taking a final drag of her blunt and putting it out, âthis isnât over however,â
izzyindieâ:
All Vanessa could do was nod. It wasnât her place to really question or need to know anymore than was being told to her. Vanessa purposely stayed out Athletics to avoid comparisons to her brothers and her little crush on the Dallas boy who lived down the block. The Hounds were known and the reputation of the kind of girls that appealed to them was legendary to the town coining a nickname for those kind of girls. Her father always warned what happened to those kind of girls.âItâs really not my business. You donât have to explain,â she explained, nonchalantly.Â
âWhat gave it away?â Vanessa was shy in the most traditional sense, but when it came performing Vanessa shined. She didnât need words or brains to try and impress people, just being in tune with her body was enough. Her movements said all her words were too shaken to say. âUnfortunately, ballerinas donât have the luxury of Wrestlers and Hockey players where all you have to do is bulk up and block. I tend to bake more than I actually get to enjoy,â Vanessa replied playfully.Â
And soon as the idea of other plans came up, Vanessa felt herself whimpering away a bit. If there was something he felt was more important to go to it felt better to give permission than to bee stood up. Or at least thatâs how she thought of it. âWe could meet after if you want?â Cheeks flushing immediately red as the words beautiful escaped her lips. âNo nickname needed. V or Nessa usually gets my attention.âÂ
He bit his lip, a nervous habit he picked up when he was younger. Not often did he get nervous with girls, but then again none of the girls that he was around were like vanessa. Not immediately trying anything she could to bed him, instead actually holding a conversation. She was quiet, but not in a weird way, it was endearing, it made him want to learn more. Dallas wanted to learn about her, get to know the girl hiding in the shadows. âBut I want you to know the truth, theres a million rumors surrounding the team and yet no one really knows the truth but us,âÂ
âNot saying anything,but youre tinier than most humans in the height department. And they tend to be able to be lifted in the air easier, and move lighter on their feet,â He spoke, the few amounts of dance knowledge he got from his siblings and cousins, âAnd theres not a lot of gymnasts around here, which is ironically made for smaller people based on the movements, but youd need a little but more muscle mass and calloused hands for that one,â he joked, before laughing lightly, âill give you, it does have its perks but we still have to be cautious of what we eat, not everything is made for healthy bulking. However, I was taught to never turn down baked goods from a known female,â sending a wink at her before smiling softly.
Dallas shook his head, âive been to more than enough team after parties, its always the same thing. Id rather spend time with my new best friend, get to know you better, and maybe introduce you to some fun spots around town,â Nodding at the nicknames, âTheyre nice, but I want something unique, something like,â pausing as he mused over the thoughts in his brain, âVanni,â
izzyindieâ:
âGuess weâll find out,â he replied, licking his lips. Not that Luke had ay opportunity outside these walls to get to know Lia. For the majority he was either on the ice, on the field, or out. He didnât answer to anyone but himself except when it came to social ties. Being Big Man on campus came with itâs draw backs, mainly not being able to be around those kind of girls. âLucas,â Luke greeted, âBut you can call me Luke, Sweets.â He turned his body so heâd be facing her directly. Her figure a much better view than the drama sets. âYou ditching or just coming in?â
âGuess we will,â her lips pulling into a small smile as she leaned back into the less than soft cushion behind her. they ran in similar circle, the popular crowd more so than anything. Watched a few of the hockey games when tori or vanessa would drag her to them, and she knew he was one of the few stars of the team. and while she also rarely saw him around the after parties, or any of the parties thrown, she still kept an eye out, for what reason she didnt know. âbut Lucas has such a ring to it dont ya think?â shrugging as she caught his gaze, âboth, didnt feel like going to my first class but now im stuck here because I also do not feel like going to the next,â