Adeline Rudolph out-glowing the sun.
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𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 : nic’s apartment . ( @ofopulence )
what a miserable, irritating fucking day. vera’s SOAKED, head to toe, in front of the door of her ex boyfriend’s apartment due to what felt like a series of very 𝒖𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔. vera’s the fool — the forecast said to stay home, that the rain would cause some traffic, some delays, and overall general HAVOC for a few hours. but vera was missing the textbook she needed — so on the one day the love club didn’t have classes vera STILL showed up to northridge and went the extra mile all because she thought it would have been worth it for her studies. only to get shoved knee - deep in shit.
between the downpour, the car troubles, the taxi delays — vera was stuck in town, and while she could call the security alexander had provided her, she didn’t want to inconvenience anyone else, much less put them in potential harm’s way with the poor driving conditions. her text to nicolás was a last minute PLEA, if anything.
◟ SENT : 𝚑𝚎𝚢, 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 ? 𝚒'𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚛 𝚘𝚛 𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚊.
his response was quick, and vera swallowed her pride and bowed her head to the feeling of finding comfort and salvation within an individual who was both TOO CLOSE for comfort and yet so far away. she was tired, dark hair drenched. she’s potentially never looked worse. a future queen lost in a city far from home, showing up to the doorstep of the only person who’s ever felt like 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. she raised her fist and knocked, grateful already to be out of the rain since he’d buzzed her up.
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𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 : on campus . ( @bouiettes )
the deep blue sky was just shining with the bright full moon, canvas KISSED with twinkling stars in the later hours of the night. vera found 𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒆 in the stillness, a sense of CLARITY when the rest of the world went to sleep and she found the moment to breathe without the constant chaos. perhaps it’s a poor habit she’s picked up — getting her work done late into the night, when campus was filled with few strangers looking for the same SOLITUDE vera had been. nevertheless, it gave her time to work on her studies diligently, and apparently, it brought about a familiar face as well.
“ hi , ” vera said as her eyes met céline’s. once the belvan princess’ presence was known, she knew she couldn’t escape without at least exchanging some pleasantries. “ seems we’ve made a HABIT of running into one another so late. ” vera said, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder. it was starting to get 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒓 — the air around them brisk and slightly biting.
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Ziad Nakad Fall 2017 Couture Collection
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Put on your makeup
Fix your hair
Hide all of your sadness and despair
Put on your dress
Put on your heels
Show them your don’t care and don’t feel
Cover and conceal
But you will know the truth
The truth of your aching heart and wasted youth
Mermaid717 (via wnq-writers)
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𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 .
he squints at her, attempting to search vera’s features to decipher whatever messages she’s trying to give him. are his abilities good? or are they bad? teddy understands a couple different languages, however he is not yet fluent in vera myeong. he’d like to learn. in order to do that, he’d have to spend time with her, and she’s making that difficult to do. he rolls his eyes, giving up on figuring out the statement entirely as he’s being brought into the cottage. teddy wasn’t expecting her to tug him inside, but he was even more surprised when she pulls him into a hug. a contradiction to how she’d been treating him, to how everyone has been treating him. there’s a fleeting moment where he hesitates to reciprocate. it’s not very often that he’s put into this situation. he should take advantage of it. teddy chooses to relaxes into vera, his hands pressing onto her back. it wasn’t until they were in each other’s embrace that he realizes how desperately he needed this. the suppressed anger from his fight with céline has disappeared and the thought of failing the mock trial hasn’t crossed his mind since he arrived. it give teddy hope, maybe ( just maybe ) he can fix the situation with vera. this is progress.
slowly, but surely, teddy wanders into the kitchen–––– looking around vera’s place as he does so. it’s much cozier than where he been staying. there were pops of color throughout, pictures on the walls and blooming flowers on practically every inch of the counter. the perfect hide away for someone who prefers to be alone. it’s obvious why vera would decide to live here rather than where the rest of the love club has found shelter, the outskirts of town is the quiet safe haven. once he finishes scanning the surroundings, teddy reaches for the cup of tea. he manages to stay quiet long enough to let vera describe the reasoning behind her question. and he can’t help but find it amusing. teddy takes a sip before telling her the honest truth. “ you were the future queen, at a bar, drinking beer out of the bottle, ” he smiles to himself, fondly remembering their first encounter at the abbotsford. from first glance, teddy knew they’d be friends. nonetheless, it isn’t the whole story and he realizes he must clarify. “ you’re about to rule a country. it didn’t stop you from having a drink outside a random bar by yourself. i figured you’re either dealing with a shitty chapter in your life, like myself, or you’re the worst princess belvan has ever seen, ” he taps a finger to his chin, finding a chance to tease her, “ jury’s still out, by the way. ” tea cup is pressed to teddy’s bottom lip again, the steam softly hitting his skin; as well as clouding his judgment. his comment could be taken to heart, yet he doesn’t take the joke too seriously. why would she entertain the idea of being a bad princess? teddy believes she’s the opposite. “ i guess i recognized myself when i saw you. and i could’ve used a friend, so i made a friend. ”
there’s a particular day at the belvan palace vera thought about sometimes. sun high in the sky, weather at that beautiful point where the country was blessed with the warmer spring days, flowers 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 after a long winter, color poking out amongst the bare trees. some royals had brought their children to scurry in the palace’s private gardens. vera was content sitting at a bench on her own, looking after her newborn baby brothers in the carriage beside her rather than try to play with kids her age who pretended to care about anything about vera beyond her title. queen ara had sat beyond vera, taking a moment to close her eyes and soak in the rays of sun. “ i know your father tells you to be weary. i know he insists on teaching you that trust is above love, that having skin plated with armor will ensure your security and survival, but my dear, do you truly believe i would have gotten to where i am now without a little bit of 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌 ? ” queen ara had beautiful eyes, warm and nearly golden that day in particular. she gazed upon the kids playing without vera. “ maybe not today, but one day you’ll have to make choices that make you uncomfortable — do things that make you question who you are. it is in those moments where we gain the opportunity for the most 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉. the phoenix represents us belvan people, vera. we always rise again. ”
vera missed her mother every single day. what would she say now, if she were standing in the kitchen with teddy and vera ? what guidance could she offer vera to both protect herself but also seize an opportunity to make a friend. vera had been 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅 in her own ways many times, though being so bold as to choose to trust made vera’s heart twist in her chest every time.
her eyes remained on him, mind going a mile a minute as she took in his words. how did she tell theodore that every chapter of vera’s life was kind of shitty ? she searched his face after he finished his explanation, taking a small pause. vera myeong was an expert at pushing people away. but empathy ? compassion ? teddy was simple — he was just there, nothing deceptive about the quirk in his lip or the softness of his eyes. trust was a concept so foreign to the princess. and yet maybe there wasn’t a 𝒃𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒆 to her back right now, maybe teddy chose to trust first because he was being truthful. and maybe vera was strong enough to take a risk.
“ i’m sorry. for giving you the cold shoulder the past week, ” vera’s voice was soft yet careful, her eyes not leaving his to show she meant her apology. “ and 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖. for the night with the other northridge students and — me reaching a low point. you helped me that night. truly. ” maybe it was okay to grow into trust. maybe it was okay to build a friendship up unexpectedly. vera took a few steps towards him and took his hand very gingerly, slender fingers wrapping around his softly as she squeezed a little, her touch 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆 and a small private smile on her lips. she pulled her hand away, cupping her tea once again. “ now what was this with céline ? are you two going to be alright ? ”
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MINERVA MARBLE
Chapter Ninety: The Night Gallery.
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You know, if… if there’s anything else… that I can do, or…
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Zoltán Böszörményi, The Dust of My Existence (trans. Paul Sohar)
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𝐝𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 .
it’s safe to say teddy’s day sucked. it started with an assigned partnership with nicolás, thanks to their beloved professor––––– in which they did more fighting than studying––––– and then finished off with an argument with céline. he and his girlfriend typically go back and forth but this particular dispute felt out of the ordinary for him. there’s something going on and teddy doesn’t know what or just how bad. his answers could have been asked if he had put his ego aside and looked through céline’s phone when she handed it to him. did it really matter, though? she could very well be planning a way for teddy to get kicked out of griswold’s program and he still wouldn’t leave her side. he couldn’t lose her now, not after putting up with her constant mood swings and being so close to joining the royal family. so, his suspicions would have to be pushed aside, creating more space to defend his actions and convince himself he loves her.
however, as he lay next to céline in her bedroom, for the first time in a long time, teddy has trouble falling asleep. there were too many things eating away at him. nic threatening to ruin his life, the pressure of the mock trial, and the fact that vera hadn’t said a single word to him in a week. he was going to fix at least one of his problems tonight, even if it meant another sleepless night. teddy slowly rose from the bed, careful not to wake céline, and then threw on a sweatshirt and sneakers. he prays the smell of the wine thrown in his face hasn’t stuck to him while slipping out the door. i’m in a cottage off the fourth exit and past the small bakery, vera had told him that night in the alleyway and he remembered. she was right all along, the house wasn’t far from where they shared their last real conversation. a few days later, he promised he wouldn’t go anywhere. and he wasn’t going to break it.
teddy parks his car next to vera’s and doesn’t hesitate to get out and approach the doorstep. she’s surprisingly quick to answer, apparently she couldn’t sleep either. he scoffs at her question, eyes examining the look of concern etched on her face––––– telling him that maybe she did care, and the cold demeanor had been an act. “ céline thinks i’m cheating on her, ” but it’s not what’s bothering him, “ and you’re not talking to me. ” teddy’s defeat is visible, shoulders falling forward and hair abnormally disheveled. if vera is going to end their friendship before it begins, then she owes him an explanation. “ can you tell me exactly what i did to you again? ”
vera didn’t know what she expected. certainly not teddy at her door at this hour, and certainly not him being so 𝒃𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒕 in asking her why their dynamic shifted so fast. a bit over a week ago he was getting her to fondly roll her eyes at one of his boisterous comments. but the past week they’d been rendered to strangers, and it was all vera’s doing.
this was also the saddest she’d seen teddy look. surely céline’s accusation wasn’t sitting well with him either, and his defeated expression tugged at vera’s heartstrings, making her regret being a participant in what made teddy look so visibly drained. unfortunately regret didn’t override her 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓, but regardless teddy deserved some sort of answer. vera just wasn’t sure she’d have one he’d like.
“ i — it’s not what you’ve done. it’s what you have the ability to do, ” vera had enough things to worry about, and a blade in her back wasn’t something she wanted to add onto her plate. she gazed at him for a quiet moment before sighing, her heart winning over her head. she reached for his wrist, tugging him inside and closing the door behind him before pulling him into a hug. not a usual act for the 𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔, but one she felt was necessary. she had a feeling it’s been a while since either of them were hugged. vera leaned up on her toes, tucking his face into the crook of her neck and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, letting them have a moment of silence together. he had been there for her once — maybe this was a chance for her to return the favor.
she pulled away after a moment and met his eyes with silent understanding that the conversation was unavoidable, and she wordlessly walked into the kitchen, knowing he’d follow. vera placed the cup of tea she made for herself on the kitchen island, pushing it towards him to take before making herself a new mug. her back was to him as she spoke, a still a little weary — a little nervous. “ why … why did you help me that night ? ” vera said, turning around as she waited for her tea to brew and meeting teddy’s eyes. “ because every time i think about it, i can’t understand why. you don’t know me. why would you choose to stand by me when you could have just turned a blind eye ? ” maybe it’s just the fact that vera could count on one hand the amount of people she thought would take her side so 𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒍𝒚. she watched him carefully, her fingers gripping the counter behind her as she leaned on it.
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𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞, 𝐜𝐞́𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 .
sometimes she wishes things weren’t always so cold and rigid with vera. no matter how many times princess céline tried to warm things up; it never worked. vera was too stuck on her ways to ever leave that door open for genuine friendship. it’s an occurrence that’s been happening since cél met vera at a royal summer camp back in their youth. the first time the blonde tried to befriend the brunette, it didn’t end too well. vera, being her, rejected the friendship and in turn céline was a brat to her. to put it bluntly. it’s something the princess isn’t proud of but that’s water under the bridge now. or at least she hopes it is. the fact that they’re both about to be queens of their respective countries and could use one another for support should mend that childhood pettiness.
at her question, cél answers with a small shrug before following up. “ whenever my father is ready to retire his crown. from the looks and sound of it, it should be fairly soon. he was quite opposed to me attending northridge at first for that reason. ” she explains, vividly remembering the argument she and king nicolás had when her acceptance letter arrived. the king did not want his daughter to lose sight of the bigger picture: her ruling. little did he know she was losing sight of it weeks before she even applied to griswold’s class. “ he got over it, and now i’m here. how about you? are you set to change titles once the semester is over? ”
vera, in one way or another, had been around céline her whole life. from camp, to certain events, to just generally hearing about the princess of liroux. yet despite the saying that opposites attract, vera and céline were like two puzzle pieces that looked like they’d fit together, but the pieces just wouldn’t work. perhaps that’s what made their friendship so 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 to navigate on vera’s part. for someone who already kept everything hidden from the world, how would she begin to explain to céline that vera wished she was more like the softer future queen, rather than the cold weapon her father had 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒅 her out to be ?
vera nodded, eyes shifting from her tea up to céline. “ i understand , ” vera said, her voice a little quiet. “ experiences like these feel 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆, however. duty will always come first, but opportunities are fleeting, ” vera spoke slowly, echoing the words of her uncle, the response alone so perfectly curated to a future queen. “ i’ll be taking the throne in the late spring, after professor griswold’s program is complete. ” it all seemed to go rather quickly, the fact that vera wouldn’t get a chance to even catch her 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 after such a tumultuous two semesters, immediately launched into ruling made vera feel suffocated. it felt like no matter what vera did, the fact that she’d be queen in less than a year hovered over her as if it were impending doom — it was 𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆.
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𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥 .
“ that sounds perfect. ” a smile broke out on isabel’s face as her eyes scaned over vera, “ are you a size seven ? i have these amazing little brown louboutin kitten heels, they’re perfect for court. they’d be amazing on you, you should try them on. ” her gaze fell to her own feet at vera’s kind words, a softness that isabel was grateful to receive, “ as long as i have you on my side i know we’ll do wonderfully, you’re seriously incredible vera. ” perhaps isabel was selling herself short, but it was worth it to offer vera a well deserved compliment. from the moment she met vera she’s been in awe of vera’s cool intelligence, a quiet power that isabel herself didn’t possess ( her own intelligence far less controlled and her manner far less serene ). “ i’ve been trying to read them over but i haven’t been able to focus, going over them together would be perfect. ”
vera nodded, offering isabel a small smile. “ i can come over and take a look after we study. i’m unsure what i’ll be wearing yet. ” as much as vera enjoyed fashion, there was a certain line she couldn’t cross as a 𝒇𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏. things had to look presentable and sophisticated, and as much as vera liked exploring her style in that box, occasionally she wondered what it’d be like to roam 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 it. isabel’s praise was kind, perhaps too kind, as isabel didn’t need to know vera’s own worries. that she wasn’t totally sure she could pull this off. if asked to act a part vera would have to get way out of her comfort zone, and if she was the plaintiff well — that’d be a hurdle on its own. she nodded as they walked first into professor griswold’s class, taking their usual seats. “ wait for me after class, ” vera said, turning her attention to her books and getting set up for their lecture.
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Guillaume Apollinaire, tr. by Anne Hyde Greet, from Calligrams; “Snapshot,”
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