Kingsey Climbs The Ladder With No Real Rhyme Or Reason, Simply Passing By When He Was Hit With A Sense

kingsey climbs the ladder with no real rhyme or reason, simply passing by when he was hit with a sense of nostalgia. it's been a while since he's been in her shop let alone on it's rooftop. in fact, it's been a while since he's been anywhere near her at all. should listen to better judgment, but he's never been very good at that. fingers grip the worn metal, and he freezes momentarily when he spots her basking in the warmth of the soft, fading light as the sun goes down. the sight threatens to knock the wind out of him, but he pushes forward, feet now landing on the rooftop. she spots him now, and his lips curve into a half smile, but it's not the one most are used to seeing. it's not smug or teasing— if anything it's tinged with some regret. " well, i didn't actually know you'd be here. but it's not a bad surprise. " though part of him, maybe, had hoped she would be. there's a few seconds of hesitation before he's crossing the roof, setting himself down a few feet away from her. keeping some distance. " still like chasing sunsets, huh ? " questions now, tone lighter as he glances her way.

laid sprawled across the flat surface of her shops roof , a serene smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she watched the setting sun dip below the horizon . the sky was a masterpiece of oranges , pinks , and purples , each hue blending seamlessly into the next . the warmth of the fading sunlight kissed her skin , and for a moment , she allowed herself to forget everything — her past , her worries , the weight she carried daily . up here , she was just esme , a girl with a love for sunsets and the calm they brought to her soul .

the quietness of the evening was interrupted by the sound of footsteps on the ladder , and esme’s smile grew , knowing someone had found her little sanctuary . she didn’t move , though , not yet . she wanted to savor this moment a little longer , the last rays of daylight filtering through her lashes as she lay in peaceful stillness . “ didn’t think anybody would find me up here , ” her voice breaks through the calm , tinged with a mix of curiosity and amusement . she slowly tilted her head to the side , her gaze meeting the figure who had joined her on the roof . OPEN / @palmviewstarters .

Alex Fitzalan as Harry Bingham in The Society (1.01)

“ don’t go giving me any big ideas celeste, i don’t have time to move. i only just perfected my closet which means i need to stay put for at least six months. ” though wouldn’t it be nice to have all the close friends within the same complex ? perhaps a one day. “ no, ” she’s quick to insist. understands where the other is coming from but she has such big expectations of how love is supposed to be it’s often difficult look past. “ i mean, don’t get me wrong, i love a good project, but . . . well i know he’s not my soulmate, because if he was i would find it endearing instead of absolutely horrifying, you know ? it’s less about the sandal-sock combo and more about how it made me feel. ” logic, apparently. most likely why she’s no closer to settling down. “ but enough about me, what about you ? fill me in on everything. i need to know all about the happenings in celeste james’ life. ”

"if we were neighbors it would make our lives so much easier," she mused, cozying into the couch and throwing a fuzzy blanket over her lap. "then, we could just alternate days and i would be able to just show up at your door when you don't text me back." because that was totally normal and made sense ( to celeste ). immersing herself in noa's story, she began picking at the snacks, nodding here and there as she listened. "i see the problem," the disgust was written all over her face. socks and sandals were practically a death sentence to celeste, let alone on a man. "but i mean, so what he's a little bit of a fixer upper ? aren't the best one's ?"

she's glad that he sees the amusement in it, seems to take the edge off her own shoulders. her entire existence up until the age of twenty-one had been fully controlled, and it irks her deeply that, despite things being drastically different now, she still holds onto some old habits— like keeping herself pristine even though part of her longs to let go, just a little. " oh, no. no. it's sweet of you to offer, but trust me you do not want to teach me anything. i'm a notoriously difficult student and i will overtake. " a fatal flaw perhaps, that when it came to ability she'd show extreme competitiveness. carved into her from a young age, a deep-rooted need to always be perfect, the best. " maybe i can teach myself, just to say that i could. " glint in her eye is met with mirth, playful in her delivery.

a soft chuckle leaves him , tipping his head to the side as he gives her a playful look . " well , ain’t that somethin’ , " he drawls , his southern twang laced with amusement . " can’t say i’ve ever heard drownin’ bein’ better than messin’ up your hair , but i reckon your mama had her priorities . " he steps closer , his smile warm and easy . " tell ya what , darlin’ . we’ll keep that hair lookin’ pretty , and i’ll teach you how to swim . no need for embarrassment . ain’t nobody born knowin’ how to do it . " his voice softens , the teasing edge fading as he adds , " you just say the word , and i’ll be right there , keepin’ you safe . "

words hit her hard, so much so that despite her best attempt to hide it, her lower lip visibly trembles. noa has confidence in abundance and most of the time it’s genuine, unwavering, but one thing she doesn’t deal well with is rejection. it’s something she’s felt almost her entire life from her mother. it never seemed to matter how much effort she put into building a connection, it simply never came. it’s a feeling that fills her with the idea that maybe she is just too much to handle. has her wondering if perhaps despite helping others find love, her antics may just scare away any real possibility she has at finding it for herself. “ fine, ” she retorts, and for the first time in— well, ever, there is no dramatics. only defeat. sadness. a desire to get out of there before the waterworks begin, though already she can feel the sting in her eyes. “ if that’s what you want, emma, then consider your wish granted. i’ll leave you alone. for good. ” with a deep breath is drawn in she’s turning on her heels, tear dropping onto cheek the moment her face is out of view. “ have a nice life, ” is all she manages before she’s walking away, familiar pep in her step nowhere to be seen.

the  confusion  on  noa's  face  is  unsurprising;  hell,  even  emma  could  agree  that  her  words  don't  make  much  sense  at  this  point.  it's  true  that  she  finds  noa  annoying,  but  not  for  the  reasons  that  she  might  think.  in  fact  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  noa,  pretty  much  about  how  emma  feels  about  her,  and  yet  she  couldn't  bring  herself  to  admit  it  out  loud.  “  well,  yeah,  you're  still  annoying  but  you're  the  one  who  said  you  won't  dull  yourself  to  satisfy  me,  so  just  don’t.  ”  whatever  that  means,  right  ?  she  likes  noa  just  the  way  she  is,  which  is  also  part  of  the  problem,  but  there's  no  way  she'd  say  it  to  her  face  like  this.  “  maybe  i  just  don't  want  to  be  friends  with  you  anymore,  noa.  how  about  that  ?  ”  there's  a  hint  of  sadness  in  her  words  this  time,  although  she  makes  sure  to  not  let  it  overwhelm  her.  “  just  leave  me  the  fuck  alone,  ”  she  breathes,  “  please.  ”

“ oh, no, you don’t have a friendly face whatsoever. great bone structure, sure, but inviting ? not so much. luckily for you, i don’t intimate easily. but really, it wouldn’t hurt to smile more. or once— ever ! ” once again she’s talking quickly, animated, ignoring his first statement. eyes roll instantaneously as she adjusts her stance, exasperated sigh escaping perfectly painted lips. “ well, for starters, i haven’t seen you with anyone since charlotte, except for nova but she’s your roommate and if that was going to happen it likely would have by now. which is good for me because i also plan on getting her to sign up. but back to you. yes, you probably could get a date easily if you actually tried, but i’m just, like . . . way better at it. and honestly, men often can’t be trusted to make good decisions. that’s just fact. ”

"yeah, you're not exactly making me feel better as you boast about how much better you could stalk me..." he places the bottles in his bag. "you know, you're the only person i've ever met who seems to think i have a FRIENDLY FACE." he'd tried to let this girl down subtly what felt like a hundred different ways, and yet, she always found her way back to him. "and i ask you again... what makes you think that i can't get a date on my own?" probably the fact that he, well, you know... wouldn't. but he liked to think it was his own personal choice. his relationships had all been with dancers ( the exception being charlotte ) and they all ended poorly. apollo didn't see the point in making empty promises to others. he would provide what he could, and often times, it wasn't enough.