when rome's in ruins | noah

[mirela juliana luan]

there were a lot of things that drove mirela's mother crazy. she disliked the fact that mirela was pursuing a career, as opposed to simply settling with being a housewife like she had; she hated that mirela had suddenly gotten more outspoken against her, when she'd previously been able to crush mirela under her voracious temper. but one thing she didn't worry about was the outcome of a party; if there was something her mother had learned to do well, it was throw and upscale party, and little to no expense was skipped on such an occasion.

for the longest time, mirela didn't understand the politics of living in an important family. she didn't understand how dropping a name could mean somebody would fear or respect you instantly; in her mind, respect or fear had always been things that people grew to have for you. but it wasn't so, not in this world of pleasant smiles with ruby lips and sly, keen gazes. it wasn't ever so, and perhaps she had always been too young to see that your name meant a lot wherever you went - in smaller towns, too, but it was important most everywhere. her father's work didn't ever seem to be finished, either, and she imagined that he would forever be jovially saying, "why, yes, i am arian luan, have we met before?" - as if his last name was something that ought to be remembered by everyone everywhere.

standing in front of the mirror that evening, mirela waited patiently as little kaltrina struggled with the clasp on her necklace. she smiled warmly when her little sister peered up at her with a radiant, triumphant grin, saying "kërkoj, look, mirela - i did it!"

"you did, little dove," mirela replied sweetly, hoisting the little girl into her arms and carrying her out of the room and down the stairs. guests were already beginning to fill the wide, spacious home that she only partially considered her own; most of her time was spent away, if she could help it, but she couldn't stay away from kaltrina and her father for long.

setting the little girl down, she peered curiously around at the "upstanding" citizens of caroline that had deigned to attend their party that evening. it was a statement, of course - an announcement of their arrival, a big fanfare to say here we are, aren't we lovely? - in her mother's case, perhaps it was even a battle cry, a challenge for the other housewives to throw a party better than her own. which is unlikely, mirela thought dryly as she snagged a champagne flute from a waiter walking by. my mother can't do many things, but she can throw a damn good party.

she couldn't deny that she was curious, though. at the very least, she wanted to get to see what type of people were considered the rich and fabulous here in caroline. mirela had lived in many places, and most of the time, the faces changed but the personalities didn't - hopefully, caroline would be a little different.

"mirela, you shouldn't be drinking," her mother scolded, guiding her with an incline of her head to the main living room where the majority of the party bustle was going on. "it'll leave a bad impression on everyone here. no, don't put it away - you've already done the damage now so you might as well finish it."

mirela rolled her eyes. classic mother, doing what she did best. "right, of course," she answered, beginning to inch away from her mother. "anything else before i get away from you for the rest of the night?"

her mother's eyes narrowed. "be sociable," she ordered primly, combing back a stray hair of mirela's behind her ear. "don't sulk in the corner all night. it is not befitting of an eldest daughter to mope."

i'll do precisely whatever i want to, mirela thought, but she didn't say it. she just nodded her head, as per usual, and ducked away from her mother's hand before she could do anything else. finishing off the rest of her champagne and smoothing the dark dress against the plane of her stomach. even with the bubble of champagne in her veins, she could tell this was going to be a long night.

[noah jayce rosland]

i'm not searching the sky for a reason to live,

'CAUSE I'VE FOUND BEAUTY RIGHT HERE

hi

For most this would be something completely atypical. Not many people put on their clothes for formal purposes, and when they did it was for weddings or a large celebration. But here in Caroline, as long as you lived in the upper class part of town it became something more of a ritual.

There were some people that thrived off of it. Absolutely everything that happened in the upper class had some sort of relevance. Listening to gossip of all the people in the upper class, making snide remarks at certain names in the lower class, it was terrible but an addiction. Even when she was still around he'd find himself enjoying it. The routine in it all just made sense, but then after she left all he could think about was how terrible it was, how terrible people were, and how much he hated all of these types of events.

Of course, still, he had been forced to attend them by his parents. Still being a part of the upper class it was like he needed to attend, living with or not living with his parents, just so that his parents could keep him on the 'good boy' radar. It was ridiculous, but exactly what Noah expected out of them. "Be good, get to know their daughter, let us know who she is, what she does, everything," okay, most of that was paraphrased, but it was what Noah heard.

Walking into the building the noticed how many people were already inside, and how decadent the entire place was. "Beautiful, i'm impressed so far," His mother came up beside him taking note of the entire place. A strange smirk sat there. Noah recognized it as her 'challenge accepted' face. He knew that from there she'd probably find the woman of the house and pick up some sort of conversation with her. Maybe something about who was the interior designer and start comparing absolutely everything they did. Terrible.

Shaking his head, he started walking towards where he saw the first sign of alcohol. Before he could move much further, a hand touched his chest, "Behave," His father looked at him seriously. Noah didn't even bother saying anything but gave his father a glance. His father knew what was wrong with Noah. They had this sort of telepathy in these situations, but at the same time Noah knew that his father was sick of Noah's attitude about almost every girl these days. Moving once again, he started making his way through the people and found himself a drink, one he downed almost instantly. That was completely necessary, he thought to himself, put on a fake smile and started to walk through the crowd again.

Another hand blocked his path. "That's her!" This time it was his mother. Noah had no idea who she was talking about and didn't really try to look all that hard either. All he saw were a bunch of faces that he would typically see. His mother used her finger to discretely point out who she was talking about, "That's the daughter i was talking about, she seems lovely, go find out if she actually is." She winked at him before running off into another conversation, "Laura!" he heard her call dramatically. Instantly, Noah rolled his eyes, but still kept them on the girl that had been pointed out to him. She was unfamiliar to him. He'd yet to see her around, but that didn't make anything change within him. He was there simply for his parents, no other reason. "Alright," he spoke under his breath before making his way through the crowd.

A few people made a comment or two at Noah as he walked by, a few of his father's friends, "lookin' sharp" where Noah just gave them a thankful nod and continued to move forward. "Hey," he called to the girl as he was only a few steps away. By calling it out it made him see like he was on a mission and looking for someone in particular. That way he wouldn't have to be stopped by anymore people that would recognize him. What he hated the most was finding his mother's friends who would always make the comment about how it was a shame that she was gone leaving such a 'handsome' man. He hated that they tried to use that as some way to get his attention. The last thing he needed was some pent-up cougar after him.

"Hey," he said again as he came up right in front of the girl. "I'm Noah, and you must be 'the daughter',"" Noah spoke the last part with sarcasm. He forced a smile on his face to seem something closer to endearing. He stretched out an arm for a hand shake.He may of hated every moment being at one of these parties, but Noah had learned to be pretty good at faking it.

tagged, mir | outfit, here | notes, so stoked on this post

so let me give you my heart

[mirela juliana luan]

tonight foxes hunt the hounds

during the course of mirela's life, there had plenty of instances where she had been introduced to "the boy". you know the one, of course - the boy that your parents try to get you to be friends with because they've already plotted with his parents behind your back about what beautiful children you'd have. (which, by the way, was way to fast for mirela - seeing how her mother turned out, she wasn't even sure she wanted children.) at any rate, there had been enough of those instances for her to identify when one of them was coming on.

usually, there were a few key signals. for one, her mother would be pleasant enough to fuss over how she looked. mariam luan had always been a woman who prided herself on her looks, so when mirela had grown up into a woman who was pretty, yes, but not intent on fashion, that had been a a bit of a disappointment. her mother had long since given up trying to get her to dress the way she wanted her to dress - but whenever an instant of the boy came up, she always made a fuss.

next came her father. while her dad may have been in on the plotting, he wasn't necessarily fond of it - and he would grow more and more sulky as the time for the party drew nearer, sighing despondently and saying things like, "mirela, you're too young to get married, don't you think?" and that's when she'd know. she'd accuse her mother of an another set-up, to which her mother would vehemently deny - and then seconds later, say under her breath, "but if a nice boy walked up and started a conversation, it wouldn't hurt you to talk back."

speaking in a conversation with a nice boy wasn't the problem. the problem was that most of the boys tended to be boring - with little to no sense of humor, just like her mother liked them. obedient. mirela wasn't much for that kind of boy.

somewhere, in the midst of all the chatter, the blonde heard a "hey! behind her as she snagged a second glass of champagne (wouldn't hurt to make a second bad impression). she thought little of it, drinking down half of it easily - and when a boy (yes, a boy, she thought a little apprehensively) came up right in front of her as she brought the glass away from her lips, she swallowed down the bubbly liquid and quirked a brow in surprise.

that's strange, she thought. none of the signs happened. why isn't dad moping? why didn't mom fuss?

it didn't matter, anyway. perhaps this hadn't been an orchestrated event. perhaps her mother had given up trying to weed the unruly out of her. she cleared her throat as he introduced herself, swiping her tongue across her lower lip to rid it of any remaining champagne.

cute, she thought absently as she inspected him, a warm smile coming to her lips, amusement flickering through her gaze as she shook his hand.

"nice to meet you, noah," mirela replied, rolling her eyes a little. "ahhh, yes. i am the daughter. one of three, anyway. i'm sure you've heard of me, though - likely my mother is waltzing around, complaining about how her daughter is unafraid to make a bad impression on everyone by drinking preemptively." she gave the boy - noah, she reminded herself - a wry smile, releasing his hand and using her newly-freed hand to smooth out her dress. "i'm mirela. so tell me, noah - how much coercing did your parents have to use to get you here? if you came of your own volition, that's great - but even i didn't want to come, and my family's the one throwing it."

tagged: noah ♥
outfit: just what she's wearing in the pic c:
words: 637
notes: wooooooooo so pumped

© ANISE

[noah jayce rosland]

i'm not searching the sky for a reason to live,

'CAUSE I'VE FOUND BEAUTY RIGHT HERE

hi

One would think that being a Rosland would mean more than being a personal spy for his mother. It was pathetic, but to no one else but to Noah. If he could have it in him to actually bring up some sort of conflict between himself and his mother he would of by now. She was a banker that believed that she had a one-up on everyone in Caroline, as if by working in a bank made her in control of absolutely everyone's money. It was actually sickening, not that Noah had even fully realized it until he had turned twenty. His father was a little more understanding, but he also didn't make himself out to be some pretentious jerk just because he surveyed land. Sometimes Noah was certain that his father was just as enthusiastic about these events as Noah was, but then he also remembered that these sort of parties had all the people that gave his father the jobs that he needed to stay within his career. Such a poor vicious cycle.

Woah, Noah thought in surprise. He actually hadn't expected a reaction quite like that one. If anything he'd thought there'd be a little more personal glamor, a little more modest approach to how lovely she was as a daughter of whatever host was throwing this party. Different. Almost impressive, even. "Believe it or not i've made, and usually do make, a habit not to hear a thing these mothers have to say about any of their children, good or bad," his eyes perked up to her, "As for making a bad decison..." He took the glass of alcohol out of her fingers into his own, and poured the liquid down his throat, "i'm all about making some of those."

Finishing the glass he set it on the closest flat surface. Anything that his mother had said to him earlier about figuring out about this girl had disappeared from his mind. He still had some suspicions over her though, just for his own personal reasons. No matter how charming anyone could be there was always something about them that had the ability to destroy. It was the killing nature, a nature that Noah would always automatically assume to be, specifically, in every woman.

"Mirela," Noah tasted the word on his tongue. It definitely wasn't a common word. It was rude of him, and he knew it but he couldn't bring himself to say it was nice to meet her, or even a 'likewise' because he wasn't even sure if it was nice to meet her at this point in time. But as she continued to talk there was this strange feeling inside of him. It was almost like the feeling of being caught doing something bad, like he had failed in some way or another.

But in a way, he had been caught. He certainly didn't want to be here, nor did he ever enjoy these sorts of gatherings, but he'd never had someone bring it up in conversation before. Typically it was some sort of small talk to pass the time, short and polite. Then he'd move onto the next person. Mingling. Doing that was always easy enough. At least when that happened Noah's heart was barely half in the conversation so it allowed him to think about other things.

Collecting himself from these thoughts, he licked his lips, "Sadly, it didn't take that long of convincing, you know, sometimes mothers have a way with words that make it impossible to say no to them even when it's the only thing you're thinking." He wished he could've sounded more pleasant about that. The last thing he needed was another Caroline girl talking to their mother about all the terrible things she'd heard about the other woman in Caroline. It would always get back to Noah's mother, and be extension, it would always reach the back of Noah's head as a back handed smack.

Stop thinking about it. You're just making yourself get distracted. He needed another drink.

tagged, mir | outfit, here

so let me give you my heart

[mirela juliana luan]

tonight foxes hunt the hounds

amusement brimmed her green eyes as she studied the boy in front of her. he was different than the other boys that her mother usually sent her way - he was better looking than most of the others, for one. though mirela's mother had never tried to set her up with a bad-looking boy, per se - after all, mariam luan would not stand to have grandchildren who were anything less than perfect - but they had always been a bit drab, both in looks and personality. quiet, demure things that had certainly had any spirit in them broken by her mother's abrasiveness.

the poor things never stood a chance, she thought absently as she swirled the remaining champagne around in her glace. her gaze broken away from noah for a moment to survey the room, filled to the brim with gentlemen and ladies dressed their very best. she caught her father's gaze over the top of a bald head, saw him smile at her and then tilt his head in questioning when he saw noah - but she shrugged her shoulders.

off to the side, kaltrina was, as usual, clinging to their mother's skirts - but no matter how lovely her mother looked (as per usual), kaltrina was stealing the show. all dimples and golden curls and bright green eyes, there was no denying that the people around her were thoroughly charmed by her sweet, practiced words.

her mother caught her gaze. there was something calculating in the irises that mirrored her own - all of the luan woman looked similar, with soft blonde hair and light green eyes, while her father was dark haired, dark-eyed. are you being nice? her mother mouthed, and mirela could not suppress the eyeroll that ovecame her as she stepped to the left, successfully putting noah in between her and her mother.

"that is good, though," mirela said, keeping her tone light. "if you listened to everything my mother said about me, you might get a bad impression of me. can't have that." there was a certain dry humor in her town - and when he snagged her glass, finishing it off for her, she feigned a scandalized expression and gasped. "why, mister noah, you are full of negative influence. what happens, pray tell, if i fall under such an influence?! the family honor will be positively ruined!"

but she was grinning, hardly begrudging the loss of her champagne - because as soon as another waiter passed, she snagged a new one for herself, eyes glittering with a wicked sort of playful.

when noah mentioned a mother's power of their child, mirela laughed wryly and nodded her head. "i know exactly what you mean," she answered, standing on her tiptoes to peek over his shoulder. she could see her mother's eyes narrowing, analyzing, wondering if her daughter was being nice and ladylike to the handsome boy talking to her. "hey, you're a relatively attractive young man. how much do you want to help a girl out?" she grinned, quick and bright as the burning of a star, and then offered him the remainder of her champagne again - almost like a peace offering. "all you've gotta do is stick by me and help me avoid my mother. and when she comes and interrogates you, say nice things about me. in return, i'll keep you entertained with my wit. deal?"

tagged: noah ♥
outfit: just what she's wearing in the pic c:
words: 566
notes: no worries <333

© ANISE

[noah jayce rosland]

i'm not searching the sky for a reason to live,

'CAUSE I'VE FOUND BEAUTY RIGHT HERE

hi

"Who is to say that you haven't made a bad impression," Noah's voice sounded almost serious. That was one terrible thing about Noah, one skill that he had brought upon himself at a young age. Sometimes he'd be extremely sarcastic, and it wasn't just that he was sarcastic, it was that he was so sarcastic all the time to the point where you could never even tell if he was actually saying what he meant or exactly the opposite. His father hated him for it, scolded him on multiple occasions for it. But because of this Noah was able to make his mother think that he was all for some of the things she brought up when he was just being a pain in the ass. "A young lady, drinking alcohol, so unwomanly," Noah turned his attention to the rest of the woman around the room and continued, "i wonder if any of these woman got that memo?"

Noah couldn't help but let out a strange chuckle of a laugh. It might've been the first time he'd found himself genuinely laughing at something another woman had ever said. He'd been hiding from these sorts of forward situations for such a long time. "Me? Bad influence? Are you sure you want to have any association here?" At this point he'd almost completely forgotten about his mother and the 'mission' he was supposed to be on. As Mirela got herself another glass of champagne he couldn't help but smile at the action, that was until he saw his mother in the distance.

She was wearing this smug smile as she laughed with one of her long time friends. Her eyes turned to look at him. Although there was still that smile on her face there were also serious eyes, talking to Noah without any real words or movement. Noah already knew what she was saying, what she was thinking, and how she expected Noah to react. After a moment of gathering this glance, he looked back to Mirela and put on his own smug smile.

For a moment he had to lift a questioning eyebrow at her, not quite sure where she was going with her words until she finished. But as she continued to speak there was this strange adrenaline rush that he could feel kicking in. It wasn't anything he'd felt since he used to play football back in his high school days. "Well i definitely didn't sign up for being interrogated by any mother's," he looked at the offering in her hands, "But..." Almost instantaneously he grabbed the glass and took the remaining continents down his throat, "What the hell."

"How should i know to avoid this woman, or when she springs herself at me, does she look like you or something?" He asked casually. He could only guess the way that it would all play out. But, for now, he would enjoy the time he had now. Wait. He actually wanted to enjoy his time here? It was most likely the alcohol getting to him at this point. There would be no way he could actually admit to himself that he was enjoying this current small talk, and there was no way he'd actually admit to allowing himself to enjoy the extension of this.

tagged, mir | outfit, here

so let me give you my heart

[mirela juliana luan]

tonight foxes hunt the hounds

"who's to say you haven't made a bad impression?"

the comment made mirela's lips quirk up in that crooked half-smile she was accustomed to putting on. indeed, her mother had given her the most scolding glance when she'd taken that first champagne flute off of a tray. as a general rule, mariam didn't believe women should drink - she never drank at parties, and rarely did she drink in the privacy of her late nights up with mirela's father. it was unbecoming for a lady to drink; it could damage the family's honor and reputation, and because reputation meant a whole lot to mirela's mother, it had to mean a whole lot to mirela.

it didn't, of course. she was much too eager to get out from under the shadow of her last name, though she wasn't sure she ever would. until she married and took a different surname, she'd probably be living up to the expectations set by her father's name - because luan was a name that was said in places around the world by some of the world's wealthiest combatants, and most often it was said in complete respect.

her father deserved that renown, though - there was no denying that. he had always been a charismatic man, prone to making jokes as opposed to getting down to business; when he did get down to business, though, he was a formidable opponent that rarely let things slide. this was the sort of person mirela wanted to become - the sort of person who didn't turn out like her mother.

"perhaps i have made a bad impression already," mirela replied agreeably, her eyes glittering. "usually by the now, the boy is already on the run - which makes you far more resilient than any of the others who have come to strike up a conversation with me." the blonde grinned, glancing around the room and feeling far better when she saw her mother was in a conversation with a group of women, little kaltrina still holding onto the hem of her skirt. "as for bad associations, well - i think it's safe to say i don't much mind if the company is pleasant."

when noah snagged the champagne out of her hand and queried as to how he was supposed to identify her mother, mirela gave a dry laugh. "does she look like me, he says," she sighed, looking utterly amused. snagging his hand, she tugged him through the crowd - it was easy for her, to feel comfortable just taking someone's hand even if she'd only known them for a short time. in fact, she thought very little of it. when she had tugged noah into a small alcove, she peeked over his shoulder and then pointed at her mother - blonde curls, green irises, hoisting little kaltrina into her arms and laughing at a joke someone had made.

"that's my mother and one of my younger sisters," she explained. "the blonde with the little girl. so when she comes over here and looks at you with her hawk eyes, try to keep your poise. she can be quite abrasive, but i'm certain she'll be only cordial with you - with a hint of passive-aggression, of course."

grinning at him, mirela fell back onto her heels from where she'd been up on her tiptoes. noah was a little too handsome - and a little too witty. there had to be a catch somewhere. if he came with someone other than his parents - namely, a date - he was neglecting them terribly.

"so you came with your parents?" she questioned, quirking a manicured brow upward.

tagged: noah ♥
outfit: just what she's wearing in the pic c:
words: ###
notes: ♥

© ANISE

[noah jayce rosland]

i'm not searching the sky for a reason to live, 'CAUSE I'VE FOUND BEAUTY RIGHT HERE hi It wasn't because of his lack of trust in the female gender. Actually, it a spark of faith that he saw within this girl that made him not believe that she sent boys running. Okay, maybe there were a lot of "stars" in the upper class that wouldn't be able to keep up with her, or even completely understand the things she said. Yet, he imagined that there were enough strange men her age in Caroline that would see past anything that could be taken negative that she'd say. It helped that she was a beautiful young lady, clearly with enough intelligence to get her somewhere. There couldn't be anything too devious or repugnant to scare everyone off. Yet, he still curiously wondered what else was going on beyond this exterior. "Fair enough," he offered, the smug smile still on his face. But her response to his question of her mother surprised him a little. It shouldn't of since she seemed to understand the power of manipulation parents had over their children. He didn't let his mild surprise over the situation take over though and kept on his poker face. Allowing her to grab his hand he loyally followed her around. He looked down at the woman that Mirela was pointing at. Easily, he could see the relation between the two of them. If he actually thought about looking out for her mother then he would've immediately recognized her anyways. Seeing her lift of her other daughter, though, almost made her seem completely unthreatening. To most she might just seem like an ordinary, caring mother, who cared for nothing more than her children and making a comfortable home in the community. Unfortunately, Noah automatically saw right through that. He didn't know her but he could only assume that she'd be like every other woman in the upper class. A life drainer. Someone you waste time on and ultimate find nothing in return. His eyes narrowed on her as Mirela spoke. “Don't worry,” he said, his eyes still on the entire scene, “I deal with these ones all the time.” For a moment longer he watched, but then found himself turned back to Mirela. “I don't mean to brag but when it comes to passive-aggression i might of well of received awards.” His hard eyes softened and he enabled himself to smile once again. Although he could see something hiding beneath the perfect exterior that Mirela's mother had, he still couldn't imagine that anything terrible would be coming out of it. After all, Noah could be the worst, or depending on how you look at it best, when it came to sarcasm. He knew he could be witty and knew that he was good at double-talking people. How could one woman really be much different? The question surprised him. It almost seemed out of the blue if they hadn't already been talking about the influence of parents. Normally the only reference people made to him about his parents was about how “lovely” his mother looked and how “handsome” his father was even as he embraced old age. “Yes, indeed,” he pulled his lips together awkwardly, and then started to face the crowds of people again. Actually all not that far form where Mirela's mother was, his mother was also about. As far as Noah could tell, she was actually listening in on Mirela's mother's conversation. It was so typical. “See that woman right there, sandy blonde hair pulled up into that bun?” he discretely pointed into the sea of people, “That there is my mother, and i wouldn't be surprised if she has already tried to find someway to get to know everything there is to possibly know about you and your family.” A strange smile sat on his face as he spoke, then he looked back to Mirela, “Parents, right?” tagged, mir | outfit, here | notes, ABLAGAH. so let me give you my heart

[mirela juliana luan]

tonight foxes hunt the hounds

every boyfriend mirela had ever had in her lifetime had been scared of her mother. and rightly so; mariam luan was an intimidating figure - proud, tall, slender, with hawk eyes that calculated and judged. there was always a lot of judgement in those green irises, and most often it was directed at mirela - but whenever she had brought a boy around, it had been directed at the poor fellow that'd had the misfortune of ever dating a luan girl. this was partially why mirela's middle sister, elira, was studying abroad; for education is what she told her parents, but it was really to get away from mom so i can date my boyfriend for real.

mirela had a huge amount of pity for kaltrina, who was certainly going to grow up into a beautiful, graceful woman with all the world's charms. kaltrina would certainly attract the attention of boys - but there was no way their mother would let her baby girl date any boy that couldn't withstand her wrath.

so she was relieved, of course, when noah claimed that she had nothing to worry about. well, mildly relieved - she'd heard boys say that before, that she had nothing to worry about when it came to them dealing with her mother, and the fact that she was still single was a testament to how well that had turned out. her expression was dismayed as she looked back at noah, pressing her lips into a little line as she sipped a newly acquired glass of champagne.

"so you say," mirela replied, her lips quirking up again at last in the mildest means of a smile. "it takes a special kind of person to deal with a mother as manipulative as mine, so i'm just going to trust you and hope you're one of a kind."

when noah confirmed that he had come with his parents, it was a bit of a relief - she would have hated to be stealing him away from a date, of all things (even though she wouldn't have really minded, but that's the story she came up with). the little smile on her face lifted and warmed a bit, and she peeked around him when he pointed to a woman who resembled him standing in the crowd. a laugh escaped her.

"she won't find out much," mir laughed, studying the woman from where she stood. "there isn't a lot of dirt on us. mother makes certain that all of her family are perfectly groomed and well-behaved in the public eye. although - there was one time when someone tried to shoot my father. perhaps that's something to be heard." quirking a brow upward, she gave him a crooked smile and finished half of the champagne, once more offering the remainder to him. already the bubbly liquid was making her feel pleasantly light.

"parents indeed," mirela sighed. "unfortunately. my father isn't bad, but - well, mothers. you know." shrugging her shoulders, she smoothed out her dress across the plane of her belly, absently wondering (how many calories) how many glasses of champagne she'd had because she hadn't been keeping track.

glancing at the crowd, she saw her mother begin to migrate through the cluster of people towards them. mirela gave noah the look - both a signal and feigning adoration - and laughed lightly, charmingly as her mother drew near. mirela smoothed out the shoulder noah's shirt easily and affectionately and rested her hand there. "why, noah, you are so funny," she exclaimed, keeping a cap on the laughter that was threatening to bubble out at this little game they played.

"mirela," her mother said when she'd finally made it through, her voice holding an even thicker accent than mir's. "i've been trying to find you all night. i hope you haven't been skulking in the corner as you usually do. and who is this?"

skulking in the corner, mirela thought dryly, but never once did she lose her composure. she could see her mother's eyes watching noah - waiting for a single slip up, waiting for something to snag him on - and mirela put the sweetest smile on her face.

"oh, mother, this is noah," she explained. "you mean to say you didn't already know who he was? he is quite the gentleman."

tagged: noah ♥
outfit: just what she's wearing in the pic c:
words: ###
notes: sorry this is so late!

© ANISE

[noah jayce rosland]

i'm not searching the sky for a reason to live, 'CAUSE I'VE FOUND BEAUTY RIGHT HERE hi Eyebrows raised at Mirela with great questioning, What could possibly be so terrifying about that woman? Maybe it was stupid of him to assume so little of the woman. Typically, he'd just generalize all the woman of Caroline to be the same amount of manipulating bitches. It was an observation from all of the woman that walked in and out of his parent's house as he grew up. They all had these different personalities, the personas that they showed one another. There was always the one that remained quiet except for laughing at one of the woman's jokes, there was always the one that tried to have a passive-aggressive argument with his mother, another would be a nervous wreck and throw in some sort of discussion to keep up her half. They all had their part in it, but no matter how “nice” they might've seen to one another they all had a means of using what was said amongst each other to destroy one another. It was sickening, but Noah wanted to be confident enough to believe he could face it head on... as long as it wasn't his own mother. “Of course i'm one of a kind,” he held a smug smile, although it was one they he wore ironically, “I could make a career out of this, really.” Noah was instantly curious, not because there was something else to know about Mirela, but because she said that his mother wouldn't find much. This made him rethink himself with how her mother might be. To have someone keep their life so tight together. Maybe her mother was more like Noah's mother than he thought. Noah couldn't remember the last time that anything negative slipped out about their family with the exception of Noah and his fiance's break up. His eyes narrowed down at her questioningly. Someone tried to shoot her father? as a smile came across her face, he mirrored it and started shaking his head. “Well, knowing that woman,” His eyes moved to the crowd of people and then back to Mirela, “She'd try to spread something about your family just to see if something else came out of it.” This time he started shaking his head hoping that his mother wouldn't decided to be so cruel to a family that was new to the neighbourhood. “I don't know, a man who almost gets himself shot, completely questionable,” he started laughing to himself a little but then cut it short as he noticed the look that Mirela was now giving him. Hmm? he looked into the crowd and saw the movement, and then looked back to Mirela. Just at that moment she started to touch his shoulder, and he looked at her giving her another questioning, but knowing look. Game time, i guess. “Aren't i though,” he mouthed to her as he saw her mother in the corner of his eyes. Noah tilted his head, eyes still on Mirela with everything that her mother was saying. Skulking in the corner? Ouch. On her mark, Noah extended his hand out to Mirela's mother, “Oh, stop, Mirela you're too kind, It's quite lovely to meet you,” his eyes watched her mother carefully. He couldn't help but extend his smile, mostly because this entire situation. “You should know that you're daughter has been quite the delight! And should i say that this is quite a lovely party you have thrown together.” tagged, mir | outfit, here | notes, everything is perfect. so let me give you my heart

[mirela juliana luan]

tonight foxes hunt the hounds

"is he now?" were the first words to come out of her mother's mouth after mirela claimed noah to be a gentleman. she could see it in her mother's eyes - that instant calculating feature, that sharp, nit-picking, i'm-going-to-tear-you-apart-if-i-don't-like-you look all coupled with the world's most charming smile. oh, yes - mariam luan played the game very well, had been playing it for longer than mirela could remember, and suddenly mir was more than a little nervous for poor noah, whom she'd sucked in.

mirela watched the exchange carefully. noah was flawless, thankfully - pleasant smile, perfect manners, completely at ease with the fact that suddenly they were acting as if they had known each other for decades. when he extended his hand toward her mother, the woman eyed it for a moment - scathingly - before smiling pleasantly and shaking his hand. that must be killing you, mother, mirela thought, perhaps a bit smugly considering the situation.

"and how nice to meet you as well, mister, ah - and what, precisely, is your last name?" mariam's perfectly manicured eyebrow quirked up, her expression mild and welcoming despite the analytical edge to her eyes. mirela cleared her throat and paused, beckoning a waiter over to take another glass of champagne from the passing tray. just as she did, mariam continued, "although i must admit i'm so surprised that you've found my daughter anything but morose and melancholic. tell me, noah - how many glasses of champagne has she had? perhaps the booze is making her more sociable."

"mother,," mirela cut in, none too kindly, "noah complimented you on your party. perhaps it wouldn't be polite to prattle on, then?"

mariam gave her a look. it was the look - the look she gave mirela whenever she was being particularly "insufferable". mirela smiled.

"ah, yes. quite. well, i certainly didn't need his approavl to feel good about my party," mariam replied, giving noah the most perfectly regulated smile, "but i appreciate that he has an eye for excellent planning. so, noah, what is it you do? i trust you're here with your parents, not a date, otherwise it would be most inappropriate for you to be hanging around my daughter."

yes, mirela was so very fond of her mother. clearing her throat, she smiled radiantly up at noah, affectionately smoothing his shirt again and letting their bodies linger close together, just for the extra effect it had on her mother. of course, it wasn't that mirela minded all that much, either.

tagged: noah ♥
outfit: just what she's wearing in the pic c:
words: ###
notes: eeeee

© ANISE

[noah jayce rosland]

i'm not searching the sky for a reason to live, 'CAUSE I'VE FOUND BEAUTY RIGHT HERE hi It would be Noah's karma that meeting a woman such as Mirela's mother would happen to him when he had been here originally to spy on Mirela herself. This was exactly the sort of thing that his mother would drag him into and then somehow it would turn against him in some way or another. It wasn't to say that Noah was suddenly in a sweat over the fear of the situation. If anything, he felt quite confident and composed. The only difference with this situation was that Mirela's mother wasn't overly acquainted with the Rosland family. What that meant was that she wasn't going to instantly love Noah like most of the woman in Caroline did. This time he was the one under the magnifying glass rather than the other way around. There was something weird about shaking this woman's hand. Noah was used to shaking the hands of older men, firm, confident shakes, which was exactly what he was giving now. But the difference in it was he could feel something with in this woman's own strength. That was something he wasn't used to getting with woman when he was first formally introduced to them. “Rosland, as in Keegan Rosland being my father,” There was still that proud smile on his face. This was the first time he'd informally introduced his father into conversation. Usually everyone else already knew about his family before they even got to Noah. Noah perked his eyes at Mirela's mother with her comment. Wow, he thought instantly. He wouldn't even bring himself to answer that question, and if he did he probably would've lied for Mirela's sake. Luckily for the both of them Mirela perked up. This was actually really fun for Noah. It was almost like playing some sort of video game, or acting out for some sort of television drama. It was exactly the sort of challenge that Noah liked to have in his life, and one that he craved since he stopped playing football so many years back. Even now, as she didn't seek his approval he kept this sarcastic smile on his face as the only way that he was allowing himself to break. “No, no, of course i came with my parents, i'm too busy to really do much 'dating' really, i'm a paralegal at the down town office of Caroline, the only dates i have are with paper work,” he knew it was a lame joke, it was one that he recycled consistently with a few of the other interns at the office. Noah started to notice how much closer Mirela was getting to him than he was before, and it made him break the gaze he had with her mother for a moment so that he could share a look of admiration with Mirela herself. He hoped that he was living up to the standards that she wished him to for this great act. This was probably the closest that Noah had willingly been next to a woman since he had his heart torn out. Normally he'd get so uncomfortable that he'd walk away, but Noah was actually feeling pleasant about the entire situation. A sincere smile replaced his sarcastic one as he moved one stray hair for Mirela out of her face, and then he faced back to her mother. tagged, mir | outfit, here | notes, everything is perfect. so let me give you my heart

[mirela juliana luan]

tonight foxes hunt the hounds

god, mirela was about to kill her mother. certainly her father would be upset - elira would be most disappointed, too, and of course kaltrina. but the three of them would move on well. grieving was a process after all - it took time, and certainly they would have plenty of it once their mother wasn't around to control it for them. oh, she wasn't serious when she contemplated the consequences of getting rid of her mother - after all, she was an adult now, moved out of her parents' house as much a she could, attending a college that wasn't necessarily her first choice because her father had asked her to stay close to home.

either way, she was here now, while her mother publicly humiliated her in front of a cute boy. it was positively splendid in all aspects - not only was noah getting a nice helping of the kind of pleasant-faced, underhanded woman her mother was, but he was also under her scrutinizing gaze. thank goodness he seemed to be a resilient sort of fellow, the kind of guy who could withstand a good tongue lashing if it was so called for.

noah rosland. she repeated the name mildly in her head, letting it sink in. it seemed like an impressive sort of name, sort of like how people always said her father's was an impressive name. the kind of name you dropped casually when you knew it would send people tittering. a warmer, more sincere smile came to her lips. mirela's mother seemed unimpressed, however.

"well, you certainly don't look old enough to be a paralegal," mariam said, the very picture of kindness despite her almost antagonistic words. she didn't even deign to use his name; suddenly, noah was less important to mariam for whatever reason the woman had decided. studying them both, she continued, "how old are you, exactly?"

as soon as the question had left her mother's lips, mirela turned to noah to say something and was (pleasantly) surprised when noah reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. it was such a gentle gesture - so light and easy - that not even reminding herself that they were acting for the sake of her mother could stop the light dusting of rose that came across her cheeks then.

"noah rosland, was it?" mariam asked after a moment, her lips almost pressing into a thin line at the sight of some boy so easily working his charms on her daughter. suddenly, he was a threat - a boy that she had not approved, making her daughter blush. suddenly, it was important for her to know his name in case she (needed to hunt him down) required a chat with him.

"oh, i love this song," mirela exclaimed, completely brushing off her mother's question and giving noah another brilliant smile, moving away but taking his hand to tug him toward the dance floor. "i'll talk to you later, mother - if i have time." giving the sweetest of smiles to her mother, she inclined her head and moved into the crowd of people, waving over her shoulder at her mother as she moved away.

turning around once they'd gotten thoroughly lost in the crowd of people, she looped her arms lazily around noah's neck, laughing. "you're brilliant," mirela told him, grinning. "you handled yourself extremely well considering the fact that my mother is, arguably, a snake. hopefully we'll keep away from her for the rest of the evening."

tagged: noah ♥
outfit: just what she's wearing in the pic c:
words: ###
notes: <3

© ANISE

[noah jayce rosland]

i'm not searching the sky for a reason to live, 'CAUSE I'VE FOUND BEAUTY RIGHT HERE hi These days age didn't seem to ever be something that Noah ever brought himself to think about. The majority of the people he found himself around were either his parent's age or else he'd be with people who he always assumed to be around the same age as him. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd asked someone their age, or the last time he had been asked about it. He'd been working as a paralegal for almost two years now, so everyone around Caroline that had been living there knew who he was, how old he was, and all the little things that they could of possibly learned from his mother. Because of this, hearing that he didn't look old enough to be a paralegal sounded strange to him. Did he really look that young to people? Noah certainly didn't feel old or anything, but he never thought of himself as young either. For him, he was in that perfect age. That was the most he ever thought about the topic. He didn't flinch, though when she questioned him. In fact, he treated it like it would be anyone else creating some sort of small talk with him. Mirela sort of distracted Noah from even being able to answer her mother's question about his age. He couldn't help but notice the way her cheeks started to light up and it extended his smile further. For two people that were supposed to be pretending for the sake of her mother it almost felt like there was something more there. It actually made Noah's stomach start turning a little. He wasn't snapped out of it until he heard his name called by Mirela's mother. “Uh, Yes that is correct,” his smile turned to something more polite as his gaze moved back to her mother's. It surprised him to have Mirela pull him back into the crowd of people, but it was almost a relief in a way. They'd probably be better off getting away from her mother for the time being. “Farewell, Mrs. Laun,” Noah gave a quirt wave to her as he was being pulled away. His attention as now one hundred percent focused on Mirela again. “Thank you, thank you,” his head bobbed in a little bit of a dance. As Mirela's hands found their way around his neck, his casually formed a place to her left hip and the small of her back. “I'd think she'd be too busy with her other guests to consume all of her time bothering you,” he commented, although who was to tell. It was quite evident that she liked to have her nose into things. Maybe she could be friends with his mother. “Now we just have to hope that my mother doesn't come poking around... although i imagine that she won't,” he stopped himself from explaining anything more. He imagined it would be a little awkward to explain that Noah's original job was to be a spy for Grace and not befriend Mirela. But there was nothing wrong with befriending Mirela, not to him. It was progress. It was the first time he'd actually enjoyed himself with another woman. “So now, what ever are we to do without all of that excitement?” he smiled playfully, trying to think of the different things that Caroline offered, or that were even offered in the confines of this property. tagged, mir | outfit, here | notes, everything is perfect. so let me give you my heart

[mirela juliana luan]

tonight foxes hunt the hounds

she'd get hell for this later, she was sure. of course, mirela knew that her mother's version of hell was a grouping of skillfully chosen, passive-aggressive comments delivered at a time when she knew they would be most potent. oh yes, mariam was the kind of woman who knew precisely how to pinpoint your weaknesses and wield them against you to bend you to her will - which is partly why mirela had been keen to get noah out of there as soon as possible. she didn't need him getting analyzed by her mother.

she would be lying if she didn't say that part of the reason was that she wanted to be able to talk to noah without her mother there, that she wanted to have his conversation all to herself for a while. her mother could wait to antagonize their guests; for now, mirela was more than content to keep her arms loosely looped around his neck, swaying gently with the music (secretly pleased at how nice it felt to have his arms around him because he was warm and mirela found herself perpetually cold - and let's not forget that previous eye-lock after her blush that left her feeling even more pleasant than the champagne).

but it was a little uncomfortable, too. not because of noah, but because it had been a while since she'd been held close by anyone except her father; it made her wonder - did she feel too skinny? was she too not-skinny? self-conscious had never been as big of an issue as it had become after she'd gotten out of rehabilitation, because all they looked for was how much weight you'd gained. she was supposed to stop counting calories and grams, but how was she supposed to do that when they wanted her to keep an extra close eye on her weight? she couldn't regulate it if she didn't know what she was taking in - the most that she could hope for was that if she did feel too skinny or too not-skinny, noah would ignore it.

"even if your mother did come poking around," mirela said amusedly, "i would be the face of sheer innocence and charm. i'm quite practiced, you know - considering what i had to deal with for eighteen years." grinning at noah, she tilting her head to peek over his shoulder and wave at her father, currently entertaining a group of people who were absolutely enthralled with him. as he laughed, making a dramatic clutch at his shoulder, sending the small crowd into wide-eyed awe, mirela thought, he must be telling the gun-shot story.

noah's voice broke her reverie though, and she turned her attention fully back to him, the smile returning full force. "anything you like, i suppose," she replied. her eyes glittered playfully. "i intend on extorting more champagne out of a waiter and then trying to cut out of here as soon as possible. i don't know how much i like hanging around the stuffed shirts in here. although," she continued, looking dismayed, "i don't really know my way around this town yet. i'm not even sure i can make it back to my apartment without getting lost."

tagged: noah ♥
outfit: just what she's wearing in the pic c:
words: ###
notes: <3

© ANISE