clsie

[clsie]

where: waverly place who: open @corneliastarters

oh, now this place was cute. elsie was mid-run, and fairly tired, and the sandwich store had been right there, taunting her, so she stepped in. there was something so exciting about being a stranger in a new place, even if in reality she was just a bit south of her home.

she was a little out of breath, but she was so excited to buy a sandwich and a coffee, sit down in this adorable space. the endorphins of exercise were still running through her and she got a little bold - "and, by the way, can i pay for the next person's sandwich?" she smiled sweetly at the cashier, waited for her food, and then positioned herself so she could see the reaction of her new beneficiary.

what she didn't expect was for the cashier to point her out after breaking the news.

#free sandwich any takers? #cornelia.starter

[clsie]

elsie was pretty sure she knew exactly why jo asked that - what she had really meant by it. "right. i was actually on my way out," she took a deep breath, trying to hold herself together. "i'm... not exactly into this sort of thing. was worth checking out, though." she didn't answer the question. after a moment, she forced a small smile. "i was here on my own."

should she say it? it's on the tip of her tongue, and she watches johanna, examining every detail of her face. so similar, but there are changes. "i just wanted to get a grasp of the area. i just moved to cornelia street." there. she did it. olive branch. she only hoped it was received well.

jo watched her through the mirror instead of turning to look at her properly. that just seemed safer somehow, like elsie was less likely to disappear on her if she kept an eye on her. on any other night, she might have thought she was just drunk enough to think the nice girl in the bathroom was her ex-best friend and ex-almost but she hadn't had a drop of alcohol tonight. she had to work in the morning and she wasn't as good at sleeping off a hangover as she'd been in college. she blinked a couple of times and elsie was still there, so she supposed this wasn't some kind of dream after all.

she finished re-applying her lipstick and reached across elsie for a paper towel. it was necessary so that she could blot the lipstick. jo focused on this until she was satisfied and tossed the used paper towel in the trash. "i come here sometimes. it's pretty cool, if you're into this sort of thing." which jo was pretty sure elsie wasn't. she was trying her best to hide her surprise at running into her, though. "do you really want to know?" she quirked a brow, a smirk turning one side of her mouth upwards. "been here all night. who are you here with?" she wasn't sure what answer she wanted. she just knew that if elsie told her she was here with a partner, she might need to grab a drink after all.

#&: jo torres

[clsie]

elsie was decidedly not a partier. the loud noises, the bodies everywhere - she'd known from when she was basically a kid, sneaking out with her friends to nightclubs. so now she felt foolish for even trying it out; she'd been here maybe an hour, mostly tucked away in a corner hoping that her courage would reach her and she'd be able to maybe dance or maybe just... enjoy herself. she'd missed out on her chance to be young, so why not take it now? that had been her logic, but it evidently didn't work like that. it just wasn't for her. and y'know what? it had been worth trying, even if she was just freshening up and leaving in disgrace.

johanna's face was something she always felt like she saw in the corner of her eye, but she instantly knew it was different this time. she met her eyes just for a second, but looked away before it started to burn. trying to hold herself together, she stepped forward, washing her hands and trying to remember english.

"i could ask you the same thing," she glanced over, trying not to let her eyes drag too long. jo looked the same, just... a little older. it was definitely not a bad look. "but what's anyone doing in a public bathroom?" elsie forced a smile. should she break the awkwardness? admit that ... admit anything? or should she pretend like this was casual, like this was normal to either of them? "i didn't know you were here."

who: jo + elsie (@clsie) where: like a rainbow (bc reasons)

surprisingly, this bar turned out to be one of jo’s favorite places in the neighborhood. after the first couple of outings, she’d found a group of people her own age and ended up claiming a high top table to watch their younger companions on the dance floor and talk about everything from how much things had changed since they were kids to the most recent new york sports results. it was late on a monday, so most of the friends she’d made here had reluctantly called it a night, but jo was still keeping an eye on one of the TAs she’d accompanied here. knowing that particular TA, jo would be here until last call. at least she was surrounded by other people, so jo felt comfortable shooting her a don’t leave text and slipping off to the bathroom.

she just needed a minute. she didn’t mind crowds or anything, but sometimes when she was out for hours at a time, she needed a second to recharge. she didn’t have to go. she hadn’t had anything alcoholic to drink tonight. but she did need to splash some cold water on her face and then touch up her makeup. she was just reapplying her lipstick when the stall door behind her opened.

she saw her in the mirror first. jo would recognize that face anywhere. she’d spent enough of her young adult life sneaking around and kissing that face…and then, after she’d escaped to the west coast, wishing she were there with her. their eyes met in the smudged bathroom mirror and for a second, jo’s heart stutter-stepped in her ribcage before then beginning to beat double time. “elsie.” the name tasted familiar on her tongue despite the time apart. she turned her attention back to her own reflection to finish her lipstick. “what are you doing here?” it came out sharper than she meant. jo was just surprised, that’s all. and a little shellshocked, honestly. it’d been a long time

#&: jo torres

[clsie]

#:) #&: 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝒾𝑒. — 𝒿𝑜𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓃𝒶

[clsie]

MARISSA & ALEX 2.12, “The Lonely Hearts Club”

#&: 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝒾𝑒. musing

[clsie]

#&: 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝒾𝑒. musing

[clsie]

elspeth opens her mouth to reply but closes it just a second later. she was pretty well accustomed to the nightlife in her town, and had figured she might as well get to grips with what it's like here. and she'd heard all about new york politeness - but still, she was impressed.

"wow, is it always like this here?" she hesitates a moment, then takes a seat at the bar anyway. "this is my first time hitting the bars here. in my town they usually try to be a little polite." she shrugs a little. "i guess i can get used to it. could i try that lemonade?" she raises her eyebrows. "hopefully the fact that i don't use tiktok will earn me a little grace, here."

WHERE: tilted stage STATUS: open @corneliastarters

savannah is on her third shirt of the night. the first one having fallen victim to drunken spills and the next to an unfortunate run in with one of the patrons of the bar. she's over this shift, a need to get out and not be here settling deep in her veins. it's starting to bleed into her interactions with customers and she can only hope cody won't fire her when he hears how over this shift she is. "just a fair warning, if you order some 'secret' shot off of tiktok, i will pour it over your head." the words are directed at the first patron she sees, eyebrow arching in challenge. "other than that welcome to tilted stage where our spring specials are lemon lavender gin, spiked sparkling basil lemonade, a peeptini for easter."

#&: savannah kirkman

[clsie]

on those rare occasions when life took her to the city, elsie had always found herself in a bookstore. they could be gorgeous if you found the right one and she was desperate to know what the landscape was like for her new home - and it was looking good, here. that book smell, the gentle, calm air, the moderate lighting. she smiled widely at the cashier.

"luckily, i have time," she said, almost too excited - she had to keep her voice down. "where do you recommend i start? i have a feeling i'll be coming around here quite a bit, so i might as well get my lay of the land, right?" elsie bounced on her feet just slightly - a gorgeous, hundred-year-old hardcover caught her eye, a flowery pattern on the back of it, and she couldn't help but walk towards it, desperate to see the front cover. "this is such an amazing collection. how long does it take to get this many books?"

Where: Pages Turned Who: Open @corneliastarters

Sam heard the tinkle of the bell over the door as someone walked into the bookstore. He waved, setting his book down upside down to save his page. "Welcome in! Feel free to take your time browsing the books. This old place has been known to suck people in for hours though, so I will warn you, if you're short on time, you might want to be mindful of the clock." Sam chuckled and pointed to a few that were strategically placed among the overcrowded bookshelves full of used books. "Or if there's a time that you need to be out of here by, just let me know. I'll do my best to come find you and remind you."

"Or, if there's something you're looking for in particular, I can point you in the direction of the right section. When it comes down to certain titles though, that might be a bit of a challenge. Even for as organized as everything is, there's still a treasure trove of newer and old, old, old books around here, and with thousands of titles, I don't quite know where everything is. Just an estimation of where it should be." He smiled at them. "I'm Sam, if you need anything."

#&: sam anderson #replies

[clsie]

☆ –– (anne hathaway, she/her, demigirl) who is elspeth bayer anyways? ew. you don’t know about her, we’ll bet you want to. they’re feeling 40 and cuddling her cat in front of the fire feels like a perfect night to them. rumor has it they’re distant and shiftless because they care, but they’re also responsible and empathetic in the best way. she works to make a little money as COO at incandescent studios. they’ve rented a place on cornelia street in the form of woodvale. 'tis the damn season (muse b) and the man (muse b) is the song they could dance to the beat of forevermore.

bio // pinterest // musing // stats&wc below

name: elspeth bayer born&raised: smalltown, ny dob: june 26 zodiac: cancer mbti: enfp sexuality: pansexual

wanted connections: siblings (0/4): elsie is the second oldest in a family of 5 children. she and her older sister did most of the actual work raising the younger 3. her older sister is happily married and hasn't been in touch with elsie for some time, but they've always been incredibly close growing up. potentially the man (muse a). one of her younger siblings had very severe mental illness which was a crucial part of elsie's decision not to move out after high school. friends: she's new to town and is shy but has been lonely all her life and is ready to correct it.

#very much wip #cornelia.intro