This Is Beautiful Im Crying - Blog Posts

[ERROR] Your messages aren't coming through.

it's all so incredibly loud p3 | previous part

Etho | 4:27 PM

cleo

ERROR | Message cannot be sent

Etho | 4:28 PM

our math prof a while ago said you, scar, and joel dropped out?

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Etho | 4:30 PM

jimmy also said you didn’t meet him to do your guy’s floral arrangement assignment a while ago

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Etho | 4:35 PM

i know this isn't coming through to you

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Etho | 4:35 PM

but god i wish it did

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Etho | 4:35 PM

please reply soon?

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---

[October 9th]

Etho | 6:04 PM

hey cleo

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Etho | 6:04 PM

lizzie and grian talked a while ago

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Etho | 6:05 PM

on my and grian's behalf, sorry about your parents

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Etho | 6:05 PM

and the whole complications that brought along

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Etho | 6:06 PM

heirs to the company, huh? big deal

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Etho | 6:06 PM

no wonder you three went for your courses

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Etho | 6:06 PM

can imagine scar's excitement and joel's dismay haha

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Etho | 6:10 PM

we still miss yall, yknow?

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Etho | 6:10 PM

grian and i miss you

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Etho | 6:10 PM

and your cooking

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Typing...

i miss you and

your sarcasm

your smile

your laugh

the moments you allow me to hug you

i love you

i miss you and i love you

i miss you

you're probably busy

Etho | 6:17 PM

you're probably busy with everything going on

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Typing...

don't see a reason why you have to block me though

or grian

or anyone else, really

what's going on?

why couldn't you explain yourself?

why does joel still have contact to lizzie?

"Etho?"

Etho snaps his head up, seeing a concerned Grian standing in front of him, arms crossed. "What are you mad about?"

"I'm not mad?" Etho replies, scrunching his brows.

"Then why are you frustrated?" Grian joins him on the couch, looking over his phone.

"Hey!"

"I see..." Grian sighs.

Typing...

i just

Etho | 6:24 PM

i just really hope you're doing alright

ERROR | Message cannot be sent

"I hope they're alright too," whispered Grian, leaning back.

Etho closes his eyes, and for a second, he can pretend Cleo and the rest are still with them.

---

"Etho?" Grian knocks on his open bedroom door, "There are people outside, and I don't want to face them alone."

Marking his book, Etho asks "People we know?"

"Absolutely not."

An uneasy feeling settles in Etho's stomach, and he can tell Grian's feeling the same.

---

[October 11th]

Etho | 3:58 PM

your uncle and some other guys dropped by asking for you and the other two

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Etho | 3:59 PM

said they don't know where yall are and they really need to talk to you guys about family matters

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Etho | 3:59 PM

they also looked REALLY anonyed when grian and i said we didn't know where you guys went

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Etho | 3:59 PM

is this why you blocked us?

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Etho | 4:00 PM

i guess we can't lie about where you guys arw in this scenario

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Etho | 4:00 PM

but we would lie for you three

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Etho | 4:00 PM

heck we'd go through anything for you guys

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Etho | 4:00 PM

we're your friends

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Typing...

and i

love you

care for you

worry about you a lot

and i

Etho | 4:01 PM

will say that they all looked tough

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Etho | 4:01 PM

can absolutely beat me and grian easily in a fistfight

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Etho | 4:01 PM

did you know they tried bribing us too?

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Etho | 4:02 PM

where are you three?

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---

“Cleo wanted to hand this to you, Etho.”

Etho and Grian perk up, looking at Lizzie holding up a red rose and an envelope.

“Where is she?” Etho asks, sharing a hopeful glance with Grian.

“Somewhere out there, still sorting out family feuds,” Lizzie replies. “And before you guys ask, I still haven’t seen her nor Scar, not even Joel, ever since they left.”

“Then how did you get their message?”

“Letters. This one’s for you.”

Etho takes the rose and envelope carefully, minding the thorns.

"Thank you, Lizzie."

She gives a small smile, then turns to walk away towards Pearl, presumably to their dorm.

"Oh," Lizzie calls out last second, "Happy Birthday."

Etho thanks her, and they split off.

---

[November 3rd]

Etho | 12:43 AM

so i found your old notes on flower meanings while grian and i searched your room

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Etho | 12:43 AM

we cried of laughter from your list of flowers to give to make enemies, by the way

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Etho | 12:44 AM

and there are some notes here on what flowers you assigned to other people

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Etho | 12:44 AM

including me and grian

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Etho | 12:56 AM

a red rose for me, really?

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Etho | 12:57 AM

what’s that supposed to mean?

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~

“Red roses mean I love you.”

They’re leaning on the fence of a private flower field, one they’re not supposed to be in. A short distance from them stand Jimmy and Joel, arguing about something absolutely mundane again.

“I love you?” Etho laughs. “Can’t see you using that. Ever.”

Cleo laughs back, elbowing him. “I might.”

Turning his eyes to the other, Etho raises a brow. “You?”

“Mhm,” Cleo bites back a smile. “I know I'm a pain in the ass, but I still wouldn’t mind having someone to live out my days with, y’know?”

“So you’ll give them a red rose?”

“Yes. Every year on their birthday.”

“Without fail?”

“Zero failures.”

Etho shakes his head, “Huh, they must be really lucky.”

Cleo snorts, sounding unsure, “Yeah, sure they are.”

~

Etho | 1:04 AM

i love you too

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Etho | 1:05 AM

i’ll wait on that rose you’ll give in person

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go to the au's previous part

go to the au's first post

A/N: well this took way longer than expected... then again, am just writing this for fun

spoiler alert !!

cletho's aro spec, but at this point, they haven't realized it yet bc it's there first times falling :] i was kinda conflicted about how to handle their relationship in the story but now i'm like, "yeah they're SO aro coded."

expect them navigating that eventually, but for now, it's angst :')

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