HOT GIRL SH*T

Rolling her mat fully, she used the straps to keep it all together, buckling it up and slinging into her shoulder. Run, go home? Those were the current options. A deep sigh pulled from her depths, as running meant going back to her car and dropping off her stuff. It wasn't far of course but she felt like by the time she'd done that she wouldn't feel like running anymore. Just as she was about to make up her mind, she heard the familiar voice. Looking over at him Asha rolled her eyes. "Of course you didn't KD." She stalked closer to him. "You were too busy fucking around to learn the intimate details about me."

Hazel eyes narrowed as he grabbed the now ice cold coffee he had been sipping while his photos downloaded. "...Yeah alright whatever you say," Theo snorted as he set his now empty mug into the sink. "It's boring -" He explains, grabbing a towel to shake some of the smaller internal pieces out of the camera. "Plus, depending on the client they have really specific requests for editing, and some people are picky." Case in point - the influencer he sent mockups to who asked him to essentially change all the natural lighting eight times.

Shooting him a look, Asha chuckled, they both knew she was lying but if he wasn't going to call her on the shit, she wasn't going to say anything more about it. Nodding along to his words, she dropped her weight into her hip, leaning into the counter even more. "Okay, I see how that can be a-nnoying." She wasn't a real model or anything but hell if you needed all those changes or touch ups, maybe you just weren't meant to be in front of a camera. It was that simple.

Roman faced some aversion because of how young he'd been when he joined his first company. There was a brief struggle to even determine if they could take him, but he'd done what he could to prove he was worth the trouble. Awe only came from the levels that only ever blinked an eye, while their pawns were baring teeth and pushing themselves in hopes of toppling over someone else from their glass cages.

There was something about the brutality and savageness of the dance world that only those within it would understand. It was all about keeping up with appearances. The aesthetic. Pristine, delicate, precise, elegance, powerful but still soft - those were what the world saw. What the powers that be maintained was the narrative. However, within there was a animalistic fight. Wolves with teeth sharpened on stone. That's how the status quo was maintained and God if Roman didn't challenge that ever single chance he got. He was beautiful and talented beyond believe because he was a fighter. He was determined to stay on top - even at his own detriment. It was admirable but also stupid.

where: bon voyage, april 20th

Asha sat in the back of the club with a drink in her hand, buzzed and sitting on the highest of clouds after the three blunts she'd smoked in the back; so when Renata approached her, she beamed happily. "Heeey!" she squealed before she shook her head. "No, no you're okay. It was so spur the moment!" Eyeing the box, she smirked, taking it gratefully as she sat her drink aside. "Oh you didn't have to," she spoke even as she began to open the box. Revealing the tennis bracelet, Asha lifted her eyes and gazed at Renata thankfully. "Awe, Ren! Thank you, this is beautiful."

Humming out, Asha turned slightly eyeing the others that looked at Roman with faces of discontent, disapproval, and disgrace. She narrowed her eyes at every one of them - if looks could kill they'd all be dropping dead. It was one of the many things that she certainly did not miss about the ballet. The snobbish, posh attitudes and upturned noses. Like everyone else stood ten feet tall while they shrunk in their shadows. Not a single person was perfect - especially those that had the nerve to judge Roman for his short comings. She snapped her teeth at a few people before she returned her attention to the dancer.

open to: everyone location: the last bookstore (downtown la)

While Asha wasn't an avid reader, she did enjoy a celebrity biography or two from time to time. Something about getting the inside track on people that felt in a way untouchable intrigued her. Made them more human. As she walked through the store, she thought about heading over to check the vinyl's when she saw a familiar face. From a distance she watched as Belle struggled to grab a book from a higher shelf. Asha wasn't much taller than Belle but she thought she'd at least make an attempt to help. She was making her way over when she saw the books come tumbling down. "Ohh..." she gasped, staring at the blonde. Quickly, Asha closed the space between them as she knelt, helping scoop up the mess. "Well, I was going to ask if you need help but I guess that's obvious now."

"Yeah go ahead make yourself at home," Theo snorted, amused as he watched his friend walk around his kitchen like it was her own. He didn't mind, his house was open to all his friends whenever they wanted. Setting the camera down on the counter and taking it apart. He knew his way around the inside of most cameras, but staring at this one was puzzling. Which really meant one thing and he wasn't sure Asha would be happy about it.

Smirking, Asha shot him a look. "Don't I always." Bringing the bottle to her lips, she gulped down about half of it's contents with a groan of appreciation. Sauntering over to the counter, she looked down at his laptop eyeing his work curiously. "What? Nothing.. nothing," she waved him off. It had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Josiah - she wouldn't tell him that though. Whatever she said to Theo about Jo would surely reach Jo the moment she left. Clicking around on his computer, she looked at the various photos he'd taken with a hint of a smile on her face. He really was talented with a camera.

open to: everyone location: los angeles ballet after party

While Asha didn't participate in the ballet anymore as a performer she would always have a deep love for it. It was her foundation - a key factor of becoming the woman she was today. There were still certain things that she learned in class at 4-years-old that she carries with her; fundamentals if you will. That being said, she often found herself attending performances around the city. She was enamored. Ballet was such a difficult study. Professionals made it look effortless but there was a beauty in knowing the blood, sweat, and tears that went into getting such precision and grace.

"No, I'm done with him, I swear," it was another argument waiting to happen between Dilan and her friends, "it is done and has been done for a while now with Roman and it'll stay that way." It was the never ending cycle she was forced to endure, but she grew tired of the talk as they all chatted in the diner in Santa Monica.

Sighing deeply, Asha fought like hell not to roll her eyes at Dilan's smile growing wider by the second. Now if she'd of just quit the job like she kept telling herself that she would, she wouldn't be in this current predicament. "Yes, Dilan," she grumbled as politely as she could. "I work here," she pointed her pen at her name tag. She actually didn't need this job. It wasn't a necessity, it was a security plan. She got insurance through this job, which was the only promising thing about it. God forbid she have an accident while at the club. She'd be assed. And while she could pay out of pocket, why would she when a place like this was offering it up for pennies on the dollar out of her check.

Barrett’s face dropped as the woman mentioned Brie, there was so much untouched territory between the blonde and Barrett, it felt wrong to discuss their issues when Barrett had hardly spoken to her since being home. Quickly shaking off the sombre feeling, Barrett downed her next drink in one, throwing her head back as she did. “Maybe Brie. But maybe some others. Not sure I can give the game away though.” Barrett smirked, running her fingers along the rim of her now empty glass, somehow it felt like she was trying to give Asha a run for her money with how many drinks she could neck back, or it was her way of hiding how nervous she suddenly felt around the woman.

A surprised smile pulled at her lips. "Oh..." she whispered. Was Barrett secretly seeing someone. That was a thought that hadn't crossed her mind at all. It made her realize she truly didn't know very much about Barrett. It was clearly time to turn that around. As Barrett tossed another drink back, Asha chuckled sweetly. Oh, the poor fire fighter was going to be sloshed. She said nothing though as Barrett seemed to know what she was doing.

Theodore Lewis loved his job. It was a mantra he was repeating to himself as he struggled through festival edits. Easily his least favorite task was the one that inevitably took the longest. Editing photos was fine until he sent proofs to the client and suddenly they had opinions. Some of them were easy to change - can we make this one black and white? Can we find a way to keep the guitar in focus? - but then there were the requests he got the most from some of his newer, influencer clients. Can you find a way to change the lighting? Can you photoshop me in front of something else? It was tedious and exhausting, and Theo would accept any sort of distraction. And it came in the form of Asha calling him about cameras. His mood did a full 180 at the idea of helping someone pick the perfect camera. He had an entire closet that was just equipment - he could go on for hours about the different merits of different machines, and now someone was actually asking for that information? Fuck editing photos. 

As the door swung open revealing her friend, she smiled back at him. "Hey," she tossed back with a nod as she entered the house. In second she was slipping out of her shoes with a deep sigh, using her foot to push them aside. "It just won't turn on anymore," she explained, "and if it does, within seconds, it's shutting back off." Turning to him, she held out the camera bag for him to take. It was in his hands now. She was over it.