god is a woman

CARTI WRIGHT. CORNELL SOPHOMORE, SOCIAL WORK.

“Ways I'm like a tea kettle: 1) need water 2) start screaming when someone forgets about me 3) could burn down a house but probably never will.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction, the subtle horror in his lack of education in the art of taking photos. He wasn’t someone who thought too much about it, standing and looking at the right moments in time to land a successful photo were almost purely coincidental. “That might be the reason that my camera roll is lacking in photos of myself.” Not that he minded, PJ preferred to live in the moment rather than capture it. “Oh it exists, selfies are rare…it’s mostly videos.” He shrugged looking back at her with a smile on his face. “Guess you’ll have to teach me a thing or two after this photo shoot.”

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Greeted by a handful of shots PJ was happily waiting his turn at one of the pinball machines. His mind was barely on anything but games, though the initial shock of someone running into him caused him to lose focus. “Wait — what? You want me to stand here and press a button for you?” He questioned, wondering how her thought process got them to this point. “Are selfies not acceptable anymore?” He teased, holding out his hand to accept her offer. “What do I get out of this exactly? Of course, other than helping you capture all of shoe angles.” 

hermina doesn’t know where she had been going, she’d been pulled to dance after the drinks she took easily started making their effect and next thing she knows, she’s somewhere else completely different other than by her group. that’s no good, she thinks as she begins to amble around. much to her luck however, she stumbled into carti… and despite the girl no having recognise hermina, hermina is just about the same. “ oh, sure! ” hermina smiled widely, if she had been sober, she would’ve given a more wordy and questionable response but the drinks hadn’t made her care. “ well, i don’t really know mine so maybe five seconds won’t be enough for us–but i also need to find my friends, it’s the point of the night where i have no sense of direction. ”

location: daddy’s

location: henley’s residence

It was hard to argue with that kind of logic. Diah’s shoulders lifted in a shrug, limbs loosened by the happy hour drinks she’d taken advantage of. Lucky’s wasn’t her usual go to spot, but with the earliest happy hour in town, she could put up with the obnoxious clack of the pinball machines and the occasional rouge ski ball rolling past her feet. “Well, if you already know all your angles.” Her amusement was clear in the chuckle laced through her tone, eyebrows raising just slightly as she held out her hand for the phone stretched into the space between them.

✩ 

“you’re an angel, thank you,” and carti thought she may as well be, blonde hair framing her face in a vision of what everyone believed angels to look like, instead of the more realistic, biblical version with ten or twenty eyes. “c’mon, let’s go to the balcony. it’ll be the perfect backdrop,” she suggested excitedly after handing over the phone to the girl, turning immediately after to run off towards the balcony, making her way through the crowd without a glance back in a naive show of trust.

location: bar argos

“YOU KNOW IM ALWAYS A PHONE CALL AWAY.” Seyda had been protective over her sister and her friends, getting close to many of them over time and Carti was no exception. So it wasn’t odd for her to be here to hang out with her. “Do you need to vent about something or are you just here to get your full of my positive energy? I’m only asking because if it’s the latter, you’re going to be disappointed. I’ve had idiots come here since morning and my patience with customers is at an all time low.” Not that she’d put any of that on Carti, though. “I could but he’s a dick so I might just duck into my office to do some paper work and if anyone asks, I’m interviewing you for a new job. Let’s go.” Seyda said with a grin as she headed to the office that she shared with the other management team.

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“oh, i’m just here to chill with you. i needed my caffeine fix, and i hate to drink alone.. you know me,” carti explained with a shrug of her shoulder. to the local extrovert, cartia wright, solitude was loneliness to her. something like sitting alone at a coffee shop, or staying at home with nothing to do and no one to be with.. it just wasn’t her cup of tea, not in the slightest. she’d grown up with groups of people around her at all times- sleepovers, family dinners, company over almost every day. even coming to ithaca, she found family in friends like seyda and her sister, and everyone else she’d met so far. it was effortless for carti to make friends.

“oh, i’m like.. so underdressed for an interview. maybe i should’ve called first, these people are gonna think i’m really wearing adidas and ivy park to an interview.” she spared a glance down at her outfit, letting out a sigh. at least she looked cute, still. “i’m about to be your new coworker, so behave over there,” carti called out to the huddled group of workers, throwing a glare their way as she and seyda made their way to her office.

He was content with her brief disappointment, only to see her spirits jump right back up once he took on her proposition. Bo tucked away the smirk on his lips as he collected his things to follow their lead. 

“That’s an… interesting pick me up to keep in your office,” He noted, lack of a better word coming to mind as he considered what was the easiest to conceal let alone satisfy a craving. It was rich, that’s all he could think of. The choice brought a sense of luxury to it that he wondered played a role in pacing, justification, or if it was meant for sharing and show instead of personal indulgence. 

✩ 

location: daddy’s

snapping away at some of her best work yet, kaia watched on with a cheshire like grin holding across her features before handing back the phone. “girl, you made it easy- i just snapped away as you showed everyone what it means to vogue.” pointing two fingers to her eyes and then shifting one back to the new found friend a small laugh escaped in response. “i see you miss thing, i see you and don’t worry about the credit. i tend to fly under the radar with the socials anyways.”

✩ 

with the admission of her flying under the radar with social media, she couldn’t help the surprise that showed on her features. it was something unseen in current day society, and carti hated the fact that she would never be able to survive without her socials. “i don’t know how you do it, honestly.. an inspiration to us all, i need to become more unplugged,” carti admitted, laughing along with the other girl. “what are you drinking tonight? let me buy your second one. i’m cartia, by the way, but everyone calls me carti.”

location: collegetown bagels

a sweet voice catching her attention first as chocolate hues fell onto a beautiful women to match the honey tone. “do i wanna help the world show this fit? yes ma’am.” she chimed with humor laced in her words and a bright smile to match, extending her hand for the phone. kaia prided herself on a good aesthetic and was happy to lend her creative input.” alright-  her attention focused on the screen and image of the stranger on it. the light reflecting back on her features as she lined up just the right angle.” oooo, a model who is sheeeeee.” kaia chimed, hoping for a smile to break from the other.  

✩ 

and that was the exact energy carti needed in her life. she didn’t have to plead her case any more, just had to hand the phone over and take a few steps back to hop up onto the pool table currently being played on, but that was of no concern to cartia. “sorry, babes,” carti apologized to the people playing, her tone showing no hints of remorse in it but it was the thought that counted, right? posing was like second nature to her by that point, and it was like her eyes had stars in them looking at the girl behind her phone. once she was sure they got a good couple of photos in, she hopped down and approached the girl singing her praises, “you’re literally the best, i could kiss you. i need to at you in these pics when i post them on insta, 'cause i already know you deserve the creds for those.”

Despite the silence that hung over the library, whining seemed to always have a way of becoming part of the boredom that was draped over all those desperate to get work done. It had taken him a moment to realize that defeat against productivity had come from Carti this time, and the furrow of his brow came in a slow ripple over his features. 

“I finally got momentum, and you’re gonna interrupt it with that?” He scoffed, but his notebook had fallen closed this time for good. Bo was devoted to his studies, but he lived with the smell of smoke from burning himself out. A break was easily deserved. “What’s her poison?”

✩ 

carti visibly deflated at his response questioning her, shoulders dropping and her lower lip jutting out in a pout. “didn’t think you’d be the fun police,” she argued, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms over her chest, though her interest was piqued by the sight of his notebook closing. maybe she was a little too quick to assume he’d shoot her down, a little too used to the strictness of her mother and a little too used to rejection from her father.

“YOU’RE AN ANGEL.” she said as she took the coffee from her friend. “How’ve you been?” Seyda asked as she pulled her friend in for a hug. Carti was like a little sister to her and she made sure to check up whenever she could. “It’s been slow as hell. I’m getting off in a little over an hour. I could leave earlier but I don’t know if I trust the giggling idiots in the corner.” A group of her employees had assembled to speak since there were no customers around.

✩ 

carti took the compliment with a knowing grin, shrugging her shoulder the slightest bit as she responded, “i know. i’m good, today’s been chill. haven’t seen your sister today, but i needed a reis fill so i figured i’d find you.” if not spending time with seyda’s sister, one of her closest friends since coming to ithaca, she’d find seyda instead. they’d become like a second family to her, and carti figured by now she respected seyda more than she respected her own mother. “ew,” she muttered at the sight of the employees huddled up, nose scrunched in disapproval. “i mean, fuck capitalism and all, but like, i don’t even think they’d notice if someone came up to check out. they could at least pay attention to their jobs.” with a sigh, carti turned her gaze back to seyda curiously. “can you call in the next manager a little early?”

— ITS  NOT  HARD  to  make  lucie  happy  …  she’s  easily  an  agreeable  person .  however ,  if  there  was  one  certain  way  to  keep  her  beaming  throughout  the  day ,  it  is  to  do  something  nice  for  her .  something  nice  like  making  a  dinner  and  sharing  said  dinner  together .  it  was  often  the  little  things  that  lucie  adored  and  walking  around  the  grocery  store  with  her  best  friend  was  easily  one  of  the  highlights  of  her  dreary  tiresome  week .  “ okay ,  my  dear  ,  i  gotcha …  gou - da ,  gouda … ”  the  blonde  repeated  in  a  sing  song  voice ,  expression  thoughtful  as  her  gaze  slowly  wandered  about  to  other  ingredients .  baking  ingredients  that  were  required  for  classic  macarons .  “ hmm ,  wine  sounds  yum .  lets  make  it  merlot  instead  of  moscato ,  it’ll  pair  with  the  gouda  so  well . ”  she  playfully  bumps  shoulders  with  the  brunette  and  giggles .  “ what  are  you  in  the  mood  for  for  dessert ?  anything  in  particular ? ”

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