Cartoon Guy

she did her best to keep her features from falling, the same signature oh serenity smile on her lips. there was no need to bore him with her sob story, no reason to get into the details of why her dreams came crashing down around her and she wasn't even sure where to begin to pick up the pieces. instead, she managed a chuckle that sounded half believable. ❛❛ oh that? those were just dreams. silly, little dreams. ❜❜ she mused aloud, her voice drifting off with the wind as if floating away on the clouds alongside those childish whimsies she once held so dear.

"They weren't silly," Sam whispered, "Nothing you say is silly. Except when you're trying to be." As they came to a halt in front of his old friend's home, Sam gazed at Serenity with an expression that even he recognized as nothing but fondness. He couldn't believe they were here again. Together, but still so much further apart than he wished they could be. Maybe they'd always been this far apart and he was too young and stupid to see it. Too infatuated with her to realize that he was single-handedly ruining anything they may have had.

"Something random." Sam nodded to himself, trying to gain the confidence to pick something out for a man he didn't know. Also knowledge that he didn't have much of. He took a brief moment to look around the store and get a better feel for what was where and what they had. "I don't think lullabies would be any good on a record anyway," Sam offered, "Uh. I'm not sure my music tastes would be of any interest to you, but we could try. Thoughts on music in languages you might not speak?"

Record stores weren't his thing, but they weren't not his thing, either. He'd unearthed one of Nan's record players and a handful of records, and had carefully brought it back to Half Moon Bay with him when he'd returned. While he'd never seen her use it, the collection of records was just odd enough to be very, very personal.

Sam had been by himself for a few days, and his home was starting to get way too quiet for his tastes. He didn't know what still existed in town or didn't, and he figured the only way to find out was by finding out. So, he'd packed himself and gone out on a stroll. Ultimately, he ended up at a record store he didn't recognize and walked in. Sam had no way to play a record, but it seemed like a cool place he'd never seen before.

"Odd?" Sanem glanced around and realized that perhaps he was thinking the entire spring festival revolved around Mother's Day and quickly spoke up. "No no, you don't have to take it back," she told him with a grin before explaining a bit more. "This is basically a spring festival but seeing as this weekend is mother's day weekend--it's a little busier in places like this." She watched as he glanced over the calendar and nodded, "that's why it's a month long--to celebrate the changing seasons," she grinned before sighing as she realized the area around her had finally calmed down, "want to head for a walk? I can point out the best spots to go during the festival for different things?" Sanem wasn't in the mood to stick around at work during her break because that meant she inevitably continued working and that wasn't exactly good for her.

"I didn't mean it in a negative way. My family isn't around, so anything super family oriented always feels weird and then a whole month thing," Sam waved his hand as though to shut himself up, "It felt rude." He chuckled awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck. Sam was really doing a great job of reintroducing himself into this town by making a fool of himself at every turn. It was great. So, so great. "That makes a lot more sense. I don't remember having this growing up, but I probably wasn't paying enough attention, if I'm honest." There were many things he didn't remember, purely because he didn't want to. Maybe a little bit of ADHD he didn't want to admit to having. "I'd love that actually."

Camila took a moment to look at what she could only assume was a business card for this guy. "You think you can do better than this?" She asked even though she was sure that a toddler with sidewalk chalk could give her better than what she currently had going for her. Perhaps she shouldn't trust a complete stranger off of the street to fix her problem but her choices were limited at the moment. "How much would you charge for a design for a sigh around that size?" She questioned.

"I know I can." Sam didn't want to seem full of himself, but his artistic ability was one of his strongest assets and this would be nothing. Especially if she wanted to keep the same concept. "It depends. We wouldn't worry about the size of the sign because my main job would be the logo, which I can design the size of a quarter and make it work for a sign that size. It would be more about what you're wanting the logo to look like."

May was always an exciting time in Half Moon Bay as Spring was in full bloom and it was so beautiful. Zehra was out of the boutique for the afternoon enjoying the sunshine and taking a walk around town, of course with an iced coffee in hand. It wasn't until she came to a stop when someone tapped on her shoulder. Turning around, she smiled to the other when they asked about the event going on and soon realized that it was Sam talking to her. "Sam?! What are you doing here back in town? It's great to see you!"

It was bound to happen eventually, but Sam was never prepared for when people recognized him. "Hi," it took his brain a moment to supply him with identifying information, "My girlfriend and I just moved back to town. Well, I am, she's never lived here. We were in L.A. and decided it was too much. We can both work remotely, but it's better for us to stay in the state. This seemed like an easy decision." The decision felt worse and worse every time he thought about it. "It's great to see you as well. How have you been?"

"Well it isn't a fake company just a terrible one." She spoke, loud enough so that the men on the ladders could hear her. She turned the on the man when he questioned if she had been the one to design this monstrosity or not "I designed something." She spoke "But I can assure you that this was not it... I think that a blind person could have designed something better than this." She gestured to the sign again, glaring at one of the men when he shook his head at her.

"I'm not saying it's fake, just that it sounds fake." Sam was used to seeing awful logos and designs in the world. Once he started working in art of any kind, he couldn't stop noticing things that didn't look right. Thankfully, he was not a graphic designer by trade and could elect to ignore it most of the time. This was not one of those times. "I'm going to have to agree with you on that."

Camila was quick to turn around at the tap on her shoulder "Oh god no please don't look at that." She spoke as she haphazardly waved her arms in front of the sign that the company was now taking back down off the front of the Half Moon Bakery & Café. She had ordered a new sign for the front of the bakery, hoping that something new might draw in a few more customers and make her feel like she was actually succeeding in something since taking over the business from her grandmother.

Sam jumped a little at the strangers demand, and quickly stepped a foot or two back from her. He wasn't sure what she was talking about, but she was adamant about it. "Uh, I won't?" Without understanding what she was referencing, Sam found it nearly impossible not to look. What if he was accidentally looking? The safest thing to do was stare at the ground, so he did. It seemed like an odd reaction to his question, but there were crazier things that had happened to him in this town, so it didn't bother him.

Adriana had been headed back to the spa to ensure everything was going well with prepping the spa with mother's day and spring decor all around when she caught the attention of the one who tapped her on the shoulder. Glancing around, she smiled at the stranger and shook her head at their apology. "Not necessary to apologize, I was just heading back to my shop." Normally Adriana wasn't so quick to converse with strangers but this one looked genuinely curious which meant she wanted to help out. How many times had seen been confused and felt like no one cared enough to clear the confusion for her? Far too many--so she wouldn't do that. "Firstly, welcome to Half Moon Bay! You've come at a great time, it's the May festival. In my opinion--I call it the spring festival but same thing--it's a great time, we have so many things going on. Let me grab you a calendar," Adriana handed him one of the little calendar's that she had with her. "Take it...I've got more at the spa," she smiled as she handed it over.

Sam had to admit, he'd completely forgotten it was mother's day, and suddenly things were starting to make a lot more sense. His parents weren't in the country, and they celebrated earlier than the average American family, so it had completely slipped his mind. Still, he wasn't sure having a whole festival for mother's day made complete sense. "Oh thanks, I-," Sam cut himself off before he could finish explaining. Nobody cared that he had lived he before, and Sam just had to remember that. "Ah, yes, ok. That...that makes a lot more sense than what I had concluded in my head. Though, still odd? Is that rude to say? I take it back, it's a great idea." Sam accepted the calendar with a slight smile and took a moment to gaze over it. "That is so much going on. People truly have so much energy and I'm impressed."

at the mention of animation and art, serenity lit up, feeling her heart swell. for a moment, the pangs of hurt were forgotten. she felt warm, proud even. siwoo always had such a knack for the arts, and not just in the his books were filled with impressive doodles kind of way. he had an eye for things– she once told him if her mom was still around, he would have been a great apprentice under her. she always wished he could have met her mom. she didn't have many memories of her, but what she did have was a shade deeper than fond. ❛❛ you were always so talented at art. i'm really happy to hear you were able to pursue it. congratulations! ❜❜ she nodded in understanding. there were plenty of people back in her high school days that had no clue about her heritage, her korean name, or even things as simple as her hobbies. the people who cared to learn her did and that was what mattered most to her in the end.

"Thank you." The tips of Sam's ears turned bright red, as they often did when he blushed, regardless of what color his face turned. He was surprised she remembered his affinity for art and the way he used to doodle. Though, he supposed there was more than one occasion where he'd draw something, then 'allow' her to keep it as if it weren't going to end up being a gift to her at the end of the day anyway. She was the only one that really knew how much he loved art and how much he hoped to have a future with it. "What about you? I was always surprised to hear you were still hanging around town. I figured you'd go out and strike gold somewhere." While he didn't know the specifics of her life, his parents provided him small updates such as having seen her around town and the like. They spent most summers in Korea, so they weren't in town now, but every time they were, he was up to date with the local gossip.

with a grateful bow of the head, she thanked him for opening the door, finally taking a step into the cool afternoon air. a breeze danced across her features, curls tumbling, and she felt a sense of relief wash over her. she could finally breathe again. there was something about being in nature, the fresh air and warm sun on her skin that made things better. made pretending to be okay easier. so when she finally turned to siwoo, her smile was genuine for the first time. ❛❛ you just moved back, it's the least i can do. especially if you're hosting. ❜❜ she avoided addressing the elephant in the room with ease. who is val? what did she mean to him? why did he want them to meet? something told her this was a part of his life, his new life, the one he got he left her behind. this was what she wanted, right? to know things? his next words caught her off guard. since they met, she'd known and called him by his natural name. they rarely spoke english together.... had she never noticed before? ❛❛ really? ❜❜ it wasn't like serenity was in a place to judge— her best friend's of several years had no clue of her current struggles with finances or the house crumbling or her dad's ailments, wishing to keep the burden off of them as they dealt with issues in their own lives... ❛❛ well, i'm happy to be a little peace of home when you need. that's what friends are for, right? ❜❜ she nearly hesitated, almost stopping at the word, however she managed to continue on smoothly. he claimed that he felt she'd been a real friend to him, and as much as she may have felt otherwise, she could acknowledge that establishing a new friendship would be better than dwelling on the past heartaches. if he could overlook her faults, then she would be grateful for it. ❛❛ did you miss it? half moon bay, i mean. ❜❜

Being outside should've made things easier, but somehow Sam was feeling more claustrophobic out in the open than he did in the coffee shop. All of the people he had been trying to avoid could show up at any time, as evidenced by Serenity's sudden appearance, and all his middle school anxieties were returning. Only now, he was too tall, too lanky, and dressed in pastels. Perfect for mocking from afar. The more he thought about it, the more he worried that returning to Half Moon Bay was a bad decision.

"I didn't give you a look," val avoided his gaze as she spoke through a playful smirk, basking in the little displays of affection, and she offered him a look as gentle and loving as his touch in return. sam's words helped the moment of anxiety dissipate, an actual weight falling off her shoulders; but for a moment, val felt bad for doubting him. "hey, we did pretty good today. who the hell knew we owned so much... stuff? just stuff. so much of it." she huffed before plopping herself down across from her boyfriend. "but i figured i'd start up again since the setup is back up - thank you for doing that, by the way." valerie added as she grabbed a fork instead of chopsticks, and looked back up at her boyfriend. "i don't want to risk losing people's interest, you know? i don't want them to get mad at me, either. you should see my twitter dms right now." she sighed, her voice seemingly losing some of her usual high-energy levels, but not for long.

"You did. Now, could that look simply be you using your eyes and putting them on my face? We may never know." Sam turned one of his cheeks into his shoulder so that it would semi-mask the blush that seemed to have no intention of leaving him. That did mean the rest of his face was on wide-display, but there was not much he could do about that. "Uh, I don't know. It sorta makes sense, I guess. Since we're combining two apartments worth of stuff into one house, but I am also surprised. It could be the two gaming set ups as well. Those probably took the longest time to unpack," he shrugged, "It was no problem. I may not be a good gamer, but oh man can I plug stuff in. Number one talent, honestly." He brushed off the compliment with a laugh and picked up his chopsticks. Sam didn't care at all that Val didn't prefer them, but he also wouldn't let her live it down. "And see all the men flirting with you? Hard pass. Also, we will make a real Korean out of you one day. You'll be picking up m&ms with metal chopsticks, just you watch." Not that he could even do that.

the english barely registered in her mind, having grown so used to switching back and forth between languages for her father. his words shocked her, though, despite her promise to herself to remain calm and detached. thinking back on their time together, she hadn't considered his actions to be the problem— she blamed herself for being more of a nuisance than a friend, for holding him back from following his dreams or being able to branch out. hearing him call himself a coward was almost too jarring for her to put to words. she wanted to argue, to tell him how wrong he was, how much there was he didn't need to apologize for and how she shouldered the blame for the way their friendship disintegrated. all of those words were lost on her in the moment, so instead she settled for a reassuring smile. seeing the tears in his eyes left her aching, fighting the urge to reach up and wipe them away or offer a shoulder to cry on. those days were long passed for them, but the instinct was still there. despite all the hurt she felt, she never stopped caring. and despite his actions and her better judgement, she desperately wanted to believe neither had he. ❛❛ if you'd like to make it up to me, you can start by walking me home? you can tell me all about everything: college, life after, anything from the past ten years. ❜❜

Sam vaguely wanted to shake Serenity, to make sure she was understanding his words, but he knew the only thing that would do was make him look like a psycho. In truth, he didn't understand why these emotions were gripping him so tightly or how he was going to bury them again. Or if he should bury them again. Every therapist he had seen told him that feeling his emotions was the best way to handle them, but how in hell could he handle this? It would be impossible, seeing the look in Serenity's eyes that felt like she just wanted him to leave, and didn't have the heart to be mean. That much he knew for certain, she didn't have the heart to be mean. "Yeah, yeah, I can do that no problem." The only problem might be the tears that were still threatening to fall and all the stories he wasn't sure he could tell her. Both legally and for his sanity.

❛❛ disturb? oh, siwoo-ah. you're always welcome. it's not a disturbance at all. ❜❜ she spoke the words as if they were true, and perhaps they were. to the outside world, things were fine. the earth spun on, the seasons changed, spring bloomed, and her father would be happy to see a familiar face from all those years ago— someone aside from his daughter to keep him company. it was all true, except for the sharp pain that lanced through her at the very sight of him. it had always been difficult for serenity to open up, but back then things were... easier. at least, in her mind, she felt he was someone she could trust and lean on. someone who could understand her a bit if she shared. something she has been disastrously wrong about. no one wanted to hear a sob story or to listen to others troubles when they had plenty of their own. serenity figured herself nothing more than a nuisance, bottling it all up kept things neat and tidy and far easier to manage. people liked her when she smiled, so smile on she would.

So desperately did Sam want to believe Serenity, but despite every ache and yearn and cry to feel wanted, he only felt like a burden. To everybody in his life, but his old friend especially. Serenity hadn't known he was here, and if Sam spent more than ten seconds thinking about somebody other than himself, he would have concluded that she likely didn't want to see him. He wouldn't want to if he were in her shoes. The despair of it was hitting him hard, even more so because he already believed he had moved on from this. Sam had spent years making amends to himself for the person he'd been, but underneath it all, wasn't he still that person? Selfish. Useless. Spineless. "Maybe later this week?" He responded for the first time in English. As he often did when he began to feel like he wasn't in his own body anymore. Why couldn't he be a good person? Why couldn't he just be somebody worthy of good things? Sam would never know, and above all, never understand the people that elected to be around him.

val heard her boyfriend calling her for dinner a couple of minutes before she actually moved from her streaming set up into the kitchen on their new place. boxes were still not fully unpacked, but they'd get there when they got there. "oh damn, it smells good in here," she announced as she walked behind him, brushing her hand against the small of his back as she moved. sam's question, however, got an eyebrow raise out of her: val's streaming schedule had not changed in the last year or so... but he was still asking her about it? val thought about making a comment on it, but what he said after completely distracted her - this was new. "do you now?" she teased with a little smirk. "you enjoy the attention, don't you? i knew it!" she added as the smirk turned into a wide grin. "i so knew it. chat asks about you all the time, too, you know. they love you." a sigh escaped the woman's lips. "anyway, answer's yes. i'd love for you to be my little corner weirdo, or we could even duo if you want." her attention then shifted to the stove. "thank you for cooking, i'll do the dishes after the stream."

By the time Val made her way down the stairs, Sam had set both bowls of ramen on the table. He'd planned to make something more exciting, but they'd spent a lot of the day unpacking, then drawing, and he was tired. Even so, despite the noodles having come out of a package, he added his own flair to it. "Don't give me that look," he wrapped his arms around Val's waist to hold her still for a moment, "I just wasn't sure if you were planning to jump back into your schedule already. Since moving is exhausting and all that. I haven't wanted to draw in a week, it's a pain." He dropped a kiss to the top of her head then stepped away again so they could actually sit down to eat. Sam tried to use the food as a distraction to hide the blush that crept up to the tips of his ears, but there was no good way to hide it. "Yes and no. I think it's funny, but also...uwa, who doesn't? Have you seen me?" Sam was still trying to distract from the absurdly bright blush on his face. "No, no, I don't think Silver Sam needs to make an appearance. You're audience needs warned before that happens so they can get drunk. I Miss Him can make a comeback next week. Also, don't worry about it, all I have left to clean up is the pot."