☽ ☽ ☽

TINASHE: i'm comin, i'm comin

TINASHE: you're not needy. i promised i'd dance with you so i will.

REECE: eh.

“ perhaps, but i could flip it around and say the same thing for you, reece k. i mean, pups can’t fix everything, though i think they can come pretty damn close. i love mine with all my heart. why don’t you think you could handle one? too busy? ”

“ i just ... i dunno’. i feel like i’d be a bad dog dad ... does that even make any sense ? probably doesn’t. i dunno’. just don’t wanna’ be a disappointment to the ‘lil one, that’s all. ”

Ashley: That's good. Had a few meetings tonight, but now I'm home and curled up in my warm bed.

DINAH: only if you want one...if you need one. or we could just go out to coffee and you can get to know me?

“Yes that’s all very true but I think you forgot the fact that I enjoy pushing you’re buttons. What can I say; you’re cute when you’re mad. Oh yeah, I much rather have packed too much than too little but it was a lesson well learned.”

“ i don’t know why you’d enjoy that ... i’d like to think ‘m pretty ugly when i get my buttons pressed. that’s something i’ll never understand ... like how is anybody cute when they’re pissed as hell ? also, that whole thing about kissin’ people when they’re mad to shut ‘em up ... like, shit. try me. it’s not gonna’ go well. ”

“No one really needs it necessarily, but it’s always nice to have.”

“ i mean, i guess. i kinda’ just learned to fall back on myself. ”

Ashley: I'm good. How are you?

❝ hey, i just know me. i have faith in you but not that much faith in you. i was ‘bout to say something but it would’ve been even more creepy than me stalking your instagram so ima’ keep that in my head. it looks like i’m gonna have to get you hammered, though, because i need to see quite how talented you are with your dancing. that sounds like the tagline of my life – mortified.! it’ll be kinda’ interesting to see just how long it lasts. like, where’s the point where we don’t agree anymore?❞

“ you gotta’ stop with this creepy shit. you’re gonna’ end up scarin’ me off. i mean, please get me hammered --- i can always use a good drinkin’ sesh. honestly, that’s me all the time. perpetually mortified: the story of young king. i dunno’. i guess we’re just gonna’ have to cross that bridge when we need to, huh ? ”

TINASHE: you weren't before

TINASHE: expensive liquors are expensive for a reason tho. they're much smoother, much more effective, and don't leave your body feeling like you drank a quart of gasoline

REECE: please just hurry n dance w me

DINAH: LOL do you want a paragraph?

“I just want to shield my family away from all these people that are writing horrible things, but I also wanna post special moments of our lives. I’m truly terrified for them.”

“literally so different- not even born on the same year! it makes me chuckle.”

“ you’re easily amused. i dig that. means you’ll probably like my jokes. ”

“ i get it. i think everyone can be pretty hard on themselves, to some extent .. i know i am. it’s a hard thing to stop doing, but, once you do, i’m sure it’s sort’a freeing. you’re not wrong, but, like .. i d’know. i wanna make people happy, and if striving to live up to what they expect from me makes them happy, then so be it. hm .. think of puppies. cute pups – ones with big floppy ears ‘n’ eyes and wagging tails. maybe a top hat, too. ”

“ but, at the same time ... you gotta’ watch out for yourself, ari g. damn, you’re right. puppies make everything better. now, i want a puppy. but, i don’t think i can handle a puppy right now. but, i wanna’ get a puppy. shit. ”

Great minds think alike, my friend. They’re all such wonderful people. To be so smart and well-educated on the things that are happening.. and to be able to speak out about it all so eloquently – it’s so admirable. I was all over the place when I was a teenager, still kind of am. 2017 has done me no harm, yet. We’ll see how long I’m able to say that. Nothing exciting been going on in the life of Reece, either?

“ nah, nothing too worthy of note as of yet. stay tuned, though. ‘m sure somethin’ big’ll be happenin’ soon. or, eventually. maybe not so soon. regardless, ‘m goin’ in with an open mind and ready for what the year has to offer. so, i have a question --- you can only have one smoothie for the rest of your life. what kind is it ? ”

Yeah, I don’t know. I feel like it all depends on the person and what they believe. Some people think it’s almost offensive not to take on your husband’s last name.. but I know other people who wouldn’t think twice about keeping their own name. Or if you’re like the PenaVega’s, you just combine your names and make a whole new married name. I’ll get there, I promise! I’m desperately working on it. 

“ it’s just so interesting to me how culture and personal preference combine and overlap, here. i love going around and asking people what brought them to the decisions they’ve made, and this is no exception. so, status report: how are things goin’ ? are you gettin’ back into the swing of things well ? ”

“ ye’, but it’s not your fault people like that, so you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it. sometimes it’s all on the person to help themselves .. y’know? it just feels so shitty, ‘cause, like … sometimes, people expect me to be outspoken in that way all the time, and i’m not. guess it’s just something that always needs to be worked at. i’m sorry. what would help remove that imagery from your mind? ”

“ i dunno’. ‘m just hard on myself ‘bout some things, i s’pose ? right, but at the same time --- you don’t have to be what people want you to be, ‘ya know ? i accept your apology, thank you. i, uh ... ‘m not quite sure. ‘s quite vivid. you’re the one that put it there, so ... how do we get rid of it ? ”

“True, you are pretty nice to me. Or at least you have your moments. Oh trust me, I know what that’s like. Living out of your suitcase isn’t that bad as long as you have enough clothes. I was sent to New York a few years back for a photo shoot and was only supposed to be there for a few days but the trip ended up being extended to two weeks and it was just bad. I’ve since learned from that mistake. “

“ please, i’m nice the vast majority of the time. the only time ‘m not is when my buttons are gettin’ pressed --- and the times that that happens are little to none. yeah, exactly --- ‘n i do wash ‘em, so there’s that, too. yeah, you always gotta’ overpack. things can get pretty ... unpredictable. ”