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open starter featuring gabriela 'gabi' mendoza, at the free community paddling event on the bronx river. @bhqextras .

During his daily stroll through the park, for the umpteenth time he decided to remember today that in the few years he'd lived here, he'd never been on a paddle boat ride. Of course it had been his luck the solo boats were all rented out for the next few hours. Luckily he was sociable enough to except a two person boat with a random stranger. He figured it wasn't worth missing out on the experience...just yet. Laughing, he paddles along himself before shrugging. "Hey, if you're one of the first people to drown in central park, you'd be a legend." Wrinkling his nose a bit, he looks over. "....That wasn't very encouraging, was it?"

for: @bhqextras ( open! ) location: wine tasting @ vault

"Be my guest," he gestures at the chair over his glass. He'd snuck away from his own "VIP" section to have a normal moment to himself. He'd been invited by the promoters for work and if he were being honest, it was his least favorite part of his job. Not that he wasn't social, but doing it for the purpose of being a walking talking mannequin all night was grating after a while. "And that's not even the worst one," dramatically, he shakes his head in sympathy. "There's plenty of room at my table if you can't manage to find a good one. This isn't my table I just..." Pausing, Luca looks around in slight conclusion before he comes to the realization. "I wonder if I just stole someone's table."

(open starter) @bhqextras

Being a dog lover himself, he immediately knew he had picked the right place as soon as he spots the pup. Removing his shades and blinking to adjust his eyes a bit, he nods. "Funny enough, haven't quite graduated to piercings just yet." A little chuckle as he jokes. "I've just been kinda itching for some new ink lately but I'm not really sure what it is I want yet. I've got a couple of ideas but, nothing really fleshed out."

Collins blinked at him for a couple of seconds in silence, him saying it wasn’t just about sex for him shouldn’t come as a surprise maybe because of the conversation thus far but It still did make her stop for a moment. Her heart fluttering in her chest yet again because the cute things he kept coming out with made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world which…well it was far from true, but the way he looked at her felt like that. “No? Me neither.’ She smiled softly, speaking after his thumb had brushed across her lips because the simple movement stopped the anxious tick in its tracks. 

"Good to know." He softly quips back with a little laugh. Of course he believed her when she said it. Collins wasn't as awful as he was. In fact, having her there actually made him feel ashamed of some of the things he'd done in the past. He wasn't at all sure he was at all deserving to be this close to someone as enigmatic as Collins. He wondered most times what she even saw him in. Why she'd stuck around after things went down the way they did with his ex. Yet here she is smiling at him in a way that makes him want to be better. To somehow turn himself into someone worthy of her time and attention.

who: open (@bhqextras)

For some reason he'd underestimated just how difficult it was to sit still for something like face painting. You'd think a full grown adult would have the whole sitting in one place thing down pact by now, but he'd always been a bit antsy. "Maybe a mix of all three? I kinda feel that sums up these kinds of things in a nutshell." Waving his hand around in the air to indicate, he tries not to laugh as not to mess up the person currently pressing a brush to his forehead. "How's it looking so far?" Pointing at himself, he asks.

open starter ( @bhqextras )

Luca actually chuckles at the question. "Not much. I already have a little bit of a collection going on. My agent hates it of course but, ya only live once, as they say." Looking over some of the options on the flash sheet in front of him, a hand comes up to scratch at his beard as he thinks. "What were you thinking of getting?"

“Yeah?” She let go of the paper once it was in his hands, chewing her bottom lip nervously for a second, a habit she had spent years trying to drop but obviously had failed miserably. It always came out when she was uncertain about something and in this situation… collins was uncertain about pretty much everything. It felt like a path she’d not been down before, guilt, warmth, excitement, fear…all mixed into one package as she gazed at Luca’s handsome face. 

"I mean, I hope so. It wasn't just about...sex for me." Although it makes him nervous to be so honest about it, it's not like there was any going back for them at this point. And as he sat there watching her chew her lip, one of the little quirks of hers he picked up on long ago, he can tell she's probably just as nervous about things too. He reaches over and gently runs the pad of his thumb across her lip in a comforting way.

STATUS: open @bhqextras

An eyebrow quirks at the suggestion before he actually laughs at the the thought. "No way in hell. I'm a way better dancer than singer. I wouldn't want to subject anyone to that." Luca was more than happy to sit and watch everyone else enjoy themselves on the mic, although some of it was pretty painful to sit through. "I'd need about five more of these to even consider it." He chuckles, holding up his drink.

open starter with: louise and anyone! location: antiques, clearance day time: mid-afternoon

Antique shopping wasn't something Luca was well versed at. What he was well versed at, was buying people gifts. For some reason he tended to have a knack for finding the perfect thing for the people he actually cared about. So here he was looking for something for the most special of someone's. Knowing how that particular person loves quirky little pieces with a story. In fact he's completely locked in his head at the possibilities of finding the perfect item, it's no surprise to him when he bumps into someone. At 6'2 knocking people down was always a concern in these scenarios so a hand immediately comes up to gently rest on the stranger's shoulder as he stares, concerned. "Not at all. Are you okay? ...Is your clock okay?" He points down at the object in her hand.

The comment took her by surprise but she’d be lying if she didn’t say it made a feeling of warmth start out in the centre of her chest and spread outwards. A smile joining in not long after because it was impossible to ignore. Ripping the page she’d drawn on out of the sketchbook as carefully as she could before passing it over to him. She didn’t think it was very good but he was right, it was exactly how it felt to her, even though it was so scrappy. Maybe that was because the whole night had felt like a fever dream in the best way possible, like her entire body was on fire if that felt like winning in every capacity. 

He lights up when she starts tearing out the page to give to him, genuinely excited. It was beautiful and when she hands it to him, he can't help but take another few moments to admire it. That that was really them. Grinning, he nods before saying softly. "It was the same for me too, I think....The way it felt." He places the picture down on the night stand to take with him later.

Frazzled is the only word Vismaya could think to describe herself this evening, with fast-paced New Yorkers buzzing around her, her tired brain struggling to clock out of work mode, and her precious dog Ladoo yipping at a Central Park horse somewhere off in the distance. She's visibly relieved when the stranger that she has just physically accosted doesn't immediately ream her out, but she still holds on to that sheepish grin on her face, hoping that it's just cute enough to placate any lingering irritation. "Well, if your day was like mine, I think stepping in puppy dung would be the straw that broke the camel's back," Vis sighs playfully, before she notices the other pull napkins from his own dinner bag and offer them to her. "Oh- oh my gosh, thank you so much." Vismaya smiles and gently takes the napkins, surprised and grateful that she accosted the right person today. Quickly, she cleans up Ladoo's mess and disposes of it in a nearby trashcan, and dispenses about 5 times too much hand sanitizer from her keychain onto her hands. "You know, I actually have napkins in my car just up there. I'm sure we're headed in the same direction. Could I walk with you, replenish your supply?" Truthfully, she's just trying to create an opportunity to spend 5 minutes with a handsome stranger, hoping it would brighten her day a little.

A chuckle escapes him at her comment about it possibly ruining his day. It's not so much his day would be ruined but given his trajectory currently, maybe he would have felt deserving of stepping in the poo, but it's not like he's going to tell her that. They'd just met half a minute ago after all. So instead he shrugs, slightly evasive. "Eh, could be worse, I guess. I'm sorry to hear about yours. I hope it gets better for you." Luca watches the dog with amusement. He loved animals, especially dogs. "May I?" He asks, pointing toward the small animal asking if it was alright to pet them. "Oh, absolutely. You can call the company a trade for the pets." A small chuckle as he tilts his head, playful glint behind his eyes.