𝕒 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕 𝕞𝕒𝕟

she  was  just  folding  up  some  laundry in the living room  that  she  had  been  procrastinating  on.  leaving  her  sketchbook  open  on  her  desk  as  if  she  had  been  trying  to  multi-task  on  one  million  and  one  things  at  once while her brother was visiting.  listening  to  everything  that  her  brother  had  been  saying  with  a  nod  of  her  head  ....  not  really  even  fully  knowing  what  he  was  talking  about  due  to  how  distracted  she'd  just  gotten.  "  i  totally  just  missed  all  of  that  ...  "  she  paused.  "  but  anyway  …  i  am  not  cooking  tonight  so  we're  ordering  in.  i  would  call  lois  and  archie  to  come  join  us  but  ...  i  think  they're  busy.  doing  what?  who  knows?  "

"and that's how i learned that i have superpowers!" having noticed alyssa was no longer paying attention, he was busy making up stories as she did all her little tasks. when she confirmed, he nodded, "yeah, i was wondering what you were gonna have to say about my new super strength. long story." then he said "i was talking about getting a cat, but he can discuss later." he shrugged, humming, "it's been awhile since we all got together. they must hate us or something since they're so busy." max joked, letting out a dramatic, teasing sigh, "though, maybe we can lure them over with takeout chinese food."

the  response  comes  a  little  bit  too  late  in  the  form  of  a  quick  nod  thanks  to  the  fact  that  his  lips  were  wrapped  around  the  cigarette  he  was  currently  inhaling.  “  sorry  about  the  smoke...  ”  he  quickly  apologizes,  making  a  point  to  turn  his  head  away  as  he  exhales.  it's  unhealthy,  he  knows.  has  heard  it  plenty  of  times  before  but  it's  the  only  thing  that  takes  the  edge  off  those  exhausting  overnight  shifts.  “  nice  isn't  how  i'd  describe  running  right  after  work,  outside  or  inside.  so,  you  know,  no  judgement  here.  ”  then  as  if  to  respond  to  her  question  he  quickly  glances  at  the  cigarette  currently  between  his  fingers  and  up  at  her  again.  “  doing  my  own  kind  of  self  care  before  walking  those  last  few  steps  home...  the  usual.  ”

"it's okay," bria nods at him, lifting an eyebrow, "but you know as well as me what i have to say about cigarettes." she doesn't scold him, just lifts an eyebrow at him and leans back against the bench. she chuckles then, "not a runner, huh? smart man." she sometimes wishes it wasn't a hobby she had picked up, it was really too bad that it actually felt good. all those fitness people were right. "i like our differing definitions of self-care," bria hums, "because we definitely need something after a long day on the floor. for me it's either this or a crisp beer, and that's usually frowned upon this early in the morning. what about you? just cigarettes?"

                    the  moment  she  catches  the  familiar  figure  ,  mila  couldn’t  help  but  rush  over  to  get  the  man’s  attention  ,  half  -  hoping  that  it  would  be  kenny  but  alas  .  it  has  been  a  little  over  two  weeks  since  she  last  heard  from  her  man  ,  much  less  seen  him  —  the  thought  makes  her  head  spin  .  god  ,  this  couldn’t  be  real  .  “  hold  me  ,  ”  she  says  to  the  nearest  bystander  ,  already  throwing  a  hand  out  .  “  i  think  i’m  going  to  faint  .  ”

it all happens so quickly, mila runs over, she realizes something (max isn't quite sure what), then her hand is thrown out. he thinks fast, holding out his arms in preparation, always the gentleman, of course, "uhhh, are you okay? is this, like, a doctor situation? or do you just need water?" he asks, pretty sure he has a half-full, lukewarm water bottle in his bag if she needs it.

Santiago glanced up from the book in his hands at the sound of conversation directed at him. "It's easy to forget how miserable it actually is to be out in humidity during the other seasons, or at least that's what I tell myself whenever summer finally rolls around and I find myself spending time outside." He mused as if it was a common occurrence. The truth was, it wasn't. Summertime often meant he stayed indoors more, catching up on reading or a watchlist while school wasn't in session. "I somehow convinced myself that reading in the park would be a good idea, but just like you, the humidity has me reconsidering that decision. I'm thinking I should've just gone to the library to get out of my house instead."

"Yeah, I always seem to be begging for summer during the winter and yet..." Though, maybe that was part of the fun of each passing season, you had something new and different to complain about. Bria chuckled, a smile on her face, "How long you been out here? Close to roasting yet?" She was ready to agree, honestly, maybe she should have just opted for the treadmill no matter how boring it may have been, "What are you reading anyway? Something interesting?" She didn't have much time to read, but that didn't mean she didn't want more recommendations to put on her shelf and probably never touch.

she  was  half  -  asleep  when  he'd  arrived  ,  expression  contorted  into  confusion  —  cogs  slowly  starting  to  turn  ,  optics  squinted  as  she  attempted  to  lip  -  read  as  words  sound  muffled  as  she  reentered  consciousness.  "  did  you  say  eggs  ?  "  she  needed  to  double  check  ,  unsure  whether  her  brain  was  playing  tricks  on  her  still.  he  was  talking  too  fast  for  her  to  keep  up  with  to  begin  with  ,  hands  lifting  to  wipe  the  sleep  from  her  eyes  and  then  to  brush  out  the  bed  -  hair  she  knew  she  had.  "  should  be  some  in  the  fridge.  "  she  pointed  to  it  ,  soon  raising  to  her  feet  but  needing  to  steady  self  before  she  attempted  to  walk  anywhere.  "  what  about  a  KITTEN  ?  "  

"yeah, eggs." he nodded, locating the carton and pulling them out of the fridge. he set them on the counter, "want me to make you breakfast too?" it was the least he could do after stealing pretty much all of her eggs. he started moving around her kitchen like it was his, locating a pan and turning on the stove's burner. "yeah, i saw a kitten. it had gotten separated from its mom." he explained, "so i reunited them." obviously. then he asked, "i've been thinkin' about it... getting a kitten, i mean. my allergy's not really that bad, y'know? should i get one?" he asked, bright grin on his face.

𓇼　　“  oh,  hi  bria!  ”  tatum  greets,  glossed  lips  curling  into  a  warm  smile  as  she  scoots  over  to  make  space  for  bria  to  sit.  “  i'm  supposed  to  be  meeting  a  friend,  like,  twenty  minutes  ago,  but  i  guess  they're  running  a  bit  late,  ”  she  responds  with  a  courteous  laugh,  returning her attention  to  her  phone  to  type  out  a  quick  message  to  the  friend  in  question.  “  the  humidity  can  be  tough,  but  i  do  think  it's  worth  it  for  the  sunshine.  if  i  had  to  choose,  i'd  rather  sweat  under  the  sun  than  in  a  stuffy  gym.  i'd  be  getting  my  dose  of  vitamin  d,  too.  ”

"if they stand you up... just let me know who i have to fight." bria jokes, a soft smile on her face. though, if the occasion arose, she'd probably might someone for tatum. it's that maternal instinct. she chuckles, "i guess you're right. plus, i can't really complain about the humidity when i actively choose to keep living in florida. at that point? it's on me." she tightens her ponytail, fanning herself with her hand, "maybe i should've tried someplace cooler, like denver? maybe seattle?"

❛  no,  not  at  all!  please.  ❜   she  shuffles  up  a  few  more  inches,  making  sure  to  give  bria  a  comfortable  amount  of  space  to  recover  from  her  run.  corinne  laughs  at  the  mention  of  the  humidity,  nodding  her  head  in  a  familiar  way  that  indicated  she  knew  exactly  what  the  other  was  talking  about.   ❛  that's  why  i  stick  to  my  coastline  walks,  that  sea  breeze  is  an  absolute  life  saver.  that's  what  i  was  just  doing,  actually!  just thought  i'd  sit  and  watch  the  world  go  by  for  a  little  bit  before  heading  home.  ❜

"yeah, that's why i try to stay as close to the water as possible without actually ending up on the beach." bria chuckles softly, relaxing against the bench as she catches her breath. she nods then, "that sounds pretty nice." though, bria is historically horrible at just sitting, she doesn't know how to stay still for too long. "places like this always have the best people watching, huh? all types of folks." her eyes land on a person dressed as superman rollerskating backwards down a path, "like that? can't see that anywhere else!"

“  i  think  we  might  have  had  the  same  idea  ,  ”  milo  replies  cooly  ,  just  a  touch  out  of  breath  .  he's  not  necessarily  a  runner  type  of  guy  ,  but  he  can't  deny  the  rush  he  feels  when  it's  all  said  &  done  .  thoughts  clear  ,  heart  racing  .  he  leans  over  the  edge  of  the  bench  ,  eyes  squinting  under  the  sun  rays  .  “  what  path  did  you  take  ?  i  feel  like  i  haven't  really  found  my  stride  here  yet  .  unless  i  want  to  drive  out  to  emerald  point  — which  i  never  want  to  do  .  ” not  to  mention  the  whole  being  banned  from  the  grocery  store  over  there  sort  of  thing  . 

"great minds." she quips with a grin on her lips, leaning back against the bench, "i really like the path that takes you by the water. as close as possible without running in the sand, you know what i mean?" as milo continues, bria laughs, lifting an eyebrow, "do i wanna know what got you banned from the grocery store? or will it implicate me in a crime?" though, now that she's heard the first part, she knows she has to hear the whole story.

𓇼　　“  sounds  like  you  know  from  experience,  ”  tatum  teases,  thought  she  wouldn't  put  it  past  him.  her  gaze  flickers  towards  the  cat  beside  hers,  one  with  a  similar  fur  pattern  and  eye  color.  “  i  think  they're  siblings  —  if  you  adopt  that  one,  we  could  have  matching  cats!  ”

"well, i found a turtle when i was a kid. it lived in a box under my bed for, like, half a year. then my mom found it and made me let it go. but shelery and me had a good run." he nods slowly, as if reminiscing. then, he grins at the blonde, "okay, but... if we get sibling cats, they gotta have fun matching names." and he'll have to get a benadryl prescription. "like shrek and donkey or somethin'."

Nuno Gallego | WEE BAAACCKKK!!!🦇 (via Instagram)

𓇼　　“  this  one  won't  stop  staring  at  me  …  i  think  we  have  a  connection,  ”  she  mutters,  pointing  at  the  kitten  whose  big  blue  eyes  have  yet  to  stray  from  tatum's  every  move.  “  how  bad  of  an  idea  would  it  be  to  bring  a  cat  home  without  warning?  ”

"i mean, my vote is yes." max tells her, fingers poking into the cage, stroking a sweet black cat's fur, "they're easy to hid when they're this big too. i think you could away with it without anyone noticing for at least two months." now he's considering whether or not he should get a cat despite his very slight allergy (not that it's ever stopped him), "i think that one's imprinting on you. twilight style."