we are the monsters inside your head

At the mention of Russian hip-hop, she looked over at him with visible delight and laughter. "See, that's exactly the kind of chaos I respect. Just fully committing to a song while having absolutely no idea what you're saying." She pointed the piece of chalk at him. "You could be passionately rapping about tax fraud for all you know." She could already picture Leo as being the type of fun guy you'd want to drag along to karaoke with and scream out at the top of your lungs.

The grin that followed softened a little at his words. "Art and bread is actually a pretty convincing friendship pitch." She glanced down at their chalk drawings before looking back at him. "And honestly? Free bread might be the most appreciated love language there is so fiiine -- I'll do it. I'll willingly take a loaf off of yours hands. No need to twist my arm." Eleanor replied, giving off a pretend to give a dramatic little sigh but the truth was, she was appreciative. She wasn't sure what it was but there was something about Leo that just made her smile and immediately click with him. Something about him had lured her in and maybe it was the chalk on the sidewalk or his easy going ersonality.

"That's exactly what happened! I'm sure I could get in trouble for some of the shit I sang in some countries, but I like to think ignorance is my best friend, and I can just assure them I have no clue what I'm talking about," Leo laughed, feeling like he was perhaps talking way too much, but the blonde woman was easy to talk to. He just had to remind himself to let her speak too. He made a mental note of it. "I do feel like chaos is the state I'm best at. I don't know what I would do if I was forced to be orderly," again, he thought inside his head. To this day, he wasn't sure how he managed growing up in a strict family, then the military, and now... Well, none of the habits had stuck with him. It wasn't something he liked to speak about, however. Whatever happened in his past was a part of him that he had tried to paint over with too many colors and random shapes until they disappeared completely.

Leo put the chalk in his hand back in the box and stood up from the ground, dusting off his knees and offering Eleanor a helping hand. "Well, let's get to that loaf. There should be some warm ones still. You have to try them while they're still warm."

“I don’t really regret closing the online shop. It’s easier actually to just sell in person. The only hard part is I really gotta limit what I make,” he doesn’t mention that he lives in his van, but that’s the reason he must limit his stock. There’s only so much storage space in his van. “I still got some stuff and if you want something specific, you can always commission me,” he adds with a tilted smirk in her direction that’s entirely boyish. “Maybe we do a trade. I make you something. You make me something.” It’s a good idea and as he sips his beer, nearly finishing it off, he wets his lips and glances back to her.

"I would love a trade... as long as you're willing to wear anything I make you. I feel like I know you enough to get your vibe. I think I could do something good. Do we have a deal?" Liv holds her hand out playfully and waits for him to shake it or give him some other kind of conditions before fully locking a deal. "And... I mean, if you ever wanted to share the online shop with me– make it a collab; I wouldn't mind it. If you're ever tight on money, or you just want to get rid of some stock, feel free to take my offer."

At this point, Liv isn't too sure where this date is going. If she just made a friend, or if there's any sort of interest in relieving some steam after a long day– she could go with either, if she's being totally honest. His offer, however, does light a little spark in the corner of her eye as she moves them down his body and back up to his face. "Sure. It's getting a little stuffy in here, isn't it?" There were a lot more people around than they started with. With one long sip, Liv finished the rest of her drink and bounced up from the stool. "Do you have a place in mind?"

"Really? That does sound exhausting, I imagine it wouldn't have been fun if you don't run much. But it could also be considered amazing motivation to start running, you know? Have a buddy to go with you too, even if it's to chase after someone and maybe risk looking like you want to hurt them and have the police called on you," Kat spoke, thoughtful, a hand to her chin. Then she patted it with said hand and shook her head. "Oh, thank you again, I'm Katherine. Do you take payment for thank you with a few gum..." she said, cataloguing what she had in her bag, but having nothing better than the gum and some notebooks, pencils, a book, more treats, baggies, handwipes and all those things that never left that backpack, "... or a coffee?"

"Well, to be fair, I hadn't thought about it, but she is the reason why I started running, now that I think about it." Armin laughed. "Wherever she is, I hope she's still running laps around a house made of clouds or something." He'd done enough mourning for Lizzie, the dog, when he was thirteen, but he still thought about her every now and then. "Katherine– can I call you Kat?" He had to ask, pushing long locks of hair out of his face. "I'm Armin. It's nice to meet you– I'll take the gum, if you still agree to get coffee with me."

"Well, we'd better start finding you a new conditioner, because I can assure you none of this is gonna stop any time soon," Nin giggles. "Is it okay if I take her over there, by those trees? You'll be able to see us the entire time. Meanwhile... maybe you can brush your hair a bit so it's not as bad when we come back."

"Listen, I have no intentions to get tased tonight. Hell, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure I would even dare to hold your hand, so, please– there's no need to even bring the taser." Armin was genuinely concerned about it now. He was usually a touchy person– the way he was raised, he was the kind of guy to reach out and wrap an arm around a stranger, poke a friend in the ribs, and hug a new friend, but the cold, calculated look the woman was giving him really had him question if accepting dinner would be a good idea at all. "It wasn't an interruption, and if you want to back out, I'd totally understand– I do like fish, however, and I know this place not far from here where it's pretty good. Shogun could even come with us. They have outside seating."

Maverick had been back to Ennora for close to two months now, but the feeling didn't stop being surreal no matter what type of day it was. Being out and about without the walls closing in, without others constantly in his business, watching for the moment he stepped wrong... well, it was a freedom that he had forgotten what it was like. Even if his boss at the road crew was keeping a watch on him, and Bob at the diner often wanted to sit down to talk after a shift, check in. These were nice kind of check-ins. Better than his parole officer, for sure.

He was driving the rickety truck towards the outskirts now, the sun out in the sky after another night and morning of clouds and drizzle. They'd gotten a call about a tree on the road on the way to Ennora, the other guys working on filling the final potholes around town, a few sidewalks in Maple Row, clearing out a few ditches after the rains from last week... so there he was, getting ready to haul on his own with only the truck to help. He parked by the stuck car, grabbed his work gloves and jumped out, squinting at the tree trunk through the sunshine in his face. "Afternoon," he greeted the woman with a raised hand, then went ahead to check out the trunk without much further talk. He had to make sure there wasn't any of it around the branches of other trees and to check if it was cut or fell naturally. Then it would be a matter of ropes, leverage, and muscle. One thing football had taught him was how to move his own weight and keep moving when his body begged him to stop.

He was standing with his back to the car, hands on his hips, once the initial inspection was done.

Pulling down her sunglasses from her hair to the bridge of her nose, Mia walked over towards the giant log in the middle of the highway and stood there with her hands on her hips. "Is it gonna be just you doing the thing?" She had to ask, because even though the guy looked like he had enough muscle, she wasn't too sure about him being able to move a whole damn tree by himself. That thing had to weigh a ton, especially if it was wet. She expected him to bring a whole team, or perhaps some kind of tow truck. "Or should I just start driving back and try again tomorrow? Honestly, at this point, I don't mind it that much. It's fucking hot out here."

A flick of the cigarette so the ash would fall in the ashtray by the front seat, looking at her. "Some fields never have a true off-the-clock time, I'm sure you are aware," he noted and then listened as she spoke of the case, unsurprised by the mild frustration in her tone. "You will not find me defending his performance," Mark admitted. "I have already made my disappointment known. You can consider him retired from active duties for the foreseeable future." And once again, that was all he would say. Now, whether the man would simply find himself reassigned to warehouses in another state or removed entirely from operations remained for Mark to figure out. The latter was a good option only if the person was trustworthy, and this specific thug had proved otherwise. Perhaps an accident.

He filed this for another review and then turned to her, brows raising high at the mention of her dog. The topic drew his attention away from the tablet he had begun arranging on his lap. Of all the answers he had expected, canine pregnancies had not featured highly among them. "Pregnant? I confess my expertise in that particular field is somewhat lacking." The corner of his mouth shifted upward slightly. "Is she coping well? Or is the correct question whether you are?"

He was silent after that, measuring her with his pale eyes. "I am currently rather content to be trying to accommodate," he said at last. "Ensuring my lawyer enjoys her evening at my establishment is not the worst responsibility I have had." His gaze flickered briefly down to the compartment where alcohol was kept and then toward the slit in her dress before returning to her face with practised ease. "So far," he added smoothly, "I would say the evening is acceptable. Would you like a drink?"

Mia dropped the pregnant dog story as a joke, mainly. It wasn't a lie, but she didn't expect him to take it so damn seriously either. It was kind of adorable in a way, and Mia did not think twice about breaking into a little laugh at the way he responded. "See what I mean? You don't need to be all stuck up all the time," the brunette rolled her eyes and flipped her hair behind her shoulders. "We are coping fine– she's lazier than usual, but we'll have twelve weird-ass puppies to look after in a month or so. Life can be terribly domestic every now and then, don't you think?" Mia smiled. Despite talking to criminals and gang members almost daily, it still surprised her that she still had to do things like walking her dog or going grocery shopping. She wondered if Mark did that too, or if he just went back home, sat on an old chair, and chainsmoked until dawn without even blinking. The sole thought brought a little smirk up to her lips, which she covered for by looking out the tainted windows.

"You know, for someone who owns clubs and restaurants, you don't look like the type of man who parties a lot," Mia pointed out. "I'll take the drink. And a cigarette, if you don't mind sharing those."

The other’s offer shook her from her thoughts and a soft laugh escaped her lips. “Definitely cute. And I don’t think they’re too short at all. You’ll definitely be able to pull that off, I mean — have you looked at yourself? You’re gorgeous, no one’s going to pay attention to whether your dress is going to be maybe just a little on the shorter side. And if they do, it’ll only be in the best sense of the way.” She offered with a gentle smile, though she quickly realised that it might not be exactly the goal for everyone. After all, she didn’t know the stranger at all. “Unless that’s not what you’re looking for... Either way, it’ll look great on you, I’m sure.”

"Oh, my God– you're an absolute sweetheart, I could eat you up like a sugar cube," Aria almost squealed, and had she not had clothes in her arms, she would have reached to give the blonde girl a big hug. Then again, she had to remind herself that not many people were that okay with physical contact, so she kept her hands to herself. "Well, I don't know. I don't mind short, and I don't mind people looking at me, but I also don't want half of my butt hanging below the dress, so... who knows. I'll think about it." Aria sighed. "What were you looking at with that much excitement? Now you've got me wondering."

He looks to the flowers when she pushes them closer. He supposes they smell nice. There is a light floral fragrance to them, which makes sense because they're flowers, of course they smell like florals. He's not so confident they smell amazing, but they do have a scent so he supposes that's nice or at the very least, nicer than a neutral scent. "Oh.. yeah. They smell.. okay," and then he starts to think maybe that was not an enthusiastic enough of a response. Perhaps he should have used a different adjective. "I mean... what would... uh... they say? The flowers... If they could? Since you said, that, if they could talk.."

"I think they would be wondering what kind of place this is– they've never seen a library, you know? Most of us don't even remember the first time we walked into one." Nin bit her lip in thought. "I think they would like the light in here– I chose them so they weren't so needy about sunlight, they'd be actually relieved they're not outside in the heat." She paused for a few more seconds. "I think they would like your hair. And would very much like to know your name."

Her hand gently brushed the fabrics as Pippa wandered through the vintage store. Her eyes darted from rack to rack, searching for something cute yet functional. After spending the past couple of months wilting away in sweats, she wanted to start over and feel cute again for the first time in a long time. Who said you couldn’t look cute while renovating an old farmhouse that was closer to collapsing than being liveable? Pippa’s gaze landed on a pair of denim dungarees. There was a little wear and tear, but the straps were decorated with embroidered daisies and leaves. They would definitely match the blouse she’d already taken off the rack earlier, the perfect combination.

At that moment, her full attention was on the item of clothing hanging only a few feet away. So much so that Pippa didn’t realise how close she’d gotten to the complete stranger standing between her and the pair of dungarees. “I’m so sorry — are you alright?” she blurted, hoping the bump hadn’t been too painful on their end. Pippa caught a glimpse of the item the other was holding. “Were you thinking of getting that? I bet it would look wonderful on you,” she offered in an attempt to make the situation at least a little less uncomfortable.

She took her time that morning– got an iced coffee on her way, and stopped by a couple of stores without really buying anything just yet, until she stepped into the thrift store. It used to be her favorite place until a couple of years ago, when she gained the freedom to shop at regular stores and even get a few designer items she didn't often use unless she was out with Min. Still, this place felt like home– it almost smelled like it with the amount of clothes she had at home and the amount of stuff that was there to browse.

She had been absorbed in thought, passing through different dresses in very bright colors to get ready for the summer, when someone bumped into her, not quite knocking her down but hard enough to disturb her balance. Because this was Aria, her platform shoes weren't quite stable, so she wobbled for a few seconds before finding her footing again. "Whoa!" She yelped, but managed to hold on to a railing after a moment. "Oh, God– no, don't worry. I'm totally in the way!" Aria chuckled and looked down at the item in her hand. "Well, I was about to look at it just now– it's cute, isn't it?" She said, lifting the yellow dress to her body. "I think it would suit you too, if you like it. I think it's a little bit too short for me."

"Can I hang with you for a while?" He asked, cocking his head to the side and looking at the other again. Iggy just now noticed the towel wrapped around Ivy's head, and he raised his eyebrows. "Sorry, did I catch you at a bad time?"

Once he was sure Iggy wasn't going to pass out in front of him, Ivy bent over to undo the towel knot from his hair and flipped back up to let his curls fall wildly. He couldn't do much about them anyway. "Of course– I got some snacks inside. You like gummy worms, yeah? I got this huge bag the other day, and they'll go stale if I don't finish them soon." Ivy moved to the back of the van to open up the trunk door and let his brother into his humble abode. "Not a bad time, no. I mean, I would have probably showered faster if I knew you were coming, but it's alright. I have nothing to do. Well, now I do. Get comfy." Ivy smiled. "Do you want a drink? I got boxed juices in the mini fridge."

Calder watched Maya walk away with the cash and the promise of fries, his eyes lingering for a second before he looked back at Ivy. Once alone, he thought about what he was being asked. "You have to ask the lady, I guess. I wouldn't mind you in the middle, winning or losing," he said, crossing his hands as he leaned on the game table, raising a brow at his friend. He wasn't the best at games, but he figured that it was better that Ivy was on Maya's side. "I don't think I've ever had anyone actually watch. I mean, there's always the possibility of someone seeing if I'm… in a van," he tilted his head and chuckled at the mention of it, "but if you're already there, I'd rather you join than just sit in the corner making it weird."

When Maya returned with the fries, Calder immediately stole one before she could even properly hand them out. "I'll get the beers next round," he said around a mouthful of fries before pointing at Ivy. "He was thinking about it." The grin on his face widened slightly before he nodded toward the foosball table. "I say you two team up against me and play a bit. I'm sure we'll figure out the prize once people start losing."

@mayarparker

When she returned, it seemed they hadn't settled on anything. Although, perhaps she should've expected that. Neither of them were the type to make decisions for someone, her in this case, without that person's input. She shrugged at Ivy's disbelief, "I'm an angel." She took a single fry from Cal's tray and ate it.

She shook her head in fake annoyance when Ivy revealed that indeed they had not decided what the winner got or even teams. Cal then swooped in with at least an answer about teams. "When you two start losing you mean," she replied, a mischievous smirk curling her lips. Maya wasn't actually particularly good at foosball. Pool, she was good at although some of her skill came from people underestimating her. More than any actual skill at the game, she just enjoyed a little competition.

Taking up a spot on one side of the table, she slipped a token into the side of it. The ball was dispensed. "Although, really we could all win," she added as she put the ball into play. "I've got as many holes as this table," she technically flirted. It was not the kind of thing that stood up to any scrutiny nor was it particularly clever. It wasn't her best work, mostly because she was focused on flicking her wrist and sending the ball ricocheting towards Cal's goal.

@monstersunderurbed

Ivy licked his lips and scoffed. "Listen... I never lose– well, that's a lie, I lost my virginity way too young, and my dignity years before that, but when it comes to games... That's a lie. Whoever's on my team is at a disadvantage, so why don't I just go one round with Maya, one round with Calder, and if we get to a third round, the winner gets me, then the winner decides which side this pretty mouth goes, yeah?" Ivy winked and settled himself in the middle of the table, holding the bars of Maya's team for the first round. "Let's go! The game is on!" He yelled a bit too excitedly when the ball was kicked towards the opposite goal, moving his players away to get a clear shot. @littlesugarnspice