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humming as her wife's lips press into hers, solana's hands fall to rest on the small of isadora's back, head tilting and eyes watching with admiration. the butterflies she felt at eighteen were even stronger at forty, and she presumed they'd only continue to grow for the rest of their lives. "how did i ever get so lucky?" her nose scrunched, hands slowly pulling away as she moved to collect different blankets and pillows, the foundation for their fort. the blueprints were clear in her mind, shuffling around the house with two kitchen stools under each arm to act as pillars. "we need lights in the fort, obviously, since we're gonna eat dinner. do you think you could run into the craft room and grab my tea lights?"

open starter

the other was right, they definitely did not look like the type to be into football, or sports in general, but ayanna did their best not to make a habit of judging a book by it's cover. with a quizzical look, she pondered for a moment, lip nesting between their teeth before the 'aha!' moment hit. "i'd have to say i'm a lions kinda person, and they're not disappointing this year. i just know my dad is having a field day over it." they hadn't been keeping up too closely, but they did check the standings every now and then, when she remembered. "if you're a raiders fan, i might just have to pack it up and leave right away."

open starter @chqstarter location: main squeeze

as ripley's head went down, ronnie's hand stretched out, catching her forehead before it could smack into the table. a small smile outstretched across her features, head shaking at the dramatics of it all. "you're not going to drop out of school again," she says pointedly, using her other hand to bring her smoothie toward her mouth and take a lengthy sip. while she had nothing to study herself, her ipad sat open with a moodboard in the works, forgotten by this point. "being a good pianist comes with it's perks, though, doesn't it?" her brows waggled, hand pushing against ripley's forehead to lift her off of the table. "if i was any good at reading music, or could read a note at all, i'd offer some help. but i'm here for moral support, if that counts for anything."

who: open ( @chqstarter​​ )

they didn’t mean to nearly spit their drink out with laughter, but as the dart soared over the machine again, ayanna couldn’t help it. “maybe aim lower next time? i don’t think you get extra points for getting it behind the board.”

chiding isadora on her eating habits wouldn't get solana very far, that she was sure of. she smiled over at her and leaned her chin in her palm, silently planning the extra snacks she'd send her with tomorrow. ( and a sticky note doodle ) "it's a good thing we're having a big dinner then." tapping away at her phone, she ordered both of their food and tucked it back away after the delivery confirmation. "we can pretend it is," her brows waggled, scooting closer and throwing her arm around her wife. "nothing wrong with celebrating a little early, i think." even after all of this time, there was no denying the blush brought on by isadora's admiration. "you deserve to be spoiled, too. you're always working so hard, i should really let you sit back more often."

angelo wasn't shy by any means, but he definitely chose who he gave his time and energy to. it had always been easy with femi though. she had somehow managed to slip past his walls and wedged her way into his heart. even now, the familiarity was enough to make him smile, chuckling before he takes a sip from his milkshake, pushing it towards femi after a moment. "i mean, obviously." he agrees, nodding as he leans forward to take a sip from her glass, humming in approval. "strawberry is underrated, for sure."

while femi was confident, and completely sure of herself, she wasn't immune to a compliment. certainly not one from angelo, when time seemed to be the only thing that had really changed between them. "you've gotten better too, y'know," tapping his calf with her foot, she pulled her shake back and took her own sip. "i've always had good taste, haven't i?"

"don't worry about it." norah promises, waving it off. sure, she had been kept waiting, but it really was no big deal in the grand scheme of things. "oh, god. that's a sight i probably wouldn't want to see." shuddering, norah shakes her head, making a slight face. "i'm all for amateaur night, but not featuring the drunk guys who think they're entitled to our bodies."

"i think it might be entertaining," she shrugged, laughing. surely they'd make a fool of themselves on stage, and it opened the floor for the girls to make fun of them after the men had shown their metaphorical asses all night. "makes for good collateral on the ones that get extra skeevy. act right or i'm making you get on the stage, big guy."

who: @naturiisms ronnie where: literally anywhere, i lack creativity

the connection felt pointed, throwing veronica off kilter and causing her brows to furrow as a storm of emotions brewed within her. she deserved it, of course, but that didn't mean it didn't elicit a selfish sort of sadness. "cassidy," with a tight smile and the best 'i'm so happy to see you,' tone she could muster. even if she wasn't, really. in fact, she just felt guilty. especially since she hadn't expected to see her, let alone at a lingerie boutique opening. "same old whirlwind over here. how are you? taking the world by storm, i'm sure."

sportswear brand owner she may be, but if she had to be honest, the truth is aurel is no expert in her current industry. it's a learning curve, she's claimed in past interviews, and isn't that the truth? still, it's not difficult to determine which models she thinks can embody and embrace the brand spirit. all it takes is a little determination and commitment to impress her, really. flicking through the manila folder ronnie handed her, aurel pauses on one particular photo that catches her eye. "so how long have you been doing this?" she asks. her finger taps at the paper lightly she lifts her head to give ronnie an encouraging smile. "tell me about this shoot."

"well, if you're asking me, my whole life." for as long as she could remember, veronica had been playing dress up. whether that meant raiding her mother's closet, or trying on different combinations of clothes and costumes she had, ronnie was always her happiest when she was styling something new. "i'm sure i was destined for this, but i started building my portfolio around five years ago, when i graduated with my fashion degree. truthfully, i was a bit too ambitious at first and turned down a lot of good opportunities, but it's never too late to try again." she offered a smile, and took a nervous sip of her latte. "this one was really fun, the director of the shoot let me put on a playlist i put together ahead of time, and everyone was dancing behind the cameras. it felt like one big party and we got a lot of good shots from it. if you flip to the next one, i had a little fun with some dynamic movement."

"you're a god damn genius, florencia, do you know that?" she rose with the question, looking around at the new bed set and running her hands along it to assess the texture. "good bed set, by the way. where'd you get it? marshall's?" she'd been meaning to stop by, in desperate need of new cozy sheets. "what are the chances you know how to make an intro song? and a video? or know any animators? i could watch a few youtube videos and try, but that sounds hard."