* 𝙶𝙴𝚃 𝙸𝙽 ... 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦 !

The snow was getting thick out now and Kian was seriously beginning to debate closing the salon for the day and heading home. They'd already had multiple clients call out on their appointments unable to get out there, which had left the place empty for the last couple of hours. They'd been hanging out of the doorway vetting the situation when a particularly strong icy blast of wind hit, knocking everyone in the vicinity around a little. Their eyes fell onto the closest couple of passersby and they called out with a smile, "You want to come in and warm up for a minute?"

this is what she got for being a responsible adult. then again, what responsible adult would willingly wade a potential storm to go and get … ice cream. so she might’ve had a craving and yeah maybe that craving led her all the way to manhattan, but what she hadn’t considered was the giant ‘closed’ sign there to greet her upon her arrival. perfect. great. now she’d been stranded with no dessert and, given the increasing severity of the storm, probably no way home. perhaps this was how she met her inevitable demise … a scene that would surely be a shoo-in for the newest addition to ‘dumb ways to die’ — girl freezes for frozen treat. or perhaps, the gravitational pull of manhattan’s allure had other plans for her. was this the higher powers begging her to stop scorching her split ends with a lighter and taking a pair of kitchen scissors to her bangs after any minor inconvenience ? “ god, yes. please. ” quick to accept the gracious display of hospitality, romi crossed the threshold with a bow of her head. so this is what an actual salon looked like, sure beat the years of sitting in a friend of a friend of a friend of her mom's kitchen when she was a child. “ hey — y’got any of those overhead driers like from the 60s ? never been under one before. ” they could most likely, no they could most definitely tell.

ah … times square — a new yorker’s hell and a tourist’s heaven. one could deduce romi as being the former, but in truth she found herself teetering the line between love and hate. no matter how hard she tried to resist, she’d been like a moth to a flame, flocking to such overpopulated destinations to further satiate the joys of a pastime picked up as a kid: people watching. while central park held a special place in her heart for such activities, rockefeller center happened to be a particular haunt she frequented often — entertainment found in the ass-breaking falls and ankle-rolling wobbles of people fulfilling a bucket list box. was it a bit sadistic of her ? perhaps. but, at least she had the decency to watch from afar, careful not to draw too much attention when a laugh slipped here and there. “ seems like a hallmark moment, but looks more like the beginning of a lifetime drama to me. ” she chimed in without missing a beat, eyes fixed on the unmissable display of public affection. “ look at ‘em again — really squint. ” a quick nod at the stars of their small show, “ he’s got a wedding ring, she doesn’t. we might very well be witnessing a weekend getaway with a mistress. ” a beat. " so scandalous. "

So tell me everything. Who are you seeing, ignoring, fucking? Seriously, how have you been?

“ let’s put it to the test, yeah ? ” plucking the bauble from the giving hand, she’d been seconds away from lifting it to the light yet things took an … unexpected detour. instead, pearly whites clamped down on the edge, just enough pressure not to damage her million dollar smile. ha ! space between her brows creased ever so slightly as she examined it. for what ? well … “ saw that in a movie once, not sure where to go from here. ” slight shrug of her shoulders was tossed at her newfound acquaintance before she gently placed the piece back on the velvet display. “ but i can tell you the good jewelry is never found here — you want authentic ? y’gotta go to the little shops. y’know, the hole-in-the-walls where you blink and miss ‘em. not this hipster haven. ” as if on cue, a gaggle of williamsburg wannabes that fit that very description sauntered by, could’ve sworn they were making a beeline for … “ excuse me, ” and just like that, a few short strides lead her to the small rack, hands quick to pry the vintage leather from its hanger before the leeches could sink their claws in, “ m’telling you they’re suckin’ the place dry. tomorrow half this place will be on depop for quadruple the price. ” shrugging the garment on, she took a gander at her outstretched arms, “ what d’you think ? too travolta in grease ?  ”

after several hours of sitting there alone, josette finally opened her mouth and leaned forward. "do you ever get the feeling you've peaked?" josette was successful, too successful and now she felt like it was going the other way. perhaps it was an abrupt way to start a conversation as she'd been sat there, somewhat in a trance, for a while, simply keeping to herself but it didn't feel like it was what she wanted or what she needed. it was in her best interest to get back to work, at least being the director but her confidence had been knocked since losing a film score. "as in, you're never going to reach that standard again?"

took everything in her not to ball up a napkin and toss it clean at the stilled’s head. would it have been the most ideal way to gauge for a sign of life ? probably not. it wouldn’t have been the first time she’d seen someone nearly croak though. keyword: nearly. the most recent incident ? a newly twenty-one year old ready to grab the world by the balls. all it took was a bit of mariah carey to breath life back into the patron, perhaps it’d been the angelic whistle tones beckoning them to stay on earth. don't get her wrong, romi knew she had a heavy pour, but she didn’t think it’d be enough for rigor mortis to set in. despite the inevitable anticipation, the voice still startled her; but she’d been relieved if anything — saved her from having to scour her playlist in search of the perfect revival track. far too much pressure. “ gonna be honest, thought you were a statue. figured madame tussauds was promoting some new exhibit ... wax in the wild. ” quip fled upturned lips as she moseyed her way over, “ if you classify working at the same bar since college, still living with a roommate, and hoppin’ the rail to avoid subway fees as peaking then i’m mount fuckin’ everest. ” elbows dropped to rest on the bartop, still slick with residue despite her constant efforts to wipe it down. “ feels like you need somethin' stronger. tell you what, i'll let you pick from the top self. on the house. ”

FLEABAG | 2.05

naked singularity, 2021. dir. chase palmer.

the free stool with a glass of water on it 

MIDGE MAISEL & LENNY BRUCE 2.05 | 4.03

REACT WITH CHAT: SOCK COFFEE

FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY 2019 · dir. Stephen Merchant

Everything Is Bellmore (4x03)

Fleabag  (2016 - 2019)