𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓

𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐑𝐄 : an oc multi - muse , private blog for marinahq .

spring break for most in the education world meant rest, travel, and a week away from responsibilities. for tomas, however, it had mostly meant noticing the absence of certain routines and company he had grown quite fond of: the morning drives, the small conversations between office hours, the way geovanna's presence had slipped into his days so naturally... and now it was quiet. almost unbearably so.

still, perhaps the flowers were a little impulsive. he held them carefully in his arm, a small but thoughtful bouquet selected on his way over. in his other hand was a book: a well-loved copy of a novel he'd spoken about to her just the previous week, its margins already marked with his handwriting. he'd jotted down a few observations, quiet thoughts he'd meant to share. by no means would geo have to read it, but it was an invitation: a conversation built between pages. now, standing outside her door, he wondered if it was a bit too much. before he could reconsider further, the door opened.

tomas blinked once, clearly caught off guard, the flowers shifting slightly in his grip as he felt the heat creep up his neck and across his face. "uhm," a quiet, apologetic laugh escaped him as he straightened instinctively. "i'm sorry, i was..." his words stumbled briefly as he tried to recover his composure. "i was looking for geo... dr. auclair, i mean." he offered a small smile, though still clearly flustered by the unexpected audience. "is she... home?"

aria had arrived early, of course. she always did. old habits built from years of sessions starting precisely on the hour. but tonight, she had spent most of that extra time scolding herself: this wasn't a session, it wasn't clinical, it wasn't structured. it wasn't something that belonged in a neatly labeled file or under professional guidelines her parents would absolutely cite chapter and verse if they knew... her parents. god, even now at fifty, the thought of her parents made her jaw tighten faintly. the bellemore name was spoken with a certain quiet respect in professional circles thanks to generations of careful reputations. they would be moritified if they knew she had crossed the line between therapist and patient, client and friend. squandering the family name, her mother might say.

still, when geovanna walked in, aria's entire face softened, tensed shoulders falling. without thinking, she rose from her chair and stepped forward to greet her, arms wrapping around her in a warm hug. when they separated, aria gave a small and almost sheepish smile, gesturing toward the seat across from her before sitting again.

for just a moment, the familiar professional instinct flickered: the habit and urge of reading posture, analyzing tone... but she shut it down firmly. no, not tonight. tonight, they were simply two friends meeting for drinks. surely people could step across that line sometimes, couldn't they? after all, she and geovanna had really clicked, and aria considered her a great friend. one of her only friends. "i'm really glad you're here."

there was something about spaces like this that softened the world a little, bringing with it a sense of comfort. if left to his own devices, tomas could easily spend entire afternoons wandering the narrow aisles of gibson's, pulling familiar titles from the shelves just to feel the weight of them in his hands again. today was no different. by now, he'd accumulated a small stack of books now balanced carefully in the crook of one arm: several translations of the same classic novel he had taught more times than he could count, but the intrigue was in the variations of phrasing and therefore meaning, which fascinated him in ways he rarely tried to explain to anyone outside of the classroom.

he had just reached out to return one of them to the shelf (only because he recognized it as one he already owned) when his attention drifted sideways, where someone nearby was thumbing through a book. the cover caught his eye immediately, recognition sparking. he hesitated for a moment, clearly debating with himself, his fingers adjusting slightly around the books in his arms. then, with polite caution, he allowed himself to lean slightly closer. "i'm sorry, i don't mean to intrude but," his gaze flicked briefly to the book in their hands before returning to them, offering a shy smile, "i feel obligated to tell you that's a wonderful choice... one of those books you don't want to miss. you should get it."

taymour still wasn't entirely used to standing here. ownership sat on his shoulders differently than any acting gig ever had. there was no script to rehearse, no director waiting just off camera to call the shots... it was just the shop, himself, and the steady thrill of realizing that this space was his now. all that to say: the nervousness was unexpected, but not unwelcome. he had stood on magnificent sets and faced interviewers determined to dissect his every word, yet none of it had ever made his pulse jump quite like this did. and it was electric.

he rested one hand lightly against the counter, letting the music settle into the room like a quiet conversation before he heard the door chime. he looked up instinctively, and for a brief second the instinct to perform flickered: the well-practiced public charm he had carried for years. but then something softer replaced it. "hey, welcome in," he offered a warm smile then, easy and genuine as he gave a small nod of greeting. "take your time looking around. if you need anything at all...” he gestured loosely toward the shelves surrounding them, “...i’m more than happy to help however i can.”

the cigarette burned slowly between aria's fingers, its ember glowing softly each time she drew in a breath. the night air was cool against her cheeks, though it did very little to steady the tightness sitting squarely in the middle of her chest. she had kindly excused herself from the bar, saying she'd step outside for a moment of air, that was all. or that had been the plan, anyway. but the tears had come the way they sometimes did: sudden and stubborn. usually this sort of thing happened behind closed doors, whether that be in her office after a particularly heavy session or at home when the day finally loosened its grip on her composure. public sidewalks were decidedly not her preferred venue.

when she noticed someone approaching (or worse, noticing), embarrassment flickered immediately across her face. “oh,” a soft, breathy laugh escaped her, her free hand quickly swiping beneath her eyes as though the evidence might simply vanish if she moved quickly enough. “sorry,” she said, voice warm despite the slight tremor in it. “i’m alright, truly. it’s just...” a small pause, her gaze dropping for a second before lifting again with an apologetic smile. “allergies,” she finished gently, lifting the cigarette in a faint, self-aware gesture. “you know how it is.”

⋆｡°✩  —  welcome to marina, ARIA BELLEMORE ( cis woman, she/her ) ! they are a FIFTY year old who resides in HYLAND PARK. They work as a  THERAPIST at MARINA WELLNESS CENTER and are said to look a lot like RHEA SEEHORN. People around the island find them to be EMPATHETIC and RELIABLE, but also DEEPLY SENSITIVE and UNSURE. what do you think?

⋆｡°✩  —  welcome to marina, TAYMOUR MORADI ( cis man, he/him ) ! they are a FORTY-SEVEN year old who resides in MARINA HEIGHTS. They work as a (SOON TO BE EX) ACTOR + NEW OWNER at BAD TRACK RECORDS and are said to look a lot like RAMIN KARIMLOO. People around the island find them to be APPROACHABLE and HUMBLE, but also PRIVATE and CONFLICTED. what do you think?

⋆｡°✩  —  welcome to marina, TOMAS ESTRADA ( cis man, he/him ) ! they are a FORTY-SIX year old who resides in HYLAND PARK. They work as a LITERATURE PROFESSOR at MARINA UNIVERSITY and are said to look a lot like OSCAR ISAAC. People around the island find them to be WARM-HEARTED and PASSIONATE, but also WITHDRAWN and A WORRIER. what do you think?