* ` - P E R C E P T I O N

“Wait, what?” She looked up from her laptop, raising an eyebrow. Usually, she would believe this random facts, mainly from Baymax. He tells her random health facts, to either tell her that she needs to change her habits or just because he thinks that there is important information that she should know herself. “Why are you telling me this? I should ask Baymax about this…”

                                their shadows were cast like soft dust to the wall adjacent to their little huddle; deep red and gold wallpaper with some regal floral pattern crawling up to the creamy white cornices heading the hallway. a honey-glowing light back-lit, it could’ve been anyone of the raindrop themed lamps that line the way into the bathrooms; jessica didn’t really understand interior design, but they were where her eyes seemed to land as remi spoke. —– in between his words, jessica noticed for the first time, was a soft piano number playing; bill evans if she’s remembering right, what was it called? 

                                          ——————— p e a c e  piece, she thinks. how fitting. 

                             perhaps she should’ve responded with happiness but the seamstresses’s expression shows one of bewilderment. the confusion reefs any sort of emotional production from her, and she’s left speechless. an apology she doesn’t deserve — understanding? she should’ve been ridiculed. it was like remi had taken the whip she’d self-inflicted her punishment with, and given himself his own nick of stinging leather. in the midst, jessica is left with her own open wounds and a desire to administer more. guilt. she feels guilty even thinking about accepting any form of apology or understanding. 

              there comes a sudden image of when remi had kissed her in between the walls of her fitting room - and a ghost patters its fingertips on the spots he held, goosebumps shivering up along her arms. jessica felt immediately guilty for even letting the passing desire happen. 

    when the seconds between remi’s last word and her silence seemed to tick on for just that second too long; jessica cleared her throat softly, and inhaled deep - measuring the breath as it came back out beneath the line of her teeth. across lacquered lips. 

forget everything? —- that was like trying to forget riding a bike. but pretending was an easier feat. “fine….. for them.” she eventually speaks, tucking back her dark hair behind her ear; rolling back tense shoulders. “then we should be getting back, otherwise it’ll make things weird.” a louder clear of her throat. “i’ll go first.”

                    she turns, hesitating for a split second, but heels carry her forwards - back to the table where she greets her friend with a wide smile, and a waggle of brows. ‘what did you two get up to?’” to which she’d simply replied with a fingertip held to her lips; “secret.” — a wink. her friend seemed to lighten up almost immediately, and the displacement from earlier was dissolved with a small laugh shared. 

their wine was delivered to the table, and when all the glasses were topped up - jessica wasn’t shy about taking her first sip after a hurried cheers. “say—— you’re after getting that promotion in work, right? big leagues now, huh?” she muses, nudging her friend as an invitation for topic.

                                                            “oh, that’s right, jess. how did you even rememer?”—

                           a simmer of laughter; and jessica glances to remi as she plays her part.

the silence felt like toxic gas. his lungs burned with every inhale until the other coughed. remi expected a retaliation of sorts. a punch to the face or a curse of his name. but jessica was far above that. before he could respond or react, she announced her departure and left the hall. that was it? he blinked in surprise. that couldn’t be it ..... was it?

he took the time to make sure his outfit was as sharp as he intended before making his way to the table. it was impossible not to grin as his eyes locked onto his friend’s cheeky smile and knowing look. this idiot. remi thought, a hand ran through his hair; a very bad habit of his.

the wine arrived on time as he took his seat. and like two guilty culprits, remi and jessica were the first to take a sip. his gaze landed on the latter when the topic was introduced. she was reliable.

                                              “ oh! remi is getting a promotion as well. isn’t that right? “

but his friend was not. his eyes grew large as the attention landed on him. oh no. he was thankful his friend was trying to help him out as well, but he was helping a lost cause. “ uh—yeah. “ remi cleared his throat and gave a nod. “ i am, but it’s really not interesting so i’d much rather hear your promo—— “ 

“ not interesting? remi’s about to take over an auto repair shop! it was a really small shop before remi got hired, ever since he started working there business skyrocketed! it’s the only mechanic shop people go to now on the east side of seoul. now the owner is talking about giving remi the sho——” 

air finished his sentence as remi hit him in the crotch underneath the table. to subdue the odd stance of his friend, he gave a soft laugh while sliding a full glass closer to his friend. “ running out of breath, buddy? “ with daggers shooting from remi’s eyes, his talkative friend got the signal.

TAGGED BY: @jessicastrung  

BASICS

NAME: Cam PRONOUNS: he/him SEXUALITY: we love a female, but could love a male idk yet. ZODIAC SIGN: pisces AGE: 20

EXPERIENCE

HOW LONG (MONTHS/YEARS?): 6 years too long PLATFORMS YOU’VE USED: tumblr, facebook, aim, msn BEST EXPERIENCE: when i surprised a friend by joining their closed rp. the entire experience until the directory closed was a blast and really helped me out of a slump. it made me enjoy writing. it gave me an opportunity to see my potential and to make friends.

WRITING  PREFERENCES

FLUFF, ANGST OR SMUT: angst all the way. PLOTS OR MEMES: plots LONG OR SHORT REPLIES: short replies since i have a hard time focusing and can easily get distracted and never finish a reply. but i definitely won’t dismiss a long reply. BEST TIME TO WRITE: evenings ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S): in a sense, yes. my muse has definitely helped me with my identity, and we share our great humour. but i’m definitely not as cool as remi.

               her ankle was still throbbing somewhat - remi had really dug in there with the toe of his shoes; eyes flicker, following the other’s form as he rose from the table, disrupting the second conversations for the nth time that evening. another nudge — and jessica’s stomach turned somewhat in anxiety. the last thing on her list today was getting into yet another fight about this or that. she’d apologised she doesn’t know how many times but there was always something  n e w  for her to face up to it seemed. 

     when remi’s form had passed her shoulder, and seconds settled in around them like fine dust; jessica gripped the edge of her chair and gently scooted it back from the table edge. “sorry—- just wanna check something real quick!” a cheery disposition which was utter opposite to the turmoil giving her a slight headache against the front of her temples. palms smoothed down the front of her dress — something to do with her hands!—- and she followed the path laid by remi first.

a breath brought into her chest —- the seamstress steels herself for another confrontation, rounding the little nook into the bathrooms, hidden by the long arms of some green plant, probably a breed from south africa. the din from the restaurant dampened and the lights were a little more seclusive in the hallway, it doesn’t take long for her eyes to fall against remi’s obviously fidgeting form. 

       “look— i’ll feign a sick stomach or something in the next 15 minutes then i’ll be gone.” she speaks almost immediately, stopping some feet apart from him; arms sliding up to cradle her lithe form. 

the moment jessica entered his peripheral vision, his mind went blank. he immediately forgot the purpose of this secret meeting as his mind got preoccupied by the girls stunning visuals. how did he ever get a girl like that when he looked like a squashed potato?

remi stood in place as he stared in awe until jessica’s steps stopped and her words broke him out of his spell. his hands darted up and waved frantically while walking closer; panic clearly written on his face. “ NO, NO, NO! i need you———THEY  need you. “ he sighed, a hand running through his hair. “ listen, jess—— “ he paused. his words needed to be careful. they needed to be picked with the upmost precaution and alert. a scene wouldn’t help anyone in this situation.

“ we need to pretend to be hittin’ it off. you girls like to stay in packs—like wolves. if one isn’t feeling it, the other won’t be too. i need this win for my friend. we need to forget everything that has ever happened between us so we can survive the night. because we’re not going anywhere until they go somewhere. “

                                   she’d all but left the table physically; her mind was miles away now – the shock, surprise, of seeing remi’s face peering back at her in the same shade of pale white had cemented her mood, it seemed, for the duration of the dinner. the last time they’d spoken, she’d climbed about several emotional steps on the ladder, and slid back down all of the  rungs at once; insults  h e r e   and backlash there, like arrows straight into the heart. ——- could one blame her for  e m o t i o n a l l y  checking out. eyes unfocused; she stares at nothing really, face directed at the table, the neatly wrapped cutlery in a cream napkin – empty, polished wine glasses waiting to be used. her ears were aware of a din of conversation happening, but the words being spoken weren’t processed to mean much. almost by nature, she smiles each time her friend glances to her, nodding when needed — but ask the seamstress what the topic of conversation was and she’d blank. 

                                                              “you’re building a car? no way–! that sounds so cool.”

              “yeah——– y’know how it is, gotta have those projects to keep me busy—–”

                                                             without her, the ball of getting-to-know-each-other seemed to roll just fine, and like dust in the cosmos, jessica had resigned herself to just existing on the other side of the table. there was an invisible force looming from the figure directly across from her, and she was doing her best to stay on the fringes of the dinner – but inevitably, she feared something of a confrontation like last time. she only hoped it wouldn’t be in front of an entire room of diners—-

                           perhaps! she muses; deep in her thought—- playing sick could get her away from the table…… 

——————– a kick breaks her concentration, and her body jolts in her chair. “ouch—-!” she mutters beneath her breath; a sudden throbbing exploding from her ankle bone. eyes flicker up in question towards the only other foot who could’ve done it; but it seemed her little exclamation had put a stopper in the flirting right next door.

  “sorry——- bit my tongue there,” she forces a small laugh; waving off a look of concern from her friend, fixing her position in her chair. but once the focus was away from her, she shoots a scowl towards remi, silently mouthing. “what was that for?!—”

his heart fell into the pit of his stomach at the painful yelp from the elder. oops. the conversation between the couple came to a halt. within the first ten minutes of the date, he has failed as a wingman. immensely. after jessica elucidated the problem, remi gave a nudge to his friend to pick up where he left off. once the flirty conversation was successful, he accepted the scowl of the elder. he did just kick her. he gave a sheepish smile before silently whispering; “sorry——accident.”

his eyes fell onto the table. this wasn’t working. they couldn’t possibly ignore each other—or try to ignore each other—for the entirety of the date. although, he hoped the couple would hit it off immediately and take it to a hotel. it wasn’t looking promising. they’re definitely hitting it off, but it was obvious they lacked sexual tension. a date without sexual tension? a weird concept for remi.

this time, he gave jessica’s foot the lightest tap with his own. he nudged his head towards the hall which held the bathrooms. the corridor where jessica stood before they both had a shock of the lifetime. they needed to talk——————privately. 

“bathroom break.” was his excuse to leave the table. he made eye contact with jessica once more before being the first to leave. although this entire scenario was the embodiment of bewilderment, he wasn’t fuming like their first meeting. his guard was lowered then. he never expected to see jessica ever again so the initiate emotion drove his outrage. he had time to think—time to understand.

remi anxiously played with his belt buckle. he wore a clean, wrinkle-free, white button-up with black dress pants accompanied by a black belt. it wasn’t a fancy restaurant, but he dressed to impress; his blonde hair styled back.

when he heard heels echoing louder toward him, he waited around the corner. 

                  she’d washed her hands maybe twelve times by now; staring at the mirror in the bathroom, outlining every single angle of her face, every blemish in her skin - how she looked in her dress. was it flattering? too much? not enough? a buzz of negativity made her head fuzzy and when her fingertips plunged under a strong stream of cold water, she sighed; for the nth time. ————-  a blind date? who was she kidding? she was a nightmare to be around; unpredictable, massive mood swings depending how well (or bad) a project was going. the job came first because it couldn’t   h u r t   her and that hurt those who tried to get close to her. the world seemed to slip away from her fingertips as she focused on all the reasons why she didn’t pursue relationships, but a natural clock within her was telling her she’d been away from the table for too long, it was time get back — to face the music.

                                              eyes  f l i c k e r  back to the mirror, and a hand pushes at her stomach as if to flatten it back into her body; a brief sigh – again. taking the little clutch she’d brought with her things, she fixes some hair behind her ear and decides it was as good as she was going to get. turning on her spot, the seamstress heads back for the door - the din of restaurant growing louder as she re-emerges into the dining area, her fingertips brushing off the hem of her black dress, someone once told her she wore too much back – but she can’t remember the face who said it. her gait had been normal enough as she rounded the corner to swing back towards the table she’d left minutes ago; her friend had said something about her date being a little late – a bathroom break was needed, the anxiety was kicking in her throat. 

           but heels stutter some ——————————- the seamstress pauses in pure shock. and her foundations shake. a face all too familiar is sitting at the table; looking almost sick with disbelief; and jess could already read the atmosphere. it seemed at the same time they’d only learned of each other’s presence at that exact moment. as her friend turned her head back to glance at jessica’s frozen figure; remi, too, had looked up and they both locked gazes. remi’s was full of spite, an instant hate and jessica’s was one of guilt. she considered turning on her heel and bolting from the restaurant but something makes her swallow and breathe deep. 

                                        the only thing she hoped for was no shouting match this time. not in a restaurant full of people. 

                what does one say? being set up on a blind date with the very person you’d destroyed years previous? no books came with that guidance; so jessica gathers herself, and returns to her seat; pulling back the chair before slipping into it. quietly, with a straight back - spine snapped straight. all her confidence gone. 

“my apologies.” for being late?— or for something much worse? “you look nice, remi. it’s been a while, right? if we’re ready to order drinks, the first bottle is my treat.” 

                                                    “you two know each other?”  her friend asked, surprised.

“we used to, a long time ago.” jessica gave an empty smile; she didn’t avoid eye contact with remi, (who seemed still speechless), but the seamstress didn’t dare smile at him. that was adding insult to injury. it was like navigating her own mine field, but every square was a bomb. 

it was like his world collapsed and then set on fire. it was anger and pure shock mixed into one emotion as he eyes followed his friend’s date’s gaze. there was no way. what god did he piss off to receive such bad luck? it was nearly comical at this point. he sat frozen with a surprised expression evident on his face. his gaze followed jessica’s every step until she sat down—until there was prolonged eye contact; then he shifted his gaze. oh no, she’s as hot as ever.

remi leaned FAR back into his seat, hoping he’d just slip to the floor and into hell’s gates. it didn’t help that his friend was the embodiment of a dumbass as he nudged remi’s arm. a wide grin on his face; “ see, i told you. she’s totally your body type. “ he spoke in fluent english towards remi. the blonde blinked in surprise at the words. it was going to be a VERY long night.

“ does jessica sound like a fucking korean name to you, DUMBASS? ” remi responded with harsh english before taking the initiative to wave down a waiter as he fixed his posture.

                                                                 “ you look good too—————JESS. “

his gaze avoided the elders. his eyes were fascinated by the detail of the table. it was weird. there were so many things running through his head at once he couldn’t focus. his attention deficit disorder was surely shining at that moment. why was his initial reaction anger but took less than a second to disappear? now he wore a timid expression; afraid of speaking. mostly since he came to this date with the mindset of getting laid. 

however, if remi doesn’t speak, no one will.

with heavy tension and awkward atmosphere falling on them, he cleared his throat and averted the attention to his friend. the person he's supposed to be helping. “ how’s that car coming along? it must be tough building it from scratch. “ remi nearly committed suicide when his friend gave him a confused look before realizing the white lie.

▼  five two times my muse has caught your muse getting off, and the one time they help out.

ft. @astrificvs

remi doesn’t mind blind dates. it was the easiest way for him to get an easy score. whether or not the partner is his type of attraction, it’s almost always a positive outcome. especially since remi doesn’t lack in looks. however, double dates are always tragic. and it’s always the same damn friend. remi purposely sat in his car in front of the quiet cafe for twenty minutes, simply playing games on his phone. maybe he’s not needed after all?

                                                              [ incoming sms ]  where the fuck are you?

he groaned in displeasure as the message popped up. he hated being such a good friend sometimes. remi finally left his car and entered the cafe. it wasn’t hard to spot the awkward atmosphere hovering over a table. it looks like he wasn’t the only one late.

“ sorry i’m late. traffic. “ he lied through a charming smile towards his friend's date before clasping his friend's hand in a greeting; patting his shoulder as remi took his seat. the moment he sat beside his friend, he felt the uncomfortable tension between the pair. this is why he’s always invited on double dates.

“ i’m jeremy li, but call me remi. “ he dipped his head into a bow before motioning to the empty seat beside the girl. “ looks like your friend got caught in traffic as well. “

                                                              “ oh, JESSICA? she’s in the washroom. “

open curtains / closed blinds  ;   stray dog / house cat ;   people / pets  ;   outside /inside; half-empty /half-full ; tv / radio ;   sing / dance ;  shoes / sandals   ; cash / credit ; hike /drive / fly  ; casual /elegant ; center / corner ;   sword / shield   ; airplane / boat ; fizzy / flat;   garnished / plain   ; extra salt / extra pepper  ;  spicy / mild ; record player / digital media ;  opaque / transparent ;   white lies /complete truth  ;   blunt /subtle  ; loud / silent ; books /music ;   familiar / new  ; youth /experience ; spoon / fork & knife ;  knife / baseball bat ;space / ocean  ; bow & arrow / blow dart ;   love at first sight / slow burn   ;  freckles / dimples   ;   long lashes / long fingers   ;   soft lips /sensitive neck ;   stubble / thick hair  ;slow dance / intimate conversation.

“You’re being so cocky right now.” Aeri gripped the sides of Remi’s face, bringing her own just close enough to where her lips hovered over his. “People who show up late to parties don’t get good things like blowjobs.” She tsked before briefly pressing a kiss to his forcibly puckered lips, the smile she gave him afterward was as innocent as can be. Remi was fun to keep around because there was no limit to how much taunt him, he was too easy to reel back in.

“My guest list doesn’t need boosting, trust me. I have the who’s who of the city inside these very well decorated four walls, you were just supposed to be arm candy. I mean really, what does it say when the host of the party has no date?” She ran her fingers through his hair, pushing the fringe back off of his face. 

Aeri leaned forward until her breasts were pushed directly into Remi’s face while she directed her attention to the bar, “Excuse me! Why does the owner of this place have to ask for more drinks? And one for my friend too, I think he might be a bit parched.” She tugged softly on his locks before grinning, “Good help is so hard to find around here.”

his lids naturally lowered when expecting a kiss. but when does aeri ever do something that is expected of her? he smiled after the gentle peck and the ‘hurtful’ words. he gave a small pout but accepted it nonetheless. he was late. he wasn’t getting ANYTHING from aeri tonight, so he’ll happily keep her on his lap for as long as possible.

“ your date needed a moment to recuperate from your hotness. “ he spoke with a wide smile plastered on his face. he was melting beneath her. remi has always been weak to girls who play with his hair. it’s such a simple act but it had a huge impact on him. it was love. although aeri wasn’t one for love or to show love. her innocent smile and soft touches were enough to show this cold demoness had a spot for remi in her heart — faint, very faint, but it was there. 

his arms tightened around the other's waist as she came closer. he gladly allowed the close proximity as he instinctively placed open mouth kisses against her soft skin. just as remi forgot about the skin-tight dress she wore, he was reminded of it and what it did to aeri’s body. it was unfair on his mental state. if he showed any sort of excitement, he would be done for. he’d spend the night constantly on edge. it was how aeri liked to play.

a slight groan left the deepest part of his throat at the tug on his hair. “ you have no idea. “ he mumbled against her skin.

“And where’s the fun in that? If I wanted to wait around for a man all day I’d be a housewife again, which I swore I’d never do because it’s fucking awful.” Being as old as Aeri was, there were multiple lives to be lived and some didn’t go exactly as planned. “Maybe get here on time and you’ll be able to get the full effect.”

She’d never admit it but praise was always something she loved, not so much in a way that she needed someone’s approval but the inevitable ego stroking of it always brought her joy. “I do not suck the money out of men, I suck the life and joy and overall essence of their being out of them. Their soul if you will, their money is basically handed to me on a silver platter, no sucking involved. –Unless I really like them I guess.” Aeri tightened her grip on his thigh, emphasizing the innuendo before adjusting to slip easily onto his lap.

“Anyway, apology accepted and no, I’m not lowering the price of the alcohol. The bartenders charged you because I was angry, next time you’ll get your drinks free of charge.” The way Aeri’s attitude had flared up, Remi was lucky he’d even gotten into the club. “Having a room packed full of people is all well and good but I wanted you.”

remi’s cool; ‘i don’t need you’ vibe was short lived as aeri effortlessly played him like a violin. it was a simple touch that started it and an innuendo to gain his full attention. a grin immediately tugged at his features. his hands found their way climbing up aeri’s thighs before resting on her hips. the dress was already dangerously short but due to the new position, it rolled up enough to get his imagination running.

            “oh, aeri ——— “

                                       “ do you really like me? “

a knowing smirk already claimed his features as he leaned forward; his hands sliding to the girls back to hold her closer. even though they both say they don’t care about each other, somehow, they always answer each other's distress call. and it’s not always for sex.

“ how about i make up the time that we lost? i didn’t know you needed me like that. i thought my invitation was to boost your guest list but now—but now i know better. “