#noraasmr

Usually I'm pretty skeptical when y/n related media is geared towards black listeners, but this video was very well done. He started talking about Jamaican black castor oil and i was like yup. He did his research, and I really appreciate that.

this genuinely killed me why is nora such a rage baiter bro 😭😭

ᴀ/ɴ: ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴀ ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ “ʏᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇsᴛғʀɪᴇɴᴅ ɪs ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ɢᴜʏ” ʙʏ ɴᴏʀᴀ ᴀsᴍʀ (ғᴛ. ᴍᴀɪsᴜɴᴅᴇʀɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅᴀsᴍʀ) ᴡʜᴇɴ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ, ɴᴏʀᴀ sᴀʏs ᴀ ʟɪɴᴇ “ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ɪғ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ, ɪ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇ. ɪ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴅɪᴅ” ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ʙᴇɢᴀɴ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴇ ɪᴅᴇᴀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴsᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴄᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ’ᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ. ᴡʜʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴᴇʀ, ᴏʀ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪs ᴄᴀsᴇ, ɴᴀʙɪ, ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴜᴘ? ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴜɴsᴀɪᴅ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs ᴏʙsᴇʀᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ? ᴡʜᴏ’s ᴛʜɪs ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ? ᴡʜʏ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴀʙɪ ᴀssᴜᴍᴇ ɴᴏʀᴀ ʀᴇᴄɪᴘʀᴏᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ sᴀɪᴅ ‘ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ’? ᴛʜᴜs ʙɪʀᴛʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪs ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ. sᴏᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟɪɢɴ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴄᴏɴsɪᴅᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɢᴜᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴏʜ ᴡᴇʟʟ. ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪᴛ :)

The night was cool, Nabi scratched a nonexistent itch at the back of her head with one hand, the other tightly gripping a mini bouquet of lilies. After 10 minutes of pacing back and forth, or sitting on the curb of the sidewalk with a nervous knee bounce, she finally gained the courage to walk in.

She slipped her shoes off at the door, trying to be discreet although the crinkle of the bouquet wrapping said otherwise. Nabi noticed the dimly lit apartment, a small lamp or two on in the living room, while the fluorescent kitchen lights beamed out into the open.

“Nora?” She called out.

Bringing the bouquet closer to her chest she approached the kitchen, where once distant voices grew loud and clear. Like two deer in headlights, Thalia and Nora look over at Nabi.

“Hey you’re home!” Nora smiled

“And with beautiful flowers, hm?” Thalia smirked teasingly.

Nabi snapped back into present time look down at her flowers.

“Oh, yeah.” She scoffed

“So, who’s the lucky guy?” Thalia walked over to Nabi, holding her free hand.

her eyes widened, “what guy?”

“Obviously the one who gave you those flowers.”

Nabi's gaze flickered past Thalia, meeting curious doe eyes of Nora, who also waited for her response.

“Oh,” she chuckled nervously.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to put you on the blast like that. I just cheese over romantic gestures like this.”

Nora then walked over, towering closely over Nabi . She shuffled slightly, trying to create space between them. She then watched him bend down to stuff his nose into the lilies. At this proximity, he was bound to hear the loud thump against her chest that was her heart trying to call out to him.

“They’re beautiful.” He said.

“I should put them in water.” She walked hastily past them, opening and closing cabinet doors.

“I should probably head out too. It’s getting late, don’t wanna be dozing off during lecture tomorrow.” Thalia grabbed her coat, waving off Nabi.

Nabi smiled weakly, watching Nora trail behind her out the door.

20 minutes later, the lilies slept in a cool ice bath in the now dim kitchen. Nora returned from walking Thalia back to her dorm, knocking on Nabi's door.

“I’m back! May I come in?”

“Yeah, come in.”

He gently closed the door behind him, a soft scoff escaping his lips, finding Nabi sitting at her vanity with a stiff and focused expression.

“What?” She spoke between her teeth, her voice flat.

“Nothing- you just got a little..” he chuckled, circling his finger around his face.

“You’re hilarious.”

She reached for the damp towel, carefully wiping off the clay from her face. Nora on the other, sat beside her, watching with an amused yet curious look.

She sighed, “What do you think?”

“Beautiful.”

Nabi simply laughed in response. Perhaps she would've overthought the situation at hand. Though, compliments from him were frequent- given to anyone who crossed paths with Nora. That was just the kind of person he was.

She slipped under the covers, patting the empty space beside her. Nora followed suit, lying down next to her.

“This is nice. It’s been a while since we’ve done this.”

“Yeah, well..."

Nabi slapped a pillow on him.

“Hey!” Nora laughed, hugging the pillow to his chest.

“Yeah well, I supposed this last year of college has us pretty busy with work, and other stuff..” She replied.

“No sugar-coating there. It’s definitely been exhausting, but it should all be worth in the end right?”

“Right.”

Sudden silence filled the room.

“Then what?”

“Then, I guess we find work for the next 40 years, retire, and die.”

“Nora..”

He noticed her shift in tone- her voice now at a whisper.

“Then…I don’t know. I guess that’s when I can finally start my life. Working a 9 to 5 job, paying off my student debt and other bills after I move into my own place. Maybe, get a new car to replace that old ‘06 Corolla. You know, the one I been driving around since high school.”

“Sounds exciting.” She responded flatly, trying to mask the weight of the conversation.

“Yeah well, being an adult is going to suck, but none of that will really matter when I'm sharing it with someone else. And maybe its too early to think of kids, but I’d be lying if i said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.”

Nabi couldn’t help the sting in her eyes, her lips curling into a smile despite herself.

“Sorry...I didn’t mean to get so-“

“Sounds like a wonderful life." She whispered, her voice soft but sincere.

Nora smiled, the bed creaked as he stood up.

"We should get some sleep. Don't want to fall asleep in the middle of class."

They exchanged 'Good night's' and 'sleep well'. And with the sound of her door being shut, Nabi fell asleep in her once warm bed, now turned cold.

-

Nabi found getting ready difficult the next morning. The previous night replayed in her mind in a continuous loop. She'd wince at the memory a couple times throughout the morning, while she brushed her teeth and ate her cereal.

Eventually, the self doubt found its way to Nabi. Was she in the right to have that intimate conversation with him? Was it too much? Was there more to their interaction?

"Nabi."

Her eyes shifted from the concrete below into pools of chocolate brown eyes. She only waved in response with her lips curved into a smile, unsure of how things would feel between.

"Here." He handed her a can of coffee. Nabi took it, their fingers brushing ever so slightly.

"Thought you could use a pick-me-up for the lecture."

She smiled, "Thanks."

He smiled back, "So, on the way here, I was scrolling mindlessly on reels, per usual, and came across something called' Brookies'.... its like a Cookie and a Brownie in one."

Nabi walked along side of him, listening to him with full intent- grateful, there was no awkward tension. Did this mean it was all just casual for him?

"...I was thinking maybe after midterms, Nabi?"

She was snapped back into present time at the mention of her name.

"Yeah, no, definitely."

Nora chuckled softly, patting her head as they walked down the steps into lecture hall.

"Nora!" Thalia waved while standing up to greet the two.

"Thalia."

"Hi Nabi." She smiled.

"Hey Thalia."

The three stood in the aisle, clearly a disturbance to the other students, swerving around them. Nabi stepped behind Nora, creating more space for the incoming people- and for her own discomfort. To be caught between a conversation with her roommate, who she might be in love with, and her classmate, who might be dating him. It was for the best.

"I saved you a seat, but I didn't realize you and Nabi came together and probably want to sit together as well."

"Oh, that's very kind but-"

"Actually, I had my eye on that seat over there, but I know Nora prefers a more, direct view, so this works out perfectly." Nabi interrupted, her tone as sincere as she could muster.

"Are you sure? I could move, so you two can-" Thalia frantically began packing up her bags before Nabi gently tapped her arm.

"No, seriously its fine! I think we'll be okay." Nabi joked.

"I'll see you both after class."

Her backpack thumped as it hit the floor when she finally sat down across the room. Nabi looked around, flashing a friendly smile at the guy who sat next to her before looking down at her textbook.

"I would've taken the seat, if I were you."

"Excuse me?"

"Shit, sorry. didn't mean to stare. It's just hard not to notice when 3 people are standing in the middle of the aisle."

Nabi's furrowed brows softened. "Oh.."

"She the girlfriend?"

"No. I don't think so."

"I see...Are you?"

"What- No-" She turned her whole body towards the stranger to see who she was speaking to. A guy who slouched in his chair, jet-black strands of hair peaking out his hood, his ear phone wires dangling down.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no. We're not involved. Just friends," She continued.

"You're right, it's not my business. Sorry. Just wanted make sure you weren't with him, so I could tell you, that I think you're pretty."

Nabi looked at him incredulously, as this stranger had just complimented her and went on to look down at his phone, nonchalantly.

"Thank you. I guess."

"You're welcome." he replied.

There was a brief pause.

"What's your name?"

"Mai. Yours?"

"Nabi."

"That's beautiful."

Nabi scoffed. She couldn't understand this guy.

"Is this your tactic for getting girls?"

"Sorry?"

"Oh, my bad. Girls or guys."

He smiled, whilst a smile escaped his lips. Now that Nabi had a better look at Mai, she realized how attractive he actually was.

"No, this isn't my usual approach. A little unorthodox, don't you think?"

"Just a little."

"Nah, seriously I apologize if I came on too strong. See, I have this really bad habit of letting the intrusive thoughts out when I'm nervous."

"Paha. You're just doing too much at this point."

"No really, I mean it. It's not just around people I find attractive. And, not limited to just spouting out nonsense either, It's also, really bad stuttering, which I should really get checked."

Nabi laughed, "Alright. I believe you, Mai."