It's The Only Time You'll Witness Him Be Fully Quiet, Deeply Engrossed In What He's Doing. Art Truly

it's the only time you'll witness him be fully quiet, deeply engrossed in what he's doing. art truly his saving grace over the years, an outlet for his thoughts, emotions. it's been nice to find a friend with a similar interest. it's comfortable here with ronnie. her words filter in and he blinks, eyes feeling a little fuzzy. " i don't know if it's the hunger that's making me feel a little light-headed, or the fact i've been holding in a pee for at least the last hour, " he muses, and when he finally glances across at her, he's nodding. " yeah, yep . . . a break feels very necessary. you wanna order some food ? i'm so hungry even the paints starting to look edible. "

@dreamerfms // ronnie's loft

splatters of paint covered her hands, the apron around ronnie's waist giving little refuge from the canvas in front of her. the break in concentration reminded her of ace's presence in the room, head shooting up to make sure he hadn't left. "how's it goin over there ?" she called out, hoping the distraction would be welcome. long nights were common for these two, enabling each other to work until their hands couldn't take it any longer. "maybe we should take a break. i almost forgot i was a person for a second there."

" sarcasm, how original, " he mutters in reply, and it reeks of hypocrisy. sarcasm could very well be kai's middle name. at the question, he lazily pulls out his phone, glances at the empty bars on his screen and shoves it back into his pocket. he's not the type to freak out, not over something like this. he's had far worse things go wrong. this feels like nothing. " nope, no signal. but hey, maybe if we hold hands and chant a prayer to the wifi gods they'll give us just enough to get us out of here, " he adds, can't help the amused smirk upon his face as he pokes fun as he holds his hands out and closes his eyes, opening them back up a second later, retreating with a huffed out laugh. " if you wanna hulk-out, go right ahead. personally i think i'll just sit here and wait for the professionals to do their thing. preferably in silence. " his back meets the cold metal, and it isn't long before he's sliding his back down it, getting comfy on the floor. isn't like he's in any real rush to get to work.

''hah, look at you, so clever.'' the sarcasm was palpable in his voice, shaking his head slightly as he went on to keep pressing the buttons somehow doing as told before it occurred to him he could google everything related to this brand of elevators. staying quiet for the next few minutes while he researched the brand, taking a deep breath once it became clear to him how old the elevator and the system were, effectively rendering whatever plan he had useless. ''do you have any signal?'' he didn't, but somehow was hoping his companion did. ''listen, if all else fails, we're gonna have to push these doors open so I hope you're ready to stop pretending.'' he joked.

“ i hear hypnotherapy works wonders. or meditation. anything has to be worth a try. ” noa takes the phone from leon, manicured fingers typing quickly. so used to being on her own device she thinks she could navigate one with her eyes closed. “ cute, ” she responds, slight roll of her eyes before she types in her name, cupid in brackets after. with a bright smile she hands the phone back and takes a breath. “ okay, well, i’ve got to run. places to be, lives to change. but you’ll be hearing from me soon. i suggest you answer when i call because i’m impossible to ghost. toodles, ” she adds, gives a small wave before she’s walking off.

"tried 'em. don't work," leon shrugs and then chuckles at the thought of her knowing him better than he does. is it really possible? the blond is very prone to oversharing. he loves it. telling stories is so fun, it also sometimes makes him make sense of things in another light. "cool, thank you." the man takes out his phone, there aren't any new messages or mails or any sort of notifications. it's a little disappointing. nonetheless, he opens the keypad and hands it over. "just type non-smoking cupid and i'll know it's you," leon teases.

nova smiles softly, eyes scanning the spread in front of her, clearly impressed. “ i have to say, this is really impressive. did someone teach you to cook like this, or is it just another natural given talent ? ” the question is asked with a playful tone. as she reaches for the beansprouts, nova takes in a slow breath, grounding herself in the moment, aware of the faint hum of nerves that still linger in the background when food is involved. but instead of avoidance, she lets herself appreciate the colours and textures— the effort miles put into preparing the meal. " honest reviews only, " she hums, pretending to think it over. nova is a sweet girl for the most part, but she can be critical. sometimes overly so. doesn't shy away from pointing out where things could be improved. however here she finds no faults. " it's a little annoying that i don't have a single criticism. it really is just that good. remind me to never get into a cook-off with you, i don't lose well. "

𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆, open starter location: coral cove, apt. 4a / time: 6 p.m. context: after university, miles stayed in california to pursue baseball professionally. it's been around two (2) months since his return to palmview.

“ thanks for making the time, it's been a minute since i've really been able to cook something homemade.  ”  while he missed his family's cooking, miles was sure he mastered all the comfort foods he could remember from his childhood. being away from home for so long was difficult and being away from everyone he knew growing up was harder.  “ here, have some more of this.   ”  he stirs a spoon to mix the egg with the tofu soup.  “ hope you're hungry—and i take all reviews. ”  he raises a hand over his heart and dips his head in a small bow. between them, there's a spread of sides that included beansprouts and fishcakes amongst other smaller plates.

" i mean, think of it this way, i get more excited to see you than most because i know when we do get together, we get to spill every little life detail that's happened in between. " gossip, basically. no matter how she tries to spin it, noa braunstein is obsessed with a good story. the brunette nods, casually sipping her wine— much needed after a long week. " i know what you mean. but the problem with guys like that is, once you fix them up they suddenly think they can do better. like, hello ? no one likes an ego trip. they act like they're all that and completely forget you were the one who upgraded them in the first place. and by the time they realize you were the best thing to ever happen to them, it's too late. the damage is done. besides, true love is accepting someone for who they are, flaws and all. unfortunately for him, socks with sandals ? not a flaw i can look past. " noa sees the smirk forming and instantly gives celeste her full attention before she even speaks. when she finally does, noa squeals with excitement, practically leaping forward to grab her friend's arm " what do you mean it's no big deal ? it's so a big deal. tell me everything. "

"i'm pretty sure time is relative, or whatever it is they say," she would've said anything to get noa to agree with her, even if she wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about. of course, celeste didn't actually expect her to move, she just had a penchant for being right. "i can't argue with a girl's closet though, so as painful as it is to say, you have me beat on this one." her hand covered her heart, face dropping into a pout as she tucked her legs under her. she was making valid points, which only solidified celeste's theory that there must be something wrong with her. where noa was disgusted, she would've been endeared, planning the project in lengthy detail and attempting to execute it promptly. "no i get it, i really do, i guess i just think there's something hot about a man that needs you, y'know ? but i'm acutely aware that i need help, so maybe don't take my advice on this one ?" a grape popped into her mouth as she thought of everything that had happened to her this week, smirk growing and scooting herself closer. "well, i did meet a guy and get his number. but it's no big deal, i swear !"

Maude Apatow  on Late Night with Seth Meyers wearing vintage Thierry Mugler.