There's A Brief Crinkle Of His Brows, Slight Confusion Washing Over Him. But Her Enthusiasm Is Palpable,

there's a brief crinkle of his brows, slight confusion washing over him. but her enthusiasm is palpable, soon causes a smile to stretch onto features. " i see. and how clean exactly is ' maya clean ' ? because my apartment could probably use some of it. " truthfully, he has too much space for one person, and isn't often there to keep it in check. but he likes to have space, always wants to be prepared should any family need somewhere to rest.

𓍼⋆⊹ 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 : @dreamerfms

"and guess what? it's not just health department clean. it was "maya" clean!" she was awfully enthusiastic about that. how could she not be? it was just the way she wanted for it to be. well, not necessarily wanted but she wasn't going to let anything be a mess. especially not any future restaurants she was looking to own... or even her apartment.

kai tilts his head, smirk still in place but his gaze softens. there's something about winnie that feels safe to kai, and that's no common thing for him. he's spent the last decade keeping most people at a far distance, so to have someone who feels like a friend despite the fact they only ever seem to meet in the dead of the night, is a big deal. despite his sarcasm and the way he tries to act like he hates the whole world, there's a genuine care for her. " blew your world up ? no. no, i don't believe we've gotten to that part yet. " there's a teasing edge to his voice before he lets out a chuckle, momentarily directs his gaze to the gravel beneath his feet. " the good news though ? i don't have anyone to tell your secrets to even if i wanted to, " he reassures, with of course the exception of his sister meave, though even then he's never been one to blab about other peoples lives, " so if you wanna unload, i’m here. no judgment, no shitty advice you didn’t ask for, just . . . whatever you need. "

a chuckle escapes her lips as the other speaks. "the latter, obviously. am i really that easy to read?" winnie found it very hard to be open with others. spending so much of your life hiding who you were made one terrified that the secret could slip out at any moment. any moment of honesty and vulnerability was an opportunity to ruin a perfectly good image. but, she remembers the time kai stumbled upon her here at this very park. everything just kind of fell into place. she was new to town and very overwhelmed with... well, LIFE. a listening ear from a stranger somehow brought her back to earth. "well, you're definitely keeping me on my toes," she tells him. she's stalling, despite the fact that she called him here. explaining ronnie was something winnie had never expected to do, but here they were. "have i ever told you about the time i blew my own world up?"

JACKIE BURKHART THAT 70'S SHOW 1x04 "The Battle of the Sexists"

" sure they are, " ace retorts, like he's so certain of it, when in fact he's far from it. " i mean, what if you need to go out of town for weeks on end and you need someone to water it ? that's where i come in. if i have to do it for someone else, i'm sure i'd do a better job of it. " maybe. truthfully, it would probably still slip his mind. the mention of pets soon has his smile growing, genuine interest. while dogs are his favourite, he's a fan of pets in general. though he's never been able to quite understand anyone who chose cats over dogs. " oh, yeah. for sure. but now you have to tell me, what pets do you have ? "

officially stress free? if only she knew what that feeling was like in other aspects of her own life. a plant? well, that she was able to handle at least. " well, you know what? then i'm happy to be able to take it right off of your hands for you. it seemed to really stress you out! remind everyone you know to never get you any plants. " she playfully teased. " a plant mom now? well, thank you for such a great honor. i promise to do my best to take care of it. " the blonde playfully shook her head. " honestly, i don't think plant sitters are actually a thing... like at all. but if i ever need someone to watch my pets, then i can let you know! think that's something you'd be able to handle or? "

kai stands in the doorway, hands stuffed into the pockets of his over-worn, over-sized jacket. it wasn't exactly in his plan to pop into the shop, but on his way home from working a double shift at the arcade, he'd struck with the notion to. a familiar exhaustion already set in deep. " some might call that perfect timing then, huh ? " his tone comes out dry, but there's a playful glint behind his gaze. the thing about kai is, he doesn't ask for help, or care to ever admit when there's a problem. but it's gotten to the point he has to try something. conceals a sigh beneath his breath as he walks inside, has a quick glance around before his eyes settle on her familiar features. " i can't sleep, " he admits, his voice carrying a trace of vulnerability he seldom shows. " figured you might have some kind of concoction for that. " insomnia has plagued him on and off for years, seems to have come back lately with some kind of vengeance. weed had worked wonders at one point, but he fears he's built up such an intolerance it would take more than anyone should smoke to help with that now. " and if not, " adds with a wry smile, shrug of his shoulders, " then i guess i'm fucked. "

( open starter @ tide & thyme : a herbalist shop . )

as  the  sun  dipped  lower  over  the  horizon ,      casting  a  golden  glow  over  the  quaint  beach  town ,      adi  carefully  arranged  her  wares  at  the  small  herbal  shop  she  managed  with  her  aunts  .      the  scent  of  dried  lavender  and  chamomile  filled  the  air ,      mingling  with  the  salty  breeze  that  drifted  in  from  the  ocean .      it  was  one  of  those  perfectly  peaceful  evenings ,      the  kind  that  felt  like  a  bonus  level  in  her  otherwise  busy  life .

with  a  sigh  of  contentment,      she  turned  to  the  door,     ready  to  hang  the  “ CLOSED ”  sign.     just  then ,     a  gentle  knock  sounded .     she  looked  up  to  see  them  standing  on  the  doorstep —     adi's  eyebrows  raised  in  surprise .  “     oh  hey !     we’re  just  about  to  close ,     but  if  you  want  something  from  the  store  i  can  help  you  out  real  quick !     ”     she  motioned  for  them  to  come  in ,     curiosity  twinkling  in  her  eyes.

@palmviewstarters

noa shakes her head, heart sinking. it's silly, she knows it. it's just a bit of clothing, but it means something to her. " oh no, you don't understand, this is a custom-made piece. it's a one of a kind. completely irreplicable. " the brunette pauses, takes a deep breath to regain some composure. it's been a stressful day and this is just the icing on the cake. hands move animatedly as she begins to explain. " my cat, coco . . . she got into my closet. decided to take a nibble. and here's the thing— i can't even be mad at her, because she clearly has impeccable taste just like her mother. "

open to — anyone ( @palmviewstarters ), located in : seaglass heights, farmer's market !

" ah, you should've brought this to me way earlier. " alina holds up the garment, twisting it this way and that under the sunlight before handing it back to its rightful owner. " honestly, you might just be better off buying something new. how'd that hole even happen ? "