" You Should Just Be Beautiful, Perfect You. The Right Person Is Out There, And I Would Literally Die

" you should just be beautiful, perfect you. the right person is out there, and i would literally die and come back from the dead before i let you settle. but yes, maybe we let men better themselves because they want to be better, not because we want them to be. " a waste of time and energy, as she's come to witness over the years. she gives her friend a look that says just trust me, and maybe it is silly to base something off a choice of footwear, but she full of intuition— or so she likes to think. it could just be an excuse, because maybe the matchmaker herself isn't so sure what she wants when it comes to love. " okay, solo dates, love that for you. " she's quiet, with difficulty, stops herself from butting in and just takes it in, basks in her friends experience. her heart swells at the thought, glint of happiness for the other reflected in her eyes. even if it was an encounter that didn't lead to forever, what a magical encounter to have. " wow, " noa breathes out once celeste finishes, but being reserved last all of two seconds before she's beaming. " that literally sounds like a scene out of a ron-com, you know, back when rom-coms were actually good. but oh my god, letty, that sounds . . . epic. definitely not delusional ! sometimes the universe has to take matters into it's own hands, put two people exactly where they're supposed to be. are you seeing him again ? "

"i think that might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me," a fake tear is wiped away, hand over heart. the more noa explained her reasoning, the more celeste began to realize where she'd gone wrong. she couldn't count on one hand the amount of men she'd replicated the exact scenario with, much to her own regret. "okay, okay, i see your point," she laughs, hands thrown up in surrender. "what i'm getting from this is that i should stop trying to be caulk-over-it celeste." she had a tendency of giving her relationships the landlord special, and socks and sandals could easily be painted over. "i just think it's kind of hilarious how you came to that conclusion from socks and sandals alone, but that's why you're the match maker and not me !" with another sip of her wine, celeste can't help but share the excitement. she scoots an inch closer, clapping her hands together as she prepares herself for the tell all. "well, i went out and none of the girls wanted to come with, so i went by myself, obviously. i ended up trying out the cheesiest pick up line i could think of, and it actually worked ? and then we danced for a little, talked some more, and he walked me home. the part that's actually wild to me is that we got to my building and found out we're neighbors ? is that some kind of a sign or am i just delusional ?"

he trains so much, likes to keep his body in prime condition even when he has a window of time off. boxing stull consumes him even on his down time. for the most part, that means no alcohol. but it doesn't stop him from socializing, from being around it on occasion. he's enjoying a moment of calm when he feels someone's presence, and when he turns to see lana, he's smiling before she even finishes her sentence. " what, did you think i was sat over here sulking ? " teases, gentle nudge to her side. " it's too nice of a night for that. "

open  starter  ( @palmviewstarters )  ! location :  the salty sailor bar in sunny shores , around 9pm .

the cocktail bar is exactly her scene , with her honey-blonde waves & open-back body-con dress , lana glides through the crowd with a fruity cocktail between her manicured fingers . despite the september breeze in the air , she doesn't feel cold or lacking energy as she sits down beside someone sitting alone , her grin almost bright enough to put the moon to shame . “ hi , ” pearly whites dig into her plump bottom , fixing the spaghetti strap on her shoulder as she looks with interest . “ so , what will it take to make you smile tonight ? “

he glances at the three pieces presented with a puzzled expression. " uh . . . well, three looks most like the hand whisk i have, so . . . three ? " not that he's ever used said hand whisk. truly, he's not quite sure why he has it. confusion soon turns into a smile, eyes vibrant as he watches her take his small idea and turn it into a full-blown vision. she's amazing, he thinks to himself, is almost certain his face says it too. in all his life, he’s never met anyone like her— someone so willing to embrace his quirks and match them with her own. sometimes it’s like they exist in their own little universe, where the world fades away, and it’s just them, laughing and enjoying each others company. he wishes he'd met her sooner, long before circumstance had made him so overprotective of his own heart. " yeah, " he nods, feels breathless. " i can totally help you set up an instagram for that. but anything i do won't make it viral, that'll be all you. " because she commands attention all on her own, such a breath of fresh air and honesty he can't imagine anyone wouldn't feel drawn to her. he doesn't say much at her next set of words, only a slightly awkward, " the real thing is even better. " if he was to say what was fully on his mind, he'd tell her she's the most beautiful person he's ever seen, inside and out. radiates something he can't pinpoint, but that often has him dreaming of her when she's not even there. there's part of him that's afraid to admit to himself what it all means, because once he does he won't be able to switch it off. ace meets teddy's gaze, caught off guard by the way she forces him to look at her. he can’t help but feel a warm flutter in his chest, one that spread quickly even as his thoughts swirl with anxiety. the moment stretches out, and all he can think about is how her hands on his cheeks feel like a jolt of electricity. suddenly he's all too aware of the close proximity between them, swallows down hard as he attempts to focus on her words instead of the strong pull he feels towards her. " i don't know how to describe the thing, it's just the thing, you know ? " probably not, because how does that even make sense. " no matter what i put in there, it still looks the same. so much so i don't think even a haircut could change it. " but he appreciates the offer. lonely, it's a word he knows well. in fact, he's certain if he didn't have his grandfather growing up that feeling may have swallowed him whole. " i mean, yeah, maybe sometimes. but i've felt a lot lonelier staying around people who were supposed to care and didn't. like my . . . " he pauses, feels like he might explode as he battles against the part of him that wants to keep it all in, but he fights to get it out, " my mom. " he used to think his dad leaving when he was a young boy was what broke his heart, but really he thinks it might have been his mother staying. both felt like forms of abandonment in their own right.

she pulls her mixer closer to her, offering three attachments to ace. "okay, pop quiz-- which one is used for cakes? one, two, or three?" her brows raise as she watches ace, waiting for him to make a selection. while he's deciding, she takes it upon herself to resume their previous conversation. "you know, you may actually be onto something... i can see the vision now. your man is cheating, and you want to just... disappear. you pack all your shit, leave your spare key on the counter next to a masterpiece. well, a cake masterpiece. in the shape of whatever you desire... a broken heart... a knife... and on top it says welcome home cheater. it's like a scene from a movie! i think you're right. maybe that should be my specialty. is this my push to make an instagram for my cakes? do you know how to make things go viral? could you do that for me?"

there's no stopping the laugh that erupts from her as ace encourages her to... kiss her reflection. "well, it's good to know you think my REFLECTION is pretty. we can only hope the real thing is as well," she teases, patting his chest lightly. maybe it's mean, but there's a part of her that finds joy in watching him stumble over his words. not because he's struggling, but because she finds it endearing. finds him endearing. it's hard not to when he's standing in front of her laying all of his flaws out on the table. he never tried to be TOO COOL for her. teddy wouldn't have gotten along with him if he had. she knew she was weird and quirky, and she was proud of it. she'd collected a group of real and genuine friends, and ace was obviously part of that. someone who met her on her level, who really understood her. which is why, when he starts telling her his insecurities, she finds herself confused.

ace isn't looking at her, and that's probably purposeful, but she brings her hands to his cheeks and forces him to look at her. well, really, it's so she can get a better look at his hair. "what 'thing'? i like what your hair does," she assures him. "but, if you really want something different, i have a history of giving haircuts. you can ask my cousin miles." haircuts that only got her into trouble with their family. "okay, that's not really true. i mean, i did give him haircuts, but when i was, like, four. BUT, i do know a lot of beauty and style people. so, if you really wanted to change your hair i'm sure we could. just let me know. and as for tripping-- you've just gotta pick your feet up, baby. or take an acting class to learn how to fall more gracefully. whichever is easier for you." his final admission stops her for a second. the normal lighthearted air between them disappearing as the conversation takes a serious turn. "that one, well, i can't fix that. i can find you some affirmations that could help, though. you'll feel silly doing them at first. ronnie used to always make fun of me, but i don't know any different. but it does help, i think. or i'm just actually the coolest person to ever exist," she says with a light shrug. she'd never had confidence problems, and perhaps the affirmations really did help. "that sounds really lonely, if i'm being honest."

#mood

SET IT UP (2018) dir. Claire Scanlon

it's nice to hear, that someone thinks she's irreplicable in a sense, even if it is ( in her mind, at least ) only when it comes to dance. growing up it had never mattered how many awards she won, how man lead spots she landed, how many people she outdanced. nothing was ever good enough for her mother, and her father never said much of anything at all. simply nodded his head in agreement to everything his wife said, paying no real attention. she doesn't quite know what to say, feels a swell of emotion in her throat, always so quick to swallow it back down. " well, you have to say that— " he doesn't, and she knows fine well he doesn't— " but thank you. i know no one could ever take yours. " because it would never be the same, and she would never trust another dancer to handle her body the way he does. to move with her so in the way he seems to do so effortlessly. nova doesn't believe in fate, because to believe in it would prove the world to be rather cruel considering the fate of their pasts, but one thing that almost convinces her it could exist, is the way it feels like they were born to dance together. light laughter echoes, head shaking as she listens. " only you could try and make something better and somehow make it worse, " nova responds, but there's a softens to her tone, teasing weaved between. " no girl wants to hear that, trust me. even if it is friendship based. convenient implies it would also be easy to drop me if i no longer was easy to be around. " he grabs her hand, and she finds it rather silly how her breath seems to hitch in her throat, how overly aware she is of the fact he still hasn't let it go. they'd held hands at least a hundred times on stage, during practise, so why does it feel so different now ? nova blinks, does her best to keep her gaze on him, takes her a beat longer than it usually would to response. " no, " is her honest answer, and she shakes her head again, tender smile as her gaze softens. " and i don't want to tame the dancing beast, " tone playfully mimics, " i like it exactly as it is. " and she wouldn't be here, this version of her, without him.

"trust me, i don't think anyone is capable of taking your place." he doesn't find anyone to be comparable. maybe he's biased ( he's definitely biased ) but there's no one in nova's league. and, should any company or choreographer disagree, it's them with the issue. he thinks the world of nova, likely because he thinks the world of himself and she's the only one with the ability to keep up. plus, thinking of nova and her abilities distracts from the fact that he's only a few years from retirement. there's always teaching and choreographing to fall back on, but the thought of being done with all of this... it's dizzying.

apollo has become a creature of habit. wake up, train, dance, come home, go to sleep, do it all over again. he despised dance growing up, and still has complicated feelings about it to this day. still, how do you just walk away from something you've spent thirty years perfecting? he was a few years older than nova, so she still had that going for her. perhaps that's why he continued to push her. so, he'd still have a dog in the fight even after he was out of the game.

"you've seem to have taken offense to my use of the word EASY," he replies with a shake of his head. despite growing up surrounded by girls and women both at home, at school, and at dance, apollo was very bad at understanding them. "what's wrong with something easy and convenient?" nothing in apollo's life had ever been easy or convenient, so finding something that was both was a breath of fresh air. "trust me, i had plenty of other options. if anything, you're the only one brave enough to stick around." he grabs her hand off his chest, slowly bringing their hands down in between them, but hasn't let go. "and, yeah, maybe i didn't think you'd make it-- but that wasn't you, that was my history. but i'm glad you feel accomplished. do you feel like you've tamed the dancing beast?"