What I think, I tend to manifest.

Anna Freud. 24. Grad student at University of Toronto. Apartment 1D. Little sister says, "He made you what you are - your world and everything in it." I think what he made was his own bed, and he can strip right down and roll around in it.

[stewheart]

[hoecuspocvs]

"Thank you." Cara smiled softly as she peered down at the sketch, finally taking in the complete sketch. Usually when she sketched it was like she was doing it in parts, focused on one small corner of the page and letting the pencil roam with her hand until the final product finally surfaced. She was proud of what she did, knowing she was good and that her sketches would probably please her clients but it was even nicer to have a stranger admire her work. "This is one of the rough drafts. If the author likes it enough we’ll proceed to digitizing it and sending it to print. I’ll give you a copy once it’s out."

[4nnafreud]

Anna cocked an eyebrow in mild disbelief. She found it hard to believe that someone she had just met would make such a kind offer out of the blue; people simply weren't like that back home, and certainly not in all but one or two of the towns she had stayed in during her cross-country travels. She hadn't expected a huge difference when she moved from the United States to Canada, and frankly, there hadn't been much of one. Still, this place was certainly starting to grow on her.

"Seriously? That would be amazing, thank you so much!" she said as she continued to glance over the draft in front of her. "So, have you done commissions like this for other authors?"

[hoecuspocvs]

"Anna, what a lovely name." She smiled gently and nodded, tilting her sketch pad slightly so Anna might get a better look. "It’s a book cover for this scifi thriller that’s being released soon. This is one of the options I’m sketching out for the author to choose from."

[4nnafreud]

The words "scifi thriller" piqued Anna's curiosity; the stories of science fiction, both on-screen and in books, had kept her company since childhood. With how busy she had been since moving to Toronto, in addition to the work she had been putting into preparing for her second year of grad school, she hadn't been able to keep up with reading as much as she would have liked to.

"Oh, that's so exciting!" she said, her voice hushed as her eyes scanned the sketchbook in Cara's hand. "That's gorgeous. I really appreciate a hand-drawn cover, there's something, I guess, kind of nostalgic about it."

[4nnafreud]

Ink on a pin. | Anna & Madeline

[themadsparker]

Mads hadn’t had any clients for the day, so she was working on a piece for someone who was coming in the following week. This was her third try at it and it was starting to become increasingly more frustrating. She couldn’t seem to get the face correct on the portrait. Completely fed up with the whole drawing she threw it out and pulled out a new piece of paper.

She was just doodling random things that might become one of her own tattoos in the future, when she heard the door open. She looked up to see a face that she swore she had seen before, they must have lived in the same building has her. “You could talk to me about that,” Mads said with a smile, “what can I do for ya?”

[4nnafreud]

"Great!" Anna said, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. Her cheeks flushed pink as she reeled herself in, all the while still trying to figure out where she had seen this person. "Well, I'm thinking about a starfish on my arm," she explained, using her left finger to indicate a spot on the inside of her right bicep. "Just big enough to fit most of the way across. Red with a black outline. I was thinking I might like it to look a little watercolor-y, if that makes sense? Like, with some of the red bleeding a little bit outside of the outline. I don't know. It's probably one of those things that could either look really cool or really stupid. What do you think?"

[hoecuspocvs]

"Either way you’re winning in this situation because you’re getting free coffee, so I approve. " She laughed and nodded. "So, I’m Cara. It’s nice to meet you stranger."

[4nnafreud]

"Valid. I'm Anna, nice to meet you too." She cocked her head to one side, sneaking a glance at Cara's project. "So, whatcha working on?"

[hoecuspocvs]

"Hmm, I could always go for a beer, but I’m afraid it’s still to early to be drinking. At least, conventionally. Who is the owner and why have you not married him yet? He sounds like quite the catch. Then again, food and coffee are the way to my heart, I don’t know if you agree much." Cara shrugged as she looked over at the stranger not sitting far from her.

[4nnafreud]

"You mean Ed?" Anna chuckled. "Well, he's almost twice my age, which isn't a huge deal to me, and anyone who can make me a remarkable breakfast is on the fast track to my heart. But I think I'll stick to patron status on this one."

[4nnafreud]

Ink on a pin. | Anna & Madeline

The rhythm of Anna's heart kicked up in tempo as she got out of her car and walked the few feet down the street to Passage Tattoo Parlour, a recommendation from a friend at school who had more tattoos than Anna could count...or, for that matter, see. The feeling she was experiencing wasn't one she herself would describe as anxiety or nervousness, but more like anticipation. Like how you can't sleep the night before you leave on a big trip or start your first day of school. She had wanted a tattoo since her early teenage years, and now that she was finally out of her home state and away from anyone who might try to talk her out of it, this felt like the right time. She took a deep breath as she opened the door and stepped into the parlour. The place looked clean, well-lit and inviting, much better than some of the places around her hometown. The sound of the radio competed with the buzz of a needle scraping across the skin of a client on the other side of the room. Anna approached the front desk and offered a gentle smile to the familiar-looking blonde woman on the other side of the counter. "Hi, I was hoping I could speak to someone about a tattoo consult?"

[hoecuspocvs]

"And yet you still come here? The coffee must be wonderful if you put up with lousy service more than once. The issue at hand is when I have not had my cup of morning tea, as is the present case, I am incapable of being friendly, much less of conveying a friendly reminder."  Cara sighed and looked around, waving over the nearest waitress. "But thank you for the information."

[4nnafreud]

"Please. The coffee's pretty good, but beer is always the top priority."

Anna watched the woman at the table beside her, observing silently until the waitress was out of sight.

"I come here because one day I was in here rushing to finish a paper, and the owner gave me free coffee the entire day."

[hoecuspocvs]

It would be really great if I could hire someone to make me tea and coffee and bring me snacks and such while I draw this out. That would be the greatest thing ever.

[4nnafreud]

"Good luck with that." Anna raised her head from the legal pad she had been scrawling notes on. "Last time I was in here, they forgot about my bagel for almost an hour. I mean, I was working, so I didn't notice until the waitress came over apologizing to high heaven, but still...you might wanna go up to the counter and give them a friendly reminder."

[withthetruck]

"First day here and I’ve already lost my keys." 

[4nnafreud]

"Don't feel bad, that was me yesterday! Here's I'll let you in. Just don't let apartment security catch on. Did you leave them in your apartment, or did you lose them lose them?"

[rufusmiller]

To whoever is blasting the music — this is an apartment complex. Not fucking Glastonbury. 

[4nnafreud]

I mean, I’m all for some electronic jams, but I am NOT high enough for this shit. Can you tell where it’s coming from?

[4nnafreud]

We’ll find out. I’m Anna. Anyway, thanks for letting me in. I do appreciate it.

[hughes-ryan-blog]

You’re welcome, don’t get lost on the way back.

[4nnafreud]

You're hilarious. Have you ever thought about a career in comedy?

[4nnafreud]

I’m Anna. And you are…?

[hughes-ryan-blog]

Ryan, complex security. Nice to meet you, I think?

[4nnafreud]

We’ll find out. I’m Anna. Anyway, thanks for letting me in. I do appreciate it.

[4nnafreud]

Don’t feel bad, I haven’t had it yet either…

[collidingpromotions]

Are you from Canada? Because it seems like hockey and poutines are a pretty big deal.

[4nnafreud]

Nope, Colorado.

[4nnafreud]

And if you think it’s my hair that’ll make me emotional, you clearly don’t know the first thing about me.

[hughes-ryan-blog]

Well observed, stranger. Can’t know the first thing about anyone that I’ve never met before.

[4nnafreud]

I’m Anna. And you are…?

[4nnafreud]

Don’t feel bad, I haven’t had it yet either…

[collidingpromotions]

Are you from Canada? Because it seems like hockey and poutines are a pretty big deal.

[4nnafreud]

Nope, Colorado. Have you often dinner yet?

[4nnafreud]

[She shoots him a look, simultaneously snarky and grateful.]

Come on, you wouldn’t leave a girl out in the cold like that, would you?

[hughes-ryan-blog]

You clearly don’t know a thing about me… Because yes, I would. Watching you get all emotional over you hair would be amusing.

[4nnafreud]

And if you think it’s my hair that’ll make me emotional, you clearly don’t know the first thing about me.