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♦︎ basics;

Full Name: Alexander David Li

Nickname/Preferred Name: Alex

Age: thirty-six

Birthday: December 30, 1986

Zodiac: Capricorn sun, Capricorn moon, Capricorn rising

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Relationship Status: Single; mostly divorced x 1

Religion: his mom was Buddhist and taught him some, but most of it has faded over time and it isn't a daily part of his life as much as something he thinks about from time to time.

Neighborhood: Montara

Occupation: general practice attorney

#hmbintro #( about. )

kimxsiwoo

Sam had been by himself for a few days, and his home was starting to get way too quiet for his tastes. He didn't know what still existed in town or didn't, and he figured the only way to find out was by finding out. So, he'd packed himself and gone out on a stroll. Ultimately, he ended up at a record store he didn't recognize and walked in. Sam had no way to play a record, but it seemed like a cool place he'd never seen before.

"Me?" His eyes went a bit wide as somebody almost immediately spoke to him. "Uh, I suppose it depends. What kind of music do you enjoy? Or are you looking for something...random and new?"

alexdli

The stranger seemed a little stunned to be addressed, and Alex had to bite back a laugh. He'd been there before. At least what he'd addressed the other with wasn't enormously awkward, even if it had been without thought.

"Yeah," he offered casually. "Something random and new sounds so necessary right now I can't even tell you how much. I listen to pretty much anything. I worked in a gym for a long time and everyone had their own particular soundtrack, so I think at some point I've heard a little bit of everything. Except maybe lullabies and slower stuff."

#( conversations. )#( m; kim )#( c; kim )

Record stores weren't his thing, but they weren't not his thing, either. He'd unearthed one of Nan's record players and a handful of records, and had carefully brought it back to Half Moon Bay with him when he'd returned. While he'd never seen her use it, the collection of records was just odd enough to be very, very personal.

That was, to say, absolutely none of it was his taste.

So here he was, at the only record store in town, rifling through what they had to offer, wondering if he would stumble on any hidden gems.

"I don't think this one is for me," he said, placing it back where he'd taken it from. Not really caring if he was talking to a total stranger or not, he didn't elaborate. He wasn't trying to convince, at least not this time. Or maybe not yet. "Do you have any suggestions?"

#hmbstarter

rhea-gujral

This was probably the best thing about reconnecting with someone you once knew--they could really see through the bullshit and tell you how it was. She felt that way with Alex and a part of her was sure he felt that way too. He'd been one of the most important people in her life at one point and it had come at the right time when she'd desperately needed someone to tether herself to. And he'd been there and he'd let her do that--saving her from drowning in a sense.

While she'd initially been dreading this meeting mainly because of having to express her problems to a new person--this was definitely turning out a lot better than she could've hoped for. But being with someone who'd known her when she was a lot younger--well it was a lot easier for her to become a little more vulnerable, telling him things that she normally would never voice to anyone anymore.

His words did catch her off guard for a second, causing her gaze to narrow as she waited to see whether or not he was joking but seeing as he continued and even offered up some suggestions on what they could do--he was serious. "Walking along the beach might be just the serotonin hit that I need," she said with a dimpled smile before taking a sip of her own drink and shrugging, "but I like that we've only just met again and you're already trying to help with my moping. It reminds me of old times." Sometimes with past partners--mentioning their relationship could cause awkwardness but with Alex, Rhea felt comfortable enough to bring it up. Especially since they'd parted on good terms which meant there was no hidden animosity between them.

alexdli

For all the things he was and had been, Alex wasn't mopey. That wasn't to say circumstances didn't get him down, but his normal modus operandi when that was happening was to throw himself into work. He could only think of a couple of times that hadn't worked in the past, including the present one where it wasn't helping. It was only natural for him to continue struggling, working to find was to overcome his most recent funk. It also wasn't a stretch for him to extend that same fighting spirit to Rhea. Though it felt like another lifetime, he'd done exactly the same with her before.

Her smile prompted a chuckle. "Good. I think there's a saying about leopards and their spots. And I think it might apply to how to people intersect, too. This is what we've always been to each other, right?" Not for the first time, it occurred to him there was no way he would extend these same offers to his ex-wife. He supposed maybe it said something about how the relationship ended to be offering contact now. Even though this was a business meeting, the line between business and social was a little blurred, and he liked it.

"Alright, now that we have that sorted out, tell me a little more about this business issue," he requested, shifting a little in his seat. "We can get through that and the maybe go find some lunch. My coffee is starting to get cold."

#( conversations. )#( m; rhea )#( c; rhea )

booksqouted

“You’re always haunted by the idea you’re wasting your life.”

— Chuck Palahniuk, Diary

#( quotes. )#( muse. )

jasperjsmith

evanie's hand slapped against her chest in horror. "you're sober?!" she questioned, before instantly waving over one of her fellow bartenders. the two had a quick discussion, and she turned her auburn head over her shoulder to shoot back at alex, "what's your poison? i actually work here, so it's on the house." it was the least she could do, for the kind man that had accepted her invitation to dance.

"we absolutely should hit the floor! come on—we're going to have a great night tonight," regardless of their situations, regardless of why they were out that night, evanie was going to let loose and enjoy the evening. maybe, with a few more drinks in her system, the woman would forget about the man that had torn her heart into shreds. whiskey would cradle her heartbreak for that night, at the very least.

alexdli

Alex couldn't help it -- he laughed out loud at her shock and... maybe outrage? Or maybe it was just surprise and he wasn't good at reading the complexities of human emotions. "That's appreciated. Probably just a whiskey sour for tonight."

He wasn't about to tell her he didn't usually drink the same thing two nights, or two trips to the bar, in a row.

He held his hand out as if he was going to be leading the way. He knew damn well he wouldn't. But it didn't matter. "A great night is what I really need."

#( conversations. )#( m; evanie )#( c; evanie )

rhea-gujral

Rhea hadn’t really ever expected to run into Alex again in her lifetime but now that she had—it felt surreal in the best way. She liked the woman she had become with him by her side. He’d challenged her, and she had done the same for him at least she liked to believe that she did. He was always someone who she viewed as highly intelligent and definitely a strong ally should he be on her side. But while they had at one point known everything about each other—the truth was a long time had passed between them now and certain things would’ve undoubtedly changed.

“Well that’s her loss,” Rhea said to him with a grin as she nodded when he spoke about her being right in a way. She’d always known Alex and his type persay and while she couldn’t say she always met him head on—she knew that in a lot of ways their challenging each other was part of that as well. “For what it’s worth though…I am sorry that things didn’t work out with you both.” And while she wouldn’t admit to it at all, she was almost envious of him that at least he’d been married and had that experience, something she was still afraid to do.

Allowing someone into her life that intimately, allowing them to become her partner now felt so strange and she had no idea how she was supposed to do it. But on the other hand…Rhea was just so lonely now that she was terrified she’d make the wrong choice just for the sake of making it happen. When she told him that she was trying to be happy, she hadn’t expected him to follow it up with his own thoughts on the subject but somewheres he was thankful for the insight he provided.

“I know you’re right…in hindsight I do,” she told him with a dimpled smile before shaking her head, “but right now…I’m more than happy just moping around and wishing my life would change.” Rhea sighed quickly, knowing that if there was one person who would call her out on her bullshit, it was definitely Alex Li. “Okay okay, before you tell me that I’m talking nonsense…you’re right and I know that and I will figure out a way to change the things in my control and try to be happier, is that good?” But the truth was…she couldn’t make him any promises in that department, not until she really figured out how to make some impactful changes.

alexdli

His grin echoed hers as she expressed something a few people had said to him in attempts and comfort and apologized for things that completely weren't her fault. Sometimes the comfort and the apologies, the way people would tilt their head when he mentioned his divorce, or more recently, Nan's death, rubbed him the wrong way. With her, he could grin and know he sat in good company. He could, quite literally, shrug it off.

After all, things not working out and then starting over was the name of the entire game, right?

In spite of the years in between them, she rambled through everything he would've said, and it made him chuckle, even as he reached for his coffee to take a sip. They'd talked long enough it was starting to edge into 'too cool to be cool' territory.

"The other option is we could go out sometime," he pointed out. "Get out, touch some grass, walk on the beach. It might beat moping."

#( conversations. )#( m; rhea )#( c; rhea )

who: closed | @anniexhayes

where: their law office, (Hayes & Li Attorneys at Law)

when: today

Alex hadn't been back in town for very long. He wasn't exactly sure how long it would take for everything to stop looking and feeling different, but that was still happening. If adjusting to a new normal was the definition of a 'long time', he still probably had a way to go. So much had changed in such a short period of time, he wasn't even sure how to begin.

Going to the office seemed as good a first step as any. He'd punted all his cases, at least the ones that were in-progress enough they were likely to see court time, before he'd left for San Diego. He'd been running a pretty low roster anyway, given the amount of marital counseling and effort that had preceded his divorce. Even still, physically going to the place, touching some paper, looking through files -- that was probably as good a start as he was likely to find. Maybe he'd be able to pick up something another associate was looking to hand off, and he'd be running again. Or, if not running, at least strolling through the motions of a return.

#( conversations. )#( m; annie )#( c; annie )

jasperjsmith

"you bet your bottom dollar you're dancing with me!" evanie called over her shoulder, thankful for her slight inebriation to wash away the usual nerves that would have prevented her from approaching a stranger. wrangling a staff discount, she had already sunk a few whiskey and cokes and was now sufficiently buzzed. it was well deserved, after a week straight of opens, nights sobbing beneath her comforter with some salt-and-sweet popcorn and a romcom on television. her mama always told movies cured a broken heart; evanie-may was firmly in the knowledge that a tall glass of something bitter did the trick.

spying his water, her brow cocked and lightly-painted eyes narrowed. "are you not drinking?" she questioned, wiggling their arms, lifting alex's so she could swoop beneath it. whether he was down for a little fun or not, it seemed the poor soul had been picked that evening to spend a little time with the southern belle.

alexdli

"Not currently, but I could be," Alex admitted. He had the thought he might have to a little bit if he was trying to keep up with her because, man, she apparently had a lot of energy. "I really just came to dance." It was a shortened version of the truth, better than revealing the full truth -- that he hadn't been out in long enough he wasn't sure he could remember how to dance or talk to people who weren't seeking legal advice. "Should we hit the floor?"

#( conversations. )#( m; evanie )#( c; evanie )#// a month is a perfectly acceptable time frame for a reply right?

d-criss-news

Via Leah McKendrick's Instagram Story (April 12th, 2023)

#( face. )

jasperjsmith

the tipsy whale ! ( open to — all )

it wasn’t often that evanie had a night free, escaping from being shackled behind the bar and allowed to indulge in the blaring music without the responsibilities of a siren. instead she was spending the evening beneath fluorescent lights, twirling within a sea of strangers, singing along to whatever music the DJ chose to play. after what seemed like hours of generic pop hits, the first few lines of 'that don’t impress me much' by shania twain rang out through the venue. excitedly, she took hold of the first arm that happened to come into contact with her fingertips, dragging them to the middle of the floor to dance. “oh my god—this is my song!”

alexdli

Going dancing by himself wasn't exactly his thing. But after at least two weeks of the same old/same old, not meeting any new people and not doing anything different than he'd done in the two weeks previous, he had scientifically decided 'fuck it.'

It's not like he had anyone at home to give a shit if he stayed out all night. He didn't have any pressing work concerns the next morning, either. He was the epitome of invisible there and also at The Tipsy Whale. They at least had a DJ, which was more than he could say for some of the other bars in town.

He still actually kind of felt that way when the bouncy human who claimed Shania Twain as a soundtrack latched onto his arm and dragged him from the bar, where he was not quite finished with his drink of water.

"I guess that means I'm dancing to it with you then," he joked as she absolutely took charge.

#( conversations. )#( m; evanie )#( c; evanie )

rinavega-deactivated20230425

❛❛ retroactive? and have the deductible cost an arm and a leg? no thank you. ❜❜ they snorted, helping the other up in to a sitting position. she loomed over him, gaze piercing as she eyed him up, trying to assess if she had caused any irreparable damage. from the looks of it, and the sass, he seemed fine enough. a walk it off type, unless he was rambling due to a concussion or something... she quickly pushed that thought from her mind. ❛❛ i was barely scratching speed to be honest, and you know most people usually look both ways before crossing the street? isn't that like the first rule of kindergarten? ❜❜

alexdli

"Instead of breaking one of mine?" He asked, not as grumpily as he probably wanted to. At least he was helped to sitting. That was a nice touch. He'd definitely had worse, in terms of being flattened and left to fend for himself. Even if most of that had been emotional.

"This isn't a street. It's a boardwalk. The same rules don't apply."

#( conversations. )#( m; love )#( c; love )

rhea-gujral

For Rhea this meeting was nice because she felt a sense of familiarity with Alex. Sure the woman she’d been with him was someone else—at least in her eyes, but that woman had been someone she was still proud of. That Rhea had dealt with Bliss’ passing and had overcome from it in her own way with his support. And in so many ways she gave him credit for pushing her to continue chasing her own success and if it hadn’t been for him—she may not have ever gone down the path she did that led her to her own company. “Oh yes, how can I forget how stubborn you can be?” She teased with a smile before listening to his words about his former partner. “Ahhh I’m sure she could, but if I know you at all—something tells me it’s that nature of hers that had you marrying her in the first place?”

Who’d have ever thought she’d be discussing her ex’s marriage with him like this in such a casual manner but here they were and honestly it was quite nice to reconnect in this way with him. Rhea told him about her move to Half Moon Bay and how things had been both good and bad in the journey and how she was currently fixing up her place. She listened to his words and more than that—she noticed the frown on his face before sighing and understanding why the frown was there. “I get that—I mean it will happen but it does take time. I’m not saying I’m great at interior work but I could help? I have done a lot of overseeing renovating work back in New York and so…” she shrugged, trailing off and letting him decide if he wanted her help or not because she could see how it might get weird.

When Alex admitted that he wasn’t sure if he was happy, she found herself wanting to reach out and comfort him but kept her hands clasped together, unsure if that type of comfort was even allowed given how it was their first meeting in over so many years. “It’s good for you to know that you can keep trying to get yourself to that point,” Rhea told him in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. But when he threw the question back at her, for that one moment—Rhea Gujral let the mask slip and fall…because she wasn’t.

But she didn’t want to force him to deal with her vulnerability the way he might’ve in the past. Back then he’d signed up for it but now—now it wasn’t fair to make him deal with her feelings of unhappiness. “Thanks Alex, yeah it’s been a lot to get here…but uh, I don’t know honestly if they were all good steps…and I guess I’m trying to be happy? I’m not at all where I thought I’d be in life personally and that always seems to bother me even if I try not to let it.” Rhea had always thought given the messed up childhood she’d had that she would change it around. She’d be happily married to a loving husband and have at least two kids in her life—giving them the love that she and her siblings didn’t get from their parents but instead, she was living a single life surrounded with great friends but no real companion to call her own.

alexdli

Alex chuckled about his own stubbornness and her reaction. She'd met it head-on more than once, to be sure. And while he'd been somewhat prepared for this conversation by recognizing her name, that was the first moment that really clicked in terms of familiarity. They weren't just strangers catching up at this point, they were people who had been close in the past. It was a subtle but distinct difference. They had really known one another and he could probably count the number of people who had really known him on less than one hand.

He shook his head. "No, I meant my partner in the law firm. My ex-wife doesn't want anything to do with me." He frowned, but it wasn't a sad one. It was maybe more contemplative than anything else. "But you're still right. The fact that she didn't want anything to do with me was attractive. It was a bickering sort of foundation, so I guess you could say we came full circle."

In reality, Andi hadn't been stubborn about him leaving at all. Maybe that was part of the reason he'd walked out the door. But that wasn't really something to dissect with Rhea or anyone besides Andi. And he probably wasn't going to dissect it with Andi, either.

He was more than happy to let the subject drift to Rhea's move, to accept her offer to help with a yes please, I'll call or text for sure when I'm to that point, and to the more nitty gritty of a reunion. They had parted on decent enough terms he wanted her to be happy and something in her face that he probably would've been way more in tune with told him she wasn't. But he couldn't be totally certain.

"I hated the question about where you see yourself in five years or ten years," he admitted on the heels of her own 'trying to be happy.' "Maybe it's because some part of me knew I couldn't imagine what my life was going to look like. Maybe I just already had a start on thinking life sucks and I'm not in charge of it." He shrugged. "Either way... yeah, I think we're in the same boat. I guess the question is what we could do, or what we do have control over to try and change that."

#( conversations. )#( m; rhea )#( c; rhea )#divorce tw

mackxremi

— setting: Outside Alex’s home : early morning — availability: closed starter for Alex Li | ( @alexdli)

The drive went by quicker than Annie thought it would. Now after showing up to work to find that Alex once more failed to show up like he said he would, Annie found herself in her car parked in Alex’s driveway. She probably should not have let her anger escalate to the point that she turned right around and stomped out the door. The thought that maybe a long drive would cool her off went out the window when she made it to Alex’s house in just over 15 minutes. Damn her lead foot and the police for not stopping her. This was not going to be pretty. This being her forcing Alex to make a decision about where he stood when it came to their firm. Tired could not even begin to describe how Annie felt about Alex’s lack of communication with her. It was the least she deserved after coming back from maternity leave early to allow him to take his own leave due to a sick family member. Not that she would ever throw that in his face. They were business partners and that meant being there for each other through all the ups and downs that life threw at them. However, Annie could not help feeling as if Alex forgot that fact. If he needed more time, she saw no fault in that. What she found fault in was his silence. There would be no more silence, Annie thought with each step she took towards Alex’s front door. Once she reached the door, she brought her hand up to push the doorbell. Feeling that was not enough she followed ringing the bell with a knock. “Come on, Alex. It’s time to face me.”

alexdli

Alex really had no intention of returning to the law firm. In part, that was because he liked the pace of free-lancing. While he only had a small handful of clients, and had only taken a few meetings as a result, he found he didn't mind. Mentally, he'd been prepared to gear down as much as a year ago; his personal life had just had other ideas.

The real problem he still needed to deal with was Annie Hayes.

She was the only colleague he'd had that he really cared about, bonding over wry comments and debates in spite of the difference in their specialties. (His, of course, being no specialty.) When he'd dropped everything to return to San Diego and Nan's side, he knew from the thin and brief thread of contact he'd maintained that she had returned from maternity leave early to accommodate him. Then he'd unceremoniously quit and he hadn't talked to her since. Uncharacteristically, he still hadn't tied off the loose end. Maybe it was because he didn't have a solid reason, when it was the last thing that would tether him to anything or anyone. He wasn't sure Annie, of all people, could understand the fact that he just didn't really give a fuck about much these days. She didn't seem to have run out of any fucks in the time he'd known her.

He had just come back from a punishing run when he heard her voice, and all that regret came to him in a quick instant. He didn't even have coffee to offer because he was absolutely useless at making it. She was a force that wouldn't be ignored, though, so he answered the door in nothing but workout shorts and a sweatband.

Oh, with a bottle of chocolate milk in his hand because it was his favorite lazy recovery drink after a run, which he held up with a sigh as soon as he'd opened the door. "Hey, Annie. I have another one of these with your name on it if you want it."

#( conversations. )#( m; annie )#( c; annie )

kyleharrison

She hated him, she hated that stupid smile she was sure he reserved for times he wanted to rile her up. "You're worried about my safety? That's absolute bullshit -- and considering you're the one who moved out, aren't you sick of being here? Doesn't stepping foot over the threshold burn the black hole in your rib cage?" Was she being dramatic? Yes. Was she going to apologise for it? Not even if her stupid comments caused Alex to burst into tears. Hurt people hurt people, or so the saying went.

Alex was now in her space, not theirs and it was making her increasingly unsettled having him back there. The smell of him, his cologne or his deodorant, or just him was infecting her nostrils and giving her flashbacks to the other times she'd smelt it during their break up.

"Bite me," she replied simply, ignoring him as she found the hook that was still on the wall from where her diploma had once hung. She'd taken it down to paint the wall and put it in a box, clearly one that later got mixed up with Alex's moving boxes. His fault? Possibly not, but Andi was still going to blame him. In her haste to hang the framed certificate, Andi thought the wire was hooked and let the heavy frame go, her heart catching in her throat as she watched it fall down the wall and hit the floor, glass smashing into tiny shards all over her bare feet.

alexdli

"Believe what you want," he said, still following her. He slipped a hand into one of his pockets for good measure, all the better to appear casual and at ease. In reality, this was probably the most alive he'd felt in actual days. The smile she hopefully hated continued. "Oh, you mean the spot where my heart would be, if only I had one? No. Not particularly. Should it?"

The reality was, he was only doing this because he felt it, and it was a good reminder he could still feel anything at all. But he didn't really need to tell her that, now did he?

Besides, he didn't actually say anything at all after her super witty bite me that might've met she didn't have a lot more juice for this conversation. The falling frame kinda said it for him.

After checking himself before he wrecked himself, he moved to help. "Okay, for real. Don't be a stubborn asshole for once, hold still, and let me clean this up so you don't hurt yourself."

#( conversations. )#( m; andi )#( c; andi )#// i love the gif #// and her #// and you

the star: have you ever seen a psychic?

"No. I'm absolutely what you would call a skeptic. And also, I'm way too cheap to pay someone for something like that."

#( meme; tarot )

judgement: do you enjoy school?

"Yeah, I did actually. Well.... that's not the complete truth. I liked most of law school and a large percentage of college. The having to pick a position and stick with it, even if you didn't necessarily agree, the structure, working back from the edge of constant disaster... it was good. I absolutely hated high school, but that could've been a function of everything external that was going on. High school definitely didn't have my full attention."

#( meme; tarot )#( headcanons. )

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