“God, should I do something wild right now? Break out into a dance and song like the musicals?” Lennon curled her hands around the hot mug of cider, shaking her head. The holidays were strange. One of her favorite times of year and the time she started thinking about all the things she hadn’t done over the year. Reverse New Year’s Revolution. It was another year and she didn’t feel any closer to the success she was chasing. “Maybe this… No. God, Amir, should I do something else with my life?” Amir was one of the few people she opened up to, one of the people who were outside of the band enough that she didn’t have to worry about disappointing.
closed @amir-icle
amir knew all about being lost - struggling to figure out exactly what direction his own life was going to take had been on his mind lately, too. not knowing if he would stay at the clinic forever and keep that path of... well, it wasn’t nothing. he enjoyed his job. but it had been a long time since he had let himself be ruled by ambition. the way he saw it, lennon was something of a trailblazer. someone with clear ambition. or so he thought. his brows furrowed, “you can’t be serious?”
there was a pause. “alright. i’ll bite. what else would you do?”
Delilah was a go with the flow kind of person, she tried to be the best she could be and always try new things. She was a great singer do Karaoke in front of total strangers was something she’d totally want to do. “Oh come on, I bet you’re not that bad. And even if you are, I don’t care and no one else cares too!” She said while nodding with a warm smile. “I chose an old song but it’s a great one! I chose love grows by edison lighthouse. It was my father’s favorite song and I want to sing it in his memory.” She said as she took a sip from her drink, then looked at Amir “Are you up for the task? Because we’re up next.”
amir liked to stick to what he knew. he would happily talk about his latest library find, what albums had drawn him in lately and even his commute. he didn’t mind talking. but singing? and in front of strangers? it took a push. and delilah was that push. “i don’t know if i know the words.” the title was unfamiliar, but he wasn’t going to ditch her and let her go up alone. so he took a deep breath and nodded. “yeah, okay. i’ll do it,” he said, as if he had a choice. it didn’t seem at all like he was being given one. “as long as i get to choose the next song.”
Starter for: @amir-icle
Where: Amir’s apartment (and soon to be her’s too)
Even though that it had been Ashlee’s goal to get out of the apartment sharing with three roommates as she had arrived in New York - and she had been pretty proud of the fact that she had managed to do so - she had to decide to go back to to an apartment with at least one roommate now. She had been searching for quite some bit, preferably within Queens but it had been an impossible search. So she moved to a different part of New York and she had found it in Brooklyn.
Ashlee’s gaze moved through the room that would be hers and she turned back to Amir. “This is perfect. I don’t need much.” Sure, she would have to downsize and she would definitely have to get rid of some stuff but she was sure she could give some of that to the non-profit she was working for. “I would love to have this place. No pets, no loud noises whatsoever on my side. Are there things I need to know before deciding on what I want?”
finding a good roommate had been a lot more difficult than amir bargained for. moving out and finding somewhere he liked had been a big hurdle. finding someone to share it with? even bigger. he’d fielded a bunch of applicants already from the struggling young artists to the balding middle aged with questionable incomes. in fact, just before finding ashlee he was considering giving up and just moving back home.
yet there she was, checking all the boxes. as in... employed? check. didn’t seem weird on first meeting? double check. it was surprising how difficult those standards were to meet after posting an open ad. “uh, the rail in the closet’s broken. the landlord said he’d fix it... last month. sometimes i get home late from work - but i’m quiet,” he promised. “wednesday mornings the garbage men can be pretty loud outside. bodega down the street sells discounted ear plugs on tuesday nights.” standing at the door of the room, amir tucked his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels as he tried to think about anything else that might put her off. if he’d had any tact, he would have been trying to talk it up. but he wanted to be honest.
“i’d say everything in the kitchen and living room should be half, but i don’t mind where you put stuff. you can use any of my stuff if you need it,” a pause as he brought his gaze up to look at her, almost looking too hopeful. “so... what d’you say? yeah?”
closed for @amir-icle
location: Diana’s private practice, Manhattan Child Heath Centre; Night
As it was, any day Amir didn’t drop documents into child vomit, was a good day. The bar had become shockingly low. Not for Amir, the doctor thought of him like her own son, and probably because he was a lot like her own son–both incurably clumsy. But the bar for work was just that low. At this point, she’d take a day without someone calling her stinky as a win. Why did she want to work with children again?
“Amir,” she sighed, deep and heavy with fatigue as their last patient fluttered out of the building. “We still have to organize the files, don’t we?” With a groan, her head fell on to the reception desk, banging her forehead against the counter lightly as she groaned again. “The pipes are making that weird noise again, and its scaring the kids. Another mom just asked me if you were single. And my son apparently forged my signature so he could get an internship with my ex-boyfriend.” She lifted her head up, drowsy from work. “How are you? Are you ready for another late night?”
despite their bad rep, late nights at work were one of amir’s favourite things. when the clinic was quiet and there were no screaming children or fretting parents around. when the low hum of the lights above his desk was good company. arguably, he was better at his job after hours because there were less mistakes to be made. “there’s only...” he reached over and set down a rather hefty stack of papers, his smile faltering for a moment when the sheer force made the desk shake and resulted in his tub of pens toppling over and spilling onto the floor. as he scrambled to pick them up, he still tried to sound optimistic.“a couple hundred pages? that’s- that’s basically nothing?”
he worked quickly to try and think of a solution, like that was what she was asking for. “i’ll call the plumber in the morning,” which he had promised to do two days ago. this time he scribbled it down on a sticky note and stuck it to the monitor. embarrassment flushed his face, “i’m in a committed relationship with my work.” sad but somewhat true. “and er- what?” when he looked up at her, he was searching for more context. “is your- how did you find out about that?” probably not the right question, but it was the one he was going with.
"i’m great! good. i’m... as good as i need to be?” he sounded uncertain, like the wrong answer would cost him his job. despite being there for a while, he was still trying to find his footing with diana. toeing the line between boss and friend he could share things with. “i got a new roommate a few days ago. she seems cool. i’ve never had a roommate before. i mean my sister, but she’s my sister, y’know.”
Delilah liked doing new things whenever she could and while being part of a wealthy family, she couldn’t really do anything stupid like totally embarrass herself while singing karaoke. Their family image was everything to them. Delilah wasn’t a person who “followed” the roles so…karaoke it is. “Hey there!” She said as she got up and hugged the other man. “Oh, you’re going up there with me. I already picked out a song!” She said giggling “Come on, you don’t know anyone here, who cares?” The brit asked.
although that was a solid philosophy on the surface, amir had a hard time really believing it. “getting the chance to know anyone here will be out of the question if they hear me-” he almost missed her statement about choosing a song. in fact, he laughed. for a moment he was naive enough to believe that she was only joking. an underestimation that would probably only have him up on the stage sooner than he liked. reluctantly, he started to give in. with a deep sigh he asked, “what song?”
Delilah was a fun person, or at least she hopped she was. She was also the type to go with the flow and almost never said no to hanging out with someone. Amir was someone she met randomly but the two connected pretty quickly. Amir was a quiet guy comparing to herself, of course, but she wanted him to feel like he could do absolutely anything. She invited him to come to a karaoke night at some bar she know. She arrived to the bar, taking a seat next to one of the tables, listening to the awful singing that already happening on stage while drinking some virgin cocktail.
entering the karaoke bar, amir was immediately hit by the sound of what he thought was the cry of an injured creature. only a few moments later he realised it was actually just a middle aged man's rendition of it's all coming back to me now... with an opt up. his eyes scanned the room and eventually came to rest on delilah, the relief of a familiar face immediate as he slid into the spot next to her. "hey! you okay?"
he reached over to pick up the drinks menu, turning it over in his hands just for something to do. "so, you're not actually going to make me get up there... right? i mean, i get this thing when i'm put on the spot where i just... sweat. like a lot. and i wore a white shirt- which in hindsight was a really bad idea... should i take the jacket off or leave it on?"
amir picked his sister up from campus most days. although sometimes he felt awkward waiting around for her to show up, he’d taken to visiting the on-campus coffee shop. the baristas knew him by name, and they always chatted briefly about whatever was going on in their lives. today, amir learning that one of their daughters had been accepted into that very school. it made him smile, if only because he liked hearing about other people’s successes.
he often thought about what he would do if he had the chance to enrol. what he would major in, the people he would meet - but it ceased to matter. he had too many responsibilities. moving out to live closer to his workplace had already been enough change for a lifetime. just as he was leaving, he got a message from his sister. apparently he wasn’t needed. she was going out with some friends. “hmph.” as he rose his head to reconsider his day, he caught sight of a familiar face.
he’d come to meet the professor whilst grabbing a coffee a while ago and found that her routine often coincided with his. “professor valente!” he still called her out of respect. he held the door of the coffee shop ajar to let her go ahead but another patron took that as their chance to leave without any thanks. they knocked amir’s arm, sending his newly acquired coffee tumbling to the floor. torn between trying to pick the cup up and keeping the door open for camila, he fumbled to use his foot as a doorstop. “ah- sorry, are you heading inside?”
Sometimes it was just too easy. Julian knows he made the right decision in not taking anything from the man as soon as he sees the genuine relief in having recovered the lost item. He didn’t fancy himself a villain, more a Robin Hood type. He couldn’t possibly take from someone who needed it.
Okay, yeah, he could. And he had, but that wasn’t the point.
“I know. I checked.” He jokes with a charming smile, despite his words being nothing more than the truth. “You work at a clinic, huh?” Asks the man, resting his hands on his hips while looking around briefly. He didn’t have much to do that afternoon, and he liked coffee. Sure. This couldn’t hurt. “Eh, what the hell. I’d never say no to a good Nespresso. Lead the way, Amir.” And with that, he reveals he had indeed checked the guy’s wallet, but Julian gets familiar all too quickly by patting his shoulder with a firm, friendly hand. “I’m Julian, by the way.”
“how do you-” amir was clearly startled when he said his name, almost forgetting that he would have surely had to open his wallet to make sure it belonged to him, right? a naive approach, but it was the one that he would stick with. “you got me there for a second.” he laughed softly and slid his wallet back into the safety of his back pocket.
“a paediatric clinic. sick kids, worried parents. but i like it.” it was enough for him to get by. a comfortable wage that covers what needed to be covered. the clinic was a short walk from where they were and, even with the interruption, they reached it much quicker than he would have if he were to take a cab. “nice to meet you julian. no need for me to check your licence, then?” he joked, a nervous half smile seemingly permanently etched onto his face. “what do you do?”
Every now and again, he’d get the urge. It wasn’t frequent, but it was powerful when it came. It was the longing for that small kick of adrenaline, the one he got when something unlawful was at play. When the urge gets to him, he follows it. He follows it today, when it all seems easy enough: big crowd, a wallet just within reach and in plain sight. Easy peasy.
So Julian approaches the unassuming person with nonchalance, bumping into them as his lithe fingers reached for that all too visible wallet and picked it out from their pocket in one swift move. As they move away, he inspects the contents of the wallet, and a disappointed grimace comes to him. Rolling his eyes, he closes it and walks over to the person: “Hey!” Julian calls out, wearing an innocent smile when he reaches them. “You dropped this. Might wanna be more careful, people in this city don’t tend to return lost wallets.”
amir was supposed to have been at the clinic half an hour ago. he’d called a cab instead of walking - a rookie mistake - and gotten stuck in traffic. it was moments after he had tumbled out of the cab to save time and promptly realised he was even further from his workplace than anticipated that he heard someone calling behind him. relief flooded his features immediately at the familiar sight of his leather-bound wallet in the other man’s hand. “ah! thanks for that! i didn’t even notice.”
he took the wallet and opened it as if to double check everything was still there. he was only checking for one thing - a picture his sister had drawn him years ago was still tucked in the front window. “you know, i’d repay you but i swear i don’t have any cash on me,” he said, sounding genuinely apologetic. “do you like coffee? we do coffee at the clinic i work at- it’s good! i bought the machine myself. well, i ordered it. it’s the one from those clooney commericals?”
“Am I really that much of a bitch for saying I don’t want my husband’s fucking ex wife at our Christmas dinner? Am I really asking for too much?” Margot inquired manically, lit cigarette perched between two fingers. She’d had enough of hearing about lonely, single Nicola and those stupid, meddling children of hers that were trying to hijack the magnificent party she’d been organising for months. “I cannot stress how much of a nightmare she is, and she has this incessant need to try to outdo me with everything.” She took a deep breath out, it felt good to get that weight off her shoulders, it’d been bugging her for weeks and been the cause of disagreements with her man. “What do you think?”
amir listened intently to the woman’s story, trying desperately to follow along with who was who. he nodded along at the appropriate points, fidgeting hands clasping together when finally, she asked for his opinion. “i um-” he swallowed nervously, worried about giving the wrong opinion. “i think you’re right?” his brows knitted together like he wasn’t sure about that answer. “i mean, of course you’re right. she shouldn’t be invited. she sounds... not great?” he didn’t want to judge someone that he hadn’t met. “why- why is she invited?” he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, nervous to ask her about the real intention behind his visit to her table. it had felt like a quicker way than waiting for a server. all he’d wanted was some table salt, but instead he’d heard too much.
Not everyone can say they’ve been to the Big Apple, but Amir Virani, a 30 year-old cismale has lived in Bushwick, Brooklyn for 30 years. This is the city of dreams and he knows it, because they came to NYC to be a receptionist. Well, that and as a Receptionist to Diana Wright. Living in the city means they meet all kinds of people, but everyone always seems to think they look like Dev Patel. They even got away with free cab fare once because of it!
BIRTHNAME: Amir Virani
ALIAS: @amirplays on Twitch
DOB: June 24th 1991
ORIGIN: Brooklyn, NY
RESIDENCE: Brooklyn, NY
OCCUPATION: Receptionist at a Private Paediatric Clinic
FAMILY: Gaurav Virani (father, deceased)
Amisha Virani (mother, 56)
Unnamed Sister (?)
POSITIVE TRAITS: honest, thoughtful, creative
NEGATIVE TRAITS: naive, awkward, shy
FAVOURITE SONG: Talking to the Moon by Bruno Mars
A NOTE ON THE ADMINISTRATION
tw: death
amir’s life had always been straight forward. he was never one for thinking outside of the box, he took things at face value and did all the things that he was supposed to do. he was happy that way, secure in a future that he thought he had. he was also a big believer in taking his time - always walking the long way back from school, never staying up late to finish whatever he had to do. he didn’t have many friends, but he was content in his ways.
it wasn’t until his father died unexpectedly when amir was thirteen that his outlook changed. he’d lived his life so far with limited responsibility - his father had always been stringent in making sure his children were never fully aware of the financial and personal struggles they were having. they were problems reserved for a man and his wife. overnight, the dynamic shifted and amir became the man of the house. his mother distanced herself and became a ghost.
slow wasn’t an option any more.
amir adapted to the role quickly, helping his mother with the store they owned and making sure his little sister had everything she needed. when it came time to decide whether or not to go to college, amir was hesitant. that had always been the path he thought he was destined for, but supporting his family as his mother continued to recede deeper into her own sadness? the choice was easy.
for a while, he did lie about taking community college classes to his mother, but in time she stopped asking, knowing fine well that he was really picking up odd jobs to make ends meet. permanent jobs were difficult to come by. no one seemed keen to hire the young man just because, as he decided to make his leading attribute, he has a pretty good score on the SAT.
a few years ago, however, he answered an ad for a paediatric clinic in need of an administrative assistant. a few embellished little lies about how he’d love to be a paediatrician some day - and this one stuck.
although it can’t be said that amir is particularly good at his job, the kids and parents love his quiet charisma just enough for him to be a pretty good asset to the clinic.
