[UZOCHI ADEYEMI. 26. FEMALE. SHE/THEY] is here! Theyāve lived in Asbury Park for [FIVE MONTHS] and are originally from [ABUJA, NIGERIA]. They are a [PODCASTER] and in their downtime love [COOKING] and [DOING STREET ART]. They look a lot like [AYO EDEBIRI] and live on [PINE STREET]. The song that makes people think of them the most is [NORMAL GIRL BY SZA.].Ā
name: uzochi adeyemi
nicknames: chi, chi-chi
birthday: july 21st, 1998
place of birth: abuja, nigeria
sexual orientation: demisexual
mbti: enfp
neighborhood: pine street
occupation: podcaster
pinterest
headcanons
top tier yapper like oh my godā¦you mention peppers for example? she can talk about this one dish with peppers, then that transitions to the first time she had itāshe just likes talking.Ā
can barely ride a bike. do not put her on a bike. has crashed into multiple bushes before. bruised knees have been a frequent.
only moved to america for school. definitely still goes through culture shock from time to time.
is it possible to be homesick for a place thatās by definition not your home? misses nycāconstantly. randomly brings it up in conversations, compares everything to itāsometimes she bites her tongue about it because she could always be back home, but she canāt help but complain a little.
major foodie. one of the reasons why she even misses nyc in the first place is because of the food. šāāļø give her recommendations and sheāll thank you in the long run!
isnāt confrontational in the slightest iām so sorryā¦would rather stare at you and make 10 jokes (which onlyĀ oneĀ will probably land) before sticking up about something. in person, at least.
behind the mic though? chiās definitely talking. she works better behind a screen or in a general area where barely anyone can quickly put a face with her words. desperately teaches herself to use that persona in situations outside of the podcast.
genuinely keen on slapping stickers anywhere. phone cases, notebooks, laptops, headphones, the occasional stop signāif thereās one in her possession, itās going to be gone in the same day. will stop in the middle of something just to put one somewhere.
connectionsĀ
friends ā chi kind of needs to get her mind off moving likeāyesterday. definitely will repay you with meals.Ā
anything thatās one sided?? whether in a positive or negative sense, chiās genuinely bad at picking up signals sometimes. her bad.
taste testers ā chi has a list of recipes she needs a second opinion on and they constantly ask your character for advice. try not to be too harsh.
would love to have someone who she considers to be her muse! constantly borrows said person for her art or just to see if anything about them can be used to plate her dishes a certain way.
honestly down with doing anything!! iām a sucker for plotting, so feel free to dm me if you have any ideas.Ā
"Think Jinx? Now that sounds like a drink name. But what happened to not speaking it into existence? You're not heeding your own advice, 'Chi."
"There ya go. If you ever get around to making it your side gig, you know you can sign me up for a plate. Spicy or otherwise. Nothing beats a home cooked meal."
āNo! Nuh uh, that one doesn't count cause it's likeā¦me being against it. Or something." Chi's lip poked out, because now she's sounding like those kids that get tagged during tag then immediately swapping the rules in order to not consider themselves as āitā. āAlso, this place wishes they could have drink name ideas like mine.ā
āI'll keep you updated on the plates, then. I feel like if I do it any time soon, then I've been kind of eyeing Thanksgiving-esque foodsā¦I would just have to ace the timing on selling."
"Nah, I get it," Sam said with a nod. "You ever try the Gobbler? I'm kinda hyped for it to come back, I really can't lie." For someone who never cooked Thanksgiving meals for himself if he was going it alone, that was the perfect sub to have around then. "Yeah, he's just a walking collection of red flags," Sam said, tipping his beer back. At the end of the day, it was a little funny. Even if it wasn't funny. "I'll ask him where my money is?" he replied when asked what he'd do. "Might be a fucking lost cause at this point but...that's probably the last time I'm doing that." Lessons learned, and all that.
āIt's that fucker with the cranberry sauce, right? I tried it once, but it was me mostly stealing a piece from my friend. I think the cran was the turn off. I could tear up one of the chicken strip one right now, thoughā¦" It was basic, but her guilty pleasure. To be fair, any food in that category is a guilty pleasure. If she didn't stop at a place like that in the middle of a road trip, did she really do the road trip correctly in that sense?
There's a little noise of disappointment at his reply in regards on his plans. āI was being nosy was for nothing then?ā She was fucking around and she wasn't actually disappointed, as shown by the grin on her face, but she definitely is taking this conversation as a note that she needs something to spice up her life. āI say if he still doesn't give it, call him out. Likeā¦social media cancelled kinda callout. Or maybe I'm being too pettyā¦ā
"No, of course not," Millie tried to dismiss her worries, unconvincingly, with a wave of her hand. "I mean, it's kinda hard to say that getting blackout drunk and waking up on the front lawn of a house you don't even recognize is the right way of doing it, you know? On the bright side, you've never had to deal with a hangover, and your liver is probably still doing what it's supposed to. I can even teach you some tricks, on the house." She leaned closer, as if she was about to share some trade secret. "For starters, it's always best to find the drunkest person in the place and tell them it's your first time drinking. That's how I once got someone to buy me drinks for an entire night. Just don't try to think about the ethics of it. Save that for the next day when you're sober."
She flagged down the bartender by obnoxiously raising her finger. "But baby steps," she agreed. "Next time, you should opt for a wine tasting instead. Best way to get drunk and feel classy at the same time."
āYou're right. I always felt bad whenever I saw that happen. Like, you're telling me everybody who passes by can see you look like shit on a front lawn? The second hand embarrassment would kill me.ā It's why Chi always wondered how in shows like Shameless, it's so normalized and the people who pass by don't say anything. If she didn't know any better, she'd probably open her mouth and say something before she could stop herself. She probably couldn't survive the world of Shameless, though. She has to humble herself. āI mean, ethics aside, free drinks are free drinksā¦I wish food could work that way.ā Because she'd kill to get free dishes. Taste tester or some shit. Or maybe she could just lie and call herself a food blogger or critic in certain places so they give her thingsā¦
Not happening.
āHow often do they do those around here?ā Wine's easier to digest anyways. Back when she was trying to pay for rent in New York and working at a restaurant, she gained an obsession with wine and food pairings. It might be better than thinking about if she should put her head down because she just wasted money on a shitty cocktail. āCause I meanāI'd do it. I just don't wanna find out now then come to find out the next one is likeā¦eons away.ā
Hollis couldn't help but chuckle at her response. "Soft serve it is, then. But, the yellow vanilla. White vanilla doesn't have the same flavour." He added, corners of his mouth lifting into a playful grin. It was comforting to debate something so trivial, especially in comparison to the heavier stuff that tended to loom around in his mind. It was nice to open the curtains and let some light in. "People always want to add chocolate chips, but why? It's frozen, you can't taste it. One of those houses I grew up in, they put melted fudge over it once for their kids birthday. Oh, man. I can still kinda taste it. Complete game changer."
He leaned back a little, relaxing and enjoying her company. "Stop looking at my dinner like that!" he chuckled, twisting his body as if to shield his fries from her judgemental glare. "I'm eating it, not you." He quickly put a few more bits of, essentially, fried nothing, into his mouth, trying to ignore the fact they were likely ripping his gums to shreds. "But hey, this has got to beat some stuffy diner, right? This is way better." He looked around, taking in the night as it went into that muddled dusk where it wasn't really night but it was too dark to be anything else.
"You've got dinner, and if you wait a little longer until the bars start to fill up, you'll get a show. People pay a lot of money for those things, you know."
āSeriously? I always liked white vanilla more. Yellow vanilla has this weird tang that's always hard to describe for some reason.ā If it's with another flavor, she'll ignore it, but by itself? It always makes her face scrunch kind of funny, combined with some noise that sounds like āMrnnnnn.ā āI kinda dig the chocolate chips though. You gotta likeā¦swirl it around your mouth. It'll melt. But I like it more when it's the funny looking chunks. Ben & Jerry's does it well." And now she's craving a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough.Ā
Chi immediately snickered at her accidental judgement on the fries, putting her hands up in surrender. āOkay, okay. No shame for the bits. I'm biting my chef tongue.ā Does she even qualify as a chef? She just does cooking on the side. She's no Anthony Bourdain. āIt depends on what counts as stuffy. I think in terms of food, some fine dining plates fall under the same amount as bitsā¦but it's about the experience and they give you likeānine plates.ā She then pulled out her phone, clicking for a moment before pulling up a youtube video she was watching about one restaurant. Although the plates were tiny, they were decorated with things like butterflies. āLike that.ā
She then grimaced when she remembered the prices. āIt is really fucking expensive though. 1K. So, I'll take your way over making my wallet scream.ā
"Agh! Okay." Humoring her, Felipe raised a hand, mimicking pulling a zipper across his lips. He took another drink of his beer, shoulders shaking as he laughed quietly to himself. What would be doubly hilarious was that situation coming true due to manifestation but it was best not to get stuck down that wormhole of hypotheticals.
He leaned in to look at the picture, eyebrows raised as he nodded, "Oh yeah. I can totally see myself paying twenty ninety nine for that, not including gratuity...But how was it on the zesty scale? See, when it comes to spicy foods, the kind that make you feel like you've gone through an exorcism afterwards are the best..know what I mean?"
āI can't stop thinking about it now. I feel like I'm gonna have another think jinx." Chi's mostly thinking about the time she kept telling herself that she wouldn't trip on her boots during a walk one time, and because she kept thinking about it, she tripped, fell, and ate asphalt.Ā
She doesn't wanna think about it.
āI'll likeānever forgive myself if I bring that scenario to life.ā She shook her head, trying to find something else to put her mind on before an ufo was outside her door tomorrow. āKeeping that price in mind, I've been thinking about making those likeā¦to go containers full of meals and then selling them? I dunno. Depends on how I feel. But on the scaleā¦I'd give it like a 7. I need something that makes me feel like they just put me on Hot Ones though, so I definitely get what you mean.ā
Hollis smiled as she handed over the gummy worms, taking them carefully without making direct contact. He wasn't used to people being so casual and down to earth about things. Most days, he was lucky if strangers even bothered to look at him, let alone talk to him like an equal.
He couldn't wait and instantly put one of the worms into his mouth, chewing slowly so he could listen to her better. "Chi. Alright, I'll roll with that." He nodded in approval. "Name's Hollis. Can't say I'm packin' snacks like you, but.." He glanced down at the fries. "You're welcome to sit, if you want. Share in...all of...this." He exhaled sharply out of his nose by way of a laugh and bowed his head, finding a ridiculousness in the shame.
He gestured to the space next to him, scooting over to make more room. "Could use the company. And who knows, maybe we'll luck out and someone will drop a couple ice-cream cones right into our laps." He was half-joking, but mostly just hopefully that maybe he could string out this interaction just a little longer before he'd have to go back to silence.
In scenarios like this, it's good that Chi can easily wiggle herself into a comfortable conversation space. In other scenarios? She kind of falls for those guys who try to stop you in the middle of sidewalk to yap about something that she's definitely not gonna sign up for. She's a little thankful that this conversation isn't one of those, or a weird what would you do? scenario. She'll shit her pants if that fucker John QuiƱones comes out after this. She isn't wearing her best outfit right now!
āHollis. Cool. I'll think of a nickname laterā¦ā She said, glancing down at the ābitsā again. There's a grimace at it (because again, worst part of the fries.) before she's sitting down next to him, arms wrapped around her knees as she fully took off her headphones to relax around her neck. Honestly though, she'd like this more if she wasn't wearing a pair of Nike flip flops with long ass socks. Mostly because the socks have smiley faces at the heels, and now she felt embarrassed by the concept of someone fully being able to digest it.
There's a small huff of amusement at the mention of ice cream, with Chi immediately following up on it. āOkay, but only if it's soft serve. Scooped is so sad, man. You can't get the same momentum when you're eating it compared to soft serve. Plus I accidentally bite more with scooped, and that's a no-no.ā That's gonna make her cringe just thinking about recreating it.
"That⦠sounds like a lot of TV shows," he said after a slow moment of thought, trying to envision a title card with Impractical Jokers emblazoned across it, but nothing specific was coming to mind. Henley couldn't even say for sure if he'd ever clicked past an ad for it while channel surfing on the odd Saturday morning.
Family Feud, however, rang plenty of of bells. His tentative smile widened, huffing out another half-formed chuckle. "Another one where people are acting stupid on TV," he pointed out, although his head bobbed in agreement. "I think we've cracked it. Figured out why people must be naming drinks all on their own. It creates too much animosity between friends." Especially if everybody was getting drunk while doing so. A few more drinks were added to his growing collection, but Henley didn't reach for them quite yet, still short a few. Instead, he turned slightly, angling towards the other before offering his hand in a strangely formal gesture for meeting a stranger at a bar. "I'm Henley, by the way."
āThat was the best way I could summarize!ā Without rambling. Chi always knew too much lore on the things she watched for her own good, and this show was no exception. If she didn't know any better, she'd inhale right now and bore him with all of the details, down to the first episode. She's likeā¦the Impratical Jokers wiki, but in a person.
Honestly? All of American television that she watched could be dumbed down to āacting stupid", and a reason she hasn't figured out yet, she's invested without fail almost every time. āYeah, you're right. Maybe in another universe, there's a drink peace treaty.ā It has to be another universe, only because of the fact that if it was done on paper instead of electronically, that thing would probably be ripped up in less than a second. People are petty like that. With a quick smile though, she grabbed his hand and shook. āUzochi. Chi for shortānice to meet you.ā
"Yeah, if you want a good bite to eat at this hour, my recommendation is Pizza Town. Or Fresh Deli, if it's open. That place has the best pork roll. Or y'know, there's always a Wawa." He said this last part only sarcastically, tipping his beer back.
"Nah, he's not going anywhere," Sam shook his head, not entertaining that possibility. "Definitely avoiding me, though. He was all, bro, I'm good for it, I swear." And now, he needed that $200. Pretty urgently. "I guess that's on me for lending two Benjamins to fucking Froggy." He was full on venting and didn't even realize he was doing so, to a relative stranger.
This is it, the shit she needed to take note of in order for her to have a food run when she's too bored to do anything indoors, and everything outdoors seems a little too taxing for her own good. A lot of āMhm'sā and āUh-huhā's are said, up until the mention of Wawa. āI think I had a weird phase where I always wanted their hoagies whenever I went on a road trip.ā She's squinting at that, because why did that even happen?
Chi didn't mind the venting. Everyone goes through shit, gotta let it out somewhere, was the mentality she worked on. Her āsomewhereā though is just the podcast. āI think the second someone says they're āgood for itā, it's a red flag. Don't worry, karma and stuff. Guy probably got enough karma with the hairstyle.ā That last bit is muttered under her breath, because full on shittalking is for another day. āWhat are you gonna do when you see him again? Kinda nosy.ā
Hollis blinked a couple times, a bit taken aback by her rambling response. He wasn't used to people saying much to him beyond the usual 'shoo' or insult. He cocked his head to one side, skepticism on his features settling and softening just a little as he thought over her words, and more importantly, her offer. "Nah, it's cool. I probably do the same when I zone out." He shrugged, wiping his greasy hand off onto his jacket.
"Did me dirty? I don't think they-" he chuckled, glancing down at the sad little fries. He shook his head, dismissing his explanation. "Yeah, well, beggars can't be choosers, right?" Focussing in on the offer of gummy worms, he raised a brow, pretending to have to think it over before letting out a small snort of amusement.
"That's one hell of an offer, lady. Fries and gummy worms? But, hey, I'll take 'em." He held out his hands, allowing her to drop them in rather than make contact with him. "Y'know, I wasn't going to ask, but, I keep thinking about it." He smirked, looking her over. "Do you always walk around with candy? Because, if you do, I've got to know your name and your favourite routes."
Oh yeahāif someone could narrate this right now, they'd probably be screaming about warning! This girl's a big fucking rambler. If Chi spoke in one word or sentence, honestly, that'd be more worrying than anything else. āIf I notice it, I'll let you know. I don't think everyone would have the same response we're having to bitchy stares.ā She knows, New York was full of people who were incredibly different than her right now.
āYeah, yeah. What I tell you?ā Chi always knew how to spot those fuckers: Blocky, a little too crunchyāyou'd have to eat them like peanuts and cram a bunch into your mouth to even come close to the quality of one full fry. It's like a crime against fry-manity. āWorst thing to ever go through, I don't even know why people put them in the bagā¦"
She then shimmied a little before putting one last gummy worm in her mouth for the road, then (albiet, awkwardly.) placed the bag in his hands. āI get it. I do that sometimes too. But, I like, you knowā¦mask it. āWhereād you get that from? What did you order?' then bam, taste test right there.ā Does that come off as manipulative? She'd hope not. āTo answer your question, though? Nah. One of those things where I bought the bag while I was out and got impatient.ā She felt like she'd regret that later.
āBut I can still give you a name so I'm not some likeā¦gummy worm urban legend. It's Uzochi, or Chi. Whatever works for you."
"Well then I guess we're screwed. But how hilarious would that be if you turned out to be right and that actually happened?"
Hearing her answer, Felipe took a page out of her book and reached for his own phone to do some research. Looking over the ingredients, it sounded appealing enough. Similar to amante picante, an equally absurdly named cocktail, that he'd tried before. "You like a little bit of kick then. Are you a fan of spicy foods? I feel like you have to be because you cook, right? Or is that not a thing?"
āGodādon't speak it into existence!ā It's funny to think about, but if you told Chi right now that her notes consisting of food, drinks, and off and on celebrity crushes were going to be the equivalent of a Voyager Golden Record, she might have to start deleting things before it's too late.
The conversation on spicy food made her shoulders release some of its tension, because this is her forte. āThat 100% has to be a thing. If we need me to represent something, that's something I can rep.ā It's not like she's a pro, but she can pretend to be one, just for tonight. āI tried this jerk chicken recipe the other day? Top tier stuff.ā She then went through her phone again, showing off a picture of the plating. Not a Michelin star level, but it's something.
āHey, it only needs to make sense to you, not to some random shmuck," Felipe motioned at himself. His own notes app wasn't any more organized. Despite it being just one, everything was copy and pasted into it. Links to OfferUp for car parts he was eyeing, articles on troubleshooting advice, addressees and passwords. More hassle than itās worth to get it sorted he felt. āTell me this though, which drink has been a favorite so far?There's gotta be at least one in all of that.ā
āYeah but likeā¦what if aliens come down to visit Earth and the only evidence of humanity is my notes?ā Chi's grimacing at that, honestly. She'd apologize to Earth so fast if their representative was the ramblings of someone who burnt their mouth because of a grilled cheese last night.
A long hum passed over her at Felipe's question, trying to think over the drinks that did get that little stamp of approval. āDefinitely not this fucker.ā She replied, pointing at the drink that prompted this conversation in the first place. āIf I had to pick one right now?" She then looked back over the list. "This one I had called āHot Lipsā. The spiciness is kinda a highlight of my night.ā
Hollis was crouched on the sidewalk under a streetlight, picking at a half-eaten portion of french fries he'd found, still wrapped in a greasy paper bag. He glanced up suddenly, practically feeling someone's eyes boring into the back of his head. His chewing slowed and he raised an eyebrow, his mouth still full. "What?" He called out, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It's better than lettin' it go to waste, right?" He scanned over the stranger with a nervous, borderline skeptical look. "What is it? You want some? It's not so bad if you ignore the ones that hit the dirt." He chuckled, half-joking, but left the offer hanging, wondering how they'd react. Not that he truly wanted to share.
This is Chi's cue to stop staring at people all the time, because it'd be awkward for her to have someone looking as if they're spacing off into the back of their head too. So, when Hollis does speak, the first thing out of her mouth is a quick āOh shit!ā
āNo, no. I'm sorryāI've been hearing I give off likeā¦bitchy looks when I stare, soā¦if I did do that, not my intent.ā She babbled, hand moving around match the (nonexistent) rhythm of her words. āI'm good, though.ā Shaking around the bag of gummy worms she'd be eating on her walk, she's now frowning up at the dirt comment. She spoke enough, but if she didn't know what a limit was, she'd say āoh.ā
āThey kinda did you dirty with those fries, man. They gave you the bits." Who the hell are those supposed to feed? Chi always wondered that. "Do you uh..you want the rest of these? That's probably the worst combo flavor and health wise but likeā¦yeah.ā Chi offered, sticking the bag out. She would offer actual food, but she hasn't exactly figured out restaurants in this area. A for effort, she guesses.
"It's a tragedy that everyone faces eventually, but I think most people realize it when they're in high school and drinking shitty beer in someone's basement." Millie took another sip of her drink. It was a force of habit since it was sitting right in front of her, and she wasn't exactly in a position to let her money go to complete waste. "Sure, might as well make the most of it," she answered with a shrug. "But if I plug my nose while taking the shot, you have to promise you won't judge me."
Sadly, Chi fell under the āWould rather croak then break the rulesā group back then, so the realization didn't kick until college. Even then, she just assumed it was because she needed time to adjustāwhich she's now learning is haunting her at 26 years old. Bummer. āDamn. Am I notā¦doing alcohol right? Is there an incorrect way to get into that?ā
At the agreement to the shot, she grinned. āYessss!ā She drawed out. āPinky promise, though. Judging is out the window. I'll probably plug my nose myself too, to be honest. One step at a time.ā
"Alright, Uzochi, salud," He gave her glass a light tap with his beer bottle and took another drink, expecting her to list off a couple of names from memory.
What he didn't expect was for her to pull out a roster. He immediately leaned closer, staring down at her phone. He didn't have his glasses on him but he was sure the way he was squinting dated him just the same. āThe hell is a Scooby Snack?ā he read down the list, very much amused. "Jolly Rancher? That one doesn't sound too bad, that's basically the candy..." Honestly, he'd try a handful of the drinks listed on name alone so he wasn't going to judge too harshly. "And you said you're not a writer for a blog or magazine? ā he straightened up, ā'cause you got some heavy research going on there.ā
Honestly? Uzochi's giving herself a little fist bump in her mind after the glass tap. Social anxiety? It fears her today.Ā
Chi - 1.
Quietly coping with drinks she doesn't like because she's too scared to interact with someone - 3. It took her about 3 tries.
Upon hearing a question about one of the drinks, her eyes flicked up for a moment. āIt's a shot, I think? You use malibuā¦plus, you put one those cutsie Scooby Snacks on it. I'm not gonna lie, I think I'd order it just for the snack. If it's the cinnamon one.ā Those fuckers are rare, okay? Honey? Chi can get the honey flavor, but cinnamon? She'd have to go in the depths of Amazon to get the correct one.Ā
The writer thing made her laugh too. Could've become a journalist, should've become a journalist, and she's not. Her essays and note taking in the past though paid off for this moment, though. āNah, I think it's the cooking bit. Adjusting recipes and stuff, so it kind of passed onto whatever I eat or drink.ā It's why majority of it focused on flavor, or some things she might need to request to make the drink more satisfying for herself. āSorry if it's likeā¦sloppy.ā A ādudeā is almost said again, but she bit her tongue. She's learning. āThere's methods to the madness, promise.ā
He shook his head with a wince of a smile. "Is it an internet thing?" Henley hazarded a guess, a hopeful intonation lifting the question. Admittedly, he wasn't very 'online', especially being born smackdab in the middle of the Gen Z backet. A childhood spent unplugged had him pretty lost -- what was so interesting about YouTube, anyway? And don't get him started on the pointless vacuum that was social media. He was lucky to not utterly despise the DoorDash app after countless, annoying updates.
"Ohhhh --" His mouth agape, drawing out the single syllable for quite some time, understanding dawned. "Roundtable, yeah! I got you." Henley's smile snapped back into place, head bobbing enthusiastically, before he gave into another shrug. "That would be a fun way to do it, wouldn't it? Sit your five best friends down for a mystery drink tasting, and then have them say what first comes to mind." It'd probably even make for a fun party game. "The names might be worse then, though," Henley pointed out, giving a gentle huff. "In my experience, people don't love compromising on their creative ideas so much."
Chi felt as if the torch was passed down to her, to be honest. The explanation of Impratical Jokers is a (non-familial? Platonic? Is that a thing? Platonic generations?) generation long tradition, and now it's her turn to do it. āKinda? It'a a TV show. It's where these guys do likeā¦stupid stuff as a challenge.ā It's probably the most easiest way to explain it, without going over the intriguing topic that is Murr's shitty luck.
On the topic of circle talks roundtables, she clicked her tongue for a while to think over the scenario. As much as the original proposal sounded interesting, the idea of arguing with her friends over drink names was enough to give her a pre-migraine. āI don't think a drink version of Family Feud would work that well when you say it like that,ā She admitted, awkwardly scratching her scalp. āPlus, the names might sound like they've been ripped straight from Cards Against Humanity if I asked my friends to do that with me, to be honestā¦ā
Could it ever get worse than Witch's Tit though? Probably.