Eyes full of stars

Carlotta 'CJ' Ricci, 32, Paramedic Rules were meant to be pushed and pulled, we were meant to be sparks of light

[willaarlington]

Willa wasn't sure how she was able to have held it together for this long. Maybe because things went into motion right after Liv was born. She hadn't had a moment to stop and think about what was actually happening, but now everything was starting to bubble to the surface and she was sure one day she was going to have a slight mental breakdown. However, today was not that day. "I have to meet Frankie at the school." She groaned, making her way through the door to set the bag full of the girls' stuff on Cj's counter. "No point in leaving until he tells me he is on his way. God knows he'll still be late anyways." Willa couldn't hold back on the small eye roll that followed. "HI Cj, how was your day?" She said with a sigh and turned her attention with a sigh before shooting her cousin a small thankful smile.

[cjxricci]

Face screwed up at the mention of her cousin's ex, though she did at least make sure that neither child saw the souring of her expression. "Lucky you." The dry words were the only ones she had about Frankie that were suitable for little ears. She took a step forward with her arms out, intending to take Liv from Willa to give her a few moments of respite before she had to leave. "You got time for a drink? I made some coffee just before you got here. Figured I'd need my wits about me for these two." Fond smile was flashed the direction of the two girls before she shrugged in reaction to the question about her day. "Fine. You know the drill, did what I could. Got everyone to the hospital mostly in one piece." There was more to it than that, the way that there always was to her job, but with Willa she never felt the need to expand upon it. They both knew what working in that kind of environment could be like.

[ramsesxtarek]

CONT from here.

They were going to go straight to the elephant in the room. He had expected it, CJ was not someone to just skirt around things but Ramses had hoped that maybe just for today they could get go around his big mess. Though he would do it all over again if he had to. Having people look at him with pity just was not something he could stomach. Perhaps it was because he contributed such a look with how his father looked at him the majority of the time. Which was something that left the male completely in awe and confusion. What had he done so early on in his life to warrant such a look? “International plans are a real bitch.” he chuckled, nodding his head as he avoided the said topic. He knew that they would most likely make a full circle back to it. But for now, he could just dodge this line. Her response did trigger a line of laughs on his part, shaking his head from side to side. At least now perhaps when his mother pointed out how he was still single he could bring CJ as evidence that he wasn’t alone. Aside from the fact that the whole settling down aspect was too far for where he was in life. “I’m in the running? Damn. Then it will be a while cause you know white picket fences and I are just not friends.” Though he could afford the physical element the intimacy was too high of a price for him right now. “Fuck no.” he breathed the words over his lip, “Apparently I need to work on communicating my emotions. Or some bullshit like that.” Not that it mattered cause his father would probably pay off whoever he did fall for, just like he had done with his ex.  

[cjxricci]

Light hum left her lips, acknowledging his words but making it clear that she wasn't quite convinced by it. And just like that her earlier ( brief ) resolve to not come barrelling back into his life with questions dissipated. She'd never been able to help herself and now was no exception. Brow arched up at him almost in challenge as she peppered him with seemingly innocent questions but there was no denying an edge in her tone. "No wifi either then? You can't have been back in town that long? Not got yourself another plan yet?" Maybe it wasn't entirely fair of her but whether he believed it or not, his presence had been missed and CJ couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever have gotten around to tell her he was back. If it hadn't been for this chance meeting would he have ever reached out? The thought that he might not have stung more than she cared to admit. "Come on, we both know better than to even consider that I could be the girl to convince you that a nice little house in the suburbs and two point four kids is what you want. Hell, it's not even what I want." Marriage would always bring up feelings of conflict within her when the idea of trusting someone that much felt like far too dangerous an option. All she had to do was look at the outcome of her cousins' marriages and she had evidence enough that it wasn't worth it. "Emotions? Fuck, that's where I've been going wrong. And communication? Well there's your problem right there." There's a smirk dancing over her lips to show she's joking but there's no denying a small part of her knows that if she had a flaw it'd be that. She was never slow in expressing frustration or even happiness but love and care had always been a little trickier for her. Vulnerability was a state she'd never managed to sit comfortably in.

[darragh-mcgregor]

OPEN START: @philly-starters LOCATION: sprout's farmers' market, midtown village

While Mac had always been prone to take advantage of his mother's culinary prowess, the older he'd gotten the more inclined he'd become to cooking for himself. And once he'd struck out on his own, this became more and more common place. In the firehouse, he was the chef du jure more often than not, which he'd pretend to be put out by but secretly relished the opportunity to explore new dishes. At home, he was often the one prepping Haley's meals, particularly for her to take on shift with her. They didn't speak much, but he'd not ceased to consider at least this aspect of her needs. He couldn't communicate his love for her, but in a small, consistent action, he liked to think in some way the love was expressed in his cooking, whether or not she wanted to acknowledge that was another thing entirely.

The grocery store was then of course a special treat — a use of rare spare time to explore fresh ingredients and plan for the week of meals ahead. He was feeling ambitious that week, and found himself looking for whatever Gordon Ramsey called 'parma ham' for a beef wellington, but couldn't find anything by that name. So there he stood, deliberating at the deli counter as a worker waited patiently, until Mac realized someone was waiting behind him. "Oh, I'm sorry." He smiled apologetically. "My mind isn't made up, if you want to go ahead." He was too stubborn for google, or to even ask the butcher, so there instead he stood, deliberating in his own mind. "Trying out a new recipe this week, just want to get it right." He added absentmindedly.

[cjxricci]

If it hadn't been for her grandmother's list of ingredients with very specific instructions on where to get to get them from, CJ wouldn't have been anywhere near Sprouts. She knew all about the importance of fresh ingredients ( she'd picked up something coming from a family of restauranteurs ) and she rarely begrudged Abuelita anything but today it was something of an inconvenience after coming off the back of a long shift. Patience had never been her forte and it was already wearing thin by the time she joins the queue, eyes on her phone until a familiar voice catches her attention. Her natural urge was to chew him out when the thought of causing a scene had never been enough to deter her from speaking her mind. But if there was was thing that would triumph over her need to make her thoughts known, it was her love for her family.

So her tongue remained caged behind gritted teeth when she felt like that the last thing Haley would want or need was a shouting match at the farmer's market on her behalf. Tucking her phone away, arms cross over her chest as she levels a hard look Darragh's way. For once in her life she weighed her words, trying to decide what she could get away with yet still have some kind of sharpness to them. She smiled at him, tight and not quite reaching her eyes. "No, no you just go right on ahead. Don't let me get in the way of you managing to do something right." There was a lack of bite in her tone, instead it was almost sickly sweet.

[cjxricci]

danny-mancini​:

They’d never been on the same wavelength for long — it was their curse, in a way. Danny had always been comfortable with wanting more, but that was typically what sent CJ running for the hills. Conversely, Danny had a hard time trusting CJ’s intentions, that she was really in, really invested. And maybe… That should have been enough. After all of these years of strife, maybe this had to be it. Maybe they both had to do the thing they dreaded the most — be grown ups about it. Typically after a break up, they’d goad one another with Instagram stories and posts, trying to rile the other one up, until they were happily together again. But it never lasted long enough. And it had become a vicious cycle. “I don’t know why I keep trying either.” Danny replied, tone flat, completely serious. “Here we are, fighting in the middle of the fuckin’ street. I’m thirty five years old, Carlotta. This is sad for me.” Sad for both of them, but in different ways.

“I literally couldn’t care less right now.” Danny shook his head, arms unfolding long enough to procure his phone, tapping around a few times before he shoved it back into his pocket. “Did myself a favor and unfollowed you now, so you can save the games with whatever flavor of the month you’ll dig up to try and piss me off into talking to you again.” His stomach flipped, knowing that regardless of whether or not he was following her, he’d look. On someone else’s phone, something. Any way to know what she was up to, to drive himself mad again.

.

There’d been odd times in her life before when she’d wondered if her stubbornness might have been misplaced but they’d always been fleeting. Usually always felt that there was usually always a good reason why she stood her ground and it might it easy to stand strong in her convictions. But now as she felt herself digging her feet in to continue the fight, she wondered if this time there was a reason other than pride or just her not wanting to be the one that lost. As they continued though it became more and more apparent that they were both about to lose and she didn’t know how to stop it. So she kept fighting, standing in place when she knew that the minute the fight was over they would be too. Again. Eyes rolled at his comment even thought he words hit hard, it was sad. Sad that they could never seem to get it right. “I forgot your big age makes you too good for this.”

It wasn’t the first time that they’d been this dramatic so his little show of unfollowing her did little to impress. But she couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in her stomach that although it wasn’t the first time, it might turn out to be the last. She couldn’t bring herself to deescalate the conversation and try to bring them to some kind of reconciliation when there was no guarantee that he’d accept it. CJ had never been one for begging and pleading though and the thought of any kind of honesty about emotions that weren’t anger still made her nauseous. So she pushed back again, bite in tone hard enough to sound final. “If you don’t care then leave. Just get out of here and we can be done with this.” She waved dismissively between the two of them, vastly underplaying the importance for their relationship. “But for the record the last thing I’m going to want to do after this is talk to you. Fuck off, Danny.” 

[lucaxricci-deactivated20230131]

Closed: @cjxricci Location: The King of Prussia Mall

The one thing Luca loved more than anything else in the world was to embarrass his siblings in public. He thrived off of their reaction. With his youngest sister, she would get so immediately flustered. With his brother, the middle finger was always tossed his way. Frankie would usually throw a hand at him to make it stop and with CJ, it was usually up in the air. Luca had been asked to officiate a friend's wedding and was in need of a new suit. With the dress rehearsal a week away, he now sat on a store floor ongoing fifteen minutes having a fit. "This is stupid CJ. I don't get why Veronica won't let me just wear my Christmas suit. It's spectacular!"

[cjxricci]

Arms folded over her chest as she looked at her brother with a carefully neutral expression. Embarrassment wasn't something she felt often and even if it had been in this case, she wasn't about to let Luca know. Knowing her brother the whole scene had been crafted for the sole purpose of embarrassing her. "Are you for real? Maybe because it's not fucking Christmas?" Incredulous look was shot his way when the answered seemed so obvious to her and she didn't doubt that he probably knew that too. "You'd think at your age you'd know how to dress yourself." Eyes rolled before she took a step towards him, hand flung out towards him as the closest thing to an offer of help he was going to get. "Get your ass up, if I have to spend my day off helping you pick a suit, we're not leaving without one. You're making this way harder than it needs to be, Riccis look good in everything."

[cjxricci]

Dog Park || @cemreyener

Usually she loved nothing more than time spent with her abuela but recently she'd been putting it off to avoid the inevitable question of "what did you do this time" when it came to the most recent end of her relationship. Her usual coping mechanism was to avoid all talk of it and distract herself wherever she could so the idea of having to go over it all with the older Carlotta was far from an enticing one. But after deciding that her desire to see her grandmother vastly overwhelmed her desire to avoid her feelings, it had been time to bite the bullet. She'd gathered Rocky and her things, aiming to get him to burn off some of his energy before eventually paying her grandmother a visit. Their game of fetch was briefly halted as she spotted a familiar face, smile given in greeting as she prepared to head over. Her boxer had spotted the move she was making and began bounding towards Cemre. "Rocky, your manners." The call was enough for the dog to slow his stride and stop him barrelling into the other woman. "He's just excited to see you but I'm pretty sure you didn't want your morning kicked off with being knocked on your ass."

[cjxricci]

Front Street Café || @tallahcssee

Forgiving wasn't a word that would have slid easily or readily from her tongue if she was asked to describe herself. If she was being honest with herself it wasn't one that ever usually applied when she had a knack for harbouring a grudge longer than most. When it came to her neighbour he was lucky that she occasionally found him entertaining. Not enough for him to be endearing but enough that his antics didn't always drive her up the wall - just most of the time. Frustration had reached an all time high when she'd been trying to snatch a few more hours sleep after a long shift, only to be deprived of it by loud music until the ungodly hours. After reluctantly being pulled from her bed she opted to get her caffeine fix from Front Street, hoping it'd be strong enough to improve her mood. A disturbed night's sleep only ever made her patience run out all the faster and so when she spotted him join the queue behind there was little hesitation in sending a glare his way. "Late night?" Brow arched at him accusatorily, "Look, I'm a busy woman I don't have time to get rid of a body so maybe next time you decide to do an impromptu concert for the whole neighbourhood you might wanna blare out something a little more soothing. If we're looking it'd calm me down enough that I don't want to kill you anymore. I'd really appreciate it."

[cjxricci]

Fishtown Tavern || @ezramolina

Pride was far from a foreign emotion to her when she'd never been shy in making her talents known. But she did feel a certain amount of pride when she thought of how many friendships she'd been able to keep up despite her busy schedule, especially those that had stood the test of time all the way from childhood. There was an ease and a simplicity that came with those dynamics. A lack of need to fully explain herself when she knew that they knew her well enough to either fill in blanks themselves or just understand where she was coming from. Or at the very least knew her well enough to not be shocked by whatever she told them. So when the opportunity came to carve out time regularly to see Ezra, she never hesitated to do so. Their catch ups were more often than not the highlight of her day and this time she'd managed to finish up her shift early enough to beat him to the Tavern. After grabbing them a beer each and snagging a table, she'd waited for him to arrive. But there'd been no patience in her greeting when he did arrive, just a wave to let him know where she was before she propped her elbows on the table as though she couldn't wait to hear what he had to say. "Alright, I'm all ears." Before he could argue or shift the focus back onto her, she was pushing the bottle across the table towards him. "I got the first round in, which means it's your turn to go first." She had never been that forthcoming with her emotions and that wasn't about to change now.

[damianovinciguerra]

who: open @philly-starters where: puente night club (university city)

Domenico tried to get down on the floor at least once a week, feel the thumping bass in his chest, get lost in the flow of the dancers of the floor while he tried to make it to his destination, and people watch as he stood at the bar, gauging the vibe and feel of the crowd. He didn't think it was possible to run a club from an ivory tower, or rather an office drowning in black leather and chrome accents. A smart club owner would get down on the floor and see what was going on. His staff knew to ignore him other than taking his initial drink order as he spoke to the patrons, always trying to mine new ways to improve the business. He spotted one person, seemingly by themselves, and he sidled up to them, "This place blows, huh?"

[cjxricci]

A decade ago a nightclub like Puente would have been almost a second home to her when she fully subscribed to a work hard play harder mindset. But as she'd grown older the nights filled with shots and dancing had been traded in for wine and catch ups. More often than not the only times she was in a club these days was for work rather than as a patron. But with the way she was feeling currently ( entirely too many emotions that she refused to deal with, leaving her searching for ways to avoid them ) it felt like there was no better place for her. She was already two drinks in when a familiar voice caught her attention and she took a leisurely sip of her third before answering. "The fucking worst." Tone was dry but her words weren't entirely meant, a fact that she was certain Dom would know. "I only come because I hear the owner's hot and I figured beautiful people should support one another."

[cjxricci]

danny-mancini​:

It’d been nearly a decade since CJ and Danny had first hooked up — her first summer out of college, and Danny was doing fairly well for himself in the city. They’d known each other since they were children, but this was different. While he had mostly played it very cool, from the second he’d seen her in that bar, he’d been hooked. He’d never actually thought he’d be in the position to say ‘I love you’ first, but despite how maddening CJ could be, he’d always felt it. They’d gone back and forth, one or the other putting a stay on the progress of the relationship. This time, Danny could explain it, really. Maybe he was just tired of all of the fighting. Sometimes it would be nice to have an uncomplicated evening, one where he didn’t feel like he was the only one making an effort. Was that the actual truth? No, but it was Danny’s in that very moment.

“Try something new with you? Are you serious right now?” Danny huffed out a mocking laugh, arms folding across his chest. “When am I ever not at your beck-and-fuckin’-call? It’s always the world according to Carlotta. I’m tired of it. Really, I am.” When they fought, they could really give it to one another, even in public. They could be that couple. “You go wherever you want tonight? Okay? I’ll go to Adam’s. In fact, we don’t have to worry what anyone is up to, anymore. That seems way easier than this.”

.

Despite the fact that the two of them had grown up since their first meetings, they’d never been able to leave their childish bickering in the past. But instead of the petty disagreements being resolved, they always seemed to go nuclear. For all her honesty she’d never known how to be open about her emotions when even the notion of vulnerability made her want to slam her mouth shut. So instead of telling him that arguing had been far from her plans for the evening and that all she’d wanted to do was spend time with him, she snapped back. “Are you fucking serious?” In that moment it didn’t matter that she loved him, it mattered that he didn’t get to win. That she wasn’t the one that came out of it looking like she cared most. “It’s like that, is it? One fight and you’re ready to call it? You’re ‘tired’? God, I don’t know why I keep trying with you.”

Watching him with his arms crossed over his chest made it feel as though there was a physical barrier between them and reluctant to show even a chance of reconciliation, she was quick to fold her own. “But you know what - and I can’t believe I’m actually fucking saying this - you’re right. That does sound way easier and way more enjoyable than this.” She threw his words back at him and couldn’t resist upping the ante even though she knew it was driving them straight towards another break up. But it sounded as though his mind was already made up and she wasn’t about to attempt to convince him to stay. “Have fun at Adam’s and I’ll find my own fun. And you don’t have to worry your stupid little head about it, right?”

[cjxricci]

ramsesxtarek​:

At this rate, Ramses was going to hire a personal assistant to keep track of his fabrications. He had aced law school but it was one thing to keep laws in order in his mind and another the false reality that he was creating for everyone else. On top of the one that his parents were making up for him. Not that they actually knew why he had left four years ago. That info was just privy to his brother and his best friend. To be fair had been out of survival, he had to tell someone and that had been the choice he had taken. He knew when people found out that they would be hurt but he also knew he couldn’t care too much about what could happen. After all, according to stats, he shouldn’t even be standing. “Don’t tell me you actually noticed that I was gone? Would’ve figured you would be too busy to notice.” he rattled off without missing a beat, a laugh followed to cover the dig that he felt from her. “You see I didn’t get the international phone number. With the big man cutting me off I just couldn’t afford it,” he half teased, half ended up sharing a bit too much of his family dynamic. “Don’t tell me I missed too much – you married?”  

For all her ( supposed ) flaws, a lack of interest in the people she cared about wasn't among them. Even if she was busy or life got in the way she was the type to be invested for life and given just how far back her friendship with Ray went, that investment went especially deep. "Come on, give me a little credit. As busy as I am, it's a little hard not to notice a 6'5 hole in your life." She had missed him, truly, but her fondness for someone had never stopped her from ragging on them. "Oh you're Mr International now, huh? At least you didn't forget all of us, just too cheap to shell out for a call." For all she had a big mouth, CJ wasn't a poor listener and she didn't miss the little glimpse into the Tarek family dynamic. But given that it was the first time she'd seen him in years, she resisted the urge to pry further. At least for now. The next time they met, however, all bets would be off. Scoff left her lips at his next inquiry and she lets him steer the conversation on. “Fuck no. No one's been smart enough to put a ring on this yet. Besides, you'd have gotten an invite." Part of her couldn't help but wonder if she should have been tied down by now but it's a thought she immediately shuns. "What about you? Found yourself a special someone?"

[sofiacatalano]

@cjxricci jinxed, fishtown

As a person who didn't generally buy into the notion of artisanal and local being inherently better, Sofia was surprised to find that she actually earnestly enjoyed Jinxed's schtick. While most of the people that frequented it were pretentious and annoying, she knew that she, too, could likely be considered pretentious and annoying, particularly as she got older; she preferred to think of it as discerning, but was self-aware enough to understand that that was only more awful. It was her pick as to where to meet up with CJ, though, and she'd been in the market for a new credenza for the entryway to her apartment. As she scanned the furniture with a narrowed gaze, she locked eyes on a particularly offensive lamp and glanced up at CJ, their eyes locking. "The idea that some of these things were in people's homes...as genuine decor...unsettling."

[cjxricci]

While her self-confidence usually knew no bounds, she was vaguely aware that the honesty that she prided herself on to know that it wasn't always well received. It was something that she'd long since decided reflected on whoever couldn't handle it far more than her and so she rarely adjusted her filter. But around Sofia she knew that she didn't have to, so when their eyes locked she let a smirk play over her features before pretending as though she didn't see a problem with the offending object. "Unsettling in a fun way, right? You're telling me if you saw this in someone's house it wouldn't be a turn-on?" After one more look at the lamp in question she couldn't keep up the act anymore and her distaste showed on her features as much as in her tone. "Okay, fine. A turn-off. Literally. At least in the dark you wouldn't have to look at it."

[cjxricci]

danny-mancini​:

Danny’s gaze narrowed as CJ closed in on him, finding he was instantly further irritated by her antics. Was it anything new? Absolutely not. There had been eight years of this, which arguably made them both certifiable for going on and on with this charade. Maggie and Adam had both taken their swings at the relationship at different times, suggesting that he meet a friend of theirs or consider just, not getting back together with her. That his happiness and sanity would be better off if he turned his back on CJ Ricci once and for all. Only, he couldn’t. She could make his blood boil in so many different ways, but at the end of the day, he couldn’t help himself.

Only in this very moment, he’d forgotten the good parts of being with her, and his annoyance had taken over. He was fed up, with the attitude and the theatrics — all of it. As her hand shoved him, Danny let out a huff, glower shooting her way. “You’ve got a lotta fuckin’ nerve, Carlotta.” Danny’s gaze trained on CJ, goading a reaction out of her by using her full name. “Guess what? You don’t have to come then. I’m just not paying twenty-fuckin-dollars for a four dollar beer. You always want to go to the dumbest fuckin’ places, I swear to God.”

.

Fear wasn’t a word she would ever chose to associate with herself when most of the time she remained undaunted and fully confident in her own abilities to handle whatever came her way. But while she was far too stubborn to ever admit to it, when it came to her relationship with Danny she was scared. The idea of their future had once terrified her ( and still did ) but hated the idea of one without him. As much as she knew that she loved him and that she didn’t want anyone else - a thought that never failed to make her feel like she could throw up - she could never get out of her own way enough to express it. So much so that she found herself picking fights without really knowing what for and refusing to look any deeper into why she was doing it.

This time though, she knew exactly why. They were both as bad as each other. His rare use of her full name meant that the gloves were off and he knew it. “Shut your mouth.” It was far from her finest comeback but she found herself too outraged at his next words to craft a scathing remark. “Oh, I pick the dumbest places? This is on me now?” The level of her voice was rising but she’d never cared about causing a scene in the street and she wasn’t about to start not. “At least I fucking pick somewhere, Daniel. Just because you’re happy doing the same damn thing every damn week doesn’t mean that I have to be. Would it kill you to try something new with me once in a while?” 

[frankcarlisle-deactivated202502]

Despite the ongoing divorce proceedings and custody battle between he and his soon to be ex-wife, one thing that you could always count on Frankie for was being there for his kids. He figured the last thing he Willa wanted to do was ask him for help, especially considering it wasn't his weekend with the kids, but after a SOS text that consisted of her getting called in for emergency surgery and the babysitter cancelling (along with the back-up not being available), Frankie found himself getting in the car and driving over to CJ's to pickup the girls for the evening.

Her reaction to seeing his face on the other side of the door wasn't at all surprising, unfortunately. Once relatively close friends, their relationship had gone sour -- and quick -- after word of his infidelity had gotten out. While he couldn't blame her for being upset, it seemed that CJ had completely written him off without a second thought, something that stung more than he'd ever be willing to admit. "Hi, CJ. I'm fine, thanks for asking -- how are you?" He gave her an exaggerated grin before allowing his expression to fall, following her in without hesitation. "I'm guessing Willa didn't tell you the plan had changed." Surprise, surprise, he wanted to add, but didn't. "Don't worry, I'm not here to intrude on what I'm sure are very exciting evening plans." His voice dripped with sarcasm, arms crossing comfortably over his chest. "Might go quicker without the attitude, though. I'm here to pick up your baby cousins, not kill your fucking cat."

[cjxricci]

Generally, once CJ decided to care about someone that was it, and whoever she deemed worthy of her affection was pretty much stuck with her. No one had managed to successfully wriggle their way out of receiving her particular brand of aggressive caring. But, while her loyalty was usually unfailing, it did have its limits. And Frankie had pushed beyond them and then some. The affair alone would have been enough for her to cut him off when hell would freeze over before she sided with someone else over her family. But there was another edge to the knife she felt as though Frankie had left in all their backs. She'd trusted him. Trusted him enough to set him up with her cousin and she was endlessly bitter that he'd turned out to be so disappointing.

Given that she knew him so well ( or she thought she had ) it was little surprise that he was nonplussed enough by her attitude to hit back with some of his own. "I was great until about two minutes ago." Once it might have been a relief to have someone who gave as good as they got but now she only found it irritating. "I'm sure she has her reasons. Probably busy saving lives." The words had been delivered sweetly, never passing up an opportunity "My evening plans are none of your fucking business." Her only real plan had been to take Rocky for a run but he didn't need to know that. Eyes drifted pointedly over to her loyal boxer at Frankie's latest quip. "Jesus, I knew that your eyesight wasn't great - how else could you end up in bed with a woman who wasn't your wife - but I didn't think you'd lost the ability to tell the difference between a cat and a dog."

[willaarlington]

@cjxricci​

Location: Cj’s Apartment

“Are you sure you don’t mind watching them?” Willa said as she walked into Cj’s apartment, Emmy running straight to Cj while she held Olivia in her arms. The sitter called in sick, with the flu or something. Regardless, it had left Willa in a bind. Emmy had a parent-teacher conference tonight at the school, and her teacher was very adamant about her and Frankie both showing up. Probably had to do with her behavior, which she assumed probably wasn’t the best. With her parents stuck in the middle of a divorce, and a new sibling taking all the attention, Willa could only imagine what kind of trouble she found herself in. “Maybe like two hours tops?” 

[cjxricci]

There was a private, vague acknowledgement that maybe - just maybe - her family might have been seen by some as a bit intense. It was something she disagreed with, never finding issue with the way they all rallied for one another in any situation. Looking after Willa's kids was a small task compared to what she was prepared to do for her family. "As if looking after these two would ever be a problem." Arms opened to embrace the young girl hurtling towards her, voice tinged with fond amusement. "Hey Em, you ready to practise that right hook again?" She shot Willa a teasing glance before she stood up again, gentle hand steering Emmy towards Rocky who had been waiting tail wagging for his turn at attention. "Yeah, no problem. I'm sure I can keep these two out of trouble just about long enough."

[warrenisaacs]

location: green street coffee co. | @cjxricci

Waking up on New Years morning with a criminally bad hangover was both not something to be proud of, nor was it unique to Cyra. Walking down the street to meet CJ for coffee, she passed plenty of other people still clearly in their clothes from the previous night, or hiding their eyes behind huge sunglasses that made them look like fucking bugs. Cyra was absolutely one of them behind those black sunglasses, and desperately trying to maintain a slow enough pace that she wouldn’t end up taking the sharp left turn her body was threatening her with.

Finally, coffees in hand, she’d set one in front of CJ, and crashed into her own seat. “How many shots did I take?” The question was little more than a pained whisper, her hand propped her head up enough to keep her gaze on her friend. “I remember three. Did you see me take more?” She swallowed her own bile at the thought down with a long sip of her coffee. “I’m never drinking again, or doing another New Years Eve party. That’s my resolution for the year.” Her eyebrows quirked up, already the clear doubt of herself and that empty promise. She took a deep, stabilizing breath, and then smiled at CJ, a tired, apologetic thing. “Tell me you’re feeling like a human, that you aren’t suffering today. Starting the year with, like, an actual good time.”

[cjxricci]

Feeling sorry for herself wasn't something that she usually indulged in when she had always been more of a person of action instead of introspection. But when she'd woken up on New Year's Day with her head spinning and stomach churning, she'd felt fragile enough that she could spare herself a little pity. It hadn't lasted long though, struggling to find sympathy for herself when she knew it was all self-inflicted. Her days of hard partying were supposed to be behind her but it seemed as though she had reverted back to old ways. After forcing herself out of bed and into a shower, CJ had been relieved to feel just about human enough to meet Cyra for coffee.

Usually she would have grabbed the coffee that was set in front of her without hesitation, eager for the kick it would provide to set her on the path of a functioning adult again. Instead she found herself nursing it the way that she had in her early twenties, forced to take a tentative sniff while hoping that the smell didn't bring on nausea. God, she was too old for this. "Do you want something more precise than 'too many'? Because I lost track of my own somewhere around five." Smirk played over her lips at her friend's attempt at humour. "You're supposed to make your resolution something you stand a chance of keeping." She shifted on her chair, struggling to find a position that felt comfortable in her current state. "I've been better. But for the record we did start 2023 with a good time - from midnight to four AM was a great time. I don't really remember four 'til six but It was probably great too, just not unforgettable."

[ernestoestradax]

Location: In Stitches 🧵 Status: closed starter for @cjxricci

"Follow me. Quick," Flora whispered through clenched teeth, looking around suspiciously before nodding towards the back of the shop. What felt and looked like some top secret operation, wasn't really all that exciting or serious for that matter but for Flora, it was quite a big deal. It wasn't all that often that she got in things that left her speechless or that she immediately attached to a loyal customer but when she'd first seen the garment in question, she'd immediately texted CJ to let her know that she'd found something very special for her back at the store.

She motioned for CJ to stay close as she continued beelining, pressing her lips together in an attempt to not look as dodgy as she was being. Knowing her parents, she was aware that they would be quick to scold her, never ones to play favorites but preaching to never treat people as anything other than fair and equal - which Flora agreed with, obviously, but while she liked structure, she wasn't too keen on rules and figured an exception wouldn't harm anyone. If anything, it'd spread some joy in the best case scenario she was hoping for.

"You know I don't usually do this but I swear to god, I hope with all I have that you'll like it just as much as I do. It screamed you the moment I opened the box, I simply had to put it on hold," she reasoned, eyes scanning the room once again before she pulled back the curtain that led to the small and rather crowded storage space of the store. She shot CJ an almost nervous grin before taking in a deep breath. "Are you ready?" She asked, brows wriggling expectantly as she reached out and into one of the various cardboard boxes surrounding them.

[cjxricci]

Flora's text had been somewhat vague but her usual suspicions ( mostly reserved for her siblings and the antics that they'd yet to grow out of ) were set aside given the nature of the other woman. CJ very much doubted that Flora had a bad bone in her body so she took her words at face value. A reply had been sent that she'd be over as soon as her shift was done and true to her word she'd made her way over to In Stitches, mind full of just what could be so special. She was grateful for it really, the notion that she had been thought of was always one that would touch her.

Despite being a regular customer, she didn't expect any perks from her custom, it was always a welcome surprise when she did. Watching the way that her parents supported their fellow business owners had instilled the same importance into her and so she chose to shop local. If there was anything she wanted in return for her endless loyalty except whatever rapport she was able to build with the owners and workers. Flora was a particular favourite of hers though, their interactions being some of the sweetest that she had.

There had barely been time for a greeting before Flora hurried off and interest piqued, she followed the other woman through the store without any questions. Amusement threatened to play over her features but having picked up that they were supposed to be being discrete, she did her best to hide it. For the most part, she had kept quiet, nodding in acknowledgment of Flora's words before following her into the storage space. Once there she expressed her feelings with her usual candor. "With your previous record of picks, I'm pretty sure this might end up being the best thing that I've ever seen." The other woman's nervous excitement was contagious and she found herself shifting from foot to foot in anticipation. "Okay, okay, the suspense is killing me. If your excitement is anything to go by I'd say I'll never be ready."