These Hips Don't Lie

Selena ʻAkamu | Instructor at Sound in Motion | Harbour Pointe

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Moving Mishap

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relacions‌:

hmm. he shot her a curious glance out of the corner of his eye. there seemed to be more to the story than she let on, but — no, he shouldn’t pry. he barely even knew her, after all. instead he simply shot her an understanding smile, giving a firm nod.

‘ ah, same as me, then! ’ sort of. but she didn’t need to know that nana had to practically force him out of the house in order to do so. ‘ it’s a pretty nice city, i hope you like it here! do you already have a job lined up? if not, i know the baycourt center is always hiring … ’

he murmured a quiet thank you as she placed his cup before him, raising it to his lips without a moment of hesitation.

‘ — oh! this is really good! ’

“I wouldn’t come here if I didn’t.”

This wasn’t exactly her dream city, her new job was the only thing that tied her to it. And even that was too much. Selena had known years ago that she wanted to leave her home island, but this wasn’t where she thought she would have ended up after her tour. It was a little... underwhelming. 

“I’m still learning my way, so we’ll see how nice it is then, hm?”

Selena smiled and took a seat on the loveseat across from where he was -- furniture being the only thing set up in the apartment. She was too classy to not have that out at minimum. 

“Thank you. It’s one of my favorites.”

So, he had good taste.

[tomanncat]

Pop it like it’s hot | Selena & Ann

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tomanncat‌:

Ann ignored the driver’s annoyance and walked to the front of the car, sitting on the hood, she stretched for a moment and then looked back with a cocky grin. “You have 2 choices you can pop the hood and I’ll take a look, and likely be able to quickly fix this lovely piece o’shit car. or you can leave it be, continue driving around with the awful sound, and the possibility that it might blow up.” Ann shrugged like what can you do but her smirk quickly returned, the ginger hopped off the hood and knocked on it. The answer was clear to her, but who knows maybe the driver had a death wish.

“Or y’know i could just call a tow truck, when you ignore me and head inside.”

“You’re rather cocky.”

Irritating, too. Last Selena checked, she hadn’t asked this redhead for help, so the attitude was unnecessary. If she had wanted to help, then she could have approached Selena with a kinder attitude. The dancer might have given her a warmer response.

“But if you think you’re that good, go ahead and look at it.”

Selena stepped out of the car, arms crossed under her chest. Like she said before, this car wasn’t hers. If it came down to it, she could have it towed and talk to the rental company about giving her an unstable and dangerous vehicle, which she will be doing anyway even if this one is fixed. The company would be pressured in that case to give Selena a better car - perhaps a luxury one - for the danger and inconvenience.

“Whether you do or don’t doesn’t make a difference to me.”

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[ Activity 12.1 - Passed! ]

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Short Changed || Open

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shyshutterbug‌:

The woman was both terrifying and an inspiration. She was so cool, so beautiful and confident, and at the same time made Molly want to disappear into a hole. Not wanting to be rude, Molly accepted the bottle of water. “O-oh, thank you!”

There was that feeling of wanting to disappear into a hole again.

“Sorry.” She apologized with downcast eyes. People would have an easier time without her around. Molly unscrewed the bottle cap, acting on auto-pilot as she felt more and more the want to disappear. Finally, both water and pills ready, Molly popped one into her mouth and washed it down with water. Another quickly followed. 

Molly exhaled in relief as she finished. It would take some time to kick in but even just taking the water refreshed her. But now.. what did she do with the bottle? It wasn’t appropriate to give it back, right? It was half empty now. “Ah, thank you, again, and it was very nice meeting you.”

It was very nice meeting you. 

Selena had to think on if she shared the sentiment being that this woman had caused a lot of trouble tonight, but being that she was already not feeling well, it was the least she could do. She had already started this interaction being more friendly than normal, so why not continue the charade until the end? It couldn’t hurt anyone.

“You’re welcome, and it was nice meet you, too.”

As nice as it could be given the circumstances.

“But next time, make sure you have enough money in those pockets before getting in line.”

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Moving Mishap

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‘ ah, would you really? ’ his smile widened, eyes curving gently with gratitude. what a kindhearted woman. he hadn’t meant to turn his impromptu act of kindness and the rant that followed into a sales pitch - really he hadn’t - but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t touched by her offer. ‘ i’d really appreciate that. i’ll look forward to your call, then! ’

she turned away with a playful wink, and he gave a firm, satisfied nod in response.

‘ mahal — uh, thank you. ’ geez, how many years had it been since he left the island? judging from his speaking habits, he’d think that he’d just arrived in harbour pointe yesterday. he leaned against the kitchen counter, lips upturned in a soft smile.

‘ so, you said you’re just moving in? what brings you to harbour pointe? ’

Selena had her work cut out for her. He was proving himself to be more dense by the minute, but that also made him a challenge. So the real question was, did she continue or leave him be? While the latter was tempting, she couldn’t deny herself the pleasure of looking at the handsome piece of work he was. He had been the one good thing she had seen since her few mere hours in the city.

A quiet chuckle escaped her lips when he stopped himself from saying ‘mahalo’. She wasn’t sure why he wouldn’t finish the word once he started -- a level of comfort maybe? She decided that she’d wait and see before she said anything further about it or joined in. 

“A change of pace. A change of scenery.”

That was the short story, clearly. Selena had never been the type of person to look to the past as her own wasn’t the happiest, but it was the main reason that lead to her moving here. After many other moves. 

“It’s no different than the reasons of most others.”

She turned to face him with a confident smile, placing one of the cups in front of him.

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Moving Mishap

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relacions‌:

for a moment she paused as she looked him over, prompting a curious look from the man in question. had he said something strange? but before he could ask what the matter was, she had already turned away, heading toward what looked like the kitchen. 

oh well, he guessed he could ask later.

‘ well … a handyman in theory, at least. these days i’ve been asked to do all kinds of things, like walking someone’s dog, cleaning someone’s room - i’ve even been asked to babysit a few times. really, i’m beginning to wonder if maybe i should start marketing myself as something like a jack of all trades instead … ’

though his words were grumbled, his eyes still sparkled with faint amusement as he slowly trailed behind her into the kitchen. he couldn’t really complain, to be honest — a job was a job, after all, and he still got paid for his time. he just wished that he was getting paid for the work he was actually supposed to be doing instead.

‘ whatever you make, i’m fine with it. is there something i can do to help? ’

“Is that so? Hmm.”

She felt that it was a waste of his muscles talents, but she knew better than anyone that sacrifices had to be made when there were bills to be paid. Other than dancing, she, too, had worked odd jobs here and there - like bartending. There was that and the fact that she had no idea what his ‘true talents’ really were. To be honest, she didn’t care about that. Yet. Maybe.

“Then maybe I should give you a call when I run into trouble here~♡”

Although all of her subtle previous efforts had gone over his head, Selena wasn’t one to give up. He was proving himself to be an interesting character, one where his personality didn’t match how she would have initially guessed it to be.

“Hibiscus it is. And no, you can just sit there and look pretty.”

She teased, turning briefly to wink at him before grabbing her favorite tea and preparing two cups.

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Short Changed || Open

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shyshutterbug‌:

“Oh, well, I need to get some water first.” The one thing she hadn’t bought since she planned to go home with this. No point in spending more money than she needed to, not on her budget.

The woman seemed very… intense, and it was a little intimidating to Molly, who was reserved and didn’t like to upset people. But she had bought her pain meds for her, so Molly figured she was actually really nice when it came down to it. She wished she could exude such confidence herself, but it never came to her.

“Thank you, for what you did. I’m Molly.” 

Of course the woman didn’t plan on bringing or purchasing a drink with her pain medication. Just her luck. Selena thought on her next move for a moment; she could let the woman leave with a headache to go wherever she lives to get water or she could do the ‘right’ thing and offer the woman one of her extra drinks. Oh, how tempting the first option was, but alas, the dancer was feeling oddly generous.

Shuffling through her bag, she pulled out an extra bottle of water.

“Here. It makes no sense to deal with the pain for longer than necessary.”

The bottle was held out in the woman’s direction. If she accepted it or not was up to her, but she couldn’t say that Selena didn’t offer or try. 

“Selena, and don’t think too much on it. You were holding up the line and I wanted to skip it.”

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Moving Mishap

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relacions‌:

‘ well, if you insist … ’ it wouldn’t be polite if he turned down such a generous gesture, no? ‘ as long as it’s not too inconvenient. i really am just happy to help. ’

he followed her into the building, eyes darting all around the interior of the apartment. whoa, what a huge place. he hadn’t been able to see much beyond the entryway of his customers’ apartment when he’d made his delivery. he’d heard that this building was supposed to be pretty nice, with spacious rooms and a view of the ocean ; looked like the rumors were true.

he frowned at her response, glancing at her curiously as he trailed behind her.

‘ really? what a great welcome to the city, huh. ’ oh, there was the table she mentioned. carefully he set the box down beside it, slowly releasing his hold once he was sure it was safe on the ground. straightening, he shot her a gentle smile. ‘ well, let me know if anything’s broken, yeah? i actually do all sorts of repairs for a living, it wouldn’t be any trouble. ’

Selena smiled. Just as she had planned, he had accepted her offer.

“Of course not. As you’re happy to help, I’m happy to offer a small payment. This could have been an inconvenience to you.”

She planned to play nice for as long as possible to make it all sound more genuine and as if she really cared about paying him back. For now at least. There was a time limit to how long she could hold the nice facade, her true self would break out again soon enough. She was typically the kind to accept a stranger’s help, then quickly shoo them away to avoid any kind of unnecessary conversation. Her main goal was never to make friends, she only needed to secure her future and status. But he was too cute to shoo away just yet. ♡

“A handyman? Hm, I could see that.”

Without the slightest effort in trying to hide it, she looked him over. With his build, it was no surprise that he was skilled in work that dealt with his hands and what she could assume required a lot of strength. If nothing is broken, she might have to accidentally drop a cheap vase. Once she finished looking him over, she walked over to the counter by her kitchen where she had more boxes piled, one specifically labeled ‘tea and tea leaves’.

“Do you have a tea preference?”

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[ Activity 11.17 - Passed! ]

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Short Changed || Open

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This time. Molly sank into herself. She had the money but it was in her bank account. Cash wasn’t something she kept on hand too much for fear that she could be robbed. For a girl on her own, the city could be a dangerous place. 

Pain medication in hand, she stepped away. She expected the woman would just leave without a second glance. Instead, she spoke, and it took Molly a moment to answer. 

“Ah, yes. It’s… been like this all day.” Which explained why she was so slow in thinking. Her hand pressed against the side of her head and she exhaled slowly. “Oh, um, if we can go to an ATM I can repay you. Their card reader was dead so… I have the money, really! Just.. not in cash.” Her eyes swept downward out of shame. Living paycheck to paycheck wasn’t fun but she didn’t want to put others in debt because of her.

“Then the quicker you take one the better, no?”

Selena knew that talking to the brunette might cause her to put off taking the medication in the common courtesy of returning the conversation, but she didn’t see the harm in the other taking a momentary pause for it. As a dancer, she knew very well of the pain headaches, sprains, and sore muscles could bring and would in no way prevent someone for caring for it. Unless that person wasn’t someone she favored, then just maybe she’d make them wait... This woman was in no such position luckily. 

“There’s no need. It’s my good deed for the day, you paying me back would cancel the good karma.”

She paused wondering if the brunette would need a drink to wash that down with being that she had bought more drinks than she needed in one night. Oh goddess, what was happening right now? Selena was being... thoughtful.

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Moving Mishap

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relacions‌:

oh. he’d barely noticed that one of his nana’s old sayings had slipped out purely out of habit, but given the confidence of her mahalo, he guessed his new acquaintance had. was she an islander too? or maybe she was just being polite? maybe if she was hawaiian, that could explain why there was something so familiar about her. or was that just wishful thinking?

ugh, where had he seen her before? it was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t quite place it. he’d have to think about it a bit longer.

he shook his head, a soft chuckle escaping from his lips.

‘ don’t worry about it, it’s fine. just let me know where you want me to put everything, okay? ’ 

he brushed past her, box still in hand, then paused in the entryway as he waited for her to follow suit, shooting her a backwards glance. 

‘ are you just moving in? ’

“Aww, are you sure? Tea is the least I could do and everything is already out.” 

Selena wasn’t used to not being able to get her way. Sprinkle a little determination on top and it was the perfect recipe for success. It hadn’t failed her yet and she wasn’t planning on having it start now either. ...Or there’d be a worse temper tantrum coming her way.

“Hm, you can place that box by the table in the living room for now. I have to make sure nothing in it is broken.”

And if it was, the moving company was going to get a bad review, an email that was less than pleasant, and depending on her mood, possibly a phone call, too. There was no length of petty that Selena couldn’t reach when she put her mind to it. It was truly a gift. Just the thought of bringing them down little by little made her smile as she stepped through the doorway and closed the door behind her. 

“I am. First day in this city.”

Not off to a great start.

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Moving Mishap

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he didn’t even blink at her angrily-spat words - after years of mischief and constant trouble from the twins, things like that didn’t really faze him anymore. but what did surprise him as she turned to face him was the ruby red glint of her hair, the downturn of her lips.

she was absolutely beautiful. and … strangely familiar. had he seen her somewhere before? was she a celebrity or something? 

his brow furrowed as he frowned down at the overturned box on the ground.

‘ ah, really? auē noho'i ē, how terrible! ’ he crouched down beside the box, eyeing it over for a few seconds. in the next moment he gently lifted it into his arms with one fluid motion, careful to keep it as still as possible so he wouldn’t further damage the items inside.

‘ here, do you mind holding the door open for me? i’ll carry it in for you, if that’s all right. ’

Auē noho'i ē.

A Hawaiian? Now that was a little interesting. There weren’t many opportunities for her to run into other native born islanders and if it just so happened that he was one-- but speaking of that... When her temper cooled enough for her to focus on anything other than herself, she looked him over and felt that there was something faintly familiar about him. Could it be from the assumption that he was a possible native? Probably.

And when he lifted the box with little to no effort - and a flex of his muscles - she smiled. Whether she knew him or not didn’t matter anymore, she was going to get to know him. The dancer was determined. By bringing in the box, he’d already be in her apartment, too. Trapped. It was the perfect opportunity to be the perfect hostess~

“Mahalo.”

With a short nod, she moved around him to get to her door and hold it open. It was a much easier task than her trying to hold up the box and carry it inside.

“Let me make you a cup of tea and a small snack as thanks. ♪”

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Short Changed || Open

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shyshutterbug‌:

Molly jumped aside as the very beautiful woman came over and placed her items on the counter alongside her pain medication. Molly wanted to object, say that it was alright and she didn’t really need to, but her voice was caught in her embarrassment. She didn’t even have enough on her for a lousy bottle of pain meds.

Her headache kicked in, making the top of her head throb in an intense pain and she swallowed any protests. 

The woman and the clerk exchanged money. Eyes lowered, Molly let out a “Thank you,” the words soft and shy. 

“It’s fine this time.”

Selena placed the change back in her wallet and closed it, then looked around in her bag to make sure everything was there. It wouldn’t be the first time if something was left out. And after her eyes finished scanning her items, she moved to look over the brunette. She was cute, she guessed, but more forgetful than anything. She didn’t know the reason, but shouldn’t a person check if they have enough before trying to purchase something. It was an inconvenience to her - and everyone else.

But the woman seemed quiet and although it was natural to the dancer, maybe she shouldn’t try to intimidate her beyond what her aura gives off. Once they were away from the line, why not try a little conversation?

“Headache?”

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Moving Mishap

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there, all set. he gave one more cheery mahalo to his waving customer before he gently closed the door behind him, tucking his tablet under his arm as he entered the hallway. he didn’t get the chance to visit fairview gardens very often, truth be told - which was why he was sort of grateful for these in-person deliveries. 

to be honest, there was always a small part of him that was a little sad to part with his creations. all that time spent laboring over each commission, pouring the entirety of his self into his work, with nothing to show for it but a check with his name on it — he knew it was silly, but there was something about it that was a little bittersweet. he could hear the twins’ voices in his head calling him a sap already.

he was almost to the elevator when the crash of a door being thrown open startled him from his thoughts, accompanied seconds later by a frustrated shriek. whipping his head toward the source of the sound, he spotted a woman standing down the hall, her back to him. 

his feet moved of their own accord.

‘ excuse me miss, is everything all right? ’

Is everything all right? Is everything all right? Selena had to take a moment before turning around in an attempt to stop herself from snapping back too quickly and harshly. Sadly, it only partly worked as the only thing kept out of her attitude-filled response was profane language. It was too bad, too, the voice didn’t sound like they were trying to cause any additional harm.

“Does it look like it’s all right?”

She turned around and waved her hand in the direction of the large, turned over box. One that was left that way by moving professionals might she add. A waste of the money she spent on them. Never again, that was for sure! And it was such a shame that such an attractive man had caught her in a time like this. She couldn’t even calm her temper enough to work her natural charm.

“There were valuable items in there, including a family heirloom!”

[dancinghibiscus-blog1]

A Place to Eat

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loveydoveymuffy‌:

•｡ ❀ 𝒜nother day, another nickel - or so they say, except for when your first table of the evening is rude and refuses to give you a tip because of a mishap occurring in the kitchen. At this point in her waitressing career, though, Muffy had become accustomed to being the person blamed for mistakes that were mostly beyond her control and jurisdiction; nonetheless, as her manager constantly reminded her, the customer is always right. She would beg to differ; however, holding back her tongue was the wise decision in lieu of risking her primary income that undeniably helped in paying the bills.

𝓗opefully, the young woman who was - without a doubt - gorgeous from head to toe would be more kind and gracious than her previous patrons.

“𝒲elcome to The Red Snapper! ♪” Muffy greeted, smiling brightly whilst swiftly walking behind the hostess’ table to write her off in her section. “Will this be dining for one, or are you expecting anyone else?”

Selena couldn’t help but return the smile, not equally as bright but a smile nonetheless. The blonde’s cheery demeanor was a nice break between the cold shoulders and grumbles of the city life, though she herself was known to do the same even before moving to Harbour Pointe. But it was different now that she was permanently (for now) settling in this city. When she needed help, she expected people to help her, which never happened. Everyone was more selfish here than she ever was.

“Just one.” 

Which didn’t bother her. More often than not, she preferred to be by herself. People haven’t always made the best first impression with her and typically ended on bad terms, hence her lack of close personal relationships. But the more she had, the more she could lose.

[dancinghibiscus-blog1]

[ Activity 11.3 - Passed! ] 

**Before Ann’s reply ^^;

[tomanncat]

Pop it like it’s hot | Selena & Ann

[dancinghibiscus-blog1]

tomanncat‌:

@dancinghibiscus

After a day of cardboard boxes, unpacking and eating nothing but old crackers. Ann needed a break and some bar food. Her truck still has a few odds and ends in the bed from the move and plainly she didn’t want her baby sitting in a parking lot on the “fun” side of town. She grabbed her wallet, a moto jacket and headed to the bus stop she saw earlier.

Staring out the dirty window until she saw an old country looking place with a happy hour sign, Ann hopped out onto the pavement in her worn down sneakers. The ginger waved a thank you to the bus driver and headed for the saloon doors. Dodging out of the way for a nearby car to pull into the spot she was passing through, Ann cringed at the noise that screeched out of the vehicle when it came to a halt. 

That along with the dark smoke that came out the exhaust piqued her interest more than the smell of mediocre food coming from the bar, she even chuckled when she caught a glimpse of the look on the drivers face. Backtracking, Ann knocked on the passenger side window until it lowered a crack. “Your car make that sound often?” 

This is why Selena hated rentals. Unreliable pieces of crap. But being that the island didn’t require her to own her own car, but traveling required a license for rentals like this, it was what she could get and afford before she could even think about getting her own car. It’s barely been a month since she came to Harbour Pointe and the vehicle is already making weird sounds and putting out a lot of smoke. A lot. 

She had planned to go to the local bar, if the car could make it, and take a look at the available eye candy this city had to offer. After all, now that she had all this free time, why not take it up with a little bit of fun and good-looking men? It was too bad there were little to none to be seen yet. The top choices were typically already spoken for and as much as people saw Selena as that kind of woman, she wasn’t.

“I’m not sure.”

Selena was brought back from her wandering thoughts when she heard a knock on the car window. She answered the other woman, looking very annoyed. She wasn’t going to hide it, there was no point. People here didn’t know how to mind their own business, but there was also no doubt that everyone heard that awful sound.

“I’m not the original owner, but since I’ve had it, I guess.”