illumoria ;

[illumoriafms]

dependent blog for ciderpointhq ; lovingly penned by stevie rae

[yourcinluv]

gwyn watched the other woman with a quiet precision, until the words ‘ does your head ever get too loud? ‘ fall from her lips. her gaze dropped to her hands folded on top of the table, studying the lines of her knuckles. her head was always loud, and as much as she told herself ( and others ) that she was good at ignoring it…she wasn’t. even now, she weighed the pros and cons of opening up, and her head shouted all the cons. she wasn't supposed to be in town long, but she was a stranger; she seemed earnest, but people had a tendency to mislead. ultimately, she sucked in a breath and slowly nodded. “doesn't everyone's?” fingers twisting around each other, she offered a small smile. “but…about twenty years ago, i realized the ocean's always louder. especially at night." she snuck out more times than either her father or brother knew, just to scream at it. 

[illumoriafms]

its bittersweet, the sense of kinship rory feels at the quiet admission from the other woman. it always brings up a sense of sadness when she is confronted with the fact that others suffer with the same level of heaviness she seems to constantly be fighting off. but also a sense of relief. she lets herself feel the whirlwind of emotions that comes with these quick realizations before offering up a smile of her own. "i know what you mean. i think i'm just desperate for a distraction. well, no it's i'm definitely looking for one." her smile turns slightly playful as she leans her elbows on the table. "and you, unfortunately, are my victim." she takes another moment to study her, eyes curious. "lorelai, but the people who i've trauma dumped on, can call me rory."

[k1tschs]

at  least  she  has  amara’s  full  attention  now,  though  she  doubts  it’ll  last  once  another  text  from  zariah  comes  through.  it  isn't  like  she’s  doing  it  behind  her  back  either  —  amara  doesn’t  even  bother  hiding  how  close  she  is  with  this  other  girl,  but  somehow  that  only  makes  everything  feel  much  worse.  how  could  she  be  so  oblivious  to  june’s  feelings?  when  amara  reaches  for  her  hand,  she  almost  wants  to  give  in,  the  gentle  touch  nearly  enough  to  make  her  forget  why  she's  upset  in  the  first  place.  it  never  takes  much  for  her  to  forgive,  after  all.  june  has  always  been  the  type  to  give  second  and  third  chances  in  relationships,  never  quite  knowing  when  to  stop.  it’ll  get  better.  it’ll  get  better.  it’ll  get  better.  but  this  time,  she  just  couldn’t  do  it  anymore.  "  you  always  talk  to  her,  "  she  blurts  out,  her  voice  cracking  as  tears  begin  to  blur  her  vision.  june  pulls  her  hand  back,  inhaling  deeply  as  she  tries  to  collect  herself.  "  i  don’t  like  that  friend  of  yours,  okay?  zariah—  she—  are  you  even  sure  she’s  just  a  friend?  sometimes  it  feels  like  you’re  dating  both  of  us  at  the  same  time.  i  don’t  like  it,  babe.  "  her  chest  tightens  as  the  words  spill  out  too  fast  for  her  to  stop  them.  the  thought  alone  makes  her  stomach  twist,  jealousy  curling  under  her  skin  even  as  she  tries  to  keep  her  voice  steady.  she  swallows  hard,  but  it  does  nothing  to  ease  the  pressure  building  behind  her  ribs  —  her  heartbeat  loud  in  her  ears,  relentless,  almost  suffocating.  "  if  you  don’t  want  to  be  with  me  anymore,  just  tell  me.  please.  "  as  much  as  she  hates  the  thought  of  hearing  it,  maybe  it's  the  only  thing  that  would  put  her  mind  at  ease.  "  i  promise  i  can  take  it,  "  she  adds  quietly,  even  if  she's  not  entirely  sure  she  means  it. 

[illumoriafms]

her immediate reaction is to gasp. one of those dramatic, cinematic intakes of air that stops time. instead, she covers her mouth. she can hear her heart in her ears. it feels ridiculous, to have this kind of reaction. but the raw expression of fear and anxiety on her girlfriends face? it feels like a punch to her nervous system. "don't - if i - don't want to be with you anymore? are you kidding me?" and she can't help it. she laughs. an incredulous sound that escapes her in the heat of this moment. it's that feeling in her bones that has been manifesting since they moved to cider point and she started making these new friends, escaping from her body. "why on earth would i come here if i didn't want to be with you? this house, this town? you think that someone i click with platonically," amara takes great effort to put emphasis on that specific word. "would change that?" she hugs herself as she attempts to self soothe the fear that has begun to seep outside of her body. and honestly? she does the only thing that she can think of. she gets onto her knees in front of june. somewhere in the back of her mind, she is well aware of how this could backfire. and she just can't bring herself to think too hard about it. tears begin to spill down her cheeks as she gathers her words, hoping that she can find the right combination to ease this situation. "baby, i- fuck, okay, i hear you. i don't understand, but i hear you, okay?" it's frenzied, rushed, stressed as it tumbles from her mouth. "i love you. i love you so much. it's you, okay? you bring so so much light into my life. what we have built together? this?" she gestures to the room around them. "i wouldn't run out on that. and fuck, i'm sorry i've made you feel like i might."

[xrainyparadise]

open starter for anybody @ciderstarters location: up to player

"i should have travelled by plane, my gosh." alijah pouted, mildly complaining out loud. a five hour drive was killer and she could not remember the last time she had driven that far before - there and back. "car rides just won’t do." maybe she was getting old. that thought sent shivers down her spine. absent mindedly she touched her face with her finger tips. looking over at the person in the vicinity, her brown eyes filled with emotion. "oh please oh please put me out of my misery. or better yet go have some ice cream with me, my treat?"

[illumoriafms]

amara has never been one to turn down a sweet treat. she winces in sympathy at the mention of the long car ride, her spine almost feeling that tightness from sitting to long. “i’d be awful if i didn’t. are we thinking classic? or a crazy flavor? i tried bubblegum with peanut butter last time. and before you give me that look, it was FANTASTIC.” she wiggles her eyebrows in emphasis before busting out into giggles. “in all seriousness, you’re better than me. it takes so much persuasion to make me go on a roadtrip. leg cramps are a waking nightmare for me.”

[k1tschs]

it’s  the  way  amara  says  it,  so  casual  and  unbothered,  like  there's  nothing  to  read  into.  oh,  it’s  just  zariah.  sure,  maybe  if  they  weren’t  so  attached  at  the  hip,  it  wouldn't  bother  her  as  much.  everything  else  fades  out  after  that,  her  mind  going  blank  at  the  thought  of  them  together,  a  familiar  tightness  settling  in  her  chest.  it’s  only  when  amara’s  phone  buzzes  again  that  she  snaps  back  into  reality.  "  it’s  candid,  "  she  says  flatly,  almost  distant.  everything  is  better  candid.  june  reaches  for  the  laptop  and  shuts  it  down  without  much  thought  —  it’s  not  like  amara  wasn’t  just  as  excited  to  go  through  her  photos,  but  now  it  just  feels  annoying,  knowing  her  attention  is  somewhere  else.  "  what  are  you  guys  even  talking  about?  you  seem  really  excited  about  all  that.  "  god,  she  doesn’t  even  want  to  know.

[illumoriafms]

the alarm bells start to go off in the back of her brain. once the laptop is closed, she turns her whole body to june. it's a split second decision, choosing between bluntly asking why june seems to have an issue with her texting zariah or easing her worries by explaining the text thread. "oh, we've just been talking about how we watched the same show as teenagers," her tone is intentionally nonchalant in an effort to express how it's not nearly as important to her as spending time with her girlfriend at the end of a long day. she reaches for june's hand and gently starts rubbing her thumb across the back of it. "but seriously, i'd rather hear about your day. i can always talk to her later. friends can wait, babe." she feels like there's something missing in this equation. they'd never had a conversation about june having an issue with any of her friends and she seemed to like zariah just fine.

[yourcinluv]

Determined to make her way through every old haunt Cider Point had to offer, Gwyn found herself in Shirley's. She ordered take-out, not wanting to risk sitting around and running into any familiar faces. She was brave, sure, but not so brave that she could stomach small talk with people she grew up with for longer than ten minutes at a time. Something else she's determined to work on, though ‘ determined ’ simply seemed to be her word of the week. At the very least, the face that called her over was not a familiar one. The waitress had told her there would be a wait, when she ordered her food. Still, Gwyn glanced down at her smart watch, before glancing up with a shrug. Clearly, this woman needed the company more than she did. “Why not? I've got a couple minutes. I've just ordered take-out, though, so no french fries needed!” Though she had not doubt she'd partake if they landed in front of her. “Just the pancakes. I haven't been able to find any as good elsewhere, so I thought I'd treat myself for the weekend. Why the boredom?” 

[illumoriafms]

"i don't know why i didn't think of pancakes when i sat down, now you have me craving them!" she picks up her phone and shoves it into her back pocket before returning her attention to the woman now across from her. "it's the boredom that comes with trying to get out of your own head. do you ever - uh, does your head ever get a little loud? like you know that everything is going to be okay, but occasionally things just become incredibly overwhelming?" her cheeks warm as she rambles but its too late now. "i'm usually pretty good at snapping out of it but for some reason, it feels like every little thing that isn't perfect, tips the scales just a smidge too much for my liking." she takes another sip of her milkshake to shut herself up before she ends up dumping her whole life story in this persons lap.

[losrulirion]

“ girl,  i  think  we  watched  the  same  channel  then.  i  saw  that  airport  and  backrooms  one,  and  the  one  about  the  swimming  pools?  did  you  see  they're  making  a  full  ass  feature  film  about  the  backrooms?  handheld  style?  …  i  dunno  if  i  could  watch  it,  can  you  watch  it? ”  this  streams  out  in  consciousness  towards  her,  overwhelming  both  the  giggle  in  her  own  voice  and  the  dismissive  laughter  of  their  own  dramatics  in  theirs.  day  follows  the  line  of  sight  so  far  as  conversations  were  concerned,  and  if  she  purchases  a  ticket  to  the  world  of  conspiracy  documentary  land,  day  is  driving  the  colourful  deadpool  bus  right  into  that  museum.  “ okay,  okay,  so.  it's  about  how  the  alien  invasion  has  already  happened,  and  it  replaced  the  cows  in  texas  first.  they  started  in  texas  ‘cause  it’s  so  damn  big,  ain't  nobody  gonna  figure  out  they  did  it. ”  a  semi-forgotten-about  round  of  crisp  chocolate  cookies,  meant  to  be  had  with  their  coffee,  sits  on  the  table  before  them.  they  snatch  one  up,  then  push  the  little  basket  towards  her  in  silent  offering.  although  silent  is  in  the  ear  of  the  beholder.  “ what's  your  fave  supernatural  beastie?  i'm  all  ears. ”  day  too  has  a  flare  of  embarrassment  at  the  idea  of  talking  her  ear  off,  but  in  a  way,  it  was  almost  too  late  to  step  back  and  away  from  that.

[illumoriafms]

rory laughs again, but this time over the absurdity and potential plausibility of the conspiracy presented to her. "i could probably watch it, but i'd have to have a trusted adult with me." the joke rolls off her tongue easily and she relaxes into the conversation, the drop of tension in her shoulders noticeable. "cows? oh my god, can you imagine being on a farm and seeing a random alien in your herd of cows because it thought it was safe to ... like shift back?" she snags a cookie and takes a bite while she mentally flips through all the supernatural creatures she's heard of over the years. it takes her by surprise when she realizes there is way more than she'd ever admit out loud stored in the corners of her brain. "hm, i guess i'd have to say bigfoot or fairies? i mean, bigfoot is beyond relatable. ragebaiting people for centuries? and probably has some kind of multi-dimensional secluded hideout? sign me up, please." she gestures around dramatically to the space around them. "and fairies are a no-brainer. chaotic and cute little demons."

[k1tschs]

#CLOSEDSTARTER  for  @illumoriafms,  featuring  amara  zuri  jackson,  their  shared  house.

she’s  always  been  a  little  possessive,  but  lately  june  feels  like  a  third  wheel  in  her  own  relationship.  she  had  been  in  the  middle  of  showing  her  girlfriend  the  photos  she  took  earlier  that  day  when  a  text  popped  up,  and  just  like  that,  amara  was  glued  to  her  phone.  normally  she’d  let  her  be,  yet  this  time,  she  couldn’t  help  herself.  "  who  are  you  texting?  "  she  asks,  sharper  than  intended.  there  is  only  one  person  that  comes  to  mind  —  even  if  she  already  knows  the  answer,  she  needs  to  hear  it  from  amara  first.

[illumoriafms]

amara really was paying attention. one of the qualities she's been in love with since meeting june was how much care she puts into her work. but she also has been having a back and forth with zariah all day. it wasn't intentional, the beautiful images becoming a backseat to the text message that had her stifling a giggle. "oh, it's just zariah." her tone is casual as she hits send on the text and then returning her attention to her girlfriend. "woah! that ones really good, babe. i really like how you captured the lighting and still kept the subject in focus." her phone buzzes again beside her, face up on the coffee table and she ignores it, becoming engrossed once again in what she was being shown. "was this an intentional shot or something candid you were able to snag today?" she finally shifts her eyes from the photo to her partners face and her awed expression doesn't dim as she waits for an answer.

[ilovethismood]

Who: Open to all @ciderstarters

Where: Anywhere in town

When: Afternoon

Now that the weather was heating up, Jason couldn't wait to skate around town again. As he was skating to get something to eat, he noticed someone stepping into his path. "Hey watch out!" he called as he swerved to avoid hitting them. Jason came to a quick stop, kicking up his board. He pulled out his airpods as he spoke to the person. "You good?"

[illumoriafms]

amara has this terrible habit of getting caught up in her own little world, especially when she is listening to music. truly at this point, she should have only one earbud in when she takes her daily walks. it would've avoided exactly this situation. she startles when he stops in front of her, her arms out in front of her in a surrendered motion. "shit! yeah, yeah, oh my god. i'm so sorry!" her tone is panicked and she takes a moment to recover. "this new album came out and i just- yeah i wasn't paying attention."

[pocblr]

YARA SHAHIDI 📹  for Gucci, spring 2025

[heartbiiip]

goro's eyes tick, tick, tick across the keyboard as rory types. she seems to be into it so they don't really say anything else. at the 'it's fine', they know it wasn't fine. typical excuse, casual dismissal. not even with just her— regardless they give a slight nod and shift around in the chair they'd pulled. they expect to feel on edge, but the edge never comes. that small, twisted bit of worry seems to unfurl in a slow bloom. in tandem with it, they release a heavy breath they weren't sure how long they held. " yeah ... well. you know i get caught up in nothing, really. " which, true, they get caught up in absolutely fucking nothing. poor excuse, but all goro has is poor excuses. a frown crosses their face and then— interest. they perk up and move the chair closer as the clacking keys come to a halt and she pushes the laptop over. a light always seems to spark up in goro's eyes when they're shown her work— almost always they had something to say about it, but that never meant it was bad. it's different than the sheepish show of their own ... that passive push of an open program. this is active, working intrigue.

" aren't you always talking about a hit though? you're optimistic more than egotistical. " they track the scroll bar to see the different lines. their focus seems to zero-in as they lean over the chair for their headphones from their bag. the wires, of course, are a bit twisted and they have to save themselves from nearly tipping over fighting with it. it makes them choke out a slight laugh, but they brush it off with a small shoulder shrug. a pause, a glance over. it's sheepish: " i'd hope you're this passionate about your job, anyway. it's good for you. " they sure weren't, not really. goro stops stalling and connects the cord and presses play. they lean their elbow against the table, hum a little with the bassline. they don't say anything until it completely follows through and once it does, they remove one ear and rewind it. " okay, what were you thinking about when you made this? inspiration and shit ... walk with me, i wanna hear it. " said as they turn to her.

[illumoriafms]

rory can barely contain her relief when any perceived tension seems to drain from the room. she barely contains a laugh at the compliment and eagerly awaits their reaction. she watches them take in the music, the beat and rough patchwork melody she'd thrown in to give it some more potential. her eyes trace their profile, the crease in their brow that smooths out seconds later, and suddenly her mouth feels a little dry. she clears her throat once they are finished and fidgets with her hands, picking at her nailbeds as she thinks. "well, i mean, i guess i was trying to take the listener on a journey? a transformation kind of thing." she laughs at how it sounds, how she sounds spouting the things that she has often quietly judged others on. "its, uh, its inspired by how i feel like i've had to rebuild myself at times. it starts soft, almost tentative. and then it-it swells into this big, beautiful, and god, doesn't it sound just slightly ominous in spaces? like-i don't know maybe you're waiting for an epiphany that doesn't come?" she knows she is rambling, and that maybe the music doesn't exactly hit that mark to anyone else, but she truly cannot contain how excited she is about this. "if i could get the right voice on it? maybe even tweak it just slightly to fix some of the rougher edges," she momentarily sucks her lower lip between her teeth, the self doubt creeping in. "i think it could be something. something big."

[losrulirion]

a  spin  on  the  heel  takes  minnie  in  a  full  circle,  expression  doubtful,  wondering  to  whom  she  spoke.  purse  tucked  into  the  crook  of  their  elbow,  no  one  else  makes  themself  known  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  so  it  has  to  be  about  her.  that  is  the  normal  outlook  minnie  has:  when  no  one  else  is  around,  take  credit.  that's  how  you  manage  to  get  somewhere  in  life.  “  …  sure.  ”  an  evaluation  in  a  single  word,  nosiness  driving  her  to  notice  the  close  proximity  of  the  phone,  her  own  in  her  hand  as  it  buzzes,  but  she  drapes  herself  into  the  booth  and  gives  one  of  those  opening,  practised  smiles.  “  boredom?  what's  boring?  not  enough  funky  people  to  watch  or  something?  i  deal  with  too  many  people,  i  think.  ”  free  food,  though.  this  perks  her  ears  up,  with  their  diamond  drop  earrings  and  all.  the  smile  warms.  “  duh.  we're  famished,  i  already  know  it.  i  got,  um,  well  …  actually.  i  didn't  order  yet.  is  that  okay?  i  was  super  in  my  own  world.  we  can  start  with  the  fries  though.  ”  the  banana  chocolate  shake  also  looks  divine,  and  minnie  gives  it  a  longing  look  with  a  little  sigh  to  punctuate.  “  for  somebody  in  no  trouble,  you  sound  troubled.  you  good?  ”  curiosity  killed  the  cat,  and  minnie  makes  good  use  of  the  nine  lives  each  one  gets.  it  was  always  some  delicate  balancing  act  with  them,  to  find  out  what  happens  around  them  without  revealing  too  much  about  themself.  image  or  whatever.

[illumoriafms]

rory lets the flash of embarrassment fade. who cares if her stress is obvious. everyone gets stressed, she mentally reminds herself as the other gets situated across from her. she prides herself on being a good worker and enjoying what she does, so of course that's going to come with a level of stress occasionally. she relaxes into the booth, smiling at the question while she stirs the shake in front of her. "yeah, yeah, just normal work troubles," she politely flags down the waitress and orders a basket of fries before returning her attention to their conversation. "i worked with this client today. they weren't particularly difficult, i could just kind of tell they maybe weren't all present for the session. and yeah, normally, i don't think that would be a problem." she pauses to get a grip on the emotions that have been running around in her mind. "i think it put me on edge? like if they weren't all there for it, how was it supposed to be productive? i felt like once they left and i was going over the track, i didn't have a grasp on what they were expecting. so now, i'm just anxiously waiting for feedback on something i feel like i just ran with."

[illumoriafms]

do you hear A NIGHT TO REMEMBER BY BEABADOOBEE playing? oh, that must be AMARA ZURI JACKSON breezing by. i don’t know if you recognize them, but they look like YARA SHAHIDI to me. i heard that SHE has been in town for ONE MONTH, which is crazy considering they are TWENTY-SEVEN years old. yeah, they live over on OCEAN AVENUE, and i heard that they work as a RADIO HOST @ CIDERPOINTFM ( IN TOWN ). i love that they remind me of A SWEATER FRESH OUT OF THE LAUNDRY, but … ugh, their playlist is so weird. why is I CANT HAVE YOU AROUND ME ANYMORE in the queue? 

tldr ; extroverted overtly friendly golden retriever lesbian. needs to be around people otherwise she feels like she is going to drop dead from boredom. or the negative thoughts in the back of her head get too loud. full bio dropping soon!

[illumoriafms]

it's not that rory isn't used to the occasional stress associated with her job. she was always weighed down by a strange sense of guilt when she became overwhelmed with it. she is constantly grateful for finding something she enjoys as a career. but holy shit, did she sometimes feel her clients expectations adding tension to her shoulders. she had reasoned with herself hours ago that she deserved a sweet treat. that’s how she found herself sat in this booth, sipping on a banana chocolate shake, actively fighting checking her phone to see if the client she’d sent off earlier in the day had responded to the finished track. the urge to distract herself turning into an itch that needs to be scratched, her eyes landing on another patron of the diner. “hi, oh my goodness, do you wanna join me?” this is so entirely out of her character, but she is well aware if she doesn’t get out of her own head, she’ll start double texting her client like a weird situationship. “really, it’s no trouble. i’m honestly kind of going out of mind with boredom over here. what did you get?” she leans forward, propping her chin on interlaced fingers. “i’ll even order fries we could share!” she is begging the universe the other cannot sense the desperation she feels like is permeating from her words. @ciderstarters

[losrulirion]

open starter ♩ with day mbabazi, 4 / 6 .

location ♩ anywhere outdoors / suitable . @ciderstarters

the  conversation  continues  in  an  outpouring,  a  stream  really.  “  don't  give  me  that  look.  this  is  shaping  up  to  be  one  of  the  most  exhausting  days  of  my  life.  ”  they  stand  in  blue  jeans,  a  loose  button  -  down,  a  kerchief,  squinting  off  at  the  distance,  hands  on  cocked  hips  and  disappointed  at  cider  point  surrounding  them.  here  they  are,  an  apologist  about  her  and  she  has  to  go  and  betray  them  with  this  weather  and  this  vibe.  a  deep  sigh  follows.  “  i  knew  i  shouldn't  have  stayed  up  watching  that  crazy  ass  conspiracy  theory  documentary,  but  it  was  too  juicy.  ”  they  stare  at  their  palms  and  wince.  “  god,  the  calluses.  …  did  you  watch  it?  ”  they've  sparkled  through  the  seams  of  town  with  curious  and  social  intentions,  a  thousand  questions,  and  a  million  texts  having  gone  unanswered.  their  palms  also  contained  an  amount  of  calluses  invisible  to  the  normal  person.  “  like,  and  i  thought  texas  had  big  conspiracies.  at  least  the  farm  here  has  actual  grass,  like  i'll  give  it  that.  ”  do  they  converse  in  streams  or  in  jumps  from  one  topic  to  the  other?  that's  the  conundrum:  having  so  much  to  say  and  then  ending  up  running  around  in  a  circle.

[illumoriafms]

she tries to contain her giggle. she really, really does. not in the sense she is laughing at them and their very clear rough day, but more so in what they're saying is so relatable to her. it's another gentle reminder to her that she isn't unique in her occasional struggle, minute as it may seem. "i'm not entirely sure which one you are referring to, but please enlighten me?" her smile is kind to cover up her laughter and any unintentional irritation it may have caused. "i can't tell you how many nights i've spent watching a few of them back to back. i've seen a bunch about airports and backrooms. the unknown or supernatural definitely fascinates me. even if i'm not giving too much credit to it, it's still so fun to fall into those rabbit holes." she tries to push down the flash of embarrassment she feels when she realizes she's probably rambling. "but seriously, you have to fill me in. am i supposed to start preparing for an alien invasion? oh, or maybe some crazy totally predicted natural disaster?"

[rainbowxsouls]

Open Starter for: Anyone @ciderstarters

Location: The Taproom

"Don't worry honey, I'm allowed to smoke here, you don't have to weigh a moral quandary." Piper said, blowing cigarette smoke out in a long stream. She wasn't an asshole, she could go outside to smoke so she wouldn't bother other people. The cool night air ruffled her hair, down from the chignon she'd had it in earlier that day. Inside, she'd order a martini, though the quality was less than what Piper preferred. But for all it's charms, Cider Point didn't exactly have a high class lounge.

[illumoriafms]

it isn't often that rory finds herself at a bar, let alone outside of one at night. going out like this wasn't typically her style. and yet there she was, stepping out to get some fresh air. she immediately startled at the other woman's voice. she began to wonder if maybe she had unintentionally stared at her for just a little too long. when she was overwhelmed, she had a habit of almost completely swapping to autopilot to calm some of the noise in her brain. "shit, sorry. uh, i actually don't care." her eyes widened as she realized how rude that might've sounded. "i mean - jesus christ. i don't care that you are smoking. in fact, with the week i've had, you're making me want one. and i haven't smoked since high school."

[summzrsun]

status: open @ciderstarters location: penny park

the park was , admittedly , a bit more crowded than jude was used to ; he'd woken up earlier than usual that morning. naturally , freddie – so named for the legendary mercury – took his early rise as an obvious effort to take her for a walk. he was a little grumpy about it , but one could hardly say no to such a docile & sweet creature. this , of course, is what came to his mind as the golden retriever bluntly forced her way into another park-goer's day to demand pets. ❝ i swear to god, i'm never taking her out this early on a saturday afternoon again, ❞ he muttered haughtily. ❝ she's such a pain in the ass, it feels like i've been out here for hours because she stops for every person she sees. but it's not like i can be mad about that, she's brightening everyone's day. and obviously i need to set up some boundaries, too, right? ‘cause i could’ve told her no ; the yard exists for a reason. ❞

[illumoriafms]

getting up early and deciding to go to a park to do some journaling? it felt like opposite day for rory. she couldn't remember the last time she hadn't spent a saturday morning, glaring at the sun that had the audacity to stream into her bedroom or throwing on a comfort show that she would drift in and out of sleep to. surrounded by the breeze with her notebook and pen, she one hundred percent started to understand the appeal. and then, there was a dogs snout gentle sniffing at the open pages. her immediate reaction was delight. she let the sweet creature smell her hand as he approached, and by the time his statement was finished, she was fully invested in giving the best behind the ear scratches. "so , what you're saying is that this dog has you wrapped around her paw?" she briefly turned her smile to him before returning her attention to giving said dog the demanded pets. "you are right though. totally not fair to be mad at her. i mean, seriously, look at that face, oh my goodness." her voice had taken on a soft edge, so much so she felt her cheeks turn a little red. "i think i might actually need to get a dog. i forgot how .... calming they can be. even the most chaotic ones."