feels like the walls are caving in

casey jane hearst. 25. "Someday, somewhere, anywhere, unfailingly, you'll find yourself, and that, and only that, can be the happiest or bitterest hour of your life." – Pablo Neruda

[itscaseyjane]

itsrachelkates‌:

As she tugged on her jacket, Rachel faked a gasp at Casey’s ‘admission’. “Team No Pineapple? Oh my god! I want you out right now!” Her declaration was betrayed by her smile, and after a moment Rachel said, “J-K, I really couldn’t care less. I’ve never gone out of my way to order pineapple, but I’m not going to riot if it ends up on my slice. Like I said: I’m easy.” After pulling her hood through her jacket, Rachel grabbed her choice of purse that particular week (if Rachel hoarded anything, it was comic books and crappy purses) and checked that she had her wallet and keys inside. After a beat of consideration over whether she’d seem annoying if she said that she didn’t care again– like did she seem too easygoing, or like she needed harder opinions on things?– Rachel cheerily replied, “And Miller sounds great to me!”

Casey thinks her favorite thing about this new change in her life is having Rachel as a roommate. They seem to vibe so well, it’s crazy. The other woman is such a delight to be around, Casey can only smile at her and think: thank goodness I took a chance and answered that ad. “Miller it is,” Casey announces with a nod of her head, taking her keys from the bowl by the door. “So, meet back here in like 20?” She suggests. It should be enough time. Who knows how quickly the place churns out pizzas but in case there’s any lag, Casey says, “If I get back first, I’ll just put the beers in fridge and get started on the mugs. I wouldn’t crack one open with you,” she assures with a wink. She is in no business of cracking a cold one without her boys. Or in this case, her roommate. “Go team on 3?” She holds her hand out for Rachel to put hers over so they can do one of those ‘break’ moments she sees usually in sports movies but she feels it’s appropriate for their mission as well.

[itscaseyjane]

gisellexsilva‌:

                  “Exactly,” Giselle said with a vibrant smile, “I love indie movies, and you’re right, the lower the budget, the more people usually care about the project as a whole. With exceptions of course, but yeah,” She shrugged lightly, agreeing with the woman’s views easily.

Shaking her head, she reaffirmed, “No, of course you wouldn’t. You’re probably the farthest from an actual creep, so don’t worry at all.”

She’d always loved talking about her birth country, even if the US felt more like home now. France was still her mother’s home country though, and still full of friends and family. “I was born and raised in Paris actually, but I have family in Nice and in the Southern parts of France. It’s nice, isn’t it? Have you traveled a lot?” She asked, always a sucker for travel stories.

“I agree,” She said, “That’s definitely the best and quickest way to get to know a place properly, and the people in it too.”

“Oh, it’s gorgeous.” If the exaggeration of her words were any indication, Casey absolutely fell in love with the place. Beautiful architecture, so much history. “I’ve just spent the last year-ish and some backpacking actually. Well, kind of backpacking, kind of living there. It was a trip where the possibility of going home was only 20 percent-ish.” Going home was her worst case scenario. If the money had run out. If she couldn’t find a way to make money to continue being abroad. “It’s not a bad game plan at all,” Casey agrees. “I mean, I’ve met an actress I adore from an indie movie I’ve really liked and I managed to track down this really cute pet store today.” Not that she should get a pet any time soon. She just likes looking at the puppies. “So what have you been up to lately if you don’t mind me asking. Still acting or?” 

[itscaseyjane]

nathan-fox·:

                                    “Yeah exactly, chich and minimalist sounds good, but if you could include flashing lights too of some sort, that would really be the cherry on top,” he continued, a crooked smile tugging at his lips, clearly enjoying the lighthearted banter between the two of them—- something that was usually pretty hard to come across with a total stranger. “Nah,” he said when she offered relief at his promise to keep the walk casual, not a cardio-like one. “I’ve got a slew of sisters that aren’t that tall, or just doesn’t walk very fast, so I’m used to it by now— I probably walk pretty slow for a guy with long legs,” he admitted and found a bit of truth in it. He used to walk his younger sister to school when they were kids, and had to slow his steps to make sure she could keep up; it seemed it just kind of stuck, the whole thing with making sure everyone could keep up. “Ooh,” he sucks in a prolonged breath, intrigued by her question, a furrow in his brow as he thinks through a potential answer. “Well, you know… getting things from the top shelf at the supermarket— that’s one of my favorite things, and… complaining about the leg room on air planes, that’s a good one too. Blocking people’s view at a live show takes the cake though, that’s always good,” he joked.

"Aww, a slew of sisters? Are you the only boy?” She asks, finding the idea of that adorable. When Nate begins to list his ‘tall guy hobbies’, Casey can’t help the way her laughter grows, hearty and honest. It feels like it’s been a while since she’s laughed like that and she greatly appreciates Nate for getting it out of her. “Wow. Gosh, blocking people’s view at a live show. That takes the cake. I mean, the power you must feel,” she keeps up with their banter, laughing at how silly it all is. “Also, where were you when I was trying to get a box of Poptarts from the supermarket. I feel like they’re personally attacking us shorter people by putting the best flavors on the higher shelves.” 

[itscaseyjane]

itsrachelkates‌:

Rachel smiled through her jealousy– she’d always wanted to travel, but at twenty-eight she’d only left the country a handful of times. Moving to Washington was about the most exotic thing she’d ever done. “I’d love to see those key-chains,” she eagerly said to Casey as she put down her laptop, having found a nearby pizza place. “It must be quite the collection! And they probably come with so many stories that I’d love to hear, while we’re at it.” 

Considering’s Casey’s question, Rachel shrugged– despite being out of view–and replied, “I don’t care. Just follow your heart and let the mugs land where they may.” She smiled as Casey’s face reappeared, just a floating head. “Yeah, let’s do it! Beer always improves unpacking, so we should get right to it, right? I’ll grab my coat.” Decisive, Rachel zipped up her sweater and strode across the room to the coat hook to grab her black leather jacket. “What do you like on your pizza? I’m super easy.”

And with that decision, Casey nods. Beer and unpacking are like peanut butter and jelly, it’d be a shame to have them apart. She follows suit, leaving her task in the kitchen to head to the coat rack for her jacket. “Anything as long as there’s no pineapple,” she reveals with a cheeky smile. A risk to admit. Pineapple. A controversial topic when it comes to pizza. “Please tell you’re on team No Pineapple otherwise we might have our first kerfuffle as roommates. And so early too,” she teases. Even if she honestly wouldn’t mind pineapple; she likes their essence on pizza but not their presence. If anyone could understand that. With a chuckle, she slips into her jacket in hopes that’s enough to keep her warm, a moment later fixing her hair so it’s not caught under it before asking, “Do you have a preferred brand? Are you a Miller girl? A Coors girl? ...A Budweiser girl?” She even suggests after a beat. There’s no telling and she wants to be as accommodating as possible. Beer is harder to please people with compared to pizza. Anyone would be happy with a pizza. Unless they were monsters.

[itscaseyjane]

jamesxhearst‌:

He had debated for a while whether he should call Casey in because she had been very, very restrained considering the various things she could have done in his class in the past few days. Aside from the side eyes and thinly veiled verbal jabs, Casey still made sure it was only James that could understand it. The rest of the students were pretty much kept in the dark. Like he had told her though, despite her hope that her presence would annoy him, it actually made him glad to see her in his class once a week. He had made no effort to strike up a conversation or do anything outside of academics though - at least not yet. 

But now he felt that it was time to talk to her about her writing because she was pretty much dragging him in every single paper she wrote. And he meant every single one. Doesn’t matter what the topic was. Casey even managed to accuse James of abandonment (not that she was wrong) in her paper on climate change. At least he knew Casey could write well. Very well.

“Sit down,” he said, looking up at her with a smile. He had a feeling she was going to hesitate so he said, “Come on, you’re not admitting some sort of defeat if you sit down.” He fixed some of the papers on his desk before turning back his attention to her. “So,” he began, “Obviously, you have things you want to say to me and you have cleverly decided to air them out in the papers you write.” He sighed. “Papers I have to read and grade. Smart.” He chuckled. “But if I’m going to have to read another one of your pivots from the dangers of partisan politics to a full-page dissertation of my selfishness then I might go jump in a lake or something.” He shook his head. “They’re all written very well, don’t get me wrong. But to make your life and my life easier - which I realize you’re not keen to do but this does benefit you too - why don’t you just…” He raised his hands and shrugged “ - say everything you want to say right now.” He looked at her. “Come at me. I’ll be your punching bag.” 

He smiled softly before exclaiming “Oh, sorry. I haven’t had lunch yet so I hope you don’t mind.” He proceeded to reach under his desk where he pulled a tupperware which he promptly opened to reveal his signature mac and cheese. “You can have at me though,” he said as he got a spoon and dug into his lunch.

When he first suggests for her to sit down, Casey tenses lightly, her body instinctively showing she’s standing her ground. But she doesn’t know how long this is going to take and when James points out that it’s not defeat if she does sit, it doesn’t take long for her to buy that. With a tentative breath, she takes a step forward before she’s crossing the room to the chairs in front of his desk. Pulling one back, she takes a seat, lowing her bag to rest it on her lap. “Okay, I’m seated,” she announces. Even if it’s pretty much obvious to anyone with eyes. She just feels a little unsettled because she doesn’t want to do anything that makes James win. Not that a formal competition has been announced or anything, but there’s one that exists in her head. Quite silly but it means something to her. She has a lot to prove.

Thank you. She’s put quite a lot of work into them. Especially since she’s not brazen enough to just up and come at him with the full force of all of her frustration in the middle of his lecture hall. If there’s anything her mother taught her, it’s that fights have to be subtle if you want them to mean anything. Physical altercations have a temporary effect, but cleverly written essays are longer lasting she hears. Not that she’s going to throw hands at James, that’s ridiculous even for her. She’s very upset with him, but she’s not ferocious. A chuckle leaves her lips before she’s even aware of it when James says something about throwing himself into the lake, and she’s quick to catch herself and chide herself for such an action. James is not funny. Stop that.

It’s where the conversation goes next that upsets her from the brief good mood caused by James’s words. It’s astounding to her that James hasn’t gotten it yet. Especially with how much she’s been taunting him with her work, hoping they’d make him crack and elicit a reaction. This is a reaction, but not the kind she expected. Not that she’s sure what kind of reaction she wants from James at all, but she definitely wants more from him than comfortably eating Mac N Cheese in front of her while he offers to be her punching bag. “Oh, they don’t make my life hard, I can keep doing them. I’ve always been very assiduous after all,” she says, and the blatant stubbornness of her words is mostly to distract herself from the sight of her older brother’s infamous Mac N Cheese. Gosh, she hasn’t had that in ages. But no. No distractions. Her gaze lifts to set her eyes on James again. This is business.

“I don’t want you to be my punching bag,” she lets out with an exaggerated sigh. Because that seems like that’s all James he thinks he can be. His self-pity is driving her nuts but she supposes it’s better than him not acknowledging what he did at all. “I’m tired of being the one talking. Saying things. Why don’t you say something, huh?” What do you have to say for yourself? is what she wants to say but it’s a lot even for her. And it’ll definitely make her feel like one of the nannies they were stuck with when they were younger. 

[itscaseyjane]

kaiadevereaux‌:

Kaia laughed along with her, realizing her statement had been a bit too vague for any real clarity on the subject. “That would be…kind of insanely cute and funny to watch somehow I think. Especially since the little ones I usually have can’t make it through more than one routine before the excess energy has them hopping everywhere.” The current nutcracker rehearsals were a large testament to that. “But no, the under five class is my regularly taught course, but when I help out with the intermediate or advanced kids it’s usually the 13-18 range or so? The older ones are featured in our holiday performance that i’m teaching right now so it’s just been a lot of that.”

Casey laughs a little. “Must be kind of stressful. It probably helps that the kids are really cute, right?” She shakes her head a little. Teaching others has never been her strong suit but she has had experience tutoring here and there, And not to give away too much but iit was a struggle. She’s just glad her few students were either young and adorable, or had a sense of humor and a good sense to be kind. “What made you decide to want to teach? Is that what you always wanted to do getting into dance?” Casey asks. She vaguely remembers that whole evening but she remembers the way the performance made her feel. It was incredible. Like the way a good movie makes you feel. Or a great live performance of a song. She wonders what made Kaia decide to switch career paths. She was such a incredible dancer. “Oh, holiday performance. Is that showcased to the public?”

[itscaseyjane]

aidxnbailey‌:

Aidan couldn’t help but laugh at what she’d said, but he supposed it didn’t hurt if you weren’t fussy, there was definitely more of a chance of you picking up a job somewhere. “Right, of course,” he responded with a nod of his head, a gentle smile crossing his features as she continued on. “Nothing wrong with tooting your own horn if it gets you a job,” he said then, his expression thoughtful. If you didn’t sell yourself you wouldn’t get anywhere in life. 

Then, as she continued, asking him about his job. “A bit of everything, I guess, I just don’t photograph many people I suppose. At least, I don’t unless I have to, sometimes it’s a case of having to take those jobs to pay the bills.” He wasn’t entirely sure why he was telling her that, but it was too late now. “It’s a nice area, but then, there aren’t really any bad areas around here, you know?” He shrugged very lightly. “Speaking of, actually. If you’re still struggling to find anything in a few of days, I could use someone to help out on reception at my place for a couple of months.”

"So you prefer non-people projects is what you’re saying?” Casey questions, teasing lightly. “But that’s cool. I totally get that. My Instagram is mostly places, things... dogs.” She chuckles. Rarely ever any solo photos of herself. Always with others, and it’s only because she wants to capture the memory. “I get that,” Casey agrees. Sketchy as the motel she resides in, overall Bellevue seems awfully... safe. She thinks she likes that about here. “Wait, really? That-- That would be amazing. Do you want one?” She means her résumé, already reaching into her bag for one from the many she had printed for today. “I mean, just in case. I wouldn’t want you to regret that offer.” She holds out the sheet of paper to him. It doesn’t contain too much, but she’s hoping the big names will stand out. The private high school, UCLA, internships at various high profile companies of her father’s friends.

[itscaseyjane]

nathan-fox‌:

                                          “Yeah, if you made sure it was a really nice stick-on pin,” Nate said, a grin tugging at his features. He honestly couldn’t imagine he’d ever have a problem with stalkers, or anything close to it, so joking about it felt very harmless to him—- besides, it was obvious the blonde was too, harmless. He liked her; there was an energy there, a nice first impression at least, and though it hadn’t been part of his plans, he didn’t mind guiding her around Bellevue at all, showing her the ins and outs. Not that he knew the place as well as a native would, but he knew it well enough to show her around. “If you speed walk, you’ll likely get more points,” he joked, but then shook his head in reassurance, a light laugh escaping him as he started towards the place in mind. “Yeah, Tour Guide Extraordinaire! I need that on the stick-on pin, alright?” He chuckled and threw a glance in each direction before crossing to the other side of the street with Casey. “No cardio though, I’m too lazy. You’ll probably find I don’t walk that fast for a tall dude,” he said, but he wasn’t sure if that was true— he’d slow down just to make sure she was having a nice, chill time, and not a stressful cardio-like one.

"A nice stick-on pin,” she quotes. “Okay, I’ll put it in the requirements,” she shoots back, playing along with their gag. Casey shakes her head softly. She can’t remember the last time she had such amusing back and forth with essentially a stranger. And she has to say: she very much enjoys it compared to awfully polite small talk. She lives in this zone better. “I mean, definitely,” she plays along. “One can never have too many stick-on pins about themselves. I’m thinking a nice enamel one. Black backdrop, white text. Very chic and minimalist.” She laughs, finding the whole thing silly. While she meant the cardio thing as more of a joke, she’s glad to hear Nate plans on making it easy for her. It’ll all probably seem less charming if they’re sweaty messes by the time they reach this coffee shop he’s telling her about. “Oh, thank goodness. I was about to take fake it till you make it to a whole new level but I’m glad you’re one of the cooler tall dudes, considerate of shortlings such as me.” Though, she feels 5′6″ is more of an average height than anything else. But compared to Nate, surely most people would be small. She’s keeping up beside him nicely so far, and that’s good. “So,” she starts, hands in the pockets of her coat as she steps along with him. “What else do you do for a tall dude? What are your tall dude passions, tall dude hobbies? Dare I even ask, your tall dude favorites?”

[emilysblunt]

[itscaseyjane]

nathangarrettx‌:

As they started walking, Nathan looked over to Casey so he could follow their conversation still. “I moved here from New York three years ago but I’m from Ohio originally,” he shared with a small smile. He missed New York, he truly did but deep down he knew that this fresh start had been exactly what he needed. Maybe he’d return some day but at this point of his life, Bellevue just seemed like a better fit for him. Nathan laughed and shook his head. “I gotta admit, I haven’t been to a house party in years but I can mix a mean drink, I’m gonna go ahead and not be humble about that,” he teased. “I’ve been working in that field for quite some time now though so of course some recipes stick,” the male added with a shrug before tilting his head in amusement when she repeated back what he’d said. He’d made it sound a lot more mysterious than it was but he enjoyed her humorous take on it. “Would it be smart to tell you if I was?” He played along before laughing and shaking his head. “I wish it was that meaningful and heroic to be honest but no, sadly I’m just another failed musician who now teaches piano for a living,” he told her. “I studied piano performance back in New York so…I still get to do something along those lines, I guess.”

"New York! City that never sleeps, okay.” Casey nods as she listens along. She wants to make a joke about coffee and staying awake but she decides against it, figuring why ruin a good flow with a joke that would likely be pretty lame. “I’ve never been to Ohio,” she admits truthfully. “But I’ve gotten a few postcards from there. A friend I’ve had since grade school moved there during our junior year of high school, and we tried to do the letters thing for a while. But as life goes: people get busy and things slip past us. We Instagram DM now though. Which... I feel is less charming.” Her words spill into a laugh, honest and hearty.

“Well, if that’s so, Nathan, I may have to visit this bar you work at and prove this. I do enjoy myself a mean Old Fashioned. I feel like it’s a testament to a bartender’s true skills.” She’s mostly teasing. But she wouldn’t mind visiting this bar for a drink. She’s trying to find nice places to spend time at in the evenings. As far as she knows, she only has to be in her motel room to sleep. She’d rather eat mud and worms than spend time in there just hanging out even if she’s definitely been more of an indoor person her whole life. It’s only recently, with her backpacking abroad, that she’s made some changes.

“Hey, c’mon now. It’s only over if you say it’s over, it’s that what they say?” Casey brings up on a lighter note when Nathan mentions being a ‘failed’ musician. “As far as I know, as long as you still love it and do it, then you’re still a musician,” she tells him with a smile. “But that’s great. Passing on something you’re good at to someone else.” She thinks it’s a mark of a true artist -- caring enough to share. “I love music,” Casey reveals. “I’ve always wanted to study it, especially for college, but I chose something to spite my dad and--” She rolls her eyes with a small scoff. “Yeah. But I did manage to learn guitar while I was abroad. And I was given piano lessons growing up so there’s that.” She exhales slowly, adjusting to the cold of the evening. “I play a mean Chopsticks,” she adds in jest after a beat, hoping to make Nathan smile.

[itscaseyjane]

gisellexsilva‌:

               “No, definitely not crazy, but apparently you watch indie movies which makes me like you even more,” She said and laughed lightly, her mien dusted with obvious gratitude. Even if she were keen to move the spotlight back onto the pretty blonde, Giselle was always grateful when someone enjoyed her work, whether on or off screen.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you too, Casey— and don’t worry about it. On the creep-o-meter… well, you wouldn’t even be on it.” As far as creepy moments went, this was definitely not one of them, no. “I get it though. When I think I recognize someone, it drives me mad until I know for sure why and who they are.”

“I am from Bellevue yeah. Well, kind of actually,” She rethought the answer, editing, “I’m from France actually, but I moved here at ten, and was here for school and everything, so it feels like home. It is home. What about you? New around here?”

"Sometimes indie movies do it better. I feel like they care more. With the small budget, it’s usually a work of love or art and I really enjoy that,” Casey explains truthfully. She’s not saying she’s against non-indie movies but sometimes, you just want to see a piece of work that’s not for the money it’ll make, you know? Art-art. Not art-for-money.

“Yeah? Well, thank you. That’s super kind.” With her adventures backpacking, sometimes she doesn’t know if she’s too much or not doing enough, but she’s trying to balance some form of unapologetically herself and polite, and that balance is difficult to put a finger on sometimes. Moments like these make her feel like she’s getting a hang of it though.

“Oh, France! Whereabouts? I was there like a year ago. Started in Paris and made me way down to Nice.” Then it was Italy from there. But she keeps that to herself. Giselle might not be interested in her recollecting her adventures so eagerly. “I am, actually, yes. I’ve been here... not too long. I’d say a good couple of weeks. I’m actually out exploring right now. I feel like the best way to not feel like a stranger in a new place is to not be a stranger and get familiar with all the shops and streets.”

[itscaseyjane]

"So... you wanted to see me.” Not the friendliest words to start with when you’re called into someone’s office. But this is her brother, so she doesn’t feel too out of place despite their estrangement. She’s almost one hundred percent certain this has to do with the paper she recently submitted for his class, but there’s the off-chance it could be something else. She figured it’d be best to attend the meeting to find out. She could be getting transferred out of his class to someone else’s since she hasn’t exactly been the warmest student since she’s begun. She does her work, but not without rebelling in one way or other -- be it her answers in class or some thinly-veiled jab at James in the analysis portion of her paper. With a soft blow of breath, she keeps her bag close to her side before stepping further into his office. Deep enough to be in the room with the door behind her, but not far in enough to be anywhere near James or his desk or the chairs that are clearly in front of the desk for students to sit in for situations such as these. // @jamesxhearst

[itscaseyjane]

itsrachelkates‌:

Rachel ‘ooh’ed at the suggestion of pizza and beer. While she didn’t drink particularly often, she had never been one to turn her nose up at a good offer. “Pizza and beer does sound pretty good, doesn’t it?” She hummed thoughtfully, tapping her finger lightly against the mouse pad without purpose as she did. She glanced at the box in Casey’s arms, recognizing it as one she had wrapped and packed kitchenware into. “I’m pretty sure that’s full of my novelty mugs. I don’t have any mugs that match, just cute things I’ve picked up at conventions and thrift shops.”

Her mind now set on the idea of pizza and beer, Rachel drew the conversation back around by saying, “I kind of hate to send you out like that though. I’m sure that there’s a pizza place within walking distance– I can go grab pizza, and you could grab beer?” She suggested, already looking for the closest address on Google. She could always use the extra steps, and not to mention– “It’d save us the delivery fee, too,” she added with a shrug.

"That’s adorable. I did keychains while I was backpacking,” she mentions. “You’ll be surprised how much accumulates when you convince yourself you need one from literally every place you visit.” She chuckles a little at her hoarder behavior. She was a bit sentimental while abroad. “If I’d only stuck to countries and cities, I wouldn’t have had to let go of so many shoes.” Casey rolls her eyes comically. When it came down to it, she felt like she didn’t need that many pairs. She needed space freed and weight taken away, so when she looked at all of her belongings, she felt it was easiest to let a couple pairs of shoes go. “I’ll go put these in the kitchen then. Do you want them in a specific cupboard or order or..?” She asks on her way to said room of the apartment.

“Sounds like a plan to me!” The blonde yells from the kitchen. A moment later, she pops her head out of the door to address Rachel within having to raise her voice to be heard. “Do you wanna do that now? I can come back to the mugs later.”

[itscaseyjane]

srosenstock‌:

Getting a genuine reaction out of strangers was always a surprise to Sam, much more so when the reaction implied interest. As a college professor, he was kind of used to his words meaning… not a lot, unless grades were involved of course. The woman’s words brought an even wider smile to his face as he nodded his head in understanding. “I like how that sounds, actually. You have managed to make selfie-taking sound very artistic, and effective, and I’m impressed.” His hand stuck out and held hers with a gentle shake, before he let go of her, the same grin still plastered on his features. “Pleasure to meet you, Casey. You have a beautiful name. I’m Sam, and I think we are both on the same boat when it comes to taking selfies. It’s truly more complicated than it looks, don’t you think?”

Casey looks at the man and he immediately reminds her of someone. Her brother. Especially with the way he talks. And she knows she might have just watched too much Sherlock BBC last night but she feels like he’s definitely a teacher of some sort. Again, another thing to remind her of James. At his compliment of her name, Casey is surprised. “Oh, really?” It’s extremely obvious she’s not used to hearing this because she laughs a little to compensate for how awkward she feels, cheeks tinged pink at the rare words. “Um, thank you I guess?” She needs to be more confident with her thank you’s so she repeats it again -- firm, more assured this time. “Thank you.” She even nods, brows furrowed, like suddenly she’s a military official and it’s the weirdest thing so she shakes her head and tries to drop it. “But Sam. Now, that’s a great name.” She gives his hand a firm shake before keeping it to her side once more. Casey dives into the selfie talk when he offers it, quick to invest herself in something she feels more unruffled about. “It really is. I mean, I feel like there’s a whole science behind it. Angles, outfits, backdrop. People manage to get the exact message and mood they want to get across in the pictures and it’s just-- mindblowing, really. Maybe even impressive,” Casey suggests. “We shouldn’t be so quick to hate on ‘em because they might actually be on to something.” Dare she suggest.

[itscaseyjane]

kaiadevereaux‌:

“Thank you! And honestly it’s no issue, no big deal. They made us meet so many people at a time that half the time i’d end up reintroducing myself to someone i’d met a week before. After a while I just started using the blanket lines of ‘thank you for coming tonight’ and ‘so glad you enjoyed it.’ The champagne had helped too back then, a lot of the after events just a bit blurred. Grateful for the topic change, Kaia grasped it quickly. “I do, yeah! My godmother owns a studio in town and I teach ballet and lyrical classes there. Mostly to the under fives, but I take over the occasional intermediate and advanced classes when they ask.”

Casey laughs a little. “I totally get that,” she admits, recalling the endless events her parents dragged her too. It was very smile here, smile there and shake this hand and make small talk with this person. All in the name of networking and helping her father keep up the image that he had the perfect life. It was the worst. She’s glad she’s out of it. “I’m definitely guilty of telling someone it was so nice to meet them a third time. In the same night.” She shakes her head, rolling her eyes at herself. “Oh  hey, that’s really great. Intermediate or advanced... that’s like older crowd, right? Or do you mean little children that are just very good at dancing. Because I’m picturing a 5 year-old doing Black Swan right now and it’s intense.” She breaks into a fit of laughter at her ridiculous thought process, in the back of her mind hoping Kaia doesn’t find her too weird.

[itscaseyjane]

itsrachelkates‌:

@itscaseyjane​

Rachel was not going to lie– finding a roommate who seemed not only sane but charming was a huge weight off of her back. Rachel was doing alright for herself between her two incomes, but her debt was inescapable, and her savings nonexistent. A roommate was her only option unless her online popularity suddenly soared, which was unlikely, or she found herself magically betrothed to a millionaire, which was laughable. Either way, Rachel needed help unless she wanted to continue eating nothing but pasta and rice for the remainder of her twenties. 

Searching for a roommate in a foreign city wasn’t fun. Rachel didn’t know anyone, and so she was assuredly stuck bunking with a stranger. She had gotten a few people interested, but Rachel wasn’t looking to live with just anyone. Ideally, she thought, it’d be nice to live with someone that she could see herself getting along with. Casey seemed like the type. From their first introduction, the vibe she got was that Casey was the humble type, and she seemed kind. To Rachel, she seemed like she had a story to tell.

Or, maybe Rachel was just idealizing Casey because she really liked her hair. Only time could tell.

Laptop in hand, Rachel strode into the living room from her bedroom, and called to Casey, “Hey, should we order some pizza? It is kind of the go-to for move-ins. I’m pretty sure everyone I’ve ever helped move has paid me in IOU’s and pizza.”

Things were finally looking up for Casey. She has a job, a place to live in that isn’t infested with baby spiders, and a roommate! Take that, James! She was thisclose to having to admit defeat to her older brother on more than one occasion but thankfully, her luck and perseverance won out. She has a job at Resonate Brewery thanks to the help of a kind stranger putting in a good word. She’s come to love the place and recommends it as a fun place to hang to just about everyone she meets if they’re looking for suggestions. Who doesn’t like pizza and craft beer, right? Needless to say, she fits in with the staff and establishment quite well.

And then there’s her living situation, which thankfully no longer includes the words ‘sketchy’ or ‘motel’. It’s the first thing she looked into once she got a job: a nice apartment with someone to share it with because there’s no way she can afford any place alone, even with a job now. Casey can’t believe responding to an ad worked out so well for her. And that the person behind the ad wasn’t some creep that James could be all ‘I told you so’ about if he ever hears of this one day, which she plans on telling him at some point so he will. Just to rub it in his face.

To her, Rachel is just... a total dream of someone to live with.  She seems very nice, really easy to get along with, and just overall, quite the lovely human being in Casey’s opinion. She has a feeling them being roommates will be a total breeze. At least she hopes. Finger crossed it'll be nothing but good things, and Casey has a feeling it will. She's tidy, very respectful of boundaries, and a helper, and she's sure those are listed as great qualities for a roommate somewhere on the internet or in a book.

Hearing her roommate’s voice, Casey turns to it with a smile, box of Rachel’s in hand. “Sounds good to me. I can even go down and get us a couple of beers if we want the full move-in experience,” she adds, partially to be silly but also partially serious. Nothing goes together quite like pizza and beer. Maybe a margarita and a taco, but that’s not important. “Hey, where do you want this box to go by the way?” She asks. She’s helping Rachel unpack since she barely has anything of her own to. Just a large backpack and a suitcase, and that's already settled in her room.

[itscaseyjane]

aidxnbailey‌:

“Yeah, I can relate to that, I think we’ve all been there,” Aidan told her with a nod of his head. Sure it had been a while since he’d had to physically look for a job, but he knew how hard it could be sometimes. “You looking for anything in particular?” Then, at her question that followed, he offered a smile. “I am, and I’m a little of everything. I do weddings ‘cause they pay the bills and landscapes because I love it. Got a studio out in Crossroads.”

"I’m simple gal, you know. Anything that wants to hire me.” Then she realizes that can easily be taken out of context and adds, “You know, anything that’s not illegal and I’m somewhat qualified for. Wouldn’t want to throw a company off the rails with my incompetence if I end up working somewhere that involves... stocks or something,” she decides, figuring stocks is the most out there thing that she knows nothing about. “Probably something in service. Or office work. I’ve been told I have a friendly smile and I’m not trying to toot my own horn but I am pret-ty familiar with Microsoft Office,” she says, poking fun at herself with a nod of her head. She’s learned humor helps immensely when she feels awkward. “Oh, that’s nice. Landscapes? So like, open fields? Mountains?” She’s a little unfamiliar; she assumes it’s the type of photography focuses on nature..? She hopes she’s not wrong. “Oh, Crossroads! I stay there actually. Definitely most familiar with that area than others.” Then a beat, "I’m-- a newbie. To Bellevue,” she clarifies, figuring it might come off weird why she announced that so excitedly.