kimi watanabe-finster. ☮︎

Had it not been for the joint they smoked before going to the exploratorium, Berlioz would have likely been anxious as all hell. He wasn't having the time of his life, but he wasn't not enjoying himself either. It was amusing watching Kimi examine each and every species they came across. What wasn't as entertaining was her comparison of Berli to a toad. His face stayed neutral when she stood up and cracked her joke. "Funny," he muttered and rolled his eyes. Berlioz smiled at her, trying not to seem like a total buzzkill and bore. "I promise I'm not hating every moment of this, but you'll have to do better than comparing me to a toad to offend me."

Her eyes drifted back over her shoulder to the toad on display, the kind of creature it was just so ugly it was cute. "I do not believe you... but you're here, and that's enough for me," Kimi beamed. He might not have been loving every moment either, but she was having a blast. Maybe the optimism would rub off on him if just a little. "I'm not trying to offend you. Then you might stop being my friend, and then what will I do?"

#& chats.#& berlioz bonfamille.#KIMI UR MEAN

LOCATION: the exploratorium FOR: @jazzykitten

"Look at this one," Kimi called, crouched over to read the display index for the Surinam toad. She felt a little bad for forcing Berlioz to come with her, but she was on a mission. Two missions, really: have a good time, and make sure her friend did too. And the search for that good time had led them to the amphibian room. Standing up, she could barely get her next sentence out before she burst into laughter. "He looks just like you!"

LOCATION: angelica's FOR: @cynthiastan

Kimi was responsible, she'd swear it! But she was also spontaneous. And a little careless. Sometimes. Standing outside of Angelica's door, she tried to put on her least tipsy face, waiting for her to open and hoping she hadn't woke her. What time even was it? "Angeliiiica, my aaaangel," she sang, definitely blowing her sober cover right off the bat. "I may have lost my wallet, and I may not have had enough for cab fare, so... hi! Can I crash here? Pretty pwease?"

#& chats.#& angelica pickles.#tw alcohol

a limp smile at the reassurance , nuzzling her face into her friends shoulder , lids suddenly feeling heavy as they began to slightly droop . kimi's round cheek was warm against her scalp , and it took everything within the celestial creature not to purr in response . exhaustion suddenly weighed them down as they sunk further into the other's side , blinking slowly as her gaze focused on her hands .

" backpack leashes , " luma drawled , attempting to remain dialed in to the conversation they themselves had started . she listened quietly , stomach roiling with sudden nausea , curling up into as small of a ball as she could manage in her human form . " ramen sounds soooo good , i don't even care what's on it . you pick for me . " a look up to the woman then , a pleading gleam in eyes that batted sleepily . " whillleeee you order it for us , can i maybe take a shower ?? wake myself up ?? "

"I'll order you something I can eat, so if you hate it, we can trade bowls." Was it a thoughtful offer, or was she just hopeful Luma would let her have what was left if she didn't finish it? Both. The answer was both. "And extra spring rolls. All the spring rolls." They could save and air fry what they didn't finish later, there was no such thing as too many spring rolls.

Looking up from her phone, she laughed softly. "You don't have to ask, help yourself. You can even use my expensive shampoo. Maybe the ramen will be here by the time you're out."

sk8rrgurrlmiriam

"Dude, have you never had fried pickles before?" Miriam asked before erupting a loud laugh. She, as well, may have had a few too many drinks. She held up her drink and took a sip as she contemplated what exactly was in the drinks they had. Some sort of electric blue concoction that Miriam was sucking dry, glass by glass. "Fuck if I know what's in here though. All I know is it's good and I'm drunk." She flashed a grin before reaching out for one of the pickles on the plate between them. "I literally cannot stop you because you're going to have to stop me." She popped the pickle in her mouth, letting out a 'mmm.' "This was, like, such a great idea. Whose idea was it again though?" she asked with another laugh.

#& chats.#& miriam mendelsohn.

"I have had fried pickles," Kimi clarified, "but they didn't taste like this." Perhaps she was just starving, hadn't eaten enough today. Perhaps it was the alcohol, making everything seem so much better than it truly was. Or perhaps they really were the best fried pickles in Evermore, in the world. She would have to figure it out at a later date. "They seasoned these bitches with something insane." If only she had vegan ranch to dip them in, they would be orgasmic. She should have brought her bottle from home, but how strange would she look pulling a bottle of ranch out of her bag? Not that she cared what anyone thought. Reaching for another, her shoulders lifted and fell into a shrug. "I don't remember. Let's say 50/50 and call us both geniuses. I have to come here more often."

nikologueplus

#& portraits.

rottedjudgement

open starter location: wonderland

"the amount of drunk people asking me to be their valentine is....adorable almost," meg said with a soft sigh as she sat by the bar. "i feel like half of them already have one and are just trying to be cute. i'm not really a fan of the holiday though. how about you? indulge me for a minute, hmm?"

#meg <33333 #& chats.#& megara morles.

"Valentines day is sweet, but I'm not sure I'm the romantic type," Kimi admitted, it was nice in thought... but relationships never went very well for her. Sure, she wanted what her parents had, but she wasn't necessarily in a rush to fall in love. "Besides... it seems like capitalist propaganda. Buy chocolate, buy cards, buy plushies. What does any of that have to do with soulmates?"

LOCATION: grub & pup FOR: @sk8rrgurrlmiriam

It wasn't her usual drinking spot, but Kimi was cozied up in her seat, having the time of her life after one, two, three drinks too many. "Okay, what is in this shit?" She demanded, popping another bite of the food into her mouth as she addressed her poor friend she'd conned into coming out with her tonight. "This is addicting. I'm going to need you to stop me. Physically restrain me."

#tw alcohol #& chats.#& miriam mendelsohn.

luma , blinking at kimi , dropped her gaze down to where kimi had set her hand atop their knee . they blew out a breath , trilling their lips , a strand of hair fluttering up from where it had abandoned the knot atop her head . " sorry , " luma apologized , nose twisting , the nausea simmering as she floated back down to earth . " my anxiety is just , , , all over the place . is this - is this that hangxiety thing people have talked about before ?? " she wondered if she shifted if the symptoms would dissipate , the temptation so intense she moved hand to rest atop kimi's , squeezing it , to distract from the thought .

her brain felt like sludge , overfilled to where it was a miracle it wasn't pouring out of her ears , and luma sighed as she scooted back beside her friend and dropped her bowling-ball head atop her shoulder . " i'm just having a fit , i'm fine , " luma muttered , irritated , tapping her thumb against kimi's wrist . " no , , , no that was fun . i just - i need you to put me on a leash or something . and don't let me talk to pretty girls when i'm out of it , save everyone the embarrassment . " a glance up at kimi's profile through her lashes , an apologetic smile ; " , , , food though. we should probably figure out food . my treat . " then , cooing ; " since you took such good care of me . "

"Mm, that'll do it," Kimi confirmed. It had been awhile since she'd dealt with a true hangover, she liked to think she knew where her limit was enough to dance the line of minimal to no after morning affects, but she remembered it well enough. Her expression softened with sympathy, wishing she could promise them it would go away soon or there was an easy fix . . . but she just kind of had to ride it out. "You are fine," Kimi agreed, leaning her cheek atop the other's head, "but it still sucks ass."

She laughed, pulling her head back to look down at her. "Maybe one of those backpacks with the leash on it. Pretty sure my mom had to use one on me before." Patting her pockets in search of her phone, she retrieved it after a moment, pulling UberEats up to scroll through the restaurant lists. "So, ramen? Or should I order steak and lobster since it's your treat now?" A joke, obviously. She was a vegetarian.

Berlioz didn't have time to process Kimi's words before her lips were back on his. It surprised him for a brief second but he didn't hesitate to kiss her back. Hands went from around her back to her waist, rising up her sides until he reached out and cupped her face in his hands. The kiss he returned her was generous and when she broke apart he took a large breath. "Even?" he asked with a raised brow when he had caught his breath. "Hmm...if you say so," he said mischievously. His thumbs wiped the mascara that had dripped onto her cheeks, only smudging it more. "Oops." He glanced towards her eyes then smirked. In all honesty, the hot mess look was working for her. Berlioz dropped his hands down to rest on her thighs, gently massaging his fingers against them. "You say it's even. Does that mean it's a competition? In that case, I'm afraid you'll lose." His lips found hers again and he pressed up against her to push her down on the couch. He broke his lips from hers briefly to whisper in her ear, "I think it could be a great distraction to play a game." He kissed just under her ear before going back to her lips, one hand going to rest on her waist.

This was not what she'd come to him for. Though realistically, Kimi wasn't sure what she had come to him for. She didn't have a plan on mind when she came to his door, she wasn't even sure if Berlioz was home. Still, he didn't seem to mind. He was the one that had kissed her, after all. And it really was a useful distraction. "Is that so?" She meant to say more, but then his lips were back on hers again. Her arms wound themselves around his neck as they fell back onto the couch, shuddering at his breath, warm against her skin. As soon as his lips were back on hers, she pulled away to grin up at him. "I fear you are underestimating how competitive I can be." With that, she pulled his face back down to hers, her lips close to his but not touching as she murmured, "But I do love games."

" oh cosmos , do you not remember either ?? " luma rolled onto her back , staring up at kimi wide-eyed , a look of horror flashing in her expression . " nooo !! oh stars and planets , this is bad . really bad . " spoken more to themselves than kimi , luma suddenly sat up , the room lurching forward as she did , bringing up both hands to clutch her head . ice pack , , , where had she put her ice pack ?!

luma breathed through the sudden plague of nausea that came with the room spinning , swallowing down the saliva that had pooled under her tongue . what if one of the scouts had been there ?! what if someone had seen her ?! what if they had killed someone ?! anxiety festered , an infection in an open wound , paling once rouged features . " i can never do that again . no more doing , , , whatever that was . i , , , i keep track of everything , kimi , i might as well count the amount of breaths i take !! " hands felt around , seeking out the comfort of her coolant , growing more perturbed with each passing moment . then , with a devastated look , luma put their hand to their head ; " ugh . i , , , i can't even remember what we were talking about . "

"Wait, Luma, I didn't black out or anything," Kimi clarified, seeing the anxiety bubbling up in her friend, a frown tugging at her own lips. "I remember the whole night, give or take a few minutes. I just . . . wasn't part of that conversation." Nor did she want to be. She fought the urge to tell her to chill, knowing very well how unhelpful something like that was, placing what was meant to be a comforting hand on her knee.

She understood the worry about being out of control. But she wouldn't let anything happen to her. She wouldn't even let her make a fool of herself, immediately calling an Uber the moment she realized the vibe had shifted. Kimi spent enough time at clubs to pinpoint when it was time to leave, or so she liked to believe. As for whatever she had said to this pretty girl that smelled like Heaven or whatever, well, that was not her concern. "Hey, if you don't wanna drink anymore, we won't drink anymore. But I was looking out for you. Promise."

luma laughed , stretching her arms over her head as she further draped herself across kimi's lap — akin to her cat-like habits , still growing accustomed to the human form she wore like a jacket that didn't belong to her . luma's fingers splayed , lengthening her spine , before dropping her weight entirely onto kimi's legs ; curling atop the plush of upper thighs . " oh , " she mused , heavy lidded as the popping of taught joints had made her sleepy . " that poor girl , i don't even want to know what i was saying to her , , , " a quiet lament , muffled by a yawn . " — annddd i may have to take you up on that . i'd love a cold shower , honestly . "

then , relief , leading her to melt where she laid as if she were dissolving into liquid . " ooooooh , " luma purred , puckering her lips in an ' o ' shape at the offer . " mm yes . can we get ramen ?? pretty please ?? " the one earthling food that she had actually come to adore .

"I doubt you were that bad," Kimi offered. She had seen bad. She had been bad, when she first started drinking and didn't think about eating beforehand or having water to balance her shots. She had made a fool of herself in more ways than one. Maybe she was biased, but Luma didn't seem all that bad at her worst. "Besides . . . you'll probably never see her again." Wishful thinking. Get ahold of yourself, Kimi.

She shuddered, made an over-exaggerated face of shock. "Cold showers?" A nice, warm, shower, yes. A cold shower sounded like torture. Some sort of bootcamp. "Obviously we can get ramen. Who do you think I am? Ramen, dumplings, ooh, and crispy tofu, of course. You're making me hungry, 'Lu."

" ooooohhhh . huh . " luma's lips pursed , dark brows furrowing as she sifted through the limited memory she had of the night prior . she'd believe it . of course it was kimi !! then , a laugh ; one that was so weighted it made her bones groan as if they were warped floor boards . " — that makes sense . i'm uh , , , sorry you had to witness what you did . really . i'm like humiliated . " a tilt of her heavy head , the bun knotted atop it slanting sideways . " — but really , what shampoo do you use ?? it's like , , , the only thing i remember . " that and feminine hygiene products on earth are wildly different from what she had become accustomed to amongst the stars .

as kimi joined her on the couch , luma shifted her torso to drape across her friends lap , curling her legs into her torso as if she were in her feline form , half balled atop kimi's thighs . " ugh , part twooooooo ?? " luma whined , screwing her eyes shut . " kimi , i'm going to die . DIE . "

"I'm kidding, Lulu," Kimi laughed, a half-hearted one ; she didn't like this, the devastating feeling that come with crushes, the bitterness gnawing at the edges of her thoughts. It shouldn't get in the way of being a good friend. It shouldn't even bother her, period. It would pass. They always did. "I think it was some other girl. But you can borrow my shampoo, anyway. It's the expensive shit. Vegan, cruelty free, probably organic."

Leaning her own head back against the cushion, she shook her head. "I won't do that to you, don't worry. You're welcome to stay, though. We can watch movies and order takeout. On me. As an apology for . . . getting you into this," she gestured to Luma with a grin, "shape. I was not a very good babysitter."

𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 : @itskimibtchh !! 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: kimi's place after a horrendous night out at the topsy turvy

" thanks for letting me crash here , kimi . i totally blacked , " luma grunted her gratitude , pressing the ice pack kimi had so graciously gifted to her temple , lips puckered in a pout as she felt the throbbing of her temples syncopate with each spoken syllable .

she nestled back into her makeshift bed ( one kimi had made for her whilst she was , apparently , puking her guts up in her bathroom ) , swaddled in kimi's clothes , fighting for her life as the room whirled . " the most unfortunate part — besides this being absolutely humiliating — is that girl i was talking to was really pretty . so pretty . and she smelled so good - like , , , like , , , " nose scrunched , digging through the folds of her brain to locate the spotty memory ; " cosmos , i don't know . but whatever it was , i want to bathe in it . "

"Well — you were talking to me," Kimi stated, knowing ( though, she wished ) that was not who her friend was referring to. She had seen the other girl at some point, remembered rolling her eyes and downing another shot before the night turned sour. If she was pretty, she hadn't noticed. But it was hard to notice anyone else when she was out with Luma.

Pushing the rising bitterness away, reminding herself she was being silly and there were more important things, like how awful Luma must be feeling, Kimi found enough empathy to let it go. She didn't get many hangovers, but she knew how excruciating they could be. Especially if you weren't used to them. "On the bright side," she offered, "you didn't hurl in front of her. At least, I don't think you did." Plopping down on the blanket by her, she grinned, eyebrows lifting. "So . . . ready for part two tonight?"

Berlioz shook his head. "I don't want you to go," he admitted. He didn't want to be alone. "Besides, it's really late. You shouldn't risk going home now." It wasn't like he was going to sleep until the sun rose anyways. "Nothing to hold against. Promise." He smiled small at her, admiring the details on her face he always failed to notice from afar. "I like when you're here. Your company is...nice." He let out a soft, content sigh. His arms were still around her and he looked down at her, catching her gaze again. He wasn't sure what else to say in the moment. Thoughts were still hazy so when he leaned in and kissed her he didn't think twice. It wasn't until his lips had been on hers for a couple of seconds that he quickly pulled away. "Sorry..." he mumbled. "I think I was the one that got distracted when you were the one that needed to be in the first place."

She was relieved, she didn't want to bother him but she really didn't want to be alone, either. She didn't notice him leaning in until his lips were on hers, surprising her at first, but she was only frozen for a few seconds before kissing him back. It was unexpected, but it did a good job of pushing all the other thoughts out of her head. She almost laughed when he pulled away, knowing she must have looked like a complete mess, smudged mascara down her cheeks. "Well, it worked," Kimi stated, her hand finding the back of his neck to pull him back down to her, locking their lips again, breaking away when she had to come up for oxygen. "There. We're even."

Berlioz could see her inner turmoil. He could feel it too, weighing heavy on his own. He watched as she wiped her tears and it made him frown. Seeing Kimi sad was so rare and when it happened Berlioz wasn't always sure how to help. She was usually a beam of sunshine, not a sullen wreck. "It's alright, Kimi. You don't have to be sorry. I've...you have seen me having a lot more bad nights than you know." He let out a soft sigh and shook his head. "Stop that," he grumbled and waved his hand. She apologized too much, but so did he. "That's what friends are for. I would think you'd know you can come to me for anything by now." He wasn't trying to make her feel guilty but realized how his words might sound. "I'm here for you whenever you need me, is all I'm saying." He tilted her chin up and smiled at her. "We can find something to do. A distraction, whatever you need." His thumb gently caressed her jawline and his eyes finally found hers. They were so sad, but so so pretty. His smile began to falter the longer he gazed into them. "I'd take your pain away and bear it myself if I could," he told her softly. He wrapped his arms back around her and held her against his chest. Sometimes touch alone could bring a person comfort. "For now all I can do is try to help numb it."

He wasn't wrong, she would be there for him if he needed it to, but she still felt bad for showing up like this. Even if she wouldn't mind any of her friends doing the same. "Thanks, Berlioz." She took a deep breath, held it in her lungs for a moment before releasing it. "But I can go... if you're busy, or you need to sleep." She tried not to let the disappointment slip into her tone, not wanting to guilt him into entertaining her. She had an early morning, but Kimi doubted she'd be able to sleep even if she went home now, and she was far too restless to just lie in bed alone. She lifted her head from his chest, the sound of his heartbeat and the warmth that was calming her to meet his eyes. "I won't hold it against you. Promise." He had done more than enough already.