mocha

[mochaschino]

Mocha Chino — Twenty-one — Poet — Non-magical

Name: Mocha Chino Nickanmes: N/A Age: 21 Height: 5′3″ Sexuality: Bisexual

Mocha has the true spirit of the Beat Generation, as well as the aesthetic and vocabulary to match…Quick and sharp-witted, she is an artist and her medium is language. To her, words are not just a vehicle to simply convey thoughts from one mind to another—they’re not only tools for communication, but toys to play with, to push at boundaries (and she certainly does that, even when it comes to her daily speech patterns let alone her poetry. Nobody wants to be on her bad side for how concisely she can cut a person down to size when they’re feeling a little too cocky.)

She’s big on self-expression even if it means going against the grain, and she’s no stranger to being dubbed as a “hipster” because she prefers exploring more unique, underground artists over what may be the common interest at the time. It’s not that she automatically hates anything that’s trendy—Mocha just prefers to live in a way where she doesn’t let her own judgement be clouded by popular opinion. She may come off as pretentious (and she may even be to an extent) but she truly is a person who just wants and intends to live thoughtfully.

She doesn’t identify herself with any one religion in particular, but Mocha considers herself to be somewhat spiritual. She has researched and explored several different systems of belief before in order to come to her own conclusions and understanding of the life and the universe. (All she knows for certain is that life itself is art: art is purpose enough.) While she doesn’t entirely buy into the mystic, but she is interested by the concepts of tarot readings, crystals, horoscopes, chakras, karma…Meditation is something she thinks anyone could benefit from, regardless of their beliefs.

When it comes to holidays, Mocha doesn’t really have much of an attachment to the bigger ones. Christmas is overly sentimental, Halloween is derivative, Thanksgiving is offensive, and they’re all so commercialized as to have lost any meaning beyond being a time of year for families to get together—which is the one real thing they have going for them. She would rather celebrate Earth day than Easter.

Mocha prefers cold over warm weather, simply because it’s so much cozier to sit inside with a steaming cup of java when the sky outside is foreboding—and a rainy day somehow always makes the vibe better in Bean Scene, too. Perhaps it’s just being part of a collective of commiseration…The necessity of human connection in the face of a gray day (itself representing the uncontrollable nature of the universe, obviously) being brought into relief is something that she appreciates. Much snaps for those who perform despite the thunderclaps.

As worldly as she’d like to be, Mocha has actually never traveled much. Vacations weren’t really a priority for her family when they had a business to run—so she gets her share of adventure and world knowledge from the books she reads and the people she talks to. She would love to visit other countries, especially for their art, culture and history, but part of her worries that if she doesn’t get that wanderlust satiated sooner rather than later, she’ll be running the shop before she ever gets a chance to leave Walt Grove. Coffee is her lifeblood and Bean Scene is her home—she is happy to take it over some day, but Mocha just hopes that “some day” can come AFTER she does some of the other things she wants to do in life.

Mocha has never really been shy. Whether she’s on stage or in a one-on-one conversation, she doesn’t stumble over her words or have trouble coming up with something to say; she’s confident in her ability to communicate herself clearly and effectively. However, when it comes to love…it’s different—maybe because there’s actually something to lose, with her heart on the line. Even if she knows PJ is as interested in her as she is in him and that rejection isn’t too likely if she were to go for it, it’s just harder to make the leap of confessing feelings for someone you like than to tell off someone whose opinion you don’t value, or recite a poem you know by heart.

[mochaschino]

tweedledumtoby​:

Toby should have known that Mocha would be chill about the whole thing, but that didn’t make him feel any less bad. Alice in the hospital or not, he knew he could have handled some of the situation better than he did. At the end of the day, Toby really did like Mocha, and didn’t wanna screw it up with her, whether it was just as friends or more. They’d kissed at the ball, but he had no idea how she was feeling about him since that night. Not only that, he wasn’t even sure thinking about dating or relationships was the best thing for him right now. Regardless, seeing how nice she was being was reassuring. “It’s alright, she’s .. She’s doing better now, I think..” He trailed off, a smile forming as she offered him some coffee. “Yeah, t-that’d be great, actually. Thanks.”

~

     It was a relief to hear that she was pulling through, both for the girl herself and for his own peace of mind—even if their romantic relationship had ended for whatever reason, Mocha imagined that he still cared very deeply about his ex and would be heartbroken if the worst came to pass. Mocha had never been in such a serious relationship before, but her heart was sensitive couldn’t help but reach out to another in pain. She wasn’t going to pry for any more information than Toby wanted to provide on his own, so she just got up, said, “I’ll be back in a blink,” and headed to the counter for two fresh cups of coffee. When she got back to the table, she passed him his drink and then wrapped both hands around her own mug. “Was that all you wanted to talk about? Any other news in Tweedle-town?”

[mochaschino]

wildcatroy​:

Troy had noticed she had a nice smile from afar, but talking to her up close and in person only made that more obvious. Though he had no intentions of flirting with the brunette or trying to make a move, he still couldn’t help but appreciate things about her he’d noticed each time he came to an open mic night.

His smile didn’t falter, nodding his head as a silent you’re welcome. “I can respect that,” he played along. “Don’t worry, I won’t ask for a selfie, either. But .. I will properly introduce myself,” he chuckled, holding his hand out to shake hers. “I’m Troy.”

~

     “Troy,” she repeated, ensuring that the name would stick in her brain as she reached out and took his hand, the smile still on her face. There really was nothing like coffee and poetry to bring two strangers together, she mused—and turn them into them strangers no longer. “I’m Mocha.”

     It was interesting to her that he had claimed to be neither a poet nor a fan of the medium in particular, yet was inspired by her talent. It seemed to her that he had to have some kind of artistic streak himself. “So, what do you do, if poetry isn’t your passion?” she asked.

[mochaschino]

tjkixxd​:

Kid? Tj scrunched his nose a bit at the word as it lingered in the air. “I mean unless you’re going to be walking around with a cane, I don’t think I’m really… a kid. Tj works though, I’ve heard it’s a pretty great name or something.” Looking around he nodded. “Can’t say I’m a regular, but it’s so far been an adventure? saved the day with your pen. What’s the best drink around here? Like.. coffee or is it more of a hot tea vibe?” 

~

     “It wasn’t personal,” Mocha assured him as he took offense to her calling him kid, a wry smile on her lips. She supposed if the guy really preferred his given name, she’d also stay away from nicknames like cat and daddy-o as she was wont to use. “TJ, then,” she said, pointing her rescued pen at herself and giving her own introduction. “I’m Mocha. Which is coincidentally the drink you wanna try—but don’t take my word for it.”

[mochaschino]

tweedledumtoby​:

Perhaps Toby shouldn’t have been so nervous to talk to Mocha, for as soon as she spoke to him, he felt himself immediately relax. He really couldn’t help it, though — it wasn’t Mocha at all that made him nervous, but Alice. She didn’t even have to be present to get Toby on edge, anxious to fill Mocha in on everything now that he’d had awhile to process it. He could have left the brunette high and dry with no explanation, but he wasn’t that sort of guy. He knew Mocha deserved more than that.

He didn’t hesitate to take a seat as she offered, huffing a sigh as if to release some of the excess nerves that were still lingering. “Yeah, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks..” He admitted, scratching the back of his neck anxiously. “Uh.. First, I just wanted to apologize for how weird I’ve been, especially on New Years. You deserved a way better night than that, and .. I’m also sorry that I dropped from the face of the earth afterwards. I …” He paused, mouth feeling dry as he grew closer to admitting what happened with his ex. “I found out, after the ball, that my ex was in the hospital, so it was .. a lot to process.” He shook his head as he continued, “But I know that doesn’t excuse the way I’ve been acting. I think that you’re a really cool friend, and I’d hate for that to change because of me being stupid.”

~

    Mocha was already ready to shrug the whole ordeal off and forgive him for being less than the ideal date on New Years; it didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. She’d still managed to have a decent time that night, and she hadn’t really expected things to go anywhere with him, so him being focused on his ex girlfriend lately wasn’t a deal—though it would have been nice if he’d still dropped by as a friend during that time. Hearing that said ex was in the hospital, however, put things into perspective, and she felt nothing but sympathetic toward Toby, her smile having transformed into a frown at some point as he spoke.

     “Hey, there’s no need to apologize to me,” she said, holding her palms up and shaking her head. “I’m sorry to hear about your used-to-be, man. That must have been hard for you...Do you want a cup of java? It’s on me.”

[mochaschino]

thumpcr​:

Thumper really liked Bean Scene. There were plenty of other cafes and coffee shops in Walt Grove but none compared to the relaxed mood at his particular one. The music was soothing and the clientele were creators just like himself. As the girl handed him a pen he smiled and said, “thank you.” Her question caught him a little off guard but he didn’t hide his notebook from her and shook his head. “Not a poet, no. A musician though. I was working on a song I’ve been trying to write. My brain is all over the place though and I’m just trying to focus. I respect the creative process of a poet though. To write something so beautiful without a melody is talent. Are you a poet yourself?”

~

    “What is a lyricist if not a poet who gives meaning to a melody?” Mocha countered, tilting her head at his assertion that he wasn’t one himself. In her opinion, poets came in all sorts of packages, not just the classics typically found on shelves. Anyone who played with words could claim the label for themselves. The line between music and spoken word was thin, one only missing instrumentation—after all, poetry has rhythm and meter. She nodded as she questioned whether she was a poet herself, answering, “I perform here most nights. Sorry to hear you’re having trouble focusing; most people find Bean Scene a good place for both creative juice and java to flow.”

[uykuyorgunu-deactivated20220508]

[mochaschino]

wildcatroy​:

Troy still hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to the intriguing brunette he’d noticed one day at the Bean Scene, soon becoming a regular that liked to listen to her poetry readings. Her words were beautiful, and she seemed so down to earth and interesting, but far from Troy’s league. Besides, his head had been preoccupied with thoughts of Sharpay more and more lately. That didn’t stop him from continuing to come to the poetry readings, though, still finding her work to be inspiring.

He was surprised when Mocha approached him after she had just finished at the mic, a smile immediately forming as she spoke to him. “Not at all, be my guest,” he replied, motioning to the seat. “Actually, neither. At least, I don’t think so,” he admitted with an awkward chuckle. “Honestly, I just happened to hear you up there one night and was inspired. You’re really talented.”

~

     Mocha cocked her head, eyebrow raised as he admitted that he wasn’t here as a poet or lover of spoken word himself, but just because he had heard her work and been inspired to come back for more. That was wildly flattering, even more so because the guy seemed genuine in his compliment, not like he was just using a line or trying to flirt. That was honestly rare from a straight, white guy these days.

     “Thanks,” she replied, a surprised smile on her lips. She could be entirely confident in her own writing and still feel humbled by praise. To break the ice further, she teased, “Sorry to disappoint a fan, but I don’t do autographs.; they’re so...gauche.”

[bbillysmee]

Drumming his fingers against his pants to a random song that was probably over played at the Pizza Planet, Tj thought he’d try a fancy coffee. He wasn’t one to seek it out, but today felt … coffee needed. Looking around at the people sitting down he wondered to himself what it was like to be that mystery human that sat at a coffee shop reading.. or doing something that was just relaxing and calming. At least that’s the story he wrote in his head seeing the others. Catching a pen fall from a table he made his way over to the other and quickly grabbed it. “Butterfingers am I right?” He teased as he handed it over. “Here ya’ go… and that was lame, but kinda funny.”  || @mochaschino​ 

[mochaschino]

     Though his attempt at humor—she guessed it was supposed to be something like a joke if he thought it was funny—made her roll her eyes, Mocha had to be grateful that he’d caught her pen and he was seemingly a friendly guy. As long as he wasn’t a total creep, she didn’t mind putting her writing on hold for a conversation. What better way was there to appreciate life than to know many people, travel widely, read voraciously, and experience everything possible? “Good lookin’ out, kid,” she said, a smile touching her lips. “What’s your name? I haven’t seen your face around here before.”

[thumpcr]

It was one of the not so rare days that Thumper had forgotten to take his medicine. His ADHD could be off the wall on a good day and today was just worse. He was sitting in class, tapping his pen against the desk rapidly, not even making a small beat like he does at times. He kept looking at the clock, the ticking noise driving him nearly insane. He just couldn’t wait to be out of class. Music theory was fine and all but he didn’t do well in a classroom setting. Twelve minutes, he told himself. That’s all he had left. And the second that clock struck on the hour he bolted out of his seat and was out the door. The air was cool and crisp but it was a relatively nice day overall. He had one class later in the day but was heavily debating skipping. Maybe if he had remembered his meds it would be different. Of course it had been an early morning for Bambi and his best friend hadn’t been there to remind him to take his pills. 

After class he found himself at Bean Scene. The club was relaxed and played soft music. Not the type Thumper usually listened to, but it was still calming and he really needed calm that day. He had decided to say fuck homework and took out his notebook with all his song lyrics in it. There were many pages with scratched out lyrics and others with emotional words written in a perfect melody. He was working on a new song but was struggling to focus. He should really start carrying an extra dose of medicine around for days that he forgot, he thought to himself. He had a cup of coffee but had decided it was best if he went the decaf route. He also had a chocolate croissant as a little treat for himself. As he scribbled down messy lyrics in his notebook his pen began to run dry. He dug through his bag, hoping to find another but to no avail he had no others. Groaning he leaned back in his chair when he noticed the person at the next table was also writing. “Excuse me,” he said, “you wouldn’t happen to have another pen, would you? Mine just ran out.”

[mochaschino]

     Mocha probably spent more time in her parents’ coffee house than anywhere else; she practically lived her. If she wasn’t performing her poetry, she was still hanging around to enjoy her favorite coffee in town and write more. Bean Scene was a perfect place for artistic inspiration, the soothing jazzy music setting just the right mood. As somebody at the next table over called her attention and asked for a pen, she produced a spare and reached out to hand it to him, eyes lighting up as she glimpsed the format of the words in his notebook, even if she didn’t make out what the said. All she needed to notice was that he clearly wasn’t taking notes; this was clearly the creative process. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to spy on your unfinished works, but you wouldn’t happen to be a poet, by any chance?”

[mochaschino]

Slurred words - Toby

@tweedledumtoby

     “I think he’s a cool cat who’s gotten himself mixed up with some bad news. I guess he’s still having trouble getting over his used-to-be, but if he could just take a step back from the circus and chill, he’d realize there’s a lot more out there for him...Take all this with a grain of salt. I haven’t known him too long—maybe I shouldn’t presume to understand whatever’s going on in there. I’d just like to help a guy out when I see him such in a tough spot.”

[emifarmasi]

this straight to video disney sequel called me out and kicked my cartoon trash ass for a week

[mochaschino]

@wildcatroy​

     She’d seen him come into Bean Scene often enough that she thought of him as a semi-regular, but despite attending her poetry readings frequently and the clear interest that sparkled in his eyes each time, the guy had never approached the stage on an open mic night. Mocha’s curiosity was piqued enough that one night, after finishing her set, she made her way over to his table. “Is this seat taken?” she asked, not waiting for an answer as she pulled out the chair across from where he sat and claimed it for herself in one fluid motion. “So, are you a poet or just an aficionado?”

[tweedledumtoby]

It had been a rocky couple of weeks, to say the least. Between kissing Mocha at the ball and finding out afterwards that Alice was in the hospital, Toby had been a complete wreck. Nothing made sense anymore and he could hardly focus on anything but how horrible he felt. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for Mocha too, feeling like he dragged her into their drama for seemingly no reason. Maybe Alice was right to judge him for giving into rumors.

He had visited Alice in the hospital when she wasn’t awake, not ready to actually face her and have to talk to her. He hadn’t seen Mocha since the ball, though, and today he managed to force himself out of bed, going to the coffee shop where he’d first met the brunette. It had felt like awhile since he last smiled, a small one forming when he spotted Mocha. “Hey.. I was hoping I’d find you here. You busy?” @mochaschino​

[mochaschino]

     The ball hadn’t gone exactly how Mocha had expected, but of course that was the spice of life, wasn’t it? It was unpredictable, unplannable, and...sometimes, just a little underwhelming. There were some good things that had come from going out with Toby that night; she’d gotten to dance and she’d met the second half of Tweedle Talks who’d proven to be good company, like his brother—most of the time. Then there was the fact that her date had been on edge the whole time, pulled away at some point to get into some kind of a row with his ex-girlfriend, kissed Mocha at midnight and then and hadn’t dropped by since...

     She was surprised to see Toby again at this point—wondering whether he’d cut his losses—but the only sign she showed of it was the brief widening of her eyes as he walked through the door. By the time he made his way over to her, the only expression she wore was a small smile. “Take a seat and tell me what’s on your mind,” she offered, motioning for him to make himself comfortable. “Pardon my honestly, but you don’t look too hot, daddy-o.”

[mattsmithcouldunot]

a guy on the train just finished his book and started a new one immediately i think that is the sexiest thing i’ve ever seen

[tweedledumtoby]

Coming to the ball, all Toby could think about is Alice, despite that he had asked Mocha to be his date. He couldn’t help it. Last time he went to a formal event was with Alice, and all he can remember was being so nervous to impress her. That was really the night that started the downfall, the stumbling and tumbling of their relationship. That felt so long ago now.

But tonight, he was more nervous about seeing Alice there than about his date with Mocha. The date didn’t feel all that serious, and Toby didn’t feel like he needed to impress her. It was the best way Toby could think of to not be alone that night, and from the few times he’d spent with Mocha, she seemed like genuinely good company. He just wanted to get through the night without falling apart.

A joint before the ball was tradition at this point, but tonight he was smoking it more to relax than to have fun. Mocha didn’t seem to mind, which he appreciated. As they arrived, he felt his eyes scanning the crowd of people, seeing if he would spot Alice there or not. “Uh.. Should we start with a drink?” @mochaschino

[mochaschino]

     Despite attending the winter ball accompanied by Toby as her date, Mocha’s heart was already spoken for by somebody else. That special someone hadn’t yet asked her out, however, and she had eventually decided that it was better to attend with a new friend than spend her time at the event pining and wondering where P.J. was—she’d only end up sitting at a table all night scribbling poetry. And once in a while it better to actually seize the moment as life passed by, rather than writing about it. She did love to dance.

     She had met Toby recently, although in a weird way, it felt like she had known him longer because she had been listening to the podcast he shared with his brother for a while before he actually wandered into her parents’ coffee shop. He was somebody she enjoyed talking to and wouldn’t mind hanging out with him for the night while they indulged in some champagne or whatever other treats this party offered.

    The only problem was that he seemed more than a little out of it tonight. He was tense, almost on edge like he expected some foul surprise at any corner, and she hoped the joint he smoked outside did a little to ease his mind before they got into the crowd. “Sure, I wouldn’t say no to some juice,” she answered his question, raising an eyebrow as she added softly, “What’s got you interviewing your brains like that?”

[mochaschino]

Mocha’s dress for the Winter Wonderland Ball