these vagabond shoes

xxii . the next big thing . ❝ these little town blues are melting away - i'll make a brand new s t a r t of it in old New York ❞

[sorarivers-blog1]

“ooooh, rj!” sora exclaims through a squeal, gritting her teeth in a wide smile. “okay, okay i’m sorry for showing up so late and everything, but you’ll be glad i did, i promise,” she enthuses, beaming at him before she steps right past him and lets herself into his apartment, hands hiding something behind her back. “i was gonna wait until we met up for coffee tomorrow, but i was up, and thinking all night about how exciting it was going to be, so i couldn’t wait. i brought you something,” she tells him when she turns around to face him, beaming at him.

[rjzafar-blog]

“why would i be glad?” he muttered under his breath, shuffling off to one side so she could come in like he’d known she would. stifling a yawn, he shut the door behind them, turning to look at her. r.j. couldn’t help the curiosity he felt, much as he just wanted to tell her off for banging on his door so late. “okay, what is it?” he asked, perking up a little bit more at the mention of her having brought him something. “maybe if it’s cool enough i can excuse your transgression,” he teased.

[cecilysoto-deactivated20160116]

she let out a little nervous laugh at his comment, knowing full well he was joking around but still feeling a bit bad about it. she blinked in surprise. “oh, uh, i wouldn’t want to, uh, impose. i mean, first i wake you up… i wouldn’t want to keep you up.” 

[rjzafar-blog]

“no, it’s alright,” he said with a wave of his hand, stepping aside so she could come in if she’d like. “i’m the worst at sleeping. i’ll probably be up another few hours at least.” r.j. paused, then offered her a genuine smile. “really it’s cool.”

[rjzafar-blog]

text | ✉ | cruz

cruz: yes

cruz: but maybe you should work on asking in a sexier way

rj: do you have any suggestions?

[cecilysoto-deactivated20160116]

“no, no, i understand. i probably should’ve checked,” cecily replied quickly with a shake of her head, but felt herself relax a bit when she saw him smile. she nodded, giving him a small smile back. “just, uh, couldn’t sleep. that’s all. i’m good.”

[rjzafar-blog]

“yeah you should’ve,” he said, but there was a smile playing on his lips as he said it. he glanced over his shoulder, debating a moment. “i mean you can come in and hang out. wait — is that a little weird?”

[cecilysoto-deactivated20160116]

“shoot,” cecily said, her eyes widening as she stepped back from the door. “i…well i was…” she took a deep breath, composing herself. “read the wrong door number. sorry.”

[rjzafar-blog]

he quirked an eyebrow, realizing that maybe he should’ve been a little kinder. “sorry,” he added, stifling a yawn, “i’m a little cranky when i get woken up.” r.j. offered her a lopsided smile. “you sure you’re alright?”

[rjzafar-blog]

“fucking hell,” he complained, rubbing his right eye with the palm of his hand. “it’s three in the morning — what’re you banging on my door for?”

[fxksebby-blog]

“i’ve already got a dog, i don’t need a shih tzu too, especially with how annoying they are. i doubt cruz would appreciate it, he’d probably skin me alive. you’ve never tried, so you don’t know, so… let’s try it. you’re ruining all my fun, man, but i guess a movie is good too. what do ya wanna see?”

[rjzafar-blog]

“surely he’d warm up to it. cruz is too much of a cinnamon roll to skin somebody alive. but maybe i should try it someday. i would if i wasn’t half afraid i’d be banned for life. hey, we can have plenty of fun without getting ourselves knee deep into shit — i’ve no idea. i heard creed’s a good one. there’s that new pixar movie out, too.”

[sorarivers-blog1]

“wow. honestly? i expected some off-broadway choices, something no one has ever heard before coming from you. but hey, you’ve gotta love the classics. the lion king is my absolute favorite!”

[rjzafar-blog]

“well, but the classics are the only ones people know, so if they ask and i tell them something obscure, they’ll always go and say they’d never heard of it so there’s no way it’s been on broadway. i loved death of a salesman, but whenever i talk about that people give me funny looks and ask why i’m talking about a book they were forced to read in school and absolutely hated.” he pauses, then rolls his eyes. “it’s a play, first of all.”

[wtfsabina]

“gosh, i wish i had only twelve cousins. i have about thirty but we’re like, you’re typical spanish family, y’know? huge family, all super close. heck yeah, gordon ramsay level. i’ve watched ton of his shows. i know what i’m doing and i’m not mean when i teach.”

[rjzafar-blog]

“thirty? you’re joking — there’s no way.” he wasn’t sure he’d ever met somebody with that many. “i guess it makes sense if you consider both sides of the family. my dad’s half lives overseas, so i don’t really know many of those cousins. i guess i can’t doubt your cooking prowess anymore, can i? maybe you should try out for masterchef or whatever it is.”

[ava-kennedy-blog]

“yeah, there might be just a slight bias there on your part. thankfully, we don’t have to choose between the two.” the blonde said with a smile, laughing slightly at the look that appeared on his face at her story. “serious as a heart attack. that kinda thing can happen, you know? you could call me that, but then it’d give off the false impression that I have Broadway talent. so, let’s just not risk confusing people.”

[rjzafar-blog]

“no we don’t. we can smuggle a couple of chicago dogs up to the sears tower and eat them while we look down on the world and laugh.” he bit his lip to keep from snickering at his own stupid comment. “those are deadly serious,” he noted, nodding solemnly to keep up the act, “and you never know — maybe someday i’ll have the please of working with you on broadway. you could be one of those undiscovered talents. that’s what showbiz is for, if you ask me.”

[rjzafar-blog]

text | ✉ | cruz

rj: you read my mind

rj: so how bad am i at this just tell me now

cruz: i'll give you a 2/10

rj: ouch

rj: we can still fuck though right?

[rjzafar-blog]

text message ✉ rj

riley: nah just a short attention span

riley: you're alright

rj: so you're basically a puppy

rj: thanks that's very kind of you

[rjzafar-blog]

text | ✉ | cruz

cruz: less public like... in the confines of your apartment, maybe?

rj: you read my mind

rj: so how bad am i at this just tell me now

[rjzafar-blog]

text | ✉ | cruz

cruz: count sheep

cruz: wait, no that's what you do when you can't sleep

cruz: let's go watch the lion king on broadway, you're paying sugarprince

rj: yeah thanks i don't want to take a nap.

rj: i was thinking about doing something a little less public.

[rjzafar-blog]

text | ✉ | cruz

rj: i'm bored

[wtfsabina]

“my family gets to be a bit much after a while because there’s so many of us. none of us are serious though. i’d rather that than their being themselves. i’m glad you’re impressed because i’m determined to make you one of the greatest cooks.”

[rjzafar-blog]

“yeah, i’ve got about twelve cousins and they all drive me nuts. big families, am i right? one of the greatest? do you mean like gordon ramsay level or something?”

[rjzafar-blog]

text message ✉ rj

riley: good

riley: i forgot what i thanked you for??? oh that's right

riley: eh, works for me

rj: do you have short term memory loss?

rj: see at least i can be courteous