#& closed.

[besthabit-a]

@emptygcds     /     based ( #6 )

it’s only been ten minutes since he’d decided to get out of his car, the banners and buntings strung across every corner of the function hall welcoming him as festively as possible. fifteen years ago he thought he’d be absolutely delighted to be here again, and the eighteen-year-old mr. congeniality in him even presumed he’d probably dip his toes into organizing these gatherings. but the reality is that he purposely arrives two hours late with an intriguing lack of a plus one, entirely avoiding the photo booth at the entrance, his first agenda being a search for a drink --- preferably strong enough to actually get him through the night. “ mm, sparkling water, “  an incredulous laugh bubbles from his lips as soon as his taste buds react to the clear liquid in his cup; it’s either they’ve just run out of drinks, or they accidentally ordered a catering package for a high school prom. so, the plan for tonight? get the small talks going fast, greet everyone he remembers, avoid those he’s supposed to remember but don’t, and leave early for some nonexistent commitment. that’s what newly divorced people did in the past years he attended, and he never really thought he’d be in the same shoes so soon. " are you sure you don’t have, um--- “  he’s shouting at the catering guy over the live band’s music, glancing around the dim function hall to check if there are other tables serving drinks, but the presence next to him screams familiar from his peripheral that he couldn’t help but pause and actually look. and well, he wasn’t expecting that she would be the first person he’d have to talk to, pre-alcohol. “  shit. hey. “  a grin surfaces from behind his cup, mind going blank for a split second before deciding to put his cup down and go in for a hug. “  long time. “

[immcterial-blog]

@maxhelders.

avi’s not exactly in a hurry but he also doesn’t want to wait for another elevator. there was a time when his penthouse had a private elevator and he’s still feeling the loss. he’s halfway down the hall as the doors begin to shut which, for most people, might encourage at least a halfhearted jog to try and catch it. instead, he shouts a request, “could you hold the door!” knowing that someone had just stepped inside ( though shout might be an overstatement for the lazy way he raises his voice -- to scream would be uncivil ). now, this would definitely be the point where the polite thing to do would be to quicken his pace as the doors are held so that the stranger isn’t awkwardly inconvenienced with their hand held out to trigger the elevator sensors. however, avi’s not feeling particular polite; he’s agitated enough at the prospect of nearly needing the stairs. so he keeps his gait unchanged and slides casually into the elevator at his own languid pace, knowing full well he’s just made someone wait a hair too long. “thanks,” he has the decency to offer his gratitude, turning a warm gaze and a smile onto his unknown counterpart before everything suddenly clicks into place at the sight of him. max. out of all the rundown places to run into his parisian ex boyfriend, avi doesn’t expect to find max here. his mind rushes with fragmented images of legs tangled in bed sheets and the setting european sun dappling bare expanses of skin. whether fortunately or unfortunately for them both, he doesn’t have time to say or do anything more as the elevator doors click firmly into place behind him. “bonjour.”

[besthabit-a]

@lipsealeds    /     based

“ you uh... you have a ride home? “ what’s meant to be a normal question between friends sounds a bit strange coming from his mouth. after all, he’s never really been the type to be just concerned ; cameron typically exhibits normal human emotions like they’re too outlandish for his system. and well, even under the dimness of the street light, he probably wouldn’t be able to successfully deny the flush to his cheeks, no matter how hard he tries. their friends are disappearing one by one, getting into their cars or cabs they booked, and he’s left with her, lingering awkwardly when he should’ve left minutes ago after a witty quip or something of the sort. “ i can... drive you if you want. “

[besthabit-a]

@anatcmies

     if it wasn’t for her sour luck at those petty games the staff’s invested in, the burden of closing wouldn’t land on her shoulders. whenever it’s comedy night or a friday, it’d usually be more chaotic and they’d usually close much later, which is something her younger self wouldn’t usually whine about, but she’s specifically begged jesse to be given the early shifts so she can spend much of her nights prepping for whatever acting gig she currently had going on. tonight, which just has to be comedy night on a friday, she’s left with her confidence solely lying on some beauty sleep ( if she can even get any ). as most of the people file out after the show, she’s quick on her feet, doing her rounds to remind the last few remaining customers of the time. “ excuse me, sir, kitchen’s closing in, um... ” her train of thought follows an entirely different track as soon as she gets a good look of the man in the booth, the all-too familiar eyes staring back at her practically keeping her frozen. “ ...thirty minutes and the bar in an hour, is there anything else you’d like? “ an abashed smile finally surfaces on her face after she’s spewed all the words too fast, clearly well-memorized. “ wow. HI. “

[besthabit-a]

@lipsealeds    /     based

" you’ve got to be kidding me. “  with a sharp eye roll, she reaches for her friend’s beer absentmindedly instead of her vodka soda, the bitter taste she usually hates now negligible on her taste buds compared to the eye sore that had just walked into the bar. kate likes to think that she’s gotten over him to the point of not giving a fuck, but his mere presence, despite being a couple of feet away, still gives her shivers. mostly of disgust, of course, having the guts to follow her around and guilt her of how she “ruined the relationship.” she could already guess what he’d say when he sees her ; hey, you again! didn’t know you’d be here too, or some bullshit, when he’s been clearly fishing for information from her friends. and when he finally walks up to her, looking surprised, she only shakes her head.  you’re here by yourself? no boy toys this time? i’m surprised, kate. this time, she’s grabbing the right drink, a dry laugh slipping from her lips. he still wants to rile her up and induce a meltdown from her like that one time, but she’s not giving him the satisfaction. “ you’re unbelievable. “

[besthabit-a]

@slowbrn

mornings are usually reserved for continuing work from the night before, and if he’s not busy working on an ongoing film, beau can be found sleeping in til noon. but ever since the end of their late night hang outs at crappy convenience stores, 24 hour coffee shops, or dingy bars near whatever filming location they were currently in, he knew that the next time they’d see each other would beg to differ. he’d thought of something warmer, far different from the places that usually meant business to them, and brunch seemed like the perfect idea in his head --- nothing like the awkwardness of a formal dinner, nor the casualness of a late night at a bar. just got here, he finally sends a text after debating for five minutes whether or not to put a smiley emoji at the end, and almost immediately regrets it. ten minutes early to their agreed time, he’s sitting by a big glass window, already beginning to overthink --- fuck, were the flowers too much? maybe i should’ve waited a while, or just shouldn’t have sent them at all... god, what an idiot. soon enough, though, he’s catching sight of him outside, a radiant smile easing itself onto beau’s features.

[besthabit-a]

@scguaros

it isn’t long before marga’s kids are all filing into the library first thing in the morning, remembering their teacher’s instructions well as they happily claim their own tables and make sure to leave seats for the highschoolers they’ll be paired up with. it’s not a breeze like this most of the time --- five-year-olds are so much work --- but today she’s lucky because the kids are excited to meet ( or pester ) new people, so they’re mostly cooperating. and frankly, they’re not the only ones pumped --- marga has her own little agenda today, with the subject not in sight yet, although she knows for sure she’ll be seeing him herding his students in at any moment. once everyone’s settled in, she sees the first couple of teenagers burst into the room, overly fond of seeing small humans, while the rest have mixed reactions of fear and detachment. could she blame them, though? they’re little demons every now and then. seeing the end of the queue, she spots a familiar face through the door, a smirk emerging on her lips in greeting. “ too early, huh? some of them look a little ... dead. i don’t know what you fed them to agree to this thing,“  well, it’s technically mandated by the school and they don’t have a choice, but everyone knows how these kids can be creative in finding a way out. she doesn’t give him a break, teasing right away, fingers laced together in front of her as she watches everyone else find their places. “ they can’t just love you that much.“