—*charism;catalyst!

𝙽𝙰𝙾𝙼𝙸 𝙰𝙷𝙽 ᶏᵴ 𝑍𝑂𝐸𝑌 𝐿𝐸𝐸 ⱺȵ @𝕍𝕀𝕃𝕃𝔸𝔾𝔼𝕋𝕍

[palomvs]

     this routine has gone on since high school. wherever zoey is and whatever she tries , everyone can count on valentina to appear and attempt to outdo. competition , at times , seems like too WEAK of a word. for valentina , this feud is a means to show those around her that she’s far more than just a pretty face. she’s inherited brains from both of her parents , and the political connections they surround themselves with , and isn’t afraid to make it known. and now that she’s got new ground to break , with her arrival at nyu , the opportunity to become an elected official ( a public figure , if you will ) seems picture perfect. the fact that it may potentially be another spanner in zoey’s works is ICING on the cake. ❝ i don’t want to sound stereotypical here , but my dad’s a five-time incumbent and i’ve spent more easters on the white house lawn than most people my age. politics are kind of my BIRTHRIGHT , zo , ❞ she shrugs , offering the other a faux polite smile as the two reach for the same ( dairy-free ) drinkable yoghurt , ❝  ultimately , politicians and democracy don’t do well without some form of competition , but i don’t want to see you get hurt when this all comes to an end , you know ? ❞ / ( & @xoahnaomi​ ! )

[xoahnaomi]

To Zoey, life came to be one, big competition with enemies lurking from both sides. On top of good ‘ol sibling rivalry, she had to deal with her academic arch-nemesis Valentina Romero as well. Sure, the girl was smart enough—not that Zoey would admit it—but she was insanely rich, too. This meant holding an unfair advantage over Zoey as she did not grow up with the same privileges as Valentina, privileges gained only from her family connections. And Zoey would not stand for such a corrupt system that bred nepotism—no, she swore to break it. Once and for all. “Sounds to me like you’re going to ask your father to pull some strings for you, Val. Well, let me give you a reality check.” Zoey leveled her gaze to Valentina’s, lips curving into an icy smile. “He has no power here, and neither do you. Especially you. So, you can take your ‘Easters on the White House’ and shove it up your privileged ass. Because if there’s one thing I claimed from the very start, it’s victory.” Courtesy be damned, she brushed past Valentina to get her daily dose of yoghurt, blasé as she went. “Victory is my birthright. And it’s never something handed to me on a silver platter. Not like you.” Zoey took great pride in the fact that everything she had, she built for herself. And to her, their ‘contests’ were anything but. Truth be told, whatever she gained from these were her only means of establishing her name in society—a name that conquered an underprivileged standing most saw as weakness. “Save your tears for daddy dearest, Val. Oh and maybe if you cry hard enough, he’ll treat you to the White House on your birthday.”

[adzm]

a starter for @xoahnaomi​ !

          IT’S A QUARTER UTNIL THREE IN THE MORNING, and while every other well-adjusted, regular person with a well-adjusted, regular sleeping schedule were fast on their way to dreamland, atlas was laying in bed, hands behind his head, staring at the dark abyss that was his ceiling, and trying ( but very clearly failing ) to count sheep. time seemed to convey that another twenty minutes had passed of this monotonous, unhelpful activity, but when he finally gave in to the temptation that was his phone ― placed face down on his bedside table in a half-assed way to prevent atlas from wanting to pick it up ― and tapped the screen to reveal that only a mere two minutes had passed, he knew it was time to give up. 

he sits up from his bed, feet dangling off the side, & racks his brain on what he could possibly do at this UNGODLY time; who could he possibly bother? as his mind wanders, he finds himself drifting from his bed & pacing his apartment. there were the obvious choices of frankie & paloma ― he had keys to their apartments, after all. he’s in front of the refrigerator now, the bright light blinding him as he quickly reaches in for a bottle of water & chugs it. but no, he couldn’t bother them. they’d sooner bite his head off than wake up in the DEAD hours of the night to entertain him. his eyes catch glimpse of the cluster of bananas he’d picked up from the store the other day. he almost laughs when he remembers he’d bought them on an adderall-motivated BURST of inspiration in which he’d come across an article online about baking banana bread and decided he wanted to do it himself. like atlas would EVER actually bake of his own accord.

he’s only chastising his impulse purchase for a moment when it comes to mind that OF COURSE now is the perfect time to try to become a baker! and though atlas doesn’t really trust himself to not fuck up even something as seemingly simple as banana bread, there IS someone he does trust when it comes to preventing his major fuck-ups. he shakes his head at himself in disbelief. why hadn’t this brilliant idea come to him before? & he collects all the brand-new, unused ingredients he bought just for this banana bread escapade, throws it in his reusable california-themed grocery tote, & barely remembers to slip on brown, moccasin slippers over striped-sock covered feet before he’s out his door & finds himself in front of his next-door neighbor’s. 

there’s a fleeting moment of SHAME when his thoughts remind him that the only reason he’s up is that the adderall in his system is preventing him from sleeping, but the feeling is compartmentalized as soon as it’s felt. what could he do about that now? knuckles rap against the girl’s door and atlas tries to whisper-shout through it. ❛ MIA! wake UP! it’s an EMERGENCY! ❜ okay, so it wasn’t, but he really needed her to answer now that his mind was set on this plan. he wonders if she can even hear him & he pulls out his phone, scrolling through his contact list until he finds the one labeled ‘MILF’ and presses the name to call.

[xoahnaomi]

Strawberry Swing’s honeyed tones blared from her phone, waking Naomi up with a start. Her hands fumbled to grab her phone in the dark, but she still managed to answer it, pushing it to her ear. Who would call at such an ungodly hour? “Hey, yeah?” Her voice came out like a croak, still scratchy from her half-asleep state. Her eyes strained to look at the angry, glowing screen, though she vaguely made out the time. 2:58 A.M. The caller ID read ‘Attie Sweetie’, and Naomi was pretty sure Atlas was saying something on the other end of the line. She could only catch on his ‘emergency’, but the rest of his words failed to register in her brain at the moment. Interrupting him, she murmured, “Attie, let’s just get you inside, then you can tell me all about it.” Naomi still had three hours left before her alarm would ring, and she could go about her day as planned. But not today. Today, there was a waiting Atlas who needed attending to, and Naomi decided to keep him company. Good thing it was a Saturday, because she did not miss much of her coveted sleep. God knows she functioned on a schedule, and it would annoy her when something bothersome gets in the way. If that were the case, at least make her time enjoyable, worthwhile. Throwing on her silk robe, Naomi padded her way to the door. She fixed herself briefly before welcoming her rather untimely yet charming visitor. “Good morning,” she greeted, stepping aside to allow him entry. “What’s the emergency? Are you in trouble? You’re not hurt, are you?”

[hcrveys]

incoming imssg !

harvey: am i really nothing like "literal ray of sunshine" matti ?

harvey: who the fuck is this troy bolton dude anyway? if u have something to say, don't fucking hide behind a high school musical character. jesus

[xoahnaomi]

naomi: aw don’t worry hun, you’re...on your way there

naomi: nothin’ beats being boring enough to get petitioned to be written off the show smh

naomi: even got labeled ‘tayl*r’ bc i don’t cause enough drama wELL BITE ME TROY

[rustofstardust]

all your gods are teenage girls: romaana, goddess of elegance

[musemcgic]

“I want to make beautiful things, even if nobody cares.”

— Saul Bass

[babil6]

[xoahnaomi]

g a b e !

“oh harsh.” he feigned a pain in his chest. ever the dramatic one, he almost even fell over. laughter tumbled from his lips. “ how could you not be in favor of me.” his question itself was rhetorical and if gestures didn’t get it away then the his tone must have. if he was entirely honest bothering naomi was the highlight of his day, but he wouldn’t tell her that. “ you’re quips are unoriginal. singing that song back to me. this isn’t a call and response song. you should have learned the song.” cue the childish eyeroll. “gabey,..” he wondered off. “ who are you my mother or my great aunt? ”  he wasn’t in the mood to argue though so he probably pulled the quicks backpedal. “ listen i’m nice most of the time you just never take to time to see that, but i realize nice guys don’t say they are nice so maybe i’m just trying to do that. ” he pause to peek over her shoulder and glance down at the script she was preparing. “ what’s the scene? nomi? ” 

Cocking her head to the side, Naomi could only stare at Gabe in disbelief. “Oh, I could think of a lot of reasons,” she muttered, rubbing her temples in an attempt to soothe herself. “I could give you a whole list, if I’m honest.” Could she, though? What would that list entail excluding all words for “annoying”? Naomi found that it would be empty, surprisingly so. Maybe he’s not that bad. She could only hope. “Excuse you, you’d be impressed with how well I could perform the whole song,” she pointed out, feigning offense, “singing and dancing included.” Okay, maybe it was a little funny that they were fighting over NSYNC. She could almost feel the corner of her lips turning up. Almost. She even let the family insult slide, mostly because Naomi was taken aback by his sheer frankness. This was the most honest thing she heard from Gabe, even if he did mock her. Maybe he was right. Maybe she was not trying hard enough to know the real him. When did I ever become such a bitch? “I’m sorry.” The words spilled out of her lips without thinking. “It’s just that I don’t know how to handle your mood swings,” she answered him truthfully, shrugging. “Some days, you want to torment me and now, you’ve completely thrown me of by thi—“ Her eyes widened, realizing she might have shared too much. Saying things more than necessary was enough for Gabe to hold it over her head should he want. Even though his behavior was giving her major whiplash, Naomi still welcomed it, nonetheless. She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. “The usual. Scenes with Valentina. But I can’t imagine you being her, I think I won’t be able to take you seriously.”

[xoahnaomi]

j u d e !‌

     IT’S NOT THAT he’s turned off by the assertiveness and flirting, no— jude’s a pretty subtle person. though he’s relatively confident and composed, it’s often he doesn’t quite know how to handle when others are straightforward with their feelings ( it’s something he can’t wrap his head around but that’s a different story ). and truth be told, he’s kind of attracted to that kind of thing, someone who will be direct and almost daring, in a way. maybe it’s comparable to a teenager whose lived a guarded life and starts mingling with a rebellious crowd: it’s like an adrenaline rush, almost. needless to say, naomi’s comment doesn’t go unnoticed— his brows raise and he smiles, then gives his shoulders a shrug. “you’re not wrong,” he tells her. this much is true— jude is playing naomi’s object of desire, for lack of better terms, yet the season is early on and they have yet to have spent much time together on-screen. they step out of the elevator and he perks up at her final remark. and just like that, his mind is racing: is this such a good idea? messing with paparazzi just to get a kick out of it and maybe some promo for the show? was it all really worth the phone call he’d inevitably get from both his mother and his agent, asking what the fuck he’s getting himself into? on the other hand, when has jude been anything but an angel?

“lead the way,” he tells her with a grin. “what’d you have in mind?”

While it was true that Naomi missed out on her golden youth, the only typically teenage thing she experienced had been the pleasure of flirting. She believed it beneficial for chemistry build-up between actors and saw it more as an improvisational technique. Needless to say, she was rather confident when it came to flirting, and her knack for wordplay helped greatly. With Jude as her subject, words came to her effortlessly that Naomi even wondered just who or what overtakes her body whenever they meet. Maybe it was the calming warmth he exuded, the uplifting light he radiated, his mere enticing presence that made her woman enough to just be. It was as if she was wearing a different skin, and Naomi would be lying if she said she did not like it. “Welcome to the dark side, lover boy. I’ll take good care of you.” Not one to take things overboard, Naomi still respected both of their images. She just needed enough material to cause a stir—one for the books, preferably. A little publicity stunt wouldn’t hurt, right? It was all good and fun since she promised to enjoy herself once and for all—to finally live. “For starters, we could do this.” Naomi linked her arms with his, effectively closing the gap between them. As they stepped out of the building, she leaned her head on Jude’s shoulder, an unapologetic smile lighting her features. “Don’t worry,” she whispered, tracing soothing circles on his arm, “we can think of this as practice for when Zoey and Brooks end up together. As they inevitably should.”

[xoahnaomi]

h a r v e y !

                      HE COCKS HIS HEAD TO one side. “ ten out of ten, huh ? that’s high praise, coming from naomi ahn herself ! ” he responds, his smile now genuine and true. surprisingly, naomi was one of the few cast mates that he didn’t have some convoluted history with: and he was certainly grateful that she didn’t seem to place him into the box that the media FORCED him in. “ i’ll tell my orthodontist he did a good job. always gave me free peppermint toothpaste, though i think he was nice to me because he had a crush on my mom, ” he smiles — even if the memories arouse SOUR feelings: of being used or taken advantage of, harvey has to remind himself that there were good times, too. “ you’re optimistic — i envy you, ” he says simply, leading her around the corner. perhaps they’re not close enough for harvey to delve into his philosophical monologue about the power of choice. “ the only thing that trumps reputation in this industry is MONEY. ” he doesn’t want to call her naive, since he knows his pessimistic attitude can get the better of him sometimes, but he doesn’t believe it, even with the softest and most genuine expression. if people in the industry cared about character and value, they would care to get to know him past his mistakes, past his love life, past all the SHALLOW things they ask all celebrities. “ noted — had a lot of practice, or something, slipping away from the paps ? ” he stops in front of a cafe with a beautiful white awning, vintage green columns and gardenias lining the small vases. “ here we are, ” he says, stepping into the café. he nods at the waitress, calls out to the barista behind the counter — telltale signs he spends more time here than anywhere else in the city. “ two croissants and — what else do you want ? they make a mad cortado here. ”

Naomi rolled her eyes at his comment, a smirk gracing her lips. “Only because I’m feeling generous today.” Not completely true for she was generous every day. A known “nice” person because of her foolish tendency to give people the benefit of the doubt. Cliché as it sounds, she easily believed it would not hurt to be kind. “Wouldn’t doubt good genes ran in your family,” she remarked, grinning his way, “not that I’m counting, but I got three smiles from you already. That must count for a world record.” Come to think of it, the few pictures she saw of him rarely even showed an expression on his face. Happiness—or some semblance of it, she could not say for sure—looked good on Harvey. It made him appear more human, more alive. “Stick with me long enough, and I might rub off on you.” She winked and as an afterthought, shared her nugget of truth. “I’d like to think there’s always a silver lining.” Or maybe she was just used to drawing one. Needing to fend for herself, Naomi harbored the ability to turn things into her favor. Not everything was lost, she wanted Harvey to know; Naomi could only hope to shed some light for him. “Maybe you’re not around the right people who could show you otherwise,” she said, shrugging, “you’re in for an adventure, Harvey Strathmore, I’m going to change your mind about that.” All of Hollywood’s superficialities were good for satisfaction, yes, but it was not enough to offer her something genuine, worthy. It was hard to know what was real in showbiz for sure, but Naomi knew character when she sees one. And Harvey had one, try as he might to bury it. Letting out a small huff, she confirmed his guess. “A bloody marathon in heels, which I never thought possible. That day, I learned I’m full of surprises.” Stepping in the café, Naomi made a beeline for the table in the heart of the room. “Seems like you know a lot about this place, so I’ll have to trust you on this one.” The center was the sweet spot to get a feel of the room, and Naomi found herself easily appreciating the serene atmosphere of it all. Almost like a safe space. “Found yourself a hidden gem here. Tell me, is this a Harvey happy place?”

[xoahnaomi]

g a b e !

          tormenting people for the hell of it was one of gabriel’s favorite past times- that was a lie. tormenting naomi while she attempt to be serious and reprimand was his favorite past time. he couldn’t understand the need to be so uptight. growing up under his father’s military lifestyle gabe could have end up the same way, i mean sure he adopted some of his father tendencies but being a stick in the mud definitely wasn’t one of them. “you may hate me but it ain’t no lie-” he chanted along to the song ignoring her whims. “baby bye bye bye. bye bye” a coy smile playing on his lips. “not a fan of n’sync i see. you’ve got some poor taste.” he interjected. strolling closer to her with a sly smile ever present on his features. “i could help you with some scene reading if you want. you don’t have to sit here and be alone.” 

Dark eyes turned to slits as Naomi zeroed in on Gabe, mocking her with his sly grin. She could not say his singing was horrible; in fact, it was not as bad as his entire personality. At least one thing’s not awful about him, she thought, but Naomi would never admit that Gabe even harbored a pleasant part. Else he might hold it against her on top of his whole ‘tormenting’ hobby. “No, not really,” she retorted, “I’m just not a fan of you, and that’s all in good taste.” Baring a sarcastic smile, she continued, “I love that song so much, it plainly says how I feel about you.” Singing back the lyrics, Naomi emphasized on Bye Bye Bye because, in truth, she could not be bothered with Gabe. He goaded her for reasons Naomi could never fathom, so she settled on returning the favor. “It’s bad enough that you’re mean. It’s even worse when you’re suddenly nice,” she wondered aloud. Her eyes narrowed at his offer, cautious yet curious all the same. But not one to be intimidated, Naomi matched his taunt—she met him half-way with a few steps. “If this is your new tactic of annoying me, you and I both know you don’t have to play nice.“ Even though she fixed him with a hard stare, her lips started pulling into a frown the more she mulled over his intentions. The short distance between them made Naomi feel small in more ways than one, but she kept her resolve. “I don’t know what game you’re playing at, Gabey, but this better be worth my time.”

[tiedisms]

location : central park .

     always  longing  for  air  ,  often  feels  as  if  her  chest  was  being  stepped  on  ,   the  thing  she  misses  most  about  youth  :  how  easy  breathing  seemed  then  .  merely  a  shadow  of  a  girl  when  she  looks  in  the  mirror  ,  she  somehow  remains  a  star  in  others’  eyes  ———  someone  to  watch  from  afar  in  a  certain  awe  she  can’t  quite  understand  ,  someone  to  ask  for  a  picture  as  she  walks  past  .  

has  built  her  entire  career  around  being  approachable  ,  the  girl  feasting  on  strawberries  at  the  park  every  friday  ,  watching  her  dog  play  in  the  grass  .  today  ,  it’s  not  honor  catching  everyone’s  eye  —  it’s  the  company  she  keeps  ,  the  figure  sat  next  to  her  on  a  blanket  ,  soaking  in  the  sun  .  ‘  i  told  you  to  at  least  wear  some  sunglasses  .  people  are  staring  .  ‘

[xoahnaomi]

There were very few people Naomi called her own, a lot fewer who felt like family. But in Honor Clarke-Montgomery, she recognized a resonating warmth that sparked familiarity. As if she could feel it in her bones. Theirs was a special intimacy only shared between sisters—long-lost sisters, for that matter—bonded by heart, by soul. Verily, it was instant how they connected, how they understood. Even Hollywood hailed Naomi and Honor their favorite friendship; such golden girls, they would echo. While Naomi looked up to Honor, it was not in the way the public viewed her: a star only to be gazed at in awe. Rather, she looked up to her as the star cut from the same constellation. But Honor was a star dimming, slowly burning out—Naomi could feel it sometimes. So, she promised never to give up on the girl. Even the sun reminded her to hold on to the light while she basked under its glorious rays. “I still forget how New York is an entirely different world,” she murmured, eyes still closed. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything embarrassing. For both of our sakes.” A smile hung from her lips as Naomi regarded her best friend. With a shrug, she mused, “I guess, sometimes, it’s just nice to be without worrying much about whatever’s at stake.”

[musingisms]

“She is something so rare that there’s no name for it, an absolutely unfrightened woman whose heart never went wrong. And her hunger to give love, her intensity and inner magnetism – it’s all there. And she cannot help any of it.”

—

Martha Gellhorn, Selected Letters

Read more at wordsnquotes

(via wnq-writers)

[gifsense8]

[godmutt]

[xoahnaomi]

j u d e !

     JUDE GRINS AT his nickname naomi has dubbed him with— one night at an event and a rather intoxicated naomi needing a hand to steady herself as they walked to the car they shared to get back to their hotel turned into a slew of headlines, a sea of gossip with waves that hummed their names. of course, one publication went so far as to call jude naomi’s lover boy, and he’d be lying if he said he hated the nickname. and thus, naomi reclaimed the narrative and continuously turns it on him but he can’t help but find it endearing. he presses the elevator button a few more times out of habit and partly without even thinking of it before the light dings and he places his palm on the door to keep it open. once naomi steps in, jude follows and presses the button for the main floor. “i guess so,” he replies with a sigh. “something tells me brooks is a night owl and thus, a lot of his scenes moving forward will be at night.” jude enunciates the ‘t’ at the end of the word and purses his lips together. “there’s a chip place on macdougal that’s been calling my name.” jude pulls his phone out and hands it over to naomi with an app open on the screen. “i was about to place an order and pick it up for minimal socializing, so help yourself. on the house.”

Stepping inside, Naomi could not help but notice her reflection glaring at her in the elevator walls. She ran a hand through her raven locks, taming them out of habit as her eyes settled on the two figures on the silver panels. They stood side-by-side as if they were actual friends; her mind could only replay how Jude helped an intoxicated Naomi that night. Everything about it sent waves of something so foreign and familiar, a sensation she could not place but she welcomed anyway. “You better,” she replied cheekily, “it’d be nice to have a familiar face around, thanks.” Even though they were practically strangers that night, Jude embodied the perfect gentleman with the way he came to her aid. Much like now. “Shame how we didn’t have some scenes this week. But what we lacked in screen time, we could always make up for in real life, no?” A laugh bubbled from her lips, and Naomi found herself getting more comfortable around Jude. “Thank you, lover boy,” she cooed, taking his phone to decide on her meal. “You really know the way to a girl’s heart.” They stepped outside the elevator, and Naomi turned to him, grinning—a plan in mind. “Is it too early to mess with the paparazzi? You know, you and I could do better than a TMZ scoop. I’m talking as big as tomorrow’s headlines.”

[romanofm]

                                                    ( closed starter for @xoahnaomi​ )

               the way people come back into your life when you least expect and need it most is funny. jaebin had just lost his family, in a way, and although it was a necessary decision to be made for him to move on and be able to stay sane, it didn’t mean it was easy to do. although dongyul was a monster in the last years of his life, he still had affectionate memories of his father before fame started to happen and before they left for the united states, when he still lived peacefully in daegu. now, he only had his manager and then he found naomi in the cast. it had been strange at first, they had not spoken for years but somehow jaebin had been happy to recognize her and to have a familiar face. they had a certain history together and jaebin felt at home when they spoke for the first time in years. having time to catch up and chat about everything seemed like a great idea and that’s how jaebin ended up there, with a half cookie dough and half banana ice cream pot in his hands feeling the slight freeze of his fingertips. it was a very familiar scene, since he well remembered the ice cream sessions in daegu after a day of recording. “ have you already chosen which one you want? ”  he asked the girl, still waiting for her, reaching out to grab some napkins. that was also familiar to him, since he was already famous for always being the kind of child who got soiled by eating ice cream and his mother always left many of them at his disposal. “  if you allow me a small suggestion, the banana one is really delicious and I would spend the rest of my life just tasting it. ”

[xoahnaomi]

With a grim childhood like hers, Naomi learned early on to tend even the littlest flames that could warm her cold, lonely days. She held on to those sparks that promised to cast away shadows, and in them, she still remembered him, clear as day. Almost as if she could taste the sweeter tones from such a bitter fairytale. He radiated the kind of light not everyone saw but a special one Naomi could not look away from even if she tried. Her lips gave into a smile—a genuine one, she realized—as she gazed at him in memory. And for the first time, everything felt right. Everything felt light. With him. “I could never go wrong with chocolate. It’s my first love, you know? Especially that one.” She gave herself a cupful of the dessert sprinkled with fudge brownies and cookie bits, eyes all bright and wide. My baby. It was heaven in an ice cream; all that was left was a little adventure. “But I’ll get the banana one, too, since I do trust in your tastes. You should be honored, Jaebear, I never really listen to anyone.” It was a teasing comment that held true for Naomi held a soft spot for Jae. “Much less be influenced by them.”

[xoahnaomi]

h a r v e y !

                       HE DOESN’T USUALLY GET A DOSE of humor this early, but harvey can’t say he doesn’t appreciate it. in fact, a chuckle escapes his lips, a foreign feeling to his body when he feels like this. “ the look does it for some people, you know, ” he responds matter-of-factly, though his words are complete folly. “ seems like hades has an even better reputation than i do these days — at least he had the entire underworld behind him, ” harvey smiles; if anything, he’s appreciative of the fact that she hasn’t seemed to judge him for his past, his mistakes, the fabricated tabloid headlines. she was actually kind, and it felt like a breath of FRESH air. “ i won’t ask — but that’s a handy trick. hope you don’t mind if i use some of them, too: feels like i get ambushed every other day. wonder who leaked the address of this building, huh ? ” he asks, holding the door open for her; his chest relaxes when they aren’t greeted by a hoard of photographers, and instead the bustling city streets. as they should be. “ come on, i know this great place that has chocolate croissants that are to-die for, and it’s on the second floor, so no huge windows and a little bit of privacy. never thought that’d be something you look for in a place, huh ? ”

One to reach out to people, Naomi welcomed this easygoing exchange with Harvey as if it was the most natural thing to do. As if they were not almost strangers just a few moments ago—real amusing. “Oh, I never said you weren’t a 10/10. Although you could use some more smile, then I’m definitely sold.” As if on cue, Naomi gained her first victory, and she could not help but point it out like a child seeing a shiny, new toy. “Like that exactly! See, you’re doing a good job. Hades and his Underworld be damned.” She nudged him teasingly but still gave his remark some thought. Naomi was never one to judge people not because she knew little about them, but because she knew to respect them, understand where they were coming from. Besides, she never wanted anyone to feel isolated, alone. It was a wounding feeling she knew too well. Not one to let his comment slip, Naomi pointed out, “It’s not all reputation, you know? I’d like to think we, in the industry, should know better. Or at least, I hope.” She turned to him then; the look she gave him radiated something so earnest, so tender, it might as well be a hug from a long-lost friend. “Harvey, some people see character. And value.” At least, I do. She fell into step with him as they managed to leave the building unscathed. And surprised. No blinding flashes this time, but nothing really she could not handle. “I’d like to think I have a talent for getting out of trouble, so just call me when you need some saving. Paparazzi or otherwise.” And Naomi intended to keep her word. It was one of the many things she took seriously. Like her love for anything sweet. So at the mention of chocolate croissants, Naomi resisted just dragging Harvey herself to the cafe this instant. “I don’t take my sweets lightly,” she warned, itching to walk faster, “if you’re putting their food on a pedestal, it better blow my mind or you owe me.”