* drippin' in finesse

i got 99 problems but, i’m gonna take a nap and ignore them all. uber driver. aspiring comic book artist. the sand section resident of hermosa beach.

[wnq-writers]

I don’t cry over people, but I cried over you.

Mae-Lex (via wordsnquotes)

@zaytunde

(via sariiiyaa)

[zaytunde-blog]

SARIYA.

She nodded her head; lips projecting slightly, still not entirely sure she could trust that. She stayed in her crouched position finding a different changing table to catch her eye. It may be another hundred bucks over her desired limit, but who could go wrong with steel? “ I think might see another brand…its $310 and holds up to 30lbs.” She shrugged and stood upright again, rolling her eyes cause she knew now she dug up something she should of just held back. “ I don’t want any drama Zay,” She said gesturing with her hands. “ So when I say never mind I’m sparing us an even more tense outing. I don’t need you forcing yourself to act out of your character…,” “ If you cared so much we wouldn’t even be having a conversation about 50/50 if you didn’t just cheat.” She most likely wasn’t gonna try to bring that up again, which is why she decided to say that under her breath. But Sariya couldn’t help it, no matter how strong she tried to be, and how cool she tried to look. She just couldn’t be around him and look at him without thinking about him cheating. To escape from creating a bigger problem she scouted down a worker, pointing back at the item she saw before.

he simply follows her lead as she looks at the items, though isaiah tried his best to keep up with her knowledge of everything parental he’d always be one step behind. “ 310? for a changing table? christ. ” he says under his breath. zay knew being a parent was going to be expensive but there were times when it still caught him off guard just how much so. “ if it’s the best for him, then we’ll get it. ” isaiah sigh as she continues to speak. “ i don’t want drama or none of that either but if we don’t get whatevers goin’ on in your head out of the way, it builds and builds until you explode. ” he points out but her next words make him regret saying anything in the first place. everything always came back to the same subject. one of his biggest regrets would always be cheating on sariya and ruining that trust. at the time it seemed right. he was drunk and upset, the girl he didn’t even remember was there and making him feel better. no matter how unhappy he was on their worst days, once it was over isaiah knew it was wrong. he hoped it wouldn’t have ended their relationship but when it did, zay knew it was on his hands. he’d always be remorseful for hurting her like that. “ look i fucked up, i know that and you don’t need to remind me ‘riiya. ” he says exasperatedly. zay contemplates his next words and knows he’s going to regret saying them. before the worker can interrupt, isaiah asks him to give them a moment alone. he steps in front of her, he shouldn’t but he needed to ask. “ you really think we woulda still been together? almost two years later? with all the other bullshit we had goin’ on wit’ us? ”

[theforcesource]

Most of the friends I have made in L.A. are just normal guys. One of my friends works at the airport. The only difference is I’m like, “I’m going to go to Planet Jakku now while you go to your office.”

[zaytunde-blog]

☏, ₤,⌚

☏ what do they wear when they’re at work?

when zay’s working, he dresses the way he usually would. his style is very hip-hop influenced. he likes to dress casual but still put together. some of his inspiration comes from drake, kid cudi, kendrick lamar, and asap rocky to name a few. 

₤ how many shoes do they have? what kind?

OH MAN. zay is a big sneaker guy. he keeps them immaculately clean, even his older pairs still look good. he doesn’t know how many he has exactly but he knows it’s excessive. he also owns a few pairs of boots and dress shoes but his sneakers outnumber them by a lot.

⌚ how long do they need to decide what to wear in the morning?

on average between half an hour to an hour. zay prides himself in his looks and sometimes it means changing a few times until he’s satisfied. it’s not something he’s ashamed of either.

[zaytunde-blog]

♻ ♦ ♚

♻ how about brushing teeth? three times a day, or just in the morning?

zay brushes his teeth when he wakes up and before he goes to bed. it’s been a habit his mother instilled in him since he was a little kid.

♦ any tattoos? where? what’s the story behind them?

he has THIS on his inner bicep in white ink that he got last year. he got it to commemorate the importance of black panther in the decisions he’s made for his future and just for what it did in making him feel represented.

♚ do they have a favourite piece of clothing?

when he was nine his father took him to his first oakland raiders game with his two brothers. even though they were nosebleed seats it was a memorable day for him and one of the biggest bonding moments he had with his father. his dad splurged and got them oakland raiders sweatshirts and zay still has his. he plans on taking simon to an oakland raiders game when he’s older and passing it down to him.

[ericbrandonrp]

Useless Details Ask Meme II

Send one of the following symbols to find out more about my muse! Part I: (X)

Getting closer:

× what does your muse smell like? what perfume/cologne are they using? � do they shower often? every day or just every couple of days? ♻ how about brushing teeth? three times a day, or just in the morning? ⌘ do they rather shower or take a bath? ♀ how long does your muse usually need for a shower/bath? ⚣ how long does your muse need to shave? (this is also for the ladies!) ♂ does your muse put on make-up? how long do they need for it every day?  ⚢ what kind of make-up does your muse use? favourite colours? how much do they use?

Exploring their body:

♤ does your muse have any scars? where? what do they look like? how did they get them? ♧ any freckles/moles/birth marks? where? ♡ are their fingernails dirty or clean? cut/long? ♢ how much do they weigh? ♠ any ‘weird’ characteristics on their body? one leg/arm longer than the other? ♣ are their veins particularly visible when they’re angry/upset/sad? ♥ do they have more muscles or more fat on their body? ♦ any tattoos? where? what’s the story behind them?

Open your closet:

⦂ what clothes do they sleep in? ♚ do they have a favourite piece of clothing? ❅ what do they usually wear when they’re not working? ☏ what do they wear when they’re at work? ₤ how many shoes do they have? what kind? Σ how many purses do they have? ⌚ how long do they need to decide what to wear in the morning? ⌛ do they go shopping for clothes often? how long do they usually need? $ how much money do they spend on clothes every month?

[zaytunde-blog]

PETER.

“Zay my bae!” Peter’s voice called over the music that was thumping throughout the club. If he wasn’t catching up with the guy in an Uber or hogging the couch while visiting him and Jared’s place, he was running into the guy while the two of them bar hopped and drank their troubles away. He danced right over to where the other guy was, an arm finding its way around his shoulder. “Are you following me or something? Either the world is super small, or fate keeps having us deal with this running into each other thing. It’s kind of cute, actually. The universe approves of our fwiendship,” he snickered, taking a swig from the glass he had in hand then looking back at Zay, his face falling a bit. “Dammit, this means you’re not gonna be the one driving me home. What if I get stuck with another weird guy who plays country music? Country, Zay. He refused to change the station, too. I thought I was gonna have a mental breakdown.” @zaytunde

“ pete! my… me..at? ” he pulls a face, “ whoa. pause. ” isaiah laughs, clapping him on his shoulder. “ nothin’ good rhymes with your name. ” though he’d only started off as his usual driver when he found out he knew his roommate they’d only grown closer. from driving around to drinking together, to just chillin’ on his couch, peter was someone zay enjoyed having around for the most part. there was no shortage of amusement when it came down to it. “ did you just use baby talk? ” he asks with a raise of his eyebrow. “ c’mon man, i get enough of that with my kid! i’m tryna have fun tonight. ” he teases, taking a gulp of his drink. the truth was he needed a night out and was invited there by the dj who he’d driven around before. he couldn’t turn it down, not when he was starting to feel restless. zay chuckles, that truly sounded like a nightmare in ways peter wouldn’t have understood. “ nah, i’m off tonight but i’ll hook us up with a ride who plays nothin’ but the hottest shit. i gotchu. ”

[zaytunde-blog]

NORA.

Late, late, late. She was once again running late. Forget pilates and/or genetics, Nora Saywer entirely owed her figure to the ancient, useless alarm clock– the one with sentimental value she couldn’t bring herself to throw away. Unlike her, the Uber she’d requested arrived on time and the blonde glanced down at her phone to read the driver’s name. “Bless you, Isaiah, you might just save the day,” she said, wearing a big, genuine and grateful smile as she quickly slid into the back seat. “Alright, take me to church.” Well, not the church but a theatre next to it. Nora had just always wanted to say those four words though, quote Hozier. “It’s next to Starless, the theat–” Her voice trailed off as she turned her head to the left and noticed a pair of big baby eyes staring at her. “What the hell is that?” She blurted out. 

late clients were nothing new for isaiah and he never let it bother him. he understood. shit happens. it only bothered him when those same people expected zay to move mountains and do the impossible to get them to their destination in time. while he knew shortcuts, he wasn’t a miracle worker. isaiah hoped nora wasn’t one of those people. “ i’ll try my hardest to make sure i do, nora. ” he replies with his signature smile. zay pulls away from the curb, “ take me to church? that’s a new one. ” he muses, with a shake of his head. simon was quiet, nora wasn’t a nightmare.. so far so --- zay cringes at nora’s reaction. so far, not so good. “ he is my son. ” isaiah corrects, trying to keep his attitude in check. “ there was a last minute emergency so he has to tag along with me for a few hours. ” he explains, trying to shake off her initial response. he racks his brain trying to come up with a way to salvage what could easily turn into a bad situation. he didn’t need his stellar score tarnished but he also couldn’t leave his kid without someone to watch him. “ i hope it’s not too much of an issue. ” he says, looking at the blonde through the rearview mirror.

[zaytunde-blog]

JARED.

“The roof is leaking…again,” Jared repeated with far less distress in his tone of voice than when he had come rushing into the house the first time. However, that didn’t stop him from rushing from one side of the room to the next, frantically searching for the bucket that they had used nearly every time the rain leaked through the makeshift patchwork on the roof. 

While it might have seemed logical to notify the landlord to get the roof fixed, in their situation the act would have been contradictory. As it was the rent wasn’t half as bad as some of the other homes in Hermosa Beach, of course, Jared soon found out why after the first time it rained, but he didn’t want the number raised on the lease and drained from his bank account as he was sure Isaiah didn’t either. Besides, nothing said roommate bonding like dealing with a stressful domestic situation. 

It wasn’t until the hardwood floor beneath the leak had become soaked with a puddle forming that Jared finally found of the bucket. Of course, it happened to be in the last place he would have thought to look, under the sink where it was supposed to be. “It’s not that bad, right?” the twenty-three-year-old inquired once the raindrops were no longer soaking the floor with water. Blue hues overlooked the ceiling, his brow furrowing in the process before another question was brought to the attention of his roommate with trepidation. “You think that other leak held up in the bathroom?” 

“ again? shit! ” zay exclaims, hauling ass to his roommate's side. he wasn’t surprised at all, it never failed. any bit of rain and their house was suddenly a kiddie pool. it was frustrating but it wasn’t enough for zay to look into getting a new place. their set up was good and everything that was good had a catch, for jared and zay it just happened to be the fact that their roof couldn't properly catch any rain. if they complained, the landlord could easily make their rent outrageous. the roof would get fixed eventually until then buckets and plenty of mopping would have to be enough. 

when he finds jared, zay takes in the mess of water in front of him. isaiah can’t help but laugh at the sight before him, his roommate drenched and looking like a wet dog surrounded by pools of water. “ nope, not bad at ---- ” zay cuts himself off the moment jared mentions the bathroom. “ fuck! ” he yells before running upstairs to check and he doesn’t have to make it far before finding water dripping down the stairs, a clear sign it hadn’t held up at all.

[zaytunde-blog]

CAT.

“I have three brothers, I was bound to learn some beer opening tricks with them,” she smiled. Actually, her brothers had taught her much more than just opening beers. They had taught her how to defend herself, how to properly throw a right hook, how to properly spray maze in someone’s eyes and they taught her how to play soccer. Cat’s home was never divided between boys and girls, or older siblings and younger siblings, they all genuinely liked to spend time around each other and just so happened that from being a team of seven (total) they were more than happy to play with each other. It wasn’t odd at all to see the kids running around the backyard and laughter soaring through the house. Sometimes Cat did miss that, having a full house, it was one of the things that made her want to get roommates, but not just one like Zay had done, more like five. “That Will Smith movie sounds good. Weren’t people saying that it was undoubtedly the worst movie of the year?” She remembered having heard that somewhere, but all that Cat could think as she saw the move trailer was that it was entertaining. “I am still down. Haven’t been on the Black Mirror bus yet, but I will watch it sometime soon, my attention spam is too small for shows that require multiple episodes.” 

“ well, i personally thank them for that ‘cause i never have to look for the bottle opener. ” isaiah jokes though he’s not even sure if he and jared even own one. while he’d learned his own things from his brothers, that wasn’t one of them. from what it sounded like, cat’s family seemed cool. he was sure he’d get along with them like he did with her. “ the worst movie of the year? ” he laughs, “ they always gotta do will dirty. ” zay shakes his head. “ nothing will does is bad, i’ll watch everything he’s in. ” he says being completely honest, “ even if his nigerian accent ain’t shit. ” zay gets comfortable, taking a swig his beer before grabbing the remote to set up netflix. isaiah can’t resist chuckling at cat’s reasoning. long shows could be a challenge for him as well, he understood. “ ok, we’ll do the will movie but when you’re ready for black mirror you better come find me. ”

[zaytunde-blog]

SARIYA.

“ Is that so?,” She questioned, her brows furrowing just slightly at his words. Though, she refrained from saying much more as she knew it would lead to an argument. Her bitterness towards him still hadn’t yet waxed over, in fact any wrong saying could kindle what little fire was still ignited. To take her mind off her unsaid thoughts she pointed to the paper, “ See this? I was thinking of going for the $200 changing table, but the one on sale for $139 looks like it might carry more items. I’m just not sure which one will be sturdy enough, especially with him starting to gain more weight.” She passed him the paper and continued to stroll on to the desired section; browsing at other brands. “ Hey~,” she suddenly said, “ I–,” she sighed, not really feeling as able to talk like she thought. “Never mind.” She said, though she had a lot to say, especially after hearing him talk about helping her with Simon as 50/50.

“ it is. ” he responds as a matter of factly. he’d rather be doing things for his son than sleeping the day away or driving people around, even if it meant a tense shopping session with his ex-girlfriend. he wanted to be involved in every aspect. isaiah felt he needed to prove safiya, his family, and himself wrong. he could be the man and father simon needed in his life. he was determined to prove it. he looks at the paper and the changing tables she points out. they both seemed the same to him but he wouldn’t let sariya in on that. “ we’ll look at both and see but i think the one for two hundred looks sturdier. ” he says based on looks alone. “ but, we can always ask someone. ” he points out. who else would know the answer than an employee? his brow quirks. he knows that tone well, she wants to talk about something. zay knows he could easily let it drop as if he hadn’t heard her but, that’s what the isaiah she expected would do. “ don’t start wit’ that. ” he sighs. “ what’s up? ”

[zaytunde-blog]

GENEVIEVE.

         It was mostly on days of five-mile runs that she quite frankly didn’t want to run back, but it was also on nights like tonight that her therapist told her to go out and meet new people. That it’d be good for her and that she should try out the dating scene; dip her toes in the water. Frankly, she was wasn’t ready, but she did drink way too much to drive home on her own. “Hey! Happy new year!” Gen got situated in her seat and put on her seatbelt. “For Sofia? Amazing, her recital was a complete success and she’s doing so well in school… it’s— I’m so proud.” She paused, “For myself, if I can be candid, it’s sucked so much. I still mourn Daniel and my therapist is now trying to get me into the ‘dating scene’ Or to meet new people but I know exactly what she means.” Gen sighed and bit her lip. “Sorry, I’m pretty drunk right now, actually.” The brunette chuckled and covered her face with embarrassment. “How’s 2018 treating you?” 

the moment genevieve’s seatbelt is on, he peels away from the sidewalk. zay didn’t always pick genevieve up at this hour and it was a bit strange but he didn’t have much time to question it as she began rambling. it was amusing and something he was used to when it came to his job. he grins hearing how well her daughter did at her recital. though his son was still a baby, it was nice having parents to talk to and he enjoyed hearing her talk about sofia. “ yeah? that’s awesome! tell her i said congrats. ” he says, keeping his eyes on the road. hearing her pride only made him think about how much he had when it came to simon when he so much as blinked. as she continues speaking, he simply listens. sometimes that was all people needed, someone to listen to them. “ hang in there g ” he offers, “ the first few times is always the hardest. ” though he didn’t lose a spouse like she had, getting back out there onto the dating scene, in general, was always difficult in the beginning. isaiah shrugs his shoulder, looking at her through the rearview mirror. “ it’s been good. simon’s starting to stand on his own, he’ll be walking any day now. ” he says, beaming with that pride gen had moments ago. “personally though, nothing spectacular yet. ”

[zaytunde-blog]

@nora-sawyer !!

one of the worst parts of being an uber driver was driving into los angeles. the traffic was unbearable and no matter how much you planned ahead, there was no guarantee you’d arrive to your destination in time. he’d been doing this long enough to know some shortcuts but there were still no guarantees. today was supposed to be a regular day of driving people to and from yoga, business meetings, restaurants, wherever they needed to be. unfortunately, simon’s babysitter had fallen through and there was no one to stay with him until sariya got off from work. isaiah’s daddy duties came first and it was zay to the rescue. technically he couldn’t bring simon with him on the job but he also couldn’t pull out of work last minute. with his son safely strapped into his carseat in the back, he could only hope his current passenger wouldn’t report him or give him a poor rating because of his surprise tag along on the ride.

[zaytunde-blog]

SIENNA.

It hadn’t been a particularly stressful day well aside from the odd customer disobeying the pretty, little sign beside the till and asking for a book on the ever-growing list of ones that unfortunately wouldn’t ever be in stock mainly including anything from the fifty shades trilogy. Instead, Sienna tried to steer them toward something a little more robust or simply told them those weren’t the books they were looking for. Now came the unenviable task of cataloging the new titles as the happy, little bookworm knelt at the prehistoric excuse for a computer until a patron caught her out. Luckily, it was one of her favorite people so she was more than happy to assist them. “Just when I thought cataloging Keats and Kerouac was going to be the highlight of my day …” Sienna declared with a soft, sweet lilting to her words. Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth as she endeavored to answer his question. “Hm, well, we’ve just got some Essential Cap in? Or if that doesn’t float your boat, something from Dark, uh, Pony perhaps?”. 

isaiah hadn’t been into books and reading much when he was growing up and it wasn’t until he’d read his first black panther issue when it all changed. his creativity flourished. he had a newfound love and respect for where his parents came from. he saw himself and his family represented and that made all the difference. he’d spend hours on end in a corner of the library reading whatever he could get his hands on. isaiah owed it all to that issue all those years ago. “ keats and kerouac? ” he repeats, the smallest of smirks playing at his lips. “ wow, sounds like a real party you’ve got going on back there, ” zay says in jest, “ i’m honored that i can compete with that. ” upon hearing the options, a chuckle comes from his lips. “ dark pony? please don’t tell me those weird my little pony dudebros started their own company. ” he responds almost pleadingly. “ but i think dark horse is what you’re thinking of. ”

[zaytunde-blog]

CAT.

“Warms my freaking heart hearing you say that,” both that the pizza was on him and that she was his favorite neighbor. Cat had been living there for a while, but she had some pretty crappy neighbors before Isiah came into play. Not only him and Jared were two young souls, and Cat definitely needed those kind of people around, but they genuinely liked her and she genuinely liked them, which could only be proven by the amount of time she spent over at their place, despite how many pets needed her at hers. She put the beer pack on the table in front of the couch and took a seat there, sliding out two bottles and opening them with her teeth — one of the many talents she had picked up from her brothers — before taking out the snacks she had prepared for them. It was nothing too fancy, mostly some chilli and guacamole to go with Doritos chips, because she was too lazy to actually bake chips and plenty, plenty, plenty of melted cheddar cheese, because that was one of the things Cat was simply crazy about. “So, what do you wanna do? Watch a movie? Play board games? I mean, we do have some good time to kill before you have to work.”

“ you know i aim to please, girl. ” he responds playfully, closing the door behind her. it was almost like out of a sitcom, cat coming over at all hours of the day and night with some kind of treat to ensure she’d get in the door. truthfully, zay would let her in even if she was empty-handed. in the time that he lived there, he’d come to think of her as more than just his neighbor. it was more than safe to say that he considered her a good friend. despite how long he knew her, it never failed to amaze him the way she opened beers. “ i’ll never get over that shit, ” zay muses as he drops down onto the couch next to her. there were times that zay was sure he and jared would go hungry or broke if it wasn’t for cat. isaiah didn’t exactly always remember to buy groceries and more money from his budgets went to eating takeout than it should have. cat was certainly the best neighbor for the men to have. zay purses his lips together in thought, mulling over their options for a moment. “ what about that will smith movie on netflix? or black mirror if we wanna get into some shit. ”

[zaytunde-blog]

SARIYA.

“ I was able to get one of the nurses at my job to watch Simon for us, so we have a bit of time to shop for his changing room, and discuss other things.” Sariya said as she looked for a basket. Even after have obtaining her permit a month ago, she still hadn’t taken her drivers test. She was always use to using public transportation, and seeing Zay works with Uber, why not have him on speed dial when it came to their son? “ I know we were suppose to start talking about when and how often you’d be coming to see Simon..ya know, since I never have a lot of time on my hands.” She mentioned grabbing a paper just before she entered the store. 

@zaytunde

“ well, i have all afternoon so.. i won’t be goin’ anywhere,” isaiah responds as he follows her and grabs the first basket he spots, mindlessly passing it to her. it was difficult being around sariya since their break-up. it didn’t make moving on easier and it didn’t make the regret and guilt he felt for hurting her the way he did go away either. things were always tense and when there were the rare charged moments, zay didn’t dare act on them no matter how he felt for her. he couldn’t risk fucking things up with sariya and messing up the opportunity to be in his son’s life. if it meant chauferring his ex around, so be it. “ look, this is a fifty/fifty thing, i want to be there whenever and not just ‘cause you need me to take him. ” he reasons. from the moment he found out he was going to be a father, isaiah knew he wasn’t going to abandon her to do it alone. he wanted to be there as much as he could.

[zaytunde-blog]

♦

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

some of his hobbies include collecting sneakers and before simon was born he used to call them his babies and his father was an avid vinyl collector and had a vinyl player, that was something that rubbed off on him. he doesn’t have a large collection but he does own a vinyl record player and a few old classics.