to be fair , naji's not really a happy anything. he's always felt too much or too little , and even tonight he leans towards the former , awkward andĀ messyĀ in a way that he's hoping she won't find pathetic. the word mopey sticks with him , but he's simply amused , the feeling tugging his lips into a reluctant, lopsided smile he has no business letting mabel see. he swears it's the first time he's smiled all night , but hey , she's always carried a kind of warmth with her that's bled into his gloom. " i'm not grumpy all the time ā " i'm definitely not grumpy around you. " ā and , believe it or not , the eeyore commentĀ is unoriginal. " naji stares at her reflection for a beat longer than he should , alcohol addled senses fixating his gaze there. he swallows , hard.Ā tentativeĀ fingers drift to the door handle , rough thumbs brushing over it beforeĀ the cold metalĀ finally snaps him out of it, najiās blinking hard like heās trying to shake off the fog. " maybe i'll get you that shot when you're done. " before he's encouraged to sayĀ another drunken word , he pulls the door closed between them , letting the latch click softly into place before he leans against it. the heels of his palms press into his eyes , the pressure sending his vision dark and filled with sprinklings of stars. he's hoping that now ā now thatĀ mabel's behind a door, where he canāt see her ā he might finally be able to get a grip.Ā
inĀ herĀ ownĀ defense,Ā mabelĀ isn'tĀ completelyĀ sureĀ thatĀ herĀ poutsĀ workĀ onĀ najiĀ ;Ā there'sĀ theĀ sneakingĀ suspicion,Ā yes,Ā andĀ maybeĀ sheĀ weaponizesĀ itĀ aĀ lotĀ becauseĀ sheĀ knowsĀ it'llĀ work,Ā yes,Ā butĀ she'sĀ neverĀ beenĀ sure.Ā alwaysĀ theĀ gnawingĀ feelingĀ thatĀ maybeĀ he'sĀ justĀ humoringĀ her,Ā insecurityĀ personifiedĀ andĀ speakingĀ inĀ theĀ mostĀ irritatingĀ littleĀ voiceĀ inĀ herĀ headĀ āĀ ifĀ mabelĀ thinksĀ aboutĀ itĀ tooĀ muchĀ herĀ stomachĀ hurts.Ā cheeksĀ goĀ pinkĀ whenĀ sheĀ looksĀ atĀ himĀ likeĀ this,Ā enoughĀ toĀ makeĀ herĀ freezeĀ forĀ aĀ sputteringĀ momentĀ beforeĀ givingĀ upĀ andĀ duckingĀ underĀ hisĀ armĀ toĀ getĀ in.Ā pushĀ pastĀ himĀ (Ā ignoreĀ theĀ stumbling,Ā sheĀ didn'tĀ claimĀ toĀ beĀ soberĀ )Ā andĀ sheĀ won'tĀ haveĀ toĀ lookĀ tooĀ long.Ā "Ā iĀ don'tĀ evenĀ haveĀ attitude,Ā you'reĀ justĀ soĀ grumpyĀ allĀ theĀ time.Ā thoughtĀ you'dĀ beĀ aĀ happyĀ drunk,Ā youĀ know.Ā "Ā confidenceĀ isĀ restoredĀ andĀ herĀ toneĀ evensĀ out,Ā gainsĀ theĀ littleĀ liltĀ typicalĀ ofĀ her.Ā mabel'sĀ evenĀ braveĀ enoughĀ toĀ grinĀ atĀ himĀ fromĀ theĀ mirror,Ā "Ā awww,Ā you'reĀ beingĀ soĀ sweet.Ā f'iĀ knewĀ you'dĀ beĀ likeĀ thisĀ iĀ would'veĀ askedĀ youĀ forĀ aĀ shotĀ earlier.Ā "Ā mabelĀ contemplatesĀ kickingĀ himĀ out,Ā feelsĀ theĀ nervesĀ inĀ wavesĀ ;Ā naji'sĀ auraĀ wasĀ quiteĀ blueĀ (Ā orĀ maybeĀ purpleĀ ?Ā )Ā rightĀ now,Ā sheĀ wondersĀ ifĀ heĀ notices.Ā "Ā mmĀ āĀ actually,Ā i'mĀ fineĀ !Ā areĀ youĀ okay,Ā thoughĀ ?Ā youĀ lookĀ soĀ ...Ā mopey.Ā likeĀ eeyore.Ā "Ā ouch.
⦠. āā HEADED TO THE MOUNTAINS
( emilio sakraya , he/him , twenty-six ) hey , is that NAJI KARIM walking around town with some pep in their step ? last i heard , they joined a band called static avenue as their ROADIE ā which totally tracks . theyāve always been known for being + PROTECTIVE , - JADED & for listening to DESPERADO by THE EAGLES on repeat . itās a bit annoying , really . maybe youāll think about them the next time you picture FRESHLY BREWED TEA OR AN ARM AROUND THE SHOULDER TO SILENTLY SHOW YOU CARE , WORN OUT DENIM AND HAIR MUSSED BY BASEBALL CAPS , CRACKED LEATHER SEATS AND LEGS UP ON THE DASH , SHARING THE OTHER SIDE OF YOUR EARBUDS WITHOUT BEING ASKED TO , SCRATCHES ON YOUR FAVORITE VINYL RECORD , THE FEAR OF SAYING "I LOVE YOU" , or when you hear someone yell THE LOST SOUL .
google doc !
pinterest !
spotify !
musings !
wanted !
"why is my mental health so bad" -> oh yeah I haven't gazed fondly at a large body of water in a month
it's as if he knows to sense the laughter before the sound hits his ears , loud and strong and vivid enough to cut through the life that pulses through the loft. she's always had a way of demanding attention ā even from him , even right now ā and perhaps that's why they fall into this tug of war : one where she tries to move close and he tries to pull away. it shouldn't bother him , but it does ( she'd like that , wouldn't she ? ) , and he lets his eyes flutter shut as her head falls beside his. he doesn't laugh at her little explanation , just lets out a huff with no definite meaning. " feelin' generous tonight , or did the jungle juice just fuck you up that bad? " naji shifts his weight just slightly , barely a movement at all , like itās enough to put a barrier between them ā even though he knows she'll break it , same as always. he's one to talk with the way the liquor is clouding up his brain already , making him a little less resistant to her casual audacity , fingers tightening around the cigarette as she leans close. naji's pulse quickens ā he hates that it does ā and he freezes up , like the creature carved out of stone like everyone else makes him out to be. the weight of the tin falls heavy in his pocket , his voice suddenly drying his throat . it drops low , a harsh murmur for just the two of them , barely loud enough to hear over the music. " guess i'm your second charity case of the night. " without waiting for a response, his fingers slip further into his pocket, feeling the cool, familiar shape of the tin. it doesn't rattle the same way it should , and his curiosity finally lets his gaze slide over to find the outline of her face beside him. " do i open it now , or when i get home? "
avoidĀ herĀ gaze,Ā andĀ sheāllĀ onlyĀ wantĀ itĀ more.Ā aĀ masochist,Ā noĀ doubt.Ā wordsĀ sting,Ā sure,Ā butĀ theyāreĀ farĀ moreĀ amusingĀ whenĀ deliveredĀ byĀ someoneĀ whoĀ usuallyĀ seemsĀ soĀ silentĀ andĀ stoic.Ā itāsĀ asĀ ifĀ sheĀ hasĀ theĀ wickedĀ abilityĀ toĀ reachĀ intoĀ hisĀ insides,Ā twistingĀ hisĀ nervesĀ wheneverĀ sheĀ wantsĀ ā¦Ā and,Ā staringĀ atĀ theĀ sideĀ ofĀ hisĀ face,Ā sheĀ wantsĀ now.Ā shoes,Ā right.Ā sheĀ forcesĀ herĀ eyesĀ awayĀ fromĀ him,Ā ifĀ onlyĀ briefly,Ā glancingĀ downĀ atĀ herĀ feetĀ beforeĀ burstingĀ intoĀ belly - achingĀ laughterĀ āĀ aĀ big,Ā thunderousĀ soundĀ thatĀ couldĀ surelyĀ beĀ heardĀ overĀ theĀ poundingĀ music.Ā āĀ iĀ toldĀ thisĀ girlĀ thatĀ myĀ heelsĀ wereĀ soĀ fuckināĀ uncomfortable,Ā āĀ junoĀ leansĀ againstĀ theĀ sameĀ wallĀ asĀ him,Ā slowlyĀ encroachingĀ onĀ hisĀ territory,Ā āĀ andĀ sheĀ saidĀ that,Ā ifĀ iĀ wasnātĀ gonnaĀ useĀ them,Ā iĀ shouldĀ giveĀ themĀ toĀ herĀ instead.Ā funny.Ā āĀ thereāsĀ aĀ briefĀ pauseĀ asĀ herĀ amusementĀ diesĀ down,Ā onlyĀ aĀ fewĀ weak chucklesĀ leftĀ asĀ evidenceĀ ofĀ itsĀ existence.Ā headĀ rollsĀ back, joining the pair in their rest with a bang.Ā āĀ well,Ā nowĀ thatĀ youāveĀ hadĀ yourĀ funĀ stabbingĀ meĀ aĀ little,Ā āĀ sheĀ nudgesĀ najiāsĀ legĀ withĀ oneĀ ofĀ theĀ victimsĀ ofĀ theĀ earlierĀ robbery,Ā handĀ stickingĀ insideĀ herĀ enormousĀ coatĀ toĀ retrieveĀ herĀ debtāsĀ paymentĀ āĀ feelingĀ likeĀ sheāsĀ holdingĀ herĀ heartĀ betweenĀ shakyĀ fingers.Ā sheĀ infiltratesĀ oneĀ ofĀ hisĀ pocketsĀ andĀ buriesĀ itĀ in there. deep.Ā aĀ secret.Ā unableĀ āĀ orĀ unwillingĀ āĀ toĀ witnessĀ hisĀ reaction, Ā forĀ whateverĀ reason.Ā āĀ gotĀ youĀ something.Ā useĀ āemĀ wisely.Ā āĀ
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