It's not just her grin and her topics doing battle. It's her grin and its fade, the wavering uncertainty that plays between laughter at some of the things you say and then trepidation and understanding backslides.

Guilty smile, a sheepish looked edged with hope that you'll forgive her for not knowing. People look this way when you belt out lyrics but she just blushes hard. "I'm sorry. I missed it..." So embarrassing.

Just like it feels a little silly talking about her work when she's not famous and it's not really something she thinks many people seem to care about except for her. She's go to figure out how to make them care before she tanks the whole thing due to lack of funding, but none of it is an easy sell.

You say Holly's a natural, but the tone doesn't match up with your words and Mei draws her forearms off the table, leaning back to lace hands in her lap, face tipped up when you bolt to your feet. For a second, she thinks you're gonna address the entire room, maybe wax poetic about the quality of their cutlery or the staff working conditions. Like, do they get paid close to enough to put up with us?

But that's not what you do. Those parting words make her think you've been pulling her leg and that, in turn, pulls at the corners of her mouth so she grins again, an easy smile that reaches her eyes.

And outright laugh when you call her Mumu. "Goodnight, Brixton. Tell Holly I say hi."

She watches you go, feeling like she missed a lot of what happened tonight. Maybe you just don't like talking about people who aren't in the room. Some people are like that.

Her plate is set in front of her and the steak looks pretty decent. She picks up her knife and fork and prepares to cut in ... when her phone rings.

A clatter as she drops her cutlery and goes for her bag, tugging it out from under her chair and prying it open. Lit up in the midst of a book, a pencil case, suntan lotion and an empty reusable water bottle, is her phone.

Not work, for once, but not a call she can refuse. She stands as she answers, "Hey Mom," and she walks to the hall where the bathrooms are, not wanting to disrupt the other diners, though she's already done that plenty tonight. Quota reached.

Hushed, "You okay, Mom?" Slurred voice on the other end of the line. "Where's Dad? Can you put him on?"....

....

.... "What do you mean you're alone? Where did he go?"

.. ... .... ..... "I'll be there by morning."

She exits the hall, nearly walking into the waiter. "Sorry. Um. Hey. Do you do doggie bags....?"

She's gotta go.

((Thank you! l/p))

Stone Corral
Stephen stood just outside the center of the corral area, the vast Wyoming night sky sprawling above him. The stars glimmered like diamonds against the velvet expanse, casting a gentle glow over the rugged landscape. The cool night air whispered through the desert, carrying with it the faint scents of sagebrush and earth. He watched as the moon's silvery light moved across the terrain, touching the weathered fences and the familiar outline of the Stone family home in the distance. Recent choices replayed in his mind, his decision to stay and help preserve the family vineyard and distillery now intertwined with a new vision: transforming this land into the Stone Ridge Rodeo Arena. The dream of an arena bustling with life and energy was tantalizingly within reach. He took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his resolve. He could do this—honor his family, build a future with Tamara, and create something extraordinary.

Depends on who it is I want to call.
Sometimes a "are you busy - can you talk - text
is sent because of busy schedules and such.

Fucking tree sex...

YTY

You Twist Yearningly

I dislike the change in your name.

Luke and Seger

https://64.media.tumblr.com/0014a238cd4b33714e6da431e7551dbe/52552350b4136332-91/s1280x1920/4915df14a9322327a24b016293eca9230cf77570.jpg

The sleens released for night patrol

High temperatures
are bound to send Mercury
soaring. Hot haiku.

https://64.media.tumblr.com/b5d99d3c620ad6589c3a46a546281c75/6a579c3c1eda940c-56/s640x960/f460226731e38b18612d9da3d519a9b3306effb0.pnj

RTE

Relatively Tight Entry

She suffers from permasmile and resting grin face along with the occasional little titter as she has trouble letting go of the laugh. There's no food here and neither of her parents are watching, so she goes ahead and rests her forearms on the table in front of her, leaning in and smiling still, wondering if you're gonna try to guess her name again. It's like Rumpelstiltskin only better.

Off the waiter goes, maybe taking the menus in order to prevent you further scrutinizing them.

She noticed you relaxing back in your chair and then the shift in tone when she asks about Holly and the play again. What's she missing?

Her smile falters a little as she watches you sip and it seems a safe time for her to reach for her water, drinking a little of it down as she lets you take your time answering. The ice in her glass has mostly melted, but a cube of it bumps against her upper lip and she decides it's small enough to eat, so she goes ahead and takes the ice into her mouth.

It's a bit harder and bigger than she thought. Might break a tooth on it. So she just keeps it there on her tongue and waits for it to melt.

Wide eyes on you, utterly without guile, though she gets the impression you're not too thrilled about the play. Like it's accusations about how you heard it was so good.

You spin the topic back to her work and she's still got the ice cube in her mouth. Oh. Gee. Uh. . . . . Can't spit it back in the glass. She shifts it to her cheek, holding it there between her teeth and the spongy inside. She can talk just fine like that.

"A$AP Rocky show? Set-reppin? I? I don't know what that is..." There's a blush as she figures she should know these things and maybe if she did something besides work all the time, she would. "Ummm. I did a song for Slimane for Eurovision. Don't laugh. I do anything from makeup packages to novels. But what I really care about, if you wanna know?" She looks at you, like maybe you'll interject and tell her you were just joking and you don't wanna know. "It's my nonprofit. Voices. I'm trying to get it so people who don't speak English here and who are in the hospital or who get arrested or ... if they're victims of a crime, they can have an interpreter on site or on the phone right away so they can tell what happened to them and so they can understand what the doctors are saying an..." She waves a hand.

"We have ASL interpreters also, but I don't have the skill. And... no UN for me. That would be my father." She makes a bit of a face. Hates that topic so she veers back to what she thinks should be safer ground.

"I've hardly seen Leo the last few weeks. I guess they're really busy getting the play ready. It must have been a lot for Holly to step in last minute like that. Leo says she's a pro already, though."

SOMEWHAT

Strict
Obedience
Makes
Esther
Want
Humble
Ass
Taps

……… bend over baby…

TAPS

Is reblogme working again?

https://cdn012.reblogme.com/uploads/photos/2023/10/28172/reblogme-28172-p1MuptvnU5.gif

Not sure whether this will work or not.

https://cdn012.reblogme.com/uploads/photos/2024/05/152800/reblogme-152800-i5UHdus4F1.gif

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Making you laugh has eased the tension in his body, bit by bit. The giggles work the brow smooth, relaxed... The stifled laugh unclenches his jaw, letting his jaw muscles relax.. The loud guffaw was better than a masseuse on his shoulders, which lower from their tensioned place seemingly at the bottom of his earlobes... When you choke on the water it was like a chiropractor racked his back against a doorjamb and he just about melts into the seat.

Ahhh.... That's the stuff. The smile that creeps into lips, tugs them away from his bright, bold teeth carry him back towards a seated position as you make your decision and don't order the steak well-done. Another plus.

With the waiter leaving with the menus, a cool, crisp $50 bill for having to deal with Brix, and your order, Brix takes another drink to wash all that loose serotonin down with a modest gulp of whiskey when you repeat yourself and he almost rolls up like a snap bracelet...

He swallows the liquor, them good-good brain chemicals, and the bile that rises with the mention of Leo. Leeeeoooo. Heart of a Lion, Jawline of a shovel, facial scruff painted on every morning.

"Yeah. She's really enjoyin' it."

He forces the emotion through it.

"I heard that the whole show is really good. I've watched a few rehearsals...

So what do you interpret for? I went to an A$AP Rocky show in Chicago once and they had an interpreter, who was this fine-ass woman who was doin' the interpreting... They had that chick up on stage next to A$AP and she looked like she was just set-reppin' the whole time..."

A beat.

"I mean... I'm assumin' you're not an ASL interpreter, it's just... Like I don't work at the UN or nothin' so that's like my only interaction, feelme?

You work at the UN?"

N

Naaaasty

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