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
hi hello here's a little tag drop !
⦠. 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 !
he noticed the staring long ago. how could he not ? it's as brazen as everything else the woman does ā sharp , like a silent dare , a challenge in the air like she's looking just to see if he'll offer his gaze back. ( he doesn't. ) instead , naji ignores her for the time being , shadow falling behind flickering lights , half - swallowed by the dark and half - swathed in neon pink. a cigarette burns low between his fingers ā should he go outside ? he's deciding ā but it does nothing to fight the perpetual scowl that is twisted onto his lips , even as he lifts it up again to take a drag. he's got an air about him that screams leave me alone , and , on a normal day , most people catch on quick. ( it is important to note , then , that he knows juno zhang is not 'most people'. ) her gaze sticks like static , and so does his bleary memory of last night , the wild woman on his doorstep and asking to stay like he's her last resort. less than twenty - four hours ago was when naji learned he can't say no to her , and , already it's proving to make things difficult. he knows this even as she approaches , brash and barefoot , bringing all her wit and audacity with her. the scowl twists deeper at her tone , eyebrows knitting together. the teasing otherwise rolls off his shoulders , but it does something strange , somewhere deep , just enough to make him wonder why she cares to notice what he's doing at all. his eyes fixate somewhere to her left , and he leans back further agains the wall. don't look chaos in the eye , that's not good for you. " hmm. " a noncommital grunt , like he isn't buying into her taunt. " where the fuck did you leave your shoes ? " he pauses again. " you wanna talk about being 'lost', yeah? " the implications of that are clear , but he's not insolent enough to bring up the night before. " or just here for a cigarette ? "
šššššš ššššššš šš šššš ššššššš, @najiikarim ! šššššššš : major's stinky loft.
theĀ loudĀ and shitty musicĀ blastingĀ fromĀ theĀ jankyĀ speakersĀ andĀ sweatyĀ bodiesĀ slammingĀ againstĀ herĀ absurdlyĀ furryĀ exteriorĀ arenātĀ enoughĀ toĀ pullĀ herĀ stabbingĀ gazeĀ away fromĀ himĀ ; meticulous examinationĀ madeĀ allĀ theĀ moreĀ obviousĀ byĀ theĀ hazeĀ coatingĀ herĀ inebriatedĀ brain.Ā yes,Ā junoāsĀ neverĀ beenĀ āĀ andĀ neverĀ willĀ beĀ āĀ someoneĀ whoāsĀ subtleĀ (Ā becauseĀ fuckĀ thatĀ ),Ā butĀ rightĀ now,Ā sheāsĀ doingĀ absolutelyĀ nothingĀ toĀ hideĀ theĀ factĀ thatĀ sheāsĀ beenĀ staring,Ā staringĀ andĀ staringĀ someĀ more.Ā heĀ seemsĀ lonely.Ā heĀ savedĀ youĀ lastĀ night.Ā justĀ move.Ā and, likeĀ everythingĀ sheĀ everĀ doesĀ inĀ life,Ā sheĀ followsĀ theĀ firstĀ impulseĀ thatĀ jerksĀ atĀ herĀ bruisedĀ heart.Ā wantsĀ toĀ thankĀ him,Ā needsĀ to ā itāsĀ beenĀ aĀ gnawingĀ itchĀ that sheĀ hasnātĀ beenĀ ableĀ toĀ scratchĀ sinceĀ steppingĀ outĀ ofĀ hisĀ homeĀ thisĀ morning.Ā theĀ altoids tinĀ boxĀ that she filledĀ withĀ four hand - rolled joints burning herĀ pocket, a symbol of unspoken gratitude. she canāt stomach the thought of not repaying him ... for some reason. kindness for the sake of being kind is a myth, after all. nakedĀ feetĀ āĀ sheĀ ditchedĀ herĀ heelsĀ aĀ whileĀ backĀ andĀ didnāt botherĀ lookingĀ forĀ them ā carryĀ herĀ towardĀ him in all of her messy glory,Ā an inevitable curse. excitementĀ pulsesĀ throughĀ herĀ veins;Ā thisĀ isĀ theĀ closestĀ herĀ pryingĀ eyesĀ haveĀ beenĀ toĀ himĀ theĀ entireĀ night. what a thrill. ā lookināĀ aĀ littleĀ lostĀ there ⦠āĀ sheĀ says,Ā notĀ meaningĀ toĀ mock,Ā butĀ herĀ wordsĀ stillĀ haveĀ aĀ sharpĀ edgeĀ toĀ them.Ā āĀ neverĀ beenĀ toĀ aĀ partyĀ before,Ā roadieĀ ?Ā noĀ oneāsĀ gonna jumpĀ you.Ā ā
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