andante--andante

[andante--andante]

"It would be nice to do something like that with a group of friends, but the biggest struggle nowadays is finding a time that works for everyone," Morgan said with a chuckle. "Bungee jumping! That one terrifies me but I'm also interested enough to try one day. Where did you go for that?"

"Yeah, I get that," Noah said with a nod of his head. Admittedly he'd done it with only one other person before, different sized groups camping out in the snow were kind of a right of passage when it came to his winters back in Canada. "Zip-lining, yes. Sky-diving, no, but it's on the list. You didn't ask, but bungee jumping, yes."

[andante--andante]

Morgan let out a hearty laugh, one between a snort and chortle, at her friend's suggestion. "That's actually incredibly genius but also so on brand for you," she finally said once she recovered from her laughing fit. "Do you need help finding clients? I sure hope you charge a decent price for your services too as I'm expecting a very nice present this year from one of my closest friends," she teased.

who: open @chqstarter where: anywhere public

“In the spirit of entrepreneurism,” Tony began without any explanation, “I think I’m going to offer my services out this holiday season. Think about it – people are extra lonely during the holiday season. That or they’re visiting family and not looking to explain why they aren’t in a relationship yet. So, why not bring me along? I’m good at charming parents. I’m a decent actor. I think I’m fake boyfriend material, don’t you? It’s the perfect plan.” 

[andante--andante]

"Honestly..." Ophelia pondered, a drink in her own hand as she considered Akin's question. "Not really. I mean every year I try to be like 'be better about my money' or 'eat healthier' but I feel like I should attempt something easier so I actually last more than a few weeks," she laughed. "What about you?"

open ↷ ( 0/4 ) @chqstarter where ↷ club 303, new years eve celebrations.

new years is always a fun time, though where akin is concerned, it somehow always ends up a little messy. he isn't someone who shy's away from drama, and it typically has a way of finding him. so much so he's certain the night will end with a funny story to tell. drink in hand, he takes a sip, turns to the person standing beside him. " so, what big new years resolution do you plan on making only to break it a week into 2024 ? "

[andante--andante]

Ophelia agreed but pouted nonetheless. "Not pathetic at all! I love going out and stuff but sometimes, staying in with a blanket and a good show is the best thing ever." The idea of a cozy night in was one of her favorite things to do when she felt like being a hermit or just spending time with herself. "I don't get to do that as often as I would like that."

"Yeah, well, I don't think it's ever going to change, as much as we might want it to," Aaron responded. "As long as there's people actually partaking, it's never going to stop. People are drawn in by things." He'd certainly been drawn in by his fair share of things over the years and he wasn't about to pretend like that wasn't so. "Really not, no," he responded with a light shake of his head. "I don't know, I prefer dark nights and curling up with a blanket. Perfect evening really. Is that kind of pathetic?"

[andante--andante]

"But there's something about drinking apple cocktails or eating apple desserts in fall that is just superior! Like when apples are probably at their best." Were apples the most ripe during the fall? Ophelia had no idea but it seemed right. "Pumpkin is overrated and I need people to understand that! Maybe in a soup it's fine. Like how people make butternut squash soups and stuff! That's how pumpkins should be treated." Ophelia rambled on. "Wait really? Are you sure? I'm not gonna say no but I don't want you to be stuck with a shitty drink you don't like."

“Well, yeah, that’s why apple is available all year round. Its clearly the best, and appletinis aren’t half bad either, but this?” Remembering the taste of Ophelia’s drink was enough to make him grimace again. “Like, pumpkin is just… not good for anything. Do we really grow it just to peer pressure people into consuming it during fall?” He ended his rant and watched her take a sip of his drink. “Right!” he agreed. “It’s like they melted down candy corn and put vodka in it, which is not my favorite, but at least it’s not…” Nathaniel grimaced at her drink once again. “That. But I’ll swap with you if you want, because I’m a good friend and I’d hate for the alcohol to go to waste.”

[andante--andante]

Aaron had become such an asset at Spring to Life and Kassandra was grateful to have such a wonderful employee. “That sounds lovely! Thank you for bringing that,” she replied with a joyful grin as she quickly grabbed her apron and secured it onto herself before going to pour herself a cup of coffee. “If there’s any problem with the inventory, let me know and I can call the supplier.”

“Coffee? Great,” Aaron responded, his smile warm. “I actually brought some pastries to go along with that coffee, so guess we’re set for the day.” As she continued, he nodded his head, his hands automatically slipping into the back pockets of his pants. “I’m on it, no problem!”

[andante--andante]

"Lazy or not, it is nice to see you in person," she replied softly with a smile as she handed him his flowers. Sorting through her counter, she quickly spotted the order receipt. She made a copy before handing that to Nathan as well. "It is busy. Bustling. But it is also nice to see so much commotion around town. It feels... I don't know, connected." As much as her hours had to be extended due to completing all these orders, Kassandra enjoyed seeing so many people out and about. "Certainly. January will be quite slow, I imagine? Hopefully you'll have some time to yourself. Perhaps a vacation might be in order for you."

At Kass's words, Nathan shrugged his shoulders very casually, holding his hands out for a moment. "Gives me something to do," he answered her with a chuckle. "I was starting to get a little on the lazy side." But at least he could admit it, he supposed, because many wouldn't and they'd refuse to accept it. "Time of year, I guess," he answered her. "It's busy for a lot of us." Admittedly you wouldn't expect it of him, but there were a huge amount of people who purchased shoots for loved ones for a gift or wanted something special to give to them on the big day. "Looking forward to when things calm down again, I could use a break."

[andante--andante]

"Thank you," she responded graciously as Vince handed her the mug of tea, the comforting scents wafting from the top. "The holidays really do kick up the small business busyness," Kassandra agreed with a nod. Her own shop had become inundated with orders that required purchasing extra inventory. With his permission, Kassandra strolled throughout the shop, eyes glancing at a variety of curious items that she was not familiar with. "I see you have a collection of dried herbal and floral items. Are these meant for any particular purpose?" she inquired, gently holding up bundle of dried sage.

Vince busies himself with preparing them some tea, bringing Kassandra a mug after it's ready. "You probably had a good chance at catching me on any day, to be fair." He spent most days at the shop. "I've been alright. Starting to get ready for the holidays now that Halloween has passed. Crazy to think it's almost the end of the year." Vince chuckles, shaking his head. "They're good, thank you for asking." He didn't think she came to the shop to catch up though, clearing his throat softly after a moment. "Feel free to look around or ask anything that's on your mind. I don't mind."

[andante--andante]

Kassandra finished up cataloguing inventory when a familiar voice had her turning on her heels, a bright smile on her face. "Yes, Nathan?" she replied with a chuckle as she watched him. "I'm surprised to see you coming by to pick that up yourself." Walking to the backroom, she easily spotted Nathan's order and returned with it in hand. "Oh, you know, work is busy, which is something I really should not complain about." Another chuckle. "What about yourself? Have you been swamped with work too?"

for: @andante--andante ( kassandra! ) location: spring to life

"Hey, Kass..." Nathan stepped into the florist, his usual bright and breezy smile firmly in place. "I'm here for the usual monthly pick-up." He knew that he could have easily sent his assistant out to grab the flowers for the studio, but this was one of those jobs he kind of liked to do himself. "How's things going at the moment?"he questioned as he reached the counter.

[andante--andante]

"I think I could be convinced on a small winter snowy camp trip if we had a small group with us. Safety in numbers sort of mentality?" That felt more cozy to her, hiking or maybe even driving to a cottage for the weekend surrounded by trees and white glistening snow. "Okay, Mr. Adventure," she teased. "Rock-climbing, check. What about zip-lining? Or better yet, sky-diving?"

"That would be great." Honestly, Noah still needed to try and find more people who were as into the outdoors as he and Morgan were, people like that weren't always the easiest the find unless you bumped into them while out hiking. At her question, he nodded his head, pushing himself back to his feet. "You name it and I've probably done it," he admitted with a laugh.

[andante--andante]

Ophelia couldn't help but scoff with a chuckle. "I get that a lot," she replied. It certainly didn't help that she was indeed usually judging, and quite often too. "I will hold you to that. Admittedly, they are a little cute, but they're not going to last long!"

"It's called a doorstep and there's plenty of room," Mei commented with a shrug of her shoulders. "You're sounding seriously judgemental here." Not one for arguing usually, but what happened to supporting friends in things that made them happy? "Don't worry, I'm not going to suddenly come and dump them at yours," she added with a chuckle.

[andante--andante]

There was a clear lack of confidence from the other with Ophelia's drink. Sure, she didn't really do a good job on selling it, but she didn't want to lie about her dislike of it. "I hope this cat has enough lives to come back from this," she muttered with a sigh as she slid the drink over, bracing herself for the reaction.

At least she’s honest, Marley thinks, though it doesn’t fill her with confidence. “I’m definitely not one of those people who waits eagerly all year for pumpkin spice lattes,” she clarifies with a small smile, “but, that being said… I don’t hate them. Curiosity killed the cat?” Marley gestures to the glass, wordlessly asking permission to try the abandoned drink. “Satisfaction brought it back?”

[andante--andante]

Kassandra was just returning back to her shop from lunch when her employee stopped her with a question. "Oh um it does feel a bit generic, less like 'Christmas' or winter and more... festive aesthetic?" she tried to explain with a tilt of her head. It certainly looked nice and it was not an endeavor she could have accomplished had she been running her shop by herself.

for: open ( @chqstarter ) location: outside of spring to life time: afternoon hours

Ella loved to decorate; it was one of her favorite things to do even when the occasion did not call for it. If you were to step into her place you would notice that she constantly was changing things up, and it only got worse during the holidays. Currently she was trying to decorate the shop a bit for Thanksgiving but also was putting a little Christmas spin; she was one of those people who started celebrating Christmas in July. As she was finishing up setting up some white lights around the outside of the shop's window a thought occurred to Ella and she steps back for a moment to look at the window. "Crap," she whispers to herself, letting out a small sigh of frustration. Had she accidentally just done more Christmas than Thanksgiving in her decorating? "Hey," she says, looking at the person walking by, "I need your opinion. When you look at these lights, are you getting Thanksgiving vibes? Or are you getting more 'this shop totally skipped right to Christmas' vibes?"

[andante--andante]

Kassandra had just closed up her flower shop for the night before she decided to head over to Green Thumb Cafe for some baked goods and a light tea. With a book in her tote bag, it had become a small treat in which she would indulge in a little bit of relation. Surprisingly, but fortunate for the cafe, the place was packed just as she grabbed the last empty table.

Before she could settle down and pick up her read, she glanced up at the voice that addressed her. "Please, sit. I would be happy to share the space. It's certainly busy tonight," Kassandra commented with a breathy chuckle.

open starter !! ( @chqstarter )

location: green thumb cafe.

The day had been torturous. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong went wrong. Not only did she spill coffee on her clean scrubs first thing in the morning, two of her surgeries got double booked by mistake, resulting in an uncomfortable conversation with her patients. Luckily, the situation was resolved with both parties happy in the end, but Marilyn was still embarrassed. She was dubbed as the best neurosurgeon in Colorado and there was no way she wanted to tarnish her stellar reputation.

After clocking off, she decided to treat herself to a much needed latte and a piece of cake. God knew she needed it. She wanted to decompress before heading home, she didn’t want to bring her bad mood home to her fiancè and sour his day too. That was the last thing she wanted.

Once she placed her order at the counter, her gaze surveyed the bustling cafe in hopes to find a table, but there was no luck. Only an empty seat in front of a stranger.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt you, but is it okay if I sit with you? I won’t bother you, I promise.”

[andante--andante]

Surprised, Morgan took a second to comprehend the request for nodding with a chuckle but made sure to not be too obvious as she glanced over at the someone in question. "Sure. What kind of date would you like me to be? The 'overly attentive' kind? The 'laughs at all of your jokes' kind?" she offered as she listed off a couple of suggestions.

open starter !! ( @chqstarter )

location: club 303 or any nightclub.

Naomi didn’t know why she was there. She felt too old to be there — nightclubs weren’t really her scene. There never had been, but after immense peer pressure from her friends, she caved. A fun night out would do her some good, she couldn’t remember the last time she allowed herself to let her hair down.

“Excuse me?” The blonde asked reluctantly, turning to the person next to her at the bar. “I’ll buy you a drink if you pretend to be my date. I’m trying to make someone jealous.” Her light eyes darted over to her most recent ex, their relationship (if you could even call it that) was brief but passionate, it wasn’t until things just started to get a little serious that they ghosted her.

“Please?”

[andante--andante]

"That's fine. Just wanted to offer," Ophelia replied with a shrug. Pushing the drink away to be taken, she had no idea what to drink now that her original choice was garbage. "Hey, what kinda drink would you recommend to a stranger?"

Hyung looked at the other and quickly apologized. "Sorry I can't handle drinks other people drank from." It was perhaps part of his autism, or maybe he had some form of fear of contamination. Either way he couldn't really drink out of a glass that had been used.

[andante--andante]

"Pumpkin pie definitely has its place at a Thanksgiving meal or something, and pumpkin spice lattes are all the hype right now during this time of year," Ophelia agreed. "But this drink was a weird attempt at an alcoholic homage." Another frown on her face as the taste lingered on her tongue. "You don't have to try it if you don't want to. Just thought I'd offer in case you might enjoy it instead."

“I mean, I can see pumpkin spice being good with a spiced rum or a cream liquor. Oh! Like a pumpkin pie, yum!” Kiara jokes, shooting her stool neighbour a small smile. Her smile cracks slightly seeing the other girl’s obvious disgust.

“I-um, I don’t think that looks like a spiced rum, more like, like um, I don’t know, vodka with cinnamon.” Would it be rude to say no without even trying the new drink? Kiara couldn’t decide, it didn’t look great but someone obviously liked it enough to sell it. “I’ll try a sip?”