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Olivia was kind of surprised, but she didn't let it show on her face as the woman approached her. Thankfully that was the right call and she smiled as she looked at the woman. "I know! Sorry I was late, work has been hell and I had to make a scene in order to get out of there!" She said as she wrapped her arms around the other woman. "I got you, don't worry." She said as she looked at her and then saw where Camila had come from and where she was sitting. "Oh, I see a couple open seats over there! They just opened them up!" Olivia replied with a big smile, more than happy to help the other out.

open to: anyone

where: local bar

"There you are! I've been waiting for you," Camila called out as she began to direct herself towards the first person who caught her gaze. After spending the last ten minutes trying to get the man who'd bought her a drink at the bar to clue in that she didn't have the energy, or desire, to continue speaking with him— she had to move to more effective methods. "Just pretend you know me for a few minutes and then I promise I'll let you get on with your night. Maybe head to the bar with me and I'll get you a drink." As long as they put distance between the weird man and them, Camila wouldn't keep them hostage for much longer.

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"Yeah well I can imagine that space getting pretty dirty with twenty other dudes who don't give a damn." August replied as he thought about twenty hockey guys in the locker room at the same time and he had to bring himself back to reality before he lost his mind. "I know a lot of people don't though. Like I see so many people working out and then they walk away and never come back to wipe things down. I started wiping things down before I use them too because it's crazy to me." He replied as he smiled softly.

"When you play hockey professionally and share a locker room with twenty-something other dudes, you learn to keep your space as clean as you can hope others follow," he exhaled with a lazy boyish grin and a quiet reminiscent laugh. If he ever began to wonder why he'd ever left, one thing he could think back on was that. "Plus, it's basic gym etiquette." As defined by various posters hung all around the gym, most of which were clearly ignored.

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"Thank you, that makes me honored to know I do something that could earn your respect." August replied before looking at her and then nodded. "Exactly! Too many people care about what others like and too many people care about what others think about them. It's sad at the end of the day that we live in a world like that, but it is the way it is." With a shrug of his shoulders, August couldn't help but smile at the woman. "I guess it can be your guilty pleasure, but I think it's also popular opinion so then it wouldn't be a true guilty pleasure." He explained to her before laughing, "Oh don't worry, I won't. I have no problem with not holding back."

she let out a low hum, her lips twitching at his response. “see, that’s the kind of confidence i can respect,” she admitted, tapping her nails lightly against the side of her glass. “liking what you like without giving a damn? that’s a power move.” she raised her drink slightly in his direction before taking another slow sip. at his take on guilty pleasures, her smirk deepened. “oh, so now you’re the judge of what qualifies as a guilty pleasure?” she teased, arching a brow. “guess i should’ve known you’d be a boy band truther.” she set her glass down, tapping a thoughtful finger against her chin. “alright then, mr. no regrets — if my pick wasn’t good enough, what’s yours? what’s the one song that, if it came on right now, you’d sing every word to with zero shame?” she leaned in slightly, eyes gleaming with challenge. “don’t hold back on me.”

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"Oh wow.. A weather reporter? I don't really watch anything locally here to be honest, I also tend not to watch the news which is... interesting to a lot of people, but ya know, it's not terrible." He laughed as he looked at the woman. "Well there you go, as long as you're not burning the place down every time you cook. I know some people who tend to set things on fire. And yes, I don't do sweets, that's not my forte. I definitely stick to the savory side of things and I like to cook on the fancier side of stuff, well I have to because of my job but I also like to make homemade comfort food."

⸻ She shrugs and nods her head at the same. ❛ Yeah, that works too. ❜ Alice smiled timidly. ❛ I'm a weather reporter on TV. ❜ The way she spoke about what to do was as if it was something boring. ❛ My father is a chef too. But my cook is average, I supposed. But I do know how to make a good Italian. I'm Italian so. ❜ She didn't have much accent which is hard to tell she is Italian. ❛ What do you cook? Sweets? Salty? Homemade food? Or those fancy? ❜

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"If I wanted a solo date then I would've mentioned that quite some time ago when you sat down and joined me." August smirked over at her and gave her a wink before looking at his phone for a second and then setting it down. "Well that sounds like an uneventful night, what's with the boredom?" He asked her. "Yes, I see that it does happen to be a coincidence. What did you order? Anything good?"

If she had been soft she never would've survived the places she'd been. It would take a lot more to truly wound her but she always appreciated a good natured moment where she could banter with someone. "That seems like a crime against humanity and your face, to be honest. Unless you truly just wanted a solo date. In which..." Sunny made a slow zipping motion over her lips, signaling that she'd shut up and leave him be. "Glad to know you're having a nice night though. I'm just here solo as well... what a coincidence," she winked. "Just waiting for my takeout to be ready and then I'm gonna go home and put on sweats."

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Olivia Reyes || 30 || Stylist @ Deja Vu Salon || Aisha Dee

CHARACTER INFORMATION —

Faceclaim: aisha dee

Full name: olivia reyes

DOB & age: december 31 + 1994

Zodiac sign: capricorn

Gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her

Occupation: stylist @ deja vu salon

Neighborhood: woodside heights

Length of residency: her whole life

3 positive traits: talented, quick on her toes, compassionate

3 negative traits: private, skeptical, & overly independent  

appearance:

faceclaim:  Taylor Zakhar Perez

height:  6’

build:  Semi-build

eyes:  Brown

hair:  Brown

piercings:  Left nostril, Belly Button & Ear lobes

tattoos:  Pineapple on his calf, Arrow on right forearm, Geometric symbol on leg, Musical symbol on left forearm

  INTRODUCTION —

Trigger warnings: illness & parental death

Olivia grew up in a healthy home. Everybody around her was super supportive of one another, whether it was her family, friends, or other support systems. When she was sixteen and in high school, Olivia decided to go into cosmetology school and cut hair and learn to do make up so that she could do something that was practical and would never be replaced by the robots. Plus, she had the personality to back it up. 

While growing up in Woodside, she never thought about leaving even though her siblings thought otherwise. She stayed here with her parents and she's glad that she did because when she was twenty-two her mother fell ill. She was there to help her father out with the issues that they faced and was up at night as much as she could while her father had to work another job to help support the household since her mother could no longer work. 

The family came and went as much as they could, but it was a matter of time before things got bad and it ended up being Olivia and her father there until the bitter end. She hated that not all of the family was there but they had lives and made different choices which she would never hold against them. 

Because of how close she was with her mom and how much she did in her final days, her father actually split the money that her mom's life insurance policy paid out. Olivia didn't want to take it but he told her that she had to because it was what her mother wanted. She hoped it didn't separate her siblings and her from everything, but it did. They didn't like that Olivia was the only one who got anything from their mother. She tried to explain to them the situation, but nobody would listen to her. She decided to invest a lot of the money but she did get herself a nice place in woodside heights where she could live close to everything. 

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"I know, that's why i'm saying that I used to think that way about someone my age. But I am only thirty years old and my life seems to just be starting so I laugh at myself for thinking that this was old at one point in my life." He smirked and then heard her pick of genre. "Ahhh yeah, that's one thing that I tend to steer away from honestly. I don't like history whatsoever so I try to stay away from that specific genre. Horror though, that's something that I can definitely get on board with. I love horror. I don't read the super gory stuff, but I do enjoy a good horror."

──a pearl of laughter fell from her lips at the response. “you are not even old to be considered old,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone, her voice light and airy. he barely looked older than thirty, and even if he were, he’d had a baby face which was always a plus. Lottie barely felt old being nearly in her fifties so the conversation really held a sense of humor for her ( and yes, she might have had a bit of Botox and hyaluronic to keep a more youthful look ). “historical fiction,” she admitted, momentarily looking at the younger man, then turned her attention back to reading the titles on the spine of the books. “but I have a commission for a horror themed book and I’d like to get more into the…vibe,” she elaborated —or else he wouldn’t have found her in this aisle. “what about you? you like the horror and gore or trying something new out?” she teased.

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August was glad when Patrick agreed to get out of there and to go get something to eat with him. He was walking out the door and he shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't have anything specific in mind. We could just go get something at a pub if you want or if you're in the mood for something specific?" He asked. "I could always go for Mexican so we could do that if you'd want." He suggested, not really caring where they were going to end up, just glad to have some company when going out to lunch. August didn't mind taking himself out to lunch but it was nice to have the company every once in a while.

Like most mornings, Patrick had opened the gym and spent the first few hours ‘testing the machines’. It was a little joke he liked to the patron’s if they ever made a comment about his work outs, the (almost excessive) time he spent using his own equipment. But could you really blame him? He’d spent months and months building this gym, turning it into a place that he, and many others in Woodside, wanted to spend hours in, not just that they felt obligated by whatever self-internalized standard that they were trying to reach. Still, he was never going to complain about the uptick in memberships during the first couple months of the year, the eagerness in certain folks as they got back into the routine. Though today seemed to be packed, so much so that Patrick couldn’t even enjoy his own workout and spent majority of the morning behind the  desk, checking people in and answering questions. His lips, shockingly downturned for the last few hours, ticked up when a familiar face approached him, offering him an out from the monotony of front desk work. Patrick was quick to accept and gather up his stuff, meeting August outside the front doors. “So, where were you thinking?” He ran a hand through his hair and pushed it back, setting a backwards baseball cap over the mess of his locks. 

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August Kovac || Thirty || Chef || Taylor Zakhar Perez Olivia Reyes || Thirty || Stylist @ Deja Vu Salon || Aisha Dee

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Starter for: open

Location: Rose's Gym

August was always trying to stay fit since he liked to keep busy and like a good looking body. He had just finished lifting some weights and he was going to grab a paper towel and some cleaner to disinfect the equipment he was using. He had seen someone who was grabbing some cleaner themselves and he pulled an earbud out of his ear, “It’s nice to know there’s other people out there who want to keep the place clean and stop spreading germs.” August mentioned to the other, smiling a bit not even sure if they had heard him.

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August had been looking for something new to read and while Novelty Bookstore had a lot of older books, there were still a lot of things that he hadn't read before. He was crouched down towards the bottom of the thriller section when he heard someone speaking. He decided to stand up straight and he nodded.

"Yeah, I guess there is a lot of history in someone's version of the truth. It's interesting to read two different people's version of the truth in the same time so like who do you really believe?" He asked the other who was questioning him and he smiled a bit. "Yeah, I suppose. I never looked super far into it but I mean good for you for doing that. Are you more of a non fiction kind of reader?"

location: novelty bookstore open: 1/4

Ethan ran his fingers along the worn spines of a row of books, pausing on one with a cracked leather cover titled Empires of the Forgotten World. Pulling it free, he flipped through the yellowed pages. Without looking up at the person standing nearby, he struck up a random conversation for the hell of it.

“You ever think about how much of history is just someone’s version of the truth?” He finally glanced sideways at the stranger standing a few feet away. Like, how much of what we know is just what survived—what someone wanted us to believe?” He smirked slightly, thumb tapping against the spine of the book. “Makes you wonder how much got buried on purpose.”

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"Uh, yeah. It's such an amazing and catchy song honestly!" He told her. "I'm not too sure if it's that i'm braver, I just don't care at the end of the day because I like what I like and that's it. I know a lot of people tend to get it in their head that they have to like something specific in order to fit in with society but that's not how it really is." He explained to the woman while shrugging his shoulders. August has never been known to change his views just to be accepted by society. "I get that. I like those every once in a while to be honest with you. Not all of the time, but definitely sometimes because they just hit ya where you need it to hit you." August agreed with the other while looking at her and waiting for her answer. "Ugh, you shouldn't even feel guilty about liking those bands. They're amazing." He said to her. "I don't think that those are true guilty pleasures!" He scoffed softly at her answer. "I think I can."

maxine let out a laugh at his confession, the sound low and rich, her dark eyes lighting up with genuine amusement. “gitchie gitchie goo, huh?” she teased, raising her glass to him as if in a toast. “bold choice. i respect it. but i’ve got to say, it’s not every day someone admits they were vibing to a disney channel classic. you might just be braver than most.” she tilted her head, considering his explanation about beats versus lyrics, her expression thoughtful. “i get that,” she said after a moment. “sometimes you just want to feel the energy, not think too much. but me? i like songs that hit where it hurts, you know? ones that make you remember things you wish you didn’t. or maybe ones that remind you why you’re glad you made it through.” her tone softened slightly at the end, but she quickly shook it off, the playful glint returning to her eyes. leaning back in her chair, she swirled the whiskey in her glass again, a small, knowing smile curling on her lips. “as for guilty pleasures...” she trailed off, her gaze narrowing slightly as if she were debating how much to give away. “fine, i’ll play. i may or may not have a soft spot for 90s boy bands. backstreet boys, nsync, even a little 98 degrees. and before you say anything,” she added quickly, pointing at him with her free hand, “they had some bangers, okay? no regrets.” she took a sip of her whiskey, watching his reaction over the rim of her glass. “your turn to judge. think you can handle my impeccable taste?”

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"I'm just calling it like I see it." He said honestly to her as he continued to tease her and laughed a bit. He was glad that she wasn't taking offense to what he was saying and they were able to banter with one another. "Ahhh there we go." He replied as he didn't look at her for a few seconds but then eventually his gaze moved over to her and he laughed. "I figured that was coming eventually, but no. I am not waiting on anybody actually. I'm just sitting here and enjoying myself and having a nice night. What about you? Are you waiting to share a snack with someone or is it just you?" He asked.

"Wow," Sunny's hand had flown to her chest in mock offense, "I didn't expect that to hurt but... ouchie. Calling me out on being a rookie?" The brunette tsked at the male but was still slightly smiling. She wasn't a noob when it came to scoping someone out, he'd just caught her attention and hadn't been that shy about it. The mention of his teeth rose her brow and made Sunny wonder if he was a patient and for some reason she didn't recognize him. At the returned compliment she said nothing but gave a little curtsy, she'd never been the type that doled it out in hopes she'd snag something in return. Sunny was more genuine than that. "Just grabbing a snack. Same as you I suppose. Unless..." Brow cocked. "You're waiting on someone? I bet your fine self has a hot date coming, huh? Go on, break my heart."

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"Like for a living?" He asked, not expecting such a short answer from the other but he certainly wasn't going to hold that against her. Maybe some people were like that and he knew that there was a chance. He smiled over at her as she asked the question "I'm a chef actually. How about you? What do you do?"

⸻ She thinks the same thing as him, but she also respects people who would rather be in their solitude. After all, each person is different. She put her tray on the table, before sitting. Small talk isn't exactly her forte but hey! She is trying. ❛ I guess so… ❜ She chuckled at his light joke. ❛ What do you do August? ❜ She says whilst she has her meal and drinks her soda.

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August smiled when she seemed okay with sitting down with him and he nodded. "Of course. I know it's annoying when there is nowhere to sit and I'm most definitely not using the entire table for just myself so why not share?" August shrugged his shoulders a bit while looking at the blonde that had just joined him. "Nice to meet you Alice, I'm August. Power of the 'A' names!" He chuckled.

⸻ Alice was in her break time, before back to the station and filming another episode of the news on TV. She didn't have time for breakfast, and she didn't have dinner the night prior, mostly because she forgot to eat with a lot of things ongoing at the moment. As an Italian, this place isn't that bad, but still,she prefers the ones homemade she makes. She hadn't realized the place was kind of crowded, and a few people gave glances on her, maybe recognizing her from somewhere, but not knowing where exactly, which is something she is accustomed to. ❛ Thank you. ❜ She sat across from August, putting her tray there, and sighed deeply. ❛ I'm Alice, by the way. ❜ She says taking off the papers from her silverware and start eating.

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"Yes, exactly!" August replied to the blonde when she had answered him. He laughed a bit and picked up a book that he had been eyeing. "Yeah, I used to think someone my age is old and yet here I am trying to live my life to the fullest and continue feeling as young as possible because I'm really not all that old yet." He said to her and then went back to looking at another book. As he was reading the summary that was provided, he decided to keep the conversation going. "What kind of books do you like to read?"

──being fairly new in town, Lottie figured she would do some good to herself and get out of the house; quit the constant picking inside of her mind for how she could meet her daughter. that is how she ended up in the library, in hopes that browsing through the books would distract her mind. and yet it didn’t really help even as she was browsing the different book titles. she picked up a book when a voice gathered her attention and she turned to the younger man with a smile. “oh,” she laughed a little. “we all go through that phase, no?” her tone was light, humorous. “we think adults are too old to do somethings until we are the adults and then…” she trailed off, offered the younger man a timid smile.

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"Exactly. I think it's a plan to appeal to people of all ages so that they can ensure they have customers all of the time." He explained to the other has he chuckled a bit. "Okay so you're more of a want to connect with the lyrics type of person?" He asked. "I say it that way because i'm not that person really. I actually just like to vibe with the beat of the music and have a good time based on that. I know there's a lot of people out there who think one way or the other. Like yes, if I'm listening to a slower song I am definitely listening to the lyrics more but if i'm out and about it's definitely about the beat more so for me." He mentioned to Maxine. "Oh gosh.. the guilty pleasures? Of course I'm okay with confessing those secrets. I have no shame in them." He thought to himself for a second, "I mean I heard gitchie gitchie goo from phineas and ferb come on the other day and was boppin' to it. And I knew all the lyrics to it still." Once August's drink had arrived, he sipped from it and then set it down. "Your turn."

her smile deepened, the edges sharp and ever so slightly playful as she swirled her whiskey in the glass. “you might be onto something,” she said with a light laugh. “trying to hook the younger crowd while still serving up crab cakes and clam chowder? bold strategy.” she watched him out of the corner of her eye as he ordered his drink, her expression unreadable yet curious. when he asked about her music taste, she let out a soft hum, tapping a manicured finger against the side of her glass. “mostly? depends on my mood,” she admitted. “but i’m a sucker for something with good lyrics, something that makes you feel something — whether it’s rock, blues, or even the occasional pop banger.” she gave him a pointed look, the corner of her mouth quirking up. “and yeah, i’ve been known to play chappell roan on repeat once or twice.” leaning forward slightly, maxine rested her chin in her palm, her dark eyes glinting with mischief. “so, are you one of those people who’ll only admit to liking the cool stuff, or are you brave enough to confess the guilty pleasures? tell me you’ve got something embarrassing in your playlist. everyone does.”