#ⁱ ᵃᵐ ᵗʰᵉ ᵉⁿᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵉᵍⁱⁿⁿⁱⁿᵍ : 𝐘𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐑𝐇𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐒 // threads

[acoldmyst]

WHEN: june 20th, 2040 WHERE: gravity nightclub, brooklyn WHO: yara rhodes + zakir sethupathi (@wrvtchedhearts)

the occasional night outside of the office wasn't something Yara took particular pleasure on, necessary as it was to make sure things ran smoothly. an imitation of a martini played its designated role in her right hand, meant to feign a lowered guard when there was not, in fact, a drop of alcohol in sight.

as she dutifully kept watch on every potential threat to her club's integrity, not unlike a hawk surveying its habitat for the weakest links, Zakir Sethupathi himself suddenly made his presence known right by her side, though his voice was only barely distinguishable over the sound system. "I'm sorry, darling, what was that? I'm gonna need you to be a little louder."

[acoldmyst]

WHEN: june 25th, 2040 WHERE: a discreet restaurant, in the heart of manhattan WHO: yara rhodes + anchali shinawatra ( @anhedcnias )

it's funny how things often go; one day, you're breaking up with someone you really care about because you don't have the time to be with them, and the next thing you know, you're arriving at your usual secluded spot in the restaurant closest to her work, ready to meet up for your monthly lunch together. it went to show, she figured, that they had made the right choice; things just worked better for them as friends, the universe itself seemed to prefer it that way. and though Yara wasn't a superstitious woman, who was she to argue with the results?

"hello, beautiful." she smiled brightly as she spotted Anchali already sat down, flipping through the menu. "i hope i'm not late."

[acoldmyst]

WHEN: june 28th, 2040 WHERE: the godfather house of blues, brooklyn WHO: yara rhodes + riya sharma ( @ofhurricanes )

the occasional night outside of gravity was never spent too far away from the club, which was why Yara could be found at the godfather house of blues in most of them. it was, of course, mostly business; she was in old mafia territory, after all, and their transactions had a strong tendency to affect her own. it was only fair, then, that she kept a general awareness of what was going on around these people; and it didn't hurt to cultivate a coworker relationship rather than a rival one.

tonight, however, one figure in particular caught her eye, tucked in a faraway corner as though she didn't want to be there at all. Yara approached cautiously, careful not to alarm Riya nor get in the way of anything she might be doing. "you know," she began, tone friendly rather than critical, once she was close enough for only the two of them to hear, "for your line of work, you really need a better poker face."

[acoldmyst]

WHEN: june 21st, 2040 WHERE: stoneage offices WHO: yara rhodes + rose mitchell ( @haereticus )

the reception outside of Haneul's office still looks the same as it did under his father a couple years ago, and something about it almost feels nostalgic to Yara. her time working in these offices was nothing short of formative, if not entirely essential to her personal ascension. for that reason, she's prepared with all the patience in the world to win over the new ceo; this wouldn't be the first time she's had to play this game, anyway.

a sympathetic smile forms on her lips as she approaches the familiar girl sitting behind her desk, seeming very overwhelmed with her attempt to multitask. Yara's long, sharp nails click on the marble top of the desk in order to get her attention. "good morning, Rosie. would you please tell your boss i'm here for our meeting?"

[acoldmyst]

WHEN: june 18th, 2040 WHERE: gravity nightclub, yara's office WHO: yara rhodes + dion baldwin ( @gildcdglory )

"of course, let them in", Yara replied to the bodyguard outside her door over the intercom. she had been working on the new vegas branch, but it wasn't anything that couldn't wait - especially so when one of her most loyal patrons (and a potentially valuable one, at that) was waiting just outside her office. soon as she spoke of the devil, Dion made their way through the door, flashing her the ever so charming smile which she answered with one of her own. "take a seat, starkid. to what do i owe the pleasure?"

[acoldmyst]

tag dump ↓

[acoldmyst]

"Ah, yes. That would be appreciated." She grinned, despite herself. Zakir was visibly beaming behind his dark glasses, and though she wouldn't acknowledge it, there was definetely something akin to pride inside her chest. Zakir was a driven man, one that was never afraid of what he had to do, and she had a lot of respect for that, more so than she would let on. There was no doubt in her mind that he would make it, especially because he wasn't afraid to. "So, hotshot, do tell. What's next on the rising star to-do list?"

Zakir grinned widely, his proud eyes hidden behind the glasses, as his augmentation zoomed in on a few particular scenes. Appreciative of those rapping along, those dancing, the ones who seemed to come up with dance moves on the spot. He saved some small bits, for himself mostly, but he could even put a few on his socials, if he made sure not to zoom in on anyone's face too much. He looked down at the crowds, trying not to show how giddy such sentences made him, how much he was happy to hear that he was making the waves he wanted to make, after all this time.

"Of course," he said, as he played his persona. The confidence he wished he could finally make his own one day. "Just on the brink, arre yaar, I think in some cases I'm already there," he decided. "Few more pushes I might finally have need for a security detail," he joked. "I'd have to actually tell you when I'm coming by so you can warn security."

[acoldmyst]

Yara chuckled lightly before sipping her drink once more. "I couldn't have, darling, it's not like you let me know you'd be coming." Her eyes scanned the crowd; whether or not Zakir's song was to thank for that, she did feel relief to see it was a mostly harmless one tonight. A woman was entitled to a little uneventful evening every once in a while, amidst so many agitated ones.

She turned to Zakir, leaning against the bar. "I can't say anything for our DJ though. Perhaps they saw you hiding back here, or someone else did and made a request. You are just on the brink of becoming recognizable, after all."

Zakir grinned. He did enjoy confidence in others, even if there was a small bit of jealousy when others expressed it so genuinely and he at times felt like he was fighting his own mind over it. To be confident in his own abilities and position was something he found rare. Sure, he could speak ten languages, and a good half of those fluently, but he'd always scold himself for every tiny mistake. "Arre yaar, they are lucky indeed!" he said, offering Yara an appreciative look through the sunglasses.

His attention peaked when his own song came on, it wasn't that his beats were that different from rappers who were currently big, but he liked to think he had his own style. Combining different languages, different music genres, trying to be fresh, new, unique.

"It might be my lucky day too, Mashallah," he said, trying to keep his huge grin under control as he saw people dancing to his music and lip-syncing along with the lyrics. "Did you plan this?"

[acoldmyst]

( & zakir sethupathi. )

Zakir spend far too many hours at the Gravity Nightclub, when he wasn’t in his studio or performing some place else - or sneaking into Anchali’s place. His own music playing on the speakers at times, friends he knew from clubs and shows who would dance with him. Fans would try to talk with him, even though he rarely spoke in loud places like these. The lights were low, his sunglasses blocked out most of the heavy lighting. Despite how busy it was and how he loved to be with just another body - or two - near him.  He had respect for Yara Rhodes, although it was unspoken, more of an outward perspective on a woman who had been important in the life of Anchali. Someone who might’ve made a chance, a bigger one than him. He also didn’t think Yara thought much of him: he was secure in his venture, but he was not famous yet, he simply held a good standing with the bosses he worked for. “I said: business must be good,” he repeated, a big smile on his face. “Or they just all came out knowing they’d have a glimpse at the big boss.” 

"I can't complain, no." False humility was entirely unlike her, and Yara sipped her drink with a smile as Zakir went on. She did enjoy having this mystique around her, it was something she very much worked for. "I wouldn't imagine they knew, it simply happened to be their lucky day." She had barely finished speaking when one of Zakir's songs began playing on the sound system, a satisfied chuckle escaping her. "And what a lucky day indeed, getting to listen to NYC's very own rising star with the man himself in the room."

[acoldmyst]

( & anchali shinawatra. )

"I've had time to entertain myself." Despite her inability to complain about tardiness, managing her own schedule had never been her forte. The notion of integrating a personal assistant into her small team had been entertained more than once. If not for her fierce need for privacy, such a position might have already been filled. Typically, the young woman preferred to abstain from alcohol, valuing the control she maintained over her body and mind. Yet, tonight, a glass of chilled white wine sat before her, its pale liquid shimmering against the dim light of the restaurant. The delicate stem of the glass felt cold in her hand, a stark contrast to the warmth of the room. The complementary rosemary focaccia placed on the table remained untouched, a silent testament to her distracted thoughts. "Looks like that man in the corner is asking his partner to marry him." Her gaze, deep chocolate hues, sharp and observant, pointed discreetly to a pair of men engrossed in their fine dining experience. "He looks nervous, doesn't he?" she snickered, her laughter carrying a slightly sinister edge that belied her amusement. After a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of unspoken thoughts, she turned her attention back to her companion. "Oh, love, never apologize. I'm always grateful to be in your presence, tardy or otherwise." Her words, laced with sincerity, hung in the air like a tender embrace. As she spoke, her eyes lingered on her companion with a longing that she could barely conceal.

Yara's gaze followed Anchali's to the lucky couple on the other side of the restaurant, watching intently as they made their way to their so-called happy ending, and crushing down whatever useless jealousy tried to stir inside. I wouldn't be happy like that, she told herself once more, as she always did.

Turning her attention back to Anchali, she was met with the younger woman's soft gaze and even softer words, which did nothing to soothe the feeling in her chest. Yara plastered on her best fake smile, ever determined to not allow herself any sign of weakness. "The feeling is mutual, sweetheart." A sip of her drink, or rather a gulp, to push down the words bubbling in her throat. "So, tell me, how has the journalism business been treating you?