#🌿 (brighton your smile: interactions)

[mpxkiki]

❛ there is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for. ❜

&. 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. || Old, Don’t Send.

🌿

She doesn’t disagree. Kiki is just, at the moment, too tired to play the hero.

“I have the utmost confidence— but get somebody else to do it. I’m exhausted today friend.”

[mpxkiki]

❛  are you always this straightforward with strangers ?  ❜

🌿

“Yes.”

The answer is swift and said with a calmness behind it that leaves the impression that she truly is. “I find that it’s just easier for me to be honest and straightforward about things. It’s not always what someone wants to hear, but it’s usually best to say what I mean and feel right away. When asked at least!”

To be sure, Kiki was not one to often really share her opinion on matters she wasn’t asked about- not out of disinterest, but mostly out of care. Not every fact needed shared, right or not. Not every opinion needed to be said, valid or not. Some days it’s just best to observe.

“That’s why I always ask if someone is sure they want me to comment on something.” It’s all matter-of-fact as she says it but the delivery is still friendly and she welcomes Raven around her so there’s no heat or venom in her words or tone. She’s relaxed and happy, hands having stopped in their process of organizing small glass jars of honey to give Raven full attention.

[mpxkiki]

❛  here, let me help you.  ❜

🌿

She’s got a stack of about twenty or so books in her hands and a bag or two of snacks dangling on her wrist as she tries in vain to open the car door. Just as she thinks she’s about to manage the task her keys unceremoniously slip from her fingers to the asphalt below. Kihara sighs just a bit as she looks at them.

“Life is the funeral of dreams,” she says to their sad heap, the words dramatic but her attitude very relaxed.

As she’s maneuvering to try and collect the keys again someone speaks up. Lifting her eyes she spots Cassandra, a face she knows in passing and name only, and smiles. “Thank you! I appreciate it!”

Repositioning the books in her arms she blows a curl of hair out of her face as the other woman steps near. “Cassandra, right? It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

[mpxkiki]

“Aside from being drop-dead gorgeous, what do you do for a living?“

🌿

The pick line is, at best, terrible! But it’s cute all the same and Kiki laughs warmly at him for it. What a handsome young thing he is! She wipes the counter in front of them both while shaking her head.

“I’m too old for that, snake charmer,” she says smiling. “I’m the co-owner slash bartender here at HoneyPot. Why do you ask?”

[mpxkiki]

hi, my name is Ahri. it’s nice meeting you. ❜

{{ Old asks getting the answers they deserve! Sorry for the delay! There’s a lot going on over here with work so please excuse me while I sort all my muses out! }}

🌿

Kiki extends her hand over the counter of the bar at Minx, her other job, and offers up a smile to go with it. The young woman in front of her seemed fun and full of stories so Kihara took that little extra bit of time she had mixing her last drink order to talk with her. “Kihara Lee, but everyone calls me Kiki!” She says it brightly as her hands move from shaking the other woman’s to collecting the appropriate glass under the counter and bringing it up. As she goes on, her hands stay moving in a somewhat showy and fun fashion as they flips bottles artfully into the air. “I’ve seen you around town before a few times and I think I know a little about you from a friend or two.”

She catches the bottle of Gwendolyn Gin and pours it down into the silver tumblr, chilled so cold that it “sweats” just a little. “But why don’t you tell me a little about yourself, hm?”

[mpxkiki]

“Don’t let anyone dehumanize you. Dehumanize yourself. Be the creeping eldritch horror you’ve always longed to be. Rain furious vengeance down upon those who would unmake you.”

🌿

“Your adventures in dabbling with watercolors aren’t going well I take it then?”

[mpxkiki]

❛ ENEMIES MAKE THE BEST LOVERS, YOU KNOW. ❜

&. 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 (𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬?) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. {Accepting!}

🌿

She startles as she rounds the corner and hears the declaration. Her book flies to her chest, the pages crushed as she recalibrates and tries to sort out if the other woman was in fact talking with her or if she was talking with some on a headset she didn’t see. Taking a deep breath in then exhaling Kiki lowers the book. Misery passes her features as she sees the damage to the pages.

“Was the aim to become my enemy by startling me?” She asks with a small laugh. “Because that won’t work really.”

Carefully, she tries to correct one page as she looks to Minry, “You okay?”

[mpxkiki]

❛ you don't think we could be friends, do you? ❜

&. 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 (𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬?) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. {Accepting!}

🌿

Kihara stops and looks at the speaker. Ah, Maxim. She knows about him via a few of her close friends and through several amusing stories. She had heard a few unsavory ones as well but she hadn’t had too much time on her own to decipher if it was something she wanted to believe.

“Course we can!” She says smiling at him before she jots something down on the notepad she has in her hands. “I will confess to you that I work an awful lot so I will do my best to make more hours for you. I don’t mind it!”

She’s tucking that same notepad into the pocket of her black apron as she asks, “What prompted the question though?”

[mpxkiki]

❛ that was amazing. admit it. we do make a pretty good team. ❜

&. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 (𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. {Old meme, don’t send}

🌿

They had won!! Kiki is up and doing her little victory dance as Eros looks utterly shook at the fallen over pile of Jenga blocks that litter the table. Fair and square they had won against the god! “We did it!! We did iiiiiitttttt!”

Kiki hugs Yohan up tightly for releasing him again and turning to Eros. “Pay up butter cup! You owe us each one wish!!” She looks to her winning companion with glee, “He promised! You heard him right?”

[mpxkiki]

❛ you can't make people love you. just like you can't make them smile. ❜

&. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 (𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. {Old meme, don’t send}

🌿

“Well not with that crummy attitude ya stinker!” Kiki says as she places the hot food down on the table in front of Alexander. “You stay in that pickle puss way of thinking and I promise you the only person that’s gonna love you is someone who will use you. Now hush up and eat your food before you grow into a bitter old bag like ‘Kota over there.”

As if on cue from where Dakota is breezing out of his office and toward the bar he says, “I hate people.”

It’s an obvious lie. Dakota clearly loves them if the way that he always has a warm plate for the hungry, a hug for the lonely and brotherly caring for anyone is anything to go off of. Kiki laughs and looks at Alexander, “He’s a scrungly, grumpy, old wind bag!”

Dakota glowers her way for a second before he lowers his eyes to the counter, his cheeks a little redder. “Aaaah, shut up Kiki.”

[mpxkiki]

'this funky rock is one of the most precious things i own. and i want you to take it.'

&. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 (𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. {Old meme, don’t send}

🌿

Areum and her had a friendship based in the ease of not having to work hard at it at all. It happened calmly and organically and with each gym day, accidental run in, and purposeful laugh session it grew sweeter. Today they sit in cool down mode post a rather intense arm day when he presents the gift to her.

Sitting up Kiki peeks at the stone in his hands. It looks so small in them that it makes her inwardly chuckle before she takes it up in her hand. It’s lopsided in shape and an unimpressed forgotten gray color but it’s smooth and pleasing to hold. That well loved feeling that is light to hold but heavy in comfort.

“You sure?” She asks appreciative tenderness in her eyes. “I know that you are always holding it and thinking with that big grin on your face. Must mean the world to you- like giving it to me would mean the world to me.”

[mpxkiki]

❛ who are you trying to impress? a lost love? an absent parent? or was it someone that you worshipped? ❜

&. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 (𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. {Old meme, don’t send}

🌿

What a thing to say!! Kihara stops looking at her figure in the full body mirror and turns to look at the woman who spoke. She’s beautiful but her tongue is like a weird venom to hear unprompted. The slender arch of one of Kihara’s brows lifts before she gives a laugh.

“Girl, I ain’t got time to worry about none of that mess. I’m busy trying to outdo my yesterday self and she was a whole win, so I take no Ls.” Her hands push and lift her hair to how it might look in a high curly bun and she turns to observe her butt in the mirror. “We dress for ourselves or we get drop kicked by expectations.”

She smiles at the woman’s reflection, “You look good in that top. Taking yourself out?”

[mpxkiki]

❛ truthfully? i'm kind of hungry. ❜

&. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 (𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

🌿

There’s tension within her friend group on talking with him, she knows that, but she’s not unkind and neither is anyone else she knows. Kihara knows even Invidia would feed him if he said that to him. Her smile is a soft and genuine one as she reaches out to give him a small shoulder hug as she nods. “Let’s fix that!”

Today she’s working at Honeypot for the evening shift while another bartender handles Minx so she has the luxury of seeing both friends and a different crowd. A crowd that includes Lio tonight. She sets him down a menu and a fresh bowl of chips for salsa and collects a glass from under the bar. “What’re you in the mood for? And what can I get you to drink? It’s just you right now so take your time deciding and let’s catch up. It’s been a bit since I saw that mug of yours around here. Dakota still mad at you?”

[mpxkiki]

❛ you shouldn't draw your blade unless you're prepared to use it. ❜

&. 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 (𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧) 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

🌿

Kihara hears him and his words are truths but she is a woman who encountered a man with suddenness. She would love to live in a world where she didn’t have to be on defense but if there was anything that she learned from her old life it was to trust no suits. Her hand is still but within it is the blade he is referring to- drawn and ready should the other man before her be an issue. The god stands where she can see him in her peripheral vision and speaks calmly as if to defuse a situation. Kihara doesn’t move her hand and keeps her eyes on the other man who tries to even her with a hard stare. She will not back down first and he will learn it either peacefully or firmly. To the deity she speaks keeping her eyes firmly on the other demigod she is in the stare down with, “I do nothing without full sureness.”

And it’s true; she hesitates neither her kindness nor her wrath though the latter is a rarer thing. To the demigod before her she says, “I said Do. Not. Touch. Me. I will not repeat myself again.”

[mpxkiki]

❛ i’d say we make a pretty good team. ❜

&. 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬. || No Longer Accepting

🌿

Kihara dusts her hands off from the dirt that covers them before standing up and looking at their handiwork. They had raked up all the leaves that had fallen in a hush overnight onto the ground outside of Honeypot after Alexander saw Kiki out there working to gather them up. She smiles at him triumphantly as she holds up a large bag of them.

“I’d say so!” She laughs in relief and joy as she lowers the bag to tie it off. It’s soft green color signals that it is a biodegradable bag that she will set out differently from the regular trash from the eatery. “Let’s take a break! I’ll open up so we can grab a drink to treat ourselves.”

[mpxkiki]

❛ well? how do i look? ❜

&. 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬. || No Longer Accepting

🌿

Kiki assesses the outfit, her hair, the makeup- all of it. Eden stands before the large full body mirror of the dressing rooms of one of the department stores in the city looking at her own reflection when Kiki had ventured out of her changing stall to see if she liked the maxi dress she put on. This was just something you did for someone when they asked and seemed a little unsure!

“It’s cute,” she says after truly giving it a look over. Her statement doesn’t ring as her thinking it’s perfect though. “It’s just not…giving. Like I feel like it might need something. Oh wait!”

Quickly she dashes into the room she was just in herself and comes out a second later with a golden waist chain. She brings it over to the other woman and holds it out, it’s thick and lovely design enough of a pop of color to add something to the all black look. Elegant and classy it would round the timeless little black dress out well. “Try this.”