She Grimaced Visibly Before Nodding. "Oh, Yeah, I'm Fine," She Hurried To Assure Despite Feeling Anything

When the other spoke, Zahra couldn't help smiling briefly. "I get that. It's not everyday you see someone carrying forty pounds of books in an Ikea bag. Not even in New York city." She had definitely garnered a few odd looks on her journey to the library, but most New Yorkers seemed to have seen far stranger things and didn't seem to be bothered by the sight.

"I guess you could say that." She regarded the books for a moment as if trying to come up with an excuse for dragging them around the city. "I guess I went a little overboard during my last few library trips. Toting around this haul made me really consider switching to e-books," she admitted, slightly amazed the bag had managed to stay in one piece. "They would probably be far less damaging to my back."

stuck on how to finish the small project she'd started a week earlier, jazzy finally had to admit defeat and do the research on how to best turn her idea into a reality. looking up tutorials online hardly helped because it was too easy to get distracted and go down the cute-kitty rabbit hole, so she typically stuck to how-to craft books.

so informative and full of so many other ideas for potential projects, a trip to the library wasn't really as big of a deal as jazmine was making it out to be. it just made her feel like school was back in session, so when she noticed the woman's large bag, she welcomed the opportunity to postpone her entrance. "sorry," she smiled, "but i have to ask, i do." she peered into the big blue bag, the comical amount of books too amusing a sight to keep her grin from widening. "what's happening here? are you training for some sort of reading marathon?"

“Of course not. That would be really boring and unrealistic,” she agreed with a small shake of her head. “I like reading about people who have flaws and who do dumb or morally questionable things, but framing definitely matters. None of those shortcomings are interesting if it feels like the author actually believes that being a shitty person is some sort of a virtue.” While Zahra could be quite withdrawn and even standoffish to a point, she genuinely and evidently enjoyed a good chat with almost anyone as long as she didn’t have to discuss her personal life in any particular detail. “Oh yeah?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, the corners of her mouth twitching, “well, I can’t blame you. Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of that book myself. But I suppose there’s some merit to it.”

She nodded along as the stranger spoke, grateful she seemed to take the lead. “Could’ve fooled me. So, you know, I am sure you would make an excellent bookseller as well. You seem to know your stuff." It wasn't a lie; she was clearly passionate about literature and had no problem approaching strangers to recommend things to them. "I suppose that's true. I wish I had more time to read fiction."

"i do fully believe that not all characters have to be likable in order for the book to be good. i will say, however, there's something so bothersome about them being framed in a way that suggest they're supposed to be likable. i try not to judge too hard, but sometimes i can't help it. catcher in the rye? i think that's maybe the worst book i've ever read," she rambled. she could go on, but she cut herself off with a shy laugh. not everyone wanted their ear talked off about books. "well when you make your assessment, you're definitely going to have to give me an update," she replied.

maddox flushed ever so slightly at the question. it wasn't the first time she'd been asked it. "ah, no i don't work here. i'm actually a tattoo artist. but if i weren't a tattoo artist, then working at a bookstore would probably be my first choice. i do read quite a bit. i've tried to tone it down though. i've learned the unfortunate truth that the more you read, the less stories feel unique."

"You've got a keen eye, Rosie," she replied, careful not to sound snappy, "but I guess this combines strength training and cardio. Saves me a trip to the gym." Not that she had actually frequented one after moving back to the city, nor was she particularly interested in doing so. Admittedly it might have made her trip to the library just a little less torturous. Zahra tilted her head to the side as Rosie voiced their offer. It was a sweet gesture. "Thank you. I might take you up on that if I ever grow really tired of these pilgrimages." Zahra sighed at their question and shook head slowly as she studied the books in her bag. "I have honestly lost count. Way too many?"

“zahra,  are  you  behind  again?”  rosie  was  not  so  much  asking  as  they  were  just  making  the  assumption.  if  it  was  them,  they  certainly  would  also  be  having  late  fees.  this  was  one  of  the  pluses  of  owning  a  bookstore;  they  could  read  whatever  it  was  they  wished  directly  as  it  came  in.  so  long  as  it  didn't  interfere  with  the  customers  coming  in.  offering  smile  for  sheepish  smile.  “y'know,  if  there's  something  you  want,  you  can  always  ask  me  for  a  favour  to  order  in.  a  copy  you'd  get  to  keep,  and  like,  not  worry  about  returning  and  all.”  nervous  chatter  immediately  boiling  up;  even  though  rosie  could  keep  friendships,  it  often  filled  her  with  doubt  to  be  social.  as  though  she  might  ruin  something  by  accident.  “how  many  do  you  even  have  in  there  this  time?  the  box  is  bigger  than  last  time.”

Zahra grimaced as the woman spoke, feeling dumber by the moment for picking such a hot day for her pilgrimage to the library. Not that she should have checked out all the books in the first place considering just how unwilling she had been to start even reading them. Most of them hadn't even left the bag which had at least made gathering them up a simple task.

"Already did, unfortunately. The library is my final stop," she admitted, carefully kicking the bag as if trying to relieve some pent-up frustration. Unfortunately the kick did very little to move the bag or its contents any nearer the entrance. "This weather must be some sort of a punishment from the universe since I didn't even bother reading most of these. So, you know, you have me to thank for this."

in her heart shaped pink shades and jean skirt, Isabelle had been walking back home from a little trip downtown to see her girlfriend at her boxing club and have dinner with her (or more like, try to get her to stop throwing herself at the punching bags like a goddamn maniac for more than five minutes to drink some water or at least something cool with electrolytes in it, eat something, cool off for a while...)

She had been trying to wave down a taxi, but it had been of no avail, the streets too busy and thrumming with activity, burning under a hot July sun, everyone rushing home. Her phone was dead and she had forgotten her power bank back home so she was only growing more irritable by the minute...

Trying to cool off, she stopped at a little café to get herself an iced blueberry slushie, had stood at the window outside afterwards, looking at her flickering reflection in the glass pane as she reapplied her gloss when she noticed the woman near her. Pushing her shades up onto the top of her head, she blinked, immediately feeling bad for her. "oh wow... Don't tell me you gotta haul an entire library's worth of books somewhere further than a block away from here in this heat..." She sounded a little too surprised, her senses somehow both dulled and muddled from the scorching heat of the day.

Being taken care of made her feel like a kid, small and not in control. Her lips curved down in a slight frown before she managed to catch herself. He was just being kind, far kinder than he had to be with a complete stranger. So, instead of turning into a petulant child, Zahra nodded curtly and offered her library card without any further arguments. She really didn't have it in her. "Good to meet you."

"Yeah, yeah. It was just a long hike," she answered, her voice low, "but I'm fine. Need to start exercising more, I guess. Or stop lugging around so many hardbacks. Maybe both."

"Maybe I could get your library card and return these for you. And I'll find you some cold water." Matt offered quickly, Putting the books down on the floor by his own foot. "I'm Matt, and don't worry about it, really. I'm glad I was close by to help."

Matt looked around the building. At least the AC was on. He imagined carrying that weight in New York City's summer would exhaust anyone, he couldn't blame the brunette. "It is really hot out, you should just take a breath here." He smiled and squeezed her arm gently before he pulled back and crossed his arms across his chest, just waiting on what to do next. "Have you eaten anything today?"

"Probably easier said than done?" she suggested carefully. Zahra wasn't an expert on firefighting as a profession but she couldn't imagine flexible schedules were one of the perks. It had to be frustrating for both of them and seemed to cause quite a bit of conflict. She coudn't say she envied either of them. "It's an intense job," she added after a lengthy pause. She had always been comfortable with what some people deemed awkward silences, quite at home with the stillness of it all. Normally she didn't mind being left alone with her thoughts whereas lately she had found herself running from them, desperate for any sort of distraction, no matter how mind-numbingly dull. Dragging the books around had worked for a bit, the physical discomfort stopping her from mulling over everything else. "I don't know," she muttered, feeling deflated both physically and mentally. She had spent so much time working towards the life she now had and somehow it felt like such a waste, something not worth the time and effort she had put in. "Impostor syndrome, I guess. Happens to most people at some point."

“—it’s fine,” he said with a faint shrug, a gentle smile adorning his lips. “she is right; I need to lay off some shifts,” saying it out loud was not just admitting it to Zahra that he knew it was him who had fucked up, but to himself too, that the only way to fix this was to make more time for her. as of now, he spent more time at work, at the station, than at home with her when it should be the other way around. it might have been entirely unintentional this happened, but the result was still the same ( and he would find a way to fix this, besides apologizing to her and making more time to actually be present ). a frown formed on his features at her following words. since they first met he knew she loved her research projects, and seeing the lack of excitement in her tone, her admitting it, seemed to him a little odd, coming from someone as dedicated and hard-working as her. and maybe it was part of the issue; the expectations she set for herself as opposed to what she felt. “you shouldn’t be anything, and perhaps that’s part of the problem…” he offered in a matter of fact tone. “something troubling you?” he inquired, not out of curiosity, but genuine interest of what was going through her mind.

AIYSHA HART as SAM RAILSTON — Line of Duty, 5x05

zahra hamed character inspo task

fox mulder (the x-files) cassie thomas (promising young woman) abby sciuto (ncis) jo march (little women) ambrose spellman (chilling adventures of sabrina) river tam (firefly & serenity) beth harmon (the queen's gambit) nomi marks (sense8)

Zahra glanced up from her phone at the customer in front of her, the man clearly frustrated by something. The reason didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to her, but she obviously didn't have the whole story and couldn't know why he seemed so agitated. "I'm not in the habit of eating other customers' food," she informed, back to swiping through her e-mails, "or have any desire to steal it." Truthfully, she couldn't imagine anything worse than sharing some random stranger's food. "You and your tacos will probably be just fine."

open starter @boroughshqlocation: 10 Year Anniversary @ Casa De Tacos, Queens

"i'm makin' it clear right now, you have to pry all ten of these out of my dead cold fuckin' hands man, i'm not sharin', or splitin' or anything, and i mean that shit." he says matter-of-factly as he rubs his hands in line, now not being too far from getting rewarded for the day. it had been a long ass stressful day at the garage (as per usual) so nothing was standing in his way of having this one thing, even if it meant he cut in front of the annoying little toddlers that kept screaming and running around a few feet ahead. children were the future his ass.