She Might Have Mistaken The Tap On Her Shoulder For Just Another Celebrant Making Their Way Out Of The

"Let's try taking one handle each. I think the bag will hold, it has so far." Obviously that didn't necessarily mean anything, but going through the books and putting them in the other woman's backpack seemed like an impossible ordeal after the journey she had taken. "And it's only few more feet. Should be fine." The amount of library trips she had taken had at least taught her to prepare; far too much of her modest storage space had been dedicated to different types of bags, the small ones stuffed inside the larger ones just like her mother had done with the trash bags under the sink. "Not sure why I picked what feels like the hottest day of the year for this trip, though."

"aaaalright. Come on, then," Isabelle's now on her feet, striding toward Zahra with an air of someone who has just been graciously faced with a challenge. She's not excessively strong, but what she is, is stubborn and bored out of her mind, and the poor woman looks like she's two breaths away from passing out in fucking 300 degrees. “Okay... how about I pick up the right handle and you, the left, or- mmm. We could like maybe put half of these in my backpack? Carry half-and-half.” She has a strawberry-pink backpack on her back that matches the floral designs in her vintage vans. She places her hands on her hips and eyes the bag thoughtfully.

"I don't know, could be both," she pointed out, eyes nailed to the balloon as she thought through her strategy, "plenty of relaxing things are also real dumb. That being said, you could win a record."

who: open (@bhqextras)

where: early after noon, any day, aura music festival

what: doing an activity at one of the vendor tents (making rave sprouts, laying in hammocks, palm reading line, sitting inside the giant parachute, playing balloon darts, making signs, or face painting - pick your muse's favorite!)

Sherri sighed, scrunching her nose at her current task. "I can't tell if this is relaxing, exciting, or just — dumb." She blurted to the person nearest her.

Academia is cool and sexy until I’m expected to do work

My era rn is uncategorizable. The the way I am living is unheard of

AIYSHA HART

It had been one of those days. Zahra had stared at computer screen until her eyes ached, had fetched her blue light glasses, and had continued staring, the word count mocking her mercilessly as she wrote and then deleted sentences. Tempted to throw her laptop from a window, she had decided to leave her apartment for a few hours before causing any serious damage to her electronics. The lounge wouldn't normally have been her spot of choice, but Zahra had been desperate for a distraction. Someplace loud with a bunch of people she didn't know had seemed like the best option. Something to drown her thoughts.

She had stood in front of the free seat for a while, seemingly unable to just ask whether she could sit down. "Yes. Is this seat taken?" she asked with a nod.

Muse | Open starter | @bhqextras

It was late in the afternoon and Rhiannon had spent most of her day pent up in her home with her daughter. It was summer break for the almost nine year old and she'd normally be at camp but she wasn't feeling well today. Just because Willow is sick doesn't mean that Rhiannon's deadline will extend. After calling for a sitter for a few hours, she found herself at a lounge with a drink in one hand and a pen in the other, scribbling away in her notebook. The music and the alcohol had her creativity flowing. She was so into her work that she hadn't noticed someone approach her table. "Oh, sorry. I didn't see you there," she said, looking up at them with a smile. "Were you looking to sit?"

It was clear Zahra was itching to get out of the situation and forget all about it now that her breath had steadied and her arms didn't ache quite as much. He hadn't seem bothered to be helping her but she still felt embarrassed, her cheeks having turned a traitorous shade of red from more than just the physical activity.

"No need", she assured, shaking her head as she stood up hurriedly and pocketed her wallet with the library card in it. "I'll stop by to eat something." Zahra went to straighten her shirt before glancing at the man, managing a brief smile that didn't quite reach her dark eyes. "Thank you again. Uh, it was very nice of you."

Matt looked at the card in his hand and gave her a nod. "Zahra." he stated, slapping the card into his palm once. She didn't give him her name when he introduced himself but it was at least good to know it now. "I'll be right back then."

He smiled politely and picked the bag of books back up into his arms and disappeared further into the library, only to be back a few minutes later with a receipt and bottle of sweet lemonade he found on a vending machine. Matt offered it to her along with the card. "Take this for the road back."

Zahra managed a brief smile as she glanced at the blonde. "I should ask that very same question before I check out this sort of a haul. But I guess reading is a huge part of my job, so I should prioritise it." Should being the operating word. She did read, quite a lot actually, but unfortunately most of it did not have anything to do with her research project. "I understand. Somehow getting books and thinking about them can be much more exciting than actually reading them. I guess we're all just spoiled for choice." She had always prided herself in being well-red and aware of all the new releases, but lately finding joy between the covers of a book had proven difficult. "Two books seems like a pretty sensible choice, though."

it was rare that Tavi had the time to read. Still, she always found them a nice little escape from the real world around her. She knew that many people found comfort in browsing bookstores for hours. There were books she bought too, her favorites lined her shelves at home, but for something like this, a book she might need to lay on the beach with friends for a few days, something simple, she always loved being in a library, a sanctuary for many, and the best public service by far. she's got two books, a little saucy romance, and a biography of a dancer she's been invested in lately, and for her even that feels like a lot, but then, oh. she compares it to the person outside, large ikea bag full of books on their shoulder. "no asking. well, maybe asking, just wondering how you find the time? I feel like my pile of books to read is neverending and truthfully, daunting." she admits, a sheepish smile on her face.

Zahra nodded as they explained it was their first time at Joe's. It didn't seem like the bar had made a particularly good first impression, no matter how Zahra enjoyed its atmosphere. "I see. It's a fine place, really," she promised before finishing her first drink. "Oh, there's loads of good beer in the city. I guess places like these aren't particularly well-known for their excellent selection, though. You could try one of those specialty places."

Once Theo got both their whiskeys, they gave it a quick smell and swirled it around for a moment. "That's because it's my first time here. Cheers, mate." They said, clinking their glass with hers before taking a small sip of the warm liquid burning down their throat. It was good though, far better than the beer. "Can't go wrong with good ol' Jack-o here." Theo lifted the glass towards her and sipped again. "Haven't been in the city long, keep trying to find some decent beer."

"Not really. They had the best program and I got in. Made sense," she answered, flicking the ashes from her cigarette, "and I had already moved to North Carolina before that. Equally far from Minnesota. Although I guess Durham wasn't as wild as New York City." She shrugged at their question, carefully considering her answer. "I don't know. I guess it depends on what you mean by home. It's been, what, sixteen years since I've lived in the Midwest." She studied them for a moment, full brows knitted together. "You don't seem to be the biggest fan of the city. What brought you here?"

"Only if you don't share." Theo gave the other a playful smirk as they both walked in tandem through New York. "You came all the way here for uni then? That's bold." They said as they offered to lit her cigarette and then lit their own, making them stop walking for a moment. "What does feel more like home, here or your hometown?"

They both resumed their walk soon after their cigs were lit. It was a nice night in New York. Theo wasn't used to that type of heat yet but they didn't mind it all that much. They'll mind it less when they get that cold beer.