Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat — the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? » Twelve Days of Christmas »

Players Wanted: Serious Anime Crossover Roleplay (semi-literate) » Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! » Long term partner to play an older male wanted »

0
followers
follow

Alex Roberts

"I loved you once, but that was then."

0 · 917 views · located in Mountain Brook

a character in “More Sinned Against”, originally authored by partially-stars, as played by RolePlayGateway

Description

ImageImage
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

age: 19
sexuality: pansexual
birthday: august 19
occupation: bartender, barista, theatre usher
hexcode: #8C1531xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxlove is madnessxx||xx thenxx ||xx champion




Image Image
Image Image
Image Image


secrets:
Alex's parents are drug addicts. Throughout his teenage years it got so bad he seldom saw them conscious, and hardly ever sober. They couldn't hold a job down, and were spending all of their money on drugs. So to keep the lights on, Alex got a job. And then another. And then another. But when things got especially bad, he found an easy way to make money. He sold sex. He isn't proud of it, but it gets him by.

likes
coffee
home cooked food
running
rom-coms
movies
swimming
music
concerts
x
dislikes
being forced to read
alcohol
edgelords
glamourisation of drugs
being stuck for cash
having to ask people for help
mcdonalds
the rain











quirks
Can function perfectly on 4 hours sleep
Always has chewing gum or sweets
Left-handed but wears his watch on his left as well
Sings under his breath when he runs
fears
Turning out like his parents
People finding out about... everything
Enclosed spaces
Needles











I knew the moment I looked into your eyes- love is madness.




Image
appearance:
Alex is undeniably handsome. With his strong jaw, narrow, dark eyes, and perfect hair, Alex is the type of person who looks good when he's just rolled out of bed and is still in an old, weirdly shaped, baggy t-shirt and his boxers. At the slightest ray of sunshine, his skin starts to tan and blonde streaks appear in his hair. Due to the amount of time he spends outside, his skin is usually somewhat tanned, and his hair is a mix of medium brown and blonde streaks. He dresses as well as he can, but tends to dress simply due to the fact that he tends to shop in thrift stores. At 6 foot exactly, he's a tad taller than his peers, and is relatively well built thanks to his love for sport.

personality:
Alex tends to describe himself as a careful balance of an addictive personality, a lifetime's worth of hidden secrets, a dash of flirtation, and one hell of a work ethic. All of which is true. Alex's family history means that he is extremely genetically predisposed to addiction. This doesn't just mean he can't drink or smoke for fear of addiction. He tends to get hooked on things he enjoys. He finds it hard to watch just one episode of something, he has to watch the entire season. He also tends to get hooked on people- perhaps his unhealthiest trait. He's incredibly dependent. He needs constant reassurance that he is loved. He needs to be around them all the time. He feels incredibly deeply, and something that mightn't affect one person might break his heart. And he lets himself get hurt, despite everything.

But Alex doesn't let people in easily. He's keeping far too many secrets for that. He's terrified he'll let somebody in and that he'll get hooked on them and that they'll break him for once and for all. He's scared that they're going to see the mess that is his family life and run a mile. And he's afraid they'll find out what he does and think he's disgusting. It didn't take much to reduce his parents to what they are now, and he's terrified he'll go the same way.

At the end of the day, Alex is much more than any of that. He works incredibly hard. He might have succeeded academically had he not had to instead work three jobs to keep his family going. And he doesn't mind having to do that. There's times where he's furious with his parents, where he just wants to scream and shout at them, but he tells himself that they're sick. It helps him get by. When you break down his barriers, as a friend or a lover, you'll have a fiercely loyal friend for life. It takes a lot for him to give up on anyone.

i loved you once, but that was then.



Image
The family that Alex was born into was far from perfect. His father already had alcoholic tendencies, and his mother had struggled to abstain during pregnancy. But they were at least happy. For a while. Alex's mother got post-natal depression and started drinking to deal with it. They managed. Alex got used to doing household chores from a young age. They weren't exactly a perfect family, but they managed.

Alex was twelve when it got really bad. His father's mother died, driving him to alcohol and prescription medication, anything to numb the pain. Alex's mother, whose post-natal depression had turned into full blown depression and occasional mania, coped for a while. But when she lost both of her parents in the same accident, only three months later, she fell down the same hole. And suddenly Alex was left with a lot more responsibility than ever.

He learned to cook for all of them, he did the laundry, he cleaned the house. Already at such a young age, he knew to keep up appearances. And for a while, they survived. But then the money started to run out. Alex was sixteen the first time the power got shut off. They got the money together, but Alex finally realised how bad things were. So he got a job, in a local cafe who trained him as a barista. And when that stopped being enough, he got another job as a bartender. His weekends were taken up with working, with jobs that paid him fairly and that let him keep his tips. But even that wasn't enough, and he started working school nights.

Even that wasn't quite enough. Alex was working his ass off, was getting hardly any sleep, and his grades, which had never been good, were at an all time low. Nobody had picked up on the fact that Alex struggled with even basic literacy at times, and nobody seemed to care either. Alex was close to breaking point. He didn't know what he could do. And then, one crazy night, he ran into a prostitute on his way home. He wasn't interested like that, but an idea struck him. She gave him some vital tips that got him started and got him earning money. His pretty face was a testament to him, and he was doing well. He was able to cut back his hours on school nights and get his grades back up to keep suspicion away. But he needs the money too much to stop.

So begins...

Alex Roberts's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Karin Matsuo Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: Elijah Blythe Character Portrait: Riley O'Hara
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

00000A L E X 0 R O B E R T S 0000000000000000|00000000000000000000000 L Y N 0 M O N T G O M E R Y
ImageImage


hexcode
#8C1531 0 | 0 #58585a


outfit
alex 0 | 0 lyn






A week had passed since the party. An intense week. Cops had been conducting interviews and asking questions, questions that not everyone could answer. "Who were you with?" "What were you doing?" Some people had alibis. Some had alibis that they didn't want to give. There was too many secrets that went unspoken, that even the cops couldn't be trusted with. Everyone had a secret, something they were hiding.

And the secrets weren't going anywhere either. They didn't disappear when they weren't an active problem. They were always there. Lurking in the background. Even if they weren't active problems, sometimes they still needed to be dealt with or covered up... or ignored.

---

Alex had a rare free afternoon to himself. His shifts had aligned in such a way that he finished after the lunch rush, and wasn't starting at the bar until 8. Part of him knew that he should go home, check on his parents, make sure they didn't have any more bills to pay. Or maybe he should answer some of his clients, arrange to meet them, earn the money to pay those bills. But after the week he'd just had, he just wanted to have some time to himself. And, well, to meet up with his friends. He was constantly on edge, waiting for that knock on the door, for him to be called aside at work, for somebody to stop him in the street. He'd thought about walking away from it all, changing his number, refusing to answer any calls from clients. Lie low. But he couldn't afford that. He didn't want to go back to taking every shift he could, running on four hours sleep every single night.

He sighed and sipped his iced coffee, running a hand through his still-damp hair. He'd gone to the pool for the first time in what felt like an age. It had felt so good to stretch those muscles again. And surprisingly, his many, many shifts at the coffee shop hadn't put him off coffee. Especially not iced coffee. Things weren't as good as they could be, but he was going to enjoy a rare afternoon off no matter what.

He picked up his phone and sent a few texts.

To: Derrick
Yo, man, I actually have an afternoon off work! Crazy, right? You around?

To: Elijah
Hey, dude, I'm off this afternoon if you want to come grab a coffee!

His thumb hovered over one contact name in particular, hesitating. He knew he shouldn't. He knew that their relationship wasn't healthy, that it messed with his head too much. But that didn't stop him from wanting to. Goddamn, having two sets of genes that increased his potential for addiction really messed him up. Honestly, it was surprising he wasn't more of a mess. He figured that not having time to breathe or think probably helped. He put down his phone and sighed, leaning back and looking around. It was then he spotted the cop across the street. His heart stopped for a moment as he swore the cop was looking at him. But then the cop moved on. He couldn't keep going like this. He wanted to scream, wanted to tell someone so they could help him. But how? How could he trust them, know they wouldn't go tell the police?

He picked up his phone again and had the text half written before he knew what he was doing. But when he realised, he didn't exactly try and stop himself.

To: Blu
You around?

--

There was always one way that Lyn dealt with frustration. But no matter how much her body and brain wanted it, she sure as hell wasn't giving in to it. Instead, she went to the gym, trying to sweat it out as much as she could. After the night of the party, she'd been on edge. Everyone had. But now she felt like she couldn't ever relax, like she always had to glance over her shoulder. And more than ever, she just wanted to stop thinking, stop... worrying. It was getting harder than ever to stay sober.

She could see the guy on the treadmill beside her was trying to show off, so she ramped up the speed and turned up the sound on her headphones. She didn't want to have to think about anything besides the pounding of her feet, the beat of her favourite workout playlist. And when her lungs were screaming at her to stop, she slowed to a walk and got off the treadmill. She retrieved her bag and pulled on her hoodie. When she got out, she pulled out her phone and sent a few texts.

To: Riley
Hey, you around, babes?

She wanted to text Karin as well, but remembering exactly what had happened at the party, she hesitated. She wasn't entirely sure she could face her. She sighed and shoved her phone back in her bag, pulling her hair out of her pony tail and downing most of her water bottle. This was all too much for her to handle.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Riley O'Hara Character Portrait: Dan Hanson
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

XXXXXXXR I L E Y xO' H A R A
Image Image Image
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxOutfit: X

More than once Riley had to set down her guitar due to the shaking of her hands. Even now, she had them clutched to her chest as she took deep breaths in a desperate attempt to calm them enough to keep playing. This cycle had gone on for about an hour and a half so far, but what helped Riley the most was music. So, for music to help her, she had to be calm enough to play. Unfortunately, the song she was working on was a very personal and emotional one. Every time she wrote a line, tears threatened to fall and her hands started shaking.

This was the third attempt at calming her anxiety over the past week. Some days it was so bad she couldn't eat. She found herself thinking more and more about Elena this past week. Especially with her anxiety rearing its ugly head. She wanted to talk to Elena, work it out as they had done that first day they had met. Riley smiled at the memory of Elena laughing at something Riley had said as she held out a jar of candy that she had kept on her desk. The desk that they had... blush crawled up Riley's neck at the thought, but then a darker thought clouded the image. The funeral announcement for Elena. Riley couldn't get herself to go. Couldn't make herself say goodbye. Everytime she closed her eyes all she could see was blood. She had to keep any music playing at all times because the silence brought about a ringing in her ears.

She shaking returned, her stomach protesting now as stress ate at her nerves. Stress and lack of sleep. She was about to head for the bathroom to splash her face when her phone went off. Riley paused at the foot of her bed and reached towards where her phone was buried under her pillow. Her fingers fumbled with her passcode a few times before it unlocked and she was able to read her messages. There were a few from her parents while they were away in Hawaii for their 25th anniversary. Her mom had sent her a photo of the sunset there that made Riley's heart feel a little calmer. She wished more than anything she was with them and away from the chaos that was this city, but... she was here. And so was...

The next unread message was from Lyn.

Riley smiled softly, settling back in her bed. She typed out the one word that she would forever use when it came to requests from her best friend.

To: Lyn~
Always.

Then she realized that Lyn might want to meet somewhere. The idea of venturing out made her fingers twitch. So she typed out another message and hit send. She resisted the urge to end with "please" as she sent:

To: Lyn~
My place?




XXXXXXXX D A N XH A N S O N
Image ImageImage
XXXXXXXXXXXXXOutfit: X

Dan woke with a start, his father's voice booming through the house as he complained about the police investigations. Thankfully, his brother was away for the week so at least he didn't have to deal with Shaun first thing in the morning. Dan quietly rose from his bed, noting it was likely the middle of the day and got dressed. He could hear his mom in the kitchen. Whether she was making lunch for his father or simply cleaning, he didn't know. He didn't... really care either. As he pulled on his shoes, grabbed his wallet and house keys, he slipped out the front door without a sound. He pulled his bike from the back shed and pedaled his way to the theatre.

Sleep still clung to his shoulders like a backpack full of rocks, but he promised himself a nap in one of the projector rooms on his off time. He spent so much time there the past few years that all the managers knew him and trusted him to do whatever was needed. Even if it meant working off the clock. In exchange, he was allowed free concessions as long as he didn't go nuts with them, and was allowed naps anywhere he wished. His favorite place was the projector room. It was warm and the quiet hum of the machine lulled him to sleep as much as whatever movie was playing in the theatre. It was a relatively hot day and he was already regretting his signature leather jacket. However, the hat shaded his face enough to make him a little more comfortable.

As he rode by the cafe, a familiar face stopped him dead. To the point, he almost flipped over his handle bars. There was Alex, sitting there, drinking a coffee, his attention down on the screen of his phone. He hadn't seen him since the night of the party and even then, he hadn't seen him in a few days. His shifts were becoming shorter and fewer at the theatre where they both worked. Dan has the sinking feeling it had to do with him but he wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the people pleaser in him.

He hopped off his bike and walked over, his head lowered shyly. "Hey, Alex," He said quietly, "How are you doing? I haven't seen you since the party."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Karin Matsuo Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Elijah Blythe Character Portrait: Willow Greyson Character Portrait: olive paloma
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

K A R I NXM A T S U O

Image Image Image

Hex: #ae5c5c || Outfit: X


The day started off as any other for Karin. She was up by 6am even though she'd fallen asleep at 3, rolled up a geourgeous blunt, smoked it, made some breakfast for her and Derrick despite cutting her finger, and went off to her only class for the day. The morning seem to go by in a fog as her mind was in a different place. It has been since the party.

After class, Karin made a couple of sales then stuck her headphones in and walked herself over to her favorite record store. She browsed for a little, more lost in her thoughts than actually reading titles. It got so bad that she ended up just staring at a queens album for like 3 minutes, spacing out. What eventually snapped her out of it was the absence of music in one ear when someone passed by and accidentally knocked one of her earbuds out.

On the walk home, Karin couldn't help but keep her eyes glued to the floor. Everytime someone looked at her it felt as if they knew what she knew. Needless to say, she was tense all the way home and felt a little gross.

---

Steam rose while she stood in front of the bathroom mirror. The warmth felt nice on her bare skin but that nasty blemish of black and blue on the side of her neck was a horrid reminder in her eyes. Her fingers barely brushed over it as if it'll burn her if she did touch that part of skin. She wanted it gone already.

Suddenly there was a lump in her throat that she couldn't swallow. Everything was slowly crashing down on her after telling herself she was fine for a whole week. Memories from the accident had resurfaced after the party. Small hands gripped the sides of the sink, while her eyes pinched tightly closed. She didn't want to cry anymore. She was tired of it but her body refused to give her control over it. All she could do was cry and it frustrated her so much so that she ended up throwing a bottle and sitting under the shower.

It wasn't until she heard what sounded like Derrick call out to her that she then decided to get out. He startled her, enough to get a little jump outta her. Karin quickly composed herself, wrapping the towel around her. She splashed some cold water on her face before exiting to hide the puffiness under her eyes. Not wanting to worry him, Karin quickly went into her room. "Sorry, I was in the shower!" she called out, sparking up the other half of the blunt from this morning. A little pick-me-up and smokey courage to deal with everything right now.

Karin began applying her makeup when her eyes went wide, realizing she had left her clothes in the bathroom. In a hurry, she made another run for it before Derrick went in but almost smacked right into him instead. "Hey, there guy!" Recovery had been a success so Karin played it off and gave him her happiest smile and a peck on the cheek, trying to make it as quick as possible. She disappeared into the bathroom for a moment then disappeared back into her room.

Once dressed she chilled in her room with the window open, blowing smoke out into perfect O's while Derrick showered. A sigh escaped her lips. She wondered how her friends were or what they were getting themselves into. She saw E and Olive the other day, even Alex but for some reason, not Lyn. Was she avoiding her over what happened? Karin probably wouldn't know what to say to herself either. She stared at her name in the contacts, wanting to text her but if Lyn didn't reach out to her after all this, what makes her think she wanted to hang now?

"Hell no," she stated under her breath, pulling up a contact stored under the name of Darling dearest.

To: Darling dearest
Mars! You beautiful person you. What are you up to?

"Hey Rin, wanna watch some buffy?" Derrick poked his head into her room after knocking, making a little face at her. "Sure." She smirked, pushing herself off the bed and tossing out the roach, what was left of her blunt, out the window.





D E R R I C KXM A T S U O

Image Image Image

Hex: #848a92 || Outfit: X



Wiping the small collection of sweat from his eyebrows with the back of his hand, Derrick relished in the warmth of the afternoon sun. His clothes were a bit dirty, mostly his sweats with a mixture of sand, clay, and dirt from the baseball field. He finished teaching his small T-ball class of eight a half hour ago and until now, has been practicing with his boss, Tony. Tony is five years older than Derrick and took over for his father a couple of months ago. They didn't get along at first, having a bit of a disagreement in the way each of them taught but eventually, they peaced it out and learned how to get along.

Ricky also needed something to keep his mind off of the party. It was too much for him every time he came to the realization of what happened. It unnerved him to the core that his hands wouldn't stop shaking when it was his turn to bat. Eventually, he just focused on the ball so much that those feelings were pushed to the back of his mind for the time being.

"Damn, I didn't think you had it in you." Derrick laughed, stretching out his hand to a sitting, sweating and panting Tony. He laughed in between breaths and took Derrick's hand, getting to his feet. "You know me, I can't turn down a good challenge. Plus, you owe me a weeks worth of lunch now."

Derrick gave out a low chuckle and shook his head. "I still can't believe you ran the field seven times in under 3 minutes. You look like you popped a lung."

"Feels like I did." he laughed once more, slicking his sweaty blonde hair back and out of his face. "Speaking of food, you up for a burger?"

Derrick had already begun gathering his things and so was Tony. "Nah, not today. I'm feeling a little beat." he lied. "Alright then, take it easy. I'll see you Tuesdayday, you owe me food!" and with that Tony and Derrick went their separate ways. Truth was, Derrick didn't feel like going out at the moment. He just wanted to go home, see his sister and collect himself because now that he wasn't focusing on anything, everything was playing over in his mind and he found himself clenching and unclenching his fists on the walk home. He even froze at the sound of sirens blaring down the street, only when it passed did he breath again.

-----
Unlocking the front door, Derrick entered his house, took off his shoes at the door and went straight into the kitchen, grabbing a glass half filled with Arizona sweet tea. He rounded the corner out into the living room where he found the t.v on but no Karin. His brows furrowed a little in confusion but it wasn't totally uncommon for Karin to leave the t.v on while she did other things. "Karin, I'm home!" he shouted, hoping to hear a response from wherever she was in the house but it didn't come. Events of that night played in his head again, only for him to begin worrying and getting sweaty palms.

He let out a sigh and shook his head. She's fine, she's probably in the shower. And to pull him out of his thoughts on cue was his sister's voice, coming from upstairs. There was a sort of relief that came over him and his shoulder slumped a little, relaxing. "Sorry, I was in the shower!"

Finishing the juice in his cup, Derrick gave it a quick wash in the sink before jogging up all 27 steps. The first thing to hit him was the familiar sweet and pungent smell of weed mixed with soft perfume. Karin was buzzing about in her towel, in and out of the bathroom and her room with her little makeup bag and half a blunt hanging off her lips. "Hey there guy!" she exclaimed happily, quickly stopping in front of him and pushing up on her tippy-toes to peck him on the cheek and continue her running around. Derrick noticed the pink around her eyes and nose though but didn't say anything. She hasn't been feeling 100 since the party and he's sensed it.

"Going out?"
Derrick pushed the door to his door open, he never has it fully closed. "Not that I know of. I just wanted to dress up nice today." Karin shrugged, passing by his room and into hers. "Oh, and bathrooms yours."

Settling his things down, Derrick began stripping himself of anything that resided in his pockets including his watch and whistle. He picked out some clothes, and off he went into the bathroom to wash off the dirt and sweat. After that 20 minute shower give or take, he found himself lounging on the couch next to Karin. They were watching old re-runs of Buffy the vampire slayer, arguing over which was the better couple. "Really? Giles and Jenny were way cuter than Xander and Anya, no offense," she added, exaggerating an eye roll with a grin pulling at the ends of her lips.

"What? No. I-I just think they're cuter than four-eyes and snapped neck, no disrespect. " Karin faked a gasp and pulled her hand to her chest feigning offense. "You did not!" The both of them laughed it off and settled back into the show when Derrick's phone let out a ping. He pulled it out of his pocket and swiped his finger across the screen to unlock it. There was a text that he had half written out, earlier that day to Willow that he never sent and a new one from Alex. He instinctively tried to hide a small smile creeping across his lips, a friendly face was something he needed right now. That and getting out of the house.

To: Alex
How'd you pull that off? And yeah, coffee? Well... in my case, tea and coffee?

To: Sleeping Beauty
Hey there you! :p doing anything later on today?



Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Elijah Blythe Character Portrait: Willow Greyson Character Portrait: Derrick Matsuo
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

E L I J A H X B L Y T H E
ImageImageImage
X | Outfit

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The heat was oppressive, and the humidity even more so. Even the breeze was stale and stifling. Elijah had lived his whole life in hot, humid weather it seemed. He laid on the porch of his family's house, melting into the perfect gray wood slats with his bare feet on the steps. His eyes closed as he dreamed of a thunderstorm, thick and cool and angry, to chill the wind even just a little.

His father was at work still, and his mother was on bed rest for the week. Elijah'd spent most of the day taking care of her, bringing her whatever she asked for, but she'd finally fallen asleep, allowing him his own chance at rest. His phone buzzed. He groaned, but he checked it anyway.

From: Alex
Hey, dude, I'm off this afternoon if you want to come grab a coffee!

His heart rose up into his throat, but his hands were already typing up a reply without permission.

To: Alex
I can be there in 10

His steps were soft in the house. The air conditioning felt heaven-sent, but not good enough to keep him inside. The note he left for his mother on her bedside table, careful not to wake her from her sleep, was simple:

Out with friends
Text if you need anything


He pulled on his shoes, hopped on his bike and took off toward the coffee shop.


W I L L O WXG R E Y S O N
ImageImageImage
X | Outfit
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Willow tapped her fingers on the faux-marble counter top of the box office. The tiny fan and the AC box cranked noisily as the last couple minutes of her shift wound down. The thick cotton polo was too heavy and dark to be wearing in the summer, as were the black slacks and thick-soled shoes. If she had known she would be working in the box office that day instead of behind the concession stand, she would have worn shorts and flip-flops instead. The customers could never see lower than her torso from behind the glass.

Voices came through robotic and muffled as the last hipsters she would have to serve today requested tickets for some pretentious indie French snore-fest of which the theater had decided to give a limited showing due to the few but very constant and annoying requests. Willow handed over their tickets with a plastered-on smile, all but bolting out of the stuffy box as soon as they walked inside the golden double-doors. She made a beeline for the break room to punch out. The clock read two minutes past her shift's end. Her phone beeped softly. She never bothered to turn it on silent at work because of her bosses' lenience.

From: Ricky
Hey there you! :p doing anything later on today?

She smiled to herself and gathered her bag from her locker. She typed quickly as she practically skipped to her car.

To: Ricky
Just got off work. You got ideas?

Her car took almost no time at all to cool down, the air conditioning blessedly pumping out fresh air like its mechanical life depended on it. She was home in less than 10 minutes, and she changed into her sundress of the day and collapsed onto her bed, phone in hand.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: marley east
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image

Image
B L UXJ A M E S O N
outfit - keiynan lonsdale - #3D72DB
Image

Image

Snap. An audible noise filled the room, as a male stood in front of a full length mirror. Admiring his latest fashion decision, as he scrolled through his apps to find his Instagram. Posting the picture of him, raising the skirt with his hand slightly, and pressing his knees together he'd smile. The caption would read Nice day to defy gender roles! #boyinaskirt #maleskirtrebellion #bluefashiondeisgns #lookoftheday #oopsimalegend. Blu was rather proud of himself, not letting himself back down. A classic button-up with a black leather skirt, his legs looked amazing. God damn! He laughed before looking at how the likes came flooding in, satisfied with his look of the day, he'd grab his messenger bag filled with his personal stuff and exit his room and begin his descent downstairs. As he did his phone pinged with a text, as he looked at the name and froze a bit. He was somewhat unused to being texted by Alex, most of their talking being.....physically face to face. He'd smile a bit though, it was good that some of the people Blu made their lives living hells before....before the incident, he could be friends with or sort of friends with now. Mentally reminding himself to respond he'd reach the stairs, where he heard his parents bustling about in the kitchen.

Yes, they were rich beyond need, but Blu's parents preferred cleaning and cooking to themselves. Makes them....more human? And with his father running for mayor the upcoming election, it makes them seem more humane. He'd walk into the kitchen, skirt and all and snag a pancake from the pile of ones his mother had finished making. "Bluregard, you're not going out like that are you?," his father asked raising an eyebrow. He was fine with his son wearing skirts, and feminine articles of clothing, hell it helped him seem more tolerant. But his son had a tendency to test the extreme.

"I think it's cute," his mother spoke out, with a smile towards her son. The two always had a more connected bond than him and his father. His mother was the one who inspired him daily to break gender roles. "Lillian, my love, you think he looks great in anything you had a hand in designing." his father laughed. "It's a statement Daddy, it helps me fight against the oppressive cis cultur, forcing men to wear pants and women to wear dresses. I'm like, a gay Rosa Parks."
he explained to his father who grumbled with a slight understanding. He'd smile before waving to his parents, letting them know he was leaving. As he reached the car, waiting for him outside he'd be greeted with his driver, Lou. "Hey Lou! Just going to the cafe today, meeting a friend. Don't wanna be late, ummmm I'll call you when I'm done there,"
he spoke to the man who just nodded. Damn, Lou had always been a tough nut to crack. He'd send a text to three people in particular.

To: LynLyn
hey babes, wyd?

To: Marles
wyd?

To: Alex <3
omw keep a spot warm for me ;*

As he rode to the cafe, his mind went back to the events that had happened the week before. He hadn't been in town, thankfully, his parents and he had been in New York, for a few things his parents had to take care of dealing with his mother's fashion line. But hearing what had happened, had kind of shook Blu. What if there was a serial killer? He was too pretty to die! But he'd have to admit, he'd look good at his funeral atleast.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: Elijah Blythe Character Portrait: Derrick Matsuo Character Portrait: Dan Hanson
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

xxALEXxROBERTS
═══════════════════════════
xxlocation: coffee shopxxxxxxxoutfit: here

Image

═══════════════════════════
xxx"never said that i would be your lover,
xxxnever said i would be your friend
xxxnever said that i would take no other
xxxbe your lover, never said."


Alex glanced up at the sound of a familiar voice, his face breaking into a grin as he spotted Dan. Now that he was able to cut back on his hours, he was seeing less and less of Dan. He was one of those people that Alex liked being around for a bunch of reasons. "Hey, man! Yeah, guess our shifts just haven't been lining up, it's weird. So how are you? What are you up to?" He asked, sipping his coffee. His phone buzzed with a few texts, and he quickly glanced at them, firing back a few replies.

To: Derrick
Idk. Witchcraft? Already here, see you soon :)

To: Elijah
See you soon!

To: Blu
Will do x

He honestly hadn't expected everyone to be able to come right then, but he also wasn't going to complain. Even if he was constantly around people, his schedule sometimes left him feeling a little isolated. It had been a little different when he'd been in school, but after he'd graduated, he was just working more, trying to earn more money, pay the bills, keep food on the table... With no qualifications besides his high school diploma, he wasn't exactly going to get any better jobs that weren't completely mind numbing. Sure, he hated having to work so much, but at least he half enjoyed what he did. Or, well, most of it.

"Sorry, just had a few texts to answer. A few others are coming by, got to make the most of this rare afternoon off, it doesn't happen much." He added with a grin.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Karin Matsuo Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Willow Greyson Character Portrait: Derrick Matsuo Character Portrait: marley east
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

K A R I NXM A T S U O

Image Image Image

Hex: #ae5c5c || Outfit: X


Karin got up once the credit began to roll for some water. Forgetting her phone was on vibrate she nearly dropped her cup when it vibrated hard on the marble countertop. She glanced at it and read Marley's text with a mischievous grin before her screen went black and she'd have to unlock it.

To: Darling dearest
Awe, we have our charm. How about some coffee then I'll show you this neat little bar our band plays at some nights? I'll pick you up. :3

Once she sent it, her finger lingered over a certain name. She twiddled her thumbs softly. Karin wanted to at least know how Lyn was doing. She would be lying if she said she wasn't worried about her. All this party stuff was getting to her again but she pushed it down and typed out a new message. Karin wasn't about to chicken out again, in fact, she was feeling OK. The good mood she had going on and knowing she was about to go out with friends was bringing back out her regular self.

To: Emmi
Hey, Lyn. How've you been?

Locking her phone Karin finished off her water. She really needed some time out of the house. She feels as if all she's been doing for the past week is follow a boring routine that wasn't her. School, home and from home to a gig and back. She didn't hang out for drinks after shows like usual, she studied more which wasn't a bad thing and kept it quite clean and short with her sales too. She also kept a very pointy pocket knife on her at all times.

Karin grabbed her keys off the wall and poked her head into the archway of the living room. "Hey Derrick, I'm gonna go grab some coffee with a friend, I'll be back later." without hesitation Derrick shot up and called out for her to wait from the couch. He ran up to her, dropping down next to her to put on his sneakers. Karin slipped on her own black boots. "Alex invited me to grab some coffee with him but I'm taking Willow with. Mind picking her up?" Ricky looked up at his sister with puppy eyes which she responded by laughing at him a little. She didn't really care or minded giving him or any one of her friends a ride or picking up whoever. She would have thought by now that he'd wouldn't have to ask. Might be nice to see Alex though. After the party, Karin was coming to terms with certain things. Plus, with her sisterly intuition, Karin always knew Ricky had a crush on Willow and she wasn't gonna leave him hanging like that. "I don't care. I'm not driving anyway." Karin was already out the door when she tossed a puzzled Derrick the car keys. "C'mon, she's not gonna wait for you forever."



D E R R I C KXM A T S U O

Image Image Image

Hex: #848a92 || Outfit: X



Watching the credits roll, ending Derrick's little buffy craving, he picked up his phone that had lit up with a new messages.

From: Sleeping Beauty
Just got off work. You got ideas?

From: Alex
Idk. Witchcraft? Already here, see you soon :)

Derrick smiled happily as he began writing out his responses, but that's when he heard Karin's keys jingle. His ears perked and when she told him she was going to step out he instantly scrambled from the couch "Wait!"he called out, jumping over the headrest and towards Karin to put on his shoes. "Alex invited me to grab some coffee with him but I'm taking Willow with. Mind picking her up?"

He playfully rolled his eyes when his sister laughed at him and ruffled his hair. She was out the door and as he got up to follow after her, all he saw was keys being tossed his way. He still caught them, barely and in the midst of his small confusion Karin called out to get his attention. A bright smile took over his lips and so he locked up the house and got into the white suv.

To: Sleeping Beauty
Alex invited me for coffee so I was thinking we go there for a little and then we could go for a walk or something? I'm on my way to pick you up!

To: Alex
Lol. Alright, see you soon. :D

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: Dan Hanson
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image

Image
B L UXJ A M E S O N
outfit - keiynan lonsdale - #3D72DB
Image

Image

To: LynLyn
bout to go hang with a fine ass boy, ehh jk just bout to hang with alex and i assum other people.


Blu sent the text out to Lyn, before Lou looked at him as the car stopped. "Now, Blu, you know to call me if you need me. Or text me if you feel uncomfortable. I don't want you to have a chance of getting into trouble, your parents are already pretty pissed at me for last weekend," the gargantuan man spoke to the male. Blu grimaced when he mentioned that, almost having gotten Lou fired because he decided to sneak away from the man and not tell him where he went. "I said I was sorry!!,"
he exclaimed before speaking again. But yeah, I'll call or text if I need you to come get me. If I leave the cafe, I'll send you my location okay?," he responded before opening the door. Lou nodded with approval as he drove off leaving Blu in front of the coffee shop. The boy swore Lou was more a father than his own.

As he registered the area, he noticed people were staring, mostly guys. He'd smile, of course, people were staring they always were. You can't be an icon if you're ignored, but it was also his father's hold over most of the town. He shrugged before walking into the coffee shop, and spotting Alex immediately. He'd also spot Dan, placing his finger up to his lips, to say be quiet. Sneaking up behind him, not that the shoes he decided to wear were exactly silent he'd place his hands over the male's eyes,

"Guess who?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: Riley O'Hara Character Portrait: olive paloma Character Portrait: Dan Hanson
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

XXXXXXXR i l e y X O' H a r aD a nX H a n s o nXXXXXXX
ImageImage

Outfit:
X | | X

Hex:
#410045 | | #0C571B






XXXXXXXRiley once again tried to get herself to play her guitar, her room too quiet without any music, but she couldn't get herself to play. It would still take Lyn a bit to get to Riley's house so she tried to figure out something to occupy her time. She realized she hadn't showered... recently. Too preoccupied with either distracting herself or her thoughts in general. So she got up from her bed, surprised there wasn't an imprint where she had been sitting the past few days and made her way to her bathroom. While she showered, she banished dark thoughts away by blasting rock music through her speaker. Some of the songs she knew how to play either all the way through or certain parts so she played some air guitar. It helped to cheer her up a bit before Lyn came over. She wasn't sure she really wanted Lyn to know what had happened that night. Not that Lyn didn't know what was going on in Riley's life that she didn't know about Elena, but... it might bring up questions that she wasn't sure she was ready to answer.

She had just exited the shower and pulled on some clothes--a mesh shouldered top and a pair of comply black shorts--when she heard banging on the door. Her phone buzzed on her bed and she grabbed it, checking the message as she walked. Seeing it was Lyn saying she was here, Riley rolled her eyes and tucked her phone in her back pocket as she opened the front door. "I can hear that," she said by way of greeting and giving Lyn a smoldering look paired with a smirk. She ran her fingers through her hair which was still dripping wet, staining the shoulders of her shirt. "Well come on in. You're no stranger here. In fact, I'm surprised I haven't given you a key."

She made her way back to her room and grabbed her towel in attempts to at least slightly dry her hair. "Thanks for coming over." She flopped onto her bed, the towel now dangling from her fingers. "It's been rough. And I've missed having you over here." She noticed Lyn was still clad in her work out gear which meant she came from the gym. At least she was still taking care of herself. Riley fought back a blush as she noticed Lyn's curves due to the tight clothing. Riley's feelings towards Lyn changed late middle school early high school. And ever since, she struggled with holding her best friend in that place. Some days it was a struggle to keep from flirting with her or just... kissing her.

But Lyn wasn't interested and Riley still valued their friendship. Still... she had to admit that Lyn was completely gorgeous.

She cleared her throat and looked to the ceiling. "So how was the gym?"




It took Alex a moment to glance up and notice Dan. Which made sense considering Dan has a talent for being unnoticeable most of the time. The young man was busy with his phone as well. Which might be nice if Dan had more friends... but talking with Alex wasn't a pity party. It was just the effects of the last few days on his mind. He shoved back the thoughts and smiled at his coworker/friend? and replied "No big deal," Then he pulled out a chair, "Mind if I sit for a bit? It'll be a little while before I have to be at work I was just heading over early..." to avoid my family he finished in his head. He wasn't about to tell Alex that. Wouldn't want to put his own personal baggage on others.

There was another girl with long dark and hair and deep brown skin. Olive maybe? She was talking to Alex who hadn't seemed to notice her yet. "Sure, you can sit. Olive, right?" Dan said, in attempts to be bold. Then he turned back to Alex again. "It's been kind of... boring without working with you. The others have very little personality." Which wasn't entirely true, but not entirely false either. "Hope you're not being over worked."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: olive paloma Character Portrait: Dan Hanson
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

xxALEXxROBERTS
═══════════════════════════
xxlocation: coffee shopxxxxxxxoutfit: here

Image

═══════════════════════════
xxx"never said that i would be your lover,
xxxnever said i would be your friend
xxxnever said that i would take no other
xxxbe your lover, never said."


He'd more or less missed Olive's arrival altogether, and once he noticed her, he wished he hadn't. It wasn't that he didn't like Olive. Their relationship hadn't been the worst he'd had. But the bad blood between them had affected their relationship, and it felt like it was slowly disintegrating into something ugly. So he put on a smile. "Hey Olive! Sorry, missed you there, everyone just seems to be showing up on me all at the same time. Just hanging with some friends, you know," he said, taking a sip out of his coffee. He made a gesture at Dan to sit down, there was plenty of space around the table even with everyone he was expecting.

He could hear someone behind him, but didn't pay too much attention to them until hands were over his eyes. And there was a moment of panic, fear that everything had caught up with him. And then a familiar voice chimed out, one that made him smile and laugh. "Blu, you're a dick," he said, pulling the other boy's hands away from his face and getting to his face. "Oh my gosh, you look good!" He remarked. Blu's femininity had never been an issue for him. It was just a part of him. And besides, Alex never felt like he was in a position to judge anyone. "Blu, you know Dan and.. Olive, right?" He asked, it suddenly striking him what a strange situation it was. His ex and... whatever the hell him and Blu were. Christ, why couldn't any of his relationships be straightforward?

He sat down and patted the spot next to him for Blu to sit. "So, what have y'all been up to? Seems like it's been way too long since I actually hung out with anyone, you know what it's like," he said with an eyeroll.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: olive paloma Character Portrait: Dan Hanson
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image

Image
B L UXJ A M E S O N
outfit - keiynan lonsdale - #3D72DB
Image

Image

"You know you love me Lex, and yeah? I'm not sure I've met Olive, but I know Dan, you work at the theater with Alex right?," he asked with a smile. His brown eyes focusing on the male as he plopped down next to Alex. He'd look over at Olive, and look her up and down. Not the best, but if Alex was into her she was pretty...enough. He shook his head slightly before mentally beating himself up over judging her. He wasn't necessarily that person anymore, he wasn't going to be remembered like that. Holding a finger up to Dan before quickly getting up and ordering a drink, paying, then sitting back down. He'd look at the trio and feel his phone buzz.

To: LynLyn
i will ;)

He'd quickly text back before he'd idly look around. "I've been up to tons! Serving looks, getting better at my whole musical obsession. Got the whole part of Lafayette in Guns and Ships from Hamilton down pat. I hope the school does a different type of play this year....we need CLASSICS I'm tired of the no-name type shit we get every year. Mrs. Reyes and I will absolutely FIGHT,"
he ranted on before he would smile a bit. He'd shrug, few things he was passionate about. Fashion and Musical Theater were in the top two of that category. Sue him. There was something about being the center of attention, getting the lead role. It was immense pressure, but it was such a good type of pressure. He lived for that, and fashion had always been for him. Getting those stares and ogling eyes from men, and women alike. He lived to be a sight for sore eyes.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Karin Matsuo Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: Riley O'Hara Character Portrait: Derrick Matsuo
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image Image
R i l e y X| | XD a n

ImageImage

Outfits:
Here | | Here

#410045 | | #0C571B






XXXXRiley listened as Lyn typed something out on her phone, probably a text or two to people, and picked at the strings of her guitar. It reminded her that she hadn't talked to someone in a while. Someone she desperately missed.

To: Rick-Roll
Hey! Sorry I've been so absent. How are things? Want to come over? Lyn's here.


She had just hit send when Lyn responded to her question about the gym. Worry shot through her and she sat up quickly, looking her friend up and down for any signs of trauma. "Are you alright?" Her statement had been only about feeling sick after running, but Riley couldn't help her concern. Lyn had always been... a bit reckless. For all she knew it had been worse. "You don't have to kill yourself at the gym, you know?" She said as she laid back against her pillows, pulling her guitar onto her lap. "You're gorgeous just the way you are." She said it quietly, almost as if she didn't want Lyn to hear it. Almost.

She strummed a few cords and then, with more energy than she really felt, she started to play Bloodstream. It was a slightly more complicated song to play, but she liked the way it sounded. When she stopped, she looked up at her best friend. "What do you think? I only have the first verse and refrain done completely, but I think it's coming together." She smiled. Then she looked back down at her guitar, idly strumming. "So what do you want to do? We could invite Ricky over for some movies." She paused, knowing she was about to make a decision she would regret. "He could bring Karin."




XXXXDan was glad that Alex was doing well. Even if he missed seeing him at the theatre. He noticed someone coming up behind him and smiled softly. It was Blu. Dan wasn't unfriendly with the guy, but they weren't super close either. Something pained Dan at the brightness in Alex's eyes when he got sight of Blu. He certainly hadn't looked at him like that when he had walked up. In fact, Alex didn't have much of a reaction at all. Dan was beginning to feel uncomfortable here. Feeling like a third wheel. Thankfully Olive was also there and she probably felt just as awkward. So at least he wasn't alone.

Then Alex asked what they had been up to and Dan felt... better and worse at the same time. Better because the question meant Alex actually cared about the answer. Or at least, Dan thought he did. He felt worse because... he hadn't really been up to much else. Mainly trying to avoid his brother and working at the theatre. He tried to think of something, anything, to say that was more exciting but came up short so instead, he laughed awkwardly. "I haven't been up to much other than the theatre." He cleared his throat. "Oh but um... my brother is in town." His brother was well known by the people of their high school. He was charming and always the life of the party. He wasn't sure what their reactions would be or if they even cared, but it was something to talk about. Something that didn't completely have to do with him.

He looked down at his watch. He still had a good amount of time before he needed to be at work.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Alex Roberts Character Portrait: Lyn Montgomery Character Portrait: Blu Jameson Character Portrait: Riley O'Hara Character Portrait: olive paloma Character Portrait: Derrick Matsuo
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

xxALEXxROBERTS
═══════════════════════════
xxlocation: coffee shopxxxxxxxoutfit: here

Image

═══════════════════════════
xxx"never said that i would be your lover,
xxxnever said i would be your friend
xxxnever said that i would take no other
xxxbe your lover, never said."


Blu's gushing just made Alex smile despite himself. There was days when all Alex could see was the boy that had made his life hell, had laughed at his out-of-fashion clothes, had made Alex feel like he stood out far too much. And then there were days like this, when Alex was reminded of why their relationship was what it was. He liked people with enthusiasm, and it seeped out of Blu's every pore.

"Oh god, I'm glad I've finally escaped her constant pestering to get me to audition for something." he mused, sipping his coffee. "Alex, dah-ling, you'd make a truly wonderful Gaston!" He mimicked her attempts to get him to audition. "And somebody only added to it in my senior year. Almost like somebody let slip I have a half-decent singing voice," He remarked with a pointed look at Blu, raising an eyebrow. It had only been at the end of his junior year that Alex had the guts to stand up to Blu. That had resulted in them hooking up at a party. And, well, the rest was kind of history.

He smiled at Dan as he said that his brother was in town. "Oh man, that's awesome! The sadness of being an only kid, I'm all I got," he said with a shrug. "Still, guess I never had to share anything," he added. He wasn't going to say he didn't have to endure hand-me-downs, because most of his wardrobe had consisted of charity shop offcasts for years. He wasn't going to bring that up though. He fired off a quick text.

To: Derrick
yooo man where are you?? imma be back at work by the time you get here :P




LYNxMONTGOMERY
═══════════════════════════
location: riley's housexxxxxxxxxxxxoutfit: here

Image
═══════════════════════════
xxx"this is how it ends,
xxxi feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream
xxxfading out again
xxxso tell me when it kicks in."


Riley's comment asking if she was okay took Lyn aback a little, and it took her a minute to recover. She knew that Riley knew she used drugs, but her friend had no idea of how bad it had gotten, of how bad she had gotten. She smiled and shrugged a little. "Don't you worry about me, babes. I was just showing off to the gymbros, you know? I promise I don't make a habit of it. And after the past couple of weeks, I just had some stuff to work through as well. I'm fine. Promise," she said with a smile.

Her smile only grew as she watched and listened to Riley playing the guitar. Acoustic music wasn't her thing- she like stuff she could run to, stuff with a beat, stuff she could dance to to keep her heart rate up. But watching Riley play- she was reminded of how she'd first fallen for her. She nodded as Riley asked her. "It's awesome. Seriously, you're so talented. I picked up a guitar once and the strings broke. Literally, all of them. At once." She said with a laugh and a shrug. The mention of Derrick made her stomach clench a little, and it only tightened at the mention of Karin. But she covered it with a shrug. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea. But it's up to you, it's your house." Her stomach rumbled a little. "As long as there's food involved," she added with a laugh.