#₊˚⊹ ᰔ 𑂅 ⸻ › 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 ﹠ 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮.

[slickvinyl]

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 : @wistvale. ╱ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 + 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮. ⊱ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆ヾ.

                           "fresh to def, she is. from her steps to her set, she is. so death might not let me live. ya dig? fresh, yes, she is." the lyrics from sunshine left her lips as kel slid off the counter before holding up lupe fiasco's 'food & liquor' vinyl. "for someone with good music taste... i figured i'd school you a lil' bit... so, did i blow you away or what?"

[slickvinyl]

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ for @wistvale.. ╱ based on :ヾ.

“i'm a movement by myself... but i'm a force when we're together.”

[slickvinyl]

💌 @wistvale.

[slickvinyl]

💌 @wistvale.

[slickvinyl]

markel watched her eyes look every which way but directly at hers ⸻ it was obvious that someone was equally nervous, although had it been anyone else in the store, their number would've been in her pocket within thirty minutes... not that she was a player, she wasn't... but most of the women she'd met since she was about eighteen had always made it their mission to get her attention. but if you were to set her up with some random femme from northeast dc, she'd have a straitjacket on by now... she put the vinyl back before reaching for the glass cleaner and a rag. "wait, avenue? really? either you just ended things wit' your nigga or you have a thing for emotionally vulnerable sad artists..." was she assuming that sienna had a nigga? yes, 'cause most of the girls she met usually had a ring or a man at home...

she'd spray the counter, wiping it off ever so lightly ⸻ although her eyes trailed up to meet sienna's within seconds as she gave her a warm smile. "so, erykah and mac...? yeah, you've got a unique sound to you. shit, music for me? it's gotta stand for somethin'... but the oldies, though... anita baker, isley brothers, al green... that's where you'll find me if i'm not listening to jill scott, alex isley, sir, frank ocean." she chuckled, noticing that sienna was getting flustered. "no, i ain't gon' bite your head off for that comment, because it's real. must has to stand for something, you know? that's why i like working here, sure my shift is slow as fuck from time to time.... but i can learn people from their music taste... and you're perspective-driven."

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 : @wistvale. ╱ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 + 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮. ⊱ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆ヾ.

                           "fresh to def, she is. from her steps to her set, she is. so death might not let me live. ya dig? fresh, yes, she is." the lyrics from sunshine left her lips as kel slid off the counter before holding up lupe fiasco's 'food & liquor' vinyl. "for someone with good music taste... i figured i'd school you a lil' bit... so, did i blow you away or what?"

[slickvinyl]

"applying pressure is second nature for me when it comes to being around someone i find myself enamored by..." markel replied, although she knew deep down in her heart that part of her was trying to contain her nerves. "call me old school, but i kinda wanna burn a CD and give it to you... i'm sure you can find a CD player somewhere, they ain't all outta style and shit..." she wasn't the type to do the whole hbcu thing, or the college thing in general ⸻ so she was trying her hardest to impress this girl. it was easier said than done, consider that she hardly knew anything about sienna; her coworker always referred to her as 'the lowkey 90s fine baddie who stays checkin' for you', but that wasn't enough intel for her to go off of.

"sienna," she repeated as she let her name roll off the tongue slowly... what? it was an acquired taste, to her at least. "it's nice to meet you, i'm markel..." she'd say, although her name tag probably gave that away weeks ago; she was so glad that india and michael weren't with her, 'cause they would've been judging her real bad. "see, now you just tryin' to gas the kid up, aren't ya? well, just so you know ⸻ it's working... i'm lowkey plottin' my next magic trick as we speak..."

no she wasn't, but that was enough convincing she could do not to back out of trying to shoot her shot. "oh shit, not you makin' me blush now..." she was fighting the smile that appeared on her lips, although that was impossible. "you massagin' my hand or sum', 'cause i literally use shea butter and lotion..."

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 : @wistvale. ╱ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 + 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮. ⊱ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆ヾ.

                           "fresh to def, she is. from her steps to her set, she is. so death might not let me live. ya dig? fresh, yes, she is." the lyrics from sunshine left her lips as kel slid off the counter before holding up lupe fiasco's 'food & liquor' vinyl. "for someone with good music taste... i figured i'd school you a lil' bit... so, did i blow you away or what?"

[slickvinyl]

there a perk to being a music enthusiast because this beautiful girl was enjoying their conversation and this was the most she's ever said to a complete stranger while on the job; girls love it when you don't come off on some bullshit, and you keep things real. "yeah, i mean i was burnin' cds in middle school wit' my hp computer and helping my cousins make those little rubber bands bracelets with for their crushes. so i guess i know a thing or two about how to make a lady feel special..." please, she was making those cds to be delusional over the crushes she got on pretty ass classmates that never looked her way. if you thought she was really out here trying, you thought wrong. "okay, no bullshit... i never actually gave those cds out to those girls at school, i kinda kept them for the duration of my crush until one liked me back and actually listened to it. but for you? i'll take all the time in the world necessary to curate our future wedding mixtape..." damn, lesbians move fucking fast ⸻ 'cause how the hell was she already planning their wedding and she'd just gotten her name like 2.5 minutes ago..

"walkman? ayoooo, you definitely a rare gem. shit, i can't lie, that's actually one of the sweetest things i've ever heard... you're different, that's a good thing. i hope you come back though and keep me company, 'cause i like the direction our conversations go... and if you're serious about burnin' me one in return... i'll make sure i go home and start working on yours expeditiously."

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 : @wistvale. ╱ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 + 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮. ⊱ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆ヾ.

                           "fresh to def, she is. from her steps to her set, she is. so death might not let me live. ya dig? fresh, yes, she is." the lyrics from sunshine left her lips as kel slid off the counter before holding up lupe fiasco's 'food & liquor' vinyl. "for someone with good music taste... i figured i'd school you a lil' bit... so, did i blow you away or what?"

[slickvinyl]

"hollllonnnnnnn. say what? shit, what you know 'bout floetry and toni?" she blurted out, poking a minor jab at sienna being a college junior; she knew that her birthday was somewhere between june or july because of her co-worker, which would be easy for her to remember as a fellow cancer herself. "aren't you a lil young to have a soul as old as that."

she couldn't help but chuckle when sienna referred to her as dangerous, because for most people ⸻ that was fairly true. "whoa there sunshine, you callin' me dangerous? if that's the case, you must be lethal." she smirked, biting down on her lower lip. why was it so easy to flirt on the job? but had she like asked to hang out outside of byrdlands, kel would've paused and gone into an overthinking spiral.

"well sienna, it looks like we can start looking at apartments, booking flights, ring sizes, allat 'cause the way it's looking right now... we're like soulmates in a past life. lemme see how much it would cost for solange to perform at the official proposal," she finished with her signature smile, soon to follow.

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 : @wistvale. ╱ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 + 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮. ⊱ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆ヾ.

                           "fresh to def, she is. from her steps to her set, she is. so death might not let me live. ya dig? fresh, yes, she is." the lyrics from sunshine left her lips as kel slid off the counter before holding up lupe fiasco's 'food & liquor' vinyl. "for someone with good music taste... i figured i'd school you a lil' bit... so, did i blow you away or what?"

[slickvinyl]

kel could've kept a straight face, but the way sienna had unintentionally applied pressure ⸻ this girl literally was about to make her fold; sienna was bad, she was pressure, and she had a good head on her shoulders. the sapiosexual in kel was enlightened and she could only imagine what their conversations outside of work would be like. and the mention of a date? well, that got her. she was back in her natural state of socially awkwardness ⸻ because what the absolute hell? this girl had her and that hadn't even kissed; she was ready to turn over ALL HER NONEXISTENT HOES, even the dust bunnies on the ceiling waiting for her at home. "you... you just said a real date?" she pointed to herself, almost in complete shock. "like, deadass? 'cause i've been dreaming about this moment in my head... and i was tryna ask you out.... but... fuck it, let's go on a real date. i ain't gon' get weird on you, we locked in now... and uh, you're welcome. i'm just glad i'm part of the reason you show up."

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 : @wistvale. ╱ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 + 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮. ⊱ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆ヾ.

                           "fresh to def, she is. from her steps to her set, she is. so death might not let me live. ya dig? fresh, yes, she is." the lyrics from sunshine left her lips as kel slid off the counter before holding up lupe fiasco's 'food & liquor' vinyl. "for someone with good music taste... i figured i'd school you a lil' bit... so, did i blow you away or what?"

[slickvinyl]

markel saw something special in this woman, even if she wasn't able to put her finger on it yet; she knew that she had a good head on her shoulders and a plan in motion; that was her type, actually. goal-oriented black women with ambition, security, stability, and drive. this was their like, what? third run-in at byrdlands? and none of them had ever really kept up a conversation the way that they were doing right now.

when sienna mentioned there was no man in her life, a sigh of relief came over her; it was more so because had she misjudged their previous interactions and used fantasy as a way to piece the story together, she would've been butthurt. "aight, aight... y'all ⸻ she say she don't do niggas, my bad." she threw her hands up playfully in defense as she licked her lips ever so slighty. "i'm just fuckin' wit' you... i gotta laugh on the job to keep from complaining about my feet hurting... but that's good to know, actually. i wasn't assuming or anything, nah. that ain't even like me, but i will say that whoever your future wife is... she better come correct with her music selection."

she smirked, clasping her hands together as she looked over at her howard bisons sweatshirt. "i gotta come correct when i'm engaging in conversation with a bison, y'all are elite territory... and fine as hell," she'd add before finally finishing up the counter. "i mean, a beautiful black woman with good music taste is hard to find in today's generation... whoever gets you next better know how to keep you." she'd walk from around the counter, eventually mustering enough courage to extend her hand. "and who might this beautiful black woman be?"

── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 : @wistvale. ╱ 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝗹 + 𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗮. ⊱ 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆ヾ.

                           "fresh to def, she is. from her steps to her set, she is. so death might not let me live. ya dig? fresh, yes, she is." the lyrics from sunshine left her lips as kel slid off the counter before holding up lupe fiasco's 'food & liquor' vinyl. "for someone with good music taste... i figured i'd school you a lil' bit... so, did i blow you away or what?"