enderbaptista

[enderbaptista]

ender may have seemed confident on the surface, but it had taken a lifetime of acting to get her to that point. for the majority of the time, yes, she did feel like she was on top of the world, like she was the queen she claimed to be—but even the most confident women had their off days. perhaps that was why, despite her ambitions, ender remained in roswell, with the summer droughts drying her skin and the sand weighing down her hair. "i came to roswell for school. the classes here were awesome, and i thought coming to america would do me good—back then, stupid me, i just wanted to be in america. i didn't care where i ended up," and, when she had been used to the close proximity of france, it seemed as though new york and los angeles were only a stones throw away. oh, how wrong she was. slurping her drink, ender countered, "what about you? what's keeping you here in alien county? i mean, there must be something that's captured you."

[enderbaptista]

flora-summers​:

There was a hint of envy, or more so a desire, in Flora to seem as effortlessly flawless as Ender did. Or maybe it wasn’t so effortless after all. Flora wasn’t a jealous or even resenting person, not by far, yet she couldn’t help but wonder just how much it would take her to be like her. Either way, she didn’t really put much thought into these kinds of things, only when she was being confronted with them the way she was right now. “Balance,” she added with a broad grin before her brows raised with intrigue and she squinted, as if to envision the colors decorating her nails already. “I do love a pretty yellow,” she mumbled. “Or both - maybe they can do a little accent nail,” with that, Flora leaned in. “That’s what it’s called, right? I only ever painted my own nails and that never lasted long,” she admitted before she let her eyes scan over the almost overwhelming amount of options. “I think you’re right. I’ll go with that,” she announced almost proudly.

ender was a firm believer in faking it ‘til you made it. no, she didn’t feel like a million dollars all the time—she barely felt like ten bucks, if she was honest with herself—and yet she would drape herself in pearls and keep her chin held high. it wasn’t always easy; sometimes she needed to sit in front of her mirror, googling photos of rihanna or kim kardashian, and fill herself with positive affirmations that, one day, she’d be exactly like them. roswell wasn’t her forever. in ten years she would be up in the hamptons, enjoying morning runs with paris hilton, testing kylie’s lip-kits before anybody else. “accent nail! you got it, baby. i think that would look super cute. look, we’re getting somewhere!” her fingers splayed and rested against flora’s, as though she was imaging it, “we’re gonna have the prettiest hands in all of roswell.” seeing confidence flash over her friend’s face made ender’s chest swell. it took a lot to get in the woman’s good books but, once you were there, she would look out for you no matter what, always batting for your corner, always playing for your team. “so—what’s new with you, other than your gorgeous upcoming set of nails?”

[enderbaptista]

" you know , the disgusting guy with the weird accent . you must've seen him around . stinks of shit and grease , " and someone that ender wouldn't have been seen dead with if she didn't have to serve their kind at the crashdown . froggy and striker had a special corner booth reserved for whenever they turned up , one that was away from the families and easily wiped clean . fingers drumming against the table , she strained her pearl-burdened ears for the next question . ' what color of kryptonite is not harmful to superman ?? ' ender rolled her eyes , slapping against nate's bicep . " you're up , geek . "

nate watched, on the edge of his seat, as ender did her little processing thing. it was impressive when she produced the answer like a toaster popping out bread with a loud "ding!" he put pencil to paper and wrote down moonshine. "smelly cowboy... what? when was this?" of course his reply was a definite breach of "don't even ask," but saying that was like a call to get questions. "nice thinkin', tex," he mimicked in his best impression of dr. venkman of ghostbusters. he stayed silent as the quiz-master readied up for the next question.

[enderbaptista]

savannah smith via tiktok (2/15/2023)

[enderbaptista]

"you're right," she responded, holding her hand at arms length to admire the ovals of her nails. even between sessions she took good care of them, filing away any snags, patching up breaks with some gauze and superglue. if she was anything short of perfect it felt as though ender's world was set to fold in on itself. perhaps that was more an issue with herself than the environment in which she lived, but when had ender baptista ever taken responsibility for much of anything? "well, that's what i'm here for. you help me with the fashion, and i help you with everything else. that's what friends do. i think a pastel yellow would look amazing with your skin tone—it would really pop, and it's super spring-y. or a powder blue," ender pondered as she strained to imagine flora's fingertips painted, shiny under the april sun. the rainbow of nail polish sat above them on a thin shelf, taunting them with the options that seemed endless, spanning from an oil-slick black all the way to a donut-glaze pearl.

As out of place as Flora felt, she did appreciate the time she got to spend with Ender. She’d been excited when she asked her to come along and despite the slight nerves that were spreading through her gut, she would be fine once she was settled, even if it was a rather unusual way to spend her day off. With her brows raising in wonder, she couldn’t help but clap her hands in approval. “Yes! That’ll look so good,” she agreed before tilting her head. “No. Dark green all the way,” Flora confirmed once more as she nodded before she stilled and pondered. A dark forest green didn’t exactly scream spring after all. “Now that you say that though, maybe more of a sage green?” She offered. If there was one thing Flora was good at and in her element, it was colors. A frown replaced the excited expression on her features and she sighed. “I hope so. I mean, it’s not like this nail situation could get any worse,” she joked. “I’ve just never been good with this. Fashion is all I’m good at.”

[enderbaptista]

she knew it . she swore she knew it . ender's dark eyes flickered to the sky , searching the paths of her brain to the exact place she had stored such a snippet of information . with such a pretty exterior it was assumed that she was dumb — oh , how painfully far from the truth . the woman thought back to that strange , smelly cowboy she had encountered a few weeks back , reeking of something ... she had it . " moonshine !! " she hissed beneath the hubbub of the bar , tapping the paper for nate to write . with a scrunch of her nose , she added , " — don't even ask . "

"oh, i am just hoping and praying to the lord and savior, jesus christ, himself that we get a flag round," actually, nate was doing the exact opposite. he was asking whatever powers may be to give him anything but a flag round. "i think the first question is coming," nate held up his beer to gesture towards the quiz-master who spoke into the mic. "first round, folks, is all about alcohol," nate whooped as the quiz-master announced the topic, "the first question is an easy one... white whiskey is also known by its name 'blank?' what is the blank we're looking for here, folks?"

[enderbaptista]

tizirisadaoui​:

Despite the flirtation and offer for a pleasant end to their evening, not to mention the fact that she’d asked the other where else they might spend their time, the sudden sensation of fingers wrapping around her own is thoroughly unexpected. It’s an unusual event that someone is daring enough to lay a hand on her, an action that could come with dire consequences should it be undesired contact - as it usually was. It also came with the realization that Tiziri couldn’t recall the last time she’d experienced true physical contact, a warm touch that wasn’t the skilled hands of the brave doctors and nurses who had tended to her injuries despite her arguments. It’s an odd sensation, made only stranger by the smooth and unblemished skin of the younger woman, a stark contrast to hands worn and scarred from time spent truly earning her pay. It’s only her voice that draws Tiziri out of her trance, brings a breathy laughter rolling from her lips. It was no surprise, given Ender’s appearance and demeanor, that she would have no idea who the woman was, but the words only made it more apparent. “I’m afraid you don’t know me well enough, habiba. I have no heart to steal.” A statement that could easily be an act for the cameras, were there any around. Any who had gotten to see a behind the scenes of Tiziri Sadaoui became privy to the fact that theatrics were not a part of who she was, that the coldness displayed for the cameras and the fans was simply who she was, perhaps what made her so good at what she did. “Consider it a sabbatical from evenings of pleasure.” Perhaps the closest they’d get to the truth, a leave that’s reasoning’s were kept under careful lock and key. 

in a completely different vein to tiziri , ender was the touchy sort . she was the type to hold onto the arms of her friends , to kiss them goodbye , to take them hand in hand to get rid of creeps at the bar that wouldn’t take no as a no . it was alien to think not everybody was like that but , then again , she required constant reminders that not everybody’s life was exactly like hers . she had grown up in paris , one of the most beautiful cities in the world , with a face and body to match — on the surface tiziri appeared to have experienced the same . ender couldn’t have been more mistaken . “ well , no , i don’t , “ responded the woman , their fingers remaining knitted , “ i tried my best but you weren’t letting me get any information out of you other than you’re unlovable , that you’re mysterious , and that you’re not interested in me . what more is there to learn ?? “ there was a slight bitterness in her tone . ender had tried , had offered the same warmth , had shown a sisterly affection and kindness towards the stranger ; it was like pulling teeth trying to get that same tone reciprocated . how was she to know that tiziri’s heart had been closed for business for decades despite the endless softness , understanding and tenderness of one of roswell’s cowboys . maybe if she had known she would have been more sensitive but , from where ender was standing , she was wondering why she — as the most beautiful girl in the state ( unbiased , of course ) — had been point-blank rejected . “ do you even want to spend the evening with me , or are you gonna spend it all being mysterious ?? “ 

[enderbaptista]

“ sure . “ ender muttered , not believing his words for a minute . granted , she had felt a little silly walking into the public library and heading straight for the ‘ movies ‘ section , but the research had been fruitful once a pair of dark sunglasses had been donned as a disguise . although she was no longer in education , her entire life was stretched before her as one long opportunity to learn — it may not have been as high brow as keats and yeats , but knowledge was knowledge . thanking the adjudicator , each team was handed a sheet of paper for their answers . “ you better hope we get a flag round , then , “ teased ender with a wink , “ so you can show me your new talent , “

OH, SHIT. so ender had been doing the work nate had assigned; he thought it was just a quirky little optional piece of side work. "uh, jigsaw," nate cleared his dry throat with a sip of his beer. "well, i can't do the flag thing without pictures of them... obviously. so, you'll just have to take my word for it. i am now like the king of flags ." what he was, was a liar, liar pants on fire.

[enderbaptista]

her rouged lips pursed . as much as ender appreciated nate's company , she still wasn't used to having to mince her words . the woman was harshly transparent ; sometimes it was welcome , like when she would not-so-politely remind her friends that they had lipstick on their teeth or crumbs in their hair . squinting dark eyes , ender cast her gaze to the sky as she thought back to her deep-dive of bloody antagonists . " freddie krueger ... pinhead ... what's the puppet with the red spirals on his cheeks ?? puzzle ... face . "

"quizy bees is cute... i think..." he deflated inward a bit, having had his idea chastised. being a pun lover didn't mean that he could always win. he quickly puffed back up, perhaps it was the spirit of christina aguilera herself. "ain't no other team can stand in next to us!" he sang off-key from the chorus of ain't no other man. "uhhh... only if you tell me you've been memorizing your slasher villains?"

[enderbaptista]

she knew it wasn't flora's scene , but who else could she have wrangled ?? she knew nate wouldn't have sacrificed his hand for lacquer and glitter , and breanne was too used to rifling around in dirt — there was no use spending the money on a manicure only for it to be ruined within five minutes . flora was the obvious choice , even if it wasn't the typical choice for a weekend . “ i'm thinking a dark green , “ pondered the woman , her hand splayed , fingers outstretched , wiggling her knuckles in anticipation for the artwork . “ or maybe a pink . oh , i don't know , what do you think ?? i think i've cycled through every colour under the sun at this point . i want something bright for the spring , “ and to perk up a darkness that seemed unending . leaning over to flora , she tenderly took her hand and examined her butchered cuticles . “ oh , honey . i'm sure they'll be able to fix you right up . they won't be that bad , i'm sure ... i just have high standards , “ for her nails , her makeup , and just about everything in her life .

Flora, while usually very together, had to admit that she was rarely good at maintaining any and all beauty procedures she ever allowed herself to indulge in. Whether that was getting her eyebrows done or her nails, she suddenly felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her when Ender had reached out for a joined mani-pedi session. She was quick to agree though and beamed when she walked into the salon, finding Ender already settled in. She joined her and peeked curiously. “Of course! Did you decide on a color yet?” She asked, pulling a face. “It can’t get any worse than the state they’re in right now…I don’t know what I did but apparently it was bad,” she mumbled before leaning in. “You really think it’s going to be jacked up? I thought this place was one of the good ones,” Flora whispered, looking around as if to double check that no one eavesdropped.

[enderbaptista]

" you better , " and although the threat was spoken as a joke , ender's lips flattened once the words left her mouth . if breanne abandoned her in that hellhole she wasn't sure how long she would be able to keep dressing in those mint-green overalls , greeting customers with space puns and reading out the specials each week . " i swear they lace the coffee here with something . there's no other logical reason why we have so many returning customers when it tastes that shitty . it's cheap , sure , but i'd rather go bankrupt on nebula eatery cappuccinos than this rusty water . " ender's words continued in a flurry to hide the jealousy — if only she had the opportunity to break away from the crashdown , to find her feet and her freedom along with it .

“Unfortunately, yes, some day I’m going to have to say goodbye to Crashdown. I’m confident it will be left in good hands. Even if they aren’t good right now, they’ll get better.” The statement was both freeing and hurtful at the same time. The sheer freedom that would come with the financial freedom was so close, but that meant partially letting go of the friends here. “I’ll still stop by, though. I’ll just be probably at the table having coffee verses serving it. I’ll have to fill the Crashdown void somehow.”

[enderbaptista]

tizirisadaoui​:

It wasn’t hard to read, not so much disappointment as it was petulance. The girl masked it well — better, in fact, than most grown women and men whom Tiziri had declined in instances pass. The girl before her was a picture of refinement but it wasn’t enough to hide the sour note in her tone, brief but there, a turn down that she likely wasn’t used to and understandably so. Ten years prior and Tiziri would have possibly been the one trying to garner Ender’s attention, perhaps even ten months prior — such felt like an entire universe away, a person she could get to no better than Ender could. “I assure you that it has nothing to do with you.” The classic it’s not you, it’s me excuse, tied together with a sincerity in the gentleness of her tone that had yet to be displayed, that most people weren’t lucky enough to hear. “No one is going to have such a pleasure.” Dark orbs cast themselves to the space around them as if to verify her statement, evaluating the place that seemed beneath not only her. “Unless you wanted to get out of here in a…less suggestive way.” Boots take a teasing step backwards as her attention drifts back to the beauty before her, smirk indenting itself into her features. “I find it hard to believe this is the best way someone such as yourself spends an evening.” There were places her own presence would have been on a night such as this, places a part of her yearned to go back to and were she sure such wouldn’t come with too much recognition and attention called her way, she might have found herself dragging Ender there instead. Though perhaps the girl before her was more refined than Tiziri herself had been was, a step not hard to climb.

ender was no stranger to the technique , to brushing off potential suitors by blaming herself rather than them , and yet that didn’t make it sting any less . her rouged lips twisted as she listened to the woman speak ; slowly , though , her defences fell , and she returned to her default position of supporting women’s rights and women’s wrongs . there had been many a time where her own legs had been closed for business . ender , although enjoying a mindless hookup on occasion , liked to be intellectually stimulated as much as she did sexually , and found that wasn’t always an easy box to tick . especially when it came to the alien-obsessed roswell natives . “ i can appreciate a woman who knows her worth . “ was her response once her shoulders fell and she relaxed . the temptation of somewhere else , of something shinier , was all too much to bear , and so with a quick swig ender’s drink was consumed and she hopped off the barstool , taking her only opportunity to take ahold of tiziri’s hand to be lead from the fluorescence of the establishment . “ there are many better ways to spend an evening , but even if we can’t run off into a bathroom stall and get to know each other’s bodies , i’m intrigued to know your mind a little more . tell me , what kind of man — or woman — could’ve stolen your heart tonight ?? “ for herself , she would have settled for very little . with celebrity crushes like halsey and michael b jordan the woman’s standards were sky-high ; roswell’s letchers didn’t stand a chance . “ you must have pretty high standards if even i can’t break though the walls . i mean , i’m a solid ten . “ confidence had never been in short supply when it came to ender baptista . 

[enderbaptista]

" maybe that's exactly what i'm looking for . i mean , be serious , when have i ever not done something i said i was going to do ?? even if you did try and talk me out of it , i would go ahead and pack my bags anyway , " ender would have talked the ear off of anyone ; it just so happened that lyra was the one next to her that afternoon . " maybe i'd go back to paris — oh , girl , it was so beautiful . from my old apartment i could see the eiffel tower from my bedroom . super romantic , " and yet there were countless other places that she felt she belonged above roswell , new mexico . " or new york . or los angeles . " it was all too good to be true .

“If you’re searching for someone to convince you not to run, you’re talking to the wrong girl.” There was a large change that no one, at the least in their immediate vicinity, would better understand the deep seated urge need to start a new life than Lyra herself did. The circumstances between the two may have been different, she didn't claim to know Ender enough well enough to make such a claim, but in her mind, they also didn’t matter, not nearly as much as one’s happiness. “Where would you go?”

[enderbaptista]

breannesamaya​:

“Eh, you work with what you got. Graveyard shifts leave me with a lot of time. Also, college is bad for dangling overarching goals in front of my face. Did they expect me not to pull it off?” A lowkey reference to how hard she worked to get that early internship. Leaving room in her senior year for some time to herself. “I’d do it again too, I’d have to think about it, but I would opt to do the internship early for more free time senior year.”

“ well , i don’t envy you . i can’t think of anything worse than answering questions about dirt and getting my manicure all messed up scrabbling around looking for rocks . “ but ender didn’t envy herself , either , stuck in a dead-end job that made her miserable and left little time for her pursuit of something better . “ does that mean we’re going to lose you soon ?? “ she questioned regarding the internship , “ because i don’t know if i can grab all those tables by myself in a single shift and , as much as i like the new girl , she’s hopeless . “ 

[enderbaptista]

solar flare salon ! ( closed for — @flora-summers​​​​ )

she still wasn’t over the fact that her favorite nail artist wasn’t available , but that didn’t stop ender from texting her friend that morning , asking whether flora was free for a mani-pedi and a spa session on one of her few days off . she was already reclined in one of the stations when she saw the other approaching , and a freshly polish-less hand raised to wave and grab her attention . “ thanks for keeping me company . i’m terrified one of the other nail artists is gonna fuck up my design , but i don’t have much of a choice . at least we’ll be walking around with jacked up manicures together . that’s solidarity for you . “

[enderbaptista]

Women in STEM (spreading rumors, telling lies, exaggerating, and misinformation)

[enderbaptista]

ender's lips twisted into a smirk . once again she had one the contest of naming their team — she would take that as a warm up , something to brace herself for the inevitable win later that evening . " quizy bees !! " the woman snickered , " oh , nate — and this is why we always go with my ideas . i can feel the spirit of x-tina filling my soul with good vibes . " slurping at her drink , the woman then spoke : " please tell me you've been memorising your flags . "

"quizteama aguilera? you know i'm a sucker for a good pun! i'll take it," he scribbles down the name across the card. "i was gonna suggest 'the quizy bees,' like busy bees. but, i think that x-tina will give us a bit more luck tonight."