nephoetisms

[nephoetisms]

"Not that bad, but still kind of bad?" He asked, a playful smile on his lips. He knew that in the fashion world, and even in the world of celebrities, it was kind of frowned down upon to not be invested in the clothing that one put on their back. However in Semaj's eyes, as long as it fit and it was comfortable, he was satisfied. "You're welcome, bro. How'd you come up with the idea?"

truth be told, abel really wasn't that surprised but for semaj's sake they feigned surprise. it's what they'd want someone to do if the roles were reversed - not that abel would let themselves be in that position. "it's not that bad," abel chuckled. "thanks," abel smiled, "i spent a lot of time on it."

[nephoetisms]

"FOMO's a bitch, ain't it?" Semaj had to admit that he was a chronic FOMO experiencer. He hated to miss out on opportunities and events, if only because he didn't want to feel excluded or skip out on the chance to hang out with his friends - or make new friends. He'd been lucky enough to spot a few of his friends that night, Shayla being the latest of the bunch. "Better late than never though, right? At least this is a fashion event - you can say you're being fashionably late."

The football player glanced down at his outfit for the evening. It was something that his team had outsourced to a reputable fashion consultant, so he could only assume that it was decently put together. And the compliments he had gotten on it only proved that to be true. "Thanks, Shay. Pfft, you still look great. Even if you're not exactly abiding by the dress code." He draped an arm around her shoulder in a friendly gesture, smiling towards the cameras.

"Smile pretty - don't let these people think I'm holding you hostage," he joked.

"it's better late than never, which came to a very close second by the way. i thought if i'm gonna skip most of the event why not skip the whole thing? but i know myself and i would've had fomo." plus it was a hard to miss this kind of event.

she was just glad that she showed up entirely too late to really have most of the photographers see the type of outfit she had on. which was sorry to say, was not part of the theme at all. still, she felt at ease when she spotted semaj, he was always someone she felt secure around. it made her forget about the nerves she was going through.

"of course! you look great by the way. me on the other hand, totally off brand so i'm sure you'll hear all about it later on tiktok on how disappointing i was." not that she mind it, people can say whatever they want about her but right now, next to semaj, she didn't care on bit.

[nephoetisms]

"Not at all," he answered honestly. He had begun to believe that no one apart of his management and PR team knew either, because no one would or could give him a straight answer, even when he was asking them as he got dressed before arriving there. Semaj had long since given up hope on finding out the true meaning behind the event. Mikayla's explanation made him hum under his breath, cocking his head to the side. "Ah, so that's why I had to drop bands to show up here, huh? Makes sense.. I guess they gotta get their funding from somewhere, right?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah? I'm happy to learn it with you too. We can figure this shit out together. You know what? I think this is the start of a great friendship."

mikayla turns to look at the other as they speak, their head tilting to the side as she takes in jalen's demeanor and questions. a quick quirk of her eyebrows and a small chuckle leaves her lips " you came this far and no one told you what you were attending ? " mikayla smiles and brings herself closer to the other so she could lay it out for him. " this is a fundraiser, my friend, that seat you have at the table is extremely expensive and helps to fund the met's costume institute. and is also the opening night for this year's exhibit. so that's the point of this whole thing. " she explains quickly and leans back " now, as for what one does in here, i have absolutely no clue. this is a first for me, so i assume that's it, dress up, show up, eat, dance, have a tour of the exhibit and end ? regardless, i'm happy to learn it with you. "

[nephoetisms]

Semaj knew by that point that there wasn't any logic in trying to argue with Jalen when it came to the topic at hand. He would always think the absolute world of him and his physical appearance. And it wasn't like he could really blame him, Semaj would be a hypocrite if he tried. He did the exact same thing. Although he believed he had reason to. Jalen might not see how great he was, but Maj could. "You know what? I ain't even gonna try to talk sense into you. I could be wearing sweatpants and tank top and you'll still think I'm dressed for some GQ photoshoot." He playfully rolled his eyes at him.

The hand running along his shoulder and upper arm almost made him shiver from the contact. His boyfriend never failed to set him ablaze with just one touch. And he wasn't ashamed to admit that. He'd scream it from the rooftops if he could. And he'd be able to one day. Something he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to do when they were finally able to show their love to the world. "If I did that, I'd be standing here with ya fine ass all night. Not that I actually mind that.. You're the most beautiful thing in here. Fuck all these designs and the exhibit. The real art is standing in front of me."

He knew the answer before he even asked the question, but it still brought a smile to his face. Semaj loved the fact that Jalen wanted to spend time with him as much as he did. "Bet. I'll text you when I'm leaving. I have to leave with Paris, but I'm going straight home afterwards." He frowned a bit. He enjoyed Paris' company as a friend, she was a great friend after all, but it left a bad taste in his mouth knowing that he had to pretend to be with someone else when his heart had already been claimed. "Just some guy that puts on a Jersey? Boy.. If you don't shut that noise up right now. You're an amazing player, and you deserve to be here just as much as I do. Don't ever say anything like that ever again, you hear me?"

"I ain't full of it, I'm telling you the truth, Cap... you look great. Really fuckin' great." Jalen had his own eye out for anyone who could be listening, but most of his attention was focused on Semaj. He knew how to lay low, he'd done plenty of flirting when he and Maj were in public when they were in college, after all, and he knew when he could speak and when he had to keep his mouth shut. He'd gotten good at figuring out the feeling of people's eyes and ears on him. He and Semaj were fine - at least for now.

Jalen bit his lip to try to hold back a smile as Semaj ran his eyes over his body. "Go on, then, compliment me more, why don't you?" he teased affectionately, running his hand over Semaj's shoulder and down his bicep for just a second before letting it drop, both hands sliding into his pockets to resist the urge to touch any more than he already had - he didn't want to risk drawing that extra attention that no one was paying them at the moment.

"Fuck yes, I wanna come over tonight," he agreed, no hesitation at all. That sounded like the best way to end any night, in Jalen's book. "Please. You're the one of us that could be a model. All on the cover of Men's Fitness or whatever." Jalen didn't know much about magazines, but he knew the few that he'd done shoots for. "I don't think every model out there gets invited to this, though. Like... this is a big-deal thing. That's why I'm not sure why I'm here. You - it makes more sense. One of the biggest quarterbacks in the world, and you were just traded to New York, they'd want you here. But me? I'm just some guy who puts on a jersey on Sundays."

[nephoetisms]

"Hm." Angel hummed under her breath as she considered the other's words. It wasn't what she had asked, but she could see where she was coming from. And honestly, she didn't really care about the glitz and glamor of it all. She just wanted to make it through the night without a hitch. She didn't want to be apart of the world she had been thrust into, but she was balls deep in it and it was too late to turn back now. Especially since it obviously had started to seep into her brain. "I appreciate the advice. Not really what I asked, but I'll keep it in mind." She placed the compact mirror back into her bag. "My goal for the night? Oh, that's easy; to not have any embarrassing pictures taken of me." She snorted out a laugh. "And yours?"

          "can i tell you something?"   will lean forward conspiratorially,  pink tendrils of hair brushing against the apple of her cheeks,  which is overlayed with yet another rosy shade of blush.  paige is a daughter of the screen,  of social media,  someone who has had the camera on her from the day she opened her eyes and took her first breath.  a girl who had the means to do something and yet chose  ...  influencing and singing was her choice of time spent.  with the occasional cameo.  "it's all in how you carry yourself, who cares if it's looks alright."   she shrugs,  leans back and surveys the other.  sure,  she'd choose different choices;  but she's not angelina and angelina is not her.  so the point was simply moot.   "besides, it depends on what your goal for the night is, anyways."

[nephoetisms]

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. I mean my ego and pride are both a little bruised right now, but I'll make a full recovery." She held up one hand while the other pressed over her heart. "Scout's honor." She was just hoping that no one had snapped a picture of her falling. She had made it inside of the gala, but there were still a lot of photographers and such around. Angelina would be mortified if she ended up on the front page of tabloids and all over TMZ for tripping at one of the biggest events of the year. "I'll try my best," She deadpanned, although the look on her face gave away that she wasn't seriously annoyed by his advice. "Eh, close. Angelina. Or Angel." She held out her hand towards him. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

as soon as dean was done with all the photo op on the red carpet , he nods his head politely and flashes a boyish grin at the people behind the cameras and the staff a thank you as he leaves . “ finally . ” he whispers to himself as he let out a sigh of relief , then realizes that he was holding his breath out there . he cannot hold his breath for about thirty seconds , let alone for a minute or two . but he did , tried his very best to not show any signs of uncomfortable and won 't look stiff and awkward in the photos . standing in front of many people and the cameras makes him anxious . dean is not a celebrity , so he 's still not used to all of this . he doubts he would , though .

making his way to the other side of the red carpet , he catches a glimpse of a woman who was about to fall down on her face . before he knew it , dean already got a hold of the woman . thanks to his body 's swift response of the situation . “ are you alright ? ” he asks , tone laced with worry . dean quickly and subtly looks at the woman 's face then at the dress , assuming that the reason why she almost fell was because of what she wears . “ be careful next time . ” he says , catching his self off guard at her question . “ i am him , yes . ” he smiles , suddenly feeling all shy . he 's no celebrity himself so he still gets a little flustered skeptical when people know him and says so to his face . dean looks at the woman again and a sense of vague familiarity hit him . “ angela , right ? ”

[nephoetisms]

Although Angelina would be the last to admit it, she was pretty overwhelmed by the whole Met Gala business. There was so many people there, some many people that wanted to talk to her and take pictures of and with her. It was starting to get to her, even though she was putting on a brave front and trying to act like it wasn't. Just as she was on her way to find a place to hide out for a few moments, she heard a voice calling out to her. "Huh? Oh!" She reached for the piece that had fell from the bottom of her dress, clicking her tongue against her teeth. "I told them this wouldn't stay on all night," she grumbled under her breath, before offering the other a smile. "Thank you. You saved me from getting chewed out by my team."

[      CLOSED  STARTER      ]          ››          @nephoetisms  .

WHO :  lari  &  angelina

WHERE :  the  met  gala  ,  great  hall

          the  frenzy  of  flashing  strobe  lights  and  yelling  dissipates  almost  immediately  after  setting  foot  inside  the  museum  .  lari  can’t  help  but  let  out  a  breath  they  weren’t  aware  they  were  holding  .  head  turns  up  to  admire  the  decor  .  it’s  clear  that  red  is  the  focal  point  for  tonight  .  eyes  wander  before  landing  on  something  on  the  floor  .  they  quicken  their  pace  and  in  one  fell  swoop  ,  pick  up  the  fallen  item  .  they  look  up  ,  figuring  the  item  might  belong  to  the  person  in  front  of  them  .  “  hey  !  ”  quickly  catches  up  to  the  other  .  “  i  think  you  might’ve  dropped  this  ?  ”  holds  up  the  item  in  question  .

[nephoetisms]

Angelina chuckled under her breath, shaking her head a little bit. The paparazzi and photographers were definitely inconveniencing her, but it had very little to do with the fact that they were asking for pictures of her and Freya. It was more so the fact that she had to have her pictures taken in the first place that bothered her. But of course she couldn't say that in front of them. "Oh, not at all. Besides, it'd be an honor to take photos with you. I'm a big fan of your music." The last part wasn't a lie at all. She did really like the other's music. Had been a fan of hers for quite some time. Her smile brightened at the compliment. "Thank you! You look gorgeous. Although that's to be expected from you," she praised, getting into a proper pose next to Freya; and seconds later the camera flashes were going crazy.

freya  all  but  zones  out  as  she  walks  through  the  sea  of  people  shouting  her  name,  she  has  been  through  this  plenty  of  times  before  to  do  whatever  it  was  needed  all  the  while  tuning  out  the  blinding  lights  and  the  unwanted  things.  her  features  locked  into  a  smile  as  she  posed,  she  saw  the  other  approaching  her  but  didn't  pay  her  no  mind,  there  was  a  lot  of  overlapping  in  these  instances  anyway.  but  she  spoke  and  freya  had  barely  caught  the  the  end  of  her  words,  she  shakes  her  head  to  tune  back  in  when  realized  she  had  been  asked  a  question  and  let  out  a  laugh  "  oh,  "  the  woman  stretches  her  arm  out  to  invite  the  other  in  "  sure  sure,  we  can  take  pictures  together,  are  they  inconveniencing  you  for  it  ?  "  she  chuckles  and  takes  position  "  you  look  great  by  the  way.  ''  turns  face  from  the  camera  to  offer  a  smile  to  her  new  company.  

[nephoetisms]

"Yeah, it's my first gala.. Not really sure why I'm here if I'm going to be completely honest with you. I'm not really well known in the fashion world.." Semaj had graced the cover of magazines before, but it was for sports related things, not fashion. "It's a good time, I suppose.. Not really the the type of party I usually attend though. How about you? You having a good time?"

(   ❝ 𝓼.   //   starter for @nephoetisms  )

"so this is your first met gala, huh?" simone had been seated at the same table as semaj, one of the biggest quarterbacks in the sports industry. she didn't keep up with football that much, her not really being all that invested in sports - but with his face being splashed across magazines and social media it was no surprise that she knew who he was. "are you having fun?"

[nephoetisms]

Semaj usually wasn't all that great when it came to accepting compliments and the like, but it was even worse when the compliments came from Jalen. They made his heart flutter, his chest tighten and the palms of his hands get sweaty; but in the best possible way. Jalen was overwhelming in every good way possible, and Semaj found himself unable to resist falling for his charms. The way he seemed to speak every thought that entered his mind without. filter, the way he complimented and loved him - it just showed that he was just as crazy about Semaj as the older male was for him.

"You're full of it," he chuckled under his breath, trying his best to brush off the compliment without getting too flustered. He tried to keep an eye out for any wandering eyes or ears listening in, but it seemed as though everyone was in their own little worlds, just like the two of them were in their own. His hand fell away from the small of his boyfriend's back, not wanting to bring attention to their close contact. There was nothing he wanted more than to wrap his arms around Jalen and hold him close. But, for obvious reasons, that wasn't possible.

"Now that's a sight I'd pay to see," he joked, laughing under his breath. "If I'm a meal, you must be the appetizer, the entree and the dessert. Your fine ass.." Maj's gaze raked over him one more time, slowly taking in his physique all over again while he licked his lips, before finally meeting his eyes again. His expression softened a bit, eyes expressing the fondness and affection he held for Jalen. "Do you want to come over tonight?" He asked softly, a sweet smile on his face. "Have you seen yourself? You could be a model if you weren't a football player. You deserve to be here."

Jalen knew how to pose for cameras - it was easier to do so in his pads and uniform, filming hype videos for social media and the jumbotron in the stadium, but he could keep a smile on his face and hold still on red carpets like this one, too. Once he got inside, though, he found himself far more relaxed than he had on the steps the moment before. He wasn't really sure where he was supposed to go, what he was supposed to do - hell, he wasn't sure why he'd been invited to this in the first place, but here he was.

When he spotted Maj, though, his eyes lit up. "You look fucking gorgeous," he whispered, as if saying it any louder would break the illusion that Semaj was there. He wanted to kiss him, wanted to put his hands on the lapels of his jacket, to hold him, touch him, be his, but Jalen knew better. There were crowds that he felt more comfortable in - if he and Semaj were walking down the street of the West Village, maybe. Where people were both more openly queer and less likely to recognize football players. But here, where they were both more their names than their personalities? It was scary, for Jalen. Nevertheless, he trusted Semaj to know when they were truly alone - this was less anxiety-inducing than their make out sessions in the Ohio State locker room had been.

"Please, you know my stylist would kick my ass if I didn't show up lookin' my best," he joked, a fond smile on his face. "You..." he whistled under his breath. "You're a whole-ass meal in that." Seeing Semaj in formal attire was something Jalen would never get enough of, especially in contrast to how he'd gotten to know him - sweaty and in athletic gear, or in uniform. "I missed you, too..." It hadn't even been 24 hours since they'd seen each other, but Jalen was still missing him enough to make up for the eight years they'd gone apart. "Can't believe I got an invite to this thing - I think they might've put my name on the list on accident."

[nephoetisms]

"They must be. I for one have no idea how I even made the roster to this thing. Maybe someone in the fashion world is checking for me?" He couldn't help but laugh at his own statement and how preposterous it was. Semaj was by no means a fashionisto, so he wasn't sure what it was about him that made him good enough for an invite, but he was flattered nonetheless. "Count me in for that. This baby food ain't filling whatsoever."

starter for @nephoetisms

"Well, well..." She cleared her throat as she approached from behind. Malika stood with her arms crossed and a playful grin on her face. "They really letting just anybody in here now, huh? Security must be slacking." she teased her brother with a laugh. It was comforting to see a familiar presence in a not as familiar setting. "Not gonna lie though... drunk me will probably be hitting shake shack on the way home after this."

[nephoetisms]

"My apologies - I'm not well versed in the art of revenge dresses, so you'll have to excuse my heinous mistake." He chuckled under his breath. "You can't wear pink? Why?"

"no, it's not a revenge dress, i'm not showing nearly enough skin. they just told me i couldn't wear a pink dress, which is unfortunate, really." @nepofmstarters

[nephoetisms]

「 ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ @endcredt 」

"Oh shit man, my fault."

Usually Semaj was a little bit more on point when it came to being aware of his surroundings and staying on top of what was happening around him, but with the alcohol he had drank slowly working its way through his system, his guard was lowered a bit. He hadn't even noticed that the other male had been reaching for the same chalice of wine he'd grab just seconds before the other could take it. And when he did realize, he immediately apologized.

"You can have this, I'll find another waiter or something to grab one from. My bad."

[nephoetisms]

「 ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ @delicatlueur 」

"Holy shit bro, that's a fire ass 'fit."

Semaj didn't know much about fashion, nor did he really care about fashion all that much, but he did love movies and all things horror and thriller, so it wasn't that difficult for him to piece together what fictional horror character Joey's outfit had been inspired by. A movie that used to terrify him as a child, but he had grown up to love and adore. "You did the damn thing, man. I love Hannibal Lector." He reached out to politely clap him on the shoulder, not really considering or paying attention to his own strength. "How'd you come up with it?"

[nephoetisms]

「 ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ @wcrstbehaviior 」

"Yeah, I'm going to be completely honest with you - I didn't really pick this outfit out. I actually had no idea what to do with the whole theme thing. Usually I'm just used to throwing on a suit and showing up at whatever event it was that I was invited to.. Which sounds bad when I say it out loud.."

Semaj had a few drinks in him, so he was a little bit more talkative than he usually was. Thankfully though, the person he was chatting it up with didn't seem to really mind. Or at least, in his slightly tipsy mindset, they didn't seem to mind. "You look great though - did you put that together yourself?"

[nephoetisms]

「 ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ @shaylafm 」

"Well, look who decided to show up here."

He didn't bother to hold back his smile when he spotted Shayla, approaching her on the carpet when he noticed that she wasn't particularly busy having her picture taken or talking to one of the several dozen news publications that had shown up that night. He definitely wasn't that surprised to see her there, but it was still a pleasant sight. Being the sociable person that he was, Semaj always enjoyed seeing his friends anytime he could. He picked up his head a bit when he heard one of the photographers call their names, before nodding towards the cameras pointed towards them.

"May I humbly ask you to pose for some pictures with me?" He asked playfully.

[nephoetisms]

「 ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ @nycbagcls 」

"Hmm.. Don't you look amazing."

Without cameras catching every move they made once they entered the actual event and were away from photographers and paparazzi, Semaj didn't hesitate to seek out Jalen. Even though he and Paris had arrived together to feed into the PR relationship that had been concocted after their first and only date, his main focus of the night had been tracking the other male down after he spotted him getting a few pictures taken on the red carpet. And when he finally found him alone, he didn't hesitate to make his move.

"Although I ain't really surprised.. You could've showed up in a trash bag and I'd think you were the finest person here." He took a moment to glance around their surrounding area before gently placing his hand on the small of his back. "I missed you," he murmured softly, his smile lessening a bit. They'd just seen each other the night before, but that still felt like it was too far away."