professorarlo - Tumblr blog

[professorarlo]

Arlo couldn't help but appreciate the way Logan's smile danced on the edge of her lips, a delicate play of emotions that hinted at a more intricate story. Arlo was never one to pry especially with someone he just met, so he left it alone. He leaned in, matching her gaze with a playful twinkle in his eyes. "Well, I'm honored to be part of the 'boom' that brought you back into the saddle," he responded, a hint of flirtation in his voice. Arlo met her tease with a sly grin. "Looks like the universe finally got its act together to bring us into the same company. Lucky for me, I won't be making the mistake of letting you slip away tonight." He took a drink of his drink, finishing it. He ordered another then looked at Logan. "Do you want a drink?"

Logan's smile dimmed slightly, not enough to disappear but enough that she could feel the sensation of her past starting to creep up on her despite wanting to forget about it and get lost in someone else's eyes for a bit. "My life took a turn, one where I wasn't able to get myself here. Then it took another turn and boom, back in the saddle again, so to speak," she clarified, without getting into the details as she rest her elbow on the edge of the counter to perch her chin as she gazed over at him. "As long as we're not pretending about everything tonight, I think I can let that one slip by me." Her lips curled into a tease. "I clearly have, seeing as I haven't been in your company before. I wouldn't have left it if that were the case."

[professorarlo]

Arlo chuckled and shook his head. "I can't play the role of your taste bud mind reader, Banks. What if I pick something you despise? Then you'll be stuck with it, and I'll bear the blame. I'm not falling for that trap," he joked. Giving Banks a thoughtful look, he nodded in response to Banks' answer. "Ever thought about exploring different options? I could check out the college for you if you're interested." Arlo got in line, opting for a milkshake. "And hey, you might even enjoy some free education if you decide to go back to school."

Banks glanced at the menu again before he looked away, not up to the number of choices up there to deal with in the moment as he shook his head. "Not unless you want to pick something else for me," he admitted, because he couldn't handle all the choices. "There's too much." Another admission, though it sat wrong with him because it was sharing more than he was often willing to say to anyone as he raised his gaze back towards the other. "About as good as any job can be when you're surrounded by furry bastards."

[professorarlo]

"We can switch to darts afterward, once we've thoroughly beaten ourselves at pool." Arlo grabbed his drink, trailing behind Alvaro to the pool tables. Accepting the offered pool stick, he took a sip and set his glass on the table, eyeing the array of balls. "My pleasure." Bending over the table, he took his shot, breaking the balls apart. A sigh escaped him, followed by a laugh, as he observed none of the balls finding their way into the pockets. "I did warn you I was bad."

"No judgement. Darts are more my forte, but there's no harm in both of us playing pool badly." Alvaro chuckles, moving to his feet. Taking his drink over to one of the open pool tables, he takes another sip before racking up the balls, offering Arlo a pool stick. "You can go first since it was your idea."

[professorarlo]

"Used to?" Arlo's eyebrows lifted in curiosity at the past tense. "Why did you stop gracing this place with your presence?" He chuckled, shaking his head, and leaned a bit closer, daring to place his hand on Logan's knee. "I've always believed that pretending can be more thrilling, don't you? Besides, I don't think you're particularly interested in the mundane details of my work." He raised an eyebrow playfully. "Has no one ever labeled your company as a source of pleasure before? If not, Logan, you've definitely been keeping company with the wrong people."

"I would say that you haven't been looking hard enough because I used to frequent this place quite a lot." The ambrosia lounge too, but typically that was her life before her last ex. And now she was in a place where she didn't know who she was anymore or what to do with her time, which was why she'd ended up there of all places. "Is this the part where I ask you what you do for work? Or pretend that it doesn't really matter since we're both here to escape it." Though her own escape was a personal hell, not so much a professional one as she gave him a toothy smile before settling back into her seat. "My company isn't always labeled a pleasure, but for you, I think I could make an exception."

[professorarlo]

Arlo laughed, pulling her closer as they glided across the floor, maintaining a firm grip on her hand. "I'll do my best to keep you steady, Bianca." He looked at her with a genuine smile, lifting her hand to his lips and planting a light kiss on the back of it. With a smooth motion, he returned their hands to their side as they continued to glide across the wooden floor. "Did you never go to the roller rink as a kid? These were super popular when I was growing up. I remember coming on the weekends, trying to summon the nerve to skate with the girl I liked."

Bianca had to admit that she was a little shocked that Arlo had picked the roller rink for their date but she came in with an open mind and liked the retro feel of it all. However, she did not take into account that she couldn't remember the last time she put on a pair of skates. Holding Arlo's hand, only because she kept wobbling of course - no ulterior motive, she couldn't help but laugh at herself. "God I think you should just be on high alert, I fear I'm going to be doing a lot of tumbling here. We're just going to hope that this date doesn't end up with me in the hospital."

[professorarlo]

He flashed her a charming smile, his eyes lingering on hers. "I must say, this haystack is growing on me," he teased, giving her a playful wink before taking another sip of the drink she'd graciously sent over. "Needed a little escape from the shackles of work, truth be told." His days had been a blur of editing, and the letters on the screen were starting to dance. "How is it that I've missed the pleasure of your company before today?" He leaned in a little, a subtle but unmistakable flirty glint in his eye. "I must be slipping."

"Pleasant surprises do exist. Though I think it it's a bit like a needle in a haystack at this point. You just happened to find the right haystack," she teased gently, ignoring that the truth was she'd spent too many weeks locked away in a mess of an apartment and caught up in too much grief that she hadn't been able to remember much of the outside world anymore. It was the help of friends that pushed her out again, back into the world, and luck was on her side that she'd seen not only a handsome, but friendly face near by. "So what brought you out tonight? It couldn't have been by design, or I would have written it that we would have met sooner."

[professorarlo]

Arlo quirked an eyebrow at Banks after hearing his preference. "Just a vanilla milkshake? Nothing else tempting on the menu?" He glanced up at the seasonal flavors on the menu. "Personally, I'm eyeing the apple cider-flavored milkshake. Sounds intriguing." Returning his gaze to Banks, he grinned. "So, how's work treating you lately?"

"I.. don't have one." He shrugged, as if he had never frequented a place like this before but mostly because he hadn't been able to recall what it would have been a few years ago. Most flavors were either classics that a kid would be able to pick as their favorite, some were more new or seasonal as the menu was far too overwhelming for him to look at for too long. He had gotten used to being told what to eat rather than having a choice, which led him to making the same ones that he always did. "I guess a vanilla milkshake works," he added, trying not to sound as awkward as he felt.

[professorarlo]

Arlo chuckled at Kendra's response. "Solid pick. I'd probably go for dancing. Those tango lessons my mom made me take as a kid might finally pay off." He furrowed his brows, contemplating the challenging question. "But, seriously, only five books for the rest of my life? I go through that many in a month, Kendra." He grabbed a fry, looking genuinely distressed. "And what if the series isn't long enough? Five seems to low."

"Ooh, that's a good one," Kendra stated, tapping her french fry against her bottom lip for a moment as she thought about it. "I would say sing. Less chance for injury or something and you can do it everywhere. And I have a great voice, so really it would be a treat for all," she joked, eating her fry happily. "Would you rather read only five different books for the rest of your life or only one series?"

[professorarlo]

"Because we're bonding!" Arlo beamed at Elias, holding the bag for him. "How about a drink after our boxing session? It'll be well-earned." He observed Elias lining up his shot, a slight frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. "If you're not enjoying it, we don't have to wait that long. We can call it quits whenever you want."

"Remind me why I agreed to this again." Elias wasn't sold on the activity. It wasn't that he was against physical activity -- he wasn't even against boxing -- he simply didn't see the point. "We could just pretend that we did this and get a drink instead," he suggested even as he readjusted the gloves. "Okay, okay." Elias lined up his fist with the bag, quickly pulling back his arm to throw the punch. "Thirty minutes of this and then I'm calling it."

[professorarlo]

"That's fantastic!" A broad grin lit up his face as Zeki agreed to join the student's committee. "I'll inform the student to reach out to you via email." Taking a seat opposite Zeki, Arlo settled his satchel on the floor. "The semester has been a whirlwind! Dr. Stephens and I are piecing together that summer study abroad program, and I've got a book on religious art in the works, so I feel like I'm swimming in deadlines." He ran his fingers through his brown locks. "How's your semester shaping up?"

Zeki was in the middle of replying to his e-mails, and he was more than in need of an escape. Each e-mail varied from students asking questions all the way to certain meetings he needed to make confirmations for. He was more than grateful for the distraction when he heard the tap on his door, that feeling turning into happiness at the sight of Arlo. "You absolutely can. Thank you for being my savior, both my eyes and sanity are forever in your debt." He let out a light chuckle, turning his full attention to the other male, and returning the warm smile. "Oh, I feel so flattered. I'd love to help; just send them by any time, or if it's easier, e-mailing works too." He pauses, leaning forward a little, still smiling. "You know, it's like you read my mind, I was just thinking about how I haven't run into you in a while. I was going to come by your office tomorrow, I'm glad tomorrow came a day early," he chuckled, nodding to one of the seats. "Won't you sit down? Tell me, how is the semester treating you so far?"

[professorarlo]

Arlo savored another sip, briefly appreciating the taste. "It's no whiskey sprite, but it'll do." Swiveling in his chair, he cast a glance at the pool tables before returning his attention to Alvaro. "How about shooting some pool? I haven't played in a long time, so I might be a little rusty." He gestured towards the pool area, a faint hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"Apple beer. Huh." Alvaro hums, pursing his lips in thought. "At least it's not pumpkin spice." Spiked cider was good, so apple flavored beer couldn't be terrible, right? One would hope, at least. "I guess we'll find out. Cheers, my man." Reaching for one of the glasses, Álvaro takes a sip, pleasantly surprised by the taste. "I've had worse drinks in my lifetime."

[professorarlo]

"Yeah, from the looks of it, that's all it is," he recalled the adverts but never felt compelled to watch. "I've heard it's very entertaining, though." Arlo made his decision on what to eat and continued, "Yeah, people are interested, but the money is kinda steep, so I understand if they can't afford it." Leaning back in his chair, he elaborated on the unique class structure, "Well, we're doing this thing where the class is online for two weeks, and then we'll be in Italy for two weeks. We're going to discuss the Renaissance paintings and then see them in real life. And the statues. I'm definitely having gelato." Arlo grinned when Zeke inquired about his work, "It's boring stuff, mostly about religious images in the 1500s." Taking a sip of his water, he added, "Did you decide what to eat?"

Zeke chuckled reaching for his water to take a drink. "Honestly I've never heard of that one. Not sure I like how it sounds, I watched a bit of the bachelorette once and I couldn't really handle the amount of backstabbing and craziness. It's like some weird version of high school." His eyebrow raised and he couldn't help but grinned. "Nice, that's a pretty great idea, I'm sure that more than a few people will jump on it. For the chance to go across the world and see a bit of history. What all do you have planned?" Setting down his drink he leans back in the seat. "Really? What's this one about?"

[professorarlo]

Arlo chuckled as he joined the clerk by the Pokémon cards, realizing he had missed them at first. "I'm on a mission for my niece. Let me just decode her messages real quick." He glanced at his phone, reading out loud, "Marnie and Morpeko V Union?" He looked back at the cards, a puzzled expression on his face. "Any chance you're fluent in Pokémon-ese? Because I might need a translation."

amara had been busy going over her inventory list when she hears the sound of someone approaching the counter, she puts on her best smile and listens to the customer before smiling again. "yeah we do." she heads out turning her head for him to follow towards the back and then bends down, "it's a little hard to find since they're so close to the ground. there's a bunch of different kinds of packs to choose from. got a favourite pokemon?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

[professorarlo]

Arlo bashfully grinned, enchanted by Logan's vibrant energy. He smoothly slid onto the stool next to her, taking her hand in his with a hint of playfulness. "Well, aren't you a pleasant surprise?" His eyes sparkled as he held her gaze, a flirty smirk playing on his lips. "And here I thought a charming place like this would be graced by someone equally captivating. Lucky for me, I was right." Arlo took a sip of his drink, the atmosphere suddenly charged with a subtle flirtatious energy.

"Well I can't say much for anyone else, but they're a fool to have passed up an opportunity to slide a drink your way," she replied with a bit of a smile playing at her lips. Logan had been gifted a drink minutes earlier, one that she couldn't accept as she took it and sent it on towards the handsome man a few stools away to capitalize off at least one thing positive that night. She should have stayed back home, but the urge to get out of the apartment had been so strong that she couldn't sit still much longer. "Logan." She offered out a hand to shake, though it would mean that he'd have to move closer which was exactly what she wanted.

[professorarlo]

who: @wtrmlnsgrskies (zeki) where: university of denver

Arlo rapped gently on Zeki's office door, announcing his arrival before stepping into the room with a warm smile. "Hey, I was really hoping to catch a moment with you." Taking a seat in the chair strategically placed across from Zeki's desk, he continued, "I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I've got a grad student who needs an external committee member for their dissertation, and you immediately came to mind." Although the request served as a convenient pretext, Arlo couldn't deny that he had missed catching up with Zeki, especially considering they hadn't crossed paths much since the semester kicked off. In extending this invitation, he secretly hoped to remedy that and reconnect.

[professorarlo]

Arlo nodded in agreement. "It's sweet that she worries," he acknowledged. Understanding the dynamics of having a concerned sister, he reflected on how his own sibling never delved into his life as much as Julian's did. "Maybe it's a youngest sibling thing?" he mused. "Next time she drops by, just grab your jacket and pretend you're about to head out for something. Use me as the perfect excuse," Arlo suggested, a playful smile gracing his lips. He settled onto the couch next to Julian, grabbing the remote and hitting play on the movie. A laugh escaped him as Julian posed his question. "No, well, maybe," he teased, meeting his friend's gaze. "It's a new one, and I thought it looked fun. Finally, a movie for old folks like us." The movie centered around an older, divorced woman seeking a fresh start on a camping trip. "Plus, it's got the woman from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and I find that show hilarious." He helped himself to some popcorn, savoring a piece as the movie began.

“Yeah.” He couldn’t keep the annoyance out of his tone, but then he sighed and tried again. “I mean, yes and no?” he said truthfully. “She’s just worried cause I’m always here when she drops by to visit. I mean, I work here,” he said, gesturing down the hall, where his makeshift workshop was. “So of course, I’m here, but I don’t know.” He sighed again, poured Arlo’s Coke in a glass. “She keeps giving me little projects to keep busy, as if I have nothing going on.” Julian grabbed both glasses and followed Arlo into the living room. “It’s sweet that she worries, but I wish she would stop.” He set the glasses down on the coffee table and grabbed the popcorn bowl, setting it down on his lap as he flopped on the couch beside Arlo. “Alright, start it! Why’d you pick this one? Have you seen all the other ones already?” Julian teased, grinning at his friend as he grabbed a handful of popcorn.

[professorarlo]

who: @ofwishfulthinking (elias) where: swolemates

"Give it your all." Arlo raised his boxing gloves, holding them in front of his face before executing a punch on the heavy bag. While not an expert, he had been attending boxing classes for almost six months, confident enough to share some of his acquired moves with Elias. "Now it's your turn. I'll hold the bag for you." Positioned on the opposite side of the bag, Arlo steadied it as best he could, ready for Elias to take his shot.