strippedgold-blog

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brielle.

the corners of her pink lips twitched into a hint of a smile, l i g h t & quiet chuckle slipping out as well. “hi..” she greeted again. brielle didn’t take the prompted question as rude or any connotation of negative meaning. in fact the SAME one rang out in her own mind as soon as she saw the raven haired woman across from her. of course she’d been a little too caught off guard by their SUDDEN reunion that the connection to have the words actually leave her mouth never happened. with a soft clear of her throat the artist proceeded to speak up once again. “just, falling deeper into the rabbit hole that is my caffeine addiction.” she joked a bit, aware that wasn’t exactly the answer her question had intended upon. “but um — i kind of live here now.. at least until when of IF i decide to jet off again.” truth be told she hadn’t even thought about where she’d end up next, after coming to starlight valley, fell in love with the town that she feels almost compelled to stay a while. “how about you?” tone filled with genuine curiosity as to the reason esmeralda was HERE too. it wasn’t technically improbable for them to have run into each other once again, though not expected, in this small town of all places. 

shock subsided rather quickly from surprise to genuine interest. bright AMBER hues lock happily onto the other woman, esme leaning just slightly over the counter. there was an incessant need to ask questions ( you live HERE ? how did you even hear about the valley ? how come i never ran into you before ? ) but for now all esme could do was nod and smile. a soft chuckle eased it’s way out, a steady string through her words. ❛ it wouldn’t be so shocking if you did pack up and go again. i’m still surprised i’ve managed to stay put. so, i ... live here too. i just ━ i can’t believe ━ of all places. ❜ head shaking in near disbelief. of all places. ❛ it’s really good to see you, bri. ❜

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minsuh.

                THE WEATHER WAS NICE, people were busy with their classes, so minsuh had no reason to stay inside the studio, when he could dance outside, under the sweet light of the sun. so after he placed the phone down and turned on the music, minsuh started to slowly move to the song, eyes closed as he let the music sink and allowed his body to move freely. he clearly didn’t hear the steps approaching him, or else he would have stopped already.

mindless scrolling on her phone wasn’t an oddity during the walks to and from a shift at the cafe. going of the beaten path — or rather, just the main road — was. the flow of some melody grabbed her attention, hand raising to sweep raven hair out of brown hues & actually give a glance to her surroundings. ahead of her, a pink haired man was moving f l u i d l y with the music, bringing a smile across her face. an admirer of carefree people. stopping just next to the other, esme spoke just loud enough over the noise. ❛ not a bad way to spend a BEAUTIFUL day like this. ❜

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frankie.

frankie was shell-shocked. he was sitting at the small cafe, wide mismatched eyes staring at the television as the local reporter gave out the details about the death of his friend. one of his best friends, in fact. “jesus christ. did you see that?” the blond muttered, pale as a sheet of paper as he turned to the person near him. “do you— do you think he’ll come back? y’know, like the others did?”

suddenly, she wished she hadn’t gone out for lunch. it at least would have stalled her from seeing the news for a bit — silly of people to go back to their daily lives when another murder was lurking just around the corner. and it being kit, no less. knowing that she had just seen him earlier that week caused a steady heart to feel heavy in its cage. turning to the voice beside her, her response came out unsure and shaky in combination with a slow nod. ❛ i don’t know. maybe it would be better if he didn’t, if the past ones are anything to go by. did you know him ? ❜

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okeus / julian.

❝ hot dark chocolate mocha.. ❞ he repeated to himself, being almost forced to look up from his phone by the woman behind the counter. initially a little taken aback, he eventually flashed her a smile and shook his head. ❝ caffeine doesn’t do my body that well. I ordered green tea. ❞ he stuffed the mobile device into his pocket and took a step closer, this time lowering his voice as he spoke. ❝ mocha has coffee in it, right? all these fancy terms for coffee really has me for a loop. ❞ it was true. ever since coming back, he’d tried his best to catch up to the ways the modern people of starlight valley. it had definitely been a different experience than the lifestyle he’d experienced in his time. 

❛ you’d be in the minorty ! sorry about the mixup, just one second on the green tea. ❜ esme chimed, shrug of her shoulders playing company to a bright smile. her brows rose at his stealth question, a small laugh escaping. it wasn’t the first time she’d hear this sort of inquiry. ❛ YES, it does ━ but trust me, i know ! mocha, machiatto, americano, cappucino, on and on. my first day here was a wreck. ❜ turning her back to grab a lid for their drink.  ❛ and a green tea for you.  ❜

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alright i’m tired af & have a long ass day of work ahead of me tmrw, so i gotta sleep. but i have stuff ready in my drafts for tomorrow so i’ll see y’all then !

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brielle.

caffeine had become a much needed staple within brielle’s life, helping with L O N G days & nights even, of work, or to help add fuel for her adventurous spirit. hardly being able to start her morning without it, and for sure after at least one sip she always felt as though she could suddenly take on the world. her reliance on it probably wasn’t the healthiest but by now was sure it’d been to late to quit, afraid of what a cumulative withdrawal may do. besides there were far WORSE habits the girl could have. currently off to the side as she waited for her order, decidedly trying a new cafe today, scrolling near absentmindedly through her phone, social media junkie just as well. but kept an ear open for whenever her drink was called. continuously she heard someone call out for a dark chocolate mocha, while sounding good, not her order. however it was the voice the resonated in her mind, especially hearing the person now directly talking to her, that held such a familiarity to it. “no, sorry i didn’t order–” words drop when her dark brown orbs glance up, shock beginning to form over her features, now realizing why she recognized the speaker. “–that.” brief continuation before another pause. “..esme…hi.” hint of confusion clear in the greeting, which ended up awkward at best.

she may have been affable, but customers were come & go ( usually ), the short amount of time wherein an order traveled from her hands to another's didn’t really allow for a study of features. esme barely made out anything aside from soft brunette locks until the woman glanced up. it was as if an alarm r a n g out, time & movements slowing as REALIZATION came clear. the girl opened her mouth to speak, but there are no words to offer when you come UNEXPECTEDLY face to face with someone you haven’t seen in months. softly, then, & barely audible. ❛ brielle. hey. ❜ the faintest trace of a smile edged onto her face ━ this did not feel real. ❛ i ━ what are you doing here ?! ❜ sheepishly, her words seemed a little rude when they played back, but shock was a funny thing. cheeks turning ROSY, esme bit her lip, suddenly thankful the small shop was close to empty, allowing her to breathe; off the clock for once. ❛ i mean, hi. ❜

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kit.

‘ no problem !  ’ he assured cheerfully, inspecting his new pen, avoiding looking at her face. if he did, he would probably chicken out. or do something stupid out of embarrassment, like take his compliment back. he had done that before, && boy, was it a mistake. he cringed just at the memory, although her voice pulled him back to reality ⁽ oh there goes gravity ⁾ . ‘ coffee, yeah. ’ he could have gone off on his rant about how overpriced coffee was, how it was cheaper && better to make it at home, but he thankfully refrained. ‘ what kind of coffee do you recommend ? you guys have all types, it’s a little overwhelming. ’

ah, the dreaded question. recommendations were commonly sought after, especially in a shop as small as this, they were no big chain, but esme could argue their brews were arguably better & certainly more AUTHENTIC if she did say so herself. ❛ hm, ❜ an exaggerated vibration on her lips. sure, they were supposed to confidently and ardently swear by any new menu items that needed their promotional push into the world ... but esme was inclined to be honest and give her PERSONAL suggestions. through betrayed lips, an airy laugh fell, blanketed by a sparkling smile in his direction. ❛ you seem like a macchiato kinda of guy to me. that’s essentially just espresso & milk ━ tasty, but not too sweet, unless you add a flavor. when and if you do decide to pay me another visit, i'll make one special just for you. ❜

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ayasha.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Ayasha faked laugh at the person that was chatting to her and her “partner,” waving goodbye to them while slowly turning on her heel to face the other. ❝ Alright, how much do I owe you? ❞ Her facade switched up quickly, her hand digging into her back pocket to receive the wad of cash that she was too lazy to put into her wallet.

offering a feigned smile at the stranger as they eventually left, focus coming back to the person in front of her. ❛ owe me ? ❜ brown hues FLICKERING down to the cash clasped in the other’s hands, brows turning from confusion to swift realization in seconds. ❛ oh, please, no. nothing. the situation seemed kind of ... unwanted, on your side at least. i hoped i wasn’t overstepping & MAYBE that helped a bit. ❜

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kit.

of course. maybe that was the key to a conversation, after all. keep doing odd things, and eventually, they’re bound  to talk to you. like, for example, only buy the knick knacks in a coffee store, but no actual coffee. ‘ oh, i drank coffee before i came. ’ wait, WHAT ? who drinks coffee before  coming to a coffee shop? smooth going, kit ! he had to think of a recovery quickly, something to keep the flow of conversation going, distract him from the impending sense of DOOM. ⁽ he was a little dramatic. ⁾  ‘ this shop is actually really close to my school, so when i walk i stop by to buy these things. never know when you need a souvenir coffee cup for class, right ?  i guess that could be considered what i’m working on. ’ smooth sailing now, he was in the green. now, finish her off with a friendly compliment !  ‘ you have really nice eyebrows, by the way. ’

❛ oh ! um, thank you ? ❜ chimed through a pursed-lipped smile, an obvious blush creeping into her cheeks. she was trying and likely failing to hide a softened chuckle at the subtle awkwardness that seemed to cling to his frame. it wasn’t odd, really, aside from the whole coffee thing. it was SWEET, if she was being honest, and she would probably tell him that had they not been complete & total strangers ━ but at this rate, it was almost like they weren’t. ❛ well, if you have any spare time, you really do need to try our coffee. it might be the next thing to keep you coming back you know ? ❜

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reagan.

when reagan said her mind just didn’t work before drinking her coffee, she was not exaggerating. after making her request, still utterly drowsy for turning the night into one of her college essays, she felt her cell phone vibrate and took it out of her pocket. she simply forgot the order while she answered some things. “oh …. i’m sorry.” she whispered a little embarrassed, scratching the back of her neck, her eyes almost closing again. “ it was me who ordered it. i just don’t really work well this early. ”

esmeralda felt relief wash over her at the girl’s words, thankful that, yes, she had made the right order. she prided herself a bit too much on getting the correct order to the correct customer in an ACCEPTABLE amount of time. tossing an appreciative & understanding glance her way. ❛ hey, no worries ! i totally get it. late night ? or just ... not a MORNING person ? no judgment here for either. ❜

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raven.

❛ i don’t remember ordering yet but i won’t turn down anything that’s FREE. ❜ he reached out and pulled the mug closer, the warmth inviting as he wrapped his hand tightly around it. a smile of gratitude before he takes a sip. ❛ i came for dessert, actually. i had a CRAVING for something particularly ( s w e e t ) ! ❜ he gets them often, actually. raven rarely admits that he has quite the sweet tooth. ❛ is there anything you’d recommend ? ❜

❛ can’t blame you ! that’s one more thing that won’t have to go to waste. hopefully it’s enjoyable. ❜ esme shrugged, beatific smile on display. resting her arms atop the class casing, she looks down at the possible bakery items and various other foods waiting to be purchased. ❛ well, if it’s a sweet tooth you’ve got, you’re in the right place. i love the blueberry poundcake, and the chocolate quiche is DIVINE. ❜

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claudia.

moments like these were ones claudia hated, making her wish her coffee machine back home wasn’t broken and that this place had a mobile app she could order on. yet alas, her wishes did not come true and she was forced in a social setting, one where she mumbled and stuttered her drink order and blocked out the noise of others and almost missed her drink order. being on her phone and awaiting her iced coffee, she heard a voice directed at her, putting her phone away and focusing on the woman speaking she could already feel herself blush not only at the woman but at a social interaction. “no, no, it’s fine. i can always try something new, and i’ll pay for it.”

the other female’s accommodating manner took esme by SURPRISE. normally it was she who did what she could to make sure others were content, as one does when it comes to customer service. pausing in her position against the counter, the girl grinned, grey painted nails waving insistently — trying to signal that it was okay. ❛ oh, no. ❜ dark waves s w a y i ng about her features. ❛ if you ordered something else, i’ll be happy to make it for you. & especially if you’re going to accept that drink, i certainly am not going to have you pay for it. it was my mistake, and well, you know how it goes: don’t like your drink and we’ll remake it for you and all that ! ❜

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a lot going on w work today so i’ll be on a little bit later !

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caspar.

One of Caspar’s daily highlights was his visit to the nearest coffee shop. He wasn’t exactly like the other people, who actually went there to get the damn coffee and then continue their day. He kept ordering the exact same coffee every day, just to see if the person behind the counter would actually remember how his name was written. Sadly for Caspar, it was rather… A rare event. It didn’t discourage him at all though. Some days he even visited twice, just to be annoying.

 “For fuck’s sake…” The little amount of excitement was wiped from his face as soon he picked up the takeaway coffee cup (with a name written on the side that wasn’t exactly his). It was something towards Casper or Kaspan.

“Sometimes I wonder what did I do to deserve this. Why did my mother name me after a fucking ghost? Did she hate me that much?” He wasn’t directly speaking to anyone, but he was speaking loud enough for anyone near him to hear it. 

just coming off break, esme appeared behind the large door that led to the storage room, coming face to face with someone she recognized easily, seeing as they came in multiple times a week. ❛ probably not. ❜ the statement seemed to punctuate the male’s thoughts, a playful grin coming over her lips. very rarely was she at register when he placed his order, meaning she had heard a similar COMPLAINT before ━ honestly, she found it a little funny, hence why she’d never made a comment to her coworkers. ❛ back again ? ❜