henry being just a 🤏 tiny little guy
✦ . ── picks a direction , it's ninety in memphis turns up the music so thoughts don't intrude predictably winds up thinkin' of elvis — and wonders if he believed SONGS COULD COME TRUE .
NAJI KARIM ( emilio sakraya) , he/him , roadie for @staticavenue .ᐟ intro. pinterest. spotify.
── .✦ penned by envy ( she/her , 21 ).
naji hates that pout. it makes his stomach flip and his chest go tight , that irrational fear of disappointing her always fluttering in his chest like he's holding in an atrium of butterflies. he swears mabel knows that , too , and that's the worst part. he's got half a mind to smile at the way she's standing now — hands planted on her hips , face all scrunched up , small frame still somehow demanding attention in the tiny hallway — but instead he just rolls his eyes again. it gives him a second to glance away , a low, frustrated sound escaping him. " maybe a little. " his gaze dances back to her again , vision a little less hazy with her standing in front of him. " not drunk enough to put up with your attitude , though. " and — " can’t help the face, i guess. " frustration laces the words , and he's not sure why he cares about her opinion as much as he does. naji decides to blame it on the alcohol. " just . . . you're fine. do your thing. " he finally steps aside his hands twisting together in nervous habit. even inebriated he's no good at being careless ( at least , not when it comes to the others ) and so he lingers in the hallway outside the door. " i'll make sure nobody tries to rush you. "
the pout is instant the second naji opens the door. mabel takes a pause, splays her hands at her sides and turns to look at the partygoers around her ( who do not care one bit, mind you ), because surely naji isn't talking to her right now. " oh my god ? why are we so touchy right now ? " her features scrunch up in a grimace. " i had to pee ! and that was the first time i knocked ! you've been in there for, like, ever. " ' ever ' meaning like five minutes, but time eludes mabel when she's drunk. and she's her fair share of tipsy, " what's wrong with you ? you look drunk. and a little bit like a serial killer. " you can always count on mabel for an uplifting pep talk, clearly.
“I watched life and wanted to be a part of it but found it painfully difficult.”
— Anaïs Nin, The Diary of Anaïs Nin, Vol. 1: 1931-1934