[Isaiah Moore]

Now I Need Someone to Breathe Me Back to Life +Maia Morales

His stomach was a mess of knots and tangles. Sweat pooled in his palms. His heart beat irregularly, like the mismatched taps of an inexperienced drummer. Isaiah had fared down plenty of scary things in his life, not even including the various heroes and villains who had antagonized him these past few months (or had he been the one antagonizing them?), but nothing made him feel as vulnerable and weak and incapable as girls.  He knew that overall he was a pretty nice looking guy, and people seemed to like him well enough, seemed to genuinely laugh at his jokes, etc. In his mind he knew there were few objective reasons why he should be so nervous on a first date, but when did reason ever carry much weight when feelings were involved? Maybe it was because he hadn't seriously dated anyone since high school, and he was beginning to realize that relationship probably didn't qualify as "serious" in the real world. Maybe it was because he'd noticed his body getting a little soft compared what it used to be when he was a few years younger. Perhaps it was because he'd met this girl on Tinder. He didn't want to go to Tinder for dates, but literally everyone used it, and after a few friends sold him on the idea, he downloaded the app and started swiping. He found himself swiping left more than right, and at first he found the concept of looking for dates like window shopping at the mall to be kind of strange, but after 15 or so minutes he was sold and swiping left and right with a reckless abandon. He had swiped right immediately upon seeing Alyssa's profile, and was happy to hear a ping a few hours later indicating that she'd swiped on him as well. She was a breathtakingly beautiful girl, and there was something about her that Isaiah found to be familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He was very happy to learn that she was as interesting and engaging as she was pretty. Their conversation was fun, and Isaiah found himself staring down at his phone with a stupid grin on his face more frequently over the next few days than he was accustomed to. He suggested the idea of a date almost because it seemed like a necessary part of Tinder etiquette, and his stomach had almost done a backflip when she'd said yes.  They decided to go skating for their first date, because honestly, how boring is meeting someone over coffee? Isaiah was a firm believer that first dates should be activities, whether playing goofy golf or going skating or making a meal from scratch together. Coffee and movies could always come later. So he arrived at the skating rink 15 minutes before their appointed meeting time. It was kind of weird to him how she had insisted on going to this skating rink further outside of town- not like there were hundreds to choose from or anything, it wasn't the '90s anymore after all- but this one was definitely farther away than he'd have picked. He focused on keeping his breath even and kept his eyes fixed on his phone as he leaned against the side of the building, waiting for her to show up. Should he have offered to pick her up and drive here? Oh well, too late now. And worrying about whether he had mucked it all up already wasn't going to help anything. All he could do now would be to wait for her to show up.

© seadra of gs

[Maia Morales]

must be a dream i see its like deja vu again Ok, this one was definitely the one, she thought to herself as she evaluated her reflection in the full length mirror in her bedroom. Of course she had said the same thing about the last three outfits that she tried on and at this point, she was actually bordering on being far more than fashionably late. So, perhaps the sleeveless, white crop top with the plunging neckline and the high waisted, stone washed jeans simply won out by default. Gathering her wavy honey blond locks into a loose low bun, she then tugged a baseball cap of her luxurious locks adjusting the brim so that it partially covered her face. Sliding a pair of obnoxiously large sunglasses over her eyes, Maia slipped an oversized sweatshirt on before snagging her keys and her coach clutch from her canopy bed. Slipping outside of her home, she took a cursory glance at her surroundings before scurrying over to her Hyundai Genesis and unlocking the door. Once settled in the driver's seat, Maia let out the breath that she hadn't been aware that she'd been holding. With a quick glimpse in her side view and rear view mirrors, she eased the car down the driveway and out onto the main road. For privacy reasons, she had selected a skating rink on the outskirts of town for which meant that she was in for a bit longer of a drive, but a first date was nerve racking enough without having a horde of passing snapping pictures of you every few minutes or so. Talk about living life under the lens of a microscope.  True enough, she had dated several guys whom hadn't seemed to mind the near constant invasion of privacy. Of course at the same time most of them had been merely looking for their fifteen minutes of fame. Perhaps, when it really came down to it that was what had truly driven her to Tinder in the first place. She'd wanted to meet someone real. Someone who didn't know who she was and as such couldn't possibly be interested in her for superficial reasons. She'd grown weary of dating shallow, self absorbed celebrities whom could barely hold a conversation. Still, the whole concept of a dating app was a completely foreign concept to her. The whole swipe left, swipe right thing was a bit like shopping for a romantic partner which seemed a little impersonal at first. While she had swiped right on quite a few guys, this was the first time that she'd every accepted a date with one. To say that she was nervous would be a massive understatement. There were so many risks with meeting a person off the internet. The foremost being the simple danger factor and on the less extreme end of the spectrum the person could just simply not be whom they said that they were.  The notion had ran through her mind several times that he may not look like his picture or they might meet and be plagued by those awkward pauses or extended periods of silence.  Then of course there was the chance that one of them could say or do something to make an utter fool of themselves and never leave it down. However, the fear that seemed to outweigh them all and tug the most insistently at the back of her brain was that he would be upset that she'd deceived him. Which would wound her deeply as Maia had come to really like Isaiah more and moreso with each conversation that they had. He wasn't only insanely hot, but sweet and thoughtful. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was a great listener. It was amusing to think that she'd never been one of those girls that were constantly glued to their phones. In fact, she often teased those kind of girls. Yet, ever since she'd been chatting with Isaiah, her phone had remained attached to her at all times as she never wanted to miss a chance to talk with him. Soon enough, Maia arrived at the rink and pulled the vehicle into a parking space. Insuring that the lot was empty, Maia tugged the sweatshirt over her head and tossed it carelessly into the passenger's seat. Pulling the sunglasses off, she folded them carefully and placing them in the cup holder. Removing the hat, she removed the elastic band from her hair allowing her thick mane to tumble down her shoulder in soft beach waves. Placing the hat on top of the sweatshirt, Maia gave herself a quick once over in the mirror before shutting off the engine and exiting the car.  Taking a deep breath, she murmured "Here goes nothing," to herself as she handed a ten dollar bill to the clerk and was granted entrance into the rink. Taking a few minutes to allow hers eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, she stopped just a few steps inside the building, her gaze sweeping the spans of the rink for a familiar face. tagged: open | words: words | outfit: link | music: music notes: n/a

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[Isaiah Moore]

Should he put his phone in his pocket? Should he keep it in his hand? Should he not have worn something so casual? Man, first dates were the worst. He waited outside for more than a few minutes, growing more and more insecure with each passing moment, feeling awkward just leaning up against the building. He tucked his phone back into his pocket, paid his entry fee at the door and walked in. He hadn't taken five steps before he started kicking himself mentally. He should have waited for her to show up and paid for her! Or was that considered sexist and patriarchal now?

Damn, dating was hard.

He decided that he wouldn't turn back around and wait for her in the parking lot, instead taking a seat at a table in the small food court that sat to the side of the skating area. Again he wrestled with the "should I or shouldn't I" question of playing with his phone, and it was only by continuously drumming his fingers against the table that he was able to keep his phone firmly in his pocket and out of his hands. He didn't want to seem any ruder than he needed to after he'd walked in and left her to pay for herself. He didn't want her to think that he was already bored or disinterested.

Thankfully he didn't have to wait long. It was a weird thing to meet someone online and recognize them immediately with your own eyes the first time, and yet Isaiah knew her as soon as she entered his field of vision. He could feel himself breaking out into a smile already. She was just as pretty as her pictures had hinted, a melody of curves and a smile as soft as summer rain. He got up to great her and waved at her as he approached, the feeling that she looked familiar popping into his brain again like it had multiple times before... was that... was that Maia Morales?

Isaiah wasn't really into internet celebrity culture, and he didn't listen to much music that was played on the radio. People often made fun of him for listening to the kind of music that hadn't been popular since the early 2000s; he preferred acoustic and indie music that featured guitars and whiny voices and depressing lyrics over pulsing beats and high production. Still, he didn't live under a rock. He knew who Maia Morales was. Most people did, at least most people his age, and he figured eventually everyone would know her. She was one of those up and coming types who was laying the groundwork for a long lasting career.

And she was standing right in front of him. Or at least someone who looked almost exactly fucking like her was standing right in front of him. He hesitated for a moment and decided that it couldn't be- why would a pop star be searching for dudes on Tinder? Plus, if people made this comparison often, Alyssa might be sick of it and he did not want to screw up their first date by mentioning it. He chalked the whole thing up to an uncanny resemblance and tried to put it all out of his mind.

"Hey Alyssa, I'm Isaiah. Nice to meet you!"

[Maia Morales]

must be a dream i see its like deja vu again While Maia was more than a little embarrassed to admit it, the brunette really hadn't been on very many dates. It wasn't that she wasn't interested nor was it that she hadn't crossed paths with guys that were interested in dating. Quite the opposite, actually.  Her mother had been so focused on promoting her career that she'd insisted that the nineteen year old didn't have time for dating or boyfriends. After she'd signed her record deal, her mother had softened her stance on dating but the teen stayed so busy with recording and touring that time simply didn't permit for anything serious. To add to the pop star's growing anxiety, it had been quite some time since she'd gone out with someone well...normal for lack of a better word.  Because of who she was most men felt the need to impress her and fellow celebrities certainly had the means to do so. The few dates that she'd been on had been rather extravagant in nature. Fancy restaurants, spontaneous trips, lavish gifts seemed to be the norm when celebrities dated each other, but honestly it had all felt so impersonal to the starlet. Perhaps, that was why she had been so excited when Isaiah had finally asked her out. She'd seen the invitation as a chance to make a genuine connection with another person. Besides Isaiah had been far too cute and far too sweet to refuse, Maia thought to herself with a smile. Now all she had to do was find him. Which shouldn't be all that difficult as much to her relief, the rink wasn't very crowded. That should mean that the pair should have a fair amount of privacy tonight. Of course it could also be one of those scenarios where people did show up until much later. If that did happen and things were going well, maybe she could convince Isaiah to go somewhere else, like a diner or something. Suddenly, a stray movement in her peripheral caught the teen's eye pulling her from her reverie. A guy that had been sitting at a table off to the side of the skating ring had arisen from the table and was now walking towards her. As he waved at her simultaneously a smile broke out across Maia's face even as her heart skipped a beat. Gosh, he was cute. While she hadn't really thought Isaiah to be the type to catfish anyone, the diva had on some level been concerned that he might not look like his pictures. Such a thing was always a possibility. Surely, he must have had the same reservations about her. After all, she did quite closely resemble a well known pop singer. Truthfully, Isaiah's pictures really didn't do him justice. Maia had been thinking about and looking forward to meeting him all week and now that the moment was upon her, the brunette was at a loss as to how to react. She had always been an affectionate person but not everyone was wired that way. Should she just assume that because they had spoken so frequently with each other for such a long time that they were on hugging terms or should she just play it safe with a handshake? What would he be expecting? It was hard to know for sure.  It was still so odd to hear someone call her by a different name and sometimes the brunette forgot that she had given herself an alias. However, concealing her identity had been of the upmost importance. Eventually, she would have to come clean with him but surely it didn't have to be right away did it? If he didn't ask then she didn't really have to rush to tell him, did she? Maybe she should see how things went first before springing it on him. Extending a perfectly manicured hand towards Isaiah, Maia said "I'm Isaiah. It's so nice to finally meet you. Sorry that I'm a little late." tagged: open | words: words | outfit: link | music: music notes: n/a

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[Isaiah Moore]

Now I Need Someone to Breathe Me Back to Life +Maia Morales

Isaiah was used to feeling calm, cool and collected around girls. He knew lots of girls found him cute. He never had trouble making girls laugh or holding their interest. And yet here with Alyssa he felt like a 12 year old nerd around his first crush. His tongue felt ten times too large inside his mouth, and his throat felt dry. It also appeared that there developed a three second delay between his brain and his mouth. He almost worried that she would think he was drunk or stoned or something, but in reality he was just a boy whose hormones had taken control of his reasoning faculties.   He couldn't deny it: she was hot. For growing up in California, Isaiah had been raised in a relatively traditional household. He had been taught that men were supposed to engage with women in a certain way when they were dating or expressing romantic interest. It had been drilled into his head by his father that respect was paramount. Focusing on a girl's personality and intelligence was treated as more civilized and appropriate than overemphasizing her looks. Still, he'd have to be a fool to deny it. Her beauty threatened to take this breath away.   "Don't worry about it, I show up everywhere like 20 minutes early," he said to her with a smile, hoping he didn't sound dumb. Had that been a stupid thing to say? Jesus, this date was making him so nervous! A shot of whiskey would really hit the spot right now. Even the tone and cadence of her voice was appealing to him. There was a sing-songy type quality to it, sultry and melodic. He could listen to her talk for hours and she'd barely uttered a full sentence.   He let his mind wander to her uncanny likeness to the pop star Maia Morales and realized after more than a few seconds he was staring at her face. He flashed her a smile and gestured towards the stand where they would get their skates, beginning to head that way. He pondered briefly how difficult it would be to date a celebrity. The lack of privacy, the need for security, how something as simple as spending the afternoon at a skating rink was a major event to be coordinated... although he figured there were upsides, too. Isaiah wasn't opposed to partying in mansions and attending awards shows and stuff like that.   "When's the last time you went skating?" he asked her. "I haven't been in probably 10 years. You have to promise to not laugh at me if and when I bust my ass."

© seadra of gs

[Maia Morales]

must be a dream i see its like deja vu again While Maia often feigned ignorance when it came to the affect that her presence had on others, the brunette was in fact well aware of it. Particularly, when it came to members of the opposite sex. It was one of many reasons that the teenager had opted to utilize the tinder app in the first place. The teen still didn't fully understand the logistics of it all, but from what she had gathered with the help of the professors at EMBA it was biological in nature. The nineteen year old had never had much of a problem attracting the attention of men or holding it for that matter. They were drawn to her. The only problem being that their attention was rarely as a result of anything that she personally did. It wasn't her sparkling wit, dazzling smile, or fantastic sense of humor it was merely something that her body did on its own often without her knowledge that drew men in. While Maia was certain that most would think it silly, a dating app had seemed her only recourse in building a genuine connection with someone else. All the while knowing that eventually they would meet face to face and said connection would be tested by her ability. Speaking of her ability... the pop star shifted her gaze to Isaiah's face as his emotions hit her like a tidal wave. He was nervous....REALLY nervous.... Aw, that was so cute, Maia mused.  Giggling softly the pop star replied "And I'm typically 20 minutes late everywhere I go. So, I guess it really is true what they say. Opposites attract." Feeling as if they were being watched, Maia's gaze flitted over to a pair of girls whom were huddled together in a corner whispering to one another their eyes glued to the couple. Uncertain whether they were staring at her, Isaiah or both of them the pop singer's light orbs gradually made their way back to Isaiah whom was staring at her rather intently. What the heck was going on? Why was everyone staring at her? Was there something on her face? Resisting the urge to pull out her compact, the brunette breathed a sigh of relief as Isaiah gestured towards the stand where the rental skates were stored. Falling in step with Isaiah as he headed towards the stand, the brunette noted that gradually more skaters had begun to enter the rink. A rosiness crept up into the teenager's cheeks at Isaiah's inquiry as she replied "Um... 19 years. That is to say... as embarrassed as I am to admit it... I've never actually been skating before. So, don't worry. I will be trying way too hard not to make a fool of myself to laugh at you for falling."  tagged: open | words: words | outfit: link | music: music notes: n/a

made by remi of rilla go!