She stood at the edge of the park's grass, a long leash attached to a red doberman pinscher in her hand. She patted her dog's head while she kicked off her sandals, her toes sinking into the plush green grass. She relaxed immediately. The one thing she was accustomed to back home was being able to walk around barefoot, the earth against her skin. It wasn't something you could do in the city, at least not something you could do without contracting some kind of disease or stepping on something painful. Nyx lowered herself to the ground gently, and she stretched out on the grass with a heavy sigh. "Monster, down," she commanded, and the doberman lay down beside her with a sigh. "Good girl." She spoke the words softly, and then replaced the ear buds in her ears. It was a gorgeous day, and what better way to spend it than to relax in the park with her dog?
Nyx placed one ear bud in her ear, and turned her ipod on to the song "The Big Bang," and hummed along to it. Monster placed her big, heavy head on Nyx's shoulder, her eyes surveying everything around them as Nyx remained totally oblivious to her surroundings. She didn't care. It had been a long day. She was finally settled into her new place, and she hadn't seen her brother Osiris in about two weeks. She suspected he was probably busy enrolling in college and starting his new life.. while she was doing absolutely nothing, clinging to what she knew, and digging in her heels about change. She wasn't good with change, and she knew that. She'd just have to get used to it eventually, because she was in for a whole ton of changes here in Canterbury. The people were different, the styles were different, the homes were different, the accents were different- not necessarily a bad thing for the average person, but it was certainly a massive culture shock to move here from a small farming community in California.
She shifted her thoughts, willing herself to think of something happier than that. But the fact was, she had nothing. Her thoughts drifted to her dogs and their training, the people she had recently met, and her new place of residence. But it all felt so trivial. No real interactions, just the typical "how-do-you-do," she was just another face in a crowd of people to most. It usually didn't bother her in California, but here it was different. Back home, she had friends she could turn to, people she had grown up with, and places she could go to get her mind off of things. Here, it was all new. She'd get over it eventually, she knew that for certain, but it was still the road to getting there that was rocky.
She rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms around Monster's neck, sighing. "Thank god for you, dog. I'd be the loneliest hermit in the world if I didn't have you to force me outside." She made a mental note to stop being such a crazy dog lady, and pulled out her ipod to change songs again. This time, "Payphone." She grinned. The song wasn't the best in the world, but the lyrics made her smile every time she heard them. From the ear that wasn't plugged, she could hear the distant sound of feet hitting the pavement, the sounds of children playing in the park, the sound of dogs, and feel the hot breath of her fierce-but-sweet pet on her shoulder. She was totally relaxed and at ease. Now, if only she could find somebody to talk to and shake up her world a bit. She needed friends, stat- or she'd end up alone forever, for sure.
Group: university student
Posts: 740
Member No.: 54
Joined: 8-January 12
STOP THE WORLD
tag: nyx/kate
words: 1058
notes: so excited!
summer easily used to be tanner's favourite thing when he still lived in california. he would be at the beach literally every single day, from ten in the morning until ten at night. those were some of the best days of his life. but promptly after darla died, he stopped going to the beach. it never felt right because she was never with him anymore. it was easy to say a lot of things did not feel right because she was not around. and he missed her more and more every day. not even being on the other side of the country helped that fact. he thought maybe once he moved from los angeles, things would change. but it made things worse. he really just wanted for things to be like they were before she died but unfortunately unless she was by his side, that was not ever going to be the case. and she was never going to be by his side, and it hurt so much to think about that. so as much as he used to love the summer, it would forever take on a different connotation for him. it was always going to be the time of year where things got better before they got worse. now it was the time of year where things got worse before he went back to school.
his main focus was getting an education. take a swift look at him and you would think i was kidding, but his education was so important to him. it was one thing that darla really wanted for him. she wanted him to not give up on school. he was literally on the verge of dropping out a few days before she died, but she warned him against it. she had a clearer mind than he did when it came down to looking at the future. he never used to care about his future but she put a lot of things into perspective for him. the future had always been a lot closer than he made it out to be. and she made him see that it was that close, and he should be weary of it or else he could be ruining it before it even started. and he never bothered much with what she said until she died. he knew he loved darla a lot. he could not see any other girl ever taking her place. she was his one and only, as cheesy as that sounded. so especially after she died, he cherished every word she ever said to him. she told him not to fuck up the rest of his life and so he was not going to. he moved away from california, where he was being accused for getting darla messed up with the wrong crowd, away from all the accusations, and to canterbury, where he finished off his fourth year of high school and then jumped into university. he had always been a smart guy, he just never applied himself.
more and more, his visions of making a name for himself were slipping away, though. he knew it was crazy to think he could ever be a teacher. piercings and tattoos were literally all anyone saw when they looked at him. no one actually saw him for who he was. and for the most part he was okay with that, because he hated explaining his story to people who really were not interested in being his friend. but some days it sucked when people honestly did not realize he had potential. he could grow into something more if people would give him the chance, but really, no one would. why would anyone hire him to teach anyone? so his dreams of doing anything with a teaching degree were sort of obsolete but he was going to finish off his schooling anyways. if he was stuck at the tattoo shop for the rest of his life, it was not a complete waste. he was good at that, too. he just did not want to stick to a stereotype for once. he knew regardless of where his future took him, he was always going to be proud of himself for achieving the seemingly unachievable. his parents really did not think he would even be alive this long with the way he used to drink and do drugs and never sleep and smoke and basically do all sorts of bad things to his body. but he made a huge turn around after darla's death. he guessed that she saved him when she died, which was kind of weird to think about, but it was true. her passing away gave him a new life.
today, somehow, he managed to have a day off to himself where he did not even need to be on call at work and no one had bothered him to do something today. he loved his friends and he loved his job, but even so, tanner loved days that he had to himself the most. as much as he knew he should not dwell on things too much, he liked to have a day to himself every once and while where he could just think about things. after he ran his errands earlier in the morning (he was very much a morning person), he realized the weather was much too nice to stay cooped up in his house all day, so he decided to go for a walk. it would help him clear his mind a bit (because apparently bristol was mad at him and babs was the source of her anger, but he loved both girls too much to let this ruin either friendship) and just get things all leveled out in his mind before he took any action. on his walk, he stumbled upon the community park, and figured he should probably find some shade to hide under unless he wanted to burn his face off, and he knew there were some shady paths in the park to walk through, and this way he could loop around and head back home at least. so he turned into the park and began walking down the shady path, happy to feel the sun off his face. his skin was so fair he burned really easily, so to prevent looking like a tomato, this was such a suitable option.
Nyx sighed heavily, rolling over in the grass and onto her belly so that she could lift herself up again. Monster stood, watching her with a curious expression. She patted her head again, and tugged gently at the lead. "Come on, love. Let's go." She dusted off her jeans, shaking away the grass that opted to cling to her, and adjusted her skewed tanktop. The one good thing she could say about herself was that no matter how depressed she was feeling, she always made sure she looked alright when she left the house. That meant appropriate clothes, no sweats, and enough makeup to look presentable. It made life that much easier; because every time she goes out, she runs into somebody she never expected. Take now, for example.
As Nyx walked down the path, the young, tattooed man came into her sight. A soft smile curved at the corner of her lips, an instinctive reaction from her body. She knew him, but didn't really "know" him. Not like she wanted to. She'd seen the way her brother and Tanner interacted, and it warmed her heart to know that her brother had finally found a best friend who truly cared about him as much as Oz cared about others. A truly kind heart wrapped in a gorgeous, albeit extremely artsy, package. She saw how hard he worked and knew pieces of his history through what her brother had mentioned.. but she had never spoken to him. She wasn't really sure why that was. Nyx is not typically intimidated by others, but something about Tanner as a person really threw her off.. in a good way. Or maybe it was just that every time she saw him, she wanted to jump him, and she didn't think her brother would appreciate that much. For all of her flaws, she would do anything she could to keep her brother happy, and sleeping with his best friend would probably only do bad things. That explained a lot, actually, now that she thought about it.
She glanced down briefly, flicking off a few more stray pieces of grass. "Oh, well.. here goes nothing." She pulled Monster to a stop near Tanner, worrying for a second that he wouldn't recognize her. She felt a little bit creepy and slightly like a stalker, knowing so much about a person who had never even spoken so much as a word to her. She had no idea what Oz had told Tanner about her, but she hoped at this point that it was all good. Not knowing him was going to change today, at least she hoped so. "Tanner, right? Oz's best friend?" She asked with that half-smile curled on her lip, extending her right hand to him. "I'm Nyx.. Oz's sister." She watched him for a moment, still wanting-against-all-wants to jump him on the spot. She shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, shoving the thoughts to the back of her mind as best she could. He was her brother's best friend, and she wouldn't be going there with him any time soon. It would never end well, no matter how good of a person he was. "What brings your gorgeous face to the park today?" She questioned flirtatiously, immediately doing a mental headslap.
Group: university student
Posts: 740
Member No.: 54
Joined: 8-January 12
STOP THE WORLD
tag: nyx/kate
words: 910
notes: wow ew he choked
he dug around in his pocket, feeling the need for nicotine kicking in. he pulled out his cigarettes and lit one up, taking a long drag happily. it was a bad habit he knew he needed to kick but it was much too difficult, he had decided. the moment he hit the shadier path, he instantly felt himself cooling down. earlier in the morning when he had gone out to run his errands it was chilly, hence why he was wearing a hoodie and jeans in the first place. but he was a lot better off in the shade as he assumed he would be. as he anticipated, the walk helped him clear his mind of a lot of the things that had been plaguing him for the last little while. the amount of shit that was people said around town about him was starting to bother him, and he knew he only got the recognition he did because of the people he hung around with. the knight sisters, babs lincoln, nik grayson? hell, even isaac taylor at times. apparently all these people had such a bad reputation that it was rubbing off on him. he loved his friends and none of them were half as bad as people cut them out to be. he could take some of the things that were being said about him, but it was when they took it too far that it started to bother him. he liked himself enough to get through the day, and he knew people judged him unjustly. it happened to everyone and he knew that. but when people were calling him down right disgusting? he just wondered who these people were so he could give them a piece of his mind. he was in now sense a violent person. tanner had long since forgotten the day where he beat some guy up for looking at him the wrong way. he did not want to be that guy anymore but he sometimes felt so compelled to be him again.
he rubbed his hands over his face as he walked, just trying to forget about it. the more he dwelled on it the worse off he was going to be. he was at a point where he was finally comfortable with the way he looked, and he knew that was why it bothered him so much. if it meant tattooing every inch of free skin and piercing whatever he could poke a needle through and stick some sort of metal into, then why the hell not? there were people who go that. like tristan and babs. they so understood that part of him. but then, apparently, there were still some close minded assholes who could not keep their mouths shut about the way he looked. if it bothered them so much to the point they had to anonymously call him out on it, why had they never approached him about it before? he never understood the whole concept of talking shit about people. he would much rather say things to the person's face and get things sorted out. it was so much easier than letting things build up continuously until it was like bloodshed when they finally did see each other. he knew it was probably just one of the teens who went to ellison and was just a stupid prick, but regardless, it was just rude. he sighed, looking down at his vans as he walking. he stopped abruptly when he noticed a dog in his way, and looked up to see someone standing there with him. he looked confused because he was confused. he knew this dog, it was his best friend's sister's dog. it was always around the house when he was there.
tanner loved dogs so he never had an issue with this dog, because he seemed to like him, too. the girl on the end of the leash spoke his name, and he nodded slowly, taking his cigarette from between his lips to speak. "yeah... that's me," he said, a bit skeptical. he hated when people knew who he was but he had no idea who they were. but before she even said it, he sort of pieced it together in his mind. he barely recognized her because he never really spoke to her. he was introduced to her once and any other time he had seen her had been in passing. "right, right... sorry," he said, smirking a bit as he stuck out his hand to shake hers in return. "we never really met... my bad," he apologized, shrugging a bit and sticking his cigarette back between his lips. he took a drag and the smoke got caught in his throat at her next question since he was going to laugh as he was inhaling, and he coughed a bit, the smoke he meant to politely exhale filtering between his fingers and he covered his mouth as he coughed. "fuck, sorry that was so disgusting," he apologized again, shaking his head, wiping his hand on his jeans. "i've got a day off of work so i thout it'd be best to not wast the good weather. i'd ask you the same thing, but that'd be stupid as it's so obvious," he commented, sticking his cigarette back between his lips, finally crouching down to level out with monster. he pat the eagerly waiting dog who still sat in front of him. "hey monster, been some time, huh?"
The best part about being Nyx was that she didn't know many people yet; she hadn't heard all of the gossip as far as Tanner went, and she had never been the kind of person to judge based on appearance. Even if she had, she liked what she saw, so that was totally irrelevant to her anyway. She watched him through her hazel eyes, unsure if he even knew who she was. He probably didn't; she'd always fancied herself quite a wallflower, and based on his initial reaction, it wasn't too far off base. She wasn't ugly by any means, but she wasn't one of those stand-out-of-a-crowd stunning women who everybody knows and admires. She was totally fine with that. But at times she did wish she was a little bit more noticeable.. especially considering Tanner saw her quite often. He was with her brother a lot, and her brother was the only person she knew in Canterbury.. until now, at least.
The feel of his hand in hers made her pulse jump, and she laughed at herself mentally. Talk about being a drama queen. He was just a person. A person that she saw all the time and he didn't even know who she was.. which, she had to admit, hurt a little bit. But it wasn't his fault, she hadn't spoken to him either. Usually, the fact that he had a cigarette in his mouth would bother her. She didn't like smoking, had never smoked, and couldn't stand the smell. But it looked so right on him. At his words, she smiled again. "Your bad? I'm pretty sure I'm equally to blame.. but I guess it doesn't matter anyway, because we're talking now, aren't we? Which I'm kind of happy for, because I have to say, you seem kind of amazing." At one point in her life she would have been embarassed to be so forward. But not so much anymore. The only thing holding her back was the fact that he was her brother's best friend, so she'd just have to settle for a friendship with him. Right? And who was to say he even had the same bodily reaction to her that she did him. That totally awkward, foot-in-mouth, say-cheesy-things and drool kind of reaction didn't seem very fitting to all that was Tanner Williams. He was too cool and relaxed every time she saw him to possibly be interested.
At his cough, she blushed slightly. "Sorry.. yeah, Monster and I decided to go for a walk. She's been antsy lately. Glad she got me out here today though," she commented. She touched his arm lightly before she realized what she was doing. "Shit happens, people choke." She watched him interact with Monster, and for a moment, she felt like she could just kiss him now. A good guy, a good hot guy, and a good hot guy that loved her dog to top it all off? Fuck yes. She watched him with her head tilted slightly to the right, somewhat confused and happy all at once. "I can't believe you remember my dog, but you don't know me. That's just sad. We're going to have to change that, you and I." She spoke the words with a laugh, but meant them whole-heartedly. He was so intriguing to her, and she had an overwhelming desire to get to know this guy as well as her brother did. She grinned as Monster licked Tanner's face, and she took a seat on the ground next to her dog, before turning her eyes on to him again.
"I think Monster would agree that we need to be friends, and stat. She seems to like you.. points in your favor, Tanner." She had jokes. Her eyes drifted over his arms, and she stared at his tattoos. They were really lovely works of art, something she, again, didn't usually like in a guy. But as with the smoking, it was totally him- just another piece of his complicated story. She wanted to run her fingers over every single one and figure out what they meant to him, when he'd gotten them, and why. She had only had the urge to get one tattoo in her whole life, and it was in memory of her lost loved ones- she had "sic itur ad astra," latin for "thus you shall go to the stars," tattooed across her clavicle. Something she had gotten for her and nobody else; very few people even knew she'd gotten it done. Every mark on her body had a story, and she intended to keep it that way. "Your tattoos are so lovely.." She murmured, mesmerized by them.
Group: university student
Posts: 740
Member No.: 54
Joined: 8-January 12
STOP THE WORLD
tag: nyx/kate
words: 1218
notes: sean faris is cute
tanner was usually pretty polite about who he smoked around. he knew it was not a common thing for most people he knew, and he normally would ask the person he was with first if they were alright with him smoking. but the thought did not even cross his mind this time, because when she approached him, he had been smoking. however, that being the case, he would finish this one off and politely not light another. he could wait until he was back home to smoke another. "because I have to say, you seem kind of amazing." tanner was not cocky at all. in fact, most of his life he thought so low of himself. but nyx thought he seemed kind of amazing, and that for some reason sparked a smirk to spread on his lips. "on what ground do you base your claim?" he asked, cigarette hanging limp in his lips as he did, sort of intrigued to hear her answer. they did not know one another, so certainly it was difficult for him to see how she could think that without knowing too much about him. he knew her brother probably spoke of him from time to time, much like he had spoken of nyx when he was with tanner sometimes. it was natural to talk about people who were a part of your life. but he wanted to know just how much she knew about him. he guessed since she was oz's sister, he would be okay with whatever information she did know, because he could trust oz, so why would he not be able to trust her? plus, there was just something about her that seemed so honet and he was not sure if she was just deceiving him or if she actually was as nice a person as his mind perceived her to be.
he nodded, smirking a bit. he pulled his cigarette from his mouth, pushing the sleeves of his sweater up to his elbows. "yeah, it's a really nice day out today so i'm kind of glad i wasn't stuck at work," he agreed, looking down at her hand as she reached out and touched his arm after his apology. tanner was by no means physically fit, and he was quite alright with that. he had always been a rather lanky guy, tall and skinny with hardly any meat on his bones, but he blamed his genetics for not letting his gain any weight. he had take out food most nights of the week because he could not cook to save his life, but he was still stick thin. fast metabolism and good genes got him through life in this tiny frame. he never minded it much, though a rare few times people told him he looked sickly. that was back in l.a. where he actually knew what kids he liked and which kids were completes jackasses. it was no surprise that the last person who ever commented on his appearance was the one he challenged to a fight. a few punches in and the two were pulled apart by two of the teachers at the high school, and that was the end of that. the both of them left with a little blood on their face, but it was the last time he ever had anyone say something to him in california about the way he looked. of course, that idea did not hold true here in canterbury because everyone had a say in how he looked, but he was not the same kid he once used to be, so he was not running around looking for whoever said it so he could show them how much he did not care about what they had to say.
he laughed when she said it was sad he remembered her dog better than he remembered her, and he shrugged once again. "your dog actually spends time with me while i'm over at your place," he said with another small laugh as monster licked his face. he took a queue from nyx and also sat down. sticking his cigarette back between his lips and leaning back on his hands. it was true, though. in all the times that tanner had gone over to the starska household, nyx had either made herself scarce or she was just not home. oz told him she worked pretty odd hours and he never bothered to ask what she did as a job, so he never questioned where she was when he was over, because quite frankly it was none of his business. he was not there to see her, but he was there to see oz. so it really was not a big deal where she was to tanner, because she could be wherever she wanted to be. how he forgot her face was a big mystery to tanner because he found her absolutely striking. she had dark features that suited her face really well, and he was actually sort of surprised that she was oz's sister. she was a lot better looking than his friend though he honestly was not one to judge. like, with the knight sisters. every single last one of them was absolutely beautiful. the eldest sister was busty, the second eldest had such stunning eyes, amelia had a great body, and bristol was a combination of all three before her. tanner never would ever make a pass at bristol because he felt she was like a little sister to him, and to sleep with her would be weird. it was easier to keep that in mind now that she had a boyfriend, too. but early on in their friendship it had been difficult to keep off of her, so he was shocked he had.
"monster and i are bffs," tanner replied with a quick laugh, taking his cigarette from his lips and exhaling the smoke into a stream off to the side of him, so it did not blow back into her face. he pushed himself back up to pet the doberman pinscher as if to prove a point to nyx. "see? look at her tail wag? she just loves me," he teased, continuing to pet the dog. it was only a few short moments later that she mentioned that his tattoos were lovely, and that sort of shocked him a bit, because that was really never a word used to describe his tattoos. he looked down to the part of his full sleeve that she could see on his left arm and all the smaller ones across his hands and fingers. he shrugged a bit before looking up at nyx, sticking his cigarette into the ground next to him to ash out the burning embers. "ahh, these are nothing. i've got a bunch more," he informed her, bringing one of his legs around the side of monster and pulling up his pant leg, exposing an array of tattoos scattered across his leg as well. "and the other leg, and my chest and stomach... really just everywhere but my back at this point," he added, even pulling at the collar of his sweater and leaning his head to the side to show off his medusa tattoo on his neck. "i guess when you work in a tattoo shop you get a little crazy."
She thought for a moment, trying to decide how to explain to him why she thought he was amazing, without totally betraying the confidence that he had in Oz. She was sure he wouldn't like that Oz told her everything; and honestly, Oz probably didn't tell her EVERYTHING. So she decided to joke it off by saying, "Well, let's see.. you're amazing because you put up with my brother in all his craziness. He has nothing but good things about you, and I trust my brother's judgment. He needed you in his life, and.. did I mention that you love my dog? That's kind of hot." She said with a smile. She prided herself on her honesty, but usually she was not this straightforward. Apparently that whole "this is your brother's best friend" ship had already sailed as far as her body went. Her mind was only a few steps behind. She felt herself shifting closer to him, ever so slightly, as he sat down next to her and Monster. She put her elbow on her knee, her chin on the palm of her hand, and leaned in just slightly. Her eyes watched him interact with her dog, a perma-smile on her face that she couldn't break.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that she loves you so much. It would never work between us otherwise, because you know, I'm the crazy dog lady." She spoke with a smile, but it was true regardless. She probably couldn't be friends with somebody who didn't like her dog; she was a dog trainer, after all. It'd be like a chef associating with somebody who didn't eat. Okay, maybe not that drastic, but you get the concept. When he started to show her his tattoos, she grinned like a fool. "I'm such a sucker for tattoos. Here.. do NOT tell Oz that I have this, because I've never actually showed anybody, so I'm trusting you with this.." She pulled down her shirt slightly, revealing the latin words on her collarbone for him to see. Not waiting for a reaction from him, she grabbed his hand, reading the words printed there, and she stared up at him with her warm hazel eyes.
"As if I didn't think you weren't amazing before, this proves it. Won't quit, patience.. not words of a loser, as far as I know." She released his hand, her smile still in place. She was so freaking screwed. "I guess it's not crazy, as long as they mean something to you. To each their own. I just have the one, but the one I do have means the absolute world to me." She spoke softly, reaching out to pet Monster's head gently. She didn't look at him for a moment, seemingly caught in a few thoughts she couldn't quite shake. Thinking of their parents did that to her. She shook her head, and pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around them. "Maybe one of these days I'll have to have you work on me. Though hopefully not for anything sad." She thought for a moment where she'd get a new tattoo, and came up completely blank. "I'm not sure where I'd get a new tattoo done, though. I've never been good with deciding that sort of thing."
Group: university student
Posts: 740
Member No.: 54
Joined: 8-January 12
STOP THE WORLD
tag: nyx/kate
words: 1078
notes: sigh i love him
tanner easily laughed at her words, nodding a bit. "true, dealing with oz is a huge thing," he joked, shrugging his shoulders now. oz was a pretty neat guy, because if he was not, he probably would not have wasted his time to actually make an effort into being his friend. tanner was a really friendly guy but if you seemed vapid he would not bother. oz seemed really intricate and like he had a lot going for him, and tanner was happy he decided to make a friend out of him because whenever thye hung out they never ran out of things to say. they could easily hold conversations for hours if they were not busy playing video games or watching movies or stuffing their faces with food. it was something that tanner was happy for. as much as he loved the friends he already had, but he loved making new friends, especially when it was a guy because he felt like he hung around too many girls and that was how he was caught up in so much drama already, and he hated it. he would much prefer a drama-free world but unfortunately that would never be the case for him. all these girls had issues with each other and god forbid he befriended someone's enemy unknowingly, right? right.
but she said loving her dog was kind of hot, and it made him smirk a little bit more. hot? that was more a word he was used to hearing. sure, there was the occasional person who would beg to differ with that statement, there were a lot of girls who he never would have thought would find him in the least bit attractive, but apparently his tattoos had that effect on people, not like he minded much. some people hated them, some people liked them. either way it was beyond his control. "because i like your dog, you find me attractive? i can live with that," he said through a bit of laughter. he supposed she really loved her dog and so that made a lot of sense to him. why would it not? he guessed it was kind of like since he was friends with her brother she already thought he was a good person, and he thought since he was his best friend's sister, she must have been pretty alright, too. he found her quite attractive himself, but he was not gonna be the one to admit that so quickly. after all, he was still in love darla. there was nothing he could do to change that, because it was the fact. unfortunately, no matter what was going to happen, he was going to love darla for the rest of his life. it was part of the reason dating other girls seemed so far fetched to him. he only loved her, and no other girl was going to compare in his eyes. he was quick to admit when a woman was attractive - if he was looking to sleep with her and only after a few drinks were in his system. but otherwise? he was pretty mum about it.
she said she was a sucker for tattoos and he smiled, becuase lukily for her he had dozens of them. but she was quick to tell him not to tell oz about her tattoo. keeping a secret from osiris was going to be hard. but then he thought that maybe he was not really going to have to keep it from him. if he never asked, he never had to tell. and why would he ask about it? she pulled back the collar of her tank top and revealed a script across her chest. he smirked a bit, knowing it was latin and having a general idea of what it said. he took a latin class before so he could understand what he was reading. he was a history major so sometimes he was reading things in latin. he just thought it would be an easy credit but it actually turned out to be a bit more difficult that he would have thought. but he had no time to actually translate the words on her chest before she grabbed his hands off from her dog's back. she stared down at them and he smirked a little bit. acrosss his knuckles it said, "won't quit, patience, timeless," and on his thumb it said "changes." but she chose to focus on the words that meant the most to him. he felt his breath catching in his throat and for a minute he could have swore he wanted to kiss her. how did she just look at him and know that these words meant a lot to him? it was literally a stab in his chest but he made no move to react. he mumbled a, "thanks," to her for a lack of a better thing to say. what was he supposed to say to that?
she rambled on about other things, and though he was listening he was barely focused enough to formulate a response to her. he was too busy fumbling with the sleeves on his sweater, pushing them back down to his wrists. how could she just say that? she did not know him. or did she know more than what she was letting on? he looked up at her when she said she had no idea where to get a new tattoo done. he cleared his throat and shrugged a bit, smirking as if his thoughts were not nagging him all this time. "it depends on what you want to get done. but i think you chose a nice place for your first one," he told her, smiling now as if to affirm what he was saying was true. "do you mind if i ask what it means?" he said, hoping he was not infringing on any personal territory or something. his words were in english, their meanings were just known. her tattoo was in latin and he was curious. he loved tattoos, if he did not he would not be a tattoo artist. although he had seen his fair share of stupid tattoos and even had some of his own (when he got some of them it was all he could afford to do because he had no money but was craving more ink), but anytime someone had a tattoo in a foreign language it was always curious to him as to what it meant.
It's easy to look at people and make quick judgments about them, their present and their past, but you'd be amazed at the pain and tears a single smile hides. What a person shows to the world is only one tiny facet of the iceberg hidden from sight. And more often then not, it's lined with cracks and scars that go all the way to the foundation of their soul. Nyx had made it a point to never judge people by their appearances, based on this alone; she knew what it felt like all too well to hide behind a smile. People are too complex to every make snap judgments in her mind. Take Tanner, for example. To the unfamiliar eye, he looks like a hoodlum. Covered in tattoos, piercings, and a cigarette constantly in his hand. But to her eyes, he was pretty damned awesome. She wasn't even really sure what part of his story it was that got her; but she had always been quite fond of him through the stories her brother mentioned in passing. Her mind struggled to understand exactly what it was about him, so she shoved that thought to the back of her mind as she watched him calmly.
She wanted to kiss him. To further elaborate, she decided to add, "I learned a long time ago not to judge people by what they look like, sound like, or by the clothes they wear. Just because a house is nice and shiny out front doesn’t mean it’s not rotting on the inside.. also, can I just say how much I am dying to kiss you right now? I told myself I wasn't going to ever go there with you, because you're my brother's best friend. But I do. And I won't lie about it." She rubbed her lower lip with the pad of her thumb, releasing her legs from her grip while she did so. She dropped Monster's leash, knowing the dog wouldn't go far if she left at all. Have you ever wanted something that you knew was bad for you? Something that you ached for so much you could think of nothing else? That's how she felt at the moment, her insides rumbling at the thought of touching her lips to his. She smiled, hoping he felt the same way, because she was going to do it.
She crawled over to him, pressing her lips against his as softly. Nothing is ever truly set by fate. In one blink, everything changes. Even though it should be a clear, sunny day, the softest whisper into the wind can become a hurricane that destroys everything it touches. Her hand rested on his shoulder briefly, and she removed it, sitting down next to him. "Sorry. Actually, I'm not sorry. Probably shouldn't mention this to Oz, though.." She said with a grimace, knowing how awful it was for her to ask that of him. To hide things from your best friend is like hell, but she wasn't really sure how Oz would take it. Oh, yeah, your sister kissed me today. Oz would probably murder her for going there. But the fact was, she wanted more than just a kiss. It's too bad that it was never going to happen. Maybe if she kept telling herself that...
At his question, she ran her fingers lightly over her tattoo, as if somehow she could feel the words that were carved into her skin. "It means 'thus you shall go to the stars'.. I got it when our parents passed away. I was young, but I had to have something to keep them with me. It's definitely for me, not for anybody else." She said, shrugging her shoulders lightly. She bit the inside of her lip, watching him. She wanted to kiss him again. The last thing she wanted to do, though, was force herself on him. She looked at the grass, reached over and grabbed a few blades to twirl between her fingers, trying to find any reason not to look at him. How embarassing. Leave it to her to, in a moment of total confidence in herself, molest her brother's best friend. Her cheeks flared bright red.
Group: university student
Posts: 740
Member No.: 54
Joined: 8-January 12
STOP THE WORLD
tag: nyx/kate
words: 1228
notes: sigh feelings!!!!
she started telling him how she no longer judged people by their apperances and he rolled down his pant leg, sort of relieved to be hearing that. he was always judged by everyone and he was sort of sick of it. he wished that she would not judge him, because he really did enjoy spending time with oz and it would just be weird if they were hanging out and she was there. he would not be able to sit in the same room as her, knowing that she could be thinking a variety of things about him. he hated when he had to sit around somone who he knew did not like him. it just made him so self-conscious. back in l.a., he almost never had that problem unless he was on cocaine, because then he was extremely paranoid and thought everyone was talking about him. those nights used to be the worst. he was already not a fan of himself, but then to be sitting on a room where you were convinced everyone was bad mouthing you and giving you weird looks was not really helpful to someone's self-esteem. darla always seemed to make him feel better about himself. she always said that as his best friend, it was her civil duty to make him feel good about himself, but it was always more than that, despite how she denied him so many times. he never would have known what changed her mind, what made her decide to finally say yes to him. he never questioned her about it because he was just so happy she had finally said yes. but he always wondered now. maybe if they never dated she would still be alive... he swallowed hard, realizing he was getting lost in his thoughts again. it would be unfair of him to do that to nyx.
he pushed a hand through his hair, smirking a bit. "i always remember my mom saying that those who live in glass houses should not be the first ones to throw stones. sort of the same concept," he remarked with a bit of a blank expression. his parents were horrible to him but they had said some pretty smart things. his mom used to say that line a lot and he never really got it until he was in high school. it just never made sense to him. sure, he understood that if you lived in a house of glass and threw a stone you would break the glass, and that made sense. but when he grew up he understood the double meaning of it. and it was something he kept in mind because it just made sense, especially for someone like him. he had been through a lot of things in his life (sure he was only twenty-two but still) and for him to pass judgment on someone else without knowing what they had gone through just to be where they were today would be rude of him. he hated when people did that to him and he would never want to be the one to break someone else's spirits. he did his best not to talk badly about people and to keep an open mind about the people he came in contact with, and gave most of them the benefit of the doubt. honestly, he had to. he hoped people would do the same for him, so he felt like he had to do it to others to show them that it was okay to be open to people who were different. tanner did not permanently ink his skin to be different, though. he did it because each tattoo meant something to him, except for the few he got on a whim, or his full sleeve. it was a bunch of robots, there was hardly any meaning to that.
but she kept talking, and she said she wanted to kiss him. he wanted to kiss her, too, but he could not think of an appropriate way to repsond to her. oz was his best friend, her brother. that would make things awkward, would it not? and even though he wanted to kiss her, his mind could just be playing tricks on him. she was a pretty girl and although he knew that she was pretty, it was hard for him to think of any other girl. it was stupid. darla had passed away six years ago. it was time to move on. he had slept with other girls since then and he dated other girls since then but in the last six years there had never been a girl who could make him feel the way darla did. and he knew that was not going to change and he knew that oz's sister coould not make that shift in him happen. so as weird and possibly awkward as this was, he could care less. he wanted it. she crawled the small distance between them and when her face was mere inches from his own he felt a smirk play out on his lips as she leaned in and kissed him softly. he barely had time to react before she pulled off of him and sat next to him. "sorry? don't be," he told her, trying to disregard the fact that she told him to keep it a secret from oz. it was not like he was going to ask if he kissed his sister, right? so he would never have to tell him. he did not want oz to be mad with him but he also did not want oz to be mad with nyx, either.
he nodded after she explained what her tattoo. those were the kinds of tattoos he liked to do because he liked to hear a back story to a tattoo. he sort of felt like if someone had an actual meaning for their tattoo that it helped him enhance their tattoo with their meaning and their interpretation. he really wanted to make every tattoo their own, and it was difficult when someone came in and said they wanted a lotus flower because it was cute. but it was his job, regardless of how annoying that was. "i got my first tattoo because of my parents, but only becauase they were assholes," he said, laughing a bit as he tried to lighten the mood. it was true. he got "changes" tattooed in a simple script on his left thumb. he remembered when he told darla he was going to get it. she was happy with him because he was finally doing something for himself and not for his parents. it was his first tattoo and he was only sixteen. it was the title of his favourite tupac song, and he got it because he was ready to make the changes necessary in his life to be the best person he could be. and he did change, he evolved so much from that time in his life and if anyone who knew him from his l.a. days was here in canterbury they could attest to that. "they still are assholes, actually," he said, shrugging a bit. that was probably something that nyx had heard from oz by now, anyways. he turned to look at nyx and noticed her that she was blushing, and he turned his attention back down to his hands in his lap.
She watched as he ran his hands through his hair, a simple motion that had her captivated. He was just absolutely adorable, and it made her mind think crazy things. She was the first to admit she didn't need a relationship; not for any reason like Tanner's, but simply because she didn't want one right now. But she definitely wouldn't mind getting laid. Interesting, it is, that the guy she finds herself attracted to is her brother's best friend.. but she wasn't going to complain about it. He didn't seem to mind. That's all she could ask for at the moment. As the conversation shifted back to an ordinary, but somewhat-awkward-because-she'd-just-kissed-him sort of lull, she decided to be upfront with him about what she was thinking. She was nothing if not honest. In due time.
She listened to him speak, and put her hand on his arm again. "Oz has told me all about it.. I'm really sorry, Tanner. We were unlucky enough to lose our parents young, but at least we had them in our life and have good memories. I can't even imagine.." She let the words trail off, unsure of what else to say. She looked into his eyes with a smile, finding her words again. "Ever notice most people are major pains in the ass? I'd rather save myself the trouble of dealing with them and just avoid being around them to begin with. Thus the crazy dog lady persona." She joked lightly, shrugging her shoulders. Most people truly weren't worth the effort of a friendship or a relationship; people were crazy and all of the drama was just insane. She hated it, but she needed and craved interaction with others.. such a giant clusterfuck. She wanted people in her life, but wanted SANE people. Not drama whores.
"Let me preface this by saying that this might sound crazy because you really don't know me, but honestly? I don't want a relationship for two reasons-- they ultimately betray you, or they die on you. Either way, you're screwed and you spend every waking moment obsessing about why you didn't see it coming. Or that you did something or didn't do something to cause it. At least, I always do.. No offense, but I don't like to be hurt and I'd rather just avoid it altogether." She paused briefly, chewing at her lip to think of how to phrase it without sounding like a total whore. She couldn't. So she just finished it up the best way she could. "I get that you're my brother's best friend, but I'd be a damn liar if I didn't say I was sexually attracted to you.. and I'd love for you to come back to my place." She finished, her smile slightly awkward. 'Friends with benefits' was just a lame way to say 'I want to fuck you,' and although she was being extremely forward, she wasn't exactly a slut. Not that he knew any different.
She wished he would take it in the way she meant, and not think she was a total loon. But if wishes were horses, she would have been stampeded a long time ago. She'd just have to wait and see. She grabbed Monster's leash, and stood slowly, hoping he'd follow. The walk back to her place was a brief one, and she knew for a fact her brother wouldn't be home today- he was staying at one of his friends houses after a long night at the bar. He'd told her that yesterday. She just hoped that friend wasn't Tanner, or this entire conversation would just be left to stew in his mind and make it more awkward than necessary. If he said yes, she just hoped they actually were compatible sexually; how awkward would it be when Tanner was at the house with her and Oz, and they'd had horribly awkward, limbs-everywhere, terrible sex? She'd never be able to look him in the eye again. But somehow she had a feeling that with Tanner, it'd be worth the risk.
Group: university student
Posts: 740
Member No.: 54
Joined: 8-January 12
STOP THE WORLD
tag: nyx/kate
words: 983
notes: ugh love them
He simply shrugged when Nyx apologized. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for,” he replied quickly, not wanting her pity. The only reason Tanner was here was so that he could finish university, attend teacher’s college, get a teaching degree and then fly back home to slap it down in front his parents and rub it in their faces. He wanted to show them that he was better than what they made him out to be. They never paid him the attention that they should have when he was growing up, and he knew they never would. But at least if they know he had accomplished something, against all odds, they could try to be proud of him, or something. His father would find some sort of reason to make it seem like his accomplishment was nothing. His father would ask him why he never became a lawyer like him, and his mother would be proud because she was a high school principal, but formerly a teacher in her earlier years. He sometimes saw that his mother really did have a heart, but it was just in the little things she did, like wire him money every few months to ensure he was alive and healthy long enough to really live. She never showed she cared about him to his face, though, and that for him was weird. Neither of his parents did, and so he had no idea what it was like to have good memories with your parents, like Nyx and Oz had.
Her eyes met his own, and she smiled at him. What she said was true. He never gave people the time of day if he did not feel like it was going to be worth it in the long run. Some people, you could tell from the get-go, were going to be genuine friends who were going to care about you and only want the best for you. But then there were other people who you knew were scumbags who only wanted something out of you. Tanner never used to be able to tell the difference. He did not know if that was because he was so hopped up on drugs all the time or if he genuinely could care less why they were in his life, all he knew was that they were there. But now he was a lot more cautious about whom he let into his life, because he was not about ready to be hurt again.
When she talked about not wanting a relationship, Tanner could really relate to that. He did not want a relationship, because he was not ready for one and he was not sure if he could be faithful in one anymore. Tanner had never cheated on a girlfriend before and he never wanted to, but he was prone to making mistakes like everyone else, and it was difficult for him to want a relationship he was not sure he was going to be fully committed to. He was also afraid of the long term relationship that could be produced. He was not a fan of settling down with someone, getting married and having children. He was unsure how a family worked. He had never seen what it was like to be a part of a family so he was not sure how families functioned. He was not even sure he would make a good father. The scariest part about it all was that Darla was pregnant when she died. She was pregnant with what he could only assume was his kid. He was sixteen at the time and a father, without even knowing it. And sadly, he also felt like that was why she was at that party that night. She did not want to be a mother and she did not want to ruin her life, or his. He was obviously not sure of what compelled her to be out that night if she was pregnant… maybe she herself did not even know. But he just would hate to think he could have had it all, even if he was just sixteen then.
He watched as she took her lower lip between her teeth, and he had to pull his eyes away from her face. Lip biting was probably one of the hottest things to him. Or maybe it was just biting in general. But she had such nice, full lips. He would not mind kissing her again. So when she proposed they go back to her place, he was game. It was all moving so quickly. One moment she was reintroducing herself to him and the next she was asking him back to her place to sleep with her. The ground rules were already laid out. They were going to have sex with no strings attached… he could do that. She stood up from the ground after she did, brushing off his jeans. “Is Oz gonna be home…?” he asked slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. Okay, so this was a bit awkward, but from the moment she grabbed his hands and read the words written across his knuckles, he was game. This was a risky situation. What if Oz was not home, but showed up at home after they were finished? What if he was confused as to why Tanner was hanging out with his sister, who he had barely ever spoken two words to? Tanner was thinking it through way too much, but it seemed like Nyx had barely given it any thought at all. Maybe he thought, as Oz’s best friend, it was his duty to make sure that things were not going to backfire. He certainly did not want to lose Oz as a friend, but he also did not want Nyx and Oz to be upset with each other, because essentially, here in Canterbury, they were all that the other had.
