AJ Ayers

    It was too early in the morning for Arden to be dealing with this. They’d woken up to a leaky faucet and though Arden had enough in savings to spring for a plumber, there was barely enough money in their savings account and it would wipe out the rest of the money in the account. Pushing the doors open to Nuts and Bolts, they were hit with a wave of exhaustion. Working almost every night and day just to pay for shelter and food was taking its toll on Arden, plus with the occasional night class they took, life was becoming increasingly exhausting. Arden found the plumbing section, but had no idea what they were looking for. They didn’t have much time before they were supposed to be at work too, so it was a race against the clock to get this done before heading off to work.

There was always something broken at The Pit - it may as well have been the place’s motto. The bar had taken quite the hit in during the flood that had taken such a toll in the South End. It seemed like half the bar’s floor space was occupied by buckets to catch the still-leaking ceiling. And AJ, suddenly finding herself short-staffed and running low on funds for the month, decided she was going to fix some of the issues herself. Which is exactly why the girl had been circling the interior of Nuts and Bolts for what felt like hours.

“Sure not, wife,” she used a similar tone to match AJ’s, teasing about the way she called her. Sound more like some lyrics of a mellow blues song. Belle inhaled marijuana for the countless time since she lit that joint and held it within her lungs to potentialize the effect. It was now so familiar to her that the only think that could actually cause her a trip was the lack of pot and not the consumption of it. “Oh but I do - you ain’t quiet when you’re coming.” Her sapphire gems were gazing away into the darkness of the street, only to slowly roll toward her boss and co-worker - and fling, of a kind. Leisurely, a grin beamed her features and the girl of golden waves started giggling at her saucy joke. All the smoke escaped through her throat and out of her mouth, causing her to cough ever so slightly, and raise her hand to the level of her hips, offering the blunt to Annalise.

AJ gave a small chuckle at the nickname, shaking her head as she regarded the girl. She watched her movements, smile lingering. In fact, she had trouble tearing her bright green eyes away. She had a soft sport for Belle - had since the day she ended up in Oakland. She had an easy way that AJ wasn’t accustomed to - both as a girl who had been raised to proper, reserved and well, stagnant, and as the girl she had turned out to be  - someone who never stopped moving, thinking, finding new ways to cause herself trouble. All edges. 

                                            @ajayers  

AJ wasn’t a girl who got nervous - that she would admit. She had always had way of being the loudest person in a room - even in The Pit, the petite girl had found a way to ensure that her voice was often heard above the rest, at least most of the time. She had grown just a little more reserved since moving to Oakland, her abrasive nature wearing down ever so slightly. She was a girl made of edges. Which is exactly why someone who seemed as gentle as the artistic Queen had a way of throwing her off her game. AJ was unsure how to handle someone with care - and she guessed her company for the evening deserved more than her edges.

There were nights when AJ promised herself she would stay far, far away from The Pit. Those nights were rare - the girl found that if she allowed it to happen, all of time would funnel straight into that bar. It gave her a sense of purpose on days when she found that she had none. That, and the girl found solace in the bar’s workers and regulars. 

“See? Another point in the dog column. I used to do soccer and track in high school. I had too much energy that needed to go somewhere. Never did really learn how to sit still. But hey, I’m sure get running in with that little one of yours. How old is she now? Ohh, darlin’, if you get a cut, do not do belly rubs. It looks adorable, but it’s a trap. A tiny, razor-sharp clawed trap.”

She winced, nothing to do with her own injuries. “Ouch. Was? Still no sighting?” AJ didn't want to think of how distraught she’d be if someone took off with her Harley. She didn’t consider herself a material being, but she loved that bike. She imagined that replacing it would’ve been like replacing a beloved pet who’d passed. It would’ve felt wrong. She nodded. “She does have her tantrums, especially now. It’s getting old.” she admitted, reluctantly. 

“I think he was possessed and I claim no responsibility for him. If you get a dog though - I’m totally volunteering my dog-walking services. I need to live vicariously through someone or I’m going to end up taking one home on my own. If you get a cat, I volunteer my... what do you do with a cat?”

“Are chihuahua’s sassy? Or Pomeranians? My parents had a poodle when I was a kid - that was the sassiest dog I’ve ever met. But kind of old man ‘get off my lawn’ sassy. Hated kids... or maybe he just hated me. Either way. But I guess once you do to a small sassy dog, you might as well go cat.”

“A little?” Nick repeated, trying not to come off as overbearing. Having two younger sisters had easily made him quite protective, and that nature didn’t fade around AJ. He visibly relaxed–although he didn’t fully believe she was totally fine. No doubt, the petite brunette was strong, but Nick worried for her, that one day she might not actually be capable of walking away minorly unscathed. “If I wasn’t actively overworking myself at Red Fish, I’d jump on board.” The young man let his long fingers card through his thick dark hair, choosing to buy into what AJ was saying even if it was a lie–which he didn’t know either way. “Me? I’m gettin’ by, I guess.” He shrugged, nibbling at his thumbnail. “You know, um, if you ever need anything, I’m here for ya.Even though I know it’s unlikely, the offer’s out there. Alright?”

She held up her thumb and forefinger, putting just a tiny bit of space between them. “Just a little.” She confirmed. She watched his posture change as he let go of just a little tension, something she immediately mimicked. The girl didn’t realize her own rigidity until she saw it leave others. She waved a wave, giving him another smile. “That place is awful. I’d gladly take you.” In truth, she didn’t know if the Red Fish was a decent place to work or not - but she did know she was selfish and would gladly give people she cared about other employment. She wrinkled her nose, gesturing to herself. “Not that I’m a ringing endorsement for the Pit today. Last night was an exception to the rule.”

"One key difference, my dear beautiful sugar Queen. Dogs don’t do it out of spite. They just kind of... blunder into a situation. They’ll be so excited you’re home that they’ll knock something over. Cats will make eye contact with you while they push your glass off a counter because you were supposed to feed them five minutes ago.”

To say he was alarmed by the abrasions would be quite the understatement. Without actually touching the wounds, Nick leaned back to fully take in the girl’s appearance. “What, is that supposed to make it hurt any less for you? Shit.” His mouth fell open incredulously, and he just shook his head after a moment, a deep sigh rumbling through his body. “You know, good on you for standing up for yourself and shit–assuming that’s what happened, but I just don’t understand why you’d put yourself in that very position.”

She offered a tentative smile in an immediate attempt to disarm his concerns - she struggled with having anyone worry about her. “Hurt like hell last night. Not bad at all today.” It was a lie that was revealed as she gave a small grimace when she shifted to better look at Nick. “The Pit got a little out of hand last night. That place tends to bring out the best in the Bayou. But, you should see the other guy.” She said, wry smile forming. It was dismissive, at best, and outright lying at it’s worst. The girl was trying as best she could to avert his attention. “How are you, handsome?”

She wrinkled her nose and chuckled. “You can’t trust a cat. You come home and they’ve scratched up your furniture, eaten something they weren’t meant to, broken vases. All because they got bored in between naps. Not to be trusted.”

Nicole couldn’t help but to join in the girl’s laughter, it was a surprise to see someone actually joining in. It was obviously a very welcome joining of another happy dancer; to see another person around here giving up and living in the moment with nothing but a smile. “I promise that if you get sick from this, I will bring you back to life like a helpless little birdy.” A few more twirls came from Nic’s legs before she leaned against the near-by building in exhaustion. She really was out there longer than she should have been and if it weren’t for the warmth of the past liquor in her system, she would have been blue with cold. She watched the dark-haired girl a second more before jokingly clapping her hands. “I’m so proud of you and I don’t even know you. See how good it feels to just pause?”

AJ had to laugh at the girl’s promise. She wouldn’t dare verbalize the words that came to mind - worth it. “I’m holding you to that, pretty girl,” she called out over the rain. She came to a stop, leaning back and allowing the elements to pour down on her. She gave a chuckle when she heard the soft clap. She joined the girl, leaning against the building. She wrinkled her nose, looking over at her. “Never been good for pausing, if you want the truth.” She offered a wry smile. “AJ.” She said, nodding toward the building they were leaning against. “This old girl’s mine. And there just so happens to be a lot of liquor - and heat - waiting inside. Wouldn’t mind the company...”