I used to be good

Nadia listened, interested and shrugged. “Weren’t all of our grandparents hard workers? Mine certainly were. It was my grandmother who bought my family’s country house in Surrey, out of London. They were quite the hard-working ones, and my father was as well. A great professor, but my mother loved the lifestyle, the society, all of that. She wanted things to be so perfect, for all of her things to be perfect, treated my siblings and I like little dolls, but no one is a doll. Not even me. Even if I am just as pretty.” She smirked. “Oh, a nurse. How lovely. I’m a baker, darling, at Barnaby’s bakery. I run the place along with my best friend. I can make any pastry you desire. Half off for nurses and doctors, for sure, darling.” 

“I’m sure me and my co-workers would love that,” Cecilia was geniune. The fact that there was always someone who brought something in as a snack, or there was always something on the table in the break room. “My father was a carpenter,” Cecilia said. It was half true. It was the trade he had, but he didn’t do much of it. It was usually crime related. “My mother was a homemaker,” in her father’s eyes women who were married didn’t work. They stayed home and looked after the kids and the house. In Cecilia’s case she was alone. 

Liam just shrugged at her words, “Blood and broken noses are nothing new to me. Practically, made up a good part of my childhood.” Liam remembers the fights his family had gotten into, whether just playing around or actually getting at each other’s throats; it took Liam some years to start getting the upper hand but even when he did when, he’d still walk away from something broken, sprained or bruised. He chuckled and shook his head, “People that know me, now or when I was younger, they’d agree that I’ve done my fair share of shitty things.”

Almost on instinct she asked what on earth happened in his childhood, but she wasn’t work. She wasn’t there to fix anything. Sure she had her uniform on under her coat, but she wasn’t on the clock. Not right at that moment at least. Cecilia also had blood and broken things as part of her childhood. Her father was a drunk who sometimes would throw punches if things didn’t go as he wanted. He disappeared, and she liked to think that he was the cause of her own demise. It wasn’t often she met people who would admit to having some bad things. As a nurse she was taught not to judge, and she wasn’t going to start now “I’m usually the one who deal with the aftermath of fights.”

Nadia shrugged, smiling. “I think that’s an accurate statement, darling. I think us Europeans just live a life that is more fun and more elegant if you ask me, but that’s just my opinion. There’s more of an interesting life to life, I believe, in America, but it’s a pity that you Americans just think it’s all work, work, work. You have to have a little play, don’t you?” Nadia shrugged, sipping at her drink. “What do you do, darling, for work?” It was a simple enough question for sure, and Nadia was curious. She always liked to hear at times the mundane lives of those around her, mainly because she could so easily stand out and fit in at the same time. She had the talent of fitting in wherever she went, but at the same time, standing out in the most Nadia way possible. “They don’t pay well enough. In my opinion, that just means you have to switch up the field, the game. Get to know what you’re good at and never do it for free.” 

“I suppose we just come from the long line of immigrants who had to work hard to make a living. It was passed down, my father wasn’t a hardworking man but my grandfather was,” that was as far as she would go with that personal information. “I have to agree that you Europeans have a more interesting life and a way of looking at it,” Cecilia was a hard worker as well. Someone had to be. “What I do?” it was a simple enough question “I’m a nurse, I work in the ER,” of all places she had to choose that one. “What do you do?” she asked in return. 

He chuckled, “That is very true but perfection takes time and practice. Just gotta believe you can do it.” Liam remembered all the times he used to get his ass handed to him in high school and the times before that, think that if he’d just taken the time to start training when his father had first suggested it, he’d have come home with a lot less bloodied noses and fractures. He eyed the girl, “Are you saying that broken noses are your specialty or you’ve just fixed a lot of broken noses?” He shrugged, “Close enough is better than nothing, yeah?” He looked up to the sky and sighed, “Well, I know I have a lot coming for me in due time, it’s just a matter of if it’s coming one at a time or all at once.”

Cecilia always saw herself as too small to put up much of a fight. Someone could probably pick her up and toss her without breaking a sweat. She also had her fair share of beatings through a drunken father. “I’m not sure I’d say it’s a specialty, but I’ve fixed a few noses in my career. Usually they also look rather good if you look away from the blood,” if anyone had ever seen someone with a broken nose it was truly a mess. The swelling and brusing that follow didn’t help much either. “I’m sure you can’t have done something that serious that you believe that,” she didn’t know the man personally so she had to just trust his word.

Liam smiled and nodded, “Well, that’s a start and we’ve all got to start somewhere. Basic defense is better than no defense.” He truly did believe that everyone working in the family needed to know how to fight or at least defend themselves, training anyone that showed an interest. He thought about making it a mandatory thing but he didn’t want to push anyone that didn’t want to. Liam instinctively touched his nose and chuckled again, “Yeah, I’m glad for that. The accent already makes me stick out, don’t need a crooked nose on top of that.” He chuckled at her words and shook his head; he’s run into a few people that didn’t truly know him and with how nice or charming he’d present himself, they couldn’t believe that he would do anything bad or cause harm. It was good for him, just meant that he was able to fool people in any situation, “Thank you, I appreciate that but I know karma is gonna get me seriously one day.” He thought getting shot was karma but he’s sure it was just the first of many karmic justices being served.

“I don’t think I’d be a very good fighter if I’m honest. You’ve seen me just with accidentally knocking the door on your face, imagine if I had actually punched someone,” Cecilia smiled. The only reason she would learn self defence would be to keep the creeps away, she had been lucky so far, but like most women she walked with her keys in her hand. Always on the alert that someone could be sneaking up behind her. “I think I could have sorted that out,” Cecilia did know how to fix a broken nose. “It might not have looked as good as it does now, but close enough,” she had seen plenty of broken noses in her time. “I think it gets all of us in the end.” she had done things in her time that would come back to haunt her as well.

“Home? Ugh. What is home? I never liked having a home. It’s overrated. Why have a set home, when the entire world can be your home?” Nadia sighed, shrugging. “It makes you powerful. People like to throw you off your game, make things on their territory, but is it really their territory if the entire world is your home? No one can make you weak. You’re ready for anything.” Nadia had to smile, and shrug. “Oh, yes, leave for Europe. Europe has a different way of living. A different way to be. We don’t care much for all of the routine. We’re more spontaneous. We like life a bit more. It’s exciting, you’ll see. Money isn’t everything in Europe. It’s more about adventure. Here in America, you are only worthy your bank account. So silly, when that bank account can be drained so easily.” 

Despite having a slightly overbearing mother she would always consider the house her mother lived in as home. It was where she was raised and where she lived. She might not have the best memories from that place, but despite everything her mother tried. “I suppose you are right about that,” she couldn’t help but agree. Perhaps Americans were more homey than she had first thought. “I have heard the Americans live to work and you guys work to live. I have to say there are some truths to that. We work too much, I for sure do. Then again you can’t do what you want without any money, but on the other hand they don’t pay us well enough.” she shrugged.

The last thing Oisin wanted to be was rude, however ignoring her by not texting or calling her was not the best, so he decided to talk  to her. He wanted to at least show her that he was  fine with interacting with her. Cecelia wasn’t someone he ever imagined himself kissing. She  was an attractive woman but his mind was somewhere else. He had different goals in his life, different aspirations, that didn’t involve including a woman. The kiss they had shared during New Years was out of the norm–it happened, and it was unavoidable.  

“Yah, it seems we do.”  He  responded.  He looked over at the bar counter and gave her a simple nod to indicate  he  was fine  with that. 

He was fine with it. Drinking with her wasn’t terrible, in fact, he  liked that he had her to drink with instead of the other patrons attending  the bar. He followed her towards the counter and asked the  bartender for a whiskey. After he  had ordered one he stared at her intently and examined her features. She looked beautiful today. A  type o f beauty that  stood out from the others. She didn’t have to  try hard to look beautiful. She just naturally was.

“I’m not sure how to really talk about..what  happened between us.  Are yous..okay? I really did mean to call I just.. wasn’t  sure what to say.” He said  over the noise.

As he ordered his drink, Cecilia had to think for a moment before ordering a gin and tonic. Something she didn’t have to drink fast. Getting her card out of her bag she handed it to the bartender before turning to look at him. As she was ordering and paying she had the tingly sensation one get when you know someone is looking at you, but she didn’t want to catch him doing so.

What were they suppose to say. It had happened and then she didn’t hear anything. LIke she had thought he was probably busy or it was because of his late wife. She wasn’t offended when she realised he wasn’t going to call.

small> “Me?” she looked at him before taking her card back “I’ve been alright, back to work again so it keeps me busy,” she smiled before taking her glass when it was placed in front of her. “It’s alright Oisin, it is really. I just figured you were busy,” what she had told him was still true. Despite the lightning the pale blue eyes of his was the same.

The last thing Oisin was expecting to see was Cecilia, especially tonight. He would like to assume that being in a bar wasn’t the norm for her, unfortunately their last encounter was at a bar. He hadn’t meant to  avoid her. Ever since their kiss on New Years he had tried to reflect and  figure out what was going through his mind. She didn’t deserve to be treated like this. To have someone ignore her in such a way wasn’t right. He had meant to call her, not text since he dreaded the idea of texting someone, but he just  didn’t. 

When he noticed she was there was when her friends sort of teasingly pushed her to speak to him. He had noticed her  the minute she set foot into t he bar, he just, wasn’t prepared to interact with her. Now that he had absolutely no choice in the matter  he tightened his lips and gave her a soft grin.

“Hello.” He said,  fidgeting  with the camera lens. He looked down at his  feet and back into her soft hues. “Wasn’t expecting to see yous ‘ere.”  He murmured. 

Had she waited for him to contact her? Yes. Had she tried herself? No, but then again she didn’t really like being the first to call. She figured he would eventually. Instead they found themselves here. “I wasn’t expecting to see you either,” she returned his smile. It made her worry for a second that he thought she frequented bars, one thing she didn’t really do. When he had spoken she noticed he was carrying his camera, it wouldn’t have been him if he didn’t carry it with him.

“I agreed once again to go out, it seems like we always run into each other when I do,” she smiled and looked down at the bar counter for a moment. Cecilia hoped that things hadn’t become too awkward after their encounter at New Years.

When he didn’t call she had thought perhaps that was that. She also respected his choice since it hadn’t been that long since he had lost his wife. “Can I get you anything? It’s the least I can do after my drunken stupor last time.”

Sometimes Cecilia would suddenly feel silly for her drunken admission at New Years, but also she didn’t. It seemed like this had become a theme that she’d run into him in a pub or a bar. This time her friends had noticed the man she had been looking at and they figured he was the same guy who she disappeared with on New Years.

Having been almost pushed forward by her friend she made her way over. This wasn’t like her, she never approached people out in public. Not that really anyone approached her either. Just the way she liked it. Thankfully this time she was only on her first drink and was well and truly sober, no drunken stumbling or admisisons. Perhaps not at this hour of the night.

“Fancy seeing you here.” she smiled. It was genuine, it was nice to see him.

Nadia smiled, shrugging. “Well, it is lovely to see someone thinks like me. Perhaps it’s for the best.” She arched an eyebrow and let out a simple sigh. “Oh, is that true? Well, I often went to those bad parts as well, but let’s just say I never let those places get me scared. They ended up being scared of me, whenever I showed my face. Pretty smart on their part.” Nadia smirked, conceited, of course. “For us? You and who, darling? It’s not that expensive if you do it cheap, but then again, should anyone do Europe cheap? I hardly think so. It’s a lovely place to go, but it has its bad parts too. Those parts are just as interesting.” 

“I moved out of those parts the moment I could fend for myself. I don’t really return unless I have to visit home,” that was true. Her mother still lived where she grew up. People saw her as the quiet religious lady and left her alone. “I think me and my fellow Americans,” she smiled. “Those who can afford to go do the whole go big or go home so perhaps when I’m an old lady I can scrape together some coin and leave for Europe.”

starter: open location: the pint  ( neutral )

“it looks sticky — and i already know im NOT going to like it.” kon wasn’t necessary a picky drinker, per se, however she was a firm believer in the concept that you consume with your eye’s first. and whatever it is, the cocktail is hardly an appetising morsel to ogle at.

@crimsonstarters··

“It tastes good and it gets the job done,” Cecilia shrugged as she looked at her cocktail. It wasn’t often she went out, and even rarer that she went for something like this, but for once yes. “Plenty of sugar and alcohol in a glass makes an evening fun.”

Nadia rolled her eyes, sighing. “Religious mothers are always too much to handle. I should’ve ended my mother the day she brought me to church.” She took out her lipstick, reapplying some of it right on the spot, looking at herself in the compact mirror. Nadia always admired the way she looked, the way she dazzled in front of a mirror. It was her ego playing her altogether. “The not so nice part? Oh, darling. I feel like every part is the not so nice part, but that’s the charm, isn’t it? The south side is where one shouldn’t go after dark, right?” Nadia smiled, shrugged. “London is beautiful, I will say that. I encourage any and all to go and explore Europe. It’s beautiful. Do you have any plans to?” 

“Maybe you should have ended mine’s obsession with the thing, it’s rather exhausting I’m glad someone agrees with me,” Cecilia was the last person you’d find in a church. The last time she went was the memorial for her father, after that she found excuses not to go it didn’t stop her mother. Watching the other woman she wish she was that confident as she was, one could see it a mile away. “I was raised in the parts you didn’t go to after dark,” she nodded. She enjoyed where she lived now, at least she could go home after dark without worrying about being robbed or worse. “Perhaps one day, Europe is often a bit too expensive for us.”

Liam just shrugged, “Well, I don’t believe that. Everyone’s got their own strengths and they develop over time with the right training. Trust me, I know.” He thinks back to the early times before he started getting involved with the family that he was practically a toothpick with a big mouth. Liam got his ass handed to him constantly until his dad told me he had to start fighting back if he was gonna talk like that. Liam chuckled, “I’ve been through much worse, a few broken noses too. It’d be nothing really.” He got that though he normally would have coffee during the times when he should be sleeping; there were many nights he would just be awake for long periods of time on purpose. “I guess to other people that wouldn’t make sense but it makes sense to you so that’s all that matter, right? Seriously, you don’t have to apologize. I’m sure it just would’ve been karma for something I’ve done in my life.”

“I’m sure if I landed a lucky punch that I could have given someone a black eye but that’s about it,” she smiled. Nurses didn’t take an oath like doctors did, but she also didn’t want to cause anyone harm. Despite her father being the scumbag he was she never fought back, nor did her mother for that matter she just let it happen. “If you’ve broken your nose before whoever put it back did a good job, I couldn’t tell,” that was true. Normally she would be sitting and watching some tv before perhaps she got tired enough to fall asleep. She usually didn’t sleep that well after she had worked more than one night. “Oh I don’t think that,” she didn’t know him so perhaps he was telling the truth. Cecilia liked seeing the good in people. Also if she couldn’t care what people had done cause she had to treat everyone equally.

“well, with that kind of force, you sure you’re just a medic?” Liam shook out his hand, catching the door put a little bit of a sting to it. “Well, at least if you actually did hit me in the nose, you’d be able to fix me up, yeah?” Liam put his hand back on the door to open it wider for her, “Don’t apologize, pretty sure I’ve done enough damage in my life to warrant getting hit in the face with a door.” He stepped to the side to give her room to walk through, “I’m sure I’m holding you up from something and what kind of gentleman would I be if I made you late?”

How did he know who she was? Cecilia didn’t let the big question show on her face and instead just nodded “I’m afraid so, I’m far too spindly to do any real damage,” she gave the man a weak smile and a shrug. “I could yes, I could even make it straight again but it would hurt,” she had done it before and even the toughest man let out inhuman sounds. “Oh no you’re not holding me up. I was on my way home from work, silly to get coffee but when I’m not tired at this hour then I know I won’t get any sleep. I’m terribly sorry again I really didn’t see you.”

Nadia shrugged, looking away for a moment. “You should, darling. You have the pretty face to do anything. Like my mother always said, a woman should always be beautiful. Life is easier that way. She’s a cunt, but hey, she was right about that.” Nadia shrugged, taking a sip of her tea as she looked back over at the brunette. “Oh, no, darling, not from Chicago, although there is a beautiful excitement to it, isn’t there? I’m from London, the posh part. All very lovely. What about you? Are you from here?” 

Perhaps the womans mother was right. It seemed like women who were attractive had it easy. Cecilia always saw herself as average so she didn’t give it much thought “My religious mother would say vanity will send you right to hell,” she chuckled. Perhaps being raised not thinking she was anything special left a mark. “I’m from the not so nice area of Chicago, I’d rather be from any part of London than here. Europe sounds more civilised than America.”

He gazed into her sadness and it felt like an eternity had passed. The crisp night air grew colder by the second as the new year was approaching. He could hear the sounds of drunken adults shouting a countdown. The numbers approaching one at a rather fast pace. As he listened to he felt, once again, guilt swallowing him whole. She was accepting over the fact that she would be second in his life. A position no one would have accepted. It painted him to see her going through all these emotions, and yet the only thing he wanted to do at this point in time–

“Three, two, one– happy new year!” He could hear as people chanted. 

He closed his eyes briefly only to look at the person who had stuck by him to enter the new year with. Oisin reached for her cheek to caress it, he stared at her lips, and turned to look into her eyes. Oisin wished he would have met this woman in another life. A life that was just theirs alone and didn’t involve all these hardships. 

Oisin leaned down to kiss her softly. He let his lips linger against hers. She felt warm. Something he hadn’t experienced in quite some time. His lips separated from hers so he could speak to her. “Okay.” He said. It was the only thing that could come out of his mouth, and yet he felt, his actions spoke louder. 

The air felt colder as she stood in front of him. For some reason she didn’t just turn to leave. His wife was dead, she shouldn’t even be where she was. If she could turn back time then perhaps their night would have just been a regular one. No seriousness, just two people who enjoyed each others company spending the last night of the year together. Instead they were stuck in this situation.

The countdown people around them had started didn’t register with her as she looked up at him. If this was the last time she was going to see him she wanted to remember the details of his face. How blue his eyes were. That perhaps had things been different, in a different life it would have been easier.

Placing her hand on his when he touched her face it felt warm beneath hers. It took her a moment to realise what he was about to do and as she felt him kiss her it was as if the sounds around her came back all at once. She could hear the cheering of people wishing each other a happy new years, the bangs and crackling of fireworks as it lit up the sky.

As he moved away from her she was confused for a moment. He first asked her to leave and now this. Then again maybe he understood that she meant what she had said, that maybe it was the same for him. “Okay.” she also didn’t have any other word. Instead she moved her other hand up to gently touch his cheek, to feel his skin against hers. To make sure she wasn’t just passed out at home drunk. To make sure he was real.

starter status: open to everyone location: streets of chicago, outside java addicts

Liam couldn’t stay in his office any longer. After the explosion, after Killian, Liam felt like he had to change everything. It wasn’t like he was going to go back to his reckless ways or anything but he felt like he couldn’t be behind his desk any longer, wasting away as the seconds ticked by. After everything, Liam started coming around more, spending more time with the other members, training them or training by himself; he was constantly doing something like always but at least this time, he was actually out where people could see him and not holed up in his office until the dead of night. 

Right after get a few things organized in his office, Liam grabbed a quick breakfast before going out on his run. It was becoming a daily thing for him, a time where he could just focus on running and nothing more. He didn’t realize how long he’d been going nor was he keeping track but when he stopped outside Java Addicts, Liam decided that he was done for the day. He thought about going in for a coffee and something to eat when the door swung open; except this time he was ready for, like he knew it was going to happen, and stopped the door before it hit him in the face. “Can only make that mistake one time. Maybe open the door a little less aggressively, yeah?”

Already well into the new year it wasn’t going great. The winter didn’t seem to let up, she had returned back to work and things were just a chaotic as it always had been. It had been fairly quiet on the gang front. She hadn’t heard anything in what felt like ages, perhaps they had simply forgotten about her. Finally letting her have a normal life again. Not needing to worry about anything outside of her own bubble.

Having come off a shift she was heading home, she was already tired and grumpy from a busy night and asking herself why she continued working there.

Having gotten her things she already saw she was going to be late for her bus, this morning couldn’t get any worse Cecilia told herself as she tried getting everything back into her bag before heading out. Pushing the door open she felt it hit something. Oh god she hit someone.

“I am so sorry I was a million miles away.” she looked at the man. It seemed like she didn’t hit him in the face at least.