used-to-be-titanic tip

“Oh. Well you might not like my recommendations then. I’m more jazz and classical based.”

His eyebrow’s immediately shot up at her answer. “How very sophisticated of you, Miss,” Tom chuckled. “I’m far too much of a riff-raff for that. Not quite sure jazz or classical would work on my acoustic guitar.”

“A simple date? I–I mean have you met me? There’s no such thing as a simple date with me. Everything is complicated with me. I mean, I can’t even ask out girls.”

“That my friend is why you need to get a couple of shots down you. And then you’ll be just fine. Or dating apps - Then you’re not even asking them face to face.”

She laughed dryly and shook her head. “You’re right. I don’t really have a reason, but I’m at least a decent judge of character. At the least, I don’t think you’re a serial killer. Even if you’re charming.” She rolled her eyes and caught up with him so that they were walking side by side. “Even if you were an asshole I wouldn’t think twice. Most of the people I k-know are.” She bit her lip, mad at herself for letting the small stutter slip out. “You wouldn’t believe what people do when they think they have to.”

“Serial killer?” He raised his eyebrows and laughed. “I mean people are fucking asses but yeah, I definitely don’t think I’m capable of murder.” Tom scrunched up his features and shrugged his shoulders. As they walked, he tucked his hands into his pockets. Her comments made him tilt his head. It certainly sounded like she’d met some people in her time. “To be honest if anything, I’m the closest to an asshole in my group of friends. My friends are all far nicer than me, generally better people. I’m guessing you know some interesting people.”

Devan snorted, shaking his head. It was too much, he’d been there too many times. “It’s between that and walking into my bathroom and the shower curtain being fully closed. The two most awful feelings in the world. Ice in the stomach,” he said with a shake of his head. “Dude, do you ever just look at the news and realize that the worst shit hasn’t even made it? Fuck all happened when I lived in Massachusetts so god knows why I moved where all the fuckin’ cop dramas are from. And, like, half of the movies about stalkers, honestly.”

Tom laughed. “Mate honestly -- New Yorkers. Whole other breed of human sometimes, I swear.” He waved a hand. “You could drop dead in front of them and they’d probably sue your ass for making them late to work,” He continued to chuckle. “Absolutely mental.”

“I mean – some of it kinda is, yeah? The lack of privacy is for me at least.”

“What do you do? Like -- What are you?”

Lottie gasped a bit. “Well if you ain’t into the lights, what does get your biscuits buttered? Now I am rather curious to hear.” Nodding she grinned. “The night life and the fashion. Let’s not forget the sights and clothing we can go twirlin’ in.” 

Tom blinked a couple of times as he tried to process her words. He still wasn’t entirely sure he’d made sense of them by the time it was his turn to speak though. So, he just nodded. “I just like the nightlife. I just -- I don’t mind that it’s big. I just don’t know if I’d say that’s why I like the city.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” she said, nodding. “Or older bands, like AC/DC and Queen. Can’t really imagine them with acoustic guitar, either. But yes, on it’s own, acoustic is nicer and more convenient.” Olivia laughed a little.”Yeah. I don’t know, it’s bound to fit someone’s aesthetic.” She smiled a bit. “Oh, she was a ballet dancer. That kind of dancing. I should’ve been more specific.”

Tom clapped his hands and pointed. “Yes. Exactly like AC/DC and Queen. Absolute classics, oh man,” The words came out quite quickly as he found himself getting unintentionally excited over a woman so casually throwing the names out. So, he had to take a breathe before he spoke again. “Ah, ballet. Okay,” Tom ran a hand through his hair as he awkwardly laughed. “That makes more sense now. That’s pretty cool though. Like, isn’t ballet training quite intense? It’s impressive she made it.”

Lottie nodded. “Certainly livin’ the big city life. I mean I’ve always been a city girl. The fashion, the night life. Did I mention the importance of the fashion?” 

Features scrunched up as the blonde spoke, Tom nodded slowly. “I guess it is pretty sick. Can’t say I’m massively big into the massive thing -- But I do appreciate the night life. For sure.”

“I’m the same way. This doesn’t even make my list of stupid things I’ve done.” Penelope gave him a small smile and shook her head. “I’m pretty good when it comes to taking care of myself.” She shrugged but it was true. Never was anything given to her. She did what she had to to keep herself afloat. “I- uh. Sure. Yeah. That sounds okay.” He was right, but still going somewhere with someone she didn’t know gave her the anxious butterflies she knew so well. “Don’t think that you have to or anything. It’s nice enough that you offered.”

“Okay,” Tom said gently, nodding. He could tell she hadn’t taken the decision lightly. “Awesome,” His body started to turn to head in the right direction. “Oh,” He snorted. “You’ve no reason to believe me but -- Believe me. I really wouldn’t go out of my way just to get someone some water if I didn’t actually want to help them,” Tom shrugged his shoulders. “Not that I’m an asshole or anything.”

She smiled a little. He had a nice smirk. It wasn’t as dirty as some people’s she’d seen. And maybe it was with others, maybe his charm had its ways to convincing others of other things, but she just thought him nice. Not enough nice people, or at least people that pretended to be nice. “Acoustic is nice,” she said with a nod. “A pretty sound. I prefer it to electric.” She laughed along with him. “No, not really. Though, a rock bookstore might be a good niche business,” she shrugged. “I listen to a lot of old music, too. Pretty much anything made in the ‘80s or before. My father was into all the music from the ‘50s to the ‘80s and my mother loved songs she could dance to. Like, the classics; Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, all those guys. But I’ll listen to some indie stuff now and again. Lots of people play it around campus and in coffee shops.” 

“Acoustic is definitely better sounding than electric -- By itself, anyway. I couldn’t imagine The 1975 without a bit of electric,” He quickly added. Tom allowed a small smile to rest on his face as the young woman spoke. “A rock bookstore,” The man mumbled quietly to himself, laughing a little. Then he tilted his head. “Music she can dance to? Tchaikovsky? How does that work? How does one dance to classical?” Thomas stuffed his hands into his pockets, a look of intrigue on his face.

“Didn’t that happen to Zac Efron once? Yeah, I think I read something about paparazzi hanging around his house because the man had every window open and clear. They got shots of him in his underwear around his house. It was viral.”

“Poor fucking Zac Efron,” Tom exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “See. It happens. I simply ain’t risking it. It’s not worth a viral nude.”

“It’s not the best feeling in the world, but self motivation did help a bit. I like to think if the time came I needed to ever use the pepper spray I would actually do it and not run like an idiot in a horror film,” she said. “I don’t think it’s fair to try and pressure or force someone to do that sort of thing. My parents wanted me to be a doctor or something similar and it made me resent school to the point I dropped out. I eventually went back and got the degree I wanted. It really doesn’t do any good on person though. Trying to make them go that is. You don’t need a degree to have a successful life.”

Thomas stood comfortably, arms crossed over his chest as the other spoke. It always brought him some comfort to hear he wasn’t the only drop out. His family and friends had always made him feel like such a -- unique case. “Three cheers for the drop out club,” Tom laughed. “I mean, I dropped out and don’t exactly have a successful life so I can’t help but feel like maybe it would have at least been useful to stick. Good for you though.”

“What if the girl that I’m interested in happens to be the love of my life?” He questioned, curiously. Not that he was going to put that sort of pressure on him or her. “I mean, we’re just in the beginning stages. We’re hanging out and going on dates.”

“Exactly,” Thomas pointed two fingers at the man. “Still in early stages. Meaning that there’s absolutely no reason that you can’t go on a simple date with someone else.”

She wanted to move but her feet were frozen in place. She was tongue-tied and she couldn’t stop blushing and it was all just really embarrassing. What was she, twelve? No. “You want recommendations?” Her eyes sparkled. “What do you play? Or do you sing? Genres you love? You like jazz?”

“Recommendations. Yeah,” Tom squinted before laughing. “I play and sing, a little. Mainly indie. Stuff like The Smiths, Morrissey, Joy Division.” He listed them off easily. 

meme: what’s your favorite drink? | accepting

“I fucking love me a good whiskey to be honest. I don’t know if that’s what you meant. It’s the first thing that came to mind though.”