° ☾    —    fill me up with novacaine.

nothing brought eden solace quite the same way shopping did — the satisfying feeling of buying new clothes, shoes, accessories. it was magical, really, and it wiped any stress that may have been lurking about in her mind. nothing compared to the exquisite boutiques she’s seen in rome or paris, how fresh they smell, and how appetizing it is to see new fashion, waiting to be taken home by eden. but to her dismay, this small thrift store in colorado brought her gave her a whole new vibe and style. from the vinyls, antiques, old cameras and out-dated fashion, she finally felt at ease and that a tiny bit of her soul felt alive for the first time in years. especially with all of the buzz about her father and seeing his face in every news article ever. the tips of her manicured fingernails trailed across the fabrics of different articles of clothing, she almost had to remind herself not to drool. what could she say? she loved shopping. not because it was the cliché hobby of most women, but because she had a passion for art and clothes were just a way of actually becoming one with art in her eyes. though just as she was going to reach for a hanger to pull a promising dress out, she froze, the presence of someone behind her immediately pulling her out of her calm state of mind only because of the hectic past months she’s endured, she just wanted a little alone time. “ — i really don’t mean to come off as rude, since of course, i’m in no position to pass up on any new friends… but may i ask what’s keeping you here? ” her words were laced with uncertainty as she kept her back to the unknown presence, but she couldn’t shop if they were there, so she waited. a rush of anxiety beginning to course it’s way through her veins. praying to whatever was in heaven that this could be the one place in the world where she could be treated like a normal human being.

Leighton blushed slightly as she brushed some hair out of her face. “Oh… Of course…” She murmured softly as she grabbed the pen and handed it to the male next to her. “Here…”

A faint pink rose to her cheeks, his words cluing her in on why she’d been here at all. How she’d managed to forget, she didn’t know. “Right! Right…yeah.” Clearing her throat, she tried to explain the issue without freezing up at how much she was talking.  “My car is making this noise and then on the way to the art supply store there was uhm, smoke?? A lot. And I lifted the hood which wasn’t a good idea because steam is hot and my arm now is well aware. So yeah, here I am? Is there someone who could maybe help me?”

with a playful roll of her eyes, alta spins around with the heel of her feet taking in a bit more of the room in her STRANGE perspective. ❝ FEELING new places gives you a better impression. ❞ she retorted.

the brunette reads fretful as he speaks, evidently dissatisfied with her  docile tendencies that became exposed solely around him. “ you know,  it’s not CUTE when you start talking like christian grey. “ jolie discloses,  eyes watching the male work on the accessory wrapped painfully around her svelte wrists. she’s grown tired. “ god, can you be ANY slower ?“

Meeting the other guy’s remarks with only a blank stare he waited until he had finished his little spiel before responding. “As much as I appreciate your concern, I will still be taking my business elsewhere.” There were few, if any people in this town he trusted, and he sure as hell wasn’t taking a chance on this guy. Sending a quick text, he glanced back up at the boy. “Half an hour, hour at most.”

“ when have i ever been POLITE ?? ” cade quipped as a BEGUILE smirk curled along his features. he leaned against a concrete wall that was adjacent from the other male, his DEFINED arms crossed over his chest. 

joshua took a step back, as though the force of kal’s words was physical & had the power to move him against his will. they stung, cut through his thick exterior & left him aching at the very core. his gaze averted to the ground, a small nod of his head the only sign that he was listening. he knew there was a reason, he’d just never known what it was & it didn’t feel right to apologise until he was sure of what he’d done – but all attempts at contacting kal to ask had been fruitless. “ i’m sorry, ” the words he’d been waiting to say since his early teens, finally bubbling up & filling the heavy air between them. it wasn’t as though being unwanted was a new concept for him, he understood – couldn’t blame kal for wanting him gone. “ i’ll go– … i’m just– i’m sorry for whatever i did to make you hate me, ” it was the closest to openly sad he’d been in a long time & it left him feeling raw & vulnerable as he walked the small distance toward the door, stepping outside without a second thought toward the men who’d been chasing him. 

She could only nod, fingers twisting together where they rested against her frame. “ You too, Kal. ” Skye gestured to the stuff behind him, not sure what she’d interrupted. She had the general idea, but still, curiosity won out. “Sorry for interrupting whatever this was. I was looking for something- though I don’t remember what it was now, if i’m being honest…”

❝ obviously. ❞ she sports a small grin as she wanders around the small space, running her hands along the walls as she often did with new places. ❝ you’ve got yourself a pretty nice place here. ❞ 

just gazing at the male’s sudden harsh expression brought her satisfaction. she wanted to irk him; push his buttons until he waves his flag of defeat. she will not be humiliated by him ever again, she won’t allow it, ❝ is that so? well, damn, guess it must suck to be you. good thing you’re still single a rigid, or else this would be even more awkward, ❞ she laughed, ❝ dont flatter yourself, if i wanted you to FUCK me you i would’ve stop wasting both of our times and gone for the kill. can’t a girl simply be bored without any bad intentions? ’❞

Wait, what? I’m sorry… I don’t mean to be rude or anything but can you — can you repeat that? I wasn’t listening. Not on purpose or anything, I just… I didn’t know you were talking to me.

❝I swear to god, I would forget my head if it wasn’t screwed on. Where the fuck did I leave it…❞ Toni mumbled, looking around the ground for the bracelet she seemed to have lost. ❝Please tell me you have seen a charm bracelet lying around here? It’s got a shitload of different things on it.❞ The brunette glanced over at the onlooker, shooting them an almost pleading look.

joshua’s chest clenched a little at kal’s tone, sounding almost like anger in the way it seemed to be forced out. it was enough to have the brightness in his eyes fading a little, but he showed no other signs of being effected – smile wide & permanently fixed into place. “ professional, huh ? that’s awesome ! ” genuine enthusiasm laced hiswords, as well as a gentle undertone of pride. “ do you like it ? the side job, i mean. it seems interesting, even if it’s isn’t quite as excitin’ as a boxing ring, ” his gaze never wavered from kal’s face as he spoke, head canted slightly. “ hilarious isn’t the word i’d use for it, but sure. ”

“ you sound like you’ve had some experience, ” ( she commented, noticing the almost protective, defensive message beneath his words. when first spotting him within the ring, she figured everything on his body from from the job but now she wondered. lylah could feel the adrenaline revving up through her sinking veins. the girl was almost ready for take off and it showed. ) “ it’s a curse to be hot? ”

the artificial sentiment ceases from her eyes as he remains the most  ascendant in the moment. an annoyingly petulant whine of vexation  releases itself into the space between them, the rest of her body  leaning against a frosted feel of metal. the brunette shakes her head  in incredulity before another syllable slips past her. “ can you PLEASE  help me out here ? ”