love is blindness

Oh wow, yeah, I can only imagine what that was like for you. But you gotta still leave the house! Don’t tell me you’re going to become a hermit now, huh? 

Nah, can't stay in the house for too long - Lou and the boys at Mystic might miss me too much. Gotta eat somehow, right?

It always nice to get a chance to breathe every once in a while. I’m sure I’m needed again, though.

You droppin' by Mystic today, then? Takin' song requests again now that ..well, now that the noise is back.

An unconscious smile appeared on the blonde’s face as she heard his question, “You could say that. Usually it’s just to pass the time or when I’m on my way home.” she said as she added the final touches to her sketch. It wasn’t much, really, just another one that resembled what she saw outside of the window. Passing cars, people walking, and all the buildings that the bus quickly passes by. “I don’t think one could measure whether they’re a great artist or just a good one, though. If you do it because you get a release or because you love it, well then, that’s good enough for me.” she slowly closed the pad on her lap and finally look up at the person beside her. “Sorry, I tend to say the first thing that pops out of my mind.”

Out of old habit, Shiloh put his hand on his collarbone, calloused fingers resting upon a silver cross that no loner found refuge on his chest. The importance of the item had faded in importance over the years to Shiloh, especially after Savannah and him had gone their separate ways. Things had never been simple - that, he was willing to admit - but he never understood why they always had to be so challenging. Discussing his feelings was another difficult undertaking for the young man at times, which never made small talk much easier. Sometimes Shiloh kept his feelings to himself, because he could find no other language to describe them in; and other times, words flowed from his mouth like a steady mountain stream. Although he might have been quite the introverted soul, it didn't mean he couldn't have his moments of extroverted behavior. For example, talking to complete strangers on the bus was always a bit of a risk for the typical introvert, no matter the sex of the bus participant. "Nah, I think that's great. Sounds like you got the right idea 'bout it," he spoke with a lazy shrug of his heavy shoulders. "You should take some classes for it. If I had the dough, I would."

I have to admit, it’s nice being able to hear again. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard more people scream in the past thirty minutes than I have in a month.

I thought I'd died and gone to hell, kid. I ain't ever leavin' the house again.

Lydia saw a man sitting in the corner.  She walked over and touched his hand, trying to get his attention.  He looked to be as upset by the silence as she had once been.  She wrote on her hand, just incase she would need it.  'Hi!  I'm Lydia.'

When he felt the touch of another next to him, Shiloh immediately sat up a bit straighter, suddenly alarmed. As he felt the other's finger forming letters on his palm, he quickly began to connect the dots and nodded in understanding. "Shiloh," he wrote back, putting the cigarette out soon after.

Sal skipped down the sidewalks; she let her arms be limp. They flopped through the air without any regards. Hearing is Sal’s main sense, without it she barley recognizes anything, including people. Her arm hit a man’s elbow, knocking something in the air. She went into a frenzy, quickly picked up the cigarette  and placed it back in the man’s fingers, which hadn’t had enough time to react to the loss.

Shiloh's brow furrowed when his fingers felt the absence of its cigarette, Before he could even reach out to see who took the object, he felt it return back within his grasp. He stuck it in his mouth, reaching out to touch the small hands near his own and flip them upside down, writing the word "thanks" in the palm.

Natalie was looking out the window, with a childlike curiosity. She hadn’t been on the bus before, and she was curious as to where it went throughout the day. Really, she was mainly stalling the inevitable return to her house; but for now she stared out the window with a light smile adorning her face. Her head turned as she heard a voice ask if a seat was available, and she nodded her head. “Oh, no you can sit here. Go for it,” She said, smiling while picking up her backpack and placing it on her lap.

"Much appreciated," he replied with a smile to the bright-eyed young lady that sat next to him. The heat trapped inside the bus was so dense and sticky that it almost made him wish he had worn a more suitable outfit - not that he ever opted for anything beyond his typical jeans and a t-shirt go-to look. On occasion, if he had the time or interest to spare, he would dig through his closet for something that seemed to more or less 'work' together. Picking clothes to wear was never easy for a blind man, but he always found a way to work with what he had. "Where ya' headed?" carried across his lips, attempting to make small talk with the girl.

"It’s a public bus isn’t it?" As she asked the question with an eyebrow raised, she falteringly glanced around as if to ascertain that she was indeed in a bus, "Unless my mind is so tired out that it’s playing games on me, It looks like that. I’m part of the public I believe and my cars busted so here I am…" Her voice was quiet even though her words would have on any others lips sounded feisty, they were simply put and gently enunciated. 

A small laugh escaped Shiloh, the sweetness of the young woman next to him bringing a shred of joy into his heart. "Yeah, well it sure as hell smells like a bus - so I reckon it must be one," he spoke with a playful shrug of the shoulders. "Sorry to hear your car's busted. I know a guy who might be able to take a look at it," his head turned to face the young woman next to him. 

At the man’s question, Sawyer shrugged. She had been good at making new friends. Although, she was intense, and at times, inexplicably awkward. It didn’t seem like this guy cared though, so Sawyer decided to open herself up to the idea of having a discussion. Normally on bus rides, Sawyer did everything in her power to tune things out, but the man seemed friendly enough, and it helped that he seemed to be in cahoots with Lou. Clearing her throat, Sawyer rested her head against the window and propped her legs up against the empty seat in front of her. Tilting her head so that she could look at him, Sawyer finally spoke, “It’s going. You’re lucky. The dude that smelled like straight up fuckin’ onions is gone now.” 

The man felt the energies of the bus shift as it began to move again, the vehicle jolting forward as its driver shifted into gear. He could almost sense the man's drunkenness from the back of the bus, the stench permeating through the air. It wasn't the stench of alcohol, but rather the vibes that caused Shiloh's face to twitch in disgust. His head swiveled to the left, distracting himself with conversation yet again. A laugh prepared to escape his lips at any moment after the young woman's statement caused an even larger smile to bloom across his face. "Tell me about it. Motherfucker had to pass me on the way out. Nowhere near as bad as the usual crowd, though," he muttered with a throaty chuckle. "You sound like you ain't too fond of ridin' the bus."

Maxine laughs before making space for him on her camera. “Okay, just tilt your head to the right, and perfect. Smile!”

Mmm....Nahh. Think I'mma tilt my head to the left. Guess I'm just a rebel without a cause.

The young man eagerly took his seat, relieved to get off of his feet for a while. Having walked all the way from the little cafe in which he regularly played all the way to the bus stop had worn him out more than usual. Shiloh's hand bumped into the sketchpad that rested in the girl's lap after being seated, his head tilting in the direction of the object. "Draw a lot?" he began, "I do sometimes, too. Not that great at it, though."

Wait...

Oh, can I get in on that? Now, just a second, make sure you get my good side.