#oliver01

Her foot tapped impatiently as she listened to the doorbell ring inside the house, waiting for the owner to invite her in, a bottle of tequila in hand. Normally, she would have just tried to pick the lock or climb through a window (she hated waiting), but figured it would be frowned upon (more than it was normally, anyway), considering she didn’t even know the man’s name. 

Yes, they had gotten drunk together countless times over the years whenever she was in town. And yes, he did know hers. But for some reason, she had never thought to ask the one thing that strangers usually learned first about each other, and by now it seemed a bit too late. At least, she’d managed to piece together that it started with an O. Owen? Ophelia? Oepedius? A true mystery. 

When the heavens seemed to open their flood gates, she’d been standing out on the street waiting for a bus that never came. Instead of a way home, the flashes of lightning painted the sky- streaks of fire against an onyx canvas. Could it be blamed on her forlorn? On a night like this, where clothes stuck to her body and hair dripped, maybe. She’d barely made it across the street to whatever establishment was there, Adara catching her soaked reflection before pushing the door open. What greeted her inside was the sweet sounds of plucked guitar strings, a performer captivating a small crowd under tenebrous lights. Emerald hues did a quick scan before they landed on an open seat at a tucked-away table, the perfect refuge for a girl who wanted to blend into the shadows and wait till the storm passed.

Fingers fished into her pocket, pulling out limp dollars bills that were meant for bus fare, a small sigh leaving her lips just as she made herself comfortable. The cold brushed up against her skin momentarily, nothing new... Adara put up a carapace of distance, focus drifting to smoothing out the money for a drink. A total of ten dollars- what could that buy? Seemingly, one solid gin and tonic, that simply couldn’t be anything to complain about. Turning her attention to the waiter, she flashed a brief smile. “Gin and tonic- thanks.” Each syllable was dipped in a saccharine timbre, her gaze flickering to whoever was singing. 

She heard the rumors on the street, but she thought it was all bullshit really. Why on earth would a siren be in a place like Las Vegas? She didn’t think the species had any desire for gambling. But as the word became fact instead of passive happenstance, her skepticism turned to intrigue. Why was a siren in the middle of a desert? Up until recently, she was content to let the question hang in the back of her mind as the spider web that was too much trouble to brush away. But she always knew she would fold eventually.

That fold brought her to the back of the Chameleon Club, her hands stiff from shuffling cards all day and waiting for the man to leave after his performance. Seeing him on stage, he wasn’t exactly what she thought he would be. Nora had no misgivings that he’d be like the cartoonish versions of mermaids that the average human believed, but he looked so incredibly normal up there that she was almost convinced she had the wrong person. His energy, however, spoke a volume that her sight would never be able to catch. The pulse of his life nearly drowned her, strong and swirling, keeping her entranced in him. Yes, he was real and that excited her to no end. 

The back door opened and she stood up straight, her hands stuffed into her pocket. The tips of her fingers began to numb, preparing herself to cast a spell as the siren appeared. “Oliver Barnes, yes?”

With: Oliver Holland

@olivcrhcllnd​

Nina was more than happy to perform tonight because it was a special occasion. Usually, she wouldn’t do anything more than just a bar gig but since she was on her piano, and by the side with most of the attention on the lead singer, she allowed herself to think that the crowd in front of her was far smaller than it actually was. Still, she couldn’t deny the rush of adrenaline that shot through her once she heard the applause that was much louder than that in a bar and the smile didn’t leave her face even when she stepped down from the stage. “Oh, hey! You came!” Nina happily said, rushing to hug Oliver once she spotted him. “What did you think of the set? We weren’t that bad, right?”

This was a weird familiar feeling that… honestly? He didn’t want to feel again. A bird just… pecking at Phoenix forehead. And it looks like the owner was this kid.