• runaway love •

“Did you just have a stroke? John Green at it once again,” Mercy’s tone took on that of a 50′s styled baseball announcer, even going so far as to wave his cigarette in the air as he got into the temporary character, “Whatever. Spaghetti-o’s are good. Not that I care or, like. I’m judging. It’s whatever. Have fun,” he was ready to turn and ditch then once the other confirmed she wasn’t the Jesse he was looking for, but the name she dropped for him was… far too familiar. The voice, the name - a chill ran down Mercy’s back, as if he’d dived without thought or care into the river the other - Azure - was dipping her feet into. Suddenly, Mercy felt like he was a kid again in New York. It was a feeling he couldn’t tell if he was fond of or completely hated, “Zee,” it doesn’t come across as a question - at this point, he knows. Storming towards the girl lounging in front of him, Mercy didn’t stop until he was towering right over her, coming face to face with the person he was sure he’d see. Staring dumbly for at least five seconds, it took a while before Mercy pulled himself together and blurted out, “What the hell are you doing here?” Not hello, not it’s good to see you. What the hell are you doing here?

“next time you compare me to a John Green character, I’m going to slash your tires. car. bike. fucking scooter, I don’t care.” her tone trying to sound serious but laughs escaping despite trying not to. “buh-bye! see ya later, friend-o!” the raven haired girl waved, not giving him much attention. azure would have been perfectly content with spending the rest of the night like this. listening to the small paddle of the waves lightly splashing against the rocks. it reminded her of the nights she slept on the rocks by the lakes or oceans. sure, it was cold. but it was beautiful. his light deceleration of her name was almost lost on her. it piqued her interest. but he couldn’t know her. maybe he knew of her. her appearance at different house parties were making her name quite popular in the mouths of livingstone residents. she decided it wasn’t a reason for alert. besides, he said zee. not like he said ro- her eyes snapped open as she felt his figure looming over her, quickly scuttling back at the closeness. “what the fu- dude! you can’t just jump up like fucking zorro above someo-” dark eyes met his own. his face was familiar, like the feeling of coming home after a long day. the staring became mutual. the only noise the bugs and reptiles making their presence known and the quiet burbling of the lake. but his words broke that bubble. “I could ask you the same thing, merc.” her body resting on her forearms as she continued to look up at him. a statue of goliath compared to her vantage point. 

“like a full soundtrack to one movie/game/ect.? probably the life is strange soundtrack. some relatable shit on that.”

“I guess you could say that...”

Smoke half gone, Mercy stumbled through the shitty homemade path that guided one from the backyard of the house party currently going on to a small ravine. It felt like the right place to meet up a customer that’d been desperate for a re-up, but he was almost 15 minutes late at this point and it was hard to rush to their meeting spot when he had no clue where he was going, “Fucking Jesus!” he spat when he heard a voice suddenly tear him out of his momentary panic, clutching onto a nearby tree to regain balance after almost falling onto his ass due to the intrusion, “God, who just - lounges like some manic pixie dream girl when a fuckin’ party’s going on? Are you - you don’t sound like a Jesse, but… I mean, guess Jesse’s a girl’s name too. Feminism made sure of that, right?” he huffs, referencing the client he was supposed to be meeting with.

puffs of smoke poured from her lips as she heard the unfortunate stranger in the night almost fall completely on their ass. “awe, if I knew you were going to have that reaction, I would have totally camped myself in some bushes and smeared myself in fake blood for extra effect.” the girl said simply, her words not strange to her. a dark eyebrow raised at his question. “first of all, this isn’t some poorly written John Green novel. #downwiththempdg and all that nonsense. secondly, everyone is too on each other in their and it smells like spaghetti-os. I needed a breather.” azure laid on the rock, completely unbothered by the male’s presence. she didn’t even raise her head to look at him. “nah man. no woody’s roundup gang here. just a plain old tone of blue.” another deep drag from the cigarette was taken before speaking again. “my name’s azure, by the way. ya know, for that joke to really...” a click of the tongue. “..’stick the landing’, so to speak.”

benji: he’s drunk he’s drunk he’s me

benji: finished this whole bottle so fast

benji: it’s good to be a free man

zee: is this some weird poem/haiku thing?

zee: if so

handing back the cigarette after taking one last drag, he laughed as he leaned back on the seat, stretching his legs ahead of him. “i’m not entirely sure if climbing is usually a thing that journalists are required to be able to do, but yeah, you look ready for the part,” he nodded, letting out a yawn after a beat, reaching to rub at his eye. “i can totally see you like, with a pen behind your ear using like, an old ass typewriter sorta thing,” he added with a light chuckle, looking at her attentively, the scene actually playing out in his head. “i’m getting sleepy sitting here, do you wanna go for a walk? maybe we’ll find something fun to do, or we might get murdered, love how you just never know in this town.”

“you never know where the story may take you though, bub!” her words perhaps a tad too loud. “you may need to break into a place all mission impossible style, hang from something and get that shot. and if that’s the case then boom!! I’m ready for it.” another long drag from her cigarette, having a large puff of smoke follow. “I could rock that part too. maybe even a quill. who knows? might get fancy up in here.” zee crossed one leg over the other, using her cigarette as the faux quill. “a possibility to get murdered?” feigned excitement in her voice. “sign me up now.” her laugh was light yet filled with joy. “in all honesty, I’m very up for a walk right about now.”

gunner: 🤴

gunner: does it look good

azure: fucking

gunner: you call this weebo shit but you just unironically quoted a disney movie so

gunner: who's the real loser here

azure: believe me I know I'm in running for #1 loser here

azure: but I think you won the title

gunner: hey what do you think of my new short film

gunner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGLXxnYco1A

gunner: i'm nervous it's really personal to me so please keep critiques light thanks

azure: i get woken up

azure: just to see

azure: some weebo shit??

“that’s — i literally do not have wild of an imagination, but thanks, i’m gonna steal it for sure,” he said, laughing at her story as she ranted on, impressed at her ability to just pull that out of her brain that easily. “are you like, into writing or something? you should try it, sounds like you’ve got it in you to just… weave a pretty web around whatever basic story anyone throws at you. actually, you ought to be a journalist, ain’t that what they do?” he asked, leaning forward to grab the offered cigarette. “thank you, you’ve honestly saved my life. i thought i’d cut back if forced to but i’m just dying without it, nicotine’s my oldest friend,” he nodded, taking a drag and sighing out in peace, not quite ready to give it back. “no, no herpes for sure, you would’ve — i think herpes you should be able to see right away? no? i don’t know how it works, but as far as the plague, i can guarantee i’ve fought that battle and survived it. lots of going to church, you know, exorcizing it out of me, but i’m good now. i just have a mild headache but that was just the abstinence, so i’m all healthy again now, thanks to you, kind lady. truly generous to be that sweet to a peasant like myself.”

“thank you. thank you.” an over dramatic bow following her words, giggles not too far behind as she sat herself back down on the bench. “I used to be. when I was a kid, I mean. only child. kind of forced to make my own fun so that included kind of designing my own worlds. my own fun.” it was true. zee used to spend hours alone in her room, creating stories and characters. people who cared for her. people who would play with her. even if they just lived in her mind. “maybe I could be a journalist. you know, I’m also really good at climbing so I could get that awesome shot or whatever.” the girl began to get up, climbing up the building’s fire escape only a few steps on the ladder before hanging upside down on the black metal. “see? now just imagine me with a camera and CLICK! “ words elevated by her sound effects and miming the camera. “a beautiful shot!” dirty sneakers hit the pavement as zee jumped back down onto the cobblestone, returning to her seat. “ a deed to the peasantry keeps a queen humble.” her smile giving away her teasing. “but I’m gonna want that back at some point. this is a co-parenting custody situation here.”

@zee-ohara

He’d been standing in the line for longer than expected and it was slowly getting on his nerves. Patience wasn’t one of Kaeden’s strengths though he could be patient at times just not now, not while a girl stood in front of him and was still trying to make up her mind as to what to order. Perhaps she thought that since it was Saturday no one was particularly hurrying to get anywhere, which was true, but waiting in line all morning wasn’t something one might like to do, too. “Do you mind?” He asked with a rather irritated voice. “You can still read all of the option from there,” he pointed to the edge of the counter, “but without blocking the way, so that other people could actually order.”

bouncing on her heels in her beat up sneakers, zee peered through thick rimmed glasses. something she did not wear often and they were proving to not help make up her mind due to the fact the prescription was years old. waiting for contacts was bullshit, as far as she was concerned. she wasn’t dressed for the day, sweats and leggings hanging off her body, but she decided to walk down to the local coffee shop anyway. little treats to keep herself grounded. however, once a voice grumbled down at her, the girl whipped around and was armed and ready to teat him a new one. but when her dark eyes met with his, she could almost feel her stomach drop into her feet. great, someone who knows me. knows rose that is. and who is a police officer. kill me now. “fuck off dude. seriously.” she simply said before spinning back around, trying to make as little face to face contact as she could. 

“at least it’s a funny story,” levi laughed, leaning back against the bench, legs stretched out as far as they’d go. it was dark around them and that had never seemed to matter in livingstone, the quietness of the town seemingly less threatening than any dark alley in nyc, but lately the air seemed to have shifted, a sense of constant dread surrounding everyone. “i have one — hang on, i can’t reach it, can you see it?” he asked, bending oddly and pulling his shirt up a little, nearly going cross eyed as he tried to located the mark on his lower back. “was standing by the bar one night when two guys started going at it really violently and i got shoved back so hard i hit the bar and nearly fainted,” he said, rolling his eyes slightly at his own story. “got injured in a bar fight and it wasn’t even my fight. pretty pathetic if you ask me,” he added with a laugh, reaching out and holding out his fingers. “can i have a drag? i run out of cigs days ago but i’m like, broke lately. i depend on your generosity to survive, please?”

zee craned her head to inspect the male’s scar in question. she nodded softly, as if she was appraising a piece of jewelry and not the lower back of a near perfect stranger. “that’s....pretty lame, you’re right.” her words followed by a chuckle. “but, you could try and spin the story. say you got a rapier to the back in some weird ass house party where an asshole shows up all drunk with a rapier that he’s stolen from some local museum, you know, and you valiantly fight the historical artifact thief so not only have you beaten up this man but you have returned a piece of history and contributed to the restoration of local lore. you’d be bringing in all the bitches.” her words clear and said as if they weren’t almost a jumble of randomness. zee laughed and extended the cigarette over to him. “here, weary traveler. I am feeling particularly generous today. and I am assuming you poor peasant doesn’t have like mouth herpes or the plague or some bullshit like that, right?”

“A bit?” he asked. “No, I mean… No. I don’t do bits,” he assured her. “I didn’t even say it in a self-deprecating sort of way, it was just matter-of-fact. Always been an acquired taste,” he explained simply, chuckling at her words. “Pounding pussy. I mean, I can get behind that too.”

“ah okay.” her words simple and punctuated with a shrug. an orange spark of ash flew into the night as she discarded it from the end of her cigarette. “well, I guess I have that acquired taste ‘cause I think you’re pretty chill.” a little side smirk played on her lips. her laugh intertwined with his own. “I just feel like that’s good lingo. like ‘mate, I’m going to just go pound some pussy tonight.’ Just sounds right!”