Eyes are up here, home boy.

I can invent things, I tinker and toy. I got a way with my hands, I can fix your sink and your frustration. Come hit me up at the bar if you wanna hang. I'm always working.

[andreya-roche]

[She wasn’t about to overanalyze a good time. For all she knew, tonight would be fast, easy fun. And maybe nothing would happen at all. But nothing was guaranteed to happen unless she said yes to the first step. She called over her shoulder, voice moving through the hall, a Cheshire smirk curling her lips.] I don’t run your life.

[Going into the showers and grabbing a towel on her way, Andreya pushed her slacks to the floor and withdrew her shirt, revealing a body sculpted by survival rather than a gym. The water sputtered and gasped when she turned the faucet knob, and she stepped under with a sigh, letting the warm rain soak on her skin.]

[addison-vale-blog]

[ It was like one of those old paintings since before even Addison’s great grandmothers time. Those ones with the funny looking people who were almost always way too pretty and painted only with a colour of skin that you wouldn’t find unless said person lived in a hole their whole life. Now, even though Andee’s skin was much more olive and dirty, but that didn’t take away from the fact that Andee was almost flawless. ]

Ah, so you’re gunna do that to me, huh? Give me a show and hope I join in? 

[ The smirk refused to leave her face. ] Alright, I’m game. [ She uses an ankle to kick a chair around in front on her, sitting on it backwards as she watched. ] 

[pryor-hendricks-blog]

Does alcohol even go bad, Vale? I guess I never keep it around long enough to tell. [His cigarette waves through the air, ash fluttering on the breeze as it dwindles. 

Many of his parents finely-aged bottles of whiskey and wine went missing thanks to Pryor’s sticky fingers, snatched off of their godforsaken antique bar carts—(yeah, that was right, multiple, his dad had had an inexplicable weakness for estate sales)—and poured down his greedy, non-discerning mouth like it was the shit he was forced to pretend to enjoy now, held aloft when he showed up at parties like he was Dionysus himself, bringing the gift of wine and the promise of debauchery. In short: the good old days.]

But if you’re looking to unload, I’ve got to say that I have been nothing but a friend to you. A dear, dear friend. And I fucking love presents.

[addison-vale-blog]

When you’re just mixing shit together and just “by chance” get it to be as potent as the old stuff, yeah... It goes bad. I mean if you want it though, I’m sure it’ll taste-- enough. [ Addison smiled lightly. Not wanting to imagine the taste. ]

A dear... DEAR friend, eh? You think highly of yourself, Pryor. But-- Out of all the people here I suppose you are the closest to that, yes.

[andreya-roche]

Hey, some of us are hot and sweaty from an egregious workout. The showers are the next logical step. [She pushed through the oversized front door to the Brink dorms, leaving it open for Addison to follow with a trail of her fingertips on the wood. Part of her wanted to see how long they could keep this up before someone called ‘uncle.’] Besides. Neither of us have private rooms. And broom cupboards are so tacky.

[addison-vale-blog]

[ Addison ran a tongue across the front of her teeth. Her thoughts were racing, she had no way of knowing where the night would end but from how it was going, she was feeling pretty good. ] 

Is that an official invite? [ She’d be damned if she made the obvious first move. ]

[pryor-hendricks-blog]

Ooh, your ass and your face. [He exhales smoke. Inhales again. Mechanical, just like his conversation. He’s a wind-up doll, he doesn’t have to think: he walks, he smokes, he retorts. God, he’s fucking nauseating, like his hand’s shoved up his own ass and he’s puppeting himself.] Lucky them.

Is it so fucking bad that they’re giving the swill away now?  [He asks. He hasn’t heard. And that display of generosity from the Colony, quite frankly, astounds him. They’re tightfisted with everything fun: with alcohol, with cigarettes, with the credits that could be used to acquire either. The only thing they can be counted on are the like-clockwork injections to keep him sterile and without syphilis, so there’s one form of entertainment reliably available to him.] Lucky me.

[addison-vale-blog]

You’re right. Lucky them.

[ Addison shrugs. ] Guess so, I mean it’s probably fucking expired by now. Bout time to bring out the hooch from the back room. [ She smiles. ] I mean, if I were you, I’d just wait until the new stuff comes out. It’ll at least be stronger. 

[andreya-roche]

[Addison followed and Andreya couldn’t help the blossom of pride in her chest, the ittiest bit of satisfaction in the idea that her test had resulted in something. Action was the only way Andee knew she was on the right track toward something - sexual passes were fine and fancy and free, but they were hardly binding.] The showers, I suppose.

[Andreya watched Addison trail in front of her for a bit, watching her parade backward - smiling, of course, amused by her showboating. She liked being pursued.] You have a very unique way of flirting, love.

[addison-vale-blog]

[ She cocks her thin brows. ] The showers? Babe I think you’re the one with an off sense of flirting. [ Still, Addison followed. ]

I can’t pass up a good time, though, if that’s what you’re offering.

[sweetcherrymousse]

[pryor-hendricks-blog]

It seems to me, though, that the only one not getting off in this situation is you. [He shakes his head, as though it’s the greatest of tragedies. Maybe it is. When pleasures seem so few and far between, it’s good to have one thing that’s reliable. (When he puts it like that, his overactive libido seems almost deep, instead of just overactive hormones and fucked up coping mechanisms he long since should have outgrown.)]

Unless you’ve been holding out on me, Vale. [He raises his eyebrows behind a cloud of smoke, leaning in a little closer, conspiratorial.] If there’s gossip, let me have it, you know I can’t resist.

[addison-vale-blog]

[ Addison sighs, watching a potential good night walk away from her. ] Yeah, you’re probably right. Oh well, I’ve got a little list of gals riding my ass to get a chance on my face anyway. I’ll get one of them up on me later. 

Gossip? Naw man, I don’t get involved in that shit too much. I do know that we are doing some buy one get one bullshit at Catch if that counts as gossip?

[andreya-roche]

If it’s sexual infidelity you’re worried about, I’m not your gal. I can’t be trusted. [Her eyes flickered toward the trainer walking away, with whom she had interest in aesthetically only, but who seemed to pose a threat to Addison, even if only jokingly. She scoffed.] I don’t trust passing promises. I trust action.

[She began toward the dorms - to shower, perhaps, or to see if Addison was true to her word, and might follow. Andreya didn’t ever swear to anything until moment of, but with all this talk, she wasn’t sticking her guns to any real action.]

[addison-vale-blog]

[ It took a moment for Addison to figure out what she was doing. If she was doing ANYTHING. And you’d be damn wrong if you thought she wasn’t going to act on this prime opportunity. Addison followed, taking a few fast paced steps to catch up with Andee. ] Where you headed off to, huh? 

[ She managed to fix her footing so she was now facing Andee but walking backwards. ] Can’t leave a girl hanging like that, can ya? -- It’d just get her thirsty for more, if you ask me.

[who-is-jr-archive]

[All he can do is roll his eyes. She’s laughing away with all the noise and chatter of a literal monkey. Fuck it. He’s too tired for this. J.R’s about to walk away silently, completely blank her till she nudges him in the shoulder. He jumps away (far too sensitive to such a simple nudge).] Fuck you, buddy.

[With that, he turns, walking at a purposefully slow pace because:         1. He’s tired and 2. He’s tired of her already.]

[addison-vale-blog]

[ Her brows raise much like they do when someone is way too upset over nothing. She steps in sync with him. ] Aye, look here now, i don’t think I deserve that much of a cold shoulder, do I?

[andreya-roche]

Put your money where your mouth is, Vale; you’re all talk so far.

[addison-vale-blog]

You sure Mr. Muscle over there wont be jealous if I do, Ms. Both-Sides. [ She nods over towards the man who was now leaving the horizon. ] Hell, keep teasing me like that, and you’ll get what you want sooner than you think.

[who-is-jr-archive]

[J.R’s sort of just fallen into step with another Torren. She finished up training with him and both of them began walking in the same direction. It was an awkward little shuffle and even more awkward nods when they realised they were heading the same way. It was one of those ridiculous moments of ‘do I walk faster past them?’ or ‘do I hang back and wait?’

Running along towards the dorm is the last thing J.R wants to do. He’s too tired for that shit.

‘Hey babe!’ Ugh. She sounds more like one of those leering men JR would shoot dirty looks at it. Which is exactly what he does. Stopping to see the woman jumping about like like a damn monkey, continuing to shout out. The Torren he was accidentally walking with quickly scurried away, her head down.

He tries to bite back on commenting, really he does, but obviously he doesn’t try hard enough.] You may not have one but you’re sure sounding like a real dick right now.

[addison-vale-blog]

[ Addison chuckles, trying to make light of the situation. Normally Addison wasn’t that much of a dick, a little bit of one, but not as much as she has been recently. She blamed it on a lack of fucking-- or something ]

Better to sound like one than to look like one, aye? [ A playful nudge to J.R’s shoulder that Addison KNEW he’d hate. ] Lighten up, buddy.

[pryor-hendricks-blog]

[He counts the cigarettes as they dwindle in their pack:— one, two, three, four, five. If he were smarter, or maybe just better at impulse control, he’d try to stretch them out. 

But he’s terrible at it, so instead he kind of wants to sit down and smoke them all in one sitting. Carpe fucking diem, or something like that.

His allotments of controlled substances get used up rather quickly, and the month is heading to a close. Next month, he’ll have more: more credits, a reset ability to entertain his vices. And summer’s practically in full swing, now, which is good for merchant trips. Some months, he’ll be on sea more than land, where it’s easier to get his hands on things he shouldn’t.

One cigarette lit, four left in his pocket, and Addison Vale is— ]

Yelling at women from trees now, Vale? I’m pretty sure that’s sexual harassment. [He pauses, as if considering, cigarette lifted to his mouth.] Not to mention, just kinda sad. 

[addison-vale-blog]

[ Addison quirks a brow. ] Yeah okay... [ She watches as the girl leaves. ] Well, lost that one thanks to your Frankenstein lookin’ ass. [ She shrugs. ]

How’ve you been, man? Business doing good? Been doing runs all over the place, sorry I haven’t been around. Got some new shit though.

[andreya-roche]

Fair enough. I’d love to be able to kill a man with one punch, too.

I swing both ways, love. Any which way you turn me, I could swing it. I do love me some manly, lumberjack arms. Arms that can throw me against a wall and down on a bed, y’know?

[addison-vale-blog]

Well, my arms aren’t very lumber jack-ish. But I sure can send you trembling down with these hands. Hell, I’ll even yell timber if that gets ya’ off.

[andreya-roche]

[Satisfied with her efforts to keep company with Addison, she smiled - more to herself, actually. She offered her arm.] Ah, snooping, are we? He’s one of the trainers. Not too hard on the eyes - to say nothing of his arms.

[addison-vale-blog]

[ Addison shakes her head. ] I dunno, man. I think I am more envious of them arms than want them around me.

Coulda swore you swung the same way as I do. You likin’ those aggressive manly arms now? 

[addison-vale-blog]

andreya-roche:

[Silly as it was, she enjoyed the look of contentment in Addi’s eyes. Playing with people, teasing them, mindlessly flirting, was something she liked. It was totally harmless and innocent and fun - part of her wondered if there was a serious undertone. A very, very small part.

The jeer caught her again, not so much in surprise but in uncertainty. She laughed, accepting it at face value. Andreya rolled her eyes, already starting to play around and turned her body as if to start walking away.] I’ll just leave you to gloat and bathe in your wit and charm, bye!

[Addison rolls here eyes, catching up with the girl she knew deep down wasn’t actually leaving at all.] Hey now, don’t you go leaving on me. What were you doing with Mr. Buff-pants anyway?

[addison-vale-blog]

andreya-roche:

[Just like that, she goes from on the arm of a rippling trainer to holding Addison’s hand. She’s a bold, ballsy woman, much like herself - but with seemingly no filter whatsoever. It’s intriguing. She doesn’t think much of the hand and puts her fingers between Addi’s.] The line between “admiration” and “stalking” is thin, mate. [She tugged back, playful and curious.]

I can still kick you in the shin. [She laughed.] Yeah, lucky it was me and not the Brink Head of House. Twat took forty points from me because I caught her smokin’ a fag outside. I’d like to give her a swift drop kick.

[But she shook her head, not wanting to think about that right now - it had been leaking its way into her mind for days. Addi’s assertion caught her by surprise, thinking it had been a joke. Well…]

Cripes, Vale. Buy me dinner first.

[ Addison shook her head. ] Okay, look here, if you kept walking I wouldn’t have followed. I think that qualifies as “not stalking”... Or whatever. [ She looked down at their hands, smirking a bit to herself. Damn did she love the game.]

If I fill up on dinner I won’t have enough room for you for dessert. [ She kept a straight face for as long as possible. ] Damn! That was a good one.  I need to write a guide on how to pick up chicks.

[andreya-roche]

Prove it, babe!

[Laughter erupted from Andreya as she removed herself from the arm of the kickboxing trainer - with whom she had spent a lot of time lately, on account of her stress, but they hadn’t engaged in anything insinuated by the cheeky Addison hanging from the tree branch. She passed him a grateful goodbye and a pat on the arm, making her way over to her friend, swinging like an ape.

She planted her hands on her hips.] You know, cat calling is a really bad way to pick up girls. We tend to send you one of these. [She flipped her off, a smirk still curling the side of her lips.]

Whatcha doin’ up there, hot stuff?

[addison-vale-blog]

[ It was actually a pretty big relief when Addison saw it was Andee who was on the arm of the man. She laughed along playfully, grabbing the solo digit she gave Addison with a full hand. ] Awh, come on now, I’m just admiring your beauty. [ She tugged the finger until she was cheekily holding the other’s hand.] 

To be honest I didn’t even realize it was you until you spoke up. Glad it was though, I coulda “cat called” the wrong lass and been kicked in the shin or something. [She shrugged.]

You really want to take me up on that offer?