feelings grow like flowers

Anthony Cohen | 25 | Totally Human

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Daydreaming

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pcytonshaw:

Peyton walked along the sidewalk, chin tucked and eyes forward. Her hands were shoved into her pockets, trying to stay warm on the trek to work, but her nose and cheeks had already pinkened from the brisk November air. She was beginning to rethink this whole “no driving in the city” thing. Her hotel wasn’t that far from the precinct, but she hated being cold. Every year, as summer and fall came to a close, she seemed to forget that. 

Quickening her pace, she was fully intent on getting to the station as soon as possible, but she hadn’t gotten far when she found herself slowing once more. Sidling up behind the man she knew to be Tony Conner, she followed his line of sight and said, “Miserable, isn’t it?”

Anthony had been so lost in thoughts, that when he suddenly heard someone talk to him, he almost literally jumped. Feeling flowers grow all over his feet, and startled, he looked at the person who had spoken. “Sorry? What is?” He vaguely felt like he knew her from somewhere, but whether that was from work or from TV, he had no idea. Perhaps she was also an old school friend and was trying to make a snappy entrance, and he was completely ruining it right now, who knew, but considering her undeniable beauty, she was probably rather an actress or singer or something like that. Probably. Maybe. He frowned. “And, sorry, do I know you?” 

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Daydreaming

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tannerbiel:

She stopped in the middle of the park and looked up at the grayed sky. Would it be snowing today? It was certainly chilly enough. She loved the snow. She could curl up on the couch for hours in a hoodie and sweatpants, holding a mug of tea, and watching it fall from the window. It sounded like a wonderful night, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted it. She closed her eyes and smelled the air, hoping for a sign. She wasn’t surprised nor disappointed when she found none. She’d consult the weather later. 

Lowering her gaze, she was just about to start again when she noticed a familiar man a little ways away and began walking towards him. Once she was next to him, she followed his gaze to the walking couple and began to watch them as well. “That’s efficient,” she noted. “They’d have done better to layer up though.” Turning back to him, she smiled in greeting and waved at him with a gloved hand. “Hello, Anthony. May I ask what you’re doing out here?”

Anthony was woken from his thoughts the way one wakes from sleep. He blinked, taking a deep breath, and slowly turned his head to look at Tanner. His body had long grown used to the way the air shifted when she was around, the way breathing was a little easier, the way the roots within his veins seemed to relax before his mind even knew why. However, just because he didn’t startle, didn’t mean that his dream remained vivid in his mind. Slowly but relentless, it disappeared. “Hey, Tanner,” he murmured and almost smiled. “To be honest, I was trying to get away from you for a bit, but it seems like there’s no escape.” He leaned against her, his head coming to rest on her shoulder and fitting there was though it belonged there. “I just needed some air.” 

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Daydreaming

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elliotarenas:

We’re in New York. They were and the city was almost like a world in itself, and there was no lack of people going in and out of job in the blink of an eye. Elliot simply nodded, conceding that point.

“I won’t know until she calms down,” he said, with a smile. He didn’t look too worried about it all—the snake, the friendship—though he kept the phone in his hand in case they called again. His lips quirked and the froze as his eyebrows rose at Anthony’s comment. “Do you..,” a pause, clearing his throat while the smile threatened to turn into an amused smirk, “All the snakes for all the friendships, or are there situations that are the exception?”

“Is that something that happens often where you work?” He doubted that prying about such an unusual topic would come off as rude. He could hardly be blamed for being curious, could he? Anthony propped up a leg on the bench, loosely letting his hand rest on his knee as he gave the man a brief tilt of the head that was something like the equivalent of a shrug. “Just like there is always a third choice, there are always exceptions, too. Certain snakes in certain situations and environments can be great to be contemplated with friends. Life would be boring if not.”

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pcytonshaw:

As a detective, Peyton had honed many skills over the years. She’d become a better a better fighter, a better cop. A certain air of resilience had always been with her, but working in crime had a way of thickening skin, and developing a certain level of discipline was inevitable. Another trait was perceptiveness. Whatever she had said, and she was certain that it wasn’t much, hadn’t completely settled with him, but she left it alone. Far be it for her to pry. Instead, a grin tugged at her lips and she let out a laugh. “Not a very bright species, are we?” she said. Keeping her gaze fixed upon him, her smile was gradually replaced with that of consideration. She wasn’t interested, per say, but his thought process had been rather dramatic. Especially considering how naturally unafraid he seemed by the deduction. “So you expect war.” The words came out slowly and more like a statement than question.  She considered this, recognizing it’s truth, and unable to deny it’s validity, she cocked her head. She wished she had another cigarette. 

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” she said. “But for the sake of…” She paused, motioning airily to her body and face. “—Whatever the fuck I am, I hope we get our shit together. I just moved back, and I ain’t ready to see it go all boom.” She eyed him amusedly, a new grin toying at her lips. Shoving any unwanted feelings back down, she had long since decided that keeping things light was the surest way to avoid any unwanted conversation or emotions. “What’s your story, anyway?” She asked. “Are you living or surviving?”

Something along the lines of ‘expecting it isn’t how I’d call it’ came to his mind, but the more he thought about it, the closer his thoughts came to the tip of his tongue, the more he had to realise that yes, somehow, he was expecting it. So he nodded. His lips rolled in pensively, he thought about it some more, then, finally, looked at her again. “I mean, there’s always war.” And maybe that was both the reason why humanity had to finally be destroyed. To end humanity for the sake of humanity.

Anthony’s lips curled into a smile at her ‘whatever the fuck I am’, and because he tried to hold it back, it resulted in a little smirk. “Boom,” he repeated, dryly and with his eyebrows raised, but still slightly amused. Respectfully amused. He didn’t know the facts and details of her story, not even that, but he understood where she was coming from, and that was enough. “Yeah, no. Whoever we is. It’ll work out.” And then those questions came and he gave them a chuckle and a shrug. “Right now I was actually just on my way home.”

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Daydreaming

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elliotarenas:

Elliot mouthed a ‘Thank you’ at Anthony’s go ahead, sitting down. A smile sneaked up on his lips. “Have you talked to many soon-unemployed people?” But then something said over the phone called his attention. “No, Jacinta, no one is getting fired. Liste, I can’t help from here aside from calling animal control. Do you want me to call them?” He mouthed a ‘Sorry’ to Anthony and then looked confused at his phone. “Well,” he said, closing it. “What about soon-without-friends people? Do they make the best company too?”

“We’re in New York,” Anthony replied, as though this explained it all. He didn’t speak the language the man spoke but he understood ‘animal control’ and he gaze shot up. He would’ve interfered, then, but what did he know about animals, let alone snakes? And then the call was abruptly ended by the person on the other side of the line anyway, it seemed, and Anthony snapped his mouth close.  He smirked. “That bad?” He wondered what possible job the man could have that snakes could not only appear by accident but also cause such a tumult. “I’ve always said it, but people never listen; letting the snake out always ruins the friendship.”

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tannerbiel:

Thinking for a moment, she had no inclination to argue. It was idealistic at best, and yet, it worked for her. “It is a practice not without flaws,” she determined. “Yet it helps to preserve my sanity. That’s not to say it is applicable to everyone, though. Perhaps I’m just stubborn.” 

Her smile lingered for just a few seconds longer before the weight settled on her shoulders. She felt obligated, not out of fear or shame, but of trust, to be honest with him. “As precocious and forward thinking as I am, I am not without torment. Those demons are simply best left buried deep inside.” A monster. At her core, she knew that’s what she was. She’d made her choices, and she had to live with them. She’d do it all again if it came down to it, and perhaps that was worse. To Tanner, it was truth, just as her skin white and her eyes hazel. “We are not meant to remain stagnant,” she said gently. The question that followed came as somewhat of a surprise, and she looked at him, soft and kind. “We already have.” 

“Perhaps, yeah,” Anthony smirked. He knew what she meant with buried demons, unaware that he didn’t know which demons hers really were. He gave his friend a glance and tried not to think of that one person who would always say the exact same thing, instead tried to think of tomorrow, of the breakfast he had promised, of the day he was going to spend with Tanner, finally, and smiled.

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Daydreaming

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elliotarenas:

Something heated was being shouted, in Spanish, over the the phone, and Elliot flinched at it replying in the same language. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean… Yes. Of course. No—Wait a moment, please.” He frowned, keeping his gaze on Anthony. “You’ve never seen Harry Potter?” It was rare, at least for him, to know someone who had not watched those movies. He still remembered being eleven and going with his sister to see the first one—it had been a treat, going to the movie theatre, since money was scarse and tickets expensive. “And, yes, of course, that would be best.. just.. trying not getting caught and fired, y’know. Hey, mind if I seat here?” He asked, pointing at the free space on the bench. 

And then there were words in that other language again and because he thought this was the end of the part where he was involved, Anthony crossed his legs, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. Instead, a moment later, he heard a question in English that was quite obviously meant for him. “Nope,” he shrugged and while this had its reasons, he doubted that a stranger on a phone with someone else would care about it. He motioned for the man to sit in a gesture of ‘go ahead’ without looking up, and said: “Soon-unemployed people make the best company, after all.” 

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Daydreaming

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elliotarenas:

His leg made contact with the bench, “Ouch,” and then his words were said back to him, almost like an echo, only not in his own voice.  Elliot turned to meet wide eyes—his face drawn in an expression that was a mix of fading pain, worry, and confusion. ‘Sorry,’ he mouthed to Anthony, while trying to listen and understand what was said over the phone. “No, a python?” He repeated. “A basil—?! No, wait, that’s from Harry Potter..” He glanced at Anthony, once again, “That’s from Harry Potter, right?” he asked, before speaking on the phone again. “Are you guys messing with me?”

Anthony held the ‘be careful’ back, pursing his lips before smacking them in a gesture of indifference. Listening to other people’s phone calls was anything but proper after all, even in New York, even when the caller was talking about snakes while standing less than a meter away from you. “Never watched Harry Potter,” he replied with an apologetic shrug, before once again noticing his gaze being dragged to the man. “You might want to tell them to call someone who knows something ‘bout snakes, though.” Not someone who couldn’t tell real creatures from fictional ones apart.

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lucas-cane:

Lucas took another look at his handy man. After a second his eyes lit up with recognition. “Oh! Oh my God Tony. I’m so sorry, I’m still high as fuck from last night. Don’t do drugs it’s bad for you.” He laughed before shook his head. “They’re twenty percent more expensive?” He asked as he took a drag of his cigarette. “What’s their number I’ll see if I can get them to drop the price. Use what we’ve got now, and I’ll let you know in the morning if we can get it to work. If not Use your best judgement for what soap you get.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. How was this his life that people asked him about what soap to use. 

Pulling out his pack of cigarettes he offered one to the man. “How long have you been working here Anthony?” He asked as he tossed the cigarette out. He needed to know how long it was before he terminated the entire crew. He was starting to get wrinkles and needed to de-age. 

Anthony raised his eyebrows in a way to show that he was still following his Lucas’ words while the rest of him was completely still. Even if he were someone to have a proper opinion on drugs, he wouldn’t think himself in a position to express them in a conversation with his boss. Especially not a conversation about soap dispensers. “Gimme a moment,” he mumbled, ignoring most of what had been said and digging in the pockets of his leather jacket for the piece of paper where he had written down the company’s number. “I’ll deal with the situation now, but I’m not sure I’m the one you want to let decide on scents that affect the entire place.” And he hoped that his mere appearance, simple and worn-down in places, spoke for itself.

His fingers found the piece of paper with the number and just as he was holding it out for Lucas, he realised he had been offered a cigarette. Mentioning. Trusting his handyman with flavours. And now offering a smoke. Lucas was quite his own kind of an employer, wasn’t he? “Thanks.” He took the cigarette, caught between the same two fingers that simultaneously pressed the paper into Lucas’ hands. “About a month. I’m paid weekly.” Adding that probably wouldn’t harm anyone.

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Daydreaming

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elliotarenas:

This week Elliot had landed Saturday as his day off. He would’ve gladly taken the extra hours for the extra cash, but a glance for the one friend he had made at work had him relent to just try and relax.  Heading to the park, even in the cold November air, had seemed a good idea, until he had received a phone call from exactly that friend. “Jacinta, calm down, please,” he said, in Spanish. “I can’t—I can’t help you if I don’t understand what is happening.” While he spoke on the phone, Elliot had kept walking to warm up and find a quieter corner where to take the call. Then, what he heard next had him stop abruptly, bumping his legs against a bench and yet barely noticing it. “Did you just say you lost a boa constrictor?”

To be brought back to reality not only by someone on a phone not even addressing him, was bad enough, but to be jolted out of such beautiful daydreams by someone then talking in a language he didn’t understand, meaning he couldn’t adapt to the situation as easily by knowing the mood of the other? That was worse. Frowning, Anthony sat up straight and watched the man on the phone come closer, closer, closer and-, “Wow.” He was about to call the man out on phoning in a park - without quite knowing if there was rules against that, though - but then he heard this one English sentence slip through and his eyes widened. “A boa constrictor?!” 

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milawisniewski:

Tilting her head, Mila simply nodded. He wasn’t wrong but that hadn’t been what she’d meant. Speaking like you weren’t human was a good way to get the attention of Royce Industries, something she couldn’t imagine anyone wanted. “Yeah, I’m a detective, and as you said, there’s plenty of people here fucking up each other’s lives. So there’s no shortage in my line of work.”

“Detective.” Anthony repeated in a hum. That had quite the sound to it. His lips quirked further into a smirk. “At least you’re not gonna be unemployed because there’s nothing to do anytime soon.” With a vague, no-effort-induced gesture he motioned towards the door. “I’ve been trying to get an interview with someone for about two weeks now and I think tonight is just another one where I’m being stood up.”

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lucas-cane:

Lucas hated dealing with the tourists. They were always the same. Oohing and Awing through the city like it was the best thing in the world. He shook his head. Stupid assholes. After 200 years in the city Lucas couldn’t help but wonder why he was still here. Technology changed, but the stupidity of people never did. After walking past a couple of models he smirked as his eyes followed them. Oh yeah, that’s why I stay in the city. Without a word the male stepped into his club and was immediately surrounded by people who wanted him to sign something or approve something else.  He made sure to keep himself out of the spotlight. Every 10 years or so he’d get rid of his entire staff, venders, everything. Every 40 years or so he’d add a number next to his name, that way they’d just assumed he was his own son. It worked well, at least he hoped so. 

When he was finished signing and the venders had gone back to what they were doing the male checked his pack of cigarettes before slipping out front he lit up before looking over. “If you’re in line, you’re insanely early. We don’t open for another seven hours. Line starts at five. I’d come back then.” 

Anthony had been dealing with the soap dispensers in the bathrooms all morning. There were five dispensers but not enough of the same soap for all of them and while he personally didn’t care if two were just filled with a different kind of soap, he had long learned that places like Dust were very carefully about details like this, and so he had been running from store to store in a hope to find the original soap. It was anything but a glamorous job, really, especially if you considered that dealing with soap was still one of the more refined tasks he had to complete as the odd-job man of the club, but it wasn’t a job Anthony hated. It allowed him to manage his own time, to not always do the same thing over and over again and, and, most importantly, to deal with people only a in fast-paced, task-driven and non-personal manner. Maybe that was also why it made him good at his job; the fact that he was able to work unnoticed by the guests and to only draw attention to himself when it was absolutely needed, before then once again disappear to go conscientiously about another task. 

The fact that his own boss didn’t recognise him anymore - or at least not at first glance -, didn’t surprise him. “Not that kind of line, no,” he said, simply, without a sign of annoyance or mockery. “Tony Cohen, good morning. I was tasked to adjust the soap in the dispensers, but apparently the brand has discontinued the flavour.” An almondy, vanilla kind of scent, warm and comforting, perfect for this kind of club. “We either have to swap the flavour or look for another brand who sells similar flavours. I found a big vendor who does, but they’re about 20% more expensive, and I’d need your permission before buying.” He spoke fast, but quietly and with hardly any intonation to his voice.

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Daydreaming

It was a Saturday morning, a time where Anthony usually took some time off. Off work, off people, off this labyrinth of greyness that New York City was. His need to escape for a bit was connected to Friday nights, where he was always busy and always surrounded by far too many people, which exhausted him more than anything, so that the next day he could but be alone for a while. 

As most Saturdays, he had taken a walk in the park - because even if flowers had the habit to chat a lot, they did so in a language that didn’t drain him - before finding himself a quiet bench from where he could mindlessly observe people. Even despite winter being right around the corner, there were people with their dogs, people who did yoga, children with their parents, joggers passing again and again while their wheezing got louder and louder, and couples holding hands, defying the cold for a bit of leisure. To Anthony, there had always been something calming in thinking about how people used nature to relax and enjoy themselves.

And when his gaze fell on a couple who were visibly very cold but instead of walking faster just held themselves a little tighter, his mind drifted off. Drifted off to a time when he had had someone who held him, who walked through parks with him, who made his Saturdays worth-while. And without noticing, a smile grew on his lips.

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nicolvsyvng:

“It’s a 4-star place called Equinox. It’s a little on the fancy side but most of the people I work with are alright.” There were a few Nicolas didn’t get along with but Sky always told him that happened everywhere. “I think they have open spots for waiters and bartenders, maybe even cooks.”

Funny how Anthony’s worries were spoken only a moment later. He nodded, thinking about what the boy said. “I assume there’s a dress code?”

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pcytonshaw:

“I’m agreeing with you,” Peyton said. It sounded short and curt, but she hadn’t intended it to be either. She said it, if for nothing else, to make sure he knew that they were on the same page. “Bad people do bad shit. Doesn’t matter what they are. It’s who they are, and if you ask me, we won’t get anywhere without a bit of tolerance. You’d think we would have learned that by now, but it’s just like humans to prove how ignorant we are.” It was cynical at best, but not untrue in the eyes of the beholder. She nodded to cement the words, but paused to contemplate his question. Years ago, she would have said yes. She was tough, and physically, she still was. Emotionally, however, was a different story. She’d been weak before. She’d left, and every morning she woke up to the sounds of the city outside her hotel window, she was reminded of exactly that. She wasn’t sure her reasoning was strong enough to warrant bravery or anything other than cowardice. “I survive,” she said. “That’s tough enough.” 

The way Shaw agreed with him reminded him of someone he was forbidding himself to think about, and for a second, or maybe even less than a second, his gaze jumped away, down the street, as if his body was subconsciously trying to find a way to escape. “Yeah,” he hummed, because this second was over before he could notice it himself. “Yeah, exactly. Humanity keeps making the same mistakes. It’s as though we’ll never learn. Except this time we’re not the invader. We’re the one who’s being invaded, and the moment the not-ungifted realise this, we’ll wish we made peace while we still could.” The way he had picked up on Shaw’s ‘ungifted’ was meant to lighten what he was saying, but there was no doubt that he was absolutely serious. 

He tilted his head back, taking a breath, and looked at her. Looked at this tall, strong-standing woman who had accepted a conversation with a stranger at midnight in the streets of New York without flinching, and whose mere smile looked like it told a thousand of stories, and he hummed. “It’s more than many people know to do, yeah.” 

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tannerbiel:

Anthony’s arm wrapped around her, and she grinned up at him, authentic and bright. Gone was the polite smile she reserved for strangers, replaced instead by something real; something vulnerable, but she wasn’t afraid. She didn’t flinch from his touch or shrink away from the intimacy as one might expect of her. Oddly enough, she felt safe, and she embraced it, leaning into him as a sister would. 

“Yes,” she reasserted. Quite frankly, she was worried about him and connecting with people. Was it hard for him too? She hoped he escaped that, but until she grew reacquainted with him, it would be impossible to tell. She contemplated the question for only a moment. “Because I can’t change the past,” she corrected. “It’s foolish to get wrapped up in things that can’t be altered when I have the capacity to establish my future.” His laughter brought her joy, and she was grateful for the smiles. Goodness knows, they deserved them. Watching him now, she wondered if he ever had someone like Sky, helping him through. When she was young, his parents had always seemed like the better option, but there were things about them that they could never understand. Guilt settled in over her shoulders, but she held her smile, determined not to ruin it so soon. 

“It’s one of the many, many, enjoyments of life!” she told him. “Living without would be a punishment most unkind.”  

There was this smile – this grin – and Anthony found himself surprised. Not because he had never seen such a smile, not because he hadn't expected to ever see it on Tanner, but because in this moment, in this very second as he fell into the beauty of what this smile meant, he realised what had been so hard to grasp until now. Tanner. He had looked for her, everywhere, and he had found her, but it was now, as this smile appeared, that he knew he had found her. That this was what he wanted. Had always wanted for so long. He returned the smile quietly and pulled her a little closer as they walked. “That's a very reasonable way to go about it. I'm not sure if it always works, though. To just get over things that happened because you know you should...” He had not done many things he regretted, but the few things would always lie heavy in his stomach, even if he were forgiven for them one day, he was sure of that. “Can we change the future, then?”

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milawisniewski:

“You know, I would be mindful of who you say things like that around. Especially in this city,” Mila advised. The way he spoke made it sound like he wasn’t human, or maybe that was just her paranoia and habit of analyzing people. She personally had no issues with other species, as long as they stayed out of her way, but she knew how most humans felt about them. Chuckling at his bluntness, she nodded. “That is very true. Find yourself a career that doesn’t leave you much of a personal life and you’re set.”

“But this city is the best example of it. I mean, what is a city but masses and masses of humans coming together to fuck up each other's life?” He didn't catch that her comment was about the way he called people humans – a habit he had long forgotten he had. At her words, his lips curled into a smirk. “Have you found such a career? Or are you making sure you won’t.”