going down in a blaze of glory.

[ Owen Grant. Aka, BLAZE. ] Thirty-one. Rebel. Heat Vision. ✧ ━━━ tattered boxing gloves, the sound of knuckles cracking, the scent of leather, beer tabs and bottle caps, empty pizza boxes, ripped denim, campfires and burnt marshmallows. ✧ PENNED BY BLAIR.

[burningxblaze]

iamtwinkletoes:

Nevaeh was a little frustrated, but she wasn’t too sure why. She had done this now many times to Owen, did he feel the same way when she did it to him? If so, she kind of felt bad now, not that she would ever change anything she has said to him yet. He was right now, it was weird that she had never flirted with her in the past, and the kiss. Maybe she did have feelings for her, and maybe Nevaeh had feelings for her too. Not like she would really even know, she’d never really found herself attracted to someone before, but it had felt a little weird having Syd back. In more ways than one. She just shook her head at first. It wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing at all. The two were already close and it’s not like they hadn’t done weird couple like stuff before, but that was specifically because they were best friends, wouldn’t it be awkward if they were more? "I’m not annoyed with you, Owen. I’m just confused.”

Nevaeh’s answer earned a sympathetic smile from Owen. He’d been trying to tease her, but noticed the more she mulled over it all, that she just wasn’t sure how to feel. So he became the more caring big brother instead. “I see. Well, if you want advice or to talk about it, you can come to me. Not that I’m any sort of relationship guru, but till,” he offered, wrapping his arm around her and bringing her in for a sisterly sort of hug. “C’mon, let’s go distract ourselves with some more games. You’ve yet to win me something yet, so so far, Farrah’s got you beat tonight.”

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

“I’ll have to make sure to remember that.” Not that she was the greatest cook, but sometimes she just felt like cooking and she’d go in and make some food, but she almost always made a little more than she could eat and she’d feel bad if she wasted it. She crumpled up the napkin and tossed it into a nearby trashcan once she was done before looking at him again. She grinned a bit at his words. “Maybe not as Royal as me, but you’re up there.” She shrugged before standing up. “I’m the queen of these games after all.” Her eyes stayed on him though, her teeth biting down on her lip, not enough to be very visible though. She didn’t say anything else on it though, just nodding. “Yeah, I’m ready to kick your butt.”

Owen wasn’t sure why Farrah intended to keep his eating habits in mind, but he wasn’t going to question it. Did that mean she was starting to soften for him, maybe? He grabbed the rest of the trash and uneaten monstrosity of  a dessert and tossed it into the trash too, despite how he hated to waste it. “Of course not,  your majesty. No one is as royally exquisite as you are. I always thought I was more of a pauper myself, but I’m not complaining,” he mused, his laugh bolstering more at Farrah’s threat. “We’ll see about that -- now that I’m on a sugar high, I may be invincible.” He started to lead them toward the basketball booth, but paused to stick out his hand to her in polite offering.

[burningxblaze]

iamtwinkletoes:

She smiled up at him as he admitted he believed in her as well. She had heard it many times before from other people, but this just felt different. It was probably the brotherly feeling she was getting from him that made it feel so much more special. “Thanks, Owen.” She wasn’t sure what she would do now if he hadn’t came into her life or she were to ever lose him. She found herself caring about him just as much if not more than her own family back home. Though getting into the Sydney thing was slightly annoying, though she didn’t blame him after everything she had said right back to him before. “What? No, just cause Syd is flirting doesn’t necessarily mean she had feelings for me or anything.” She wasn’t sure how she felt herself though. It had been an interesting reunion for sure, threw her off from the moment she kissed her.

Owen could tell he was frustrated Nevaeh a little, but wasn't that the job of a sibling. Not just the protectiveness, and the sweet exchanges, but also giving the other a hard time? He really was just teasing, much like she had done about Farrah before. "I'm not saying it does, but it is kind of weird that she never really did in the past. people can change over the years, you know. Maybe it's something more and it just took her a long time to realize it. You being gone, even," he pointed out gently. "I know you haven't ever thought of her in that way, but would it really be such a bad idea? Also, don't get annoyed with me,' he mused. "Now you see how I felt when you were giving me crap about Farrah." It was said lightheartedly though, followed up with a smile.

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

“Sounds great, I should be hungry again by then.” She smiled at him a bit before rolling her eyes again. Even if the dot of chocolate had been small, it was obvious that it could be seen up close at least somewhat since he could see it from across the table and a bunch of people would be that close to her. She wouldn’t have gotten mad later or anything, but she would have at least wondered why he kept it a secret after knowing it was there. “We are royalty, I had just kind of already forgotten about that.” She then raised her eyebrows at him. He thought higher than that? Yeah, not something she really believed, but she wasn’t going to argue. “Good to know. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Me too. Then again, I pretty much am all the time.” It was easy for Owen to pack in a lot of food -- heavy, rich desserts like this were the exception. He wasn’t going to let her walk around with chocolate on his face; hell, he probably had some on his too. Hopefully with his honesty, Farrah would tell him if so. “I know you are, but I didn’t realize I was as well. Not that I’m rejecting the idea or anything,” Owen smiled, his mood starting to lift again. He could tell she didn’t quite believe him, so his head shook lightly. “You should. I’m being honest. I actually think very highly of you.” He always had; it was the reason seeing her work for Sentinel was difficult. That, and the betrayal of course. “So, up for those games now?”

[burningxblaze]

iamtwinkletoes:

Nevaeh had been glad that her and Owen were able to get along so well. Not having any siblings was great for the most part, but she had also seen some of her friends with them and would sometimes get jealous that she didn’t have any of her own. Maybe it was just cause she’d love pranking them, but they’d also be another friend to have around. Owen definitely made her feel like she finally had someone like that. She loved Sydney, she did, but this was different than that. While Sydney had felt kind of like a sister when they were kids, as they grew up it just felt different than that. “And I always will believe in you.” Her face scrunched up a bit as he went on about Sydney, the red not fading. “I don’t know how it made me feel, Owen. I mean, it was kind of weird being on that end of it considering I was usually watching her flirt with others, but I – I just don’t know, okay?”

As much as Nevaeh pranked him and gave him hell at times, Owen adored her. He’d do anything to keep her safe, and it meant a lot that she cared about him as much too. Or that she believed in him. He needed that confidence. Although he appeared to be cocky to most, it was all an act. Deep down he was an incredibly insecure person. “And me in you too,” he promise with a soft little smile before teasing more about Sydney. He was about to give her a hard time about not being able to take what she dishes out, but could tell his questions were starting to get to her. Maybe she had feelings for Sydney but hadn’t accepted it yet. “Okay, I’ll drop it, but to me it sounds like you both might be feeling more than friendly for each other. I’m here if you wanna talk about it or anything.”

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

“If I’m being honest, I probably couldn’t eat another bite of this thing for a week. So maybe just a regular funnel cake later?” She hadn’t even felt the chocolate on her nose nor did she remember getting the sweet close enough for it to do so, but even then, her face got a little red knowing it was there. She narrowed her eyes at him as he tried to make an excuse not to get up. She knew he’d probably have been just messing with her, but it was still putting more time onto people possibly seeing her with it. That and she felt awkward for being such a mess now. She let out a bit of an annoyed sigh as he finally stood to go get them. Taking one from him when he got back, she wiped the syrup off. “Thank you. Carnival queen? I didn’t think you thought so highly of me.”

“Neither could I. A regular one sounds great though, we can grab it before everything closes up.” It was seriously the tiniest dot of chocolate on her nose, but Owen couldn’t help but point it out. Besides, if she found it later, Farrah would be pissed that he hadn’t. He could tell she was annoyed, but he was in a bit of a mood, so he smirked softly before retrieving napkins. “You’re welcome,” he passed one over to her, genuinely laughing again. “It was just a tiny speck. And well, I thought we established we’re royalty? Besides, you did get this thing up and running. I think the title suits you quite honestly.” Owen shrugged, biting his lip a little as he tried to dodge a rare bout of bashfulness. “I probably think higher of you than you realize.”

[burningxblaze]

iamtwinkletoes:

She raised her eyebrows at him before she smiled softly at him. He really was sweet, even if he didn’t want everyone to believe it. Which was one reason she found it hard to believe that Farrah wouldn’t eventually fall for him. “Thank you, Owen. That means a lot.” It was definitely nice to see him smiling more, though it did suck to see if fading as they went on about Farrah. Not really what she had planned. “Don’t feel shitty, I think you’re making good progress. Soon you’ll be wondering how you ever doubted yourself.” God damnit, he kept switching the topic back to her and Sydney and it wasn’t doing anything but making her even redder. “What? What do you mean did I like it? It was just some harmless flirting.”

“You’re welcome,” Owen murmured back, a little embarrassed that he was getting all sappy, but it was only the truth. “Just telling it like it is.” If nothing else amounted to him and Farrah, or this place, he found someone that was like family to him. That was why he seemed in better spirits lately. “I really don’t know about that, but it’s nice to know someone believes in me,” he shrugged, but gave a soft smile too. Owen definitely noticed the shade darker her cheeks got at the mention of her friend; now it was his turn for payback. “Are you sure? Didn’t you say she didn’t do that before? I just mean, how did it make you feel?”

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

Farrah had barely made it a few bites in and she was already doubting if she could eat anymore. He only made it worse when he moved the plate towards her. This was definitely not one of her brightest ideas, especially since they planned on riding some rides after this. Or even the fact that she was gonna be going hard at games. “I actually think I might save this for later. I’m already full.” That and it was way too sweet for her, probably better to just throw the thing away. Or give it to someone else who’d be able to eat it. Her grin returned as he went along with the whole your highness thing. Then she raised her eyebrows. “What seriously?” She went to grab a napkin before seeing that they hadn’t grabbed any. Or that they had all been used already. “Can you go grab some napkins? Please?”

“We can always grab another before it’s over if you want? Not sure how easy it would be to save, though I’m game for trying.” Farrah looked pretty adorable with a dollop of chocolate on her nose, but he was feeling too vulnerable at the moment to mention that. At least though they were still being playful in conversation -- that was something anyway. Owen chuckled when Farrah realized their napkins had been depleted; and amused smirk took him over. “Hmm, I dunno. My feet hurt. Not sure I can get up right now...” he teased, wagging his eyebrows at her. After another moment of messing with her, Owen raised from his seat, only to return with a pile full shortly after. “There, my carnival queen.”

[burningxblaze]

iamtwinkletoes:

“But what if I’m the one who isn’t good enough for them?” She knew he had just been teasing, but it was a serious question. Not one she had ever really thought about, it was more something that had just popped into her head at the time. The smile returned though at the thought of him being her best man. He wouldn’t think of asking anyone else, and even if whoever she married had a best man as well, Owen would still be hers. They’d have no choice but to allow it. “It takes more than a night, Owen. What if this was someone else and they pretended to be a gentleman all night and then once the two got together, he was a complete asshole? I know you’re not, but she might just need more proof. Don’t worry about it too much tonight.” Her cheeks then got a little red as the subject was switched back to her. “Well, no. She’s never really flirted with me before this.”

“That’s never gonna be the case, you hear me?” And he meant it. “So don’t ever let that though even come to you.” A wedding was probably a long ways away -- did people even get married at this place? he wondered. But still, Owen was smiling, even if it dropped a little the more they talked about his failing advances. “I know that; I’m not saying I’m changing my mind after tonight, but it’s a little hard when I’m feeling pretty shitty about myself. I’ll try though.” He noticed the redness of her cheeks, so of course he had to egg her on. “Ah, I see. “So, what did you think of her flirting with you? Did you like it?”

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

Farrah was glad she didn’t get to hyped up on sugar or anything. She wasn’t sure if she ever did as a kid, it was all a complete blur and honestly she didn’t want to remember. She didn’t want to remember anything about her parents. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t remember anything from then, even when she tried. She really hoped she hadn’t upset him or anything about turning down the kiss or anything else. It’s not that it made her uncomfortable. Well, it did, but that wasn’t why she had turned it down. If she did have any feelings for him, she wasn’t ready to know. Not yet. It seemed too soon. Her head tilted to the side though as he spoke up. Maybe it had upset him. Fuck. She decided to forget about it for now. “Guess you’ll have to prove that then, your highness.” She forced a small grin before taking another sip of her drink.

Owen had devoured about half of the dessert, but it was too rich, even for him. He pushed the plate toward Farrah with a little grin, letting her know that he’d had enough and the rest was up for grabs. He was glad for the change of subject, honestly, for he was feeling too vulnerable in that state to answer her question about the kissing thing. She didn’t seem too concern about it anyhow. “I sure will, your majesty,” he mused back with a small smile. “But, before we do, just so you know... you have a little chocolate syrup on your nose.” It was cute, but he wasn’t going to tell her that.

[burningxblaze]

iamtwinkletoes:

“Owen, you’re going to leave whoever I date alone. I wouldn’t ever date someone who was bad for me. You should know this.” She rolled her eyes a bit, her arms crossed over he chest now. “I’d never actually not invite you to my wedding. In fact, you’d probably end up being the best man, although I can’t promise that you know.” She shrugged before letting her arms drop to her sides again. “That’s good to hear. Maybe if she sees how much of a gentleman you are, she’ll start falling for that smolder of yours.” She shot the older man a grin. All she was trying to do was give him some confidence, because she really did believe in him and she also believed he could get Farrah to like him. “That isn’t what I meant, Owen! I meant I don’t want you thinking she and I are like together or that she’s trying to get with me just cause she’s flirting. She has always been a flirt.”

Owen just continued to smirk teasingly at her. “I’m not saying you would date someone that’s bad for you, but you might date someone that isn’t good enough. There’s a difference.” A real smile surfaced though when Nevaeh assured he would be invited to her wedding, and maybe even her best man. “I’d be damn honored,” he chuckled, though it stilted quickly. “Maybe. I feel like I’ve been one all night though and all I got was rejection when the idea of a kiss came up. But, thanks Nev.” He realized she was just trying to help him feel better about it all, so he’d try and quit mooing. “Oh, really?” He mused, eyebrow quirking curiously. “But has she always flirted with you?”

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

It made her relax slightly when he himself agreed to drop it all as well, not that she was really scared of anything he’d do. Not anymore at least. Though she really wasn’t sure what she’d want other wise, so coming up with one on the spot as they won was probably a better idea. Even though she’d probably still not have anything and she’d just stick with all the stuffed animals, maybe a couple bottles of alcohol. “That sounds good,” she shrugged, reaching her hand over to grab some more of the funnel cake. It had been actually better than she thought it would be which was great. It was also incredibly sweet though. “Not sure if that implies to kissing as well.” Her eyes didn’t meet his now, just looking at the pile of sweetness sitting between them. “I’m good with the basketball game though. And I’m not underestimating you, I swear.”

He was definitely going to be on a sugar high soon; their funnel cake was loaded with more toppings than Owen could keep track of. He decided to nip the kissing discussion in the bud, as it only seemed to make Farrah uncomfortable. “Great then,” he smiled, pleased they could at least compromise. He reached for a piece of the dessert too, and narrowly avoided brushing his fingers against hers. Owen’s eyebrow rose at her comment, surprised she was the one bringing it up. He was feeling a little deflated, which meant a wall would be coming up. “It doesn’t really matter now, does it?” He asked, following up with a shrug. “If you say so, Farrah. Be ready to have your mind blown though, because I’m the king of swish.”

[burningxblaze]

iamtwinkletoes:

“You are so not doing that.” She narrowed her eyes at him a bit. “You don’t see me interrogating Farrah.” Though she had also known Farrah for almost five years now. Still, she was pretty good at picking friends, so finding the right person to ‘get with’ shouldn’t be that hard. She didn’t mind the brother sister relationship they were having, but the protectiveness on something like that wasn’t something she was looking forward too. “Besides, who says I’m gonna even tell you when I like someone? You may just wake up one day and surprise, I’m getting married.” Not that that was going to happen any day soon, nor was she going to actually hide any relationships from him, but he didn’t need to be so over protective already. Who knows though? Maybe it was a complete joke. Of course, she was joking. “You’ll do fine. Hell, maybe even a change of attitude will get it to happen faster.” She suggested, grinning up at him. “That might be a good idea. Though make sure that if you do win, don’t be a sore winner about it. Take it from me, girls like winning and they like watching their friends win, but if you go overboard on the fact that you won, she might just ditch you.” She shrugged her shoulders a bit. She didn’t really see Owen doing that, but she wanted to put it in his head. He was a little cocky at times. “What? No, of course not. It’s just that well, she’s kind of flirty. Even with me, and I don’t want you getting the wrong idea.”

“Of course I’m going to. That’s because you know her. If it’s someone I already know then maybe I’ll lay off. Otherwise they have to deal with the older brother.” At first Owen had mostly been teasing, but the more he thought about it, the more likely he would in fact be interrogating Nevaeh’s dates. “If you get married and don’t invite me, I’ll never forgive you,” he said with a little laugh, though he actually did mean that. She was like the only family he really had these days, even if not officially. “Obviously the other isn’t working, so it’s worth a shot,” he shrugged, following up with a shake of his head. “I know better than that. I may not be doing too well with Farrah, but I’ve had my fair share of dates. At least back in the day. I promise to be a gentleman whether I win or lose. If she still decides to ditch me then she’s definitely disinterested.” His feelings were actually a little hurt that Nevaeh didn’t seem to want to introduce him to her friend, but he tried to play it off coolly. “If you say so. Well I mean you’re trying to help me with Farrah and you know I’m into her, so why would I just flip that like a switch? I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a that kind of guy.”

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

It’s not that she didn’t want something more as a prize, she just wasn’t sure what that something was. There was alcohol that they could win, but she wasn’t really much of a drinker. She had had bad experiences with drinking, a side of her he really didn’t need to see. The idea of the kiss hadn’t caught her off guard as much this time, since he had also mentioned one earlier. She just didn’t understand why he wanted to kiss her so bad. After their past, even the fact that they hadn’t even been talking again long. “Then keep them as your prizes.” She shrugged. She was a pretty confident person, so she was sure she could probably easiy win some more if these games, but if he still wanted a prize special to him then fine. “Just not the kiss one. I don’t feel like giving anyone here a kiss, besides, I’m a terrible kisser anyways.” Whether that was true or not, who cares, but maybe it could get him away from the idea. Picking up some more of the funnel cake, she slowly ate it before looking back at him. “Actually, I think it’s your turn to choose a game. I picked last time. Though, I still think I’ll kick your ass.”

Owen wasn’t really sure what he could suggest, but clearly the idea of a kiss was not something Farrah was into. Which, didn’t completely surprise him, but now he couldn’t say he hadn’t tried. They were still on rocky ground -- did he think a move like that would actually persuade her. “Honestly I don’t care about those either,” he chimed in, not mention the kiss. He could leave her to guess whether he meant it as well or not. “Maybe we can just decide on the spot. Unless the stuffed animals are really great choices.” He picked at some more of the funnel cake and nodded, eyebrows arching a little. “I doubt you’re terrible at it; besides, practice makes perfect. We can drop that option though. And fine, I’ll choose a game. How about the basketball game? I think that’s simple enough, right? I’m not doubting that, but don’t underestimate me just yet either. I mean, save my ego a little.”

[burningxblaze]

iamtwinkletoes:

“Because I’m obviously the love expert, Owen.” She flashed a small grin his way, a shrug shaking her shoulders in response. That and Farrah and Nevaeh had talked about it before. It seemed like Farrah had a hard time falling for anyone. She kind of understood why with the hard part she seemed to have. She still wasn’t sure exactly what Owen and Farrahs story was, but she could tell the founder must have had a rough life before coming to the underground. “I don’t blame you, I just don’t want you to lose all hope OR get your hopes up. Just believe that it’s somewhat possible.” She reached a hand up and poked his shoulder. “Have faith dear brother.” She returned the smile up at him, nodding. “Well, you can’t keep letting her kick your ass. She may start to think your weak.” She teased, a smirk taking her lips now. She loved Sydney, she really did, but with how flirty she was, she wasn’t sure she wanted her meeting Owen. “Of course you’ll get to meet here. Just might be a while is all.”

“Obviously.” He grinned softly, but added in a little more protective tone. “But I hope you know I’m going to interrogate anyone you wanna get with.” He did trust Nevaeh’s judgement; she knew Farrah well -- maybe even better than he did. “Right. That’s what I’ll try and do then. Stay positive without being utterly hopeful. It’s something new for me, but I’ll try it out.” The subtle smile strung upon his lips grew at her poke, and the fact that she called him brother. He didn’t have any siblings, but knowing Nev saw him similarly to how he saw her, kind of warmed his heart. “You’re right, and I can’t have her thinking I’m weak. Maybe I need to take her to one of my best booths. And try a little harder.” Not that he had been letting Farrah win, but he hadn’t been giving it his all the whole time because admittedly at first he didn’t know if it was necessary. “A while? Why? Are you ashamed of me?” he asked, a hint of defense in his tone.

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

Finally, she reached over and broke a piece off of the funnel cake. She should have probably grabbed a fork to eat it, but this carnival was meant to be fun. Besides, it’s not like she was around any of her tech equipment anyways. She was allowed to be a little messy. She placed the piece in her mouth, chewing it as she listened to his words. The cake was definitely delicious. Maybe some of the best she had ever had, which was weird considering on normal days the food they’d have didn’t taste anywhere as good. It’s not like she had been turning his suggestions down on purpose, she just didn’t see herself doing any of it if she were to win. Honestly, she’d just be fine with a bunch of stuffed animals for winning. She had caught the whisper, but she was sure he had meant it to go unnoticed, so she kept her lips shut for the time being. Not sudden? What did that even mean? Was he actually interested in her? Or was he actually drunk? “I don’t know.” She stated simply, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t really mind what the stakes are. You’re the one who wanted higher ones. And I’m not shooting them down.”

Farrah had a point; he had been the one to mention higher stakes, though he’d mostly been kidding when saying so. At least she hadn’t changed her attitude at the mention of the whole kissing idea, save from pointing out his sudden interest in it. She didn’t say yes or no, but didn’t seem appalled this time? Still, Owen figured it was probably best to drop it, especially if Farrah wasn’t really particular in what her prizes were. “I was just offering since you were winning, in case you were getting bored with that, but we can always add to Dumbo and Wolfie. I have no problem with that.” He smiled at her softly, watching as she dug into the dessert with her fingers, just like he was. It was nice to see a carefree side to her, and it put Owen at ease a bit too. He tried not to inhale the food too quickly s he could leave her plenty, but also to save himself from getting sick. “So which game are you going to destroy me on next? I have to warn you, I think my competitive streak is going to kick up a notch due to all this sugar.”

[burningxblaze]

savvymatrix:

She raised a brow as he went on about Dumbo, a small smirk playing at her lips. Did he really have a bit of a childish and innocent side? Now she wasn’t going to doubt it. She nodded though, more in response to his words on the funnel cake. She wasn’t sure if she was even going to be able to eat the half she had now claimed. It even seemed like a whole lot. She held the newly named elephant to her chest for a moment before sitting it on the table, far enough that it wouldn’t get messy. “I understand that, but I just don’t know if I’d want a slave, but you know what, I’m fine with it. That can be one option.” Her eyes narrowed at him. He had to be messing with her now. Right? “What is it with you and kissing me all of a sudden?”

Owen really was trying to show Farrah that he had more layers to him than most expected. He didn’t know if it would make a difference to her or not, but like Nevaeh had said -- he could at least try. Owen could pack in the food, easily, but even he was uncertain of eating that much funnel cake. He’d give it a go though. It helped that it gave him an opportunity to sit down with Farrah and take in her gorgeous face, which the moon highlighted. “That doesn’t have to be an option, I’m just throwing ideas out here.” His smile lifted just a little at her reaction to the kiss suggestion. “Not sudden,” he mumbled, but knew she could probably here it. “Just thinking outside of the box here. You keep shooting my ideas down, so what would you want if you won?”