See the World in Song

Callie Richards/22/Music Major Skype: mandee087 *Not Hayden Panettiere, just an RP blog*

[hellcelebs]

[dusty-siseal]

Take A Chance On Me || Dusty&Callie

[dusty-siseal]

"A little bit of a challenge, huh?” Dusty could not really ignore the irony that was fitted in Callie’s words. For him, it felt like every day was a challenge. He would die before his pride allowed him to admit how hard it was for him to even leave his apartment some days. He tilted his head a little bit, “Nah, you don’t need a paper bag. Everyone has to enjoy your smile.” He hummed lightly, leaning slightly against her just to where it was comfortable and he wasn’t pushing her over with his weight. His daily life was still something he had been trying to work out; nothing he tried over the past eight years had even come close to working. The only routine he found himself in was running back to his apartment before eight o’clock. Tonight he would make an exception, and in truth he found that he would probably do most anything with Callie. She gave him an unusual kind of courage, and he be damned if he let go of it.

Dusty tried to stop the giddy smile that hit his face when she sounded genuinely interested in what he had said about his radio broadcasts. “Yeah, modern stuff has kinda taken over the whole radio thing. I think people get all tripped out when I tell them that I really don’t know what an iphone looks like. Or an ipad, or whatever the hell they are now. Crazy, right? Such little…technology shit can kinda rule everything. I think the radio broadcasts, and the firelight stuff by Teddy Roosevelt is pretty cool.”

He enjoyed the fact that she shared his love for all things old; black and white movies being one. “So I can be James Dean, and you can be my Marilyn?” Dusty flashed a smile towards her, clearing his throat before he pressed on. “Anything music, I’m not that great at. Despite popular belief, I am not Ray Charles,” he shook his head solemnly before grinning, “But hey, anything you read, I’ll read. Maybe you can read it t’me, or maybe I can get it transferred over or something. It will take me twice as long to read it, I’m really shitty about that kind of stuff.” Dusty thought about her old movies, remembering listening to a couple of them. “Judy Garland….like The Wizard of Oz? I just liked it when she melted.”

[callie-richards]

Truth be told, she liked the feel of Dusty's body against hers. And a part of her tingled at the thought of his arm going around her, silently willed him to do it. "Man technology changes so fast...by the time you figure out how to use one gadget, they've made another. It drives me crazy. And all the buttons are so tiny...do I just have huge thumbs or something...because the microscopic buttons do not work for me at all." She thought it was interesting, Dusty was interesting, in his love for old things, the rawness of radio broadcasts and the classics. Her mind filled with images of sitting side by side on a couch with him, enjoying old black and white movies. She could pick out some good musicals...even though he wouldn't be able to see them...the music numbers would tell the story in a vibrant way that would surely entertain him."

You can be my Marilyn...Callie's heart skipped a beat at the word "mine". "I can be your Marilyn, but don't think I'm gonna stand on a grate and let me skirt be blown up for you, Mister," she said in a mockingly chastising tone. Leaning against Dusty, she let her lips press to his check for just a moment. "Nah, you're way cuter than Ray Charles." Fingers playing with the hem of her dress, she found herself beaming at the thought of reading aloud to Dusty. "I'd love that...to read to you. No one likes to be read out loud to anymore, but it's one of my favorite things." Hand over her mouth, the blonde let out a giggle as the male mused over The Wizard of Oz. "Yeah but it was the Wicked Witch that melted, not Judy Garland. She was in a bunch of other musicals after that...I think you'd like them."

The conversation ebbed and flowed naturally as the sun set and more people crowded around, setting up picnic blankets. Gentle chatter, the sound of children laughing, crickets filling the silent pauses. Callie pulled out the sandwiches she made, and Dusty was always so easy to please when it came to food, treating everything she gave him like the best meal he'd ever had. By the time they finished their food, the fireworks were starting, bold explosions against the sky. For a few moments Callie tried to explain the colors and the patterns to Dusty, but eventually the fireworks became secondary to the feel of him so close to her, the way it made her heart stutter, the way she wanted so badly to press her lips to his. Courage struck her with a sudden force, her right hand moving to cup Dusty's cheek and turn his head towards her. "I'm really glad I'm here with you right now," she whispered as her lips inched closer and finally found their target."

The fireworks were nothing...absolutely nothing compared to the explosion of electricity that shot through her as her lips met with his in a soft but lingering kiss. One, two, three soft brushes of her mouth, and then she pulled back, cheeks flushed as she tried to gauge him for a reaction, hoping that he'd felt the same fireworks she had.

[callie-richards]

So My Dog is Weird

[hellomissowens]

What a coincidence! Oh my God, that’s so funny. At least you don’t feel so alone now, right? Haha. My ex-boyfriend’s dog was an adult, but apparently started doing that with lizards when he was a just puppy. Maybe you can break her focus or something? I know Trevor, my ex, hid a squeaky toy in his pocket. Whenever his dog would take off, he’d just squeak it and, boom, his dog went back to normal!

[callie-richards]

Lizards, huh? That's a strange target...did you ex have a lot of lizards in the house as pets? See Eowyn is indifferent to squeaky toys, has been since the day I got her. Though maybe if I bring a baggie of dog treats and shake it that'll catch her attention. The way to my dog's heart is through her stomach.

[callie-richards]

I am made of fail and at this point I don't even know why anyone would even want to rp with me because my activity sucks ass. I'm so fucking sorry guys. My work hours got bumped up, and every spare second I've had has been swallowed up by the wedding I'm in next weekend.  I want to be here but I feel so bad that I take so long to get to things and I'm forever and always on hiatus because I have no time. I swear I'm trying. Gonna see if I can get one reply done before I leave for work, and then I might be able to get to a few things friday night since I don't have newspapers.

If anyone wants to drop their thread with me because it's been a century, I totally understand, I'mma just answer what's in my drafts.

[adriengracerp-blog]

'Yeah! You're, uh— Callie, right?' Jasper ran his spare hand through his hair, exhaling heavily as he leaned down to scratch Apollos ears, a grin spreading across his features. 'Yep! This is Apollo. He's a good dog, honest— he just… He's real curious sometimes, see, an' he likes people a whole bunch, like me, so he goes after 'em sometimes. He jus' wants pettin', see, 'cause I been playin up in the trees, an' so he ain't been able to bug me for it.’ He nodded, knowing that this was likely the case, and raised an eyebrow down at the creature, how only wagged his tail harder and pawed expectantly at her bag.

Upon hearing her explanation, Jasper laughed, going to make a hand gesture before he realised he was waving his guitar, and stopped mid wave. Or it’s that! He shouldn’t be hungry, ‘cuz I already fed him breakfast, an’ the he eats evenin’ meal. ‘S’what Aleks says t’do, anyway, an’ I just follow that, ‘cuz that’s the condition of keepin’ the dog. Follow what he says on eatin’. ‘Cause he was real thin when I found ‘im, although you wouldn’t get it now, ‘cause he’s all healthy, see? We fed him real good, with special food, an’ helped him, an’ now he’s all big an’ friendly. He used to be so little! An’ now he’s like, up to my knees. Still real cute, though, an’ now he cuddles better, ‘cause he used t’be real skinny an’ you’d be scared that you’d break ‘im, ‘xcept now it’s better.’ 

Apparently satisfied with his ramble, Jasper smiled amiably and leaned over to tug lightly at Apollo’s collar, pulling him ever-so-gently away from Callie’s bag and murmuring a small command under his breath, which led to Apollo plonking his butt on the floor, though it didn’t stop his tail from wagging or his face- complete with an open mouth with tongue flopped out the side in a goofy grin- from staring expectantly up at Callie, waiting for some reward. Jasper himself just shrugged helplessly, sticking his tongue out at his pet for a moment before he turned brightly back to Callie, motioning to his guitar.

'I should really'a been keepin' an eye on him, but I was playin', an' I guess I got carried away for a moment, there. You just on a walk, or you got someplace t'be? I don't want t'be keepin' ya, see, I sometimes keep folk by accident. I ain't fab at time keepin' myself, so sometimes I just do. An' also, this is rude but I'm real curious— why you keepin' dog treats in your bag? That ain't exactly what I'd carry in a bag. I carry a ukulele, though, so maybe I ain't the best of comparisons. Useful things to have, though. You could steal hundreds of dogs. Wait— you ain't stealin' Apollo, right? Nah, 'course you ain't. You're makin' a right hash of it if you are, an' you're nice anyways.'

[callie-richards]

"Callie, yep, that's me," the blonde assured with a nod of her head. "Was that you playing before?" Her olive eyes had settled on his guitar, what she was guessing was the source of the melody she'd heard earlier. "It was beautiful...what you were playing, that is." Hearing the dogs name, Callie repeated it in cooing tones, bending over to pet the animal again. "He's absolutely precious...and he's lucky you found him, a nice person to feed and cuddle him. Some animals just aren't that fortunate and they get stolen away by bad people who mistreat them."

Apollo reminded her of Eowyn, nosing around for treats despite the fact that he'd eaten recently. Callie let out a small laugh at the way Apollo looked at her, mind clearly still on the treats in her bag, even though he obeyed Jasper's murmured command. She turned her attention back to the owner, grinning with understanding. "I get carried away with my playing all the time too. It was horrible when my dog was still a puppy because I'd forget she was there and that I should be taking her out to encourage her going to the bathroom on something other than my carpet...and well...a lot of puddles in the apartment were partially my fault." A hand moved to pat against her bag. "That's why I have the treats in my bag...for my dog. I put them in there when I take her out and I tend to just leave them." 

Considering his question, the blonde hummed out in perplexed thought. "Yes and no. I have some place to be eventually, but for now I'm just walking. I'm early. Almost two hours early, actually. I get so worried about being late to things that I do the opposite and show up far too early to accomplish anything." Her eyes light up at the mention of the ukelele. "Well that is a fantastic thing to carry in your bag. I keep meaning to learn the uke but I've never found the time." Letting out another burst of laughter, the girl shook her head. "No not trying to steal your dog. My apartment can barely handle one, let alone two. Though Eowyn would adore a playmate."

[callie-richards]

I Wasn't Made for Strobe Lighting || Callie and Alex

[alex-hughes]

"Saying goodbye isn’t easy and everyone has different ways of coping with a loss." Her statement came out as a murmur, but definitely audible to anyone who bothered to listen in on the women’s conversation. Everyone had their own ways to deal with circumstances that might happen; this didn’t necessarily mean that a particularly uncommon reaction meant the person was completely abnormal. Alex—of all people—understood what it meant to be singled out, especially when her reaction to her mother’s death was, apparently, unpleasing to others. To be honest, Alex grieved in her own way and why was that so wrong? The thought of people who often called her ‘cold hearted’ due to the fact that she hardly showed much sensitivity or emotion brought a wave of disdain over her. "It’s not stupid. It’s just different. Do what you have to do." This time her voice was steady and assertive. Alex suddenly spoke the words she wished someone would’ve said to her.

Seeing the blonde look up at her, Alex suddenly felt stronger; she felt strong for the both of them. It sounded odd to the brunette, but it was true. If the blonde saw any doubt or hesitation in Alex, she would probably doubt everything all over again, wouldn’t she? It seemed like the stranger needed someone to be her rock in a moment like this and Alex stepped up to the role without even realizing it until after. She stretched out her hand for the blonde to shake, something Alex hardly ever did. “I’m Alex.”

She scoffed, “Trust me, there was not much of an evening to ruin. I prefer this more than drunk people grinding and spilling drinks all over me.” Alex unfastened the clip on the little black shoulder bag she wore and pulled out her phone. “I’m pretty sure I saved a cab company in my phone for when I got into a car accident the other week,” she murmured before finding the number on her phone and tapping to call the cab company. She raised the phone to her ear and paced around as the phone rang. 

Once she gave the company the address of the club, she wandered back towards the blonde and offered her hand to help the woman up. She said, “I called them. They said they would be here in fifteen minutes, but they’re always late,” followed by an eye roll. “But we should wait by the corner of the block so we don’t miss them.”

[callie-richards]

Strange that out of everything, it was the brunette extending her hand that calmed Callie down the most. The girl reached out, tentative at first and then with more surety as she shook Alex's hand. "Callie...I'm Callie." The tears rolling down her cheeks slowed slightly, and the feeling that the world was caving in on her began to ebb just a tad. It become just a teensy bit easier to follow the other woman's words, to process the conversation without a haze of wild emotions slowing her mind down.

Olive hues followed Alex's movements, watching as the black shoulder bag was adjusted and opened. "Isn't that what you go to a club for? Spilled drinks and drunk grinding?" Callie made a mental note to avoid the establishments in the future, they obviously weren't for her and it was time she accepted that. If others wanted to tease her for not being much for the nightlife scene then so be it. She wanted to ask if the woman's car was okay, if she was okay. The idea of car accidents scared Callie, mostly because that had been the cause of her father's passing. But of course Alex was fine, as demonstrated by her vivacious pacing.

We...we...Callie was still slightly confused as to why this girl was helping her. She wasn't the warm, nurturing type, that much was clear. There was something cold and strong and statuesque about her, something the blonde found herself envying. Pulling herself up to her feet, she nodded, wrapping her arms around herself, the cold of the wind attracted to the dampness on her cheeks, though the fresh tears had stopped falling. "They can't be any later than the buses tend to be," she offered, shoulders shrugging, "though they certainly charge a hell of a lot more."

The pair made their way to the corner, the shorter girl struggling for a moment to keep up with the larger strides of her companion. When they stilled, reaching their destination, Callie let her eyes close for a moment, letting out a small sigh. "My therapist tells me that panic attacks are linked to control...a feeling of not being in control of your own life. Seems to me that everyone should be having panic attacks then, because are any of us in control of our lives?"

[callie-richards]

Nocturnal || Callie and Poppy

[poppy-k-fields]

To her memory, Poppy hadn’t had any bad experiences with hospitals in her personal life. She saw both death and life at work as was to be expected, and she dealt with that–albeit not always well. No one close to her had died, and apart from Colin no one had gotten badly hurt, so hospitals remained untainted for her. Which meant she could walk the corridors with peace, just like she had as a kid. Though when she was a kid, playing with the stethoscope was more fun.

A smile graced her lips at the comment. “My favourite part is when the parent’s get to hold their child for the first time, after we’ve cleaned them off. You can’t fake that kind of joy.” she said earnestly and took another bite of the pie. There was something special about a parent seeing their child for the first time, even more so for someone who’d been carrying the little nudger inside their belly for nine months. The purity of that joy was…something else. Bopping her head in a thank-you-nod a grin touched her lips before she took a gulp of the coffee.

A chuckle escaped her. “It’s okay.” she reassured the blonde woman. In all honesty, she didn’t mind people inquiring about her job, more often than not, people stopped inquiring because they found her too blunt. This blonde didn’t seem to though, an uncommon occurrence. “My mother’s in the field. I didn’t know I wanted to be in the field until my sister’s best friend was in a car accident though.” she explained while sneaking little bits of pie into her mouth as she spoke. “I’ve been a registered nurse for about two years. Still quite new.” she said, but after a moment’s consideration added “My mother brought me to the hospital a lot as a child though. I’m new to working as a nurse, but not to the field as a whole.” It was tricky trying to explain, but in short she was trying to say that she was used to hospitals but not working as a nurse. “What are you majoring in?”

[callie-richards]

Callie had never been very close to the birth of new life, aside from the videos she and her peers had been forced to watch in health and sex ed classes. And those videos...well...they didn't focus on faces or joy or the beauty of it. Those videos were designed to scare kids into using protection or heading for complete abstinence. But the way the woman described the experience sounded lovely. The only comparison she could make was playing a brand new song for the first time, her hard work and pieces of herself all coming together to form one cohesive and tangible product. It had to be even better when the end product wasn't a a melody but instead another human being. She hoped to experience that one day for herself. "That does sound very rewarding," she mused softly.

Listening to the woman's explanation of her journey into nursing, Callie couldn't help but feel a bit awestruck. Out of tragedy this woman had cultivated a small ball of light, a desire to respond to something horrible with something wonderful, helping hands, hands that saved and calmed and healed. It was bittersweet, that the death of someone had caused a bulb of intention to explode within this other individual. But there was a strength in it, a purpose that touched the blonde. "I'm sure that your sister's friend would be touched...to know that you took something horrible that happened to her and used it to catapult yourself into a field where you help people."

She felt a little lost when the question was redirected towards her. Playing music seemed like a very weak career move in comparison to being in the medical field. "Ah well...I'm a music major," Callie answered shyly. "Not as important a career as yours, but it was all I was ever really good at."

[4michael]

[callie-richards]

Things that irritate you when you are a bookseller.

When someone's kid is destroying the display you just spent 30 mins on and they look at you like "isn't my little one precious?"

When people put books back three inches from where it should be.

When people say "oh I'll put this back when I'm done" and you know they won't.

When someone makes you do laps around the store looking for that last copy of a book and then you find it on a table later

Now that I'm done ranting. Hi to anyone who doesn't know me. I'm Mandy, and I disappear more than I'd like to because I'm working two jobs right now and I've been low on time and high on exhaustion.  But I write the lovely little miss Callie here and I also write Makenna/Allison (she has two names cause she's in witness protection). I am always open for plots so feel free to hit me up any time. I may take a few days to get back to you, but I definitely will get back to you.

[panettiered]

[callie-richards]

Who has a 5-close shift tonight? This girl. And then I'm doing newspapers from 1am-6am. And that will leave me with just enough time to sleep before my 1-9 shift tomorrow. Which means I won't be around again till sunday night at 9pm est. But, I am working on my replies by hand on my breaks and before work, so I will hopefully have that stuff ready to post for you guys when I get back on.

Callie and Makenna are open for all the plotting. Feel free to hit up the inbox, and on Tuesday when I'm off I'm just gonna run around and pester all your inboxes so that you feel my love.

[adriengracerp-blog]

I feel fine, I feel alright, I feel so good just like I knew I would Here I stand stuck between two worlds My closest friends know me as the man I am Still, I’m stuck between two worlds I close my eyes and there it is I can’t deny I’m stuck between two worlds

Jasper had strummed until he found a chord and then he ‘d built on it, weaving into the pattern with vocals he’d put together the other day, but never found the tune for, and so he just sang from his perch in the tree, with one foot dangling off of the branch and his whole body relaxed and amiable and unusually inactive, slouched against the trunk. He was calm today, less hyper than usual, though he could probably still talk for England; but he wasn’t demanding conversation, he wasn’t bouncing around and playing. Everything was just fine.

You’re in a dream Within a dream Identity, constructed reality Please wake up And smell the coffee I made just for you

He’d always had a way with his songs, a way to get across emotion and feeling, although he never sang about anger- or, at least not in public. He wasn’t, though, and this was just a song drawn from memories and thoughts, and one that had slotted nicely into words. Words, words, words. He didn’t read so well, and he could hardly spell, but somehow, the spoken word was okay for him; he could do that. He could speak and sing and make the words sound nice, and that was what counted. That was how he made a living, so it had to be what counted.

I feel fine, I feel alright I feel so good just like I knew I would Here I stand stuck between two worlds My dirty past has finally come to pass. Still, I’m stuck between two worlds Open your heart, and let it in You can’t deny; you’re living in one wor—

A quick glance down at his case, though, had Jasper rolling out of the tree in a hurry, his guitar undamaged by the lithe jump down and his song unfinished. Apollo, who’d been curled up and taking a nap, was nowhere to be seen! He couldn’t have lost Apollo, he adored the creature, and the dog knew not to go with strangers, he often bit when he was taken somewhere by force, and— but there was no need to worry. He had only crossed the pavement to snuffle about someone’s feet, and Jasper just laughed a little at himself for a moment before he went to try and coax the dog away from them, guitar still in one hand.

'Sorry, sorry! Man, I was real worried I'd lost 'im- but he's just friendly, aren'tcha, boy? I'm sorry, though, he never caused no trouble, did he? I'll try an' fix or replace anythin' if he did. He's just curious, like me. Sorry!’

[adriengracerp-blog]

[callie-richards]

Callie had wanted to linger, to find the source of the lovely music that was drifting towards her as she made her way through green grass and trees that would soon be stained with orange and reds of fall. Her mind was always primed towards music, imagining up melodies that fit the way a flower swayed in the breeze, the angry walk of a passerby. The song that was making its way to her now was a little bit of everything, wistful with hints of joy, tendrils of sorrow, and mild contemplation.

But lingering wasn't an option, and so the girl forced her legs to keep pushing her forward. She had an appointment and hated being late. Really she was usually at a destination a good two hours early, though in this case she'd knocked it back a little because she wasn't really to keen on her plans. Therapy...ugh...the mental word tasted bad...if thoughts could have a taste to them, which was highly improbable.

The girl was stopped in her tracks by a sudden tugging on her messenger bag. A look of panic filtered across her features until she turned and realized it was a dog. This still could have been a bad thing if the dog was growling and looking like it wanted to rip her throat it, but instead the creature was whining and wagging it's tail.

"Hey cutie, how do you belong to?" the blonde asked, getting down on her knees and petting the dog. The creature was indifferent to her presence, nosing insistently at her bag. She looked up at the approach of another person, vaguely recognizing the man. "Jasper right? I think we talked once or twice. Is this your dog?" She laughed and rose, swiping at her skirt. "Oh no he's fine." Suddenly she remembered why he might be interested in her bag. "I have dog treats in my bag...guess he's hungry."

[callie-richards]

So My Dog is Weird

[peppervodka-deactivated20160608]

"Eowyn, huh? I spy with my little eye a potential nerd. That is such an elvish name… it’s from one of the elves from Lord of the Rings, isn’t it? I’m lame so my pup’s name is Simba. I guess you’d expect someone to name a cat after Simba but… nope. Simba, the pup.

How can you like chipmunks and squirrels equally? You can hold a chipmunk, but squirrels are just like—they are like furry rats on crack, they are so fast!”

"What is her breed? Is she a big dog?"

[callie-richards]

"Yeah my roommate named her...some days I regret that life choice. But yeah she's named after Lord of the Rings. Hey now, that's not lame...Simba is a nostalgic name attached to a staple of childhood. Simba the pup is a cute name, a name of strength and character.

Chipmunks are fast too, the only difference between a chipmunk and a squirrel is that the former is slightly smaller, colored differently, and has a different sort of tail. How can you like one more than the other?

She's a Shiba Inu. Still a puppy but getting way bigger.

[callie-richards]

So My Dog is Weird

[hellomissowens]

Dogs are so silly like that! I know that first hand, I feel your pain. My ex-boyfriend had the friendliest Shiba Inu. I mean, so friendly. Loves everyone: cats, other dogs, birds, even squirrels. When he saw lizards though, oh my God. That dog always went nuts! It was crazy. You cannot control him on a leash, off of one. Literally chases them to the end of the Earth. It’s ridiculous!

[callie-richards]

Oh my god that's what I have...I have a Shiba Inu. Maybe it's an aspect of the breed to be super friendly with everything except one animal which it identifies as the enemy. God Eowyn is still technically a puppy but she's getting strong enough that she'll be dragging me around soon.

[callie-richards]

So My Dog is Weird

[peppervodka-deactivated20160608]

"I bought it recently actually! That’s maybe why he thinks it’s such an odd thing. It’ll take a little adjusting, I guess. Chipmunks are cuter than squirrels, I don’t know, I’d like them more if I were a dog too!"

[callie-richards]

"Oh yeah, new things are always scary. I recently moved into a new apartment and every time I pulled something out of a box, Eowyn barked at it. I like squirrels and chipmunks equally, but to each their own I suppose. I just wish she wouldn't try to rip my arm off everytime she sees one. She is growing out of the puppy stage and she's a lot stronger than she used to be."

[callie-richards]

So My Dog is Weird

[peppervodka-deactivated20160608]

"Maybe she’s afraid of squirrels? I adopted a dog about six months ago and he barks at stuff that scares him… like the printer."

[callie-richards]

"I guess I don't get why she'd be afraid of squirrels but not like chipmunks or something else. Oh my god he barks at the printer? That is both adorable and probably annoying if you have a lot of stuff to print out."

[callie-richards]

So My Dog is Weird

And I mean that in a way completely teeming with love and affection. But she's just weird. She couldn't care less about other dogs, or cats, or birds, racoons, chipmunks, rabbits...she's totally relaxed with all other animals. Except for freaking squirrels. I don't know what it is about their bushy tails that offend her so, but she loses her mind and starts barking like a lunatic. Yesterday she refused to leave a tree at the park for twenty minutes because she was barking at a squirrel that had run up it.