"Can't be tamed" 20|Dominant|Formerly street bound. Now living it up in NYC with my crew and doing the education thang. If y'all can't handle my sass, I don't know what to tell you. Life's to short to give a fuck and take everything seriously. I like to live wild and enjoy the ride it takes me on. "The lowkey devoted one with a savage mouth"
SKYLAR: Thanks for having me around for this 'Thanksgiving' like day. I felt awkward saying I had no plans and was going to just sit alone in my room. I won't get all mushy on you so yeah, thanks.
SEBASTIAN: If by 'thanksgiving' you mean 'get drunk and order in sushi' day, I suppose the assessment isn't that far off. But yes, thank you for sparing me the sentiment.
Skylar: Still thankful because sushi is fucking delicious. So i'll take sashimi slices over turkey any day. But at least I got to spend it with you, so that makes up for a lot. We should've broken out a board game. Drunken Monopoly.
Notes: Sebastian and Skylar go out to dinner and meet a ghost from Sebastian’s past.
Sebastian: had been burning the midnight oil for days now. Despite exams having been nearly a week ago now, it seemed like the work was still piling on top of him. He was keeping above it -- he was Sebastian Smythe after all, failure wasn't in his vocabulary -- but he was extremely tired and worn out by the time the day rolled to a close. Today was no exception, but he'd plied himself with so much coffee that he almost felt human. Deciding that he has every intention to drink at dinner, he ordered a car and texted skylar to meet him outside the building so that they could head out and avoid most of the evening traffic. Being prompt was important, and he trusted that his friend would remember that about him.
Skylar had gotten all his homework out of the way for class for the day, because the last thing he wanted to do was try and remember if he completed an assignment or not. When Sebastian had inquired about going out he overly excited to be having dinner with him. As spending time with him was far and few the more the other had gotten submerged into his studies. Knowing Sebastian it was a classy joint, which meant Skylar had to make the effort to actually look a little decent. A small thank you went to Harley for upgrading his clothes to fit in for more upscale affairs was said as he tried to change in the time frame that he had. Finally after getting himself ready he left the apartment and ventured to go find Sebastian, cursing the colder weather already. "Fucking New York," he grumbled as he shivered slightly in his trench coat coming up behind Sebastian. "I hope wherever we're going is inside and warm as fuck. This east coast weather is the devil's work...how are you?" he asked looking up at him and shaking his head in disapproval of the weather.
Sebastian couldn't help but roll his eyes when Skylar started muttering about the cold, shaking his head as he zipped up the front of his own leather jacket. He'd been smart enough to wear a jacket because, even though it was only October, it wasn't long before the cold front settled in and left them freezing by mid-evening. "Welcome to Fall." He said with a snort, trying not to look too amused, as he slid into the back of the town car when the driver opened it for them. "But yes, it's going to be heated... you'll find most places in the city are, unless you're going to an ice bar." He shuddered. "Now that's something I never understood. How on earth are you supposed to have a good time when you're freezing?" As he spoke he reached into his pocket and pulled a flask out, giving it a shake before taking a generous swig and then tipping it in Skylar's direction. "Since only one of us is old enough to actually drink at the restaurant, I figured a little pre-gaming wouldn't be such a bad idea. But to answer your earlier question -- I'm fine. Looking forward to an evening away from the library, I suppose. The librarian and I are on first name terms again." He made a face. "I'm not sure if I'm proud of that, or ashamed. What about you? How are classes going?"
Skylar narrowed his eyes at him, "I thought fall was at least supposed to be somewhat warm? Maybe this is where my southern roots are showing because damn," he told him as he slid into the car beside him. He still never got quite used to taking car service but would never admit he enjoyed doing so. At the mention of an ice bar he arched his eyebrow, "A...ice... bar? Like it's made of fucking ice or you're just drinking odd ass shit?" he asked for clarification as he watched Sebastian pull out a flask. A small smile appeared on his face as the was leaned into his direction, "What is this? Bourbon?" he sniffed the container before taking a swig of it. Instantly feeling the liquor warm his body, settling against the seat with a happy sigh, "Alcohol is the best to warm the blood." Skylar took about swig of the flask before handing it back to Sebastian as he talked. He frowned at his friend and shook his head in shame, "No dude... unless you're banging her on the side. You should not be on a first name basis with the librarian... But it's good you came out of the crypt to breathe a little. Book dust is unhealthy for you." Licking his lips, "While I'm not on a first name basis with any librarian's, classes are going decently. I'll admit it's a little boring studying some of these things so I can't imagine other's being thrilled at doing it full time. My temp job at the haunt is at least keeping me entertained. Although i'll admit I do wish I was studying something along with it."
Sebastian couldn't help but laugh when Skylar asked what it was, nodding his head. "Bourbon, yes. Only the best -- scotch doesn't really sit well in a flask. It needs to be on ice. Speaking of ice though, yes, it is actually made out of ice." He took the flask back from him once he'd finished and he took another generous swig before putting it back into his pocket. "No, we're not 'banging on the side'.." He shot him a look of contempt, lips curling upwards in amusement a beat later. "Though she does have legs that go on for days, and seems to be the serious type... it might not be all that bad." He shrugged again before glancing over at him. "Well, studying isn't always the most interesting thing. I suppose you need to make it interesting, or at least worthwhile. Establish a rewards system. Do something you enjoy if you manage to get through 30 minutes of studying, or an hour. Something that'll motivate you." He cocked his head to the side when he mentioned a temp job --- had he known about that and forgot, or just not known? "Temp job?"
Skylar turned his head, "You drink Scotch on the rocks? I thought you liked neat drinks, not watered down..." he said as he pulled his coat around him more. He scrunched his face up for a moment listening to him but then got lost in thought trying to visualize her. "Aren't librarians supposed to be old broads with stocking runs in them? Grannies and shit? She sounds like the ones in fantasies or porn's so look at you being sly with a first name basis. Don't let Hunt find out because she'll come up missing," he joked laughing to himself as he looked out the window. "What's a serious type? She has no sense of humor or one or those annoying monotone folks?" he asked, "You don't need serious anyways. That's not healthy for you since you're already a mixture of serious and borderline insane. Gotta balance it out with good humor." He crossed his legs, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "Well I do have something that Harry and I do. But I doubt you want to hear what that is. It helps, but I guess because I'm interested in earning a degree in this, rather than just taking courses to better help my relationship with other's. Seems less desirable to me...." he paused and then looked at him with an arched eyebrow, "I really need to start leaving you paper reminders. But I work at a haunt as a temp scare actor. I get to play a mentally insane person to entertain the crowd. Nothing spooks folks more than a painted up dude in scratches and blood with a straight jacket on. Apparently I can pull off an asylum patient well...
Sebastian: couldn't help but be flattered that Skylar actually remembered how he took his drinks. It was true, he didn't like ice, but he'd found a good alternative to putting ice in the cup. "You can get chilled cubes for your glass. I think we talked about this, actually. I also tend to chill my glasses so it keeps everything relatively cold. Or at least, cold enough to meet my standards." He replied, glancing out the window to see where they were. It had been awhile since he'd been to this restaurant, probably as far back as a few years ago, and while he'd been avoiding it for ages he'd decided it was about time to stop. They had the best grilled salmon in the area and -- honestly, as far as he knew, his old group of friends didn't even congregate there anymore. It was safe territory. "I think she's a student working part time or something like that." He shrugged. "And by serious I mean, tends to get pissed off when people have sex in the stacks..." He smirked. "Personally, I find it amusing to watch the vein in her forehead throb. One day it's going to burst on her. As for balancing me out with humour -- Hunter isn't exactly a bundle of laughs." He raised his eyebrows questionably. "One could argue that he's almost as serious as I am." He had the foresight to look sheepish when skylar mentioned that he should have known, shrugging his shoulders as if to say oops. "Ah, right -- I forgot about that. I suppose that's an interesting way to pass the day... at least you'll never be bored?"
Skylar shook his head, "Chilled glasses, ice bars... that's too fucking cold for my taste. Then again i'll drink shit straight out the bottle. Whiskey is good for warmth...but not good in public," he grimaced remembering how he ended up in lock up years ago for public intoxication. It was either get drunk to stay warm outside or attempt to sleep at the nearest shelter. "You did mention them I have those written down on my 'Party Supplies' list as a must have. Yes I keep one of those..." he told him. The young woman probably seemed like someone Sebastian would hook up with but he hated the idea of him being serious all the time. The rare moments he let loose always showed off the 'humanity' side of him. "Ah, that explains it then. But I mean... if she's upset about catching folks fucking in books then she probably has no patience. Or a not so very interesting sex life, which is sad. When do you not find it amusing to take joy in other's suffering?" He chuckled for a moment before holding up a finger and shaking it, "No, no... to you he's not that humorous. To me, he's like the second funniest dude I know. Mostly because I find his deadpanning hilarious and I've never seen has a serious person. Granted he doesn't tell jokes, but you know. Humor is humor!" he smiled at him, "You're so serious i'm afraid you're going to turn into stone one day." Skylar sucked his teeth at him for his forgetfulness again. Having spent time with him prior to school and having him always be on his game, this was just a bizarre thing to have occur more often. "It's at night and I make some decent cash. Nah, it's not boring at all. Kind of cold but I get to move around a lot and sometimes I have to be careful when I come home because I've scared Harry out his sleep a few times with the makeup on. But it gives me something to do and make some money while I rack up that resume." Looking Sebastian up and down for a second, "When was the last time you went to sleep? Where the fuck are we anyways?"
Sebastian couldn’t help but think about how much things had changed over the past few years. During his first year at Columbia, he probably would have been the one luring the librarian towards the back of the building and making her toes curl once his his hands slipped down beneath her skirt. He was all about studying and working hard, there was no denying that, but he wasn’t the type to pass up an opportunity that good. The fact that it hadn’t really even crossed his mind until now spoke volumes about how much he’d changed -- matured, one could argue -- and while it was unsettling he found that it didn’t freak him out as much as it probably should have. “I have a feeling that she’s never gotten any.” He pointed out as he fished the flask out of his pocket, taking a swig before handing it back over to Skylar. “Once she has though, I’m sure she’ll be wild -- it’s always the quiet ones that end up surprising you.” He paused for a second before nodding his head. Hunter was funny, no doubt, but he could sometimes come across as more serious to someone who was wired and operated much like he did. They were both incredibly dry and sarcastic, which was why they’d clicked and gotten along so well from the get go. “He does have his moments, I’ll give him that.” It came out more fond than he would have liked, but he was glad for the subject change as he snorted and tried to picture Harrison waking up to someone who looked like an escaped mental patient. “Now that would be something to see. Do they at least insulate the straight jacket that they have you wear? Seem like that’d be the least they could do. We’re headed towards 43rd -- we’re eating at The Modern.” He paused for a second. “It’s not all that close to Long Island, but it’s one of the best places I’ve eaten in the city. I used to come here at least once a week when I was first at Columbia. It’s been awhile since I’ve been back, but I’m sure the food will be just as good as I remember.” He sidestepped the question about sleeping because -- quite frankly -- he didn’t remember the last time he’d slept for more than four hours at a time. He’d gotten six yesterday if you counted the accidental nap that he’d taken that afternoon, but he wasn’t sure that it really counted if it wasn’t exactly REM sleep.
Skylar clicked his teeth and wiggled his eyebrows to go along with the smug appearance on his face, "An untouched librarian?" he asked in a deep tone before scowling at his pervy nature. "A lady in the streets and a freak in the sheets are always the best. I'm saddened that she gets to wander around like that. But as much as my counterpart is sweet natured, he's a Clarington deep down. I have no doubt he'd attempt to murder that poor woman if I tried to be helpful to her situation..." Taking the flask from Sebastian he took a swig of it again and passed it onto him. "There's never a dull moment with him," he said, leaning over and bumping his shoulder against his, "Look at you saying nice things about him." Skylar grinned at him trying not to tease him to much before leaning back over to his side, "Sadly no." He pouted at the thought of getting to take that home, "I mean, Harry sleeps like the dead and doesn't scare as easy. But it's not great when I'm tired as fuck at night and just want to sleep. You roll over and your person looks like fucking Linda Blair by the face. Although, they do make wearable straight jacket like apparel and I looked good in it. Not that I need to be in a nuthouse but it works with my look if I can get it in black." He listened to him describe the place knowing full well none of it made sense to him. Getting familiar with New York was still taking time, unlike Chicago. "I hope they have something I like and it's not decorative on a plate and the size of a fucking quarter... so wait, this is one of your old haunts? You just came to this place and ate by yourself for dinner?" he asked looking at him seriously, "That sounds lonely"
Sebastian raised his hands, as if in a silent surrender, and couldn’t help but snort when Skylar mentioned helping her out. “What makes you think that you’re even her type? She strikes me as the type who’s going to end up claimed to some professor twice her age who manages to stimulate her intellectually more-so than...” He trailed off, waggling his eyebrows. “...in other ways. “ He didn’t comment when Skylar pointed out that he was saying nice things about him, because they both know that it went without saying that he thought the world of him. He wasn’t as upfront and vocal about his feelings like others were -- Harrison and Skylar, in particular, were so mushy they made his teeth hurt -- but deep down, he really did care about him, and the people that he was closest too would be able to see that. “I suppose it would be a shock to the system to wake up beside someone, only to realize that they look nothing like themselves.” He paused for a second, and then shuddered when an idea popped into his head. “At least they don’t have you dressed as a sadistic clown -- if I woke up to something like that, I wouldn’t waste time wondering if it was real or just a mask. I’d attack first and ask questions later.” He shuddered again before shaking his head and clarifying. “No, no -- there was a group of us that all came by. We had the table at the back every Thursday night, and every server in the place knew us by name.” He smiled at the memory. “It didn’t hurt that we were incredibly generous tippers. “
Skylar scoffed at him, "Please... she's a 'good girl' and they always dig the rebellious looking dudes on the DL. Plus this is about fucking not establishing a relationship. So getting her panties moist wouldn't be that hard and...it has been proven that I can provide intellectual conversation if I cared to do so," he pointed out. Thinking about the librarian and the hot sex that could happen at a library were trying to enter his mind, "Ok, changing subject. Not trying to end up a dead man on the account of you." Even if he flirted with other's shamelessly and often vulgar about things he'd never cheat. Temptation was a cruel torture to his soul sometimes. "You would beat the shit out of me if I was dressed as a deranged clown? Fair enough," he said, "Although I will admit that we had sex at least once with me still in the makeup. Now I don't know if that says a lot about Harry or we've gotten to that stage where we could look haggard as fuck. I don't know. But i'll stick to my asylum look and not trade my straight jacket in for a red nose. Lord knows if I came home and accidentally bumped into Hunter dressed like that he'd either beat the shit out of me on instinct or be scared." Skylar listened to him mention that he went there with his old friend's. Biting his lower lip to ward off the jealous feelings. They were probably dudes completely different than he was and he hoped they didn't have a run in. Bitter feelings of always being seen as the 'embarrassing friend' whenever other's would question why he hung around. "That sounds cool," he said in an uninterested tone, "So guys were like a 90s sitcom then. Everybody knows your name and you had a regular spot." The suddenly smile on Sebastian's face made him look out the window, "So are these folks gonna remember you? I suppose I should be on my best behavior and shit... It seems you have really great memories here. Thank you for inviting me along."
Sebastian couldn’t help but stare over at him when he talked about having sex with Harrison while in the full makeup. It definitely distracted from the ht librarian that they’d been talking about moments ago and he blinked over at him a few times before shaking his head. “Well that’s...bizarre, but to each their own, I suppose.” He narrowed his eyes when he mentioned the clown makeup, wanting to ensure that he understood that he would quite literally have him murdered if he even entertained the idea. “Hunter would very likely beat you into the ground.” He agreed, lips twitching upwards into a hint of a smirk, as he spoke. “Act first, think later -- it’s easier to apologize for making a mistake rather than regretting not asking. At least that’s my motto, and I’m sure he’d be quick to adapt it if the situation warranted it. “ He got quiet for a moment after Skylar mentioned memories, nodding once before clearing his throat and moving on. Truth be told, he hadn’t thought about their old group in awhile. After Amara and the ceremony had fallen through, he’d been humiliated beyond all belief. Tara and Sasha -- Amara’s best friends -- had obviously supported her through the breakups, and their boyfriends? Well, they were sorry about everything that happened, but at the end of the day... their choice was an easy one. Sebastian was impossible to deal with on a good day, let alone a bad one, so it didn’t take them long to stop calling. But he wasn’t going to think about that -- they’d been fake friends anyway, only really getting together out of obligation. Josh’s father worked with Sebastian’s father, and they were all taking the same classes. Aside from that? The only thing they had in common was a taste for expensive liquor, cars, and women. “Here’s to making new ones.” He finally added, taking one last swig before handing the flask back to Skylar to finish off. Thankfully he was good at holding his liquor, otherwise he’d be tipsy already on an empty stomach. Once the car stopped, he waited for the driver to open the door before getting out and waiting for Skylar to join him. “I requested a booth towards the back. I hate tables here, people are always knocking into the backs of chairs and scraping them along the floor.” He made a face. “The noise grates on my nerves.” He paused momentarily to turn towards the hostess, slipping into french easily to confirm their reservation. While the hosts and hostesses usually were bilingual, he did it without even thinking when he
Skylar shrugged slightly, "We'll try anything once so... call it a bucket list?" he told him, laughing at how it started off as a teasing dare. His eyes narrowed as he let out a low groan, "Yeah... considering regular clowns aren't on his list of fun. A fucked up one will land me in the hospital. Besides, I don't have very good clown skills so everyone is safe and I love myself enough to not be a creepy clown." He sighed heavily at Sebastian's motto. One of these days someone was going to get injured. He stopped playing with his lip ring when Sebastian had made a small cheer with the flash, taking it from him to let the liquor warm him again as the car came to a stop. Time to brace the cold for a brief moment. Following Sebastian, he straightened he coat as he walked inside, ignoring the look that was in his direction. "That sounds like a migraine problem," he said to him as he watched slip into his French accent. He smirked, enjoying the language knowing he had no idea what his friend was saying. "You didn't tell me we were going to a French place... if I can't read the menu you're going to have to order for me," he whispered to him before smiling at the hostess politely.
Sebastian had never really considered having a sexual bucket list, but that was mostly due to the fact that he usually did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, so there was never any time to make a list. He’d always been adventurous when it came to sex -- the ‘try anything once’ type -- and he’d never really slowed down. “I suppose that makes sense, especially if either one of you has tried things that the other hasn’t.” He nodded as they settled into their booth, cracking a smile when he mentioned not being able to read the menu. “The good thing about The Modern is that the menu is in french and in english. There are little translations underneath of the dish in english that explain what’s in it. I was the only one who could ever speak french, so it worked in our favor.” He grinned wider, remembering back to how things had been such a long time ago. “One time Josh made the mistake of letting me order for him, and I got him Escargot. He didn’t realize it was snails until they showed up in front of him... so you might not want to let me order for you. I’m not apt to be kind.” He chuckled, shaking his head, as he he grabbed the wine menu so that he could flip through the selections. He usually preferred red, but sometimes it depended on what they were suggesting went with each dish. Pairing food was important and he wasn’t the type to mix a red where there should be a white just because he preferred it. “It’d be good, don’t get me wrong, but not everyone appreciates how... different, french cuisine can be.”
Skylar nodded, "We don't have an actual list. It's just more so that the curiosity was peaked and temptation won. But i'll totally admit there's a few things i'm interested in trying." He gave Sebastian a look for a second, "I just think you like taking me to French places..." he drew out as he tried to process what snails could taste like. Blinking slowly, "Are they good? Do they taste like clams? I've eaten worms before so I doubt snails would taste too badly... Isn't that like the top French cuisine next to crepes or some shit?" Skylar grabbed the menu and opened it, looking it over and reading everything they had to offer. Of course this place was going to have fancy combinations instead of basic food like a burger or chicken fingers. His eyes narrowed at the limitations, wondering how rich people could enjoy eating at places like this so often. "Who makes up these menus?" he mumbled before looking up at him, "I'm wondering if I should just close my eyes at point at the menu to select something." Skylar looked at the wine menu in Sebastian's hands, "Is this like... commonly eaten food in France? What are you drinking?" he asked curiously trying to still process his options from the menu.
Sebastian couldn’t help but laugh as he shrugged his shoulders, not confirming or denying one way or the other. Ever since Skylar had mentioned that other languages were his weakness, he hadn’t been able to resist tempting him every once in awhile. It was all in good fun of course, just to get under his skin, and he was never intending to be malicious or anything with the games that he liked to play. At the end of the day, even though he could be an asshole and tended to roll his eyes and act exasperated with him a lot, he considered Skylar to be one of his closest friends. He raised his eyebrows when he mentioned that he’d eaten worms before but he decided not to question it. Quite frankly, he didn’t need to know why the why and the when. It was better if he didn’t know. “Snails always tasted like muscles to me, in all honesty.” He shrugged. “If you put some garlic or some butter on them, they’re quite good. People just tend not to give them a chance because they’re -- and I quote -- “ He used his fingers to make exaggerated air quotes. “Disgusting. But most of the people who say that, are people who’ve never tried them.” He snorted when Skylar mentioned chicken fingers, shaking his head. “Please -- did you really think I’d take you out to a fancy restaurant that served something you could just as easily get at McDonalds? You’re welcome, for broadening your horizons. If you’re not sure what to get, I’d suggest the lamb or the green zucchini gnocchi.” He paused for a second to consider the question before nodding his head. “For the most part, yes. It’s the more high end of things of course, seeing as not everyone in France can afford to eat at the best places. As for what I’m drinking, it depends on what I get. If I get the cod, I’ll probably go with white Vasee Felix seeing as no reasonable person would ever drink red wine with fish, but if I go with the gnocchi? Red is the only option.”
Skylar pursed his lips at the description. Buttery snails? "Well I mean they're like... really sticky so I guess people can't imagine eating something that is super sticky or might turn your mouth purple," he said to him as he glanced down at the menu again. Even if their background's were different and he was never brought up with fine dining, he still appreciated being able to expand knowledge on things. His thought was broken when he mentioned McDonalds. Skylar looked at him, "Have you ever eaten at Mickey D's? I can't even imagine you wanting to drive by one let alone eat there or any fast food restaurant." He pursed his lips again at Sebastian when he had offered up a compliment for himself. Just like he never liked letting Sebastian know how he felt about him. He also didn't like giving the other the satisfaction of knowing he did find some of his self serving techniques actually helpful. Nothing of what he said about the food or wine made any sense to him at all. Then again he had just found out that you should only drink things with other things. Rotating his head slightly as he listened, "That all sounds like gibberish to me and snooty," he confused, "Mostly because I have no idea what a gnocchi is and i'm hoping Cod is the fish and doesn't mean like Bulls Testicles or some shit." Looking at the menu again he finally decided to just bite the bullet and let out a deep sigh, "I'll try the lamb and I want the snails. You made them sound appealing..."
Sebastian had to think about Skylar’s question for a full minute when he asked him if he’d ever actually eaten at McDonalds. Sure, he was a snob, but he had been to other restaurants a few times in his life. He wracked his brain, trying to come up with an answer, before snapping his fingers and nodding once. “Yes, actually. I have been there a couple of times.” He sighed, making a face. “There were a couple of times, a few years ago, where I’d end up there early on a Monday morning if I’d had too much to drink the night before and didn’t think I’d make it to class on time without something heavy in my stomach.” He shrugged his shoulders, putting the menu down. “Normally I’m pretty good at remembering to hydrate when I’m out, but I was... preoccupied, at the time, and it slipped my mind. I paid for it the next day, and the godawful grease that comes off of their food helped.” He snorted when Skylar mentioned bulls testicles, simply shaking his head and shooting him an amused look. Sometimes it cracked him up how different they were, and how their interests varied, and yes sometimes it was strange that they were friends... but it somehow managed to balance itself out and made sense. “They are appealing.” He added a moment later, placing his order and Skylar’s when the waiter came back. He ordered a bottle of wine for the table, knowing that they wouldn’t card at an establishment like this and with the amount of money that he was about to throw down for their entrees and the tip, and leaned back in his chair to get more comfortable as they waited. “It’s an acquired taste, I’ll give it that, but I think you’ll like it. I always did.” Surprisingly enough it didn’t take long for the bottle of wine to come to the table, the waiter pouring both of them a glass, and he’d just reached for his own and opened his mouth to speak when he instantly shut it again. For a moment, he was sure that he was seeing things. Clearly the lack of sleep that he’d been enduring over the past few weeks was catching up to him, because there was no way that he could really be seeing what was right in front of him. Seated three tables over, with her hair pinned back in a fancy looking clip (that he’d bought her, his subconscious added snidely) and her hands clasped in someone else’s. His mind would put two and two together in a few moments and he’d realize that he’d recognized his Property professor from the facebook profile picture he’d seen, nearly a year ago, when he’d drunkenly indulged himself and looked her up. An arm had been wrapped around her, both of their faces smiling, and she’d been holding a baby in her arms. They were the picture of a perfect family, of everything he’d thought that he’d get to have with her, and honestly it had been devastating at the time. Now he didn’t feel quite so devastated, he’d moved past it, but it was hard to forget how humiliating the entire experience had been when it was staring him in the face. He didn’t even realize that he’d knocked his wine glass over until the liquid spilled over his hand, and he blinked a couple of times before grabbing his napkin to halfheartedly soak it up. “I__err...” His brain was scrambling to catch up with his mouth. It was almost as if seeing her had scrambled his brain, damaged the motherboard, and now the entire system needed to be rebooted. “I guess the glass was just...” He broke off, distracted again, when she turned and caught his gaze and he quickly turned away. “...over-estimated. Yes, I over-estimated. Where the glass was. On the table.” He nodded his head as if this made all the sense in the world and didn’t make him sound like a crazy person, before pouring himself a glass and taking a generous swig of it.
Skylar wondered if he was trying to make up a reason or if he got lost in his on thought when he finally responded. It surprised him a little but then again it'd be more surprising if the other mentioned they ate at a 7 Eleven or gas station to get their greasy hangover cure. "Their food is usually really good for hangovers but not as greasy as they used to be. Sad to say.... now I want to see you eat a Big Mac," he told him as he took a sip of the lemon water in front of him. "Drunken nights make for critical judgement calls I see..." he snorted, sipping on his drink more as Sebastian ordered for them. If the waiter came back with something that wasn't what he could identify he was going to kick Sebastian's ass after this. Trusting the bilingual jerk to not want to pull a shitty prank on him. "If the snails are good then i'll start demanding you have them at your place often. Because I don't think they make French takeout places. They should... it'd be so delicious for those late nights-" he stopped talking when he noticed the weird look on Sebastian's face, "Dude...are you ok?" One minute they were having a decent conversation and the next the other looked like he had seen a ghost. Skylar turned slightly to his right and then he left trying to see if something was behind him, "Are you..." he was about to ask when he noticed Sebastian spilling wine on himself. "The fuck?" he muttered to himself with an alarmed look on his face as he watched the other fumble about at the table, "Seb...are you alright? Are you like... you're not having a stroke finally are you?" he asked worried, grabbing the napkin cloth and handing it to him. It was so weird to not only see Sebastian suddenly become disjointed but publicly embarrass himself. "Hey... what's going on? What'd you see?" he asked seriously, reaching out and putting his hand on top of his to keep the other focused on him and hopefully not spill anymore wine all over the place. "Uh huh..." he said trying to follow his thought process when he claimed to have spilled the wine due to misplacement of the glass, "Do we need to go home so you can go to bed?"
Sebastian was so rattled that he didn’t even realize that Skylar had spoken until he realized that he was being stared at, and he vehemently shook his head as he tried to remember how one recovered from seeing something that shocked them. He knew that he needed to say something -- needed to explain his erratic behaviour -- but he didn’t get the chance. Suddenly, before he had a chance to really do much of anything, Amara had gotten up out of her seat and crossed over to their table. Her teeth were pressing into her bottom lip, the way that she always did when she was nervous, and he noticed that her eyes glanced between him and Skylar briefly before she finally spoke up. She introduced herself, casual as ever, before placing her hand on the side of his arm as she told him that he looked good -- though maybe a little tired -- and that it was nice to see him again. She sounded sincere, and he wanted to believe her, but all he could manage to do was offer up a smile as he gestured towards Skylar and introduced him. Sebastian Smythe wasn't a liar so he didn’t say that it was good to see her, or that he’d missed her, and simply made a comment about how small the world had to be for the two of them to be running into each other. He could tell that she wanted to say more, but he sensed her hesitation before she actually shut her mouth. Even after all of this time, he could read her better than he’d ever been able to read anyone else.
Skylar was starting to become worried when Sebastian didn't respond and wondered if he should call a waiter or 911. He gently pinched at the hand underneath his, "Seb... come on man. You're starting to scare me," he whispered but knew that the other was too gone in his thoughts to hear him. Sighing he was about to squeeze the hell out of his hand when a slender woman walked towards them and apparently knew Sebastian. At first he wasn't sure what to make of her as he kept an eye on Sebastian's demeanor and then the girl's. "Hi..." he said to her with a slight nod. 'Who the hell is this chick?' he thought to himself waiting for her to leave so he grill Sebastian for information. Because everything on display right now was not the guy he was used to being around. Should he say something to the girl? Should he make an excuse? He doubted saying they had to use the bathroom worked as well with two dudes as it did ladies.
Sebastian started paying closer attention to what was going on when he felt Skylar's finger pinch his hand, and he shot his friend a thankful look before clearing his throat and forcing what he hoped was a convincing smile onto his face. He thanked her for stopping by, said it was good to see her looking so good, and told her to keep in touch... but that he was a bit busy, and now wasn't a good time. He watched her smile falter, saw the way her head dipped as she apologized, and with one last squeeze of his arm and a 'nice to meet you' in Skylar's direction, she was heading back over to her table. He figured she probably felt guilty, or just needed to know for herself that he was really okay, but that didn't leave him any less shaken. He paused for a second, taking a generous gulp from his wine glass, before clearing his throat and glancing around. "Well... we should have gotten our appetizers by now. That's cutting into the tip."
Skylar was feeling defensive suddenly by the girl's presence. His eyes said 'unimpressed' but he face said 'charmed' as he fixed a small smile on it while the two interacted. Was she one of the old friend's he had mentioned earlier? Possibly a one night stand he screwed over and never called back? Whoever she was had Sebastian sweating... which could either be a good or bad thing, he had yet to determine. After their awkward small talk she finally bid them farewell, to which Skylar grinned slightly and said, "It was nice meeting you..." Watching her leave with very narrowed eyes, his concentration was broken by Sebastian finally speaking normally. He cut his eyes towards him, "That's not important right now. What is important is... what the FUCK was that all about?" he asked him sternly, making eye contact with him. "Because I was two seconds away from putting on chapstick to take the bro code to the next level and awkwardly makeout with you to get her to leave. Or think up a very strange backstory for our fake relationship...let's be honest, either of those two would've been more helpful than what you were doing a moment ago." Skylar pursed his lips, "I also don't like her..."
[Sebastian line missing due editors fault. I’m sorry]
Skylar stared at him for a moment remembering the few times that Sebastian would talk about her. Which was more than he ever said about anyone he was with in the past so he at least knew they had history together. But he didn't realize ti was enough to shake up the tall brunette the way she did. Skylar smiled apologetically, "Sorry, inside voice," he said to him as his brows relaxed a little as he continued talking. "Well... usually when a guy breaks up with a girl she never shows her face for awhile out of embarrassment. So maybe this was her way of letting you know the past was just that and she had no bitter feelings about it?" he tried to rationalize because what would be a good reason for his ex to come over. It took him a moment to process the last bit of information before he held up his hand, "Wait a second, the dude she's sitting with is /your/ professor? Hopefully dude does not know you dumped her otherwise it's not going to be a pleasant semester..." He got quiet for a moment taking in the sight of Sebastian and the way he spoke. "Seb...what's really going on with the way you're acting? I know she's an ex and all but damn dude. You're like... not yourself and i'm kind of concerned here. Do you want us to go eat somewhere else? Should I go curse her out?" he asked sincerely, "This is very unlike you. I know i'm taking a shot in the dark with you being truthful. But it's really gonna be hard for me to ignore what happened like i've done in the past with other things. I'm not gonna judge you Seb, you know that."
Sebastian couldn’t contain the bark of laughter that slipped out when Skylar started talking about her showing her face out of embarrassment, the anger winning out over the anxiety of seeing her again as he shook his head. “Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t have any bitter feelings about anything. I’m sure she’s slept soundly every night since she left -- probably wrapped around him, no doubt.” He rolled his eyes as he snapped the words out, grabbing a dinner roll out of the basket in the middle of the table and stabbing it violently to cut it open. He’d spent a long time being upset, devastated, and hurt, so much so that he hadn’t really been able to consider how angry everything made him. It wasn’t just that she’d humiliated him in front of his friends, his family, and anyone who read the NY times -- it was that she’d done it without a single thought to him, of how it would hurt him, and hadn’t had the decency to say it to his face. “I’m sure she justified it all in her head. She’d left a note, after all, so sneaking out in the middle of the night like a two-bit whore was perfectly acceptable.” His words were whispered out through gritted teeth, just loud enough for Skylar to hear, as he smeared some butter on the dinner roll with his knife. “Do you know how expensive salmon for 300 people is?” He looked up finally, eyes narrowed, as he gestured with his free hand. Not so much as to make a scene, but enough so that it would be easy to tell he was irritated. “It’s a lot of money, that’s what it is. I have half a mind to do up an invoice, and drop it on their table. Since it’s very likely him that made her leave, it’s only right that the two of them reimburse me for all of the money we shelled out for that sham of a ceremony.” And with that he paused, realizing he’d gone off on a tirade and was nothing like the composed person he liked to pretend he was, and he sighed heavily before putting his utensils down. “No, we’re not eating somewhere else. This is my favorite restaurant. We don’t have to leave. We’re not leaving, actually. Not before they do” He knew it was childish, and maybe a bit petty, but now it was a matter of principle.
Skylar was expecting him to tell a smug tale about how he had dumped the girl and how he act was a pitiful attempt to seem relevant in his eyes. Instead he was greeted by a darker tale he hadn't thought would be truth. The way Sebastain's demeanor showed rage and hostility. Usually he had only seen him this angry when someone fucked up an order and he had to threaten someone. This was beyond that... he was genuinely hurt. Skylar kept a still position, even when Sebastian murdered the dinner roll in his hand with the knife. Making a mental note to move the sharper utensils away from him once he was done talking. For once it seems like someone get the best of Sebastian and he had lost to someone. The weird string of jealousy that would always creep up in him when he felt he could never be as good enough or getting angry when he always thought Sebastian could have what he wanted. That clearly hadn't been the case and for it to be a matter of the heart... "No, I don't know but I imagine a lot judging by the prices on this menu," he said softly still staring at him. His best friend was coming undone and he had wished they weren't in public with that girl so close by. "You could do that..." he agreed with him, "But at the end of the day getting repaid all that money that was loss doesn't make up for the true lost. Just the materialist part and not the emotional...you can't fix a broken heart with money..." he spoke softly. He knew Sebastian might think he'd be pitying him, it was him, the guy who always was vocal about trusting no one. Even if Skylar always had the best intentions he wasn't so sure how to make him feel better about this. Smiling softly when he noticed he put the utensil's down, he slowly moved his hand across the table and grabbed the knives, pulling them back to his side. "Not that I don't have faith you won't murder someone in a public place. But let's not have the carnie skill of being a Knife Thrower on your list of unusual talents," he told him. When he said he didn't have to leave, he stood up slightly and moved his chair a little closer to him. "Seb... I know sorry from me is not what you want to hear, because you'd rather hear it from her or them. But if she could do that to you... of all people, then she didn't deserve to be your claim. Stab me if you want, but I think she did you a favor. A costly favor but... a favor. If you truly think about it your life wouldn't be what it is right now. Sure... the bitterness is unwanted. But I mean with everyone." He looked at him with a sincere expression, "Do you think you would've grown as much as you have had you stayed with a person like that? Someone that is callous and willing to forgo your feelings just to get what she wants? Didn't bother to factor in your feelings at the time. Granted you two seem like a match made in that aspect...but two wrongs don't always make a right. You never know, that entire experience maybe matured her as well? Again I know it's not what you want to hear and we can totally get drunk and trash talk her if it'll temporarily make you feel better. But you know I know better than anyone that dulling and ignoring something never works on in the end." He glanced down at the dinner roll and then looked back up at him, "Look at that poor innocently roll that had to take one for the team," he lightly joked.
Sebastian wasn’t the type of person who was in touch with his feelings or ever really opened up about anything. At least to the people he cared about, or knew relatively well, anyway. He had a therapist, had been forced into seeing one shortly after he’d gotten expelled back in high school, and he’d never really stopped going. He didn’t see her very often, maybe once or twice a year, but enough to remain balanced and feel as if his life -- and his goals -- were on track and in sight. It was easy to talk to her about the things that were bothering him or getting under his skin because she was impartial, didn’t know him, and would never get to know him outside of those four walls. It was almost like a safe haven and that had really been something he’d been able to cling to in the months after Amara’s leaving. Truth be told, though he didn’t know it, there was more to the story that he just wasn’t privy to. He didn’t know that his father had gone to Amara, threatened her, and ordered her to stay away from him. She was a Submissive and he was a Dominant -- and an aggressively persuasive one at that -- so it would have been no surprise to hear that Andrew Smythe had managed to get in her head and convince her that Sebastian would be better off without her. All he knew was that he’d fallen in love with a girl he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with and she’d taken off before they’d even really had a chance. “It was a lot.” He added after a moment, rolling his eyes when Skylar slowly dragged the silverware over to his side of the table. Even if he was completely livid, he’d never make a scene in public. Not somewhere that he’d been frequenting for years, and was rather fond of. Besides, he’d never give anyone the satisfaction of thinking that they’d rattled him or gotten under his cage. It was a sign of weakness and after all -- as Andrew Smythe liked to say -- Smythes didn’t show their weaknesses for people to use against them. “I’m not -- “ He broke off, shaking his head once. “Jesus. She didn’t break my heart. She humiliated me in front of everyone we knew, and wasted thousands of dollars.” He kept his mouth pressed tightly together, ensuring that everything he said was calculated and considered before he said it. It was one thing to admit that someone had got the best of him and made him look stupid, but it was another thing entirely to admit that he’d been prepared to give his all to someone, only to have them throw it back in his face. “I think anyone would be mad about that really... but you do have a point. Things that happen to us in the past tend to shape who we become in the future. I was always driven, and I always would have been a lawyer, but eradicating the... distraction, from my life, a couple of years ago, helped me get back on track and focus on what’s really important. “ He couldn’t help but feel a little bit sour hearing Skylar talk about Amara, but that was mostly due to the fact that he still remembered the good things. She’d been perfect -- or as perfect as a flawed person could be -- just up until the end, and sometimes it was difficult remembering that the person he’d fallen in love with had been the same person capable of breaking his heart. None of it really pieced together. “While I’ll never turn down an opportunity to get drunk, we really don’t need to talk about it.” He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not... I’m not bothered by it, anymore.” He paused. “She just caught me by surprise. I never thought I’d see her again.” He snorted when he gestured to the roll, rolling his eyes fondly as he glanced down at it. “Better the roll than your hand, don’t you think? Not everyone would have enjoyed that as much as I would have.”
Skylar stared at him as he rattled on with his rationalization. A heavy sigh left the blonde when he claimed he was pissed about money. "...i'm sorry, I must've got the wrong impression from the story you just told me. Clearly this is /all/ about money," he said flatly looking at his friend with an unimpressed look. It's one thing for the man to save face but he was so far beyond showing his ass at this point there wasn't a single thing the other could say to convince Skylar otherwise. It gave him a never ending headache how much Sebastian always tried so hard to seem glued together. Then he wondered if this is what he was like at first when other's tried getting to know him. "Would you stop fucking lying to me. I'm not stupid and you've got to be very insane if you think i'm buying everything that you're selling," he whispered to him with a hard glare. "This isn't about money. This isn't about an eye for an eye. This is about someone who managed to get under your skin enough to break your heart. Call it whatever the fuck you want. But no one damn near shits themselves in public and makes that much of a spectacle of themselves over a damn surprise." He grabbed the glass of wine and took a sip out of it. "I have been with you for too long to know when you're lying to me and usually I will play that shitty game just so you won't ever have to mention you slipped up. This is different, Sebastian..." He took another sip and smiled him, "If you think stabbing me in the hand would've helped you then by all means. Just know that I would've slit your throat in retaliation. Not out of anger but out of love," he spoke softly, "So... we can get on with the rest of the night in silence and just eat. Or you and I can do the friendship or brotherly thing and actually fucking talk to me for once? Because if i'm willing to break down and bare my soul to you from time to time. You can at least trust and respect me enough to careful with the real you. I'm here for you dude... you know i'm always in your corner. But i'm not willing to play this denial game with this." Everyone had flaws. No matter how much any one of them tried to put off a particular image. There were always those dark days when keeping up appearances wasn't easy. They were friend's and he considered Sebastian family or at least the only relative he'd actually talk about when other's asked. His loyalty towards him was a bit insane considering the past drama between them but he'd still tried to stand by his word and for once be a rock for him the way he unexpectedly became to him at times.
Sebastian just stared at him as he started in on his passionate speech, tongue pressed against the side of his mouth so that he wouldn’t say something callous that he’d likely regret later. Skylar wasn’t wrong about anything he was saying and honestly? That was the problem. Sebastian Smythe was incapable of admitting that he lost, that someone had gotten the best of him, and even if he wanted to talk about? The words just weren’t going to come out. So instead he averted his eyes, swallowed thickly, and became incredibly interested in the stem of the wine glass. He realized all too quickly that Skylar had been serious about the fact that he wasn’t going to say anything if Sebastian didn’t talk, and he heaved another sigh before reaching over and stealing his wine glass, draining it in one gulp. “If you’re insisting on having care and share hour, like a couple of giggling teenage girls, we’re getting out of here and we’re getting incredibly drunk.”
Skylar studied Sebastian's face to try and see what the other was going to do next. At least keep his reflexes sharp just in case, but all the other did was sigh. He was about to answer him when Sebastian stole his wine glass and drank the rest of it. Skylar simply pouted, "Are we actually getting drunk or are you going to steal my liquor?" he grimaced, before bumping his shoulder with his. "Then I guess we're getting drunk. Rain check for a nice outing again? Although... is it wrong to ask if I can have the snails to go?" he inquired looking around for the waiter. For a fancy ass place they weren't very quick with their services but were very quick to replace the alcohol.
Sebastian wasn’t even that shocked when Skylar asked if they could get the snails to go, nodding his head as his lips twitched upwards into a hint of a smirk. He managed to flag a waiter down without too much effort, cancelling their order and handing his credit card over to settle the bill. It only took another ten minutes ago to settle everything and get the snails boxed up, and he handed them to Skylar as they got up and moved to leave the restaurant. He couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder once on the way out, catching a glimpse of Amara, staring into her water glass like it held the secrets to the world, before shaking his heard and turning around. Dwelling on the past never did anyone any good... and at least, all things considered, this was more closure than anything he’d had previously. Once they were back out in the car, he leaned forward so that he could give the driver directions to a club that he knew weren’t likely to card. Once he had, he patted his pockets until he found what he was looking for and he smiled triumphantly. He always travelled with at least two flasks. You never knew when you were going to need them. Admittedly, he probably could have shared a bit more with Skylar, but if his friend wanted him to open up... he’d need to be drunk enough not to remember it the next day. It was the only way to save face and to make Skylar happy at the same time. He refused to believe that it would be helpful to talk about what happened, that it wouldn’t just dredge up painful memories that he’d been trying to move on from, but apparently he was wrong. The more he drank, the more he talked, and surprisingly enough... maybe he did feel a little bit better.
Sebastian: He’d met Amara during freshman orientation. She’d been heading towards the faculty building as he was leaving, and he’d accidentally knocked into her. He’d knocked his papers over and scattered them everywhere, and she’d dropped her phone and cracked the screen, and they’d ended up screaming at each other in the foyer before fucking in the bathroom. She’d promptly told him that she wasn’t that kind of girl, and that he was going to have to buy her something to eat or she’d pretend that she didn’t know him for the next four years of their lives. He’d found her candor interesting, and refreshing, so he’d done it. Everything had started out casual enough, but the more time he spent with her the more he wanted to keep her around. She was incredibly annoying -- she talked during every single movie or TV show she watched, she never remembered to close the cabinet doors so he always ended up walking into them, and she had a tendency to fall asleep anywhere but actually in bed -- but those happened to be the things that he liked the most about her. She was so alive, one of the few people he’d met who could keep up with him and actually complimented his more sadistic personality (especially when it came to his dominance) and passionate about the law, and what she wanted in life, and politics, and reality television -- which, quite frankly, sparked his addiction -- and they’d settled into a groove so quickly that it had made his head spin. He’d taken her home at Christmas and introduced her to his father, and three weeks later he’d surprised even himself when he suggested they make things official. Everything had seemed fine at the time. She’d been a little stressed out trying to plan things, especially since it was expected that the Smythes do something large, formal, and ridiculously over the top when it came to a Claim ceremony, but all in all? He’d thought things were fine. Sure, they fought a lot, but what couple didn’t? It was never anything serious, usually about her godawful cat that hated him, and he always figured that it kept things interesting. If you didn’t fight, it simply meant that you didn’t care enough to try... right? So he’d been incredibly surprised to wake up the morning that was supposed to be the start of a new life together, only to find a note that simply read ‘I can’t do this’ and no explanation as to where she’d gone, and why she’d left. He hadn’t tried to contact her. His pride was too strong and he was too stubborn for that. She wanted to leave, so he’d let her go. Luckily it was after school had ended for the year, and he deferred a year to go to France so that he could get away from the city and the humiliation of getting his heart broken in front of 300 of his friends and family members. By the time he finished explaining the gist of things to Skylar, he’d probably managed to do in an entire bottle of tequila by himself, and the room was starting to spin. “We’re never going to talk about this again.” He managed to slur out, once he’d slammed the empty shot glass down against the top of the bar counter. “Not only is it humiliating, but it’s an emotional...” He frowned, trying to find the word. “I don’t know... something to do with emotions. But they make you weak, and I’m not about to give anyone ample opportunity to use it against me in the future.” He blinked twice, fingers fiddling with the edge of the empty shot glass, as his shoulders slumped. Wasn’t that the truth, though? Wasn’t that why he’d been so reluctant to tell Hunter he loved him, and why he had yet to say it out loud? Once he said it, once it was out there, there’d be no taking it back... and he wasn’t sure he was equipped to handle another relationship going sour. Especially not when he already felt infinitely stronger about the person he was currently involved with. “So you just...” He waved his hand in front of his face. “Forget we ever had this conversation. Take the blue pill.”
Skylar felt like as soon as the waiter was called over everything happened in a blur. Mostly due to the wine he downed beforehand and now sitting in a bar watching Sebastian become good friend's with a liquor bottle all to himself. He had a few shots but it wouldn't do them both any good if he was beyond decent. When Sebastian had started to talk he was surprised at the detail, then again it was Sebastian. If he was going to explain things they turned into a verbal montage at times. He listened tentatively looking at his friend with adoration as he spoke. How could this chick just throw away their relationship like that so suddenly? He heard of cold feet being used as a plot device in movies but he hadn't thought that was the case. Also did everyone who had money just talk off to foreign countries when relationships went sour? After the subject went from heartfelt to Sebastian being human for once, "Why would I bring this up again? I see no relevance in making you discuss something time and time again if you feel it's unhelpful." He frowned when he said it was humiliating to show emotions. Of course it, he believed the same shit about himself and yet the hypocrisy of trying to convince other's there was nothing wrong with showing your humanity. The many nights Angel would chastise him because he'd rather do shitty things than actually admit his feelings. Showing a weakness for other's to hurt you. He sighed and put his hand on Sebastian's shoulder, "Dude...you're not weak. Nothing about this makes you fucking weak. You're only weak because you've been programmed that not being at your best means you're a failure. That no one will take you seriously and most importantly other's will take advantage of you. Nobody likes that shit but it takes a strong person to actually admit they have feelings and try to deal with them. Weak ones are the ones that run and hide from their problems. Bury themselves so deep in other shit and take it out on other's. You're better than that dude..." He sighed but offered up a small smile. "One of these days you're gonna regret holding everything in. Because there are people around you who want nothing from you other than for you to just be real and honest with them. They don't care what your name is or think of twisted ways to use information against you. They want you for you. Flaws and murderous undertones and all. The regret comes when you've done so much damage to yourself in an effort to keep everyone out that when it time to let someone in... they won't believe you or they won't be there anymore. Some people want what's best for you and want to help make the best fucking memories. How fair is it to keep punishing the present with past actions?" Skylar gripped his shoulder lightly, "Just remember to not let a bad past ruin your future and no matter how humiliating you think it is to actually be a person for one second. It's probably the best person you'll ever be to someone."
Sebastian couldn’t help but cringe slightly when Skylar touched his shoulder. Not because he didn’t want him touching him, but because he really didn’t want his friend to feel bad for him or to pity him. That had been the worst part of the entire ordeal. Everyone had assumed that he was completely happy, that things had gone off without a hitch, and every time someone had asked about how she was, or where she was, it had dug the knife in deeper. Thankfully, years later, he was over it, but the thing about wounds was that even when they healed sometimes they flared up. But the truth of the matter was, Skylar knew him too well now... and he knew exactly what he was thinking, and why he was thinking it. It was true that before he’d gone to Dalton, his friends had mostly been people who’d run in the same social circles as him... but they hadn’t been close. They’d been friends of convenience, for connections, and it was only when he got to Chicago that he started developing real friendships. It had been hard at first, and he’d had to resist every instinct he had to push them away, but nearly a year later it wasn’t as hard as he’d originally thought it would be. “You sound like a fortune cookie.” He said after a moment, his lips twitching upwards into a hint of a small, but genuine, smile, as he finished off the last shot of tequila that he had in front of him. “But... I suppose you might have a point, somewhere, buried deep underneath of all of that mush that you just spewed at me.” He laughed slightly, moving to stand up and then grabbing his shoulder when the room started spinning a bit more than he’d anticipated. “I think we both know that if I was letting it hold me back, I wouldn’t be doing.... well, whatever it is that I’m doing, with Hunter.” He paused. “Though I did consider it for a few moments. It probably would have been easier to pretend like I didn’t care, that there wasn’t something there... but who knows.” He pursed his lips. “I just__when you make a mistake -- say on a test, for example -- you’ll see the corrections on the paper so you know not to make them again.” He paused. “How am I supposed to do that when I don’t know what I did wrong?” It was probably the most honest, and the most vulnerable, that he’d been with someone in a long time. It was the fear at the back of his mind, the thoughts that kept him from really committing, because clearly he’d done something wrong and he still had no idea what it was. How could he ever really get serious with someone with that hanging over his head?
Skylar snorted at his words, "Yeah, yeah I know..." he playfully said to him knowing that whenever he got deep with Sebastian it was because he truly wanted to help his friend. Even if they didn't always have hobbies and interests in common. The way they dealt with things or had certain views was an unlikely common ground. Not a positive one, but at least it was something that came in handy for understanding where the other was coming from. When Sebastian tried to stand up and his eyes glazed over, "Where you going," he said quickly and stood up to try and brace him, pushing the other back down in his seat. "I think you might want to get something greasy in you first before you try taking steps otherwise I'm going to have to carry your drunken ass." He looked at him before turning to the bartender to ask for a food menu. Maybe fries would be a good option for Sebastian at this moment. "Not to pry but have you told actually told him how you felt about him? Because it seems like this girl is the root of a lot of evils that keep you from experiencing certain emotions and that sadly does affect your future. So while you're doing this thing with him... it's one thing to be there but has he ever heard 'I love you' come from your mouth?" Skylar met his gaze and shook his head, "What purpose would that solve hiding your feelings? The longer you hold them in you risk losing your window of opportunity. Then you'd have to be even more pissed at yourself for wasting time and pissed that someone else beat you to the finish line." It had taken him a moment at the next thing Sebastian had asked. This was Sebastian Smythe, the guy that would verbally fight anyone until the end of time to prove he was in the right. That everything he did was perfect and here he was wondering if he had done something wrong.
Skylar sighed heavily trying to find the right words for him before looking him in the eyes, "It wasn't you... like i'm no fool. You are an asshole but when it comes to things you care about... you're a lot more caring that you like to admit or let on. What happened between you and her wasn't your fault. For whatever reason she chose to leave and the conflict is on her. You were sadly collateral in all of this..." he stated, "However, I can't fully give you the answer you need because i'm not her. Only she knows what was going on in her mind at the time and that girl looked guilty as fuck tonight. That's how I know it wasn't you and there's nothing you could've done Sebastian. You have to understand that you didn't drive her away. Maybe it was fear or doubt? Maybe she realized she wasn't ready just yet? Or worse case she was pregnant and didn't know how to tell you... which would be even more extremely horrible to have done. But regardless... it was her decision because to me it sounds like you two were perfect for each other." He waited until the fries showed up and pushed the plate towards Sebastian, "Why do you feel like it's something that you did? Never once have you ever wondered about the aftermath of your actions so what reason of doubt do you have to think otherwise? Did she hint at being unhappy? I would say be brave and ask her directly but as we witnessed earlier, conversations between the two of you don't seem to be a good idea at the moment."
Sebastian was about to point out that he was trying to leave, or had been until Skylar had practically manhandled him back into his seat, but he didn’t get the chance to say much of anything before his friend was talking again. He appreciated all that he was doing, and the things that he was saying, but at the end of the day... if he’d been enough for Amara, if he’d been what she wanted and needed, she wouldn’t have left him and claimed someone else less than a year later. If he did the math correctly, she would have had to be cheating on him in order for her to even have a baby with him. His mind refused to do the math to deliberate whether it was possible the baby was his because... quite frankly? If it was? He probably wouldn’t be able to handle that. “It’s a strange world to live in where I’m considered collateral damage...” He snorted as he shook his head, holding up his hand to get another drink sent over to them. If they weren’t leaving, he was at least going to get a couple more drinks into his system... especially if Skylar was planning on plying him full of fries and other greasy unmentionables. “Either way, what’s done is done... knowing the answers to life’s unanswered questions is going to change what happened or make it any better.” He shrugged, reluctantly dousing the french fries that were delivered to him a few minutes later in enough ketchup to sink the titanic. “I was quite happy forgetting that she ever existed up until today.” He cracked a smile, dipping his fry in the ketchup, before popping it into his mouth. He took a minute to chew before continuing. “We were never like that before. It’s... odd, forcing a conversation.” He frowned. “Maybe I should talk to her... I don’t have her number saved anymore, but I’m sure she’s on Facebook.” And were he sober, he would have realized how horrible of an idea that was, but he wasn’t... and therefor, bad decisions were destined to be made. “At the very least, I deserve an explanation. She also took all the good china... and that was just rude.”
Sebastian had just about typed out a couple of lines in a message on Facebook before the logical side of his brain kicked in, and he tossed the phone down like he’d been burned as he shook his head. What good could come from opening up old wounds? Maybe it was meant to stay in the past, and he was meant to focus on the future. He’d pointedly ignored Skylar’s question about whether or not he’d loved Hunter, because saying it out loud would make things even more real than they already were. Finally, once the fries were gone, and his head was starting to ache, he reluctantly spoke up again as he twirled his phone in his hands. “No. I haven’t told hm.” He paused. “We’re not really those people... but just because we don’t say it, doesn’t mean that the other doesn’t know.” He shrugged. “It’s all about context cues and reading between the lines.”
Skylar shook his head, "For once it's you and not me. So this is a 'Handle With Care' kind of mission because I really don't want to carry your ass all the way back home," he grinned as he took one of the fries and started to munch on it. When he saw Sebastian order more drinks he hung he head and sighed, "That's counterproductive dude to the whole greasy fries to sober you up ordeal-" he stopped talking as he watched the other dump nearly the entire bottle of ketchup on the fries. Skylar made a face, "Eww... why didn't you just squeeze the bottle in your mouth? Your food consumption baffles me sometimes." Propping his elbow up against the bar he looked his friend up and down, "No, but knowing the answer will finally give you a peace of mind and the reassurance that it wasn't you. Which normally I'm always 100% sure you did do something wrong, but in this case... I don't think it was your fault. The guilt ridden look on her face alone spoke enough." He still seemed a little mesmerized by the drenched fries that Sebastian was consuming but forced himself to focus on the subject instead. "She looked like she wanted to talk to you Seb," he said softly, "She wouldn't have come over if she wasn't trying to open up the line of contact. Also... you're a Smythe. I'm pretty sure you could final America's Most Wanted criminals if you put your resource to it or yeah, Facebook her." Skylar snorted at his small rambling about the china, watching he type on his phone before tossing it down on the counter harshly. "Just because you're rich doesn't mean you have to manhandle your phone like that..."
Skylar sat there in silence watching him eat and the wheels turning in his head. This was a man who was always so proud on being right, keeping himself together and never messy. The picture of what most would probably aspire to be and here he was contemplating contacting someone when usually Sebastian wasted no time in confronting others. Finally when the silence was broken he stared at him for a moment before grimacing. "Doesn't mean you have to be one of 'those people' to say the word. Everyone likes verbally knowing how well they mean to someone. Even if they don't out and out say it. I tell you how I feel about you knowing you won't say anything back or at least straightforward. Knowing that even if you roll your eyes or gripe at me, deep down it does make you feel better to know you mean something to me. A relationship shouldn't be context all the time... not if you're planning to make it a long term thing..." He finally had enough of him twirling the phone around and reached over and took it from him. "You're driving me nuts with this shit. Message this woman and rip the fucking bandaid off. What's the worse thing that can happen when she talks to you that you didn't already drum up in your mind already? Or are you afraid that knowing the truth is going to make you question your current relationship?" Skylar looked at him seriously as he held the phone in front of him, "You tortured yourself for years...let yourself heal man. Otherwise this whole shit," he motioned around the bar and between them, "And your anxiety is going to be around forever. You don't deserve that. Nobody does. Message her."
SEBASTIAN: I don't have any frown lines, so I have no need to worry. If I ever started to get any... well, I suppose I'd just have to invest in one of those eye creams. Problem solved.
SEBASTIAN: I met her for coffee. I was plenty cordial. I did my part, I suppose.
SEBASTIAN: It means exactly what it means. Don't think too hard, you'll burst a blood vessel.
Skylar: Just wait until you finally start inching towards 30. Eye creams are for eyes, dude. You don't put that on your forehead. You get botox.
Skylar: Well the only other alternative to getting information out of her without actually speaking with her is hiring someone to dig it up. Which I'm completely shocked that you never did this.
Skylar: It makes me a little bummed but i'm not going to dwell on it. But hey! I can come upstairs and keep you plenty of company more than I usually do. Though I suppose this outing means we're drinking buddies again?
Skylar: But seriously...you know if you need me i'm right here.
I might have gone a tad overboard in my excitement for Thanksgiving next week by making several different types of pie. So, either someone comes and takes a few off my hands, or I end up eating them all myself - and trust me, you don’t want to deal with a grumpy Griffin after she’s eaten her weight in pie two times over.
SEBASTIAN: You might find this hard to believe, but I actually used to smile every once in awhile. Shocking, I know, but it did happen.
SEBASTIAN: No, I didn't exactly get an explanation... a lot of apologies, I suppose, and I know that she's hiding something but there's only so much I can push without sending her into some kind of spiral. I suppose I'll have to play the long game... find some way to get the answers out of her without her realizing I'm drilling her for information.
SEBASTIAN: But for the record... no, I haven't accepted her reasoning and I never will. Forgiveness is subjective. Even if people claim to forgive someone for something that they've done, they'll never be able to forget that it happened and how it made them feel. It's not always something you can bounce back from.
{ a pause }
SEBASTIAN: We're not celebrating anything. We're going back to basics. Re-establishing order. If you want to consider that a celebration? Sure. That's what we're doing.
Skylar: I don't find it hard. I just figured your vanity might've taken priority and you became worried about your frown lines.
Skylar: This is a good thing, right? Obviously not waiting forever is fucking ideal. But it's better than radio silence? You could just meet her up for lunch and be pleasant, ya know. Ask her how she's been and just be..cordial? Or is that a type of cherry?
Skylar: Going back to basics? Re-establishing order? What does that entail exactly? This doesn't have anything to do with...
Contrary to popular belief, I’m still alive. After a month of having a contract broke, losing out on money, a job, paintings and then wondering if filing a law suit would be worth the fucking effort. I’m back, my life is nothing but exciting. It’s making me relive nostalgia of being broke and jobless, oh the fun.
SEBASTIAN: I look good in that picture. Even if she's potentially the spawn of satan, we can't deny that I look good.
SEBASTIAN: I wouldn't say that we talked, exactly. After you and I had dinner, she sent me an email asking to meet up. I decided to go and while things were... awkward, at best, it wasn't as horrible as expected.
SEBASTIAN: That reminds me, though -- I plan on spending the weekend incredibly intoxicated, and this is your official invitation.
Skylar: You're smiling and you look happy. Other than my camera phone shots I don't think i've seen a real picture of you put out to the public. It's like an urban legend coming true.
Skylar: See! I told you it wasn't that bad....right? Did she give you a decent explanation on why she fucked up? Since you said it wasn't horrible that might mean you two didn't talk or you accepted her reasoning.
Skylar: Are we celebrating something? I'm in regardless. But knowing the protocol means knowing how alert I have to be.
You say that like law isn’t completely riveting. You’d be surprised.. some people retain information better at night and would likely benefit from tutoring in the middle of the night. I have no desire to provide it at 3am… but that’s besides the point. Hold on… you have a key? I must have missed that. I’ve got nothing against voyeurism but yes, I’d prefer you weren’t popping it at any given time.
Stop blaming the cat for your own shortcomings. It’s a cat, not a person… it’s hard for it to pick up on traits from the people it spends time with. Hunter is three steps away from being a cat himself, hence the similarities. She’s not sensitive. If anything, she’s vicious and calculating and she’s luring you in under false pretenses.
You say this now but karma will catch up to you and you will get that 3am call. Just think of what your life would be like if you decide to ever be a real professor. I made this trade with Hunter awhile ago? I gave him a key to my place. It’s mainly for security, dropping things off and partially because I hate having to pick the lock when i need something and someone isn’t home. I made him the keyholder because I was concerned for my mousse. And it’s a little comforting to know someone has access to me in case of emergencies, visa versa. See, I can do boundaries.
Fine, but if i’m not around and it’s broken. It’s Lucy. I didn’t realize they did that and I fully agree with that. Or either his family has Egyptian relations and or past life. Really? Because he lent her to me a few times and all she did was cuddle me and rub my face with hers. In return I I let her sit on the furniture. Maybe she doesn’t like you... I might not like cat’s, nor do I like that she thinks she can claim territory when she’s over. But... she’s not that horrible.
That hardly seems fair, if said naggers were the ones who got you back out in the world! I can neither confirm nor deny that statement, as I have a feeling I would be in trouble whether I agreed or disagreed. You’re not totally wrong, but the frizz I get in humid conditions isn’t my best look. The best food ever? Bold claim, considering the amazing Mexican food in Cali. I think I could fill that role, from time to time.
They don’t need bigger heads so I will give them minimal cred. Then let’s keep you out of trouble and assume you agree with me. I’ll fight my status. Aw, I bet you don’t look that bed. You probably also have adorable bed hair. You should see me in the morning with my shaggy hair. It’s all over the place and covering my eyes. Ah yes Mexican food is delicious. But the south though...soul food... deep fried heaven. Then feel free to claim up a slot with me. I’ll even let you select the activity from time to time.
Yes. That’s exactly what it is. So far, I haven’t murdered anyone, so I consider that a win. It does help though because working in the business field does make you have to work with others, so it’s good practice. Plus the people here are a bit more qualified, so it’s better than the group projects in my undergrad classes. I’ll try to refrain from injuring you, but I make no promises. No, but I have taken accounting classes so I’m not completely useless to you now. I’m actually a finance major though, so if you need me to play the market for you, I can definitely do that. I think the guy may be over-exaggerating, but as long as it helps.
Yes, because I’m known to be such a big hugger…
Not murdering anyone is good. I have no rainy day fund saved to bail you out. I will rely on Seb for that. I’m surprised you have pulled the dictator card on them and either force them to be more organized or just kick them off the project. Although that would defeat the real world experience for you. Just not the face, please. Even if you’re shorter your body is like dead weight when you knock someone over. It’s like your form knows it’s out to kill someone and takes on a defense mode. So i’ve been trusting you with money related things under the false assumption you were becoming an accountant... well at least i’m not broke, I hope. Just...invest my things in something that will be good for me in the future as well as boost my funds. Seb recommended him so I was a little more relaxed about going. He’s not though.... I went to him because I hit a low point a bit ago and started contemplating darker thoughts. I had a moment and after I gave him a call.
I know right! I swear one of these days i’m going to pass rumors around to the cuddly subs that you are and that you enjoy being greeted as such. Sure it’ll make you sneak into my room at night and try to beat me but it’s be worth it.
No. It’s more of a preventative measure than anything. However, those aren’t bad guidelines to keep in place… you never know what you might walk into.
Despite being a cat, Lucy isn’t one for getting into too much trouble. If possible, I thinks he takes after Hunter and she respects that everything belongs in its respective place. Ah, right… she makes the defective cat noises when they’re supposedly ‘happy’. I forgot that people tended to like it when they did that.
I can’t imagine someone being desperate for Law insights at 3am so you’re safe. Yes, well in order to be the keyholder I promised to respect boundaries as I assigned the same statement. While I am not skeeved out by what I would walk into, you two would probably be better off without me being a voyeur.
I’m still going to blame her if something gets broken. I’m sorry that your cat baby got none of your genetics but it was probably for the best of humanity that she did not. It was annoying at first but once the thing starts walking all over and around you making the noise... it’s sucked you in. Plus she’s sensitive and is great when you just want to chill and watch tv.
It seems like all my Columbia classes decided to assign group projects and with the semester starting to wind down, they are all basically due soon, so it’s crunch time for me. Plus there are a few classes where I’m teamed up with a bunch of idiots who are happy to half-ass the project, so guess who gets to do most of the work. But no, reform away. I can definitely use an outlet for my frustrations. Yes, they are the main investment banking firms, so they are very crucial, and I’m not going to be an accountant… Is the help helping?
Yeah, that’s not going to happen. It would require me lowing my standards, which I don’t do for anyone.
Group projects? As in your have to coordinate with other’s? How’s that...working for you? Aside from the idiots that i’m sure are on your hit list now. Then we shall reunite on the extreme sport front! I can use the action anyways for brain stimulation. But as far as it being an outlet, please do not injure me. Remember, it’s mercenary mode not real combat training. I don’t enjoy being tackled. You’re not?! Why have I been using you as one then? It’s...kind of? When I say kind of. It’s never a good feeling hearing from professionals in fancy language that you’re insane. Or at least living a very concerning life. Apparently he’s amazed I went this long without seeing someone.
Not even for a hug from me and the promise to babysit Lucy?
As far as I’m concerned, structuring things makes it less likely that people are going to turn up on my doorstep in the middle of the night or when I’d much rather be sleeping than trying to explain the difference between implied consent and non-consensual actions.
Also, every time you say that you’re ‘haunting’ me, I always get this visual of Casper the Friendly Ghost floating around my apartment and knocking things over. Let it be known… if you knock anything over, you’re responsible for righting it. I don’t clean up after anyone.
Have people been turning up at your apartment at weird as fuck hours? I have a key and I won’t go near your place after 8pm without texting Hunter first.
I never knock anything over and if something did get shifted. It was Lucy. She is a cat and climbs over everything. So if things have been falling when i’m around, blame her. I will not clean up after the cat... until she does that happy pur cuddling thing then maybe...
Now that classes have been in session for a few weeks, I’d expect that people have managed to settle into a relatively manageable routine. While I’ve always been available for any questions or concerns when it comes to ‘Laws of D/s’ – I figured it was time to establish something a little more… formal, I suppose you could say.
With that being said, if anyone has any questions, comments, or anything they’d like to discuss concerning the subject – my door is open at any time, but preferably Saturdays between the hours of 11am and 5pm. As far as I’m concerned, there’s never a bad time to want to learn more… but I’d prefer that it didn’t cut into when I’d generally like to be sleeping.
That sounds so professional. Look at you setting hours and shit. But all I heard was Saturday between the hours of 11-5pm are for your patrons. Therefore I will resume my haunting’s on your off hours to not disrupt your sessions. It only messes with my routine slightly but it’s better than me promising if I show up i’ll be quiet.
SEBASTIAN: I make good suggestions, what can I say? I'm glad to hear that you decided to talk to someone, however. It was a good choice. If you messed with my papers, I'd find a surge of energy in order to track you down and make you pay for what you've done. If you've missed my torturing you, I'd be happy to help you out and give you a reminder...
Skylar: I didn't say it was a good one... More like when I was alone I hit a very low point again and I didn't want to keep going down that same thought process. The other partial reason was because a few people would probably very angry with me for continuing to do nothing about it and let it drive me away from everyone. It's embarrassing but for once I actually like living. If you tell anyone that I will really destroy your books. I can imagine what kind of rage would kick in suddenly due to adrenaline. While your so called tortures are thrilling, I just missed you in general. I'm tempted to haunt your penthouse for a bit. Half to keep Hunter company and play with Lucy the other half is so I can at least see you for a bit when I don't have to comply with your /office hours/.
Well, bless whoever kept telling you. No sense being all by yourself when you’ve got all these amazing people around to keep you comfortable. The humidity does not do wonders for my hair, but that’s what flat irons are for. If southern hospitality includes mint juleps and porch swings, I am totally there. I suppose I could give that a try, I wouldn’t mind some company either!
No, no... naggers do not get special shout outs. I wouldn’t exactly reach that far as i’m certainly the most amazing person anyone will ever meet. I can also feel the deepest glare of the world coming from my best friend over that statement but i’ll stand by it. I’m sure your hair looks cute in either conditions. It does as well as bbqs, hot southerners and the best fucking food ever! I could always use a movie or craft buddy from time to time.
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