a visit from the goon squad

“Everyone we've lost, we'll find. Or they'll find us.” INDIE RP ACCOUNT 

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

Hesitating to sit on the ground, the blonde set her empty backpack on the ground and sat down; shifting to look up at him. He had a job he could be doing, but he just sat down next to her like it was a totally normal thing. “He’s at work, he works nights around here,” Wren replied with a shrug, rubbing the back of her neck. Her father wouldn’t be angry with her, because he wasn’t ever anything with her. He put food on the table and made sure she went to school growing up, that was all. Clothing, food, and education; that was all. He didn’t know how to have a daughter anymore than she knew how to be the daughter he needed. “I had a late class, and then a friend needed to talk. Time just got away from me,” Wren explained, hugging her knees to her chest. “Sorry for snapping, you just caught me off guard,”

[flickeringfaces-blog]

When you were a bartender, you learned how to pick up the little details. After all, that was how you earned half the tips- by listening to the recently-dumped former frat boy lament, by consoling the workaholic woman in publishing while she downs her third martini. Thankfully, Danny was also good at listening to people who weren’t making a frenzied decent into booziness. “Noble of ya, Miss Good Friend,” he added sincerely, followed by a quick nudge of her side with his elbow. The motion almost had too much familiarity for a stranger. “Listen, it’s okay. Shit happens; people aren’t always in a good mood. Can’t blame ya.” 

[flickeringfaces-blog]

 xbrokenveinsx:

Shaking her head, she felt exhaustion settle over her in a debilitating wave; her eyelids heavy and feet aching from waitressing all day. She hated where her apartment was; her dad being a cop insisted it was safe, despite the horrid crime rates and the fact that nearly every night she walked past drug deals or prostitures looking to make some money. Her apartment was a hole, below ground, with barely working anything. “No, I can call my dad to come pick me up, it’s fine,” Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she sank against a pay phone booth and stifled a yawn, glancing around a bit. “But if you want to wait with me until he comes, I don’t think I’d yell at you for that,” She said quietly.

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Reina will make it in there without me,” he said, referring to the other bartender who was still pouring drinks at one in the morning. Almost childishly, Danny sat down and crossed his legs, ignoring the cigarette butts and little glass shards that scattered the Brooklyn sidewalk. “Your dad, huh? Good man, if he’s haulin’ his ass out of bed to come and get ya.” In that moment, it phased Danny how young the woman he sat with probably way. The brightness of her eyes, the lack of creases- it was indicative of something that he’d long lost. Daniel was a twenty-five and withered by time slightly. He no longer had foolish dreams or aspirations. In fact, he’d simply resigned himself to living. Danny De Los Santos, who grew up in an apartment full of women. Danny De Los Santos, who went to his childhood home on Wednesday nights to have lumpia or pancit with his mother and aunt. Danny, who acknowledged that he’d probably be a bartender for the rest of his life, because he decided to skip college so his cousin, with the brains and promise, would be able to wherever she wanted. “So, what’re you doin’ out so late? Ya gotta have a good reason.”

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

“Right,” Leaving it at that, Luke left the unsavory topic alone. No one at school knew about his background, and he fully recognized the cliche. Poor little rich boy, wanting to be a normal boy and be taken seriously for the person he was, not his last name. The fact of the matter was, it seemed Caroline wanted to do that as well. The irony wasn’t lost on him. “Quite, thank you,” With another shot, he managed to make a surprisingly good play before smirking in her direction. “Get ready to pay for some expensive scotch,” He bragged.

[flickeringfaces-blog]

The cue ball spun forward, followed by a few satisfying clinks and knocks, as the other balls scattered around and sunk into holes. “It’s just physics,” Caroline said contentedly to herself while sauntering away from the pool table. “All this stuff, just math. Blackjack, pool, poker.” As a former Economics major, it was easy for the girl to see the computations behind most things, made her little heart tingle with stunningly nerdy joy. Of course, he math related joy only lasted for a few seconds, because soon balls were clinking and sinking again, only in her favor. “I call fraud!” she laughed, swiveling around on her heels and pointing at the pool table. With a strange mingling of ease and purpose, she planted herself next to Luke and faux-pouted ever-so-slightly. “No scotch until I figure out what sort of trickery you pulled with this.” 

[reckless-tunes]

Visit Original Link

[flickeringfaces-blog]

“We’re just two lost souls Swimming in a fish bowl Year after year Running over the same old ground”

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

Brow furrowed a little, the blonde wasn’t sure what exactly he was trying to accomplish by talking to her when they’d most likely never see each other again. “You know this could be considered harassment,” She said, leaning against a bench wearily. Early morning classes were her enemy lately, especially with work. So this sort of banter wasn’t really in her wheelhouse with two hours of sleep. “Wren. My name is Wren, okay?”

[flickeringfaces-blog]

She looked tired, the same type of tired that reminded Danny of his mother working double shifts at Bellevue Hospital and coming home at three in the morning. The same type of tired deeply embedded in your eyes after a bar crawl, but with a pinch more of sincerity. “You can file a complain inside of the bar, if ya want. But, you don’t look like you’ve got the patience for that,” he started. “Okay Wren. Got it. Do you need someone to call you an Uber? Ya look kind beat. Plus, what’s that thing about girls not walking alone at night?” 

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

“So why- oh nevermind, I don’t care, these are heavy as hell and I need to get home,” She stated exasperatedly, shaking her head. Looking back at the bar, she raised an eyebrow and nodded slowly. “Nice work ethic you got there,” The blonde girl quipped. When he tried to use that line on her, she wasn’t sure whether or not to hit him or just laugh. Despite her best intentions, the corners of her mouth twitched up. “You are all that annoying and my eyes have seen better, have a nice day,” She shook her head.

[flickeringfaces-blog]

He was not willing to let her go, at least not that easily. He hadn’t properly made her laugh, anyways! “Listen, I coulda’ done better with the line, I know, but let me at least know your name. I can’t uphold my questionable work ethic without having a name to bring it back to.” Another grin, toothy and warm, played on his mouth. “For example, I’m Danny. This is me.” His Brooklyn accent was strong, almost overbearing. It was what a lifetime in the borough did to a person, turned them into a walking stereotype. 

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

“Several hundred dollars worth of debt you don’t even have to pay off yourself, that’s what mommy is for,” He shot back, making his shot and getting two of the balls into pockets. He knew all about trust fund kids, seeing as his last name opened whatever door he wanted. That’s why he didn’t use it. He used his middle name as a surname if asked, not wanting to get anywhere because of family ties. Finishing his bottle and setting it on the side, Luke leaned against the table and stared up at the tall, leggy blonde. “Are you going to take your turn while I’m young, or…” The blonde man goaded her into action.

[flickeringfaces-blog]

The Patrick family’s wealth was, though mildly embarrassing to Caroline, an instrumental part of her life. She was a Dalton School alum, a prep school girl through and through. Her brother had been shipped off to Vanderbilt while she had gone to the sister school of an Ivy League university. Money had never been a problem for the picturesque, blonde family in their gorgeous Lennox Hill apartment. “I could pay if off myself, if I so wished!” No she couldn’t. Not in a million years. She’d be living in a studio apartment in the Bronx, eating lentil soup and drinking her own tears if she tried. With a content look on her face, Caroline shot a look back at Luke and then positioned the pool cue on the table, ready to take her shot. Pool, much like expensive cigars and brandy, reminded her of her father. The little girl inside of the twenty four year old woman twinged as she hit the white ball with precision. “Now, are you pleased?” 

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

Huffing impatiently, Wren propped her free hand on her hip and stared indignantly up at him. “Don’t you have something else you could possibly be doing besides irritating the daylights out of me?” She demanded. Her backpack strap had finally bit the dust, leaving her to carry her belongings the few blocks it was from the subway to her apartment.

[flickeringfaces-blog]

“I could be heading back to work, but I told my boss I was going on a cigarette break, even though I don’t smoke,” Danny mused, gesturing back at the door a few feet behind him. Murphy’s Bar was his life, literally. He lived there, worked there, spent his free time trying to get laid there. Some people would call it concerning; Daniel De Los Santos called it comforting. “Oh, c’mon, I’m not all that annoying. And, if I am, I’m easy on the eyes, so you’ll make it through.” He raised an eyebrow in jest, trying to put the stranger at ease. 

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

“It’s fun for me, watching you jab yourself in the stomach,” He teased, nudging her with his hip before leaning over the table to make his own shot. Her explanation still didn’t make sense to her, seeing as the beer he was currently drinking didn’t taste anything like toast. “Are you certain?” Luke raised an eyebrow at her, trying hard not to laugh at the way she mumbled.

[flickeringfaces-blog]

“I am not several hundred thousand dollars in debt from college to be uncertain,” she quipped while reaching for her own brown, glass bottle. He was the music teacher at one of the school she’d been substitute teaching out, the type of guy with good teeth and warm eyes who would have made her into a puddle when Caroline was a freshman in college. With the school year winding to a close, she’d become determined to befriend him- partially because he was pretty, partially because she needed more friends that weren’t in college. Being surrounded constantly with graduate students had become the bane of her existence, even though she was part of that very problem. For the six years, she’d been surrounded by privileged, Type As- ones whose well-off parents could afford to send them to Barnard or Columbia or NYU. Once again, Caroline was a part of that group, as both she and her twin brother had attended horrendously costly schools with shiny names to match.

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

Taking the notebook from him exasperatedly, Wren tried hard to remember her manners, despite wishing she had just taken a cab home. She hated talking to people she didn’t know, although she tried to be polite. “Thanks,” She said shortly, tucking papers back into her folder. “Well you don’t have to look so smug,”

[flickeringfaces-blog]

“I’m not smug, I’m not smug! Just doin’ my duties as a helpful civilian.” Of course, the brazen smile on his face only expanded. It had always been his hamartia, a face that always showed exactly what he was thinking. And, of course, in this case it was screaming “I won, I got the girl to talk to me”. It was Danny’s favorite game, a good round of “let’s get her to cave”. It was immature, he heard that constantly, but the kid couldn’t help himself. 

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

“Because I told you that hanging out with me would be fun, and kicking your ass is fun- for me,” Her next comment had his brow furrowed, his head tilting like a comically confused puppy. “What the hell is that?”

[flickeringfaces-blog]

“Fun? In which universe is this fun? I think I’ve jabbed myself in the stomach like three times at this point!” She sighed in jest before answering the question. “Old jargon I picked up from a college friend- beer, I’m talking about beer. I promise, I know what I’m talking about,” she muttered while letting the pool cue shift from one hand to the other. “Sometimes. Most of the time.” 

[flickeringfaces-blog]

yxbrokenveinsx:

No sooner had she insisted she didn’t need his help, the stack of books and notebooks precariously piled in her arms fell and she grunted frustratedly. “Still don’t need help,” She insisted under her breath, notes scattered over the sidewalk.

Danny saw girls like that on the regular- steadfast young women who refuse his easy smiles and goodnatured help while they awkwardly fumbled down the street. Granted, he lived and worked above a bar, so their reluctance was rather warranted. “Sure ya don’t,” he laughed while picking up a notebook that had landed at the toe of his sneaker. 

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

flickeringfaces

“You can talk all you want, but you’re gonna need to walk the walk. Go ahead, beat me in a game of pool and the next rounds on me,”

[flickeringfaces-blog]

“I am a grown woman, why am I playing pool again? This is frat party business, I swear... But, I will take another toast water, thanks.”

[xbrokenveinsx-blog]

flickeringfaces

“Look, I don’t need your help, nor did I ask for it, so if you don’t mind-,”

[flickeringfaces-blog]

“Chill, chill-- I’ll get out of your way. Didn’t mean to bother you lady, just tryna do a good deed. Gotta get back to work, anyways.”