Ace Of Spades

Lucas. 29. Don't try any dumb shit, I see everything.

[matthew-hawthorne]

At that particular statement, it took Matt all of his might not to break out into Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" right there and then, judging by their overall interaction, he came to the conclusion Lucas would probably not appreciate it. "I get it. Sometimes it's more than enough with the clouds in our mind there's no time to deal with the ones in the sky." He shrugged amicably, giving the other guy a curious look. "Well, if you're only passing by, I can always give you some good pointers as to which places you can't miss while being around! If you wanna hear 'em out." Matt srunched his nose and shook his head. "No way, man. I just hope my brain works after that shakeup." He waved at the bartender as he spotted a couple of empty seats; he didn't have much to do until later today and he didn't want to miss on the chance of probably making a new friend or, at least, a cool acquaintance. "Uh, you mind if I join you for a while? Gotta wait until my guitar's fixed and the store is just around the block."

[lucas-grimshaw]

"I don't know if I'd said it that way, very poetic. But yeah, kinda." Lucas agreed with a little grunt. He wasn't particularly interested in taking a touristy trip around, but he couldn't just ask him is she'd seen a certain angry blonde stomping around town like she wanted to murder someone for fun... "You know what, sure. Also, like, townie spots. You know like this place we're going to, places someone who lives here would want to hang out in." He replied with a little shrug, hoping it sounded casual enough. He grimaced. "Sorry." Lucas threw the word out quickly, as he stepped inside. He was itching to sit down in a warm place and chill for a while. "Nah, that's cool. You can tell me about this whole town." He made a vague gesture and offered a small smile, which he thought should be good enough considering he usually barely smiled at friends, let alone people he'd just met.

[irma-hara]

She giggled, dismissing how the words felt as if he had complimented her. "Oh, definitely. I've found the best way to keep your demons at bay is treating your body like a freaking Candy Land board." Irma then rapidly decided she was fond of the brooding guy, taking a moment to look away at her phone to give him some space as his face was not the one of a person happy to have received copious amounts of hardened sugar. "It's way past my lunch time so I have to agree. You'd think people that measure their life in songs would be a bit more punctual but noooo." She rolled her eyes with a small pout, trying to forget how she missed her morning snack because fucking Patrice didn't get there for her noon segment. "Kinda. Your shoulders are a bit stiff and you've got that sad gaze down to a T... but maybe I'm just reading into things and you really just need a breather." Irma mused out loud, smiling at him they approached the place. "The burgers will cheer you up, I'm not letting you get away with an empty stomach. We should get some chili fries to share."

[lucas-grimshaw]

"Really? I kinda read somewhere that demons are attracted to sweet things... maybe you're not really keeping them at bay, you're integrating them." Lucas commented distractedly, letting his eyes wander around the town. It looked nice, like any random city center, decent upkeep, some people in the streets, stores everywhere... He'd never thought Shay would end up in a place like this, though... So mundane. He turned to smile at the tiny person standing by his side. "Oh we definitely need to get something to eat then." He raised an eyebrow. "How exactly do you measure your life in songs?" He asked. He nodded along but averted his eyes at the whole "sad gaze" thing... Was he sad? Was he fucking nostalgic? He wasn't sure and he sure as hell did not want to dwell on that. "Mostly tired, honestly. And hungry." He admitted. "Oh, I didn't know you were the sharing type." He offered with a grin. "But we can start with that."

[matthew-hawthorne]

"I don't think the storm will take, though. It's a little lost cloud." Matt looked up at the darkening sky but, then set his eyes on the far-left side from where they were standing, the sky was dim but clear and pleasant as the wave of air that flowed through. "Nice meeting ya! Are you new in town or..." That is when his mouth finally reached his train of thought, he kept walking but looked at Lucas instead of straight ahead, narrowing his eyes in curiosity. "Sorry, something sounded familiar. Do you..." Finally, Matt's body finally caught up to his inattentive actions, coming to greet the wide open door of the craft bar face-first. "Fuck. We're here." He choked out as he rubbed his nose, the crystal part of the frame still revebrating with the impact.

[lucas-grimshaw]

"I sure fucking hope you're right, I don't dislike the rain but I do not feeling like getting caught up in it right now." Lucas admitted, trying to keep his voice as disinterested as possible to hide the edge of grumpiness in his statement. "I'm passing by, I don't know how long I'll be staying yet." The man commented cryptically. He didn't think saying he was looking for someone to this random guy would necessarily be a bad idea, but he'd rather not risk it. He could find her on his own. "I don't think so. I've never been here before." He said quickly, glad he hadn't given up more information. He suppressed a surprised grin at the sight, instead clapping the other man in the back. "In case I was boring you to sleep." His voice had a merrier tinge to it now that they were finally getting indoors.

[irma-hara]

"Oh yeah, definitely. That's more of a boozy Friday night after having your will to live mauled to death after a particularly terrible week at work and all you want is to feel something again... not that I'm speaking from personal experience." Irma deadpanned, fishing a couple of the stolen lollipops from ther bag and offering them to him. "Take them. I do have a bit of a sweet tooth but this is completely sponsored by the fact that I skipped breakfast and am currently running on half a cold matcha." She sighed out with a smile, grabbing a hold of both earbuds to zip them inside her hoodie. "La Dispute, you should check them out." Irma's face lit up. "Awesome! It's literally across the park." She began to walk slowly. "So, rough day?"

[lucas-grimshaw]

Lucas raised an eyebrow at the statement, offering a little side smirk. "For someone who ingests so much candy your certainly have a morbid little edge, huh?" He asked, not adding how much he agreed with her statement. He took the lollipops and stated at them for a moment, not really sure what to do. He ended up pocketing them because he could not, for the life of him, imagine himself causally sucking on a piece of candy while he looked for Shay. Nor did he want to think of the face she'd make if she caught him doing so... Or caught him looking for her, period. His mood started to darken again. "Sounds like maybe you should eat something a little more filling." He murmured conversationally. "I'll keep them in mind." And he would, but right now he was struggling to place himself back in the present. "Annoying, more than anything. Why, is it very obvious?"

[irma-hara]

"Bar! Oh, that makes way more sense." Irma grinned, putting the candy back in her mouth before tapping her chin in thought, her eyes darted between two of the streets on the left side of the road. "The closest bar is tiny but they have great food and they have a more chill, local vibe. There's another bar-ish nightclub, the music is amazing and they have a wider cocktail selection." The lollipop was gone in two crunches and she disposed of the stick in the nearby trash can. "It is." With that simple statement, she took the earbud and gingerly placed it in the man's ear. "Just wait a couple of seconds and the bass line in the chorus will blow your mind." She sighed out dreamily, her stomach choosing the precise sweet spot of the song to rumble into life. Irma scrunched her nose. "Well, I know where I'm headed. You made up your mind?"

[lucas-grimshaw]

The mere thought of a nightclub made him shudder in disgust. Maybe some other night, but definitely not right now. He'd just dumped his stuff in the room he'd rented and then walked out again, trying to finding something to distract himself with. "I don't feel like having people push into me from every direction while my eardrums are violently assaulted by dubious music." Lucas let out with a quick breath. He couldn't help but widen his eyes as he saw her eat another candy in a couple of bites. "You like sugar, huh?" He asked a little curiously. He stiffened but stayed completely still, aware as she leaned closer to him. He let the music wash over him, unclenching the hands he'd fisted without noticing and letting out a slow breath. "Yeah, that's pretty cool." He admitted, carefully removing the earbud and handing it back to her. "Definitely the small bar."

[matthew-hawthorne]

"Fun little trivia? There's always a next time at a later hour." He stated simply, oblivious to the little sense in the words as his smile remained as friendly as he was used to when talking to a stranger. "Yeah, I know a place! They only sell craft beers so, I don't know if that's the vibe you're looking for. I'm actually headed to a spot that way if you don't mind the company." Matt took in a heavy breath and closed his eyes, feeling the petrichor bring his senses back to life. "I fucking love this weather." He turned to the guy and nodded his head down the road, grinning in contrast to the color above them. "C'mon, it's not that far. I'm Matt, by the way."

[lucas-grimshaw]

Lucas turned a disinterested look towards the man, only half registering his words. He was more tired than he'd care to admit and his eyes had been stinging for the past hour, the rain was clearly not helping. "I guess." He finally muttered, bitting his lip as he leaned down to carry his now slick duffel bag. "It's better than standing in the rain so..." He once ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he tried to refrain from shivering. It's not that he disliked the rain per se, but he definitely wasn't enjoying it right now, with his bad back and running on zero hours of sleep. At least he'd pulled his waterproof jacket out of his bag before he'd gotten truly soaked. "Yeah, I can see that." He replied, eyeing the other's grin. "Cool. I'm Lucas." He said, turning to look down at the wet road.

[lucas-grimshaw]

The crunch of the gravel beneath his boots was the only familiar thing about this place. But then again, that probably sounded the same everywhere. "What a dumb fucking thought. Well, this is going splendidly," He thought to himself. He could feel the droplets of water running down his hair and his back, and once again wondered why he'd come here in the first place, thinking about a person he hadn't had contact with in years. But what was done was done, and now all he could do is find a place to have drink and plan his next move. Maybe find a place to stay while he was at it. "Excuse me, where's the nearest bar?" He asked the person standing closest to him in the intersection.

[irma-hara]

It had been a nice day. Her shift at the station had finished perfectly on time and right before anyone had noticed she had stolen half of the lollipops on the reception's coffee table. Lunch was the only thing on her mind as she waited for the little, blinky light to turn green. Irma knew better than to try to cross the street with her earbuds on but damn, that new EP was hitting just right and "–huh?" Irma blinked in confusion, removing one of the earbuds as she turned to face the man at her side. "Sorry, dude! You said mall? You're heading the exact opposite way." She offered him a sheepish smile, quickly removing the lollipop from her mouth and hoping the guy made out the jumble of candy-covered words.

[lucas-grimshaw]

He was instantly put off. There was no other way to put it. The girl seemed too happy for him to deal, and he considered going along with her, pretending that’s what he’d asked and fucking right off in the opposite direction. But he was wet and tired for all the wrong reasons. Desperately regretting this trip and most of the decisions he’d taken this past week, some of them still marking his body in purple splotches and he needed a gin. Or at the very least a beer. “No, bar.” Lucas responded, forcing a grin that he was sure looked lore like a grimace. “Or a pub por something of the sort. Is there anything like that nearby?” The music was blasting and he could still kind of hear it from her earbuds. “That’s sounds cool.” At least this time he didn’t need to pretend.

[lucas-grimshaw]

The crunch of the gravel beneath his boots was the only familiar thing about this place. But then again, that probably sounded the same everywhere. "What a dumb fucking thought. Well, this is going splendidly," He thought to himself. He could feel the droplets of water running down his hair and his back, and once again wondered why he'd come here in the first place, thinking about a person he hadn't had contact with in years. But what was done was done, and now all he could do is find a place to have drink and plan his next move. Maybe find a place to stay while he was at it. "Excuse me, where's the nearest bar?" He asked the person standing closest to him in the intersection.

[matthew-hawthorne]

Matt was, for a lack of a better word, itching to get his baby back. Though it felt like an eternity, it had been only a couple of days since the spawn of Satan better known as rust had taken his latest string set to an early grave along with the bridge on his favorite guitar. He was confident the guys at the shop could fix anything but he wished they could just pick up the tempo in dire times like the one he was currently living in. He put a tentative foot down on the concrete and immediately pulled back when a car came rushing out of nowhere. "Jaywalking's illegal everywhere, right?" He said to no one in particular, only noticing he had spoken over another voice in the space. "Just a block down that way." Matt grinned and pointed at the distance. "You'll know you got there cause they've got this wicked mural of a skull right on front." He then made a face, looking at his watch. "Won't open for another hour, though."

[lucas-grimshaw]

Lucas turned to look at the other man, a small spark of hope lighting up inside him. And dying a moment later. “Well what the fuck is the use, then.” He muttered, trying to shake the rain from his hair. “Is there anything open here right now?” He turned his gaze up, towards the menacing sky. It had stopped raining, but he had no doubt the bleak weather would come back any minute now. Misery had a way of following him around, especially when he was bitter. And he was very pissed off right now, mostly at himself. “A fucking 7Eleven at least? Somewhere where they don’t sell all that gluten and dairy and everything free shit?” He added, lifting his eyebrows with slightly desperate tint to his voice that made him ball his fists.

[ethanhunt-deactivated20230911]

mood

[lucas-grimshaw]

The crunch of the gravel beneath his boots was the only familiar thing about this place. But then again, that probably sounded the same everywhere. "What a dumb fucking thought. Well, this is going splendidly," He thought to himself. He could feel the droplets of water running down his hair and his back, and once again wondered why he'd come here in the first place, thinking about a person he hadn't had contact with in years. But what was done was done, and now all he could do is find a place to have drink and plan his next move. Maybe find a place to stay while he was at it. "Excuse me, where's the nearest bar?" He asked the person standing closest to him in the intersection.

[tomercaponesource]