One of a Kind

My name's Patrick, but most people just call me Patch. I like to cause a little mayhem just cause it's something different. I come from a really big family, but I don't really like to talk about them. I'm studying Archaeology at UALR. This is a roleplay account. I have no associations with Alden Ehrenreich.

[claraking]

awkward meetings; clarisse & patch

[claraking]

"You, too," she says, a small smile etched on her face. Assuming she would be in town for a long time, she figured she might as well attempt to make friends, and if that doesn’t work out, at least she could say she tried. She was taken aback when he asked if she attended the university. "Um, yeah. It’s no NYU, but it’s okay, I guess. What about you?"

[patch-dearly]

He noticed that she smiled - finally. It was small, but it was something. He smiled back at her. "Yeah, I'm at UALR too. I'm majoring in Archaeology. So, you used to go to NYU, or you just really like that school?" He was excited to finally meet someone he could actually talk to - the only other woman he had spent any time with was that weird and creepy Zea.

[claraking]

awkward meetings; clarisse & patch

[claraking]

Clarisse looked away momentarily as she noticed that he was staring at her. She supposed it was due to the color on her face, though she didn’t know why he was even bothering to keep up a conversation with her. “In that case, I hope my dad’s a part of this ‘general consensus’,” she says, mocking his words a bit. Hesitantly, she shook his hand. “Clara.”

[patch-dearly]

Patch grinned. "It is very nice to meet you, Clara. So, are you at UALR?" She looked to be about Patch's age, maybe a little younger, so he figured that wasn't an unfair question. And even if she wasn't in school, or if she went to one of the other schools that weren't too far from downtown, at least it was a conversation starter. Patch had never been very good at smalltalk in Orlando, but maybe here he would be able to be better...about everything.

[claraking]

awkward meetings; clarisse & patch

[claraking]

Clarisse’s cheeks flushed red from embarrassment, and the male answering had only made it worse. Where she was from, people would ignore her after she realized that she was speaking to the wrong person, so it was a shock to her. Not one for social interaction, she would usually try to avoid awkward situations such as this, but it was apparent that today wasn’t her day. “So, you’re not sure?” She questioned, looking at the bag. Bagels had always been her father’s favorite breakfast food, so she only hoped that it would help him eat at least a little bit. “Thanks, anyway.”

[patch-dearly]

Patch found he couldn't look away from the faint scarlet that spread across her face. She really was cute. He smiled shyly at her. "Well, I don't know your dad. But the general consensus is that those are really tasty bagels." He held his hand out to shake hers. "I'm Patch, by the way."

[claraking]

awkward meetings; clarisse & patch

Clarisse looked around the drug store for things she and her father might need. She initially came with one of her neighbors and only separated to make the shopping faster. Entering one of the aisles, Clarisse found some bagels that she thinks her father might like and could possibly get him to eat. Thinking her neighbor had reuinited and was standing beside her, she grabbed the bagel before speaking. “Think my dad would like these?” She asked, before turning to find a complete stranger. “Oh, sorry.”

[patch-dearly]

Patch loved Argenta Drug. The old-timey soda shoppe feel to it let him feel like he was in the classic America he had always seen on the tv growing up. He decided to do a little grocery shopping while he was there, before going up to the counter and getting his milkshake. He was in the bread aisle, and he had noticed the cute girl, but he wasn't sure how to approach her. Was that really something that happened, picking girls up in the grocery store? It seemed Luke could pick up a girl anywhere, but that wasn't something Patch was very good at. It seemed his concern was for nothing, since she was soon asking him a question. A very strange one. "Um...I've heard they're pretty good, so my bet is on yes?"

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick & Chris

[injectedshadows]

Chris nodded taking a sip. “Yeah, definitely a degree-required job. Which means I really need to get my shit together.” He sighed, rolling his eyes, taking another drink of beer. He perked up when he saw his own burger arrive in front of him. “I don’t know what I was doing with my life without these burgers. Obviously I was living it wrong.”

[patch-dearly]

"Clearly." Patch nodded in agreement then dove into his burger, eating in silence for a few minutes. As he was finishing his food - and saw that Chris was practically done as well - he turned back to the other guy. "So, how's your pool?" He inclined his head to one of the three billiards tables not too far away from where they were sitting.

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick&Zea

[deadgirldesantis]

"Pool?" She repeated, sounding as if disgusted by the word. "A game of pool," Zea said again, shaking her head. "No I want to go out and do something sinful. And I can either go by myself or you can come with me." Immediately, her attitude changed, returning to the way she had played it before as Zea took a step closer, extending her hand and lightly stroking Patch’s cheek. "But I’d much rather you go with me, than go alone."

[patch-dearly]

Patch really didn't know how to handle Zea's swinging mood. The slip in her charm made him really apprehensive about going anywhere with her, but then he reminded himself that he wanted new experiences. He had lived so long in his family's shadow that it was time for him to create memories that had nothing to do with them. And so, even though he was still apprehensive about her, he decided that maybe he would let her show him just what she meant by sinful. "Um, sure...I mean, I'm not usually one for sinning, but there's a first time for everything, right?"

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick & Chris

[injectedshadows]

Chris rubbed his jaw with his hand, trying to think. “Um, does drinking beer count as something I’m good at?” He chuckled. “You know, I did, uh, take a psychology class once and it seemed pretty cool. Crazy people and how the mind works and all that.” Chris took the piece of burger, looking at it for less than a second before popping in his mouth. “Shit, this is great. I hope mine is coming out soon.”

[patch-dearly]

Patch laughed. "I think so. And in that case, I'm right there with you." He raised his can to Chris before taking another sip. "That does sound interesting. I have a feeling it would require a college degree, though." Patch shrugged, then smiled at Chris's reaction to the food. "Told you it was the best thing ever."

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick&Zea

[deadgirldesantis]

Zea couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Looks aren’t everything. That’s what they all said, and frankly, she was sick of hearing it. “Looks may not be everything but they do play an important factor," she said, sitting back and crossing her arms. “Look I’m bored. So do you want to stay here and waste your night away or do you want to come with me and have some fun?"

[patch-dearly]

Patch cleared his throat, even more embarrassed that she had misunderstood him. "I was, um...I was making a joke. Implying that I look funny..." He scratched the back of his neck, his voice trailing off. He had screwed up - like he had been waiting to do - and he was thrown by her sudden change in mood. Where before she had been flirty, she was now suddenly abrupt. Patch wasn't sure how to handle it, but he had a feeling that leaving with her would not be a very good idea. "Well, I mean, I wouldn't say that staying here would be a waste or no fun...how would you feel about a game of pool?" He inclined his head toward one of the nearby tables.

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick & Chris

[injectedshadows]

"Ah, some of the people I used to hang out with were like that. They’re always good to have around." Chris smiled, taking another drink. “Well, if that’s what you want to do, more power to ya. I don’t think a lot of people could stand that." He gulped a bit at his question. Essentially being Hades lab rat had been his job before. Now he figured he ought to find something for himself. “Nothing yet. Coming here was sort of last minute, so I, uh, I still need to, uh, find something to do."

[patch-dearly]

Patch took a sip of his beer as he listened to Chris. "Well, what do you enjoy doing? Or what do you think you would be good at?" Patch shrugged. "That's usually a good place to start." The waiter came by, and left a plate in front of Patch. He held a hand up in thanks, then tore a piece of the burger off and handed it to Chris. "Here, try a bite. It'll change your life." Patch grinned, then took a bite of the burger himself.

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick&Zea

[deadgirldesantis]

Zea couldn’t help but laugh. Not because of what he said, but because of how she found him surprisingly more adorable than she thought she would. It sure would be a shame later when she had to feed from him and leave. “You’re too funny, Patch." She said, smiling sincerely, and lightly rubbing his hand with her finger.

[patch-dearly]

Patch felt himself flush, convinced she was making fun of him. If he had been back home, he would have been looking for Luke by now - this was something his brother would have done; asked a girl way out of Patch's league to talk to him, not realizing how embarrassing it would be for him when she was actually interested in his twin. But Patch shoved thoughts like that away yet again. He was here in Little Rock to get out from under his family's shadow, but that wouldn't happen if he kept thinking about them. Instead, he needed to focus on the current conversation, though that was made more difficult by the distraction of her hand on his. He shrugged. "That may be true, but looks aren't everything."

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick&Zea

[deadgirldesantis]

Unable to prevent herself from tilting her head to the side, Zea understood that his question could be answered with many different possibilities. But instead of throwing him a lie—or even the truth, for that matter—she decided to toy with his mind for just a while. “What do you think I do?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper, a sly grin appearing on her face.

[patch-dearly]

Patch smiled at her, scratching the back of his neck in the hopes of buying some time. "Well, I don't really know...probably something in customer service, or sales. I bet you could make bank on commission..." Patch really wasn't used to attention from this kind of girl - they always went after Porter or Luke - and he was sure he was making a fool of himself, but he kept his smile, hoping it wasn't as bad as he thought.

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick&Zea

[deadgirldesantis]

"That’s so sad," she said, only just realizing that things were progressing slower than Zea had intended them too. To quicken the pace, she inched closer, only a little, and extended her arm to lightly brush his hand with hers. “It must have been rough growing up with so many people around you all the time." She shook her head, genuinely beginning to feel a little sad for him—and scared for herself. Growing attached to the things she only saw as food never turned out safe for either of them.

[patch-dearly]

Patch shrugged at her condolence, but was soon distracted by the brush of her fingers on his hand. A chill ran down his spine, and he couldn't tell if it was apprehension or attraction, though he decided to go with attraction. He turned his focus back to what Zea was saying. "I mean, everyone had the best of intentions, and it's not like I was neglected, my siblings just...required more of my parents attention than I did." Patch cleared his throat, hoping for a change of subject. "So, what do you do?" Although Zea had a certain timelessness about her features, Patch could tell she was too old to be in school anymore.

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick & Chris

[injectedshadows]

Chris used his beer to point at Patch. “You certainly have a point. I’ve always been kinda… bleh on the whole education front. I never really studied because it took away from my party time." He shook his head. He wasn’t exactly a party animal anymore. He might even do well if he went back to school. “Wow, that’s pretty awesome. So, uh, you’re gonna dig up old…. stuff. Like mummies and shit?" He knew he had made himself sound like a bit of an idiot, but it was too late to take the words back.

[patch-dearly]

Patch shrugged. "I've never really been a party person. I was too busy setting off firecrackers at school events and 'accidentally' leaving toilet paper all over professors' offices." Patch chuckled at the memories, and the laugh continued through Chris's question. "Something like that, yeah. I'll see a whole lot more dirt and sand than I will ancient cursed mummies, but if I do find something, it'll be major. So, what do you do?"

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick & Chris

[injectedshadows]

Chris made a face, cringing at the thought of going back to school. His extent of college education had ended on a very sour note. “Nope. I haven’t been to school in a while. I probably could stand to go back, actually. What are you studying?" He probably wouldn’t end up going back, but it was still a nice idea for the time being.

[patch-dearly]

Patch smiled, shrugging. "School's not for everybody. I hate when people make you think you have to go to college. There are plenty of careers out there that don't need a degree." The bartender dropped off his beer, and Patch thanked him, then popped it open and took a sip before he answered Chris's question. "I'm an Archaeology major. I really want to travel the world, and discover things no one else has ever found before."

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick&Zea

[deadgirldesantis]

Zea smiled, “Its short for Elizabeth." But she said nothing further on the subject, knowing the risks it could bring not only to this man, but to herself as well. “How sweet," she said. “I never had any siblings growing up, so I really wouldn’t know what it was like having a brother around." Not that she minded. Zea quite enjoyed the attention her parents offered her as she grew. “What was it like?"

[patch-dearly]

Patch nodded. "That's really unique, I've never heard anyone shorten Elizabeth that way. But both names are really pretty. Which I guess is fitting." He chuckled, a little embarrassed. He never would have been so forward back in Orlando, but again, wasn't he in Little Rock to turn over a completely new leaf? Unfortunately, even here, people asked about his family. He had to remind himself that it was just natural curiosity, and that it wasn't the same as back in England or even Orlando. "I actually have four brothers and two sisters. One brother and sister are older, I have a twin brother, two younger brothers and one younger sister. It was a lot of people, and I tended to get forgotten a lot." Patch shrugged. Yes his family was a sore spot, but he was determined not to let them run his life anymore.

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick&Zea

[deadgirldesantis]

She nodded her head once as an indication that she understood his statement. And when he offered her his hand for introduction, Zea immediately obliged and return the small token of affection. “Pleasure, Patch. They call me Zea." She said, taking his hand with a firm grip, using it as aid to move a seat closer. “So tell me, is that your real name?" She questioned. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with that name before."

[patch-dearly]

Patch laughed a little. "Well honestly, I could say the same to you, Zea." Even though the uneasiness still hadn't left Patch, he couldn't really complain about an attractive woman paying him attention. Wasn't this why he moved halfway across the country - and halfway around the world - from his family? So that he would finally be the one noticed? "My full name is Patrick, but my brother called me Patch from the moment we were born, and the name just kinda stuck."

[patch-dearly]

Thirsty Thursday || Patrick&Zea

[deadgirldesantis]

The night had only begun, and already Zea was completely and utterly filled with boredom. When she read a sign of what was assumed to be a bar, she figured there was nothing else better to do in this town, might as well go the extra mile and spread her wings. Walking towards the entrance, she ignored the other people attempting to get inside as she approached the man standing before the door. "Got ID?" He asked. Zea simply titled her head to the side with an innocent, yet seductive grin. “Do I really look like I need an ID?" She questioned, watching as he looked her up and down, then sighed and allowed her to pass. The inside of a bar was like a night club, only with less people. Zea took a seat at the bar, only turning to look towards a person speaking when she heard his voice. “Thanks for the tip," she responded, with a careless smile. “But I prefer steak to anything."

[patch-dearly]

Patch couldn't help but notice how attractive the woman next to him was, but there was something about her that put him a little off. Brushing that aside as silliness, he grinned at the brunette. "Well, sure. But in terms of bar food, Midtown can't be beat." He offered his hand in a friendly gesture. "I'm Patch. Nice to meet you...?"