she’s beautiful in ways he’d forgotten. the parting of her lips, the way words tumbled, occasionally pooled with easy music, luring, calling. it’s a trick that doesn’t work on him, a trick that halted in its appeal decades ago. maybe that’s what keeps him here, allows him to stay when he’s offered, instead of disappearing into the night with his collar turned up and the heel of his boots slick in street puddles. ❝ that’s what they all say. ❞ new york is a home away from home. one he’d come to know and love in the quiet, in the world between a traveling circus and an endless party in the night. he’d planted roots here once, grown into what he is now, even if parts had remained here after the transfer up and away. ❝ but, y'know, they always say bad news is best delivered in person. ❞
it’s a grin, drink rolling warm against his tongue and heating his insides with a neat polish. ❝ you always did what other girls told you to do, we wouldn’t have this love - er - ly view, now would we? ❞ there’s an underlying note of something reserved for a moment that doesn’t come at her behest. he keeps it at bay, a promise behind the guard of an ivory gate. pink ticks in his mouth, tongue against roof. a quick tick of his head, a wink of one eye, and he thumbs the broad mouth of his glass. ❝ no business like show business. ❞
there it is , there’s a specific manner in speaking that he uses which never fails to get a smile. it’s like 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 to him at this point , methodically piecing together the phrasing without skipping a beat. she supposes that must come with living for nearly 200 years. she thinks about what it must be like to see civilization grow over centuries , remembering that one day she’ll have 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 experience one day. knowing that j.r. will still be around makes the thought of living forever at this expense more bearable. she holds a 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾 that one day the world will be a less discouraging place to live in like that.
❛ well , thankfully you didn’t turn out to be such 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 after all , ❜ or maybe most didn’t have the disposition to look past the 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖾𝖽 it takes to sell your soul and then collect more for all of eternity. especially for something as insignificant as evading police , never growing old , or not 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝖺𝗉𝗉𝗈𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 your parents. her smile shifts to a slight grin after her compliment of sorts as she lifts her own glass to chapstick coated lips. it goes down smooth , a bit harsh but she’s never gotten used to the taste of 𝖺𝗇𝗒 alcohol , never been fond of drinking unless surrounded by company.
❛ i suppose not. i guess it’s a good thing i’ve never met someone i 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 befriend. if more people could just . . . see you and ( 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗉𝖾𝖽𝖽𝗅𝖾 ) nothing else , they’d see how lovely 𝐲𝐨𝐮 are. ❜ heart nearly flies from her chest as she hopes that came out right. there’s a soft spot , even softer than her usual tendency , 𝗁𝖺𝗋𝖻𝗈𝗋𝖾𝖽 deep within. she doesn’t remember when it started , when the seeds were sown that gave way for the blossomed plant of penchant that thrives every time she remotely thinks of him. all she knows is it feels as though they’ve 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 been there.
tucking deep blue hued locks behind her ear , her throat is cleared in an attempt to lock down her heart again. it’s not terribly 𝗌𝗎𝖼𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖿𝗎𝗅. ❛ 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 of show business . . . how long do you plan to be in new york? i have a couple’a shows in the area in a few days. it’d be 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐝 if you’d come to one. i think the guys’d be chuffed to see you. ❜
