" Don't Just Be Another Brick In The Wall "

Name's Cyd Jones. I'm 27 and a professional tattooist, born and bred in Detroit. Not your babe. But if you buy me cigarettes or pizza, I just might be your friend. { RP Blog for an OC. I've no claim over any rights of pictures, videos or gifs you might see here, unless stated otherwise in the caption. }

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

       cole had a nasty habit of looking and memorizing the faces of every patron that walked through the door just to get a good read on them. it was for his own anxiety, really. anyone who seemed unfriendly or scary to deal with in his own view he stayed away from. but, sometimes, people who looked different caught his attention and that was exactly what cyd had done the first time she walked through those doors. 

so, when she stepped through again ( albeit looking slightly different with a new hair color ) he instantly remembered her face. it took him a bit to finally make his way over to her, at the cost of telling one of the other bartenders that this was a patron he should leave to him, but when he finally got to her she was greeted with a friendly smile.  “ hey you. ”  he started.  “ fancy seein’ you here. ”

Patiently, she waited until she was noticed, making herself comfortable in the meantime. A quick look around told her the place hadn’t changed much in the past year; it was still cozy and warm inside, with a good ambient and some people about, drinking, eating, smoking... just living. There weren’t many establishments like this in Detroit, and it was a shame.

Finally, she saw Cole coming towards her and she smiled lopsided at him. “ Ayo, ” she greeted in return. “ Yeah, y’know, I liked this place so much last time, I decided to come back. Guess it made a lasting impression on me. Of course the service makes the difference. ” She snorted and crossed her arms on top of the counter. “ Glad to know you’re still working here. ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

        cole’s never been a social butterfly, probably never would be. he’s friendly enough, sure, but he doesn’t seek the social craving that most of the world does. along with that, he’s never really traveled for the sake of travelling. sure he’d been in the states for a little while but it never stuck long and… well, he had a reason for doing so that wasn’t as spontaneous as saying ‘fuck it i wanna go to a new country!’ not that he was mocking people who did! it just wasn’t his style.

while his anti-social lifestyle overcame him at times, he still enjoyed the work environment brought by being a bartender. busier nights gave him stress beyond belief but there were always moments with each day that made the job worth keeping. especially considering the people he had the pleasure of meeting while on the job. 

The hunt didn’t take very long at all, thanks to modern technology. Plus, Cyd had a pretty good spacial memory; she could visit one place once and still remember small details about it years later. When she got to the right street, her phone was put away since she still recalled what the entrance of that bar looked like. It was late in the afternoon and snow flakes descended from the sky in little spirals, slowly but steadily covering the whole world in a white blanket. Somehow, the snow in Edinburgh seemed more pure than the one back in Detroit (the trash covering the city could be a good explanation for that).

Cyd pushed the door and walked in, stomping the frost on her boots off to avoid spreading it all over the place with each step. Same as last time, she moved toward the counter, but now she also searched the faces working behind them until she found the one she was looking for. Hopefully, he would remember her --she looked pretty much the same, except her hair was now dyed dark green instead of red. She found an empty seat and claimed it, unwrapping her thick wool scarf from around her neck whilst waiting for Cole to come her way.

[punkxrockxqueen]

@heartsoftened // starter

The days after Christmas were the worst, in Cyd’s opinion. The excitement passes and the rush of travelling to Chicago to be with her parents, cooking for the Eve and then exchanging presents quickly drains away. Then it’s the wait for New Years. It’s just boring. Summer vacation was better because at least she could take a trip to the coast and bake at the beach or visit new places. Christmas holiday was nothing but day after day shut at home trying to ward off the cold. Not this year, however. This year, Cyd decided to do something different. If she was going to be cold, at least she would be so somewhere interesting.

She left her cat with her folks, packed up a bag and took a flight to Scotland. Edinburgh, specifically, since she had at least one acquaintance there whom she hoped to find. Okay, she had only met the guy for a night (not like that) and they had exchanged numbers, but still. Upon arriving, the first thing she did was check into a hotel near the center and drop her bag. Next, a warm shower and fresh clothes. Finally, the tattooist took to the streets, using her phone’s GPS to find the bar she wanted to visit first.

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

       “ somethin’ like that. ”  he chuckled.  “ i think i just give in too easily sometimes she doesn’t even have t’ make a face. ”  with a shrug, he took a look at some of the more boring options for cereal.  “ think it’s just ‘cause i want her to be happy. i tend to spoil her a bit. ”

“ At least she doesn’t act spoiled, ” she pointed out with a half shrug. “ Or that’s what I perceived, anyway. Seems like a genuinely good girl, polite and not prone to throwing tantrums. So maybe she deserves to be spoiled once in a while. ” A shopping list was produced from her back pocket then and she gave it a quick look. “ Unless I’m totally wrong, I mean, what do I know about children? Jack shit. ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

      “ nah, she’s at day care. asked me to get her some cereal when i got off work and here i am. ”  he gave one last glance at the ingredients before giving up and tossing the box in his cart.  “ loaded with sugar but i think i’ll let her have it just this once. she’s got me wrapped around her finger. ”

“ What, she makes that sad puppy dog look and you just can’t resist? ” She snorted as she stood up straight and grabbed the handle of her cart with both hands. “ I know that look ‘cause one of my work mates has a niece around Eli’s age. Crafty kiddo can get whatever she wants just by pouting and no one can say no to her. ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

        when you’re a kid, you don’t care what you put in your body. this also stands true when you’re a twenty three year old adult. however, when you become a twenty four year old adult with a baby to take care of now, you start to read the labels on things. that hasn’t changed in all the five years eli’s been alive. by the time cyd came up to him, he was well into the ingredient list of that cereal box.  “ oh, ”  at least she didn’t scare him. he gave her a smile with a greeting.  “ hey. didn’t expect to see you again so soon. ”

“ Neither you nor me. ” She looked around briefly, searching for Cole’s daughter. “ Eli isn’t with you, today? ” She asked while searching the cereal rack for something she might be missing. She was running low on those, too. Cyd didn’t eat them very often, but it was a nice and quick snack to have once in a while when you were in a hurry. Or just lazy. She grabbed a package of her favorites (integral with strawberry bits) and tossed into her cart.

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

         he wasn’t kidding when he mentioned he was in the store all the time. such was the life of a single dad. there was always something he either missed the last time because eli distracted him or something he had to go pick up because he ran out faster than expected or eli made a special request for it. today it was the latter of the two. she saw a new cereal on the tv and just had to try it. this time, however, he was without the toddler so he was having a peaceful shopping trip at least.

Usually, Cyd only needed to do groceries once a week, two at most. She only returned to the store later that week to restock on pretty much everything; dishwasher, shampoo and conditioner, olive oil, fruit, dust wipes, tampons, cat food... Suffice to say, she was lucky her bike could handle having a couple of those pouches that hung from the sides to carry stuff. And since she was needing so much shit, this time she could be seen ‘skating’ around the store on a shopping cart. When she spotted Cole a few rows ahead, she jumped off the thing with a grin and approached to say hello. “ Hey, you. ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

      “ aye, i do shop here a lot. ”  he laughed while taking the rest of his bagged groceries and putting them in the cart so they were easier to take out to the car.  “ thank you again for your help. ”  and with a sort of shy wave, cole took eli and their groceries out of the line and made his way out of the store, hoping just a bit that they would see each other again. 

“ Then we’ll surely bump into each other again. Literally. ” She snorted. “ Don’t mention it. See ya. ” She waved back at them and watched them make their way to the exit until the cashier politely called her to get her attention so she could pay. She did just that, grabbed her things and left, shuddering from the cold. On the way home on her bike, a small and vague part of her also hopped to see Cole and Eli again. That wasn’t weird, right? Hmm. He was a widower and had a daughter, so maybe... Being friends was more appropriate. Too bad. He really was cute.

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

      “ no, it’s okay. ”  he assured quickly, waving her apologies away. everyone always apologized. it didn’t do anything but he understood why people did it.  “ you didn’t know. ”  thankfully, eli didn’t look upset in the slightest. sure, moments like these confused her but she knew by now to just let them happen.  “ it’s not a big deal, i promise. ” 

Glancing briefly at Eli, just to make sure she wasn’t upset by her careless words, Cyd nodded and gave Cole a small and bashful smile, which was a rare thing for someone like her. “ Either way, I hope you both get home safely. ” As her turn at the queue came up, she dug into her shoulder bag looking for her wallet. “ I should let you go home now, right? I’ll see you around? ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

      cole had a smile on his face that still remained, though much more faded, when cyd brought up eli’s mother.  “ actually – ”  cole started a bit somberly but eli, still as cheerful as a little girl could be, interrupted.  ‘ i don’t have a mommy. ’  it was spoken rather casually because it was normal to her now. all she had was cole, who now brushed down some of her wild hair.  “ aye, she’s not… around. ”

Just like that, Cyd’s smile dropped and her eyes widened slightly as she went pale for a second, then quickly turned red out of shame (even if she had no idea of knowing). “ Oh, ” she said, glancing at Cole apologetically. “ I... see. ” Damn, that’s awful. She rubbed her temple distractedly and sighed quietly. “ I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to... y’know. ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

       “ what do you say to cyd, eli? ”  cole asked once they were done putting the groceries up.  ‘ thank you. ’  she spoke gently while looking up at at cyd with a beaming smile. the kid sure looked a lot like her dad that was for sure. especially that smile.  “ atta girl. ”

It was impossible not to notice how much she resembled her father. Cyd refrained her tongue when a joke made ready to come out ( ”you couldn’t deny her parentage even if you wanted to, huh” ), but that didn’t stop her from smirking with amusement to herself. “ No problem, Eli. You’re a very nice girl. I hope you get home safe to your mommy, true? ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

      ‘ yes, please! ’  eli happily smiled over at cyd when she said that. get done even faster with a little bit of extra help? she was smart enough to say yes to that. cole gave cyd a small smile.  “ thanks. ”  all he gave before continuing to get the groceries checked out and bagged.

“ It’s no biggie, ” she told Cole with a shrug, gladly helping out. “ It’s not like I’m having an emergency right now. ” In no time, the little task got done a lot quicker, and since there was some extra space left over on the strip, she grabbed a separator and put her own stuff behind it. “ There, all done. ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

       as eli picked up whatever she could lift, cole watched her carefully up until he heard the familiar voice.  “ oh, ”  he smiled as he held onto eli and glanced over at cyd.  “ i’m surprised you’re still here. you look like you were goin’ for way less than me. ”  he laughed. his daughter tugged at his sleeve to ask for help with the last few items they had to buy.  “ she’s been buggin’ me to go home so gotta hurry up and check out. can’t blame her, really. ”

“ Took my time picking what I’m gonna have. I’m kinda desperate to go home too, and that made my poor tired brain lag a bit. So I’m still trapped here as well. ” Hanging her half empty basket on one arm, she moved up to lend a hand with Cole and Eli’s groceries. “ You’ll get done thrice as fast if I help. Is that okay with you, Eli? ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

        it’s hard shopping with a five year old, honestly. eli is a good girl and cole praises her for being well behaved most of the time but she isn’t perfect and she has her difficult moments. especially when she’s declared how sick of shopping she is.  “ we’ve got a few more things to get. ”  which she only pouted about until they were checking out. then she was all about helping her dad get everything on the counter.

If Cyd had witnessed that scene, she wouldn’t blame the kid. After a long day of work hunching over paper and people alike, all she wanted to do was go home and draw a bath before a warm meal. Groaning to herself, she walked around produce trying to decide what to have, and gathered what she needed to make grilled beef with sauce, mushrooms and fries. Quick, easy and tasty. Finally at the checkout, she noticed who was in front of her on the queue and smiled. “ Still here, are you? ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

         to the wink, eli managed a small giggle before burying her face away on her father’s shoulder again.  “ aye, damn shame it won’t, huh? i should get goin’ too. ”  he spoke, taking a step away from her.  “ hopefully you won’t have any more toddlers tryin’ to run you over. ”  with that last joke given, he turned away and as he did, eli gave cyd a tiny wave goodbye.

She stayed in her spot and watched her two most recent acquaintances leave, always smiling her usual slightly mischievous smile. It was just the way Cyd always looked, without even trying. “ I’m just glad she didn’t get hurt, ” she replied, raising her hand to wave back at Eli. “ See you around. ” And with that, she too turned away to continue shopping.

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

        “ she’s very firm on her nickname. doesn’t like when people get it wrong. ”  which was alright, as long as she stayed well mannered about it.  “ nice to meet you too, cyd. i’d shake your hand but if i let go of this one i’m scared she’ll dart off again. ”

“ As she should be. It’s her nickname, after all. ” She gave Eli a quick wink and returned her attention to her dad. “ That’s alright, I understand. We can just pretend there was a handshake, in case the manners police asks. ” Snorting, she shifted her basket from one hand to the other and got ready to move on before this became awkward. “ Anyways, I better go finish my shopping. Dinner won’t make itself, tragically. ”

[punkxrockxqueen]

heartsoftened:

         “ ah, okay. fair ‘nough. ”  he nodded while giving eli a little bounce so she wouldn’t get too uncomfortable while her dad had a chat with a stranger.  “ i’m cole by the way. ”  seemed he wasn’t going to give cyd that lecture she was expecting.  “ an’ this is elisabeth. ”  eli turned her head a bit more towards the woman she’d nearly collided into.  ‘ eli. ’  she corrected in as stern of a tone as a sweet little girl her age could.  “ right. sorry. eli. ”

When the guy didn’t start being a nosy know-it-all about her personal choice to stay childless, Cyd was very surprised, and even more so, relieved. She breathed out a discreet little sigh of ‘dodged a bullet there’ and grinned at the kid, Eli, who had a bit of attitude, it seemed. Nice. “ I’m Cyd, ” she returned. “ Don’t worry, Eli. You’re not the only one who doesn’t like her name very much. Nice to meet you both. ”