(DANE DEHAAN,  HE/HIM,  CIS MALE)  careful  ,  THEODORE âTHEOâ  MORRIS has  arrived  to  the  city  of  dreams!!  they  look THIRTY-FOUR  years  old  and  word  on  the  street  is  they  are  from  MANHATTAN, NEW YORK and  currently  reside  in  HARLEM.  They  are  currently  living  life  in  the  city  as  a WRITER/PHOTOGRAPHER.  one  thing  they  never  want  anyone  to  find  out  is ACCIDENTALLY BROKE UP A MARRIAGE.  too  bad  nothing  remains  a  secret  for  long  even  in  the  city  of  dreams.  some  people  say  they  are  SCATTERBRAINED,  but  i  think  they  are  KIND HEARTED.  welcome  to  the  city  of  dreams, THEODORE!  we  hope  you  enjoy  your  stay! Â
theodore, prefers theo, was born the oldest of the three morris children. for the most part growing up the only child for nine years wasnât so bad, though he would often times he did tended to get lonely. but theo had always had a big imagination. about a year after oli was born the harry potter books came out and theo stumbled upon the wizarding world. even if he would never admit it to oli, theo used to read him the books to get him to fall asleep.Â
in 2001 ( age 13) tragedy struck not just the morris family but the entire nation. his father was one of the many fire fighters that went out on duty on september 11th. he was also one of the countless lives tragically taken that day. words couldnât describe the way theo felt the day they were delivered the news of his fathers passing, he had spent the most time with him, he was his best friend, and he instantly stepped into his role of older sibling. he was there for his family whenever they needed him, especially his siblings. and as strange as it sounded shortly after his fatherâs funeral, theo picked up photography. he wanted to capture life in any way possible, especially the beautiful things, because he officially realized just how fragile life truly was.Â
after some time, things began to fall back into place around the house and at school. the one thing that never quiet left theo ever since that day he found out about his father was how quiet heâd become. he was always a bit of a shy guy, but he had at least been somewhat talkative, now he barely wanted his friends to notice him. if he could just write and get lost in photography all day that would be okay with him. it broke his heart to see the way everything had affected his siblings, especially oli. he didnât know how he could reach out to his brother and help him with his aggression toward the world. all he could do was hope he was being the best big brother he could be, but also allow him the space he clearly wanted. while oli became known as the âclass clownâ, theo became known as the âtwitchy wreckâ which wasnât too far from the truth.
the older he got, the darker his writing became. he began to get more into the world of horror, and soon he began writing short stories online. sometimes he would upload them to creepypasta. it seemed people enjoyed reading his stories, too, as he often saw requests for more and soon he began to write short stories at least once every day and uploading them. in college he met someone who helped him work towards publishing his first horror novel. the two got close, very close, but unfortunately the other moved shortly after graduation and their communication fizzled (WC). he was also introduced to cocaine, little did he know how much the drug would take affect on him. even though he was spending more money on buying his next refill than focusing on his dream, he was still abel to publish his first horror novel called âspooky townâ which was a light hearted halloween fun kids book that did fairly well. with the money he made off of that, theo moved into his own place.
heâs been living in harlem for a little over a year, but he feels as if the place has been home for much longer. he loves take pictures around town, especially in front of the jazz clubs, and the music is one of his favorite things to fall asleep to at night. sometimes he enjoys sitting on his roof with a smoke (or snorting a line or two) watching over the lights of harlem.Â
WANTED CONNECTIONS: we can brainstorm because i suck at ocming up with connections.Â
following a few spay and neutersâ for the morning, delilah had the rest of her day off. she was, of course, on call if any emergencies were to happen, but the schedule appeared to be just minor checkups that the tech could handle. following several more intense days, it was a welcomed change to have some free time. skyler was at school for a few more hours and she never really got much free time. it was one of the worst things about being a mom, she couldnât enjoy time alone without feeling guilty. as she walked through central park, her work bag became rather heavy and she slowly felt her jacket fall off her shoulders. as she attempted to pull her jacket up, her bag fell to the ground with a thump, a few of her belongings falling out. âoh, sugar honey iced tea.â she groaned in annoyance, attempting to gather the stuff she dropped. âoh, uh, would you mind handing me my planner beside you? iâm sorry, i donât mean to be a bother,â she said to the person who happened to be walking by at the moment. her planner was pretty much her entire lifeline â containing her daily appointments and several pictures of her son, who happened to also be on the cover. delilah would be devastated if she ever lost it.Â
andre was lost in the song currently blaring into his ears, so much so, he even had his eyes closed as he walked for the majority of the time. eventually he was so lost in the beat that he even began to dance a little, air drumming certain parts, and began softly singing along to the lyrics. as he danced along central park he grabbed random people to dance with him, spinning some around, before walking past them, many of which laughed and danced along briefly. when he finally opened his eyes reality hit him like a thousand invisible bricks. not to far from him, walking in the opposite direction he had been walking, was a ghost form his past, delilah. he had never thought he would see her again but even now his heart fluttered like it did back when they first met. even before he could process what he was doing, andre found himself rushing over to help her as everything began to tumble. but he was too late and the only thing he could manage to pick up was her planner that had fallen beside his feet, a planner with a picture of an oddly familiar looking kid. despite their break up, and the boxes, he didnât even think that this could possibly connect to him any way, his first thought was that she was married now. âyouâve never been a bother, delilah.â her name on his tongue felt bittersweet, but sweet nonetheless, he had truly missed speaking it out loud. âare you alright? do you..need some help carrying this stuff somewhere? um.â he hands the planner over, glancing at the cover again, âitâs...really nice to see you again.â his eyes focus on hers now, trying to taking her as much as possible, he was nervous this could the last time he saw her again.  âyou look so beautiful, uh, um...as always.â he felt like the biggest fool, as he had the first time he stumbled over his words around her, but he couldnât help the affect she had on him. and it didnât help that at one point she had been his everything.Â
elijah was quite possibly the clumsiest human on the planet for as long as he could remember. his deviance to gravity started very young and led to many broken bones over the years. although he had lived in new york for a while now, the southern man would likely never be used to the snow and ice that came with new york living. as he walked along the side walk within midtown, he didnât realize he was walking directly on to a thick patch of ice. without much of a warning, eli slipped on the patch, falling backwards on to his bottom hard. âjesus christ!â he yipped as he hit the ground, looking around to catch the eyes of the one person who seemed to notice his faux pas. âi ainât gonna blame âya if i catch you laughing,â he remarked with his southern drawl ever present as he poorly attempted to lift himself off the ground. truly, his ego hurt much worse than the fall itself.
lexi was caught up on a zoom meeting with one of her directors and producers, they were trying to pitch a stupid pirate themed movie to her. the only reason lexi didnât budge was because she felt there were already so many stupid adult films themed to pirates, and she also would burst out laughing if someone ever said âsuck my cannon ballsâ to her as she once heard in one of the movies. as she walked down one of the sidewalks of midtown turned the corner to catch sight of someone falling, and falling hard, on their ass. âoh shit! adam, greg, iâll call you guys back! yes everything with me is fine. yes bye!â she quickly hangs up the call, rushing over to help the guy who had just fallen. âhey, ouch, are you okay? no iâm not going to laugh. i mean, not yet, âshe offers the guy a kind, warm smile, lightly teasing him. sure he had fallen on his bum, but that didnât make him any less attractive and his accent only made lexi want to fan herself even more. ânew york, huh? even the sidewalks are assholes.â she lightly chuckled, helping the other as much as possible.
âHey, do you want to do a body shot off me?â Stella asked the next person who walked past her. She was currently at work, her shifts during the week always being a little slow. She didnât even really care how much money she made tonight, considering she made a bulk of her tips during the weekend. The girl was justâŚ.bored at the moment and in need of some new faces and entertainment. Dressed in her little hot pink lingerie set, she fanned her perfectly put on fake eyelashes, hoping they say yes.
kylan had gone out with intentions of just getting buzzed and heading back to his place for a night of gaming and regretful texts to natalia. but when he walked past a brunette,with a mischievous look on her face, kylan couldnât help himself. not to mention the offer was too good to pass up. would he be kylan davies if he passed up the chance to do a body shot off of someone? he didnât think so and he felt like most of his friends would agree with him. âonly if you return the favor, love. i donât just go licking liquor and salt off of random bodies, you know. what kind of guy do you take me for? âhe playfully teases, lightly laughing, as he walks over in her direction. he tried his hardest not to get distracted by her hot pink lingerie she was wearing, instead trying to focus on the fact that he was only doing a shot and nothing more, âare you a bartender here or something? because if so, i think you just became my favorite one. also, i happen to really favor the color pink.âÂ
If there was one thing that Astrid hated doing, it was crying. But, that was something easier said than done when you were just an emotional person. On top of that quite the sensitive one. She found herself at Central park, seated on an empty bench with her baby blues forming tears in them. It had been a not so great afternoon, consisting of a few go-seeâs that had gone sour. Her manager had fought hard for her to get these meetings but only bad news had resulted. Was she just not the kind of girl they were looking for?  Dressed in her puffer jacket and matching scarf, beanie, and glove set, the petite model takes a deep breath.Â
Hearing someone approach her, she raises her head and wipes away the tears. âOh, sorry, I didnât see you there,â she mutters.
these days it felt like lexiâs eyes were filled with tears of sadness more than tears of laughter. she couldnât quite put her finger on what was making her so emotional as of late, whether it be some stupid joke oli made or some dumb remark her director made, everything seemed to be overwhelming the blonde. on days like this, lexi found herself roaming central park, she often enjoyed indulging in the food trucks to help lift her spirits. not that she ever ate too much, but she did enjoy the cheese fries that were sold around central park. the last time she was in central park, lexi ran into oli, it was a rather interesting experience to say the least. now as she walked, the shadows of the trees briefly shading her as she passed below them, her sap hire blue eyes noticed another sad blonde and she couldnât help but walk over to the woman.Â
with a soft smile, one as soft as the sunâs rays on a warm summer day, she approaches the other, a petite hand reaches up to tuck a bit of her hair behind her ear. âdonât apologize, darlinâ. youâve done nothing wrong. if anything, who do i have to kill? iâve got a pair of really sharp stilettos my bestie nat got me once, trust me, they could kill anything in an instant given the right strength and form.â she reaches out a gentle hand to move a little of the girls hair away from her face, wanting to see her pretty, soft features, âbut, really, how can i help? us ladies have to stay together, you know.â
alexei wasnât one to get drunk in the middle of the day, but in his defense, it was the weekend and he was so sick of that stupid gossip blog and their shit. he needed an escape, so before he knew it, he found himself ordering a margarita. that turned into four, and before he was fully aware of it, he was gone. âsooo like, my cars battery is busted, right?â he starts, taking another sip from his drink before continuing his story, as if the person even cares. âso i decided to take the subway, and,â he pauses to hiccup, âthe lady was super rude! but hear this, the change she gave me? literal arcade coins. i have no idea how i didnât notice until i got home but,â he sets the bag filled with arcade coins on top of the counter in front of them, âpoint is, i now have a bunch of arcade coins and iâm not too sure what to do with that. maybe this calls for free games? you wanna play with me?â
kylan normally got high in the middle of the day as he enjoyed saving the drinking for the evening hours, but today he was more bored than usual. he had arrived to the one of the arcade bars in the city, and he always wondered why he didnât frequent these places more often whenever he visited. when he initially arrived he hadnât seen anyone familiar to him, but after a couple of shots, he wasnât entirely focused on his surroundings. instead he was more focused on getting more buzzed so he could happily be drunk and game away. what kylan didnât know was that on the other side of the husky man next to him sat someone who he had been secretly hoping to run into, someone who had unintentionally hurt his feelings, alexei. it wasnât until the guy in the middle left that kylan turned to see who was sitting next to him now, despite wanting to say something, he remains quiet as the other speaks. he was so fucking cute and kylan hated how cute he found him to be. especially when he was trying to be upset with him. when he seeâs the other look over, pulling out the bag of coins, kylan chuckles, âso you ignore me, but youâre cool with gaming with me? mmm. not sure thatâs something i can do right now. not until, well, i dunno. are you okay? did i do something wrong?â if he hadnât been drinking he wouldâve probably held his tongue a little longer, but he couldnât help himself.Â
âwe arenât little kids anymore, kylan. shit changes and we are damn close to thirty now. iâve always been terrible to you. teasing you, shoving you around, and just being a bitch. what iâm trying to say is maybe you shouldnât care about me anymore. iâm not so sure iâm worth it,â natalia felt a lump build in her throat, yet she also felt like laughing? all it took was some drugs and her perfect facade was now likely fucked for eternity. she also hated the word friends when it left his lips, a further crushing blow to her ego. as kylan spoke, she could sense his frustration, but she wasnât sure she had the ability to fight back â for once. fuck, natalia genuinely wondered if this was her last night on earth. everything felt like it was crushing down on her, the coke high turning into something much darker. âlook, whether it was a date or not, you looked happy with him. he looked important to you. iâm not jealous. i was with someone too, you know? i just⌠want you happy,â she admitted, not able to control the words from leaving her lips. she didnât even think that her admission and outright lie about jealousy might hurt kylan, all her sense of control was obliterated by the sickening mix of coke, alcohol, and not nearly enough food in her system. tears streaming her face, mascara beginning to run, natalia wondered if kylan would ever look at her the same following this encounter. before she could fight it, kylan lifted her up as if she were as light as a feather. the petite woman immediately rested her head on his chest as he carried her, eyes looking up at him to get some sense of security. âi donât know why i do it either, ky. iâm fucked up and iâm sorry. iâll be better, i promise.â natalia weakly reached up to brush his cheek with her hand as they headed out the door.  âi donât care about them. iâm a little pissed that i broke one of my louboutins, though.âÂ
  âyouâve never been terrible to me, natalia. shoving me around, teasing me, isnât that what little kids do? i donât know in what world i ever gave you the impression that youâre anything short of the perfect friend with me, but fuck, iâm sorry that i did. you canât ask me not to care about you, because i just...i canât give you that, nat. i canât just stop caring about you like you havenât existed in my life since childhood, or like i havenât cared for years, thatâs impossible for me to do. iâm in this with you until the day you get tired of my annoying ass and really kick me to the curve.â he lightly chuckled, glancing at her, offering a weak smile. suddenly it felt like kylan had also done as much drugs as natalia had done that night because he felt like like his words were going to turn into word vomit at any given second. âyouâre worth so much more than you know, nat. i know you donât believe it,â he says, continuing through the crowd, âand i know you probably still wonât even if i listed every reason right now as to why i think you are. trust me, the list is fuckinâ long.â as the conversation shifts to alexei he lets out a small sigh, but itâs the comment she makes about being jealous and how she was also with someone that cut him deep. he wondered if she seriously thought he couldnât smell the cologne of another on her right now, she practically reeked of it, but he decided to keep that to himself. he decided to keep a lot to himself for the time being, because he didnât think anything he said right now mattered anyway. part of him felt she wasnât going to remember their conversation in the morning while the other part felt like if he had said anything at all it wouldâve possibly upset her more. but, god, he just wanted to tell her how she made him happy. âof course i looked happy, nat. i was hanging out with someone i genuinely think is a pretty great person, not to mention he gave me my most recent of tattoos, and what, am i supposed to not be joyful around someone on their birthday?â he didnât really know how much of his moment with alexei she had seen and so he didnât want to say too much on the subject. as hard as it was, kylan was doing everything in his power to prevent a fight from happening. feeling her hand on his cheek as they grew closer to the door almost made him stop in his tracks, the sudden soft touch sent goosebumps up his arms, he instinctively holds her closer. âno, donât. donât say stuff like that, that youâll be better. youâre good, perfect even, just the way you are. iâm just...being protective.â he made the exit out of the diamond lounge, âit is a shame about your louboutins though. give me like one month and i can buy you another pair to make up for my shitty attitude tonight.â and then, only some power higher up in the universe, for whatever reason, kylan stops walking, he looks down to meet her gaze, âto your place?â he quietly asks, âi can be nurse kylan for you tonight. hm? at least until we can take you in proerply tomorrow to get your ankle checked, okay? iâm not sure taking you tonight is the best idea.â then, with little to no warning, he leans in to press a soft kiss to her forehead, âiâm just happy youâre okay, nat. iâm sorry. i promise iâm not mad. are....are you mad at me?â
(ANDREW GARFIELD,  HE/HIM,  CIS MALE)  careful  , ANDRE  HENDRIX has  arrived  to  the  city  of  dreams!!  they  look  THIRTY-FIVE  years  old  and  word  on  the  street  is  they  are  from  BROOKLYN, NEW YORK  and  currently  reside  in  GREENWICH VILLAGE.  They  are  currently  living  life  in  the  city  as  a  BARISTA AT JAVAWOCKY CAFE.  some  people  say  they  are IMPATIENT,  but  i  think  they  are  KIND HEARTED.  welcome  to  the  city  of  dreams,  ANDRE!  we  hope  you  enjoy  your  stay!Â
FULL NAME: andre hendrix
NICKNAMES: boogaboo (his baby sister)
SEXUALITY & PRONOUNS: bi-curious
ROMANTIC STATUS: single
ZODIAC: capricornÂ
HOGWARTS HOUSE: hufflepuff with gryffindor tendencies
PETS: two sugar gliders named THELMA & LOUIS
HOMETOWN: brooklyn, new york
CURRENT LOCATION: greenwich village
OCCUPATION:barista at javawocky cafe.
ROOMMATES:Â none at the moment (wc)
TATTOOS & PIERCINGS: tattoo of a small moon on his right wrist, the upper part of his right arm has a pair of harry potter glasses and lighting bolt tattooed (usually hidden beneath a shirt), a sleeve of different horror tattoos on his left arm, and his right ear has two piercings.
MUSE INSPO:nick miller + winston + ferguson (new girl), dale denton (pineapple express, seth rogan), wallace + scott (scott pilgrim vs the world, that gossipy bitch),fred wesley (harry potter) , j.d (scrubs), ross (friends), gambit (x-men), a little bit of everyone (the office)
MUSIC INSPO: welcome to the party - pop smoke, dopamine -borns, lost in the citadel - lil nas x, one more night- maroon 5, wicked games - the weekend, cherry -harry styles, lovefool -two colors (cover), myself - bazzi, burn the night away - there for tomorrow, kelsey -metro station, here comes the sun -the beatles
backstory:
in north of brooklyn born and raised on the playground is where andre spent most of his day! shootinâ some b-ball outside the school when a couple of guys, they were up to no good, started causing trouble in the neighborhood. he got into one little fight and his mom got scared and said â YOUâRE MOVING WITH YOUR DADDY & STEPMOM TO ILLINOISâ STOP THE THEME MUSIC AND CUE THE INTRO
andre hendrix, no relation to jimmy hendrix, was born into a somewhat strict but also laid back family. out of his cousins, and siblings, he was the most awkwardly charming one. where most people would shy away from an embarrassing situation, like falling in front of a group of people, andre embraced them. he never really was one to let life get him too down, as he always tried to be the sunshine in everyoneâs world as much as possible.Â
growing up he used to get into a lot of fights because he would never back down whenever someone was either picking on someone else, hounding their siblings, or trying to mess with him. he may have a heart of gold, but his spirit was that of a warrior, even andre wasnât afraid to throw a punch here or there.
college was a blast for him! there he met a friend who he would grow very close with. nothing ever happened with them, though andre always wondered about what it wouldâve been like to at least kiss him. in college he also met the girl that would become his girlfriend for five years.Â
from the age of twenty all the way to the age of twenty-five the two had a honeymoon like relationship. andre gave her the moon and stars, and pretty much whatever else she wanted. and he truly did think they would end up married one day. he was actually a week away from proposing to her when everything changed for him one morning. to this day he still doesnât know why she up and left, leaving behind a post it note saying âyou can do better. xoxo.â and an empty pregnancy box in the bathroom. was she pregnant? was she not? andre never found out and the question has haunted him to this day.
fast forwarding a couple of years down, many game, anime shows, and crime documentaries later the guy is now working as a barista in greenwich village. he sometimes helps out at backstage productions as a tech. for the most part heâs either at work or skateboarding at the nearest skate park. that or heâs hanging out with his bestie elijah âeliâ kennedy.Â
Heâs soft and pretty like a flower and the longer Grace looks him over, part of the redhead is sure heâd bruise just as easy as one too. Humming a little, heâs only half paying attention to the picture now heâs got this cute guy caught between him and the wall tripping over his words as easy as his own feet. Much better view if heâs honest and thereâs a crooked sort of grin on his lips the longer he looks. Elegant looking hands, probably good for a writer or a pianist if Grace had to guess.Â
âTheodore,â he echoes, looking up from the small screen with a small chuckle. Well thatâs a writerâs name if ever he heard one. His fingers smooth down the back of his hand and stroke along his wrist. Grace tilts his head and grins further as he meets those pretty eyes. âMy my Theo, are you asking me for my number?â His hand drops from a slender wrist in favor of hooking a finger around the other manâs waistband. Better to tug him close as he laughs a little and leans in to kiss Theoâs cheek.
âUnfortunately yes, nature and all.â Grace winks and lets go, leaning against the tile wall a little longer. Itâd be tempting to just wait until the urge slipped by but Grace is sparing a glance towards the bathroom before turning back to Theo. âYou donât look much of a voyeur or one thatâs into watersports,â he teases with a laugh, âso you wait here like a good boy and Iâll make it worth your while. Promise itâll take two minutes.â Itâs oh so tempting just to see if the guy would melt and fall apart if he kissed him, hell wouldnât that be fun to discover at length. But his bladder is protesting and instead he taps Theoâs chin light with his knuckle.
âDonât go anywhere darlinâ.â
  blue eyes follow the others fingers before looking up to meet the his gaze, eyes widen a little at his comment, âo-oh! n-no! an e-mail works, too, if you want. i mean, i wouldnât mind your number, iâm not saying i donât want it.â it takes everything in him not to just blurt out more words, not that itâs taken much from the other to leave him at a loss for them anyway. soon he finds himself being tugged a little closer though he canât even register that because heâs so sidetracked by the guys laugh, then by the kiss on the cheek. this was so strange because not many people paid him this kind of attention, normally he was getting scolded for taking the wrong picture at the wrong time, or he was in someoneâs way. never did someone actually find him interesting enough to keep a conversation going, let alone get the slightest bit affectionate.Â
  its almost like he suddenly gained all the strength back in his body, the air to his lungs, when the male lets go of him, and he finds that he can at least stand without trembling again. âlooks can be deceiving,â he replies in a light teasing tone, laughing a little. as the other speaks about going to the bathroom, theo makes a mental note to take a quick bump or two while heâs gone, because, he realizes that if heâs going to be around the other for much more then he would need to not be a stuttering mess. he nods at the instructions given to him but heâs curious to know what the other means by making it worth his while. why? theo couldnât understand why this guy wanted to waste anymore time on him. thatâs when it hit him, he still didnât know his name.Â
  âwh-...â but the word is cut off, thoughts as well, when he feels the light tap on his chin, all he can do is give the other a weak smile and little nod. âi wonât go anywhere. i promise. i-iâll be good.â he doesnât know why he said that last comment but he was desperately trying not to stumble on anymore words. when the male walks off in the direction of the bathroom, theo takes his small baggy of courage out. for a second, he thinks about it, theo is very close to just doing it. then he changes his mind, wanting to be sober for whatever the evening now held ahead of him, so he quickly tucks it away before the guy can return and spot him with it. instead he distracts himself with taking more pictures until the guys return and smoking a cigarette. was he allowed to smoke here? who knew. he figured if anyone had a real problem with it they would approach him about it.Â
  âso. um. i have to admit,â he begins when the other is around him again, lowering the camera around his neck, âiâm not normally someone asks to stick around. uh. iâm a little thrown off that someone as handsome as yourself, who could probably get most anyoneâs attention, wants to spend time with me in the slightest bit. iâm kinda curious. what d-do you have in mind?â
the alcohol was definitely loosening him up, because under any other circumstance, kylanâs comment would have had him blushing profusely, looking in another direction. now however, it just caused him to laugh light heartedly, shaking his head as he took a sip from his drink. was he⌠flirting with him? he couldnât be, right? surely kylan was just being overly nice to him because it was his birthday. yup. that definitely had to be it. he wasnât imagining kylan shirtless again and having inappropriate thoughts â that was just the alcohol talking. âalready want another tattoo, huh? i knew you were mesmerized by the likes of me. i mean, itâs the eyes, isnât it?â heâs joking, but heâs kind of drunk, so little does he know, his words could actually be taken into consideration. alexei is nudging him playfully and shooting him a charming smirk, followed by licking his lips and checking him out not so discreetly. again, blaming it on the alcohol though. âi love that proposition, but iâm sure i can out drink you.â he challenged, the smile never leaving his face as the other ordered him a drink, which he was familiar with, but has only had a couple of times before. alexei was never one to turn down a challenge, so he was all about it. however, the second he feels the other push a strand of hair out of his face, he feels himself instantly get weaker under his soft touch, his eyes shutting for half a second, before opening back up again and just gazing at him. for once in his damn life, he has nothing to say, as the other left him quite speechless with his words. instead, he finds himself chuckling rather nervously, still telling himself they were strictly friends, nothing more. that the pounding of his heart and the blushing of his cheeks was simply bros being bros, and that the sudden desire to lean in and close the gap between them? well, that was just a jealous thought. âiâve had it a couple of times, who do you take me for?â it takes him a moment to recover from the otherâs soft touch. heâs about to say something else, until kylan is dropping the drink in there and chugging, which instantly causes him to do the same, thought he beats him by about a full second. âoh, fuck off. you totally started seconds before me!â admittedly, he wasnât great at losing. even when it came to dumb things like these. âiâll take that dance now. you know, if you can even keep up.â he teases.
  there was something special about alexei. god, kylan just couldn't put his finger on what it was, but the other drew him in like a moth to a light. maybe alexei was his light; perhaps that's why kylan couldn't get him out of his head since their encounter at the tattoo shop. the other was joking, but he had it right; kylan certainly was memorized by him in every way imaginable. "mmm. it's your eyes, your kind of gentle touch even when you're shitfaced, and, uh," the tip of his tongue runs along his bottom lip, giving the other a crooked smile, "your lips. all very mesmerizing traits if you ask me." he didn't even care that he was being so forward with alexei, partially due to being under the influence, really kylan would've probably been flirting with him just as heavy if they were sober right now anyway. and when he reached out to gently push the loose strand away from alexei's handsome face, it was hard for him not to slip his hand underneath the other's chin and pull him into a tender kiss. instead, he distracted himself with the drink. "what?!" he laughs, grinning at the other, "i just know how to swallow things very well. don't worry, i don't mind giving you lessons on swallowing. plus more excuses to get drunk with you, hm?" he reaches out to take alexei's hand, gently pulling him towards the dance floor. very carefully, he maneuvered them towards the center, wanting to be right in the middle of everyone, a way to keep them visible and invisible to everyone all at the same time. the moment he could, kylan didn't hesitate to pull the other closer; he let his hands rest on the other's hips. "the song that came on as the previous one finished was one of kylan's favorite and a perfect excuse to pull alexei closer, his body instantly moving to the rhythm. "so, uh," he clears his throat a little, another crooked grin appearing on his lips, "tell me, are you the slightest bit mesmerized by me?"Â
natalia wasnât sure if she lost consciousness for a moment or what, but she couldnât help but be surprised when she looked up to see kylan beside her. âoh hi, baby!â she exclaimed, her expression and the size of her pupils probably giving away her current state in an instant. for a moment, she was just happy to see him and nearly forgot the whole reason she was upset with him. âiâm okay, i think? i may have done just a little tiny bit of coke, but itâs no biggie. you look pretty cute when youâre worried for me, itâs almost like you actually care.â natalia couldnât control the words as they escaped her lips and it brought all of her emotions back to the surface for her.  âi can get up, i swear. i donât want to ruin your night like i ruin everything else. go be with your date, or whatever.â she laughed, shaking her head and feeling a lump start to develop in her throat. fuck, this was the opposite of how she wanted to appear to kylan. âyou clearly like him⌠that emo guy. i mean, 2007 me would probably understand, so thatâs something.â as hard as she tried to fight back the tears, a few started to escape. the petite, disheveled woman attempted to get to her feet, stumbling in the process. the second she put weight on her ankle, a whimper of pain escaped. âi might actually be dyingâŚâÂ
  his first reaction to her reacting to him was to offer a soft smile, but that smile quickly turned into a smaller smile the more he listened to her. it was obvious she wasnât sober, kylan wouldâve had to have been a real idiot if he didnât see that, but even then some of the stuff she was saying frustrated him. he was frustrated more at the person who had allowed her to get this messed up, couldnât they see what they were doing to her? it broke his heart that natalia found she had to be this high in order to have a good time, and it didnât cross his mind that this could have anything to do with him. not even when she shot the comment about him caring in his direction. âwhat? of course i care about you, nat. i thought that was fuckinâ obvious given all these years weâve been friends and shit.â he had to remind himself that this wasnât really natalia speaking right now but he couldnât hide the frustration he internally felt at her words, it just slipped through. she insisted that she could get up yet kylan continued to try to help her, for once, he felt like his stubbornness seemed to be kind of coming in handy. a little tiny bit of coke. her words played over in his head again and again. had she always done coke? he knew she did some drugs, but couldnât recall ever seeing her do coke. was this something new? his mind whirled into a hundred different questions. then she mentioned something about his date which caused brief confusion to wash over him, âdate?â he questioned, stepping back to allow her the space she clearly wanted, ânot sure what youâre on about, nat. i donât have a date.â but then she described who he assmued to be alexei and his heart sank entirely. âheâs not my date, but he it is his birthday.â he didnât know what that had to do with anything but he also had no idea how to handle the subject of alexei right now. the tears quickly made him step closer to her again, ânat, please...âhe trails off, deciding to just cave, âiâm going to pick you up now. sorry.â and without another warning, he kneels down to pick her up bridal style. âweâre getting out of here. whatâs up, nat? what the hell is going on?â he looks down at her for a second but then looks forward so he can safely move them through the crowd and to the exit. âlook, iâm not mad youâre doing coke. thatâs..whatever. iâm just...why do you feel like you have entertain assholes like the guys back there? youâre so much better than that, love. you know that, i know that. also, i hope you know, i now have to come back to kick their asses.â
See here heâd thought the lovers bash would be perfect for sizing up the town and getting into a little trouble. At the very least heâs pocketed three or four wallets and thumbed through them curiously before settling on tucking the cash. The rest? Well, heâs dropping the wallets on the sticky floor once heâs shoved the few bills in his back pocket. Grace isnât used to coming round here but fuck if the cash isnât abundant and the drinks too sweet just the way he likes them. Nature has a way of working after the third or fourth strawberry martini and Grace finds his way back through the crowd and waiting near the bathrooms.
Click!
Green eyes widen a bit and heâs turning out of habit looking for the noise and finding some scrawny little twink of a guy stammering and stumbling over his words. Surprise melts easy to delight as he steps a little closer. So maybe his night wasnât going to be as boring as he thought while palming wallets and getting bored after the several hundred tucked in his back pocket. âOh?â Before the flighty looking guy can run off, Grace has an arm around his shoulders pulling him in close with a huff of laughter. âWell cmon and show me cmon cmon-â
Sure itâs pushing it a little but he sways, pressing hip to hip and cornering the pretty little blonde against the tile wall leading towards the bathroom. The guy shows him and he hums, gaze skimming the screen while his hand drops to cover the guyâs on the camera. Heâs close enough he can feel warm breath on his cheek as he leans in squinting. âNah thatâs a keeper. You got a good eye, you got a good name to go with it?â
it doesnât take much to throw theo off his balance, so the moment the other male put his arm around him, he was stumbling into the tiled wall effortlessly. the softest of grunts leaves his rosy lips when he does end up hitting the wall, but he keeps his focused on the camera, theo was at least going to try and act like he wasnât entirely thrown off by the sudden approach the other took. he didnât think heâd end up this close to someone tonight, even if it was just to show a picture. âo-oh, um, y-yeah! o-of course! the picture. yes.â clearing his throat a little, theo turns up the brightness a little, moving the camera over a little so the other could get a better look at it.Â
focus on the picture, theo. just focus on the picture.Â
but he couldnât. how could he? the other was dangerously close, and theo wasnât exactly the strongest willed person out there, he simply had to steal a glance in the other males direction. with emerald eyes like his, theo feels like anyone would cave to steal a glance. his blue eyes shift over to look at the male while he looked down at the picture, taking in every feature that he could being so close to him. he was going to need to walk out for some fresh air after this, that much was for sure. once again he is clearing his throat, his gaze shifting back to the picture, a small smile spreading on his lips at the otherâs comment about the picture, âyou th-think so? iâll keep it, then. m-maybe i can find a way to send it to you afterwards, yeah?â yet again his gaze shifts over to the others face, offering him a nervous, friendly smile, âiâm theo. well, theodore, but i prefer theo.â the compliment to his photography sent a light flush to his cheeks, one he hoped could be masked by the dimness of the diamond lounge, âum. whatâs, uh, your name? i hope iâm not interrupting you doing anything, uh, important. were you...â he looks over to where the bathrooms are in hopes that this guy wasnât on his way to there and he accidentally interrupted that journey. Â
to put it lightly, oli wasnât exactly a gentleman by any means. he always preferred casual sex and no strings attached encounters with people. despite this, he couldnât help but feel bad for making a joke to lexi at the âlovers bashâ over the weekend. following their central park rendezvous, oli thought it would be funny to call lexi by the name âleslieâ at the party. needless to say, it came out entirely rude and disrespectful. the last thing he wanted to do was lose someone he actually enjoyed hanging out with because of his stupid pride. after smoking a bowl and taking a shot for courage, oli stopped by the local grocery store to pick up a few things before making his way to east village to stop by her place. there was a part of him that wanted to turn around and run, but he found himself outside of her door instead. with a knock, oli took a deep breath and waited for her to answer. as the door opened to her familiar face, he immediately turned on his âcharmâ. âi come in peace,â he said, pulling out the bag of goodies he bought for her. âi brought wine and your favorite candies to make up for my shitty joke at the partyâŚ. or whatever. iâm aware that iâm an asshole and you can spank me if you want.â it wasnât quite a sorry, but he hoped it might make up for his actions.
the lovers bash had been an interesting night for lexi. at first she was beyond thrilled when she spotted oli, he was all she ever needed to bring a genuine smile to her face, but that feeling quickly turned sour when she finally did find him. even though to him it was a silly joke to mix up her name, to lexi it was not, her feelings were genuinely hurt by his actions. as a result, she had turned and walked away from for that even, the next, and a couple of evenings following. she had dove more into her work because she felt disposable again, and honestly, work was beyond delighted with her. when lexi felt worthless she gave her best performance as crazy as that sounded, hell sometimes she forced herself into a negative mindset just so she could step it up and earn a couple extra on her next paycheck. tonight was a night off for her, surprisingly, and she had intended to stay in with a glass of wine. of course her mind traveled to texting oli, she had missed his stupid smile, but instead she filled her glass and searched for something to binge watch on netflix. believe it or not, she landed on jackass the movie. the knock on her door made her jump a little, âweird.â she whispered, getting up, moving over to open the door. the sight of oli on the other end instantly made her eyebrows raise in shock, she was even more speechless when he mentioned having a bag of her favorite candy, and even more when he apologized. âcome inside, oli. lock the door behind you, okay? i only have tequila, wine, and trulys. help yourself to any of that if you want it,â she says as she walks towards her living room, pausing the movie as she enters the area once more. âyou donât have to worry about an apology, especially if...you donât really mean it. itâs fine. iâll learn how to take a joke.â reaching for her glass of wine, she takes a sip of the liquid, itâs all she can do to stop herself from saying anything else that could sound harsh.Â
for: romeo ( @scooter-and-romeoâ )
location: the diamond loungeÂ
  lexi arrived at the event fashionably late, but not on purpose. in fairness, before she came here, it felt like everything under the sun was trying to keep her away. work had been insistent on her coming in for a surprise shoot today, despite it being both requested by her to have tonight off and it approved, and they were not that thrilled when she insisted that she couldnât come in tonight. honestly, she didnât care; she was getting tired of going in just because she felt guilt for saying now. sure she needed the money, but her mental state needed the break more. tonight would be an escape from that,  tomorrow was also another night off, and lexi intended to let herself detach from her reality for just one evening. before losing herself in the music, and the molly she had tucked in her purse, she decided to sit on one of the stools in the bar area and have a drink or two. she had also gotten caught up in a text messaging thread with a good friend of hers, someone who most of her friends would be shocked she was even associated with, scooter. the presence of another coming up beside her caused her to turn and look at who could be the new company she just got, and she was pleasantly surprised when she saw the handsome familiar face. âwhy, if it isnât my churro buddy.â she offered him a sweet smile, turning her body a little more towards him, âwhat brings you out and about on this fine evening, handsome?â
euphoria. pleasure. chaos â all feelings flowing through natalia following her little bathroom rendezvous with hayden, which happened to involve a thick line of coke and fiery-drug fueled sex. it wasnât a stretch to say that natalia felt absolutely on top of the world. she was dressed to kill, which brought her a lot of attention, but none from who she really wanted to. the thought that her hook-up with kylan likely meant nothing to him infuriated her and she was on a mission to show him she didnât give a shit. it was a lie, of course, but it was easier to play the villain than let herself look like a victim. after taking another shot of tequila, natalia made her way to a group of men who were eyeballing her from across the room. in true natalia fashion, she picked the hottest one and sat upon his lap. as the two talked and flirted with one another, her dark eyes moved across the room and caught sight of someone she really didnât want to. kylan. was this the opportunity she needed? in her fucked up brain, she thought it might be. as if the universe was on her side, the dj started to play a megan thee stallion song, which happened to be her favorite artist to dance to. âwatch and learn, boys.â she teased, using a free chair to help her get on top of the table they were gathered around. her short dress didnât leave too much to the imagination as she started to sway her hips to the music, only being further encouraged by the hoots and hollers of the drunken men she was entertaining. she knew that kylan was watching and the thought filled her with vengeful arousal. her thoughts were scattered and although her body was filled with pleasure, she didnât have much of a sense of right from wrong. after about a minute of swaying her hips and stumbling in her heels, natalia started to feel dizzy and lost all sense of balance. with a sudden crash, natalia slipped off the table and fell to the floor. she managed to catch herself, but her felt her ankle twist. the pain was minor given how high she was, but she still couldnât quite orient herself enough to get off the ground. did anyone even care? she couldnât help but wonder as she laid upon the floor.
  kylan had been on cloud nine since the moment he stepped into the diamond lounge. every interaction he has had since his arrival only further enhanced his good mood, more than any amount of alcohol could ever do, but the liquor also played its part. at one point of the night, however, kylan could no longer deny that he wanted to run into natalia. ever since the night they hooked up, he hadn't really seen or heard from her. part of him knew it was his fault; he hadn't really reached out as much as he wanted to because he didn't know if she even wanted to acknowledge that what happened had happened. another part of him, a much bigger part, was terrified to bring it up because he wasn't ready for the kind of feelings that would open up within him. while he had kissed other people since that night with natalia, he hadn't slept with anyone since. of course, if she asked, he would lie like a dog and say he had a run-in with that strawberry blonde and ended up finishing off where they had left off, just because he knew that was a typical kylan thing of him to do. as he walked towards the exit door for a smoke, his dark brown eyes caught sight of the very person he had been searching for, natalia. at first, he walked over to the nearest bar to order a drink, sipping on it as he watched her entertain the drunken assholes that surrounded her. he never understood why she felt the need to put up a show for guys like that, just because they had money, or because they were what society deemed hot bachelors, he just didn't know. then again, perhaps he had always been silently jealous her attention was his entirely. before he knew it, his thoughts were interrupted; he soon saw her falling quickly to the ground. "fucking hell." he swore under his breath, not hesitating to get up and quickly make his over to help her. "yeah, a right fuckin' bunch you guys are," he shot at the drunken guys, kneeling to help natlia as much as he possibly could, "hey, what the hell? you okay?" getting a closer look at her it was obvious she was higher than a damn kite, and now he was slightly angry. he wasn't so much angry at her, but more the person who gave her the stuff. "can you get up? we should get you out of here, nat. i'll carry you bridal style if i have to, but we shouldn't be here right now."
