breakdown lane

tobias matthias newton haas. "newt". twenty-three. austrian. art conservator apprentice. silver medal pole vault olympian.

[tmnhaas]

adritimothy:

Adrienne needed a drink more than she did in the last year. With a promising few rounds of auditions for a tv show, she had just found out that the other girl she was up against for the role had been picked instead of her. Now, it was time to drink her sorrows away while going over every single instance and what they could have done differently in order to land the spot. It had been a continuous battle for years, and while they hadn’t allowed themselves to get their hopes up in a while, they had to admit that they had. Adrienne had allowed herself to be excited, and now they were paying the price for it. 

As they rose from their table to get another drink, her foot landed on an object that almost made them fall down on the ground, but luckily, with a squeal and a quick reflex to catch themselves, they stayed upright. “No, no, It’s okay. No foul, no harm. I just hope I didn’t break it.”

An apologetic look scraped across the young man’s face as he witnessed the stranger almost meet the floor. Retracting his offered hand, the foreigner provided a semi-smile, the corners of his lips teetering on a frown due to his growing embarrassment.

“I’m sure it’s alright,” Tobias replied, nodding in reassurance as he retrieved the walking stick. He gave it a quick tap on his leg as if to prove there had been no harm caused to the mobility instrument. Dark eyes flickered over to the other’s place, noticing they had ordered a drink.

“If you’d like, I can buy you a drink. You know, to make up for it,” he offered sheepishly, hoping it didn’t come off as him trying to hit on them.

[tmnhaas]

jasxncash:

                 “Oi––” The male winced as the hot coffee, cradled without a lid on his trip to the cafe’s ‘DIY fixing station’, splashed piping liquid onto the back of his hand when an unseen deterrent tripped him up. It was the kind of pain that made you angry; like a stub to a toe or a bump of a knee, and he whirled around to find a soft voice and a crimson face offering a sincere apology that meant nothing to him in a moment of ire. “Watch it, gimpy,” He snarled, unfairly so, but his mood and patience had been soured since his place got shacked. “You tryin’a fuckin’ kill me?” 

The slur flushed all color from his face, that is, until a rise of embarrassment curdled in his stomach, and once again his face was painted red, although this time out of what he assumed was rage and a dash of further anguish. His palms sweat, subconsciously rubbing them on the thighs of his jeans as he found himself averting his gaze. With his jaw grit, the foreigner took a moment to respond, to gather himself for he worried he would have done far more than offer silence if he had acted any sooner.

“... I’m sorry,” he repeated, voice tickled with frustration. “It was an accident.”

[tmnhaas]

erin-lhakpa:

Erin was making her way back from the bathroom when she saw a stick fall in front of her. Completely clueless as to what it was, Erin picked it up and looked around, only to realize the owner was right in front of her. “Oh, no worries,” she said, handing it to him. She then furrowed her brow, staring at the young man for a moment. “Hey, do you have an accent?” she asked.

The woman had been far kinder than he could have ever anticipated, which drew a soft smile to his lips as he thanked her for the return of his cane. It was, however, the next question that surprised him even more so than her kind actions.

“I... do,” the Austrian replied, laughing quietly as he nodded slowly. Normally he received questions about the walking stick, about why someone his age needed one, but this woman clearly had a different track of mind. “I’m from Austria.”

[tmnhaas]

Text

Elijah: It is a stupid rose thing. Best description there is.

Elijah: The ones with the notes that something is happening down at Lake Munroe?

Tobias: That thing about the crazy amount of break-ins, you mean?

Tobias: Pretty awful. And here I thought this town was a safe place...

[tmnhaas]

harlowtheller:

Harlow nodded her head at the muscular male and sighed. “Unfortunately for the both of us, that would be him.” She said while she dug her fingers in her pockets. The quicker they got in and out, the quicker they could go get some kind of drink. Hopefully, he wouldn’t let her do that on her own either. 

Her gaze lowered to the sound of the walking stick, for some reason, only now registering that it was there. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I don’t want to strain you.” She wanted to rush, but that was perhaps impossible for him. 

“Whenever you’re ready.”

The woman’s concern drove a stake into his heart, although it wasn’t something he wasn’t used to. People far too frequently were focused on what he couldn’t do and not what he could. A strong hand gripped the head of the walking stick, knuckles threatening to turn white as his dark gaze hovered on the cafe but a few meters away. There was no point in snapping at the woman now. Besides, she needed to get her bloody bag back. Apparently that was more important than insulting strangers.

“I’m fine,” Tobias answered, the two words almost a growl as he moved forward without her, not wanting to give her a chance at a rebuttal. That was the last thing he needed, to get into a fight with someone he had initially intended to assist.

[tmnhaas]

isabellalvna:

Isabella leaned down when something hit her feet. The brunette peeked down and kneeled to pick up the sticks that had found its way to her. Only when she rose her gaze did the surprise find her when she notice a relatively young male with a flushed expression looking at her. Somehow, she was able to decipher that it belonged to him. 

“Does this happen to be yours?” She asked with a small smile as she walked up to the male with the stick extended towards him. “Don’t worry about it. It managed to pull me out of a reverie that I was having. Which sounds a lot more nicer than saying I was probably falling asleep while awake. But here you go,” she handed it over, smiling at him. “Better keep a tight hold on that one, seems like he likes to run away.”

Her failed attempt at a joke.

Red stroked his cheeks, embarrassment evident as he offered a nod in reply, hand extended to retrieve the walking stick. It wasn’t often that he allowed himself to appear clueless, absolutely lost in his own head as what was often considered his third leg rolled away aimlessly. With the walking stick in his grasp, the graduate student sat back up properly, smile crooked as he nodded in reply to the woman’s joke, which may not have fallen as flat as she expected.

“Yea, well, it is supposed to help me walk, so maybe it decided to get some legs of its own,” the Austrian joked, offering an awkward shrug, dark eyes looking to her in thanks.

[tmnhaas]

Text

Elijah: The stupid rose thing that everyone's been talking about? Jesus, never thought I'd met a person more out of the loop than me...

Tobias: ... Alright, thanks, asshole.

Tobias: No idea what you're even talking about, by the way.

Tobias: Stupid rose thing? Real descriptive there.

[tmnhaas]

alison-harper:

Allie looked over at the man beside her when he admitted to not knowing what was going on. Honestly, she wished that was her case. Instead, she’d been watching as everyone got roses and she continued to sit to the side. Now, being at the party, she could tell that there was more to the entire event than was being told to them.

So she was willing to wait and see what was going to happen. But that meant standing by herself most of the time. That is, until he came to join her. “So basically, everyone around town either got roses or didn’t and we’re all here to see what they mean. At first I thought it meant that if you didn’t get one, you don’t get to come but then everyone got invited so that’s why we’re all here. Just waiting.”

There was an eerie aura about the event then, the woman’s explanation of what was happening causing his veins to freeze as dark eyes slowly scanned those around them. Was no one as nervous as himself? Well, perhaps he shouldn’t be considering he hadn’t received a rose and instead had happened upon the so-called party by happenstance.

Straightening where he stood, the young man cleared his throat, nodding slowly as he allowed the words to sink in, focus hovering over the crowd as his gray matter struggled to comprehend what was going on.

“Just waiting...” he murmured, brow furrowed. The ocean crashed in the background. “Waiting for what, though?”

[bananapunchmishap]

Visit Original Link

Neil Sedaka - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

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Bridgit Mendler || Atlantis

[tmnhaas]

The clatter was nothing unfamiliar. In fact, he had heard it many a’ times before, although it had been many months since it had been the reason his cheeks flushed a bright red. His walking stick, by whatever powers at be, had somehow made its way into the aisle and therefore provided a manner in which one could be tripped, which was exactly what happened.

Rising from his place, the young Austrian moved to help the other, his bum leg seeming to provide little aid as he offered a hand to the fallen one.

“I’m real sorry about that,” Tobias said, feeling the heat of embarrassment burning his face. “Doesn’t normally just have a mind of its own and roll away like that.”

[tmnhaas]

erikpowell:

Erik had ventured out to the streets of Lanford and had headed to the event for the sole purpose of writing inspiration. He hadn’t gotten a rose, and he didn’t want one. Often times, he would put himself in uncomfortable situations and purposely outside of his comfort zone to become a better writer; and see sides of life he didn’t usually see. This was something the introvert was very much not used to seeing. He flicked the pen in between his fingertips at the table covered in flower petals, candles, and the like. He noticed his bag was taking up an extra seat, and moved it out of the way for more people to sit if they so desired. “Sorry about that,” he spoke to the stranger next to him. “Hope I wasn’t keeping you standing.”

The words hadn’t been expected, and with a slight turn, the young man shook his head. Certainly he wasn’t interested in partaking in... whatever was going on here. Dark eyes scanned the crowd, faces unknown or perhaps not well lit enough to lend themselves to their owners. It was a strange thing, this, whatever that may be, and with a slight frown, the Austrian returned his attention to the man who had spoken to him.

“It’s fine,” he mumbled. “Just passing through.”

His hand curled about the head of his walking stick, brows scrunched together as he gave the group one last look over. The dark gaze retreated back to the man.

“What... is going on here, if I may ask?”

[tmnhaas]

alison-harper:

Allie went to the party despite every bone in her body telling her not to go. She had had the worst track record. Going from a failed date to a man trying to attack her to Chris who just came crashing into her life and left without another word. Everything about her love life was a disaster and this new crush she had on her boss wasn’t helping matters much. But still, she knew that if she didn’t go, she’d be the loner in town and she didn’t want to continue to be on the outside. 

So here she sat, looking at the Valentine’s day party and getting ready to either spend the night alone or try to make some kind of connection. “So what’s your deal? Did you get a rose or are you one of the unlucky ones?”

In truth, he hadn’t even known about the party, and he would’t have attended if it hadn’t been quite literally on his way. The worn soles of vintage shoes had brought him to a halt but a few meters away from a woman who seemed just as displaced as himself, although she did appear to have at least been looking to attend the event and had not just stumbled upon it as he had.

When she spoke to him, the young man raised his head, eyes narrowed against the glare of the bonfire, the heat radiating from the flames despite their distance from it. It took him but a moment to rearrange her words, a nod slowly forming as he looked back to the group that had gathered.

“Just happened upon this,” he replied, fingers tapping against the head of his walking stick. “Don’t really know what’s going on here, actually...”

[tmnhaas]

frankienotfrances:

“Oh, shit. Dude, that’s so cool!” Frankie, having dropped out of high school, was always eager to hear about the college experience, and admired those who continued with further education, despite the countless debt they were subjecting themselves to. “What’re you studyin’?”

“Oh, y’know, just… Tried the whole New York scene but it, uh… Didn’t quite turn out how I’d hoped, so just tryin’ t’save up a little on cash and see where life goes.”

“Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works,” the Austrian replied, the words humming on his lips as if they were too afraid to leave them. It was strange, really, the feeling that came over him on occasions where he was asked about his life, about what he did. It wasn’t uncommon, really, it was actually quite normal to ask that of someone you just meet, but to him? Why, to the young Haas it was a nightmare waiting to happen, his personal life something he often sought to forget about.

“I get that,” he added after a moment, a sliver of silence that seemed to find its way under his fingernails. “Kind of the same way for me. Too much going on in the city. Too many...” Newspapers. Too many people who knew who he was. “... taxis, or something. I dunno.”

[tmnhaas]

Text

Elijah: If you're at that party thing, can you please remind the powers-that-be that noise pollution is still a crime?

Tobias: Party? What party?

Tobias: Where is there a party going on?

[achasma]

Self-Portrait (detail) by Joos van Cleve, c. 1519.

[tmnhaas]

roseofthewood:

Rose stood in front of her favorite painting in the museum. She always had a fondness in her heart for the painters of the Renaissance. It reminded her of Italy, but it also was a time when people stopped fearing God and appreciating bodies again. She could stand in front of any painting of the time period for hours, analyzing how they learned the human body. Watching as, over time, everything got more and more realistic and created a new kind of worship. They were lost in their thoughts, so much so they did not notice when they weren’t the only person in the room anymore. 

The last thing they would have expected in that moment was to hear their name, and although the voice was familiar, she jumped and turned around. When she saw it was Tobias, they relaxed, a look of recognition and excitement replaced the shocked one from earlier. “Hi!” They said, moving closer to them to kiss them once on both cheek. A cultural thing they had yet to shake. They took a step back, “Weird place to run into someone on a Friday night,” they teased, amused by the coincidence. 

Their greeting was a pleasant one; a kiss on both cheeks had always been something the foreigner had been fond of, although had not been often used in his own social circles, that is, until he went many places internationally. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips as they spoke, speaking to the rather strange notion that they were seeing one another in a place that most others would have avoided on the beginning to the weekend.

A museum, specifically an art one, was a place many would venture to in order to nurse a hangover while also not wasting their free hours. A strange use, but he had seen it done on plenty of occasions.

“I wouldn’t think so,” the Austrian replied, unable to restrain the corners of his lips, which continued to pull into a smile. He had never been good about hiding that around them, his joy at getting to be in their presence, although he would consistently attribute to his desire to not always be alone in places such as this. “Considering it’s us, after all.”