[voulair]

Cameron Boyce photographed by Louie Aguila

[whybornlovat]

garcdenflower‌

His expression changed slightly as he was called out by the younger boy. “ Whatever, kid. “ he attempted to simply shrug the statement off.  Even though he never would have cared to admit it, the remark did take a hit towards his ego. “ Oh yeah and where’s yours? “ he quickly retorted. 

Wybie let out a small laugh. He could tell the other wasn’t pleased. “Me? Oh, I don’t have a date because I know I’m an outcast and a little bit of a weirdo. But, everyone else is in the wrong for not thinking this is cool,” he said, faking his confidence as he referenced his outfit. “It’s okay not to have a date, man. Don’t get mad, I was only messing with you.”

[whybornlovat]

pearlsandhermes‌

That much was true. Veronica chuckled softly before offering up a rather indifferent shrug of her shoulders. “All it takes is one slip up. You let your guard down for one second and you become someone in a horror movie.” She teased before sticking her tongue out at the other in a playful manner. Though a small pout tugged at her lips the moment the other revealed his own woes. It was something she could definitely sympathize with considering her own cosmic break had been a long time coming. “You never know, really. But I still recommend stopping in that shop either way. I think I saw a book on the shelf that was called ‘Satanic Rituals for Dummies’ so you might be in luck.” She paused. “Though it makes me wonder… what do you have to be so stressed out about? You look so young.” Maybe it was her subtle maternal instincts that had blossomed inside of her since she met Ariel. 

A bubbling laugh escaped Wybie at the mention of the book’s name. As much as he was unbothered by the strange and curious, anything related to demons or the supernatural were things he was not willing to mess with. “Yeah, I’ll have to go by and grab that book before it’s gone,” he played before sighing and giving a shrug. He didn’t like sharing his problems mostly because everyone always commented on his youth and not knowing what real problems were. He gave a shrug. “Nothing, I guess. Just tired of my life. Tired of living with my grandma, tired of being Wyborn, and tired of being a weirdo. But, I suppose some of those things I can change if I really wanted to.”

[whybornlovat]

garcdenflower‌

Nick had caught his reflection on a shiny surface and couldn’t help but be pleased by what he saw. With the collar of his leather jacket popped he couldn’t help but feel a lot cooler then he ever had. “ You know I never imagined what it would be like to live in the fifties, then again that’s probably for the best you know? I doubt it would have been anything like grease, you get what I’m saying. “ he said, making a face immediately after.  “ Hey, at least I don’t have to imagine how great I would have looked. “ he added with a wink. 

Wybie let out a scoff. “You think you look cool? I look way cooler,” he said, playfully tugging at his jacket that had may iron-on patches that he’d put on himself. “I don’t really get it, though. I mean, people can wear this stuff and the time and it wouldn’t really be that weird, so why do we have to make a big deal about it?” He asked, lips pursing. “Forget that. If you think you look so great, why don’t you have a date,” he playfully challenged as he quickly changed subjects.

[whybornlovat]

pearlsandhermes‌

Veronica matched the boy’s scoff, “Tell that to the people in horror movies who are doing seemingly innocent things before getting their insides ripped out.” She really needed to accept the fact that life wasn’t always like it was in the movies. Though maybe that was a difficult pill for her to swallow. She glanced back down at her bracelet once more, twirling it about with her fingers. “I think it did. Until now I hadn’t found anyone who loved me unconditionally like she does.” She mused. “I don’t really think I gave up anything in return for it. Maybe the cosmic plane wanted to give me a break or something because of all the shit I’ve through in the past year or so.”

“People in horror movies are stupid and oblivious,” he said rather confidently even though he could barely stand to watch anything related to the genre. He was pretty interested in the whole gaining love thing, but he didn’t want to appear to keen on it. He liked to pretend he didn’t have the sort of time for such a thing. “A cosmic break. I’m still waiting for mine, but it’s been a few years so I don’t think a bracelet is going to help me out. I’ll need, like, a whole altar and sacrifice,” he said with a laugh. He always acted as if living with his grandmother and his mother’s last gift to him never bothered him, but it did. Very much so.

[whybornlovat]

pearlsandhermes‌

Veronica arched a brow in amusement, “I’ll give it to you. You’re definitely dedicated to this collection of yours. Plus you’ve got guts if you’re out wandering about in the forest by yourself. The woods on the outskirts of town give me the absolute creeps. They’re the setting of a horror movie waiting to happen.” She teased. As for the mention of Wednesday’s store, she cleared her throat slightly. “It’s definitely a bit creepy. The owner is definitely the thing that makes it weird in a not so interesting way. But, I have bought something from there. It’s a bit lame but…” She lifted her wrist to show off a charm bracelet. “It’s supposed to bring love into your life and it’s worked for me.”

Wybie playfully scoffed as he rolled his eyes. “The woods aren’t scary. As long as you’re not doing anything stupid out there, then you should be fine,” he advised though it wasn’t very good considering that could be applied to just about anything. He looked over at the bracelet, lips pursing together. He wouldn’t necessarily be interested in jewelry, but the fact that it appeared to work was definitely something he would look into. “It really brought you love? Just like that? Doesn’t magic require some sort of equal exchange thing? What did you give up for it?”

[whybornlovat]

pearlsandhermes‌

It was probably more than clear at this point that Veronica wasn’t experiencing the same amusement that the boy felt. Instead, she simply let out a hum of acknowledgment as she tilted her head to the side. “How on earth could she consider those things gross?” She knew that she shouldn’t allow her sarcasm to shine through but it was harder than she thought to resist it. “Although I’m kinda curious where you manage to dig these treasures up. You might have some luck in that weird shop downtown run by our local goth girl if you ever get bored or at a loss for ideas when it comes to that collection.”

Wybie didn’t register the sarcasm until it was a bit too late, lips pursing. “They aren’t gross, alright? They’re clean and natural,” he defended. “But, I find them around town, usually. Like, in the forest or in stuff people are giving away. And, sometimes I’m lucky enough to find them on the walls,” he said, attention coming back to his little bug skin. “I haven’t ever gone in there. It seems a bit too weird. Like, weird in a way that isn’t a good weird. But, I suppose I should check it out. Have you ever gotten anything from there?”

[whybornlovat]

moonpvwers‌

She took the gift, staring at in silently in awe for a few moments. It wasn’t the first time she had gotten a gift from someone, but it looked so nice, like actual time and thought went into it she couldn’t help but be a little flustered by it. “I love it.” Lola said, fying forward to pull Wybie into a quick hug before she pulled back, eyes wide. “Sorry, sorry, I shouldn’t just throw myself at people, I know, I got a little excited. People don’t usually just make me things though. I can’t believe you thought I’d throw it out.” She said, energy quieting a little as she looked back and forth between the gift and Wybie.

Wybie was startled by the sudden hug, too shocked to properly react before it was over. He shook his head, speechless. “It’s okay. I don’t mind as long as you’re happy about the gift,” he said. He shrugged. “I don’t know. People don’t usually like weird stuff like this. Pretty girls usually like flowers of chocolate or something nice like that,” he said. Clearly, his understanding of what girls like was all from television and movies.

[whybornlovat]

Valentine’s Starter for Wybie and Lola: @moonpvwers

Wybie’s fingers tangled with each other as he tried to muster up the will and courage to hand over the small gift in his bag. The girl was really pretty and seemed to embody sunshine. So, he decided to take one of the flowers from his grandmother’s beloved garden (something he’d get yelled at for later) and tied it to a heart structure he fashioned out of scraps of metal from colanders, old car parts, and other various things. “Excuse me, Lola?” He asked softly, awkwardly shifting his feet before pulling out the gift. “This doesn’t have to mean anything, but it’s for you. It’s kind of lame. You could throw it out if you want to, but just don’t let me see.”

[whybornlovat]

garcdenflower‌

“ I can’t believe how much junk my parent’s have in our basement. “ Coraline complained as she tossed a handful of random trinkets into the cardboard box that she had gathered up. Her parents had lazily put her in charge of cleaning out the basement, since they claimed to not have anytime to do so. Not only was it her family’s old things that she had to sort through but also the previous owners of the house. While it was certainly a chore the girl had been hoping to find some cool things she could keep among the junk. Maybe even sell some of it. After all was said and done she had hauled out the large box behind her ready to toss out whatever was deemed useless or just plain old trash. When she caught someone looking at the box she gave them a smirk. “ See something you like? You can keep whatever you want. I was just planning on tossing most of it anyway. “ 

“Tossing it out?” Wybie asked, distraught and surprised as he begun rummaging through the box as if it were some sort of treasure trove. “There’s so many useful things in here. You just don’t know how to use it,” he said, pulling out a few things and stowing them away in his bag he always carried. “I mean, yeah some of it could be thrown away, but not all of it.” Wybie was a born tinkerer. He loved taking things apart and putting them back together, though usually not back to the same state it was. But, he was also a hoarder and couldn’t resist taking things just to have them just in case he needed them. He never really ended up needing them in the end. “Why are you getting rid of it all anyway? It wasn’t hurting anyone keeping it wherever you pulled it from.”

[whybornlovat]

pearlsandhermes‌

“Yikes, can you learn how to be more polite?” Veronica scoffed but still stepped out of the other’s way nonetheless. No matter how strong the temptation was to keep standing there and pretending as if she hadn’t heard the boy’s request. No matter how annoyed she felt she couldn’t help let her curiosity get to her as she watched him pick up the beetle’s exoskeleton. “I don’t know whether to be intrigued or grossed out. It’s pretty neat though.” She offered a small shrug of her shoulders. “You should keep it though. Do you have like a collection or something?”

Wybie shrugged off the politeness comment. He could come off a bit rude sometimes, but it was never on purpose. “Definitely intrigued,” he answered for her, happily keeping the exoskeleton to himself. “Yes, kind of. It’s a collection, but not the kind where it’s all the same thing. I have some rhino beetle shells, but also some cool rocks, green goop that’s probably radioactive, a small bone, and some other stuff. You could see it if you want, but it might be considered gross and my grandma doesn’t like it when I bring people over.”

[whybornlovat]

necrlywitches‌

“it’s a rattler, no idea about anything else. snapped it up at a yard sale, and an alligator skull,” hella didn’t mind dead things, though she put it down to her job. what was a tiny beetle carcass and a stuffed snake to a cold, dead human being? not much. “if you wanna. i took a picture to show it off at work. you’re scared of reptiles? why? they’re brilliant creatures,”

“Wow, that’s so cool!” He was clearly very intrigued with the dead things. He could be squeamish, but only where blood and guts were involved. “Show me the picture! But, they’re totally weird and creepy and can bite you and kill you,” he said, as if it was obvious. “Their teeth face backward so you can’t pull away and some of them can even eat a whole deer. That means they could eat me and there’s no way I want to deal with that.”

[whybornlovat]

moonpvwers‌

“Yikes?” Aria questioned, an eyebrow raised. She may not have liked being told what to do but she shifted nonetheless. Despite starting slightly put off she held out her hand, offering to take the shell. She wasn’t at all squeamish with things like bugs after all, especially one that was nothing more than a shell. “At the very least I’ll move it to the dirt where it’s meant to disintegrate. i’m sure it’s seconds from falling apart with how long it might have been in the wall.”

Wybie pouted slightly at the thought of the shell decomposing. Sure, it was good for the environment and all, but it wasn’t everyday you got to find an intact shell like this one. “What, c’mon. Don’t do that. Look at it, it’s so nice. You should keep it like a tiny ornament. It can be like those tiny glass cat statues people have, but its a bug and it’s not glass.”

[whybornlovat]

apricotjvice‌

Stephanie blinked in surprise as she stepped aside for the younger male to get a proper look at whatever caught his interest, matching his piqued interest when she finally saw what he had spotted. “It is rather peculiar, but fascinating nonetheless. I’ve never seen a beetle’s shell this closely before.” She gingerly took it from the boy’s hand and examined it over. “It feels so fragile for such a strong insect.” She chuckled, glancing up at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to keep it?”

Wybie felt like he’d made some sort of rare connection. There was someone who actually appreciated the shell almost as much as he did. He nodded quickly. “Yeah, keep it. It’s pretty cool. You can see where its eyes were and its tiny feet. It’s almost kind of cute, but I definitely did not say that,” he said, shaking his head. “I want to go to a zoo and see the building with the reptiles and bugs, but my grandmother won’t let me go.”

[whybornlovat]

ofbrightstars‌

Alicia was waiting for her friend, Jane, to finish up with singing lessons when she heard a voice asking her to move. She was a bit caught off guard at first but did as she was told, stepping aside so the boy who looked to be about her age to do whatever he pleased. Though a look of disgust was quick to distort her features the moment she spotted the shell that the boy held in his hand, “Ew, why the hell would I want that?” She scoffed and stepped backward, not daring to touch it. “Here, take this.” In one swift movement, she pulled a mini bottle of hand-sanitizer from her pocket and offer it out to the boy.

The girl’s reaction wasn’t a surprise. Not a lot of people liked bugs, after all. But, they didn’t have to like bugs to find the shells of them cool. He looked at the small bottle, confused. “Why do I want that? There aren’t any germs on this,” he said, delicately putting the tiny shell into one of his many pockets while hoping it wouldn’t get crushed on his way home. “You know what’s dirtier than that? Cell phones and door knobs. Those are the real things you should be sanitizing.”

[whybornlovat]

necrlywitches‌

when being given a dead bug was the highlight of her day, hella considered her life at an all-time low. the boy’s enthusiasm for the thing was strange but oddly infectious. “uh, sure,” was all she could say, putting it carefully inside one of her jackets hidden pockets. “i’ll put on my snake. not a real one, i have a taxidermy. this’ll look kinda good near it. thanks, weird kid,”

Wybie was a bit surprised that the woman wasn’t squeamish about the little carcass, but was fairly pleased as well. “a taxidermy snake? that’s pretty cool. what kind of snake is it? can i see it?” he asked. despite his usually reclusive nature, the whole dead snake thing helped him feel a bit more sociable. “if it was a live snake, that would probably be, uh, a bit more not my tune.” in all actuality, he was terrified of live snakes.

[whybornlovat]

“Yikes, can you move?” He asks before shifting slightly to get a better view of the beetle shell stuck to the side of a wall. He took a picture quickly before putting his camera down. “Crazy how it’s still there, you know? Usually they’re gone by now. You want it?” He asked, plucking the hollow exoskeleton off the wall with care before holding it out for the other to either take, examine, or disregard.