Ravager @youngjustice-ravager - Tumblr Blog

#seriously #she's been at least neutral if not outright heroic for 90% of her existence #AU's and the New 52 notwithstanding #hell she's appeared more times as a member of the Teen Titans than anywhere else

um, I'd like to propose a motion to disqualify Rose on account of her... not being a villain and not really in need of redemption?

comicpolls

Favourite Legacy Character: Round Two Match Twenty-Four of Thirty-Two

Connor Hawke (Green Arrow)

Rose Wilson (Ravager)

Voting ended onDec 24, 2025

#Rooooose!

dc-tournaments

Bestest Sibling Ever Semifinals

Nightwing | Dick Grayson

Ravager | Rose Wilson

Voting ended onSep 6, 2025

agent371

Okay as Joey Wilsons official actual husband I would like to weigh in on this and that is Rose is okay but like she hardly knows her siblings, Grant died before she met him and she's and okay sibling to Joey but she never even learned sign language for him (she might have but I'm still reading through Deathstroke 2016 but at the point where im at she still hasn't) so I'm not sure she should win this again Dick (who is like the best brother in DC)

#they just gave Joey the ability to speak again after a couple years so it never really came up a lot.

Maybe not in the current continuity, but in the original continuity she absolutely learned sign language for him.

Door to Door Service (Rose Real Au)

“So…” His eyes narrowed as he examined one of the amps circuit boards. He’d have to replace it. “What’d you have to do to get the group to agree to name the band only after you?”

“Uhhh, well I kind of brought the band together. And I’m the lead singer…and lead guitarist. I don’t know, I guess it just fit. They all seemed to like it anyway.” Rose lowered her gaze to her computer screen, scanning the list of song titles– Twisted Thorns, When The Petal Falls, Wilting Willow, Blood Orchid, to name a few. “Although I suppose we could stand to name less of our songs with flower themes…”

Luckily only one circuit board was damaged but the wires were a mess. He grabbed his wire clippers and got to work. “Yeah….flowers don’t exactly fit the whole rock band thing.”

Rose frowned. “Well it worked for Guns and Roses. I mean, sort of. Whatever, we do our own thing anyway.” With a sigh, she flipped her laptop closed and dropped it on the coffee table in front of her, then reached for the remote to turn the TV on. “So uh, do you want a drink, or...?”

Door to Door Service (Rose Real Au)

Virgil returned with a hand full of parts and a few spools of wire. He sat cross legged next to the broken amp dumped his load next to himself. “I don’t recognize any of this,” he said as he began to dismantle the amp. “Is that your band?”

“Hmm?” Rose looked up from her laptop, coming out of her concentration. “Oh, yeah. Red Like Roses, that’s us. Roses, since…I’m Rose. I thought it sounded cool. And really this isn’t our best work, I’m just listening to see where we need to improve. I can go into the other room if you want to work in silence.”

“So…” His eyes narrowed as he examined one of the amps circuit boards. He’d have to replace it. “What’d you have to do to get the group to agree to name the band only after you?”

“Uhhh, well I kind of brought the band together. And I’m the lead singer...and lead guitarist. I don’t know, I guess it just fit. They all seemed to like it anyway.” Rose lowered her gaze to her computer screen, scanning the list of song titles-- Twisted Thorns, When The Petal Falls, Wilting Willow, Blood Orchid, to name a few. “Although I suppose we could stand to name less of our songs with flower themes...”

Door to Door Service (Rose Real Au)

“Yep!” Virgil said as he stood. “It will take an hour or two but It can be done. I’ll be right back,” He said as he headed back to his truck.

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.” An hour or two? Rose cringed. She only hoped her mother had chosen to take a late day at work, otherwise this would probably get awkward. The only thing to do now was sit and wait for the guy to be done fixing the amp. While Virgil was out getting the parts in his truck, Rose made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a can of iced tea, then plopped herself down on the couch in the living room. She pulled out her laptop and opened some of her band’s music files to listen back to. If she couldn’t practice right now, she could at least try and pinpoint where they needed improvement.

Virgil returned with a hand full of parts and a few spools of wire. He sat cross legged next to the broken amp dumped his load next to himself. “I don’t recognize any of this,” he said as he began to dismantle the amp. “Is that your band?”

“Hmm?” Rose looked up from her laptop, coming out of her concentration. “Oh, yeah. Red Like Roses, that’s us. Roses, since...I’m Rose. I thought it sounded cool. And really this isn’t our best work, I’m just listening to see where we need to improve. I can go into the other room if you want to work in silence.”

Door to Door Service (Rose Real Au)

Virgil hurried to follow Rose into her apartment. She rambled on trying to explain the problem but Virgil only caught every other word. He figured that checking things out for himself would be the best bet. “Uhhhh,” he started as he pulled on his gloves. “Technically anything can explode under the right conditions.” He touched the amp lightly as he gave it an inspection. “In this case it looks like it needed to be serviced and cleaned for a while. All that dust trapped inside caused it to over heat, that’s all. Give me a sec, I have spare parts in my truck I just need to get a working list of what parts need to be replaced.”

Rose huffed a breath of relief as Virgil explained the problem to him. From the sound of it, he knew what the issue was and had the required replacement parts. That was a good sign. “You you can fix it? That’s good… I would have been totally boned if I needed to buy a new amp for our gig on Friday.” She leaned over him, curiously looking into the back of the amp. She had no idea what he saw in that mess, but she didn’t bother to question it.

“Yep!” Virgil said as he stood. “It will take an hour or two but It can be done. I’ll be right back,” He said as he headed back to his truck.

“Thanks, you’re a lifesaver.” An hour or two? Rose cringed. She only hoped her mother had chosen to take a late day at work, otherwise this would probably get awkward. The only thing to do now was sit and wait for the guy to be done fixing the amp. While Virgil was out getting the parts in his truck, Rose made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a can of iced tea, then plopped herself down on the couch in the living room. She pulled out her laptop and opened some of her band’s music files to listen back to. If she couldn’t practice right now, she could at least try and pinpoint where they needed improvement.

Door to Door Service (Rose Real Au)

After finally finding a parking spot Virgil grabbed his tool box and exited his truck. He’d check things out first and then go grab any parts he’d need. Sometimes the problem was simple enough that all he’d need were his tools anyway, so there was no point in lugging parts through someone’s house. Virgil checked the address in his email again before pushing the doorbell. He fiddled with is backwards facing cap while he waited for the door to be answered.

Rose practically ran for the door when the bell rang. She probably looked a little odd when she threw the door open, but she didn’t care. She just really wanted her amp fixed. “Hey, Virgil, right? Come on in, amp’s in the living room.”

She was already walking away and waving for him to follow her by the time she finished talking. When they made it to the living room, she gestured towards the amp, the back of which was exposed to reveal a jumble of wires and a slightly seared case where the wiring had sparked and caught fire. Not a big fire…but enough to fry the circuitry.

“Okay, so I don’t know what went wrong with it. It just…frizzed out one day when we were practicing and the whole system nearly exploded. I mean, I think. Can amps explode?”

Virgil hurried to follow Rose into her apartment. She rambled on trying to explain the problem but Virgil only caught every other word. He figured that checking things out for himself would be the best bet. “Uhhhh,” he started as he pulled on his gloves. “Technically anything can explode under the right conditions.” He touched the amp lightly as he gave it an inspection. “In this case it looks like it needed to be serviced and cleaned for a while. All that dust trapped inside caused it to over heat, that’s all. Give me a sec, I have spare parts in my truck I just need to get a working list of what parts need to be replaced.”

Rose huffed a breath of relief as Virgil explained the problem to him. From the sound of it, he knew what the issue was and had the required replacement parts. That was a good sign. “You you can fix it? That’s good... I would have been totally boned if I needed to buy a new amp for our gig on Friday.” She leaned over him, curiously looking into the back of the amp. She had no idea what he saw in that mess, but she didn’t bother to question it.

Door to Door Service (Rose Real Au)

It didn’t take long for Virgil to realize that living in this part of New York was expensive as fuck. He’d managed to get a part time job at an autoshop, and shared an apartment with two other dudes and one chick (who were just as broke as he was) but that still wasn’t enough to keep his costs manageable. So he turned to the internet for help. He put out general ads on craigslist promising to be able to fix anything from alarm clocks to tractor engines.

He had always had a habit of picking up junk, most of it he’d planed to fix one day but never got around to it. His mom made him take his mountains of old and broken electronics with him when he moved away for college, so on top of rent he also had to pay for storage space. He hoped that he’d be able to use a bit of that junk in his new “business”. So far he’d only gotten a few hits on his craigslist ad but it was better than being ignored outright. This morning he’d gotten a reply.

The job seemed simple enough. His customer had some problems with her amp set up and probably didn’t feel like lugging it to a professional. Her place was in a part of town that he wasn’t familiar with, but that’s what the gps on his phone was for. After his classes were done he took his truck to his storage space in order to pick up an older pair of amps he happened to have, as well a few spools of wire. And as he drove off to his jobs location he promised himself for the umpteenth time that he would wash his truck. It really gave a bad impression.

Rose had attempted to fix the amp herself, not wanting to pay for service–or worse, a new one–but considering her areas of expertise revolved around singing and playing the guitar, her fiddling with the electronics had only resulted in a few rather painful shocks. After being forced to fix her frazzled hair one too many times, she had finally given in and made an appointment to have someone come fix it for her.

Not a professional, of course. Rose’s band was still small, and her gigs didn’t pay much. She managed to get by, but she still lived in her mother’s apartment where she didn’t have to pay rent. The first chance she got, she’d move out and get her own place, but for the time being she couldn’t afford that. People often said that starving artists have it rough, well barely up and coming musicians didn’t have it much better. For all she knew, her band was still years off from scoring a record deal, and even if they did there was no guarantee it would be a big success.

Not having to pay rent right now was nice for sure, but she still had to pay for everything else, from clothes to her phone bill to entertainment expenses, and especially her music equipment. New gear was expensive, and so were the specialists who fixed it. A far cheaper ad on craigslist had been just the thing she needed. That was of course assuming he could fix the problem. If not, then she’d be wasting her time and money, and with her next gig just a few days away, that would leave her in a bad spot.

And that left her waiting home alone in her apartment for this guy to show up, pacing back and forth as she kept looking to the clock. There was no telling when her mom would be home–her hours varied greatly depending on how long she felt like looking after her workers–and Rose would really rather this be done before she got home. The last thing she needed was her mother handing over her card to another unsuspecting person. It was bad enough her mom’s work entailed what it did; Rose didn’t need the added embarrassment of some random repair guy being offered a free first session at her mother’s ‘massage parlor’.

After finally finding a parking spot Virgil grabbed his tool box and exited his truck. He’d check things out first and then go grab any parts he’d need. Sometimes the problem was simple enough that all he’d need were his tools anyway, so there was no point in lugging parts through someone’s house. Virgil checked the address in his email again before pushing the doorbell. He fiddled with is backwards facing cap while he waited for the door to be answered.

Rose practically ran for the door when the bell rang. She probably looked a little odd when she threw the door open, but she didn’t care. She just really wanted her amp fixed. “Hey, Virgil, right? Come on in, amp’s in the living room.”

She was already walking away and waving for him to follow her by the time she finished talking. When they made it to the living room, she gestured towards the amp, the back of which was exposed to reveal a jumble of wires and a slightly seared case where the wiring had sparked and caught fire. Not a big fire...but enough to fry the circuitry.

“Okay, so I don’t know what went wrong with it. It just...frizzed out one day when we were practicing and the whole system nearly exploded. I mean, I think. Can amps explode?”

Door to Door Service (Rose Real Au)

It didn’t take long for Virgil to realize that living in this part of New York was expensive as fuck. He’d managed to get a part time job at an autoshop, and shared an apartment with two other dudes and one chick (who were just as broke as he was) but that still wasn’t enough to keep his costs manageable. So he turned to the internet for help. He put out general ads on craigslist promising to be able to fix anything from alarm clocks to tractor engines.

He had always had a habit of picking up junk, most of it he’d planed to fix one day but never got around to it. His mom made him take his mountains of old and broken electronics with him when he moved away for college, so on top of rent he also had to pay for storage space. He hoped that he’d be able to use a bit of that junk in his new “business”. So far he’d only gotten a few hits on his craigslist ad but it was better than being ignored outright. This morning he’d gotten a reply.

The job seemed simple enough. His customer had some problems with her amp set up and probably didn’t feel like lugging it to a professional. Her place was in a part of town that he wasn’t familiar with, but that’s what the gps on his phone was for. After his classes were done he took his truck to his storage space in order to pick up an older pair of amps he happened to have, as well a few spools of wire. And as he drove off to his jobs location he promised himself for the umpteenth time that he would wash his truck. It really gave a bad impression.

Rose had attempted to fix the amp herself, not wanting to pay for service--or worse, a new one--but considering her areas of expertise revolved around singing and playing the guitar, her fiddling with the electronics had only resulted in a few rather painful shocks. After being forced to fix her frazzled hair one too many times, she had finally given in and made an appointment to have someone come fix it for her.

Not a professional, of course. Rose’s band was still small, and her gigs didn’t pay much. She managed to get by, but she still lived in her mother’s apartment where she didn’t have to pay rent. The first chance she got, she’d move out and get her own place, but for the time being she couldn’t afford that. People often said that starving artists have it rough, well barely up and coming musicians didn’t have it much better. For all she knew, her band was still years off from scoring a record deal, and even if they did there was no guarantee it would be a big success.

Not having to pay rent right now was nice for sure, but she still had to pay for everything else, from clothes to her phone bill to entertainment expenses, and especially her music equipment. New gear was expensive, and so were the specialists who fixed it. A far cheaper ad on craigslist had been just the thing she needed. That was of course assuming he could fix the problem. If not, then she’d be wasting her time and money, and with her next gig just a few days away, that would leave her in a bad spot.

And that left her waiting home alone in her apartment for this guy to show up, pacing back and forth as she kept looking to the clock. There was no telling when her mom would be home--her hours varied greatly depending on how long she felt like looking after her workers--and Rose would really rather this be done before she got home. The last thing she needed was her mother handing over her card to another unsuspecting person. It was bad enough her mom’s work entailed what it did; Rose didn’t need the added embarrassment of some random repair guy being offered a free first session at her mother’s ‘massage parlor’.

Red Like Roses [Real World AU]

speedyisdeadnow:

There was a point in his life, about two years ago, when this would have come naturally for him. He recognized the quick glance Rose gave him, cursory once over that lingered on his face. It made him angry. That was another lifetime and another Harper.

Harper turned away from her and downed his beer. He should get up and leave. Find another bar… Do something else. Not that he did anything else.

He knew it wasn’t her fault. She was drunk and he was probably the closest guy to her age. Still, it irritated him. Her presence was never invited, he had been trying to drink himself into a stupor by himself. He hadn’t invited her over or even looked in her direction.

A thought dawned on him. “Did my brother put you up to this?” His eyes narrowed. People didn’t just talk to him like this. They were afraid of him. Leave it to Roy to try to be helpful.

Rose scrunched her eyebrows. “Your…brother?” she muttered, trying to shake her mind a little clearer to be sure she had heard him right. She was starting to wish she hadn’t downed so many drinks so fast. “Um, okay no, I don’t know your brother. Or even knew you had one.”

Perhaps she should have noticed the signs before she started talking to this guy. He didn’t exactly seem like the friendly sort, as grumpy as his natural demeanor appeared. Heck, if the roles were reversed and he had been trying to talk to her when she just wanted to drink and be left alone, she would have brushed him off. She really needed to better control her alcohol intake before bothering people who didn’t want to be bothered.

“Anyway, I can see you don’t want to talk, so…” Rose turned back to the bartender and held up a hand. “Uh yeah gimme a…water.”

She seemed genuinely confused at the mention of his brother, but Harper had already made up his mind. She had backed off at the mention of Roy for a reason. His brother wasn’t a bad person, it was just hard for him to really get what Harper was going through. Things were different now.

Harper settled into his seat and blankly stared ahead as he held his empty glass. Being alone was so much better, and much more satisfying.

The bartender pointed at him and Harper pushed his glass forward. “Tall Yuengling,” He replied gruffly.

The bartender came back with his beer, and a receipt from his tab. “Sorry,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow. “Accidentally closed you out, I’ll open it back up but I need you to sign this,” the bartender left a pen and the small receipt in front of Harper, before delivering more drinks.

Harper picked up the pen with his left hand and transferred it to his metallic right. Two years of practice didn’t lead to a legible signature, and his bank had called him enough times about potential fraud with his left handed attempts. His arm was surprisingly nimble for being metal, and his signature was only a bit sloppier than before the war.

A female bartender returned just as he finished signing to deliver Rose’s water. She glanced over at Harper and added cheerfully. “Thank you for your service. Roy was here last night and he told me the story. You’re a real hero and that’s pretty cool,” She had turned away, oblivious to the burning glare that Harper sent to her back.

His brother seriously needed to fuck off sometimes.

Rose sipped her water, hoping that she hadn’t already ruined her night by drinking too much. She could normally hold her liquor pretty well, but sometimes she went overboard and ended up hovering over the restroom toilet. When Harper ordered his next drink, she caught the conversation and turned her head in curiosity. The bartender was thanking him for his service… what service?

Then she noticed the hand, shiny and obviously made of solid metal. Oh, that kind of service. The next thing she noticed was the spiteful glare Harper bore through the back of the woman’s skull as she walked away. Didn’t take a sober person to notice he was barely holding in his annoyance. Looking back to her water, she huffed.

“I take it you’ve heard enough of the whole ‘thank you blah blah’ shpeal, huh?” She took another gulp, then set her glass down. “You know, my dad was in the military too. At least, that’s what my mom told me. I never actually met him.”

As if Harper wasn’t irritated enough, the rocker chick had to speak up again. She was acting like they had something in common. Like she knew what he was going through. That was more insulting than the bartenders pity.

“Oh gee, we have so much in common, clearly,” he snapped. Who cared about her daddy issues. Harper didn’t come to the bar to deal with self-absorbed party girls. He was being extremely rude now, but he had no one to impress, especially not this girl.

Well, she had to tried to be nice. Then again, she was drunk too, so that probably didn’t help. Still, even while drunk she could spot a dick when it was being that obvious. This Harper guy clearly didn’t want to talk, which probably would have been find with her if he’d stated that to begin with. Instead, he had be passive aggressive and sarcastic about it.

“Well, you have yourself a nice night,” she said, already standing up and fishing money out of her wallet to pay for her drinks. As she slapped the bills on the counter and moved away from her stool, she glanced back and added, “A little tip though: if you don’t want to be around people that badly, just get drunk home alone instead of going to a fucking bar. Asshole.”

Red Like Roses [Real World AU]

speedyisdeadnow:

There was a point in his life, about two years ago, when this would have come naturally for him. He recognized the quick glance Rose gave him, cursory once over that lingered on his face. It made him angry. That was another lifetime and another Harper.

Harper turned away from her and downed his beer. He should get up and leave. Find another bar… Do something else. Not that he did anything else.

He knew it wasn’t her fault. She was drunk and he was probably the closest guy to her age. Still, it irritated him. Her presence was never invited, he had been trying to drink himself into a stupor by himself. He hadn’t invited her over or even looked in her direction.

A thought dawned on him. “Did my brother put you up to this?” His eyes narrowed. People didn’t just talk to him like this. They were afraid of him. Leave it to Roy to try to be helpful.

Rose scrunched her eyebrows. “Your…brother?” she muttered, trying to shake her mind a little clearer to be sure she had heard him right. She was starting to wish she hadn’t downed so many drinks so fast. “Um, okay no, I don’t know your brother. Or even knew you had one.”

Perhaps she should have noticed the signs before she started talking to this guy. He didn’t exactly seem like the friendly sort, as grumpy as his natural demeanor appeared. Heck, if the roles were reversed and he had been trying to talk to her when she just wanted to drink and be left alone, she would have brushed him off. She really needed to better control her alcohol intake before bothering people who didn’t want to be bothered.

“Anyway, I can see you don’t want to talk, so…” Rose turned back to the bartender and held up a hand. “Uh yeah gimme a…water.”

She seemed genuinely confused at the mention of his brother, but Harper had already made up his mind. She had backed off at the mention of Roy for a reason. His brother wasn’t a bad person, it was just hard for him to really get what Harper was going through. Things were different now.

Harper settled into his seat and blankly stared ahead as he held his empty glass. Being alone was so much better, and much more satisfying.

The bartender pointed at him and Harper pushed his glass forward. “Tall Yuengling,” He replied gruffly.

The bartender came back with his beer, and a receipt from his tab. “Sorry,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow. “Accidentally closed you out, I’ll open it back up but I need you to sign this,” the bartender left a pen and the small receipt in front of Harper, before delivering more drinks.

Harper picked up the pen with his left hand and transferred it to his metallic right. Two years of practice didn’t lead to a legible signature, and his bank had called him enough times about potential fraud with his left handed attempts. His arm was surprisingly nimble for being metal, and his signature was only a bit sloppier than before the war.

A female bartender returned just as he finished signing to deliver Rose’s water. She glanced over at Harper and added cheerfully. “Thank you for your service. Roy was here last night and he told me the story. You’re a real hero and that’s pretty cool,” She had turned away, oblivious to the burning glare that Harper sent to her back.

His brother seriously needed to fuck off sometimes.

#red like roses #hopefully that works?

Rose sipped her water, hoping that she hadn’t already ruined her night by drinking too much. She could normally hold her liquor pretty well, but sometimes she went overboard and ended up hovering over the restroom toilet. When Harper ordered his next drink, she caught the conversation and turned her head in curiosity. The bartender was thanking him for his service... what service?

Then she noticed the hand, shiny and obviously made of solid metal. Oh, that kind of service. The next thing she noticed was the spiteful glare Harper bore through the back of the woman’s skull as she walked away. Didn’t take a sober person to notice he was barely holding in his annoyance. Looking back to her water, she huffed.

“I take it you’ve heard enough of the whole ‘thank you blah blah’ shpeal, huh?” She took another gulp, then set her glass down. “You know, my dad was in the military too. At least, that’s what my mom told me. I never actually met him.”

Red Like Roses [Real World AU]

It took Harper a moment to realize that the woman near him was talking to him. That…didn’t happen often. His twin had said that Harper had a permanent scowl that turned people away. Harper didn’t really care.

His right hand was constantly buried in his jacket pocket, which mean the woman would not have seen the prosthetic. Not that it mattered to Harper, he didn’t really care about socializing.

“The show?” The pause had been a bit too long, almost uncomfortably so. It took another pause to realize she had been referring to the band that had finished close to an hour ago. “Only the last song, thankfully,” She was Asian, though she had dyed her hair a different color. Not that that was unusual in the city, but it said a lot about her in a seconds glance.

“Thankfully?” Rose raised an eyebrow and took another gulp of her drink. “Well, can’t appeal to everyone I guess. And to be honest it’s not one of our better songs.” She thought a moment, swirling her drink around in its glass. Then, coming to an apparent revelation, she groaned and sank her head down. “Damn, we totally should have ended with ‘Twisted Thorns’! Would have fit the flow so much better!”

He felt slightly guilty when he realized that she was in the band. “Sorry….I-er….I don’t like loud music,” He settled on, turning his head away from her and taking a long gulp of his beer. He wasn’t brought up to be an asshole, and some common courtesies were still ingrained in him. “Forgot it was Friday.”

“Oh, not a music fan?” Rose gulped the rest of her drink and turned towards the guy, tapping her fingers on the bar counter. “I get it. Still, it’s fine, I know we still need to work on song selection. We only have like forty-five minutes to try and win over people,so we’re constantly rotating our songs every time we play. A few of them we make sure to play every time because they’re our best ones, but others…well, like I said, needs work.”

She paused a moment, turning back to the bar to get her fifth drink of the night, then refocused on the guy next to her. “So, you don’t usually come on Fridays, huh? What’s your name? I’m Rose.”

God, she was talkative. His lips pursed and he could feel his palms start to sweat. He never used to have this problem talking to people, but ever since the accident, it was like he could never settle down. She was doing enough talking for the both of them, which was a mix of relief and confusion to him.

When he glanced over to answer, he noticed she had her right hand extended. Harper winced. He really hated handshakes, but ignoring her would be offensive as well. “I’m not going- I can’t shake your hand. But my name is Harper.”

“You can’t…” Rose trailed off as she looked down at the man’s right hand, which was currently lodged deep n his jacket pocket. She didn’t quite get what he meant, but she decided it was probably best not to question it. “Uh, well alright I guess. Nice to meet you, in any case. Harper.”

After setting her drink down (definitely her last, as she had already had way too much), she gave Harper a closer look. He was actually pretty attractive, now that she was noticing. Not that she made a habit of trying to pick up guys Friday nights, but it was something worth noting.

“Sooo…what brings you here on a day you don’t usually come here?”

There was a point in his life, about two years ago, when this would have come naturally for him. He recognized the quick glance Rose gave him, cursory once over that lingered on his face. It made him angry. That was another lifetime and another Harper.

Harper turned away from her and downed his beer. He should get up and leave. Find another bar… Do something else. Not that he did anything else.

He knew it wasn’t her fault. She was drunk and he was probably the closest guy to her age. Still, it irritated him. Her presence was never invited, he had been trying to drink himself into a stupor by himself. He hadn’t invited her over or even looked in her direction.

A thought dawned on him. “Did my brother put you up to this?” His eyes narrowed. People didn’t just talk to him like this. They were afraid of him. Leave it to Roy to try to be helpful.

Rose scrunched her eyebrows. “Your...brother?” she muttered, trying to shake her mind a little clearer to be sure she had heard him right. She was starting to wish she hadn’t downed so many drinks so fast. “Um, okay no, I don’t know your brother. Or even knew you had one.”

Perhaps she should have noticed the signs before she started talking to this guy. He didn’t exactly seem like the friendly sort, as grumpy as his natural demeanor appeared. Heck, if the roles were reversed and he had been trying to talk to her when she just wanted to drink and be left alone, she would have brushed him off. She really needed to better control her alcohol intake before bothering people who didn’t want to be bothered.

“Anyway, I can see you don’t want to talk, so...” Rose turned back to the bartender and held up a hand. “Uh yeah gimme a...water.”

Red Like Roses [Real World AU]

It took Harper a moment to realize that the woman near him was talking to him. That…didn’t happen often. His twin had said that Harper had a permanent scowl that turned people away. Harper didn’t really care.

His right hand was constantly buried in his jacket pocket, which mean the woman would not have seen the prosthetic. Not that it mattered to Harper, he didn’t really care about socializing.

“The show?” The pause had been a bit too long, almost uncomfortably so. It took another pause to realize she had been referring to the band that had finished close to an hour ago. “Only the last song, thankfully,” She was Asian, though she had dyed her hair a different color. Not that that was unusual in the city, but it said a lot about her in a seconds glance.

“Thankfully?” Rose raised an eyebrow and took another gulp of her drink. “Well, can’t appeal to everyone I guess. And to be honest it’s not one of our better songs.” She thought a moment, swirling her drink around in its glass. Then, coming to an apparent revelation, she groaned and sank her head down. “Damn, we totally should have ended with ‘Twisted Thorns’! Would have fit the flow so much better!”

He felt slightly guilty when he realized that she was in the band. “Sorry….I-er….I don’t like loud music,” He settled on, turning his head away from her and taking a long gulp of his beer. He wasn’t brought up to be an asshole, and some common courtesies were still ingrained in him. “Forgot it was Friday.”

“Oh, not a music fan?” Rose gulped the rest of her drink and turned towards the guy, tapping her fingers on the bar counter. “I get it. Still, it’s fine, I know we still need to work on song selection. We only have like forty-five minutes to try and win over people,so we’re constantly rotating our songs every time we play. A few of them we make sure to play every time because they’re our best ones, but others…well, like I said, needs work.”

She paused a moment, turning back to the bar to get her fifth drink of the night, then refocused on the guy next to her. “So, you don’t usually come on Fridays, huh? What’s your name? I’m Rose.”

God, she was talkative. His lips pursed and he could feel his palms start to sweat. He never used to have this problem talking to people, but ever since the accident, it was like he could never settle down. She was doing enough talking for the both of them, which was a mix of relief and confusion to him.

When he glanced over to answer, he noticed she had her right hand extended. Harper winced. He really hated handshakes, but ignoring her would be offensive as well. “I’m not going- I can’t shake your hand. But my name is Harper.”

“You can’t...” Rose trailed off as she looked down at the man’s right hand, which was currently lodged deep n his jacket pocket. She didn’t quite get what he meant, but she decided it was probably best not to question it. “Uh, well alright I guess. Nice to meet you, in any case. Harper.”

After setting her drink down (definitely her last, as she had already had way too much), she gave Harper a closer look. He was actually pretty attractive, now that she was noticing. Not that she made a habit of trying to pick up guys Friday nights, but it was something worth noting.

“Sooo...what brings you here on a day you don’t usually come here?”

Red Like Roses [Real World AU]

It took Harper a moment to realize that the woman near him was talking to him. That…didn’t happen often. His twin had said that Harper had a permanent scowl that turned people away. Harper didn’t really care.

His right hand was constantly buried in his jacket pocket, which mean the woman would not have seen the prosthetic. Not that it mattered to Harper, he didn’t really care about socializing.

“The show?” The pause had been a bit too long, almost uncomfortably so. It took another pause to realize she had been referring to the band that had finished close to an hour ago. “Only the last song, thankfully,” She was Asian, though she had dyed her hair a different color. Not that that was unusual in the city, but it said a lot about her in a seconds glance.

“Thankfully?” Rose raised an eyebrow and took another gulp of her drink. “Well, can’t appeal to everyone I guess. And to be honest it’s not one of our better songs.” She thought a moment, swirling her drink around in its glass. Then, coming to an apparent revelation, she groaned and sank her head down. “Damn, we totally should have ended with ‘Twisted Thorns’! Would have fit the flow so much better!”

He felt slightly guilty when he realized that she was in the band. “Sorry….I-er….I don’t like loud music,” He settled on, turning his head away from her and taking a long gulp of his beer. He wasn’t brought up to be an asshole, and some common courtesies were still ingrained in him. “Forgot it was Friday.”

“Oh, not a music fan?” Rose gulped the rest of her drink and turned towards the guy, tapping her fingers on the bar counter. “I get it. Still, it’s fine, I know we still need to work on song selection. We only have like forty-five minutes to try and win over people,so we’re constantly rotating our songs every time we play. A few of them we make sure to play every time because they’re our best ones, but others...well, like I said, needs work.”

She paused a moment, turning back to the bar to get her fifth drink of the night, then refocused on the guy next to her. “So, you don’t usually come on Fridays, huh? What’s your name? I’m Rose.”

Red Like Roses [Real World AU]

It wasn’t good to be drinking so much. The thought flickered across his mind as he shuffled unevenly towards the Sports Master bar. He knew the thought wasn’t his own, a message from his brother, his dad, his therapist…as if they could understand what he was going through. They had built something. They had a future. His father with his business, his brother with…well, everything, his therapist who would press her fingertips together and peer down at him from her computer chair, even she had her practice.

And Harper had nothing but a medal and the false ‘Thank you for your service’ that the employees behind the counter at Arby’s gave him when he showed his card. They didn’t give a shit.

A gaggle of screaming girls startled him as they noisily made their way around him. The leader, a young blonde wearing a veil and mardi gras beads, stumbled in heels. Harper was glad to see them enter the bar before Sports Master. Hopefully their bar crawl would end there.

He pulled open the door of the Sports Master and winced as a loud drum and screeching guitar hit his ears like shrapnel. It was Friday. He had forgotten. Days didn’t seem to matter too much for him now. He hated when bands played. He could barely hear himself think.

He was about to step back outside when the singer announced that it was their last song of the night. One song…Harper could deal with it.

He sat at the very edge of the bar, away from the rest of the people. He recognized the regulars, but he nor they acknowledged each other. It was better that way. Though the bartender recognized him, there was no friendly banter exchanged. A simple transaction of money, an irritating moment when Harper had to yell to give his order, and Harper had a tall beer in his hand.

Rose chugged down her third drink and smacked the glass back down on the table. With a deep exhale, she pushed the glass forward and waited for her fourth drink. When it came, she promptly downed that one as well. Already feeling a buzzing haze, she knew she should slow down, but hey, it was Friday and she had nowhere to be.

As she started her fourth drink, she turned a glance towards the guy a couple seats away from her. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen him here before, but then there were always a lot of people here on Fridays. Having nothing better to do, she leaned over and asked, “So, uh, you catch the show at all?”

It took Harper a moment to realize that the woman near him was talking to him. That…didn’t happen often. His twin had said that Harper had a permanent scowl that turned people away. Harper didn’t really care.

His right hand was constantly buried in his jacket pocket, which mean the woman would not have seen the prosthetic. Not that it mattered to Harper, he didn’t really care about socializing.

“The show?” The pause had been a bit too long, almost uncomfortably so. It took another pause to realize she had been referring to the band that had finished close to an hour ago. “Only the last song, thankfully,” She was Asian, though she had dyed her hair a different color. Not that that was unusual in the city, but it said a lot about her in a seconds glance.

"Thankfully?" Rose raised an eyebrow and took another gulp of her drink. "Well, can't appeal to everyone I guess. And to be honest it's not one of our better songs." She thought a moment, swirling her drink around in its glass. Then, coming to an apparent revelation, she groaned and sank her head down. "Damn, we totally should have ended with 'Twisted Thorns'! Would have fit the flow so much better!"

#Red like roses

Red Like Roses [Real World AU]

Rose’s mind was lost in the rhythm of the music, as it usually was whenever she played a song. Music had become her biggest escape and her biggest passion over the years, and it showed when her fingers strummed away like lightning on her guitar, and her voice rang out over the speakers. Head bobbing, feet tapping, body bouncing to the beat, she put everything she had into her performance, and usually the crowd ate it up. So far, she and her band had scored some smaller gigs across the city, which was a great start to their success. One day, though, they’d sign a record deal and make it big, she was confident in that. Just a matter of time.

When the final notes of their final song drifted out across the bar, she heaved a deep breath and raised her guitar up above her head. “Thank you ladies and gentlemen!” she said over the microphone. “We are Red Like Roses and you’ve been great! We’ll be back again in two weeks, so see you then!”

The applause and cheers were mild, as usual for a small venue like this, but she loved every bit of it. Soon enough, those cheers would deafen a stadium. The next twenty minutes or so were spent packing up their equipment and loading it into their van, and when that was done Rose gave her other bandmates a congratulatory wave and headed back inside. It was late, more than enough reason for them to want to pack it in for the night, but Rose always liked staying out after a gig. Usually that meant drinking at the bar until well into the early morning.

“I’ll take the usual,” Rose said, plopping herself down at the counter. She had been coming here long enough that the bartenders knew her typical drink, which tended to be on the harder side. “And keep ‘em coming.”

It wasn’t good to be drinking so much. The thought flickered across his mind as he shuffled unevenly towards the Sports Master bar. He knew the thought wasn’t his own, a message from his brother, his dad, his therapist…as if they could understand what he was going through. They had built something. They had a future. His father with his business, his brother with…well, everything, his therapist who would press her fingertips together and peer down at him from her computer chair, even she had her practice.

And Harper had nothing but a medal and the false ‘Thank you for your service’ that the employees behind the counter at Arby’s gave him when he showed his card. They didn’t give a shit.

A gaggle of screaming girls startled him as they noisily made their way around him. The leader, a young blonde wearing a veil and mardi gras beads, stumbled in heels. Harper was glad to see them enter the bar before Sports Master. Hopefully their bar crawl would end there.

He pulled open the door of the Sports Master and winced as a loud drum and screeching guitar hit his ears like shrapnel. It was Friday. He had forgotten. Days didn’t seem to matter too much for him now. He hated when bands played. He could barely hear himself think.

He was about to step back outside when the singer announced that it was their last song of the night. One song…Harper could deal with it.

He sat at the very edge of the bar, away from the rest of the people. He recognized the regulars, but he nor they acknowledged each other. It was better that way. Though the bartender recognized him, there was no friendly banter exchanged. A simple transaction of money, an irritating moment when Harper had to yell to give his order, and Harper had a tall beer in his hand.

Rose chugged down her third drink and smacked the glass back down on the table. With a deep exhale, she pushed the glass forward and waited for her fourth drink. When it came, she promptly downed that one as well. Already feeling a buzzing haze, she knew she should slow down, but hey, it was Friday and she had nowhere to be.

As she started her fourth drink, she turned a glance towards the guy a couple seats away from her. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen him here before, but then there were always a lot of people here on Fridays. Having nothing better to do, she leaned over and asked, “So, uh, you catch the show at all?”