Just Launch Me Into The Freaking Sun Already

Tagging Pip!

Prom preparations, date-seeking, and anything else which concerns prom and takes place within a few days before the event goes here.
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Just Launch Me Into The Freaking Sun Already

#1

Post by backslash »

So you know how sometimes you do something, and the full implications of said something don't occur to you until much later? Siyanda was having one of those moments.

When ze had asked Dean to coffee, it hadn't seemed like a thing that merited more thought than that. Then Dean grabbed zem in the hallway about a week later, and they made plans, and Siyanda had mentioned how much nicer the cafe just off 34th was than anything the mall had to offer and that Dean would probably like it.

And Dean had smiled at zem, and that was when Siyanda first began to consider that ze might be in trouble.

So the question was: was this a date? Had Siyanda asked Dean on a date? Or had Dean asked Siyanda on a date? Which merited more panic (assuming it was a date at all)?

These were the deep questions that Siyanda was mulling over as ze stared into zir white chocolate mocha and did the trademark overcaffeinated leg bounce, tucked away in a window booth while waiting for Dean to show. And you know what, maybe he wouldn't. Maybe he'd remember that he had other plans, or his longboard would lose a wheel, or- or his arm would fall off, and he'd decide that he couldn't appear in public like that. Siyanda would be very understanding and lowkey relieved if any of those scenarios decided to happen right about now, even if the arm thing was probably mean to think about.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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Pippi
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Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:04 pm
Location: I'm from England!

#2

Post by Pippi »

Hmm. Man. Was this what nervousness felt like?

Dean didn’t really get nervous. That was his thing, he was good at it. He took each day as it came, and each thing the day threw at him in stride. He was the super chill dude, the guy people hung out with at parties when they wanted a strife-free zone. But right now, he was constantly double-checking himself, worrying whether he was walking too fast or too slow and changing his pace every couple of seconds, gaining concerned looks from passers-by.

So, yeah, he was definitely doing nervous right now.

Just like the person waiting for him inside the coffee shop right now, Dean wasn’t sure what, exactly, this was supposed to be. He’d considered dressing up nicer in case this was a date, but if it wasn’t then he’d just look overdressed and feel awkward as hell. And maybe even if it was a date, they’d want him just looking like he normally did. You couldn’t really run a comb through hair that was already gelled back, either. So he’d just thrown on some freshly laundered clothes a little bit nicer than he usually wore; a collared shirt over a t-shirt, jeans instead of shorts, that sorta thing.

A quick dusting of aftershave, too, just in case.

He had his longboard tucked under his arm, but he wasn’t using it. Was that weird? It felt kinda weird, but it also felt kinda weird arriving at the coffee shop by longboard, so he was screwed either way, really. Speaking of the shop, he had a horrible sensation he’d already passed it in his overthinking haze, a sensation he’d already experienced at least six times already in his journey from his house to here. He quickly glanced up at the sign hanging overhead.

Ah. Here he was. Right. Well.



Well.

Dean took a deep breath and pushed the door of the little café open with a delightful chiming sound. It didn’t take him long to spot Siyanda, waiting by themselves, already with a cup of coffee in front of them. He grinned at them – and, hey, it actually felt like a proper grin – and made his way over towards them, taking a seat opposite.

“Heya Siyanda!” Dean said, resting his longboard against his seat. “Sorry for the delay, I think I might have walked past this place, uh… twice?”

He scratched the back of his head, grinning again.

“Let’s say twice, spare me my blushes.”
[+] V7
B006 - Stepney Cruz - DEAD - Dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight - Mountain Bike - Localised - Catastrophe - Inferno
Pregame - Chill - Loss - Realm
Trip - Loved

G035 - Katie Agustien - DEAD - There's only two ways that these things can go, good or bad and how was I to know that all your friends won't hold any grudges, I got the final judgment - The World's Sharpest Knife™ - Dread - Skin - ieatnothing - Satisfaction - Tempest - Zero
Pregame - Vend-etta - Flames - Fleet - Monachopsis - Glitter
Trip - G҉ A҉ N҉ G҉

B028 - Aurelien Valter - DEAD - When everything's lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat, before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream - Spiked Mace, Glock 19, Min-Jae Parker's Crossbow - Nightmare - Bubbles - Neighbourhood - Tragedy - Make It - Fiend - Sleet - Love - Walls - Friends - Key - Everything - Gotta - Ghosts - Alone
Pregame - Shark - Heart
Prom - Link - Gradation - Ballare
Trip - Inferis - Scusare

B052 - Garren Mortimer - DEAD- Cut up and I can't feel my hands, no need to chase, can you relate, can you keep up the pace like you're dying for this? - Bryan Calvert's SPAS-12, Alligator tooth sword - Sky - Geek - Nation - No - Dilemma - Mauerbauertraurigkeit - Struck - Punishment - Énouement - Pain - Learn - lamb - Moves
Pregame - Rain
Trip - Life

Meanwhile
Lyra Doyle - Let's live tonight like fireflies, and one by one light up the sky - Pop!
Pregame - Evolution - Life - Lo Mein
Memories - Forward - Odds

Dean Puchero - By July you'd made a whole bunch of brand new friends, people you used to look down on, and you'd figured out a way to make real money - Phone - Angel
Pregame - Generation - Prince
Memories - Star
Prom - Sun - Luster
[+] The Past
V6
Bryony Adams - Burning bright until the end, now you'll be missing from the photographs
Astrid Tate - So what became of loving man, and what became of you?
Mia Rose - You can't understand that I won't leave 'til we're finished here, and then you'll find out where it all went wrong

V5
Owen Kay - I fold my tie and ribbon to hide my scars, that's how it starts
Amy Bachelor - Can you whisper, as it crumbles and breaks, as you shiver, count up all your mistakes
Francis St. Ledger - So a day when you've lost yourself completely could be a night when your life ends

V4
George Leidman (Adopted from Blastinus) - Now if we jump together at least we can swim far away from the wreck that we made
Beatrice - Jamie - Pippi - Tim - Ada - Tabby - Romeo - Lissa - Freddie - Trinity - Redd - Natalie - Kendra
[+] The Future
Boyd Adkinson - Ain't no surprise that I can't sleep tonight, my only vice is standing by your side
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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Posts: 1950
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#3

Post by backslash »

Dean, evidently, had not been struck by some unforeseen misfortune on his way here. Admittedly, Siyanda was glad for that. Finding out that he'd been hit by a car or whatever would have put more of a damper on the day than even the most excruciatingly awkward exchange over coffee.

Ze was probably overthinking, anyway. Ze'd dressed nicely, of course, but not really any more than usual. Yellow strappy tank, cuffed jeans, and sandals, bracelets down each arm. Not quite the kind of outfit ze'd wear to school, but hardly extravagant. Ze'd kept it simple with makeup; not point in piling that on just to wear it off eating and drinking. Anyway, this probably wasn't actually a date. Overthinking, again.

"Don't worry about it." To zir credit, Siyanda did muster a smile, and even if it wasn't as bright as Dean's, it didn't feel forced. "I haven't been waiting long. Do you need a menu?" Speaking of food and drink, that was always a good distraction. A good way to ease into small talk too, unless you were just catastrophically lacking in chemistry with whomever you were talking to. That, at least, wasn't a worry with Dean.

God knew Siyanda had more than zir fair share of worries, justified or not.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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Pippi
Posts: 1066
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:04 pm
Location: I'm from England!

#4

Post by Pippi »

Dean could feel himself relaxing into his seat as Siyanda spoke, most of his nervousness melting away like it had never even been there. His faithful easygoing smile had slipped back onto his face, feeling all warm and familiar, like wrapping yourself up in a big cozy blanket after a long day at school and checking out of all responsibilities around you.

It was still a little weird to think that, before they’d bumped into each other at the Starbucks, their most extended interaction had probably been saying ‘hey’ to each other as they passed in the corridors. They just seemed to click naturally; they’d both had the same idea in terms of ‘slightly smarter but not too smart’ clothing, after all. Which was good, obviously. He’d had a couple of awkward dates over coffee where neither party had really gelled at all. This was a nice change of pace.

Even though this wasn’t a date.

Unless it was a date.

Which it probably wasn’t.

“You’re looking nice. I like the bracelets.”

Just in case it was a date.

Dean realised his left hand was creeping every closer to his right arm, fingers twitching slightly, ready to drum against it. Sheesh. In the blink of an eye, all that nervousness had suddenly crept back inside of him. He was overthinking this waaay, way too hard. It really didn’t matter what this was, in the end. They were just two people who got on well, hanging out together over coffee, date or no date. They’d just… gone about it weirdly.

“A menu would be cool, I don’t really venture into cafes like this all that often. Mostly just run past them on a morning jog. My heart says yes, but my protein shake says no.”

Right on time. There was that grin again.
[+] V7
B006 - Stepney Cruz - DEAD - Dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight - Mountain Bike - Localised - Catastrophe - Inferno
Pregame - Chill - Loss - Realm
Trip - Loved

G035 - Katie Agustien - DEAD - There's only two ways that these things can go, good or bad and how was I to know that all your friends won't hold any grudges, I got the final judgment - The World's Sharpest Knife™ - Dread - Skin - ieatnothing - Satisfaction - Tempest - Zero
Pregame - Vend-etta - Flames - Fleet - Monachopsis - Glitter
Trip - G҉ A҉ N҉ G҉

B028 - Aurelien Valter - DEAD - When everything's lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat, before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream - Spiked Mace, Glock 19, Min-Jae Parker's Crossbow - Nightmare - Bubbles - Neighbourhood - Tragedy - Make It - Fiend - Sleet - Love - Walls - Friends - Key - Everything - Gotta - Ghosts - Alone
Pregame - Shark - Heart
Prom - Link - Gradation - Ballare
Trip - Inferis - Scusare

B052 - Garren Mortimer - DEAD- Cut up and I can't feel my hands, no need to chase, can you relate, can you keep up the pace like you're dying for this? - Bryan Calvert's SPAS-12, Alligator tooth sword - Sky - Geek - Nation - No - Dilemma - Mauerbauertraurigkeit - Struck - Punishment - Énouement - Pain - Learn - lamb - Moves
Pregame - Rain
Trip - Life

Meanwhile
Lyra Doyle - Let's live tonight like fireflies, and one by one light up the sky - Pop!
Pregame - Evolution - Life - Lo Mein
Memories - Forward - Odds

Dean Puchero - By July you'd made a whole bunch of brand new friends, people you used to look down on, and you'd figured out a way to make real money - Phone - Angel
Pregame - Generation - Prince
Memories - Star
Prom - Sun - Luster
[+] The Past
V6
Bryony Adams - Burning bright until the end, now you'll be missing from the photographs
Astrid Tate - So what became of loving man, and what became of you?
Mia Rose - You can't understand that I won't leave 'til we're finished here, and then you'll find out where it all went wrong

V5
Owen Kay - I fold my tie and ribbon to hide my scars, that's how it starts
Amy Bachelor - Can you whisper, as it crumbles and breaks, as you shiver, count up all your mistakes
Francis St. Ledger - So a day when you've lost yourself completely could be a night when your life ends

V4
George Leidman (Adopted from Blastinus) - Now if we jump together at least we can swim far away from the wreck that we made
Beatrice - Jamie - Pippi - Tim - Ada - Tabby - Romeo - Lissa - Freddie - Trinity - Redd - Natalie - Kendra
[+] The Future
Boyd Adkinson - Ain't no surprise that I can't sleep tonight, my only vice is standing by your side
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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Posts: 1950
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:39 am

#5

Post by backslash »

"Oh, uh." Siyanda was already reaching for one of the menus tucked away at the end of the table between the sugar and decorative bottle holding fake flowers when the compliment registered. Ze grabbed the menu and slapped it down in front of Dean with more force than necessary, probably-unsuccessfully trying to cover the half-second of scrambling for an appropriate response.

"Thanks, you too." Nailed it.

Siyanda valiantly resisted the urge to bury zir face in zir hands and scream.

"Or... you know what I mean." Siyanda let out a frustrated half-laugh. "God, sorry I'm being awkward. It's been forever since I got to just sit down and chill with somebody, you know? I think I forgot how." Depressingly close to the truth.

"Whatever." Ze waved zir hand as though to clear away the flub. "I can tell you about most of the stuff on the menu, if you have trouble deciding. Unless you want tea, then you're on your own."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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Pippi
Posts: 1066
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:04 pm
Location: I'm from England!

#6

Post by Pippi »

Well, at least he wasn’t the only one with a sudden case of the nerves, he supposed. Dean laughed gently, giving Siyanda a warm smile as they tried to rectify their mistake. Almost immediately, his brain fired into ‘Worry Mode’ again; what if Siyanda thought he was laughing at them, for example, what if they stormed out on him in annoyance.

After a moment, he squashed those thoughts down flat. The cloud of nervousness was still hanging low over the table. Two people stressing out would just make it thicker, but if one person just relaxed and calmed down, then hopefully the other person would do the same. And, hey, being chill was his thing. Might as well do what he was best at.

“Hey, maybe I should get some bracelets of my own,” Dean mused, grinning. “God knows I need to get some fashion into my life. Might get a little noisy, though, actually, on this arm.”

He raised his prosthetic, rotating his wrist as if he was trying to get a click out of it.

“Maybe I should just paint bands on it.”

Dean turned his attention to the menu, scanning the various coffees on offer. No point in bringing attention to the fact that Siyanda had slammed the paper in front of him. He doubted they needed reminding of it.

“Now, not to sound like an uncultured swine, but, uh, I’m a little clueless when it comes to coffee. I know mocha, I know cappuccino, I know latte, I know, uh… coffee. But that’s about where it ends for me.”
[+] V7
B006 - Stepney Cruz - DEAD - Dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight - Mountain Bike - Localised - Catastrophe - Inferno
Pregame - Chill - Loss - Realm
Trip - Loved

G035 - Katie Agustien - DEAD - There's only two ways that these things can go, good or bad and how was I to know that all your friends won't hold any grudges, I got the final judgment - The World's Sharpest Knife™ - Dread - Skin - ieatnothing - Satisfaction - Tempest - Zero
Pregame - Vend-etta - Flames - Fleet - Monachopsis - Glitter
Trip - G҉ A҉ N҉ G҉

B028 - Aurelien Valter - DEAD - When everything's lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat, before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream - Spiked Mace, Glock 19, Min-Jae Parker's Crossbow - Nightmare - Bubbles - Neighbourhood - Tragedy - Make It - Fiend - Sleet - Love - Walls - Friends - Key - Everything - Gotta - Ghosts - Alone
Pregame - Shark - Heart
Prom - Link - Gradation - Ballare
Trip - Inferis - Scusare

B052 - Garren Mortimer - DEAD- Cut up and I can't feel my hands, no need to chase, can you relate, can you keep up the pace like you're dying for this? - Bryan Calvert's SPAS-12, Alligator tooth sword - Sky - Geek - Nation - No - Dilemma - Mauerbauertraurigkeit - Struck - Punishment - Énouement - Pain - Learn - lamb - Moves
Pregame - Rain
Trip - Life

Meanwhile
Lyra Doyle - Let's live tonight like fireflies, and one by one light up the sky - Pop!
Pregame - Evolution - Life - Lo Mein
Memories - Forward - Odds

Dean Puchero - By July you'd made a whole bunch of brand new friends, people you used to look down on, and you'd figured out a way to make real money - Phone - Angel
Pregame - Generation - Prince
Memories - Star
Prom - Sun - Luster
[+] The Past
V6
Bryony Adams - Burning bright until the end, now you'll be missing from the photographs
Astrid Tate - So what became of loving man, and what became of you?
Mia Rose - You can't understand that I won't leave 'til we're finished here, and then you'll find out where it all went wrong

V5
Owen Kay - I fold my tie and ribbon to hide my scars, that's how it starts
Amy Bachelor - Can you whisper, as it crumbles and breaks, as you shiver, count up all your mistakes
Francis St. Ledger - So a day when you've lost yourself completely could be a night when your life ends

V4
George Leidman (Adopted from Blastinus) - Now if we jump together at least we can swim far away from the wreck that we made
Beatrice - Jamie - Pippi - Tim - Ada - Tabby - Romeo - Lissa - Freddie - Trinity - Redd - Natalie - Kendra
[+] The Future
Boyd Adkinson - Ain't no surprise that I can't sleep tonight, my only vice is standing by your side
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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Posts: 1950
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:39 am

#7

Post by backslash »

"That's... well, that's some stuff. It might be easier if you just tell me what you like, and I can try to recommend something." They stumbled from one topic to the other and back, but Siyanda found a smile and kept it on zir face. Not too big of a smile, not enough to be weird or forced, but hopefully enough to make it seem like ze actually wanted to be here. Which ze did. It was just a little outside of zir norm, was all.

Yeah.

Siyanda thought about following up on the bracelet comment, telling him he'd look good with it or something, but ze didn't really want to unnecessarily talk about Dean's arm. His own comments were one thing, but for Siyanda to offer decorative advice for it seemed a little... tacky. Instead of saying anything more, ze just took a deep breath.

...He wouldn't look bad with a little bit of jewelry, though. Something to think about.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
User avatar
Pippi
Posts: 1066
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:04 pm
Location: I'm from England!

#8

Post by Pippi »

“All right, uh, yeah, that’d probably work better.”

Dean smiled back at them, their mirrored action serving to temper his rising heartbeat again. Real cool of it to forget that he was supposed to be all calm and collected, a minute after he’d resolved to be so. Then again, it wasn’t quite the same as before, not quite full on panicking over every action he was making anymore. It was more… butterflies in his stomach, occasional skipping of his heartbeat, brief moments of being tonguetied.

He wasn’t ashamed to say that his experience in the dating scene was particularly limited. It happened, it was just one of those things. He’d had plenty of good luck in his life, and plenty of bad to go along with it, and romance fell into the latter category. Obviously, the accident hadn’t helped with that, but there were probably a myriad other reasons why things just hadn’t worked out, and, honestly, Dean didn’t really care to figure out any of them. He didn’t really mind. Things would work out and fall into place in the end.

Still. It was nice to feel this way, even if nothing ever did pan out. Now that football was long in the past, he didn’t get a huge amount of excitement in his life anymore, so a little flitter in his stomach was an unfamiliar, fun experience for him. He smiled again at Siyanda, before he realised he hadn’t actually answered their question, and he cleared his throat, blushing softly.

“Uh, well, I guess mochas would probably be my favourite coffee?” he said, scratching the back of his neck. “Most stuff I drink is just water or juice… occasional energy drink, I guess.”

‘Occasional’ being code for ‘sometimes on his cheat day he’d chug three cans of Monster whilst playing Overwatch for four hours straight’. They didn’t have to know that.

“Can you do anything special with a mocha? Or is it just, like, always the same, just a little more chocolately or a little more coffee… ee?”
[+] V7
B006 - Stepney Cruz - DEAD - Dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight - Mountain Bike - Localised - Catastrophe - Inferno
Pregame - Chill - Loss - Realm
Trip - Loved

G035 - Katie Agustien - DEAD - There's only two ways that these things can go, good or bad and how was I to know that all your friends won't hold any grudges, I got the final judgment - The World's Sharpest Knife™ - Dread - Skin - ieatnothing - Satisfaction - Tempest - Zero
Pregame - Vend-etta - Flames - Fleet - Monachopsis - Glitter
Trip - G҉ A҉ N҉ G҉

B028 - Aurelien Valter - DEAD - When everything's lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat, before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream - Spiked Mace, Glock 19, Min-Jae Parker's Crossbow - Nightmare - Bubbles - Neighbourhood - Tragedy - Make It - Fiend - Sleet - Love - Walls - Friends - Key - Everything - Gotta - Ghosts - Alone
Pregame - Shark - Heart
Prom - Link - Gradation - Ballare
Trip - Inferis - Scusare

B052 - Garren Mortimer - DEAD- Cut up and I can't feel my hands, no need to chase, can you relate, can you keep up the pace like you're dying for this? - Bryan Calvert's SPAS-12, Alligator tooth sword - Sky - Geek - Nation - No - Dilemma - Mauerbauertraurigkeit - Struck - Punishment - Énouement - Pain - Learn - lamb - Moves
Pregame - Rain
Trip - Life

Meanwhile
Lyra Doyle - Let's live tonight like fireflies, and one by one light up the sky - Pop!
Pregame - Evolution - Life - Lo Mein
Memories - Forward - Odds

Dean Puchero - By July you'd made a whole bunch of brand new friends, people you used to look down on, and you'd figured out a way to make real money - Phone - Angel
Pregame - Generation - Prince
Memories - Star
Prom - Sun - Luster
[+] The Past
V6
Bryony Adams - Burning bright until the end, now you'll be missing from the photographs
Astrid Tate - So what became of loving man, and what became of you?
Mia Rose - You can't understand that I won't leave 'til we're finished here, and then you'll find out where it all went wrong

V5
Owen Kay - I fold my tie and ribbon to hide my scars, that's how it starts
Amy Bachelor - Can you whisper, as it crumbles and breaks, as you shiver, count up all your mistakes
Francis St. Ledger - So a day when you've lost yourself completely could be a night when your life ends

V4
George Leidman (Adopted from Blastinus) - Now if we jump together at least we can swim far away from the wreck that we made
Beatrice - Jamie - Pippi - Tim - Ada - Tabby - Romeo - Lissa - Freddie - Trinity - Redd - Natalie - Kendra
[+] The Future
Boyd Adkinson - Ain't no surprise that I can't sleep tonight, my only vice is standing by your side
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
User avatar
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Posts: 1950
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:39 am

#9

Post by backslash »

"You can do a lot of things with a mocha," Siyanda said, amused. Not to sound like coffee was zir whole life or anything but it did keep zem alive. And ze'd had the barista job the longest, that had something to do with it too.

"So this place has a white mocha with raspberry that I really love." Ze leaned over the table to point the item out on Dean's menu. "A lot of white chocolate mochas are way too sweet, but this one is nice. The fruit flavor helps balance it out. If you do want something sweet, the caramel mocha is also pretty good. Kind of hurts my teeth, but a lot of people like it.

"If you're going to get something sweet like that, it's probably better to have something savory to eat with it. The sandwiches here are pretty good - they've got this turkey on croissant with cream cheese and bean sprouts that I like a lot. The tuna's popular too, but fish..." Siyanda rotated zir wrist in a dismissive motion. "Not a fan."

This was nice. Rambling about food, of all things, was oddly calming. It might have been a little bit pointless, but at least it didn't feel like vapid smalltalk. Oh, how's the weather? How's your wife? Not that either of them had a wife. Siyanda might have taken sports talk to task too, but Dean was actually into sports, so if he decided he wanted to talk about that, ze supposed ze would let him.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
User avatar
Pippi
Posts: 1066
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:04 pm
Location: I'm from England!

#10

Post by Pippi »

“Oh, huh! Learn something new every day, I guess.”

Yep, his lack of coffee experience was really showing up now, huh? He guessed that was what happened when you went on a date/not-date with a barista. They didn’t teach ‘Studies in Coffee’ at school, either, which seemed like a missed trick; far as he could tell, half your time at college was spent chugging vats of coffee whilst studying, after all.

“My only real experience with coffee’s been at, like, Starbucks, or the cruddy coffee machine at the gym, so I’ll probs need more of your help down the line.”

Dean glanced down at his menu, eyes tracing the path that Siyanda’s finger had taken. He hadn’t really considered eating; his head had been enough of a whirlwind, overthinking everything else, that it simply hadn’t crossed his mind. He wasn’t particularly hungry, but the food did sound nice, and if Si was gonna eat it’d feel weird if he didn’t as well. Unless they weren’t planning on eating, in which case he’d look weird anyway…

Bleh. Overthinking again! No time for that. Didn’t need to lose his mind over a sandwich of all things.

“Y’know what, that all sounds really good to me,” Dean said, smiling, gently shifting his menu away from him. “Coffee and sweet stuff isn’t really on my meal plan, but I can probably make an exception for this. And fish isn’t really my cup of tea, either.”

He paused for a moment, grin slowly growing wider as his brain clicked into motion.

“Or, uh, coffee in this case.”

He suppressed a snort of laughter at his own joke. It was dumb, and it wasn’t very funny at all, but somehow, that made it actually sorta funny. At least to himself.
[+] V7
B006 - Stepney Cruz - DEAD - Dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight - Mountain Bike - Localised - Catastrophe - Inferno
Pregame - Chill - Loss - Realm
Trip - Loved

G035 - Katie Agustien - DEAD - There's only two ways that these things can go, good or bad and how was I to know that all your friends won't hold any grudges, I got the final judgment - The World's Sharpest Knife™ - Dread - Skin - ieatnothing - Satisfaction - Tempest - Zero
Pregame - Vend-etta - Flames - Fleet - Monachopsis - Glitter
Trip - G҉ A҉ N҉ G҉

B028 - Aurelien Valter - DEAD - When everything's lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat, before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream - Spiked Mace, Glock 19, Min-Jae Parker's Crossbow - Nightmare - Bubbles - Neighbourhood - Tragedy - Make It - Fiend - Sleet - Love - Walls - Friends - Key - Everything - Gotta - Ghosts - Alone
Pregame - Shark - Heart
Prom - Link - Gradation - Ballare
Trip - Inferis - Scusare

B052 - Garren Mortimer - DEAD- Cut up and I can't feel my hands, no need to chase, can you relate, can you keep up the pace like you're dying for this? - Bryan Calvert's SPAS-12, Alligator tooth sword - Sky - Geek - Nation - No - Dilemma - Mauerbauertraurigkeit - Struck - Punishment - Énouement - Pain - Learn - lamb - Moves
Pregame - Rain
Trip - Life

Meanwhile
Lyra Doyle - Let's live tonight like fireflies, and one by one light up the sky - Pop!
Pregame - Evolution - Life - Lo Mein
Memories - Forward - Odds

Dean Puchero - By July you'd made a whole bunch of brand new friends, people you used to look down on, and you'd figured out a way to make real money - Phone - Angel
Pregame - Generation - Prince
Memories - Star
Prom - Sun - Luster
[+] The Past
V6
Bryony Adams - Burning bright until the end, now you'll be missing from the photographs
Astrid Tate - So what became of loving man, and what became of you?
Mia Rose - You can't understand that I won't leave 'til we're finished here, and then you'll find out where it all went wrong

V5
Owen Kay - I fold my tie and ribbon to hide my scars, that's how it starts
Amy Bachelor - Can you whisper, as it crumbles and breaks, as you shiver, count up all your mistakes
Francis St. Ledger - So a day when you've lost yourself completely could be a night when your life ends

V4
George Leidman (Adopted from Blastinus) - Now if we jump together at least we can swim far away from the wreck that we made
Beatrice - Jamie - Pippi - Tim - Ada - Tabby - Romeo - Lissa - Freddie - Trinity - Redd - Natalie - Kendra
[+] The Future
Boyd Adkinson - Ain't no surprise that I can't sleep tonight, my only vice is standing by your side
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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Posts: 1950
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:39 am

#11

Post by backslash »

Siyanda laughed, and it was like a bubble of tension bursting in zir chest. God, when was the last time someone had made zem laugh?

"Yeah, whatever you want. Those are some of my favorite, but I haven't had anything here that was bad, really." Siyanda withdrew zir hand from Dean's menu, folding it over zir other on the table. "The pace here is pretty relaxed, but someone will be around to take our order at some point since you're here now. I got a drink already, but no food." Ze nudged zir cup; it was about half-empty and approaching lukewarm by now, but ze took a quick sip regardless.

"So anyway. What have you been up to besides school and longboarding? We never really got a chance to stop and talk since last time, huh?"
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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Pippi
Posts: 1066
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:04 pm
Location: I'm from England!

#12

Post by Pippi »

“Alright, gotcha, gotcha,” Dean said, nodding, scratching his shoulder and leaning back in his chair. Man, his prosthetic wasn’t sitting totally comfortably today. It wasn’t sitting totally flush with the rest of his arm, and just felt a little off. Lucas had wanted to see how it worked the other day; he guessed he just hadn’t put it back on properly afterwards. He tried to keep that sorta thing short and sweet. Spending a significant time with it off made him feel real uncomfortable.

Whatever, it wasn’t a super huge deal. He wouldn’t let it bother him; he was probably only noticing it because of the slightly heightened stress levels at the table. He resisted the urge to scratch at his arm some more as he continued.

“Yeah, I think I’ll go ahead with the stuff you recommended. Either that or I’ll change my mind as soon as someone comes to take my order. It’s a family tradition. I blame my mom, I think it’s hereditary.”

Dean chuckled, looking up at Siyanda’s face. He couldn’t help himself from wondering exactly what they thought this whole thing was. Were they considering it a date? Or just them both hanging out as friends? Or maybe they had no idea either. Maybe he should ask them. Maybe that’d be kinda weird and rude.

Maybe he should be following his own advice, and just quit worrying about it.

“Anyways, yeah, it’s been, uh, it’s been busy, hasn’t it? It’s weird, it’s like… you look one way, you’ve got a mountain of work and stuff, the other way you’ve got people wanting to socialise like it’s their last day on Earth.”

Not that Dean was unhappy. He didn’t find the majority of his schoolwork overly challenging, just time consuming and occasionally dull, and he obviously had no issues with hanging out with people. He could understand everyone’s desire to do so as much as possible around now. There was a good chance, with everybody heading off to different colleges or other career paths, that he’d never see a good third of his class ever again.

“I’ve spent a good bit of time with my dad over the weekends, though. We went stargazing once, a year or so back, and I managed to convince him to do it again last week. But aside from that, I’ve just been going to parties with the football team, honestly. Most of ‘em are good fun, but others are, like… I go along to them cause it’s a good opportunity to catch up with some of my old buds from the team, but there’s a few guys who don’t think I should be there anymore, and a couple of the parties can get a little… uh…”

Dean rotated his hand in the air, searching for the right word to most delicately describe the madhouse that some of the football team parties could become.

“… raucous. I prefer things lowkey, and Carter free if I can help it.”
[+] V7
B006 - Stepney Cruz - DEAD - Dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight - Mountain Bike - Localised - Catastrophe - Inferno
Pregame - Chill - Loss - Realm
Trip - Loved

G035 - Katie Agustien - DEAD - There's only two ways that these things can go, good or bad and how was I to know that all your friends won't hold any grudges, I got the final judgment - The World's Sharpest Knife™ - Dread - Skin - ieatnothing - Satisfaction - Tempest - Zero
Pregame - Vend-etta - Flames - Fleet - Monachopsis - Glitter
Trip - G҉ A҉ N҉ G҉

B028 - Aurelien Valter - DEAD - When everything's lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat, before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream - Spiked Mace, Glock 19, Min-Jae Parker's Crossbow - Nightmare - Bubbles - Neighbourhood - Tragedy - Make It - Fiend - Sleet - Love - Walls - Friends - Key - Everything - Gotta - Ghosts - Alone
Pregame - Shark - Heart
Prom - Link - Gradation - Ballare
Trip - Inferis - Scusare

B052 - Garren Mortimer - DEAD- Cut up and I can't feel my hands, no need to chase, can you relate, can you keep up the pace like you're dying for this? - Bryan Calvert's SPAS-12, Alligator tooth sword - Sky - Geek - Nation - No - Dilemma - Mauerbauertraurigkeit - Struck - Punishment - Énouement - Pain - Learn - lamb - Moves
Pregame - Rain
Trip - Life

Meanwhile
Lyra Doyle - Let's live tonight like fireflies, and one by one light up the sky - Pop!
Pregame - Evolution - Life - Lo Mein
Memories - Forward - Odds

Dean Puchero - By July you'd made a whole bunch of brand new friends, people you used to look down on, and you'd figured out a way to make real money - Phone - Angel
Pregame - Generation - Prince
Memories - Star
Prom - Sun - Luster
[+] The Past
V6
Bryony Adams - Burning bright until the end, now you'll be missing from the photographs
Astrid Tate - So what became of loving man, and what became of you?
Mia Rose - You can't understand that I won't leave 'til we're finished here, and then you'll find out where it all went wrong

V5
Owen Kay - I fold my tie and ribbon to hide my scars, that's how it starts
Amy Bachelor - Can you whisper, as it crumbles and breaks, as you shiver, count up all your mistakes
Francis St. Ledger - So a day when you've lost yourself completely could be a night when your life ends

V4
George Leidman (Adopted from Blastinus) - Now if we jump together at least we can swim far away from the wreck that we made
Beatrice - Jamie - Pippi - Tim - Ada - Tabby - Romeo - Lissa - Freddie - Trinity - Redd - Natalie - Kendra
[+] The Future
Boyd Adkinson - Ain't no surprise that I can't sleep tonight, my only vice is standing by your side
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
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Posts: 1950
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:39 am

#13

Post by backslash »

"Mm." Siyanda made an affirming noise into zir drink to avoid having to comment on anything that might reference Dean's accident and the loss of his arm. "I understand. I feel the same way."

This was lowkey, right? It was hard to think of a more sedate atmosphere than in a small, cozy cafe. Maybe the library, but that wasn't for socializing. Half of Siyanda's entire job in the library was telling people to go somewhere else if they were just going to socialize and not work.

Ze was saved from zir own musing by a waiter meandering over to their table. Siyanda shot him a smile, and he looked a little startled. Ze dialed the smile down a notch and gave zir order, settling on the sandwich ze had suggested and another white mocha. No need to rock the boat and be too adventurous right now.

"I've been... well, it's mostly school and work lately." And always. "I missed out on that whole... thing that went down. The uh... Swiftball?" Siyanda shrugged. "It probably would have been fun, but that was my designated sleeping weekend for the month. I need those forty-eight hours to get me through the rest." Ze smiled slightly again, to signify that it was a joke. Mostly.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
User avatar
Pippi
Posts: 1066
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 7:04 pm
Location: I'm from England!

#14

Post by Pippi »

Dean gave his order to the waiter as well, who seemed a little relieved when he followed it up with his usual relaxed smile, for some reason. He went ahead and just asked for the exact same as Siyanda, which felt a little weird, but, eh, it probably made life easier for the waiting staff. Besides, it had all sounded real nice when Siyanda had mentioned it, and odds were that if he’d picked out a coffee by himself, it’d be one that kept him awake for the next two weeks.

“God, I could do with one of those weekends myself,” Dean said, chuckling at Siyanda’s… joke? He assumed it was a joke, but, well. He could absolutely see them circling their calendar in big red sharpie to mark out ‘Sleepy Weekend’. If Siyanda or Nia had told him they were gonna spend a whole month studying Ancient Mayan Popular Music, without sparing a moment to sleep, he would have believed them in a heartbeat.

“Oh, right, yeah Swiftball! I, uh…”

Dean chuckled again, scratching the back of his neck, a faint rosy tint appearing on his cheeks.

“I’d love to tell you more about what went down there, but, uh, I can barely remember any of it. Kinda what you’d expect from a Mikki and Forrest party, really. There was a lot of shirtless people, a lot more alcohol… I think somebody got stuck in the bathroom? Oh, there was definitely someone else with a bloody nose, somehow.”

He shrugged, gently resting his chin on his hand.

“After that it’s all a bit of a haze.”
[+] V7
B006 - Stepney Cruz - DEAD - Dynasty decapitated, you just might see a ghost tonight - Mountain Bike - Localised - Catastrophe - Inferno
Pregame - Chill - Loss - Realm
Trip - Loved

G035 - Katie Agustien - DEAD - There's only two ways that these things can go, good or bad and how was I to know that all your friends won't hold any grudges, I got the final judgment - The World's Sharpest Knife™ - Dread - Skin - ieatnothing - Satisfaction - Tempest - Zero
Pregame - Vend-etta - Flames - Fleet - Monachopsis - Glitter
Trip - G҉ A҉ N҉ G҉

B028 - Aurelien Valter - DEAD - When everything's lost, they pick up their hearts and avenge defeat, before it all starts, they suffer through harm just to touch a dream - Spiked Mace, Glock 19, Min-Jae Parker's Crossbow - Nightmare - Bubbles - Neighbourhood - Tragedy - Make It - Fiend - Sleet - Love - Walls - Friends - Key - Everything - Gotta - Ghosts - Alone
Pregame - Shark - Heart
Prom - Link - Gradation - Ballare
Trip - Inferis - Scusare

B052 - Garren Mortimer - DEAD- Cut up and I can't feel my hands, no need to chase, can you relate, can you keep up the pace like you're dying for this? - Bryan Calvert's SPAS-12, Alligator tooth sword - Sky - Geek - Nation - No - Dilemma - Mauerbauertraurigkeit - Struck - Punishment - Énouement - Pain - Learn - lamb - Moves
Pregame - Rain
Trip - Life

Meanwhile
Lyra Doyle - Let's live tonight like fireflies, and one by one light up the sky - Pop!
Pregame - Evolution - Life - Lo Mein
Memories - Forward - Odds

Dean Puchero - By July you'd made a whole bunch of brand new friends, people you used to look down on, and you'd figured out a way to make real money - Phone - Angel
Pregame - Generation - Prince
Memories - Star
Prom - Sun - Luster
[+] The Past
V6
Bryony Adams - Burning bright until the end, now you'll be missing from the photographs
Astrid Tate - So what became of loving man, and what became of you?
Mia Rose - You can't understand that I won't leave 'til we're finished here, and then you'll find out where it all went wrong

V5
Owen Kay - I fold my tie and ribbon to hide my scars, that's how it starts
Amy Bachelor - Can you whisper, as it crumbles and breaks, as you shiver, count up all your mistakes
Francis St. Ledger - So a day when you've lost yourself completely could be a night when your life ends

V4
George Leidman (Adopted from Blastinus) - Now if we jump together at least we can swim far away from the wreck that we made
Beatrice - Jamie - Pippi - Tim - Ada - Tabby - Romeo - Lissa - Freddie - Trinity - Redd - Natalie - Kendra
[+] The Future
Boyd Adkinson - Ain't no surprise that I can't sleep tonight, my only vice is standing by your side
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
User avatar
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Posts: 1950
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:39 am

#15

Post by backslash »

"That sounds... wild." Probably what you expected (wanted?) from a big teen party, but Siyanda wasn't too sorry ze'd missed it. Alcohol and shirtless peers and fights weren't zir idea of a good time. "At least nobody died? That I heard of, anyway. Hopefully someone would have told me if it happened."

Siyanda sighed, resting zir chin on zir hand. Hopefully their food wouldn't take long; ze was actually starting to feel a little hungry. "I guess now the only big events left are prom and the trip before graduation, huh? Any plans for that?"

Siyanda wasn't sure about plans for either, to be entirely truthful. The senior trip had been hyped up for most of the year, ever since it had been revealed that the class was going to D.C. Siyanda had always wanted to visit D.C., especially the museums, but the idea of being crammed onto a bus and then a hotel room with zir classmates for a week was... daunting. Zir parents had been very insistent that ze go and get some culture or whatever, and technically Siyanda had signed up so ze was more or less obligated, but...

Ah, well. Cross that bridge when it came up.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
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