OUTRAGEOUS test thread [don't touch it]

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Your eyes are dusty dirt porn magazines
You're lazy, selfish, yeah you were raised that way
It's a hole that he was bred
I'll take your pants, you take my hair
And let us dance and choose the happy and depressed
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

Her method of disgusting them both worked and didn't work. Kyrie looked sufficiently disgusted, however Alex looked eager. Nova got the feeling that it wasn't a matter of the celebration though. She could see that glint in the young woman's that was similar to that of just about anyone from the outside. It gave Nova a bit of a sick feeling in her stomach, but what was she supposed to do? The people of the Rez could take care of themselves, and most of them weren't as easy as Alex might be thinking. There were the few though, and if she was persistent, Alex would probably find them.

Kyrie wasn't going for it, yet she was convinced, though she didn't look happy about it. She attempted to change the subject, but Alex was persistent. Nova bit her tongue on the smart a** comment, and instead just went with it. "Actually, yes, it will be better for you to put on more, uh, traditional clothing." she told them, trying her best not to refer to outsider clothing as less then decent. "My own clothing should fit you though. No need for bargaining." No, she wouldn't let it seem like she was irritated that this girl was insisting on staying. "Follow me, please." she said, moving swiftly now, leading the way to her home now.


----------------------------------------------


When they reached Nova's home, they entered, though Nova stopped them just inside the door. "Please take off your shoes." she said, crouching down to unlace her own and pull them off. She watched the other two, making it very apparent they weren't going any further until their shoes were off. Once they were off, Nova lead the way further into the house. "Nana!" she called out. "I brought guests!"

"I'm in the kitchen Nova." Nova led the way to the kitchen, where she did indeed find her elderly grandmother, leaning over the open stove, trying to pull a pan out.

"Nana, let me do that." Nova insisted, starting forward, taking a pair of potholders and gently guiding her grandmother out of the way. Once she had the pan out and on the kitchen table, she turned and looked back at their two 'guests' for lack of a better term. She gestured, bringing them to her grandmother's attention also. "This is Alex, and this is Kyrie, Nana." she said. "They're, erm, visitors to the Rez from the outside, and they're attending the celebration for Maya." she informed her grandmother. "This is my grandmother, Imala, she's a village elder." she told the other two.

Imala looked at their two visitors, and then at her granddaughter, reaching up and patting Nova's cheek. "You're still a good girl, Nova." then she leaned in, switching to the more native language of the reservation "They will be bad luck, of course, dear." Nova nodded solemnly, speaking the same tongue.

"I know, and I'm sorry Grandmother." she apologized before switching back over. "I just need to get them into some decent clothing, and I need to put on my outfit." well, so much for not implying that the clothes the two were wearing weren't decent enough.

"Well, I will help you into your outfit and do your hair when you're ready, you just get these girls something the wear first, and then come to me." Imala said, before turning to tend to the fire that was still burning the stove.

"Yes Nana." Nova said, then led the other two out of the kitchen and ushered them to her room. She made her way to her closet quickly sizing up both girls and pulling out garments that would fit them. To Alex she gave a simple pair of loose pants that would keep her curves safely hidden and a light long sleeved top that she had embroidered herself. To Kyrie she gave a long sleeved dress with beaded detail along the hem and neckline and embroideries at the sleeves. "Change into these please. You can keep them, they hardly fit me anymore. You may change in here, I've got to go get into my own outfit and get my hair , it should take me no more then twenty minutes." with that she left them to change.


-------------------------------------------


As Nova had promised, she returned in just under twenty minutes, her curls straightened and in two long braids with a headband, and in an elaborate dress that she was far more comfortable in compared to what she had been wearing. Entering the room, she looked at the two. "Are you ready? Any questions?" she was still a guide here, even if she was in a way letting these two loose on the poor Rez since there would be a point that she would have to take her eyes off of them in order to do her performance.

OoC ll I am SO sorry this took so long!!!!


""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Theres something 'bout giving up
That sounds so bittersweet
Think I'll throw in the towel right now
(but I'll fold it nice and neat)
I'll lay low on the ground
And I'll be on my feet
When I can breathe
When I'm good and ready
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

A laugh almost escaped from Ephriam when James set the one condition for any visit Ephriam might make to his lands: no Isadora. He gave a very unprince-like snort and just shook his head. James really was a bold one, and it was admirable, considering the consequences that could really be set for insulting any member of the royal family. Of course, Ephriam would never make any order for a punishment for James, and Isadora would be an idiot to try and punish him herself. Ephriam knew that at least she was that dense, or he hoped she wasn't. He made the mental note to give the guards orders to bring any of Isadora's orders regarding James to him first before doing anything else.

"I think Starlight would prefer the same." he agreed as they spoke about the summer castle and the ocean and their horses. The conversation probably could have gone on longer, if not for Isadora's shrill voice demanding they come look at a necklace. With the exchange of one look with James, he led the way after his wife.

"Isadora, why do you need this?" Ephriam questioned as he was presented with the necklace that he thought looked gaudy, yet his wife wanted.

"Because I have an announcement tonight, and if all eyes are to be on me, I want to be dressed in my finest." as soon as she said the word 'announcement', Ephriam gave her a questioning look. However, Isadora just gave a condescending laugh. "You will find out soon, my dear. Tonight, like everyone else." There were many things wrong with the sweetness in her voice. Ephriam thought better of questioning it though, and instead just payed for the necklace. Amazingly enough, that was all it took for her to ready to leave. Again it was odd, but Ephriam would rather it be odd then have her demanding one thing after another after another. Thus, they left the marketplace.


-------------------


The ball being held that night wasn't one of the extravagant ones, but there were still many people in attendance. Ephriam watched from his seat beside Isadora as people mingled and danced all throughout the room. It was a nice night and all the windows and doors leading outside were thrown open to let in the cool air. From time to time he would glance at Isadora, wondering when she would be making the announcement she had made reference to earlier in the day.

Finally she stood, gesturing for the musicians to quiet. When they did, and everyone had turned their attention on her, she cleared her throat and smiled politely. "Thank you for joining us tonight. The Prince and I have a very exciting announcement." wait-- what? The Prince? Ephriam stared up at her, his eyes widening as he realized what she was about to say. "It has been confirmed that I am with child!" she said excitedly. At this, there was a sudden rise in murmurs and clapping and soon the king himself was standing in his frail state.

"This is very good indeed. Many hopes that it a male to carry on our proud line." he held up his glass. "To our young couple!" he toasted. Ephriam barely heard him, as he has stood and tried to make his way as quickly as he could across the dance floor out into the night, heading for the garden, where he could have some room to breath. When he got there, all he could do was stand there, lost in his own mind as it cycled through everything that this news meant.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

Dante shrugged when Harper took a jab at his sprained ankle. It didn't bother him, since he knew that it wasn't his fault the bowl had been on the floor. And it was his own fault for getting drunk, he could easily admit that. "That might mean more if it weren't coming from guy wearing pink glasses." he said, taking his own jab. Two could play at this game. Dante loved finding things he perceived as flaws in other people, as mean as that was. Of course, he would only point out said flaws if he didn't like the person, such as what was happening right then with Harper. Or of course, he was asked to be brutally honest, but the only person that he knew dealt with his criticisms well was Frankie. She would listen to all of his brutal words, then smile serenely, reach up and pat his cheek and then say sweetly 'I'm wearing it anyway'. He respected her for that.

"Yeah, well, I expect these outlandish ideas from her, and I count on the rest of the world being sane enough to just tell her no. Obviously your Blu isn't on of the sane ones. And now I've gotta watch to make sure she doesn't break Jane to pieces, cause she'll go along with this until the end." he was not letting Harper think that it was a possibility that Blu would be hurt in a fraction of the way that Franklin would be. When Frankie put everything she had it to one thing, she crumbled when things came crashing down. Yes, he supposed that Blu could be hurt too, but not in the way that Frankie could be.

Dante snorted at Harper's words about how it was their choice. "They obviously need supervision when it comes to their choices then." he said, looking for them down by the snack stand again. They were moving away from it, hand in hand, grinning and talking with one another. Seeing that stung, more then he expected it to. Perhaps because Franklin was more wrapped up in this girl then she had ever been with anyone else.

He knew Frankie was happy, and he knew he was supposed to be happy for her. He was jealous though. Frankie was his, for lack of better term, and he hated the idea of someone having a better chance with her then he did. Especially when that someone barely knew her like he did. It just wasn't fair. He knew it was immature, but it was just so aggravating, to see all these people come and go when he was right there, and had been there the whole time.

Now he looked back at Harper, shaking his head. As much as he didn't like to think it, they were in virtually the same boat, just for different reasons. An even more grim thought occurred also. If Dante wanted this to end, and Harper wanted the same, there was a choice left for them. Dante wasn't sure if he wanted to go down that road. Yet, it was this or sit by helpless and watch as these girls dug themselves deeper and deeper into a hole. "They might not listen to us directly, but showing them what's wrong with the relationship is always a lot easier then trying to convince." he suggested, watching Harper for his reaction.

Really, he didn't want to work with Harper, but if this was the only way, so be it.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts.
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess.
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess.
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

She smiled at Blu, taking a piece of gum when it was offered. "Thank you, Edan." she said, putting the piece into her mouth. She wasn't sure if Blu looked like and Edan, but it was worth the shot. Franklin was determined to learn the girl's name, and she would do it the fair and square way of making guess after guess. There were days that she was relentless with her guess, when their conversations were nothing but guessing, but then other time when their guesses were scarce. She didn't mind either kind of day, because sometimes she just loved to marvel at how much they were learning about one another, even without having a true name to go with Blu's face.

Her hand more then willingly attached itself to Blu's, and she followed after the other female with no complaint. "Yep, the game doesn't start for another ten minutes, so I'm all yours." she told the other female, smiling once more. The whole time, she was very conscious of their hands being linked, and the way her pulse sped because of it. She was utterly captivated by Blu, and she wasn't sure what that meant.

What she did know was what Dante would say, and when she glanced up at the bleachers, she sure enough saw that irritated look on her best friend's face. He would live one way or another. Frankie just hoped that he got over it soon, because she was really starting to let herself fall deeper into this, and she couldn't baby Dante about this. Either he would get over it and never tell her why he was so irritated, or tell her that he had a thing for her already so she could let him down gently. Anything else was soon going to be hard for her to tolerate.

Where she knew Dante was unapproving, she herself felt more happy then she had been in awhile. She could honestly say that Blu was the first person in a long time who took on all of her quirks and didn't try to change her in the least. And now, she was talking about having a surprise for Franklin. Frankie grinned, bouncing up and down on her toes.

"Oh really? A surprise? What is it?" Frankie loved surprises. Spontaneous events tended to be the back bone of her life. It usually only took little things to make her happy, and a surprise only had to be a little thing.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Theres something 'bout giving up
That sounds so bittersweet
Think I'll throw in the towel right now
(but I'll fold it nice and neat)
I'll lay low on the ground
And I'll be on my feet
When I can breathe
When I'm good and ready
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

Ephriam wasn't really sure how long he stood out in the garden alone. He honestly did mean to go back inside; to socialize, put on a happy face about the fact that he was going to have a child. Honestly, he wasn't upset about the child. It was more of a matter of what a child meant when he was having it with Isadora. It meant he would never be able to be free of Isadora. Their marriage was consummated, and where before he might've had a chance to get out, Isadora's pregnancy made it very public knowledge that they had made their marriage very official. Unless Isadora did something unspeakable that would demand her being taken off the throne, Ephriam was stuck. Isadora had to know that, which was probably part of the reason she had insisted they consummate the marriage so quickly. Yes, it would've happened eventually, but perhaps not so soon.

Every time he tried to move to go back inside, his feet stuck to the ground. He couldn't deal with it yet, the whole idea. And all that would happen was that people would want to talk about it, and the whole idea was making him ill. Then again, he didn't mean for anyone to come after him, which was just what happened. If it had been anyone other then James, he probably would've just waved them off and insisted everything was fine. He knew that with James though there was no reason to act as though it was all okay.

He smiled weakly at James, nodding as the other told him he looked terrible. "I supposed I could look worse." he assured the other. "Yes, please stay." he was saying before he even let himself think about it. It lead to his cheeks heating, and it didn't help when James asked if he could bring Ephriam somewhere, taking the Prince's hand without really waiting for an answer. However, Ephriam didn't object, and instead gripped James' hand more tightly as he closed his eyes and let the other male lead him. When they stopped, Ephriam waited just as James asked him to.

Finally, he opened his eyes when James returned, the obvious sounds of horses with him. When he was sure that James had horses, he could do nothing but give the other a sincere smile and a vigorous nod when asked if he wanted to go for a midnight ride. He was startled by how fast he could feel his heart beating now as he hoisted himself up onto the horse that James had picked for him. When they were both seated, they set off, riding at a very easy pace. It wasn't like either would be in a hurry to get back, or at least Ephriam wasn't. Every so often he found himself glancing at James for longer then just a moment as they road.

When they were nearly half way around the castle, they took a break, slowing and getting off of the horses. Again, Ephriam smiled at James. "Thank you for this. I need it."

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
These hammers and strings
Been following me around
From a box-filled garage
To the dark punk rock clubs
Of one thousand American towns
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

His suitcase landed on the apartment floor with a heavy thud before he himself fell onto the bare mattress that was the only furnishing in the small room. His apartment would be staying pretty unfurnished until his things arrived, which was something that was still a week away. Elian stared up at the ceiling, his eyes following the unintentional little patterns that had been left with the brush strokes. He couldn't believe that he was here, home, again. It was amazing and unexpected at the same time.

Of course Elian had come home for many reasons. He missed hearing his mother's Spanglish as they had everyday conversation, he missed the quirkiness of the people around town, and maybe more importantly he missed certain people in general. Already Elian had seen his mother, before he had even come to his new apartment. He'd seen a few old friends, and his little sister also. Pretty much everyone had been scratched off the list, with the exception of the one person that he was he for. Alex didn't know he was coming home though, and that had been Elian's intention. He wasn't sure how long he would stay, but he had thought it to be a good idea to surprise his friend. Their phone calls had been becoming more and more somber, and the mixed young man thought that Alex needed some more cheering up then just phone calls and improvised songs.

Of course, he would never get to see Alex if he never let the other in on his presence in town once more. Now, he just had to think of the right way to tell him. Somehow, a straight call or just showing up on Alex's doorstep just didn't seem good enough for whatever reason. He also wanted to give the idea that he was here to stay, for a few months at least. Elian laid there for awhile longer, considering his options. Finally, he took out his cellphone and improvised a quick text message to the other male, hitting send before he could change his mind on this idea also.

Hey
14 Amestad Street
Apt. 21A
Dare you to come here
-E

He closed his phone and let it fall onto the bed next to him. After that, he only stayed laying down for a few more moments, knowing that he would go crazy if he just laid there waiting for something to happen. If Alex showed up, he would know it, for now he had to busy himself. The first thing he decided to do was take a quick shower, to wake himself up more. He got up and left the bedroom, passing through the living room that was as sparsely furnished as his bedroom, with even less actually, just his other two suitcases and his guitar case was in this room. He went to his suitcases, opening one to pull out his toiletries and then the other to get some clean clothes and a towel before he proceeded to the bathroom.

The shower was a quick one, just something to settle his nerves. He spent a good five minutes after he got dressed again, staring at the mirror, trying to remember what he had looked like when he had last seen Alex. Really he couldn't remember. Had it been that long? Elian just shook his head, then went back to the living room, where he sat himself on the floor and pulled his guitar case closer, then took out the guitar. Softly he began to play with the hopes that it would make time feel like it was going by more quickly.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Theres something 'bout giving up
That sounds so bittersweet
Think I'll throw in the towel right now
(but I'll fold it nice and neat)
I'll lay low on the ground
And I'll be on my feet
When I can breathe
When I'm good and ready
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

He knew his face was red, it had to be, with the way James was treating him. The Duke really was a sweet man, telling Ephriam that he deserved better then Isadora. If only James had been there before Ephriam had married, telling Ephriam then that he deserved better then Isadora. Of course, ironically enough, he would never had met James if not for. Well of course there was always a chance that he would've met the noble, he was still a noble of the kingdom... but that all wasn't the point. Actually, he wasn't very sure of what his point was, but he wasn't given much time to think about it.

James' words barely got through the haze of his thoughts, and when they did, Ephriam still didn't know what the other was asking. Forgive him? For what? Ephriam did not know what until the very moment that James kissed him. He stayed stark still, surprised, but not unpleasantly so. The other male's lips were soft; sweet; everything that could be called cliche with the exception of the fact that it was another male he was kissing. Forbidden it was in every way, Ephriam was having a hard time caring. Sadly enough though, by the time he was ready to kiss back James was already pulling away, apologizing, begging that Ephriam didn't tell Isadora. Ephriam only shook his head. It wasn't to say no, he was telling Isadora, it was his way of trying to say no, I didn't want that to end. Words however, weren't working at the moment. Shaking his head was only going to lead to misunderstandings however.

Finally, he acted on his own, his hand covering James' mouth so that the other would stop babbling. "I-I..." already he was stumbling over his words. "I would like a-another one." he said quietly. "A k-k-kiss that is." now he leaned in to take what he asked for himself, even if through his mind ran a million outcomes to all of this. Very few had happy endings, but those are the ones he made himself concentrate on as he kissed James. Right at that moment, he was happiest. Wasn't that all that mattered?

When the kiss ended this time, he was even more reluctant to pull away, but he did. Then he watched James intently, knowing that he was the one expected to speak at this moment, not James. He couldn't take his eyes off the other either though, so it ended up as a compromise for his and he came up with the right things to say. "Your cousin, she will have both of our heads if she can were she to find out about this." he said carefully, not wanting to put in any wrong words. "And I... I don't want her to interfere with whatever we may become, thus I have no intention of telling her, do you?"

It was all James now. All that was left for Ephriam was to hope that James hadn't just given that first kiss out of spur of the moment urge that he hadn't really meant. Ephriam didn't know what he was going to do were that the case.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

Okay, he had to hand it to Harper. The other male handled his insult quite well, almost as well as Frankie. The difference there was that Harper wasn't going to Dante's respect solely because he knew how to ignore what others thought of him. It was only Frankie that got snap respect like that, and that was because she was a special case. The first time she had ever told him he could have his opinion, but she would be doing basically whatever the hell she wanted was only a couple weeks after they had first met. It had kind of shocked Dante, since she was the first person to ever be so blunt with him after one of his brutal opinion attacks, but then again, he should've known from the beginning that she was an odd one, with how she even reacted to the event that started their relationship.

Frankie was the one that really loved to tell the story, no matter how often she did. She would tell about how they had both been in eighth grade honors biology, and how the very first day of classes they had needed to pick out lab partners. How Dante had walked up to her and told her simply 'you look smart, you're going to be my partner'. And how, the first thing she had done was stare at him calmly, and instead of just blowing him off, she had opened her mouth and said 'say please'. Dante had been so surprised by that reaction that he had. From then on they had had an understanding that had somehow turned into a long lasting friendship, despite the odd pair that they made when they were with each other. A lot of people said that Dante only had a charming streak when he was with her. It was probably true, for the most part.

Finally he tuned back into what Harper was saying, and at this point the boy was going on about something on how Dante should just tell Jane how he felt. Don rolled his eyes. "What do you know about it?" he grumbled. He hated people telling him what he should do about the whole Frankie situation. They didn't know anything about it, so why butt in? Dante had it under control anyway, sort of. If he needed advice of help, he would ask, and since he hadn't, he didn't appreciate the unsolicited words. "Look, it's none of your business, so just leave it alone." he told the other, and that was the end of that part of the conversation as far Dante was concerned. At least, he wasn't going to listen to anything else that Harper had to say about it.

The subject changed after that to the idea that Dante had brought up before. Harper seemed a little hesitant. "That does mean pointing out their flaws to the other when their not around, a lot. At least, that's what it means for now." He watched Harper, daring the other to make a smartass remark. Perhaps it seemed like Don thought that Franklin could do no wrong, but he knew all of her flaws, every last one of them. He just also knew how to act like they didn't exist around other people. "I think they'd kill us if we did anything as direct as ruin the game for them, but Jane's real name is Franklin." Hopefully Harper wasn't planning to turn this around on him.

Dante saw that Frankie was returning to the field now, a cue that they should stop talking about such plans. Without a doubt Blu would be back on the bleachers at any moment. That would be the last thing they needed, her finding out what they were planning on doing.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
Just a cage of rib bones and other various parts.
So it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess.
And to stop the muscle that makes us confess.
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

When Blu told her that the surprise was only small, nothing to get all excited over, Frankie blinked at her, then laughed. Pulling herself together, she smiled at Blu. "Small things can be exciting too." she told the other. "Besides, if you don't get happy about the small things, then when big things are rare, there won't be much happiness around." she pointed out. It was true. Frankie tried to appreciate most things, disregarding their significance as a factor. Sometimes it made it seem like she was downplaying the big events, but she honestly wasn't trying to.

They stopped walking, and Blu reached into he bag, pulling out her surprise. What she placed in Franklin's hand was a keychain, a small star at the end. Franklin examined it for a moment before looking up and smiling, her fingers closing firmly around it. "Thank you, Frankie. I love it." Hey, you never knew. Maybe they shared the same name, or a similar name. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Okay, the chances of two girls named Franklin meeting were slim to none. It would be pretty cool though.

"Hey, boss lady! The game's about to start!" Frankie turned and waved at the waiter who called her to let him know she would be there in a moment. The she looked back at Blu, and before she could let herself rethink it, she leaned in. Quickly she kissed Blu's cheek, then pulled back with her same smile.

"I should go, then, can't have a game without the team pitcher." she took a few steps backwards, watching Blu for a few more moments before turning around and jogging back to the field, ready for the game now.


--------------------------------------


Franklin wasn't so much hoisted into the air as she was thrown over the dishwasher's shoulder as the cheering commenced. She laughed though, patting him on the head. "Jeremy, put me down, dear." she said to the employee, who complied, still laughing as she was put among the rest of her jostling coworkers. Most teams probably wouldn't be so happy, but most teams won games far more often then they did.

Exchanging high fives with her teammates as she went, soon enough she was free of all of them and heading for the bleachers. People were clearing out already but the three she was looking for were still there. She waved when she got to them. "We won!" she announce gleefully, as if they hadn't been in the bleachers the whole time. "So, who's up for ice cream?"

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
Theres something 'bout giving up
That sounds so bittersweet
Think I'll throw in the towel right now
(but I'll fold it nice and neat)
I'll lay low on the ground
And I'll be on my feet
When I can breathe
When I'm good and ready
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

He watched James carefully as the other seemed to think about what Ephriam had said, then about what he would say himself. Every second that passed, Ephriam could feel himself getting more impatient, more jumpy, and his heart kept on speeding. After it felt like hours had passed, James spoke, first saying that he agreed about what Isadora would do to them if she were to find out. At the moment though, that was suddenly the last thing he wanted to hear. What he wanted to hear was that he wasn't the only one of them who wanted this. James did get to that eventually, and when he did, Ephriam suddenly felt like everything was going right for once.

The sudden situation was made aware to him though, when James said that it would be best that they return. Of course, he was right, they did not want Isadora to be kept waiting, because she would only lose her temper, reluctantly he nodded when James said they could talk more of this on their ride the next morning. Before they got back on the horses though, Ephriam took it upon himself to take one more kiss. He really couldn't help himself at this point. When the kiss broke, he smiled at James, then backed away, getting back on his horse. Soon enough, they were off, finishing their ride.


---------------------------------


"Ephriam, where have you been!" Isadora questioned in a harsh hushed tone as he sat himself beside her in their appointed seats. She looked furious, yet she still managed to hide that face after a moment so that no one on the floor noticed. "You do not just leave your wife, the woman who will bear your heir, after she announces she is with child!" Yes, furious she certainly was. She gripped his arm tightly, making Ephriam grimace slightly, though at the same time, he refused to crumble under her anger.

"I merely needed some fresh air." he told her solemnly, whispering also. "I was feeling a bit light headed. It would not do for me to pass out in front of an audience." he pointed out calmly, ignoring the fact that his pulse was racing with the lying he was almost doing, because he wasn't really lying yet. If Isadora asked a few more clarifying questions, then he would be lying.

Luckily, she didn't.


---------------------------------


The next morning, Ephriam was antsy as he got down the the stables early in the morning. Starlight seemed to to sense his mood, and became restless in response. As he ran a brush through her mane, she bumped her head against his chest. "We'll go soon." he promised her. "We must wait for James though."

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

╔════════════════════════════════════╗
These hammers and strings
Been following me around
From a box-filled garage
To the dark punk rock clubs
Of one thousand American towns
╚════════════════════════════════════╝

It wasn't long before there was loud knocking on his door, but to Elian it felt like it had been. Standing, he leaned his guitar against the wall and went to the door. He already knew who he was expecting, so it wasn't like it was a big surprise who was behind the door. At the same time though, he didn't know what he would be presented with now. Phone calls and letters were a sad replacement for face to face contact, and for more then awhile, that was the only contact the two had had with each other. Such was what happened when one friend went traveling and the other stayed behind. Of course, Elian would let none of that stop him from opening the door. It would really suck though if in the end he was presented with someone who wasn't the Alex he remembered. People changed though, and he prepared himself for that fact.

Barely a moment passed after he opened the door that he was hugged. Elian hugged Alex back, grinning when the other pulled back and asked him what he was doing there. That was a fair question, Eli supposed. It wasn't everyday that he just texted people random apartment addresses and then was the one to open the apartment door. Okay, so he never did that actually. The point was, it wasn't normal for him to just show up out of the blue. "I thought it was time to come home, for a little while at least." Elian was good at clarifying things, even if he didn't mean to. But it wasn't true, he probably wouldn't stay in town forever; hell the chance he'd even stay for a full year was slim. No use in letting anyone think he would be around forever. It just wasn't in the young man's nature anymore to stay anywhere for more then a few months at most, unless he had a really good reason.

Stepping out of the way, he gestured for Alex to enter the apartment. "Well, come in. I don't have any furniture right now, but I'm not going to leave you out in the hall." he said to the other. He closed the door when they were both in the apartment, turning once again to look at his old friend. Elian really hadn't counted on feeling a bit antsy even when Alex had arrived. But he did, mostly because he was waiting for Alex to point out much he had changed since the last time they had seen one another, and how he didn't like it. Of course, he supposed there really was no reason for him to worry about that. There was no use in worrying about things that might or might not be said. It was ridiculous, because if no such thing happened, you just wasted time and energy over nothing when you could've been doing something. It didn't look to Elian like Alex had changed much, but that was all outer appearances.

Maybe he had a different hair cut, or something minor like that, but Elian knew his hair was longer. He would have to talk to Alex to discover and changes that were deeper then outer appearances. You could start that kind of conversation with a simple enough question thankfully. "How have you been?" he asked Alessandro. Sure, they had been talking at least once a week, but sometime people told you things face to face that you didn't hear over the phone. You were able to get a better reading of if they were really 'okay' from their body language. And at this point, he needed that with Alex.

The last few calls the males had had, it had seem more and more like Alex was having a bad time back in there hometown, and sometime it even sounded like he was trying to cover up any such issue from Elian. Elian couldn't just call him out on it over the phone though. To his face though, if Alex lied to him, he could call the other out, and not sound like a complete jerk. No, he would sound like the concerned friend that he was, and Alex wouldn't be able to just hang up to avoid the issue, which helped, not that he had ever done that before. Then again, Elian had never tried to press things before. He had never felt that he really that right, when he wasn't even really there.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

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You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth
I have to go, I have to go
Your hair was long when we first met
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Their team sucked. More then once Franklin's pitches were way off base, and as far as hitting the ball when they were up to bat, it seemed as if that were matter that was up for debate. However. The other team was worse, which Dante hadn't thought was possible. They weren't as good about losing as Franklin's team had been all season, but that wasn't the point. He grinned at his friend when she came up on them, and as she helped him get on his feet and on his crutches, he spoke. "So, how'd you bribe the ref?" he asked jokingly. Of course he knew they had won fair and square, but it was still a shock, no matter which way you spun it. He was allowed to poke a bit of fun, especially when you pointed out that no one had thought there was any hope with him on the bench. After all, he was the one with some actually athletic ability on the team.

Franklin stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll have you know that I have a good luck charm." she said, pulling out the keychain and showing it to him. "Blu gave it to me." Dante didn't say a word to that, and he had to bite back his urge to just end it right there and then by telling her the name of her 'Blu'. He had to remind himself of what Frankie would do to him, and of how much he supposedly liked being alive. It worked well enough, he kept most of his self control, save for his eye rolling. Franklin ignored it of course, just as she did any negative reaction that Dante had to something involving Blu. Hand in hand with Blu, the two of them walked ahead of Harper and Dante, like two oblivious lovebirds. He didn't bother to try and pay attention to what they were talking about, and instead he tried to distract himself by watching the ground, ensuring he didn't trip again and sprain the good ankle he had left. There was already one issue causing him pain, there was no reason to go looking for another.

The ice cream parlor wasn't far away from the ballpark. Trista-Blu, as she was now known to Dante now, held the door open, everyone proceeded inside. First Harper, then Dante and then the girls. Don almost snorted as he heard the name Trista guessed. That name couldn't be further from something that would remotely fit Franklin. It was so girly, and so... just not Frankie. Her name had a kinda of spunk to it, not that he expected anyone to understand what that meant. Her name just kinda topped off everything that Franklin was. She was sweet, but not to the point of being sugary, she was tough and feminine, she was... Dante shook his head. No, this wasn't the time to start acting all in love with the girl. That wouldn't help him at all, except in making himself look like a complete idiot in front of other people, something he couldn't say he was too eager to do.

Franklin helped Dante sit and get his foot up on another chair, patting his head despite his grumbling. "Blu and me can go get the ice cream. What d'you want, Donnie?" Jeez, he hated when he called her Donnie, but at the same time, he didn't tell her as much. He just let her do it, because it made her happy. It was probably a bad habit to just indulge her, but he did it so often already, so why not?

"Cake batter with rainbow sprinkles in a waffle bowl." he said dully while Harper was telling Trista what he wanted. With that, the girls went off to counter to get the ice cream, leaving the boys to just sit and stare at each other. Dante didn't have a thing to say, but he vauguly wandered if Harper had any words of his own.

""

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

Lucy, I'm home!
Lucile Romilly Lane
reserved ● thoughtful ● obstinate

xxAbout Me!

● Call me: Lucy
● Age/Date of Birth :: twenty-two // january second
● My role here :: superhuman
● I love :: animals - language - taking walks - teaching others
● I hate :: competitiveness - being told what to do - bats - the cold

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

What's up?
Iseul Minji Jeun
bold ● quick tempered ● intelligent

xxAbout Me!

● Call me: Izzy
● Age/Date of Birth :: twenty-seven // november ninth
● My role here :: government agent
● I love :: running - talking - smoothies - flowers
● I hate :: ignorance - liars - being told what to do - heat

[o u t r a g e o u s KOI]

Eli ● Lorenzo ● Aryton
Witty is soooooo not my strong suit.
● lost traveler ●

About Me!

● Call me: just eli
● age/birthday :: twenty-two // may tenth
● I am :: absent-minded - genuine - helpful
● I’m a real big fan :: traveling - drawing - coffee - making friends
● I’m not so keen on :: crowds - ignorance - intolerance - obnoxious people


● o u t r a g e o u s KOI ●