Tag Archives: rp: overlapping lives

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

Summer’s mouth twitched in a wry smile, and she lifted her hands a little. “This one is really simple — I’m just threading beads, well chips in this case, on a string. This is a particular kind of wire called tigertail, that’s very thin and flexible.” She finished the piece of the pattern she was working on, and laid it down to pick up a completed piece with multiple swoops.

She spread it out between her hands, holding it up for him. “This one is a little more complicated.” Putting it back down, she nudged a box of finished pieces toward him. She stirred a pile of gemstone chips with her fingertip, looking for the perfect one to string next.

Ace looked on unabashedly with the type of curious eyes a child would hold.

When he’s the most oblivious to himself and his actions, it’s easy to compare him to something so pure — it’s the subconscious side of him he couldn’t suppress no matter how hard he tried.

He found it hard to focus on just one thing — his gaze shifted from her current piece, to the plethora of materials scattered somewhat respectively around her, before finally settling on the box of finished works she nudged towards him.

With a small smile, cheeks slightly tinted red at the thought of being so… entertained by this one simple thing, but dove into what was set in front of him nonetheless.

Ace’s actions spoke louder than words. He thought she was gifted at this… crafting, but couldn’t bring himself to say so.

The wry smile flashed again, though she kept her eyes mostly on what she was doing. He tried to hard to seem prickly and standoffish, but the way he looked as he lifted out some of her finished pieces told her how much more to him there could be.

In all honesty, she was restraining herself from pushing — there were lots of questions she wanted to ask, and a /lot/ more she could say to him about what she was doing. It wasn’t so much that she was naturally outgoing — she wasn’t. But here was an interesting new person, and there was no one else around to make her feel shy.

But she bit her tongue, just watching him, fingers sliding chip after chip onto the wire. Hopefully, if she was patient, he would open up to her.

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

Summer flicked a glance up at him, the way he was shifting back and forth like he was uncomfortable. On the other hand, he seemed pretty serious about not letting his puppy pester Helios. Reticence wasn’t necessarily a bad quality — gods knew, she had a tendency to babble.

But he’d already said he didn’t want to sit down, so she fell silent, fingers busy. If his life was as quiet as he was, this both of them having their doors open would be easy. Hopefully, her little gaming get-togethers wouldn’t be a problem — granted they laughed a lot, and loudly, but surely that wouldn’t bother him?

She supposed, since he wasn’t exactly volunteering information, she’d have to wait and see.

After a moment of thought, he decided a few hours over at Summer’s place wouldn’t be all that bad.

His favorite thing to do was observe people — not in a creepy way at all, in more of a I-see-you-and-I-understand way.

He wants to understand her, and how he hasn’t noticed such a… unique soul in all of his residence.

So, he sat on the floor, cross-legged, little Diesel’s fascination with Helios getting thrown to the wind as he squirmed to settle in his owner’s lap for a quick snooze.

“How do you… do that?” he asked, gesturing with one hand to her work, the other scratching behind his pup’s ear.

Summer’s mouth twitched in a wry smile, and she lifted her hands a little. “This one is really simple — I’m just threading beads, well chips in this case, on a string. This is a particular kind of wire called tigertail, that’s very thin and flexible.” She finished the piece of the pattern she was working on, and laid it down to pick up a completed piece with multiple swoops.

She spread it out between her hands, holding it up for him. “This one is a little more complicated.” Putting it back down, she nudged a box of finished pieces toward him. She stirred a pile of gemstone chips with her fingertip, looking for the perfect one to string next.

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

Helios leaned down, ears and whiskers swept back, to cautiously sniff at Diesel, before he sat back up and began to assiduously wash his face. “Good boy,” Summer told him, and he slitted his eyes at her. “Mine still works,” she told Ace, sorting through her box for another spool of wire. “It’s just really struggling in this heat, so I figure I’m better off money-wise if I just turn it off during the day. I can’t pay four hundred dollar electricity bills.

She began to thread gemstone chips onto the wire. “So it’s just you and Diesel over there?”

Diesel’s sniff was a lot less tame.

How the puppy managed to get on the couch was a mystery, but he gave one squeak before pouncing on Helios, little chubby arms flailing as he buried his nose in the cat’s fur.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Ace said, lifting his dog up and balancing him against his hip, turning to Summer once more as Diesel squirmed and barked.

“You and me both, then. Money-wise, I mean,” he added sheepishly, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. He watched in guarded curiosity as she started on another piece of jewelry.

“Yes.”

And you and Helios over here?

The nicer side of him wished to shine through and voice this. But the bull-headed and ruder part of Ace kept that little fucker at bay most of the time, so.

Summer flicked a glance up at him, the way he was shifting back and forth like he was uncomfortable. On the other hand, he seemed pretty serious about not letting his puppy pester Helios. Reticence wasn’t necessarily a bad quality — gods knew, she had a tendency to babble.

But he’d already said he didn’t want to sit down, so she fell silent, fingers busy. If his life was as quiet as he was, this both of them having their doors open would be easy. Hopefully, her little gaming get-togethers wouldn’t be a problem — granted they laughed a lot, and loudly, but surely that wouldn’t bother him?

She supposed, since he wasn’t exactly volunteering information, she’d have to wait and see.

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

Helios flattened his little dark ears, but otherwise didn’t appear to be too concerned about the puppy. Summer chuckled. “Hi, Ace. I guess your a/c isn’t getting on well with this heat either?” She lowered her gaze to Diesel and gave that particular type of smile people often give to cute animals. “You should probably let them sniff each other. I, um, I was thinking I’d probably leave my door open during the day until it cools down some. Helios and I don’t live a very, um, exuberant lifestyle? But if it’s a problem let me know.”

“It isn’t, and I’m pissed,” he muttered, gaze drifting down to the puppy that squirmed in his arms to sniff at Summer’s feline friend.

Begrudgingly, he gave into the girl’s suggestion and set Diesel between their feet, who promptly made work of trying to launch his chubby little body onto the couch cushion.

“You’re too short. Quit while you’re ahead.” Ace spoke to Diesel like he would even register the annoyance in his owner’s voice, before directing his attention towards the red-haired girl once again.

“Same here, then, until I can scrounge up enough cash for a new one. You’re fine, by the way.”

Helios leaned down, ears and whiskers swept back, to cautiously sniff at Diesel, before he sat back up and began to assiduously wash his face. “Good boy,” Summer told him, and he slitted his eyes at her. “Mine still works,” she told Ace, sorting through her box for another spool of wire. “It’s just really struggling in this heat, so I figure I’m better off money-wise if I just turn it off during the day. I can’t pay four hundred dollar electricity bills.

She began to thread gemstone chips onto the wire. “So it’s just you and Diesel over there?”

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

Exhibiting true Ragdoll laziness, Helios sniffed in Diesel’s direction once, blue eyes wide and curious, before hopping up onto the empty couch and perching on the arm with lordly disdain. Summer glanced between the two, mouth crimping on an amused smile she tried to hide, before looking up (way up) at Ace. “That’s Helios. I’m pretty sure your little pup is safe, he’s very laidback. I’m Summer.”`

“It’s not… Helios I’m worried about.” Ace said, eyeing the cat with a type of guarded amusement.

He plucked little Diesel up just as he bared his little teeth, giving a playful bark which signaled he was fixing to jump up and nip at the poor kitty’s tail.

“It’s this little guy,” the lad started, balancing the puppy against his hip, “That I’m worried about. Rambunctious, very.”

When he realized he sounded a bit too… warm, he stiffened, staring down at her with his expression stoic.

“Ace.”

Helios flattened his little dark ears, but otherwise didn’t appear to be too concerned about the puppy. Summer chuckled. “Hi, Ace. I guess your a/c isn’t getting on well with this heat either?” She lowered her gaze to Diesel and gave that particular type of smile people often give to cute animals. “You should probably let them sniff each other. I, um, I was thinking I’d probably leave my door open during the day until it cools down some. Helios and I don’t live a very, um, exuberant lifestyle? But if it’s a problem let me know.”

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

Summer turned away, too, into the kitchen, glad that the heat of the day excused any flush she might have. “Let me get you some water,” she said, taking down two glasses and filling them up with ice. She put the coolness of her fingers after touching the ice on the back of her neck, unsticking the fine hair there, and rolled her neck before adding tap water to the glasses.

Carrying it over to him, she said quietly, “I don’t mind you watching, but you’ll get a better idea of what I’m working on if you come in and sit down. I was just taking a break anyway to stretch.” Picking her way back into the middle of the little heaps of beads and gemstones, she set her glass down carefully on the carpet and stretched her arms over her head, tank-top riding up over her ribs. Helios appeared from the bathroom, lowering his white muzzle to sniff at the craftworks before threading through to inspect her glass.

Ace was taken aback by the kindness, to say the least.

But, he didn’t thank people, so he just watched her with curiosity as she appeared with the glass in her hand, inspecting the condensation on the glass that cooled her fingertips welcomely.

He took it, and that said a lot for him. Even Diesel seemed to sense the guard he watched his owner build up through the years go shaky before stiffening once again.

“I like watching from here.”

At the sight of another pet, Diesel gave a scoff, rising onto his little chubby legs to go loping across the way. The lad let out a string of curses, having no choice but to follow suit and keep the little chubby one from… doing whatever he wanted to do to Helios.

Exhibiting true Ragdoll laziness, Helios sniffed in Diesel’s direction once, blue eyes wide and curious, before hopping up onto the empty couch and perching on the arm with lordly disdain. Summer glanced between the two, mouth crimping on an amused smile she tried to hide, before looking up (way up) at Ace. “That’s Helios. I’m pretty sure your little pup is safe, he’s very laidback. I’m Summer.”`

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

She finished two throat-hugging necklaces before she surfaced enough from her concentration to be aware of him. Flexing her fingers and easing out the cramps from the finicky work, she glanced sidewise at him, not picking up on the next song. “I can feel you watching me,” she said, instead, and unwound herself to turn the music down. “Am I too loud?” Setting her hands on her hips, Summer turned to look at her neighbour fully, and hoped he couldn’t see the slight shock that went through her.

Damn, he was hot. And not just in the literal sense — in the ‘wow I wish I could get with that’ kind of way. Long practise kept the awareness of it off her face, but she just knew that feeling was going to make things frustrating and awkward for her. It always did.

It seems he’s found another mean of entertainment; something that he could look at for hours and hours silently, in awe almost, but never take up himself.

His hands weren’t so nimble and delicate, in that sense.

Watching as she set aside the necklaces, he felt rather unhappy that his new source of entertainment came to an end as she began to bend and curl her stiff fingers out of crafting position.

“She speaks,” he muttered, gaze dropping to the floor as she got up to turn the song. Suddenly, he felt rather foolish for settling there in the first place to watch his neighbor. He felt like a creep.

“You’re not.”

His responses were short and he generally mumbled, still slightly aggravated by the merciless heat they were exposed to just a few hours earlier.

Am I too… obtrusive?

He wanted to ask, but thought better of it. Why does he care, if so?

Just as she turned to face him, his gaze lifted from the floor and he gave her a very generous once-over.

The feeling was mutual. Very, very mutual. The thought of having his eye on someone else on so quickly spooked him into looking away.

Summer turned away, too, into the kitchen, glad that the heat of the day excused any flush she might have. “Let me get you some water,” she said, taking down two glasses and filling them up with ice. She put the coolness of her fingers after touching the ice on the back of her neck, unsticking the fine hair there, and rolled her neck before adding tap water to the glasses.

Carrying it over to him, she said quietly, “I don’t mind you watching, but you’ll get a better idea of what I’m working on if you come in and sit down. I was just taking a break anyway to stretch.” Picking her way back into the middle of the little heaps of beads and gemstones, she set her glass down carefully on the carpet and stretched her arms over her head, tank-top riding up over her ribs. Helios appeared from the bathroom, lowering his white muzzle to sniff at the craftworks before threading through to inspect her glass.

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

By the time the sun went down, Summer had actually forgotten her resolution to go talk to her neighbour. The apartment was still fairly hot, and stray wisps of red hair stuck to the back of her neck. But she had turned her music up loud, ensconced herself crosslegged on the floor, and dragged out her jewellery-making gear. Now she sang happily along as clever hands constructed a shining necklace out of the rainbow piles of gemstone chips in front of her.

As did Ace.

The curls that once loosely adorned the top and sides of his head, that kicked back wildly just at the nape of his neck looked drenched from where they lay matted against his pale skin.

But, when he walked past the open door, flinching as the volume to her otherwise tolerable music heightened, cold gaze fixated on her rather curiously as she settled on her floor.

The lad just couldn’t not look on as she began to sing, fingers working nimbly as she began to fashion a necklace from her little kit.

He decided to cop a squat on his own rather mucky wood floors, legs kicked out in front of him, his curious gaze never wavering, not even for a second.

She finished two throat-hugging necklaces before she surfaced enough from her concentration to be aware of him. Flexing her fingers and easing out the cramps from the finicky work, she glanced sidewise at him, not picking up on the next song. “I can feel you watching me,” she said, instead, and unwound herself to turn the music down. “Am I too loud?” Setting her hands on her hips, Summer turned to look at her neighbour fully, and hoped he couldn’t see the slight shock that went through her.

Damn, he was hot. And not just in the literal sense — in the ‘wow I wish I could get with that’ kind of way. Long practise kept the awareness of it off her face, but she just knew that feeling was going to make things frustrating and awkward for her. It always did.

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

Turned out, the neighbour had already opened their door. She stood hipshot in the open doorway, gnawing on her lip and pondering. After a moment, she went back inside and hauled out her butterfly chair, then positioned a fan just inside the doorway to pull some of the hot air out of the apartment. Helios dragged himself out to writhe luxuriously on the concrete, white belly up and dark-masked blue eyes slitted against the sun.

Honestly, she didn’t even know who her neighbour was. If they were both going to do this, maybe she should do something about that … later. When it wasn’t so damn hot. Maybe after the sun went down.

As she settled in her own doorframe, Ace stood leant up against his own, peering into her tiny flat with a rather stoic expression on his face, jaw set.

He needed a few minutes to collect himself. Usually, he had a lot more endurance for heat, but his patience slowly began to deplete after a particularly nasty break-up with his ex-girlfriend just a week prior.

Eyebrows furrowing with curiosity, he watched as she retreated back into her apartment, scoffing when he presumed for the rest of the afternoon to cool down, and turned on his heel to disappear into his own.

Diesel felt too hot to move yet, his tummy pressed against the wood floor near his bowl filled with ice-water, ears perking as his beloved owner walked by, settling back with his jawbone resting atop the back of his paws.

The lad decided it would be best to keep to himself until he calmed down. They’d have to form a relationship on some type of level so passing by their opened doors won’t be so awkward, he knew this much.

Just this once, maybe he could make nice.

By the time the sun went down, Summer had actually forgotten her resolution to go talk to her neighbour. The apartment was still fairly hot, and stray wisps of red hair stuck to the back of her neck. But she had turned her music up loud, ensconced herself crosslegged on the floor, and dragged out her jewellery-making gear. Now she sang happily along as clever hands constructed a shining necklace out of the rainbow piles of gemstone chips in front of her.

overlapping lives | closed | aceomalley

ace-omalley:

iamthefirechild:

Summer Rainault stared at the thermostat in her small, top floor studio apartment and growled under her breath. The a/c was working flat out, and it was still nearly 80 degrees in the apartment — breathlessly hot. Helios lay on the kitchen tile, panting miserably, as flat as he could possibly get upside-down. She leaned her head on the wall, then reached up and turned the thing off.

If it wasn’t going to work anyway, she might as well turn it off and save the money. As the fan shut off, she went round and opened all the windows and the door, and instantly felt better as a breeze moved through the space. She’d already put her lightest clothes on, and hopefully the neighbours across the passageway wouldn’t mind too much.

“Fucking hell.”

Said neighbor cursed underneath his breath, using today’s paper to fan himself with one hand as he set down more water for his little Frenchie called Diesel with the other.

He didn’t dare check his thermostat. Those tell-tale digits would make him even angrier he didn’t listen to his now ex-girlfriend about repairing his a/c in time for this unrelenting heat.

If his previously paid-for aircon wouldn’t put his money to good use, he’d have to do things the cheap way.

Ace made quick work of moving around the room, drawing curtains and opening anything that would help a breeze pass through the small flat, including the door.

He didn’t think about his neighbor when he did this, only himself and his dog that needed to stay cool or it might affect his health big-time. If the neighbor had anything to say, it would be in their best interest to take it up with the landlord, that is, if the old woman that had quite a soft-spot for the curly-haired lad cared to listen.

Turned out, the neighbour had already opened their door. She stood hipshot in the open doorway, gnawing on her lip and pondering. After a moment, she went back inside and hauled out her butterfly chair, then positioned a fan just inside the doorway to pull some of the hot air out of the apartment. Helios dragged himself out to writhe luxuriously on the concrete, white belly up and dark-masked blue eyes slitted against the sun.

Honestly, she didn’t even know who her neighbour was. If they were both going to do this, maybe she should do something about that … later. When it wasn’t so damn hot. Maybe after the sun went down.