Title: r e m e m b e r me as a {time of day ;;
Description: ;; open
Axel Scott - July 4, 2007 03:52 AM (GMT)
The clock behind the counter stated that the time was somewhere after eight o’clock. But those who frequented the Little Dog Café {not really a name to inspire confidence} knew that in reality, time was closer to seven thirty. Rush hour had come and gone, as well as the dinner crowd, and now they were crossing into the uncharted terrain of the late bunch. They were the hobos, looking for a place to sit before they were put out for the night. Or they were the elderly, who had nothing left with which to occupy their evenings, as their late radio shows had dwindled into extinction, and their radio plays had become a lost art.
The café, while in lack of a reassuring name and reliable evening clientele, was generally a very good place between the early morning and mid afternoon. At night, though, food was rarely served, as those who sat in the red and white leather seats had very little money to spend. So, understandably, this was the time when the staff found ways other than friendly conversation with the patrons and whispered jokes between them with which to entertain themselves. The fry cook, Freddy, for example, occupied the reign of the late-comers with bad lip-syncing to The Rolling Stones in the back room. Rhonda, a waitress manning the graveyard shift, did crossword puzzles at the soda counter.
Axela Scott, called Axel by those who knew better, sat in one of the front booths, a few strawberries and a book spread out before her. She was decked out in the nondescript uniform that they had to wear, a synthetic sunflower, given to her earlier that day by Rhonda, perched in the pocket on her shirt front as an accent. The cover and binding of the book, currently face-first with the Formica tabletop, read “In Cold Blood.” The seat across from the dark-haired waitress remained invitingly empty. On occasion, Axel was lucky enough to find a gem, someone who would sit down and chat to whittle away the time. But those occasions were rare, if they were even present most nights. See, the café past seven had its own atmosphere. Though there was the occasional shady character who chose to act up, they were comfortable with each other. The hobos, the elderly, two waitresses, and a portly fry cook.
Though the book was open before Ax, she hardly saw the paper and ink. Her eyes were out of focus, as if looking at something else entirely. You see, getting any actual reading done was an accomplishment for Axel on those idle nights. Mostly she sat and thought, shrouded with the glamour of a reader. She was a reader, honest. But not in the café. The café, though a bit outdated and quaint in appearance, inspired thought. It made you listen, should you hear something you’d never heard before. Though she was physically there, Axel’s mind was two countries away and further.
Closing Truman Capote’s book with a snap of finality, Axel looked up, favoring one of the strawberries with a distant turning of the lips. Catching it in her fingers, she raised it to her mouth, a trip that resulted in the merciless murder of so innocent a fruit. Removing the first half wither her teeth, the tall girl chewed thoughtfully, considering the events that had befallen her the night before and the curious man she had happened to come across. Murphy, he’d said his name was, though she was unsure of his surname. Gracing the remaining portion of the strawberry with her momentary attention, Axel popped the last half into her mouth, leaves and all. She’d always eaten them that way and found it no more unusual than closing the door behind you when you exited the car, or scratching your nose when you have an itch.
Turning her unsteady eyes to the plexiglass window of the shopfront, Axel watched the pedestrians aimlessly. She doubted she’d ever see that funny stranger ever again, though she hoped fate, for lack of a fully logical explanation, would have something in the back room for her. Fate, of course, was pure malarkey in her opinion, but logic and probability said that in a city of eight million two hundred thousand people, it was highly unlikely you would be able to re-meet one. So, fate was her only chance. But, God, how disgusting that sounded. Propping her chin in the palm of her hand, Axel resumed her hobby of watching the occasional passerby, someone who would likely never enter the café where the waitress ate the leaves of strawberries and the chef silently screamed, “Awww, no, it’s only rock and roll but I LYYYYKE IT.”
Murphy McManus - July 5, 2007 05:06 AM (GMT)
Despite many misconceptions, Murphy and Connor don't always get along. They do argue occasionally, just like every other set of siblings. Tonight, for example, Murph had made one comment too many about the shitty apartment that Connor had found, and boy, did Connor get pissed. He started going off on a rant about how he always did the important stuff, while Murph just lazed around and did nothing. It had hurt Murph's feelings... and he had left, thought not before yelling something along the lines of, "... well lemme know when yeh want help! It's not like I'm fuckin' busy!"
The man was now walking down the street, shoulders hunched, a cigarette shoved moodily in his mouth. He was slightly upset, sure. He hated it when him and his brother fought, because truthfully, he was the only person Murph had. Honestly, when he didn't feel welcome at home, where did he have to go? It wasn't such a big deal, though, because Murphy knew that in the morning they would reconcile and end up giving each other extremely masculine guy-hugs.
But still... it put him in a shitty mood. As Murphy strode down the street, he couldn't help but search desperately for a bar or tavern or something... anything that could give him some sort of distraction. But all he saw was coffee shop after coffee shop after coffee shop... where the fuck was he? The coffee neighborhood of New York? Where was a fuckin' tavern when he needed one? After a good quarter of an hour had passed, Murph was near to the point of yelling with frustration. Giving up, he decided that he would turn into the next place he saw, despite what it was.
Little Dog Cafe??!!
Fuck.
Grumbling to himself, he ducked into the franchise, instantly disliking the place. Deciding that if he couldn't get smashed, he might as well get high on caffeine, Murph made his way to the counter, where a somewhat seedy looking waitress stood. Before he could even open his mouth to speak, the woman gave him a withering look, and said, "... we don't allow smoking in here."
Murph looked up incredulously, blue eyes narrowing angrily at the woman. He really wasn't in a good mood, and this wasn't helping. "Look, Ma'am, I'm in one shitty mood, an' alls I ask is for some coffee an' peace an' quiet... is that too much to ask for?" The woman glared at him, and her rather talon-like hands closed around the coffee pot like a selfish child.
"You smoke, then no coffee for you."
Murph threw up his hands. "Fine! Fine, be that way. I'll just sit in your fuckin' chair until yeh serve me..." he said, and, before she could interject, he turned on his heel, moved to a table in the back of the room, and plopped into a vinyl seat. Not bothering to look about the room, he placed his elbows on the table, and let his head drop into his hands. Fuckin' a. First Connor, now this dumb broad... not to mention he had found out recently that the cops knew the Saints were back, as well as some rather dangerous men related to the numerous mafia agencies around town.
Fuck.
Axel Scott - July 5, 2007 05:44 AM (GMT)
“Oh,” Axel thought suddenly, catching sight of a familiar figure, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” It wasn’t possible. That sort of thing just didn’t happen. Maybe in the movies, yeah, but as far as she knew, this was real life. The formerly relaxed waitress now, sat straight, leaning slightly towards the window to keep sight of the man. She was just about to get up and call him in, when the impossible happened. Murphy, the man she’d so interestingly met the previous night, was heading straight for the door of The Little Dog Café. Of every other café on the block, why that one? There was no other explanation for it, other than the one he had offered before; divine intervention. It had a nice ring to it, even if it did come off as a bit preachy. Still, that was the only way it was possible.
Murphy entered, though her brain still hadn’t managed to fully wrap itself around the concept. So she sat silent, a look of utter shock across her defined features, too caught off guard to even call out his name. So he walked straight through and to the soda counter that Rhonda now stood behind, probably having gone back there to fix herself a cup of coffee to ward off the edges of sleep. Their exchange was brief, but loud enough for Ax to hear from where she was sitting. Rhonda’s response to the smoking man seemed a bit harsh, unless you knew her. Axel knew that she hated smoking, largely due to the fact that her father had died early of lung cancer, though he’d never smoked a cigarette in his life.
Ax understood, though she didn’t necessarily agree with her hatred of smoking. It became particularly infuriating, though, when Rhonda persisted in slipping Nicorette gum into her bag, or slapping a nicotine patch on her arm when they passed each other. But you got used to it after a while. Though Murphy hadn’t been temperamental with her the night before, she’d gotten a sort of vibe from him that screamed of a temper. She watched the encounter, her dark eyes large, nearly praying that Murphy didn’t jump over the counter and pistol whip the middle-aged woman. That would be unfortunate, as they’d most likely have to have him arrested.
Pushing aside her book and plate of barely touched strawberries, Axel began to slide out of the booth, planning on intercepting him should he decide to vault over the tabletop. But before she could do so, he decided to handle things through peaceful protest, like Gandhi or something. A chain-smoking, foul-mouthed Gandhi. What a combination. She sagged back against the chair back and looked at Rhonda, who was looking directly at her, a murderous look in her eyes. She motioned that she was going to go and get Freddy, which would serve no purpose, so Axel shook her head no. Grabbing her plate and tucking her book in the front pocket of her apron, Ax slid fully out of the booth and crossed the linoleum floor to the counter.
A hiss escaped Rhonda’s teeth as she approached, and Axel automatically predicted that she was about to launch into a full-scale tirade. “It’s cool, Ronnie,” she assured her, “I know the guy; he’s harmless.” Psch. Like she knew that for sure. “Just pour me a cup of joe and I’ll see if I can get him to put out the cigarette, okay?” Rhonda looked ready to protest, but eventually did as she was bid, shooting a seething glance in the direction of Murphy, and went to pour the cup of coffee.
Laden with her plate of strawberries and a cup and saucer of steaming New York’s finest, Axel advanced towards his table. The cheap rubber soles of her shoes fortunately made very little sound against the tile, so she was able to sneak up on him without difficulty. When she finally reached his table, she slipped in the seat across from him. “How the hell,” she said for introductory purposes, sliding the cup of coffee across the table to him, “Do you expect to be a good Universal Advisor if you can’t even negotiate your way into a cup of coffee?” She propped her elbows up on the table, tossing a glance back to Rhonda, who still watched them. “You don’t take cream or sugar, do you?” she asked. She preferred her coffee black. Like her dad said once, she didn’t need training wheels on her coffee.
Murphy McManus - July 5, 2007 06:03 AM (GMT)
“How the hell,” she said for introductory purposes, sliding the cup of coffee across the table to him, “Do you expect to be a good Universal Advisor if you can’t even negotiate your way into a cup of coffee?”
Murphy raised his head from his hands, bluish eyes widening as Axel slid into the seat across from him. It was, suffice it to say, very easy to compare a fish out of water to the Irishman at this moment in time, for truthfully, he was completely and utterly shocked. He had wanted to see this girl again, that he had come to realize the night before... but he hadn't expected it to actually happen. After all, fate didn't work that way. Often, fate was sort of a bitch. Though, tonight, fate was dealing him all aces, and he had to admit, it was a nice change. Mouth snapping shut, he offered a short grin, eyes snapping to the waitress behind the counter. "I figured all I was ever gonna be was yer court jester... so yeh can see why I didn't give a fuck..." he said. Realizing that he was speaking rather harshly, and that he really didn't want to cause yet another person to be angry with him, he offered an apologetic smile, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hands. "...I jus' mean that a jester isn' gonna need diplomatic skills an' the like... they jus' have t' wear the hell out of a little hat with bells, aye?"
“You don’t take cream or sugar, do you?”
Murph glanced over at the waitress again, who was still glaring in the couple's direction. Shaking his head, he turned his gaze back onto Axel. "Nah... though I'd take a shot o' bourbon if yeh had it..." he said with a grin. Scratching his chin, he shrugged his shoulders. "T' tell yeh the truth, I was lookin' for a bar. When I couldn' find one, I jus' decided to stop here... who'd think I'd run into yeh?" he said, trailing off as he met her eyes. It was, really and truly, a coincidence.
But a very nice one at that.
Looking at the coffee before him, he raised a brow. "I dun' know if I'm allowed to drink that..." he muttered, leaning over, pretending to sniff the stuff. "I wouldn't be surprised if that broad poisoned it..." He sighed, looking up, resting his chin in his hands as he caught the woman's gaze before him. She's a sight for sore eyes, he couldn't help but thinking. "An' t' think... all I did was smoke. What's the world comin' t'?" he muttered, the same cigarette drooping from his lips. After all, it was a part of his facade... without it, he would just be... well, just be not him, you know?
Axel Scott - July 5, 2007 04:20 PM (GMT)
Axel grinned at the sight of the surprise on his face. Man, that had just made her night. “You should see your face,” she told him, raising both of her eyebrows, “It’s priceless.” She laughed at Murphy’s mention of that little hat. He really would look rather dashing in it. “Oh right,” she replied with a grin, “I forgot that I demoted you.” Demoted? He’d never been promoted. But Axel never really was one for the specifics. Anyway, if he was so keen on being the court jester, than he could have the position. She’d just hire Oprah as her Universal Advisor. Providing that she didn’t have her executed on a whim. “That’s a pretty neat title you have now,” she teased lightly, “Batman slash Official Court Jester? I’m envious.” She could feel the shock of seeing him again so soon ebbing away and found herself slipping into that former familiarity that she’d had with him the night before.
Axel followed Murphy’s gaze as he looked over at Rhonda, who was staring daggers at the both of them. “Sorry, love,” she said, returning her eyes back to him, “We’re clean outta bourbon. Looks like you’ll have to drink your coffee the old-fashioned way.” She was reasonably sure that Freddy had some bourbon in the back room, but she doubted she’d be able to persuade him to part with. That would take more than her usual amount of bribery. “There’s a bar… I think, uh, four blocks that way,” she said, pointing to the far left wall, “You could try that one out.” To someone outside looking in, they would see it as her politely directing him to the nearest bar. In reality, she had failed to mention the fact that it was a gay bar, equipped with male strippers and strobe lights. Convincing him to go there would be the highlight of her life. Providing he didn’t already know of it.
She looked down at his drink as he leaned in to sniff it, a mischievous look appearing on her face. “Oh, Rhonda wouldn’t do that,” she assured him, “It’s been months since she’s poisoned someone. She’s a changed woman, I promise.” Axel simply shrugged when he laid out his case, not bothering to mention the words ‘NO SMOKING’ in block letters on the front door. “Strawberry?” she offered, picking up on herself, popping it into her mouth along with its greenery.
Murphy McManus - July 5, 2007 05:43 PM (GMT)
“You should see your face,” she told him, raising both of her eyebrows, “It’s priceless.”
Murphy raised a brow, shrugging. "I wasn' expectin' t' see the future ruler o' the universe again so soon..." he said simply, grinning a bit into the cup of coffee before him. It was true... and she likely knew it. Hell, if he hadn't been wallowing in his lack of coffee-ness a few minutes ago, he was sure he would have noticed the same look of shock on Axel. He was happy, too... it felt so stupid that such a small thing as running into someone made him feel so happy. Murph felt his anger slowly ebbing away as he looked up into the somewhat sardonic face of Axel.
“That’s a pretty neat title you have now,” she teased lightly, “Batman slash Official Court Jester? I’m envious.”
Murphy scratched his nose, chuckling a bit. "Yer envious!?" he asked incredulously. Waving a hand in a flippant manner, he made a scoffing sound. "Fine, fine. Yeh can be the jester then... I dun' mind bein' a ruler..." He nodded, as if the idea pleased him. Leaning back, he raised his hands and placed them behind his head. "Yeah, I think I could do that..." he mumbled, nodding again. For a moment, he was silent, musing on how he suddenly felt so comfortable with this woman, even though he had just met her yesterday. It was a good feeling. Even as she joked about the lack of alcohol, he found himself not minding.
“There’s a bar… I think, uh, four blocks that way,” she said, pointing to the far left wall, “You could try that one out.” T
Murphy, although unaware of her cruel intentions, wasn't one to fall into the trap. Besides, he was actually quite happy where he was, despite the lack of alcohol. The lacking of bourbon was made up by her company, if you could believe it. "Nah..." he said, leaning forward again, his hands coming to rest on the table top. "I'm fine here...." he muttered, though as a thought passed through his mind, he felt himself continuing before he could ponder the consequences of his speech, "... unless yeh wan' t' come with me, that is. Drinkin' is always better with a partner, yeh know..." He didn't want to cut short this meeting, so what was wrong with inviting her along? Was it... would she take it as an indecent advance? Nah... she wasn't old-fashioned like that, he figured. If anything, she might appreciate this sort of thing. Er... but did he want her to feel that way? Suddenly second guessing himself, he filled in the dead air with a long drag on his cigarette.
Oh, Rhonda wouldn’t do that,” she assured him, “It’s been months since she’s poisoned someone. She’s a changed woman, I promise.”
Murph raised a brow, taking one calloused hand and pushing the coffee away from him. "Oh, I feel much better now. Thanks so much..." he said sarcastically. In truth, he didn't really want coffee... hell, he didn't even like it. After all, it wasn't the coffee that was keeping him here any more.
“Strawberry?”
He glanced down at the plate, a smile spreading across his lips. "Yeh brought me strawberries? How kind of yeh..." he said with a wink. Reaching a hand forward, he took one of the red fruits and brought it towards him, though paused before eating it. "Y'know, this ain't a fig, though... yeh got any o' those?" he said, before taking a bite out of the thing. He, however, wasn't as adventurous as Axel was, he noticed, and didn't eat the green part. He furrowed his brows, nose wrinkling a bit. "Do yeh like the green bit?" he asked, motioning to her with a free hand.
Axel Scott - July 5, 2007 09:37 PM (GMT)
Axel smiled a half-smile and scratched her jaw-line aimlessly. “I wasn’t expecting to see you either,” she agreed, “I’d think you were stalking me if I didn’t know better.” Hm. Having a stalker would be interesting. She’d stalked someone before, only for the purpose of the experience, so she knew what fun it was. Ax wondered vaguely if she did, in fact, have a stalker outside of her knowledge. If he was a good stalker, she of course wouldn’t know about him. If she wanted any kind of stalker, she wanted a good one. That was the least fate could do for her.
Axel narrowed her eyes at him, as if considering his proposal. “Whatever,” she said finally, “You go ahead and take this universe. I call dibs on the next one, though.” Eh, let Murphy have a little fun for a while. She doubted she’d be a good ruler anyway. Not to say that the man sitting across from her would either. She was reasonably sure that he’d fuck it up, first thing. Or second, or third, but he would surely get around to it. Not really a bad thing, though, as she was aces sure she’d do the same. They were a pair, him and her.
She had to admit that she was slightly disappointed that he didn’t fall for the bait. Would’ve been quite the laugh. Her disappointment entirely vanished, though, when he offered for her to come with him. “Sure, I’ll go,” she said, “But I’ve got to warn you, I’m not much of a drinker.” That much was true. Give her a couple of shots and she was spilling her guts to the first stranger who crossed her path. And not to mention the fact that she got embarrassingly loose. “Besides,” she said, looking pointedly at the sulking Rhonda, “I’m sure you can smoke in a bar without having to worry about the fire brigade being called to put you out.”
She watched him push away the cup of coffee, but it didn’t faze her. Some people just weren’t coffee people. That pot wasn’t really a fresh one anyway, so it probably wasn’t as good as it should’ve been. “You’re so vain,” she said, looking from the cup to him as he assumed that she’d brought the strawberries expressly for him, “You probably think this song is about you.” Ah, she couldn’t help quoting a bit of Carly Simon, though she honestly hated the woman. What could she say? It was a good line. Axel shook her dark head as he asked of the figs. “Unfortunately not,” she told him, the corners of her eyes crinkling in regret, “I wish we did, ‘cause you can never have enough figs.”
She picked up another strawberry as he asked of her habit of eating the green part of the strawberry. She shrugged carelessly, turning the strawberry over to look at its leaves. “They’re alright,” she said, “Kinda remind me of lemon grass. You ever tried lemon grass?” There was no way that someone went through childhood without trying lemon grass. It was nearly a requirement. Her mother had always told her not to eat it, because the leaves might be dirty or something. She ate them anyway.
Murphy McManus - July 6, 2007 01:21 AM (GMT)
I wasn’t expecting to see you either,” she agreed, “I’d think you were stalking me if I didn’t know better.”
Murphy raised a brow, a devilish grin coming across his lips. "An' yeh claim yeh know better, aye?" He chuckled, fingers splaying across the table top as he leaned forward a bit. "Fer all yeh know, I could be tappin' yer phone lines an' watching yeh sleep..." After a short pause to allow this possibility to ruminate, he shrugged, arms coming to rest across his chest. "If... yeh know, I was int' that sort o' thing..." But for all Axel knew, he could be. She didn't know that much about him, which was half the fun. That whole obscure, secret-ness of a stranger was somewhat titillating... Murphy couldn't deny it.
“Whatever,” she said finally, “You go ahead and take this universe. I call dibs on the next one, though.”
Murphy's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, ain't that mighty kind of yeh..." he muttered. As his tongue pushed the cigarette dangling from his lips from one side of his mouth to the other, the wheels in Murphy's head were obviously spinning a bit. After a moment, he chuckled. "Aye. Dun' worry, there'll be a spot for yeh in my court, or whatever..." There was another pause as he narrowed his blue eyes, apparently appraising Axel. Finally, after a moment, he turned his unnerving stare to the side, chuckling. "Yep. I can see yeh in a little hat with bells... quite cute, I think..." He stifled another chuckle, fingers fidgeting as they tapped across the worn table.
“Sure, I’ll go,” she said, “But I’ve got to warn you, I’m not much of a drinker.”
"Not much of a drinker!?" he exclaimed loudly, causing Rhonda to look over at the two with yet another withering glare. Not even noticing, Murphy plowed forward. "What the fuck is that s'posed t' mean?! Everyone can drink if they try t'..." Waving a hand flippantly, he made a scoffing sound. "Dun' worry, I'll make sure yeh dun' hurt yerself... though I dun' wan' yeh to feel intimidated by my drinkin' skills. 'Cause if there's anythin' I can do... yeh guessed it, it's drinkin'!" He chuckled again. Bah, it was in his blood. He was Irish, what could he say? But aside from all this joking, there was a small part inside of him that was cheering; she wanted to go with him. And from what she was saying, the bars didn't mind if he smoked... it was a win win situation. Ignoring her comment about him being vain with a wave of the hand, Murph made yet another scoffing noise as he forced himself to remain serious.
“Unfortunately not,” she told him, the corners of her eyes crinkling in regret, “I wish we did, ‘cause you can never have enough figs.”
Murph leaned forward, placing his elbow on the table and raising his hand in a very diplomatic gesture. "Now..." he began, in all seriousness, "... what the fuck is a fig? Is it like a... prune, or somethin'? I've never actually seen one b'fore..." he said, shaking his head, as if deeply regretting this. In reality, he didn't actually care... but if they were so amazing as Axel said, maybe he was missing out.
“They’re alright,” she said, “Kinda remind me of lemon grass. You ever tried lemon grass?
"Er, no... he muttered, laughing a bit. Cocking his head to one side, he regarded to girl with an air of amusement. "Yeh know, I've never met anyone like yeh before..." he said finally. And it wasn't even something romantic that he was trying to say... it was the truth. Axel was... original, and he appreciated that. He really did, especially in a world like this. "But I guess yer parents knew yeh were gonna be like that when they named yeh Axel, aye?" he said with a wink. His fingers moved towards the plate of strawberries again.
Axel Scott - July 7, 2007 05:07 AM (GMT)
Axel mimicked his devilish grin and leaned in as if she was in cahoots with him. “Then you heard a whole lot of nothing, mainly about the contents of my fridge,” she whispered across the table, “And as for the sleeping thing, well.” A frown crossed her face at this point and she looked to the side, feigning consideration of the matter. “Well, then you’ve seen a whole lot of something.” A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but she managed to keep a straight face. Really, she wasn’t lying. She did sleep naked. But he didn’t need to know that. “And why wouldn’t you be into that sort of thing? Everyone stalks each other nowadays.” True, true.
The long-limbed girl leaned back against the cushioned seat, draping one arm over the top for comfort. “You really think so?” she asked him, glancing skyward as she considered the hat atop her head, “Yeah, I think I’d look pretty strapping with that hat. I might have to get one before you get sworn into royalty. You know, take it for a spin around the block.” Should she do that, she’d no doubt be seen as ‘that one person’. Everyone knows who ‘that one person’ is. He’s they guy walking down the street barefoot and talking to himself, or the woman who lives on the tenth floor with way too many cats. Yep. That was her future.
“Oh, fuck you,” Axel said, narrowing her eyes at him, “I’m one hundred and thirty pounds and a chick at that. Give me a few shots of hard liquor and I’m already plastered.” Murphy had to be at least forty or fifty pounds heavier than her, and he was probably a born drinker at that. She didn’t start drinking until it was legal and even then she drank very little. She was a shit drunk and everyone knew it. “Duh,” she said plainly, “You can tell just by looking at you that you can hold your alcohol.” And listening to him. Everyone automatically assumed that Irish meant two things: Catholic, and thus a ton of kids, and alcoholics. Funny how Catholicism and alcoholism went hand in hand.
Ax shook her head at his comparison of a fig to a prune. “Nah. It’s like this big,” she told him, forming a circle about the size of an orange with both of her hands, “And it’s purple when it’s ripe, and the inside is white and pink. Kinda hard to explain. You’ll see eventually.” Hm. She needed to find out where he lived. She’d send him a ton of them. That would be funny.
Axel looked genuinely surprised that he’d never tried lemon grass before. “Are you kidding me?” she asked him, her tone full of incredulity. She stood at him for another moment before sliding out of the booth hurriedly. “C’mon,” she said, grabbing his hand, which had been reaching for the strawberries, and pulling him along with her, “I can’t believe you’ve never tried lemon grass.” Well, there was a way to deal with that. There was an empty lot next to the café, and she was pretty sure that there’d be some lemon grass there. “And yeah, I know I’m weird. Sort of a perk, right?”
Murphy McManus - July 7, 2007 05:39 PM (GMT)
“Then you heard a whole lot of nothing, mainly about the contents of my fridge,” she whispered across the table, “And as for the sleeping thing, well [...] Well, then you’ve seen a whole lot of something.”
Murph grinned cocking his head to one side as he blew a short stream of smoke from his mouth. "Aye?" he asked, blue eyes holding her gaze. He caught himself after a moment, rushing forward. "I mean, aye... aye, that I have..." he muttered in what he hoped was a very sort of mock-ominous voice. Though the fact that a broad smile soon spread it's way across his features sort of ruined the effect. He tended to do that a lot, he realized... ruin an angry or sad or ominous attitude by smiling.
And why wouldn’t you be into that sort of thing? Everyone stalks each other nowadays.”
"Aye? he muttered, raising a hand to scratch at his ear. "An' who would yeh be stalkin'? It wouldn' be some cussin', smokin' Irishman, now would it?" He leaned back, as if finding this fact amusing, rather then somewhat disturbing as most people would. "I thought I saw someone in the bushes las' night... well, I guess I won' call the police next time..." he muttered thoughtfully, bobbing his head up and down as he nodded a bit.
“You really think so?” she asked him, glancing skyward as she considered the hat atop her head, “Yeah, I think I’d look pretty strapping with that hat. I might have to get one before you get sworn into royalty. You know, take it for a spin around the block.”
"Well, after a few drinks, yeh never know might what happen, aye?" he said, laughing. If she was as much as a light-weight as she said she was, then they were headed for a most interesting night. Normally, Murph drank with other guys, guys who could hold just as much alcohol as he could. He supposed he would have to ration himself with Axel, just to make her feel better.
Wait. What was the fuckin' fun in that?
“Oh, fuck you,” Axel said, narrowing her eyes at him, “I’m one hundred and thirty pounds and a chick at that. Give me a few shots of hard liquor and I’m already plastered.”
Murphy leaned forward a bit, resting on his right elbow, his chin resting in his calloused hand. "Fine, fine. I'll go easy on yeh, I guess. Though truthfully, I prefer beer. Liquor's good an' all for a quick fix, but if I've got the time, there isn' anythin' better then a big glass o' Guinness..." he said knowledgeably, as if it were an obvious fact. Psh, liquor. That didn't even fill you up! Fuck, Guinness was like a meal in a glass. If you didn't have much money, it was your dinner and your drink, all in one.
“Duh,” she said plainly, “You can tell just by looking at you that you can hold your alcohol.”
Murph frowned, hand shooting to his chest as he gasped in mock-hurt. "What's that supposed t' mean?!" he said. "I'll have yeh know, I am a very upstandin' gentleman... who jus' likes his smokes and his alcohol..." And happened to be one third of a gun-toting vigilante group who frequently shot up people. But that was a different story, right? He pretended to be hurt all throughout her mention of what a fig looked like, all pouty-like.
“And yeah, I know I’m weird. Sort of a perk, right?”
Suddenly his had was being grabbed by the girl, and he was being dragged across the restaurant. Passing the waitress at the counter, he threw her a dashing smile which she immediately frowned at, and, trying to not to chuckle, he turned back to Axel. "Where the fuck are yeh takin' me?" he asked, somewhat amused, as she continued to drag him to wherever she was dragging him to.
Axel Scott - July 9, 2007 11:52 PM (GMT)
ooc || shit. i don't know how to respond to all of that dialogue now that they're getting a change of scenery o__0 whatever. i'm just gonna ignore it xDD
Glancing at Rhonda behind the soda counter, Axel saw the frown she was providing Muphy with. At the sight of it, Axel nearly laughed. Instead, though, she covered her mirth with speaking. "Hey, Rhonda," she said, slowing to a stop in her dragging of the man who had been a stranger as of yesterday, "Could you cover for me for a bit?" The night was winding down anyway, and they'd only be open for another three hours or so. Two waitresses were hardly needed to cover the late shift. She was sure her friend could handle it. Besides, they had a crisis on their hands. Rhonda nodded, given a bit hesitantly, but nodded nonetheless.
"I'm taking you to change your life," she said, as if his question had been entirely asinine. She pushed the cafe door open, causing a small bell to tingle above their heads. The night outside was cold, causing goosebumps to rise on Axel's bare arms. But the cold didn't bother her. It was refreshing. She'd always seen it as so. Once outside the door, Ax finally released Murphy, though the contact had almost been welcome. There was nothing awkward about the release, though. It wasn't the shame-faced 'oh my God, I just touched you' type thing. She was one of those people that had always been comfortably when in generally awkward physical contact.
She turned at the door and wandered onto the empty lot, the space only illuminated by the flaxen moon and a feeble streetlight in the alley behind the cafe. She didn't turn around to see if he was following her, as she figured the action was infantilizing in most cases, but instead bent down and began to search the ground. "Okay," she said, scrutinizing clusters of greenery, "So maybe changing your life was a bit of an overstatment." Who would've guessed, right? If the taste of lemon grass changed him, she'd suspect that he'd been a far sadder person than she could've possibly guessed. So it wouldn't change his life. But she couldn't, in clean conscience, leave behind someone unenlightened to the wonders of lemon grass.
Axel didn't speak for some time, but instead picked her way over shimmering bits of broken glass and metal parts, searching for the elusive plant. It didn't take her long to find it, as lemon grass could be found nearly everywhere. Finding the plant, sprinkled with little yellow flowers and tiny circular leaves, Ax pulled it unceremoniously from the ground, and walked back to him, her feet crunching plants underfoot. "Okay," she said, looking from the plant to him, "This is lemon grass." She approached and stopped when she was standing directly before him.
Plucking a leaf, she passed the plant to him, putting the leaf on the tip of her tongue. "Chew one. I know it isn't the greatest thing ever tasted," she said, chewing the sweet and sour leaf, "But I just couldn't walk away from someone who'd never tried some." There'd been no shortage of lemon grass eating among the kids in her neighborhood. She watched him, a curious look in her dark eyes. "And now you can say that you've tried the stuff." Well, it was a good consolation prize.
Murphy McManus - July 11, 2007 04:51 AM (GMT)
"I'm taking you to change your life,"
Murph smiled a bit indifferently. "Alright... I trust yeh..." he muttered, as they passed the ever jovial Rhonda and exited the restaurant. The cold air hit his face and revived him a bit, the feeling certainly welcome. It was a distraction, none the less... the cold air was a distraction, Axel was a distraction... a welcome distraction, he thought to himself as his blue eyes glanced down at the hand clasping his. The hand in his felt right, he suddenly realized. Fuck, when was the last time he had even touched a female? The thought dissipated quickly as he felt Axel drop his hand, and he made up for the sudden lack of human contact by shoving his hands deep into his pockets. He merely followed her, realizing that she was instantly putting them into yet another possibly dangerous situation by wandering into an empty lot shrouded in darkness.
"Okay," she said, scrutinizing clusters of greenery, "So maybe changing your life was a bit of an overstatment."
"Yeh mean I'm gonna eat grass?" he asked incredulously, inspecting her as she crouched on the ground. Murph crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "I thought yeh meant, like, some sort o' lettuce, or somethin'..." he muttered, raising a hand to scratch his chin. He couldn't help but grin at her, however. Who went into an empty lot to merely eat the greenery that was growing there? It just added to the mystery that was Axel.
"Okay," she said, looking from the plant to him, "This is lemon grass."
Murph looked at the plant for a moment, then into the darkened face of the girl. "Er... spectacular..." he said, throwing her a somewhat sardonic smile. Was he supposed to be amazed by the weed-like thing? 'Cause he wasn't. Wanting to appease her, however, he reached a hand forward and plucked a leaf from the plant she was holding. Bringing it closer to his face, he inspected it for a moment, not sure if he really wanted to stick the thing in his mouth or not.
"Chew one. I know it isn't the greatest thing ever tasted," she said, chewing the sweet and sour leaf, "But I just couldn't walk away from someone who'd never tried some."
"Well, here's t' tryin' new things..." he muttered, and placed the thing on the tip of his tongue. Not really knowing what the thing was supposed to taste like, considering his mouth had an aftertaste of cigarette smoke, he sort of chewed the thing for a moment before looking into the girl's dark eyes. He shrugged, giving her a small smile. "It's... grass..." he finally said, swallowing the odd vegetation after a moment. "Y'know, I've never been a connoisseur of green things... I'm more of a meat an' potatoes type o' guy..." he muttered, nodding.
"And now you can say that you've tried the stuff."
"Aye, yeh got me there..." he muttered, nodding. And then he fell silent for a moment. His eyes strayed upwards for a moment to the moon, the slight thing causing a glow to spill across the lot in a rather eerie fashion. He couldn't help but smile a bit at the sight, moonlight fever, he thought as he looked back down at Axel. Murph couldn't help but feel like a complete male at the moment. He was here. She was here. And there were suddenly some thoughts he had that made him feel like a bit of a prick. Coughing a bit, he smiled. "Yeh like that stuff?" he asked, trying to remain in the moment.
ooc - no prob, lol. and excuse the shitty post. i'm exhasted. lol.
Axel Scott - July 30, 2007 10:26 PM (GMT)
Axel grinned at Murphy as he claimed that he trusted her. Funny he should say that. People rarely trusted her. That was probably her fault, seeing as she broke promises more often than not and often dodged out on responsibilities. Hell, her own mother didn't even trust her. Axel always claimed that she was merely misunderstood, though. Right-o. It was nice, for a change, to have someone say that they trusted her, even if he didn't necissarily mean it and it was just a figure of speach. Come to think of it, she hardly trusted anyone either. Maybe that was why no one trusted her, though the whole broken promises slash unresponsible thing was an a-game case. Hm. That was something to think about.
Axel snorted from her position on the lot, amused that he'd thought it was lettuce. "Lettuce, huh?" she repeated with a laugh, her face hidden by the shadows, "Right." It was incredibly hard to imagine someone going that many years without ever eating lemon grass. She just couldn't get over it. What had his parents been teaching him? Well, other than speaking a handful of languages. But that paled in comparison to lemon grass. It was like a rite of passage or something. So, Murphy was still a kid 'cause he'd never had the stuff. This was his initiation. Sure, it was a shitty patch up job of growing up, but it would have to do given the current circumstances. These were emergency measures. Or as close as they would ever get to them, that is.
When she'd finally found the plant and presented it to Murphy, she watched, feigning breathless anticipation. Sure, she was working him up for some sure disappointment, as lemon grass wasn't something to write home about, but why take the fun out of it? It was better this way, rather than shoving a leavy plant in his face and telling him to gnaw on it for a bit. Yeah, she'd likely end up looking rather loony by the end of the whole experience, but there was a price for everything. He probably already thought she was nutso anyway. Maybe she should assure him that she wasn't. But again, that was taking the fun out of the whole thing. Being crazy wasn't half bad anyway. She watched him put the leaf in his mouth, her hands clutching her apron and a grin on her face.
When he finally admitted that it was only grass, his tone dispassionate, Axel broke away with a groan. "Name one thing that's better than le--," she said, but then stopped in mid-sentence, a frown on her face, "Nah, nevermind. That's way too easy." Pushing a hand through her jet hair, Axel looked at him, rather than following his eyes to the moon. She hadn't really seen him fully the night before, but now that she'd seen him in artificial light, she knew what he looked like. But as he stood there, silhouetted against the moon, she could see what he really looked like. Tragic, she decided suddenly. He looked achingly tragic. Handsome, yeah, but the tragedy was center stage. After all, there was always something sad about beauty. And sex. Sex always had something sad about it. But that was irrelevant.
Murphy looked back at her, and their eyes met. She felt that familiar jolt of electricty whenever their eyes met, but she didn't look away. She liked it when he looked at her. Axel had always preferred dark eyes, never being one for the blue, but Murph's eyes were catching. "Of course I like it," she said, finally breaking eye contact to look at the bit of greenery in her hand, "I don't just eat it for shits and giggles." She hardly ate it on the usual day. It was only when something like this came up, and those cases were believably rare. She popped another leaf into her mouth and looked back at him. "I take it your life wasn't changed," she said with a half-smile, "Mine wasn't either the first time I tried it. I'm not really one for life-changing experiences." In truth, she'd only had one in her entire life, but she rarely shared it with anyone. That time had even influenced her to get her first tattoo, but people rarely saw that so she didn't have to answer many questions on it. Fortunately.
Murphy McManus - September 27, 2007 02:55 AM (GMT)
"Name one thing that's better than le--," she said, but then stopped in mid-sentence, a frown on her face, "Nah, nevermind.
Murph grinned at her, ignoring her latter statement. "A good beer... cigarettes... h-home..." he said, smile flickering a bit as he inadvertently stumbled into a slightly touchy subject, without even meaning to. He quickly tried to change the subject in his mind, by trying to think of other things better then lettuce...
Not that it was terribly hard in the first place.
A few things came to mind. Family. Hot dogs. Sex. Ah, yeah, he thought it. The fact that the thought crossed his mind suddenly made him feel a bit indecent (even though he had said nothing), and Murph averted his eyes, glancing at the grassy ground.
Of course I like it," she said, finally breaking eye contact to look at the bit of greenery in her hand, "I don't just eat it for shits and giggles."
The term made Murph chuckle. "Aye? Yeh seem the type t' do something for 'shites and giggles...'" he stated knowingly, arms coming to rest across his chest. "Yeh know, tryin' somethin' new, even if yeh knew it couldn' turn out good." He nodded, looking back up to Axel, as if appraising her with his eyes, one brow raised. "Yup," he conceded, "... I could see it."
"I take it your life wasn't changed," she said with a half-smile, "Mine wasn't either the first time I tried it. I'm not really one for life-changing experiences."
Murph's smile faltered a bit. Something about Axel seemed... so wrong. She seemed so exuberant, so full of life, so... just... so everything, but at the same time, she seemed a bit sad. Somewhat... scared? He couldn't tell. Murph did know that she had been mugged before, but was that all that was hanging on her shoulders? He suddenly had the desire to know what was hurting her, what was making her lack in life-changing experiences, and what he could do to give her one.
"No life changin' experiences? Ever?" he asked, a small smile forming on his lips. "Well, I guess it depends on how one constitutes a life changin' experience... " he mused, trailing off, leaving the sentence open-ended for Axel to finish. If he knew what her life changing experience contained... he didn't know. Murph wasn't exactly thinking rationally at the moment, but he found that he couldn't stop.
Axel Scott - September 27, 2007 08:15 PM (GMT)
Axel noticed how Murphy's mouth handled the word 'home' and it intrigued her. Piqued her curiousity, that it did. She considered asking about where he was from, and then it hit her. She knew absolutely nothing about this guy, but yet she was already more comfortable with him than she was with three fourths of the people she already knew. And that included her roommates, the people she freakin' lived with. How weird was that. She opened her mouth to speak, to ask a question, but the question mark got caught on her lips and nothing came out. No, she thought, closing her mouth, That'd be prying. But then again, could asking a question really be considered prying? She was comfortable with Murphy, and he was probably comfortable with her, considering the circumstances. Was it really that unforgivable to ask a simple question?
Yes, she decided eventually. She knew that he was a guarded person from the moment she met him. She supposed it was the way he'd hesitated just after she'd asked his name, as if he'd had something to hide. Hell, maybe he did. It wasn't like she knew him. But it felt like she did, though she couldn't tell you how old he was, how many siblings he had, even what his last name was. All she knew was how he took his coffee. "Okay," she said, "So maybe there's a ton of stuff that beats out lemon grass. It's not stellar or anything."
Ax laughed when he considered her, telling her that she seemed the sort to do something just for the heck of it. "Okay, so maybe I am," she agreed, "But you are too, so we're a pair. Maybe it was... fate." She said the word with a certain distaste, arching her back slightly and running her tongue over her teeth as if it had left an aftertaste. Though she seemed to dislike the concept, there was a certain odd truth to her words. Her honesty couldn't be percepted by anyone who didn't know her. It was characterized by a sudden, but brief stillness to her motion, which seemed constant. It was as if, for only a moment, everything in her world hesitated, as if unsure, before resuming its former breakneck speed. The flicker was there, and then it was gone.
She shook her head to his question, her dark bang falling into her eyes. "Nope," she said, "What about you? I bet you've had your share of experiences," When he left his statement open-ended, the first thing that came to her mind was sex. Funny how that happens sometimes. It was just the way he said it, maybe, or perhaps the look in his eye. Crazy, mind-blowing sex. Would that constitute a life-changing experience? Doubtful, but she wasn't gonna ask him that. Not just yet, leastways. It was then, with that sensitive subject on mind, that she became how painfully aware of how close she really was to him. That sort of thing had never really occurred to her until just then. And the way the moonbeams and light from the street lamp struck his face... Jesus. Was she turning into some love-struck female?
Murphy McManus - September 27, 2007 11:07 PM (GMT)
"Okay," she said, "So maybe there's a ton of stuff that beats out lemon grass. It's not stellar or anything."
Murph didn't say anything as he glanced round at her from his small reprieve of studying the ground. Why the fuck were they still talking about grass? He was suddenly antsy. Murph had to move, occupy his mind, his hands... he hardly ever felt this way, and it was unnerving. An awkward silence filled the space between them (a very small space, Murph noticed) as his left fist dove into his pockets, searching for a cigarette to occupy him.
"Okay, so maybe I am," she agreed, "But you are too, so we're a pair. Maybe it was... fate."
Murph's right hand took a turn in his other pocket, still searching for a cancer-stick, though his eyes rose to meet hers. "Two peas in a pod, aye?" he muttered, smiling, "... or, two peas... in th' lemon grass..." he said, ducking his head as he attempted to hide a laugh. Murph's hand finally closed around a box of cigs, though was horrified to find the box empty as he glanced down at the thing peeking out from his pocket. Smile fading, the male felt, almost instantaneously, his heart rate increase. Were his hands shaking? They felt like it. Could Axel tell? Murph shoved his hands back into his pockets. Why was he so fucking antsy? Was it just the lack of nicotine?
"Nope," she said, "What about you? I bet you've had your share of experiences,"
Murph shrugged, fidgeting from one foot to the next as he glanced down at her. "Eh, I guess I've had me share. Nothin' too spectacular, though... I s'pose life changin' things can come when yeh least expect it, though..." Yeah. Like a vision in a Southie jail cell. Or a kiss in the moonlight.
...
Murph looked to the side again, brows furrowing. Had he just thought that? Where the fuck had that come from? Was that... was that why he felt so strange? Connor would say that Murph jus' needed to get some... but it was different with Axel. She was just... something different. Something special. And Murph finally. finally realized that it wasn't the lack of nicotine that was making his hands shake, his heart race.
Looking to her, he struggled with his desire to close the distance between them. Fuck it, he would just scare her away. He wasn't a fuckin' sleaze. But... damnit. "Well, we're young, right? Still got time t' make a life changin' experience happen..." he muttered, hoping against hope that his eyes didn't give anything away as he glanced at her.
ooc - so what? next post is murph just gonna grab her? :D
Axel Scott - October 1, 2007 01:29 AM (GMT)
Axel felt the itch of amusement cross her brain as she noticed how uncomfortable Murphy seemed. That was good in two ways. Firstly, it meant that she wasn't the only one feeling something. There really was something surging in the air between them. And in second place, it meant that he didn't do this sort of thing very often. That was good, seeing as she'd never held a particular fondness for whores. The more inexperienced he was, the better. But maybe it wasn't a sign of inexperience at all. Maybe he was just as experienced as anyone, but there was something different here. After all, how often did discomfort hit her? She could say that it was pretty rare. This was definitely an unusual experience. Not quite life-changing yet, but it definitely had the potential. Like an atomic bomb.
Ax smiled at Murphy's joke, but her smile seemed distracted, as if she weren't fully there. Her eyes trailed him like black comets, watching his progress as he searched for a cigarette. The kid was gonna die from lung cancer if he continued at that rate. But no, she was no doctor. He'd probably live to be one hundred and seven just to spite them all. The thought of that widened the smile on her face, but she still had a faraway look in her eyes. They slid back into focus, though, when he spoke of how life-changing events could happen when you least expected them. And suddenly she was back in that world and could see everything in perfect focus, as if all at once. Sounds were amplified and for the first time that night, she could predict what would happen on that track. And nothing else seemed to matter.
The ghost of a smile crossed her lips when he spoke once more. "Yeah," she breathed absently, closing the distance between them as if subconsciously. And all at once their faces were inches apart. For some reason, just as she prepared to kiss him, she hesitated. There had been a flicker of doubt, a remnant of her mother's voice (for whatever reason) telling her that she didn't even know the guy. But none of that seemed to matter just then. That was it. That was what she had with him. Nothing at all made a difference when it was just them. Just the two of them.
ooc//whoo! sexy time!