Grey Turns To Blue • •

[Aurora-Jane Carson]

Rory didn’t have wild nights out on the town, or frequent the many nightclubs that New York had to offer. She wasn’t a party girl by any means and most weekends would just be her and Spencer watching movies and eating their body weight in take-out. The one thing she did adore though, almost as much as her science work, was music. She loved music festivals, gigs and shows and would go to them as often as she could, though the part she struggled with was finding a buddy to go with. Rory could go alone and still be happy but she knew that Spencer would probably have a breakdown if she did that. She loved her brother, but sometimes it confused her why he worried so much about her. The answer might have been obvious, but Rory always needed more than the obvious. Still, she was in her element with the loud music, the crowds and the general atmosphere of a good show; it helped her feel less awkward around people and gave her a release that physics just couldn’t provide.

The bright haired girl didn’t need to think twice whenever someone asked her to a show; she was there in a heartbeat. She adored finding new bands and artists this way and it was a social event where Rory rarely managed to put her foot in it or offend someone. Spencer usually wasn’t with her either at gigs, so it was probably a good thing that it was the one time Rory seemed able to be herself without accidentally upsetting anyone, since the big brother wasn’t around to try and smooth things over when her mouth did land her in trouble with another person. Most of the time now she went with Eli after meeting him a short time ago and quickly finding a new friend in the talented artist. She enjoyed what she had seen of his art, even if she didn’t always quite understand it. It was one thing she liked about art though; she didn’t have to understand it to like it and if she did ask questions or say the wrong thing then it all came back down to interpretation and opinion, rather than being right or wrong.

Once she was showered and changed, she stole a cookie from Spencer as he pottered about on his laptop and then told him that she was going out, dropping Eli’s name into the conversation to try and quell any worries he might have about the little redhead venturing out into the big bad city. Rory wasn’t exactly street savvy, but she was smart and so far no harm had come to her from going out in New York. She sent Eli a quick text before paying attention to the busy street before her, not wanting to wake up in a hospital bed again. Usually, she met him halfway between her apartment and his, which was close to the Rockefeller and often outside of an odd looking pool club that made Rory think of shady gangsters in the movies they had in the home collection. She just turned up the street in question when her hazel eyes fell on the familiar figure of her artist friend and she broke into a small skip to get to him quicker, the childish aspect of her personality shining through as it usually did when she was around someone she considered a good friend. “Heyhey, Eli.”

[/color] She grinned happily, waiting to see where they were going tonight. It had been him to text her this week with the mention of some show he really wanted to see, so she had just said yes and left the rest up to him.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Eli!
WORDS! 657
OUTFIT! Rad Rory
LYRICS! My Burning Sun - - - Sons of Jim
NOTES! <3

[Eli Morgan Kane]

Eli worked too much, and painted even more. It was a wonder he managed to leave his apartment to get to work in the first place! But the gallery in the middle of the day wasn’t busy. There were only a handful of visitors throughout the day. It was there shows and parties that really brought the guests with their pocketbooks. So it was quite easy for him to sit at the counter, accepting new pieces from their artists while filling his own book up with sketches and ideas for paintings; while the parties gave Eli his in to the music scene, having to hire the DJs and local indie bands to play. After hiring the last band and seeing them perform, Eli talked to the four members for a bit after their set, just running on and on about music.

Eli couldn’t carry a tune if his life depended on it, but he liked music all the same; it made sitting around the gallery less dull when there was literally nothing to do. But it was he learned about the show. There were a few bands playing, though he only knew the one. And they weren’t bad at all, so surely the others couldn’t be completely terrible. Either way, he was going to find out. He picked up two tickets, already thinking there were a couple people that would be up for it. He asked Rory first, having met her at a show with another friend of hers, shortly after he’d arrived back in New York. They got along well enough, and at the time, Eli really knew next to no one in the city at all. He had a few that never left Sleepy Hollow, but for the most part, his friends were still in Italy.

Eli had been thrilled when Rory agreed to go with him. He wouldn’t be searching his contacts for another person to drag along. The day of the show, he’d only had to work the morning, packaging a couple pieces to be shipped across the city to the buyer and filling out the inventory paperwork on the new pieces that had arrived that morning. And with all of that done by noon, he was free to go and do his own thing. On that day, it meant get home, finish the painting waiting for him on the easel, showering and getting ready for the show later that day. It took him some time, but he was ready and just heading out the door when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it free as he locked the door wondering if it was Rory or someone else. He prayed it wasn’t his boss needing him for something that wasn’t important. Thankfully, it was Rory and he sent her a quick one back before heading down the street to their usual meeting place.

He hadn’t been there five minutes before he heard his name being called out. He turned in the direction of the bright redheaded girl he’d quickly come to call a close friend. “Hey, Rory! Excited to go?” he asked, returning her grin. He’d lived in the city for a bit before moving to Italy, so he knew his way around pretty well, it was just getting him through the refresher course since he’d gotten back that was the trouble. The show tonight was in a club in what was the meat packing district a few decades back. He didn’t know what he was called now, or what the old warehouses and buildings held, but he used to have some good times down that way once upon a time. Thankfully, because of its odd location, they were already only a few blocks away with plenty of time before the first band was slotted to play. “Want to grab some pizza before the show?” he asked, realizing too late that he’d forgotten to eat again.

Tag || Rory!
Words || 652
Clothes || Party Central!
Music || Dare to Believe -- Boyce Avenue
Notes || <3

[Aurora-Jane Carson]

Rory didn’t see her college assignments or reading lists as ‘work’. She had been researching and applying physics to everything for as long as she could remember and it was a rare moment if she found something that she wasn’t already familiar with. It wasn’t uncommon for Spencer to get up in the night for some water and find her still curled up with books and notes scattered around her in the chaotically organised manner Rory had to have them in. Her time keeping skills were hampered by her tendency to slip into her own world and spend more hours than necessary bent over her desk and notebooks, enthralled by whatever theory and idea was rushing through her mind at that time.

She had learnt now that she should avoid the books and the studying on the days she made plans with people. Instead, she went to class and then came straight home and did anything but follow her science passion, just to prevent herself from being late or standing them up entirely! When it came to work, Rory set the alarm on her phone each week when the shifts were posted so that she could be snapped out of whatever genius daze she was in by the shrill ringing and annoying vibrations of the small device that usually found a home on her desk or whatever table she was working from. Often the people who knew her best would know to call or text her to be on the safe side, but Rory didn’t remind them to do that and not everyone wanted to have to repeatedly tell someone about the plans they had made earlier in the week.

Her job at the Apollo was perfect for a part time position just to keep the rent paid and the food on the table. Rory was mostly left alone in her booth and she got to enjoy whatever performance was on during the nights she worked. She got to fall in love with artists she had forgotten about and find new talent for her iPod, often of genres she never really gave a chance to. She had worried about finding work when she first came to New York, since her AS could sadly hinder a lot of her choices, like waitressing, since she’d spend more time correcting and questioning customers until their answers satisfied her little quirks. Rory’s talent with a soundboard and fixing anything that broke had proven useful at the Apollo though and she loved every minute of her job there.

Grinning at Eli, Rory nodded her head, bright hair falling into her eyes. “Yeah, excited as ever!”

[/color] She loved these musical adventure of theirs and always found herself bouncing for whatever show they were going to see, regardless if she had heard of the band or not. She rubbed the wrist she usually ended up biting out of a habit, and glanced around at where they were. “There’s a pizza place just across the street.”[/color] She stated matter-of-factly, before pointing across the way. She hadn’t really eaten anything herself, spending most of the day munching on crackers and candy when she had been working. Normally, she either got something on her way home or Spencer had brought something in with him before she had left. Eating was another bad problem of Rory’s when she was lost in her work and totally oblivious to anything and everything else.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Eli!
WORDS! 605
OUTFIT! Rad Rory
LYRICS! My Burning Sun - - - Sons of Jim
NOTES! <3

[Eli Morgan Kane]

Art had been everything to Eli since he’d found the tools of the trade. School had always been difficult with his Dyslexia switching letters and numbers around on him. He didn’t know how, but he’d managed to slip through the lower grades of school without much trouble, though his grades were pretty terrible and he often had the teacher’s write out what he was trying to say so they could read it clearly. When his mom and grandparents finally found out about his learning troubles, they made him read everything, everywhere. The signs on the side of the road, phone numbers and flyers, everything so he would become more acquainted with words and numbers. As it was now, he wasn’t about to become the next greatest novelist or a mathematician but then, he’d never wanted to be those things in the first place. Lacrosse and art were his passions, those were the things that helped him create the path he was on now.

Like Rory and her books, Eli usually avoided his art on planned days out. He set his alarm if he really needed to work that day, but usually, he just sat around doing other things while the sand fell to the bottom of the hourglass. Eli sometimes thought that was why he got along so well with Rory, they had quite a bit in common, even if it was in different aspects. That was the reason he had texted her, to remind her of the show they were going to see. He didn’t want to go alone and he didn’t know who else would want to tag along to a show. Aside from that one band, he’d never heard of them before. But that was the fun of going to these shows, finding new bands to stalk on iTunes. Finding new music was another reason he loved working at the gallery that he did. They always had openings and provided live music for the events. And because he had experience with everything, he’d been given more responsibilities than the two other employees.

“Good!” Eli said, laughing. “I don’t know all the bands playing but I have heard of one, which is how I got the tickets in the first place,” he added, admitting to the in for tickets with grin. When he’d tried to get tickets through proper channels, they’d been sold out. But when he’d hired the same band again for another night at the gallery, he’d asked if there were other ways and he was handed two tickets and a brush off from the thanks. He only had to promise to see them after their set and tell them what he and his date thought. He clapped his hands together, eyes searching out the pizza place Rory was pointing at. Casually, he threw his arm over Rory’s shoulders. “I’m starving,” he said chuckling as he started across the way to the pizza place. He held the door open for Rory and followed her inside. He ordered his cheese pizza and stepped to the side a little bit for Rory to step up and order what she wanted as he took out his wallet. Once she ordered, Eli fished out the proper bills and handed them over.

Tag || Rory!
Words || 541
Clothes || Party Central!
Music || Dare to Believe -- Boyce Avenue
Notes || <3

[Aurora-Jane Carson]

People often assumed that because Rory was so good at physics then she had to be brilliant at everything else too. She had grown tired of trying to explain that it wasn’t how it worked a long time ago now. Anything that she did need for physics, like most aspects of mathematics, she knew well and the other areas of sciences were up there too in her arsenal of knowledge, but things like history, geography and emotion evoking studies of English were not her strong suit and she didn’t always make top grades when she had been in high school. Spencer often had to help with her weaker subjects, especially when it came to understanding a lot of the English Literature assignments that her teacher set each week for the class. The bright haired girl was only a know-it-all on certain things, but strangers seemed to find that a complex idea and words were not Rory’s strength.

She could make conversation and she could talk to people easily enough, but normally the conversations reached an awkward point when Rory didn’t laugh at a joke or took something too literally. There was always the strong possibility that she’d offend someone too, which didn’t make it quite so simple for her to make friends in big old New York. In work she was often left to herself and most of the time it was the same in classes too. Rory didn’t mind any of that though; she enjoyed her own company. Plus, it wasn’t like she could make her brother go around everywhere and explain to people what went on in that head of hers. She wasn’t up for wearing a t-shirt either, though a few people had recognised her necklace and questioned her about it then. It didn’t upset Rory to talk about having AS, but she also didn’t feel like she should announce it to the world. She had been diagnosed late in life and had hated people suddenly treating her differently for it back in Navarro. Moving away had provided an escape from all of that and she had no intention of the same thing happening here in New York.

Luckily, the friends she had were understanding and there were things they could do together that didn’t really leave anyone feeling awkward or uncomfortable. With Eli she went to shows and found new bands to scope out on the internet when she got home. Keeley sat and rambled about physics and engineering with her and they had a good time doing that. It was all about getting that nice balance. She flicked her eyes across to look up at Eli, still sporting that grin on her face. “Did they play at the gallery?”

[/color] She asked, remembering that Eli did book a few acts for the big events held there and recommended a few of them to her if they had caught his eye, or rather, his ears. She laughed happily as they made their way to the pizza place, ordering her favourite meat-feast pizza with her usual large smile. Rory wasn’t the kind of girl to care about what she ate or fuss over counting calories. If she liked something, she ate it; simple as that. “So, how good is this band that you’ve heard of?”[/color] She’d listen to anything at least once, but she appreciated hearing Eli’s opinions and enjoyed the conversations they often led to when they reminisced about a few of the other shows they had been to or the new bands they had found and were keeping an eye out for when they were next performing in the city.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Eli!
WORDS! 640
OUTFIT! Rad Rory
LYRICS! My Burning Sun - - - Sons of Jim
NOTES! <3

[Eli Morgan Kane]

Eli liked spending time with friends just as much as he liked staying hidden away in his apartment slash art studio. Each had their pros and cons. With friends he never thought about work, unless the activity they were doing involved it somehow, and standing in front of that easel, Eli only thought about what he wanted to appear under his brush or whatever medium he was using for that piece. He had a habit of losing himself in his art. If he spent hours on end so engrossed in his work well, that was just a typical day for him. If he didn’t spend his spare days picking up more art supplies or hanging out with friends and doing something, he was wearing paint splattered clothes and creating new pieces.

He’d never been great at school; just good enough to barely pass his classes and move on to the next. Lacrosse helped him focus, there were next to no numbers involved and no letters at all that he had to memorize. The numbers were easier for him, he could figure out who his teammates were on the field. Eventually the words became just as easy to understand with his dyslexia but even now, it was still a struggle to figure out words he wasn’t completely familiar with. He actually thanked his lucky stars for auto-correct on his phone. For him, it actually did its job. Eli was good at hiding his troubles, passing it off as being tired from work at the gallery or work on his own pieces or even having too much to drink if it were plausible even when he’d only had one or two. He drank slower than most of his friends so it was easier to deceive them and make them believe he’d been keeping up drink for drink.

“Yeah, they played a couple nights back last week for that big two night event I was telling you about,” he said, remembering the first time he’d interviewed them for the gig. Because there wasn’t enough time for them to bring in their gear, set up, play a couple songs for him then pack up and go, Eli went to them, and four other bands. Of them, this band they were seeing now was the best, though it had really been a difficult decision. Thankfully, because he was basically just the middle man, he’d been given permission to record the bands playing so his boss would be able to add input. It was his gallery after all, he had the final say. “Good enough that they already have me searching them out online, and I’m pretty sure my boss is on this bandwagon, too which has to mean something since the man doesn’t like anything,” he said, joking about his boss. The man had some weird tastes, but what he did listen to was very good.

Tag || Rory!
Words || 481
Clothes || Party Central!
Music || Dare to Believe -- Boyce Avenue
Notes || <3

[Aurora-Jane Carson]

Rory only had a few friends, but popularity was something that didn’t matter to her. She never saw the appeal in being one of those girls and had quite happily made it through her life with the close knit group of friends that she had back in Navarro and the playful bunch of jokers who hung out with her brother most nights of the week. In New York, she had a few friendly faces like Eli’s that helped her keep the smile on her own. The bright haired girl simply loved the chance to hang out with her friends as much as she loved burying herself in a book or an extra credit assignment. At least when she was out with friends Spencer didn’t worry too much about her; she was out and living, which was something no one thought she would be doing a few short years ago.

Rory didn’t let that sort of thing bother her anymore, but she did have nights where the fear crept back over her, ruining her attempts to sleep. She knew the accident still played on Spencer’s mind, but she did her best to keep him happy and as far away from panicking as she could, indulging in those regular text messages the siblings shared. She didn’t know for certain, but she believed that they were more for his benefit then her own. Still, most of it was a secret kept between the two siblings in the big city. She didn’t go around broadcasting her hospital tales to anyone and people who asked about the ugly scar on her arm just got told that she had a bit of an accident as a teenager and nearly everyone left it at that. Rory didn’t feel like everyone ought to know her business and she didn’t want the same fussing from them that she already got from Spencer. The only problem that she couldn't avoid was when she got a terrible headache. They put her in foul moods and usually she crawled into her room the second she got home, taking Rogue with her for comfort and buried herself under a duvet with her dog tucked up next to her.

She nodded her head, remembering the conversation she had had with Eli about this band. He seemed really impressed by them, but she had yet to find the time to search them out on the internet and see if she could hear something of theirs. Rory had just been working extra shifts and keeping up to date with the new advances in the world of physics, often babbling on to anyone who would listen about how excited she was. “I’m looking forward to finally hearing them then!”

[/color] She said, with her usual beaming grin. Considering she worked at the Apollo, not many people seemed to discuss music in the same way Rory did with Eli, which was a little disappointing and explained many of the nights when Rory showed up with her college work or some academic journals. If no one was going to enjoy the music with her then she may as well multi-task and do something she liked. “I rarely see my boss. I don’t even know where to find them.”[/color] She admitted with a shrug. It was highly likely that she walked passed whoever it was and just didn’t recognise them, thanks to being lost in her own little world most of the time. The guy behind the counter came forward with their pizzas and Rory smiled her thanks, checking the boxes to identify what belonged to who.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Eli!
WORDS! 632
OUTFIT! Rad Rory
LYRICS! My Burning Sun - - - Sons of Jim
NOTES! <3

[Eli Morgan Kane]

Eli didn’t have many friends in New York, and half of the ones he had before college in Italy thought he was still in the other country. It shocked them when he came across them in the city. And then he had to explain how he’d been in the city for some time now but usually kept to the gallery and his studio. Then it was the inevitable “we should do lunch” or “let’s grab coffee sometime” and it never happens. It was the way of New Yorkers. Eli was thankful though that he ran into those people so rarely. He would much rather the friends he made after he returned than the ones he’d made and then left behind.

Rory, Cooper and Blaise were the friends he appreciated in New York now. He wasn’t good with the shallowness that became those few friends he’d had before. The ones from Italy were so mellow and as much as Eli liked them, they weren’t in New York, though he did keep in contact with them. Plus, these few friends gave Eli some adventure in his life that took him away from the insanity that could be the gallery when they had a particularly annoying artist in. His own art may have helped to keep him sane but it didn’t do much when he couldn’t sketch an hour away at the gallery. They had to cater to the artists when they were in like good little butlers. For the most part, it was fine since the artists weren’t usually high strung, but there were a few that had even Eli’s boss reaching for the ‘secret’ bottle of rum hidden in the reception desk.

It was nice to get out of there though for a night out with a friend. He had asked Rory because she had the same taste in music and like him, enjoyed finding new bands in the underground scene. “And now I hope I’m not overselling them. They went over great at the showcase,” he said, making his point yet again. If there was one thing that could be said about the man, it was that he had a bad habit of saying the same thing three times or more. “Sometimes I wish that were the case for me,” Eli admitted chuckling. It always seemed like Jonathan was always right there, whether you wanted him there or not. Meanwhile, finding Alexis, one of the other employees was next to impossible. Eli waited for Rory to figure out which box belonged to who before taking his from her, flipping the lid and practically devouring the first slice. Despite living in Italy for nearly five years, Eli still liked a basic cheese pizza. “So good,” he mumbled, laughing at himself trying to make sense talking with ooey-gooey cheese in his mouth.

Tag || Rory!
Words || 470
Clothes || Party Central!
Music || Dare to Believe -- Boyce Avenue
Notes || <3

[Aurora-Jane Carson]

Rory didn’t waste time on people who didn’t have the time for her. She usually let them know about it too, if Spencer wasn’t around to intervene or drag her away before her mouth landed her in any trouble. The friends she kept in her life were the ones who she knew would answer the phone if she called and who she could make plans with without the fear of them regularly cancelling on her. She might not talk about it all that much and only Spencer knew all the ins and outs of her brush with death, but it had been enough for Rory to understand that life was too short to waste on people who didn’t really care. Her accident might have shown her that in a more cruel fashion, but the point was that it had and Rory learnt from it.

Most of her friends seemed to be people she had simply “met around”. The people in her class spoke to her, but there weren’t any Rory specifically chose to call up when she was bored to make plans with. They had study sessions together sometimes, but Rory couldn’t work for long with them, simply because they made a mess or they wanted to focus on something Rory knew inside and out. Even at work it seemed like she lived in a separate world because of her seclusion up in the sound booth. If she spoke to anyone it was usually the external technicians who travelled with the performers or the stage managers, one of which had never been able to get her name right in all the time she had worked there for.

She gave Eli a small shrug and moved the bangs from her eyes, thinking for a moment that she ought to get her hair trimmed sometime soon, before the bright locks blinded her. “You’ve not been wrong before when you’ve mentioned bands.”

[/color] She said casually, confident that he’d be right again this time. They had scarily similar music tastes, which meant nights like this were perfect for both of them and there hadn’t been a time when they’d left a show with one feeling different to the other about the performance. Rory had to smile at his reaction to a slice of pizza, laughing quietly as she freed a slice of her own from the box, carefully so that none of the toppings slipped off. “Are you working tomorrow? I feel like an adventure.”[/color] She asked curiously. Rory rarely felt exhausted enough to head home and sleep after a show and she knew Spencer would freak out if she did something alone in the city. It wasn’t a big deal if Eli was busy; she’d just head home and put a movie on or play with Rogue for a bit while Spencer slept. A walk, late night snack accompanied by the post-gig tinnitus would just be nice on a summer night in New York. At least, to Rory it would be!
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Eli!
WORDS! 534
OUTFIT! Rad Rory
LYRICS! My Burning Sun - - - Sons of Jim
NOTES! <3

[Eli Morgan Kane]

Eli didn’t have many friends in New York. He spent too much time at the gallery or in his apartment with his own art to really get out there. When he did though, he made friends easily enough, finding common interests in music, food and art. He made friends through the gallery, when auditioning musical acts for shows and checking out works for local artists to showcase. He almost never spoke about serious things, or the last book he read, despite constantly reading for the practice. His dyslexia was bad, not as bad as it had been as a child, but still up there on the scale. He could tell the words he used often, his name, pizza and things around the grocery shop but the ones he didn’t use often, he had to stop and stare at for too long for his liking. It was a pain, but it was one he could keep well hidden. It didn’t matter if some paperwork took a little longer than it should have; they were usually busy throughout the day with phone calls and people dropping by. If it only took an hour to do it was impressive! Those papers, though, he was used to so when he did get a break to fill them out, he could usually speed right through them.

Eli’s grin oozed triumph. “What can I say? I’ve got a gift,” he said, chuckling. She wasn’t wrong though. He had a good ear for music, but given the choice, he would be sticking to the art he did now. He was less in the spotlight with painting and drawing. His boss allowed him to show his work among the other shows with local artists but because he worked there, he was also allowed to skip out on the talking about himself and his pieces. He finished the pizza in his mouth, shaking his head as his answer until he felt confident he wouldn’t choke if he spoke. “No, Greg gave me the day off for setting up the showcase. Can you say three day weekend?” he asked, joking around before taking another chunk from his slice. Normally the gallery was open Saturdays, closed Sunday and Mondays and open again Tuesday on though until Thursday only for deliveries and paperwork. “What do you have in mind?” he asked, tossing the crust of his slice back into the box before turning at the corner, towards the venue.

Tag || Rory!
Words || 407
Clothes || Party Central!
Music || Dare to Believe -- Boyce Avenue
Notes || <3

[Aurora-Jane Carson]

Rory didn’t keep in touch with too many of her friends back in Navarro. Most of them were a little ahead of her in terms of their lives since they didn’t have to play catch up like she did. She spoke to Spencer’s friends when he was talking to them and made plans with anyone who was around whenever the siblings chose to go home and reassure their mom that they were alive and well. It wasn’t the same as it used to be, though she already understood that it would happen like that. Things had changed ever since she had woken up from the coma she didn’t like to think too much about. People had grown while she slept and her recovery had overlapped most of the high school drama Rory was kind of thankful she had avoided. After she had come home from the hospital there were too many questions, too many stories all at once about things she didn’t understand; at least she had Spencer to cut things short before she got too overwhelmed by everything. Her brother really was her best friend, even when they were annoying each other. Luckily, since moving to New York, very few people asked Rory about her darker history. It wasn’t obvious if you looked at her, and the nasty scar on her arm was just shrugged off as “an accident from a few years ago”, and no one else had really pushed the matter any further than that.

Rolling her eyes in a manner that she usually saved for Spencer, Rory shook her head and flicked the bright hair from her eyes. “And an ego if you’re not careful.”

[/color] She teased, though she knew Eli was one of the few people who would always influence her music choices as long as they remained close. She reached for another slice of her pizza and took a small bite before sidestepping a rather determined looking businessman on his cell phone. “Three day weekend.”[/color] She responded with just a hint of sass. It wasn’t often that Rory got to be herself and understand the humour of a situation, but when she did it was guaranteed to be the tongue in cheek humour that her family kept telling her would one day land her in some serious trouble. She just countered that it was a good thing it only happened every once in a while then, for everyone’s sake. Rory shrugged her narrow shoulders, not really having a specific plan in mind. “We’re in New York; there’s bound to be an adventure somewhere, right?”[/color] She grinned, plucking the last piece of pepperoni from the slice and popping it between her teeth.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Eli!
WORDS! 484
OUTFIT! Rad Rory
LYRICS! My Burning Sun - - - Sons of Jim
NOTES! <3

[Eli Morgan Kane]

Eli had his lacrosse friends from Sleepy Hollow, but that was just about as far as his friendships in that town went. In a small town like that, it wasn’t hard to know everyone’s business. He’d been the kid with the single teenaged mom, the kid whose father up and left without any notice or care. The rest of the kids his age didn’t care, they played with him growing up like any other kid. It was the parents who asked too many questions and none of them good. Sure, he didn’t have a dad and his mom was young but he’d had a good childhood. He had his grandparents and his mom; there was a roof over his head and food on the table each meal. He didn’t have the newest gadgets or toys around but he also hadn’t cared either. He’d been too busy trying to learn to read and write, words and numbers, while simultaneously trying to get out of the house so he wouldn’t have to sit down and learn those things.

Art was everything to Eli. He’d gone most of his life with using art to get through things. He understood it, and Lacrosse. But the sports were always just a hobby for him, something to get him away from having to sit down and read everything around him. He understood where his mom and grandparents were coming from, making him read everything they passed by but a guy needed a break every once in a while and sports and art gave him that. He didn’t need to read about anything at all then. Of course, living into Italy for as long as he had was trouble, but he’d made it work for him and almost never left the apartment he shared with a few other students without someone with him. He’d had to explain then why he needed someone to tag along but after that, most of his friends were willing to take some time away from whatever was sucking their souls out to help him.

“You’ll make sure to cut me down to size again,” Eli said, laughing. Eli had missed the playful banter between friends when he’d moved away from everyone he knew. It was a difficult decision but Italy was only a stop on his way back home. Eventually, he knew he would be back there, but it would never be to stay. As much as he loved the country, he could barely understand English, let alone Italian! “Smart ass,” he teased, laughing, bumping his shoulder against Rory’s. “That’s what I hear anyway,” He joked, shaking his head. With all the time he spent in his own apartment painting, he didn’t actually get out much. If he heard about another gallery opening, he would go check it out, see what the competition was like, or if there was a particular band playing that he liked, he’d go. But for the most part, Eli’s life revolved around the gallery and his own art; often losing himself for hours with a new piece. “It’s just up there,” he said, spotting the building the concert was being held in.

Tag || Rory!
Words || 525
Clothes || Party Central!
Music || Dare to Believe -- Boyce Avenue
Notes || <3

[Aurora-Jane Carson]

Rory had known the pains of growing up in a small town before she even recognised them as pains. It was why New York still held so much appeal; even with her bright hair she could slip away in a crowd and no one would know who she was. Back in Navarro, she had been the little girl whose father had died a hero before she could even remember him and then, just when people had stopped expressing their sympathy and repeating the phrase “Your daddy would be mighty proud, hun” she had gone and become the girl who might not return to school or even see her eighteenth birthday. Coming out of her coma had been terrifying enough without returning to the neighbourhood to see that everyone had known all about her condition and the months that had passed by that Rory would never remember. Despite the sympathetic eyes that often looked her way, she had been blessed with a decent life and Rory had no complaints about her childhood; at least not any that were serious. Obviously she would tease Spencer about how he made her cry once or twice and she’d grown frustrated in the past at her own limitations, but Rory didn’t feel bitter about her life.

The small girl understood the longing for solitude at times and she loathed being the centre of attention, purely because there was always someone who would say something she couldn’t translate to her own understanding or who would react aggressively to a statement Rory didn’t see anything wrong with. She didn’t broadcast her life story and the necklace which was a permanent fixture around her neck rarely gave away her secrets either; not unless someone was already familiar with it. Luckily, friends had grown accustomed to her mannerisms and often Spencer was around to diffuse a situation before Rory landed herself in serious trouble. It was a good thing that the siblings were so close in age.

Smiling, Rory nodded her head. “I unintentionally do it to Spencer all the time, so I’m sure it won’t be a challenge.”

[/color] She teased lightly. With her brother she was less likely to watch her words and had accidentally cut his proud moment short when she pointed out a flaw or reminded him of something stupid that he had once done. But, hey, she was his little sister and he ought to be prepared for things like that. “Only when it comes to physics. And I suppose maths. They do mesh together pretty well and you have to be good at one to understand the other, I guess.”[/color] She was rambling, but Rory hadn’t noticed and was too busy wondering about her skillset and where her smarts did end. “I’m definitely not good at cooking…or remembering dates.”[/color] And explaining how she felt and about a hundred other things, but luckily someone bumping into her snapped her out of that train of thought before she could continue. “Swings! They’re fun.”[/color] They were also a childish idea of an adventure, but they had been the first thing to pop into Rory’s mind after it finally fell quiet and she remembered what they had actually been talking about. She finished her pizza and then had to push herself up onto her toes to see the building Eli had been pointing to. “Ah, I saw another band here not too long ago.”[/color] She stated as she dropped back to her heels and kept pace beside her friend.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Eli!
WORDS! 586
OUTFIT! Rad Rory
LYRICS! My Burning Sun - - - Sons of Jim
NOTES! <3

[Eli Morgan Kane]

New York hadn’t always been Eli’s destination. It had been a stop along the way but he hadn’t planned on staying around the city for long. It was too close to home for his liking, but in the end of it all, the big apple was where he ended up. And he wouldn’t change that for anything. So what if his mother and grandparents were less than an hour away on average. They didn’t drive into the city as much as he had initially thought so it was alright with him. Whenever he said he would be home, he didn’t know where he thought he would land but it should have made complete sense that he would stick around New York. It had the best art world around. Los Angeles was nice but Eli couldn’t stand all that sun and heat practically all year round. He liked New York just fine and he got to run around in the snow every winter which was worth it all alone.

Eli laughed shaking his head. “I’ve heard stories,” he teased. Though on the few occasions Rory’s brother tagged along to an event he’d invited her to on a concert like this, he was awarded with plenty of insight in his fiery friend. Rory’s difficulties and his own weren’t the same but he felt like he’d found a kindred spirit in Rory. She knew what it was like to be different, probably teased, and definitely looked at with sympathy. Eli hated it just as much as his red headed friend, which was why he thought they got along so well. She didn’t mind that it took him longer than it probably should have to read something and he understood what she was trying to get across even if it wasn’t quite right. Like now, he had found it was easier to let Rory ramble about what was on her mind than interrupt her; plus got more information about her from those ramblings so it was alright. He would have stopped her after a couple minutes with a light “You’re rambling again” but someone else did that for him by bumping into her. “I do love a good swing set,” he said, grinning. “Maybe there’s a park around with a set. Providing it’s not too late by then,” Eli suggested, liking the idea of soaring through the sky on the swing set.

With his and Rory’s pizza finished, he took their garbage and tossed it in a bin as they passed, hating to litter. He figured it was that small town thing again because born and raised New Yorker’s didn’t seem to care if their trash hit the bin or the sidewalk. “Oh yeah? Were they any good?” he asked, always interested in new talent. He forever had music playing in his apartment if he was home. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the quiet solitude of the small space, after all it was New York, and there was no such thing as silence. But he would much rather hear a band belting out notes and hitting keys than the sirens that he was far too used to for his liking. “Ready?” He asked, bouncing with excitement when they stopped outside the building. He held open the door and pulled out the tickets from his pocket when they were safely inside.

Tag || Rory!
Words || 557
Clothes || Party Central!
Music || Dare to Believe -- Boyce Avenue
Notes || <3

[Aurora-Jane Carson]

Before making the decision to come to New York, Rory had felt like she needed to do something with her life. Feelings and talking about them had never been her strongest point, but knowing that she had missed months because of the coma had rattled her. Even to this day she was terrified of losing more time and wouldn’t sleep in, even if she was sick with the flu. She missed home, and her mom, but she had needed to do something for herself and at least start crossing things off her unwritten and unplanned bucket list. It wasn’t specifically New York that was on the list, but Rory hadn’t been further than the state line before college, so getting out there, proving she could cope alone was kind of a big thing for her, even if she didn’t talk about it or her reasons behind doing it.

A soft giggle escaped her lips and Rory just shrugged. She couldn’t help it most of the time, especially around Spencer. Since he was the one most used to her ways and her abruptness, she often didn’t even try to keep herself in check around him. It was a good thing he was patient enough with her and didn’t get offended when she accidentally insulted him. “He exaggerates sometimes.”

[/color] She countered weakly, pretty certain that she was the only one to blame for most of the things she said without thinking. Rory was used to most of the looks and the moments when Spencer would step in to explain her when she couldn’t, but she still loathed people treating her differently. It was like they heard her story and instantly thought she was some rare china doll that had to be handled with the upmost care. That sort of thing just made her uncomfortable and usually set her off worse with impulsive comments and nervous actions. At least around friends like Eli she knew they’d let her have the space she needed from time to time, even if they did have to pull her back in before she wandered off completely down a lane of scrambled thoughts and inane questions. “’Not too late?’ You old man.”[/color] Rory teased, nudging him playfully with her elbow as a grin broke out across her face. She could be ridiculously childish at times and the concept of late and early rarely dawned on her since most nights Spencer would catch her working away long past when she ought to be sleeping and other times she was awake and ready for the day ahead before the sun had even risen through their windows.

The redhead chewed her lip as she thought back for a moment, quickly gathering her thoughts of that night and that particular band together. A short nod and then she found her voice again. “Yeah, they were great. They had to improvise quickly since one of the speakers blew out half way through and it took a little while to get going again, but they didn’t let it bother them. They just did an acoustic set of a few songs.”[/color] It had only been for about ten minutes while the crew set up the spare equipment and got things going again, but it definitely made the show one to stick out in Rory’s mind. Grinning, Rory bounced up on her toes twice before nodding her head. “Totally!”[/color] She laughed, ducking under Eli’s arm to get through the door instead of hopping around him. She let him deal with the tickets while her eyes flicked over the crowds. Oddly, Rory hated feeling claustrophobic in a crowd and if this was, say, an elevator, she’d freak out, but concerts had the opposite effect on her; she found them soothing.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Eli!
WORDS! 627!
OUTFIT! Rad Rory
LYRICS! My Burning Sun - - - Sons of Jim
NOTES! <3