Rough And Rowdy Ways • •

[Lottie Aaliyah McAllister]

It felt good to be back in Colorado again. She didn’t like to say it out loud since she knew there wasn’t much of a place for her in Boulder anymore, but she did miss the place she grew up in. But the only way she was coming back now was as a gallery owner in the downtown core or to take care of the man that raised her. But Gavin was around for that and despite having an apartment more in town, Lottie knew he spent more time in their childhood home. She figured the apartment was kept solely for a getaway and nights out when he got too drunk to go home to their father’s amused glares. Their father had never gotten mad at them if they went to parties and came home drunk, or called him drunk to find them, he only had laughter in his eyes and shakes of his head. Sometimes, Lottie thought that was worse than if he’d yelled at them from the moment he picked them up to the time their bedroom doors slammed shut.

“I think my voice has a little more mountain in it, but so close,” she said rolling her eyes. She had been caught off guard a couple times with Dex and changing his accent for practice or to just mess with her head. She should know better than to think it was some stranger calling out to her. But every time it happened, she plastered a blank but polite smile to her lips, one that never quite hit her eyes and turned, expecting to see some kid from one of her classes or something only to see Dexter with a grin on his face. She had lost count how many times he’d done that to her since they first met or how many times she’d laughed at herself for thinking it was anyone else when she was waiting for him.

Having two older brothers running around with her had given Lottie her backbone. She heard everything that could possibly be said to her more times than she could count because of Gavin and Kael. When she’d been younger, she used to get mad and beat them up for what they said. She was so much smaller than them that she could climb around like a monkey, plus the only way to win against those two when she’d been little was to fight dirty; and she did so happily. Now, after all the years of Kendo and Karate, the only fighting they did was spar and even then both brother’s had a habit of being busy whenever she had one of her shinais in hand. Thankfully, she still took lessons so she didn’t have to rely on Kael in the city or Gavin when she was home. “Mm, I know a guy. He’ll do it at cost. Maybe we’ll stop by, price it up, yeah?” she asked, liking the idea more and more. She always wanted to add to the small collection of two that she already had and while she was at home, she had the time to let it heal up properly. It was something to think about. “Well, your highness, I didn’t actually plan anything specific past the tour of the place. Plans usually fall into my lap whenever I’m home so I don’t get a minute’s breath. I figured if you want to run about Boulder for a bit, we could end up at the restaurant afterwards, grab dinner and see what Gavin has to say?”

Tag || Dex!
Words || 591
Clothes || One More Time
Music || Wild at Heart --Gloriana
Notes || -___- <3

[Dexter Zachary Naismith]

Dexter didn’t know where his future would take him. He knew Lansing had only been a temporary home for him and Shaldon, as much as he loved the fisherman’s hamlet, was not a practical place to live given his dreams. There weren’t many opportunities for performances back there that were more than an amateur production of something Shakespearean two towns over. He didn’t want to be someone who kept acting as a hobby; if that was the case then he never would have chosen to major in it at university. He was good at it and while he had a very laid back approach to his life, it was the one area where he was truly driven and dedicated to giving a perfect performance. Plus, after the people in high school who had criticised him for being so passionate about the stage, Dex had found himself more determined than ever to prove them wrong.

Dex shrugged; close was good enough for him. Accents came in useful for so many things and sometimes he just put them on for the fun of it. It was great to waltz into a shop and pretend to be Irish and then go into another and adopt an Australian accent before returning to his own to order his tea. Plus, things like that helped him perfect them and since the move to America, he had found himself with more time to work on the variety of accents that the USA had to offer. He had most of the New York boroughs in his repertoire already since he had moved there. “It’s still great for confusing anyone on the phone.”

[/color] They obviously couldn’t see him and the strange voices often threw them off guard and Dex had a hard time keeping the laughter out of his voice when he detected their confusion.

Being the middle brother and having so many differences from both of his siblings, Dex didn’t have too many of the crazy growing up memories. Brian has teased him when he was a kid and made jokes of Dexter doing gymnastics, but as they got older and left the childish days of high school and reputations left them behind, they had grown closer. Brian even challenged Dexter to silly games and Twister matches just to try and see if his brother “still had it”. Overall, Dex had always been closer to Joe, his younger brother, and he was the reason why he had delayed his college education for a few years. Joe needed a lot more attention and Dex never minded giving him it to allow his parents the break they deserved as retirement crept up on them. In the end, he had needed to push forward with his own life, though and his mother had told him so much. “I think I’ll keep with my current ink. And I’ve not screwed up enough to expand on this one.”[/color] He slapped his left bicep where his L’cie brand was and stretched out. He already had three tattoos including that one and he had no other ideas for expanding. “But you know I’ll tag along and hold your hand.”[/color] He teased, winking theatrically. Clapping his hands and then rubbing them together, Dex leapt back up onto his feet and nodded his head. “This is a plan, if ever I heard one. Although, it’s just dawning on me that I’m probably going to see pictures of my boss as a baby and I’m all kinds of levels of uncomfortable and amused at that.”[/color] Sometimes he forgot about Kael and Lottie’s connection. When he had first found out it had tickled him so much that he needed a few moments before he could stop laughing.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Lottie!
WORDS! 658!
OUTFIT! Goofy Guru
LYRICS! Down In The Valley - - - The Head and The Heart
NOTES! <3

[Lottie Aaliyah McAllister]

Lottie’s passion hadn’t always been art, but when in her sophomore year she had taken an art course, just to fatten up her transcripts, she’d found that passion. Her heart still spots for her sports, it always would, but a bigger piece of it held art. She had hopes from then to one day own an art gallery of her own or become a curator in a well-known establishment; which was why she chose to go to school in New York. It was a big part of the art world and Lottie wanted to be a part of that. She could sell artwork anywhere; go into art restoration if she so chose but putting together galleries to show was something she was interested in. She knew plenty of the great artists, how to tell a real from a forgery. Despite her father’s worries there were plenty of jobs where he college degree would come in handy; she wouldn’t be left returning home and returning to the restaurant once she was finished with school. Plus, she had another three years before she had to really start worrying about a real job.

But being able to tell someone the life story of Monet or tell the difference between a real Van Gogh and a fake wouldn’t help her in any way to confuse people. And unlike Dex, she was a terrible actor; even unable to pull off the simplest trick. “I know,” she said blandly, sparing him a glance. “I had to double check the number I called a couple of times because you enjoy that game so much.” She didn’t mind really, it usually made her laugh and when she knew she dialed correctly she played along for a while, just letting it go on as it was until one of them broke and started laughing.

Being the baby and the only girl, Lottie got pretty much everything she wanted. But growing up with a single parent because her father never remarried after they lost her mother gave her a little more insight than most. She knew she couldn’t have every little thing she wanted, even if the family own a very successful restaurant and shopped the local stores whenever possible to keep up the good relationships the family had with the community. Still, she worked at the family restaurant from the time she was old enough in various parts in the kitchen and the front. Helping out around the family business was part of the reason Lottie waited to go to school, so she could save up enough money so she wouldn’t have to rely on her father when she first moved and started out on her own. “There’s still two weeks here for that,” she teased but dropped it thinking only that if Gavin decided to steal Dex away for an hour or so, she was going to slip down to the shop she got all her ink done with coffee and have a chat with the owner and her go-to artist to talk shop. She was always looking to get more, but for the last few visits, the two of them had been talking about a big piece but she wanted it completely perfect before she sat down the for the countless sittings it would take to finish.

“Aw, that’s so sweet but getting new ink doesn’t register on a pain scale,” she said grinning. She had a high pain tolerance having two older brothers who enjoyed picking on her and then she wanted to join the boys’ fight club and she never really left it. The worst pain was breaking her wrist when she was sixteen in the final round of a Kendo competition when her opponent slammed his bamboo sword into her wrist at just the right angle. It was a shame she couldn’t finish the match, because she became pissed enough after that to take on King Kong. “Alright,” she said, getting to her feet and grabbing Dexter’s hand before rushing from the room. She did a quick run through the main floor, pointing to doors and popping heads into have a look. There was only one room off limits on the main floor and that was her father’s home office. He kept so much of the restaurant’s records at the house that it was just easier to forget the room was there. She showed him the main living room that was hardly ever used, before going down the hall to the room where most of the members of the McAllister family could be found; the game room. There were a few big leather couches, TV, three gaming consoles and a pool table to keep them busy. “My favourite room in the house, most days,” she said, laughing while she let Dex take a look around. “Want to head up and put your things away?” she asked as she walked over to the mini-fridge to see if her favourites were stocked. Smiling when she saw they were, she immediately wondered if Gavin was forced to do the shopping or if Frankie did it himself.

Tag || Dex!
Words || 849
Clothes || One More Time
Music || Wild at Heart --Gloriana
Notes || -___- <3

[Dexter Zachary Naismith]

For Dex, acting had been a dream of his since he was just a little kid and discovered that he had a talent for making people laugh with the little shows he would put on in the living room of the family home. They had mainly been for his little brother to begin with, but the passion grew and everyone seemed to notice that Dexter was destined for the stage. He had never been the academic kind and he really only came to life when he had an audience to perform to. It was probably why he had stuck with the gymnastics until after high school; it was still an artistic performance. He knew it would be a difficult future and a rather unsteady career, but he would rather do something he loved and could challenge himself with than be stuck in some cubicle from nine to five. Dex didn’t have the patience or the attention span for something mundane like that; he needed the quick spontaneity of the moment, the improvisation that was real life. He didn’t want any day to be exactly like another and with the stage, that was promised to him.

“It’s brilliant! You should hear my mum when she calls.”

[/color] The woman would fumble for a few seconds and then realise it was actually her son she had gotten a hold of and not some stranger. Then, she usually had a little speech to rattle off to him while he was still coming down from laughing at it all. His family had been forced to endure that sort of thing since Dexter could talk, whereas most of his friends had only known him two or three years. It was definitely obvious who was the most tired of the games and the energy Dexter had, even at the end of a long day.

The family had been pretty lucky, in some sense. His parents were well respected in their fields and money was never scarce. The boys hadn’t been spoilt; they had to earn their treats, but there was never any fear of falling below the poverty line or having to spend years in hand-me downs and making to with worn out things. It was probably a good thing, too, since the three brothers were very different in build and height. Brian was skinny and the tallest, while Dexter had been broader in the chest and with slightly more muscle on him. For obvious reasons, Joe earned the most attention of them all, but Dex didn’t mind that; not when he had lived to see his brother happy. He probably would have still been in Lansing doing just that right now if it hadn’t been for his parents putting their foot down and telling him that it was time to go and chase the dreams he’d temporarily put on hold. “If it comes down to that, I’ll never be showing my face here again. Ever.”[/color] He pulled a face at the thought and shook his head. It was only the kind of mistakes and regrets that kept him up at night that forced him into a shop to get his work expanded. There hadn’t been anything like that in a long while now, which he was grateful for. He never wanted to see that tattoo completed, which was kind of the reason why he had chosen to get it in the first place. If people asked him about it and they weren’t big video game fans, then he usually just left them feeling very confused, but the people who did recognise the ink just at a glance got the idea pretty quickly. The same could be said for the tattoo on his left shoulder blade, though that one was seen the least of all compared to his others.

“Pssh. See if I offer you anything ever again.”[/color] He scoffed, pushing his hair back from his face. It was probably time to get it cut, but Dex would usually think that and leave it another three or four weeks before actually acting on the idea. Hair was hair, and only when the girls in his class started offering him bobby pins did he really see it as a problem. Dex kept up with Lottie as she led him around the house, pointing out which room was what and where it was in relation to the next. “Hm, I wonder why…”[/color] He teased, though his dark eyes had already found the gaming consoles and he was sold. You only had to show Dex a controller and he would be a happy man. Video games were his second love after acting, and he had lost count of how many nights had been void of sleep because a new game had sucked him in and held his attention right through the darker hours. “Sounds like a plan, although I’ll probably still end up leaving most of it in the bag.”[/color] Dex rarely cared for organisation and neatness, but he did attempt it every now and then. It usually lasted a few days before the usual chaos resumed.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Lottie!
WORDS! 888!
OUTFIT! Goofy Guru
LYRICS! Down In The Valley - - - The Head and The Heart
NOTES! <3

[Lottie Aaliyah McAllister]

Like everyone else who didn’t want to move back home, it wasn’t the place she missed but the family she left there. Thankfully, her brother had followed her to New York, so she wasn’t completely alone like plenty of the transplants in the big apple. Boulder was a place to visit for Lottie now but her friends, her life was in New York now. She wasn’t giving that up even if she could one day open a small gallery in Boulder and fill the walls with local artists work. That would be what she did when she was retired and wanted a place with familiarity, fresh air and places to hike and bike. For now, she wanted to stay settled in the city, find a comfy position as a curator in a museum or large gallery, eventually open up her own little shop and continue living. She wanted holidays in Boulder twice a year so she could get her fill of snowboarding and tackling the trails in the summer.

“I could just imagine,” she said shaking her head at her friend. If she got confused and scattered when he pulled the stunt on her, she could just imagine what his mother did when she called and he tried yet another new accent he was working on. “She probably yells more than any of your friends do,” Lottie said, laughing. She had a few choice words for the Englishman when he caught her off guard but she laughed about it all afterwards. And try as she might copying him, there was no way Lottie could do what Dex did. She could memorise facts about Degas or Monet but Shakespeare or Poe? That was a completely different story.

Her father used to joke that she should have went to school to study psychology or something similar because of how she was with the patrons of the bar. The restaurant as family oriented as it was, wasn’t the only establishment the family had, though it was the major one. There was another smaller place, well-kept but essentially a hole in the wall. It was a place where the locals went after work for a couple cold beers and to catch whatever game was playing. When her shift at the restaurant finished on the weekends after she turned twenty-one, she could usually be found over there filling in for whoever couldn’t make their shift. “Boulder isn’t that small, no one is going to remember you the next time you’re around,” Lottie said, laughing at the thought of them doing something so memorable in a city surrounded by the mountains and wannabe criminals. “Though I would seriously wonder...” she added almost as if it were an afterthought, which it wasn’t. She was versed enough in video games to understand.

Laughing, Lottie tried to fake a pout and failed happily. “Offer anything else and I might just take you up on it. And you can ask Kael the next time you see him how I was with the first of my foot. I nearly fell asleep!” she admitted, grinning. Getting the ink hadn’t been anything more than a mild irritant for her. “We never really spent that much time in the house. Nights, through major storms, when we were sick and stuff like that so not much but we still needed something to do when outside wasn’t an option. This is what we got,” she said shaking her head at the conversation she could still remember about what would go in that room. “No one will think anything of it if you spend the night in here,” she said as they were leaving, brushing away his concern or lack thereof for his belongings. She still had half her wardrobe and dresser drawers filled with clothes since she had only taken the necessary things when she’d moved at first and during her trips she took a little more back with her. She led Dex down the hall back to the foyer and grabbed her bags as she went up the winding staircase.

“Kael’s room and our dads is down that way and so is the gym if you’re interested,” Lottie said, giving a wave down the opposite hall as the way she was moving. There was another spare room down there for Kael’s guests but now that he didn’t come back as often it was left unused. “Gavin’s room is there, closet, spare,” she continued further down the hall waving. “My room,” she said pointing to her door before opening one she’d stopped in front of. “And this one’s yours. There’s a little balcony if you want to sit outside. It’s small but it works,” she said again once she was standing just inside the bedroom door. “Bathroom, wardrobe,” she added, pointing to each room. “And I’ll be across the hall, dropping this stuff off,” she said, leaving again. She left her bedroom door open when she stepped in so Dex could just walk in whenever he was done and just dropped her bags on the bed before moving across the space to throw open the balcony doors of her room.

Tag || Dex!
Words || 854
Clothes || One More Time
Music || Wild at Heart --Gloriana
Notes || -___- <3

[Dexter Zachary Naismith]

Dexter had moved to New York entirely on his own, but his immediate family were less than a day’s drive away, so if he did find himself in a crisis or just missing them terribly, he only had to climb into his car and travel the distance. The one thing he did have in New York that he didn’t have in Lansing had been a real view of the ocean. Back home in England, their house had been right on the edge of the bay and the beach just two minutes from their front door. A view of the water had been the thing Dexter missed most of all. As a little boy he had grown used to falling asleep to the soft sound of the waves and waking up to see the sunlight bouncing off the calm ripples. His move to the city that never sleeps had come with a determination to find an affordable apartment that offered him a glimpse of the harbour. He had been lucky enough to find one, too.

Grinning, Dexter gave her a one shoulder shrug and ran his fingers through his hair again. “She’s had to deal with it for almost twenty-two years, so it’s usually just a loud sigh and a ‘one of these days’ speech.”

[/color] He told her, still sporting the grin on his face. It was a game that never got old in his eyes and one that he would probably still be playing when he was an old man, with his walking stick and a stronger prescription in his glasses than he already had. Only, by then, he hoped to have added more impressions and accents to his repertoire.

Laughing, Dexter shook his head and stood up straighter, flashing Lottie a goofy smile. “But, when I’m a famous star someone might use those old mishaps against me! You know how gossip magazines love to spin a tale and take the truth and turn it into some elaborate lie. I can’t afford that blemish on my still blossoming career!”[/color] His speech was as dramatic as his college major needed it to be, and like most things Dexter did, came with bundles of passion and dedication. Even when he was just larking about Dexter could still pull off a serious moment, sometimes leaving people to wonder if he was actually joking or not. It was another one of those little things he enjoyed doing from time to time. “The right photograph, the right angle…it might bring memories flooding back to someone.”[/color] He added a little shudder, as though the thought horrified him. He had already done things that could catch the attention of magazines and gossip blogs, but since Dexter didn’t know what the future might hold or if he’d ever make it off the amateur stage he didn’t worry too much about those little things. He could deal with them if and when they made the headlines.

“Nope. It’s too late now. I offer you nothing.”[/color] As usual, he was being overdramatic and playing up. It was actually rather rare to find a moment when Dexter could maintain a serious conversation for more than five minutes. He always ventured off into some dramatic, goofy act that either had people laughing along with him or left them rolling their eyes and telling Dex to be serious. Nodding his head as Lottie spoke, Dexter kept his dark eyes flicking around the room, just taking in the finer details. “Then expect to either be waking me up in here or reminding me that the sun has risen.”[/color] There had been too many times when the hours had ticked by and Dex didn’t even realise. Put a controller in his hand and more often than not he was able to forget that everything else existed. Possibly a useless talent, but it kept him quiet and occupied when he was younger, which kept his parents from having to worry about him getting into trouble while they were taking care of Joe or finishing off paperwork.

After following her around the second floor of the house, Dex took a moment to stretch out in his room before venturing to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He would take a shower either later or in the morning, but for now it did the trick of freshening him up after the journey. He routed through his bag, mainly to remind himself of what he had packed, and then moved some things from the canvas prison to other places around the room, trying to keep it tidy as he went. It still ended up with t-shirts stacked on the dresser, his shirts draped over a chair and three pairs of shoes just tossed underneath it, but it just looked a little more lived in now. He left his spare jeans and the shorts in the bag, along with whatever else he had managed to cram in there. Tossing his toiletry bag into the bathroom, along with the necessities for his contact lenses, Dexter skipped back across the hall to Lottie’s room. “That’s me done!”[/color] He declared with a big goofy grin.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Lottie!
WORDS! 897!
OUTFIT! Goofy Guru
LYRICS! Down In The Valley - - - The Head and The Heart
NOTES! <3

[Lottie Aaliyah McAllister]

When Lottie first moved to New York, she crashed on a friend’s couch until she set things up for herself, and then when she’d been living in this new apartment barely a month, if she was remembering correctly, her big brother showed up, needing a place to crash after landing himself a job in the city. Lottie didn’t mind. She would never admit out loud to any one at all, even under threat of torture, but she’d missed her brothers and father. Two of them could be complete idiots and jerks while the other couldn’t quite figure out how to mediate the fights between his three children but they were her family. “My dad’s good at those,” Lottie said, laughing. He said them few and far between these days but Lottie still laughed when she heard them because they reminded her of her childhood when one of her brothers were getting yelled at for teasing her. Frankie had been right all those years ago; Lottie fought back and occasionally, she fought dirty.

The grin on Lottie’s lips was as sweet as sugar when she winked at Dexter. “Of course, I’m going to do that. Those pictures are going to be worth millions one day and I’ll need that money to open a gallery!” She said laughing as though she’d honestly thought about exploiting her friend like that. She wasn’t that girl, but she could pretend to be. There were plenty of ways to get where she wanted to be in the end and she was going to exhaust every other option before she considered leaking a photo to the press when her friend became rich and famous. She rolled her eyes at the overdramatic flair her friend had. Before moving to New York, she had never met anyone quite so dramatic. She’d gone to the theatre before and had the company members of a local theatre having their early meetings in their restaurant. Her father was a big fan of the theatre and regularly went, again to show support of local businesses and because her mother used to drag him along to a new show every season so it was sort of his way to remember her. But never had they acted quite like her friend.

Lottie shrugged as if his taking back the offer meant nothing. “Alright, Drama King,” she said, casually, looking down at fingernails that were in desperate need for a manicure. Aside from shopping, getting regular manicures and pedicures and sporting a great pair of heels were the only really girly things she did. Grinning, Lottie nodded. “There was an entire week I spent in here. I was out with cold so I didn’t have work, and it was Winter break. Christmas had just past when I came down with it and I’d gotten this game for Christmas. For the life of me, I can’t remember what game it was, but whenever my eyes were open, I was playing,” Lottie said, laughing at the memory. “I think with all the cold medications, I put in about 15 hours overall.” She stayed in the room because she had always woken up at odd times whenever she was sick and on medications. She shrugged again, brushing away the memory. “You’ll be sharing the room if you end up in here. There’s a reason there’s so many couches,” she reminded him. Their father was big on spending time with the family and this was his way of doing that. They had silly billiards tournaments, they all sat around playing video games and a couple times, they all fell asleep in the room on various couches and surfaces after putting a movie on late.

Back in her childhood bedroom, Lottie opened the balcony doors and took a moment to admire the view she’d missed before going back to her things and unloading a couple of the bags she’d dragged along with her. The one with her archery gear shouldn’t have even been brought up but that was her mistake, having not looked at everything she’d picked up from the bottom of the stairs. When Dex came into her room, she was tossing a couple pairs of shoes towards her wardrobe. “I’ll finish this later,” Lottie said, picking up the bag with her archery gear in it to bring it back downstairs. She didn’t bother shutting her door when they left, the only one going in there would be Rocky and even he would only go through her room to the balcony and sprawl out among the flower pots and planters. On the front porch, Lottie set her gear just to the side of the steps, out of the way and out of sight; not that anyone could see the porch from the street, but still. They lived far enough out of the way that they had to drive or bike to anywhere. And since she was excited to be home, Lottie didn’t think she could ride her bike into the centre to see everything. So, she pulled herself up and behind the wheel of her Jeep and started the engine while she and Dex put their seatbelts on. “Ready to play?” she asked, grinning mischievously as she circled the drive and made her way out onto the empty street of her neighbourhood.

Tag || Dex!
Words || 882
Clothes || One More Time
Music || Wild at Heart --Gloriana
Notes || -___- <3

[Dexter Zachary Naismith]

Family actually meant a great deal to Dexter. He was far from being ready to settle down with a wife and children of his own, but it was a dream that he hoped to cross off his to-do list at some point in the future. In the meantime, he made regular phone calls and trips home, making sure to speak to all the members of his immediate family a few times a week. Even if college work, Gotham and everything else was crushing him, leaving him with little time to sleep or eat, he would find the time to make a few quick phone calls. Most of the time, nothing exciting had happened, but Dex just liked to hear that things were going okay for the people he loved the most. “I think they attend classes on how to give them when we start learning how to get ourselves into trouble.”

[/color] Dex mused, looking pensive. He had a feeling he probably heard the most of those lectures growing up, but he hadn’t exactly been a bad kid; just terribly mischievous.

Dex gasped in mock horror and then shook his head, still keeping up the shocked act. “I’m going to have to tell Kael about this. I’m pretty certain there’s a union for this sort of thing!”[/color] He tidied his natural accent up a bit, making himself sound a little more refined than a seaside boy from the fisherman’s hamlet. He was proud of where he came from; no doubt about it, but playing with accents came almost as naturally to him as breathing did. Sometimes Dex stitched in and out without even realising it. The floppy haired drama king knew Lottie wasn’t the kind of girl to use someone just to get somewhere in life. It wasn’t like he could spot those sorts a mile away, but he was pretty certain when it came to his closest friends that he knew he could trust them. He had no reason not to! If anything did bother him then he usually let it slip out in conversation or he just ended the friendship when the chance was available, depending obviously on how bad the situation was. He had no time for backstabbers or those who couldn’t believe in him, his passion or his dreams. People like that were the reason a small part of him did doubt himself and the idea of love. Right now, Dex just reminded himself that he was twenty-two and in no rush for finding that happy ending promised in childhood.

“That sounds like me most weeks.”[/color] Dex said, unable to suppress his grin. Almost any free time Dex had was dedicated to video games and with summer here, it was highly likely that there would be days when he wouldn’t move off his couch unless he needed to grab more snacks or take a super fast shower. He had been dedicated to the consoles and the series since he was a kid and it was something he didn’t plan on letting go of, even if people thought it was still childish of him. It was an outlet that reduced his stress, probably strained his eyes, and gave him a break from being on the stage or in a rehearsal. Sometimes his muse just ran dry, frustrations built when co-stars or directors were growing agitated and those games got him through it all without turning him into some dramatic diva who made everyone else’s life a living hell. Dex didn’t ever want to be a guy that people didn’t like working with or being around. He knew he couldn’t please everybody, but he also didn’t want the world to hate him. “Then there should be a notice informing people that I am an animated sleeper. I wriggle, talk and have been known to sleepwalk, but I think I only do that around the time of finals.”[/color] He grinned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans and wrinkling his nose up to shift his glasses back into place. He could probably count on one hand the amount of times he had apparently sleep walked, but the other two things were commonly told to him whenever he shared a room with anyone.

Following Lottie back to her Jeep, Dex hopped back into the seat and got himself comfortable, running his fingers through his too long hair to get it back out of his eyes. His efforts were futile though and he knew that within a few minutes he’d need to do it again. “The real question is: when aren’t I?”[/color] He grinned mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows foolishly.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Lottie!
WORDS! 811!
OUTFIT! Goofy Guru
LYRICS! Down In The Valley - - - The Head and The Heart
NOTES! <3

[Lottie Aaliyah McAllister]

Lottie loved her family, missed them when they weren’t around but she wasn’t in any kind of rush to have a brood of her own. If fact, she wasn’t in any rush to jump so far; possibly ever. She didn’t know if she wanted kids or a family of her own or maybe just spoil her brother’s kids, whenever they chose to settle down. It wasn’t because she didn’t have a mother growing up because she’d had too many. All the women of the restaurant and a few from the bar were always there to help her with things, not to mention the women around the neighbourhood. They taught her how to walk in heels, how to dress like a girl and not the tomboy she was. They taught her how to wear makeup, how to flirt; everything a girl should learn from their mother. They could teach her everything she ever needed to know but that didn’t stop her from grabbing a pair of slightly baggy jeans, tight tee and gearing up to hit the trails on her dirt bike with Gavin and Kael at sunrise. “That has to be it,” Lottie said, laughing at the thought of group of parents for a class on lecturing them. It was just ridiculous enough to be real.

Lottie sent her friend a very bland look as she scoffed. “I don’t work with you. I’ve already worked with Kael, I know there’s no way in hell he could be my boss so,” she said, dragging the word out as though she were thinking about his question. “No, there’s no union. Feel free to tell Kael about it though,” she added teasing. She could never exploit anyone she cared about like that; not unless they were in on it and even then she would have massive reservations about it. She understood that old saying all press was good press but growing up in the restaurant business, she was aware it wasn’t true for all aspects. Acting and running a restaurant and a bar weren’t the same things, she knew that, too but that didn’t matter; she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

The blonde art student loved her video games. But when she was home, it was rare she was found in the den at all unless she was so exhausted she couldn’t do anything outdoorsy. “I remember all too well a couple times having to wait on you to find a save location,” Lottie said, laughing. Not that she had minded, of course, there were days back in New York where she was the same way. It wasn’t her classes that got to her though or the people in them or even work which she loved. If anything it was the patrons at work that could drive her to drink the entire bar dry. Because she worked the bar, she got the arrogant, egotistical group looking for a couple drinks to unwind. That was fine and dandy but what she didn’t need were the ones that thought it would be hilarious to take bets on which of their friends would get her number or another bartender’s. Of course the bar staff had their own games to play on those particular customers. Shaking her head, Lottie smirked. “Of course, I’ll tell Dad and Gavin all about you and your wild sleeping habits.”

The smile on the petite blonde’s face was full of mischief as she settled in behind the wheel of her trusty Jeep. Lottie waited until they were out of the small neighbourhood she had grown up in before she slammed her foot into the pedal and flew through the streets like she owned the place. She knew the area well, all the "secret" hidey holes the police parked their cruisers and slowed down to the appropriate speed around them but once past, she was speeding again, laughing at the fun she couldn’t have in New York with the congested streets. She slowed down again before she hit the city core and pulled into the restaurant parking and around back to the employee parking. She cut the engine and hopped out. “I should have taken the doors off when we got to the house,” she said as an afterthought. She waited for Dex and then continued on to the front of the restaurant. “This is our place you’ll see later when we grab dinner. So,” she said, stepping onto the sidewalk. “Left or right?” she asked, pointing in each direction and mentally planning a route for both.

Tag || Dex!
Words || 756
Clothes || One More Time
Music || Wild at Heart --Gloriana
Notes || -___- <3

[Dexter Zachary Naismith]

Dex’s mind was often so scattered that it was hard to believe that the aspiring actor would one day want the marriage and the children. He could barely take dating seriously enough to give a girl that impression and he was still at the stage of freaking out, bumbling through his insecurities without directly confronting them. He was a long way from thinking about diamond rings and happy endings, unless they were set on a stage. For now, he was still happy running around the city, completely unable to focus on one thing at a time, usually flitting from topic to topic until he finally confused whoever he was in the company of. “Maybe it’s time to confront them, let them know that we’re onto their secrets.”

[/color] He joked, nodding his head eagerly as though it was the greatest idea he had ever had.

“Harassment by my boss’ sister. I’m sure there’s someone, somewhere who would take that complaint seriously.”[/color] He said, managing to keep a straight face without so much as a flicker in his frown. Dexter made a deliberate attempt to keep his social activities with Lottie away from Kael, purely because he enjoyed his job without catching any more than a glimpse of his boss’ brotherly side. He had already shot Dex several looks over this trip along with a few casual instructions around Gotham that Dex could’ve sworn held a slight hint of a threat. Everyone else had just suggested his overactive imagination was playing tricks on him.

Video games had kept Dex quiet and out of the way when he was younger and now they proved to be a good outlet on the days that had him pushing back his floppy hair more than usual. He easily lost track of time when he was playing and got far too invested in some of the plotlines, often shouting extra things at the TV and the NPCs roaming about in the game. “That’s not my fault; they spread them out and then enemies pop up and it takes time to kill them.”[/color] He said with a one shoulder shrug. It wasn’t uncommon for video games to make Dex late for plans with friends, which was why he often just set an alarm on his phone when he knew he had someplace to be. Other times he was reminded by people turning up at his water front apartment, which did the trick just as well, only he often had to shush them while he focused on whatever the current objective was. “You should. It’s better they be warned than have to find themselves completely bewildered in the middle of the night. That never ends well for anyone.”[/color]

As Lottie tore through the streets, Dex could only laugh. He was one for walking and public transport, purely because he got to ‘people watch’ and pick up little things to incorporate into his characterisations. Plus, coming from the tiny hamlet, there hadn’t been a need to drive from place to place since everything was pretty much located within twenty minutes from the front door. Still, he laughed, enjoying the ride and jumping from his seat once the car was stationary again. “But you wouldn’t be you if you remembered to do everything.”[/color] He told her with a lopsided grin and a mischievous look in his dark eyes. “To the left!”[/color] He shouted, picking the direction at random and pointing in it, as though he needed to strengthen his decision with the gesture.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Lottie!
WORDS! 624!
OUTFIT! Goofy Guru
LYRICS! Down In The Valley - - - The Head and The Heart
NOTES! <3

[Lottie Aaliyah McAllister]

It was kind of weird being back in Boulder. She missed the city she grew up in, sure but things were different now and she knew she couldn’t go back to how it all used to be. She couldn’t ride her bike through the downtown core, shouting out her hello’s to locals she knew on a first name basis, not daily anyway. This trip was a vacation, a holiday at home. She would be packing up her things at the end of it and going back to New York where he life was now. But sitting in Boulder after being away for so long was still weird. She didn’t feel like she belonged there anymore, not completely. And that was something Lottie never thought would happen! She thought she was going to be a mountain bunny for life. “Don’t know if it would work or if they would just laugh in our faces and joke about how long it took us to realise it,” Lottie said, grinning.

“That’s good, not even a hint of movement outside that frown. You’ll go far. And I would get a “stern talking to” before being sent on my way with a promise never to do or say anything along the same lines again,” Lottie said, laughing. She was a deceiving woman; really sweet to strangers, especially her elders, flirty and sports fanatic with the guys her age and gossipy with the girls. She was a strong believer that respect was earned by being respectful and she stayed by that code unless someone didn’t deserve it themselves, then and only then was she a right bitch. But that sweet smile of hers got her out of plenty of trouble, this hypothetical situation would be no different as long as she said the right words, smiled softly and apologised. Not that any of it really mattered, she was only teasing because she knew what Kael was like and she was sure he’d said something to Dex at work when he found out the young actor was going home with his baby sister.

Lottie had lost count of how many times she’d almost been late for work or a class because she’d been sitting in front of the TV with a video game. If it weren’t for phone calls, text messages at the right time and Kael, she would more than likely have missed too many shifts and classes. She had to start setting an alarm so she was actually on time! “I’ve yet to complain,” Lottie pointed out, laughing. She was the same way so she didn’t think she had any place to say anything about Dex’s game habits. It was too much of a pot and kettle moment for Lottie. “They lock their bedroom doors. We all do,” Lottie admitted, chuckling. “It’s safer for everyone.” They were a family who pranked each other too often and just because the sun went down, didn’t mean they were done for the day. When Lottie was just starting high school, she’d learned to keep her room door locked so her brother’s couldn’t pull some prank on her while she slept.

Lottie missed racing through the streets of Boulder. In New York, she usually left the Jeep at the apartment unless she had some serious running around to do, then she drove the Jeep but if she didn’t have anything to worry about, she took the subway around. “When we get back home it’ll get done,” Lottie said, nodding her head as if that would help her remember. “And we’re off to see the Wizard,” Lottie said, laughing as she linked her arm through Dex’s and started down the street towards the left. There wasn’t a huge deal with the area they had their restaurant. It was close enough to the downtown core that they got a lot of traffic but not so close that it was the major tourist trap. The only shops were small boutique like places with cute concepts when it came to the clothing shops and pictures of locals in the sports shops using plenty of the equipment they sold. A well-known comic book store was down the street two blocks on the corner, next to the best coffee shop in Boulder. Like her father, Lottie preferred shopping in the local places, it may have been a little bit pricier but it was worth it to give back to the community. Lottie pointed out which stores she thought Dex might enjoy browsing in and figured if there was a place that caught his eye on their trek through the area, they could stop and check it out.

Tag || Dex!
Words || 772
Clothes || One More Time
Music || Wild at Heart --Gloriana
Notes || -___- <3

[Dexter Zachary Naismith]

Despite all the thought he was supposed to give to his future, Dexter rarely put that much focus on the years to come. New York was his current home, but after using that word to describe two other places, he had learnt that it wasn’t always a permanent idea. Deep down somewhere, he knew that Shaldon would be the place he would probably long for most. He didn’t know where he would be in five years and quite frankly, he didn’t so much mind not knowing. He liked living life on the spontaneous and he would rather be caught off guard by something than spend night after night worrying that something wasn’t going to work out the exact way he had planned it. “Compared to my older brother I was always last to catch on to something.”

[/color] Dex was usually too full of energy to focus on some joke or comment whereas Brian was more logical and picked up on the little things that Dex usually blinked at a little later.

“You can tell me that again when I pick up my Oscar.”[/color] Dex grinned, as though it was something that would happen in the foreseeable future. “Believe me, being stuck between you and your brother is a tough place for a lad to find himself.”[/color] He shuddered, as though he was thinking back on the horrors of such a thing. It was a rather amusing situation in reality when he was good friends with Lottie and yet worked for her brother. If Dex had a dollar for the amount of times Kael appeared by his side whenever the youngest McAllister’s name was spoken then he could probably retire already. The guy was friendly enough to him, but like anyone else he grew curious when he heard the name of someone he knew quite well. He had commented once or twice that at least he knew his sister’s plans when they were with Dex, instead of having to try and call her or figure out if she wanted in on take-out. Dex was still wary of saying anything to land anyone in trouble, but most of the time he couldn’t control what he said. He rarely thought before he opened his mouth and had learnt a long time ago that running was the next best thing to do most of the time.

Living on his own, Dex often had to get friends or set alarms to let him know when he had to move from in front of his TV screen and put the controller down for a bit. He’d never make it anywhere on time otherwise. Even with fair warning he was usually one of the last running through a door with almost a hurricane surrounding him as he fought with his jacket or books or anything else he might have been carrying. “Then the most they’ll get is me walking into them, possibly repeatedly.”[/color] He joked, acting as if it might actually happen.

“So long as you don’t forget.”[/color] He teased, grinning ridiculously at her. If anyone needed a serious friend, Dex was rarely their first choice thanks to his childish antics and wild ways. A bumbling mess most of the time, he was more about making the people around him smile than worrying the days away. “This is not a yellow brick road.”[/color] He commented, feigning disappointment as he stared down at the ground beneath them. “Although, I will insist on singing if we’re going down the musical route.”[/color] He added, as a minor warning. Dex would full well burst into song as though he was performing on a stage and nothing could stop him. He did it far too often as it was when he was shopping or had his headphones on. He looked at everything that Lottie pointed at, just glancing through the windows of some places and commenting randomly on others. He wasn’t a massive shopper and usually ventured out when he needed something or something new had been released. Still, it was nice to see a change from the hustle and bustle of New York and the packed department stores.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Lottie!
WORDS! 694!
OUTFIT! Goofy Guru
LYRICS! Down In The Valley - - - The Head and The Heart
NOTES! <3

[Lottie Aaliyah McAllister]

Boulder had been Lottie’s home for most of her entire life. For a while she didn’t think she would ever leave her hometown. It wasn’t until it was an option that Lottie realised she wanted to go. Her family went on vacations all the time when she was younger but she was always happy to go back home. And now New York was home for the young art enthusiast. “Well a hyperactive personality will do that to a person.” Lottie teased lightly. If it weren’t for Kael moving to New York, Lottie knew she might not have stayed in the city longer than school. After that, with her degree she could have gone anywhere at all. She was good at what she did, she had an exceptional eye for it. She could be a curator or an assistant curator anywhere, the only problem was learning the language. And she knew that the best way to do that was to submerge yourself in it; which meant a couple translation books, maybe a CD or two to get the basics under her belt and moving there for the full experience.

“I had better have a ticket with my name on it so I can tell you that the second your name’s announced!” Lottie pointed to Dex with her brow arched. Lottie stayed quiet for a second too long thinking back on her ex. Dex joked there was no room to breathe between her and Kael but they weren’t dating. They were friends. And he had it exceptionally easier than her ex who was stuck between her and Gavin. Kael stayed away as much as he would allow himself, only wanting to know that she wasn’t getting herself into some sort of trouble that she would need him to help her out of. Shaking her head, Lottie snapped herself out of the little trip down the bad side of memory lane and set a smile on her face. “You haven’t met Gavin.” She said as if those words were the only warning he needed. Gavin, unlike Kael was pushy and tried to solve all his little sister’s problems for her. If he’d been any good at her classes, he probably would have done all her homework growing up, too. That one wanted his little sister to grow up without a care in the world. Lottie could only imagine if that man ever had a daughter of his own! That little girl would be a princess.

“And you’ll get pillows throw at you.” Lottie said with a shrug. They were a family of athletes. And though almost every bedroom had a baseball bat by the bed or the door, they hardly needed them. Frankie had given his children all they’d wanted and didn’t let them quit in the middle of the year even if it turned out they hated whatever they were doing. He paid good money to give them the lessons they wanted, he’d be damned if was going to let them quit so easily. Lottie rolled her eyes laughing. “It’s not Kansas either, honey. But sing away!” Dexter wouldn’t be the first of the pair to walk, skip or jump down this familiar street singing whatever popped into their heads. Thankfully, Lottie was allowed by her older brothers to do as she pleased and had forced Kael to participate on more than one occasion because it wasn’t “cool enough” for Gavin to do. “There’s a community theatre a few blocks over.” Lottie said turning to the proper direction and pointing. “That way. I’m not sure what’s going on there but my dad will know. He makes sure to get tickets for every show, support the community and all that. So if anything is showing there, we could see it.”

Tag || Dex!
Words || 627
Clothes || One More Time
Music || Wild at Heart --Gloriana
Notes || -___- <3

[Dexter Zachary Naismith]

New York had been the first time Dex had chosen where he lived. Before then he had moved with his family like most kids did. He knew his dreams for the future would probably keep him moving around even if he did eventually set roots down somewhere. Actors rarely had the luxury of living in one spot with a guaranteed job just a short commute away. LA was probably the closest thing he could think of to that, but Dex wasn’t a fan of Hollywood. It all seemed far too staged – pun intended – for him to really buy into it. Nope, he would probably drift a bit once college was over and see where he finally ended up once Fate dealt the cards for him. However to actually say that to his parents might just be enough to give his mother grey hair and his father palpitations. They supported his choice, but they did express their wishes that Dex would be a little more stable in his life. “One of the few downsides, I suppose, to having his wonderful and lively personality.”

[/color] He beamed, wiggling his eyebrows across at Lottie as though there was no way she could ever disagree with him.

Shaking his head, Dex wagged his finger at Lottie. “Nu-uh. There’s a speech I need to give first and then you can have your moment. The ticket is yours though.”[/color] He said, as though they were planning for something that was going to be happening later in the month. He noticed the slight pause with Lottie, but he didn’t push the matter. When it came to girls Dex was pretty clueless and so he often just left issues, which sometimes turned out to be the right thing to do and other times turned out to be very, very wrong. He didn’t know what one would be the correct choice in this situation, but he had taken a gamble and he hoped that with Lottie it would be the right one. He had never seen her throw a girly tantrum so far and his gut instinct told him he wouldn’t see one now. “Eep. From that tone I don’t think I want to.”[/color] He joked, although a part of him was a little serious. Kael was suspect more than anything and asked a couple too many questions and directed an extra questioning glare in his direction here and there. Dex had yet to be threatened directly by the man and while he might joke about such things, a part of him wasn’t so sure he would ever be in that situation with his boss.

“At least pillows are soft.”[/color] He said, forever the optimist. Dex hadn’t been one to join the baseball team or take karate classes, but he was still in good shape. Most people didn’t know it and many were surprised and thought he was joking when he told them, but Dex had been a gymnast throughout his childhood and teenage years. He had been pretty good, too, but those talents only emerged now during silly contests or games. They came in useful during Twister though! “I don’t know where Kansas is. Did we drive though there?”[/color] He asked, returning to their earlier conversation about geography and Dexter’s usual uselessness with a map. It was a good thing GPS existed or else he would probably end up in the backwoods of nowhere time and time again, letting horror movie scenarios run though his mind. The mention of a theatre caught Dex’s attention immediately. “Ooh! Sure, that sounds like fun.”[/color] He never passed up a chance to see a show, but he didn’t get to go as often as he would like to in New York. Broadway could be expensive and he worked a lot of evening shifts at Gotham, so nights at the theatre when he wasn’t one of the performers was actually pretty and unfortunately rare.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Lottie!
WORDS! 656!
OUTFIT! Goofy Guru
LYRICS! Down In The Valley - - - The Head and The Heart
NOTES! <3

[Lottie Aaliyah McAllister]

It was really good to be home. Lottie had missed Boulder. Not enough to stay, but just enough to visit right now. Eventually, her plan was to come back to the city, open her own gallery down the street from the family restaurant and fill it with the work of the talented local artists. But she needed time, money and experience and right now the only thing she had on her side was the money. Her father had already agreed to be a silent partner when she finally decided it was time to do this. If any of them would have gone to him with a plan, well thought out and everything already in place, he would do anything to help them out right then and there. Lottie had most of her plan worked out. But plenty of it would only start falling into place when she felt it was time to open shop. That would be when all the fun really started. But she had told her father anyway, because he was a man of plans. Hers was well thought out, even if aspects of it weren’t ready to be put into motion. At the time, her schooling had been the first step and New York was where her journey to success was going to begin; so he’d signed the first tuition cheque. Which was where she had met this lively character and one of her closest friends. “None of us would know what to do with you if you were any other way!” She teased, laughing.

Lottie sighed as if having to wait for his moment to shine wasn’t as important as her own little speech to him. “Fine I guess I can wait until you’ve accepted.” She said with a pout simply because it worked with the performance she was giving. There would definitely be no awards in her future; not for acting at least! Lottie laughed, letting everything go. There was no point in dwelling on the past and her ex was definitely in the past. “He’s alright. He’s not on the bandwagon of letting little sisters make their own mistakes.” Though after high school, he had a good reason to. From then on Lottie was sure her brother thought she had the absolute worst taste in men. And she knew Gavin would be the one to questions Dex about their friendship simply because he was just that overprotective and as far as he was concerned no one was good enough for little Charlie; even if they were just friends.

“If we’ve remembered you’re not trying to prank any of us and took the bricks and rocks out. Kael has hockey pucks in his!” She said, sounding almost excited about the complete and utter lie she’d just tossed out. “No, I took us through Nebraska. We can take Kansas back if you'd like to feel like Dorothy." Lottie offered teasing. The drive home was one she knew well enough to know the different ways to get from New York to Boulder and back again. The GPS she had hidden away in the jeep did come in handy when she did get turned around every once in a while, which was why she usually went through Nebraska, she knew that route so well. “Great! When we get to the restaurant, we’ll figure out what, if anything is playing!” Lottie said, clapping her hands with excitement. Lottie didn’t know what else she should show Dex so she just kept wandering around, spitting out pretty much useless information about the area, as if he would go wandering off in a strange place all alone. After walking around for a bit though, Lottie could feel her stomach start to make some noise. “Are you getting hungry?” She asked, looking up at her taller companion.

Tag || Dex!
Words || 634
Clothes || One More Time
Music || Wild at Heart --Gloriana
Notes || -___- <3