••Just Another Day

[Gage Audrina Rose]

She was young, younger than anyone on air outside the college channels. But she was also damn good at her job, Gage loved every single part of it; especially the on location events. There were concerts, meet and greets, date nights, all sorts of things. She really loved just bringing people together and these nights helped her bring people who all had some common interest. She was emceeing one of those very nights later, after she had run her errands and gotten herself ready for the night. She enjoyed dressing up and slipping her feet into shoes that killed her feet but looked so sexy. She almost never wore them to work since they were so impractical but she still loved them and any excuse to wear them. She spent a couple hours running around the city before turning the key in the lock of her apartment and putting the things she’d picked up away. Gage hopped in the shower, got dressed and did her hair and makeup for the night with plenty of time to get something to eat in her before she had to drive across town to the pub.

O’Malley’s was a great place and the petite radio host liked going there more than she did the big booming night club the station chose for the first weekend of every month. It was smaller for starters and it had an obvious down to earth feel that the big club just wouldn’t ever be able to achieve. Checking the time, Gage slipped her feet into a pair of high heeled sandals, grabbed her keys and took the elevator down to the lobby. She smiled at the doorman, took the time to have a quick laugh and accept a compliment on her appearance. She hadn’t dressed to impress at all, the night wasn’t about her; it was about her listeners. Waving goodbye, Gage took a taxi over to the pub an hour before the doors were supposed to open for the event to help set up anything and have some laughs with the employees of the pub. Too soon though, the crowd started filing in and shortly, it would all be in full swing.

With the microphone in her hand, Gage gave the clear to the DJ to turn the music down so she could be heard. “Hello, O’Malley’s! How’s everyone doing tonight?” she asked, starting off the date night the station held at different clubs and bars throughout New York. These were some of her favourite station sponsored nights. The smaller ones, like this especially were her favourite. She could hear the conversations; she could partake in a couple of her own. It was a more intimate affair, a little more cosy. It wasn’t so loud or crowded, though every time they held an event like this, the bar or club was filled to maximum capacity. “I am Gage Rose and this here is the incorrigible Niko O’Connell and we’re the Emcee’s for the night!” She paused until the cheering died down a little. It was always a part of the job that kind of stunned her. She never thought her name warranted applause and yet these people did. To her it was a little weird but she wasn’t about to complain either. “Before we get things started, I would like to thank O’Malley’s Pub for hosting tonight, enjoy, remember to drink responsibly and first round’s on Niko!” she called, turning to her partner in crime for the evening and every morning, Monday to Friday and smiling innocently.

She gave an innocent smile to Niko before handing her mike back to the DJ and practically skipped down the small flight of stairs from the stage to the bar floor. The makeshift dance floor was off to the side, away from the bar and Gage ultimate destination. Just because she was old enough, didn’t mean she was some huge drinker. Even in her days of being the irresponsible teenager she had never been, she wasn’t big on alcohol. She liked a Martini every once in a while but that was about it. She never went crazy, drinking everything in sight and then some. Gage liked having her head about her. She ordered her usual from the bartender with an easy smile and turned around to survey the crowd this sponsored night brought it. The pub itself usually did good on their own but these nights brought some recognition to the bar as well, it brought in people who wouldn’t normally go there. And that was yet another thing Gage enjoyed about her work, telling people about these great little places. O’Malley’s was a good place to just unwind after a long and possibly torturous day at the office. Turning back to the bar with a satisfied smile on her face, Gage accepted the drink thinking only that it would be a long Friday night.

Tag || Open!
Words || 815
Clothes || Dressed Up Mess
Music || Heart Attack --Demi Lovato
Notes || <3

[Killian Ryker Scott]

New York came alive at night. Although, the night time was when Killian seemed to thrive. Once the sun set the concrete jungle was just bursting with opportunities for the twenty-six year old. He could probably land himself in more trouble than he usually did if he didn’t occupy most of those starlight hours with his job at the Marquee Nightclub. It didn’t take too much skill to stand behind a bar and serve up drinks to drunk college girls, but it was a job Killian was not about to complain about! It kept his skilled hands busy when he could be doing far worse things with his time and with worse people. And New York was littered with the opportunities he had been trying to avoid; not always successfully.

Tonight was one of the nights when his name wasn’t on the rota for bar work, but that didn’t mean Killian would stay home in his bare apartment. On nights like this he often found himself at one of the other bars New York had to offer and O’Malley’s happened to be the closest to his apartment. The volume of the crowd inside at this hour was a little unusual, but talking to one of the bartenders outside, she explained that it was some event by some radio station. It meant very little to Killian, but Perri made a remark about there being some cute girls inside and that was all it took to encourage Killian through the door and towards the bar. He listened to the people around him, the voice on the microphone finally grabbing his attention away from the pair of giggling girls who were hoping to meet up with some guys from their class tonight. Killian didn’t know if he felt envious of those guys or pitiful of them; the girls certainly did seem like handfuls, but were stunning.

After sliding his money over the bar from his bottle of beet, Killian turned back to look around the room again. He had been planning on a quiet drink, maybe a few games of poker or pool, and then home to pass out in his bed. Killian shook his head. So many nights had started out with that plan and ended completely differently; more than he even cared to count. Things had been pretty good for a few weeks though now. He had managed to avoid faces he’d rather never see again and the only job he worked was the legitimate one he was paid a marginally acceptable wage for. It might not be a life to boast about, but it was the start of what he wanted. Things had started off well for Killian before…it was keeping them well that was where he failed. Crossing his fingers didn’t work and while he persevered and picked himself up time and time again, his optimism was hardly permanent. There was always an opportunity to pop up or a face to come back to haunt him.

Taking another swig from his bottle, Killian cast his eyes around the place, scanning the crowds for familiar faces or just someone who drew him in. In the end he slid along the bar towards the young woman who had just been speaking to the room, welcoming them to the evening. A boyish smirk in place, he came to rest by her side, leaning slightly on the bar. “So, what does a guy have to do to buy you a drink?”

[/color] He asked casually enough.
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• • •

TAGGED! Gage <3
WORDS! 619!
OUTFIT! Trouble Maker!
LYRICS! Diamonds and Daisies - - - The Icarus Account
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Gage Audrina Rose]

Gage loved New York’s nightlife. The city was full and bustling through the day but at night, it really came alive. It was amusing that she was a part of the early morning workforce when she was out until all hours of the night with friends from the station and from school. But she had never needed hours and hours of sleep. The few she did grab after falling into her bed and before waltzing out the door in the morning while the sun still slept was usually enough for her. And there were those handful of afternoon hours after the show ended and the paperwork was all complete when she could steal some extra time with her pillows in Neverland. But she always said that was what caffeine was for and guzzled the stuff down like it was water and she’d been stuck in the desert for too damn long.

It was her job though, that had knowing the New York when the sun went down so well. Without the added nights and sponsored events, Gage wasn’t sure if she would ever leave her cosy apartment. And without that job, she probably wouldn’t even be in the city. She would probably be back in Chicago and she didn’t want to think about her past. It was behind her and she wasn’t going to happen down that road ever again. She would always be grateful for the one person who had been there for her when no one else seemed to care but that was the only tie Gage kept to Chicago. And she kept in touch with her old social worker, let her know what she was up to even though Gage knew she was hardly the only charge the older woman had. That woman got her the first job at the station back there. That was what drove her to go back to school and get a proper degree and those years were what showed them all she was a good person for the job. That station got her to New York and where she was right then.

While Niko dealt with his part of the introductions, the supposed rules of the evening, though it was unlikely anyone was listening, and a couple jokes here and there, Gage looked around the room at the turn out. These sponsored nights always brought in a good crowd and Gage loved watching the people connect. After the handed the microphones back, Gage waved to a couple people she knew in the crowd but didn’t try to go talk to them. They were surrounded by other people and looking like they were having a good time and Gage didn’t want to interrupt that. Plus the bar was in the opposite direction and she needed at least one drink maybe two to keep up the pretense. She might not have been a big drinker, but her audience thought she was and the radio persona meant more than the person at these events. She was sipping at her martini when a man to her left approached and Gage automatically prepared for whatever he might come up with. “Two ridiculously cheesy pick-up lines and a name.” She said, pulling thoughts from the top of her head. The first was a completely stupid request but Gage had a soft spot for ridiculous pick-up lines and wondering if any of them actually worked.

Tag || Open!
Words || 566
Clothes || Dressed Up Mess
Music || Heart Attack --Demi Lovato
Notes || <3

[Killian Ryker Scott]

Killian had the kind of past that would one day come back to haunt him. He had done a pretty impressive job of running from it so far, but he couldn’t run forever and sooner or later someone with a badge would connect the dots. It was what he kept reminding himself every time he tried to lay down some roots in some city or town. Then something would happen, someone would appear and he’d be forced to pack a bag and drive his car off when the moon was high in the sky. He had seen more of this country than he had ever intended to and not all of it was as stunning as some of the travels brochures painted it to be. He had a whole little arsenal of tricks to help him fly under the radar just in case something back to slap those infamous silver bracelets on him. It wasn’t a way to live a life, but he wasn’t about to risk everything on whims and strangers. By nature, he was a spontaneous guy, but he was far from reckless when it came to his own survival far away from orange jumpsuits and iron bars.

New York was still relatively new to him. He knew his way around, had found the shortcuts from place to place, but there was still a lot to see and do. Killian knew enough to live there, but not enough to call himself a New Yorker and that was something he didn’t know if he’d ever get the chance to do. His life was far from predictable and he didn’t waste his time planning ahead on things like that when all that could come from it was disappointment and unreached dreams. Taking it day by day was how he had coped since he was a teenager and that had been a technique that had worked damn well for him. He wasn’t about to switch things up now.

Killian didn’t know what may come from approaching the girl at the bar. In the past it had been a good mood, other times it had earned him a slap across the face or landed him in trouble with a boyfriend. It was a way to start the evening though, and Killian hadn’t landed himself in so much trouble that he hadn’t tried it again. If people didn’t strike up conversations with strangers then nothing would ever happen in life and things would be very boring and probably quite lonely, too. Smirking more at her request, he silently took a second and then shifted, twisting to the side. This, he could do. Gently, he tucked his finger under her chin and tilted her head so he could look into her eyes. “Wow…you’re so beautiful that you made me forget my pick-up line.”

[/color] He started, accepting the challenge with simple ease. “The only thing your eyes haven’t told me is your name.”[/color] And there was number two. Dropping his finger and letting his hand fall back to his side, Killian smiled again. “Name’s Killian.”[/color] He told her, fulfilling the final part of her request and flicking his eyes towards the bar staff. “So, may I buy you that drink now?”[/color] He asked, his smirk still in place as he rose an eyebrow and tapped his fingers against his beer bottle.
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• • •

TAGGED! Gage <3
WORDS! 556!
OUTFIT! Trouble Maker!
LYRICS! Diamonds and Daisies - - - The Icarus Account
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Gage Audrina Rose]

Gage still wasn't quite used to these night events. She'd been working the lunch and afternoon events since she'd started at the radio station in Chicago. Those she was used to and could work with her eyes closed. Plus, she loved meeting the people and hearing the stories they had to tell. Some got a little carried away but she always waved them off with a smile. The beginning of these nights were always okay. She liked those parts but what got to her were when they hit their limit and bulldozed right past it. She'd been on her own for so long that she didn't feel like she needed a man in her life to do everything. One would be handy to get the things off the top shelf so she wouldn't have to use that step ladder she had tucked between the stove and the counter. She'd dated in the past but her independence had always gotten in the way of things. She wasn't just petite, she was downright tiny. Gage had always been too short and too thin for her own good, and no matter how much she ate, she never gained much weight and she had danced like a fool the day she hit five feet! And because of her slight form, guys seemed to just want to protect her; which was the one thing she didn't need from them.

The Chicago native got where she was with a lot of hard work and too much determination to get herself as far away from the life she had been dealt to let some guy hide her behind him in every battle. She'd been on her own since she was four with only her case worker to help her through. For the longest time Gage wasn't sure if she was going to get anywhere in life, but every single time that thought popped into her head, she went out and did something to prove to herself and everyone she wasn't her past. She was a hell of a lot more than that. And to prove it to the world, she got herself a couple jobs, left school for the time being to work her ass off saving money for a place, eventually went back to get her GED and continue on to a local community college to get her first degree all before she was eighteen. She was young, way younger than most people pegged her but she was good at what she did and wiser than she let on. Her radio persona was someone young and into the clubs and dating scene. She was a carefree and feisty all at once; which wasn't a far cry from who she really was.

Gage had no idea what came over her to ask that of this complete stranger. In the short time she'd even been old enough to be allowed in the bar for anything at all, she'd gotten terriblly bored of being hit on by complete strangers. She knew that was usually how relationships started out; two strangers meeting serendipitously but seriously; there was only so much a girl like her could take before she ran screaming. After a while, she started demanding stupid things from the men who tried their hand at getting a smile and a name from her. And half of those men just started geeking out a little bit at her name. She was hardly a celebrity and yet here these random guys were going on about how she was Gage Rose. Those were the ones that didn't last longer than getting a name from them because she hated that. She was not a celebrity, she did not deserve such a reaction. And she would have been even more pleased if they pretended not to know who she was if they really did. It was nice to meet fans of the radio station or hers and Niko's specific show but that was where the pleasantries usually ended with the drunks.

Even trying to keep a straight face while her request was being met wasn't going to happen so Gage looked up at this strange but amusing man. She would have done without the help of his finger under her chin but she had to admit, it added to the silly factor quite a bit. She blinked when the first line was said, rolled her eyes at the second but smiled all the same. "Impressive work, Killian. Not nearly as cheesy as I've heard in the past but still good ones." She said, tilting her head to the side in approval. She was so sick of the father's a thief lines and the Tennessee lines and all the over played, only good for a laugh lines. If you wanted to get to know Gage, you really had to put a little work in. It was as simple as that. Nodding her head, she smiled and leaned back against the bar. "Vodka martini, dirty, two olives." She said, finishing off the nearly done drink.

Tag || Killian!
Words || 839
Clothes || Dressed Up Mess
Music || Heart Attack --Demi Lovato
Notes || <3

[Killian Ryker Scott]

Part of Killian’s “success”, if it could be called that, came from his ability to charm people. He had a smirk that seemed to entice girls, the cool attitude to keep up his act around the guys, and then his personality just seemed to ooze with something that drew people in. It made it easier to convince them of things when the time came, or make it difficult for anyone to believe that he could be a criminal behind the mask. Still, doing bad things did not make him a bad person and that was something he told himself after every job. There were people in the world who he would take a bullet for if it came down to it. He had a good heart in there somewhere, but it didn’t always show or he didn’t make a big enough deal out of those good deeds for people to acknowledge them. Plus, he was usually out of town by the time anyone could truly realise what he had done and start to consider what outweighed what. It was a complicated existence that didn’t seem to grow any simpler the more he tried to distance himself from it. In fact, it usually became more tangled and twisted, but Killian was still determined to have a clean break and a fresh start.

He could have been so much more. His life had been on track and he made decent grades. It had just been that incident at Lake Tahoe that had changed things. Looking back, Killian knew now that he had made more mistakes in the aftermath of that day than he cared to count. If only he could go back and change things, but he didn’t have a time machine so he had to live with the consequences of his choices. Those consequences had meant countless moonlit flits and activities that could see him spend a good portion of his life wearing orange and looking at the world through iron bars. The only connection he still had left to his past was through his sisters and they were frequently worried about their brother and the rootless life he seemed to lead. They knew nothing of his shady hobbies or his life of crime, but they knew he was far from living a sensible life even though it seemed to be what he wanted.

Killian worked best in social environments and his job at the Marquee was not the first time he had been on that side of a bar. He found information easier to gather when alcohol was around and if there was any local news worth hearing it would be heard in a place where liquor was cheap and the locals stayed late. It also didn’t hurt that there was always a pretty face to be found, be it that they were looking for some attention or not. New York definitely was definitely not in short supply of them and at twenty-six Killian was still hoping to have a bit more fun before either his past caught up with him or he found a reason to turn things around once and for all. Right now, with only himself to consider, one last job never seemed so terrible. It was just that “one last job” never seemed to be what it promised. There was always another IOU to be paid, or circumstances that Killian couldn’t resist.

Playing games, flirting and turning up the charm all came rather easily to Killian after using those talents for so long to make sure that there was always someone who thought highly of him. He wasn’t just some playboy though. There had been relationships, albeit brief, that he had been reluctant to end and that he wished he could go back to. Even thieves had feelings and sometimes choosing between love and survival had left the young man cutting his escapes mighty fine. “There’s a fine line between the kind of cheese that can work and the kind that earns a guy a slap. I prefer to play it safe.”

[/color] He explained casually, as though he was expecting those lines to have some magical effect. He knew there were worse lines out there, had heard some get used in real life situations, but Killian preferred originality if he was honest and not some arrogant pick-up line that would make him sound like a total ass. Calling back the bartender, Killian gave in the drink order and then slid his money over the bar again, shifting his weight slightly so he could look back at his pretty companion for the time being. “So, it’s Gage, right? I don’t think I’ve seen you around O’Malley’s before.”[/color] Not hard considering he hadn’t been in New York all that long. Killian had learnt a long time ago that the more at home he seemed in a place, the more people seemed to trust him. It was why he played the part so well and even after two days in the city he had been giving tourists directions and acting like he had lived there for years.
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• • •

TAGGED! Gage <3
WORDS! 850!
OUTFIT! Trouble Maker!
LYRICS! Diamonds and Daisies - - - The Icarus Account
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Gage Audrina Rose]

Gage had had a hard life growing up. It was honestly a miracle she’d managed to turn out as well as she had. It was a little touch and go for a while, when she wasn’t really old enough to do anything on her own but she’d made the right choices in the end for herself. And now she was quite a ways up that ladder of success at the radio station. If she ever decided to leave, she could probably take her pick of offers. But she liked where she was, she was friends with the owner, had helped to hand pick close to half the staff and got along quite well with everyone. Though there were a few more than others that she got along with better, but they were veterans of the job and thought of Gage, a relative unknown but still better versed than most of the colleagues, as a sort of daughter or niece. And since the tiny brunette didn’t have any family to speak of, she enjoyed the family dynamic of the station.

The transfer to the new station had come at the very best time. She’d finished college in Chicago and there was nothing left for her in the city except her radio station family and her social worker who had been more an angel than anything else letting Gage join in their family traditions during the holidays. She still kept in touch but they both knew Gage would never go back to Chicago unless something seriously terrible happened. Martina was more of a mother to the tiny brunette than anyone else in her life, whenever she had too much on her mind, she rang her up and just talked for a while until things felt like they were sorted out. If she were being honest, Gage called Martina for just about everything; if she had a bad day, an excellent grade or if something good happened at the station, Gage called to tell Martina all about it. She had never told anyone but the other woman but when she was good a stable, Gage wanted to take in a foster child, someone who really needed a break with life and give them that. Gage had gotten that from Martina and she just wanted to pass it on.

Gage didn’t mind talking to anyone at all. She could easily keep up a casual conversation about almost anything at all. Music was better but she could work with what she’d been given. It was part of her job really, one Gage actually enjoyed. Mixing and mingling was fun and the people she got to meet were usually interesting though she’d had her fair share of dull people, too. This man though, could hardly be considered dull if he was willing to play along with her silly demands. “I much rather the ridiculously ones that have you laughing so hard tears come to your eyes. And anything suggestive about an adored childhood story, of course.” Gage admitted as if this were a deep dark secret of hers when in fact it was probably well known fact; at least it was amongst her friends. “I’ve been here. You just haven’t shown up on the right nights.” She said, smirking. She was only at O’Malley’s a few times a month during regular hours and that was for events like these. She was at a few of the other clubs and bars in the city more often but it was always for work. She wasn’t a big drinker, never really had been but with this part of her job, appearances were everything and she didn’t really mind a martini every now and again.

Tag || Killian!
Words || 615
Clothes || Dressed Up Mess
Music || Heart Attack --Demi Lovato
Notes || <3