• The Stars Stay Up •

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

It wasn't often that Zoe found herself hovering outside a store, biting her lip nervously and fiddling with the edges of her jacket. That just wasn't like her at all. However, this particular store was of a bit of importance to her. She knew perfectly well that Romeo worked here, and that he was probably on the other side of the door sorting some books or wandering around the store in that cute way that she'd seen so many times over. It made her heart do a little skip when she thought about him, one she quenched as much as and as quickly as she could. Falling in love wasn't on her To-Do list right now.

Throwing her shoulders back, Zoe took one deep breath to calm herself. She needed a new book, so it wasn't like she was just going to see him. That had happened plenty of times in the past, however. She was a bit ashamed to admit that she'd gone to Borders just to see a head of messy bronze hair floating between the aisles. The whole butterfly experience was new to her, and quite nerve wracking, as well.

But she had a task that needed to be accomplished right now. True, that task was building up enough courage to strut through the doors like any other New Yorker. She'd purposely worn something cute and classy, the boyfriend jacket and printed tee being some of her favorites. She had on a pair of new boots, ones her younger sister had been kind enough to send up upon request. They weren't riding boots, but they weren't the insanely-high heeled ones that lots of girls around here wore. They were more of a cross, reaching to just about her knees, having a small heel, and being almost the same color as her faux leather purse. She'd thrown on some skinny jeans, knowing they made her muscular legs look a little leaner. That was the result of years of riding: strong limbs.

Zoe stared at the doors for another moment, trying to see past them and into the store. If she was lucky, she could sneak inside quick and go find her book, the check out just as fast. The thought of purposely not running into Romeo made her heart sink a bit. She really needed to get these bothersome emotions under control!

She shook her head, running a hand through her loose curls and pushing through the double doors. Right away, she bee lined it for the non-fiction section, ducking behind the shelves and letting out a held breath as she looked around her. This particular section wasn't extremely popular, but she needed a new book for school. If she was honest, Zoe preferred the fictional stories and all their adventures. They were just so much more appealing.

Her finger scrolled along the spines of variously colored books, searching the authors for a specific name. It was a little hard to focus with her heart pounding a mile a minute behind her ribs, though. She took another calming breath, trying to make herself relax. What did she have to be nervous about?

Well, the sound of footsteps approaching her probably fell under that category.

• • •

WORDS: 550!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo hadn’t seen Zoe in a little while, but then their last few meetings had been completely by chance and Romeo had been too busy with work to actual organise a meeting with her. No, meeting sounded too formal, maybe a date? Too romantic? He definitely wanted to see her again, regardless of what they were to call it. He enjoyed how they could just hang out and talk without it being weird or uncomfortable after a while. Romeo found that his friendly disposition was sometimes too much for some people to handle, especially with how full on he could get at times. Nevertheless, Zoe seemed to be okay with him, at least, he’d never picked up on any awkward signals when they were together.

Romeo pushed the books onto the shelf and moved the trolley along to the next section of the Victorian Literature department of the store. He looked at the large clock and realised that time was flying by and that they had a lot to get through before close. With the holidays approaching, people often came in all flustered about a book they needed but they didn’t know the author or the title. It made Romeo’s life hell when one of the general assistants came over to ask him to help a frustrated customer. It wasn’t as if Romeo could read their minds or click his fingers and the book would magically appear. It was always tough this time of year in retail and it never got easier, no matter how many years you had to grow accustomed to it.

He strolled across the shop floor and handed the trolley to one of the assistants, instructing them to finish up with the stock whilst he checked up on the rest of the store. The general manager was out today and Romeo was the only supervisor in for the afternoon so he needed to make sure that they were on top of everything. Plus, if he could, he wanted to pull one or two from the cash desk and get them on stock whilst the store was quiet. The quicker things got done, the less pressure there would be later on. Romeo didn’t mind staying late if things weren’t done, but he wanted to spend some time with Ellie before her finals began and he hardly saw her apart from when she emerged for food or to yell at him for something. He remembered the time himself, so he couldn’t blame her. Plus, treating Ellie was an excuse for him to see Harry Potter in the cinema without seeming like a total loser, like his co-workers often reminded him. That probably had something to do with him dressing up as a Hogwarts student for Halloween though. He rocked that staff party though, hands down.

He was crossing over the store once more, guiding two of the girls to the pile of books on the trolley that was placed by the stockroom door. He told them where they were all to go and then proceeded to circle around the store, making sure things were in the correct spot as he went. Someone moving at a reasonably quick pace caught his attention and a boyish grin crossed his handsome face as he recognised who it was. He pushed the book in his hand back into its rightful position on the shelf and then followed her footsteps until he was stood behind her. He pushed his hands into his pockets and leaned down slightly, so that his lips were near her ear. “Boo love.”

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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 659
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Dating, for Zoe, hadn't consisted of much, not even in high school. She didn't like the whole concept of switching partners every other week, or day for some people. It just didn't seem right. In her home, she'd been raised to think of love as a sacred toy, one that only mature people should be allowed to play with. Truthfully, she thought herself ready to handle a reltionship, and sometimes longed for one, like any other single girl. But, she also knew that it would be one more thing to stress and worry about.

This whole ordeal with Romeo had sort of just sprung upon her, totally unsuspected. It wasn't something she regretted, not in the slightest. In fact, she considered Romeo one of her better friends, even though they had only seen each other a few times. He was easier to talk to than the other giddy school girls whose attention was completely devoted to college guys, parties, and getting high off of one thing or another. All of those were highly frowned upon by Miss Tylers, not that she'd be giving out lectures on the subject anytime soon. Romeo wasn't like that, as far as she knew, and he didn't show her that disrespect so many young gentlemen of her generation did. She hadn't caught him "checking her out" or doing anything else as vile. That, already, put him higher up on her list.

But, being the unbroken soul that she was, Zoe couldn't say the same for herself about not looking. She'd looked over Romeo more than once, each time admiring what she saw. The always unkempt hair, the cheesy grin, the way he spoke without thinking. It made him more like her; an outsider in the world of busy city folk. Or, as she would put it, a fox in a hen house. Whether you used the "country" definition or not, the two were still alike.

All these thoughts and more swirled around Zoraline's mind as she continued to trail her finger along the spines of the shiny novels before her. Her eyes were looking over every author, but her brain was hardly processing what they said. She was too busy trying to quiet her mind and her heart, both of which used up her full attention span. Usually, that wasn't too easy for studious Zoe, but, then again, this wasn't usual behaviour for her.

The sound of the footsteps registered almost as well as the titles of the books were, meaning not too well. When the owner of those footsteps got closer, the noise vaguely made itself known in her mind. She pushed it aside, though, until she felt breath washing down one side of her neck. That and the little "Boo, love" made her jump almost five feet in the air as she quickly sprung away from the sound. She stared at the man who had obviously been the one whispering to her with flashing eyes, ones that usually only came out when she felt the need to defend herself. Spend endless amounts of time with animals, and you tended to pick up their habits. "Romeo?" she squeaked, the fire in her eyes instantly quenching itself. "I swear to god ya are trying to give me a heart attack!" she scolded now, voice playful as she let out a nervous breath. The little breath was quite useless because her heart picked back up to its speed of a mile a minute, taking all her breath away again as she looked up at the handsome man before her.

• • •

WORDS: 619!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo had had a fair share of relationships in his twenty four years of breathing. None of them had been really serious and he’d been lucky to escape from them without any real heartbreaks. He’d moped around for a day or two before, but there was always something more important that he needed to focus on and put his effort into and that helped him get over it. He was young, there’d be worse things to happen than to get ‘dumped’ by a total ‘babe’. Ever since gaining custody and guardianship of Ellie, dating had been put on the back burner for a while. Both of them needed to adjust to the new situation and Romeo’s priority was her, rather than finding another girl to get involved with.
Ellie was old enough now to probably deal with Romeo embarking on a new relationship, but he wasn’t the kind of guy who would go out looking for a girlfriend or even a date. If the opportunity with the right person came up, then he’d probably grab it, but it didn’t seem to happen.

Saying that though, Zoe had been on his mind a bit more than normal recently, but Romeo just put that down to Ellie talking to her whenever she couldn’t turn to her older brother. The Jervis siblings were unbelievably close, but Romeo vaguely understood that there were simply some things that Ellie wasn’t comfortable discussing with her overprotective, joker, older brother. Romeo didn’t think that there was an attraction between himself and Zoe, but he also couldn’t deny that there was something about her that drew him in. Sure, he was the kind of guy who could talk to anyone and everyone, but he didn’t stop in the street and have hours of chit chat with them in the same way that he did with Zoe.

He didn’t dwell on the idea too much. He wasn’t the kind of person to get stuck in a rut over a person and he was more content to let life run its course and see where it took him. There was one thing for sure though, Romeo wasn’t about to jump to any conclusions about anything; feelings or otherwise. Emotions were too fickle to worry about and he had seen people jumping from one extreme to another in regards to their relationships with a person. Only when he was certain, would he get involved with another human being again. Plus, it had to be someone who was prepared to accept that he couldn’t be around 24/7. He had a job and a minor to look after and Ellie would come first until the day she told him otherwise…and even then she’d probably still be first.

At Zoe’s reaction to his ‘sudden’ appearance, Romeo couldn’t help but to laugh a big mighty laugh. He adored the way she was so delicate and it was part of his nature to draw that out of her. He was sure it wasn’t the first time he had snuck up on her and startled the poor girl and he could probably promise that it wouldn’t be the last. “Aw, come on Zoe, who else would it be, like?”

[/color] He pulled his hand from his pocket and ran it through his hair, messing it up some more.. “No, nah girl, I just like messin’ with ya ‘ead.”[/color] He draped his arm over her shoulders in a friendly manner and then looked down at her, puppy dog eyes and saddest pout he could muster. “Forgive me love?”[/color] He asked playfully, using his home town term of affection once more. Almost everybody in Liverpool called everybody "love" and it was a phrase he had brought to NYC with him.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 660
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe wasn't one who could be easily snuck up on. Well, unless your name was Romeo Jervis. He'd caught her off guard quite a few times now, and her defensive side hadn't kicked in too well until now. It was a trait she'd had ground into her mind while working on the farm, and one that had only increased since her move to New York. The predators here were a lot worse than the coyotes and wild stallions back home, however.

It had made Zoe a bit protective over her friends in the Big Apple. She didn't want to see any of them taken advantage of like so many people were. Purse snatchers, rapists, and murderers freely roamed the streets here, all of which put Zoe on edge. That was why she didn't like to go out on her own. Walking the streets with friends was a lot less nerve-wracking than wandering outside her apartment all alone.

Her trip to Borders had been by herself, though, and she knew perfectly well why. She wanted to talk to Romeo, even if she wouldn't admit it out loud. Their little chats always seemed to leave her in a happier, more sunshiny mood, whether she was in one of those before or not. He could make her truly smile and laugh without worry, a skill not too many people here had mastered. She thought is was a good sign that maybe, just maybe, the little meetings could turn into something more.

But, acting like a hopeless romantic was not in her nature. She was very practical, though day dreams could capture any young woman when the prospects of a knight in shining offer were presented. Zoe had fallen trap to it, anyways, but her knight was more of a fictional lover than a guy on a horse.

He could probably pass for a vampire, too, with the way he snuck up on her almost as silently as one. But, she doubted he'd be sucking her blood any time soon. Scaring her half to death, sure, but biting her, nah. "Not too many others, 'cause my other friends tend not to sneak up on me," she laughed nervously, but that was perfectly true. Romeo was the only one who had almost given her a heart attack every time they met. Another thing that he could only do.

Unsurprisingly, Romeo could also make her heart skip a beat just by smiling at her. The way he draped his arm over her shoulders made her breath stop for a short moment and she had to mentally slap herself to keep from turning into one of those swooning lovebirds so many movies starred these days.

It took her a second to look up at him as she forced her emotions under control, but when she did she couldn't help laughing. He just looked so darn goofy! By now she'd gotten used to him calling her "love" or whatever other terms that sprung to his lips. "Don't I always?" she teased back, nudging his chest playfully with her shoulder. "You're lucky I'm not one to throw punches, or ya would've gotten a sock to the nose," she continued to joke at him, enjoying the way his arm felt wrapped around her tiny shoulders. She seriously needed to stop acting like a love sick puppy!

• • •

WORDS: 586!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo could be quite the joker when he wanted to be. Poor Zoe also happened to be one of his favourite victims. He couldn’t decide whether she was just the kind of girl to take his jokes in her stride or whether she was too polite to tell him otherwise. He never meant to offend or upset anyone; Romeo wasn’t the kind of guy to do something like that and he set out every morning with the goal of making at least one person smile and he usually achieved that with a goofy little joke or trick. He especially loved making Zoe smile. He didn’t quite know what it was about her, but there was definitely an air of focus about her and Romeo loved to break it from time to time.

His sense of humour was vastly different to most of the people he had met since the transatlantic move had taken place, but he still stuck with it. It was a little goofy, sometimes a little obscure, but then his home town of Liverpool thrived on such things. Did Romeo ever get homesick? Of course, but it was bound to happen and he took in good measure. The nights he missed the cracked pavements and the sound of sirens and profanities echoing around the estate he lived on, those were the nights that Ellie stayed up late and they laughed and joked over memories and tales of their childhood. It was a good therapy session for both of them and a clear reminder that they always had each other.

He remembered past conversations with Zoe about their lives. They both came from completely different backgrounds and were raised in totally different ways. It was a puzzle as to why Romeo was so eager to be around her. In theory, they had little in common when it came to their lifestyles, but maybe that was it. Maybe it was like that old saying about opposites attracting. On the other hand, maybe he was just curious to hear more having never experienced anything she spoke about. He wasn’t too concerned about the details of what their friendship was built upon. At the end of the day he loved hanging out with her and their little meetings like this were starting to become extremely coincidental. Romeo didn’t think it was anything more, mainly because of the simple fact that Zoe was a student who would need books and he just so happened to be the supervisor of a bookstore.

“Aw, but your friends are missin’ out on the fun! Back ‘ome we used to jump on each other’s backs. Run up from a distance and leapfrog onto them! They’d usually end up in a heap on the floor, like, but it was great fun!”

[/color] He said reminiscing his teenage years. They suddenly seemed so far away. He shrugged it off and grinned down at Zoe. “Your little ‘eart stop racin’ yet?” He chuckled, smiling warmly as he hugged her with the one arm he had around her.
He glanced at the shelves, curious as to what she was in for this time. He spluttered, laughing loudly when she spoke about punching him. “I would love to see you as a puncher. You’d probably shock them into submission! I think most people’d see you as a little dainty flower, love.”[/b] He playfully looked her up and down, analysing her professionally. “Promise me you won’t become a female boxer, wrestler or just generally one of those bodybuilding women? You wouldn’t be my little Zoe if you did that.”[/b] He didn’t even realise the implications of ‘my little Zoe’. He was just unable to hide his little affectionate terms for her. Hell, he didn’t even realise that he had affectionate little terms for her until he said them and even then, he was still hopelessly clueless about them!
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 684
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Just recently, Zoe had started talking to Romeo's younger sister, Ellie, almost as much as she did to him. She'd taken the girl on as yet another younger sister, listening to the woeful tales she'd heard so many times over and even lived through herself. It was really no problem on her part, for she loved to help any living thing, and younger girls happened to be one of her prides. She'd gently assisted her own sisters through the tender teenage years, and was still doing so with a few. Ellie fit in perfectly on her list, though the tales were a bit different than that of the other country girls'.

It was fun for Zoe to see just how alike Romeo and Ellie were. Actually, it was quite comical. She'd gotten used to the accent thanks to Romeo, but hearing it in a female's voice was a little different. None the less, she could easily tell that they were related, just from that fact. She heard many of Romeo's terms for things spoken by Ellie, and, while she knew it might've just been a habit thanks to their hometown, she couldn't help laughing after she and Ellie hung up.

Besides being a good laugh on occasion, Ellie was also a link for Zoe to find out a bit about Romeo. Of course, she tried to keep Ellie as oblivious to that as possible. She didn't ask about him at all, but the few tibits she did get were always cherished. Zoe didn't talk to Romeo everyday, more just when they happened to cross each other's paths, but she did chat with Ellie frequently enough. There was a part of her that hoped the young lady put in a good word about her to her older brother, but only a small part. She wasn't so selfish as to only help little Ellie for the sake of her brother!

By now, Zoe did consider Miss Jervis one of her success stories. If you asked her, she thought their friendship was prospering swimmingly. She'd heard some details about Ellie and Romeo's mother, understanding how hard it was for the prospering girl without that important woman in her life. She'd smiled at the praise of Romeo, and the complaining. It was interesting to witness both sides of the sibling relationship, to see both points of view. True, she'd heard most of Romeo's, having only talked with Ellie a few times about it, but she could still get a feel for what was going on there. For now, at least, she was done playing therapist. She would, however, probably have to start playing doctor if Romeo kept making her heart beat this fast.

"Ah, see, back home we usually would be jumpin' on horses' backs, not each others'," she laughed, getting lost in thoughts of backyard races, random rodeos, and displays of various tricks that dotted her childhood. His smile pulled her back, though, and she gladly returned it. "Keep on scarin' me like this and it probably will some day soon," she answered, shaking her head at him playfully.

At his laugh, however, she couldn't help her feathers from ruffling a little. Zoe was in fact strong, a lot stronger than she looked. She'd had to gain muscle living on a farm, it was inevitable. Her slim build prevented people from really guessing just how tough she was. "Ha! Dainty flower?" she snorted, rolling her eyes. "None'a the boys back home would've dared say that to me. Especially since I could usually kick their sorry butts in our little rodeos."

Before she could get too upset, he was speaking again. This time, her cheeks flamed a becoming shade of pink. "My little Zoe..." That made her heart do another one of its funny little skips, making her cheeks darken when she played it back in her head. "I doubt my Mama would ever let me do that. Me moving to New York was already hard enough for her," she replied after a moment of distraction.

• • •

WORDS: 721!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: They're too cute <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo was thankful that Zoe was helping his baby sister out. He had heard them on the phone to each other, Ellie’s sound of laughter resonating from behind her bedroom door. He didn’t have much experience with dealing with younger girls and Ellie was his only other sibling, so it was understandable; even if he had practically raised her his whole life. He knew that Ellie needed a female role in her life and even a quick phone call from Zoe was enough to perk her up whenever she was walking around the apartment tearing her hair out.

Plus, the arrangement was perfect for him to check up on Zoe. It wasn’t like he stalked her or anything, but he only saw her when their paths crossed by sheer coincidence. So, in a way, it was good to hear that she was okay from Ellie after she emerged from a conversation with the country girl. Often, Ellie would joke at his eagerness to find out more and on occasion had thrown her phone at him so that he could phone her himself. Those occasions had been short lived by Romeo throwing a dish towel at his sister or something similar. Despite their unorthodox arrangement, the pair of them were very much a brother/sister combo. They spent stupid amounts of time doing things to tease the other and replying curtly with insults such as ’your mum’ before it was pointed out by the other that “We have the same mum, doofus. Jokes on you!”

[/color] Then, usually, a food fight or tickling attack occurred.

Romeo was glad that Ellie could talk to Zoe. Over dinner the other night, he had asked her if everything was okay since the first call and he was relieved to hear his sister tell him that she adored Zoe and couldn’t thank her enough for talking to her, even if “she’s a little quiet, like.”[/i] but that was something that he liked about Zoe. Loud, boisterous girls (like Ellie) were more than common in his life, especially during his days back at home where everyone needed to fit into that category in order to avoid any trouble, so the change he heard whenever he spoke to Zoe was almost soothing and melodic. He loved his home town and he adored the accent he had, but out of all the others he had heard since his move to New York a good few years ago, Zoe’s was by far his favourite. He especially loved it when her true voice slipped through at times, when she seemed to be thinking back or emotional about a topic.

The latter thought ran through his mind when she responded and he couldn’t hide the smile on his face. He contemplated what would happen if the majority of Liverpool found themselves in the country which made him laugh, running his hand through his hair. No one would know what to do with themselves if there wasn’t a swing park nearby or a football stadium within travelling distance of their front door. “Yeah, ‘orses wouldn’t do too well back ‘ome. Prob’ly why we settle for each other instead.”[/color] He chuckled at her reply and then feigned shock. “We can’t let that ‘appen! Nah, you’ll be alright love, after all, I’m Romeo! And what guy knows ‘ow to deal with a heart better than ‘im?!”[/color] His whole life he had grown up on jokes and puns about his name, so at this point in life, he was more than comfortable to joke about with it himself from time to time.

He put on the puppy dog expression once more. “Aw, but you wouldn’t wanna kick my butt, Zoe, I’m just too darn adorable.”[/color] He pulled his arm away from her shoulders at last, the breeze from the air conditioning hitting his skin as he dropped it back to his side. He could imagine Zoe threatening a bunch of boys though, especially in a ‘big sister’ kind of way. It reminded him a bit of being back home and having to defend his friends, especially the girls, from some of the lowlife scum that would become besotted with them.

He glanced down at her, noticing the slight pink tint to her cheeks all of a sudden. Is she blushin’…?[/color] He didn’t think that he’d said anything to make her feel awkward or embarrassed, but the change of colour made him smile. She looked a little adorable when she blushed and Romeo remembered the amount of times the little things like that had made him want to hug her. He almost got carried away with his thoughts, but her comment snapped him back down to earth. “Now that I can understand. Cities never have a good rep and even after livin’ in them your whole life, they still ‘ave an air of danger about them, like. I bet she misses ya, love.”[/color] He smiled softly down at her.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 864
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoraline was quiet by nature, and it was no secret. She wasn't one to go around laughing her head off abnoxiously in public, or really stick up for herself when she was in a crowd of strangers. The fighting spirit was in her heart, but she'd learned to control it a long time ago. When she was around her friends, especially Romeo, that shy shell died away a little. She opened up more and smiled without having to force it. She also laughed and played, both things that the hard working college girl rarely had time to do. Romeo never failed to break her bubble, however, and Zoe never dared to fight him.

That was one of the things that drew Zoe to him, the way he didn't seem to care or let his troubles get to him, even though she'd heard numerous times of him coming home looking strained, thanks to Ellie. It was plain to Zoe that the young lady cared a lot for her brother, and that Romeo wasn't as smiley and carefree as he seemed around her. The wonders you could learn from sharp-eyed younger sisters were amazing.

Zoe could be overly self conscious on occasion. Her limited budget didn't allow her any extra to go and buy thousand dollar shoes or shirts, so she never had "top of the line" anything, like a lot of New York's ladies. It made her confidence crumble just a bit whenever she saw someone strutting around her Jimmy Choo heels, or in an obviously expensive dress. A few minutes with Romeo made her forget all about clothes though, and she was more focused on not blushing or stuttering. She didn't have to worry about her accent like she did with so many others, which was a comfort to her on some days. It was nice to "be herself," even though talking like she was back home was something little. Afterwards, it did make the homesickness come back for awhile, but the smile she always walked away with was worth it.

The beginnings of that smile were already showing on her face from their playful banter. He never failed to get her teasing side out, or to make her laugh at least five times within ten minutes. It was good for her, however. She needed a bit of fun in her life nowadays. "They were our means of transportation. No fancy cars in the country side," she answered with a smirk. "They're a lot less dangerous than the fumes the city's traffic puts off, even if some of us do end up with scars from 'em."

[/b] Zoe's fingers unconciously touched her cheek bone for a short moment, where there was still a light pink scar, one she'd gotten years ago in an accident with her horse. It had resulted in a mean scar and a broken leg, both of which didn't bother her at all. She was begging to see Lizzie the next morning, though she couldn't walk or ride at all. It was amusing to her family, also making them worry. She'd gone out on one of her favorite trails, one of the most isolated ones. A snake had slithered out of a bush, Lizzie had reared and dumped Zoe off her back. The rider was unconcious through it all, but Lizzie instantly went to defend her when she saw the snake move to bite the beloved young lady. The injuries meant nothing to her, only the safety of her precious horse. It was just another example she could use to prove her strength.

One thing that rooted for her weaknesses, however, was the way she blushed whenever hearts were spoken of. Especially when Romeo was the one speaking about them. It made her cheeks pink to think of him taking care of her heart, even though she would gladly let him the moment he asked. Zoe wasn't near admitting that a loud, but inside she knew it was true. She laughed nervously, trying to hide her embarrassment at the things she was thinking. "Didn’t Romeo end up stoppin’ his own heart beat, though? And causin’ another girl to freeze hers?”[/b] Now that she really thought about it... maybe entrusting her heart to him wasn’t such a good idea.

Zoe giggled at his puppy dog expression, "Don’t give me a reason to kick it, and I promise I won’t.”[/b] Her own face fell just a little when his arm moved from around her. The cold air that replaced his warmth seemed to rudely remind her that she shouldn’t be getting this lovey-dovey over something so little. He was bold and brash, it was his nature and she'd gotten used to it. The friendly arm around her shoulders was just that, friendly. If only she could thoroughly believe it.

Her mind was racing as she began to feel his eyes on her face. It made her cheeks darken more and she shook some curls loose to cover the betraying color. "She'd much rather have me back home for that reason. Though I'd probably get into more trouble on a farm than here,"[/b] she laughed, purposely brushing the subject of her mother away. Zoe missed her family, especially her mother. It made her want to cry whenever she thought about them for too long, and crying in front of Romeo didn't sound too fun.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

• • •

WORDS: 948!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

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[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo had always been the guy who shouted when he was supposed to whisper. He never stepped a foot out of line when he was younger and he never felt the need to rebel like some of his friends, but he was always the one who spoke up for them. His natural loudness could be a hindrance at times and it made going to the library a living hell, but it was part of who Romeo was. He would always stand up for a friend and he wasn’t afraid to voice an opinion, if the timing was correct. He didn’t approve of violence or fighting, but if the worse came to the worse, then he would step up to the plate and do what needed to be done; it was simply in his nature.

It was also part of his nature to never let anyone else get dragged down with his problems or worries. Even if he felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, Romeo could fake a smile and a laugh like the best of them. The only person he couldn’t fool was Ellie. That was the problem with siblings though; they shared the same traits most of the time. So, Romeo had stopped pretending around his sister and just accepted the fact that she knew when a day had turned out bad for him, and not just by the state of his hair and the amount of cigarettes he got through.

Despite living on the opposite side of the world, New York had never changed Romeo. He still dressed in same cheap but durable jeans, shoes he’d owned for some time and the shirts that relatives had purchased for him during the holidays and on birthdays. That was the thing about “scousers”, a phrase completely redundant in the big city because no one knew that it was the collective term for people from Liverpool, they were extremely loyal to their roots. They’d fight for their rights and their beliefs more than some and at the end of each day, they were proud to be who they were. Romeo was willing to bet his life on that and that was why his accent was never tainted with an American drawl or their colloquial terms, despite having to repeat himself a lot of the time for most people. He wanted to stay true to his roots, which is why he connected so well with Zoe. She may have been from the country, him from the city, but they both shared that deep pride of their home, coursing through the very blood in their veins.

The playful banter that Romeo was very much known for, was his way of making people feel good. He hated seeing his friends down or upset and after doing it for so long, the joker inside of him had taken over his personality entirely, meaning that, for most of the time, he was persistently cracking jokes, making humorous remarks and doing silly things, just for the sake of seeing a smile thrown at him. He could be serious and true when the situation required it, and he wasn’t the kind of guy who tried to offend or insult people. He just liked to envision himself as the sun on a rainy day. “Nahh, we ‘ad buses most of the time. Or a taxi driver who’d try and rob ya money before you got in the bleedin’ car!”

[/color] He hadn’t used public transport in a while though now. He much preferred to be on foot or wedged in his small beat up car that cost him more in repairs than it would to probably by a new model altogether. Romeo hated throwing things away though and the car in question had seen him through a lot. His eyes travelled to her cheek, led there by her finger and he winced a little. He had a nasty scar of his own, but it was hidden under his shirts most of the time.
When he was a teenager and still in England, some friends accompanied him to Kirkby beach one day to celebrate the end of school and the start of the summer months. Romeo was climbing across the rocks where, for years, he had dived off into the ocean, but this time, he lost his footing half way and slipped, his shoulder scraping hard against a jagged piece of stone. There had been quite a bit of blood and a hospital trip was required. The ordeal had been ten years ago now, but the three inch scar still remained, catching his eye every time he changed. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, out of habit. “I guess, no matter where you are, there’s always gonna be some danger.” Despite that though, he couldn’t trade the city life for anything else, never in a million years. He was too accustomed to the sirens and the yelling at every hour of the day and night.

He laughed, unable to hold it back when Zoe pointed out the flaw in his point. Usually, a single mention of Shakespeare sent the English Literature graduate into a huge verbal essay about how incredibly amazing he was and how many quotes Romeo could repeat, but this time, he refrained from doing so. “Nah, it was the priest’s fault. He convinced lovely old Julie into fakin’ her death and, of course, sent someone else to do ‘is dirty work, proving that really, you shouldn’t trust anyone, and then Romeo couldn’t live without ‘is bride and, well, ‘is heart stopped then, long before he drank the poison.”[/color] Romeo picked up a copy of the play from one of the sale displays and gazed down at the cover, smiling softly. “See, our Romeo ‘ere was as loyal as they come. He knew that Juliet was the only person for him in the whole world. Sure, he thought Rosaline was pretty stunnin’, but then he was a guy and we’re as flawed as can be. Juliet was his soul mate though, he’d do anythin’ for ‘er. He blamed ‘imself for her supposed death and then, he gave up. He ‘ad lost everythin’ in the world that he cared for, ‘is will to live shattered right before ‘is eyes. She was ‘is penguin and he couldn’t make their journey alone.”[/color] Romeo had gotten caught up in his own thoughts, but snapped back out of it at the end, smiling fleetingly at Zoe and then returning the book to the stand. “Yeah, eh, sorry. Got a bit carried away, like.”[/color] He scratched the back of his head and wrinkled his nose a little.

He neatened up some of the books on the shelf as he listened to her speak. He was in charge today, yes, but there was no harm in doing a bit of organising as he spoke to Zoe, and he hoped that she didn’t mind it or think that he was ignoring her. “What would life be without trouble though, ‘ey? I think, whether we ask for it or not, we all get into trouble to shape who we are.”[/color] Romeo could be a little too deep at times, and this was something that Ellie was constantly warning him about. His mind was dancing with his thoughts though now, and he didn’t even realise he was doing it.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1269
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Whenever Zoe heard a love song these days, there was only one person who popped into her mind. Could you guess who? Romeo, of course. He'd been on her mind a lot, especially since talking to Ellie brought up thoughts of her older brother. She'd blushed as red as a tomato when a certain song played while she was on duty at work, and it usually caused the customers to wonder if she'd lost her mind. One minute she'd be smiling, cheerful, and the perfect picture of a waitress. The next, she'd be floundering around and nearly dropping their food all over the floor.

It bothered normally-collected Zoe. Why should one person be making her completely forget about the world? He shouldn't be, end of story. Besides, they'd only known each other for a short while, not possibly long enough for her to start falling for him or for him to start falling for her. That thought could usually shut up her romantic fantasies in meer seconds. There was nothing special about her, nothing that would really catch someone's eye in a crowd, let alone a guy's. Why would Romeo be any different?

Of course, that made her feel more sad than relieved. She wanted someone to be there for her, especially since her friends could sometimes be as fickle as the sun in April. She was there for them no matter what, but there wasn't one person, besides her mother, that she could trust herself with. Romeo tended to draw more of her natural self out when they talked, even if it was only for five minutes. She wasn't as afraid of doing or saying something wrong around him because he was "foreign," too. He'd been in New York for longer than her, true, but he still seemed like he'd just moved there yesterday. It comforted her to have a friend who wasn't a real New Yorker, and who wasn't ashamed of admitting it. She could remember countless times where her country accent had slipped through around other people, and they'd then imitated her in a playful manner. She'd laugh with them of course, knowing that it wasn't typical for a little mouse like herself to be scurrying around a city as huge as New York. Romeo hadn't really made fun of her for it though, but she figured that was just because he was decently polite.

Polite or not, it didn't mean she hadn't expected their banter to pick up once they saw each other. Their conversations could always make her laugh later on when she thought them over, even if she thought more about Romeo's responses than her own. She liked how different and brash he sounded compared to the high and proper people of New York. "Buses 'n Taxies," she shuddered, shaking her head. "Come take a trip down south. No thieves, only fields of Bluegrass and wheat and the back of the horse you're on."

[/b] There was a smile on her lips now as she pictured herself on her own horses, galloping through fields like the one described. Lizzie had been one of her best friends, and her most trustworthy. It was easier to confide your problems and secrets to someone who couldn't reveal them to anyone else than it was to someone who could. Friends betrayed you, animals never did. And, if you'd pretty much raised the animal, it made the bond between you even stronger. Lizzie was Zoe's version of a baby, one she'd had to leave behind when she chose to come out to New York. Riding a horse down the street here would not only be strange, but probably end up in her being arrested and the police taking away the beloved pet. Plus, Lizzie would've never been able to survive in the confined, cramped spaces the city presented. She loved open fields as much as Zoe did, yet another thing the two had in common.

"Just the way things work these days," Zoe nodded, noting the fact that he'd winced when she brushed her cheek. The insecure part of her wondered if the faded mark really looked that bad. She didn't cover it with make-up at all these days, thinking it a waste of time and money. Why hide herself behind pounds of cheap oil? She hadn't really had access to it back home, so she'd never mastered the art of it all. It was a bit embarrassing to have to ask how to apply eyeliner or mascara correctly, and looking it up online always took forever. Therefore, she just didn't wear it unless absolutely necessary.

Zoe smiled at Romeo's laugh, happy she could make him chuckle. His lecture about the classic story made her smirk. There was obviously a reason he worked in a book store, despite the fact that he was named after one of the greatest lovers in history. She'd heard plenty of these "rants" by now, having talked over books with him before. That was how they'd met, afterall, talking over books. Zoe bit her lip thoughtfully for a moment after he spoke, shaking her head when he apologized to her. She did the same thing on occasion, and had wandered off into La La Land more than once while around him. "No, no. It's fine. Gettin' caught up in somethin' you love isn't anythin' to say sorry 'bout." Zoe gave him a brilliant smile in return, watching as he began to fiddle with the books on the shelf. She looked over the spines, remembering only too well that she should've already had her required book picked out and bought by now. Talking to Romeo was just to tempting, though. "The kind of trouble shapes us, agreed. Some people have it harder than others, though, and find themselves in a deeper rut,"[/b] she nodded carefully, turning the thoughts over in her own mind. These conversations with Romeo were always interesting, and he always kept her guessing as to where their next topic would lead.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

• • •

WORDS: 1068!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: How're they so adorkable? <3

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[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Unlike his namesake, Romeo took a bit of time figuring out his feelings. He believed it was a typical guy thing, but Ellie often told him that it was just a ‘typical Romeo thing’. He just got along with so many people that he never realised how strong his feelings were until they were literally beating him in the face, usually with whatever book he was reading. He didn’t usually do the whole ‘lovey dovey’ crush thing either. He was a confident and bold kind of guy, so when his feelings were self known, he just went out there and put it all on the line. Sometimes he asked them out on a date and other times, if he was feeling especially confident, he’d do something more daring and maybe just plant a kiss on them, right where they stood or sat. It had resulted in a slap once, but the failures were outweighed by the two success stories he had to prove that idea workable.

When he was in a relationship though, Romeo was totally devoted to that one person; a trait that often annoyed a few friends and Ellie. He’d admit it himself, he could get caught up in the romance and forget everything else that went on around him. He had given Ellie full permission though to fake a dire emergency if he ever started to swoon too much. That was one thing he did have in common with his namesake; the ability to fall crazily in love and act on impulse because of it. It had been a while since Romeo’s last relationship, which meant that with the next one, there was a very strong chance that he would become besotted, almost head over heels, within a short period of him discovering his feelings for a girl. His sister was aware of this, rolling her eyes and cautioning him every time he mentioned a girl’s name, regardless of who she was. Ellie had once cautioned him against their elderly neighbour who would openly admit that she was a cat lady and found them better than any man.

Romeo, despite his charming mannerisms and attitude to speak to everyone, never went looking for romance and love. It usually just stumbled across him. He hated the girls who paraded themselves around in front of him, trying to impress any guy they saw. In his eyes, they were lonely, desperate and really needed to get a grasp on what they wanted out of life. He hated the guys who would follow them too, usually with deep lust in their eyes. No, Romeo liked a girl who he could talk to, who he could hang out with and who, most importantly, could get along with Ellie. Regardless of how much he liked someone, if they were rude or cold to Ellie then it was over. Romeo was still her legal guardian for two years and outside of everything else, she was his best friend too. He valued her opinion more than anyone else’s in the world.

Romeo’s friends were the type of people he met down in a bar once a week, usually on a Friday night. They’d hang out together, get drunk, laugh at people trying to impersonate Romeo’s thick accent; one that was unusually for the people of New York, and basically just enjoy their youth whilst they still had it. He loved spending time with them, but they weren’t the people that he’d turn to for advice or in a crisis. For that sort of thing he had Ellie and a phone call to his mother. Friends, in his opinion, could turn on you a lot quicker than family. They could let secrets slip without meaning to and could easily start judging you if you confessed something to them. Sure, he got along with them and he’d talk to them about his life and everything else, but anything that was close to his heart was usually only glazed over and then they were back to discussing soccer or something along those lines.
When he was with someone though, it was nothing like that. He would open up to them and he would trust them with things that he cared about. Normally, it was a girlfriend who would get the Romeo and Juliet spiel that he had given to Zoe moments before. With a relationship, Romeo found that he could be a lot more open and relaxed, revealing the deeper aspects of his personality with them, the parts that even Ellie only fleetingly saw from time to time. However, for some reason, he was that way around Zoe? Maybe it was because she understood how it felt to be an outsider from the chaotic, nonstop city of New York. He felt a connection between them and it was probably because of that.

Romeo smiled, chuckling as she shuddered. It didn’t surprise him after hearing about the vast differences between the city and the country. Zoe was definitely lost in the atmosphere of the city whereas Romeo was completely in his element. It’d be the opposite though if they were in the country. Romeo wouldn’t know what to do with himself. He reckoned that the quietness would freak him out. He scratched his head and bit his lip. “Bluegrass? That’s a place, right?”

[/color] Evidently, it was probably safer for everyone if Romeo remained in the busy cities. He might do himself an injury in the country. He loved the crowded streets and the lively atmosphere, the sound of the music deep in the nightclubs and the laughter of the drunkards as they staggered home, flagging down taxis with dramatic arms. The traffic congestion and the bright lights were where Romeo found himself at peace. Sure, cities could be dangerous and sometimes deadly, but Romeo was streetwise and knew how to handle himself by now.

“It’s always been that bad. If you were a kid in England, way back when we still ‘ad the death penalty, you could steal a crust of stale bread and they’d kill ya for it.”[/color] The world was a brutal one and every animal of every kind was born with the ability to kill its own, regardless of relations, love and decency. Now, it was the advances that made it worse; the small pistols, the drugs and the sex. It was all things that changed people, made them deadlier.

It was true. Literature was his passion. He could talk for hours about his favourite novels and people could live an entire lifetime before he’d run out of things to say about Shakespeare. That was one of the reasons why he wanted to go back to school and finish his teaching degree; so that he could share his knowledge and opinions with others. He laughed and smiled at Zoe, shrugging a little. “Aye, but, you’re not an English student, love. You’re majoring in veterinary science. You should be listening to someone talk about…rabbits.”[/color] Yeah, Romeo didn’t have a clue what she studied in detail, but he was certain that rabbits had to crop up in there somewhere. His eyes fell on the clock just to the left of them, but he quickly returned to the conversation, noticing that his shift would be over soon. “Maybe, but I think anyone can get themselves out of any kind of trouble, if they just their ‘ead and ‘ave a decent support system to lend an ‘and. I’ve dealt with a lot of…stuff over the years. You just need to keep your wits about ya, then you’re alright, like.”[/color] He thought back to his younger years but smiled. He wouldn’t change his life, not even the bad times. They had shaped who he was and what he believed in.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1329
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe had been raised to be loyal, to have exceedingly astounding manners. It was partially her nature, but only partially. It'd been hard to be Mama's little pet, and it meant that she had to live up to every single expectation her mother presented her with. Of course, she'd completely failed the one dream that her mother had wanted her to obtain, and that was following in her footsteps as a quiet, country man's wife. She'd wanted to see Zoe settled in a little farmhouse with a baby bump forming on her tiny stomach, watch one of the neighbor boys marry her charming daughter and carry her into the home that would officially be hers to make. It'd been a cherished dream, one that shattered when Zoe announced that she wouldn't be "living the dream," like her parents and even her classmates were beginning to.

She'd shunned all offers of love, knowing that falling into the deadly trap could result in her staying in Adams. The prospect of a romantic future was often the down fall for females, especially those who could be geese on occasion and loose their heads. Zoe could, but it rarely happened and she usually recovered herself within moments after realizing her slip. Showing signs of weakness was a big no-no, especially when you were a tom boy. One stray tear, one whimper over a scraped knee and you were immediately teased. It'd taught Zoe how to hold her tongue, a lesson many of the males in her company struggled with. Her temper could be mighty fierce when roused, as a few of the young men learned the hard way. She wasn't one to be messed with, even if she did shed a tear when she fell off her horse and bruised herself with pretty little splotches of blue and purple.

The last time she'd had a real bruise was... a long time ago. Actually, she couldn't even remember! Sure, she'd bumped her knee on a coffee table once or twice while in New York, but no serious injuries had sprung up, none like back home, anyways. She'd missed the sting of true pain in some ways, mostly because it was the price for playing so dangerously. Riding horses was no joke, and neither was working on a farm, like so many people thought. It wasn't all glitz and glammer, despite movies and TV shows. Long, hard hours of work, numerous injuries (both big and small) sprung up all the time, and endless planning were all part of her former life, one she'd loved none the less. Zoe's city life seemed dull compared to the excitement of rodeos, planting season, and taking care of animals, but she knew that was just because she never tried to go and find adventure. She was content to sit up in her tiny apartment with a book and read the day away, or go down to a local coffee shop and mill around. It didn't take much at all to entertain her.

Zoe's eyes widened slightly when Romeo asked what Bluegrass was. He honestly didn't know?! It was one of her favorite things about the spring, watching the rippling Bluegrass spread across her family's farmland. It looked like a sea in the middle of the prairie, one that was occasionally dotted with a cowboy hat or a grazing horse as it trotted to and fro. She could recall hours spent sitting in the tall stalks of grass playing hide and seek with her siblings, and even her parents somedays. It was so much fun to sprint between the fields, trying to be as quiet as possible as you shoved more and more grass out of your way. Her and friends had even made tunnels some years when they were a lot younger. They led up to a "secret fort" which consisted of laying a blanket down in a rare bare spot and having a small picnic on Saturday afternoons. All memories she'd never forget, and ones that floated to her mind now as she tried to come up with a definition of the maginificent plant for him. "No," she laughed, biting her lip. "It's a plant, one that forms oceans of colors you ain't never seen before. It grows down by where I grew up, and Lizzie 'n I used to ride through it all the time when it was nice out." It was a poor description of one of the many beauties the countryside held in Zoe's eyes, but it'd have to suffice for now.

She blinked innocently at him with navy eyes while he spoke of the "Death Penalty" and stealing crusts of bread. It rung a faint bell in her mind, one that dated back to history classes in middle and high school. "Why would I steal bread when I could just as eas'ly make it myself and avoid bein' killed?" she replied, head tilting to the side slightly as she thought the matter over. Her Mama had taught her to bake bread before she turned nine, along with many other things. Then she remembered that not everyone had as glorious a mother as she did.

A hearty laugh fell from her lips when he spoke again. She just couldn't help it! Rabbits? Really? She studied those when she was about five. "I'm learnin' how to be a vet, Romeo, not how to be a rabbit breeder," she scolded playfully. "Besides, you know I like to read. I've probably read Romeo and Juliet hundreds of times by now, along with a lotta other classic books." She was one of the more educated people in her hometown, it was true. Zoe liked to read and get lost in a story, but she also liked to be running about and keeping herself active. The two passions fought against each other sometimes, but her moods usually decided which one won for the day.

Speaking of books... Zoe's eyes looked back to the shelf quickly, searching for the title she should've grabbed awhile ago. One of her hands grabbed All Things Bright and Beautiful by a famous vet from the late 1900's. Her teacher had recommended the autobiography to her, and had made it sound quite interesting and full of useful information about the life Zoe so longed for.

She bit her lip, tucking the book under her arm just as Romeo finished speaking. She gave him a smile and a nod, turning the words over for a quick moment before she replied. The use of "stuff" made her wonder if he was talking about the same things Ellie did when the girls got into a really deep, therapy-session like talk. They probably were similiar, but you never knew. "That's so many people's problems. They don't have their heads on straight enough to keep a good course, and their family isn't there when they need them. If everyone had a good, strong set of arms to hold them up and keep them out of trouble, the world would probably be full of a lot more peaceful beings," she said slowly, fingers fiddling with the edge of her jacket for awhile.

• • •

WORDS: 1266!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo’s parents had dealt with a lot of problems over the years and he felt that those problems were what shaped him. If it hadn’t been for his father’s alcoholism, or his mother’s mental decline, maybe he’d be the guy who partied every other night, instead of the doting big brother who put Ellie’s needs before his own every time. He’d even starved for her before when the money was tight and he only had enough for one serving of a meal. He knew that, his mother giving up her own daughter was hard on the parent and the child, but Romeo also knew that it was the best option. He’d taken a blow from his father to protect Ellie before and if he had to he’d take a thousand more and with his impending release from jail, it seemed likely that there would be another battle, maybe even more court cases now.

He was lucky in many ways though. His parents never pressured him into following their dreams and he was allowed to become the kind of man that he wanted; despite nagging from his father to attend more football games when they lived in Liverpool. His mother was far from disappointed in her son for still working in Borders either, understanding the logical reasoning behind it. Romeo would do whatever he could to keep Ellie under his guardianship, where it was safe. His mother meant well, but there was no knowing when she may have a low day and his father, well Romeo was convinced that his father be allowed nowhere near either of his children.

As the thoughts travelled through Romeo’s mind an unconscious hand creeped up to rub his jaw, the rough stubble scratching the thick skin of his palm. It had been years ago now; eight to be exact, but he was still a little shocked at the events of that evening. The punch his father had thrown had been enough to knock him off balance for a split second and it had been intended for Ellie. Romeo was sure that it would’ve knocked his little sister out cold if he hadn’t jumped in the way. His jaw still ached from time to time, but he knew it was probably a more psychological ache rather than a physical one. Romeo didn’t dwell on it though. It may not have been his proudest moment but as soon as the adrenaline rush had kicked in, he had retaliated, throwing a punch that he’d probably never be able to repeat, but one that did knock their intoxicated father to the floor. He wasn’t proud about the action, but he was proud that he was able to protect Ellie. However, the events of the night were never spoke of again once the court trial was over. The siblings didn’t mention it to each other and they definitely didn’t talk about it with anyone else. That was one of the things they had learnt from Liverpool; problems with the family, remained in the family. People dealt with them and moved on with their lives, never acknowledging or correcting the rumours that could circulate about them.

Romeo’s lack of country knowledge was astounding, but then he had spent his entire life as a streetwise city guy. He was used to hopping over cracks in pavements and weaving in and out of crowds more than he was used to fields and farms. The only time he ever saw them was on a school trip to Macclesfield. He lived in a town built up during the Industrial Revolution and half destroyed during World War II. He could take Zoe to parts of it that were still suffering the effects sixty years later. He was used to seeing the high rise council estates and the fires in a trash can whilst a bunch of troublesome teenagers drank cheap cider around it.
It probably sounded awful for someone like Zoe who was used to endless meadows and riding her horse…someplace. However, to Romeo, it was home. The things soothed him and the constant noise of a bustling city kept him relaxed. He liked to hear the world continue and the people press on with their lives and no matter what was happening in the rest of the world, with politics or the weather, in the city, things never stopped, not once. He scratched the back at Zoe explained it to him. He’d definitely never seen that before. “Oh.”

[/color] He tried to think of a city equivalent but it wasn’t easy. “The only place we ‘ave anythin’ like that is Goodison on a derby day. Rows of reds and blues and whites and blacks and now pink, of course.”[/color] He had a flashback to derby day when he was a kid. It was definitely an experience, but it was one he didn’t think Zoe would appreciate all too well. Twenty thousand screaming football fans, usually all with Romeo’s accent, chanting, insulting and crying out to the pitch below as the two Liverpool teams battled it out on the turf, that little ball being the only thing anyone cared about for a good ninety minutes. It was a rowdy time and one that captured the very spirit of the northern city.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. “It’s not as easy as that. Imagine, okay? You’re just a little kid in a large family. Your parents struggle to get food and they don’t ‘ave the ingredient to make bread or the equipment. You’re on the street one day, looking for a job or somethin’ to get a penny to take ‘ome when you come across, a thrown out, piece of stale bread. You ‘aven’t eaten for days, not properly. This crust of stale bread is practically ‘eaven for ya. So, you take it. No one wants it, it’s laying in the gutter. ‘Owever, someone sees you take that first bite and them bam! You’re in the gallows before you can swallow it.”[/color] He explained. History books were in his apartment, all history about England and Britain. It was his second passion after literature and right now he was repeating facts about how harsh Britain was back in the nineteenth century.

He held his hands up in surrender and laughed along with her. “Hey, I don’t know the first thing about animals, alright? I’m just a guy who analyses some of the greatest works of literature our kind have to offer.”[/color] He missed his college days, just a little bit. He enjoyed taking a novel to pieces, understanding why the author had decided to use the narrative style or the imagery in certain places. Thomas Hardy was a sucker for stuff like that. Romeo could pick his work apart for a lifetime and probably still not fully grind it down.

He glanced at the book Zoe held in her hands. It wasn’t one he had read before so he couldn’t start one of their normal conversations about it. There were too many books in the world for him to read all of them, even though he’d love to if he ever got the chance.

Sensing that the conversation was getting a little too serious for this atmosphere, Romeo decided to make a joke out of things. He flexed his muscles, which were relatively noticeable, even though he didn’t make a habit of working out all the time and turned to Zoe. “I reckon these arms are strong enough, like. They could definitely hold you up anyway, don’t you think?.”[/color] If he had been thinking straight, he would have realised the flirtatious connotations that sentence held, but Romeo didn’t.

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TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1311
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe's biggest passion was animals, and everything that was involved with them. She loved to be surrounded by them, loved to be able to laugh and smile at all their little antics. It was part of the reason she didn't like the city. Well, specifically the super large ones. They were destroying the animals habitats more and more by the day. Then, the humans were complaining when the animals went and started to seek homes in the cities! It annoyed her to no end, which was why she had already disliked New York before she even moved there. It was wrong to take something away so selfishly, then not give anything back at all.

True, there was Central Park, but even that wasn't big enough for the whole of the species that had been forced to escape outside the city. She even felt like she needed to do that on occasion; escape someplace quieter. Her apartment was hardly quiet, despite how many times she tried to convince herself otherwise. The cars would still be honking at each other below her building, the people above her would still be screaming at each other over who forget to go grocery shopping, and she'd still be trying to drown it all out with a little country music. Never any silence, never any undistrubed peace. Well, undisturbed peace in her opinion. Of course, her idea of peace was sitting on the back of a horse or lying out on a checkered blanket in the middle of a meadow with a book. She knew the city was soothing to some people. It was what the country side was to her, basically. She couldn't understand how it could be, but she wouldn't shun anyone for liking the city. Standing up for herself against the world wasn't a talent the young lady had quite obtained.

She wouldn't let anyone bash her beloved hometown, though, not even Romeo. Their banter was all in jest, and amusing on her part most of the time, but it was also a means of talking about home. Zoe didn't get to do that with too many people around here. They'd usually zone out or just find a way to change the subject. Or, she wouldn't even approach the subject at all. She wasn't ashamed of her countryness in the slightest, but she knew some people thought her odd, strange even, for trying to fit herself into the tight mold of the city. Her "style," her accent, her taste in music. It was all foreign to a good portion of the pople here. When she did run into someone who had lived on a farm the majority of their lives, it was hard to get her to shut up. She loved talking to "country folk" because it made her feel like she wasn't alone in the huge, culturally mixed, city.

Ah, sports. Zoe had played plenty of those in her lifetime, having been a bit of a tom boy back in the day. Most of the kids in her family may have been girls, but at school there were plenty of competitive males. Those were the kids she usually got along with instead of the girls who would sit on the sidelines and cheer. Zoe would be out on the field, either riding or running, whichever the current sport required. Riding was the prefered option though, and the one she could conquer just about anyone in. She was decent at soccer, too, and alright at baseball as long as she kept her hair tied up. Football... she'd tried it, been tackled and cracked a rib, then given it up. Well, been ordered to give it up by her mother who hated to see her baby girl hurt by one of the "big boys." Zoe didn't mind in the slightest, not even when the pain from her middle reminded her she should've been home helping her mother in the kitchen.

It was her turn to blink in confusion now as Romeo spoke. Derby day... she could only think of horse races, but she had a feeling that that wasn't what he had meant. "Goodison... what's that?" curiously questioned Zoe, biting the inside of her lip. She knew it was a place, obviously, but had no absolute clue as to what kind of place it was. A sports arena, possibly. That was her best guess, even though she had no idea what kind of sport they actually played there. In New York, she'd only driven past some of the big sports places. She hadn't gone to games, despite her younger brother's constant "suggesting." They truly seemed like a waste of money to her, and a waste of time. Why go spend a good chunk of money on a ticket, then spend even more on over priced food, when she could easily watch it on TV and order a pizza for a small fraction of the price. That seemed more logical to her, and a lot easier. She could study at home while she watched, and enjoy the comforts of a couch instead of bleacher seats.

"I haven't told you how many siblings I've got, have I?" she teased when he mentioned being a little kid in a large family. While she was one of the oldest, there were still a bunch of kids younger than her with the last name of Tylers. "But, yeah, I guess. Murderin' a little kid still seems a bit cruel," she mused quietly. All she could think was "thank god I didn't live in England" and to remember not to look into the seemingly gory history that country had.

Zoe smiled when he held up his hands, shaking her head at him. "First off, veterinarians take care of all the sick animals, kinda like doctors do for us. That's what I'm studyin' to be, so I can go home and set up a practice there." She wasn't ashamed of talking about that dream at all, and never would be. A few more years in New York, then she'd be able to go home and take care as many animals as she could handle.

It also meant she'd finally be done with school. That seemed a bit saddening, and also scary. She'd told at least ten boys back home that school came before any relationships. And, while she'd never gotten involved in any real courtships, she wasn't oblivious to longing stares or "secret" notes and flowers from a guy or two. She'd quenched their feelings and her own with the reminder of her plans, which was why she had no one awaiting her back in Adams. She was single, and planned on being so for awhile yet. At least until she'd set up things at home and really lived out a bit of her dream. A knight in shining armour... that would come later. Or she'd just be carried off in a pair of masculine, English arms while in New York.

Zoe flushed a light red after he spoke, shaking some hair into her face again to try and hide it. She kept her eyes of his body with a little difficulty, reminding herself that it was rude to gawk, even if it was at a guy. Weren't girls supposed to look at them? No, no they weren't, no matter how much she personally wanted to. "I-I... yeah," she stuttered, looking down at the book under her arm. Maybe she should say good bye now and save herself from being teased about her blush... but she really wanted to keep talking to him!

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WORDS: 1327!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3