with ease she picks out a small bag of chips, a candy bar, a pack of twizzlers, moving to check out the options of slushies as the cashier, donovan, perks up. their fingers pull at the twizzlers and pull one out, taking a bite. "you've had three and you're alright? hm..." she cocks her head to glance at them before moving past.
for some reason a twinge of guilt and nerves flashes through her. he doesn't recognize her, would he? she's unsure if she would recognize him if she hadn't been keeping tabs recently. taylor could never just be normal either and give him a call or show up and introduce herself, no for some reason they always had to turn things into a game. maybe it was just the boredom of life. with a shrug they step up to where he is, placing their items on the counter and taking another bite of the twizzler in her mouth with a smile. "any other deals i should know about..." she pauses studying him, memories flashing back to childhood, ones hidden deep down that she never wanted to address. "donnie." this time the smile is innocent, begging almost, hoping he'll recognize it. that he'll smile and be thrilled by her presence. that's something they were always afraid of - showing up back in their siblings lives and being rejected.
he'd be lying if he said that it didn't eat at donovan how his sibling had turned out. a part of him, a secret part, had always laid awake and thought about how the others must be doing, having happier lives than him. raven had been smarter, taylor had been sweeter, the two deserved better than what they'd all collectively been given. donnie knew he was trash but...that didn't mean his siblings had to be as well.
he should've done more. tried harder. why did life shit on them, then continue to deteriorate further? life seemed to have set the kowalski's up only to immediately smite them down afterwards. only through sheer defiance and a constant need to survive was donovan here today, behind the counter of the gas station he worked at, smashing the different slushie options together in one overly-large cup to create something...different. boredom had struck, it seemed.
"hot dogs are 50% off," donnie calls out to whoever just walked in. "on account of them...well. they were sat defrosting in the room for a while. i've had 3 though and i'm still seeing straight so, it's not all bad!"
growing up in all her privilege, meant taylor could do what she wanted with her life. and ballet was where it lead (well part of it). it wasn't just a livelihood for her though, it was intense and insane at times, but for taylor it was just pure fun. a great way to pass time.
"hmm?" she looks up from her stretch toward dominika, flashing her a smile. "oh certainly, it's nice to have some time back." performance weeks were notoriously long, intense evenings and early mornings. taylor liked it enough, but was looking forward to some time off. "a spa day? well you know i certainly can't say no to that." she switches to the other side. "and maybe a few nights out? we deserve that at least." she adds with a wink before moving back to standing, wiping their hands against their body. "any hopes for the spring season? i'd love for a new contemporary piece to be debuted if i'm honest."
who: @tendrflesh ( taylor )
where: nyc ballet company
there was an excitement for her knowing that they were in their last week of performances for the winter season. it meant a solid six weeks off before they all had to start practicing for the spring performances. however, that also meant that in the interim there would be try outs for new principals and always a chance she would get a call suggesting she step down from her position. dominika didn't feel her retirement was close, yet.
she pushed herself forward to grab the tip of her slipper, holding the stretch and resting her head againt her arm. "are you excited for a break, милый?" she asked taylor, wondering if she would enjoy the time off as much as she was going to. "do not mistake me, i love to dance but it is nice to do some pampering. we should have a spa day next week. start it off right." not practicing eight hours everyday only to perform later was going to free up time for dominika to participate in some of her other favorite activities. some pampering would definitely set the tone for all of that, as well.
"like i said, wholesome and innocent. if we were better people." she teases with another nudge, eyebrows raising to urge him along. they listen intently, going so far to rest their head on his shoulder as the line moves and she takes in what he says. "breve? you're sooo fancy aren't ya." they continue on, now straightening up to glance at the menu. "breve and sherlock holmes, honestly sounds like a perfect combo. we'll add it to our menu list." she pretends to make note of it. the copy of emma is still tightly held under their arm and they shrug. "not sure if absolute favorite, but it's up there. i think it'd pair well with..." they pause, looking around. "a honey olive oil latte. a bit out there, but could be your sleeper favorite." not like it was her favorite, but it sounded nice. "so i assume you're getting a breve now? peppermint kind of day?"
"hmm?" silas looked up from the copy of the prince he'd read many times before. he nodded along with taylor's idea, making a thoughtful hum to the concept. "same kind of concept as el anhelo, then. except instead of human or replicant matching and drugs - it's drinks and books. not bad, i think it would sell." his mouth opened to offer his idea on the arcade and gaming bar but decided against it. went on to listen to her next question which was half a whopper. "my favorite drink has always been a breve, sometimes with a bit of peppermint mixed in because it wakes you up." now onto the hard part. his two fingers drummed on the table a while. "i don't know what my favorite now is, but as a young tot i was a big fan of animal farm but i also liked to read sherlock holmes to saint." he shrugged. the public library had always been a safe place for him and a wonder. probably the only government institution he'd ever been fond of. "that one yours?" he asked and nodded his head to the book under her arm.
they can't help but laugh as he approaches, still finding delight and humor in their silly little marriage and divorce. "maybe i did, maybe it's for someone else." she teases, reciprocating the hug with ease and leaning back in her seat. her fingers play with the stem of her martini glass as he gives his excuse for being late. it's expected, and taylor doesn't really care why he's late, but she appreciates the effort at least. "ah, were you involved in the train incident? or just an innocent bystander?" though they know he's far from innocent. both of them are. "would you believe me if i said no?" she questions, nodding to the bartender for his attention as the bright smile returns. "so catch me up on your life, you know i'm nosy."
taylor so happened to be one of the people that he'd show up for whenever they asked. now that didn't always mean he was on time ( and he rarely was, to anything ) but unlike some people he would blow off if he was having a better time elsewhere, she never had to worry about if he would come. just when. walking into the olive branch always made him feel underdressed and that didn't get better when he saw her sitting at the bar looking like a twelve out of ten. he approached with a low whistle and a smile. "damn, ex-wife, you get all dolled up for me? you're smokin' tonight." he leaned in to greet her with a quick hug before hopping up on the seat next to her. "sorry, got caught up in a last minute delivery in brooklyn and something went down on the train over. did you miss me?" he beamed a grin at her.
she beams as he turns to her, eyebrows raised as he wastes no time in luring her in, not bothering to answer her question without inviting her along. just the kind of things she likes from the people she sprinkles in her life. "i was just curious, but you may have put an idea in my mind." she steps out of the way of a couple walking by and tucks a long strand of hair behind her ear. "i can be persuaded to be carted off somewhere to disappear into, you off anywhere in particular or should we make our own way this afternoon?" she had nowhere to be for the time being, and could always make room for a little bit of fun.
Zakir had been lost in a world of his own creation, where everything he saw was made of words, imagination simply at the tips of his fingers, edge of his mind. So deep that the words did not reach him, but the physical touch was like a shattering of glass, a boundary broken. For a moment he stood confused, until he recognised Taylor. “Habibty, of course not,” he said, an easy going smile quick to appear on his features. “My mind must’ve been spinning, how could I possibly not have seen you,” he added without delay. “Anywhere busy? Are you looking for places to disappear in the crowds, the bustling of people, the sensations of bodies?” He asked, his mind still spinning with words. He pulled her into a side huge. "If so, yallah, we'll go somewhere."
@wrvtchedhearts taylor & zakir where: out !
"hey!" taylor calls out, turning around and doubling back to the familiar face that had just passed her by. their hand reaches out to stop his arm, smiling brightly up at zakir. "wow, just gonna pass me by without stopping to stay hello?" she teases, head cocked to the side as she looks at him, waiting for his apology, or explanation. not that they really needed one, but it would be funny to see one provided. "you off to anywhere busy?"
@yuungmenace taylor & donnie where: the gas station he works at
for the most part since her late teens, taylor had been able to keep track of their siblings. it was easy, wide doe eyes filled with tears as they asked their father for just a snippet of information. and once they got older, able to figure things out on her own, taylor wondered about her siblings. from what she knew they were stuck in similar cycles, cycles from their childhood. while taylor was flung out of pennsylvania and into new york. given everything she could ever want, and selfishly she wanted more. so when she figured out that both of their siblings made it to the city, they knew it was only a matter of time until she figured out a way to make contact. so today, she drove out to the gas station she learned her eldest sibling donovan was working at, parked and slid her way inside. with a quick glance and shy smile toward the cashier before meandering through the aisles.
@murdcrofcrows taylor & silas the slow down cafe
"si," taylor begins with a soft sigh in her voice as she steps into line with him. "if i was a better person, i'd love to open a cafe where you match a coffee or tea with someone's favorite book." tucked under their arm is a worn edition of emma. "what would you say your favorite drink and book is? we'll start with your combo and build out from there." she teases with a small nudge, biting on her tongue. though it's obvious that this would be a life that would bore taylor to no end, it's fun to imagine what being good and wholesome could lead to from time to time.
@murdcrofcrows taylor & bash the olive branch martini bar
she's already draped at the bar, fingers slowly circling the rim of her martini glass. bash had been the soft object of her affection for years now. their 'rebellious' joke of a marriage (she loved being able to say ex-husband) turned casual seemed to serve them well. their legs cross, the slit of the dress falling way to expose them as they look up, eyebrow raising at his late entrance. "you're late, and i'm almost done with my first martini." she smiles, taking another long sip.
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