[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

[googlefont=Bitter]

[attr="class","post-frosttalonbar-o"]

[attr="class","frosttalonbar-post"]

AND JUST LIKE THAT, I'M CATCHING UP

with the whiskey side of me; the guy that shows up when they pour em on strong

The week was drawing on too long. Actually, the whole past month had felt like a slow, agonizing crawl. Luck didn't know what to do with all the time on his hands — something he'd never really struggled with at any point in his life before. He'd always had stuff to do. Places he wanted to go. Things he wanted to see and try. And, if he didn't, then Nate did. Now though, everything seemed a bit aimless. [break][break]

Tonight was especially dull. He'd even downloaded Pokémon GO, a mobile game he'd overheard others conversating about in the office breakroom a couple of times. It'd kept him busy for a while, idly circling his apartment complex, just waiting for his pocket to buzz. But then he'd run out of Pokéballs. And it was on his fourth trip to the nearest church-slash-Pokéstop when he finally dropped his phone in his lap and asked himself what exactly he was doing. He'd sat in the empty parking lot for a solid half-hour then, contemplating his life (with the occasional, snide giggle) in his pajamas, before he made a decision and set his truck toward Downtown. [break][break]

In the first bar's lot, he'd idled for a little while longer, considering. Then he'd stepped from his truck, traded his slippers for the work boots he kept under his back seats, changed into a fresh, plain t-shirt, and pulled a cap over his hair. There was nothing he could do about the sweatpants but at least they weren't patterned — still passingly decent. He made a note to stow away a pair of jeans and a belt for the future as he moved to the doors. [break][break]

Inside, it was loud and crowded and Luck made quick work of a couple of beers (too expensive and watered down) in a quieter corner. Then, he decided the people around him were all a bit too animated and wild and he made his way back into the street. Briefly, he considered going home; watching a movie and drinking himself to something more comfortable by himself. It would be cheaper. And probably smarter, too. But when he stepped off again, it was in the opposite direction of the parking lot. [break][break]

At the second bar — its atmosphere a lot like the first — he nursed a few more, resigning himself to the fact he'd have to sleep a couple of hours in his truck before driving home. He spent a while playing with the dating app he'd downloaded on his phone, shaking his head at the (sometimes baffling) things people wrote on their bios for everyone to read. He was careful to swipe left on every single one of them. Because just what the fuck was he supposed to do if he actually matched with someone? How did people go about that? He'd matched with a few people when he first set up his profile — months ago when he'd been more bitter than anything else — and then only stared at the couple of messages left unopened in his inbox. [break][break]

Right before he paid and left, he ordered something black-labeled and tossed it back. Then, as he continued his crawl, his phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it up to look at the Pokémon that'd just popped up. Something with an unpronounceable name but that was sort of cute. Like some sort of messed-up alien dog. He scoffed when he remembered he was out of Pokéballs then tucked his mouth and clicked on the shop to look over the purchase options. A waste of money, stupid really, but — fuck it, he didn't care. It'd keep him busy. [break][break]

By the time he'd paid, the dog-thing was gone. Shame. He pocketed his phone again so he could appraise the building fronts and signs he passed. Most of them looked a lot like the ones he'd already tried, so he passed them by with only a glance. Then finally, he paused at one with half the letters of its neon sign burned out and stepped inside.[break][break]

It was dingier and darker than the two bars before it. The air smelled of food and smoke. The music was low-toned and slower. And though the crowd was smaller and less high-energy, there were still some pitchy laughs drifting from small, intimate groups and couples alike. This was the one. Luck stepped to the bar and ordered another hard drink as soon as he sat down and caught the bartender's attention. Then, after a few sips, he pulled the phone once more from his pocket — reminding himself to switch it into Airplane Mode once he reached the bottom of his glass. Just so he didn't do anything dumb (like buy more Pokéballs or call his ex).[break][break]

With his glass in one hand, he slipped from his stool and started a moseying skirt through the room, watching his avatar on the screen and hoping that stupid, cute little dog-thing popped back up. It had looked a bit like Charlie. When something — sadly, not the dog-thing — did spawn, he breathed a quiet chuckle and paused to prop himself against the wall with his ankles crossed.

a little laid back, little more wild and free[break]
you ain't the only one that's bout to be gone

Tag: Open[break]
Just ask if you'd like this tagged for you!

[newclass=.frosttalonbar-post]background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/b4srj7B.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;width:360px;text-align:justify;padding:20px 50px 25px 50px;background-color:#f5f5f5;color:#666;line-height:1.2!important;[/newclass]
[newclass=.frosttalonbar-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
[newclass=.post-frosttalonbar-o]background-color:#3C584D;width:460px;padding:15px;[/newclass]

[Naomi Garcia]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikki98"]

[attr="class","nikki99"]

[break]

AND DON'T YOU KNOW?

[break]

[attr="class","nikki100"]

[attr="class","nikki101"]I CAN SEE IT IN YOU, EVEN NOW

[break]

[attr="class","nikki102"]ARE YOU REALLY OKAY?

[break]

[attr="class","nikki109"] Naomi normally wasn't much of a party girl. Crowded clubs with flashing lights and thumping music weren't really her scene. Most of the time even bars were a lot for her to handle. Normally when Naomi was drinking she preferred to do it at home. Somewhere safe and quiet and cheap. And where she could crawl into bed when the world started to spin too fast or she could throw up in her own toilet without having to worry about being within proximity of some strangers vomit. Or other fluids. But occasionally she could be dragged out of the safety of her home to a quiet place to get a few drinks with some friends. It had been a minute after all and she felt Michelle desereved it. Especially if it meant keeping her friends nose out of her phone so the girl didn't try to booty call that awful ex of hers again. [break][break]

She, Isobell, and Michelle had huddled themselves into a booth against a far wall with a couple of drinks and a few baskets of fries between them. The three girls giggled and chatted amongst themselves. As much in their own bubble as many of the other groups in the little bar were. Naomi wouldn't say she was drunk but she was a few glasses down now and was starting to feel the effects. Though she hardly needed to drink when she was wobbly just off the giggly and intoxicated energy that radiated off her two friends. Already she had Uber pulled up on her phone. Ready to call the girls a ride when they were all ready to go back home. Though it hadn't been decided yet if they were all planning on having a sleep over yet or not. Naomi was just happy to enjoy a little time with her friends. [break][break]

It had been a little over an hour when Naomi decided to get up and take a little trip to the bathroom. Both to relieve herself after three drinks and to take a breath from her two more intoxicated friends. Her cheeks were lightly flushed from the alcohol and when she walked there was a bit of a stumble in her steps. But she took a moment in the bathroom to take a bit of a breath. She readjusted her makeup, reapplying her lipstick and cleaning up her eyeliner. Once she felt a bit more like herself Naomi left the bathroom. Though on her way back to her table with her friends she notices a familiar figure. [break][break]

At first she isn't sure that it's him. Naomi isn't sure what Luck would be doing out at the bar tonight. Last she'd talked to him he'd seemed still in that funk after the break up, understandably so. She'd thought he would be at home tonight. But as she stepped closer it because more clear that it was in fact him. "Lucky Bear?" She called to grab his attention. Seeing him looking down at his phone. She reached out to him hesitantly with her emotional field. Testing the air around him and finding that same off kilter, warm, fuzzy feeling around him. Deeper than that though there was something else under it. A restlessness that she'd been feeling on him for the past month. "Hey babes, what are you doing out here by yourself?" [break][break]

The girls could entertain themselves a little longer Naomi figured as she shimmied closer to him and leaned against the wall next to him. She bumped her shoulder against his with a small smile as her eyes glanced down at his phone. Deciding if he had some kind of message open she could look away quick enough without prying into his business. But when she saw that little alien animal game they'd been talking about at work she let out a small groan. "Don't tell me you've gotten sucked into that too."

[break]

[attr="class","nikki103"]649 WORDS

[attr="class","nikki103"]Luck Harris

[attr="class","nikki103"]MUSIC

[break]

NOTES

Figured I'd drop Naomi here! Let me know if you need me to change anything!

PHARAOH LEAP CREATES

[newclass=.nikki99]width:500px;height:250px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki100]width:500px;height:30px;text-align:center;font:8px Helvetica;line-height:30px!important;color:#f5f5f5;background-color:#333333;letter-spacing:2px;position:relative;z-index:1;overflow:hidden;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki101]margin-top:0px;opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki102]margin-top:-30px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki98:hover .nikki101]margin-top:-30px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki98:hover .nikki102]opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki103]width:100%;padding:10px 0px;background-color:#f5de6e;text-align:center;font:8px Helvetica;letter-spacing:2px;color:#333333;text-transform:uppercase;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki103 a]color:#333333!important;font:8px Helvetica;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki109 font]font:bold 10px Helvetica;color:#f5de6e;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki109 b]font:bold 10px Helvetica;color:#999999;[/newclass]
[googlefont=Montserrat:400,700]

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

[googlefont=Bitter]

[attr="class","post-frosttalonbar-o"]

[attr="class","frosttalonbar-post"]

AND JUST LIKE THAT, I'M CATCHING UP

with the whiskey side of me; the guy that shows up when they pour em on strong

Miss.[break][break]

Luck muttered a curse under his breath as another Pokéball rolled through the virtual grass inches away from the creature he'd swiped it at. If he kept this up, he'd have to purchase another pack within the hour. Maybe it would be best if he just deleted the app now. [break][break]

A voice called out and Luck lifted his eyes from his phone screen — momentarily caught off-guard by the nickname used. By the familiarity it spoke to. [break][break]

It was strange. Where he'd grown up, and even in those towns he'd chosen to hunker down in throughout his traveling years, it was a simple and expected thing to know everyone in any given bar. It was the same people every time. There were no unfamiliar faces, no names unknown, and no surprises. Everyone knew everyone and, if they didn't, then they did by the next night. But here, unless plans were made, it was far less common to run into someone he knew by simple chance. There were just too many strangers and too many watering holes. [break][break]

It had taken him a long time to decide if that was something he liked or disliked about the city. [break][break]

But as Luck recognized his coworker and she shimmied up beside him, he figured — this time — it was a welcome happenstance. Which wasn't always the case, no matter where he was. "Hey Naomi," he answered easily, shifting from where he had his shoulder leaned against the wall so he could put his back to it instead. As the acknowledgment slipped from him, he was abruptly aware of the audible weight in it. The heavy way the words formed on his tongue and the slow way they left his lips. [break][break]

He should have stuck with beer. He was five drinks in and five wasn't a lot by his standards — only a little more than he typically drank a night and just enough to loosen him up. To make his head pleasantly spacey. To keep the cogs in his mind lubricated enough that he could smile or laugh at things that might otherwise have given him pause. Find immediate humor in what might have stopped him short or made him think. The typical (and ideal) plan for a night out would be to simply maintain that comforting and subtle disconnect; to take it slower and nurse more only when his feet began brushing the ground. [break][break]

The glass-and-a-half of whiskey in his stomach, though, was a different thing entirely. It compounded and stirred. Threatened a more high-pitched buzz that, if tipped any further into, would inevitably make him loud and stupid. Make his head too spacey. His tongue too loose and his thoughts unfiltered before they passed his lips (probably in an even sloppier drawl). [break][break]

Luck chuckled quietly to himself, then lifted his whiskey glass to take another sip. He was already feeling a little too good to be anything but amused. Maybe before his last drink, he might have felt fleetingly embarrassed. Cautioned himself to take it easy. But maybe he needed one of those nights — the sort of night that ended with, not his feet brushing back to the ground, but with him landing hard on his ass instead. [break][break]

"I'm not by myself." His lips quirked subtly as he lowered his drink and glanced at his colleague beside him. "Shroodle," he announced plainly, angling his phone to show the strange beastie that had — finally — decided to stay in its ball (the fourth or fifth he'd thrown at it). "I've wrangled in like twenty of these bastards tonight. Got me a damn herd." He turned the screen back to himself and lifted it closer to his face, brow pinching as he glanced over the numbers and stats (that, admittedly, he had paid little attention to before). "I... think... this one's supposed to be strong." He had no idea if that was true, but he lowered his phone and shot Naomi a fuller, prouder beam. [break][break]

"What about you, huh?" He lifted a brow and returned the casual bump she'd knocked against him. "Can't imagine you're here alone."

a little laid back, little more wild and free[break]
you ain't the only one that's bout to be gone

Tag: Naomi Garcia[break]
Give me a nudge for any changes!

[newclass=.frosttalonbar-post]background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/b4srj7B.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;width:360px;text-align:justify;padding:20px 50px 25px 50px;background-color:#f5f5f5;color:#666;line-height:1.2!important;[/newclass]
[newclass=.frosttalonbar-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
[newclass=.post-frosttalonbar-o]background-color:#3C584D;width:460px;padding:15px;[/newclass]

[Naomi Garcia]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikki98"]

[attr="class","nikki99"]

[break]

AND DON'T YOU KNOW?

[break]

[attr="class","nikki100"]

[attr="class","nikki101"]I CAN SEE IT IN YOU, EVEN NOW

[break]

[attr="class","nikki102"]ARE YOU REALLY OKAY?

[break]

[attr="class","nikki109"] Naomi had been to places where she was the fish out of water. Where everyone knew everyone and there were never secrets kept. It had been that way when she was in Alaska. And she'd been to a couple of other little one stop light towns in her moving around. There were a lot more people here and a lot more bars. And given that Naomi didn't go out very often it was less often that she'd run into someone she knew. But it was usually nice. Even when they were more than a few drinks in.[break][break]

She hardly needed her gift to know just how intoxicated he was. How muddled it made the air around him and weighed down the words as they slipped off his tongue. Naomi had known Luck for the past five years. He was one of the people she'd met when she'd had to change her identity and find a new place to live. Meeting him and a few other members from the Sector who helped her had been the entire reason she'd joined. Because she'd wanted the oppurtunity to help people they way they'd helped her. But knowing someone for so long you learned certain things about them. Habits, body language, vices. [break][break]

As he claimed he wasn't by himself she quirked a brow curiously. Was he with someone else? Out with a friend? A date? Then he claimed that the virtual, weird, animals on his phone were his company. His herd. Naomi couldn't help but snort in amusement. "Yeah? They got names?" She asked as he tried to get a closer look at the little creature on his phone. She couldn't tell him what was and wasn't supposed to be strong or weak. From her understanding they had different elements they were attached to? Ones that were stronger against others? That was pretty much the extent of it that she knew. [break][break]

His question on what she was doing out as returned the friendly bump made her smile. "I'm getting a couple of drinks with two friends," she said with a small shrug. Though her friends might wonder what was taking her so long in the bathroom at some point. "You can come sit with us if you want?" She offered as she tilted her head in motion to the direction of the table she had been sitting at. With how drunk he clearly already was she figured it was better for him to continue drinking with others rather than do it alone. She didn't think the Shroodle or whatever other of his little virtual herd would be safe drinking companions. [break][break]

"I think Michelle also has that game on her phone," she heard people could team up on it. Or something. Something about trading the little creatures back and forth. While Naomi thought it was a good way to get people up and moving it just wasn't her cup of tea.

[break]

[attr="class","nikki103"]488 WORDS

[attr="class","nikki103"]Luck Harris

[attr="class","nikki103"]MUSIC

[break]

NOTES

Let me know if you need me to change anything!

PHARAOH LEAP CREATES

[newclass=.nikki99]width:500px;height:250px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki100]width:500px;height:30px;text-align:center;font:8px Helvetica;line-height:30px!important;color:#f5f5f5;background-color:#333333;letter-spacing:2px;position:relative;z-index:1;overflow:hidden;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki101]margin-top:0px;opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki102]margin-top:-30px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki98:hover .nikki101]margin-top:-30px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki98:hover .nikki102]opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki103]width:100%;padding:10px 0px;background-color:#f5de6e;text-align:center;font:8px Helvetica;letter-spacing:2px;color:#333333;text-transform:uppercase;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki103 a]color:#333333!important;font:8px Helvetica;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki109 font]font:bold 10px Helvetica;color:#f5de6e;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki109 b]font:bold 10px Helvetica;color:#999999;[/newclass]
[googlefont=Montserrat:400,700]

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

[googlefont=Bitter]

[attr="class","post-frosttalonbar-o"]

[attr="class","frosttalonbar-post"]

AND JUST LIKE THAT, I'M CATCHING UP

with the whiskey side of me; the guy that shows up when they pour em on strong

"Of course they have names," Luck answered, squinting at his bright screen as he clicked back to his inventory and made a scroll through the catalog of alien beasts. "Shroodle... Shroodle... Shroodle, Shroodle, Shroodle, Shroodle... Shroo— oh Shroomish?" He puffed a breath in his cheeks, tilting the phone closer. "Wowee, that one sure looks grumpy." He shook his head. He didn't know if there was a way to change their names. He imagined there was. But he hadn't truly cared enough to poke around in such a way. Maybe, in another day or two, he'd be that desperate. [break][break]

He dropped the phone back to his chest as Naomi answered she was here with friends, then invited him to come sit with them. With a faint tip of her head, she gestured toward the booths and tables across the bar; presumably indicating where her little group was waiting for her. Luck followed the motion with his eyes, feeling an instinctive stab of uncertainty. A polite, maybe too-quick, refusal prepared on his tongue. He didn't want to intrude. Didn't want to disrupt an already-existing dynamic. Being around people he didn't know... it had a way of making him antsy. Making him too painfully aware of every little thing he did and the impressions he might be making. [break][break]

But whether it was the drink in him — making that overactive and anxious part of his mind slower — or the knowledge that, if he refused, he'd likely end up dropping more and more money on Pokéball packs.... he swallowed the words lodged in his throat and breathed a long, considering breath through his nose. "Friends, huh?" he answered finally, gaze sifting back to Naomi beside him and a brow lifting pointedly. "Anyone I... know?" [break][break]

He didn't truly think she'd walk him into an uncomfortable situation, but... still...[break][break]

Nate was Naomi's friend, too. [break][break]

The thought was somewhat sobering. He'd have to be a little cautious, he supposed, if he was going to pal around with her for some of the night. Careful with what he said and how he acted. Maybe he should stop drinking altogether, even. Before he became particularly stupid and said or did something embarrassing and/or horrifying enough to be dropped as a "funny" anecdote in any future conversations she had with him. [break][break]

Mentioning that she'd run into him at a bar wouldn't raise any alarm bells. They'd gone to bars frequently, by themselves and with groups of friends. Luck had even had his own, separate couple of friends he'd spent the occasional weekend night with, getting comfortably buzzed in some dark and dingy hole-in-the-wall. But he'd always been able to drive himself home at the end of those nights. Always been able to wash the stink of the bar off him and climb into bed with only amusing and tame stories to recount.[break][break]

But if she let on that he'd actually been drunk... alone... in his sweats and — perhaps the most damning of all — with a mindless mobile game downloaded on his phone... couldn't that be just a little telling? None of it especially screamed "going off the deep end", but... to someone who knew him well enough... it might seem a bit like toeing the cliff. [break][break]

But, ah — what did it matter, now? What were the chances Naomi would feel inclined to say anything and what were the chances Nate would be particularly concerned if she did?[break][break]

Emboldened by the rationalization (also fleetingly embittered by it), Luck flashed a quick, shallow grin. "Just kidding. Sure... I'll join you. If you think your friends won't mind." Pushing from the wall, he lifted and drained the rest of his glass with a now-decided lack of restraint, then locked and pocketed his phone. "Gonna stop at the bar and get a fresh one." He took a single step in that direction, pausing to tip his head questioningly. "Are y'all drinkin'? I can get the next round?"

a little laid back, little more wild and free[break]
you ain't the only one that's bout to be gone

Tag: Naomi Garcia[break]
Give me a nudge for any changes!

[newclass=.frosttalonbar-post]background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/b4srj7B.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;width:360px;text-align:justify;padding:20px 50px 25px 50px;background-color:#f5f5f5;color:#666;line-height:1.2!important;[/newclass]
[newclass=.frosttalonbar-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
[newclass=.post-frosttalonbar-o]background-color:#3C584D;width:460px;padding:15px;[/newclass]

[Naomi Garcia]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikki98"]

[attr="class","nikki99"]

[break]

AND DON'T YOU KNOW?

[break]

[attr="class","nikki100"]

[attr="class","nikki101"]I CAN SEE IT IN YOU, EVEN NOW

[break]

[attr="class","nikki102"]ARE YOU REALLY OKAY?

[break]

[attr="class","nikki109"] Her brows knit together in confusion and amusement as he rattled off...a lot of the same name. Only to raise with a small laugh as he said one that was different. Kinda. Evidently he hadn't named them. She was pretty sure you could name the creatures? At lease she vaguely remembered Michelle talking about funny names she had for hers. She wouldn't know where to even start with it though and she was fairly certain it wouldn't matter at the moment. [break][break]

She thought about how Nate might feel seeing Luck in his state. Alone (virtual alien companions aside), more intoxicated than he ought to be, not even in regular clothes. She thought he might be as worried about him as she was. She hoped he would have been at least. But she also didn't think it should have been his business. Right? Things felt messy. Naomi pushed the thought aside as he asked her about her friends. "Not anyone from the sector," she informed him easily with a small shrug. There was a thought that he might worry about their coworkers seeing him a little too inebriated and she didn't want him be too nervous.[break][break]

When he agreed to join them Naomi gave a warm smile. "Handsome guy like you? 'Course they won't mind," she said with a giggle. Though as she watched him down the last of his drink she worried that he might have already had too much as it were. So when he began moving to the bar she stepped with him and placed a hand gently on his arm to stop him. "How bout I show you to the table first?" She offered. Hoping the excuse that he wouldn't get lost trying to find them would be good enough. Mostly she thought it was best for him to sit down for a while. [break][break]

"I was going to stop and get me and the girls another round of drinks anyway, I can bring you one too."

[break]

[attr="class","nikki103"]329 WORDS

[attr="class","nikki103"]Luck Harris

[attr="class","nikki103"]MUSIC

[break]

NOTES

Sorry it's short but I really wanted to get things moving with this! lol let me know if you need me to change anything!

PHARAOH LEAP CREATES

[newclass=.nikki99]width:500px;height:250px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki100]width:500px;height:30px;text-align:center;font:8px Helvetica;line-height:30px!important;color:#f5f5f5;background-color:#333333;letter-spacing:2px;position:relative;z-index:1;overflow:hidden;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki101]margin-top:0px;opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki102]margin-top:-30px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki98:hover .nikki101]margin-top:-30px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki98:hover .nikki102]opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki103]width:100%;padding:10px 0px;background-color:#f5de6e;text-align:center;font:8px Helvetica;letter-spacing:2px;color:#333333;text-transform:uppercase;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki103 a]color:#333333!important;font:8px Helvetica;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki109 font]font:bold 10px Helvetica;color:#f5de6e;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki109 b]font:bold 10px Helvetica;color:#999999;[/newclass]
[googlefont=Montserrat:400,700]

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

[googlefont=Bitter]

[attr="class","post-frosttalonbar-o"]

[attr="class","frosttalonbar-post"]

AND JUST LIKE THAT, I'M CATCHING UP

with the whiskey side of me; the guy that shows up when they pour em on strong

Naomi answered she wasn't out with anyone from the Sector — not that that was what Luck was worried about — and assured him that her friends wouldn't mind the company of a 'handsome guy' like him. Luck laughed quietly, under his breath, not quite certain what he really thought about that. Whether he found it more encouraging or discouraging. [break][break]

Once upon a time, flirting with women in bars had been a strength of his. A familiar game. He'd known what flirting in bars was about. Who that person was and who others wanted them to be. And, back when he had no idea who he was, it'd been like a second skin he slipped into. One that, a lot of the time, seemed to fit far better than anything else he tried. A mask he could wear and a person he could pretend to be... up until he stumbled from some girl's bed the next morning and was unable to remember her name. [break][break]

But it'd been years. That was a lifetime ago. Just like with the dating app on his phone, he wasn't sure where to begin. How to get back to that. If he even wanted to. Was it why he was here? God, was he really going to throw himself back into all that? Whether it was just the simple fact that he was older, knew himself now, or because he'd now known so much more than that, it... just didn't seem worth the effort. [break][break]

He dismissed the thoughts as he stepped toward the bar. And then his mind emptied even more completely as Naomi reached out to stop him with a hand on his arm. His empathy reacted on impulse and he dropped his stare to her face as she offered to see him to their table instead, her voice soft and imploring. [break][break]

With her touch on his skin, her emotions were immediate and strong — far more clear and unmistakable than they'd have been had he needed to reach for her. Beneath her fingers he could feel a warm pulse of gentle concern and, as soon as it bled into him — lifting the hairs on his arm — he snapped his Gift back into himself and took another step; turning as he moved to slide his arm from her grasp. [break][break]

A part of him, nursed by the bit of drink he'd had, wanted to scoff. Was she really going to try and play Mommy already? He barely kept his eyes from narrowing skeptically. That didn't sound fun. Didn't sound like what he needed or wanted for the night. But he managed to only breathe a (somewhat disbelieving) chuckle as he tilted his head. "I think I can manage to find a table, Naomi."[break][break]

As if to prove the point, he stepped toward the bar; hiding the slightest roll of his eyes as he made his way. The bartender raised her gaze as he approached and smiled when he set down his empty glass.[break][break]

"Another whiskey?"[break][break]

Luck sucked at his teeth, gritting his jaw against the impulsive want to answer — 'yes, definitely, in fact, make it a double'. It was a want made a little stronger by Naomi's concern. But he curled his fingers under his palm and, without turning his head, glanced at his coworker sidelong. He tapped his knuckles against the bar, considering. If she was already worried about him... he supposed...[break][break]

Luck shook his head. "No," the word, followed by a short breath blown through his nose, hurt just a little. "Beer, I guess. Bartender's choice." [break][break]

"Great," the woman chirped cheerily, not the least bit fazed by the reluctant decision in his voice. "They're all a dollar." His gaze snapped to her, lips parting as he blinked incredulously. "It's dollar beer night?" [break][break]

"Dollar beer hour," she clarified, dropping her elbows to the bar and passing her gaze between him and Naomi. "So..." Luck flicked out his arm to glance at the watch on his wrist. 9:57. "For the next three minutes?"[break][break]

She nodded, a beam pulling wide across her face. And Luck blew out another breath, cocking his head as he fished out his wallet. He wished he would have started here. Skipped the first two bars completely. He'd probably already be three sheets to the wind. "How big are your pitchers?"[break][break]

"48oz. Only one per person."[break][break]

"So, four dollars each?" She nodded and Luck huffed a thin laugh, prodding Naomi with his elbow. "Look at that. Still sober enough to do math. And you were worried, pssh," he handed over a ten dollar bill and indicated for two. When the bartender asked if he wanted to start a tab, he chuckled a little more genuinely. "No, never. I like to pay each time. That way, when I come back to see you and can't count my bills or I run out of bills, you'll cut me off." He grinned, slipping the two dollars she handed back to him in the tip jar next to the register. [break][break]

"Anything else?" [break][break]

Luck turned to Naomi, brow lifted expectantly.

a little laid back, little more wild and free[break]
you ain't the only one that's bout to be gone

Tag: Naomi Garcia [break]
Rushed and messy, woops. Give me a nudge for any changes!

[newclass=.frosttalonbar-post]background-image:url(https://i.imgur.com/b4srj7B.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;width:360px;text-align:justify;padding:20px 50px 25px 50px;background-color:#f5f5f5;color:#666;line-height:1.2!important;[/newclass]
[newclass=.frosttalonbar-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
[newclass=.post-frosttalonbar-o]background-color:#3C584D;width:460px;padding:15px;[/newclass]

[Naomi Garcia]

[nospaces]

[attr="class","nikki98"]

[attr="class","nikki99"]

[break]

AND DON'T YOU KNOW?

[break]

[attr="class","nikki100"]

[attr="class","nikki101"]I CAN SEE IT IN YOU, EVEN NOW

[break]

[attr="class","nikki102"]ARE YOU REALLY OKAY?

[break]

[attr="class","nikki109"] Naomi knew as soon as her hand touched him he'd feel the concern she'd been trying to hide under a sheer veil of nonchalance. Admittedly though how could she not be worried about him? She was fairly certain if he found her alone, next to plastered in a bar after a break up he'd also be as concerned. Then again she hadn't seriously dated anyone since...she didn't want to think about that. She didn't need to see the roll of his eyes to practically feel it. Naomi knew he wouldn't like feeling like he was being babied, which was fair. He was a grown man he could make his own decisions. She could also make her own though, which included making sure he didn't wake up in a ditch or some strangers bed that would leave him with regret and needing to get tested. [break][break]

With a barely repressed sigh she followed after him to the bar. She still needed to get some drinks for the girls after all. She let Luck order first, mostly to gauge just how drunk he planned to get that night. Thankfully he choose a beer instead of more whisky. His quip about still being about to do math, as if her worry for his mental and physically safety were entirely misplaced, made Naomi roll her eyes. "And you can even still tell time! Look at you go," she teased with a playful nudge to his side. As the bartender turned to her Namoi turned her eyes back to the woman with a soft smile. "A negroni, a whiskey sour, and a water please." Naomi didn't have any plans of drinking anymore tonight. Being around three drunk people would be enough for her. [break][break]

She watched the woman nod as she turned to make the two drinks and Naomi turned her eyes back to Luck. "You need a ride home tonight? At least I'll be cheaper than an uber." Even though she'd already planned on getting an uber for her two friends. And despite how much mathematical equations Luck was currently able to do she was still fairly certain he was in no state to drive himself. "You can catch more...Shroodles on the way." Her brows furrowed a bit, unsure if she'd said the name correctly. "Maybe even catch a pikachu." She knew that one at least. Once the drinks were gotten and all paid for, thankfully water was free, Naomi tilted her head away from the bar. "You wanna find the table, Mister Navigator?"

[break]

[attr="class","nikki103"]418 WORDS

[attr="class","nikki103"]Luck Harris

[attr="class","nikki103"]MUSIC

[break]

NOTES

let me know if you need me to change anything!

PHARAOH LEAP CREATES

[newclass=.nikki99]width:500px;height:250px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki100]width:500px;height:30px;text-align:center;font:8px Helvetica;line-height:30px!important;color:#f5f5f5;background-color:#333333;letter-spacing:2px;position:relative;z-index:1;overflow:hidden;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki101]margin-top:0px;opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki102]margin-top:-30px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki98:hover .nikki101]margin-top:-30px;opacity:0;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki98:hover .nikki102]opacity:1;-webkit-transition-duration:.4s;transition-duration:.4s;-moz-transition-duration:.4s;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki103]width:100%;padding:10px 0px;background-color:#f5de6e;text-align:center;font:8px Helvetica;letter-spacing:2px;color:#333333;text-transform:uppercase;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki103 a]color:#333333!important;font:8px Helvetica;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki109 font]font:bold 10px Helvetica;color:#f5de6e;[/newclass]
[newclass=.nikki109 b]font:bold 10px Helvetica;color:#999999;[/newclass]
[googlefont=Montserrat:400,700]