[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

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

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

I KNOW THAT A YOUNGER ME

couldn't sit here now and tell those green eyes no

Somehow, it'd been half a year since Luck had moved into his new apartment. It almost didn't seem real that so much time had passed already. Especially when, more often than not, the days and nights themselves seemed to drag so long. But... he was growing more accustomed to being by himself again. For the most part. Or... well... somewhat, at least. Admittedly, living alone was far less enjoyable than it had been "once upon a time". What had once felt like unburdened freedom, now... felt more like... quiet. Vacancy. Absence, and a solitude that had never been so unsettling before. [break][break]

But he was adjusting. He could say that, at the very least. Even if it was slow. [break][break]

In the six months that'd passed, he'd become somewhat of a "stand-in" maintenance man around the complex, too. Which helped. It gave him something to do every once in a while. And it'd made him a couple of friends, too — friends that were close. Close enough that, with a spontaneous text, he could show up with a sixer on their doorstep only a couple of minutes later. Share a conversation and a laugh when the night was particularly aimless or the quiet was a little too loud. Then simply amble back to his own building across the courtyard. [break][break]

The latest job he'd done was fix a young woman's leaking sink. It'd been a couple of months since she reported the issue and no one had even been by to take a look; leaving her with a cooking pot in her cabinet that she had to keep emptying if she wanted to do her dishes. [break][break]

Though "fixed" was a stretch. She'd only needed a couple of O-rings and washers replaced and, after a trip to the store, it'd taken all of twenty minutes to do so. He had to wonder why maintenance put it off for so long. The woman at the front office had stared at him incredulously when he presented her with a receipt — surely expecting he'd "write off" the meager $4 he'd spent on their behalf. But he'd made it a point to be a nuisance. Maybe, if he proved annoying enough, they'd eventually get on their maintenance man's ass and make him do his job. [break][break]

It was a week later when the neighbor with the leaking sink knocked on his door. The hour was late, she was dressed (quite obviously) for bed, and Luck hadn't been able to stifle his knee-jerk wonder at her little tank top and flimsy shorts. He'd been fifteen once, with an active imagination (and, not to mention, a coveted couple of DVDs), and scantily-clad woman turning up in the night with their own ideas of repaying favors was not a novel fantasy. [break][break]

Then he'd been a bit embarrassed, unable to keep the heat from his face, as she recounted some maintenance issues her friend was having at her own apartment. He'd agreed to take a look the next day, in the evening after work. And when he closed his door after her leaving, he chuckled at himself, wondering whether or not he should be embarrassed. The night was more than a little chilly, after all — she had to have considered pulling on a sweater before walking between their buildings. [break][break]

Now, here he was, walking down the sidewalk and looking for the address the woman had given him. Slung over one shoulder was his tool bag and tucked under his arm were a few, brand-new air filters. He'd decided to pick up a small assortment of the most standard sizes, hoping one of them would fit. It was a bit surprising how many people didn't change their filters regularly. Even more surprising how many issues could be caused by a dirty one. [break][break]

When he found the described building, Luck took a moment to simply stand there and appraise the front of it. It looked a little older, but whether that was a simple design choice or not, he couldn't be certain. He just hoped the appliances weren't in too bad shape. Before he could think too long about it, he found the correctly numbered door and lifted a hand to knock. Then he hesitated. [break][break]

Doing jobs for friends, or even friends of friends, was one thing. And with any of his neighbors, the understanding with the apartment complex was that any expenses he accrued would be knocked off his rent. But friends of strangers? He was going in blind, with no expectations of who he was meeting or how big of a job he was looking at. At some point, he'd have to nip things in the bud before they got out of hand. Learn to say no. Even to pretty girls in tiny pajamas. [break][break]

He shook his head and rapped his knuckles against the door.

Tag: Charlotte Lewis [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes! [break]
Starters are always so hard for me sdfhdskjfh

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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
[newclass=.post-frosttalonboots-o]background-color:#3C584D;width:460px;padding:15px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post u]color:#C776AC;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none!important;[/newclass]

[Charlotte Lewis]

tell me how you reach the moon — my thoughts err away tonight

❝

Charlotte and her good friend Chrissy had been texting a lot more again since Charlotte had managed to crawl out of her dark depression hole. They had mostly been talking about everything and nothing, but Chrissy had also been complaining about her sink and the fact that the pots and pans in her cabinets were always full of water because the sink was leaking. Apparently the maintenance guy in her apartment complex was a pretty shitty guy, and although she had reached out quite a few times, the man always found an excuse to not come fix her sink. Eventually she had reached out to a guy on her floor, who was a handyman himself. Chrissy had been very clear that this guy was an absolute looker. She had texted Charlotte that she had showered before the guy came over 'just in case', which had made Charlotte laugh behind her screen. Chrissy was crazy about boys, and especially about men that weren't afraid to get their hands dirty. After he had fixed her sink, she had been fawning over this guy, telling Charlotte about how handsome and kind he was, and that he had barely charged her anything.

This had caught Charlotte's attention, because she was having issues with the drain in her bathtub. The house in which she rented didn't have a handyman, and she would have to call someone herself to come check it out, but she was broke and couldn't afford to spend a lot on getting the tub fixed. The blonde had asked Chrissy if she thought that Luck could come over to fix the drain. Of course this had made Chrissy excited because it meant Charlotte would be able to see the man for herself. "Don't steal him from me!" was the last thing she had texted before going over to Luck's apartment to ask him about helping Charlotte.

The phone had rung not long after, and a giggling Chrissy had told her about the outfit she had gone to see Luck in. "You're unbelievable", Charlotte had said, laughing. "He couldn't keep his eyes off me!". Charlotte hadn't said it, but she thought Luck had probably been confused at why Chrissy would shop up in a tanktop and shorts. She wouldn't ruin her friend's hopes of getting it on with the handyman, and had instead thanked her for asking him to pop by. The two women had chatted a little longer before ending the call.

Charlotte had been smoking in the garden when Jack started barking at the door. He was actually a clever boy. He didn't bark when someone knocked or rung the doorbell, unless Charlotte was outside. It was as if he knew she might not hear that someone was at the door then. The blonde crushed the cigarette in the ashtray and walked inside, towards the front door. In contrary to Chrissy, Charlotte was wearing ripped jeans, an oversized T-shirt and a flannel. Her hair was braided into two braids that fell over her shoulders. She opened the door and saw a man standing in front of it. Judging by the bag over his shoulder, this was the guy Chrissy had been so obsessed with.

"Well well, it's my Luck-y day", Charlotte said, grinning, before stepping aside so Luck could enter the apartment. She would extend her hand, and saw Jack peek from behind the wall out of the corner of her eye to see who was at the door. "Charlotte Lewis, nice to meet you. Chrissy said you might be able to help me. Come in, come in."

Luck Harris

MADE BY MIZO

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

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

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

I KNOW THAT A YOUNGER ME

couldn't sit here now and tell those green eyes no

His knock was greeted by the bark of a dog. Thankfully, it wasn't especially yippy — tiny "purse dogs" were always, in his experience, a bit fucking insane. Nor was it particularly booming. Probably a dog about the size of his own schnauzer, Charlie, then. [break][break]

Not long passed before the door opened. The woman standing just inside the apartment was tall and slight, and she greeted him with an ease that did well to soothe the immediate, lurking discomfort of not knowing her. He blew an amused breath through his nose and let his mouth pull — not quite effortlessly, it took intentional instruction — at her use of his name. "Oof, never heard that one before," he took a step inside and shook her outstretched hand, stilling it with a final squeeze as he simultaneously lifted a brow (making it clear that he had, in fact, heard it plenty of times). "And I'll try my best, anyway."[break][break]

Two short braids hung just past Charlotte's shoulders, a little too white to be naturally blonde. He noted the peek of dark at her roots and — though it was an opinion he'd never voice (knowing it was unwarranted and unwanted in any case) — he immediately suspected her hair would be prettier in its natural color. Match better her big brown eyes. [break][break]

She seemed fairly young. Couldn't be any older than Tawny. With her loose and casual fit, she dressed a bit like her, too — when they weren't at work and were just shooting the shit at one of their apartments, anyway. Maybe he could lessen the strain of her being a stranger by imagining she was simply a friend of hers. Maybe she'd be more predictable that way. He could take a guess at what jokes would fly. Where to tread carefully. When to keep his mouth shut. [break][break]

Luck stepped further into the apartment, letting Charlotte close the door behind him, and took a quick glance around. He liked the big, open feel of the space, with its high ceilings and good lighting. It was far preferable to the crowd of his own apartment with its (comparably) suffocating walls and stuffy — oh, there was a door leading to some sort of outdoor area, left open to allow fresh air through the home. [break][break]

Ugh, how he missed having a balcony. [break][break]

His eye fell to the dog peeking from behind a wall and Luck's face split in a grin, all forlornness swiftly forgotten as he quirked a brow at it. Animals, strangers or not, were usually much simpler. "Hey there, handsome," he mused quietly, voice hitched just a little in the way he knew dogs recognized as inviting. "Or pretty girl?" He turned his face to Charlotte with a questioning raise of his brow, then lowered himself into a crouch, set aside his stuff, and extended his hands; fingers wriggling. [break][break]

The dog lopped over, rear-end swaying excitedly side-to-side, and pushed its nose into his open palms. Obviously not too fussed about strangers. And well taken care of. He chuckled as he gave the animal a good scritch, tousling its face between his hands and smoothing his thumbs in the soft grooves beneath its eyes.[break][break]

He'd thought about getting another dog. Charlie spent most of his time with Nate and, even though Luck still took him out every couple of weekends or so... after six months... he was beginning to wonder if it was doing the dog more bad than good. Only coming around every once in a while... in intervals spaced just far enough that maybe he couldn't really get used to his absence... wasn't that hard? He was always happy to see him, of course, but did it depress him when he left each time? [break][break]

If he got a new dog, perhaps it'd serve as another excuse to keep him out of the bars, too. Give him a buddy to do alternatives with. Hiking, fishing, or just taking some walks — it would all be a lot better with a dog than alone. And it'd give him a reason to stay in most nights. It'd be someone happy to see him when he came home. Provide some noise to fill the walls of his apartment. Someone to roll his eyes at across the couch during dumb, over-the-top commercials (even if the dog couldn't possibly understand). [break][break]

But, somewhat irrationally, Luck hadn't wanted Charlie to "feel a certain way about it" when he did keep him for the weekend or babysat him when Nate needed it. What if he felt he was replacing him and moving on? It was a very human way of thinking — he wasn't sure dogs had the capacity to feel such things. But, Luck would project. And, well... as much as he claimed and felt otherwise... wouldn't he be? [break][break]

Luck gave the dog one, final pat — and made it a nice, thorough one — before reclaiming his things and pushing back to his feet. Back to task. "So, Chrissy," — he'd thought her name was Kristie, phew, thank God he hadn't tried to address her; even if she'd been gracious enough to forgive him for the mix-up, he probably wouldn't have been able to recover from it himself — "Mentioned it was your heater giving you trouble?" He glanced around, looking for her thermostat.

Tag: Charlotte Lewis [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes! Or if you need less/more![break][break]

Luck: I'm going to pretend this is Tawny to make it easier on me [break]
Charlotte: *says anything remotely flirty*[break]
Luck: What in the fucking fuck[break]

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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
[newclass=.post-frosttalonboots-o]background-color:#3C584D;width:460px;padding:15px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post u]color:#C776AC;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none!important;[/newclass]

[Charlotte Lewis]

tell me how you reach the moon — my thoughts err away tonight

❝

One of the symptoms of her APD, which was a quite unique case, was that she was well aware of certain emotions but really didn't care about them. A 'normal' person might have regretted the name-joke when they noticed Luck had in fact heard it before, or feel a bit embarrassed, and while Charlotte knew some would feel this way and was aware of it, all she did was think about that emotion, but not feel it. It was difficult to explain. It was a mix of 'if it upsets them, it's their problem' and just not registering words as something she had said once they had left her mouth. Luckily, this situation wasn't one in which she had to apologise. Those situations had been difficult for her in the past, because she wouldn't understand why the person was upset with her and/or wanted an apology.

Anyway! Luck looked like a fun time. He was handsome, but maybe not quite her type. She wasn't sure. He had kind eyes and she suspected that he had a nice smile too. Not the smile that you put on to be kind, but a genuine smile. They were always more beautiful than the social smiles. While Luck was thinking about pretending she was someone else to make the interaction easier, Charlotte's mind was blank. Stranger danger was something she struggled with, too. She barely ever saw anyone as a threat, especially in her own home, which truly didn't make much sense. He would definitely be able to overpower her if he chose to, but it didn't cross Charlotte's mind. He was just here. That was it. He just existed in the same room as her now. Once the door was closed, she looked back and saw that Jack was already hogging Luck's attention. She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Handsome would be correct. His name is Jack. You don't seem to dislike dogs, and he's friendly, but if he's too much let me know and I'll put him in the garden for a bit." Jack was a good and kind dog, and not in the way that owners always tried to make you believe. Those little ankle biters were apparently also always friendly, and when they bit you, their owners swore they never saw it coming. No, Jack was an actual friendly and trained dog. The dog wagged his tail and was happy about the attention he got from Luck. Jack was always more drawn to men, for some reason. Maybe because he knew they liked to play rough, while Charlotte's female friends only liked to throw his ball. Men played tug of war, which excited him more than running after a ball.

Luck then spoke again, and Charlotte rolled her eyes. It would quickly become obvious that it wasn't at him. "Typical Chrissy", she said. "It's not the thermostat. It's the drain in my bathtub. I can't get it out, but I think it's clogged. The water doesn't drain properly. I've poured all kinds of stuff down the drain in hopes of removing the obstruction, but nothing is working. My thermostat is not the main issue. I mean, it used to get hotter than it does now, but I don't mind that much."

She would walk from the hallway into the living room, which led to another hallway. There, the doors to her room and the bathroom were located. She would show him the way to the bathroom. "Can I get you something to drink?" Her parents had taught her that it was nice to offer people a drink if they were doing something for you. She would wait for his response. If yes, she would head over to the kitchen to fetch him a drink. After returning, she would sit down on the closed lid of the toilet and look at Luck. "So, yeah. That's the tub. I don't know if I can be of any help or something, but I can keep you company, or go to the living room, whatever you want."

Luck Harris ● let me know if you need more!

MADE BY MIZO

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

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

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

I KNOW THAT A YOUNGER ME

couldn't sit here now and tell those green eyes no

Charlotte offered to put the dog — Jack — away if he ended up being too pestering and Luck glanced down at him with another grin. "Thanks, I'm sure he'll be fine." If the pup decided he wanted to be involved, glued to his side while he worked and nudging for the occasional pat, then well — "Who doesn't like an apprentice? Especially one who shows such interest in the field and is eager to help?" [break][break]

As Charlotte went on to explain that it wasn't her heater in-need of being looked at, Luck's easy smile fell just a bit. "Oof," he replied simply, pressing his teeth together to feel the grind of his molars against one another. "Well, I didn't come tooled for that." A clogged drain would likely be a simple, easy fix — if he'd picked up a zip-it. Or a drain snake. But he hadn't. And it wasn't like this was his day-job and he had a work truck stocked with tools of the trade that he could exchange out when the parameters of the job suddenly changed. [break][break]

Charlotte began crossing the apartment and Luck untucked the air filters under his arm to lean against the wall by the front door. Maybe he'd still check to see if one was the right fit on his way out. Even if her furnace was working alright, the fact still remained that most people didn't ever think to check them. [break][break]

He followed her through the halls. He expected to feel some level of unease (he was unprepared now and he was in a stranger's home, both things that discomforted him). But there was something else growing within him with each step. He watched Charlotte's back with a small furrow to his brow, unable to name the bit of... dread?... cropping strangely in his stomach and edging into his chest. Why did he feel like he could break into a sweat? He didn't understand... [break][break]

Then, he turned the corner and unexpectedly hesitated as Charlotte beckoned to the open bathroom door. [break][break]

Ah. [break][break]

A clogged drain, was it? [break][break]

A lid twitched over one eye and he very nearly huffed a laugh under his breath as he imagined the squelch of wet, flooded carpet beneath the soles of his boots. A remembered feel from when he'd been seventeen, seconds before he shouldered his way into a bathroom scene that'd turn his entire world on its head. [break][break]

Huh. How fucking ridiculous. In the past seventeen years, no clogged drain had ever given him pause before. He supposed Tawny was to blame for it now. She'd badgered him for weeks to talk about that moment. And he finally had. Now it was fresher in his mind. Easier to recall. And... while it hadn't felt so back then, when he'd shared the story with her... now, all of a sudden — as he wiggled his toes in his shoes and imagined water between them — that seemed such a cruel thing to ask of him. [break][break]

He would have to let her know, maybe in a text message later tonight — 'thanks, asshole, I'm almost thirty-five and suddenly neurotic about plumbing.' [break][break]

Luck's lips parted and he silently worked his jaw again, blinking rapidly when he realized Charlotte was speaking. He almost missed her offer of a drink completely as he gave himself a mental shake and stepped into the bathroom. He turned his face to her, looking a bit surprised (with the start of a dumb "huh" on his lips). Then his mind caught up and he shook his head. "Oh. No... thanks." His voice sounded a bit distant, or distracted, even to his own ears, and he lifted a brow. "After, maybe?" [break][break]

He set his toolbag down and kneeled at the tub's edge, trying to silently steel himself back to task as he glanced at the drain. She'd already tried some hacks, she said, pouring he didn't know what down it. He could only hope it wasn't anything that'd just catch in the clog — hardening within the hair, soap scum, and whatever else to make the whole thing sturdier and more stubborn. [break][break]

Charlotte settled on the toilet beside him and Luck could feel her eyes as she spoke, but he found he had to really focus once more to hear her offer. God, he almost couldn't think straight. "Company's good," he answered, glancing at her and quirking his lips fleetingly. "Thanks." Was he saying that too much? Fuck's sake, he was off-kilter now. [break][break]

He removed the rings from his fingers and set them on the tub's edge. Then unlatched the watch from his wrist to add to them. Between work, the hardware store, and her apartment, he'd only stopped by his own place long enough to change out of his office clothes. He hadn't expected he'd be digging through drains and, while he'd grown up getting frequently filthy and didn't mind having to wash his hands, he figured there was no point in having to thoroughly rinse anything else. [break][break]

"Well, let's see what we can do with what we have," he shrugged and unscrewed the simple slot-screw on the top of her drain cover, electing to use the edge of a key from his pocket. There was no nut on the crosshair within so he simply managed his fingers into the drain and twisted until, after a bit of strain, it broke loose. There was no immediate sign of a clog. But he wouldn't be that fortunate, would he? It had to be further down. [break][break]

"Do you have a... wire hanger? Or something sort of pliable like that?" If he could just make a hook at the end of something long and thin enough, then it'd (probably) work just as well as a zip-it.

Tag: Charlotte Lewis [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes/tweaks you may want! [break]
Big mess, I'm sorry sdfjkshdfk~

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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post u]color:#C776AC;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none!important;[/newclass]

[Charlotte Lewis]

tell me how you reach the moon

Lately, everyone she had met had immediately liked Jack. The dog had the special ability to make everyone fall in love with him the second they met him. His good behaviour and cute eyes definitely worked in his advantage. Charlotte chuckled softly when Luck joked about Jack being so interested in what he would be doing. With his lack of opposable thumbs, he wouldn't be able to do much except be cute and sit there, but moral support was just as important.

Of course, Chrissy had managed to be confused and tell Luck about an issue that wasn't really an issue, which resulted in him not having brought the right tools. The blonde sighed and took a quick glance at her phone, as if Chrissy would magically have noticed Charlotte was annoyed at what she had done. There wasn't a message, and Charlotte looked back at Luck. "I hope we'll be abel to make it work, then", she said before she started crossing the apartment to show Luck the bathroom. She was unaware of what was happening in his head and walked into the bathroom. She also wasn't aware of any facial traits that could make him look uneasy. If she had know, maybe she would have given him a moment before speaking again, but since she didn't know anything about this man and his past, she just started talking about getting him a drink. She did notice then that it seemed like he had been miles way mentally. He looked confused and needed a moment to form a response to her question. She slightly raised an eyebrow but didn't think much of it. "For sure", she said. A drink after could certainly be arranged if he wanted one then.

She had found a seat on the closed toilet, and Jack strolled calmly into the room, sniffing Luck's toolbag and looking at the man. He noticed something was off, but didn't have the vocal chords to ask him what was up. What Charlotte had poured down the drain were store-bought products to unclog a drain, but those hadn't worked. Then she had tried vinegar and baking soda, followed by hot water. It had sizzled and bubbled but it hadn't really worked either. Since Luck didn't ask, she didn't tell what she had tried. Charlotte assumed that if he wanted to know, he'd ask her. She didn't want to start yapping about all kind of unimportant things. He knew what he was doing, right?

Company is was then. She pulled up her legs and got into a cross-legged position, leaning her lower arms on her knees. He unscrewed the drain easily, which made her feel dumb. She had tried looking for a bolt or anything, but hadn't found one she could unscrew herself. Apparently it hadn't been as difficult as she had thought. "Uhh, I think so", she said, getting up from the toilet-seat to head over to her bedroom. "I also have a toolbox, but I don't know how useful it is. My dad gave it to me but I haven't really ever used it." She was now standing in the doorframe that led from the bathroom to the hallway, and looked at Luck's back. "I'll get both." She waited a second longer to see if he'd say something, then walked out of the room to get exactly what she had told him she'd get.

The second she was in her bedroom, she whipped out her phone.

thanks idiot. you didn't even tell him about the correct issue haha

Once again her text reminded her that she should turn on the auto-capitalisation on her phone. She was getting too old to type in all lowercase. Oh well. She put her phone away and looked in her closet. She ripped a sweater from the hanger and studied the hanger. It would do. Then she went to the kitchen and crouched down in front of a cabinet to find the toolbox that she had put way in the back. Yuck. A spider had decided to chill on top of it. "Luuuuuck?" she called out, leaning back from the cabinet as if it would help the sound of her voice travel further. "How do you feel about spiders?" Jack would look at Luck in the bathroom, before running over to the kitchen to find Charlotte.

FOR Luck Harris ― let me know if you need more!

by sixsmith.

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

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

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

I KNOW THAT A YOUNGER ME

couldn't sit here now and tell those green eyes no

Charlotte settled more comfortably on the closed toilet lid, her easy disposition making it a little simpler to ignore his own discomfort. At the very least, she wasn't compounding it in any way. As far as first impressions went, and for what they were worth, she seemed rather easy-going. Steady. Like it'd take a little more than a bit of awkwardness to put her at unease. [break][break]

Which was good for him. Especially at the present moment. It made it a little less likely that he'd feel weird and, as a result, get increasingly more weird. [break][break]

She left to retrieve the hanger (or hopefully some alternative), and Luck took the moment of solitude to try and breathe his distraction back to nothing. It was just a little hiccup. If he didn't let it, it couldn't derail him. Didn't have to become any bigger than what it was. He looked to Jack beside him and, as soon as his gaze fell on him, the dog perked his ears and started an eager swish of his tail — earning a quick smile and chuckle. "Good boy," he breathed, giving him another thorough pat. [break][break]

When Charlotte's voice called from elsewhere in the apartment, Jack's ears went up a little more intently and he skittered off toward the beckon. When she asked for his opinion on spiders, he couldn't help but drop his head with a short, quiet laugh. Then he pushed to his feet and stepped from the bathroom. [break][break]

"Generally, I like to reserve judgment until I've seen the spider," he mused, once he'd turned from the hall and could speak normally and still be heard. Most spiders (at least the ones people tended to find in their homes) were fairly harmless and no cause for alarm. Could be given a little nod and a 'as you were'. Others, though, were a little too scary to be trusted with such freedom. Might give the dog a fit were he to sniff around it a little too eagerly. [break][break]

Luck continued into the kitchen, huffing an amused breath through his nose at the sight of Charlotte crouched before an open cabinet, peering up at him and then inside. Jack was there, too, of course, his curiosity peaked. Luck lowered himself between them, balancing his weight in the balls of his feet and squinting into the dark. When his gaze found the spider camping on what he suspected to be the toolbox she was looking for, he tilted his head and scrunched his nose. "Huh... big fucker, ain't he?" [break][break]

Didn't look too mean, though. Definitely not one of the ones to earn a startled jump when it fell from his boot when he gave them a shake before putting them on. [break][break]

"Is this a... 'squish the spider' or," he turned his face to her, the edges of his mouth curling while a single brow lifted in a subtle, questioning arc. "A 'take the spider outside' sort of household?" He was familiar with both. There were those people who were quick to protest at a lifted shoe and those who, when presented with the idea of mercy, would scoff and insist the thing be killed (lest it find its way back inside and breed more of the same). [break][break]

And Luck himself, he didn't really lean one way or the other most days. In fact, it didn't really matter which one she chose — whether she sent him reaching for a paper towel to smush the thing in or a cup and piece of mail to carry it to the garden with (smirking and chuckling as he did so) — "I'll probably give you... just a little bit of shit either way," he warned quietly, successfully filtering a bit of amusement into his voice.

Tag: Charlotte Lewis [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes/tweaks!

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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post u]color:#C776AC;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none!important;[/newclass]

[Charlotte Lewis]

tell me how you reach the moon

At first, het question seemed to have been answered with silence. From where she was in the house, Charlotte couldn't hear Luck laugh, let alone see his physical, perhaps comical, reaction to her question. She knew most men thought it was funny when a woman asked them to help with a spider. She didn't care about being seen as weak or scared because she didn't like spiders. If you didn't like them, what was the harm in asking someone who didn't care much about spiders to remove the spider? But then she heard Luck speak, noticing his voice sounded nearby which could only mean he was on his way over to the kitchen so help her out. It made Charlotte's shoulders relax. Help was on the way.

"Never judge a book by its cover, I like that", she responded with a chuckle while scooting over a bit so Luck would have enough space between her, Jack and the cupboard to actually see the spider. She was actually kind of relieved that Luck called the spider a 'big fucker', which got another chuckle out of her, because it meant she wasn't overreacting. "Ohhh yeahh", Charlotte said, dragging out the words. She didn't really know what else to say, because she was focused on the spider and didn't really want to look away in case it would move and hide. She did glance at him when he spoke again, and asked her a question. It made her laugh and she now looked more at him. "Oh, so it's like that, huh? Whatever I say, I'll be judged for it?" Charlotte shook her head slightly in pretend-disbelief as she chuckled. "Look, I'm not keen on meeting spider babies, so I'd prefer a good hit and run, but if your moral compass tells you to take it outside, who am I to stop the man who's saving me from the eight-legged monster?" She grinned and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she moved back a bit to give Luck more space, and so she could get up to hand him whatever tools he needed to get the job done.

"Jack!" she said firmly when the dog tried to put his head in the cabinet to examine the spider. "Don't. Eat. The. Spider." Jack looked back at her and whined softly. If they didn't deal with this spider soon, the dog would turn it into a crunchy snack, and the thought made Charlotte shudder. She then looked at Luck again. "At your service", she said, ready to go grab a glass or a paper towel, or even a shoe.

FOR Luck Harris ― let me know if I need to add/change anything!

by sixsmith.

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

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

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

I KNOW THAT A YOUNGER ME

couldn't sit here now and tell those green eyes no

"It's like that," Luck affirmed, voice somehow as warm as it was flat (and sounding half a smirk) as Charlotte responded lightly to his promise of giving her a little bit of shit. In his periphery, he could see her grin and he decided maybe he didn't have to worry at all. She had a sense of humor. Was rolling with it. No need to watch himself too closely. His shoulders slacked just a little and, when Jack shoved his face in the cabinet and earned a reprimand, his answering chuckle felt a bit easier.[break][break]

The dog fell back, Charlotte prompted him for their next step in spider removal, and Luck glanced back into the cabinet.[break][break]

But the spider was no longer where it'd been. [break][break]

"Looks like our pal got spooked," Luck hummed low in his throat and lifted a hand to smother across his mouth (hiding the amused widening that tried to pull at its corners). "So... new question," he shifted to pull the phone from his pocket and gave it a shake to turn the flashlight on. "Are you an... 'out of sight, out of mind' kinda gal?" He moved the light back and forth, searching for the suddenly-vanished spider as best he could around the various supplies in the cabinet without actively moving them about. "Or should I buckle down for a hunt? No bottle left unturned?" [break][break]

Not immediately finding his quarry, but willing to search more thoroughly should she say so, Luck secured his phone-slash-flashlight between his teeth and reached both hands inside the cabinet to carefully lift the toolbox from its place. He swiveled back enough to give it a thorough lookover — making sure the spider didn't simply dart to the backside of it — and then offered it up to Charlotte. [break][break]

His eye lingered on the box before lifting to her face.[break][break]

She'd said her father had given it to her. And Luck couldn't help but wonder — was he no longer around? Why hadn't she called him to help her with her drain? Why trust a stranger instead? Wasn't that what Dads did, anyway? Always the person to call when their kid didn't know what to do? No matter the situation, no matter how sticky, weren't they the person you could always count on to pick up? To fall back on?[break][break]

Luck could only assume.[break][break]

Back in Kansas — other boys his age, when they wrecked their trucks, got farm equipment stuck in ditches, or didn't know how to fix something they broke, it was always their Dads that bailed them out. When he got caught trespassing, shooting or drinking in someone else's fields, it was always "his Daddy" that pissed off property-owners demanded to talk to when they drug him home by the ear. It seemed it was always 'Dad' that handed down a boy's first truck. Taught them how to dehook fish without getting barbed by spines and fins. Made lessons out of mistakes. [break][break]

But maybe hers had died. Or perhaps she'd moved away from home. Maybe they just didn't get along. Or... the most simple possibility... maybe her Dad just... wasn't especially helpful when it came to plumbing and the like (though the evidence of a toolbox made him suspect otherwise). There were countless explanations and — knowing none of it was particularly his business and not knowing Charlotte well enough to feel quite bold enough to inquire about it — Luck simply pulled the phone from his mouth and turned back to his search. [break][break]

"Ah wait no — there he is," he exclaimed, eyes landing on the spider making a slow creep up the side of a bottle of cleaning spray. Setting his phone aside, he reached slowly back into the cabinet to pick up the bottle and brought it out. Then he stood and started making his way toward the open garden door, narrowly avoiding stepping on Jack as he went. His step quickened and his mouth tucked as the spider darted around for a second before suddenly dropping from the bottle upon a thread. "Shit, shit, shit," Luck mumbled hurriedly, holding the bottle further from him and lifting it higher as the spider swayed on the air, inching toward the ground.

Tag: Charlotte Lewis [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes/tweaks![break]Or if you need less/more!

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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post u]color:#C776AC;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none!important;[/newclass]

[Charlotte Lewis]

So far, she was really liking Luck. Charlotte often didn't like handyman that had to fix something in her home. They were either super awkward, early twenties, avoiding all eye-contact, or old men that were either creepy or rude and standoff-ish. Luck was kind and pretty funny. He didn't make her feel awkward in her own home. Others always made you feel like you were interrupting them, as if they owned the house and you were trespassing. While she was grabbing stuff to get rid of the spider, and after calling Jack away from the cabinet, she heard the man day that their friend had made a run for it. The blonde turned around to face Luck and the missing spider. "Shit", she said. His next question made her laugh. "Nah, I'm easy. Out of sight, out of mind. I'll see him again when he's ready to be an adult and talk things through."

Charlotte turned back around to put the things away. She wasn't a fan of spiders, but she didn't mind them being around when she couldn't see them. The only times she'd go on a witch hunt was when they fell behind her mattress or if they appeared and then disappeared again in the shower. No, she was more scared of chicken than spiders, which was a little fun fact, but she couldn't organically bring it up in conversation, so not a lot of people knew about it. You didn't see a lot of chicken in the city either, and she didn't go to farms much. Just when she had put everything away, she heard Luck again. Mister Spider had returned. Again, she turned around to see if Luck needed any help. She noticed that Luck was picking up a bottle of cleaning product, and the spider sat on it as if it paid rent and was allowed to live on it. He must have been able to hear her thoughts, because it dropped down from the bottle and started swaying back and forth on a thread, getting closer to the ground.

And then, unexpected help. Jack jumped up slightly and his jaws closed around the spider. "Oh my god", Charlotte said, more in disbelief than anything else. Jack looked really proud of himself and started wagging his tail, looking from Luck at Charlotte and back. She bent over and pried his mouth open, but the spider was long gone. With Jack's head still in her hands, she looked up at the young man. "Are you gonna give me shit for this third way as well?" She chuckled, still surprised that Jack had ended up being the one to take the spider out, in another way than she and Luck had imagined.

Luck Harris

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

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

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

I KNOW THAT A YOUNGER ME

couldn't sit here now and tell those green eyes no

Luck froze in his step — rocking forward and then back with stilted momentum — as Jack, with a little bounce, snapped the spider right off its thread. "Oh," was all he could manage to say, watching the dog with a blank expression as he all but beamed at them. Charlotte exclaimed, moved forward to give the pup's mouth a futile inspection, then lifted her gaze, asking after the 'shit' he had promised with a small laugh. [break][break]

"Ah..." Luck raised his brow, lips parting and pressing wordlessly before his mouth simply pulled down at the corners into a comically-conceding frown and he gave a slow shake of his head. "Nope, I've got nothin'. What to say except... maybe..." he took a breath and pitched his voice a little more playfully, bending to clasp Jack's snout in his palm and brush a thumb encouragingly across his muzzle. "Good boy! Well done and... gotta say... quick, impressive work." He lowered his voice and leaned the tiniest bit closer, eyes narrowing knowingly. "Bet it wasn't too tasty, though, huh?" [break][break]

With a chuckle, he straightened and moved back to replace the cleaner under the cabinet. He picked up his phone, gave it another shake, then left it on the counter before his gaze found the hanger Charlotte had set aside. Perfect. He opened the toolbox they'd taken out and gave its contents a quick lookover. It seemed like basic stuff. No zip-it. Not surprising. He picked out a pair of pliers with a decent-looking cutter and gave them a turn in his palm, then cast Charlotte a sidelong glance as he pulled the hanger to himself and snipped the wire close to its twist. [break][break]

"Give a holler if you see any more of 'em. Else I'll start small-talkin' and... fair warning..." he tilted his head, smirking as he straightened the hanger and began working one end into a hook with the plier nose. "I'm really not so great at it."

Tag: Charlotte Lewis [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes/tweaks![break]Or if you need more to work with!

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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
[newclass=.post-frosttalonboots-o]background-color:#3C584D;width:460px;padding:15px;[/newclass]
[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post u]color:#C776AC;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none!important;[/newclass]

[Charlotte Lewis]

Jack had managed to surprise them both. Neither of them knew what to do in that moment, and after a moment of confusion and being perplexed, Charlotte had tried to check Jack's mouth, but of course nothing was left to be seen. She asked the man if he was still going to give her shit for this, and he seemed to have to think about it for a moment. Jack's spider attack had stopped them right in their tracks and they still needed to recover from it. Charlotte laughed at his response and also at the way he interacted with Jack, praising him and asking him how the taste was.

Then it was back to business. Luck took a look in the tool-box and the blonde just stood there, watching him look for tools. "Not a small talker? So we're going to sit in silence." She chuckled and shrugged. "I don't mind bad small talk, but I don't mind silence either. I'm just glad someone is willing to fix my drain." Yuck. Why did that sound so bad. She hadn't meant it like that, and hoped he didn't think she had tried to make a sexual comment. It was best to move on. "Just give a holler if you want to try bad small talk", she then said to move past it, reusing the words he had to be funny.

Luck Harris - very short and bad I am so sorry!!

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

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

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

I KNOW THAT A YOUNGER ME

couldn't sit here now and tell those green eyes no

Charlotte stood nearby and, at Luck's warning about small-talk, simply shrugged and chuckled. She assured him she didn't mind the promised awkwardness (or even the alternative silence). She was just happy to have someone helping her. Luck tried to let the easy, unconcerned way of her words keep him from backsliding. This was all very casual and he had no reason to feel weird about it. But still, he couldn't keep the empathy from trickling from him; from reaching and feeling for her, if just to ensure when and where he misstepped, if he did. [break][break]

Luck typically didn't mind silence either. When he was alone. And it was hardly a bother with certain people. It wasn't at all difficult with certain people. But with those he didn't know, it often felt strained and weighted. Like one or the other was always thinking of some way to fill it. Always about to say something. Or expecting the other to say something. It tended to feel like a bated breath. And it seemed, with each second that passed, the thinking became more desperate. It could be discomforting. He'd gotten much better at not letting it unnerve him as he got older — as a boy, it'd make him sweat — but still, it was something he couldn't help but want to avoid where he could.[break][break]

"Okay," he responded on an amused exhale, head tipping as she echoed his words. It didn't feel mocking... in fact, what he could feel from her was almost... strangely muted... so he kept himself purposely light as he lifted a shoulder. "Well, maybe we can... speedrun the bad small-talk?" Finished with making the hangar hook, he shot her a prompting look (with an arched brow and a small grin) before he replaced the pliers in the toolbox and stepped back toward the living room. [break][break]

He cast an exaggerated look around, humming thoughtfully and tone taking on an intentionally-shallow edge as he continued. "This is a nice place, have you lived here long?" It struck him as a cozy sort of space, even as open as it was. Gave him a somewhat indie or Bohemian vibe with evidence of "artsy" stuff about. "I'm guessing you're a creative-type?" Stepping into the hall, he went on — blowing through the typical "small-talk" topics and lining up the questions one after another. "What do you do for fun? Watch any sports or... fuck, uh..." he cocked his head, feeling he might be reaching now. "Let's see... what do you do for work?"[break][break]

Pausing a few steps into the hall, he turned to look at her with something almost like a self-aware wince across his face as he screwed closed one eye. "Not that you actually have to answer any of that, obviously. Just," he tipped his head and scrunched his nose. "Trying to be funny, I 'spose. Silence will make me stupid..." he huffed a breath, mouth tugging again. "Not that small-talk doesn't but... uh..." after a moment, he shrugged, unable to finish the sentiment. He turned again and continued down the hall, glad that the hesitance he'd first felt at tackling a clogged drain was thankfully absent as he approached the bathroom door.

Tag: Charlotte Lewis [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes/tweaks![break]
Or if you need less/more to work with!

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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post u]color:#C776AC;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none!important;[/newclass]

[Charlotte Lewis]

She raised an eyebrow, amused and intrigued by his proposal to speed run the small talk
She couldn't say she had ever done that with someone before and was amused by the idea. She followed behind him. She leaned against the wall while Luck took in his surroundings, and Jack found a comfortable spot in the sofa to take a little nap.

She let him ramble and look around without interrupting, the amusement only growing at the questions he asked. Eventually they found themselves back in the hall, and Luck assured her that she didn't actually have to answer any of the questions. The blonde laughed, following him back to the bathroom and taking place on the closed toilet once more.

"Very interesting questions", she said, as if he had just launched a brand new theory on a difficult subject. "I'll answer them." She leaned back, making herself as comfortable as possible on the toilet lid. "I've lived here for five years I think, but I was born in Los Eurosia, so I've always been here." He had hit the nail on the head by guessing she was a creative type. "I'm a musician by night and a record store employee by day. Surprising, right?" She chuckled again, because it was just such a typical thing. Her life revolved around music. "Sports are not my thing. I smoke for fun, if you can consider that a hobby." It wasn't. She meant weed, of course. It was a bad habit. But it kept her away from harder stuff.

Charlotte had purposefully ignored him talking down on himself, about being stupid and all that. She didn't feel like he was stupid. He was just a bit awkward, but that was fine. "What about you?" she then asked, cocking her head to the side and looking at him. "You look like the strong type, so I'm guessing you do like sports outside of handy man business. Basketbal, maybe?" And how long have you been loving in that apartment complex? Chrissy's apartment isn't exactly pretty, so is yours just as dull-looking, or do you have posters and art on the wall? Which laundromat do you go to? I know the place doesn't have a washer and dryer. Are these good questions, or are they too stalk-ish?" She laughed again, actually enjoying her time here with Luck. It wasn't often that you could fire away with questions. "But of course, you don't have to actually answer any of them."

Luck Harris

[Luck Harris]

[nospaces]

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

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

I KNOW THAT A YOUNGER ME

couldn't sit here now and tell those green eyes no

The pair returned to the bathroom and Charlotte reclaimed her comfortable seat on the toilet while Luck, after a moment of consideration, stepped fully into the tub. Rather than put-off or even exasperated by his half-joking string of questions, she seemed amused, and — to his relief — began to answer them. It filled the silence and gave him something to focus on as he crouched and began feeding the hook down the drain. The emotions he could feel from her remained muted, but were decidedly light and unbothered, so he let himself think less about anything else besides the information she provided him. [break][break]

He couldn't help but huff a quick, under-the-breath laugh as she turned the questions back on him and suggested, of all things, that he might play basketball. He tipped his head, grinning to himself as he worked. "Good questions. Certainly not stalk-ish. We are actually nailing the small-talk." It was easier than he anticipated — the whole thing — and it didn't pass over his head that he was grateful for it. He hummed thoughtfully, giving himself a moment to pick through the string of inquiries and find the beginning of them. [break][break]

"Sporty...? I guess." He'd played football growing up, like most boys in his high school, but as an adult he couldn't think of too much to note. He supposed if things like skiing, snowboarding, biking, and the like were considered "sports", maybe. "But never basketball. We do have an office softball team, though. Otherwise, I play here and there. Just when the guys get together and want to throw around a football. Nothing serious. Volleyball at the beach, that kinda thing. Filled in for a buddy in a bowling league a couple of times... wasn't any good at it. Not my speed." [break][break]

He tipped his head again, taking a breath and moving on. "I moved to Chrissy's complex..." The hangar hook finally met some resistance and Luck tested at it, lip edging momentarily between his teeth. "Six months ago." It was a dull place. But he'd always figured a part of his thinking-so was due to how much he'd loved his previous apartment. To hear that someone else thought the place was dull was somewhat validating. "My walls... eh," he shrugged. "I've got some stuff up. Photos mostly. But there's still lots of empty space." [break][break]

"As for the washer and dryer situation," he moved on, tone picking up in a way that might suggest his interior decorating (or lack thereof) could quickly be moved past. "I discovered shortly after moving in that they had them, they just didn't work." And hadn't for a long while, apparently. Luck twisted and forced with the hangar, grunting a little when something began knocking loose. "But I got them fixed." And it hadn't even been difficult. Had been simple and quick. "Dunno if our maintenance guy is real lazy or if he just kinda sucks. But... I dunno, gives me something to do sometimes. Which can be nice. Makes me some neighbor friends."[break][break]

Continuing to work at the drain, feeding the hangar back and forth with increasing ease, he paused to cast Charlotte a curious look. "You said you're a musician." His mouth pulled a little slyly, a brow quirked, and when he continued, it was with the same tone she'd used when suggesting he might play basketball. "You look like the jazz type. Trumpet, maybe? Trombone?" He grinned, hoping it was obvious he was joking — though it would be hilarious (and a little surprising), if she was playing brass in some smoky, dim-lit lounge most nights. He couldn't imagine it. But he'd been wrong before.[break][break]

"And you've lived here your whole life. Have you ever wanted to go anywhere else? Left home and come back?"

Tag: Charlotte Lewis [break]
Give me a nudge for any changes/tweaks![break]
Or if you need less/more to work with!

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[newclass=.frosttalonboots-post b]color:#3C584D;[/newclass]
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