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Sept 17, 2019 4:43:32 GMT
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Post by Trix on May 23, 2017 19:03:35 GMT
The bad thing you like Six months bouncing around from city to city, state to state, all for one dance company, a single tour. It wasn't the first, it wouldn't be the last, but even so Rowan found them to be exhausting nonetheless. He wasn't the spry, young'n that he'd been way back when. Back when he could dance for hours everyday and still have energy for the extracurriculars he liked to dabble in. Anymore, he just felt old and his body was more susceptible to betraying him with each year that passed. A back-up plan would be necessary soon enough, and while he had one, he still had yet to put it into motion. He'd just recently gotten everything settled at his apartment in New York, boxes unpacked, rooms livable. In the last six months he'd asked a couple people to watch over his apartment to make sure that no one broke in.
Among them were his best friend, Lucy. The time apart was not out of the norm for them anymore, but there had been a time when he was certain he would never be able to live without her nearby. Granted, he was a needy friend even when they were apart, demanding a Skype call after each show so that he could rant or rave about the performance. Not to mention, she was his one and only connection to the world. While he often felt like he was floating off into space, escaping the realm of humans, she was the one that tethered him to the earth and kept him grounded. She also kept his ego in check, only occasionally fluffing it when necessary.
He had told her he'd be landing late afternoon in hopes of surprising her at his apartment. Rowan had his informants (aka his floor mates) let him know when she was back at his apartment and after wandering for a few hours to kill time, he found himself staring at the worn, gold number on his apartment door. As quietly as he could, he pulled out his set of keys and unlocked the door, opening it and hauling his stuff inside where he found Lucy with her feet kicked up on the couch, TV off, stereo on and nose in a sketchpad. Just as he'd left her. "Y'know, something tells me you'd be an easy target for a burglar," He leaned against the wall, the corner of his mouth turned upward slightly. "Any time you wanna run and tackle me with affection, you have at it." ulla |
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Post by Eddie * on May 23, 2017 22:16:26 GMT
i only need you when my heart is beating A chance to live like she actually lived in New York was rare for Lucy. Of course, she visited whenever she could. Well, more to the point, she would visit whenever Rowan had time for her to do so. She flourished in the tattoo industry despite anchoring herself to the town where they first met, but when it came to the comparison, it was clear who flew higher and farther between the two. And he lived here. It was hard not to be a little jealous of someone who stuck themselves in a place where there were opportunities around every corner.
The solitude wasn't so bad either, really. She still lived out of a suitcase while she stayed, but it was nice to be able to wander on her own and take in the scenery of her best friend's neighbourhood. When it came to having a devout interest in all things artistic, there wasn't a corner she couldn't turn that didn't have something for her.
When he got home, she had found comfort in what she did for half the evenings she stayed there. Though she liked the look and idea of the nearby bar for nights when she was on her own, this time she opted for the latter approach. A quiet night. It seemed so unlike the Australian who had barely grown since her high school days, but the loud music from the stereo drowned out all possibilities of actually being quiet. Pencil to paper, she was stretching older habits. Pens were easier and more familiar to her, and that was the point.
But she jumped, clearly started by the voice behind her. For someone set to house sit, she obviously wasn't doing a very good job. At least she recognised the voice almost instantly, after that shock filtered from her system. She was already getting up. "Burglars don't have bloody keys, Ro." She pointed out, as quickly as her steps carried her to his position at the door. True to form - and just like he had suggested - she was fast to toss her arms around his neck and squeeze him for dear life. |
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Sept 17, 2019 4:43:32 GMT
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Post by Trix on May 23, 2017 22:42:39 GMT
The bad thing you like Rowan couldn't help but laugh when she jumped, successfully catching her off guard. And while her words were true enough, he couldn't help his teasing. Lucy was one of the very few people he'd ever trust to take care of his things. He just figured it was probably a good idea he didn't have any valuables in his junky apartment. While his career was thriving, he still wasn't rich so it wasn't as though he could afford anything nice anyway. The familiar sound of her voice felt more like home to him than his surroundings and his smile grew the closer she got. Rowan dropped his things seconds before her arms found their way around his neck. His own arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her in close, picking her up briefly. A sharp pain shot through his ankle and he winced. He'd almost forgotten that he'd rolled it on the final day of rehearsals. "Fuck!"
Setting her down gently, he groaned and leaned his forehead against her shoulder, "I missed you, Lucky."
With a huff, he disentangled himself from her, settling for taking her hand as they walked towards the couch. He was gross, worn from traveling, sore, but altogether, he was happy he was home. He was happy he could sit on his couch, with his best friend and finally just relax. The tours were always a nonstop process, up early for workouts, out late for performances and after parties. Rowan was certain that he'd sleep for days at a time, but as usual, his first day back was always blocked off for catching up with Lucy. He threw himself down on the couch and pulled her along with him, simply unwilling to part with her.
"So was there any excitement while I was away? Robbery? Shooting? Apartment drag show?" Rowan had seen crazier things in New York than he could have ever hoped to where they had grown up together. Boston was even tame in comparison. There was nothing better than New York though, something Rowan had never expected to feel. "And if there was a drag show, please tell me you didn't get to meet RuPaul without me! I'll cry, I'm not afraid to." And he was just exhausted enough to be emotional over something as silly as missing out on Ru.
Was it really silly though? ulla |
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Post by Eddie * on May 27, 2017 3:23:03 GMT
i only need you when my heart is beating Lucy's feet left the ground in a short instant, but she hit the floor again gently with a small, sharp word from him about it. It was a little strange, but he seemed to brush it off quickly enough, like she wasn't supposed to question it. He covered it further by expressing that he missed her. She let him take the lead, drawing her away from the doorway and towards the couch instead. He looked obviously tired, so she pulled him in closer so he could lean on her.
"As if I'd let anything good happen here without you." She replied with ease. She mightn't have been able to control that if she knew a single soul in this city, but that hardly seemed to matter. "Besides, I woulda totally called you to show off."
Cruel as it would have been, it would have been hilarious all the same.
Raising a hand, she pressed it to the side of his head, careful not to brush her fingers through his hair. Messy as he might have felt, it was still so perfect. "So c'mon, tell me everything I need to know about your trip." Lucy instructed. Might as well get it all out now before he disappeared to do something even more interesting.
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Post by Trix on May 28, 2017 16:45:27 GMT
The bad thing you like He took comfort from what she said, although he knew for a fact that if she was as familiar with the setting as he had become, there would no doubt have been something more exciting to talk about. Lucy attracted excitement where Rowan had to seek it out. After all, he'd sought her out without even realizing it all those years ago. "That's true, you wouldn't have made me wait until now for a gut shot. You're not that patient," She was much more patient than him though, one of them had to be. Rowan was thankful for her pulling him closer, the separation always seemed to hit him hardest after he got home and realized exactly what he'd been missing. During his time away it was only when he struggled to sleep that he felt homesick because he had all that time to thinking miss her.
Her fingers pressing against his skin had his eyes shutting briefly, but he quickly snapped them back open because he knew if he wasn't careful he would actually fall asleep right there against her. Rowan gave her a scrunched up face and shrugged at her request. Of course he loved touring, more than he would ever let one and he knew Lucy knew that without him having to say it. But it was always so drab when he came home to her to talk about it. Just once, he wished he could take her with him. See the world with her, have her at every show. Maybe he wouldn't have twisted his ankle if she had been there.
"I mean, there isn't much..." He trailed off and furrowed his brow trying to recall the main thing that he knew he was forgetting. As it struck him, his eyes widened and he swore under his breath. "I completely forgot to tell you! Fuck. You'll never guess who was at one of the shows! I'm telling you Lucky, I almost fainted on the spot." Rowan wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to guess who it was because he didn't think she kept up on the dance world and who the most famous ballet dancers were among them. So in order to spare her from struggling to come up with a valid answer, he all but blurted it out in a rush, "Mikhail Baryshnikov! He was there in the flesh, Luck! He came backstage after curtain call and...oh my god I fangirled so hard it was embarrassing." ulla |
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Post by Eddie * on Jun 15, 2017 22:15:37 GMT
i only need you when my heart is beating Even in short seconds, Lucy could feel the way he got just that little bit heavier against her. The jetlag must have been chronic, especially when coupled with everything he'd endured in his time away. Did he get any downtime at all? She remembered communication was naturally lacking in all his trips. This was just the same. She almost thought to tell him to rest now and talk later, but just like that he snagged all his energy back with a new story.
There was just a little moment when Lucy stared at him with a kind of blank confusion. She knew she'd heard that name before, but it took a moment or two before any kind of recollection kicked in. How could she forget someone Rowan clearly looked up to? It wasn't as if this was the first she'd heard of Mikhail Baryshnikov. Chalk it up to her lack of knowledge in anything to do with dancing. Should she have worried? She briefly wondered if she then looked worried; all it took was one big person seeing a star to turn their entire world upside down.
"And?" She tried anyway, daring; "What happened? What'd he say?" |
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Post by Trix on Jun 30, 2017 14:59:08 GMT
The bad thing you like Rowan could see it in her eyes that she had blanked on the name. He didn't fault her for it, often time when he went on his dance life tangents, he wouldn't have blamed her for tuning him out completely. It was no different than if she'd given him an artist's name. But she maintained the enthusiasm that he'd somehow mustered in order to tell her the news, so he could forgive the blank. He held up his hands, "Alright, alright. Let me just, gather up the memory because it happened towards the beginning of the tour."
He ran his hand through his hair, while the other rested on the back of the couch. He remembered being horribly exposed, no shirt, tights, his hair a mess from sweating and the dance itself. Coming off stage after the curtain call, all he'd wanted to do was collapse into his bed, but there were still people to meet and places to go. They were halfway through the tour and Rowan had already grown restless to get back home. He cleared his throat and looked to his best friend, "Okay, so we were in California, it was sickeningly hot. This was about the halfway point oil the end of the tour. My partner went off stage first after curtain call and I wasn't even looking up when I followed her. I was just practically dead, sweating my nuts right off. And you know, here I am about to say just that to the rest of the guys, but I finally looked up and BOOM. Right in front of me, no fair warning from anyone, is this legend. This complete ballet God! You can imagine, I fangirled right there in front of him." Rowan laughed, still mortified by his reaction. "He shook my hand, and it took everything I had not to just melt. I mean, this guy...wow. Serious silver fox vibes, Lucky. He didn't smile or anything though, like he was totally rock solid in his expression. And me, I'm just standing there, terrified as all hell."
It really had been a terrifying experience, just waiting for his performance to be torn apart by the greatest male ballet dancer in the world. Rowan nearly puked from the anticipation of it all. He'd been so certain that his career was over. One bad review from Mikhail Baryshnikov and he was done. "So I'm staring at him, super hard, just waiting. And he finally gives me this tiny little smirk and says, 'One day, you'll be the one that gets stared at like this.' And he winks at me before walking away." At some point in his story telling he'd grabbed Lucy's hand and was squeezing it tightly. "Can you believe it, Lucky?! Me! He thinks I could be the next him!" ulla |
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Post by Eddie * on Jul 16, 2017 22:44:18 GMT
i only need you when my heart is beating Rowan had the clear skill at painting the necessary picture. Though she had no idea who he was talking about, she could at least understand the importance of their existence. It was a little hard to pay attention when she felt herself getting caught up in the fact that he was just here. She wasn't quite sure she was willing to admit how lonely his place was without company. He had to feel that when he lived here on his own though, right?
And sure, someone like her could have told him a hundred times that he was amazing, but that didn't make a dent like heavy recognition did. It was the same for her; he could praise her until he was blue in the face, but he had to say that. He was her best friend. That was just how it worked.
"Well, shit, Ro. I mean, all he's gotta do is give your name to one person and that's your life made." She explained, but she knew he knew that already. |
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Post by Trix on Jul 23, 2017 23:46:34 GMT
The bad thing you like Rowan was so preoccupied with his own story that he hadn't noticed her retreat into her own mind. After he'd moved out to live on his own, he never looked back. He was away from his family and the drama that followed his mother, only occasionally making the trip to Boston for holidays or birthdays. Was his living arrangement ideal? No, not with him being gone 6-10 months out of the year and having to constantly ask someone to look after his stuff, but he had no intention of putting out some silly ad for a roommate that he probably wouldn't even like. It had crossed his mind before to ask Lucy to live with him. More than once. However, he had done a good job of disentangling himself from her after life at school. The last thing he wanted was to suffocate her again with his constant presence.
She pointed out exactly what he knew and he huffed, "Gawd I know. I just...I never thought that it would happen that way. I'm not even that good! I'm getting older, more prone to injury...for him to think that I could ever be what he is...it's crazy!" Rowan took a deep breath and loosened the grip he had on her hand, but otherwise did not release it. He found himself looking down at their hands and he shook his head the tiniest bit, "I mean, how can I be the next him when I'm so much more relieved when I come home to you. I enjoy touring, sure, but nothing makes me quite as happy as coming back after being gone for so long." ulla |
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