Business as Usual

[Olesya]

"You really scared of 'cooties'? Here I had you pegged as the fearless type.."

"I never said I was afraid of them, I was merely stating that boys had them. And thus, I am not as boy crazy as my cootie infested sister."

She laughed at how ridiculous that sounded. What was she, four? But she had a slightly defensive tone, Olesya wasn't afraid of a lot of things. In fact, she could be pretty fearless. (And the beer helped with this lack of fear). She tossed her head, violet and brown tresses bouncing on her head.

"I'm not afraid of anything."

She stated boldly, finishing her beer and setting the cup down on the bar in a defiant manner. Oh yeah, she was tough.

[Travis]

I never said I was afraid of them, I was merely stating that boys had them. And thus, I am not as boy crazy as my cootie infested sister.

Travis couldn't help but smile. At least she had a sense of humor. That was always a good thing. It sucked when people never liked to joke around and have fun. A lot of people took the things he said wrong, and so he usually came off as an asshole to most people he met. Only recently had he tried to tune it down a bit. His efforts weren't always successful, but it was better to try, than not to.

I'm not afraid of anything.

"Really now? I like that.. Because I'm not afraid of anything either."

Travis' boldness matched Olesya's, his hand grabbing at his beer and he'd knock the last of it back and place it on the counter just like she did. He was fooling around obviously, a playful little mock maybe. He'd smile after he did it, he hoped Olesya would realize Travis didn't mean anything by it.

[Olesya]

Her eyes would fall to the empty cup he placed on the bar by hers, before her gaze rose to meet his eyes. She saw similar determination and a sense of humor, probably amplified (or uninhibited more) by the fact that he'd had a few drinks. Which was good, no one liked a crappy drunk. She would laugh at this mockery, she was laughing quite a bit lately, but it was a good sign, meaning that she was enjoying herself.

Olesya quirked an eyebrow at him, giving him a challenging glance.

"Alright then, tough guy. Prove it!"

What exactly she wanted him to prove, she wasn't sure, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Now she would she what he would come up with, or if her was just making a front. She was pretty sure he was genuine, but she didn't know for sure.

[Travis]

Alright then, tough guy. Prove it!

Oohh.. So it's gonna be like that?

Travis caught her gaze, and so it was obviously up to Travis to think of something to do. Plenty of things passed through his mind, some might be a good idea while others probably wouldn't be very nice to do. He wasn't about to throw a fist at the girl to prove he wasn't scared. That would be unnecessary. Besides, he didn't want to hurt her or anything like that. Something soon popped into his mind and he smirked slightly as he considered it.

"Well.. I'm not afraid to.."

His words would fade and instead of finishing his sentence right now, he decided to push himself forward, plant one foot on the ground and lean toward Olesya. Yeah, he was gonna kiss her. He wasn't afraid of anything! Even the rage that could ensue because of this. Course, he wasn't sure what her reaction really would be. At least he was drunk, he blamed it on the booze. And if she didn't stop the kiss, he'd break away after a few seconds and then finish what he started to say earlier.

"Give you cooties.."

[Olesya]

"Well.. I'm not afraid to.."

Afraid to what, exactly? But it became apparent when he leaned toward her, bridging the space between them to kiss her. If it was one thing that Olesya learned, it was that all kisses were different. First, take Mathew Amtrum circa the Correctional Facility. He had kissed her in combat to disorient her and mock her, and she had replied with spite and anger. David Blaze had kissed her when he was testing her to become a pillar, and again to mock her and the fact that she was female.

And she had slapped him across the face.

Mathew had kissed her again, though the second time was under much different circumstances. It was an apologetic kiss, softer, timid. Even when he had taken her out on the date, his kisses were much softer than the maniacal kiss back at the CF. But now he was God-knows-where, and she was left out cold.

Which brings us to Travis. Fellow transfer, basically a stranger. Cute, charismatic, strong, funny...and now he was kissing her. Boldly, she could feel herself smirking as their lips touched. If he had tried this six months ago, he would have gotten a fist to the face. But now? Now she was rolling with the punches, enjoying herself. A kiss was a kiss. Flirty, innocent, fun.

"Give you cooties.."

"You're a smartass."

She tried to look ticked off, but she couldn't quite pull it off. Her cheeks felt really warm from the combination of the alcohol and the kiss. In fact, this whole place felt uncomfortably warm.

"Do you want another drink, or do you want to get some air, Cootie-boy?"

[Travis]

You're a smart ass.

"I've been called a lot of things before. Smart ass is definitely one of them.."

He'd give another tiny chuckle and glance around the glance once again. Travis felt the heat suffocating him too. It probably didn't help his situation, being drunk that is. But there was an easy way to fix this. And it seemed that Travis wasn't the only one that was a little uncomfortable with the environment, because Olesya soon tossed a question his way.

Do you want another drink, or do you want to get some air, Cootie-boy?

"I probably shouldn't drink anymore.. But I do want to get out of this oven."

He'd push himself up onto his feet, standing in front of her for a moment, his left hand grabbing the counter-top as he waited for her to get her shoes back on and lead the way. He really didn't care if they just went outside and sat down somewhere. Anywhere was better then being in this place now. As Travis stood there, he'd speak to her with a smirk on his face, those icy blues glinting slightly.

"What about your band.. Don't you think they'll care about you wandering off with some guy you just met at the bar?"

Travis understood she came her with them tonight, and wasn't expecting to bring her home or anything like that. She came with her band, and she most-likely would end up leaving with 'em. It wasn't like he even had a place to stay right now. Matrim threw a fit and Travis wasn't allowed to live with Reira anymore. His parents hadn't relocated, so they weren't close by. He had just been using a hotel. Definitely wasn't anything special.

[Olesya]

"I've been called a lot of things before. Smart ass is definitely one of them.."

"I believe it."

She chided him, not missing a beat. Joking around with him was fun, she knew how to take a joke, and he wasn't an absolute jerk like some guys could be.

"I probably shouldn't drink anymore.. But I do want to get out of this oven."

"Mm."

She agreed, uncrossing her legs and slipping off the bar stool into her shoes. She looked up to find him standing in front of her, smirking. She quirked an eyebrow at him, the corners of her mouth turned upward slightly.

"What about your band.. Don't you think they'll care about you wandering off with some guy you just met at the bar?"

"I can handle myself. Remember? Not afraid of anything."

She shrugged it off, brushing past him as she lead the way to the door. She slid her cell phone out of her pocket, texting her sister to let the band know where she was going. It wasn't because they were her babysitter or anything, but a responsible thing to do in case something happened. Also, they would know not to leave without her.

She pushed open the door to the bar, breathing deeply into the night air.

"Ah...much better."

Her head was kinda fuzzy but the fresh air felt nice. She spread her arms out briefly to embrace the night.

[Travis]

I can handle myself. Remember? Not afraid of anything.

"Right, I forgot. Not even afraid of cooties."

Travis would let Olesya pass by him, and he'd follow behind her as he glance around the place one last time. Maybe he'd return her some night, he definitely knew he would if Olesya would be playing here again. He had enjoyed the show, and it was fun to hang out and talk with her as well. And, she totally didn't blow him off after the kiss. That had to be a good sign, right? Though it was here Travis' mind wandered toward Reira. The situation was similar, though Travis hadn't been looking for anything like that tonight.

As soon as he felt the cool air he was relieved. He'd feel himself become a bit more aware then he had been a few seconds before. Maybe a tiny bit of his buzz was fading, he wasn't sure. But for the most part, he was feeling even better now then he was when he was inside. And he stilled had someone to talk to and keep company with. That was definitely a plus.

Ah...much better.

"Yeah. It's a really nice night.."

Travis himself would strength, though he almost lost balance after doing it. He felt a little retarded, and hoped she had missed it. And instead of standing there and letting her think too much on it if she had seen it, he'd throw out the first question that came to his mind.

"Are you a night owl? Or do you like the daytime?"

[Olesya]

"Right, I forgot. Not even afraid of cooties."

Les chuckled at this. Yeah, she wasn't even afraid of his cooties, in fact, she kinda liked 'em. Not that she would admit it though. Exhaling deeply, she ran her hands through her disheveled hair, relaxing as the adrenaline started to fade from her system.

"Yeah. It's a really nice night.."

"Yeah it is."

A lazy smile crawled across her face, and she sat down in the grass, feet out in front of her and her hands propping her up from behind. She had been standing on stage all night, and honestly the bar stool wasn't that comfortable either. It was nice to finally stretch out.

"Are you a night owl? Or do you like the daytime?"

"Oh, night owl most definitely. During the summer I wake up early sometimes to run, but that's it. What about you? You seem like a night owl to me."

[Travis]

Travis would glance in Olesya's direction and he'd watch as she settled herself down on the grass. This red-headed senior would follow suit once again, plopping himself down next to her, his right hand pressing against the ground, his right leg curling slightly as his left arm bent and rested upon his left knee. He was so glad they had went outside now. It was much better to be seeing here, in the cool nice breeze then inside that volcano like club. And he could relax a little bit more now.

Oh, night owl most definitely. During the summer I wake up early sometimes to run, but that's it. What about you? You seem like a night owl to me.

"Yeah. I'm pretty active at night.. But I can be just as active in the morning, too."

He'd laugh after he spoke. Olesya could take what he said however she wanted. Travis hadn't realize it could be mistaken for something perverted until after he had already gotten the words out. He'd simply smirk it off and settle those icy blues upon the Olesya once again. Travis would study her face for a few moments as he waited for some kind of reply. Half expecting her to come back with some kind of sarcastic remark.

[Olesya]

"Yeah. I'm pretty active at night.. But I can be just as active in the morning, too."

Yeah, she caught the innuendo, and Olesya laughed at this, tilting her head back in an amused fashion. It may be the booze talking, but she found it pretty funny.

"Hm..well aren't you talented."

She teased, sticking her tongue out at him. She probably could have thought of something wittier, but he had caught her slightly off guard with his double entendre, she hadn't been expecting it.

So now what? Olesya realized she was really bad at this whole flirting thing. She could talk about normal things like music and sports and even the weather like no problem, but try to add flirting in, and her brain shuts off.

Bending her knees, she laid back in the grass, elbows bent with her hands behind her head. The sky was clear, the stars bright pin pricks in the velvet sky. She was quiet for a minute, before voicing a thought that had been floating in her mind, and since he was a fellow transfer, she was sure he'd understand.

"Do you like it here better than Long Beach?"

She didn't really mean to change the subject, and she could easily fall back into flirting with him if she wanted. It was just a top-of-her-head sort of thing.

[Travis]

Hm..well aren't you talented.

Travis would give a playful little nod, and then he'd allow himself to slide his arms out from under him and lay back, his legs straightening out as he stared up into the night sky. He'd glance toward Olesya for a moment, and then back up toward the sky. Those icy blues would hide behind his lids for a moment as he tried to clear his mind up. It was hard for him to think straight though, his mind kept wandering because of the alcohol. But as he laid there, Olesya asked him a question that he wasn't really sure how to answer.

Do you like it here better than Long Beach?

"I'm not really sure.. I guess it's alright. I've never really thought much about it before."

He'd reopen his eyes, and glance toward her again. Travis didn't really find them to be all that much different. Except maybe that this area seemed to be less violent. Maybe it was just because he didn't get out too often on his own. Regardless, the school definitely wasn't as bad as 259. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad. He liked fighting, but lately he had wanted peace. He just wanted to be able to kick back and have some fun. He was young, and life was getting far too serious for one so young.

"I guess I don't mind that it isn't nearly as.. violent. At least the school isn't.. Not yet anyways."

Travis would lift his head slightly, and he'd fold his arms up behind them so he had some kind of headrest. He didn't want her to start asking all the questions though, it made him feel weird when he was the one sitting there listening and not learning anything about her himself.

"What about you? Do you miss it?"

[Olesya]

Les thought about her life back at Long Beach, it was sprinkled with both good and bad memories, and she couldn't decide either way.

"Well, it is really strange to live in a normal house out here. Back in Long Beach, my family owned a converted firehouse. I really miss that."

Nothing beat sliding down a fireman's pole to breakfast, honestly.

"I don't know if I miss the school or not. Probably not, since I lost my title honestly days before the earthquake. Not that my title is any jurisdiction to where my loyalty lays. I dunno."

She shrugged, thinking it out. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out, flipping open the screen to find a text message from her sister. Les sat up, stretching.

"They're looking for me. I guess I'll see you around then, huh? Don't be a stranger."

She winked to him, standing up and brushing the grass from her clothes.

[Travis]

Travis nodded as he listened along with what the girl said. He was enjoying the time he spent with her so far, and it was really nice to be able to talk to someone. The past week had been kind of hard for him, and while he was still Reira's friend, he wasn't able to stay there anymore. That meant that he had no place to stay, but did he complain about it? No way. He had some money saved up, so he could still rent a hotel or motel room for a bit if he needed. Which was what he planned to do tonight.

Apart from the fact that Olesya had lived in a firehouse, the thing he found most interesting was when she had mentioned something about losing her title before the earth quake. Travis wondered what she meant from that. He'd glance toward the girl for a moment, and contemplate whether or not she was talking about holding one of the pillar positions at #259. He'd just have to remember this, and ask her some other time because Olesya soon stood up and pulled her phone from her pocket.

They're looking for me. I guess I'll see you around then, huh? Don't be a stranger.

Travis was surely feeling a bit too intoxicated at this moment, but he thought it would be absolutely rude of him not to get up and give her some kind of goodbye. With a slight groan he'd push himself up onto his feet, briefly struggling to keep balance before he managed to stabilize himself. He'd glance toward Olesya once again, a smile slipping on his face as he threw his arms wide and stepped forward, tripping himself up slightly.

Travis was feeling awfully high-spirited right now though, and as he stumbled a step toward her, he'd catch himself and wrap his arms around her in a hug. He wasn't gonna squeeze the shit out of her or anything, but he wanted to give her a little hug. He'd probably look back on this later and mentally kick the crap out of himself for it, but it was too late to change it now! He just hoped Olesya didn't mind..

"I had lots of fun tonight. I'll keep in touch for sure.."

He'd pull back, and grab his cellphone. He did the smart thing earlier on in the day and put the cab company on speed-dial. He call for a ride and he guessed he'd just spend the remainder of his time here, waiting to head home. At least it was a good night.

[Olesya]

Olesya raised her hand to wave to him as he stood up, nearly tackling her with a hug. She stumbled slightly both from slight intoxication and unbalancedness (YEAH ITS A WORD HUSH), laughing. She returned the hug, her cheeks slightly pink when he pulled away.

"I had lots of fun tonight. I'll keep in touch for sure.."

"Me too."

She grinned, running a hand through her disheveled brown and violet hair. Her phone buzzed again, most likely her sister. She didn't need to read the message to know that they were probably getting ready to leave, and if she didn't hurry her ass up, she'd get left behind.

"I'll see you around!"

She walked around the side of the building to the back where the van was waiting, a much faster route than trying to make her way into the bar and through the crowd again.