open rp post ▶

[againsttheworld]

▶ post with your character's name and canon in the subject line
▶ leave me a prompt in the comment (a picture, song, poem, etc), or a thread starter

Comments

[magicink]

The college bar was hopping with a live band in one corner playing some kind of weird combo of rock and bluegrass and midterms finally over. It was nights like these that Julian only had to exist to get good tips. When he actually tried to do a halfway decent job, he could really make a nice haul to the bank.

He ideally watched as a rather short man tried to pick up some chick at the bar using some of the worst lines he'd ever heard. Just as he was smirking and rolling his eyes, his gaze met the pretty blond sitting nearby.

[againsttheworld]

Raven always sort of enjoyed going with Charles to the bars, even if he always sort of treated her like a child. Always a Coke, never an actual drink. God forbid there was an actual drop of alcohol in her glass, while he did beer bongs for a crowd of co-eds with what probably barely constituted a mutation compared to the pair of them. Honestly, she was sort of floored by the fact that he always managed to find someone to fall for those lines, but she supposed he was charming enough.

Her fingertips tapped restlessly against her glass as she watched her brother flirt endlessly with some bimbo with an enhanced A9-whatever gene. Midterms might've been over - finally - but she was exhausted, and there was a bed at home calling her name.

Midway through her own eyeroll, she caught someone's eye and stopped, a little smile curving her mouth slightly. Maybe he wasn't even looking at her, but a subtle glance over her shoulder told her that he probably was. Bonding over mutual exasperation at Charles' terrible lines, she guessed.

There were worse ways to meet people.

Hi, she mouthed simply, followed by Can you believe that? and a pulled face not unlike a grimace.

[magicink]

Julian chuckles and pours a shot. He lifts it in her direction with a raised brow, silently offering it to her. He mouths 'free'.

[againsttheworld]

Her eyebrows lifted a little in response, one hand lightly touching her chest as if to ask who, me?, and then she grinned, nodding before glancing back over her shoulder to where Charles was definitely distracted. Surely he wouldn't notice if she disappeared for a minute or two.

So instead of making him slide it over or something, she simply got up, relocating over to him.

[magicink]

He nods as his grin gets wider. It didn't go unnoticed that she checked where the man with the bad lines was. Setting the drink in front of her, Julian let her get settled.

"Hey, you the DD tonight?"

[againsttheworld]

"No, we walked," she answered simply, shifting to get comfortable before reaching out and snagging the shot. With a little smirk aimed in his direction, she slammed it back, wincing at the bitter flavour, and tapped the glass to the bar, her smile blossoming back into place. "He just doesn't think I'm old enough to take care of myself. Or maybe he wants someone to take care of him - who knows."

[magicink]

"Are you two student around here?" Julian asks. That was usually how people walked to the bar. He chuckles seeing her wince at the taste but was pleased she knew how to take a shot like a pro. "Hm, that doesn't sound like much fun. Why don't I make you a drink you'll actually like the taste of?"

[againsttheworld]

"He is. He's getting his Ph.D. in genetics," Raven declared with no small amount of pride. Maybe it wasn't her writing the thesis, but she'd been there the whole time, and that totally counted.

"Sure. What're you thinking?"

[magicink]

"Oh yeah? Well he missed the pick up lines gene," Julian jokes. "Clearly he got the brains though if he's doing all that. What about you, what are you going to school for?"

Considering her a moment, Julian starts mixing up some juice and whiskey up. Setting it in front of her, he watched to see if she liked the whiskey sour he just presented. "Take a sip and see what you think."

[againsttheworld]

"You'd think, but the number of girls who go for it speaks for itself." Her eyeroll suggested that she'd been dealing with that for ages. Though she hadn't opened up about exactly what her relationship was to Charles, it was probably obvious that it was more familial than anything else. She smiled at his question though, shrugging one shoulder. "Would you believe me if I told you I'm getting my Ph.D. too?"

She wasn't. But that wasn't the point.

Raven just reached out, snagging the proffered drink, and took a little sip of it, rolling it over on her tongue. "Wow. The juice definitely makes that palatable. More than palatable, actually - it's pretty good."

[magicink]

"Yikes," Julian says with a playful cringe. He didn't realize so many girls were into that nerd thing the guy had going for him. This might explain why his luck with them hasn't always been so good. At her question, he lifted his eyebrows. "Sure. I'm sure you are just as smart as he is," Julian answers with a warm smile. Honestly, he never believed half of what his customers told him, but he saw no reason to announce that.

"Awesome," Julian's smile widens. "I'm glad you like it." He pours the rest of the liquid from his shaker into a second glass and took a sip of it. Not bad, but next time maybe a splash of lime. He was always trying to improve his drinks. "What is your Ph.D. in?"

[againsttheworld]

One of Raven's shoulders rose and fell in a casual shrug. She cockblocked him enough anyway; he deserved a little bit of fun, especially since it looked (to her, at least) like he was going to get shut down in about...oh, five, four, three, two...

A slap cracked through the air, and Raven winced as she glanced over to where her brother had just been on the receiving end of it.

"Being a really supportive sister," she replied simply, taking another sip of her drink as she turned back to Julian. She was flattered that he thought she could be just as smart as Charles, even if she wasn't entirely sure he was sincere. He was a bartender, after all. "But I'm pretty sure he can deal with a little rejection alone, right?"

[magicink]

"Oh shit.." Julian flinched in sympathy and looked over at the man. He laughs at her 'Ph.D'. "That really should give you college credits, shouldn't it? Nah, I think he'll be alright. Hey," he calls to one of the servers. He pushes a beer towards here. "Give it to that guy who just got slapped. He can drink or use it for the swelling."

Turning back his attention to the beautiful girl in front of him, Julian took another drink of his whiskey sour. "What's your name? I'm Julian."

[againsttheworld]

It wasn't the first time someone asked what her major was once they'd heard what Charles was studying; it wasn't the first time she'd dryly responded with something that wasn't taught in school, either. 'Waitressing' was the common answer, with a little look that dared whomever asked to make some sort of cute remark about things. At least Julian was responding a little better.

"I'm hoping so. There's got to be something it can make up for," she answered, smiling a little more as she watched the server bring Charles the beer, which he accepted after a confused moment, glancing in their direction. When his eyes met hers, she gave him a little finger waggle of a wave. Let him think it came from her.

Her attention slid back to the bartender as well, and she shifted a little where she sat. "Raven. Nice to meet you."

[magicink]

She wasn't going to get judged from him in regards to not being in a Ph.D program. Julian didn't have any college credits under his belt nor had he ever tried. He'd learned a lot on his own since high school, but formal education was just not his thing. Plus, he didn't have the money or grades to get in. It was less of a hit to the ego to say he chose not to, of course.

Julian chuckles at her interaction with the fellow. "You're good to him." He could already get that sense about her. "Raven, that's a pretty name." With a quick smile, he adds, "Matches your lovely face."

[againsttheworld]

"We're family. I'm supposed to be good to him," she replied, her smile fond anyway. It was pretty obvious, she was sure, that it was mostly in jest, and that they really were that close and good to each other. Sometimes she wanted to smack him, but she was pretty sure that was normal for siblings.

Her smile didn't change much, save right around her eyes, where there was a faint fading. It was always nice to hear that she was pretty or lovely or beautiful or whatever, but that didn't change the fact that she wished someone would say her real face was lovely. But that wasn't going to happen. He may as well have been complimenting her shoes.

"Thanks," Raven cheerfully answered, "You're not so bad yourself. You look like a Julian."