PLASTIC EYELIDS, c

[dahlia]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, opacity:.7, BTABLE][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/lYjBq.png); width:100px; padding:20px] ❝I don't mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows. I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes. Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies, You never know just how you look through other people's eyes.❞

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true] Dahlia got up at nine every day, no matter the day. The day hardly mattered - it dictated when she worked, that was all, and Dahlia hardly cared about that. She'd walk into work when she needed to, not when she was asked to. She didn't really have the time to control her time and that just sounded like a headache. She woke up and she ate oatmeal for breakfast, since she trained herself at a young age to actually like the stuff. It was good for energy, or something like that. Dahlia wore a pair of threadbare, denim shorts that were much like a few other pairs, and a tank top from a range of seven different ones, all the same style just with different colors. Her daily routines had a sense of control that made her very happy. She rode Amstel without any equipment - she didn't need a saddle when her legs were so strong from years of riding, and she didn't need a bridle when Amstel understood her cues so readily. She wasn't sure she could ride another horse like this, but that didn't really matter. The large grey was the only thing she much cared about. He ran oddly, since he was a giant thing. Child of a beast of burden, the kind of hulking creature familiar in the fields of Seapalum, and something lighter, better at churning up dirt running than with a plow. It made his joints seem a bit too big. When she rode him, everything else could blur and, again, it was something Dahlia made happen. It was something she could control: Amstel go, Amstel ho. And when she saw a familiar head of hair, she could act on the latter and get just what she wanted. The gelding slowed, and Dahlia asked him to go towards Dax. She stayed on the horse so she was taller. "Watcha doin?" Dahlia wouldn't have expected him to be outside, and by a lake no less. Was he measuring something levels or something in the water? Whatever. She wanted to know for curiosity's sake - she didn't really care.

© OXYMORON

[DAX R.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:500; ,bTable][atrb=valign, top] weather to fly [atrb=align, right] People just assumed that Dax spent all his time alone in the dark on his computers, but that was simply just not the case. Sure, he did spend a lot of time on his computers... usually alone and in the dark, but every so often his mother would open their basement door and shout about how much of a nice day it was and that Dax would die of vitamin D defficieny if he didn't go out and explore. So, uh, yeah, Dax does definitely leave the house and he would be offended if you thought otherwise! He kept his nifty gadgets in his pockets as he roamed, playing around on them as he walked despite the countless tragedies that had come his way from this very habit. Still, even if he often had to be thrown out to spend time outside, he did genuinely like it... It was sunny and Dax found nature just as pretty as the next guy. It was just sort of lonely without the gang, that's all. Dax heard the clip-clop of Amstel's massive hooves and snapped his head around way too fast to look at her. His face screwed up a bit as his neck throbbed momentarily, but he tried his best to look as cool and collected as he could as Dahlia approached. It failed miserably. "Oh, hey!" he called out, a bit too loud as if he was trying to compensate for his hurt neck. "Taking a walk, I guess. My mom kic--- I mean, I had some errands to run." His words were rushed and a bit sheepish, and he couldn't seem to pick a place to look at - Dax's eyes were flickering between Dahlia and Amstel's face. He could feel a sneeze coming on. He rubbed a finger underneath his nose as subtly as he could, trying to edge back his allergies. He couldn't sneeze in front of Dahlia, she would think he's a fool! And she looked so cool on top of her horse, riding without a saddle or anything! "How about you?"

[atrb=Valign, top][style=width:100; height:100; background-image: url(http://i33.tinypic.com/2z6a3wx.jpg); margin-left:-2px; -webkit-border-radius: 50px; -moz-border-radius: 50px; border-radius: 50px;]

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[dahlia]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, opacity:.7, BTABLE][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/lYjBq.png); width:100px; padding:20px] ❝I don't mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows. I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes. Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies, You never know just how you look through other people's eyes.❞

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true] She stared at him a bit dubiously. He wasn't very good at hiding his emotions, whatever those were. If Dahlia believed in that thing he called "allergies," then maybe she'd admit to being allergic to emotions. Good thing she didn't, though. Close call, too. If she admitted to that then she'd have to admit to being obsessed with her ridiculous brand of self-discipline along with her borderline-abusive sense of apathy. Either way, Dax fell over himself and Dahlia just watched. She didn't even find it morbidly entertaining, as some people might. It was just kinda... there. He was just kinda doing his thing over there, and over there happened to be in her line of sight. She deliberated, and then hopped off the horse since the boy couldn't seem to decide where to look. Annnnoying. It was a long drop, and she patted her horse's neck, afterwards. "I do this everyday," her voice made the words an announcement, but an announcement that everyone should know already, like that the mall closes at seven. "I guess you could say I was taking a walk," she offered again, and her eyes lost track of Dax even though her focus still seemed to be on him. Dahlia looked at the sky, then she turned her hand over and looked at her nails. "But it was more like a run." She had a little chuckle at herself (Dahlia thought she was cool on top of all the apathy, and it was an awful mix and a terrible lie).

© OXYMORON

[DAX R.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:500; ,bTable][atrb=valign, top] weather to fly [atrb=align, right] Dahlia may look cool on her horse, but when she hopped down and was actually standing in front of him, Dax couldn't help but swoon a bit inside at how cute she was. That long, flowing hair, those calm eyes, those simplistic outfits... Not to mention she was actually shorter than him now, so that was a plus! "Everyday?" he repeated, nodding his head in understanding way more than required to let the other person know that you comprehended what they had said. He couldn't help but think that riding a horse everyday without any sort of equipment must make you sore. The sorest Dax ever got was when his fingers cramped after a long day of coding. Considering everything, Dahlia could probably beat Dax up. "Your leg muscles must be so intense!" Dax remarked, a sudden excitement on his face. He peered around Dahlia to look at her calves. Her legs did look pretty strong, definitely enough to choke someone out with or something. As Dax pulled away, satisfied with what he had seen, something overcame him, some sort of tickle in his nose... and... and... He sneezed right onto Dahlia's shoulder. Maybe there had been some horse hair that Dax just inhaled from being so close to her, but there was nothing helping it. It was a loud sneeze, enough to make the birds squak in distress and flee the trees. "Oh god," he said, full of dread. Dax's voice sounded nasally and congested all of a sudden. "I'm so sorry!" he gushed, reaching out to pat at her shoulder as if to clean her or something. His face was a deep, tomato red color all the way from his cheeks to his ears. How could he have sneezed on her? "I'm allergic to dander!" he explained in a hurry.

[atrb=Valign, top][style=width:100; height:100; background-image: url(http://i33.tinypic.com/2z6a3wx.jpg); margin-left:-2px; -webkit-border-radius: 50px; -moz-border-radius: 50px; border-radius: 50px;]

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[dahlia]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, opacity:.7, BTABLE][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/lYjBq.png); width:100px; padding:20px] ❝I don't mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows. I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes. Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies, You never know just how you look through other people's eyes.❞

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true] "Your leg muscles must be so intense!" Wait... what was that? Dahlia was back to blinking at him. A little bit of conversation had dripped out, but now she was back to her bored expression as he got progressively closer to her. Then he was peering around her and checking her out, and if it hadn't been someone as simple and innocent minded as Dax, Dahlia might've taken offense. She didn't really take anything in this situation. Just sighed a little bit more. And all at once, without much warning, he sneezed on her. Dahlia flinched at him, and unconsciously put her hands up to act as some kind of defense. It didn't defend from more of Dax, this time wiping her shoulder and fussing all over her. She was surprised he didn't fuss over her more, maybe fuss himself over her legs or her hair or fuss himself into a hug. His face was completely red, and she smirked a little at him. She held a hand up to her lips as she chuckled a little. "Chill out, Dax." "I mean, don't get me wrong, it is gross," she reached a hand up and mussed with a lock of hair by his ear "but chill out." She mussed with his hair a little more, mostly just to keep him flustered. If he tripped over himself some more, she'd get a bit of entertainment out of it. "Nah, pet dander? Nope, I don't buy it." She closed her eyes, pouted a little and shrugged. "I bet it's mental, yeah."

© OXYMORON

[DAX R.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:500; ,bTable][atrb=valign, top] weather to fly [atrb=align, right] He stopped dead as soon as he heard her laugh. Oh man, she laughed. Dax could practically hear the pitter patter of his heart in his ears. What a beautiful sound, must have been written by Mozart himself, envisioned by a musical genius, everything about it wa--- "Chill out, Dax." He blinked as if coming out of a sleep. Dax watched her closely with wide eyes as she extended an arm and touched his hair. His body felt like it was boiling all of a sudden, and he wouldn't doubt it if he had just begun sweating. Dax could feel the heat coming off his face as if he was a space heater. There was no doubt in his mind that he appeared as if he had suddenly been overcome by a dangerous fever. And Dahlia didn't even stop. She just kept on messing up his hair and looking at him. Was she... doing this on purpose? Despite the thought that she may be, Dax couldn't stop his shoulders from boxing up against him like a turtle's shell. He tried to make himself tiny, but in fact it probably just made him look ill. His eyes were wide as saucers and his fingers had started to shake for some reason. Was he okay? Was he about to explode? Drop dead? "Mental?" he echoed, scratching an index finger at his temple as if to consider it. Dax looked nervous, not sure if he should agree just for the sake of it. "Y-Yeah, maybe! I mean, a lot of medical things can actually be psychological! Hah!" All this over a sneeze.

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[dahlia]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, opacity:.7, BTABLE][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/lYjBq.png); width:100px; padding:20px] ❝I don't mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows. I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes. Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies, You never know just how you look through other people's eyes.❞

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true] The result was definitely everything she had been hoping for. He curled in on himself, but the action only made him seem a bit taller than her. Dahlia frowned at that; she was older than him - she was three years older than him. He was a baby compared to her. Still in swaddling, or something; but he was a bit of a lanky boy, like he was still in high school and hadn't quite grown into his body. All bones and length and size, and Dahlia assumed that she was a bit tall. He was disproving her, and she wasn't happy about that. She moved her hand with this realization. "You should stop that," she said with a little bit of a frown. His sneezing made him seem like a slobbering and over-exuberant puppy. "Can't you get shots for that, or something?" Why was she saying that? Probably because hanging out with him was fu- entertaining. It'd be annoying if he kept snotting like this. Then she just wouldn't want to be around him.

© OXYMORON

[DAX R.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:500; ,bTable][atrb=valign, top] weather to fly [atrb=align, right] Once Dahlia had stop petting him, Dax lightened up considerably. He actually straighted out -- er, well, straighter than before, at least. He still slouched a bit, which was a bad habit that his mother always got on him for. Dax then buried his hands in his pockets, looking even more awkward than before after the shame of sneezing on someone then throwing a fit settled in. "Well, I don't think pet dander is that serious..." he began, pursing his lips in thought, "I'm just not allowed to have any pets! I mean, I buy fish, cuz my room gets lonely." He forced a laugh, hoping that Dahlia wouldn't think that's too pathetic (of course she would). "But no cats or dogs. Or, er--" Dax looked at Amstel nervously, "--horses either." It wasn't like Dax was scared of horses. Sure, he had nearly been trampled by several during his lifetime, attributed almost entirely to the fact that he never really watches where he's going. Dax was born clumsy anyway, so that just adds onto it. But, Amstel was intimidating because he was just so... big. Dahlia was so thin, too. How was it that she could ride such a monster? Maybe Dahlia was a beast tamer, like in Final Fantasy or something. Oh man. "I have a small house, anyway. I couldn't fit a barn for a horse! But I guess you can. And do." He'd like to see it, too, but he couldn't quite say it. If Dax's face was anything to tell, he definitely wanted to vocalize it, but he was pretty sure Dahlia would poison him if he suggested that he go anywhere near her house.

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[dahlia]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, opacity:.7, BTABLE][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/lYjBq.png); width:100px; padding:20px] ❝I don't mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows. I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes. Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies, You never know just how you look through other people's eyes.❞

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true] Fish? That didn't sound like a fun pet. Dahlia frowned at him. No fur or warmth... you couldn't even touch them, let alone cuddle with them. Just watch 'em swim. She guessed that might be fun - if you were drunk, or something. It'd probably be pretty occupying then, but normally they weren't fun. Not fun at all. She furrowed her brows for another time, adding up to countless times. "That sounds boring." But she thought of a fish tank, with a little light in a dark room and it was probably wonderful to sit around and watch during thunderstorms or something. He talked about her house and barns and Dahlia looked at her nails again. She was fairly entertained, because Dax always proved to be... not interesting, but fun to watch. Fun to fuck with, at any rate. She just had to be a certain level of apathetic, so she could directly control how flustered he got. He started talking about the barn. Dahlia blinked again. "Yeah I do. And I also do." She chuckled a little again, laughing at him and herself. "The house is only big enough for me and the barn's only big enough for Amstel."

© OXYMORON

[DAX R.]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style, width:500; ,bTable][atrb=valign, top] weather to fly [atrb=align, right] Maybe fish were boring, but considering it was the only thing Dax had for pets, he learned to appreciate them. "They're not that bad!" he reassured, "I named them all and the soft bubbling sound is actually really nice to sleep too." Oh, how embarrassing. Dax blushed a bit, but trudged on, trying not to get tongue tied over such trivial things. A house only big enough for her? Dax guessed that meant Dahlia lived alone. It wasn't weird, since she was older than him, and Dax was gonna be too old to live at home soon anyway. But... her situation sounded a whole lot lonelier than a bedroom with a fish tank. Just her and Amstel? Dax had his parents, at least. Maybe there was no siblings to play with, but then he had the hoodrats. Dax didn't... really see Dahlia with anyone ever. It was always her and that horse. Did she ever get sad about that? Dax's face turned a bit serious as he considered it. It made his chest heavy, to think that maybe Dahlia got lonely sometimes. If she did, she never really showed it. Those intense eyes, that cool expression. It was so intimidating (and sexy!). But still -- he wondered. He got a bit nervous then, his ears still aflame as he looked down. "I'd like to see a barn sometime."

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[dahlia]

[atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, opacity:.7, BTABLE][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/lYjBq.png); width:100px; padding:20px] ❝I don't mind the sun sometimes, the images it shows. I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes. Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies, You never know just how you look through other people's eyes.❞

[atrb=valign,top][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=border,0,true] She thought about that; hearing bubbling fish while she slept, with the soft light of an aquarium throwing gentle shadows on the floor. Dax's room probably had curtains on the windows, stuff like that. Probably the kind of comfort of a womb. And she thought about laying in his bed, curled up in his gawky arms and tucked against his string bean body. She blushed. "Yeah?" she offered, trying to cover up her mental lapse. "If you're willing to suffer the sneezes that can happen." Dahlia tugged Amstel's rein, breaking him out of his daydream. The large horse snorted and stamped a massive foot before bumping his nose against Dax's shoulder before bobbing his head. She little movement probably shook his whole body. Dahlia was small and muscular, at least in her legs. Dax was still kinda young, and the space of years between them would fill him out a bit. Maybe. She kinda liked him all lanky she supposed. Well, she would've. If she liked him at all, that was. Dahlia punched him in the same shoulder that Amstel had nudged him in. She had a good natured smile, but there was something underneath it. Probably just the tug that she was trying too hard right now. "How bout it, huh?" She wasn't sure why she was being so nice to him - maybe she was just a little bored today and needed some excitement.

© OXYMORON