Shoot the Moon

NATE

I always thought that I’d die young
make some money, be someone

"Don't think it's ever happened so literally before." Nate jokes back, shaking his head as he stands back up. "Least not to me." His shoulders roll back, readjusting his clothes just so. It's a well practiced fix, both for the current reasons and for other, far more mundane feeling ones. Changing the way he's looked at by strangers is something he's been doing his whole life, and he likes to think he's gotten good enough to fool even himself some days.

If a breath leaves him when his generous and impossible offer is denied, it's his own business, and he trusts Ira enough to believe she won't say a word about it. If anything, these few short minutes together have bred a closeness that has his arm winding around her shoulder while they walk up to the counter and the clearly unimpressed cashier behind it. "Well I think I owe you a little less then them. I just busted a lip, they, y'know." Instead of elaborating Nate's hand gestures around them, and then he focuses on the man behind the counter, butting him off before he has a chance to speak.

"I know I know, I'm not supposed to be in here anymore. S'for my friend though." Nate's arm shakes Ira gently, drawing the clerks eye to her, his face softening just a little. "Isn't that right, Ira?"

they all love you when you’re gone
but who knew life would be so long?

Ira

"There's a first time for everything." She had walked into people before, though. Was always some drunk taking a step in the wrong direction at the wrong time in the bar, but it has never ended with her having a bleeding lip at least. So it is a first for that. Nate also turned out to be far nicer company than any of those said drunks as well, so she can forgive him for that.

His arm comes around her shoulders as they start walking through the store and she does hesitate for half a second, before rethinking. Normally, she might not allow for such a move, but she is quick to figure out that something is up between the clerk and Nate and so she goes with it. Once the reach the counter, she removes the wonderfully cold can from her mouth for a moment and gives the clerk a small, apologetic smile.

"It's right. I had a bit of an accident, see? Needed something cold for it quick." She makes a quick gesture to her lip and then wraps her arm around Nate's back in a small kind of hug as he shakes her. "This place just happened to be right next to us."

NATE

I always thought that I’d die young
make some money, be someone

There’s a long, tense moment of suspicion, the clerk squinting at Ira before the clink of lasti on the counter distracts him, Nate wiggling his fingers in a quick farewell. The man blinks at the bars on the counter, not looking up in time to stop them from rushing out the door, Nate once again pulling Ira into the too warm streets.

“Sorry about that.” Despite the apology Nate hasn’t let go of her yet, leading them around the building and pushing in the alley. His own pilfered can is fished out of his pocket and cracked open, Nate chugging the contents and gasping when he finishes. “Fuck that’s nice.”

they all love you when you’re gone
but who knew life would be so long?

Ira

She remains calm the whole time, maintaining a casual look on her face while looking back at the clerk. It isn't her pocket containing something it maybe shouldn't, after all. But then the sound of lasti on the counter distract him and Ira just follows along with Nate out the store, giving the clerk a small wave over her shoulder without looking back.

Stepping back outside is like walking into a soft wall of heat and she can't decide if it has gotten warmer while they were inside, or if the slightly cooler temperature of the store only made it feel like it was extra hot coming back out.

"No worries." She responds while she lets herself be lead around the building. One might wave a few red flags at it: Stranger with his arm around her, dragging her with into an alley, but she mentally adds for herself having to get out of sight of the store should the clerk come out after them for context and doesn't feel too concerned. At least she has nothing of real value on her to steal, should anyone get that idea. Unless they want to go through the trouble for the one or two lasti that might be in her pocket, or being really desperate for a cigarette.

"Seemed like you two had some history. He just couldn't take his eyes off you from the moment we came in." She teases with a smirk and gives Nate a pat on the back before she takes her own arm away from him. She puts the can she is holding back against her mouth and throws a glance towards the street as if to check if they are being followed or not.

NATE

I always thought that I’d die young
make some money, be someone

Contrary as it might be, the humid breath that wafts around them when they go outside calms Nate, the feeling of freedom and getting away from something. It’s a feeling he’s glad to share with someone, regardless of how close they are. They have a bond now.

“I tend to have that effect on men.” Nate replies after finishing off his can, crushing it and tossing it off the nearest street edge. His casual demeanour is rewarded when no angry face comes peering around the corner, their quick exit successful.

Leaning on the wall and watching Ira, Nate rocks on his heels and worries his lip. “Sorry about your face again.”

they all love you when you’re gone
but who knew life would be so long?

Ira

She chuckles quietly at his response and keeps throwing some more watchful glances towards the street until she decide that they they are probably in the clear. While she would rather choose the temperature of the store than that of the outside, it did feel oddly refreshing in a way.

"Seems like we've that in common." She huffs and shakes her head slowly. An effect that has been mostly to her annoyance and for anyone having been instantly turned down for trying to get any attention from her. At least until recently.

When he apologizes again, she lowers the can and carefully touches her lip with her fingers. "S'fine. Think it feels worse than it is." She grins slightly with a sigh. "Think my biggest problem will be to convince my boss I didn't get it from the new guy I'm seeing." She looks to be somewhere between joking and actually being concerned about it when she leans her back against the wall next to Nate and puts the cold can back to her mouth for a moment.

NATE

I always thought that I’d die young
make some money, be someone

A brow rises, Nate’s head cocking to the side and sending curls bouncing around his ear. “Not a fan of the lingering eyes?” It’s not something he can really empathize with, a good chunk of his self worth tied up in other peoples gazes, not that he’d ever admit that out loud. “Theres something about being wanted that I like.” A shrug follows up the words, Nate looking out towards the street again before deciding once more to linger where they are a little longer.

His nose wrinkles as he looks away, humming. “I dunno about that. I mean, maybe for now, but it’s probably gonna sweet.” A single can of barely chilled soda is only going to help so much.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately considering her preferences) Ira’s face is much less interesting to him when put up against gossip, even if it’s to do with people he doesn’t know. “Oh? Rough type, or something else?” He’s referring to the new guy, a fact hey is hopefully obvious.

they all love you when you’re gone
but who knew life would be so long?

Ira

She has her reasons for not wanting any extra attention from people in that way, at least that had been the case for the last year. "Wouldn't mind it if was just the eyes, but some people fail to stay on that side of the boundary. Especially after a few drinks and I just want to be able to get through my work in peace towards the end of the shift." She rolls her shoulders in a small shrug.

"Suppose it's nice knowing you're wanted, but it gets complicated when you then actually don't want anything more with it." Which really crashed with her tendencies of being a teasing flirt with people and she wouldn't blame anyone for being confused about it. But to her, it is just her general way of interacting and having fun, but it more often than not comes with some hard limits being drawn on her side.

She tips her head back against the wall as well and takes a short moment to consider what to say in response to his question, realizing that her comment might have made things sound suspicious. "Nah, this one seems just fine. Was the last one that had a bit of a temper issue and my boss is also sort of an overprotective friend that might not fully trust my judgement in company after that." She shakes her head with a huff, but the small grin remains and she doesn't seem too bothered with the topic. For some reason, she doesn't mind sharing some of it. "Perhaps that's what made me not want anymore attention from anyone in a while."

NATE

I always thought that I’d die young
make some money, be someone

“Guess it is a bit different when people think they can get away with something.” It hasn’t been a position he’s been in himself for years now, but Nate remembers a few grabby hands from his teenage years. He remembers the splits in his knuckles from the aftermath too, but he hadn’t been on a job, relying on the lasti flowing. It changes things.

And it makes having fun that much harder, because he knows exactly what Ira means. Being transient, a visitor in a specific vibe without being nailed down. Nate’s hands go to a pocket and fish out a silvery cigarette case, the corners of the facade rubbed away to show off tarnished brass, and click it open, drawing one out before he offers it out to Ira. “We should party sometime.”

There’s nothing else added from his side, his smoke lit and the smell of damp tobacco wafting out when he opens his mouth again. “If you want I can pop in and put on a show, like we did ah,” his thumb hooks back to gesture towards the street, the convenience store. “I’d say today, but you’re off and I’m… supposed to be working, so…”

they all love you when you’re gone
but who knew life would be so long?

Ira

"Yeah. At least they never get to." The small grin remains on her face. She might not be the largest person around, but she has no problem telling people off in whatever way needed if asking nicely doesn't work the first time. At least she has a boss that would look on with amusement if she had to shove an elbow into the face of a drunk customer to get the point across, and then he'd throw said drunk out of the bar.

She picks a cigarette out of the offered case with a nod of thanks, then fishes up a lighter of her own from a pocket to light it. "Maybe we should! Without ending up busting each others' lips or anything." She laughs and takes a long drag of the cigarette after moving the can away from her lip, exhaling the smoke in a sigh. It isn't as cold as she would've liked anymore.

"Perhaps we can run into each other some other day. You know, the less literal way" Giving the can a small shake, she pushes away from the wall and turns to face Nate more proper. "But maybe I should let you get to your supposed work, then. Sneak myself into mine and raid the ice fridge or something." She adds with a wink and a bit wider grin.