The Otherside || Alex

[Zephyr Israel Wallace]

|words;; 8U Idek || outfits;; Outfit || Song used;; N/A || notes;; nyeheh ;u;|

It felt weird, to be honest. Celebrating a holiday that was generally a family thing, without his family... sue him, but this felt wrong. But after much debating and arguing over the phone with both his father and Nana, it was his choice to stay Northvale. He was, after all, learning his way around; recently gotten a job, finally pushing his way for some friends and of course, after a long time agonizing over if he should or shouldn't, planning to ask Alex out this very night.

Or at least get an answer, because rejection was always a possibility.

And there was a chance he wouldn't make it as displeasing as the thought, poking the glowing ember of the fire, he tried to ignored them- it was suppose to be an awesome day; seeing that the other fae had training practice- and Hephaestus knew how long that took, and probably would of forgotten about it by now.

The beach, at the time, seemed like an ideal place to go- he always enjoyed the ocean, despite swimming terrifying him; the ocean was calming, and the sun-warmed sand under his feet felt absolutely wonderful. It was a bit of distance from the town, but that was fine; he thought about the park but... eh, after that incident with the kite and kid, he was avoiding it for a bit anyways.

With his lanterns ago and the skies being dyed red, orange and darker blue, it there was left to do was wait. Hopefully, not for so long.

[/size]

[alexander jay garcía torres]

Ugh. Why couldn't Ze have invited someone else to his little sun party or whatever it was. After spending a great part of the day enduring whatever the Enforcers wanted to throw at him, Alex was tired and ready for a good soak in the bath tub rather than ready to celebrate the sun or something. For one mean and selfish moment, Alex debated even just pulling a no-show. Although that'd be a bit difficult to do seeing as they kind of dormed together. Ze probably wouldn't be too pleased if he got back to their room to find a snoozing Alex in his nest. Plus, the air fae recalled his friend saying something about how he'd only shared this holiday with his family... and celebrating the solstice was a big deal for him. If anything he should feel, y'know, kinda touched that Ze chose to share such an important tradition with him instead of figuring out ways to be a shitty friend. With that thought in mind, Alex ended up guilt-tripping himselr to get a quick shower and make himself presentable in spite of how much his muscles yearned for bed.

After a blast of water, a spray of deodorant and a puff of something nice-smelling, Alex was ready to hit the beach. He wore his usual emsemble: a charcoal black vest, a long sleeved shirt that was his favourite shade of lilac, skinny dark blue jeans and a slate gray cashmere scarf to tie it all off. It probably wasn't the most ideal outfit to wear to the beach but he had no plans whatsoever of getting in the sea. That was one of the couple of things that he had in common with Ze that he liked; neither of them swam and Alex was perfectly fine with that. Ze was, y'know, a pretty cool guy... if he looked past their numerous bickering sessions and childlike pranks. Usually if someone annoyed Alex quite so much as that guy did, he just wouldn't want to know. But Ze had something that had him going back again and again. Like tonight, for instance; Alex was going out of his way to attend a solstice festival for him when his body begged for rest

"Hey, firefly." Alex chimed once he finally spotted his messy-haired friend huddled on the beach. "Sorry I was late... late-ish... Rhodes and that pal of his are cabrones." It was almost effortless how his voice dwindled from a cheery chirruping to a low hiss at the mention of his least liked Enforcer. Trying not to kick up too much sand or get an unecessary amount in his shoes, he sat himself down close to Ze with an amiable smile. "But." Theatrical sigh. "M'here now~ Y'been out here all day, Zeze?" And there was beer somewhere around here, right? Ze might have abstain from certain vices during daylight hours but Alex did not. It'd be a hell or a long day, he was more than deserving of a nice, cool beer in his eyes.

words: 528~

[/size]

[Zephyr Israel Wallace]

|words;; 532 || outfits;; Outfit || Song used;; N/A || notes;; nyeheh ;u;|

Maybe, for a brief second of thought, he should just take pity and call it off? The sun, disappearing under the horizon and the only light was provided by the small fire he created, the red flames danced and twisted as a breeze from the ocean's water rolled in. He hugged his knees close, one hand with his phone and Alex's number dialed while the other hand, waving his finger to make the flames bend and form shapes. It was a work in progress, the manipulation- it was a daunting task, to make something as wild as fire to heed to your will, but let's just say he liked the challenge.

He should just called.

Just call- tell the air faerie about it wasn't a big deal that for him to make. Poor guy was probably dead from training, anyways. Though, clearly, these thoughts were a lie- he wasn't really pitying the other fae, but making an excuse to his own cowardice. He won't man up, he won't ask- what idiot ask out a roommate? Especially one that was a good friend. Nervousness crept up, since he knew from experience he didn't take rejections all too well- and if anything, he didn't want to make things oh-so fragile and awkward.

The beaten up icebox with cooled water bottles and under it, some beer for when the sun goes down. But instead, setting the phone on top of icebox, he focused more on the dancing flames; his eyebrows knit together, as the flames started to flicker and bend into a flower. It was shaky, and wasn't impressive as he seem more experience that was able to do with fire, but... a proud smile grew on his face.

That was, until he's concentration was broken- with a greeting that he didn't whether to grin at or... well, maybe he could push back that stupid idea of his and just enjoy the celebration. "Airhead, 'sup?" He scooted a bit, offering the spot next to him and offering a small, quiet smile. Geez, nervous much. He quietly berate himself,a feeling twisting in his stomach and tried to push away he's plans for the night. "I still think that guy going to need help with that stick shove up in him~ I mean, I thought you said you had a chick for a mentor, not McBald." Ze joked, pulling the icebox closer, and started to dig, "Water or beer? Because, since I ain't dirt-poor now, I can afford decent kind. Oh, and its fine, airhead. Thought you weren't coming, to be honest..." He pulled out one of each, wiggling the bottle and can with a grin of triumph.

"Mostly. I wandered downtown for a bit, and thought about killing my boredom with some outside reading, but... it was generally me napping all day." He gave a small shrug, "Oh- and I been practicing with fire, since I had energy to burn today. I created this beauty here, heh." He poked it with a stick, kicking up the flames a bit.

[/size]

[alexander jay garcía torres]

Alex chose to keep to himself how he had actually considered not showing up; he didn't exactly want to hurt Ze's feelings. "I was always gonna come, I just got a bit held up back at the compound." Sometimes it worried himself at times with how easy small lies like that sailed right through his teeth. He liked to tell himself that so long they were small, white ones he didn't have to pay it much mind. Alex craned his head up to peer into the slightly worn cooler and its contents; there wasn't a great deal inside but it was still plenty for just two people.

"Really impressive." Alex snickered, choosing a beer over a bottle of water. Really, it wasn't to be mean or anything but... that was a diddy fire Ze had made. It was just, y'know, a little fire. Nothing to be too proud of? But... then again, maybe Alex was just being a bit... Alex. Ze seemed honestly proud of his little fire so... the air faerie cracked a grin for him as he opened his can. "Nah, sarcasm aside... s'pretty cool."

Mmmm. This beer tasted like heaven after the long day he'd had. His caramel eyes that glinted with the firelight closed for a moment as he savoured the cool drink as it went down. "Needed this." Okay, he didn't need it but anyone could catch his drift. After a few more sips of his beer, Alex leaned back on his elbow on the cushioning sand and sighed content. "What now? We gonna sing campfire songs or some shit like that?" And cue a little, bubbly chuckle.

[/size]

[Zephyr Israel Wallace]

|words;; 8U Idek || outfits;; Outfit || Song used;; N/A || notes;; nyeheh short posts|

Tiny little flutter of happiness in chest and his lips tugged into a small smile. Eh, he didn't honestly care how... silly it was, getting intact with his feeling, over something so very stupid and simple as a person showing up. Granted, there was the fact Alex wasn't a normal, run-of-mill friend, so maybe it was justified. "Well, y'know you didn't really need to come, if your tired and shit. But--" he turned his head, still the same soft smile while shadows danced on his face, "Your company is appreciated. Though, if you didn't.... I'll probably would of been a little butthurt, heh." He chuckled a little bit, prodding the smaller guy with his elbow. "I'm just kidding~" Mostly.

Hmph. Well ain't everyone a critic? He poked the fire a bit more, the flames jumping and twisting- despite it being small, size didn't matter. He kept the water, twisting the cap open and took a sip; you would of thought the first thing he'll go for was some the beer he been saving for this occasion, but there was enoug, and beside a cool drink of water after a hot day wasn't so bad. "Meh, jerk. Beside, the cooler part is what can you do with it-" He lift and pointed his finger towards the fire, as he bit his bottom lip in concentration and furrowed his brows. Out of the flames, rose a woman-shaped person, giving a small curtsey before twirling around; her curvy, flame body twisted and skipped, dancing a small show for the two before disappearing as Ze lost the concentration. So, rose a small fire-flower to make up for it. "Ain't perfect control but its better than fire everywhere." He chuckled, taking another sip of his water before setting it down on top of ratty old cooler.

"Nope. Usually, we rope Nana to tell stories for a bit, chill for a bit, set off the lanterns before grabbing some dinner." He flopped back in the sand, spreading his arms out, "We can tell some stories, maybe and set off these lanterns I work my butt off on. Then head back the dorm?" Ze grinned, crossing his arms behind his head and rested on them. They didn't have much to do and beside, he could stay up the remainder of the night at the dorm. Maybe sneak a snack from the kitchen or something. "Or we can do lanterns first, just chat a bit and head back. Not much to do, honestly- hoping you weren't expecting some complicated process or something~"

[/size]

[alexander jay garcía torres]

"You'd totally be butthurt~" Alex sang in response, niggling into the fire's fae side with his elbow just like the other had done. He'd like to think his presence would be missed shouldn't he have turned up. It was a bit of a selfish thought but Alex admitted it to only himself. After coming close to impaling his pointy elbow in the other's ribcage, Alex let off him and went back to leaning backwards on his forearm with his beer tucked snugly between his knees.

Okay. Alex had to admit that the thing that Ze did with the fire was pretty cool. He'd seen fire faes conjure up fireballs before but this was one of the few times he'd seen someone attempt something that was more for beauty rather than destruction. Being an air fae, he was naturally wary of the element he was weak to but there was no denying how pretty it was, even of it were just for a moment. Alex watched how the flames flickered and danced in the sea breeze to Ze's will before returning to his beer with a small snort. "Beats what I can do with fire." He said a bit sulkily. He remembered the first time he'd attempted to use his wind powers on a fire and it'd done naught but ignite it even more. Obviously. "Y'pree' good at that... bit more trainin' in the Academy and I bets you'll be able t'do awesome shit."

Hmm... Alex thought for a moment on what they could do first. He flopped backwards like Ze - but gently so not to spill a drop of his beer - and gazed up at the velvety black night sky. "Lanturns sound good. Never sent one up b'fore..." Alex trailed off with a frown pulling down the corners of his lips. A cottony ball of grey clouds loomed and inched stealthy closer, threatening to ruin the otherwise clear night sky. Nope. Alex wanted his lanturns. He hadn't came all this way for a few poxy clouds to blanket the sky. Quietly, Alex waved his hand a bit and pushed them away. Someone else could have cloudy skies tonight. "Anyways... I've never sent one of these things up. Do I get t'attach a wish to it or am I confusin' m'festivals up?"

[/size]

[Zephyr Israel Wallace]

|words;; 8U Idek || outfits;; Outfit || Song used;; N/A || notes;; :I Ze, you're thinking mushy thoughts- stahp|

As other fae snickered and joked in good humor, he felt the urge bubble up again. His smile faltered just a bit, as thoughts of compliments wiggled its way, a couple of flirts and thinking to take the risk for awkwardness, and ask the other out- but he pushed it all down, putting it on the back burner in his mind. Shit, it was like he was a thirteen year old, awkward and the only one of his friends that yet even tried kissing a girl (or boy, but shhh...); maybe that was why he liked the other. It wasn't the normal, like-like, 'I think your cute, and I'm decent looking' kind; there was something else. Something that made him revert back to years where flirtation skills and luring-in tactics were nonexistence. Just like then, he relied on everything just... falling in to place, hoping for the best and waiting for right moment.

God, he sounded like a cheesy mess from some tacky movie.

The sand, warmed the sun, felt wonderful under his hands; gathering it in his hands, before letting it slip between his fingers, his smile made no show of returning.... but the compliments were appreciated and accepted. Gah, whatever- taking pride in something that took him most of the day to tame was his right. But damn those sudden thoughts making him feel... awkward on his part. On his intentions. “Pfftt.” He chuckled at the sulky tone, trying to shake of those feelings and just... enjoy, ”Well, ain't nothing really... compare someone with more experience or patience. Takes a lot of attitude control, since fire... ain't the easiest of things to tame.” Frankly, its a bitch to try; if anything, he believed fire was more of a passionate element, and because of that, unless you have the skills, no matter how small the flame- it'll rebel and burn everything around if you're not careful. Because fire only negotiate and... well, he's just happy the tiny fire didn't wiggle its way out his grip and lash out.

Stacked besides the icebox, there was two of lanterns, and in the bag he brought along, a couple of candles. Honestly, it was the toughest part of celebrations- making the damn lanterns; when he was younger, he would of whined and cry, saying there was no point to make them if in the end they'll let it go- but usually, his grandmother or sister would bob him on the head, one telling to respect the traditions while the other simply told him to zip his lips and behave. But... they were the prettiest part, too. ”Lanterns it is, then. Though I only got... like, two of them.” He said sheepishly, glancing at Alex when he trailed off- he was looking at the sky. When he glanced up, though, there wasn't anything note-worthy in the heavenly darkness- well, there's the beginning twinkles of stars, but... nevermind. ”Wishes? Well, yeah- if you're a kid,” He began, but that was hypocritical... mostly because what he did, ”There's some prayer to it... but I never bother to learn the words to it- we can do wishes, if that's what you want?” In Ze's mind though, he was edging for that- at least the part of him that wanted to keep the kid tradition going.

[/size]

[alexander jay garcía torres]

"Of all the elements, I think fire's meant t'be the hardest t'control." Alex said, his eyes wandering back to the orange, welcoming glow of the small bonfire. "Faerie elements anyways. Got no idea on them Boreai." Whoever lumped Fae and Borea in the same category was clearly mistaken; they weren't the same. Those Elementals were like some cheap, mutated spin-off of the real thing. They were like werewolves and werecats; they were not the not the same. End of story. "All I really knows is that air is a bit cheeky to control. Sometimes it does whatever the fuck it wants, like. I just got a good hold of it."

Good was a bit of an underestimation but Alex wasn't ever one to brag about his strengths. He knew that he had a certain talent for his elemental powers, not so much his physical ones, but it'd been enough to have been accepted into the trainee programme. But a little bit of playing around with his air control wouldn't hurt. Alex uncurled his index finger which wrapped around his beer and pointed it at the smoke which billowed in plumes of varying size from the fire. Instead of random swirls created by the whim of the wind, Alex pushed and coaxed it into more intrinsecal shapes that were lit by the amber glow of the flames; more complex swirls and twists. It probably wouldn't be noticed if it wasn't looked at seeing as the nature of a fire's smoke was already erratic, a shadow of the fire itself. It was the closest Alex could actually get to an open flame with his powers.

"Only two?" Alex asked with a bit of a high-pitched and incredulous tone. He tilted back his head and easily knocked back a couple of fingers of his beer. Sitting up properly once more, Alex wiped his lips with the back of his arm. "Coulda swore y'spent a whole week makin' those things. M'surprised only two came outta that week of hardcore arts n'crafts."Because, seriously. Almost every time Alex had seen Ze had been up to his eyeballs in tissue paper, wire and glue. There must've been more than just a couple of failed attempts, he guessed.

Concealing the uncool glee better recognized in a kid, Alex scooted along on his bottom to the two sole creations of Ze's week of crafts. "Eh, whatever. We're gonna live two milennia; lemme be a kid at least a little more." Bleh, prayers. He knew how some faeries were much more spiritual than he was and prayed to their corresponding god or goddess every night without fail and dedicated festivities like this purely to them but... Alex wasn't like those kind of faes. They were stuck in their old traditions. His goddess, Aether, wasn't honestly going to help him pass all of his end-of-year exams despite the amount he'd prayed behind closed doors so... yeah. Alex wasn't a very spiritual fae compared to some.

The willow fae chugged the last dregs of his beer and chucked his empty can in the open icebox. "So whatta we do? Write 'em down somewheres or is it... a mind thing?" He chuckled, craning his head around for a pen as he simultaneously patted down all his pockets. Even though he wasn't too sure yet if he had to write or not. "And, uhm... gracias f'makin' me one, I guess... s'a a cute detail~"

words: 500+

[/size]

[Zephyr Israel Wallace]

|words;; 8U Idek || outfits;; Outfit || Song used;; N/A || notes;; :c he tried|

"You can say that again." He snorted, pushing and prodding, as the flames grew, crackled and snapped about in the breeze. That was an annoying fact. Probably the hardest to control and pretty destructive in nature- frankly, it takes more skills to get a single candle flame to bend to your will than conjure up some fireballs; but that wasn't the point, now was it? Better to just play it cool. "Heh, I bet it does. Sound a bit like yourself, though." He grinned, rubbing his stubble- well, it was on the brink of breaking the classy stubble and into a pitiful beginnings of a beard. While he always been curious what'll he would looked, shaking around in some sort of beard on his face... He'll probably would get this thing shaved at some point again.

Ze's eyes seem to have the nasty habit of wandering back to Alex, and for every time they did, a flutter of nervousness bubbled up, before he chided himself to calm down- no point to be worked up over nothing. But he couldn't help the staring. Or his imagination. The air fae's hair, soft and brown, oh-so neat and... well, begging to messed with; tangled his fingers in, brush it back to lay kiss on his forehead, as small tingle up his spine as he started to think: And what if I tugged on it? Squirm and yell? They weren't only things on his mind though- occasionally, he eyes wandered lower and his curiosity continued. All he knew about them, they were soft- but what if I bite them? Would he gasp and complain? Or did he do the biting?

Gah.

Could he go for a few minutes, his thoughts free of the other? It was a celebration about his god after all, not Alex; probably pissing off the big man up there. So he tore his eyes away, instead staring at the fire- or the smoke coming from it. A brow quirked, now that he taken a second look...

"Woah, that's kinda neat.." He said, and he was impressed, as he continued to watch the swirls and twist of the smoke; he snatched Alex's beer from his hand while that being said, taking a small swig of the liquid courage before passing back. And oh god... maybe he should of taken the beer over the alcohol first- he passed it back, after taking a couple of greedy sips and cracked a smile. He made a note to himself to buy this brand more often.

The curly-haired fae gave a hapless shrug, because... what other answer more fitting than that? A small laugh slipped, taking a sip of his own drink, "Never said I was good at them- this things are bitches to make, I swear. I think I manage to use up of forest worth of paper for it." He nodded sagely, "Use to push the task of making them on my sis, since she was more the artsy-fartsy one out of the two of us."

It was true- part of the reason why he started on them a bit early; between the fails and the test-turned-runaway lanterns, he could only hope the people in that art department don't notice the missing chunks of paper. "But- c'mon, these came out pretty decent?" Ze pulled them out, two cylinder-shaped lanterns by the strings ontop and with a little puff his chest, he presented them like a child showing a parent his master piece made out of macaroni and mess of glue. Which... was kind of true in this case?

Ze cracked an amused smile, a laugh and an eye roll followed as he set down the lanterns, "....When you put it like that, why not?" Kind of warmed his heart- a friendly way, he means. Its one thing to snag a friend, a really good friend, into a holiday so you didn't spend it alone... but he didn't know how to put it. At least Alex wasn't treating it as some bore? "And its more of a thought thing, at least for me- you could if you want? And your welcome- better make you wish count, though~"

[/size]