Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis]

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L△LIA
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BOOM SH△KALAKA

Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis] Sept 21, 2013 22:24:17 GMT -5

Post by L△LIA on Sept 21, 2013 22:24:17 GMT -5

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The ocean slips by in a blur as I bike down makeshift dirt paths along the coast, passing groups of abandoned sandcastles as though they're ghost towns. During the brighter hours of the afternoon, families escape the urban dizziness of downtown for these quiet beaches, children building their daydreams with the aid of a bucket and loving their royal homes like crazy until it's time to leave. When the sun begins to dip in the sky, their memories follow and all of the sudden they just forget. Those miniature houses of imagination they devoted so much care to will soon be swept away by the water and no one will be around to know — except for me. Each time a wave laps up, I find myself wondering if I'm about to witness the end of that world or if those grand little castles will live to see sunset.

Already, the clouds are lined with shadows and the sky is bruised with punches of electric pink and the first evidence of dusk's purple haze. My own imagination must be at work today as well, because I swear I hear the faint beating of a drum, as though someone is calling out to the softly approaching evening. I didn't realize it would take quite this long to reach my destination or I'd have left the city earlier, but when Bastille asked me to pick something up for him real quick, I thought he was being literal. There are worse ways to spend an hour than a scenic tour of the District, however, so I'm not too upset about it. It's been a while since I've found my way to the outskirts like this. Usually I'm so caught up in the excitement of back alley underworld dealings or uproarious warehouse parties that I don't pay much attention to the sea, but the salty breeze feels nice today and I can't help smiling despite the way it should feel relatively boring.

I'm kinda boring too, so I can't really judge the ocean too harshly. More than anything, I'd like to be someone made of pure adrenaline and danger — a legacy of stories yet to be told — but I walk the edge instead, the way the tide laps at the same stretch of land over and over again. If anything, this little excursion is more exciting than what I'd have been doing otherwise. In all likeliness, I'd probably just be sitting on a curb somewhere if Bast hadn't sent me on an errand, tossing rocks at the gutter and wishing I were riding along for an adventure in his gondola or wondering about whatever became of my partner in crime from the Libertine's recent masquerade party. My daydreams don't stray very far these days, looping between the same faces and thoughts of where I might find them.

Reaching up to tug at one of the straps of the canvas rucksack weighing down upon my back, I slow my speed as I turn off the main road and head toward a more secluded patch of wilderness. A massive splay of rocks shoot up to my left and I know I'm not lost, remembering them as one of the landmarks I was told to watch for. Crossing my fingers that the Vespoli's home can't be far now, the ground gets so rough that I have to dismount and walk my bike the rest of the way, idly kicking at pebbles as if that might help the minutes pass by a little faster. My footsteps find a rhythm that starts to sound an awful lot like the one haunting the dimming air and I get so distracted by it that I don't notice the huge ship that rises up from the horizon until it's close enough for my jaw to drop.

Rejected from the water, the vessel is anchored to the earth as if it had grown from the soil, like a strange new breed of tree hewn from metal. "Oh my god. This is so rad!" A squeal of excitement rushes out of me and I drop my bike so I can sprint toward it freely, my boots thumping loudly as I rush by a sprawling garden and up to meet the people wandering around outside. Smoke begins to wisp up across the technicolor explosion of the sky, evidence of the first breaths of a fire. Here, the air is warm with more than just new flames, thick with unfamiliar scents, distant laughter, and a thousand hints at secrets I'd like to take a closer look at.

When Bast told me I'd like the family he was sending me to retrieve a package from, I didn't take him very seriously, but now there's a skip in my step as I make my way forward. These people look like an adventure and I want in. "Hey! I mean... hi. Hello." I'm a little out of breath by the time I skid to a stop in front of someone, not really knowing what to say, but my voice still bubbling energetically. "I'm looking for the Vespolis? That's you, right?" Even as I speak to the guy I've approached, I'm still staring at the boat run aground, wondering how it got there and if it's been there for a long time. My curiosity is itching within my mouth and bouncing in my heels, certain that the story of someone's lifetime is sitting right there. "The Ferry Man sent me to pick up a package from you guys. I don't know who I'm supposed to talk to about that, but —" As quick as the tide swallowing up a city of forgotten sandcastles, my attention is carried away as both the sun and my imagination slip a little closer to the horizon. "— do you live there? I've never seen a boat that big out of the water. How cool is that. Seriously."

we live in cities you'll never see on screen
not very pretty but we sure know how to
r u n f r e e
living in ruins of the palace within my dreams
and you know we're on each other's team

Last Edit: Sept 22, 2013 9:17:44 GMT -5 by L△LIA

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Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis] Oct 16, 2013 21:13:34 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2013 21:13:34 GMT -5

Liberum Vespoli D4

Liberum was enjoying the ocean breeze, watching the fire dance about the logs. Lounging in the hammock just outside the ship that he calls home. The ocean was lazily waving as it crashed upon the shore. District Four was his favorite place in the entire world, it's the only place where the smells mix just right, the salty, the burnt ash, and the rust from his abode makes it just right. The cannabis plants are growing quite nicely around the bow of the ship. Luckily it doesn't smell unless if it's being smoked, like it was currently been done with the rest of the Vespolis. They're all dancing and having fun around the bonfire as they pass around the joint. He couldn't help but laugh at their excitement, he loved it when they were all happy. Well at least most of them, Davitt was his brooding “I hate being left out” self as per usual. Little does he know how much Liberum is attracted to him, how he wants to have the same relationship the Hudson and Viotas share. But little does that matter right now. Right now he just wants to enjoy the night.

He wishes that he could be in the crow's nest, it's his favorite place to be. He likes the high places that gives him a bird's eye view of everything. Plus it gives him the distinct advantage of knowing who's about to show up whenever they come. Unfortunately relaxing on the hammock took that away from him. So when the girl popped up right by him he fell out of the hammock and practically landed on his face.

"Oh my god. This is so rad!" she exclaimed, looking around like a tribute going to the Capitol for the first time, unsure of where to look first. The voice belonged to girl, sounding perky and generally happy, with a little sense of wonder in it. She was had crazy wavy hair and probably the most intense eyes in the world. They were actually almost the same color as his. Her body and physicality was very mature which seemed to contrast her youthful excitement.

“Well hello to you to” Liberum addressed her, he was a tad upset at her for maybe sneaking up on him. Yet he was also kind of intrigued by her, no one usually is this vibrant when coming to the Vespoli's for the first time.

"I'm looking for the Vespolis? That's you, right?”“Yes we are the infamous and sometimes famous Vespolis.” He laughed as he watched her eyes wander around the place. He turned to the scene as well to see Hudson and Viotas practically making out while the rest of them are getting higher than the stars.

She continued on,"The Ferry Man sent me to pick up a package from you guys. I don't know who I'm supposed to talk to about that, but —" Oh crap please tell me she didn't see the boat. He silently, yet foolishly wished."— do you live there? I've never seen a boat that big out of the water. How cool is that. Seriously." Oh wow she actually likes the boat, that's a first. I don't think anyone has liked the boat in the while, or us actually.“Hahaha yes we do actually live here, we're not sure, well at least I'm not sure how the boat ended up stranded but it's here now and it's actually pretty cozy. And with the Ferry Man I will happily take that.”

Grabbing the bag he trotted up the ramp and put it on the inside of the door. Coming back down he still noticed the girls intrigue with the whole scene. “Hey why don't you join us, you don't have to smoke but you can still hang out with us.” He invited as he pulled her on the hammock with him. “Hey everyone this is.... um what's your name again?” he asked as he started to introduced her to the group.

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Hafen d4 ⚓︎ minie
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Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis] Oct 18, 2013 14:35:32 GMT -5

Post by Hafen d4 ⚓︎ minie on Oct 18, 2013 14:35:32 GMT -5

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Titanic Vespoli

I love being with my family. It never gets boring, whether we are making jokes about each other in the past or just smoking some weed. I love being here and being what we are. Vespoli's, we are different in each and every way and yet live by the same concept, be ourselves and play by our own rules. The rules that we love to the bottom of our heart.

We sit and dance around the bonfire, but I just sit there and look the rest, as I inhale the burning cigarette in my left hand. The chemicals flow through my body, it calms every nerve in my body. It keeps my heart warm and my soul and reminds me that I control my own life and no one can ever take that away from me. It reminds me that I will always be Titanic Vespoli, the unsinkable ship.

I watch my sisters and brothers have a blast, I guess I'm having one as well, being myself in this ship. They dance around the bonfire, it was one of our little get-outs. I listen to the sound of the waves and get up and walk a little closer to the waves. A little bit farther than the rest. I guess I'm a calmer Vespoli, one that is more like the waves. Sometimes I can be calm, like today, and other times I'm very aggressive.

As I walk to the other side, I snatch a bottle of Alcohol from one of my siblings. I don't care which it was, the only thing that matters is that it taste good. I turn over the bottle to see what it is and read Vodka, on of my favourite. It almost helps as much as the cigarettes. I inhale again and let the smoke flow out of my mouth, straight to the dear ripred. It blends perfectly with the sun and it looks like the mist on the morning. I want it to stay like this forever, and after moms and dads words, it can.

I sit there for a while and ignore everything else, not being in a party mood at the moment. When I finally decide that I am a in a mood to be dancing along, I walk back to them and drop my empty bottle of vodka on the floor somewhere. I am about to join in the fun, when I see another girl sharing a hammock with Liberum. I really didn't mind her, but I would really like to know her name so I ask "So umm who is that girl" as I inhaled the cigarette for the last time before smashing it with my foot on the ground.

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Last Edit: Oct 18, 2013 14:36:20 GMT -5 by Hafen d4 ⚓︎ minie

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arx
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literally so gay, doing so many crimes

Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis] Oct 20, 2013 23:49:05 GMT -5

Post by arx on Oct 20, 2013 23:49:05 GMT -5

And you said,
it was like fire around the brim
Burning solid, burning thin the burning rim
Like stars burning holes
right through the dark

Not exactly sure how I had managed it, but I was clean. One would think that the rich bitches that live inside all those huge houses on the other side of the District would take more care to lock their doors (and windows) before they went out. Lucky for me, I found a house that left a window wide open - or at least open enough for a girl like me to slip through. It had been while since I had a legitimate shower and not just a thorough soak in the ocean and I could see the grime dripping off my body, gather on the floor (like oil gathers in disgusting black pools in the ocean), and then swirl down the sparkling silver drain at my feet. Just the shower alone was better than any place I had ever lived my entire life. And to be honest, it was ridiculously hard to leave.

I suppose that's why after I had wrapped my hair in a pink frilly towel, brushed my teeth with a standard issue "President Snow" toothbrush, and raided the medicine cabinet for any and every kind of prescription drug there was, I didn't just climb right back out the window. How could I? The place made me think that I was somehow in the Victor's Village and not just some nice house on the shore. The ceilings were high, the floors were shimmering hardwood, and every single appliance was stainless steel. Not to mention when I sat on the couch I could've sworn theses people had plucked a cloud out of the sky and had stuffed the red leather couch with it Never have I slept on something so comfortable.

I really hadn't even meant to fall asleep. So being brutally awakened by a screech hadn't exactly registered in my mind until I was jumping over the back of the couch to avoid getting knifed and flinging the towel off my head in order to climb out the window I came from. "Stay the fuck out you stupid street scum!" were the only words of substance I was able to catch before I raced around the edge of the house towards home. I wanted to cry as her words played through my mind. But since I'd given up on crying years ago I found myself laughing instead. Hard enough that after so many minutes of sprinting I had to collapse to the ground because I couldn't catch my breath. And I laughed and laughed, clutching my knees tight to my chest, rocking back and forth, biting into my knee to try and stifle the obnoxiously loud snorting and giggling and spluttering that was escaping from me. Tears fell down my face, but I refuse to acknowledge it. And then, after what seemed like hours of rocking back and forth on the dirty road, I brushed away the dampness from my face and stood, walking the rest of the way home in complete silence, my heart aching for more than just a simple joint.

When the boat, all weathered and disgusting, appeared in my line of sight that dangerous mix of hatred and depression started pulsing through my veins with each beat of my heart. (Today was just not my day.) The memories I had of my parents were slipping in and out of my conscious mind and each time the breeze danced through my hair I was reminded of all the nights I sat on the beach alone and let myself give into weakness - let myself cry and groan in agony. I could picture my bag of trinkets hidden inside my pillow case and feel the smooth shells on my fingertips and see my reflection in the spoon that had washed ashore when I was just 5 years old. Memories were crashing into me with as much force as a wave crashes into the shore. My hands trembled and quaked as the need to hold a joint between my teeth grew stronger and stronger within me and before I could even register my own movements, I was sprinting to the family garden.

I stayed there all day. My hair dried completely as the sun rose higher and higher in the sky and my worries (and frankly unwelcome feelings) evaporated into the ocean air. I was clean, I was alone, and I was higher than any seagull in the sky. Funny how drugs can do that. Numb your senses until you feel nothing but a sort of euphoria that keeps you smiling and giggling for hours on end, your mind unable to perceive fear, anger, and depression - only pure ecstasy. Maybe it's a bit unhealthy to have these daily "therapeutic sessions" for myself in order to rid my mind of the stresses that tangle around my throat and threaten to strangle me, but that sure as hell isn't the Vespoli way. That's not what mom and dad would tell me to do. "Make the smart choice, sweety." Ha! If I ever heard that come out of my parents' mouths I would know for sure they had been possessed. No, they preached very different morals. And who am I to defy my parents? So I pressed the joint to my lips and took another long drag, puffing the smoke out in rings that soared above my head ... and drifted slowly away.

I wake up to the sound of an unfamiliar voice. For a moment I cannot comprehend much of anything as I rouse slowly from the dream state I had been in only seconds ago. But then I sit up, rub my eyes, and as I look further down the beach, notice a figure that does not belong. And of course my first instinct is to worry (Are they here to steal? Here as a shady buyer? Here because they have been stalking me? Here to arrest us? Here to kill us?) But as I notice my siblings already gathering around the stranger, I feel myself relax. Friendly. And that kind of stranger is always welcome. I push myself off the ground and dust myself off before making my way down the beach, a few joints from earlier hidden in my pockets. When I am in range I can hear my siblings inquiring for a name and I grumble, stepping in quickly in order to undo the damage. "So, either of you going to use your manners and and offer the girl some of the damn product?" I say looking from Titanic to Liberum in what is supposed to be a scolding manner but feels more like just a plain old bitch face. I reach into my pocket and pull out a single joint, extending my hand in the girl's direction. "The name's Catalina, but you can call me Cat if you'd like."

Business smile. That's all I can muster. Not a genuine one, just the business one. It's unfair, I know, but the fact that this girl is probably a huge prospect forces me to judge her differently. No one just wanders out here without reason. And the reason is always drugs. And where I can sell some quality weed, I can gain some quality cash in exchange. "And my guess is you are here for a pick-up?"

Flicking fire
like saltwater into my eyes
You were one inch from the edge of this bed
I dragged you back
a sleepyhead, sleepyhead

Last Edit: Jan 1, 2014 17:33:49 GMT -5 by arx

"I run on the road, long before I dance under the lights."

semper
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Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis] Oct 24, 2013 8:58:10 GMT -5

Post by semper on Oct 24, 2013 8:58:10 GMT -5

It’s toward the evening and slightly chillier than I’d like it to be. Doesn’t matter, though; it’s just as tranquil as ever. The water laps up against the shore that’s still somewhat warm from the sun, leaving foamy lines each and every time it snakes up further and further toward the boat. The gulls are off in the distance, pecking at things and cawing, floating along the shallow surf and taking off in flight. How wonderful it would be to fly freely like that. Often I’ve dreamt of flying up there with them, wingtips touching the sky and streaking through the vibrant colors that often shaded the ocean’s horizon. I want to be like that, untethered by earthly bounds, soaring high enough to be close to the moon and—the… um… the sparkles in the sky, like twinkling embers. Whatever those are in the sky at night.

But I’m bound by gravity, forever cursed to tread along the earth with calloused feet.

It’s not such a bad thing, really; the nature that surrounds me on a daily basis is wonderful. The palm trees give their shade on the hot days, our garden yields some wonderful plants, the birds, the flowers, everything is just so grandeur and intricate. Even the things that wash up on shore sometimes are incredibly neat (particularly the driftwood that I find and make things out of) when you put them to good use. And our plants – they’re very good. I don’t dream about flying as much as I’d like to, so in order to feel that sort of hazy freedom I smoke a joint or two a day. Out of us triplets, honestly I believe I’m the one that uses up our stock the most. There isn’t really a time that I’m not high (even right now I’m reluctantly coming down from a good stupor) so it’s almost a constant euphoric fog that I walk around in.

I pull a lighter out from my pocket and spark a flame, putting it up against a new joint until it lights, taking a few breaths to really make sure it was lit. The end burns and soon I feel that oh-so familiar comfort of the drug effect taking over. Sticking it in my mouth I reach my arms out to stretch, groaning with the satisfaction of limber muscles. The chill of a sudden gust of wind sends goose bumps trailing down my arms and I rub my hands up and down them, trying to gain a bit of warmth from the friction until the temperature is doable. Of course, it’d probably help if I decided to ever wear a shirt, but there’s no chance of that happening.

The voices of my siblings alert me that there’s someone here. Who, I don’t know, but it’s about time the customer Davitt was telling me about arrived. Maybe it’s her out there now? I circle around to the other side of the marooned boat to see three of my siblings already greeting the stranger. A smile comes to my face and I hurry toward them, overhearing Cat already getting down to b—er , um, the job. Yeah, the job.

”Ah! You must be who Davitt was talking about.” I weasel my way between my siblings and grab a hold of the stranger’s shoulders, ducking down and placing a welcoming kiss on her cheek. ”So glad you came, love.” I let go of her and take a step back, glancing at Titanic and Liberum. ”I do have to, um… er… yes, what Cat said. Did Davitt ever mention how much we were giving out today? To her? Oh well! Doesn’t matter.” Turning back to the stranger I gesture with my free hand toward the boat and the garden. ”What’s ours is yours, even this little thing here if you want it.” Chuckling, I hold up the joint I’d been smoking before I heard of her arrival. ”Make yourself comfortable. I’m Hudson, by the way.”

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i hear the mountains calling me home

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OowoO

Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis] Oct 26, 2013 2:03:02 GMT -5

Post by Tom on Oct 26, 2013 2:03:02 GMT -5

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davitt v e s p o l i !

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_xxxxx

Work was extremely hard today to Davitt. It felt like the day was never going to end because he had deliveries all day long and got relayed messages from clients with their stupid change in plans and other things of that sort. He went here and there and all over town, when this happened most of the citizens of District 4 knew that Davitt was up to no good and some would try to chase him, but Davitt was the sneaky and most naïve one, being able to ignore those people and sneak around town out of those people's sight.

He had got home in a flurry of tiredness and wanting to maybe get a break in. Davitt had made it home and it was quiet, which was extremely rare for the house or well boat, so he thought nothing of it and went to his hammock that he had set up. He relaxed onto it getting the break he needed. His body relaxed as it was lifted to feel like floating on a cloud. This was his cloud nine. The feeling of floating was his favorite part, though if he was high and floating, that would make it even better.

Though he had fallen asleep, it was still interrupted by the family that he supported with being the delivery boy and making all contacts with clients. He would rather risk himself than his family, since they were what was important to him. Family always came first before his needs, though he felt unwanted always, since Hudson and Viotas had their relationship. He felt unwanted all the time now and so what does he do to solve the problem, he always just shakes it off.

The bad boy sibling got up and made his way to where the commotion was at. The room was loud with ruckus and Davitt covered his ears in annoyance. He said in annoyance, "Will all of you please keep it down!" That was until his eyes caught the site of a pretty girl who was in the room, she was familiar, maybe he saw her when one of the clients asked him if he could buy some of the good cannabis. The Ferry guy, right? He said someone else was gonna come pick it up. This must have been the someone else.

Davitt made his way to where he had the brown bag at and the ferry man told him to specifically put it in a brown paper bag. Davitt had put a little extra in because the Ferry man was a good customer of theirs. He paid well. Though Davitt felt like being nice today, since this was probably his last sale of the day.

Davitt made an appearance in the room now, since he had the stuff that was in the brown paper bag. Davitt's eyes made it onto the pretty woman. His voice rung out in the air, "Hello sweetie, you must be Tags I presume? The ferry man told me you were coming in his place, didn't know he would send someone so pretty to a place like this. Though you seem interested here, make yourself at home. I'm Davitt, Davitt Vespoli, the delivery boy of the house, I run the operations here basically." Davitt leaned down and kissed the girl's cheek like he does to most pretty girls. Then he walked over to Hudson and kissed his forehead and sat in between the two.

He smiled at Tags and then turned to Hudson giving him a face that says 'be quiet please while I do my business'. Davitt turned toward Tags and said calmly, "You know what Tags, You're a pretty girl, here I'll give you a 50% discount and a whole 'nother bag this size, just for your ferryman, he is one of our best customers, tell him it's a gift from me, sound good?" Davitt got up and went back to the other room and grabbed another bag. HE came back in the room and held out the bags for Tags. Davitt was feeling especially generous, so she better take it, this was a very rare opportunity coming from Davitt, he usually makes people pay more instead. Davitt turned towards Hudson and kissed him on the cheek for no particular reason, just because he could. Davitt was tired, but today, he felt wanted for once.

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BOOM SH△KALAKA

Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis] Oct 27, 2013 14:24:07 GMT -5

Post by L△LIA on Oct 27, 2013 14:24:07 GMT -5

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The city is packed in tight, a labyrinth of mismatched buildings and more people than I will ever manage to meet — secret hiding places and the constant promise that somewhere there will always be a whisper to strain my ear towards — but there's something about this family's home that begs my curiosity to join hands and go on an adventure. Maybe I've grown up too close to the ocean to appreciate it and now I take it for granted or it could be that water has always been too clean to catch my interest. Either way, the lazy quiet of the beach is rarely where my imagination wanders off to. Looking at the Vespolis' beached ship and this world they've made for themselves out where I thought there was nothing of particular interest makes me wonder about what else my tunnel vision might have been causing me to miss out on.

My gasping enthusiasm sends one guy tumbling from his hammock, nearly landing face-first on the ground before me. With a "well hello to you too" colored in annoyance and a confirmation that, "yes, we are the infamous and sometimes famous Vespolis," I feel my cheeks coloring with a hint of embarrassment and try to reel my all-too-obvious awe back in, reminding myself that I'm here as an associate of the legendary Ferry Man. As such, I should be dark, mysterious, and in possession of an intimidatingly cool kind of confidence. I manage to pick my jaw back up and for a moment I think I've rearranged my expression into a pretty decent imitation of Bastille's subtle calm, but then the Vespoli boy is laughing and I know I'm still the girl who stumbled up with a face as untamed as my curls. "Yes, we do actually live here, we're not sure, well at least I'm not sure how the boat ended up stranded, but it's here now and it's actually pretty cozy. And with the Ferry Man I will happily take that."

Before I can even stammer out a semblance of a reply, the paper bag has been whisked away out of my hands and I'm left standing awkwardly as he runs up to the ship to tuck it away within. Eyes once again roaming the steel leviathan rising up before me, the crook of my lips hitches itself back up with renewed amazement. I know Bast has some kind of fascination with building boats, but I've never understood beyond my enjoyment of accompanying him for a ride in his gondola — and that's really more about being with him than having anything to do with gliding down the gentle waters of the canals. Boats always seem like they're something made for leaving and I can't understand why someone like the Ferry Man would want anything else other than the incredible life of infamy and adventure he's already living. Until now, I had never realized that a boat could be something more than a vehicle for getting from one place to the next.

"Hey, why don't you join us? You don't have to smoke, but you can still hang out with us." He's back and pulling me into the hammock with him before I've refocused my attention, caught off guard and falling easily back into the cradle of netting with a gasp of surprise. There are worse things to be blindsided with than an invitation to lounge away beneath the color-cracked sky of a new evening, so I don't object, kicking my feet up like a giddy child. "Hey everyone this is.... um what's your name again?" I've never sat in a hammock before and suddenly I don't know how I've lived my life without one. We're floating in midair, swaying slightly on the breeze, and I curl my fingers into the gaps of the woven rope as a girl approaches before I can manage a reply to his question.

"So umm who is that girl?" She takes a final draw on her cigarette before dropping it to the ground and stamping the embers out, a kind of absent curiosity in her voice. It's not that this is a difficult question to answer. My name is Taggerty Eames, but everybody calls me Tags. I'm not really anyone yet, just some girl who thinks your ship is rad, but someday I'll be the kind of person whose name you won't have to ask because everyone will know. I'll be the infamous one and you'll be the girl with your jaw hanging open. Except one interruption seems to follow another here in a chain reaction of realization that there's a stranger in the Vespoli's midst and another girl has joined us before I can get a single syllable out.

Looking back and forth between her siblings with an expression harsh enough to make me feel that I'm not so far from the downtown backstreets I'm used to and an encounter with Bast's more usual business contacts — the gruff and intriguingly shady dogs of the underworld — the girl reaches into her pocket and retrieves a joint. "So, either of you going to use your manners and offer the girl some of the damn product?" Holding it out to me, my eyebrows rise up in response as I reach forward to accept. I've done my fair share of partying, slipping out my bedroom window on the regular to sneak into clubs to watch my friend Thea sing and play guitar or hitting up the parties that swell the abandoned warehouses of the District with scandal, so it's not her offer that catches my surprise, but her words: the product. "The name's Catalina, but you can call me Cat if you'd like." Her smile is shallow and I return it with distraction as I stare at the joint pinched between my fingers, nagged with certainty that this is more clue than party favor. "And my guess is you are here for a pick-up?"

I nod in affirmation — drop a bag off, pick a bag up, don't look in the bags, Tags — as yet another voice breaks into the conversation. "Ah! You must be who Davitt was talking about." Hands grasping my shoulders, he swoops down to kiss my cheek and that's all it takes to pull me away from thoughts of the little puzzle piece in my hand and return my attention back to the gathering ring of teenagers surrounding me. A startled squeak slips out of me in response before I can stifle it and I blush sunset pink in the wake of his unexpectedly affectionate greeting. "So glad you came, love." Love, he says and I don't feel crooked tonight, but I'm reminded of another mouth casually renaming me the same way a week ago and how I felt then. Something in my stomach twists at the thought, reminded that I still haven't been able to track down my mysterious accomplice from the Libertine's party, despite unmasking Icarus and memorizing the similarly easy slip of his voice.

The association trips me up, even as he withdraws and stumbles over his own words, as though giving a voice to my inner uncertainty of memory. "I do have to, um… er… yes, what Cat said. Did Davitt ever mention how much we were giving out today? To her? Oh well! Doesn’t matter." Knitting my brows together, I'm suddenly as lost outside of my head as I am within by the distracted flicker of my thoughts. It's too much to try to think about all at once — ideas of what Bast might be trusting me with inside all of the seemingly boring brown paper bags I deliver and retrieve for him; the implications of a joint and the word product; and why the nerves tangled in my belly still twist when a stranger calls me love, even if it's not the same voice I've been scouring the District for. "What’s ours is yours, even this little thing here if you want it." Pushing both Bastille and Icarus from my mind, I hold up the joint Cat gave me with a tilt of my head and a crooked grin, as though toasting with him. Already got it covered. "Make yourself comfortable. I’m Hudson, by the way."

Reaching out with my free hand to offer Hudson a handshake, my mouth is open with my thousandth attempt at saying nice to meet you, I'm Tags, when another voice drowns me out. "Will all of you please keep it down!" With silent words ghosting past my lips, it must almost look as though the chiding declaration came from my throat. I jump with surprise, my hand flailing through the air and my eyes going wide. In an atmosphere as laid-back as this one, shouting seems akin to gunshots and I don't know how to settle myself within this group when it's such a clash of attitudes. Usually on my errands for Bast I try to play my smiles down and cut to business with a sharply arched eyebrow, as though I'm a jaded old cat at this game who has seen it all and has better things to do afterward. That angle of pretend would seem out of place with the Vespolis, where even my combat boots feel a little too harsh for their vibe. However, I don't know how to be a casual badass amongst the beach bum set, so it seems I'm stuck being sixteen and slightly out of place today.

When the true owner of the booming voice walks up, something has altered his mood between overhearing all of us and seeing me. "Hello sweetie," the sudden switch to terms of endearment causes the air to get caught in my throat and I can't help my sputtering cough of surprise, "you must be Tags I presume? The ferry man told me you were coming in his place, didn't know he would send someone so pretty to a place like this." If I was pink in response to Hudson's hello, I must be flushed fully red by now. My friend Caly is the kind of gorgeous that might get offended if you don't compliment her, but I've never been that girl. Even when Bast sends a few words of flattery my way accompanied by that sly smile of his, I just wind up deflecting it as if it's little more than a sarcastic form of teasing. I grew up next to Caly, so I've always known what a pretty girl looks like and people could say a lot of things about me (well aren't you just looking devastatingly dangerous today, Miss Taggerty), but that's one I think I'll always struggle to take seriously, knowing well that I'm far more of a crude oddball than a beauty queen. "Though you seem interested here, make yourself at home. I'm Davitt, Davitt Vespoli, the delivery boy of the house, I run the operations here basically."

Davitt leans in to kiss my cheek just like Hudson did and I'm glad I'm sitting down, because I don't know how Caly survives this kind of thing every day. Any moment now I'm going to blush myself to death or at least fall over and cause myself even more embarrassment, but this kind of hello must just be the everyday mundane for her and the boys she encounters. "You know what Tags, you're a pretty girl," I could seriously just die right now, just absolutely die from not knowing what to do with myself, "here I'll give you a fifty percent discount and a whole 'nother bag this size, just for your ferryman, he is one of our best customers, tell him it's a gift from me, sound good?" He dips out for a moment and then he's back with a brown paper bag in each hand, holding them out to me before I can even ask: Fifty percent discount on what? Best customer for what?

My curiosity is burning more wickedly than the tip of Hudson's blunt, but I don't ask. It's a matter of trust and respect. Nearly every day I'm off to one place or another in the District, picking up and dropping off nondescript brown paper bags on behalf of the Ferry Man. Bastille doesn't want me to know what kind of cargo I carry and I won't look — just the same as I won't ask right now, even though the solution to my conundrum is dancing out in the open tonight and I get the feeling that the Vespolis would answer me without hesitation — because that would be a kind of betrayal. I'd rather have Bast in my life than the contents of a paper bag I'm suddenly beginning to think might not be so boring as I've always assumed after all. Tucking Cat's joint behind my ear for safekeeping, I maneuver my rucksack off my shoulder, opening it up so I can tuck Davitt's offering away inside. "Sounds great," I still can't look him in the eyes after his onslaught of spontaneous affection and compliments, but smile brightly with my sights trained on his nose instead. "I'll be sure to pass your gift along, thanks."

I feel like a strange sort of intruder nestled in amongst this closely knit family and all of their cheek kissing, but the hammock is unbelievably comfortable, the sky above us exploding with color, the air warm with the tangy scent of Hudson's weed, and I don't want to leave just yet. Maybe I'm out of my element, but I'm not about to turn down the promise of a new life experience, so I turn my attention back to the Vespolis who had originally greeted me. "Tags," I say simply as I point at myself in a belated and now unnecessary answer to their earlier questions about who I am, a smirk stretched out lazily across my lips. ~~The real underlying explanation is that I'm a bit of a smartass~~. Now that I've found an opening to get a word or two in, I'm not entirely sure what to say, but somehow I get the feeling that particulars aren't so important here and I relax a little more instead of getting wound up in nerves.

"You're all very..." My voice trails off for a moment and I spot the first hint of stars in the darkening sky. "Not what I expected." Amusement tinges my words as I think back to the assorted types of business associates I've encountered before: one-eyed men, women with peg legs, pirates, whores, nigh club owners, junkies, and thieves. I pull my voice down to a scandalous sort of whisper and lean toward the Vespolis as though divulging a secret. "You're not exactly the kind of people I'm used to doing business with." Laughter thrums light-heartedly in my chest and I slip the joint out from behind my ear. "I didn't catch all of your names earlier, but I bet you've all got one. I'd also be willing to bet that at least one of you must have a light?" I hold the unlit joint out, despite having at least three packs of matches squirreled away within the pockets of my rucksack, because tonight isn't about what I have to offer the moment. It's just about the moment, these people, and all the things I've been missing out on without ever even knowing they existed.

you won't believe what I've seen
m o m m a
there's a fire inside, there's a storm on the rise
it's in the air that we breathe
m o m m a

( C H A R A C T E R S )

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Run Free // [Tags + Vespolis] Nov 26, 2013 22:44:02 GMT -5

Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2013 22:44:02 GMT -5

I am enjoying what at least, used to be a very quiet night now that the only about half of the family has shown up. All except Viotas was here, who is usually glued to Hudson's side. No matter, no matter she's bound to show up sooner or later. I tell himself as I watch the young lady next to me get bombarded by his family and himself. It's quite normal to get caught off guard when it's ones first trip to the Vespoli boat. Especially when someone pulls her into my hammock without giving her a chance to respond. The rope carries us above the ground as we lift and fall with the breeze. It’s as if we have become part of the breath of the world. It’s almost like the one on my crow’s nest, but I can never get that height from the ground. But she never has the chance to respond anyways as one by one the Vespoli's all clamor over her. I love my family to death but they can often be bereft of social graces when being first introduced to someone and I admit I'm often guilty of it as well. We treat everyone like our best friends, due to our laid back attitudes and way of living and often forget that people in such a Career ruled District aren’t used to our way of life.

The sky is a like a painters palette full of purple, pink and orange hues all mixing as the sun starts to set, putting an end to the current day. It is my favorite part of the day because it's usually so peaceful and relaxing and it creates such beautiful colors that can only be found in nature. Those machine dyed paints don’t quite capture it’s beautiful significance. I wish we owned one of those things that take pictures, I forget the name but it would be useful just about now. The scene would be perfect, all of us hanging around the fire with the one girl just a little off guard as she starts to acclimate into her new settings. It would be so peaceful and romantic, just like a daydream.

Though unfortunately, tonight is not a night of daydream as reality sinks in and my family starts to bombard this newcomer with their antics. Titanic is the first to appear, asking with a laid back drawl, "So umm who is that girl?" as she takes a final whiff of her current smoke and stomps it out in the warm grainy sand. Most people would argue that Titanic is too young to be smoking at only 15. However our parents told us that we could basically do whatever the hell we want; so why not let her smoke? Besides we all usually get what we want when it comes to drugs, booze, and other things of the sort. I also smell the fresh Vodka on her breath again we don't care if she drinks, just as long as it's around the boat. “Hey if you have any more Vodka, give it here and don't hog it all.” I barely manage to call out as the sounds of everyone grow louder and louder

Catalina is next to appear, joint in hand, with her usually face of resentment and the usually bitchiness that courses throughout her entirety. This is going to sound bad but I wish she could get away from here. Not because I hate her anything of the sort, but because I know she’ll be much happier when she finally leaves here. She grumbles as she offers the young stranger a joint and introduces herself. You seems so unhappy here. Please go be free and be happy. I tell Cat in my head, hoping that we could have some sort of secret telepathic conversation. I know that she secretly wants to be away from here, though all the laughing makes no sense at all. However the girl openly accepts the joint as Hudson quickly follows as he wedged himself into the fray. “Ah! You must be who Davitt was talking about.” He exclaimed as he planted a kiss right on her cheek. Which answers Cat’s question about the pickup. It’s his usual warm welcome that we all have become used to, but it throws off the guest about as he rattles on about how much Davitt is supposedly giving and twisting around like the loveable dork that I think of him as. Especially when he says, “So glad you came, love.”

“Just be lucky that Viotas wasn’t here to hear you call another girl love, Hud.” I jokingly say as I playfully give him a quick shove. “Besides I found her first. Or more appropriately she found me.” He chuckles as he goes on saying “What's ours is yours even this little thing here if you want it. Make yourself comfortable. I'm Hudson, by the way.” He holds up the little rolled up stub of what’s left of his joint to with our lovely guest holds up the joint she just accepted from Cat. She offers Hudson a handshake and tries to open her mouth to say something until she’s interrupted again by Davitt’s booming voice commanding us to be quite.

Apparently he was sleeping somewhere in the bowels of our property because he came with his ears covered. He notices her and immediately grabs the other brown paper bag and gives it to her. You can smell the drugs coming out of there, Davitt seems excited about this I think as she accepts the bag, still sitting comfortably next to me. He leans down and kisses her cheek as he introduces himself to her, calling himself the “delivery boy” of the house. I guess that term is applicable, even though he’s more of the main head of the house; running the business and making sure we’re all taking care of.

She accepts his offer and tucks her joint in her ear, pulling her hair back and revealing her amazing bone structure and a face that made her look mature for her age. High cheek bones and almost perfectly slanted eyebrows frame her sea gray eyes, and her jawline forms a strong shape, resembling a square of sorts. This is accented by her wide thin lips that are still inviting to the others. However her youth shows when she can’t look Davitt in the eyes, “Sounds great,” she replied. “I’ll be sure to pass your gift along, thanks,” she sounds a little bit timid, but who isn’t around him? He’s the master of brooding. She turns to me so that she may finally introduce herself, even though I think someone said her name before. “Tags” she states again with as a smirk creeps slowly across her lips.

She finally has a chance to the floor and she thinks about what to say. It’s as if she’s choosing her trying carefully to choose her words without insulting. "You're all very... Not what I expected." Her words trail off in mid-sentence as she gazes at the sky. I follow her sight and noticed that the stars are starting to dance across the night sky as they make their first appearance. I almost miss her next words because I’m staring at the sky. The only why I know she’s about to talk is because the weight in the hammock shifts forward and again I almost fall out.

"You're not exactly the kind of people I'm used to doing business with." She says in a playful and seductive whisper. A laugh soon follows as she shifts her weight again in the hammock, which I am prepared for this time. She pulls out her joint and simply states, "I didn't catch all of your names earlier, but I bet you've all got one. I'd also be willing to bet that at least one of you must have a light?" I respond by simply pulling out the lighter that I always keep in my back pocket of my ripped and faded jeans. Putting the light under joint I simply light it, igniting the joint and respond with “Liberum Ventorum is the name, you can just call me Lib. And Davitt I put her delivery by the front door. Now top your sexy brooding and come join us!” I say the last part a tad sarcastically, though it is pretty sexy. I’ll never him that nor anyone for that matter.

[ooc – I’m so sorry that this took so long school has just been a pain in the ass the past couple of months]