Manhattan, New York

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effy.
Outfit

※ Mood: Nervous - Hopeful - Skittish
※ Listening To: Alive - Pearl Jam
※ With: No one
※ Dialogue Colour: #BD3C3C

Effy was rushing frantically around trying to pull herself together and get to Towers on time. She really didn't want to hold her sister up or be late, she was doing her such a huge favour in helping her leave home without living alone and she didn't want to make her sister regret that. The fresh start was literally Effy's life line at the minute and she wasn't prepared to risk it or risk upsetting Emily either. There was no one in Effy's life who was more important to her than her big sister, she rarely admitted it but Emily had to know that. Effy had always looked up to her about absolutely everything, gone to her for advice and help- she completely idolised her which is why today, she was determined not to let her down and ruin the first day of her second chance.

Her phone vibrated in the pocket of her coat and she quickly fished it out to check the message in case it was important.

To Emily:

I'm so sorry sis, I'm two minutes away, I won't be long. Taxi driver over charged and dropped me off like a quarter of a mile away!

She rapidly sent the message and continued charging down the street in her heeled Chelsea boots, praying she'd make good time. It really meant the world to her being here right now and she wanted her sister to know she was serious about starting again- starting fresh, she'd keep dancing but in a healthy, positive mind-set. That was the little dream she'd developed in her head and it's how things had to work out or she'd never be trusted to move out properly and with all the tension between her and her parents, there was no way she could stand being at home any longer. She was starting to get too old for that as well, which seemed like the least important of her reasons to leave.

Her earphone fell out of her ear as she made a swift turn on the corner of the street and rushed up to the gates to meet her sister, she was so, so, so nervous but she'd never been so excited either. It seemed like a whole new world being in New York and she didn't even think she could cope thinking about all the opportunities there'd be for a dancing career out here. She couldn't even begin to wonder.

This was going to be good for her, it had to be and she prayed it would be.

She owed it to Emily to make this work and for that reason, she would.

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effy.
Outfit

※ Mood: Elevated - Hopeful - Nervy
※ Listening To: Alive - Pearl Jam
※ With: Elizabeth {Sister}
※ Dialogue Colour: #BD3C3C

"Em!" Elizabeth cried out wrapping her small arms around her sister tightly and holding on like she didn't know how to go to let go for just a moment. She'd missed her sister so badly whilst the two had been separated and it was genuinely quite a big moment for Effy reunited with her again. She rest her head on her shoulder for a long moment before they pulled away and Effy smiled at her happily.

The use of the word 'small' lingered on the front of Effy's mind for a moment but she shook her head at herself and forced it away. She was happy, she wasn't going to think about all of that right now.

"I missed you too Em," She uttered lightly looking up at her sister with a childish grin. She laughed at the comment on her muscles and beamed at her before teasing; "My muscles? I'm not sure about. I reckon we should arm wrestle to test it," She joked always playful and challenging like she had been since they were children. "Uh-huh, I'm kind of cold so let's get inside," She agreed refusing to give her sister a choice but to link arms with her as she tossed her arm around her sister's and whilst laughing a little, led her up to the door with a small spring in her step.

She was overjoyed to have her sister with her and not just because if she hadn't, she'd have been made to move back home. She thought Emily would like the city and she could only hope she liked it as much as Effy had come to but she was sure she was, there was so much out there in this town.

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Jay woken up early that morning. Early as in before the sun, which was weird considering he had only rolled into bed only a few hours earlier after spending the night out drinking with an old friend who lived in the city. Celebrating Jay’s reluctant and temporary move to the city. Which he was already regretting, the noise, car horns, and people were doing no favours for his hangover. However, he couldn’t get himself to go back to sleep so he got up out of bed and went for a walk, a long one, hoping to wander across something different from the concrete and graffiti. Unfortunately he didn’t find anything that made him excited about his prolonged stay.

He got back to his apartment and sighed at his completely empty apartment. He had been living here for three days now and had not gotten around to unpacking. It was pathetic really, he hadn’t even been doing anything. He been to a couple of meet ups to meet the people he would be working with for his shoots, but he hadn’t actually begun work. Plus it wasn’t even as if he had much to unpack, since he was always moving around her couple months or so he didn’t keep that much and packed lightweight. Anything of sentimental value that he didn’t really need was gathering dust in his Aunt Mag’s old wood shed.

Jay decided that today was not his day to unpack though, instead sat in the corner of his empty living room and started playing a few bars on his old guitar. The guitar was very old and was his Aunt Mags’ old one that she still had from her younger years as a lead guitarist in a girl rock band. It was black, and still had a few stripes and lightning bolts painted on it in purple nail polish, it also was filled with a billion dints, chips and scratches. Mags had always offered to get him a new one, but Jay liked the old slightly girly one, it had character. He didn’t play anything particularly exciting or tough, he just mindlessly played through a few tunes and melodies that he knew off by heart and had played to death.

He played for an hour or so before he was distracted by his stomach growling. Realising the amount of time he had spent awake and the only thing he had consumed that day had been a black coffee he decided to head out at get some sort of instant noodles or frozen meal to reheat. Considering he had been yet to stock his fridge or cupboards with any edible. Frustrated at himself for not having food, and forcing him back out into the busy city, he shoved on his jacket and headed out to hallway.

That’s when he ran into a blonde girl carrying boxes too high for her too see over. Though a better description of the event was that she ran into him while he tried to duck away from her. He sighed angrily, and clicked his tongue. It wasn’t really her fault, he was just already in a bad mood. He really hated the city, everyone was so busy going on their own way they never stopped to look out for other people.

"I am so sorry. Are.. are you alright, sir?" The girl asked, her eyes big. Jay couldn’t help but notice that she was pretty cute, though she didn’t look anything like his type. Jay always found himself in commitment-free relationships with girls named things like Thorn and River, who had dyed black hair, multiple facial piercings and were arty and all ‘deep’.

“Not a sir,” Jay replied gruffly. He had being called sir or mister. He lived in a world of informality, being given any form of title made him feel like people expected something different of him then they would if he was a teen in high school still.

"I'm really sorry." She continued, smiling apologetically.

Sighing, Jay frowned realising he couldn’t be a dick to a girl who could smile so apologetically and innocently. Even if he was in a crap mood and only wanted to brush everyone off. “It’s fine. Really.” Well, that was his idea of ‘not mean.’ He noticed a few things had fallen out of her box, and he even bent down and picked them up for her placing them in her box for her since her hands were full. How Gentlemanly? His Aunt Mags would be proud. “Oh, you play?” Jay asked, noting a sheet of guitar chords in her box of stuff.

The sheer white curtains billowed as the breeze flew into the small apartment; the birds outside sang bright cheery songs, almost beckoning Shae to awake from her slumber. But, alas, it is not the breeze, or the birds, that wake the young girl. As she flips over in her bed, her cat Caleb drives his paw into her cheek, letting out an annoying 'meow'. The brunette's eyes spring open, and she lets out a yelp.

"OWW... F***...." The girl groans, reaching out and grabbing the cat, cuddling him close to her chest. Caleb lets out another annoyed meow, struggling to escape Shae's grip. She could feel his claws digging into her nightshirt as she trapped him in her arms.

"No, nugget! This is what you get for waking me up!" She bites his ear gently and then pulls away, looking in his deep brown eyes. Caleb reply with a blank stare, and then follows up with a hiss.

"Damn cat..."

After a moment, she releases him and he runs towards the edge of the bed; turning around, he pops a squat, eyes glazed over with intent.

With a grumpy groan, Shae begins rubbing her face violently for a moment, as if she could scrub the sleepiness away. Grabbing her phone, she checks the time.

8 am...

The bookstore didn't open till ten and Nancy - her boss - was always late anyway, so Shae had at least an hour and a half to kill at best.

"Too early..." She mutters, pulling the covers away; as she does so, Caleb jumps down and runs over, rubbing against her legs. Stumbling over to her dresser she grabs an oversized hoodie and throws it over herself. Her bare feet stomp across the hardwood floor as she stumbles to the kitchen. It was mornings like these she was glad she didn't have any roommates. She was free to walk with no pants on and nobody would say shit; and if people walked in, that was their problem.

As Shae enters her kitchen she notices that Caleb's bowl is empty, "No wonder you're grumpy..."

With a large sigh, Shae runs a hand through her dark curls and then opens up the fridge, pulling out a can of cat food.

"Shit smells... You're lucky I love you." She grunts at Caleb as she opens the container and plops it into his bowl.

"Coffee!!!" Shae states as she swings open the cabinet and grabs a mug. As Shae started up the Keurig, she began to stare it for a moment... Her parents had given this to her as a gift for her new apartment, it worked well... But it was really expensive, and she probably would've been fine just making coffee by .the one cup filters instead. But her parents were materialistic and thinks the more expensive the gift, the better it is...

Snapping out of her own thought process, Shae sits down with her coffee at the island in the kitchen, opening up her daily planner, checking her schedule for the day.

"Let's see... Uh... Work... then I have to get groceries... NOOOO.... UUUGGGHH." She rests her head on the table, "I hate the grocery store..."

But, being on her own meant that she had to be responsible... For groceries, and stuff...

After a bunch of unidentified grumbling, Shae made herself a bagel with cream cheese, and a scrambled egg, for breakfast. A little more awake now, she skips over to the couch and plops herself down. Placing her food, and coffee, down on the table, she reaches underneath the couch and pulls out a box. Inside the box is a jar of weed, a lighter, a string of hemp wick, and a bowl. Packing up the bowl, she turns on the tv and shifts through the channels and finally lands on the new show "I Am Cait" and kicks her feet up on the table.

"Good morning indeed..." She smiles to herself as her cat comes and sits on the couch with her and she lights up the bowl.

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effy.
Outfit

※ Mood: Nervous - Hopeful - Excited
※ Listening To: N/A
※ With: Elizabeth
※ Dialogue Colour: #BD3C3C

Effy was in the process of carrying some clothes over to the washing basket when she heard her sister knocking on the door asking for aid, so Effy wobbled over not so graciously struggling under the mountain of clothes and did her best to open the door with elbow before stumbling away to try and get rid of the pile as quickly as possible. "Sorry Em- laundry," She called from the kitchen cross open plan dining room, laughing slightly as she did her best to navigate around furniture with the pile so terribly blocking her view but she made it and crammed the pile into the washing machine and set it up to do a quick wash.

"Hey, I'm sorry it's not amazingly tidy in here or anything and I know it's all boho and crap which is more me than you but I've been at a lot more dance classes lately so I don't have much time for house work- plus I hate it," Effy told her very honestly, smiling sheepishly at her sister as she walked back out into the hall. "But what it lacks in coordination and style, it makes up for with character and cosiness," She argued, trying to justify the very 'hippie' like why she'd furnished the place with beautiful rugs in most rooms and vintage style furniture. The bedroom door was open, exposing Effy's weakness for fairy lights because even through just the crack of the door you could see evidence of the many strings and sets of lights she'd got set up in there. "You were always the more stylish sister anyway so you can sort me out," She shrugged with a laugh. You could see nervousness radiating off Effy, it was almost sweet how desperate she was to have her elder sister's approval and to impress her- it was important to Elizabeth. It was really important everything went perfectly- she cared at the end of the day, about her sister, about the city, apart her apartment and her life out here and her sister's new life out here, she wanted the best for them both and you could see that in everything she did.

"If you're hungry there might be something in the fridge or the cupboards but I really need to go shopping- I've been procrastinating that but I'll go tonight or this evening," She rambled trying to stop herself before she wound her sister up but not quite able to help herself but to find flaws in everything she knew and try to redeem herself for them with justifications and words.

• Mood
  Stoned/Lethargic
• Location:
  Apartment
• With
  Her cat Caleb
• Currently:
  Watching Oprah

As Shae slumped on the couch, she continued to flip through the channels, landing on a rerun of Oprah. Oprah's white smile was plastered on the screen as she greets the audience. Oprah was one of those women Shae could never truly wrap her head around. In this weeks episode, Oprah was trying to help a couple who's child had been going through leukemia. Oprah had given the couple money and offered the family a new upgrade on their house to make more room for the baby.

Oprah was rich beyond her wildest dreams... It was insane...

The woman was a genius, no doubt, she practically had the ability to cure a broken man with her phlegm... Her background, the advice she had, her poise and what she stood for always seemed to capture the hearts of millions...

Shae blankly stared at the TV, wondering if it was all set up... What if the beautiful image we had made Oprah to be wasn't who she was at all. What if she was the face of a greater cause? Merely a puppet...

Letting out a groan, she began rubbing her eyes and she clicked off the TV. Caleb immediately jumped up and she grabbed him quickly, lifting him up.

"SIMBAA!" She begins to giggle, and cuddles him until he struggles and jumps out of her arms.

Stalking over to the bathroom Shae brushes her teeth, getting ready for the day ahead.

Mind you, days never seemed promising to Shae, she saw them as robotic... But she trucked on, because at least she was on her own and doing her own thing.

Stepping out the shower, Shae throws a towel around herself and makes her way to her bedroom. She chooses an oversized creamy, white sweater and a pair of light blue skinny jeans. After shimmying into her clothes, she dries her hair and gets ready for work. She grabs her small backpack, packing a journal, a sketch book, her wallet, and keys.

"Hey, dude, i'm heading out." She turns to Caleb and he walks over, rubbing against her legs for a moment and then darts towards his bed.

"See you after work." She says as she walks out the door, locking it behind her.

"Uh.. yeah. I'm a band director, so it's kind of mandatory I know most instruments." The girl said, laughing to herself.

Jay raised his eyebrows and smiled he was impressed. "Band, director, that's kind of cool."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I kinda need to set these down, so.." She gave a Jay a smile before continuing down the hallway. "I guess I'll see you around then."

"Yeah sure," Jay replied shrugging as he continued on his way to the corner sure just a block or too away from the apartment complex. As he stood in the noodle section debating whether he wanted chicken or oriental flavoured noodles. he thought about the blonde woman he had met. It would be cool having another music lover in the building. Plus it didn't hurt that she was very attractive. He decided on chicken and after the pimply teenager scanned the noodles, he fished the coins he needed from the his leather jacket's pocket. He always kept coins in his jacket. It was like a piggy back he could take with him anywhere. Jay hated using a card, he preferred dealing with solid cash.

"Have a good night!" The cashier called after him, as Jay walked out into the crisp night air.

Pulling a cigarette from his pocket, Jay lit it up, taking a long drag before walking back his apartment. The city was just as detestable during the night. Lights on everywhere, party music and noise booming in the distance from every angle, and the faint sound of a police siren. He couldn't even see the stars when he looked up. "Fucking city smog," Jay mumbled to himself, taking another drag from his cigarette. Stargazing had been on of his favourite activities pre-city living.

Arriving at his apartment building he stamped out his cigarette butt and headed up to his apartment. Stopping at the door to unlock it, he noticed the a woman coming out of his neighbouring apartment. "See you after work." She said into her apartment, closing the door behind her.

"Boyfriend?" Jay asked, not really caring about the whether the girl had a boyfriend, more concerned with how loud their late night bedroom activities were going to get. The walls in this place were paper thin. It was a reasonable concern too, because one time during a shoot Jay was stuck staying in a place that was neighbours with a couple that enjoyed being kinky and loud in the bedroom. It was indefinite one of his top ten worst experiences.

[OOC - Could we talk about what time it is? I feel a little lost without an official "time"? -Sincerely ~Chaos~ ]




As she was locking her door, Shae's thoughts turned to her late night shift... The thought of being around drunken men in their forties trying to pinch her ass and 'put the moves' on her made her boil. She growled under her breath... In fact, Rooty Tooties almost fired her because this guy tried to grab her and she almost broke the man's arm...

She stretches out her arms, letting the sleeves of her sweater fall over her hands as she turned to walk; she makes a clicking noise with her tongue as her thoughts ran about work, and how much she hated it. Shae usually just felt like a wandering soul going through the motions...

"Boyfriend?" A young man's voice interrupts her thoughts.

The brunette stops dead in her tracks, letting out a surprised laugh, "What?" Last time she checked she was single... The girls eyes flit this way and that trying to figure out what he meant as she turned on her heels to face him.

"Oh! The... one i was talking to?" Her hand flies over her mouth with a giggle, "That's uh..Caleb... My cat..." She pushes her hair behind her ear as she bites her lip.

F***...Now he was going to see her as the crazy cat neighbor... Her and Caleb had fights but usually it was him scratching her because she wouldn't give up the toys. Or she would taunt him with her fingers.

Her eyes flicker back up to him and she gently itches her nose, avoiding her nose ring as she does so. Her eyes flicker down to her worn jeans and her black high top converse with the neon pink laces.

“What?” The girl responded looking around, clearly confused. Jay didn’t really help ease her confusion though, he knew he had an abrupt and blunt manner, but he really wasn’t one for overly chit chats. He prefers to get straight to the point of things, beating around the bush wasn’t something he ever really understood. Why bother? “Oh!, The one I was talking to?” She said swallowing a giggle.

“Yeah?” Jay responded shrugging as shoved his key into the lock of his apartment, wriggling it around. Not really understanding the confusion, he felt it was a pretty straight forward question to ask.

“That’s uh.. Caleb. My cat.” She explained, looking for than a little awkward, and Jay now understood why.

“Oh, cool. They let you keep a cat here?” Jay said simply, brushing over the fact she had been talking to her cat, like it was an alive person. What other people did never really bothered Jay, everyone was just out to live their own lives. In his mind people could do what they liked, and they needed no judgement from him. Plus his Aunt had a cat she treated like a house husband, so he was more than used to abnormal relationships with pets. “If it was your boyfriend, I was just going to ask you to keep it down at night, if you know what I mean.” Jay explained, he didn’t really care what this girl thought of him, but he didn’t want rumours of him being a nosey neighbour going around. People might actually start to think he cared.

Then Jay turned his attention back to his apartment door, which was apparently jammed. His swore under his breath, it was doing this yesterday and it was starting to get on his nerved. He took a step back and whilst leaning his weight on the door he gave it a well-placed kick and it swung open. He mentally debated what was worse. Having to kick open his door every day for the few months he was planning on staying, or having to contact the building advisor and go through the inevitable socialisation that followed.

After opening the door he took a step inside his place before he turned around to face his new neighbour again. "What breed are they?" He asked, referring to her cat, though he wasn't one to specify. He was suddenly curious though. His Aunt was a cat lover, so unfortunately he knew a little more about cats than he really wanted to. Especially considering he had no plans on getting now. Jay was pretty sure he was going to be alone forever, he didn't need a cat to prove it. Plus he was barely able to keep himself alive, let's not push it by adding an animal.

“I’m Jay by the way.”

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“Oh, cool. They let you keep a cat here?” The guy asks, seeming to let the whole her 'being addicted to her cat' thing slide right past him. Shae straightens up for a minute, the question boggling her mind... Had she ever gotten permission?

"Kinda..." She mutters after some thought; she had never really gotten permission to bring Caleb in, but they never said anything about NOT allowing pets. So, being her smart ass self, Shae brought Caleb with her anyway. She wasn't about to give up the pride and joy of her lame life.

Once again, the boy broke her thoughts, “If it was your boyfriend, I was just going to ask you to keep it down at night, if you know what I mean.”

Shae let out a sharp laugh, the thought of her having a boyfriend...

No, no, no... The brunette shakes her head and her wavy hair cascades over her face, covering her pained smile. She had sworn off relationships since the last person she loved let her high and dry. Shae ultimately made the decision that she wasn't going to attempt to put her emotions on the line like that for just anyone.. Besides, it's not like she was really planning to stay here in this place for that long... Why would she bother even trying to start anything with anyone? Her vibrant green eyes flicker back over to the boy as he was struggling with the door.

"Here...Let me..." The door swung open and he turns to face her as he resides in the doorway.

"What breed are they?" He asks, his curiosity perks up.

"Oh, Iunno..." Shae shrugs, "I rescued the bastard from freezing out on the streets of Chicago...Found him near Caleb's Bar and Grill... Thus the name."

“I’m Jay by the way.”

Jay... She kind of liked that name, it rhymed with hers.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Jay... My name's Shae."

Not that it was making her day to meet this kid, but Shae believed in being polite. The mild conversation between the two of them was merely superficial. She could tell that their interest in each other was just the fact that they had stumbled across each other in the hallway.