forum OxO anyone???

Started October 21, 2022 by @CaseyJ group

tune

Yeah that would work.

Sounds good to me. How do you think they'd meet?

Hm, Carter could easily be leaving someones house and physically bump into him.

Yeah that's fine. Would you want to start? I have to go to work so it might be a little bit before I can respond

Actually, I might not respond for like 12 hours. I don't get on during the weekend.

Alright, I can try and get something up on my break then maybe

Nathaniel took off his hat with a soft sigh and looked down at the flimsy thing in his hands. It was black, the brim slightly tattered from wear, and it had a tag on it with his name. He didn't especially like wearing hats, but he had to wear this one for work. Now that he was sixteen and still on the streets, he had gotten a job so he could afford to buy food instead of stealing it, and so he could save up to get some cheap place to live. Working at a coffee shop wasn't the greatest (he didn't like coffee, after all), but the customers and his coworkers seemed to like him, and he needed that bit of positive reinforcement in his life.

He hummed thoughtfully, wondering what his future might hold as he stared down at the hat, but he was jarred from his daydreaming when he bumped into somebody on the sidewalk.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention where I was going…"

(Feel free to write less than this aha, just doing the starter)

Carter had came around a corner, looking behind him one last time. He had lost the person following him, not without having things thrown at him. Not that he wasn't used to it. But now he had a new cut on his face.
He focused on lighting the cigarette he held between his lips. But his lighter wouldn't light. Then he bumped into someone and fell, because he's a cricket clutz. He looked up at the person. "Uh neither of us were paying attention so were both at fault" he half shrugged, then went back to struggling with the lighter.

Nathaniel hurriedly shoved his hat into his hoodie pouch and helped Carter to his feet. Something about him made Nathaniel shudder a bit upon touching him, but he shrugged it off and shook his head a bit to regain his bearings. It was obvious enough that he was an angel since he had no way of hiding his wings, and there were enough unusual people here that most wouldn't bat an eye at seeing wings. Being an angel rather than an avian was still a bit uncommon, though.

"I still apologize… ah! You're bleeding!" Nathaniel paled and flustered, his wings puffing up. Clearly he felt responsible for this injury, however minor, and he looked around as though expecting to see some kind of first aid kit conveniently laying on the sidewalk.

"Yeah, Some chick got mad I tricked her into giving me her lightee, but I did ask if I could have it" he shrugged after standing up. "Nothing to do with you, luckily I don't scar easily…anymore" the cut was already slowly healing. "Woulda matched my ear tho" he pointed at his ear that had a slit in it. he suddenly threw the lighter on the ground and started rummaging through his pockets.

"Ah-" Nathaniel blinked a couple times, stalled as he watched the wound slowly start to heal. Sure, there were plenty of supernatural people here, but not many had healing abilities. He shook his head again and rummaged through his bag until he found a bandaid. He tore the packaging open, his hands trembling a bit, and then carefully placed it on Carter's cheek. "There… it'll help it stay clean while it heals, anyway."

"Huh- oh… Thanks… Bird guy?" He wasn't really paying attention as he rummaged through his pockets. He pulled out his other lighter and lit the cigarette, making sure the smoke didn't blow in Nathaniel's facd.

"Ah… no problem." Nathaniel replied softly, deciding not to correct Carter. He was better off with Carter assuming he was an avian anyways. He shuddered a little at the smell of the smoke despite Carter's efforts to keep it out of his face, which he appreciated nonetheless. "I'm… uh… Nathaniel, by the way." He said awkwardly. God, I should just go… I doubt this guy wants to talk to me.

"I'm Carter. Uh nice to meet you?" He was tapping his free hand against his leg absently, his inability to sit still often gave others the impression that he was bored or uninterested in a conversation.

"Nice to meet you too, Carter." Nathaniel swallowed nervously and looked away, drawing his wings closer to himself. "Um… I work at the coffee shop back there, I can… I can get you something, if you want?" He offered.

"Hm, an actual drink that's not just whatever nonalcoholic drinks under the counter, sure" he said with full seriousness.

"Um… right." Nathaniel replied, visibly nervous. He wasn't old enough to drink on earth, of course, so his experience with alcohol was limited. He'd had wine when he was younger, of course, but never much at a time. "Let's go, then. What kind of drinks do you like?" He asked as he began to lead the way. "I like sweeter stuff, usually… coffee is sorta bitter for my tastes, and caffeine makes me suuuper jittery."

"caffeine is probably bad for me, but I prefer bland drinks, not that it tastes the same anymore," he muttered the last part, finishing off his cigarette and replacing it with a toothpick he had as he followed Nathaniel.

Nathaniel shrugged and yawned, pushing open the door of the little coffee shop. He waved to his coworkers, who looked confused for a moment considering he had just left, and then smirked at him upon seeing an unfamiliar guy with him. Nathaniel rolled his eyes and shook his head a bit at them to tell them not to say anything. "Alright, um… what would you like, Carter?" He asked, looking up at him.

Carter glanced around, "a drink?…. Wait sorry that was rude. Whatever, honestly I'm not that picky" his voice hadn't changed tone the entire time he had been talking to Nathaniel, a habit he had.

"R-Right… um…" Nathaniel flustered a bit, not quite sure what to do and clearly nervous. He wasn't great at making decisions in the best of times, but especially not for a complete stranger. He ended up just ordering simple coffee for Carter since he'd said he liked bland things, and something with lots of caramel and whipped cream for himself.

Carter looked around for a long minute, "this place is nice, much better then where I normally hang. Being the only sober person in a bar is really lame, not that they'd let me drink anyway." He shook his head, forgetting that Nathaniel didn't know much about him so probably didn't understand what he meant.

"If you say so." Nathaniel thanked his coworkers for the drinks and sat down at a table, sliding Carter's drink over to him. "I don't really get out much. Mostly just come here to work and then go… home." He hesitated before saying 'home', as he didn't really have one to go back to.

"Yeah well, I just stay home. Mostly, but I tend to get myself in bad situations" he shrugged taking a drink. "not bad. Anyway, I hang out in the bar downstairs, which would be more fun if Jim let me drink." He shook his head.

"Mm… well, alcohol is pretty expensive anyway, so at least you're saving money?" Nathaniel laughed weakly and drank some of his coffee. "I don't have a lot of friends to hang out with other than my coworkers, and they're always busy if they're not working…"

"Psh I don't even pay for the drinks I do get, the only thing I pay for is my car." He shrugged. "I don't have any friends, except maybe my adopted uncle. Would it be called that? It's one of my adopted parents wife's brother…yeah that's just complicated, anyway I only have one friend but he's family, my 'coworkers' are all uh well none of them like me."

"Family can be friends, I think. I was friends with my brother." Nathaniel shrugged. "I don't live with my family anymore, though. I live by myself." He shifted his wings so they were held out more since they were being crushed between him and his seat. "And I just walk everywhere… cars are too expensive and I don't know how to drive. Maybe I'll get a bike."

"I love driving I ra- uh psh I dont do anything illegal." He said quickly in attempt to save himself. He quietly drank his coffee.

Nathaniel tilted his head to the side curiously, but simply shrugged and dropped the subject when Carter cut himself off. "I would fly if I could, but unfortunately that isn't an option for me…"

"Why?" He had started tapping his fingers on the table without realizing it, and he had finished his coffee. He knew he was forgetting to do something, but he's think of it later.