Well Isn't This...Convenient (OPEN)

[kiera]

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<DIV align=justify>&&.Ryan approached the counter somewhat hesitantly. He held a mound of junkfood in his arms. He was twenty years old, but he ate like a teenager. He loved junkfood, it was his best friend. His arms were laden with a liter of Coke, a liter of Mountain Dew, three family size bags of chips including doritos and cheetos, a couple huge bags of peanut M&M's and a single carrot to even it all out. He dumped his load on the counter, grinning sheepishly at the store clerk. He knew what he looked like, but he didn't care. He watched the clerk price his food excitedly. He had big plans for tonight. They weren't big by most people's standards, but he was excited. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation, his eyes alight. He pulled out his wallet, eager to pay and be on his way.

He had brought his own bag, mostly because he hated the plastic ones. He found them unfair to the environment. Considering that he spent a good part of his days roaming the woods on the outskirts of New York as a Grizzly Bear, he had a pretty good right to care. He grinned, turning his back to the counter and looking around the small convenience store. The clerk was taking his precious time checking Ryan's groceries, so Ryan took his time to scan the crowd. Ryan was looking for someone, not one person in particular but someone who fit a particular catigory. This person would be female. She would be around his age, though not too much younger. He wasn't a pedafile. She would be beautiful - though honestly if she was more beautiful inside than outside, Ryan could live with that. She would laugh at his jokes when he used a cheesy pick-up line.

Most importantly, she would star in his plans tonight. Every so often, when Ryan was feeling lonely for some female company, he came down to the convenience store. He would buy himself loads of junk food, then wander around New York until he found a suitable girl. When he found this girl, he would chat with her, trade numbers, flirt, and eventually ask if she wanted to hang out that night. He would bring her back to his small apartment, order a pizza, lay out the banquet of junk food, pop in a romantic comedy (he secretly found them amusing) and spend the night like that. He wasn't looking for a hookup or a one night stand. He probably wouldn't even touch the girl. He was looking for some good honest company and a girl confident enough to eat junk food with him. It had always sounded like the best idea in the world to Ryan, but he had never been successful. He just couldn't find the right girl.

He turned back to the counter, paying the clerk. He bagged his groceries in an eco-friendly bag and turned around. He gave a last hopeful look around, but didn't see any likely girls. He shrugged and moved towards the door. There were plenty of girls in New York, and he had to be able to find one that would join him for junk food and a movie. He grinned, proudly carrying his bright purple bag full of junk food with a picture of a smiling tree. He wasn't gay, just awesome.

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( WORDS ) 893 ! ( TAGGED ) Open! ( CHARACTER ) Ryan Bargov! ( NOTES ) Come join me! ( LYRICS ) Unwell - Matchbox 20 ! ( CREDITS ) Danni / Dylan Shedding Skin !

[DYLAN.]

&&. What she wore wasn't usual for her. She was always dressed dark, always dressed like she was ready to die, ready for death, edging closer to it as she went. But today she wore a light and flowing dress. Why? She wasn't sure, but it felt nice to be different. The weirdest thing was that there was a smile, yes a smile on her beautiful face. She wore it seldomly and even then it wasn't as sincere as this one was. She was ready to dance, ready to sing, ready to smile and be around someone who could make her laugh and make her feel better about herself. the weirdest part was... was that it was exactly what she was hoping for. She brushed her hair away from her face pushed the smile forward for everyone to see. As she pushed her way into the store and the bell went off she dropped her keys and cursed, catching the door and spinning around, dipping down and picking them up. As she straightened up again she nearly crashed into a guy carrying a cloth bag with a tree smiling on it. It made her glance up at the face as she went to apologize and then stopped. I'm sorry about that... do i know you? She asked, her eyebrow slowly raising to give a confused look as she ran over the song that had just been playing on the radio. The beat of it was still going through her head as she smirked a little and turned to glance out the door before moving out of his way. Sorry about that, didn't mean to stand in your way. She added quickly and brushing her hair back from her face and holding it nicely back as she waited for her answer and then debated walking away, realizing that she probably wouldn't get it.

&&. Lizzi smiled a little and offered it to him before turning down the isle and disappearing. She had things to do and needed to get them done and then get out of here. She grabbed a bottle of soda as she went back to the fridges as well as a pizza because she was told to pick one up. Then she walked to the counter, not sure what the guy was still doing in here seeing as he obviously had gotten his things and was looking for something. Then she paid and debated going over to continue her conversation. Seeing as she had the time, she noticed after glancing at the clock, she decided she could spare the time. She walked back to him. Sorry about that. I needed to get the things I needed before I forgot what I needed. she added as she trotted back to her place before him, just out of the way of the door and very happy to be keeping a conversation. The idea of a conversation excited her. She had always loved holding a conversation with a stranger because they almost never knew anything about her and couldn't judge before they even talked. She offered him her name as well. Oh, and my name is Lizzi.

( WORDS ) 564 ! ( CHARACTER ) LIZZI ! ( TAGGED ) RYAN ! ( OUTFIT ) White Flowing Dress and White Heels ! ( NOTES ) I can't be depressing right now so she isn't either ! ( LYRICS ) Dynamite - Taio Cruz ! ( CREDITS ) Danni / Dylan -- Shedding Skin !

[kiera]

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&&.Ryan grinned as a girl nearly ran into him after dropping her keys. She was dressed in a flowing white dress and her dazzling smile made her seem like a walking ray of sunshine. I really do sound gay. He grinned ruefully to himself. He would have shrugged, but he was distracted by the girl talking. She was there one minute, and gone the next. He didn't even have time to form a reply for her. She made an apology, and vanished. He laughed and leaned against the store door. She would have to come back and pay for her things, or leave the store, at some point. He would wait. This girl had caught his eye, and just might be what he was looking for. She seemed nice enough. Sure enough, he watched as she returned with soda and pizza. Its my dream girl. He grinned, watching her without embarassment. He looked towards the ceiling, wondering if karma was finally rewarding him for being such a great guy.

She seemed to be doing a lot of apologizing. He watched as she returned from purchasing her food and stopped to chat again. This girl seemed to be taking life a mile a minute. He found it entertaining, mostly because he could barely keep up with her. He shrugged, holding out a hand to her. "Hey, no hard feelings. Sometimes you hit a wall, sometimes you hit a buff guy with a shopping bag. Either way, I like to think it's fate." He winked at her and laughed, his eyes bright and teasing. "My name's Ryan, it's nice to meet you Lizzi." He glanced down at the pizza and soda in her bag before lifting his own bag and opening it to show the contents to her. He lifted his eyebrow. "Having a movie night by chance?"

Ryan had always been a straightforward kind of guy. Word games were for girls who liked to dance around what they wanted to say. He was direct, it had helped him in more than one situation. He set his bag down at his feet, sticking his hands casually in his pockets as he leaned against the wall. He had a light layer of stubble, he would have shaved it off but he thought it looked kind of good. Gave him that ruggedly handsome look he had been going for. This girl, Lizzi, would be his first tester. So far seemed so good. He found himself hoping she was available that night, and didn't have a beefy boyfriend that would hunt him down. Ryan wouldn't shy away from a fight - mostly because it was impossible for him to lose against some human - but he wasn't aggressive by nature. He looked at Lizzi, she was obviously human. Everything about her screamed "normal".

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( WORDS ) 500 ! ( TAGGED ) Open/Lizzi! ( CHARACTER ) Ryan Bargov! ( NOTES ) Rainbows and sunshine?! ( LYRICS ) Unwell - Matchbox 20 ! ( CREDITS ) Danni / Dylan Shedding Skin !

[DYLAN.]

&&. She had known he was watching her, and it made her smile. Well, it made her more than smile, it made her mood seem that much better. Sure, every other girl probably would have done the same thing, but for Lizzi it was just... weird. Her usual personality was based as far away from this one as possible. She almost always hid herself from the world and she almost always ran away from everyone whenever they wanted to be close. But this was weird. He wasn't asking for anything, just questioning her, and she found it perfectly acceptable. Well, no, I wish I was. I get to go home and do nothing. She smiled and made herself sound excited, but the truth was she really wasn't. With no boyfriend and very few friends, the possibilities of her going out or having fun with other people was slim. You must be. She added with a grin as she gestured to his back and smiled. By the way, very cute bag. She grinned and started to laugh a bright and airy laugh.

&&. Lizzi smiled, her self confidence was okay right now, but usually it was so low she would hardly notice anyone else. She was almost always this way but she started to smile more. It could be fate, or it could be God's way of intertainment. She said with a smile, her face bright eyes focusing on his face. She stretched her limbs and leaned against the wall of the store, resting her head sideways so she was looking up at him directly. Now sure, she was in a great mood, but she was starting to wonder how long it would last. Surely it would be long enough for her to be alone. She didn't want to change this behavior while she was standing with this guy. He had something about him that made her want to smile and laugh. She was hoping it would be this way, but at the same time she couldn't let go of the weird feeling in her stomach. It was almost like she liked him, which had happened only once before. But this time, she was almost completely possative. And she would let it happen, she wouldn't let herself like him. She gave herself a mental shove and continued on with their conversation as though nothing happened.

( WORDS ) 394 ! ( CHARACTER ) Lizzi ! ( TAGGED ) Ryan ! ( OUTFIT ) White dress and white heels ! ( NOTES ) :] Sorry this isn't as great as i want it to be, i am having a small bump in the road of muse. D: ! ( LYRICS ) Dynamite - Taio Cruz ! ( CREDITS ) Danni / Dylan -- Shedding Skin !

[kiera]

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&&.Ryan grinned. He was a lot of things, but shy wasn't one of them. He straightened slightly and raised an eyebrow, sending her a smile. He was liking this girl more by the moment. She looked soft somehow, fragile and delicate but the picture of gentleness. He gestured towards his own bag laden with food. "You guessed it." He put his hands casually in his pocket, trying not to look too eager or anxious. "Though it's going to be a lonely night, unless by chance you might be willing to join me?" He grinned at her, then put up his hands defensively. "Unless there's a jealous boyfriend I should be worried about." He raised his eyebrows, wondering if she might accept him.

He looked out the window. The sun was shining, a gorgeous New York day. Ryan couldn't help but allow his thoughts to linger on the forests. They would be gorgeous, and it would be warm enough for him to cool his fur in the river if he wanted. The salmon should be returning soon to spawn. He barely resisted licking his lips in anticipation. It was a delicious season. Since he was the only Grizzly Bear in the territory, he got all the fish. He smiled to himself, dreaming about dipping his paws in the water and emerging with a fat wriggling fish. With a powerful snap of his jaws, he would tear into his easily won prey. He always secretly gloated over how hard some animals - and animal shifters - had to work to find prey. It was quite easy for him. No challenge whatsoever. He shook himself slightly and turned his attention back to Lizzi. He smiled, she hadn't said anything and he worried he might have been to forward for her.

"Hey, if I've creeped you out I really didn't mean to. I'm not trying to find an easy hookup, I promise you." He smiled kindly at her and bent to pick up his grocery bag. The purple cloth with the smiling tree was familiar. He didn't let dissapointment get him down. Lizzi was obviously not interested, which was unfortunate but understandable. He started to turn away from Lizzi and leave the stoor. He grapsed the bag and lifted it off the ground. He was thinking about where he would go next. He was deciding whether to drop off the groceries first or just continue walking around with them. He might have an easier time convincing girls he wasn't a predator if he carried around the proof.

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( WORDS ) 460 ! ( TAGGED ) Open/Lizzi! ( CHARACTER ) Ryan Bargov! ( NOTES ) I love this
( LYRICS ) Unwell - Matchbox 20 ! ( CREDITS ) Danni / Dylan Shedding Skin !

[DYLAN.]

&&. Lizzi smiled a little more than she should have. Of course she liked the idea of spending the night with him. She wasn't interested in a hook-up, but spending with time with someone was just what she needed. Her great mood made it easier for her to want to say yes. Well, no, there is no boyfriend. Most guys don't exactly like spending time with me. I get why because I am-most of the time-too quiet for my own good. But she found her voice fading as he bent to pick up his bag and he turned toward the door. She directed the her eyes away, glancing downward before rolling her eyes up toward the ceiling. She understood why he wasn't too interested in it, but the comment he said as he went to exit the store wasn't what she was paying attention to. No, he hadn't creeped her out and yes, she had believed him. But it didn't matter to her. Her mood quickly changed and she glanced down ruefully at her dress. She followed him out the door and turned the other way, headed straight for her car as she brushed her hair away from her face.

&&. Lizzi sighed as she pushed her way out of the door after him. Right now, her apartment sounded really good. She wanted to lock herself in and just sit there in the silence, the same thing she did every night. But she wasn't sure what she had bought the pizza for, seeing as she hardly ever ate anyway. She pulled the back door of her car open and threw the bag in, her eyes dancing with the change of mood. By the way, no you didn't creep me out. I would have liked to, but hey, think what you like. She called over her shoulder as she opened her car door and reached in before stopping. She slowly sank into the drivers side door and left it open, sitting sideways in the chair with her feet sitting outside of the car. what a great day. she mumbled to herself as she sat with her elbows on her knees and watched people out the door of her car, finding amusement in people watching. Sometimes it helped her mood and sometimes it just made her think that her problems weren't as bad as they were.

( WORDS ) 392 ! ( CHARACTER ) Lizzi ! ( TAGGED ) Ryan ! ( OUTFIT ) ! ( NOTES ) Yay Muse ! ( LYRICS ) Dynamite - Taio Cruz ! ( CREDITS ) Danni / Dylan -- Shedding Skin !

[kiera]

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&&.Ryan stopped in his tracks, listening to Lizzi's words. "By the way, no you didn't creep me out. I would have liked to, but hey, think what you like." He turned back around, grinning again. Was it true? Had the infamously unsuccessful Ryan Bargov actually done something right? He swept into a low bow. He noticed that Lizzi had gone to her car and was sitting in the front seat. Ryan went to his own car, throwing his grociers in the back seat quickly before shutting the door. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked over to Lizzi. He gave her a small half smile, standing in front of the open door. He stood there for a moment, his eyes still teasing. He hadn't meant to offend her, he really hadn't. He stretched out his hand in invitation. "Well, if there's no jealous boyfriend for me to worry about then I would love to have you join me for the evening." He smiled at her, keeping his hand outstretched.

Ryan took a closer look at her while he waited. There seemed to be something about her, something Ryan hadn't seen the first time. In a way, she seemed fragile. The grizzly inside of him felt the urge to protect her, which was strange. Grizzlies were solitary by nature. Perhaps past her bright colors, there was something Ryan hadn't seen or something Lizzi didn't want him to see. He looked back at her, his eyes serious for one of the few times in his life. He frowned slightly, thinking over her earlier words. His voice was quieter, more gentle. "For the record, I don't beleive there is such a thing as too quiet." He smiled softly at her. She looked like she could use a knight in shining armor and for once, Ryan wished he was one. He had never been given to heroics. But maybe Lizzi didn't need to be swept off her feet. Maybe she just needed a hand up and a night spent watching cheesy romantic comedies. Ryan wasn't sure if he could make all the bad things go away, but he had enough junk food and an open attitude for a night of laughter and putting off unwelcome thoughts.

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( WORDS ) 387 ! ( TAGGED ) Open/Lizzi! ( CHARACTER ) Ryan Bargov! ( NOTES ) I'm back I promise
( LYRICS ) Unwell - Matchbox 20 ! ( CREDITS ) Danni / Dylan Shedding Skin !