Jet Lag, much? (Nephilim/Open)

[ashlyn louise lightwood]

I AM WRONG I AM RIGHT I SWEAR I’M RIGHT SWEAR I KNEW IT ALL ALONG
i am flawed, but i am cleaning up so well

[/b][/i]
I AM SEEING IN ME NOW THE THINGS YOU SWORE YOU SAW YOURSELF[/font][/size][/size][/size]

.....[/center][/b]

Ashlyn toyed with the idea of jumping into the conversation and forcibly making herself a part of it, a tad miffed that darling little Lillian was stealing all of Rhett’s attention with her vast knowledge of weaponry and cookery. Boyfriend or not, the redhead didn’t like being ignored by a potential soul mate. She quickly admonished herself for that thought, especially the “boyfriend or not” part; her eight month anniversary with Julian was coming up in just a couple of weeks, and now wasn’t the time to think about replacing him. Besides, she hadn’t felt a spark when she’d first seen Rhett, the usual little jolt of electricity tingling up her spine that flipped the “he’s the one” switch in her brain. And she still felt that way when she looked at Julian, usually when he she looked over and caught him looking at her when she wasn’t looking back. She shook her head, both to clear it of all these unwanted thoughts and to politely decline the offered jar of peanut butter. Suddenly she wasn’t very hungry.

Tuning out of the conversation after Lillian exclaimed at unfairness of not being warned that her stainless steel sanctuary was being handed over to a new occupant, Ash leaned back against the luggage that she’d taken off of Rhett’s hands. Well, out of his hands. Odds and ends prodded at her back, presumably weapons like his fancy sword. She wondered idly if he and his parabatai had packed any clothes, or if they’d just stuffed their suitcases full of daggers and swords and other weapons that the Institute’s armory had stockpiled to a surplus. Nervous energy, hopefully the last of the Raum battle’s adrenaline pumping through her veins, prompted her fingers to fiddle with the ring on her left ring finger. Shiny white gold, the band was a promise ring, a gift from Jules for their six month. She’d put it on her ring finger to freak out her parents, make them think that their baby girl was headed off to Vegas to elope with her latest boyfriend. Her lips turned up in a wistful smile at the memory; the lecture that followed had been worth the look on their faces. With a happy sigh, she stretched herself out on the pew, sprawling her legs over Lillian’s lap and reaching her arms toward the vaulted ceiling. She felt a bit like a cat, content enough to start purring; all she needed to do was close her eyes, yawn, then sneeze and she’d be just like Church.

She resisted the urge, instead tangling her fingers into her damp curls and piling them on top of her head. Her golden gaze swept between her cousin and their foreign exchange nephilim, double checking to make sure neither of them was giving her a particularly weird look for getting comfy. She perked up, her gaze swiveling toward the male when he mentioned his parabatai. Again. “So he has a name after all!”

[/b] she exclaimed, dropping her arms in front of her and letting her fiery locks to fall back into place around her face; they tickled the back of her neck as they settled into place. Leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, she cocked her head to the side as she met his gaze. “I was beginning to think that maybe you were making him up. I don’t know why you would-”[/b] She shrugged to emphasize her cluelessness. “-but you talk about him a lot. You must have mentioned him a dozen times in the past five minutes.”[/b] She shot a warning look in Lillian’s direction, silently daring the brunette to call her a hypocrite and mention all of the times that she mentioned Julian. Realizing that her words might be taken the wrong way, she hastily added “He must be really important to you. Like a brother.”[/b]
[/justify]

.....

tagged : rhett & lillian
words : six four five (shh, i’m tired. be happy i’m even posting at all tonight.)
lyrics : “vindicated” by dashboard confessional
outfit : getting away with everything.
notes : geez you two post fast! o___o it’s hard to keep up! and the bf finally has a name! exclamation points, woo!

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[rhett damon halewile]

In all honesty, Rhett felt a little indecent about leaving the other girl out of the conversation. See, this is what happened when he tried to talk to too many people…even if it was only two. Normally, he wouldn’t be offering so much information about himself, but if he was going to be living here for a while, he might as well make some friends. Of course, they didn’t need to know everything, especially about his…condition. Only Zell knew about that and hopefully, he’d always be the only one to know.

He was about to speak to the redhead when she, of course—he should have seen it coming, really, and he smiled at the thought of this—decided to blurt out and rejoin the conversation herself. Rhett blinked at her statement. “N-No,” he stammered, a bit surprised that she would suggest such a thing, “I wouldn’t…he’s very much real.” This, of course, was the worst kind of statement one could come up with at a time like this, but Rhett was Rhett.

What was so wrong about talking about him? Rhett narrowed his gaze, cautiously, but not impolitely. Surely, they had boyfriends or something that they always ranted about. “At least I have someone who I will always be able to talk about…I know he’ll always…he’ll always stay…” he thought to himself confidently, because Zell would. Both boys were very devoted to each other, but weren’t all parabatai? “I’m sorry if it bothers you, but there’s really nothing I can do about it. He’s more than my brother, he’s…everything…everything I can’t be and yet…” he looked up to realize that the girls probably had no idea what he was talking about. It was then and there that he decided to stop ranting and to start making sense. Zell always did this to him; it didn’t matter if he was in the room or not, to speak with such passion. Rhett flushed slightly and turned his attention to the doors of the Sanctuary. He figured—hoped—that the darkness would hide his face. "Never mind," he said.

Outside the darkness was starting to fall. Rhett never realized that he came so late. Consciously, he began to worry about his partner. There was never a reason to; Zell could handle just about anything on his own, especially since he had his katana with him, but that didn’t settle the nerves. What did settle the nerves was a beeping from Rhett’s cell phone in the bag that Ashlyn was holding. Good, thought Rhett, that meant Zell just sent him a text, which probably meant to say “hey rhettie, heading over to so and so club. Be back later.” Whatever, as long as he was safe.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

Word Count: four five five
Tags: Lillian/ Ashlyn/open to Nephilim
Outfit: Off the Plane

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[lillian grace midwinter]

all the things you've done, and all the things you lost, and all the things you've won.

[/i][/b][/color][/font]
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIND SOME COLOR IN THIS BLACK&WHITE WORLD[/color][/font]
tell me everything will be alright. walk this way with me into the light.[/i][/b][/color][/font]

Lilly shook her head slightly. It was so odd to think of eating small portions. But like Rhett had said, things were different in Asia, she just hadn't realized how different. "I suppose that makes sense," she said slowly, still trying to wrap her mind around the idea. Thinking about it, she and her family did eat quickly, as if they were running out of food. With three growing boys and a girl who ate like one in the family, they had to otherwise they would run out of food. She wondered what it would be like not to be afraid of not getting enough food.

She was taken aback by the defensive tone Rhett's voice had taken when he was talking about his parabatai. Lilly made a mental note that anything that could be taken as offensive towards his parabatai would not be taken lightly. She couldn't help but smirk a little when he explained his friend's eating habits. 'Oh, good. He'll fit in well with my brothers...and me. We eat like we're starving," she admitted, shrugging before she realized how bad that sounded. "Don't worry, though; we always let everyone else get food first," she added with a chuckle. Midwinters were a lot of things and did many things, but they would never let dinner guests starve.

He'd never been disarmed. At least, not in serious battle, which Lilly found ridiculously impressive. Her twin was always able to disarm her in most of their practice battles. Then there were the battles where she barely managed to scrape by. Maybe Lilly should think about training with Rhett once or twice. That way, she could try to get better at not being disarmed. "Right, glamours," Lilly said, feeling silly for having forgotten about it.

Lilly smiled at the prospect of having a good cook in her kitchen with her. Maybe this way she could convince her parents to kick out this Institute-assigned cook - or at the very least get her to agree to let Lilly back in. She almost jumped when Ash exclaimed about Rhett's parabatai's name. Lilly gave her a "what are you doing?" look before she listened to Rhett stammer a bit in reply.

Lilly glared at Ashlyn before she started talking. Lilly's track record for thinking before she spoke wasn't great, but one's parabatai, when you didn't have family to have your back, was a big deal. "It doesn't bother us at all," Lilly said, giving Ash a look before continuing. "None of us really know how to shut up either, Ashlyn especially," she said encouragingly before nudging Ashlyn lightly with her shoulder.

The sixteen-year-old was about to ask him where Zell was but something started beeping from Ashlyn's bag. Well, from Rhett's bag that Ashlyn had taken from him. "Is that him?" she asked curiously. It would be nice to know where he was - and to meet him, but Lilly would cross that bridge when she got to it.

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post status: complete
tagged: Rhett/Ash
words: 492
outfit: cliick
listening: Color by The Maine
credit: ghost tea !? @ caution 2.0[/size][/font]

[rhett damon halewile]

Rhett nodded. Not many things made sense in Japan and their dietary habits, he supposed, was one of those things. He’d been growing up in the Asian country since he was nearly two years old. He supposed he never took the time to stop and notice what did and did not make logical sense, which was odd, considering Rhett was a logical person.

He regretted being so defensive, especially to two people who hardly knew him, but something just came over him. It bothered him when Zell wasn’t around to defend himself; there was just a feeling that Rhett had to do it. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, hoping they would register the apology for his tone of voice. Maybe he really was suffering from jet lag, because he wasn’t really being much of himself. He was sure that it was because he was a bit hungry and tired and weak and paranoid. Once tomorrow rolled around, he decided, he'd offer up a more formal apology.

“Really? That’s nice of you. Zell just kinda digs in, so I apologize in advance for his rudeness,” Rhett said chuckling. He started to remember his last meal in Tokyo with the other residents. Amelia had cooked up a nice kushiyaki and everyone, Zell especially since it was one of his favorite dishes, just dug right in. Between Zell, Rhett, and the two Nephilim girls who lived with them, the meal was gone in less than ten minutes. Rhett didn’t even get a pot sticker.

He heard her sheepish remark about glamours and came to the conclusion that she didn’t use them very often. With no offense to her, she didn’t need to; not many people expect a very pretty girl to be dangerous. A small knife or even a dagger could be easily overlooked.

Rhett was surprised when she said it didn’t bother them. Most people would have chided him, told him to talk more about himself, but Rhett just didn’t find many things about himself chat-worthy. “No, I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have been so forward,” he said.

“I would be able to tell you if Ashlyn would let me carry my bags,” Rhett said kiddingly and then smiled. Since she was distracted, Rhett walked over and plucked the bag from her. He unzipped the front pocket, where his phone was located, and slid it open. He smiled. “It’s Zell. He just picked up some McDonald’s. He should be here in the hour.” He mentally sighed. The only thing Zell was concerned about on the plane was eating an American “meaty” hamburger.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

Word Count: four three three
Tags: Lillian/ Ashlyn/open to Nephilim
Outfit: Off the Plane

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[/justify]

[ashlyn louise lightwood]

I AM WRONG I AM RIGHT I SWEAR I’M RIGHT SWEAR I KNEW IT ALL ALONG
i am flawed, but i am cleaning up so well

[/b][/i]
I AM SEEING IN ME NOW THE THINGS YOU SWORE YOU SAW YOURSELF[/font][/size][/size][/size]

.....[/center][/b]

The defensive passion prompted by her words surprised Ashlyn so much that she actually shrank away from Rhett, her eyes widening fractionally at being caught off guard. She definitely hadn’t expected to see his dark eyes narrow into a glare, not at her, not so quickly after meeting. Usually it took at least twenty-four hours for her to piss someone off so much that they glared at her. She threw her hands up in the universal symbol for “whoa, calm down! I didn’t mean for you to take it that way!” What way he took it in this situation, she wasn’t sure. She’d been teasing, simply poking fun at him for mentioning Zell so frequently. It had reminded her of a child talking about an older sibling that they absolutely adored, bringing them up at every possibly opportunity. He’d suggested that she might be bothered by it, and apologized for it, but she found it endearing. And maybe just a little bit cute.

A blush spread, slowly but surely, across her face when Lillian gave her a reprimanding look and sort-of apologized for her; she could feel her blood boiling across the bridge of her nose and her cheekbones, and she hoped that her freckles at least hid the worst of it. “I do too know when to shut up!”

[/b] she protested, hating the squeaky tone that had crept into her voice. Lils nudged her, an affectionate scolding. Ashlyn turned her head, looking off toward the cross that hung high above the altar. She was trying too hard, she realized. Trying too hard to impress the new guy. Trying too hard to act like she thought she should in this situation. But there was no need to impress Rhett, at least not for the usual reasons she tried to impress boys. He wasn’t the one, as evidence by the lack of spark and now this- this… was it a misunderstanding? A fight? A petty argument? Whatever it was, Ash knew that she was the one who’d started it.

With a quiet sigh, she made her shoulders relax, not completely sure when they’d gotten so tense in the first place. The corner of her lips quirked up, a brief attempt at a half smile, when he joked about her not letting him have his bags. She swiveled her gaze back to meet his as he announced that Zell had just picked up McDonalds and would be at the Institute within the hour. “Sorry about…” the redhead paused, trying to think how to phrase what she was sorry about. “… about implying that you talk about him- Zell- too much. About upsetting you. I really didn’t mean to.”[/b]

[/justify][/size]

.....

tagged : rhett & Lillian & still open
words : four four six
lyrics : “vindicated” by dashboard confessional
outfit : getting away with everything.
notes : i lied. the bf’s name is julian, not oliver. just fyi.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[rhett damon halewile]

More guilt and regret hit him when he saw Ashlyn back away. Damn, Zell was right; he really was a hot-head sometimes. Most of the time, he was able to contain it, say things in his head and do nothing about it outwardly, but she…about Zell…it was surprising, which is why his words were surprising, even to himself. He dropped the bag he was holding and sat down in a pew that was across the walkway from where the girls were. He chose to sit there as one would sit across someone at the dinner table, not to get away from them. However, after nearly scaring the life out of one of them, perhaps being separated was the best thing to do. “Ashlyn, I’m sorry…I don’t know what came over me. Maybe it’s best if I show myself in and—”

And then he saw her blush. He imagined it to be because of anger, because of the way he seemingly lashed out at her. Lashed, he mused, like a whip. Subconsciously, he looked at his blade on his belt and mentally scolded himself, not much wanting to look at his weapon of choice at the moment. So instead, he turned his attention back to the girls, who were again nudging each other playfully. He smiled. Good, Lilly to the rescue to cheer her up; Rhett wasn’t very good at rewinding. He didn’t need to fix things very often.

Perhaps he was just too used to speaking with Zell. They could understand each other with only a flicker of a gaze, so normally there wasn’t much need for words. Rhett had to remember he was in a new country, around new people, people who didn’t know he and Zell the way Amelia or the other Tokyo residents did. Talking so casually and so comfortably would take some getting used to, but if it avoided hurting people like Ashlyn, he’d do it.

He looked up when he heard her speaking and realized that his eyes had been wandering off. She was apologizing? Seriously? After he’d…well, as the gentleman Rhett had been the past few minutes, that was unacceptable. “No, don’t apologize. I should. About misunderstanding. I suppose I’m not used to speaking with people who don’t know us. If you find it in your benefit…please forgive me.”

His phone beeped again, at just the wrong time, in the middle of him trying to clear things up. As Zell’s punishment for this, Rhett ignored it. He could wait. And to make sure he could wait, Rhett set the phone on vibrate.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

Word Count: four three one
Tags: Lillian/ Ashlyn/open to Nephilim
Outfit: Off the Plane

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[/justify]

[zell price nitar]

Walking down the streets of New York, Zell put his phone back in his pocket with faith that Rhett would text back soon. He always did. This place wasn't so bad. Hey, he'd seen worse when he was traveling with his dad. Places like Africa and such. Crappy places, if you asked him. He preferred the city scene as opposed to the country scene. It made him feel more urban and less antique. Just because he belonged to an antique species of human didn't mean he had to feel like it. That's why he didn't even like Idris. It was boring there and he was confined. New York was much better. Of course, Tokyo would always be his preferred, but he'd settle for this.

Institute, Institute... Zell pursed his lips and shoved his hands into his pockets. Now, he knew where it was. Yeah, he hadn't forgotten. Had he? Of... Of course not. Subconsciously, he passed a few buildings. He'd decided against McDonalds for today. That delicious, meaty hamburger would just have to wait. Unfortunately. Why had he betrayed himself, again? He couldn't think of his former reason, but now he was just not in the mood to walk all the way back to it. Another day, then. He got a few looks when he walked the streets from various brands of girls. Fat, skinny, dark, pale. Ah, it felt nice.

Crossing a road, Zell saw the Institute a block away. Yes! See, he hadn't forgotten. Not for a second. He made his way over discreetly and walked over to the doors. Wow, this institute was nice. He rather liked it. Clearing his throat, he placed his hands on the doors and spoke clearly. "My name is Zell Nitar and I ask to take refuge in this holy place."

[/color] The doors swung open with a creak and he contently let himself inside. Upon entering, he saw two girls and a familiar face.

"Always the ladies man."[/color] Zell smirked and made his way over to the group. He took a second to look at the girls. Wow, they were really hot. Especially--well, actually, he couldn't pick. They were equal in attractive qualities. He looked at Rhett and then back at the girls. "Sorry I'm late. And hey, Rhett, I don't really like the silent treatment."[/color] He raised an eyebrow at his friend and crossed his arms dramatically. How dare Rhett ignore him![/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

tagged; rhett, ash, & lilly words; 416 outfit; here! notes; <3

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[rhett damon halewile]

Rhett was starting to feel more awkward by the moment. He was apologizing more than he ever had before and he actually felt sincere about it. Well, that wasn’t right; Rhett was always sincere about his apologies. The truth would always remain that Rhett wasn’t good with girls, or guys, or really anyone for that matter. He wanted to be open and friendly with them, but something just held him back. Maybe it was an issue of trust; though they were all Nephilim, as Lilly had put it before, no one could be trusted in times like these. The tension between Nephilim, demons, and Downworlders was growing by the second. Was he just being overly precautious? Probably, but Rhett wasn’t one to lighten up easily. Or maybe it was simply because he’d tried to be friendly with a lady friend and failed miserably. Whatever it was, Rhett couldn’t stay in his reverie for much longer, as the church doors began to open again.

Rhett turned around and noticed—with blazing happiness—a familiar figure standing in the doorway. It was Zell, in the flesh and blood, and not just over his phone anymore. He knew it was him; he’d recognize his parabatai anywhere: the way he walked, smirked, the way he had his weapons in tow, everything. Oh, right, back to his cell phone. He briefly checked it again to see that Zell had actually sent another text to him. But that didn’t matter now, he was here, strolling in as comfortably and arrogantly as he always did. It wouldn’t be long before—

Yeah, that. The mocking, the teasing, the attention that Rhett loved so much but didn’t outwardly admit it. That’d seem childish, needy, and Rhett didn’t like to be viewed as needy. “Naturally,” Rhett replied sarcastically as Zell made a statement about him being a “ladies man.” To his remark about being given the silent treatment, Rhett shrugged. “You texted me at the wrong time was all. It would have been rude of me to reply.” Remembering that the girls were standing behind him, Rhett turned to them and then to Zell and then to them again. “Girls, this is Zell Nitar, my parabatai. Zell, this is Lillian and Ashlyn. They live here and will be hosting us, so behave,” he said with a slight grin as he indicated the girls in their correct order.

The one thing Rhett didn’t see on Zell was a bag of McDonalds. “Changed your mind?” he asked.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

Word Count: four nineteen
Tags: Lillian/ Ashlyn/ Zell/ open to Nephilim
Outfit: Off the Plane

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[ashlyn louise lightwood]

I AM WRONG I AM RIGHT I SWEAR I’M RIGHT SWEAR I KNEW IT ALL ALONG
i am flawed, but i am cleaning up so well

[/b][/i]
I AM SEEING IN ME NOW THE THINGS YOU SWORE YOU SAW YOURSELF[/font][/size][/size][/size]

.....[/center][/b]

The redhead opened her mouth to protest Rhett apologizing to her again. Couldn’t he point the finger at her, fault the whole debacle on her poor choice of words and harsh tone? Couldn’t he just bow out gracefully and let the blame rest on her shoulders? Her brain paused, rethinking that last bit. Well, he could… but so could she. He’d misunderstood her, twisting the interpretation of her words until his brain processed them as something threatening, something that needed to be defended against. With a huff, she closed her mouth and set her lips into a slight scowl. Not at him- well, maybe a little at the quiet, foreign boy who’d already managed to ruffle her feathers- but at her own stubbornness. Ashlyn knew perfectly well that if she really wanted to, she could let him take the fall for her mistake, could let him transfer the guilt from her shoulders onto his. But she’d never been one for letting other people take her burdens.

“Look, you weren’t the one who said something stupid. I’m sor-”

[/b] The heavy wooden doors to the Institute swung open, letting in a gush of hot, humid air that silenced her. Even with the sun dipping below the skyline, New York felt like a sauna. Her head swung in the direction of the commotion, an instinctive reaction rather than curiosity. The Institute hadn’t seen this much traffic since the hot and hazy summer months had rolled around, so it wasn’t a surprise to the nephilim girl when another male walked in, introducing himself as Zell Nitar. Who else, but Rhett’s “to be here within the hour” parabatai? … the one she’d already somehow managed to verbally attack. Ashlyn wasn’t sure if she was pleased to make his acquaintance or not.

Her eyes traced his movements as he sauntered over- because the way he moved certainly couldn’t have been called a walk. It was a bit too cocky, a bit too sure that any girl that saw him would have to stop and stare. Ash momentarily hated herself for fulfilling his expectations, but she had to admit, he wasn’t bad to look at. Tousled brown hair so light that it almost could have passed for a dark blonde, a sharp angular face, striking blue eyes, tall, lanky frame. He was no Julian, but not bad. Satisfied when her heart didn’t leap into her throat and try to throw itself at Zell, the redhead settled back against the lumpy bag and stretched her arms over her head in a totally unintentional sex-kitten pose. She offered a lazy smirk when she caught Zell’s eye, no question in her mind that he was sizing them up that way all guys did. First, he just had that heartbreaker type vibe. Secondly, who wouldn’t stare? She and Lillian attracted plenty of looks when they went out separately, but together? Two sexy girls giving off a “sure, I’ll flirt with you, but I’m totally unavailable” aura? They were irresistible.

“Actually,”[/b] she chimed in, when Rhett introduced her and Lillian, saying that they both lived here at the Institute. “I don’t technically live here. I do for all intents and purposes, but my family lives a couple of blocks down.” She just felt the need to clarify.
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tagged : rhett & lillian & zell & still open
words : five four six
lyrics : “vindicated” by dashboard confessional
outfit : getting away with everything.

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[lillian grace midwinter]

all the things you've done, and all the things you lost, and all the things you've won.

[/i][/b][/color][/font]
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIND SOME COLOR IN THIS BLACK&WHITE WORLD[/color][/font]
tell me everything will be alright. walk this way with me into the light.[/i][/b][/color][/font]

Lilly laughed at the thought of someone just digging in before the lighter eaters got any food in their house. The thought of her mother's reaction would be worth it all, really. "Well, my mom will kick that habit out of him before the week is through, I'm sure of it," she said, shrugging. Her mom was nothing if not stubborn, after all.

She barely stopped herself from sighing and rolling her eyes when Rhett explained that Zell had stopped by McDonald's. Involuntarily, she made a face. Despite the fact that Lilly loved food, she did not love McDonald's. At all. "That's...well, McDonald's is definitely an experience," she said, not really sure what else she could say about it.

Lilly was fairly certain she would have to throw these two at a wall. Not that she really could, that is. Sure, she would be able to kick them down, but she was fairly certain she couldn't throw them at a wall. But honestly, they both thought they were at fault and neither would accept that the other wanted to take the blame. "Yes, you're both sorry. I get it," she murmured, mostly to herself as the two continued to argue about who was to be blamed. It was like trying to butt in when her brothers were arguing.

The girl heard Rhett's phone go off again, but he ignored it. She tried to keep herself from smirking as he ignored the text message. Lilly was about to tell them both to stop apologizing, ready to shout as loud as she could if she wanted. Sure, they were in church and technically you were meant to be quiet, but when you lived in a church, you never really felt like you were meant to follow the rules of normal society.

Lilly, just like the other two, turned when the door opened. She raised an eyebrow as the boy stepped into the light and addressed Rhett as a ladies man. He, Zell, she assumed, was impressive to look at, that she could tell. And he thought the same of her and Ashlyn from the look on his face. Lilly smirked, giving him an appraising look of sorts. She gave a little laugh when Ashlyn explained that she didn't really live here. "She really just comes by to clean out our fridge," she joked before standing and walking up to Zell, holding her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Zell," she said, giving him her most polite smile.

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post status: complete
tagged: Rhett/Ash/Zell
words: 412
outfit: cliick
listening: Color by The Maine
credit: ghost tea !? @ caution 2.0[/size][/font]

[rhett damon halewile]

Rhett chuckled when she said her mother would fix Zell’s habits. It seemed, at times, that no one could fix his habits, not even him. Amelia, his own aunt had tried and failed quite miserably. And if it were up to Rhett, Zell wouldn’t be prone to fighting as easily as he had been as of late. “I look forward to it,” Rhett said to her.

“That’s how I would describe it,” Rhett said about, of course, McDonald’s. Call them both stereotypical, but Rhett and Zell believed that the one place to get a real, American hamburger—a hamburger that every American ate at least once in his or her lifetime—was McDonald’s. There was a few in Tokyo as well, but Rhett was fairly certain that a McDonald’s in American did not serve ramen in a cup as an item on its menu, nor sushi. Though, Rhett would admit to liking the idea of a drive-thru sushi bar.

As Ashlyn went on to argue (again) on whose fault was what, Rhett wanted to interrupt her and tell her to let him have it. He was a man; he could take the blame. Then again, she was a Nephilim girl, so he was sure she could take it just as much as he. There were a fair amount of things he was blamed for, whether it was self blame or not. Thankfully, Rhett heard Lillian interrupt and mumble to herself about “getting it.” She was right; it was time to move on. Why was he so concerned about how people thought of him and Zell, anyway? Many people didn’t understand; many people weren’t close like they were. Especially Downworlders. They couldn’t seem to get past the definition of parabatai, never mind its sentimental meaning.

You know that awkward moment when you say something about someone without knowing the details? Yeah, that’s what Rhett was going through at the moment. Of course, he should have realized that not all the Nephilim in New York had to live in the Institute, just like not all Nephilim in Japan had to live with him and Zell in the Institute of Tokyo. He felt even more awkward when Lillian told him she only visited to clean out the fridge. “Oh…,” he said in a small voice. He shook his head of the momentary surprise and looked up to see Lillian greeting him. “Just make a good first impression…,” Rhett thought near desperately, addressing Zell though the boy couldn’t hear him. He gave him a look that said “behave.”

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Word Count: four two three
Tags: Lillian/ Ashlyn/ Zell/ open to Nephilim
Outfit: Off the Plane

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[zell price nitar]

Zell chuckled lightly at Rhett's sarcasm. Oh, the joys of messing with him. Rhettie had always been fun to tease, and now was no exception. He shook his head as he explained why he hadn't texted back. "It was rude to text me back? It was rather rude for you to ignore me." Deciding to let that go, Zell focused on the matter at hand. He nodded at the two girls as they were introduced and scoffed at the last part of what his friend said. Of course he would behave. When wasn't he mannerly and gallant? Oh, wait. Well, at least he had his looks working for him. That, and he did have some manners. At least he wasn't totally impolite like some people. Or, that's what he told himself.

As Ashlyn leaned back into a deviously sexy pose, Zell smirked softly. Either she was trying too hard, or she had no idea she was doing it because honestly, that little gesture in itself was an invite. She wasn't half bad, really. Bright red hair and bright eyes in general. Freckles. Ah, freckles. Those were cute on anyone, but especially redheads. She gave off an aura, though. One that turned him off completely. Maybe she had a boyfriend or something. Hey, what did he care? More of a chase! He nodded at her clarification in a manner that suggested he was pretty bored with this. He looked at the other one, Lillian was her name he thought, as she spoke.

"Seems like she and I have that in common."

[/color] Reaching out, Zell took her hand and shook it, polite and firm. "Nice to meet you too, Lillian." That was a long name. He needed a nickname for her. And the other one, just for kicks. Ash and Lil. Yes, that suited them better and rolled off his tongue more smoothly. He made a note to call them that from then on. Looking over at his friend when he sounded disheartened, he tilted his head. "And yes, I did change my mind. I don't remember why, but when I thought about it, it was too far away for me to care. Another time!"[/color] He said the latter cheerfully and looked around.

Tossing his singular bag down, Zell looked around the church. "This place is so... I don't know. There's something about it that I like."[/color] He looked back at the group, and then to Rhett. "Am I alone in this?"[/color] He really wished he could let his attention span roam free in this room. He knew it'd be somewhat rude, though. Well, that's what a gut feeling was telling him. It was telling him he should stay and talk to the two nephilim girls but he just couldn't stand still anymore. That had always been a problem for him. He had to be doing something constantly. Relaxing wasn't an option. Picking his bag back up, Zell threw it over his shoulder and began to walk towards the next entrance that actually lead into the fun part of the Institute. "Why are we staying in this part when there's so much more to the building?"[/color] He called back, not necessarily looking. His mind was set on exploration. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

tagged; rhett, ash, & lilly words; 573 outfit; here! notes; <3

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[rhett damon halewile]

“Touché,” thought Rhett as Zell made his comeback. While technically true, Rhett thought it to be more correct not to ignore the ladies. Maybe he was too old fashioned, but all technicality aside, Zell did interrupt his conversation. Even if he hadn’t meant to. “Whatever,” Rhett mumbled under his breath as he watched the boy look around.

Naturally, he was looking at Ashlyn. Would it kill him to think of something other than girls, for once? Though Rhett couldn’t necessarily blame his parabatai on this one. She was asking for people to stare. Hell, she was even turning Rhett on for a moment. Deciding to steer away from how sexy she looked, Rhett looked back at Zell. There was something written on his face he could see clearly; like he was interested, but was smart enough to back off. She must have a boyfriend, Rhett thought, for that was the only way Zell would ever hesitate. Hesitate, not stop pursuing. Zell was good and sensing these things, while his buddy, on the other hand, never thought to care. Most of the time, Rhett wouldn’t go up and speak with the person, let alone pursue them.

Yes, they did have that in common and because they had that in common and because Zell openly admitted it, Rhett playfully smiled. It wasn’t often one heard Zell speak of his flaws, however minor they were. Either, he really liked these two girls or he was suffering from the jet lag as much as Rhett was. Sitting down on the pew wasn’t helping much either. If anything, it made him want to lie down and close his eyes. So before he did that, he stood up and stood next to Zell just in time to be answered. His cheeriness gave Rhett second thoughts about his tiredness. Why did it seem like only Rhett suffered from fatigue? “Another time, then,” Rhett agreed.

A “thud” was heard in the stillness of the church and Rhett looked down to see that Zell had dropped his bag. Rhett sighed. In a matter of minutes, he’d just pick it back up again. Looking from the bag to the crowd, Rhett noticed Zell’s eyes on him and then a question was asked. “No, you’re not. It’s called ‘culture shock’, Zell. I’m experiencing it, too.” And he was. Rhett couldn’t take his mind off of the stained glass windows, each masterfully painted and carved. The alter was even more fascinating, with large steps and a statue of an angel behind it. Just as he was done looking around, Zell wasn’t next to him anymore. Suspiciously, he looked ahead and—as fate would have it—he was already making his way into the Institute. It’s a good thing the doors were open, Rhett thought, otherwise he would’ve kicked them down…figuratively speaking. Zell wasn’t as well mannered as his partner, but he knew the basics. To his question, Rhett just sighed, picked up his bags, and followed after him. “Gee, I don’t know, what were we thinking?” he muttered. He paced quickly to catch up to Zell, because even though he was more calm about it, Rhett was just as excited and wondrous.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

Word Count: five three three
Tags: Lillian/ Ashlyn/ Zell/ open to Nephilim
Outfit: Off the Plane

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[ashlyn louise lightwood]

I AM WRONG I AM RIGHT I SWEAR I’M RIGHT SWEAR I KNEW IT ALL ALONG
i am flawed, but i am cleaning up so well

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I AM SEEING IN ME NOW THE THINGS YOU SWORE YOU SAW YOURSELF[/font][/size][/size][/size]

.....[/center][/b]

Ashlyn pulled a face when Lillian announced that her frequent visits to the Institute were solely to clean out the fridge. “Geez, Lils! First I don’t know when to shut up, now I come over just to eat your food? It almost sounds like you’re calling me a fat chatterbox. I totally feel the love, thanks.”

[/b] She pouted, sticking out her bottom lip and widening her eyes to shoot the brunette a feigned hurt expression. The nephilim knew that Lillian was kidding; the younger girl rarely let Ash in the kitchen to steal food, and anyways, she usually hid out elsewhere in the Institute. The library, with her nose stuck in a book, a hand tangled in her hair as she tried to hold her brain inside of her skull, and her eyebrows knitted together in a perpetually confused state as she studied for one of her uncle’s ridiculous tests. The training room, either sparring with Lillian or dear little Tori or one of her many male relatives. The greenhouse, the roof, the living room, really anywhere with Jules, dodging one relative or another who was ready to throw a quip at them for holding hands or other, less g-rated things.

“Oh…” Golden eyes swept over to Rhett, who looked vaguely surprised to discover that she didn’t actually live here. She rolled her shoulders in an easy shrug. “Rhett, darling, I have many homes. I rarely sleep in the same bed two nights in a row.”[/b] It was the truth. Well, partially. Between her own home, the Institute, Julian’s home, her grandparents’ bookstore slash painting studio, and all of the other homes of all of her other relatives who lived on their own, she could easily have a different place to crash every single day of the week. But she preferred her own bed, back in the townhouse with her brother in the next room over, her sister across the hall, and her parents just a few short steps away. Somehow it felt safer there, surrounded by close family, than in the Institute surrounded by mostly vacant rooms. Replaying her words in her head, it occurred to Ash just how easy it would be to interpret that as slutty. She’d never considered herself a slut, though some people did considering her expansive list of ex-boyfriends and the fact that she’d been single for maybe a week over the course of the past three years. She flushed, embarrassed but hiding it rather well, desperately wishing that life had a rewind button.

“Uh…”[/b] She bit her bottom lip, shaking her head to try and erase her memory of the last thirty seconds. Like if she could forget she’d said that, then everyone around her would too. Thankfully, Zell came to her rescue, though he probably didn’t even realize it. He dropped his bag to the ground and started toward the rest of the Institute, wanting to explore. She jumped to her feet, shouldering the bag that she’d been leaning against and sending Rhett a look that said that she was immensely pleased with herself for being a good hostess despite his unwillingness to let her be one.

The redhead snatched the abandoned peanut butter from its spot on the pew at the last second. All their talk of McDonalds, no matter how disgusting the chain may be, had made her remember that she’d been hungry. Dipping her finger in and scooping out a glob of the spread, she caught up to Zell and overtook him, turning on her heel to walk backwards in front of him. “Beware the kitchen. A monster has invaded our territory, and we-”[/b] She waved her peanut buttery hand between Lillian and herself. “-are currently trying to figure out how to remove it without infuriating Lillian’s mother.”[/b] She nodded like it was a very dangerous situation, but not to worry, because they had it under control. “Until we get the situation sorted out, dinner might be postponed. Peanut butter?”[/b] She offered him the jar, her own bite momentarily forgotten.

She was in good hostess mode, and dammit, she was going to succeed in her job.
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.....

tagged : rhett & lillian & zell & still open
words : six eight seven
lyrics : “vindicated” by dashboard confessional
outfit : getting away with everything.
notes : i love that ash is wearing a boy’s shirt and a ring where an engagement or wedding ring usually goes, and neither rhett nor zell have come to the concrete realization that she’s taken. perceptive, they are not. also, haha i just unintentionally made ash sound like a slut. funnnn XD

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[lillian grace midwinter]

all the things you've done, and all the things you lost, and all the things you've won.

[/i][/b][/color][/font]
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIND SOME COLOR IN THIS BLACK&WHITE WORLD[/color][/font]
tell me everything will be alright. walk this way with me into the light.[/i][/b][/color][/font]

Lilly barely nodded as he agreed on her description of McDonald's. She really hoped that Zell had already eaten the burger. The thought of smelling the grease and oil was already making her feel just a little bit sick.

She had felt like going insane with all the apologizing, but it seemed like Rhett had actually heard her. And stopped talking about being sorry for whatever it was he had a part in. Lilly gave him a grateful smile, though she was almost certain he wouldn't know what it was for. Then again, he was a smart boy; he could probably figure it out.

Ashlyn made a complaint, pouting and pretending to be hurt as she did so. The whole idea just made Lilly laugh, which she gladly did out loud, before she rolled her eyes. "What kind of cousin would I be if I didn't make fun of you, Ash?" she asked matter-of-factly, smirking before Rhett made his introductions.

Lilly was about to assure Rhett that Ashlyn practically lived at the Institute anyways when Ashlyn pretty much dug herself a nice, snug little hole. "What Ash means to say," she started, deciding to step in and do some damage control. If anything, Lilly was good at that. With a brother who had the grace of a bull in a China shop and a cousin who had the ability to make an enemy out of almost any girl, Lilly had had a lot of practice. Her father had always said her glamours were some of the best as well. "Is that she's got lots of family members she can easily turn to and spend the night with if traveling would be too tiring or dangerous," she said with a polite smile on her face. Ashlyn's reputation was bound to catch up to the boys' ears. Might as well keep them at bay for a little bit longer.

Isabelle Midwinter was going to have her only daughter's head on a platter. Zell's comment reminded her that she hadn't even given them a proper tour yet. Though, with Ashlyn's appearance, it meant she really didn't have to. She just had to make sure everything Ashlyn said was either appropriate or correct while the redhead did the tour herself.

She couldn't help but smile at Zell's comment on cleaning out her fridge. Lilly had opened her mouth to say something about how it was barely her fridge right now when Ash mentioned the monster in her kitchen. She chuckled, an amused smile on her face as she nodded, following the girl. "It's true; my domain," she said, giving Ashlyn a pointed look that said "you're barely allowed in my kitchen in the first place" before continuing, "has been taken over. Mainly because the Clave, or someone, decided you two couldn't handle my cooking and that we needed a new chef," she explained before falling into step with Rhett, half-following the rest of the group. Ash would lead the group through the house, hopefully stopping by somewhere to drop off the bags.

That's when Lilly realized that they had cleaned out two rooms earlier that week. She knew there had to be a reason, but she hadn't even realized that Rhett and Zell were the reasons until just now. Well, she never claimed to be very perceptive when it came to these sorts of things. That was also the reason why she let Ashlyn play hostess when necessary. The other girl was simply far too good at being nice and friendly to everyone who walked through the door.

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post status: complete
tagged: Rhett/Ash/Zell
words: 593
outfit: cliick
listening: Color by The Maine
credit: ghost tea !? @ caution 2.0[/size][/font]