It's Abuse [Inactive]

[Lillian Gray]

Lillian Gray submitted a new role play:


It's Abuse - A private 1x1 between Lillian

No, it's not your fault.


You didn't deserve that hit, that punch.


Don't believe it, not for one second. You deserve better, so much better.


It's not your fault.

​

Character Outline:
Name:


Appearance:


Height:


Age:


Personality:


Bio/History:


Other:

​

 

Vincent Hall

Vincent has dark brown hair, and a set of dark brown eyes to match.


He likes to try and grow a small beard, but usually ends up shaving it off.


Height: 6'0"


Age: 20


Personality: Vincent is a laid back kind of guy, with an attitude to match. He usually stays at home, and is easygoing about problems in his life. Making him angry can be hard, because he simply lets the emotions go. The man is loyal to his friends, and will always be there to back them up. Often times this loyalty gets him into trouble, especially when his older friends go out to bars, but he sticks to what he knows.


Bio/History: The man grew up in a normal family, living with his two younger sisters, Claire (15), and Holly (12) and treating them like the little princesses they were. Although he loves his sisters, he tends not to be the best around children though. His mother left sometime after Holly was born to be with another man. At the time, he didn't understand what it meant, but when he was older, he resented her for abandoning her family and children. When his mother ducked out, this left him often times in charge. He believes this is where his lazy attitude comes from. Constantly being left alone with his sisters gave him the idea he was alright, he was trusted to be alone after all.


After his mother left, life went on, his father never remarried, and he grew up as any other kid would. Today, he spends time playing soccer with his friends when he can, and focusing on school after that.


Other:


Vincent isn't a lazy person, just calm enough to appear so. On the inside, he often worries if he's going to make it into the 'real world' alright.


Loves to play soccer


A diligent student (when he's actually focused)

​

 

[SliverOfHope]

(Sorry for the slight lateness but I had to finish a few minor tasks)


Name:


.:Zoey Deblian:.


Appearance:

Zoey has dark, wavy brown hair that cascades past her shoulders, stopping around her mid back.


Big, chocolate brown eyes and creamy skin complete the overall look.


Height:


5'7


Age:


Recently 20


Personality:


Zoey is, for the most part, a very collected person that always has her wits with her. She is only slightly shy and a decently devious girl. Her looks give some the illusion of innocence but they just don't know that she ultimately is a major force to be reckoned with. She is quite witty and charming, cunning even, and doesn't mind doing something if it will be beneficial to mostly other in the end. She is naturally selfless which is both a good and bad trait. If someone gets to know Zoey on a personal level, as in you're a friend or the like of to her, then you can tell just how loyal a fiercely protective she can be. It's one thing the few other things she likes to pride herself for.


Zoey likes to believe she is rather independent and very, very stubborn. Although,more often than not, if she thinks that she can't get out of a certain situation then she closes in on herself. A lot of times she tries to cover up her embarrassment, serious situations, or her emotions with a sarcastic and snappy comment. Its become a major lifeline and savior for her when she starts feeling overwhelmed. It's also really just a piece of her strange humor.


Zoey, besides all of those qualities, is quite endearing and is really a sweet girl at the core of her heart.


Bio/History:


Zoey, thankfully, was born into a family where she was an only child. Her mother and father had her at a young age of 19 but surprisingly stuck together through every obstacle they faced, both being just as happily in love as they were with each other when they first met. Besides taking responsibility of most of the household chores, Zoey lived a safe, happy and quiet life spent mostly be herself with her nose tucked away in a book.


In her senor year of high school Zoey met her current boyfriend, Matthew, and was happily naive for the first year, living in a blissful sort of daze. When she finally entered into college for her first year, which is what she is apart of now, and moved into Matthew's apartment to give her parents some space and earn some money to put herself on her own to feet is when Zoey finally leaned of her boyfriend's violent tendencies. She's found a friend in a few selective people and, even with them not knowing of her current predicament, tries to find as much time and excuses as possible to hang out with them. Really just anything to delay going 'home'.


Other:


Zoey has a knack for the guitar, one of her favorite possessions that she owns, and with the surprisingly good voice she rarely uses tries to fit in a few tunes to play whenever she can. Also, she's a reclusive fan for Disney movies.

​

 

[Lillian Gray]

"Come here, dumbass." Vincent sighed and looked to his friend, Thomas. The pair of them had gone through high school together, and ended up at the same college by mere coincidence. The hot-head liked to get in fights, he knew Vincent would always be there to back him up. The bulging black eye stuck out on Thomas like a bruise should, deep purple and sickly green combined together to give off a gross hue.


"He started it." Thomas spat. Vincent did his best to lay some ice on his friend's eye, he'd had to buy it from the college's campus store, something he wasn't too pleased about.


"I was supposed to meet Zoey in a bit." Vincent groaned, and pulled the ice away from the eye. It still was sickly, and it threatened to swell shut at the slightest nudge. He shook his head and gave Thomas the bag of ice. "You owe me for that, and would you please stop picking fights?" He waved his arms in a pleading motion, but Thomas merely rolled his good eye and accepted the ice without the slightest amount of grace.


Where Vincent was tall, somewhat athletic, Thomas was not. He was short, stocky, and had a head of wavy black hair. If not for the slight belly he had accumulated through the beginning of the year, he would've been more attractive, but one too many pizzas had claimed their spot in his gut already. The two played soccer with some other guys on campus when they could, and were constantly competing against each other in the way good friends would. Vincent didn't have a brother, and Thomas was an only child, so they both gained from the friendship they had. Deep down, the two felt like brothers, but most times they bickered or teased in their own form of compassion.


"Yeah, well." Thomas cocked his head from side to side and rubbed the ice on his swollen eye. "Just tell her you had to swoop in and kick some guy's ass for me first, I'm sure she'll understand."


"Sure, Thomas." Vincent laughed and slapped his friend on the back before he reached to the ground to lug his heavy backpack over his shoulder. "Because that's the excuse every person wants to hear."


Thomas seemed to have the idea Vincent and Zoey were secretly a 'thing', but they weren't. She was taken, Vincent was happily single. The drama simply didn't suit him, but, the idea was nice from time to time.


He waved goodbye to his friend, who mumbled a farewell in response unhappily. Vincent checked his phone, hoping the girl wouldn't be too mad at his lateness.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Beep. . . . . . . . . Beep. . . . . . . . . . . . . Beep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .





"Ugh." Moaned Zoey as she turned over in her bed, her arm carelessly smacking the obnoxious alarm clock off of the nearby table top and onto the pristine wooden floor, a loud crash ending the persistent noise. What time is it? She thought groggily, her bright brown eyes turning down toward the leather watch neatly placed upon her wrist after taking some time to just lay there in blissful silence. 12:00 am... 12:00 am on Saturday...





Zoey felt as if she was forgetting something rather important and was about to just say 'fuck it' and fall back into a dreamless sleep when she suddenly sat up, a headache rushing forth to greet her. Shit! I was supposed to met Vincent near the cafe by 12:30! How could she forget? It was a day that she had been looking forward to quite a bit, mainly because she could easily slip out the door since Matthew had work early, and she had forgotten. Only me.





After she had finished taking possibly the quickest shower ever known to human-kind and had placed on a light brown sweater and skinny jeans, clothes that covered a great deal of bruises that marred her skin, she grabbed her side bag and rushed out the door, making sure to lock everything up nice and snug beforehand. Once Zoey was finally in her old and rusty truck, an old and rusty truck that she wouldn't trade for anything mind you, she took a few spare seconds to check her watch again and see how she was doing on time.


12:34 am. Alright, not too late. No need to panic. Yeah, her attempts at trying to calm down miserably failed and with one more deep breath she slammed down on her gas peddle, the truck lurching to a start before lifting out of the dingy and trashed little parking lot of which it was a resident in.


Bumping into only a few cars when driving along the road Zoey finally made it to a small clearing near her favorite cafe, her's and Vincent's meeting place, and jumped out of the car.


"Sorry I'm a bit late!" Zoet called out towards her friend, stopping to catch whatever breath she had left in her lungs before speaking up once again. "Usually it's you who's late, huh? How about that for a plot twist?"

 

[Lillian Gray]

Vincent had arrived late, and was surprised to find no Zoey waiting for him. He peeked over heads of multicolored hair to see if he could spot hers, wavy and brown, but his search was in vain, she hadn't even arrived and he had no clue. After waiting for only another five minutes, most of it spent checking his watch, the girl finally appeared out of her old truck.


Several times he'd offered to help her fix it, even to help her find a new one, but she wouldn't budge. Nothing would make her sell that beat up truck, so he didn't press on. If she wanted to keep the 'rusty bucket' as he politely referred to it, she could.


"Riveting." He replied with a hint of humor in his voice. Yes, Vincent was usually the later party of the two, but this time he was early, a feat he wouldn't soon forget. As soon as Zoey was close enough he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged affectionately, the two were good friends after all, and he enjoyed the time spent at the little cafe.


"I heard the rusty bucket a mile away." Vincent smirked at her, and then back to the cafe's menu hung up behind the line of cashiers. Normally, he'd just order a dark coffee and be done with it, but he wanted to treat himself after having to deal with Thomas. "Whatever you want, it's on me today." He added with a slight wave of his hand.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey stifled a gasp of pain as Vincent brought her into a hug, opting to do her best to enjoy it instead. It was better to focus on the warmth than to focus on the pain. Once the embrace dissipated she lightly smacked her hand across Vincent's shoulder, a tiny smile flitting across her full lips.


"Hey, that 'rusty bucket' hasn't ever done anything to you so play nice." Zoey loved how easily conversation and teasing words flowed between the two of them, loved these particular moments that she would remember when she needed them most. It was always a comfort to revert into a comfortable and normal bubble during days like the one she was currently having.


"Anyways, I'll pay for my own drink, thank you very much. I was the one who kept you waiting after all." She said with a slight smile as she walked up toward the counter and ordered a simple white chocolate mocha coffee, her hair pooling in front of her eyes as she leaned over the counter. After making sure that her order was all taken care of and that it would soon arrive into her hands Zoey turned her attention back to Vincent.


"So, what have you been up to lately? Oh, and how's Thomas?"

 

[Lillian Gray]

He shrugged as she went on to purchase her own drink. She was stubborn like that, no matter how often he offered, Zoey was unlikely to accept. Be it pride or in fact that she was stubborn, he easily pushed it from his mind and it boiled down to no problem at all. It was great being around the girl anyways. She was smarter, less quick to a fight than Thomas was. Instead of the usual bickering, they could actually hold a conversation, a pleasantry he looked forward to.


Vincent stepped forward to order his own black coffee, and turned to Zoey after she'd asked her question. He pursed his lips and his eyes stared up for a minute, in a futile attempt to keep in his irritation with his friend. "Thomas got his ass handed to him, and of course, I'm the one cleaning up after him. Not that I mind, he just needs to learn to keep that temper of his under control."


Soon enough, their drinks were ready, and they scoured the cafe for a quiet place to sit. By this point, it was somewhat crowded with local college students on their lunch break, and the rushed businessman in need of drinks for a meeting. Far in the back, there were still a few empty tables. Vincent pointed to them, and headed that way.


As he walked, he talked, "I haven't done much myself lately. Wrote a few papers, slept in a few days." He shrugged and smiled. Vincent hated to be called lazy, but it was what it was. "I can't say much else. How about you? How's the apartment."


As far as Vincent knew, Zoey lived with her high school sweetheart in an apartment nearby. The guy seemed nice enough, the few times they'd actually met, but there was a vibe that seemed to tell Vincent to move along when he got too close. It was unnerving, and he didn't always feel too comfortable with him, but, he must have been decent enough if Zoey was his girlfriend.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey nodded fondly as she listened to Vincent, following him to an empty table nearby. Once she was seated and had taken a sip, her shoulders practically sagging in relief from her getting off of her feet, she nodded her agreement. It was silent for all of two seconds before the questions were being asked to her, these types of sentiments always feeling like a touchy subject.


"Me? I haven't done much either. Just finished up some papers for a few other classes. And the apartment's doing as well as can be expected. Although, I didn't get much sleep last night." Zoey mumbled out the last part, her eyes wondering to a spot just to the left of Vincent's shoulder while she took a careful sip of her steaming coffee, the burn of the hot liquid going down her throat somewhat grounding.


While she dearly loved spending as much time with Vincent as possible she hated the fact that she had to lie, or shuffle around the truth, in conversations or questions like the one she had just participated in. Well, you could always tell the truth... but at what consequences?





Shaking her head to get rid of the thought, Zoey went back to asking her own questions. "So... what made Thomas get his ass beat this time?"

 

[Lillian Gray]

"Noisy neighbors?" Vincent chuckled to himself and took a sip of his coffee. Black, always black. As much as he craved a good sweet slice of anything from time to time, his coffee always needed to be black.


He watched Zoey talk, her eyes darted just past his shoulder. She did that often. Be it a touchy subject or a different kind of habit, he'd picked up on it some time ago. Vincent didn't think much of it. There were people who didn't like to make constant eye contact, and that was fine, by all means. It was only something he'd noticed about the girl after they'd met.


"Thomas." Vincent grunted the name and drank more of his coffee to push past the anger. "I love the bastard, I do, he's like my brother, but he needs to learn to keep his anger under control. It's awful, I can't defend the guy, he just blows up. How am I supposed to defend him when he's the aggressor?" He shook his head, and briefly apologized for going off tangent. Zoey had asked what he did, not what Vincent thought about him. Back on track, Vincent started anew. "Anyways. We were just walking back from class when he sees this guy, huge guy, Junior football player I think by the meat on him. More than sees, really, the guy bumped into Thomas. So Thomas says 'Hey, what the hell?' and just shoves the guy.


"Honestly, that's all it took. The two went at it, and I just stood there like an idiot of course. I wasn't about to get in the middle of that, no way." Vincent sighed and took another small sip before he continued. Only now did he realize how irrationally upset he was over the whole situation. Thomas was a hot head, he couldn't do anything about that, but he still had to stick his neck out for the guy. "So, after Thomas gets a nice hook to the eye, I just sorta had to step in, make them call it quits. He's got the whole football team after him, I swear, he needs to get his act together."


Vincent wove his hands through his dark brown hair and closed his eyes. Seriously, Thomas. I can't deal with this anymore. They were friends, but if the behavior continued, Vincent was sure he'd have to reaffirm Thomas' place in the inner circle. Vincent wouldn't stand for such ludicrous behavior.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey nodded her head halfheartedly, a tiny frown trying to sneak up on her face. "Noisy neighbors... something of the like." She responded with. While listening to Vincent let out some thoughts that obviously has been stewing inside his mind for quite a bit, she noticed on a faraway sort of level that, pretty much anywhere, Vincent always got black coffee. Most of the time she got something with a little more sweetness and flavor blended in but occasionally she would drink it black.


Blinking a few times to bring herself back into the real world instead of her own, she patiently listened to the rest of the conversation and just couldn't help the slightly bitter bark of laughter that sounded from her through, her back leaning into the chair cushion while she began speaking.


"Don't worry, I understand exactly what you're saying. I'll let you in on a little tip though; you can't really defend him when he's the aggressor. Mainly because his actions are uncalled for and, like you stated a few times throughout your explanation, it wouldn't hurt him to try and, I don't know, reign in his anger and aggression. I just hope that the nice shiner he must be sporting will remain a reminder to him. Although I somehow highly doubt that it will do anything except surge his aggressive tendencies even more."


Zoey sighed and closed her eyes slightly after her words faded out, giving an appropriate am-mount of time to let them sink in and become processed.


"I just hope that Thomas learns sooner rather than later what his actions can do. Sort of like a ripple or domino effect. And I'm glad that you didn't join in or anything. I'll admit that I'd be disappointed if you did because there are much bigger and more important things in life to fight over than about an accidental bump to the shoulder or side."

 

[Lillian Gray]

Vincent was shocked at her halfhearted praise of his not joining the fight. He set his hands on the table and spoke, "Of course I wouldn't join in. Thomas was being an idiot. He'll probably never learn, to be honest, it's just so-" His eyes fell to the table and he shook his head before he continued. "It's just scary to think that my friend is going to end up being like that, you know? He'll be that jerk who hits is girlfriend, or the guy on the road who always tries to cut you off for driving a little fast."


Thomas, you've gotta try a little harder, buddy. Vincent sipped at his coffee to distract himself again. He briefly considered putting some distance between himself and Thomas, just for a while to see how things turned out. Vincent couldn't do that though, couldn't bring himself to let anyone else get in the way of his friend's wrath. He was just as sucked into this mess as Thomas was attached to it.


"Defend is probably the wrong word." Vincent explained, thinking back briefly on Zoey's own words. "I just hate to see my friend act like such an ass. I'm trying to get him to see that he needs to stop, but, Thomas will be Thomas. If I hadn't known him for so long, god damn, I don't even know. I'm sorry, ranting like that."


He apologized and went back to the black coffee. The scent rising from the thick paper cup calmed his nerves if only a little, the bitter black taste slipped comfortably into his mouth, a small pleasure. Vincent drummed a hand against the table and set the cup down near the side, now that he was almost done with it, after having chugged a fair amount in one go.


"What are you doing later?" Vincent asked casually. "Some friends of mine are getting together to try out badminton for a change. Wanna come? We could always use a more feminine presence to compliment Thomas." He was only teasing, of course, but the invitation was sincere.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey's breath catches in her throat as Vincent talks about how Thomas may become abusive but, realizing that it was only a passing thought, starts taking deep breaths to calm her frayed nerves. C'mon Zoey. Vincent doesn't know and if you have anything to do with it then he never will. Get a hold of yourself!





"Oh, it's perfectly fine. Everyone needs to let off a little steam every now and again. Plus, it's always insightful to hear your opinion on certain matters." She told him with a reassuring smile as she lifted the coffee cup up to her lips once again, the delicate taste of the white chocolate mocha coffee filling her mouth and taste buds with a delicious sense of satisfaction and comfort. Drinking coffee was always a repetitive and constant process, one that soothed her and was highly enjoyable.


"Uh, I don't know..." Zoey's voice turned hesitant as she answered the invitation, mulling and entertaining the thought over in her head. It would be nice to hang out with the group once again, nice to be able to laugh freely without a care in the world for a few short hours. Actually, she would love to be able to go but she didn't know what time Matthew was supposed to come back 'home'. You know what? Consequences be damned!


And with that resolute thought beating inside her head, one that she would surely regret later on in the day or evening, Zoey set her answer in stone.


"I don't really think I have anything too important upcoming today. Plus, It'd be nice to get out of the apartment a bit more often. So, yeah, I'll go with you and your friends to try badminton."

 

[Lillian Gray]

Thrilled to hear the answer he grinned and set his fist to hold up his chin, elbow resting firmly on the cafe table. She rarely accepted such invitations nowadays, so he was excited to know she'd be joining them. "Awesome. We're going to meet around three, you know that park just next to the college? A buddy of mine is going to set up a net in the grass there, we've got some spare rackets, so don't worry about that."


Vincent checked his watch, it was only 1:30, they had plenty of time before the badminton even started. Their casual meetings at the cafe were soothing anyways, they could stay and talk for hours if they tried. He felt no awkwardness feeling so comfortable around a girl who had a boyfriend, Vincent didn't see her like that. Although, he wouldn't deny the girl was attractive, and quite sweet overall, it explained why he felt so good in her presence.


"I think the last time I played badminton was in high school." Vincent sat up, he scratched the side of his head as he thought back to a few years prior. The smell of a constantly sweaty high school gym, all the boys with their cut off shirts, and the girls in their too short shorts. Badminton was a special week, something other than dodge ball or indoor soccer. "If I remember right, I accidentally hit some poor kid in the eye with a birdie. They don't hurt, really, but he was pissed."


He laughed at the memory, they were simpler times. Now, he had to worry more about bills and making sure he got a decent education. Vincent had been looking at apartments, not wanting to spend another minute in his dorm room. He'd give it another month, see what the prices were like, and maybe then he'd be able to have what he could call his own.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey felt that now rare excitement building up in her stomach and couldn't help but to release another smile, something she had been doing quite a bit that day. It felt wonderful, exhilarating even, to be able to do something on her own terms for once and she wanted to hold onto that feeling for as long as she possibly could. "Alright, three is perfect. And we might as well go together, seeing as we only have an hour and a half until the game actually starts."


She hoped that the request wouldn't be declined. If anything it would end up saving them both gas and time, while still being able to be in each other's presence. And, she managed to add as an afterthought, I have a boyfriend. Although, the fact that he's a good one is pretty out of the question.





Zoning back in from the bubble she had recently occupied once more at the sound of a voice, Zoey found herself beginning to chuckle alongside Vincent. The picture he had painted inside her mind was one that amused her to no end and she had to admit that she wishes she could have been there to actively see that certain situation. "Well, I have to tell you that this will be my very first time trying to play badminton. Call it a hunch or even intuition but I don't think that the game's going to be one of my many fortes."

 

[Lillian Gray]

Vincent chuckled and leaned back in his chair, there on her face was that grin he looked for. Some days it showed, she'd be miserable or distant, lost in thought to some event he didn't know how to comfort her for. Other days, like this one, she let show that perfect smile, a certain radiance about her, she looked happiest in those moments. Call it a hunch, he assumed she must have been.


"Sure, we can go together, but we aren't taking the rust bucket." Vincent waved his hand in his declaration and nodded his head towards the parking lot, where his own car waited. It wasn't anything special, a deep red Sedan that had been passed down to him from his parents. Although old and worn down, it was better than her truck.


"Trust me, it's not that hard." He explained. "It's like tennis, only you can't let the birdie fall to the ground, then the other team gets a point. I'll play on your team if you're too terrible at it." Vincent jokingly pulled his arms up and flexed for all of a split second. "I'm an expert in badminton, certified through tenth grade physical education. It's not a big deal or anything."


Smiling, he crossed his arms over his chest and tried to keep a straight face to keep his joke running. Although it was hard not to chuckle a bit. Even he wasn't great at the sport.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey puffed out her bottom lip in a childish, playful pout, her eyes growing comically wide as she tried to portray a look of innocence. "Aw, my 'rusty bucket' isn't that bad. I mean at least the thing still runs smoothly. Most would've expected it to have shut down at least a hundred times by now, correct?" Even with her words being soaked in a teasing tone, she couldn't help but be the tiniest bit exasperated with Vincent. Like she had just said, her truck wasn't all that bad. Even if there was still plenty of room for improvements.


While Zoey finished up the rest of her now lukewarm coffee she listened as the rules of badminton were explained simply, her eyes narrowing in slight confusion as she fought a smile of her own off of her face. Leaning over the table she poked one of Vincent's flexed arms and tried her best to keep from snickering at this playful banter. "What, exactly, am I supposed to be looking at? Oh! Is there supposed to be some sort of muscle here?" She made sure to land in one more good poke before leaning back into her seat, a faint smirk on her face.


"And if I haven't gone completely insane then I do recall you telling me how you whacked someone in the eye with one of the birdies in high school. This may just be my own opinion but I don't think that's what an actual good player would do."

 

[Lillian Gray]

"You offend me deeply, madam." Vincent turned his face from her in mock disgust, arms crossed tightly over his shirt. Their conversations always felt so natural, so easy. No one else had the same manner of speaking as she did. It didn't matter what time of day or where they were, they could poke, prod, and hold a conversation for as long as they wanted. That was one of the things Vincent loved about being in Zoey's presence.


They talked for a little longer, killing time before they had to leave. He further explained the rules, just in case he'd left anything out. The two players on each side, where to stand, to not hit the net, anything he could think of really just to make sure she fully understood the game ahead of them. It had been so long since he'd held a racket in hand, Vincent was worried he'd end up hitting someone else's eye, hopefully not her's, it might put a slight sting to their cafe days.


"It's about time." Vincent stretched in his chair, arms reaching back towards the next table behind them. He was still in shape at least, proud to say there was a shadow of abs forming on his stomach. Albeit it was only a hint of the muscles beneath the skin, but he was happy about that at least. "Rust bucket, or my car? I think my car might be a little nicer. No offense to your senior."

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey rolled her eyes as she got up and out of her chair, taking the time to stretch out her stiff muscles like Vincent had done. "I guess your car would be more suitable in the conditions today. Although, don't think I'm 100% agreeing with you. I also don't want to do the driving right now as well." She muttered the last part with a hint of exhaustion before she quit talking and grabbed her nearby hand bag, waiting on Vincent to pick up the pace.


Once everything was gathered up and the bill was all payed for, Zoey took the short trek to the red Sedan, seating herself comfortably inside the nice interior of the car. Buckling up her seat belt all nice and snug she finally turned her attention back onto Vincent.


"Alright, since I have the gist of the rules to badminton, do you mind telling me who all is going to be there? Might as well prepare myself and know what I'm up against before I utterly embarrass myself."

 

[Lillian Gray]

Vincent hopped inside his car and instantly buckled up before he started up the car. Compared to the bucket's roar, his car only hummed a bit as it started, warm air blew out from the vents from the last time Vincent had been inside. He turned them off and calmly reversed out of the parking lot before he spoke.


"Well. Thomas, as I said, you, then me obviously." He started with the three of them, and then listed a few more names. "Parker and his girlfriend, Hannah. I don't know if you've met her, she's quiet, nice enough. Then Parker's roommate, Blake, and maybe Nathan. I think you met them. Once. Not really sure."


The drive to the park was a quick one, lasting no more than ten minutes inside the car. Vincent snickered and tried not to point out the obvious differences between Zoey's car and his own, he understood how hard it could be to get a decent car, and considered himself beyond lucky to have something that moved in the first place. If anyone needed a ride, Vincent was keen to offer up his services in return for some gas money. A few bucks here and there usually paid for what he needed in terms of gas, and it was never really an issue.


"We've only got one net, so, there should be around six of us, so, usually two people will sit out." He shrugged, and shut the car off, turning once to give a halfhearted grin. "Just try not to hit anyone in the face, and I think we'll be alright."


Just to the side of them, after Vincent parked next to the curb, was Parker and Hannah with the badminton net. Parker was in the process of setting it up while Hannah stood nearby, long blonde hair waved around her face, as if shielding her from any conversation. She truly was a shy girl. At the sight of the sedan, Parker gave a wave, and resumed setting up the net.

 

[SliverOfHope]

"I'm pretty sure I've met everyone you just mentioned at least once. Although, not nearly enough times to actually know them or become close." Zoey shrugged one shoulder halfheartedly as her eyes swiveled over toward the nearby window, her gaze taking in many of the blurred colors of scenery that flew by in a messy fashion. Her attention became enraptured on the simplistic views of the surrounding world.


Nature had always been one of Zoey's passions that never deteriorated with time, like most usually do, and she tried to get out of the house as much as she could just to spend some time under the shade of a tree or by a creek, occasionally taking the time to stop by a wildflower clearing and let her mind slow down until it was nothing more than a soothing cacophony of melodies.


Oh! That reminded her of something she had been planning to do sometime soon. I need to get my guitar back out of the shop either today or tomorrow. I'm pretty sure that it's still in great condition, especially since I haven't played in awhile. I really need to though...





Guitar was also a huge passion that Zoey majorly enjoyed and, since she had taken it to the shop to get some new strings attached and have it finely tuned, she hadn't played it at all recently. Well, you can worry about this all later. It seems as if we have arrived already.





Stepping away from the car the lithe brunette walked over to Parker and his girlfriend Hannah, giving both a friendly yet slightly awkward wave herself. Zoey wasn't the most social person known to humankind and, while it was nice to see a few somewhat familiar faces, she would probably not be the one to initiate any conversation.

 

[Lillian Gray]

Vincent and Parker exchanged very serious looking head nods before breaking out into dorkish smiles and actually reaching over to shake the other's hand. They'd only known each other since the beginning of the year, but already the two were fast friends. Had Thomas not already been so close with Vincent, he felt Parker would be his closest friend. The girl, Hannah, exchanged an awkward wave and so did Zoey.


"Parker, Hannah." Vincent gestured to each respectively. Then he shifted his attention to Zoey, once more wrapping an arm around her shoulders, patting her arm playfully. "This is Zoey, I think you've met before." He gave her one last tap before taking a step to the side and then placed his hands in his pockets.


Parker had the net up and ready, five rackets sat on the ground some feet from the left side, an extra just in case something happened to one. A few birdies sat in a small bag next to them, looking brand new and ready to fly. It wasn't long before Blake and Nathan showed up. They, too, exchanged some hellos before Vincent became the mediator, introducing Zoey again just in case anyone had forgotten each other's names. That would've made for an awkward situation, playing badminton for a while only to forget who you were trying to play against.


Vincent felt right at home on the grassy field. He kicked his shoes off and tested the ground beneath his feet. It was just past springtime, a good day was anything just above the frozen winter level. Today was even better. The sun was overhead, with only scattered clouds in sight, her shining rays beat down lightly on the group. Even the grass between his toes was crisp and new with the coming spring, reminding him of days long past playing soccer with his younger sisters in their backyard. Of course, he always let them win, but the memories were still fond.


"Alright, we've got enough people to play." Parker clapped his hands together and then placed them on his hips. He was tall, well built, with a booming voice and a thick black head of hair. With a beard, he looked like a rugged sailor just coming back from the sea, a stark contrast to his pale faced, blonde headed beauty of a girlfriend. "Vince, Thomas coming?"


"I dunno." Vincent responded to the nickname as per usual, "He got punched in the eye pretty bad, probably didn't want us to pick on him. You all know now, though, so. Oops." Vincent shrugged with a sly grin on his face. If Thomas had the idiocy to get beat up after being nudged, he deserved the jokes from his friends.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey winced, just like she did after her and Vincent met up in the clearing beside the cafe, once his's arm was fully spread across her shoulders, his hand patting a place on her arm where a more recent bruise was forming. She tried to cover up her pain with a nervous laugh that seemed as if it fell on deaf ears. It was the pain of the wright across her shoulders more than anything that made her flinch though, instead of the feeling as if she was going to get hurt like with most other people.


See, whenever Zoey associates physical contact between her and someone else it usually ends up being perceived as either a punch or a kick to her body. That's why, in the months she has been with her 'darling Matthew' she tries her best to avoid any physical contact or social interactions with practically everyone. She hates that even the slightest raise of a hand has her flinching back and away from it. Although, with Vincent it's a bit different since they have become extraordinary friends.


After another set of introductions were out of the way for good, those belonging to Blake and Nathan, it seems as if the game was ready to be put into motion. It was a good thing as well because Zoey was a bit too anxious to just wait and sit around feeling helpless without a task to occupy her.


"Alright, if I do something wrong then make sure to tell me. I'd rather learn to do it right and be bad at it then learn it wrong and be good... okay that's not really true but you understand my point."

 

[Lillian Gray]

"You'll be fine." Vincent waved his hand, and did his best to assure her that she would be alright. After all, it was only a simple game of badminton, how bad could she really be? Still, he couldn't help but notice a bit of what he liked to think was apprehensiveness in her nervous laughter. She flinched at his touch, and it bothered him she was so nervous for a simple game.


In the first round it was Vincent and Parker against Nathan and Blake. It probably seemed unfair to any onlookers. Vincent was athletic, tall, and thin for his height. Parker, while not as tall, was well built and looked rough, angry and ready to go. Nathan and Blake were shorter than the both of them, and neither in decent looking athletic shape. Nathan, with his dark blonde hair, and Blake with his dark red hair, were a good team though. They had better coordination, and were always on top of their game. Vincent and Parker tried to keep up with each other, but were soon stumbling into each others space and generally screwing up.


In the end, Vincent and Parker did end up winning, thanks to Vincent's height, and Parker's strength. They only played to ten points, to give others the opportunity to switch out if need be. At the end of the first game, Vincent smiled to the girls on the sidelines and swung his racket in his hand.


"I'm switching out." Nathan panted, he dropped his racket into the grass and dramatically fell into the grass next to the girls.

 

[SliverOfHope]

Zoey watched the four boys play badminton for awhile, trying to study their movements and the way the each played the game. It wasn't like they all used the same tactics anyways. Each time had their own set of advantages. While Parker and Vincent both had the athletic appearance to their figure, a determination air shimming around them in a way, they lacked slightly in focus or concentration and coordination which is exactly what Nathan and Blake excelled at.


As the game was practically neck and neck between the two teams of friends, her and Hannah cheering every one of them on with enthusiastic shouts, it was Vincent and Parker who one in the end while Nathan opted to switch out with one of the girls. Since Hannah seemed content enough to stay on the sidelines and watch, Zoey got the racket that had recently been dropped into the soft green grass swaying in the wind and placed herself next to Blake.


"I'll play Nathan's spot I guess. Are we all content with the layout and teams?"

 

[Lillian Gray]

"I'll try not to aim for your eye, Zoey." Vincent pointed his racket to her in mock play and then readied himself for the next match. Parker wasn't even tired, and his girlfriend had become more animated watching him win his first game. Still, she hardly said a word other than her cheers.


Parker served the first shot, which Blake gracefully returned. Vincent lazily shot at the birdied which fell to the ground on the opposite side. The two boys exchanged a quick bump of the fist and waited for the other team to set up.


As nice as it would've been, Vincent decided not to let the girl win. He'd play good, fair game, and if he ended up winning so be it. If he ended up losing, then it'd prove what a decent player she was. There was no way in hell Parker would let anyone win. His pride wouldn't allow it, not as an athlete. Perhaps for his girlfriend, but not for anyone else, not with another man on the opposing team.


"Zoey, hey, you're gonna get hot." Vincent gestured his free hand to her long brown sweater. It was a gorgeous day, he was surprised she wasn't already sweating through the material. "Might wanna roll up your sleeves or something."