Beyond the Grey Sky

[Zander Grubbs]

Beyond The Grey Sky Somewhere on the beach No tag: Open

Out on the beach, the sun was really shining down. It would be hard for him to even manage keeping a frown if he wanted to. But he was having some fun sitting out in the sun. Hanging out with his brothers always put a smile on his face. When he found out there was ice cream too, he knew exactly what he'd do. With a wave he'd set out to walk along the shore. Eventually he'd reached his prize and bought it with a gleam in his eyes and the biggest grin on his face. 

The only problem now was he had to walk back, and be careful at that. He didn't want his frozen treat to meet the hot sand at his feet instead. So he was as cautious as could be. Watched out for the kids running while silently hoping for the best. While it definitely felt good, the sun didn't help. His focus split as he licked while the ice cream melt. That was his downfall.

It happened so fast he couldn't react. A disk came flying before his hand could try to retract. Now he was staring down at the ice cream on the ground. It had tasted so sweet but all things had to come to an end he supposed. With a sigh and munch of what's left, he covered the waste with a heft of his foot to bury it with sand. Satisfied just a tad, he found he wasn't really mad. Just a bit disappointed and a little more sad. So he approached the disk, wondering who would risk coming over to claim it after what they'd done.

OWL

[Torrence Paige]

Tori had always been an outdoor girl. Despite her friends often telling her that she should go out more often, just because she turned down their invitations to a night out most of the time, she actually liked going out, but not in the sense that they want her to. She was more inclined to go out, meaning outdoors, rather than go out clubbing or partying, or whatever it is that her friends always invited her to. She didn't much fancy being all dolled-up just to be stuck inside a stuffy room where people are either drunk or pretending to be drunk just to fit in.

One of the things she loved doing was playing ultimate disc, or Frisbee as most people would call it. Though they'd be wrong to call it that because Frisbee was just a brand name for a disc, not the name of the sport itself. Anyway, she began playing a year ago, when she joined a couple of girls throwing disc at this very beach. She was fascinated by how gracefully the disc flew from one girl's hand to another's.

Today, she'd opted to go out and throw disc again before she had to go check on her shop inventory for tomorrow. It was a Sunday afternoon and a lot of people were walking around. She had hoped that they wouldn't hit anyone. Apparently, she hadn't hoped hard enough.

"Heads!", she tried to call out as warning to the guy the disc was drifting towards. Too late. The disc hit the guy's hand, his ice cream actually, and it fell to the sand by his feet.

She cringed and looked back at the girl who threw the disc to her; the disc she wasn't able to catch. "Uh-oh", she mouthed.

Bracing herself for an earful, she slowly approached the guy with an apologetic smile. "I am extremely sorry about that! I wasn't fast enough to catch it", she said, holding out her hand for the disc.

[Zander Grubbs]

Beyond the grey sky Somewhere on the beach Closed

While he bent down he spotted feet on the ground right next to him and a voice apologizing. It was some girl who seemed like she meant her words. She also looked like she was bracing herself for impact. "Nah, it's alright. Mistakes happen, and all that." He offered the disk back with a smile.

He glanced back and simply faced the fact that he would have to return to get another one. "I'll just go get another one. I mean, it means more ice cream so I really don't mind." It might've meant more money too, but that really wasn't an issue. The only true downside would be walking all that distance again. But he wouldn't be beat even with hot sand under his feet. So he shrugged to the girl and started turning away. "Just be a little more careful with your throws! Some people here can be real assholes."

OWL

[Torrence Paige]

Tori took the disc with a sigh of relief. She couldn't believe her luck. If it was someone else, she'd probably have been cursed by now, or had her head bitten off. She smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. I'm lucky you're pretty gracious about it. Thank you", she said, offering her gratitude. It wasn't everyday you met someone who accepted accidents for what they were and not lay the blame on thick.

When he mentioned about having to buy a new one, she immediately shrieked, as if panicked.

"Sorry",she said, embarrassed. She hadn't meant to do that. She meant to tell him she'd buy him a new one. But then again, she was awkward around new people. And it usually showed.

"Uhm, anyway, if you can wait for me, I'll---I'll just go return this to the other girl and I can, uhm... well, I can buy you a new one since it was my fault you lost that first ice cream", she said, immediately backing away and throwing the disc back to the girl a few feet away.

"Gotta run. See you next week!", she said hastily, picking up her bag from the sand a few feet to her left, then proceeding to go back to the guy she'd hit. She stood in front of him awkwardly, not really sure how to proceed with this.

[Zander Grubbs]

Beyond the grey sky Somewhere on the beach Closed

When she gave a shriek, he had to take a peek back. He wasn't sure if something bad had occurred when he wasn't looking. But she apologized, and then offered to buy. He could only blink his eyes in surprise.

"Oh, well that's-" He started to say, but she was already ready. A little awkward but then again they were still strangers. But she seemed kind, and now the deed was on her mind with her bags in her hand and waiting for him. So he chuckled instead and simply nodded his head. "Well if you really want to repay me, I'm not going to fight you too much."

"The ice cream place is over this way." He gestured with his head and started walking again. "It's really good, so you could get yourself a scoop too. Oh, I'm Zander by the way."

OWL

[Torrence Paige]

Tori waited until he was walking, then immediately followed him, not quite beside him, but also not behind him. She listened as he described how the ice cream was good at this place they were going to. She smiled and nodded.

"A scoop of ice cream sounds good, she said, walking around a pair of flip flops left on the sand before falling into step beside him again.

"Oh, sorry, where were my manners---I'm Torrence. Well, just Tori if you want. Or TJ. Cause it's Torrence Jean. So, yeah. Tori. Or TJ...anyway, nice to meet you Zander!", she said with a stammer.

"Uhm, I really am sorry about the whole disc fiasco", she said, trying to keep some sort of conversation going. She couldn't stand awkward silences, especially with strangers.

[Zander Grubbs]

Beyond the grey sky Somewhere on the beach Closed

Fortunately she agreed she might get some ice cream, or at least that's what he got before she started stammering. He felt a little bad for her, although he was a little glad for the extra company. "Well it's nice to meet you too Tori!" He said with a friendly glance and and easy smile.

Then she went and tried to once again apologize. It came out a little awkward but nothing too bad. "Hey, like I said: Mistakes happen. Really, you're fine. Besides I don't mind the extra company." He grinned along with the statement. Then he looked back ahead, occasionally watching where he tread to avoid some shells and some rocks. "So do you play ultimate frisbee? Or was that just for fun?"

OWL

[Torrence Paige]

Tori smiled and nodded in immediate reply to his question. "Well, I've played in 7 versus 7 games already, if that's what you mean. But I don't really do it often. I usually just tag along when some people are playing", she said.

"Oops", she muttered, almost tripping on a half-concealed toy shovel.

She continued walking beside him, but became curious enough to ask, "So, what do you do?". It was usually what she asked people the first time she met them. She's learned that discussing what a person does with their life usually keeps a conversation going.

[Zander Grubbs]

Beyond the grey sky Somewhere on the beach Closed

She seemed more at ease when she talked about frisbee. He was fine listening, although he jolted when she almost tripped; his hand flashing out halfway, ready to help steady. But when she appeared to regain her balance he could refrain and drop his hand. "I swear sometimes these kids purposefully bury this stuff just to trip people!" He joked with a laugh.

"What do I do?" He repeated, glancing her way again. "Well I do music both as a hobby and a job, if that's what you were asking. If I'm not doing that, then I'm trekking a good distance across the beach to get ice cream by himself because my brothers are too lazy." He said with a laugh, although it was more than half the truth.

"What about you Tori? You do anything else?"

OWL

[Torrence Paige]

Tori listened as he talked about music and hanging out at the beach, and his brothers.

"Wow. So you're a composer? That's cool. I've never met one before. You must have a really creative mind. I try to do poetry once in a while, but I'm no good at it. And putting melody to poetry, like how music is made, is a whole different art", she replied, truly amused. She had always had high respect for composers, especially ones that compose ballad. It's one thing to tell a story. It's another to do it using melody, and being able to tell it in a span of a 3- to 4-minute song.

The mention of brothers made Tori smile. "So you have brothers. I have one, too. And a sister. Well... yeah", she said, trailing off, not really sure how to finish that sentence. She couldn't believe she had said something quite personal already. Zander was still somewhat a stranger to her, after all.

She was glad for the change of subject when he asked her what she did. "I own a bookshop called Books in Nooks. And I also do freelance writing. They aren't the most exciting jobs, but they keep me close to my interests in reading and writing, so all in all, a pretty okay life", she said, gradually falling into step beside him. He was quite easy to talk to, to be honest.

[Zander Grubbs]

Beyond the grey sky Somewhere on the beach Closed

He had to laugh but not at her, just the fact she thought he was a composer on his own. "Well it's more of a team effort really. I can't take all the credit. Only a quarter, if that. But thanks. I'm not that great at poetry on its own myself." He couldn't explain how he knew, but without the melody he couldn't do much more than rhyme the words and try his best.

"Really? Always wondered what it would be like to have a sister." He mused out loud, half to himself. With his brothers he'd sometimes wonder what would happen if another had been brought in. But there was no girl in the Grubbs' world, even though he's think about what a sister would look like.

Silently he listened and eventually grinned. She just listed it off as if it wasn't interesting. "You write? Here you are saying I'm the creative mind making songs, when you're writing full on stories over here. I think that takes a lot more creative power." He praised with a shrug, though his interest was up. "What kind of things do you write about? Honestly I need to start reading more. Good for the brain and all that."

OWL

[Torrence Paige]

Tori smiled shyly and shook her head. "It's nothing too fancy. Just some feature articles now and then. I only ever really write stories for my own entertainment. I've never actually gotten a story published. But I do have that in mind, eventually. Like have an actual book with my name on it", she said.

"You should come over to my shop one time. You may find interesting reads there. We don't serve ice cream, though", she invited him with a laugh. "And I'm pretty sure other ice cream stores probably won't hold any weight compared to the one we're heading to", she continued, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as they continued walking.

[Zander Grubbs]

Beyond the grey sky Somewhere on the beach Closed

He gave her a smile and didn't have to consider for a while. "I'd be happy to come visit your shop for some book. Even if it doesn't have ice cream." He went on and laughed with her. "I hope one day I can read one of your stories too. Just imagine that one day you'd get to stock your own shelves with your own stories."

Then he had to nod since this place was no fraud. It wasn't spectacular looking but the ice cream made up for it. "Oh it's amazing, and you'd never expect it! It's pretty small and almost looks like an antique shop, but it's a genuine ice cream parlor from way back when." He pointed up ahead to the place he had led them bot:; a tiny shop that looked kind of worn but alive. His excitement had come back and now he had to fight to relax and not hurry up and head straight over.

"You have a favorite flavor? Mine's 'Moose Tracks' when I can find it."

OWL

[Torrence Paige]

Tori laughed with him. His laugh was quite contagious, and his enthusiasm seemed to be brimming. It had been a while since Tori felt immediately at ease around someone new. She usually stuck with her friends, most of them she'd known since she started living in Glenhaven. It was quite nice to meet someone she seemed to be in good terms with already.

"Well, I've always been a 'chocolate mint' kind of girl. I'm pretty predictable in food choices", she said with a smile, following him towards a vintage-looking shop. It seemed to be one of those hole-in-the-wall type of places; the ones you only find if you know where to look.

"Do they have it here?", she asked as they approached the shop's door.

[Zander Grubbs]

BeyonD the grey sky Seaside ice cream parlor Closed

Once they got to the door he opened it for her and let her inside before following her in. It almost looked frozen in time with an ice cream bar and candy you could practically buy for a dime. up on the wall was a vast selection he'd yet to seen beat. "Definitely! They have so many flavors, it's amazing. They also have the best floats I've ever tasted."

He pointed up at the wall, and approached the bar. "See the 'Retro Float?' It's like a rootbeer float only with cherry soda. It's delicious if you want to try something new. You even get these little old mugs to drink it out of." He explained with glee, his smile full of teeth. He couldn't help but be excited as if he were a child again.

OWL