sickofthe m e s s [open]

[kae]

*we march out of the darkness , we revel in the flames

[/size]
the mission is accomplished
we're ready for the change~[/size][/color][/font]
[/center]

and the only thing that will set us free is living through the pain
and the only thing i'll guarantee, we'll
never be the same . . . *

[/size][/center]

"I feel like a fuckin' vagrant..." What exactly categorizes a vagrant? Usually, if Kae were to hear the word Vagrant, she would picture an older gentleman sitting on a piece of cardboard, huddled against a skyscraper. He would have long, dirty hair, a beard to match, and be dirty all over. He probably smelled bad, too. And don't forget the cup. Oh, and the stocking cap. She always pictured him in a stocking cap, no matter the weather. That's probably what did it.

What was she doing wearing a stocking cap, anyway? Oh yeah... her hair was a mess. That's what she got for taking a shower, and then falling asleep without blowdrying her hair. It's not like she had a horrible cowlick. Not naturally, anyway. But falling asleep with short, wet hair often caused one full side of Kae's hair to stick up straight. No amount of gel or hair spray could really hold it down. And with the attempt, it had just made all of her hair stick out in odd directions. Thanks to the cap, however, she looked a little normal.

And with her hair looking like a mess, Kae found no real reason to dress up for the day. So what if she didn't match? Who was really going to care? It was the weekend, and Kae decided to have a little day to herself. Shopping was pretty much the only thing on the list, hence why she was walking down a street towards Crash Bang Boom. The place always had the hippest shit.

The walk had given her time to think. Philadelphia was different than home. It was more popular because of the historic shit, so people were always everywhere. There were a lot more roundabouts, and a lot more different kinds of people. Except native americans. Those seemed to be a rare site.

All these thoughts suddenly made Amity Kae miss home- especially the people. She missed her family. She missed her friends... Well, it's more like she missed her enemies. Who would have known that one event could change a person's life forever? At her worst point, they'd all turned their backs on her. Even the people that she'd helped just judged her. For a little bit, her mind's eye had pictured her friends walking beside and behind her. One by one, they started to fade. They turned into strange faces, strange bodies, and strange voices.

It was in this moment that Kae realized she was alone, and her mood was instantly sour. She looked like shit, which made her feel like shit, and she was shopping... alone. Now if that didn't make her feel like that man in Switzerland who died by suffocating under a pile of shit, what would?

Finally, seeing the entrance to the shop, Kae gave a sigh. Surely a little excursion would cheer her up. A little bell went off as she passed over the threshold, and Kae let herself drown in the music. The lyrics weren't important, and neither was the tune; she just wanted to be distracted. It was working, too. She feasted on the sight of the store's stock. There were so many colors, so many famous faces, and everything seemed to just be awesome.

This was the kind of place to be on a Saturday morning. This was definitely just the escape that Kae needed. She started to look through a rack of shirts, and smirked at the sight. The money in her pocket was beginning to burn a hole, and she couldn't wait to start trying things on and spend it.

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



NOTES;; somebody join... I promise I'll make her happier. maybe. xD depends on the person.
WORDS;; lots, for almost 3 in the morning. 0_0
CLOTHES;; here
TAG;; aaanyyooone
CREDIT;; Caitlin_Express@CAUTION2.0
LYRICS;; March Out of the Darkness ;; Papa Roach
[/color]

[jacksonleedelran]

Steven Spielberg. How could that ignorant little prat compare her work to that arrogant, grand standing director. Kubrik, Jarmouche...she'd haveven taken Scorcese. But not Spielberg. The events of her Intermediate Filmmaking class had left Jake in an uproar. She didn't want to tear the kids head off, part of her knew he was just trying to pay her a compliment. After all, she didn't make it public knowledge that she hated...no...loathed Spielberg with every fiber of her being.

Unlike most kids that want to be directors, it wasn't the works of Spielberg or Lucas that made her heart catch the filmmaking bug. It had been at a showing of Stray Dog at the Elizabeth II Cinema that got her sick with delight. Her entire life, she'd never liked any of Spielberg's works. She saw film as an artform first and a cashcow a very low second. For Jake, it wasn't about the money. If it was, she would have taken that PA job last semester on the latest Paramount film instead of going for that super low budget Indie feature.

Jake was halfway to class when her phone binged, pulling her iPhone from her pocket she clicked the latest message, her face falling. Professor Townsend had cancelled class. Great, it was the one thing that she was looking forward to today. Jake loved his class, there was something about his teaching style that she absolutely adored. She adjusted the shoulder strap to her messenger bag and turned around. There was only one place that could cure Jake of these woes.

And that was how she ended up at the small vintage shop in south philly. She'd found all of her favorite shirts here, not to mention the current tweed jacket that had been her most favorite find. She wore it almost daily. Sure, Jake didn't look like one of those Hollywood starlets but as Jake always said 'Oscars don't prove talent.' She was truly the queen of Indie.

Pale blue eyes scanned the store, landing on a girl she'd seen on campus more than once entering. Jake gave a half nod of acknowledgment and a small smile. Being in someone elses presence was enough to wipe the scowl from her face. One thing Jake didn't like was being in a bad mood in front of other people. She smiled again and pulled out a rather atrociously lime green shirt with birght orange lettering. The shirt itself didn't even match and there was some kind of fruit all over it. Jake couldn't help but laugh.

"This shirt is something bloody else. Makes me want a margarita...or a lobotomy."

The petite filmmaker snickered and threw the shirt over her arm. Despite it's other worldly, drunken appeal she would find a way to rock it. Jake enjoyed pushing the boundries of fashion whenever she could. Besides, she had a feeling it would aggravate her critics when she showed up to editing class wearing the thing.

"Do you ever feel like they take fashions that never sold...even in their day and call them a new chic edgy fashion? Thats why I bloody love this store. It's gritty yeh? Like, gettin' right down to business." Ever the locquacious one, someone being a stranger wasn't going to stop Jake from having a conversation...even if it did end up one sided.

Words: 554
Clothes:i360.photobucket.com/albums/oo49/SeperateFates/clothes.jpg

[kae]

Something took Kae's attention away from a tie-dye tank top. She looked up, not really remembering what had triggered her attention. That's when she spotted a girl that had entered the shop. She looked vaguely familiar, but that wasn't what Kae was focusing on. Even though her sunglasses were still on, she saw the girl's outfit. The one thing that shocked her was.. what? This girl was wearing a stocking cap, too? Maybe Kae was more fashion-aware than she thought.

The nod, along with a soft smile, was returned. Kae found herself in a better mood, although smiles to somewhat-strangers were usually faked. However, this girl seemed to make it genuine. Did Kae know her? Were they in classes together? Had they ever even talked before? As she was thinking things over, her thoughts were interrupted.

This shirt is something bloody else. Makes me want a margarita...or a lobotomy."

Amity Kae couldn't stifle a short laugh- a giggle of sorts. So this girl would rather have her brain cut up than look at the shirt? Glancing over at the shirt, Kae could see why. It was horrid. The colors didn't match. At all. And unless a person was on acid at a rave, it probably wouldn't fit in anywhere. Then again, what did Kae know? Maybe this girl was into that sort of thing...

What was with her and judging people, lately? Maybe this girl was super nice. She seemed friendly enough, what with smiling and talking. It made Kae want to start a conversation. Just as her mouth opened, she was cut off. Bummer.

"Do you ever feel like they take fashions that never sold...even in their day and call them a new chic edgy fashion? Thats why I bloody love this store. It's gritty yeh? Like, gettin' right down to business."

Okay. Maybe it wasn't that much of a bummer. Kae straight up laughed. It wasn't fake, or forced. It was a true laugh. This girl's attitude, her use of words, along with that accent... Kae liked her already. "At least you know you're not getting sloppy seconds." Wow. And the first phrase she got out of Kae's mouth was perverted. This girl definitely seemed like a person Kae would like to get to know. Hell, the way they dressed, it was like the two already knew each other. And with blond hair and blue eyes, if anyone were to witness the conversation, maybe they'd be thick enough to think the two were sisters. Idiots. Strangers seemed way cooler.

"I think they call it edgy because it's on the edge of insanity. I mean, have you seen the stuff some of those people wear on the runways? If I saw someone wearing that shit, I'd probably walk the other way." Kae shook her head and continued sorting through the shirts. She found a white one with gold sequins all over it and scowled. Who would honestly wear something like that? Putting it back, she looked over at the girl and smiled. "But like the Cheshire Cat says... we're all mad here."

Figuring that was a good way to keep the conversation open, Kae went back to looking through the rack. Being in a better mood now, she took longer to observe each piece, scrutinizing it, and trying to remember if she had anything to match it.

[jacksonleedelran]

"At least you know you're not getting sloppy seconds."

Jake couldn't help but let out a half-laugh, half-snorting sort of sound. She nodded, glad for a change that she started up a random conversation. The fifty fifty shot that this girl would have cocked a brow and ignored her worked in Jake's favor.

"Bloody right on that. No wanker in a top hat and cane ever wore this li'l beauty." This as Jake held up the shirt with a somewhat devilish smile.

Jake had to wonder what this girl must have thought of her, talking trash about the radioactive shirt but clearly intent on buying it. That sort of thing never moved passed a tugging nag in the back of the filmmaker's mind however. Jackson Lee Delran rarely cared what people thought of her fashion choices.

"I think they call it edgy because it's on the edge of insanity. I mean, have you seen the stuff some of those people wear on the runways? If I saw someone wearing that shit, I'd probably walk the other way.But like the Cheshire Cat says... we're all mad here."

There was another laugh that escaped the Brit's mouth. Jake h ad busied herself trying to find a zip up hoodie. A person could never have too many of those and next to blazers they were Jake's favorite piece of clothing. A bright smile crossed her face when she found a 'Save Ferris' hoodie. Wonders never ceased.

"Edge of insanity...that's brilliant mate. My favorite was this dress made of tassles. Sodding ridiculous! And their hair...." Jake shook her head to keep from continuing on her tirade and then smiled. "Ah yes. All mad indeed. Must be if I'm hoping to make this shirt wearable."

Jake moved through the racks. She'd found the things she really wanted and was now simply keeping her eye out for anything interesting. Her mind moved over this girl. The filmmaker was enjoying the conversation fully now, as she enjoyed conversations with anyone who shared her slightly off the wall sense of humor and distaste for couture fashion. But she found herself wanting to get to know this stranger better. Friend in the making? Perhaps. At least Jake hoped so.

"Name's Jake. Short for an even more atrocious name but hell it well confuses some of the more stuffy professors on campus. They expect a man with spiked hair and they get me. English vulgarite one cuppa short of commitment." She offered a grin from ear to ear.

Hell, even if it so happened that she never saw this girl again, at least she would have this one conversation to look back on. It would probably make a great scene in a film someday. Jake made a mental note to write it down. Of course, she'd change the words exchanged and the people in her scene would probably be lovers that hadn't seen each other in a long time. But the humor behind the words would be there. Jake let herself slip back to reality again and gave another look to the girl before pulling out a purple half dress.

"Just missing the stirrup pants and light up trainers." the devilish smile played on her lips once more.

[kae]

This girl was pretty cool, Kae had to admit. There was just one thing that didn't set well. Kae had to bring it up, otherwise it would just boil up inside of her. The last thing she needed was to slowly get angry at a stranger. Her mood had been bitter when she'd stepped into the shop; bringing it back wasn't a good idea.

"I'm Kae," she announced, looking up and giving the girl a small smile before going back to searching through the racks. She found a broom skirt, and pulled it. It looked narrow at the top, but broad at the end. It was just the thing she needed to have on days when it was hot, and the wind wasn't blowing. A sunburn on her legs didn't sound comfortable, and sunblock smelled funky. Broomskirts were often a cure. Still, thinking about the skirt didn't deter her from the afore-mentioned attire.

"How can you hate flapper dresses? They're like an icon. The tassles, the shiny material, the above-knee skirts. Man, tassle flappers are the shit. I would die to live in the 20s. Some of my stories are based then... before the market crash. They're like a necessary for awesome Roaring Era costumes." Okay, so maybe Kae had taken it a bit too far. Still, flapper dresses were probably one of her favorite outfits. And as for the other things Jake had mentioned..

"And I don't know about you, Jake, but saddle pants were awesome back when I was little. The 70s, 80s, and even 90s were like the age of the saddle pants back where I'm from. Sure, the midwest may be full of hicks and cows, but we sure did know how to dress comfy. People nowadays are insane wearing parkas, jeans that cut off circulation in their thighs, and 6-inch heels. Fashion is not worth dying for, to me." After that little speech, Kae just shook her head and set the broom skirt over her arm.

Suddenly, she wasn't much in the mood to talk. Opinions were never Kae's strong suit. She believed what she believed. It may not be right all of the time, but she hated debating what she thought with other people. At this moment in time, she realized Jake was just trying to hold some light conversation. However, Kae's mood made her subconsciously try to start something. She felt bad as she walked to a different rack, and started looking at pants. Maybe she'd find some saddle pants amongst the garb. If she did, the first thing she'd do would be to walk into the dressing room and try them on.

[jacksonleedelran]

Cue the propensity to get herself into tricky situations with her words. Jake frowned and remained silent for a long moment. It wasn't that she didn't like flapper dressed only. To be completely fair, Jake didn't like any dresses. The thought of them made her cringe. She just wasn't that sort of feminine. Jake was a girl, that much was true and she certainly did enjoy being a girl. It was just, dresses.

"Consider it a cultural difference mate. I was into the Indie scene from a young age. Saddle pants?" Jake made it a question, since she'd never heard them called that before today "Weren't really popular where I grew up."

She shrugged and moved away from the rack she was looking at and headed right for the band shirts. Admittedly she was feeling a little silly, which only further fed the silence she now employed. It hadn't been Jake's intention to offend Kae, it was never her intention to offend anyone but that always seemed to happen. Jake used to blame it on her atypical British sense of humor but now she was beginning to wonder if she was just a latent jerk.

The store was beginning to feel a bit tight. That happened a lot for the filmmaker, who got highly embarrassed when caught with her foot in her mouth. It happened far too much, and Jake should have been used to it by now. The fact was that Jake, for all her grandstanding and wit, hated to be looked at like a jerk. She wasn't a jerk, not in the least. At least, Jackson Lee tried not to be one. Lana Delran had tried to instill in her daughter a sense of compassion and humility, and for the most part it stuck. Jake sometimes forgot growing up in the upper-middle class world of England, attending the best schools (that consequently had strict dress codes) and also being introduced to the world of unpopular fashion choices made her very different from her American schoolmates. It wasn't until she verbally kicked herself in the teeth that Jake remembered.

Grabbing a random shirt emblazoned with the logo of a band she'd only heard her father mention once or twice, Jake made her way toward the front of the store where the register was. She had half a mind to walk out of the store in her eerie self-induced silence, but the soft words of her mother told her otherwise. Jackson sighed and turned, heading back over to Kae.

"It was nice to meet you Kae. Sorry about that yeah? Must seem like a bit of prat I'm sure. For what it's worth? I hate fur lined hooded coats, jeans that are bloody well painted on and heels that turn a normal person into Yao Ming. Next time we see each other, I'll be sure to keep my foot far away from my mouth." Jake finished with a smile. She was hoping to have smoothed things over with Kae just a little. The other girl had clearly been miffed by Jake's comments. Well, Jake reasoned she couldn't take back what she had said but she could at least try to soften it.

Jake smiled softly and offered a half shrug before glancing to the register. The line was growing and if there was one thing Jake hated, it was standing in lines. She'd rather meander the store until it got a bit shorter, and that was exactly what she made herself busy with. "Bloody queues." She said with a huff.

[kae]

Well, didn't this all make Kae feel like an ass? She needed to get her head out of her ass before her first impression wasn't so nice. Maybe she'd already screwed herself. It wasn't Jake's fault that Kae had been in a good mood. The last thing the other woman deserved was to be snapped it. Kae admitted to being rather bitchy in her last few statements, and was thinking of a way to resolve things. However, Jake ended up doing just that.

She was wrong to think this girl was a bag. Obviously, there was a cultural difference. Kae couldn't quite place the accent, but she guessed it was some sort of British or Australian dialect. People from New England, especially bigger cities, seemed to not really be natural-born americans. Hell, even if they were their immediate family probably wasn't. Kae saw her mistakes, and turned to the girl to give a small smile.

"No, it's my fault. I'm just having a bad day, and I took it out on you. It's my bad." Although she wasn't much for conversation anymore, Kae was trying to help lighten the mood. She noticed Jake was wandering about the store, and decided that maybe staying in close vicinity would help. She moved to another rack, looking at bellbottom jeans and giving a bit of a snicker. She pulled out a pair of lavender ones about her size, held them up to her waist, and laughed. "Think it's my color?"

She actually considered it. In the least, she would try them on. The color brightened up her day, if not her wardrobe. Laying the pants over her arm, Kae shook her head and continued looking through the rack of pants. If Farrah Fawcett's ass looked good in them, maybe hers would too. If anything, she could wear loose t-shirts that wouldn't show their waist-cut. Ah, the prices one pays to make their ass look decent.

"Where are you from anyway, Jake?" The topic of one's nationality always seemed to be a decent conversation-keeper. Kae actually enjoyed having the girl around. She'd much rather blame Jake leaving on her poor conversation, rather than her sour attitude. She needed more friends, after all.

[jacksonleedelran]

Jake offered a warm smile once Kae had finished her apology. She offered a half shrug. It made Jake feel a whole lot better to know that this new person didn't think of her as a jackass. A brow raised slightly at the aforementioned pair of lavender bell bottoms. Jake seriously thought about them for a long moment before nodding in approval.

"Yeah mate. They'd bring out your eyes. Perfect shade too. Gotta have some color in your wardrobe yeah?" There was another toothy smile added to the end of the sentence.

Jake knew she smiled a lot, and a lot of people misread it. She was simply friendly. A smile went a long way in this day and age, or so was her thinking. She herself held a smile as golden, and if she could get one out of someone then her task was done. Jake glanced down at one of the racks, poking through it as she stayed silent a moment only glancing up when Kae asked where she was from.

"Originally London. Hampstead Village to be more precise," not that Jake expected anyone to know where the hell that was "More recently however. New York."

The last little bit was added because, though she didn't consider herself a New Yorker per se, Jake had spent nearly five years of her life there. And during the most 'formidable teen years' as her Godmother used to say. Jake smirked softly before continuing, once she got started it took a near slap in the face to stop her.

"Accent's muddled I know. Mum was Poshy and Dad grew up in the East End. And it was almost tattered with all those years of wawter, cawfee and dawg" To most people she grew up with that would explain everything. Jake knew that wouldn't mean much to most people she met here but it was always a funny anecdote to add. Jake grimaced at the end, knowing her impression of the New York Accent was probably godawful to hear.

She shook her head and smiled as she pointed to the pants. "You should try those on." Her eyes moved about the store, she wouldn't subject the girl to her suggestions for style because Kae would end up looking like a Sundance/Comic-con runaway, and that wasn't the first impression Jake was going for. "Those would be bloody ace with a pair of Docs." Well, almost wasn't going to subject her to her opinions on style.

[kae]

There was a pause... a bit of an awkward pause as Kae watched Jack eye the bell bottoms. Was this girl's gaze at the garment going to be a distraction? Were her traveling eyes giving her time to think of some smart ass remark to Kae's apology? She'd really tried to be nice after snapping, but that didn't always work so well for Kae. Too many people would listen to her, pause, and then insult her in one way or the other. Maybe that's why Jack's words threw her off a bit.

"Yeah mate. They'd bring out your eyes. Perfect shade too. Gotta have some color in your wardrobe yeah?"

Oddly enough, that sounded like something a friend would say. Maybe she hadn't deterred the stranger, after all. Perhaps Jake understood the idea of bad days and mood swings. It was about damn time someone around here did. It seemed everyone was always on the defensive. Damn industrial cities, what with their old lady purse-nappings and dark alley murders... That was beside the point, though. Jake had just complimented Kae's eyes, offhandedly, hadn't she? The toothy smile was returned, and Kae couldn't help but give a little bounce on her toes as she looked the lavender pants over again. They weren't a bad color. Something gray would probably be nice with them.

"Yeah. Now that I think about it, some white docs might be pretty cool. I could just tuck the bottoms in so they looked more like a bootcut or straight leg, lace up to docs, and rock the town. It's nice to know someone around here has a normal fashion sense and doesn't drool over Lady Gaga's chainlink glasses.." This got Kae wondering. What if she'd just said the wrong thing..? "But each to their own, I guess," she said with a smile, hoping Jake wasn't one of those girls that worshiped mirror masks and ridiculous hair bows. She didn't seem the type, but what did Kae know?

"And your accents not that bad, really. I can understand you. Sometimes I don't even understand people from around here, surprisingly. Their accents are so lazy, vowels turn into dipthongs, consonants are dropped... It's ridiculous, really. At least with some posh in there you have consonants and shit." Kae shook her head softly as she smiled again, and looked around for a dressing room.

"Aren't you going to try those on, Jake?" The girl's name seemed foreign as it rolled off of her tongue. She'd never meant a girl named that, so it seemed a bit weird. However, a unique name goes with a unique character, which is exactly what Jake was turning out to be. Kae liked it. Maybe she should give her girl characters for her short stories named commonly associated with males. That would make things interesting.

She gestured at the small pile of clothes gathered in Jake's arms, and kept her smile on her face. "My friends and I used to go to malls and try on clothes for the hell of it. We'd do little fashion shows, and laugh at ourselves. Seeing as you seem pretty cool and all, would you like to join me on the catwalk?" Her smile widened at the thought. This girl seemed to have a fun personality. If rejected, Kae wouldn't mind. She'd still see Jake around campus and wave- maybe even start small conversations. However, she needed more friends. This girl with her funky accent seemed like someone Kae could get close to.