Oh What A Night! (Jamal)

[ALEXIS JASMINE FLETCHER]

Lexi pulled on a pair of boots, balancing first on her right leg, then her left as she prepared to leave the flat. She cleared her throat nervously and ran her fingers through dark locks again as she bobbed her head in a short nod, the only response she could manage to his question. Swiping her keys off of the coffee table, she ducked past him with a hurried ”Thanks.” She waited until he was out of the door before pulling it to, hold the handle and leaning back to use all of her weight until the stiff door was forced to close with a loud bang that resonated off the walls. The journey down the stairs went a lot quicker than the journey up – though the awkward silence made it seem so much longer – and soon enough, they were outside once again in the warmth of the afternoon sun.

As they set off across the garden the brunette toyed with her keys, jangling them lightly as she moved and twisted them between her hands. Every so often she would steal a sideward glance at him, still wondering what he was thinking. Whenever he caught her glances though, she would turn away quickly and her cheeks seemed to have adopted an permanent pinkish hue that darkened from time to time. She too was racking her brains for something to say but all that came to mind was the weather and she would throw herself to the hoard before she ever allowed that to happen. Extreme? Maybe. But Alexis couldn’t stand small talk. In her opinion it was worse than silence.

They managed to make about halfway across the grass without exchanging a word. She cleared her throat a few times as if she was about to say something but her mouth just flapped uselessly until all she offered him was a shy half smile each time. Then it got unbearable. ”This is ridiculous!” she declared, stopping abruptly. So he’d seen her in her pants, big deal. They were friends. It shouldn’t matter. Jamal was a nice guy and if she looked awful, or great, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t comment. So there was no real reason for either one of them to feel uncomfortable. They just needed something to lighten the mood and Lexi felt a little playful vengeance at his accidental sneak peek was in order. ”Right,” she said, her voice serious and her expression one to match. She held out a hand and gestured over Jamal’s frame in one sweeping motion. ”Off.”

[JAMAL ANISH RAO]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; border-bottom: 6px solid #2b2b2b; background-color: #315156; -moz-border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; text-align: center;,true][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 5px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/300f7zq.jpg); border: 4px solid #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; float: left;] [/style] [style=font-size: 25px; font-family: impact; color: #2b2b2b; line-height: 20px; float: left;]♕ PLAY BY THE SILENCE[/style][style=width: 250px; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 7px; color: #2b2b2b; float: right; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px;]it's where you'll end, not where you begin[/style] [style=width: 335px; margin-left: 40px; background-color: #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; color: #999999; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 10px;] Being chatty by nature, Jamal hated awkward silences, and hated them even more when he couldn't think of any way to wriggle out of it. Jamal's social self was not liking this strange moment between himself and his friend. He knew what had caused it. It was the whole underwear fiasco. Walking beside Alexis, he dipped his hands into his pockets, mostly concentrating on the movement of his feet more than anything else. However he did catch a few sideway glances from the brunette. Still, they both felt sheepish. He was searching his head for something to talk about, and all that came to mind was small talk. Small talk would just make things more uncomfortable. What was so interesting about the weather anyway? Their friendship had progressed beyond that level of conversation. As they continued walking, Jamal drifted into a daydream. He was pensive, vivid images arising in his head. Suddenly Alexis' voice startled him. It was like a gunshot going off in his mind, and he snapped out of his day dream. Body flinched with fright. "Crikey Lexi, you gave me a fright!" Jamal exclaimed, continuing to walk forward in slow steps. Jamal then realised that Alexis was no longer walking. "What's wrong?" he mumbled curiously. Footsteps stalled and he spun around to face her. Jamal remained glued to the spot for a few moments. What was she talking about? He looked down at his own chest for a moment, then glanced upward timidly. "What?" Jamal asked, wondering what Alexis was playing at now. He was oblivious to what she was trying to say, though paired up with the underwear incident, hit caught on. "Oh...." Jamal drew out, rubbing the side of his nose with the tip of his finger and giggling sheepishly. "No chance. Especially not outside." Maybe Alexis was wanting to dampen the awkwardness by asking to see him shirtless. It could work. Though, at the same time, maybe she wanted to see him shirtless? Jamal was curious to know, though he was not about to ask her straight out. "If you want to see that, you'll have to catch me, like I caught you," he laughed to add levity on the topic. They might as well talk about it. "I know you're embarrassed about it. So am I. But it was funny, and a pleasant surprise," his voice went quieter as he spoke, becoming more meek about it. He just admitted how he found the whole situation. A pleasant surprise, indeed. Jamal was being honest about it. Hands now out of his pockets, he continued walking. Deliberately avoiding the topic once more, Jamal caught sight of the pub across the street. "Care for a drink?" Jamal offered, gesturing to the building before turning on his heel to look at Alexis. Jamal rarely drank alcohol. He was not used to drinking it and it often hit his head faster than an ongoing train. Though a change of scenery could be beneficial, for the two might forget their earlier embarrassment and talk about other things. Besides, he had managed to save up a few drink tokens. Money was useless these days. The tokens seemed to be one way to acquire alcohol in the Safe Lands, and being a non-drinker, Jamal had a bundle of them snug in his wallet, waiting to be used or probably traded for cigarettes. "I got the currency for it," he mentioned, pulling out his wallet and waving it around. notes:: words:: 577 tagged:: Alexis <3 [/style]

[style=color: #2b2b2b; font-size: 10px;]TEMPLATE MADE BY ICE OF OTE[/style]

[ALEXIS JASMINE FLETCHER]

She flashed him an apologetic look after she caught his flinching motion. ”Sorry!” She said quickly. She shook her head. Now his attention was upon her again, she wasn’t entirely sure what she was going to say next and she shifted a little in discomfort. She took a deep breath and scratched her collar bone as the awkward silence started once again. ”I’m sorry, this is weird,” she said suddenly, face screwed up a little in annoyance at herself. ”It’s just… I mean, I don’t…But… You know!” The words that escaped her were frustrated and didn’t make much sense. It was just a jumbled mess. It was evident on her face that she was having some sort of mental argument, wrestling with her thoughts. She shifted again. Lexi did not like being unprepared. She didn’t like it on bit, so she made her demand.

She smiled, her hand still outstretched. ”Don’t play dumb,” she told him. ”You heard me. Off.” She wiggled her fingers a little for emphasis. She gave him a single nod when he realised what she was asking but as she’d expected he refused. With a heavy and exaggerated sigh, she dropped her hand and toyed with her keys again. ”Spoil sport,” she said with a childish pout. But at least the awkwardness between them was slowly disappearing. She laughed and poked his arm a few times in a playful manner. ”Watch yourself Jamal… I’ll catch you when you least expect it,” she joked. She shrugged when he said she was embarrassed and was about to protest but he continued. Then the awkwardness began to spread once again as her face flushed scarlet again and she turned her eyes to the pavement as she rubbed the side of neck self-consciously. Well the three minutes of normal (ish) conversation had been nice while it had lasted.

She followed behind him slowly as he started walking again, thoughtful. Pleasant? He thought catching her in her pants was a pleasant surprise? Knowing that he didn’t think she was completely hideous made her feel a lot better, but she still felt extremely self-conscious about the whole situation. She kept her eyes lowered and she’d unknowingly wrapped her arms around her middle in that same protective manner she’d used earlier to hide her exposed flesh. She didn’t look up again until he spoke again and her eyes followed his motioning hand to the pub, halting once she was at his side. She contemplated the idea for a moment and soon nodded, small smile returning. ”Sure,” she said. A little drink might ease the atmosphere and stop her from thinking about their earlier encounter in such depth. She laughed as he waved his wallet around and she pulled his arm down gently. ”Stop flashing your cash. This is still London, you might get mugged…” she joked. She released his arm and started walking again, eager to get to the pub and the opportunity to talk about something different, perhaps learn more about him. She reached the door and heaved it open waiting for Jamal to follow her through.

[JAMAL ANISH RAO]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; border-bottom: 6px solid #2b2b2b; background-color: #315156; -moz-border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; text-align: center;,true][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 5px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/300f7zq.jpg); border: 4px solid #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; float: left;] [/style] [style=font-size: 25px; font-family: impact; color: #2b2b2b; line-height: 20px; float: left;]♕ PLAY BY THE SILENCE[/style][style=width: 250px; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 7px; color: #2b2b2b; float: right; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px;]it's where you'll end, not where you begin[/style] [style=width: 335px; margin-left: 40px; background-color: #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; color: #999999; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 10px;] A nervous chuckle sounded from him. "I'm sorry I can't indulge you. I'm not much to look at anyway," he said with his arms spanned out slightly. 'Not much' literally meant not much. Jamal was built like a stick insect, or a twig, whatever way you wanted to view it. He was getting fitter since the outbreak, but he hardly had any definition to his body. He was just lanky and slim in stature. The nervous chuckle shifted into a heartier one. "Oh really?" He teased, attempting to flirt a little by narrowing his eyes gently. Momentarily he rubbed the side of his nose, signaling his apprehension. Jamal's words were meant to be complimentary. Perhaps 'pleasant' was not the most suitable word to use. Contemplating on what he had just said, Alexis could have easily taken that the wrong way. Too easily. He was so rubbish at this. "I-I mean, I am not saying I e-expected you to be...unattractive in underwear or anything. I was just....I-I got a nice surprise." The young man rushed out those last words rapidly, as if they were stringing together in one word. He really was not doing himself any favors, as he was not explaining his thoughts clearly enough. Again he was apprehensive. It was weird how his behaviour worked. Jamal was apprehensive regarding a few things. Romance and sexual attraction was one of them. He huffed out a heavy sigh as if he was relieved that that topic was over. Almost. Eyes watched her as she wrapped her arms around herself defensively. Jamal rubbed the back of his neck, now averting his gaze elsewhere. He probably just made the situation worse. Thankfully the sighting of the pub in the near distance had grabbed his attention away from a nervous looking Alexis. Lips pulled into a grin as Alexis agreed to go for a drink. Jamal had saved his tokens for a 'rainy day'. This was no rainy day, though he was glad he managed to collect enough for a couple of rounds. Alcohol was not his best friend however. Jamal feared that it would turn him into something silly or vulnerable...or both. Thankfully for both of them, he was an aggressive drunk, not unless Kamala was thrown into the alcohol concoction. Wallet open he thumbed through the small makeshift tokens. "Yeah you are right," he joked along with her, looking around and pretending to be suspicious as he pushed the wallet back down into his pocket. Soon enough he was following his female friend to the famous Safe Lands pub, somewhere that Jamal was still a little unfamiliar with. Entering the pub the smell of smoke hit him. It appeared that some laws in the UK were slackened since the outbreak. People were smoking like the ban had never existed. Though it was only a light whiff. Anything that smelled like the building was on fire would have Jamal gagging, even though he was a smoker himself. "Ugh, someone is smoking. Not good for me," he commented a little jokingly to Alexis. It was not good for him as it was tantalizing his notion to light up. Though perhaps alcohol could douse his sudden pining for a smoke. Approaching the bar he have a quick glance around. A couple of booths were open and a few tables. It was not entirely busy at the moment, with the odd couple, a small crowd and a snoring old fellow in the far corner. Attention turned to Alexis and he smiled amicably at the woman. "So, what is Miss Fletcher's poison?" he asked curiously, implying he was getting her a drink. "Are you a vodka drinker?" Jamal asked out of the blue. Vodka had given him some rocky times recently, and a hangover to hell. One whiff of the stuff and his head would be reeling with sickness and memory. notes:: words:: 644 tagged:: Alexis <3 [/style]

[style=color: #2b2b2b; font-size: 10px;]TEMPLATE MADE BY ICE OF OTE[/style]

[ALEXIS JASMINE FLETCHER]

She rolled her eyes and shook her head in response, though her smile didn’t fade as he spoke again. ”Yes, really,” she told him, following it up with nod for emphasis. It didn’t take long for the smile to fade though as her cheeks flushed with colour whilst he babbled about underwear and surprises. Her arms snaked more tightly around her body and she kept her eyes on her shoes. She started to count the cracks in the pavement in her head, a habit that she’d had as a kid, sort of like a defence mechanism to help shake feelings of anxiety and discomfort and sometimes even anger. One that she hadn’t had for many years, but was slowly resurfacing since the outbreak started. One, two, three… She cleared her throat nervously and in another attempt at lightening the mood she commented. Four… Five, six, seven… Though her voice was awkward and her body language equally so, the slightest hint of a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. ”Well… Um…” Ten, eleven… ”You’re welcome then I guess…” Despite the attempt her gaze remained firmly locked on the ground. Twelve.

It didn’t take long for the mood to lift again after they’d made the not so difficult decision to head to the pub. A little familiar ground would definitely help her to feel a little more at ease after the whole situation. She wasn’t really a big drinker - though she did enjoy a few bevvies every now and then – but she had always loved the atmosphere of pubs. She wrinkled her nose as the stench of stale cigarettes hit her nostrils. It wasn’t her favourite scent in the world but it certainly wasn’t the worst either. She found it was one of those smells that she didn’t like initially but could quite happily tolerate if it meant she could hang out with a good friend in comfort. And she’d take that over rotting flesh any day. She smiled up at Jamal as he spoke and patted his arm affectionately. ”It’s okay, you’ll be fine,” she told him supportively. A spark of mischief ignited behind her eyes and she grinned broadly. ”And if you’re not fine, you’ll have me here to kick your butt!” She was joking of course. She’d never actually launch any form of attack on him, unless you counted that tackle in the burning school.

Alexis followed Jamal to the bar, perching on one of the stools and leaning her arm on the surface, offering Charlie (her favourite barman) a smile and a quick wave before she looked around at the small collection of people that had gathered in the pub so far. The sight of the old gentleman caused her to smile, a short laugh escaping her as he snorted and startled himself awake. Half a second later, he was snoring again. ”Hm?” Came her answer, turning to look at her friend as he asked her what she like to drink. She shrugged. Was she a vodka drinker? Sometimes. In all honesty, she was pretty much an anything drinker unless it involved whiskey. Now there was a drink that didn’t go down to well with the brunette. ”Uh… It’s not normally my first choice but I do drink it from time to time. Why? Do I look like a vodka girl?” she asked, her voice was curious, but there was also a challenging undertone, an indication that he’d have to guess.

At that moment Charlie hobbled over, gracing them with his presence and greeting them both warmly. ”Hey kids!” Lexi smiled lovingly at the elderly man. ”Hey bartender!” She replied, followed quickly by his usual ”Hey man a look here…” She laughed. ”Draw one, draw two, draw three, four glasses of beer.” It was a strange greeting, but a common one between the pair and the man squeezed her hand gently, asking how she’d been keeping. ”I’m doing great thank you. Especially not I’m actually allowed out of that little flat!” She hadn’t seen him since the whole incident at the school and they had a lot of catching up to do. But tonight was her night with Jamal. Charlie turned his attention to him. ”And who is this fine looking young man?” He asked, gaze flitting between the two of them behind his large, thick rimmed glasses. She turned her glowing smile to Jamal. ”This is my friend Jamal… Jamal, Charlie,” she said, introducing them both. The barman extended a wrinkled hand to Jamal. ”Pleasure son,” he said, gripping the Jamal’s hand in a firm handshake. ”You wanna watch yourself with this one,” he warned, nodding in Lexi’s direction. ”She’s nothin’ but trouble…” Alexis’ jaw dropped, feigning shock. ”Hey! I am not!" she laughed. He merely laughed and ruffled her hair. ”Drinks?” He asked.

[JAMAL ANISH RAO]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; border-bottom: 6px solid #2b2b2b; background-color: #315156; -moz-border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; text-align: center;,true][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 5px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/300f7zq.jpg); border: 4px solid #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; float: left;] [/style] [style=font-size: 25px; font-family: impact; color: #2b2b2b; line-height: 20px; float: left;]♕ PLAY BY THE SILENCE[/style][style=width: 250px; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 7px; color: #2b2b2b; float: right; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px;]it's where you'll end, not where you begin[/style] [style=width: 335px; margin-left: 40px; background-color: #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; color: #999999; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 10px;] Jamal contemplated for a moment, trying to just pick an answer out of thin air. God only knows why he asked her the question about vodka. Perhaps vodka consumption had been on his mind a lot lately, especially after recent events with Kamala. He hesitated at first. "I-I don't know, actually. Vodka was the first thing that came to mind. I've had a few bad experiences with it, that's all," he rambled. However he confidently pulled a smile. "It's probably stereotypical of me to guess you like vodka. Who knows? You could be a Guinness kind of girl," Jamal joked playfully, gracelessly clambering onto the bar stool. Bar stools always felt funny under his weight. He didn't like how they swiveled and there was little room to perch your backside on. Jamal really shouldn't care about the latter, for there was not much of a backside on him to begin with. He shifted around in his seat to get more comfortable. No, he was never going to get used to this sitting position. Soon enough he was hunching over the bar to balance his weight more evenly. He watched Alexis for a brief moment, rubbing his forefinger behind his ear to get rid of an imaginary itch. He was probably looking at her for too long, borderline rudely staring at her, however he was distracted by the presence of another male. The bartender greeted them, and Jamal sat upright, alert to this new man in the equation. Alexis appeared to know him, and Jamal figured if he did too, jogging his memory to see if that were true. Nothing rang a bell.. He pulled a confused look as the two greeted one another, though it dissolved into a friendly smile to conceal his confusion. Though the second the bartender called Jamal a 'fine looking young man' he was momentarily flattered. He was rarely even called remotely good looking by others, apart from his mother who used to pinch him on the cheek as a kid. Though Jamal took it that the bartender was being genial. Enthusiastically he unfolded his arms and reached out to greet the man's firm handshake in salutation. "Nice to meet you," he greeted warmly. Eyebrows shot up with amusement. The young man emitted a low giggle. "Oh I know she is," Jamal agreed with the old bartender impishly. That was clearly a joke, a cheeky one at that. "Caught her dancing earlier, listening to her iPod. Was quite funny," Jamal reminisced, beaming a grin at her and watching her expression closely. He was feeling a bit light hearted at the moment. It was better than lingering on the moment he caught Alexis in her underwear. He still had mixed feelings over that - affronted for her more than himself, and delighted that he caught sight of an attractive brunette in her underwear. Jamal would never forget that image. Rawr. It gave him a different perspective of Alexis that he ever thought he would see. Ah, drinks. Quietly he drummed his palms on the smooth surface of the bar. "I'll have whatever light beer you have and anything that Trouble here wants," he briefly cocked his head to one side to gesture Alexis. He looked to her again, teeth softly catching his bottom lip. A snicker followed from him, eyes focusing on his hands. He was being silly and childish...and trying to flirt. Flirting never happened with Jamal. He was not sure how to woo women. He probably - and most likely - looked like an idiot. notes:: *facepalm* words:: 590 tagged:: Alexis <3 [/style]

[style=color: #2b2b2b; font-size: 10px;]TEMPLATE MADE BY ICE OF OTE[/style]

[ALEXIS JASMINE FLETCHER]

Lexi watched him as he spoke, leaning her elbow against the bar and resting her head on her hand, tangling slender fingers in chocolate waves and she smiled softly. Bad experiences with vodka? She arched a brow quizzically though she didn’t ask. She herself had her own fair share of bad experiences with the drink and some tales were just better left unsaid. Nope. She liked the guy, but she had done enough to embarrass herself already today, without the addition of drunken stories. Those war stories would just have to be exchanged some other time. She wrinkled her nose and shook her head with a musical laugh. ”Definitely not a Guinness girl,” she told him.

She smiled again as the two men greeted each other until Jamal agreed that she was trouble. She pushed her lower lip out, pouting as she broke out the sad eyes. Then the whole dancing thing was brought up and the pout remained, though the corners of her lips curled up just the smallest amount, heat creeping into her face. ”Why, Jamal?” she asked, shaking her head slightly. ”Just why?” And then the inevitable happened. Charlie joined in. ”Oh the dancing!” He exclaimed. ”Did she do her little -” He moved away from the bar, closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side as he wiggled his hips like a madman. Then he stopped, placed his hands out to the sides slightly and began rotating his derrière, shuffling back to the bar. Lexi cringed at the sight of the old man and covered her face with her hands. ”Chaaaarliiie!” she groaned. ”That’s not how you butt shuffle! Stoooop!” The man let out a hearty laugh and rested his hands on the bar, finally asking about drinks.

He gave Jamal a short nod. ”Bottled okay?” he asked. ”Scavengers ain’t had no luck finding any barrels yet so me taps’re out of action.” He explained. And there was that word again. Trouble. Alexis, who had resorted to burying her face in her hands, peered at Jamal through her fingers and caught his lip bite. Well that wasn’t fair. She instantly found herself smiling again. He was kind of cute, but that was besides the point. ”No way!” she exclaimed, though her tone remained light hearted. ”No! Stop with the ‘Mr. innocent, I’m so adorable’ look right now! You’re mean, both of you!” At that moment, she gave Charlie a stern look. He was a nice man, but he did like to encourage teasing. He smiled that friendly barman smile and his gruff voice sounded once more. ”Alright, alright. I’m done for now. Sorry kid.” She returned the smile but before she had the chance to open her mouth to order her own drink, the bartend continued. ”I actually have something you might be interested in …” Lexi’s eyes lit up, curious. ”Oooh! What is it?” she asked. ”It’ll take a minute. You two be’ave yourselves ‘til I get back up here.” And with that, he disappeared out into the back.

She looked at Jamal again, still smiling. It felt so good to be out again and with the events in the flat finally pushed to the back of her mind (for now) she appreciated his company. ”Thank you,” she said simply.

[JAMAL ANISH RAO]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; border-bottom: 6px solid #2b2b2b; background-color: #315156; -moz-border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; text-align: center;,true][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 5px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/300f7zq.jpg); border: 4px solid #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; float: left;] [/style] [style=font-size: 25px; font-family: impact; color: #2b2b2b; line-height: 20px; float: left;]♕ PLAY BY THE SILENCE[/style][style=width: 250px; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 7px; color: #2b2b2b; float: right; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px;]it's where you'll end, not where you begin[/style] [style=width: 335px; margin-left: 40px; background-color: #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; color: #999999; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 10px;] Jamal didn't want to be reminded of what happened with the vodka, but it was too late. Let's just say that a bottle of vodka and your hot headed fiancee didn't make the best combination, especially in the middle of nowhere in London. Jamal should have known that drinking that toxic liquid would have some embarrassing repercussions. It sure did. Feeling slightly disturbed he tried to shake those memories off. "Um, I'd rather not be reminded," he voiced his thoughts behind a nervous giggle. "We have all had one of those days, right?" Dark eyes shifted to look at a curious Lexi. That was more or less a rhetorical question. He liked to think he wasn't the only one that suffered from one of those alcohol trips. After that hang over he promised himself not to go on the drink again, but here he was, in a bar. At least the company was more comfortable. He relishing the impish fun he was having with Lexi. Eyes rapidly looked from left to right, then he focused on Alexis. "What? What did I do?" He pulled his shoulders up, palms facing upward as if he really had no idea what she was talking about. The focus moved from the woman beside him to the bartender. Much to Jamal's surprise the bartender was dancing now. Oh my God. At that moment Jamal emitted a fluttery but loud laugh, almost doubling over. He didn't know if Charlie's moves were hilariously entertaining or embarrassing. This was one of the reasons why Jamal didn't like dancing. If he looked like that whilst trying to bust a move, he must look like a right idiot. Jamal mirrored Alexis' motions. A hand concealed his eyes like he was watching some gory scene in a horror movie, though instead he was squeaking out a laugh rather than a scream. Thankfully it didn't last too long, and Jamal let his hand drop and rest on the bar top. After composing himself he raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment. "Bottled is fine," Jamal confirmed. Still, he couldn't stop with the silly jokes with Lexi. Calling her 'trouble' was possibly a new thing he had for her. He might not let it go that easily. He was feeling playful, as well as flirty. Unfortunately for Jamal she hadn't picked up on his subtle flirting. Damit. That was a bit of a disappointment. Though that was mostly his fault. Mainly, he could not flirt, and he knew that. He let the attempt to flirt drop and moved back to the main subject. "Why am I mean? What did I do wrong?" Jamal protested, obviously not angry about it. He was laughing more than anything else. As the bartender left, he fell quiet for a few moments. It took Jamal a short period of time to think of something to say to Alexis. Soon enough the young man spoke up. "Charlie is some guy," Jamal spoke soft enough for just Alexis to hear. "Have you known him for long?" He shifted his gaze over to catch Alexis smiling. Gosh she was so cute. Seeing a woman reacting so positively to him was such a breath of fresh air for him, hence why he was so drawn to Alexis just now. "What you thanking me for?" He asked curiously, resting his cheek on a curled up fist and looking at her attentively. He really didn't know what she was thanking him for. He was in a world of his own just now. notes:: *facepalm* words:: 586 tagged:: Alexis <3 [/style]

[style=color: #2b2b2b; font-size: 10px;]TEMPLATE MADE BY ICE OF OTE[/style]

[ALEXIS JASMINE FLETCHER]

She shook her head slowly, wishing that the floor would open up and swallow her whole. So much for avoiding any further embarrassing moments. ”You had to bring up the dancing didn’t you?” In further response to his question, she pointed at Charlie knowing exactly what was about to follow the comment. The more the old man continued to twirl and wiggle, the further the brunette sank down, trying her best to merge with the bar stool and hide from the two men. She’d take getting caught in her pants over this scene any day of the week.

Finally, the whole ordeal was over, though it took her a few moments to straighten up again. With caution. She kept her gaze on the bartender a little while longer, worried he might start busting another terrible move or two. Thankfully he didn’t, instead he busied himself with getting Jamal’s drink from one of the many fridges that lined the back wall. He whipped the cap off of the bottle and set in front of the younger man. Alexis was completely oblivious to her friend’s attempts at flirting. It was necessarily that he was a terrible flirt, she’d just never been in a situation where a guy had shown enough interest in her to even bother flirting, so it was a notion that she just didn’t recognise. She answered his questions in the same light hearted manner that they were asked. ”Trouble is not my name!” She laughed. It was pretty obvious that the new nickname didn’t offend her. You couldn’t beat a little bit of spirited humour, right? Especially these days.

Lexi nodded in agreement as Jamal spoke about Charlie. ”He’s great,” she told him, looking at the empty space the barman had occupied just moments ago. A soft smile of adoration lit up her face as she spoke about him and it was pretty clear she was fond of the man. ”Only since the outbreak,” she explained. ”But now, I couldn’t imagine life without him. He feels like family.” She shifted her position slightly, hand moving under her chin with the knuckle of her index finger pressing lightly against her lips as she looked at him. Shoulders raised in a gentle shrug. ”You company. It’s nice having someone to just hang out with.” Her smile was genuine. Jamal really was a great guy.

At that moment, Charlie reappeared with a crate of bottles, setting it on the bar and pulling one of the bottles out. Lexi’s eyes immediately widened with delight. ”Desperados?! Charlie you’re my hero!” She exclaimed as he placed the now open bottle in front of her. ”You’re welcome,” he said. ”These two are on me. Now scram and let me get on with some work.” He grinned and turned back to Jamal. ”You look after this one…” he ‘warned’, pointing at Alexis before shuffling to the other end of the bar to empty the rest of the bottles into the fridges. Lexi offered him a small wave and a smile before turning back to Jamal. ”Shall we get a table or do you want to stay at the bar?” she asked him, rotating her bottle on the bar’s surface.

[JAMAL ANISH RAO]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; border-bottom: 6px solid #2b2b2b; background-color: #315156; -moz-border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; text-align: center;,true][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 5px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/300f7zq.jpg); border: 4px solid #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; float: left;] [/style] [style=font-size: 25px; font-family: impact; color: #2b2b2b; line-height: 20px; float: left;]♕ PLAY BY THE SILENCE[/style][style=width: 250px; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 7px; color: #2b2b2b; float: right; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px;]it's where you'll end, not where you begin[/style] [style=width: 335px; margin-left: 40px; background-color: #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; color: #999999; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 10px;] He pretended to be suspicious. "It isn't? Well it must be one of your nicknames then," Jamal spoke, gently nudging her arm. He was really feeling the need to just rub it in. Though Jamal was finding it hard to be humorous right now, especially when he was being distracted by a dancing bartender. He could really see why the brunette beside him was sinking into her chair, as if she wanted the ground to swallow her. It was a pleasant surprise that Charlie gave them their first round for nothing. With gratitude Jamal grinned. "Thanks Charlie," he spoke appreciatively. Such an awesome guy. It made Jamal wonder where the rest of these people were. Apart from Chris, Alexis and Melissa, Jamal didn't know many light hearted, high spirited people. The apocalypse had dampened the spirits of so many, and some had turned into grim, distant individuals. Jamal had to be thankful for the friends he had. "He's a cool guy. It's great how you can still find people so high in spirits," Jamal voiced his thoughts. He smiled genially at her comment. "Ditto." He then grinned, feeling a spell of infatuation as he looked at her. Jamal then turned away from her and dipped his head shyly, giggling to himself. God, he must have looked like an idiot. He was very quick to answer her question. "Table?" Jamal suggested after flicking his gaze elsewhere to see if one was free. There was a booth free, right under the foggy glass window. "There's a booth over there," he signaled out, pointing in that direction briefly. Bar stools were uncomfortable if you were to sit on them for a while. Often Jamal felt a strain in his neck and back for he sat so awkwardly. He was never much of a comfort seeker, but he did appreciate something softer and more plush to sit on. "Looks more comfy." With that being said, he hopped off the bar stool gracelessly, almost losing his balance. Funny thing that, not one drop of booze in him and already he was beginning to fall all over the place. He had to blame his leg for that. Whilst sitting on the bar stool he had the odd sensation of pins and needles. It took him a few steps before the feeling drained away. Jamal took his first swig of his beer as he approached the booth. The first swig was always good. He slithered in, placing his chilled beer on the surface. His right hand was freezing and slightly wet from holding onto the bottle, even for a short period of time. "Feel my hand, its freezing," Jamal spoke. He really didn't give the girl much warning, and quickly placed his frigid hand on Alexis' jawline and neck just to give her a sharp shock of the cold. He giggled away impishly as he did so. Alexis was probably the only person he knew right now that would share this kind of fun with him. It was refreshing as well as entertaining. Jamal was entirely relaxed, for he was in great company. Quickly he snatched his hand away and took his bottle. notes:: LOL words:: 526 tagged:: Alexis <3 [/style]

[style=color: #2b2b2b; font-size: 10px;]TEMPLATE MADE BY ICE OF OTE[/style]

[ALEXIS JASMINE FLETCHER]

Her body rocked slightly as Jamal’s arm connected gently with hers and she rolled her eyes, deciding that she would let the whole ‘trouble’ thing slide for now. There were more pressing matters at hand, for example how to get a middle aged barman to stop busting a move. She had been contemplating throwing a beer mat at him when he finally came to a standstill.

At Jamal’s gratitude, Charlie returned a small salute and Alexis offered the man one last wave before he moved down the bar. Shrugging a little at Jamal’s comment, she spoke. Most people aren’t so bad,” she said softly. She’d met a fair few people that had seemed okay. But then again, she had also met a whole bunch that still hadn’t quite grown accustom to the whole zombie outbreak thing. Some people just had a hard time accepting that everything had gone to shit and she’d even met one or two people who had deluded themselves into believing that none of this was real and they would wake up soon. For Lexi, staying high-spirited was pretty easy, she’d had a lot of practice throughout her life after all. As a child, she had never really had a lot and from a young age, she learned to make do with what she had and to appreciate the smaller things. She’d never really had much to lose in the first place so when the outbreak hit she just got on with it, doing what she needed to get to the Safe Lands alive and unharmed. That was pretty much her whole outlook on life. Why be miserable about something you don’t have or can’t control when you could be grateful for the things you do have, can control your own life and just do the best that you can? Every cloud has a silver lining and all that.

Eyes narrowed in the slightest twitch as Jamal looked away from her and giggled. He was being a little weird tonight and she didn’t get it. She didn’t have time to dwell on it too much though as Jamal had already opted for moving to a table away from the bar and hopped off of his stool. As he stumbled, her hands instinctively shot out to help keep him on his feet but he seemed to have regained control pretty quickly so she dropped her arms and slid off of her own stool. ”Lead the way,” she said cheerfully, following her friend to the empty booth.

She waited for him to settle into his seat before sliding in next to him. With her empty hand, she reached out to feel his but before she’d even set her beer on the table it was on her neck and face. She gasped at the unexpected shock of the cold and her instantaneous reaction was for her head to snap to the side, pinning his hand between her neck and shoulder. ”Jamal!” She squealed, laughing hard as her legs flailed under the table. Goosebumps had raised over her skin at the sudden temperature change and she shivered. ”That’s so mean!” Finally, she got used to the cold and released his hand from its trap, still grinning broadly. ”Just you wait mister… I’ll get you back.” She flashed him a mischievous smile, watching his face as she lifted her bottle to her lips and took a small sip. ”So! Anything interesting happen since I saw you last?” she asked him, setting her bottle on the table and tucking her foot underneath her rump to get comfortable.

[JAMAL ANISH RAO]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; border-bottom: 6px solid #2b2b2b; background-color: #315156; -moz-border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; border-radius: 35 20 0 0px; text-align: center;,true][style=width: 100px; height: 100px; margin: 5px; background-image: url(http://i47.tinypic.com/300f7zq.jpg); border: 4px solid #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; border-radius: 30 0 20 0px; float: left;] [/style] [style=font-size: 25px; font-family: impact; color: #2b2b2b; line-height: 20px; float: left;]♕ PLAY BY THE SILENCE[/style][style=width: 250px; font-face: arial; font-size: 10px; line-height: 7px; color: #2b2b2b; float: right; text-align: left; margin-bottom: 20px;]it's where you'll end, not where you begin[/style] [style=width: 335px; margin-left: 40px; background-color: #2b2b2b; -moz-border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; border-radius: 0 20 0 0px; color: #999999; font-face: arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 10px; text-align: justify; padding: 10px;] It took a while for the string of laughter to die off. They had been together for a short while this afternoon and already it was priceless. When he had finally calmed down, his eyes narrowed playfully, a mischievous smile evident on his lips. "You'll get me back? Oh you think so?" Jamal chorused with a tease. "Well, I better be on my guard," he flicked her a playfully suspicious sideways glance as he took a sneaky sip of his beer. He lowered his beer back onto the table slowly, watching her with a cautious gaze. Still, his expression was enough to say he was only fooling around. His hand brushed along the hairs of the back of his head. "Uhh...." he hesitated. It was just Kamala issues, as usual. Should he tell her about Kamala? Why was his fiancee brought up with everyone he came across? The Kamala subject prompted awkward conversations with people and something told him he didn't want Alexis to know he was engaged. Face it, he liked Alexis. He was not going to stir up awkwardness over a casual drink. Instead of telling Alexis flat out of his Kamala experiences, he opted for a white lie instead. "I bumped into a few old acquaintances," he spoke, rubbing an imaginary itch on his elbow. "It was ...weird to see their faces again, but, a relief," he finished. It was a relief to see Kamala again. She was alive. Though at the same time it was a curse. Jamal felt his throat get dry and tighten up. He hated telling lies. Often he ended up telling white lies like he had just done, but even after that, he felt a sweep of guilt. Jamal felt so dishonest to his friend right now. Grabbing his bottle he took a lengthy, hasty swig, the bottle gurgling as he downed a hefty load of beer. His hand wiped over his mouth to dry it off. Jamal took some time out to gather his thoughts, and half forced a smile as he looked to Alexis. Again he felt uncomfortable. "So, what about you?" Naturally he had to return the question. He was in no real mood to talk about his own life just now. "Been up to no good, no doubt," he stated flirtatiously, his voice a little lower and quieter than usual. For that brief moment, Jamal thought himself as sounding too perverted. It was the way he spoke, low and smooth. It didn't fit him very well. Actually it sounded wrong. At this moment he realised he was awful at this. He cleared his throat apprehensively. notes:: Jamal flirting - creepy. words:: 437 tagged:: Alexis <3 [/style]

[style=color: #2b2b2b; font-size: 10px;]TEMPLATE MADE BY ICE OF OTE[/style]