Catch Me Blinking • •

[ulysses arthur dante proctor]

It was early; too early, in fact. Ulysses had been up for twenty-four hours at least working on an assignment for his law class. Criminal Law was not as easy as the television shows made it look, and it was killing him to get through college. He still had law school to go after all of this, but he had his fingers crossed that by then some of this stuff may have sunk in enough to help him on his way. With his essay printed off, signed off, and deposited in the essay drop box outside his professor’s office, Ulysses was done for the day. He had no classes, and only one lecture on corporate law which he would download the podcast and slides for when he was able to focus a little better. He had survived the night on coffee and energy bars and he was crashing fast without any sort of real food in his stomach. It was an issue he needed to remedy before he got back home, since his apartment was probably only stocked with more coffee and more energy bars currently. There might have been a bunch of bananas too, but he wouldn’t trust them as he couldn’t actually remember his last trip to the store when he bought them.

Thankfully, somewhere between the university campus and the apartment building he called home was Hal’s Diner. Ulysses had stopped there plenty of times after late shifts at work or on occasions like this when school had made him sacrifice many of life’s essential things in order to meet crucial deadlines. He felt like something close to a zombie as he dragged his feet through the door and took a seat up at the counter. He didn’t trust himself in the booth this morning, fearing falling asleep on the comfy leather. His green eyes could barely focus on the menu, but he already knew that a big fry was the only thing that was going to fix him up at this hour. Ordering the large breakfast with an extra side of bacon, and a glass of orange juice, Ulysses stifled a yawn and ran his hands over his tired face.

He focused his eyes on the television mounted on the wall, but paid little attention to the morning breakfast show that was on. The news was the same as always and the chipper presenters did little for him. Though, at this hour, if he wasn’t already getting up and ready for class he was still in bed, oblivious to the world around him. Ulysses never moved until he had to, and today was going to be spent recovering from what he had put himself through to meet that damn deadline. He knew he could have done the work sooner, but he was a man who worked best under the pressure of time. He might have been exhausted now, but it was his best work that had been handed in, and he knew that. Thanking the waitress when she slid his breakfast over to him, he picked up a rasher of bacon and unceremoniously shoved the whole lot into his mouth before reaching for the knife and fork to tackle the rest. Yes, he just knew he would feel marginally better once he had devoured every last inch of the meal on the plate before him.

• • •

TAGGED! Kensington Olivia Summers
WORDS! 559!
OUTFIT! Sleepy Student!
LYRICS! Like a Soldier - - - Cady Groves
NOTES! <3

[Kensington Olivia Summers]

Kensington was a wild child and she would happily admit to it. She went to parties every weekend and when there wasn’t a party she hit up the clubs, dancing through the night until the music stopped and the lights came on again. She was an English girl raised in a Southern world and though the two really shouldn’t mesh, in her they did well. She was the perfect mix between rebellious Southern preacher’s daughter and proper English lady; but only when she wanted to be. She was the southern rebel all the way down to her bones, minus the fact that people just didn’t swear in the south and Kensi had the mouth of a trucker and sailor’s offspring. It wasn’t her most redeeming of qualities to say the least.

But most people habitually overlooked the fact that she dropped more f-bombs than she did the word please because people genuinely couldn’t tell if she was joking around or telling the truth because she said the rudest things with the sweetest smile. Her neighbour for instance, was one such person who overlooked her rather rowdy nature, preferring to think she was some sweet, innocent southern belle. He caught her in the hallway of the building “just to say hi” or would ride the lift down “Because he was also going out” but would then mysteriously remember he forgot his wallet or the reusable shopping bags she’d never seen yet. This morning had been one such morning and Kensi wasn’t the best morning person around. She’d claimed she was meeting a friend at the diner down the street and was already running late, despite the fact that she was actually just getting in. For once not even from a night out but a study session at her classmate and friends apartment that had seen the pair waking up on the floor of her apartment with their course work a mess around them. They had a partnered assignment due and both had wanted a good grade, so work their asses off they did. And then Kensi had to return home to the King of Stalkers. With her lie though, she had to turn around and head over to Hal’s, praying there was someone sitting there alone she could pounce on.

And sometimes Fate smiled upon those who needed her help. Kensi listened with half an ear to her neighbour talk endlessly about how it wasn’t safe that early for a girl alone on the street. It didn’t matter that she could take care of herself, or that she’d spent a year traveling Europe and those were some pretty scary streets. Letting out a sigh of relief, Kensi pointed the man alone at a table and rushed into the restaurant to take the seat across from him. "Hi, so my neighbour is following me around like a lost puppy and I really don’t want to deal with his stalkerish tendencies so if you don’t mind, pretend like we’re the best of friends or at least know each other well enough that me sitting here about to order waffles with strawberry sauce and whipped cream is normal, okay?” She asked, talking with a big smile because she could see her neighbour on the other side of the glass, looking to see if she’d really made good on her word that she’d been meeting someone or if she was lying.

Tag || ulysses arthur dante proctor
Words || 566
Clothes || Mysterious Maven
Music || Kiss Me Slowly --Parachute
Notes || <3

[ulysses arthur dante proctor]

Despite his plan to become a lawyer in the end, Ulysses had known trouble. He had ran from Flagstaff to avoid it. His story was solely that he had come to New York for college, but in reality New York had been escape and college had followed a few months after in a sheer moment of luck. Hustling pool, counting cards, it had all worked to get him the cash he and his family had needed but it had certainly come back to bite him in the ass. None of it was the kind of behaviour of a kid who had dreams of becoming a lawyer someday, but Ulysses had a reckless side to himself that he hadn’t grown out of yet. Even the trouble back home that had made him run hadn’t been enough to rid it from his system. He thought it would have been enough for some people, might have set them into place and righted their wrongs, but he was still a bit out of control at times.

He figured it would be out of his system by the time he was actually a lawyer and taking his place in the courtrooms. Until then though, Ulysses just sort of did what he wanted in his free time and if that happened to be down a road that caused a bit of trouble then so be it. He never crossed a line that went that little bit too far, and he always seemed to be able to handle everything he got into in New York. Ulysses didn’t want a repeat of what happened back in Flagstaff. He didn’t want someone coming after him here like he had back home. It had been terrifying and had taken one hell of a long time for him to stop worrying about it catching up to him. At least now he could just live his life without glancing over his shoulder every night, afraid of the past following him to his new happy existence.

Although right now happy was completely overshadowed by his exhaustion. The student life might have had its fun but it paid it back with god awful mornings like this one when procrastinators like Ulysses had to suffer through their own personality traits and an unsympathetic assignment deadline policy. He had been tempted to fill in the form and fake a family emergency to earn an extension, but he would still have had to go down to the campus and make an appearance with just as much effort anyway. In the end it was just better to push on through and hand the essay in when he could barely keep his eyes open than have an extra week in which he would still put it off until the final day anyway. When someone suddenly plonked themselves down next to him, Ulysses barely had enough energy to keep up with the story they were telling him. He finished chewing the mouthful of his breakfast and then spoke up in a slow voice, words laced with sleep already. “I’m sorry, I’m way too tired to process any of that, but if you can keep me from literally falling asleep in my eggs you can do whatever you like with me.” He offered, since all he had been able to gather was that the girl needed someone and fast. Normally he’d be keen and quick to jump in, but this morning his game was already tucked up in bed; the place he really wanted to be.

• • •

TAGGED! Kensington Olivia Summers
WORDS! 587!
OUTFIT! Sleepy Student!
LYRICS! Like a Soldier - - - Cady Groves
NOTES! <3

[Kensington Olivia Summers]

Kensington didn't usually put much thought into her neighbour unless he was in her face. She was almost positive that was a bad thing but he annoyed her more than anything when he was standing in front of her and not so much when he was out of sight. When all was said and done, he would probably be the one with the shrine in the back of his closet or something but it was too early in the morning and Kensi really couldn't be bothered with anything he had to say. She had already told Sloan, her brother, about it, so until he told her otherwise, she was just going to keep on ignoring him. With her luck though, the whole situation was going to end with her being kidnapped by him and held prisoner in some abandoned factory somewhere. And maybe her overactive imagination was just getting the better of her overtired brain. Right then though, it didn't matter either way.

The Southern girl hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep the night before to deal with him or anywhere else, that was for damn sure. She couldn't even blame it on a night out with Reggie or any other friends because she hadn't heard from any of them the night before. It would have been a waste anyway since she would have had to turn them down but that really wasn't the point. No, this morning's bad mood was all thanks to a late night study session that Kensi honestly couldn't say what they did all night if someone had asked her. The project was a fairly in-depth on and the dur date was fast approaching but other than that, the Southern girl couldn't say much about it. At least not right then. Of course, she wasn't exactly a morning person on a good day and it usually took two cups of coffee in the mornings to get herself motivated enough to even get ready and get her soryy as out the door on time.

Kensi smirked at that as she signalled the waitress over. "Oh, honey, don't make promises you aren't going to remember later." She said, teasing before the waitress stopped in front of her and she asked for that first cup of coffee and the waffles she'd mentioned a minute ago. At this hour she was usually dead to the world but her classmate had an early class and that had meant Kensi needed to be anywhere other than that apartment. She would have loved to be in her own, in her bed, catching a few extra hours of much needed sleep but that pesky neighbour was too much of a busybody for his own damn good. "But I can try my best to keep you awake and not face first in your fry up." She agreed, doctoring the mug of black coffee to her liking; with more sugar than was probably healthy for anyone to consume and the slightest bit of cream to change the colour in the ceramic mug.

Tag || ulysses arthur dante proctor
Words || 505
Clothes || Mysterious Maven
Music || Kiss Me Slowly --Parachute
Notes || <3

[ulysses arthur dante proctor]

Ulysses was much more relaxed about his life now. He doubted anyone from Flagstaff would show up to enact their revenge. None of them had really known much about him beyond his face and that he was a cocky S.O.B when he wanted to be. A little had changed since then and he was now a little more focused on what he wanted for his future. He didn’t want to make it through college, through law school, and then have all of those dreams come to an abrupt halt because he had done something stupid back when he was nineteen. It was the kind of rude crap that the fates would pull on him since they seemed to have a trend at giving him something good and then pulling it away again.

He was hoping that by actually putting some work in he might show some of the powers that be that he actually wanted to be more than a kid who hustled at the pool tabled and tricked a whole bunch of people out of money with bar tricks. It was good to get cash fast, but Ulysses had never seen a genuine future in it for himself. If he did he certainly wouldn’t be five minutes away from passing out in the middle of Hal’s diner; that much he was positively certain of. He would probably be long in bed rather than longing for his bed. There was a huge difference there and it was one Ulysses probably missed most of all, despite how much better he knew his life was now. It was better, but there was still a slight bit of him who missed the kick he got from tricking people out their cash at the pool table.

“I won’t remember any of this later.” He said with a tired chuckle, running his hand over his face and then through his hair. Food and sleep sounded so good right now, but he couldn’t think straight when it came to anything else. Nothing that this girl was saying to him was really sinking in right now, which was probably going to lead to something very awkward or confusing sooner rather than later. It seemed like she needed his help right now, even though he wasn’t likely to be of much good in his current state. All he wanted was to close his eyes and find a dream world void of essays and deadlines, where he didn’t have to wake up for at least fourteen hours. “I’ll hold you to that.” He mumbled, words slurred with sleep as he shovelled another forkful of egg into his mouth.

• • •

TAGGED! Kensington Olivia Summers
WORDS! 443!
OUTFIT! Sleepy Student!
LYRICS! Like a Soldier - - - Cady Groves
NOTES! >.<

[Kensington Olivia Summers]

Kensi almost wished it was still earlier in the year because it meant that she wouldn’t have to return to Georgia so soon. But the end of the year was approaching fast and that meant that trip home. The one she hadn’t done since Christmas when it was expected that the whole family be there. She’d gotten into her fair share of trouble while she’d been there, too. So it was unlikely those still around home, her age would be pleased to see her back so soon. She was a devil in high heels and she knew it. In New York, she may not have changed but she wasn’t the only one who could be described the same way. And she wouldn’t be the last for it either once she was gone from the big apple; whenever that day came. She wanted to travel again, to explore the rest of the world that she hadn’t seen but she’d wanted to get school out of the way in a city where her antics would go nearly unnoticed.

She would probably go completely unnoticed if it weren’t for the creepy neighbour she had. Why he needed to know her every move was beyond her. She did nothing to provoke attention; whilst she was home at least. In fact she made it a point to be completely forgettable around the building she lived in. Besides, it was always after she left her home that she got into the real trouble. But she’d managed to draw the eye of the guy across the hall and it infuriated her to no end that she had to rearrange plans just so she could avoid him. But she would do what it took because her apartment was incredible and she wasn’t willing to part with it. At least not until she was ready to leave New York behind and she couldn’t see that happening any time soon; especially since she was still only a freshman and had three years ahead of her left to finish. And damn it if she wasn’t going to graduate.

There were plenty of words that could describe Kensi and she would agree to most of them without batting an eyelash but quitter wasn’t one of them and she was determined to finish what she started, whatever it might have been. “So basically this is the best time to tell you all sorts of lies and half truths because if we ever meet again, you’ll not never a second of it and I’ll go on being amused and laughing at this encounter.” She said more to herself really, than him since he nearly had his eyes closed. Idly she wondered what he’d done through the night to be falling asleep at the counter of a diner and why he wasn’t still tucked up in bed asleep at such an early hour. Kensi would have killed to be curled up in a bed at that moment but she wasn’t. At least, thanks to her antics back in Georgia, she could at least get around fairly coherently. “So you have a name or do I get to make one up for you? Because I have to say, I can be exceptionally creative.”

Tag || ulysses arthur dante proctor
Words || 579
Clothes || Mysterious Maven
Music || Kiss Me Slowly --Parachute
Notes || <3

[ulysses arthur dante proctor]

Ulysses felt a little bad about never returning home to visit, but he knew his real reasons were entirely valid. Of course, he never told his family the truth. They were proud of their son and brother and were content to accept that he was just swamped with school work and didn’t want to have his grades slip. Law school was a competitive place and Ulysses explained that he wanted to make it in with an extra edge. It wasn’t really a lie. An edge would be nice, but it wasn’t everything. He could survive without being the greatest and he wasn’t the type to spend night after night with his nose in a law book, memorising each case example and where to use it. He had never been that kid and he did find it a little unnerving that his family thought he could have turned into it. He had a nose for trouble and usually ended up stumbling into it when he hadn’t necessarily been wanting it. He thought he had gotten better in recent years, but it was still there in his blood, as impossible to strip away as his genetic code.

He liked an adventure and found it impossible to resist one, which was something his friends readily took advantage of when he did try to put on his best behaviour. They could easily coax him onto nights out with the promise of the unknown and the allure of what might happen. Ulysses hated it when something did happen and he wasn’t there because a rare twist of fate had seen him turn down an invitation. It drove him mad. It also meant he ended up pulling all-nighters and destroying his sleep pattern to make deadlines at college. His grades somehow never reflected that because he put in so much work to make sure his essays didn’t reflect the exhaustion in his bones, but he scolded himself all the same. It was stupid behaviour, but common practice for a university student. Still, it just went to show Ulysses that he wasn’t all that different from the boy he had been a few years ago who had landed himself in boiling hot water back home. He was just cocky about getting passing grades now and not swindling money from people at pool.

Ulysses barely chuckled, but only because he lacked the energy to laugh. “I could probably walk past you in an hour and not have a clue who you are, darlin’.” That was honestly how tired he felt, though he hoped to be crawling through the door of his apartment in an hour, and not stumbling by strangers on the street. There had been a plan to his morning and he kind of wanted to stick to it just because of how god damn tired he was feeling. Normally he would have just gone on impulsive and done whatever took his fancy, but the sandman was calling to him. “My dad was also exceptionally creative.” He said, just about managing to raise his eyebrows. “Why else would he name his first born and only son Ulysses Arthur Dante?” He had grown into his name, eventually, after years of torment and kids who couldn’t even pronounce his name. His father had been so proud of such a strong name that he had rarely ever addressed Ulysses by just one name, but rather all three of his given names. It had been ridiculous for so long, but he had become accustomed to it by now. It was one of those family quirks that he figured every family had but could make no sense of.

• • •

TAGGED! Kensington Olivia Summers
WORDS! 612!
OUTFIT! Sleepy Student!
LYRICS! Like a Soldier - - - Cady Groves
NOTES! <3