The Wasted Youth • •

[thursday jezebel roe]

Thursday still revelled in her freedom. It was almost too liberating to know that she could just open her door and go wherever she fancied most nights, and if she stayed out until the sun came up then the only thing she had to worry about was making sure Three Kings had enough energy drinks in the refrigerator to see her through the day and the clients she had booked in there. Having the childhood she had, having her own life how had taken a lot of getting used to, and Thursday was still making up for missed experiences, as she liked to think about it. At least in New York she was practically anonymous. If she stood out in a crowd it was usually because of her ink and bright hair, and not because she was one of the daughters of the town lunatic. Her sister still had to deal with that and hadn’t managed to quite slip off the radar like Thursday had. Fortunately, Autumn was far more patient and better equipped at handling it than Thursday had ever been.

Thursday’s emotions could be cataclysmic when they changed from the quirky, bubbly character she had so far been in New York. She worked hard to keep them in check, though it could often easily be maintained by just ignoring the calls from her parents, and she had put a warning sign on her cell phone as their caller image so that she could clearly see it was one of them without really needing to reach for the slimline device most of the time. Other ways of making sure she stayed above neutral was keeping busy and enjoying life in every way she could. That meant she went out more than probably your average girl. It didn’t matter to her if she was with a crowd or on her own. Before Steel had taken her in to teach her about the world of tattoos, and before New York, Thursday had never really had anyone. So going out alone to a comedy night didn’t faze her.

She of course extended the invitation to those who were still there at the close of Three Kings, but they all seemed to have plans or places to be. It didn’t matter, and Thursday slipped the flyer back into her bag as she waved bye to them all and strolled down the street in the direction of Gotham. She rarely used her beat up car in the city, much rather preferring to walk everywhere when she could. Plus, the comedy club was barely half an hour away on foot, and with her headphones in it never felt like much of a journey. Upon arrival she ordered a gin and soda, along with some chilli fries and then took a seat at one of the smaller tables not all that far from the bar. It was early, but the place was filling up fast, even with an hour before the show was due to start.

• • •

TAGGED! Kanoa Baxter Kennedy
WORDS! 500!
OUTFIT! INKED MINX!
LYRICS! Wonderland - - - Kesha
NOTES! <3

[Kanoa Baxter Kennedy]

New York was exactly where Kennedy needed to be. In the big apple, she was invisible. She could go about her business easily, slipping through the crowds like water through a child’s hands. And that was exactly why she’d chosen New York over anything in America. She hadn’t wanted to become an expatriate, Kennedy had wanted to stay somewhere in the country and she knew she couldn’t go home again. Returning to Honolulu was completely out of the question, she didn’t want to fall into some trap that had her back in a shipping container once again. One time was more than enough for the petite Hawaiian. With her father’s line of work, she wasn’t about to willingly walk into anyplace that could potentially lead to a situation like that again. Kanoa may not have had night terrors of what had happened to her as a child and a teenager but she had the memories of it, of being helpless, kicking and screaming, clawing and biting while some man in Kevlar and gloves held her tight to his chest, jumping back into the van that had barely slowed down when he took care of his part in her kidnapping.

She’d been on the mainland for ages now and nothing since the move so she wasn’t overly concerned about it all happening again. But it was still a fear she held in the back of her mind, locked away. Even though she didn’t willingly think about it, she still took three too many turns to go anywhere, always discreetly checked behind her for anyone who was still there after a wrong turn or two and if there was anyone well, she was good at disappearing on a crowded street. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she already had a plan in mind for her future, she might have been a good thief or conman; an inside man of some sort or something. Shame really that she wanted to become a magazine editor. But she had her heart set on that and thrived on it all, even if she was an English Literature major and that really wouldn’t help her with her goals. She probably needed to switch majors but Kennedy had seen people do a lot more with a hell of a lot less.

And walking into the Gotham a full two hours before showtime wasn’t the time to be thinking about her educational plans. It was the time she should have been using to make sure Dawson wasn’t already there, picking and choosing which of the handful of acts they had that night he wanted to introduce. Kennedy walked through the door to see part of the Gotham crew sitting at the bar, including Dawson who was grinning over at her like he’d just won a bet. “Oh no.” She said stopping in her tracks. “Who have you left me this time you demon?” Kennedy asked with an unwilling grin because she knew he would have taken all the great introduction. And a quick glance over the short list when she sidled up to her co-host’s side proved her wrong. “Oh, is it my birthday and no one told me?” She asked, rolling her eyes at the adventurous man. Sighing, Kennedy went off to get some things done before people started filing in and she had to be up on that stage for the first introduction of the night. A bit before the show started, Kennedy headed to the bar to get a drink. She wanted to grab a bottle of water before she had to jump up on that stage and warm a crowd. Unfortunately, someone pushed their chair out at the last second and Kennedy didn’t see it in time. It hit her side, sending her falling into the table directly behind. She managed to steady herself before realising the table she used to steady herself wasn’t empty. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Did I hit you or anything?” She asked the bright haired girl occupying the table.

Tag || thursday jezebel roe
Words || 717
Clothes || Embarrassed Hostess
Music || Alice --Avril Lavigne
Notes || <3

[thursday jezebel roe]

For so many years Thursday had been an outcast not by choice, but because her father had made them that way. She was the daughter of ‘the madman’, and while she was inclined to believe that her father was in need of psychiatric help, it hadn’t been fun growing up hearing the slurs from neighbours and other kids. It had been all too easy to leave in the end, and the only person Thursday ever found herself missing was Autumn. Her sister never missed a phone call though if Thursday did call her, and despite the miles between them they were as thick as thieves. She also took comfort in knowing that her big sister had made a life of her own in spite of their upbringing, and the constant stares in the street. Autumn had managed to turn their nightmare into a happily ever after of her own, which had to fill Thursday with some hope, even if the young woman wasn’t looking to settle down just yet in the way her sister had been so keen to do so.

Thursday wanted to make some more memories, cross a whole lot more off the list of things she had never done before she contemplated putting a ring on her finger and making a real home. She still felt like a child in many ways. She was curious about everything, and just like Alice she tumbled down rabbit holes to find out where they led. Thursday often enjoyed the adventures she found down there, too, but she hadn’t encountered a Cheshire Cat yet, or anyone more qualified than her father to be the Mad Hatter. Still, she was living her life in ways that she had once only been able to dream of and for Thursday that was enough right now.

She was hoping tonight would have her laughing until her sides hurt, because that would be the perfect end to her day. Thursday rarely had bad days anymore, simply because she didn’t allow herself to have them. If a morning started off sour then she did what she could to turn the rest of the day in a better direction, but there was no way that she was the type to sit back and just life sucker punch her with a rotten turn of events that could happen to just about anybody. She liked being in control of her life whilst at the same time enjoying where each day took her. Her clients always had her smiling with their stories and adventures and many of them had turned into good friends since she arrived at Three Kings. Thursday had just picked up her drink when someone collided with the table, almost tipping the furniture onto her. Thankfully, with the drink in her hand she was spared from any spillage, but she still blinked in surprise as she did her part to steady the table once more. Once it was settled she put her glass back down and smiled up at the girl who spoke to her. “No harm, no foul.” Thursday assured her, gesturing to her still clean top and self.

• • •

TAGGED! Kanoa Baxter Kennedy
WORDS! 524!
OUTFIT! INKED MINX!
LYRICS! Wonderland - - - Kesha
NOTES! <3

[Kanoa Baxter Kennedy]

Kennedy wished she could go home again but she knew that even at her age, she could still be a target for her father’s enemies. As long as he was part of the police force, she would continue to be a target, both her and her brother. These days she knew how to protect herself better, though no one knew who she was in New York and the people her father dealt with on the island didn’t seem to have as far a reach north on the mainland as they’d first suggested. Otherwise, Kennedy’s number of kidnaps would be a hell of a lot higher; or she’d be six feet under already. Then again, she had learned from the best after that first one and had continued to learn so she wouldn’t be caught off guard again. Some might have thought her a bit sketchy, especially since she never took the same way home twice in a row, she made random, useless turns this way and that way and often took a cab half way just to see if anyone stopped around there as well after being several cars behind her yellow taxi.

She knew how to spot tails, she knew how to lose them and so far on the mainland, the only tail she’d had was the security team the boarding school had posted with the class during a field trip to the mountain lodge for a weekend of skiing and snowboarding. They’d been trained well, but Kennedy had still spotted them when no one else and it had scared her a little bit. Not because she was afraid of being taken again, she had gotten over that the last time it happened. She was scared for the other people on the bus. Not all of them had famous politician parents or actors or anything for parents. Some of them were just filthy rich and had pissed off their parents one too many times. Thankfully nothing like that had happened after she’d moved to New York and started hanging out with friends in the city.

Kennedy was visibly relieved. She hadn’t wanted to start the night off on a bad note with herself and someone else covered in drink. She had to be up on that stage in a few minutes and she didn’t have a spare shirt with her. She would have had to either make it work or steal one from someone else while she was up there, hyping up the crowd. “Thank god for that! Next one’s on me.” She said, pointing at the drink in her hand. It was the least she could do since she’d practically fallen into the other girl’s lap. When she did run back to get that water, she would tell Cal about it. “The big guy back there will now.” Kennedy added, pointing back at Cal who waved and looked at her concerned but waved him off. There was no need for his concern, she was fine; going to have a nasty bruise where her side met table but otherwise fine.

Tag || thursday jezebel roe
Words || 543
Clothes || Embarrassed Hostess
Music || Alice --Avril Lavigne
Notes || <3

[thursday jezebel roe]

Thursday couldn’t say how she felt about her father. She didn’t hate him, but she couldn’t say she loved him either. He had stolen her childhood and turned it into something that she had only seen in movies, or seen sensationalised in biographies about people who lives in Doomsday Cults. Her life had never been as dramatic as those media outlets made others out to be, so she couldn’t decide for herself if they were completely true or blown out of proportion slightly. There had certainly been plenty of false rumours about her family when she had been growing up. They didn’t have radiation suits, but they did have gas masks. They did spend a lot of time locked in an apocalyptic bunker, but they weren’t mole people. It had been her father’s delusions that had pushed them to it, and while neither Thursday nor Autumn believed in his words because they saw the world around them, they still had to go along with it until they were old enough to do otherwise. For that, Thursday had ended up estranged from her father, and confused by her feelings for him. She didn’t like hearing people talk about how crazy he was, but at the same time she wasn’t compelled to defend him where she could defend a total stranger who was being picked on. She didn’t want to be around him, but she also didn’t want anything bad to happen to him.

At least in New York she didn’t have to think about him too much. Autumn would pass on any relevant news she thought her sister ought to know, but they never reminisced about their dear old pops, or anything like that. Their conversations about him were very sterile. Thursday knew Autumn kept her distance for the most part, too. They were living their own lives now, both completely different, but both exceptionally happy for the first time in forever. Thursday still wanted to do so much, explore so many avenues. She was still young, she could do all of that, but she also didn’t want to be closing in on fifty and realise it was too late for so many other things, too. Prioritising was not her forte, but putting things off and deciding to worry about stuff later was definitely a talent she excelled at. She ultimately decided that she could do all of that another time, when there weren’t tattoos to draw out, or a gig to attend, or a show to see.

It was so different to back home, but that didn’t scare Thursday. After the life she had so far she was sort of fearless. Yet she had managed to keep hold of her outgoing, sometimes sweet, personality even with the assholes she encountered on a weekly basis. They had yet to really cause a dent in her day-to-day. Smiling, Thursday raised the glass to her lips and took a small sip. “Aw, thanks, but you really don’t have to.” She said politely. Nothing major had just happened, she wasn’t wearing her drink and she wasn’t going to need medical attention. “I usually do worse to myself in the studio on the day-to-day.” Thursday was forever bashing her hip on the reception desk, or smacking her elbow on something when she was rushing around either cleaning or setting up. When she was tattooing she was fine and steady, but the rest of the time she was like a whirlwind at Three Kings.

• • •

TAGGED! Kanoa Baxter Kennedy
WORDS! 582!
OUTFIT! INKED MINX!
LYRICS! Wonderland - - - Kesha
NOTES! <3