For a Rainy Day

Juliet hummed, glancing between the book of tattoos she was absent-mindedly flipping through, where Zander was, and the rain that was running down the window panes, distorting the images of everything that was outside. The affect was actually quite beautiful, the rivets of water, clear and sparkling, causing the splashes of colours she could see through it to brighten even more. It was a nice affect to see, on what was an otherwise dreary day.

A sound from behind her caused her head to turn towards the shop again and away from the window. Her skin crawled at the thought of sticking needles, and ink into it. It was true she was fascinated by the end result, but she wasn't sure she could ever actually go through with such a thing. Which was part of the reason she was still out hear flipping through pages instead of opting to let someone poke and prod her.

The other part was Miss Mad would still kill her; and there was nothing she could keep hidden from the woman for long.

Going back to her flipping, the girl stopped on the page that had the design that Zander had agreed to get. She ran her fingers over the marks again, and shivered slightly. There was so much of it. Even if she could sit still long enough for any tattoo, she'd never manage that much.

Her ponderings were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and as a curious person, Juliet turned to look, and was surprised to see a familiar face.

"Why does it have to rain?" Dylan moaned, running into the Tattoo parlor- the closest open place for him to take shelter for. Shaking his wet hair, he frowned at his wet leather jacket and the soaked cigarette in his hand. He threw away the stick and grabbed a tissue nearby to pat his jacket dry. He hated getting his jacket wet, for some odd reason.

Still grumbling, he looked around the tattoo place. He stopped at a familiar figure- it was the girl that he had a water fight with. It took him a few minutes to remember the name however. "Hey, you are J.J right?" He questioned, making his way over to her. Dylan gave her a small smile and looked at the tattoo design that was showing in the book. "Are you thinking of getting a tattoo?"

J. J., had it been that long since she had met the boy in front of her. The boy she had to firmly remind herself was Dylan not Dimitri, though even at this time the similarities between the two was uncanny. In truth, she hadn't been going by Juliet for all that long, though it felt like centuries to herself.

"Yes," she said with as soft smile, not bothering to push the name point; she still answered to J. J. for anyone who wished to call her that. It was still part of her, it just wasn't the part she kept on the outside any more, "And you were Dylan right?" She knew she was right. The familiarity the boy had to Dimitri had caused her to remember every detail about him. It was the only way she had kept a distinction in her head.

Glancing down at the book she let out a little laugh, "Oh, god no. I'm starting to think I wouldn't be brave enough to bear the pain, even if I also wasn't afraid the pain my guardian could cause would be that much worse." She glanced back over to where Zander had disappeared an hour or two before, "No, I'm waiting for someone. He's the one that was crazy enough to think this was a good idea." Again she thought about the process of getting a tattoo and again she shivered, her skin prickling.

To distract herself, she focused again on the boy across from her, a teasing grin crossing her features as she watched him dry off his jacket.

"You know, I think they make those things so they can handle getting wet."

"Got that one right," Dylan replied easily. He grinned, and leaned against the wall, his wet hair falling into his face. He picked up a tattoo book for himself, and looked at some of the crazy designs. "It makes me wonder why people will get a tattoo in the first place. I can understand getting one of remembrance. But getting it on your body? When you get all old and stuff, you won't be able to tell what it is."

"Boyfriend?" He teased, laughing. Then he grew a sheepish smile and tugged on his leather jacket. "I like to take really good care of this jacket. It was a gift from my sister."

"I don't know," she said glancing down at her own book again, she had yet to turn from the page of the design Zander was getting. Strike by the vastness of it once again, "Once I get over the pain I can see... its an act of individuality, creativity, in some cause rebellion," she gave a little half smile, eyes dancing. "I suppose its like clothes, or hair... it your style."

She nodded her head. It was what made tattoos on other people so fascinating to her. Even if there wasn't remembrance, or a specific meaning attached to them, something made the person decide to get it. That was a meaning in and of itself.

The easy grin that she had froze slightly as her face began to heat up; she glanced over her shoulder, shaking her head, and then stopping that action too. "No-er-well I mean..." Zander was just a friend... wasn't he? He was right before. She was confused.

She still just didn't want to admit it.

"Well I'd say you are doing a good job with it; though it would be easier if we were old enough to just cast a spell, wouldn't it? A single word and bam, your coat's all dry, and you used half the effort."

Dylan reluctantly admitted that J.J was right. But still.... really small tattoo's was alright. Tattoo's on old people though got really ugly. Dylan shrugged, and put on his leather jacket again. "If you had to get a tattoo, what would you get one of?" The Russian asked, curious. For the girl, he imagined it was something that was gentle, kind, but capable of defending herself when needed. That was the impression that he got from J.J.

"You stuttered," Dylan told her, laughing. "That's not very convincing, J.J. Are you just confused about your status with him, or you just fancy him?" He raised an eyebrow, and leaned forward a bit. "Come on, tell me." His eyes sparkled with amusement, relieved to talk about such a amusing topic like this. His life has been so stressful lately.

"Yeah, I guess." The Slushatel shrugged, the idea of using a spell not really appealing. His parents had made it where in the Veer Household to not use magic for such simple tasks. It was because his sister was a squib mostly- they didn't want her to get bitter over not having magic. It seemed to work. Laura was a squib that isn't bitter about the lack of magic, she actually was kind of glad that she didn't have magic. She said that magic made things complicated.

"I prefer doing tasks manually. I have a sister who is a squib, so my family try doing things without magic so she won't be bitter."

She frowned in thought over the question, glancing down at the book in her hand again, flipping pages as if they would give her the answer. Juliet had thought about this many times, thought about not only the thought of just getting a tattoo, but what she would get if she had. Until this moment she had never come up with a firm decision. Some how, being asked by another person she seemed to know the answer.

"A flower," she nodded her head firmly, still not looking up from the page she was holding, which in fact didn't contain any flowers at all, "A rose," she tapped her right shoulder blade, "Right here."

There was a way in which she said it that almost seemed as if she had already decided - as if she was actually going to get such a thing. Juliet fingered her shoulder, only distracting herself from his thoughts with the next comment.

Head snapping up with a blush, she began to stutter again, even as she denied doing so, "I did not- I mean I sort of- its not..." Trailing off with a huff, the girl moved her hand from her shoulder to wrap around her middle, "I little... of both? I mean I don't really know... he doesn't really..." she shrugged helplessly, unsure what she was trying to say and eventually gave up.

"That's a good way to do things."

Thinking about it, Dylan gave her a single nod. "It fits you, J.J." Dylan meant his words. J.J was a pretty girl (it was obvious) and was gentle, playful (the water fight made that obvious). Though it was obvious that she had a strong will. A rose- pretty, strong... it fitted her. "Are you end up getting it someday? Maybe when you have a stronger control of pain?"

"You fancy him," Dylan told her firmly. He hadn't experienced that kind of feelings in a while- fancying someone, while not knowing 100% sure the other person did. But he felt it in first year. He tilted his head. "How does he make you feel?"

Maybe if J.J talked about it, she would realize it with certainty.

"Maybe," the girl agreed with a delicate little nod and a happy little grin. There was something.... completing about the thought of the image on her skin. Glancing over her shoulder she wondered if maybe she was brave enough to do it now. Or she could always come back.

Starting slightly, she raised her eyebrow a teasing grin lighting her face, "I do, do I?" He sounded so certain that despite her teasing nature she almost felt like believing him herself. But Zander was just a friend wasn't he? A good friend to be sure, almost as good as Vanna - though the girl had gotten rights to 'best friend' before him - but that didn't mean that she-

"How does he make me feel?" she repeated the question as if that would make it more understandable. Scuffing the ground with her foot, a blush began to creep into her complexion as she struggled to find words. "Well, he makes me feel... happy?... safe..." the less she tried to think about it, the easier words came to her. "When he gets this look in his eyes, or gives this grin, I get sort of... fuzzy and warm inside. I miss him like anything when he's gone, but... until recently, I hadn't noticed that was what I was doing. You know, missing him."

She flashed a self conscious smile before even more words came out of her mouth. It was as if she couldn't stop them now.

"He's just so... sweet, and nice, and good, that when I look at him, I just can't help but think that the world can't be all that bad, if he's around."

(I am a slow poster ain't I....)

Dylan chuckled at her words and face expression. Dylan wasn't sure how people never really noticed how they felt about stuff like that, but he guessed it was about something not wanting to admit you like someone. It was weird really. "Well, it sounds like you do, J.J." He shook his hair, noting it was damp still from the rain. "And what are you going to do about it?" Now that J.J realized that he had feelings for this boy, you couldn't just walk around and not act around it. Unless you had some extremely strong will or something.

He flipped through some more pages in the tattoo book, and stopped at a certain picture. It looked like the one that Kait had got around her neck, but the kind of snake was different. Shrugging, he continued flipping the pages, hoping the rain will stop soon.

Worrying her lip she let her gaze linger slowly where she knew where the boy was, though she didn't expect him to show up, not at this moment. Which was good. She couldn't talk about this if she thought he'd hear.

"I don't know. Is there... is there really anything I can do?" She shrugged her shoulders, frowning slightly, "He doesn't fancy me. I don't think so anyway. I mean, he has a girlfriend or did- she sort of.. I don't know. But, what is there really anything to fancy? I'm just... a kid." She shrugged her shoulders.

Frowning over his shoulder she glanced at one of the pictures, "That ones sort of nice."

"If you are just a kid, then he probably is unless you went after a older guy," Dylan told her, with a raised eyebrow. "And with your level of maturity, I can't call you a kid, J.J. In age, you are a young adult. In maturity, I sometimes have to remind myself that you are not an adult."

Dylan continued, hoping that his advice will help her. "Try reading his body langauge. When he is surrounded by a group of friends, does he call you out? Does he sneak glances at you?" He messed with an ring on his pinkie finger.

She gave a little chuckle and shrugged her shoulders, "Does two years really count as older?" Did age even really matter? In a lot of ways, she was older than Zander anyway. In things there were to know, she understood so many of them better than he did. She didn't think it was his fault - Juliet was smart enough to piece together a story that made sense of that - but the truth was that she did. Their trip to the carnival last summer had been proof of that.

"I've... never actually seen him in a group. He grins at me sometimes but... he grins at everyone really. He's just sort of... one of those people. He's friendly to everyone he meets. I can't really say I'm any more special than the others." She shrugged grinning a little, "I do think he trusts me though. Likes to spend time with me, perhaps over other people - so that's something right?"

Dylan wrinkled his eyebrows and thought. "No, not really. After all, isn't parents a few years apart normally?" His parents were five years apart, and they have been together since his mother was seventeen. They were still together and had three children.

"It is. Who is he by the way?" Dylan asked curiously, with a one sided smile. It was interesting to talk about somebody elses love life that wasn't dramatic and sad. "Just watch his actions, don't over think it, but take note of them."

"My dad was only a year older than my mom, but I suppose that you are also right," she grinned slightly, and wrapped her arms around her middle. Glancing over her shoulder she wondered if Zander would be done any time soon. The fact that the boy had chosen such a large imprint on his skin was both annoying and admirable. She wasn't sure which was winning at the moment. She was enjoying her conversation, but she had already been there quite a long time.

"Zander Dawson," she grinned a little as she said his name, bouncing on her heals, "Like I said, he goes to Beauxbatons. I met him last summer, getting robes. Then he just sort of happened to... run across me again." She shrugged her shoulders. In all honesty she wasn't completely sure how the friendship had formed but in the end it had.