Getting serious, are we? [ But Elliot's amused, and.. honestly? Surprised. No one asks him why, they all have just known him to be the voice of reason, the surprisingly zen clubber who's surprisingly honest and earnest, if blunt. ]
I just don't like bullshit, I think. I try to be as honest as possible, and if people think I'm being mean, then they think I'm being mean. I don't have time for that sort of stuff.
The catty thing, though--yeah, I can totally be a bitch without realizing it. Something I'm working on, not everyone appreciates sarcasm and being told that their jacket was last year's Vogue.
[He just responds with a closed-lip smile because yes, he's serious. He wants to hear the real answer. When Elliot gives it though he finds that it's a solid answer and it's something he resonates with. He can appreciate that and honestly? It's something he finds in himself, too. He hates being lied to and he's dealt with enough underhanded bullshit in his life as a performer to want to deal with it all the time.
Instead of saying all of that though…]
Wow you would get along great with my sister. [He shakes his head.] But I get it. Trust me, I get it. I know it's New York and nobody understands the word honesty but I don't see why people try to lie when you can see right through them. I don't like being a doormat so if people get mad if I push back? They can find somebody else.
…though considering my best friend used to willingly shop at Good Will I'm pretty sure I draw the line at slamming someone's fashion sense without trying to actually help.
[So much for keeping Elliot at a distance because he's grabbing his phone again, quickly navigating to his Facebook page and pulling up an old photo of Kelsi in her clothes from junior year. They're hideous. Let's be real they're really hideous and the photo itself makes it obvious that Ryan was sitting on her piano when he took it.]
My case in point. Do you see this? Do you see what a horrible thing Good Will actually can be? [In which he's quickly flipping to a much more recent photo of Kelsi from prom.] This is why I can't advocate that kind of shit. Treasure trove or not it buries beauty when it shouldn't be buried.
[On the other hand that t-shirt wears Elliot well so maybe he should just shut the fuck up.]
Oh. Oh, my God. [ He pulls the phone a little closer, squinting. ] She has eyes to kill for and she's hiding them with those? I would kill to be that slim, holy shit.
[ The phone is handed away, and Elliot sighs. ] Case in point, and I salute just how good of a friend you really are. Friends don't let friends wear cargo pants.
Exactly. [He looks self-satisfied as he pockets the phone again, shaking his head.] Trust me, this is why she has me and it's like…I tried to tell her that she's adorable and that being a lesbian isn't a choice but she can at least choose to be a pretty one. [Ryan why do you have zero problems outing your best friend but not yourself what the fuck.]
…she really is gorgeous though. It disgusts me. [But he's grinning. He's definitely proud of her.]
Not my type. She has boobs. [ Simple and as about as matter-of-fact you can be, and Elliot waves it off slightly comically, moving to shove a few things in the dishwasher as he talks. Gotta do his job, after all. ]
I don't really like it sometimes but it's still something that has to be done. And anyway maybe I'm just an exception to most rules. I'd say "well don't be nice" but pretty sure that's the kind of thing that'd get you fired. Maybe?
Maybe? I'd be out faster then RuPaul starts a Kiki. You act like you've never had a job in your life.
[ He's shaking his head, and they're interrupted as a line of preteens wanting to go to the cool yuppie stores around here get their mocha-frappe-whatever, and Elliot is suddenly all smiles and laughter. Luckily, no one complains (he's a good barista, goddammit) but it takes for fucking ever. It's immediately after the door closes that Elliot looks up, notices the time, and narrows his eyes at the clock. ]
And as usual, Ellie is either late or not coming. Awesome. [ Which means he has to deal with the lunch rush on his own, most likely. He gets up and away from the counter, plops himself onto a chair next to Ryan's, and sighs. ]
Of course you watch RuPaul's Drag Race. [He laughs a little, carefully skirting around the issue of never having a job in his life. He steps to the side to let the annoying kids place their orders, idly wondering if he was ever that bad. He's watching Elliot closely, still amazed at the way he rotates through personalities until the last of the kids exits the shop.
When Elliot joins him though he just lifts an eyebrow while taking a sip. The cup's almost empty, but it doesn't help that Ryan's been downing his coffee like it's the last drink on earth.]
If it's any consolation, I don't really trust anybody.
I'm not bitter. [But jaded, hell yeah.] I don't really have anything to be bitter about...and anyway what does that really mean? Being too young to be bitter. How do you know? I could have a lot of things to be bitter about. [He has some things but that falls under the "telling people I trust" umbrella and Elliot's not there yet.] ...Sharpay and I just spent most of our lives working under the idea that you can't trust anybody but yourself and your family, and even then that depends what's at stake.
That...[ He has to word this properly. He knows he does, but his hands are pressed flat on the table at first and he half-ass drums them as he thinks quickly.
Oh I know. There's a reason I stopped listening to her a couple of years ago but she's still my sister so...kinda have to deal with it. [He puts the coffee cup down finally now that it's empty, biting on his lip a little bit.] I love her but she's absolutely batshit sometimes.
Wait a second, why will he take note? Ryan's just a friend. What the fuck, Starchild? ] Sooo glad I'm the an only child. Still--can't really be that bad, can it? I mean you're on top of your game, you dress well, you're in New York for dance... That's pretty good, if you ask me.
Um. [That same wry grin.] She's my twin and I got a scholarship to Juilliard but she didn't and then she didn't talk to me for the entire month of June. I guess you could call that pretty good.
Still...New York's New York. Things are way better here than they would be back there so maybe you're right. [...wait.] Did you just appreciate my fashion sense?
Yeah, you look good. Why are you surprised? [ He's still sort of laughing but there's one word that's still ringing in his mind. So, still beaming, he looks Ryan dead in the face: ]
Just am. [Because people usually don't flat-out say so, that's why.
...oh god he actually didn't know. Ryan's not sure if it came up the night they met (it must not have been, or Elliot didn't take him seriously) but he's sure as shit taking Ryan seriously now and it's kind of scary. He blinks almost innocently, looking like he's struggling to remember what he just said.]
Um...Shar didn't talk to me for a month because I got a scholarship to Juilliard and she didn't?
That's because I did say that. Because it's how things happened. The scholarship reps were only supposed to pick one of us but they couldn't choose between me and my best friend, so...they picked both of us which is half the reason Sharpay's probably still sorta mad in the first place.
[ Elliot can't begin to explain the wave of emotion that that sentence, said so casually, hits.
This kid is good. This kid is so good they make an exception for him, a scholarhip is given to him, presumably full ride. Julliard. The hardest school to get into in the universe just walked up and said 'this guy's in'?
That's good. That's very good. Because Elliot applied for Julliard three times and got asked to audition only once. Elliot couldn't even get to the school one step below it, NYADA. Ryan was very, very good.
...But a huge part of him takes that the other way: Ryan's good, sure, but it's that Elliot's bad that he can't get in. ]
That's--I mean that's insane! You actually got in! That's like a one-way ticket to being extremely successful!
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Date: 2015-01-19 10:26 pm (UTC)I just don't like bullshit, I think. I try to be as honest as possible, and if people think I'm being mean, then they think I'm being mean. I don't have time for that sort of stuff.
The catty thing, though--yeah, I can totally be a bitch without realizing it. Something I'm working on, not everyone appreciates sarcasm and being told that their jacket was last year's Vogue.
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Date: 2015-01-19 10:31 pm (UTC)Instead of saying all of that though…]
Wow you would get along great with my sister. [He shakes his head.] But I get it. Trust me, I get it. I know it's New York and nobody understands the word honesty but I don't see why people try to lie when you can see right through them. I don't like being a doormat so if people get mad if I push back? They can find somebody else.
…though considering my best friend used to willingly shop at Good Will I'm pretty sure I draw the line at slamming someone's fashion sense without trying to actually help.
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Date: 2015-01-19 10:58 pm (UTC)Oh my God, that's insulting. Most of my shit comes from Goodwill. [ Nah, he's joking.
..Mostly. His stuff DOES come from goodwill. ]
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Date: 2015-01-19 11:10 pm (UTC)My case in point. Do you see this? Do you see what a horrible thing Good Will actually can be? [In which he's quickly flipping to a much more recent photo of Kelsi from prom.] This is why I can't advocate that kind of shit. Treasure trove or not it buries beauty when it shouldn't be buried.
[On the other hand that t-shirt wears Elliot well so maybe he should just shut the fuck up.]
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Date: 2015-01-19 11:37 pm (UTC)[ The phone is handed away, and Elliot sighs. ] Case in point, and I salute just how good of a friend you really are. Friends don't let friends wear cargo pants.
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Date: 2015-01-19 11:52 pm (UTC)…she really is gorgeous though. It disgusts me. [But he's grinning. He's definitely proud of her.]
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Date: 2015-01-20 05:43 am (UTC)Oh, hey, thanks for the tip, by the way.
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Date: 2015-01-20 05:48 am (UTC)Sure. You sorta went above and beyond your job and that always deserves to be rewarded don't you think?
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Date: 2015-01-20 05:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-20 05:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-20 05:53 am (UTC)[ He sort of half-shrugs. ]
I guess I'm just surprised. There's a lot of people I have to grit my teeth to here. I hate having to be nice.
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Date: 2015-01-20 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-20 08:39 am (UTC)[ He's shaking his head, and they're interrupted as a line of preteens wanting to go to the cool yuppie stores around here get their mocha-frappe-whatever, and Elliot is suddenly all smiles and laughter. Luckily, no one complains (he's a good barista, goddammit) but it takes for fucking ever. It's immediately after the door closes that Elliot looks up, notices the time, and narrows his eyes at the clock. ]
And as usual, Ellie is either late or not coming. Awesome. [ Which means he has to deal with the lunch rush on his own, most likely. He gets up and away from the counter, plops himself onto a chair next to Ryan's, and sighs. ]
Don't trust shady bitches, Ryan.
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Date: 2015-01-20 08:44 am (UTC)When Elliot joins him though he just lifts an eyebrow while taking a sip. The cup's almost empty, but it doesn't help that Ryan's been downing his coffee like it's the last drink on earth.]
If it's any consolation, I don't really trust anybody.
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Date: 2015-01-20 09:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-20 09:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-20 09:14 am (UTC)Nope. ] Sounds completely insane.
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Date: 2015-01-20 09:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-20 09:23 am (UTC)Wait a second, why will he take note? Ryan's just a friend. What the fuck, Starchild? ] Sooo glad I'm the an only child. Still--can't really be that bad, can it? I mean you're on top of your game, you dress well, you're in New York for dance... That's pretty good, if you ask me.
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Date: 2015-01-20 09:27 am (UTC)Still...New York's New York. Things are way better here than they would be back there so maybe you're right. [...wait.] Did you just appreciate my fashion sense?
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Date: 2015-01-20 09:35 am (UTC)I'm sorry, what was that last bit?
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Date: 2015-01-20 09:37 am (UTC)...oh god he actually didn't know. Ryan's not sure if it came up the night they met (it must not have been, or Elliot didn't take him seriously) but he's sure as shit taking Ryan seriously now and it's kind of scary. He blinks almost innocently, looking like he's struggling to remember what he just said.]
Um...Shar didn't talk to me for a month because I got a scholarship to Juilliard and she didn't?
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Date: 2015-01-20 10:02 am (UTC)[ Elliot's beginning to think he's being lied to. ]
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Date: 2015-01-20 10:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-01-20 10:21 am (UTC)[ Elliot can't begin to explain the wave of emotion that that sentence, said so casually, hits.
This kid is good. This kid is so good they make an exception for him, a scholarhip is given to him, presumably full ride. Julliard. The hardest school to get into in the universe just walked up and said 'this guy's in'?
That's good. That's very good. Because Elliot applied for Julliard three times and got asked to audition only once. Elliot couldn't even get to the school one step below it, NYADA. Ryan was very, very good.
...But a huge part of him takes that the other way: Ryan's good, sure, but it's that Elliot's bad that he can't get in. ]
That's--I mean that's insane! You actually got in! That's like a one-way ticket to being extremely successful!
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