And That's How The Story Goes

[Isaiah Riggs]

Maddison Grey Excited for our first thread!! If you'd like anything changed with how I've set up the thread, let me know! (: There were times when Isaiah questioned his loyalties. The sound of his parents snoring echoed loudly, their door just opened a crack, the way he had noticed it was more often now than when he was younger. It could have had something to do with the fact that Isaiah had been caught once or twice on his late night escapades, although it had done nothing to stop those same things from happening time and time again. Isaiah had nothing with him as he snuck out of his room, closing his door as quietly as he could manage. He had pulled a jumper over his pyjamas but hadn't bothered to change out of them, knowing it would be easier to sneak back in and get straight back into bed if he didn't have to get changed as well. This night, like every other night he snuck out, he was going to see the one and only Grey. The person that Isaiah could easily call his best friend. Again, there were times he questioned his loyalties, particularly those to Grey. Like the first time they had been caught up past their bedtime. Or the first time they had been caught in a place they weren't supposed to be. It would, however, be rude of Isaiah to place all the blame on her. While Grey often held the best ideas and encouraged things to happen, Isaiah wasn't innocent. He had been sneaking around the mountain by himself before Grey had joined him. He was sure the same could be said for Grey. They were both as bad as each other. The good thing about that was that Isaiah could make it easily out of his family's apartment, like he had then, and sneak quiet as a mouse down to wherever they had agreed to meet. Tonight, it was the corridor just outside of agriculture, by Isaiah's own request. There were a lot of stairs that needed to be walked up to make it to the corridor, agriculture being on the top level of the mountain but Isaiah knew sacrifices had to be made. It also wasn't the first time he had been to the section, already having gotten a name for being the kid that kept sneaking into the gardens and having to be taken back home. By now, they didn't even bother with taking him home anymore. Tonight, he knew agriculture would be dead quiet. There wasn't harvesting happening in any particular section--he was almost certain of that, he had been asking a lot of questions of the farmers. A bright grin on his face, Isaiah started up the stairs, the sound of his shoes against the metal just a little bit louder than he would have liked. "Never seen guards here," he huffed under his breath, fingers on the thin chain around his neck that he always kept tucked under his shirt. Once he made it up the stairs and to the corridor where he had told Grey to meet him, Isaiah was breathing hard. He never got used to the stairs. His own breathing sounded way too loud and Isaiah couldn't help glancing around, looking out for any signs of guards or farmers that might catch him. Once he was certain there was no one around and once he got his breathing back to normal, he slid down to sit against a wall. The wall was cold, causing him to shiver and wrap his arms around his knees. The night was cold in general. Even down in the mountain, Isaiah was sure he could tell what the weather was like outside. He wondered if it was snowing, if the ground would be covered in a blanket of white. Or if it was raining. He was so lost in thought that when the sound of footsteps in the corridor appeared he jumped and looked wide-eyed at the source of the sound.

[Maddison Grey]

Andthat's,

Without a clock it's hard to tell what time it is inside Mount Weather. If one hadn't the privilege of owning a watch or a clock then one would always be late. Luckily, Grey had a watch, one that she had found a few years ago. Somebody had left it on a table in the mess hall and she had scooped it up before anybody had even noticed it was missing. Of course, the household she lived in had a clock but it stayed in her parents bedroom, somewhere Grey couldn't access it past a certain time (usually once her mother had gone to bed). The only downside about having the watch now was that she had to keep it hidden from everyone, which is why the minute her father stepped in the door late that night, Grey shoved it underneath the blanket she was using to hide the fact she was still wearing jeans (she didn't want her father asking too many questions). She lay on the couch, her legs dangling over one arm and a book clutched to her chest. It wasn't unusual to see her father walking in this late at night, a bit of a waver in the way walked. The man enjoyed his drink. And it wasn't unusual for him to see Grey up at this time. The girl liked this hour as it was the only time she could be by herself and appreciate the peace, which the man did not intrude on. As usual, he walked over to kiss his daughter on the head and wish her goodnight before disappearing into the bedroom he shared with his wife. Jumping up almost immediately, Grey grabbed a jumper she had hidden behind one of the pillows and pulled it over her head and then collected her shoes from where she'd left them earlier. Dressed in what she'd consider comfortable clothes, she paced the room for a moment, biting her bottom lip as she strained to listen. Shortly after, to her relief, the sound of her fathers snoring drifted through the door. Finally. It was time to go. Carefully turning the key in the lock, it opened with a click which, in the silence, sounded much louder than it probably was. Quickly slipping outside, she closed the door behind her, holding her breath until it was firmly shut and then took off down the corridor, her bare feet padding softly against the cold, concrete floor. Only when she reached the stairs, away from the residential sector, did she squeeze her feet into her shoes. They were flat, useful if the need to make a quick escape arose, and comfortable. As quietly as she could, she began the ascend, wondering what on earth Isaiah had planned for them. She knew that the top floor held both the agricultural section and the warehouse, but she severely doubted he could access either. Only the workers had permission, right? Not that that had ever stopped the two from wandering somewhere they shouldn't be before... So the possibility wasn't totally ridiculous. Suddenly, with this thought, even though she'd had this thought playing in her mind all day, Grey's excitement multiplied. She picked up speed, taking the stairs two at a time until she reached the top. Turning down a dimly lit corridor, she narrowed her eyes at the hunched figure on the floor. As her eyes adjusted and she stepped closer, the figure began to form a shape and it's features became more distinct. Familiar, even. It was Isaiah, crouched down low, leaning against the wall as he waited for her. She'd opened her mouth to call out to him (read: stage whisper, as she couldn't get away with actually yelling his name, it'd draw too much attention to them) but he turned to face her before she got the chance. He jumped and she noticed. "Oh c'mon, Iah, it's only me. You really are too easy to scare," she teased as she closed the gap between them. She held out her hand for him to take and once she had a firm grip, she helped pull him off the floor. Grinning wickedly, the copper haired teen playfully dug her best friend in the shoulder. "You should have seen your face. If only I had a camera! I'm kidding, I would never do that to you..." She would.

Here we go! Isaiah Riggs #727

How the story goes.

X

[Isaiah Riggs]

Maddison Grey I apologise for the slow posting! The past two weekends happen to be my busiest ones of a year and wore me out. I like to post more often! (: The drums of a rock song sounded one hit of a drumstick after another, in perfectly timed doubles. Thump-thump, thump-thump. That had scared Isaiah, to put it bluntly. His eyes flared wild for a moment, nothing but fear in them. Who was he expecting to see walking down the hallway? A guard, maybe. A farmer coming to collect something they had forgotten. Possibly, his father. Isaiah wouldn't put it behind the man to follow him out before dragging him back home. Then, at least, his father would know one of Isaiah's hiding spots. It's what Isaiah would do. Honestly, he always hated this part of the night--the waiting, that was--but Isaiah's small panicked state calmed quickly. A rush of heat rose in his cheeks and a hand quickly went to cover them before Grey would have any more reason to tease him. And that's who it was, Grey. Even though Isaiah knew well that what showed would have been so much less dramatic than what he felt, it was enough and Grey wasn't missing a beat in her teasing. Sighing, Isaiah accepted Grey's hand, lifting himself up to stand with her help. He held her hand for a second longer than needed, just enjoying the contact before she felt the need to dig into his shoulder. He stepped away, a small smile forming on his lips as he held back the laughter that was threatening to destroy his serious demeanor. "It's good to see you too, Grey," he said, as his smile grew and some laughter broke through. Even he could see the humour in getting scared. "But I think you're lying. Honestly? You would definitely do that." He then added, in a mumble, "And I'm really glad you don't have a camera." Isaiah didn't want to think of all the blackmail Grey would collect if she had her hands on a camera. It was already bad enough to think of everything security cameras would catch. (And they couldn't have really worked, with all that Isaiah and Grey got up to.) They had plans ahead of them and thoughts of cameras would only have Isaiah worried. He pulled Grey into a quick hug, a grin on his own face now, and felt his fright from earlier dissolve into excitement. "I think I can make your night even better," Isaiah said as he released her from the embrace, leaning back against the wall. His teeth, only slightly out of place, gleaned as he took a thin card out of his pocket. "Apparently I'm still cute enough to charm my way with women." Isaiah winked, much to his immediate regret and handed Grey the card to look at as he shook his head and blushed again. It hadn't been that easy to get his hands on, if he was being honest. But enough of a conversation, a mention of wanting to see what early morning work was like ... Isaiah managed it. He was still surprised, and extremely nervous, but he wasn't planning on wasting the opportunity he had been given. An access card to get into all the agriculture rooms? It was a dream come true in Isaiah's eyes. He wanted to show Grey everything he could. "You've never actually been in this section before, right?" He was almost certain, but he still asked with expectance of an answer. There was a lot more excitement in Isaiah's voice than he thought Grey would be feeling about this but he honestly couldn't imagine anything more exciting. His plan wasn't for a boring and educational tour of agriculture--as much as that wouldn't be boring for him--but he had a surprise for her that he didn't want to give away quite yet. It was still crazy that the plan had gotten this far. Who knew if Isaiah would be able to carry it out all the way? He was going to try his best though, there was nothing better in his mind than to impress his best friend.

[Maddison Grey]

Andthat's,

Stifled laughter echoed down the empty corridor, bouncing off the walls as the two teen delinquents tried their hardest to keep it together. For a moment, Grey was forced to hold her breath, ears straining to hear the distinctive sound of footsteps marching towards them... if there were any. It was hard to tell exactly how loud one was being when everything was so quiet. It seemed that their sudden, small outburst had been quieter than she had thought, though, as her ears were met with nothing but silence from both ends of the corridor. She turned back to Isaiah with a smile on her face. This time it was a sweet smile, one that she saved for him. He was her best friend and he knew her better than anyone, even her own parents, and that was proved when he called her bluff. "You know me too well," she mused, keeping the lightheartedness of their conversation rolling while casually shooting glances in one direction and the other. The girl was observant, she liked to know what was going on and when. Exactly. And besides, she liked to have an advantage. Should somebody come across the pair of them while they were busy joking around and try creep up, she'd spot them in an instant and leg it, dragging Isaiah along with her. Catching the last comment about the camera, she chuckled into the back of her hand but said nothing more. She was anxious to find out why they were here. On this floor. Finding herself in a hug, Grey guard dropped. It was only a brief one but she took comfort in it. This was a typical greeting between the two, they'd been doing it for years, but the older Grey got the more she found meaning in them. She was very fond of Isaiah, always had been and probably always would be, but it was becoming harder to determine if her feelings towards him were something more than just fondness. It wasn't like she'd had any serious past experiences to go by, so for the most part, she tried to ignore them. As he pulled away, she did so too, missing the warmth of his body almost immediately. She really needed to start making more of an effort when it came to finding adequate clothing at this time of night, especially if coming up this high into the mountain was going to be a regular thing. The words that left her dear friend had Grey blushing again. She wondered what he meant by them. She would have asked, her lips even parted to do so, but then he was slipping a thin, plastic card into her hand. Her slender fingers turned it over and she brought it closer to her face. Under the dim lights, she could just make out the writing inked across the front. Her whole face lit up and (I should add here that only moments ago she'd been about to question which women Isaiah had been charming and why) she let out a small squeal, catching herself a little too late by pushing her hand in front of her mouth. She stared at Isaiah, blinking heavily in disbelief as he asked her if she'd been inside that section before. "The agricultural rooms? No, never!" She'd always wanted to go and take a look around but had always struggled to find a way to gain access. As her eyes dropped back down to the card, checking that she hadn't somehow made a mistake, she continued to ramble, voicing her amazement. "Wait... So who exactly did you... No, on seconds thoughts, I don't want to know who you sweet talked or how far you had to go to get this. Isaiah, you really do cease to amaze me. I could... I could kiss you right now!" Her final words were spoken a little aggressively, but not to be taken aggressively. Grey simply had no filter when it came to expressing herself. Isaiah knew that and so she thought nothing more of it. Eyes still bright with anticipation, she took a tiny step towards him. When she spoke again, her voice was much quieter. This was mostly because she thought she'd squeal again, or make some other oddly high pitched noise the minute she opened her mouth. "So this was your plan? To bring me up here and help me tick another section of my list? You were right; you have 100% made my night 100% better, Iah. What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?" As she said this, Grey's eyes never left his. It was a rare moment considering the two of them tended to fill their time laughing and joking around, only ever becoming this serious when they were neck deep in a book or sharing stories. The moment didn't last. She lowered her eyes as she handed him back the key card with a sigh. "...Seriously, I'm horrible and you are a genius... how are we even compatible?"

It's really no problem! Isaiah Riggs #no idea

How the story goes.

X

[Isaiah Riggs]

Maddison Grey I may have gotten carried away *whistles* There was no reaction that Isaiah could have hoped for that would have been better than the one he got from Grey. The way her face lit up, the perfect look of surprise and joy mixed into her features. It was impossible for Isaiah to take his eyes off her face, off that expression. She looked beautiful like that and it brought him a feeling of such joy to know he had caused her to feel such a way. When she squealed, Isaiah didn't even bother glancing around to see if someone was about to run up and catch them. He didn't want to miss a moment of her excitement, he wanted to be a part of it. His own smile couldn't get any brighter, his cheeks actually beginning to ache just the smallest bit at how much effort was being put into grinning. And man, was he happy to hear her confirmation of never having been inside agriculture before. It was a dream come true for both of them. And maybe it was weird just how much Isaiah wanted to impress Grey and how much he wanted to be the one to make her happy, but he never tried to think too much into things like that. They were best friends, had been for so long in their lives. Wasn't it natural for Isaiah to want to make her happy? Just like he was sure it was felt the other way around. Isaiah could remember many times when Grey had impressed him -- terrified him as well, but that just came with the territory. Isaiah was both excited and terrified right then, terrified for multiple reasons. One of which, well, Isaiah wasn't sure he quite understood. But terrified as he was, Isaiah knew clearly now that it was going to be a great night for both of them. "Soon you'll know agriculture like the back of your hand," he offered, giving away that he had no plans of it being a short night. As Grey rambled, Isaiah listened to each and every word, his cheeks darkening with colour, especially at the last words to escape her mouth. Isaiah knew Grey, he knew how she talked and that she didn't really mean it. Why would she actually want to kiss him? But the thought, the words, they invaded his mind. They grabbed onto him the way things she said had done more and more often as he grew older. For a short moment, he thought about it. Kissing her, that was. How easy it would be, they were standing so close in a way to keep from having to speak too loud. No, he couldn't do that. His heart had sped up, skipping a beat as she took a small step towards him. "D-don't worry, I didn't have to do anything to get it. The farmers know me and apparently trust me now." Isaiah's smile softened, not able to resist pulling Grey into another hug as she handed him back the card. This time he didn't let go right away but closed his eyes instead, enjoying the warmth. "You're a genius too, even if your title officially is Evil Genius." Isaiah chuckled lightly before realising Grey from their embrace and taking her hand instead. With a grin he tugged her hand and began down the hallway to the most outer door for the agriculture section. "First thing first, anything you really want to see in here? I know where a lot of stuff is, most of it probably. The food, the medicine; this place is jam-packed with plants ... obviously." Now Isaiah was beginning to rant, feeling his own excitement tip past the point of his usual quiet self. It eventually happened around Grey, she was the one person where his usual shyness would disappear completely. He led her down the hallway inside agriculture after quietly closing the door behind them, keeping her hand in his as he did. Although he would let go if Grey wanted him to. The hallway was just as quiet as the last, completely deserted of people other than Isaiah and Grey. They passed a couple of doors and as they did Isaiah pointed them out to her, telling her what she would find on the other side of each one of them. "There are herbs in there ... root vegetables here, like carrots and stuff ... medicinal plants through this door." He was glad he knew where he was and what was in each room, knowing it would make their little adventure a lot easier. Although he was sure the surprise of not knowing wouldn't do anything to dampen Grey's mood, not with how she always was. "So?" he asked, grinning and turning his head to face her as he did.

[Maddison Grey]

Andthat's,

Eyes lingering on the back of her pale, slender hand, Grey's lips twitched once again. She did know the back of her hand rather well, so Isaiah's statement (dripping with confidence) was something she had a sudden urge to hold him too. As one eyebrow arched higher than the other, she found herself growing just that little bit more anxious. He was making it sound like he had a lot planned; that he'd spent weeks prior to this night putting ideas together and doing all he could to make this happen. She found herself wondering exactly how long this particular idea had been in the works. However long it had been, Isaiah had done well keeping it to himself and Grey was well and truly surprised. Hands now by her sides, fingertips picking at the hem of her jumper, Grey fell silent. She understood the reason why the farmers trusted Isaiah. Sure, he was often frogmarched back home, a result of being found in a place he wasn't meant to be, but the kid had never been the cause of any real trouble (not that Grey knew of, anyway). He was, as the adults said, a respectable growing boy feeding his need for knowledge. Why punish someone for that? It hadn't occurred to her that the two of them had now been standing in silence for thirty seconds, give or take, or that Isaiah was looking at her in a way that would usually make her heart start beating rapidly. This was something that went over her head on more than one occasion, the same way her mindless words did. She did, however, notice when Isaiah moved his hands and pulled her closer to him. The two of them shared another embrace only this time, Grey held onto her friend a little bit tighter, for a little bit longer. Hearing his words, the teenage redhead felt another smile rise on her face. She whispered thank you into his ear, knowing that he meant well. She kind of liked it: Evil Genius. Yeah, she could roll with that. Releasing one another, Grey stepped away and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were glowing but, for once, she didn't try to hide them; the glow actually looked good on her anyway. As Isaiah took her hand, she squeezed his gently and then, after offering him another small smile, she allowed him to lead her over the threshold to start their own agricultural adventure. What she first saw wasn't what she'd been expecting. She'd expected a huge room, its ceiling as high as twenty people, columns upon columns of trees and plants planted on the side of very small pathways littered with digging utensils. It wasn't. They were in another rather boring, cold corridor except this one had a number of other doors leading off from it. She hesitated in stepping forward when Isaiah did. One final thought was given to the two of them being caught. Would this really be worth it? Of course it would. She had the opportunity to see living things being grown! Shuffling closely to Isaiah, one hand still in his own and her other resting against his bicep, she listened intently as her friend asked her what she'd like to see first and then began to explain what was behind each door. "Flowers?" she finally suggested after giving it some thought. She didn't mean actual decorative flowers like Roses and Pheonies. She had an inkling that they probably weren't grown here as they had no practicality. "...I heard when certain vegetables grown, they flower? I don't know... I don't really have a preference, I just want to see something pretty, like the ones we read about in those books. Beans flower, as do peppers... Or even sunflowers! Oh! Sunflowers! Do they really grow as tall as humans?" Again, Grey's face had lit up and now she was the one pulling Isaiah forward as she eagerly rushed forward to one of the closed doors. It really didn't matter to her what they saw first as long as they got to see EVERYTHING.

Sorry this took a while! Weekend got heavy D; Isaiah Riggs #

How the story goes.

X

[Isaiah Riggs]

Maddison Grey I know like 0 things about agriculture and I google all my facts, I feel like that needs to be a warning. XD It was comforting the way that Isaiah was walking down the corridor with Grey attached to his side. Her one hand in his and her other resting on his arm were both a warm and familiar presence, Isaiah felt something similar to that of being at home. It was either one or the other when it came to how her touches affected him, whether they would feel comforting and friendly, the way one would expect touches to be like from a best friend, or if they would bring more from the teenage boy. One or the other and Isaiah had no way of knowing which it would be when Grey touched him. A soft smile rested on his face as their contact now, the way it allowed his thoughts to still move in a calm and orderly manner. It was especially important to need to think with none of the doors being labeled, Isaiah assumed due to the fact that they didn't need to be. It would be a waste of resources, he guessed, to actually label each of the separate rooms. There was a spot on each and every door where a marking sign could be placed. They reminded Isaiah of pictures in a book he read, the specific technology of those door signs older than a lot of the other infrastructure in the mountain. The doors probably had been marked before, but it would have been well before Isaiah's time, from as young as he had snuck into the section the doors had always been plain. Isaiah would be interested in the history, in the facts of the section. Just as he was interested in most things, really. With how boring it could be in the mountain, learning was one of the best things to do. Exploring as well, the reason Isaiah knew Grey would love this idea of his. Isaiah hadn't expected to hear Grey mention flowers, probably because they didn't grow any specifically in the mountain. Isaiah knew that flowers used to be grown for their beauty, that there were great gardens of them outside in older times. But inside the mountain, they only grow what was useful. Grey knew all this, though, pointing out the vegetables that grew flowers. There was a fondness at hearing Grey list those off, as the two often shared stories and knowledge. Beans were definitely grown in the mountain and Isaiah glanced a couple of doors down, almost certain that they would find them in there. They did flower and now he knew that Grey would love seeing them. "They can grow taller," Isaiah answered, eyes glittering with ideas. "I can show you all the flowers here, if you want." They was a small moment where Isaiah froze in surprise as he was pulled towards a door but then he started moving with Grey, grinning over at her. He hadn't even told her what was behind that door, although fate would have it that there were actually some sunflowers. Not only that but Grey would find beans and other climbing plants. Standing at the door, Isaiah used the card to unlock the door and then gestured for Grey to open it and go in first. "I think you'll like this room." The way agriculture was set up, different types of plants in different rooms, was a way to stop disease and pests from spreading but it also made for a wonderful way of introducing someone to the section. The idea of seeing everything at once seemed overwhelming to Isaiah. Isaiah squeezed Grey's hand as she walked into the room, his own eyes doing a sweep of it as he used his free hand to close the door behind him as quietly as he could. Inside the room was a much grander sight than the hallway they had come from. Rows of stained old white planter boxes formed an orderly garden, a background to the greens and browns and yellows of the plants they held. To the right were the sunflowers, one row that stretched out to the back of the room. The all stood at slightly different heights but were taller than most anything else in the room. Further right were other plants, the greens bright and spread across to form a screen. The wall to that side of the room couldn't be room. To the left were plants climbing up mesh, most obviously the beans with small white flowers that were dotted amongst the green leaves and pods. With all the excitement radiating off of Grey, the whole scene looked fresh to his eyes. It was difficult to stay still, to not pull Grey down the rows right away to allow her to see everything right up close. But he paused by the door, eyes falling on her face once they had looked out across the room. "So, what do you think?" he asked, unsure of what else to say, really, what else to ask. There was so much he could say, really, and that was probably most of his problem. "They're beautiful, aren't they? The sunflowers are almost as bright as your smile." That seemed like the best thing to say, Isaiah hoped it didn't sound weird. But the sunflowers were bright and Grey's smile was also bright.