Tryle - only soulless people dislike ice cream

[Kyle Stockholm]

Kyle snorted. "I usually try to switch it up," he said softly, remembering how the man had told him that he too got the same thing every time. For some reason, Kyle was just having a hard time believing that. He could've sworn that the last time he was here, he'd gotten chocolate. He just.. couldn't remember how it tasted. Presumably, like chocolate. But he couldn't physically remember the taste on his tongue. The slight difference between actual chocolate and what made it chocolate ice cream. But he was still certain he'd had it the last time he was here.

"I got mint chocolate chip today," he said kind of softly, his voice a bit higher than it already was as he ran his fingers over the chrome trim again, just like he had when he'd first gotten here. Already, he was drifting back into 'dream' mode. Things like this place, this ice cream place, gave him a sense of comfort. And when he was comfortable, completely unintimidated and free, he sounded and acted quite like a child. Biting his lip, Kyle turned his head to Trista and smiled lightly. "That sound okay?" he asked, his hand stopped in its path but his fingers still on the trim.

The man behind the counter had noticed them coming and stepped forward from where he'd been leaning. Like before, his arms were rested atop the glass and his chin over them. "Two then, Kyle?" he asked just after Kyle asked Trista if the mint was an okay decision. Kyle looked up, a bit shocked having not noticed the man standing there, and nodded. "Yea. Two mint chocolate chips," he said with a faint smile, his mouth still partially open as he looked back down at the flavors. "In cones." That never seemed to not amuse the man, the way Kyle always took such care in ordering, even though he really did get the exact same thing every time. He even ordered it the exact same way every time. Flavor, pause, cones. Every time.

"You like cones, right?" Kyle turned to look at Trista again, having realized that he didn't even ask her he just sort of assumed.

[Trista Kline]

Green eyes had returned their gaze to the various flavors of ice cream. For as long as she could remember she’d simply ordered vanilla. There was a faint memory of something else, perhaps cookie batter? Trista furrowed her brow as she tried to remember, as she tried to grasp the fleeting recollection. But just as fast as it had come, it was gone. Things like this always happened to her. When she tried to remember the small details of the past everything came out like a blur, almost like a foggy dream. Nothing was ever clear, and all in small hints. Whenever she tried to remember she’d zone out, and it wasn’t until Kyle’s soft voice reached her ears that she came back to reality. His voice was like a small beacon.

She glanced back at his old table where the ice cream had long melted. “Mint… chocolate chip,” she said softly to herself, like a child learning a new word for the first time. Mint. Another memory. Her father always ordered something from the bar when they went out on the weekend. It was a local place that had specials on the drink. What had it been? A mint mojito? She’d been so young back then that all the alcoholic beverages just blurred together. But mint, that had stood out. The only thing she knew for certain was that her father had always had some form on alcohol in his hand and on his breath.

She got a slight movement from the corner of her eye and turned her head slightly to look up at Kyle from her still bent position. It was a small smile, but a smile none the less from her new friend. She blinked slightly as he asked her a question. Her eyes found the container of mint chocolate chip through the glass and took a second to take it in. She straightened herself up and nodded, a faint smile of her face. Why not try something new? She wouldn’t compare her ice cream to the past, because this was the present. Digging up old memories were waking her demons, something she’d rather not experience around the lion man.

Trista took a moment to take in the features of the man behind the counter. He seemed somewhat amused by Kyle, and she tilted her head to the side slightly in thought. He knew Kyle’s name? She looked over to Kyle who seemed somewhat surprised but the sudden presence of the worker. It would seem that Kyle came here often, someplace she’d only just discovered. Had their demons driven them to find solace in the tiny shop that gave an aura of home? It would appear so, and she glad to have stumbled across it.

In cones? Trista brought her hand around her body to grip the elbow of her opposite arm, something she did out of habit when she was unsure of what to do. She hadn’t had cones since she was a little girl; the same little girl she locked away. Unsure eyes glanced at the cones and back to Kyle. “It’s been a while,” she said softly with her hand still gripping her elbow. Her mind was uneasy, though her face was void of much emotion and her eyes focused on the ground. She could be brave, because the lion man was here,” I’d like a cone, yes.” Her speech had been somewhat backwards, but she was fighting her instinct to just walk away. After letting her decision sink in she finally looked up at Kyle.

[Kyle Stockholm]

When Trista agreed to the cone, Kyle nodded a little hard and almost seemed to bounce. He was just really excited for some reason, a sudden feeling of happiness rushing through every vein in his body. It started in his nose, a bit of a tickle, then rushed down his neck, through his chest, out his fingertips and through his legs. A rush. A happy rush. One of the times where he didn't mind the fact that he wasn't as fine as he tended to seem. Smiling at Trista (an open smile, I might add), Kyle held another five dollar bill out to the man behind the counter and waited for him to take it. When he did, Kyle started to say 'keep the change' but the man cut him off saying, "I already kept your change earlier. You're not spending ten bucks on three ice cream cones that barely cost five." Kyle was a bit shocked, seeing as the man had just turned away money... but didn't argue. Shrugging, he took the cones from the man and handed one to Trista.

"Do you want to sit outside?" he asked, looking around the almost empty ice cream shop. A couple other people were mingling about, but no one that seemed to interesting. Usually, Kyle could find interest in a spec of dust. But this sudden rush of happiness was something that didn't happen often, and he was distracted by it. And frankly, he was okay with that. If Kyle had the choice, he'd live like this all the time. It was nice, as cheesy as it felt, to live for even just a moment and see everything in a 'glass half-full' perspective. Most of the time, Kyle tried not to feel anything at all. And he was usually successful. But then came moments like this where he felt some of the strongest emotions in the world. Usually, it was negative. Anger, fear, sadness. Happiness, like this, was rare. And it felt good.

"Or we can just sit in here, that's fine too," he added with a giggle, chewing at the corner of his lower lip as he shifted the cone between his hands, a bit antsy. His feet were moving too, shuffling ever so slightly beneath his weight. Honestly, no matter where they sat, he probably wouldn't be able to sit still. And his eyes probably showed that. He could feel them sparkling. He knew they were bright, like a child, heh, in an ice cream shop.

[Trista Kline]

Kyle gave her strength for some reason. It was odd actually. She’d never had this much interactions with someone besides her mother. The only time people communicated with her was always at her with harmful words that bruised the soul. But the person before her wasn’t like them. He was different, his soul was beautiful. When he smiled at her she felt like things were going to be okay- like she was going to be okay. The closest she could manage to smile back was the faint tug at the corner of her lips. It wasn’t that she had forgotten how to smile; it was that it didn’t feel natural.

She was trying though to be the person she wished she could be. She was so used to finding comfort within in herself and being her only friend. She noted how the man refused to take the extra change, and she couldn’t help but give him a nod in approval. She’d always been the person to give change back if the worker gave her too much. It was something that had always felt right. She didn’t think people like that still existed. Maybe it was because the lion man gave people the strength to do right and be good.

As Kyle handed her the cone she hesitated before reaching out to grab it, her delicate fingers brushing against his slightly. The human contact was comforting, but it only lasted a moment before the cone was successfully in her hand. It felt strange to hold a cone. She held the cone slightly up to her face as she examined it. It was like the little girl inside of her was awake, but not conscience. She had a faint sense of dread but pushed it away. She couldn’t even remember why cones were unsettling, and because of that she wanted to push onward. Green eyes looked up to Kyle when he suggested sitting outside. She glanced out toward the window into the real world. A part of her wanted to just stay inside, but there were more people inside, something that made her uncomfortable. “I’d like to be outside,” she said softly, her gaze returning to Kyle and then to her cone.

It was a bit cold outside, but she didn’t mind. The crisp air would feel good. “Can we…” she started pausing while glancing at the floor unsure of her words,” go for a walk?” It was strange, but she didn’t want to sit still. She didn’t know the area, but the way Kyle was shifting around made her want to move about as well. She also hoped the cold outside would slow the melting process of the cone. She looked up to him, awaiting an answer and unsure how he felt about walks.

[Kyle Stockholm]

Kyle smiled rather broad when she offered the idea of a walk. Realizing how silly he might look, though, he tried pretty hard to hide his smile away by ducking his head to his chest and then into his shoulder where he bit at his shirt. "Yea a walk sounds good," he said, head still in his shoulder and teeth still on the fabric of his shirt. In fact, he stayed that way for a good minute until he took the lead and headed for the door. The man behind the counter said goodbye and Kyle raised a hand to say the same before pressing out into the outside world.

"Nippy," he commented, snuggling his chin down into his collar a bit as he brought the cone to his lips and gummed at the ice cream like he'd done with his first cone. When Trista was beside him, Kyle turned and cocked his head. There was already something about her that he admired. He knew the whole 'being comfortable' thing, but there was something else. He'd thought about how it might be weird how close they were already becoming, and how they were already going on a walk together. They'd just met! But it really didn't seem at all strange to him. Mentally it did. But physically, this wasn't even the least bit awkward. To any stranger it might seem so, seeing as they were both generally awkward figures in the first place. But to Kyle? This was right. He felt like he'd known her for years.

And yet, he didn't know her at all.

"What grade are you?" Kyle asked a bit later as they started on their walk down the street. It was kind of foggy out, making it a very storybook-ish feeling that lingered around the pair. Kyle paid closed attention to the sound of his shoes against the pavement, his eyes locked on his toes and the cracks beneath them as he concentrated on taking equal steps between the sidewalk slabs. Few cars were on the street, which was a bit odd for such a time of day, but Kyle didn't mind. Too many cars would make it hard to hear. And all he wanted to do now was listen. Even if all he'd asked was her grade.

[Trista Kline]

Kyle was such a peculiar fellow, and Trista felt strangely at ease in his presence. And though she couldn’t reciprocate such a heartfelt smile like his, her eyes twinkled lightly in return. However, as he hid away within his chest she couldn’t help but be confused. She cocked her head to side and tried to read him, something she did often when something seemed out of place. Why hide such a striking smile? It wasn’t that the smile was overly attractive, but the emotion is made her feel was reassuring. She nodded her thanks to the man behind the counter, not sure words were really her place to say. Kyle had said a goodbye anyway, no need to repeating phrases.

The hair hit her face, surprising her and causing her to inhale sharply. She never dressed warmly, always forgetting what the weather was like. “Just a little bit,” she commented behind him, green eyes staring intently at the frozen sweet in her hand. She quickened her pace lightly as walking behind him had made her feel anxious like she was chasing after something that could potentially slip away. Finally at his side, she slowed her pace down to be even with his, though not her stride. After awkward greetings, Tris felt comfortable in his presence, like she knew him. She rarely talked to anyone, so for her to even suggest walking with him was a wonder all by itself. She shrugged the thought away, because she simply felt safe and that’s all she could ask for. Trista wondered if it was their demons that drew them together, though neither of them knew what kind of demons they possessed. It didn’t matter though, things like that took time.

The area about them was eerie, and slightly foggy. She didn’t mind though because it was oddly calming. After staring at her cone for quite a bit she finally decided to try it. She pulled the dessert closer to her face before closing her eyes tightly, as though it would scare her, and tried it. Her facial features instantly relaxed she found she enjoyed the flavor. Conquering the unknown had been quite rewarding in this case. The sound of his voice pulled her back as she turned her head to look at him. “I’m a junior,” she said as she watched him stare down at his feet,” you?” Slowly her head turned to face forward and went back to enjoying the sweet. “I’ve…” eyes flickered to the concrete,” I’ve seen you around before.” It hadn’t mean to sound strange, just the truth. It was hard to forget the lion man.

[Kyle Stockholm]

"Oh-ho, me too!" Kyle chimed when she said she was a junior. He'd expected her to either be a senior or a freshman. For no particular reason, really. He just rarely assumed people were his age. And the fact that she actually was made him happy. He found it easier to be friends with people his own age. Felt like he understood them more, and vice versa. When she said she'd seen him around, Kyle smiled lightly and turned his head up from the sidewalk towards her. "I've seen you, too," he said in response. It occurred to him that that might be an odd thing to say... the both of them having seen each other, but never really saying anything. Odd, certainly. Or maybe not at all. Kyle's head was in all sorts of places right now, but no place where anything he thought really made sense.

"Sorry I never said hi," he said a bit quietly just before taking a bite of his ice cream. By now, they'd reached the end of the block (it being a short block) and they stood at its corner. Left or straight, those were the options. Kyle lifted his head completely as he stood there, looked to the left then across the street to the next block. "Which way?" he asked, personally wanting to go left but not really bothered by just going straight.

--i'm sorry this is really short and lacking, i'm quite scatterbrained at the moment--

[Trista Kline]

Trista had originally thought that he was a senior, mostly because he’d been so confident. It was mostly the female population that talked about him, or seemed to gawk at him. As she examined his features, she could understand why. He was an attractive individual, and had seen him sweep a girl off her feet with a mere few words. But she didn’t see that same guy now. Here, he was a friend without an ulterior motive. One would probably classify them as just acquaintances, but in his presence he felt like a friend. It probably wouldn’t have meant anything to her if he hadn’t been in the same grade, because a human was a human regardless of age.

She looked up at him surprised when he said he’s seen her too. She had always just assumed she faded into the background of life. A small smile pulled at her lips as she stared at the ground. It wasn’t that he’d seen her that made her somewhat pleased, it was that he remembered. “I’m glad,” she said softly, more to herself than to him. She was glad she’d been able to find a small place in his mind. She had always thought of herself as an observant person, so how come she hadn’t noticed him seeing her? Perhaps it was during the fast paced moments in between bell changes. It didn’t quite matter now. Though maybe he’d never said anything to her in school in fear that his peers would judge him? She glanced up at him; no, he didn’t seem like the kind of person to hind behind the closed off minds of society.

Trista noted that they’d come to the end of the sidewalk,” no need to apologize.” She wasn’t exactly the person most people hung out with in school. It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty, because she had very distinct features that made her somewhat desirable. It was just her social interactions were close to none and not very good. Green eyes scanned the area for their next destination. Straight before them was the same old landscape and street they were on. To their left, the street had a completely different feel. The fog almost looked thicker, and the traffic flow wasn’t as heavy. When nothing was right, go left. She turned her body toward him, though mostly in the direction she wished to go. “Let’s go left,” she suggested while pointing in the direction. She noticed that he’d been letting her make most of the decisions up til now, something she wasn’t used to.


((It's okay, Maggie! You're still perfect<3 ))