carson » sold my soul

[GABRIEL LACROIX!]

I SOLD MY SOUL TO THE OPEN ROAD

It was the sort of day that had Gabriel wishing he were anywhere else but here. It was a rather warm day, the temperature increased by the sunshine warming up the tent Hollow Crown were doing their signing, but rather muggy too. It wasn't a particularly good day to be sitting down and trying to greet fan upon fan and sign his own sulky looking face hundreds of times. And it wasn't just the weather that fueled to Gabriel's desire to escape; being surrounded by screaming fan girls was the sort of thing Gabe might have nightmares about, as opposed to indicating his dreams of musical success were being realized.

He missed the days when Hollow Crown had one show a week, and only five of their most hardcore fans would show up. They had started out as a true underground band, but had very quickly become much more so. Now their gigs, or concerts, really, were in front of scores, if not hundreds of screaming people. What made Gabe incredibly uncomfortable was that all of them, and more, knew his name. And his birthdate. And his hometown. And the fact that he played bass right handed, when in actual fact Gabe was truly left handed. There was so much personal stuff that all of the fans knew about Gabe, when he didn't even know their names. It was very unnerving. Being recognized for his talent was one thing, but crazed fans were another.

He winced automatically as another high-pitched, female scream erupted from amongst the excited murmuring of the fans in the tent. It was crazy. They were only an opening band, for fuck's sake... Looking down the table at his band-mate, Gabe saw him shrug with a very amused look on his face. Despite feeling anything but happy, Gabe attempted to return the smile. His head was pounding painfully and he was itching for another smoke. But poster after poster, EP after album was placed in front of him, and he signed them all with his messy autograph.

"I really like your music," said a rather attractive girl to Gabe as she stood in front of him, making the poor guy blanch completely. "My boyfriend thinks you're an amazing bass player, too." Nodding his thanks, Gabe leaned over to sign over his face on the poster she had placed in front of him. It was a rare one, with the entire band smiling, which seemed odd to Gabriel. Perhaps their manager was going for the approachable angle? Eyebrows furrowing together, Gabe signed it, passed it back, not quite remembering what they had been told to make them all laugh so.

Eventually, his cravings became too much to ignore. "I'll be back."

[/color] he said to his band mates, fairly certain that they hadn't heard his voice over the now relentless screaming. But he was sure they would have assumed he was taking a break. Most of the band knew about Gabe's aversion to publicity, even if they didn't quite understand it. For the most part, he wasn't pressed into photoshoots and interviews if he didn't really want to do them, but Gabe always felt obligated. They were a band, and even just showing up helped advertise the bands unity. If the bassist decided not to turn up to public events, how would that look to the media?

Slipping out the back of the tent, Gabe pulled out the cigarette packet that had been digging into his leg since he had sat down an hour or two ago. Signing tables always made the time fly by, so what may have been one or two hours could actually have been all day. With a flick of his trusty lighter, his cigarette was lit, and Gabe inhaled the noxious gas his body was craving so. Smoking always seemed to calm Gabriel down, and make him a little more relaxed around people. It was just a shame that they disallowed him from smoking at the signing tables. It was a fire hazard, apparently, and they didn't want the wrong idea sent out to the fans of the band. Some bullshit like that. A smirk briefly graced Gabe's features at the thought. Fans were capable of thinking for themselves, whether or not people believed it.

It was then that Gabe noticed the girl. She was pretty, so much so that he dropped his gaze to the grass and dirt a few feet away. He didn't know if she were a fan, part of the crew or in a band, but he did know that if she were to approach him, Gabe would be most likely be unable to say anything. His hand holding the cigarette began shaking at the mere thought of her talking to him. Instead of looking to see where she was headed, Gabe took another long drag on his cancer stick, and tapped it to the ground below. It may have appeared he was trying to act cool, but Gabriel was anything but. Rather, he was hoping that by ignoring her, she'd pass him by.[/blockquote]
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WORDS 855 TAGGED CAR/ALICE NOTES RAMBLY LOLOL

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[carson o'reilly!]

[bg=black][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Carson had just finished up her set about an hour ago, and had left as quickly as she could. The blonde was hardly spending any time with her band lately, and that was the way she wanted it. Ever since she had broken up with her ex Car had been keeping her distance. It wasn't that she didn't care for her friend, there was just a lot of mixed emotions that came along with it. Carson had classified herself at one point as a lesbian, but it seemed over time her attraction for males had taken over. Although she enjoyed her friend and band members friendship, she was no longer attracted to her. The more time she spent with her, the more weirded out she became. Carson had decided that until she was comfortable with her new found sexuality, that she just didn't want to be around the girl any longer. Carson was scheduled to be back at the table in a few hours to do a signing, and hopefully she would be brave enough to return. As Car walked around the grounds she stopped by a few tables, chatting it up with her friends. She was currently sporting a pair of black skinny jeans, a white loose tank top, with DTP logo on the front of it, a couple bracelets, her hair down, with a bandanna tied in it, and her band pass hanging from her back pocket. As she made her way through the venue she was stopped a few times by fans to sign things here and there. Carson smiled to each one of them as she scribbled little personal notes on each. After the last picture was taken and the girls skipped off Carson decided to go stop by the Hollow Crown table and say hi to Kaiden. Though as she walked loser to the tent she noticed a guy off to the side smoking that was giving her occasional glances. She let a confused look cross her features as she let her eyes fall onto him for a minute. Carson did her best to try and place him amongst the people she knew, but she remained dumbfounded. Carson offered him a friendly smile and a wave before walking towards the table once more. When she reached the table she walked around the crowd, sneaking up behind Kaiden and wrapping her arms around him in a friendly hug. She said a few words to him, mostly about a party later, and asking who that guy off to the side was. Kaiden had introduced her to the party scene, and ever since she hadn't missed a single bash the band thru. Saying her goodbyes to Kaiden she walked away, ignoring the fact that some fans might have snagged some pictures of the two. Let those little girls way what they wanted in their little blogs, Carson could care less. Carson however, didn't leave, she decided she was going to confront the bassists. After all Car wasn't good at respecting spaces, or letting people be shy. The Irish teen was fun loving, bubbly, and social beyond what most people thought the social norm was. She happily walked over to the bassist, with a smirk glued on her face. "Whats up creeper." she said with a straight face, but let out a laugh shortly after to show him she was only joking. "My names Carson." she said happily extending her hand to him. Her eyes looked him over curiously, doing her best not to be too incredibly obvious about it. "Why arnt you at your table with your friends?" she asked, hoping she wasn't coming across as too nosy. She smirked before brushing her blonde hair back over her shoulders and adjusting her badge in her back pocket. She took a moment to look back at his table, hoping that Kaiden wasn't going to tease her about this later. Though he had to know by now that Carson wasn't afraid to talk to anyone really. They could be shy, mean, flirty, o r kind and she didn't chance her approach at all. Gabe seemed really nervous about the whole situation, but she hoped he would see that her only intention was to befriend him.

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[GABRIEL LACROIX!]

I SOLD MY SOUL TO THE OPEN ROAD

It was too much to hope that the blonde girl approaching would have something better to do than talk to him. Gabriel was a little angered by the fact that she was now making a beeline towards him. Angry at himself, not the girl. Angry that he had to stand in clear sight of anyone approaching the tent from the side. And of course, mad that he'd even made eye contact with her, even if it was minimal. Gabe had set himself up for this confrontation and now he was going to have to truck it out.

Now that he was sure she was approaching him, Gabriel allowed himself another glance at the girl. Tilting his head towards her while he peered at her told him that the girl was slightly younger than him and exceptionally pretty, although he had known that since his first glance at her. How he was going to make it through this without coming across as a complete loser was beyond him. Sighing, Gabe tilted his head away again to exhale his smoke, ever considerate of those around him. What if the girl didn't smoke and he so rudely blew smoke in her face? While some might perceive Gabe as a snob because of his refusal to socialize twenty four-seven, in reality he was not rude at all.

By the time she approached, Gabe's hands were sweating. And it wasn't from the mugginess either. While he may have presented himself as someone cool and exciting, he felt anything but. Talking to others had never been his strong point. The only way Gabriel had ever found some way to open himself up was through music and even then it was still a little tricky for him. New people were scary to Gabe, even if he towered over them like the approaching girl. She could only be five and a half feet at the most, surely. Yet here was Gabe, nearly cowering away from her. On the list of all the things Gabriel hated about himself, his inability to make new friends was in position numero uno.

As she came to stand in front of him, Gabriel involuntarily turned towards her. Just a natural reaction to the presence of someone else so he didn't appear rude, he told himself, although there was something about this girl that interested him. He felt that he had seen her face somewhere before, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Being called a creeper only made him raise an eyebrow, but he listened intently as she introduced herself. Her accent was thick, very much so, and was British of some description. Irish, perhaps? Or was it Scottish. Either way, it was rather charming.

"G-Gabe." he said in turn, taking her hand in his rough calloused ones and giving it an awkward shake. He mentally swore at himself for his voice getting stuck as he spoke his name, even though a slight stutter was inevitable. Christ, why was he so nervous? Slowly, he let go of her hand, made even more anxious by her show of good manners. It was so... formal. Raising his cigarette to his lips once more, Gabe inhaled the cancerous smoke, turning away to exhale away from the girl's face. Carson he had to tell himself, her name was Carson.

And then she asked the question Gabe hoped she wouldn't. Breathing deeply, filling his lungs with clean air, Gabriel kicked at some loose dirt clods on the ground with the toe of his shoe. "I'm escaping." he eventually said, breathing out once more and putting his cigarette to his lips. As he finished speaking, another scream erupted from the tent, the loudest yet. It brought a smirk to Gabe's lips as he gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. "From that." No doubt something had happened, either his band mates were playing the crowd, or they had decided to give one of them a hug. Something attention seeking. Gabe loved his band like family, but sometimes even they were too much for him.

With a sigh, Gabe looked back at the girl. He was being rude, wasn't he? Clearing his throat, he reached into his pocket, pulling out his packet of cigarettes. He held it out to her, his raised eyebrow offering her one wordlessly. "I've got plenty."

[/color] Gabe spoke, just in case she was unsure of taking one. Putting his cigarette between his lips, he pulled his lighter out with his now free hand, holding it out for the girl to light up her cigarette. Gabe had no idea if she would even take one, but offering at least made him seem a little more friendly, no?[/blockquote]
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WORDS 783 TAGGED CAR/ALICE NOTES ~

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[carson o'reilly!]

[bg=black][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] When he spoke up and finally said his name was Gabe, she offered him a very warm smile. Carson was overly friendly, almost to a fault. She enjoyed the company of people, and felt the need to be the constant source of energy and laughter for them. "Its nice to meet you Gabe, hot weather we are having, aye?" she said looking around, before letting her gorgeous eyes land on him once more. When he let go of her hand, she just grinned, "Might you have one of those for me?" she said raising an eyebrow and offering yet another smile. God she smiled alot, and she wasn't even sure why. Carson wasn't always happy so that couldn't be the reason, perhaps that was her way of hiding her own nerves. This tour had brought about a lot of new encounters for her, and never in her life had she been surrounded by so many attractive males. It seemed every time she turned around she felt herself going goo goo eyed over one. "Escaping, whatever do you mean?" she said laughing lightly. She couldn't imagine this handsome boy running from anything, well maybe that was a lie. Maybe a group of sluts had shown up at the table or something. Carson hated slutty girls, they drove her absolutely crazy. Anyone who used their body to get what they wanted were disgusting. Carson prided herself on having a brain, using her words, and truly having people befriend her without thinking they could get into her pants. Carson had never had sex with a boy ever, let alone made out with one. The idea made her rather nervous, and thus she plaid the prude card to hide her fears. Secretly Carson was very curious about the male anatomy, but at the same time she didn't want to make a fool of herself. Being a loser was her all time greatest fear, and she turned down some good experiences because of it. When he finally said why he was hiding, she giggled. "Yeah, girly screams must get rather annoying. I don't know how many times I've gotten hit on during this tour. I feel like I need to run away some times, yet I'm a typical girl, and would by lying if I said I didn't enjoy the attention, just a little." she said smiling. "If you really want them to go away you need to land yourself in a mag kissing a girl, and claims shes your girlfriend... makes them stop all the time." she said with a casual shrug. Carson smiled taking the cig that she had wanted earlier, and placed it between her perfect lips. She leaned in a little lighting her cigarette, with a smiled still glued to her face. Carson took a long drag on it, god it had been a while since had been able to smoke. Carson kept a close eye on her surroundings just in case her father popped up. The last thing she wanted was him to stumble upon her with a cute guy and a cigarette between her lips. "Thanks." she said warmly. "Hey, would you like to go for a walk, get the fuck out of dodge for a bit?" she asked curiously. But before he had a chance to respond she reached out and took his hand, leading him away from the tent and around the venue. Carson smirked as she spotted a couple girls in the crowd surrounding his bands table look at them. "Don't worry, I told them I was stealing you." she said with a giggle, before letting her eyes look up at him once more. "I think they think you need a night off?" she said confidently as her hand remained holding his.

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[GABRIEL LACROIX!]

I SOLD MY SOUL TO THE OPEN ROAD

Escaping from the fangirls in the tent just to be confronted with another girl was not what Gabe was expecting. At least this one wasn't screaming in his face, giving him false compliments in order for a hug or some extra attention. And while Gabe adored the power of Hollow Crown's fanbase and knew he'd be nowhere without them, he hated that people went so over-the-top. He was yet to experience it, but never did he ever want to see his face tattooed on anybody, especially some stranger. Thankfully, the girl who had found him hiding out the back didn't seem to be a fan, or even remotely creepy. In fact, from what Gabe could gather from his first impression of her, she was kind of cool.

Gabe had never had much luck with girls. He'd had girlfriends in the past, and wasn't a virgin by any means, but he'd never instigated any of it. He cared for them, even loved them, but he wasn't a first move kind of guy. Even the rare friendships he'd shared with girls were shortlived, because Gabe was too awkward and shy, or he'd just fall out of contact with them for one reason or another. In truth, girls made him incredibly bashful. Just being around the opposite sex made him clam up like an urchin when it was prodded. He wasn't sure why; his sister was the complete opposite when it came to guys, but Gabe supposed it was that he hated to be made a fool of. He even hated talking about girls with his guy mates. Just thinking about girls made his palms sweat.

So you can imagine how nervous he felt being around Carson. His pulse was racing, his hands clammy, like he was in some sort of danger. Unfortunately, the only risk he was taking was being made a fool of by some pretty girl. He chuckled under his breath at her mention of the weather. It was a safe topic, by all means, neutral and almost a cliched turn for conversation between to strangers to take. Not that Gabe minded. It meant he was able to respond without putting much thought or meaning behind his actions. "Yeah, you're right." He said loosely, taking another drag of his cigarette. The warm weather was just another sign that summer was on it's way. He smirked at Carson's feigned ignorance of the horrors in the tent behind them. Oh, she did not want to go there...

Gabe wouldn't have called his fans "sluts", per se, but there were one or two who clearly had sleeping with the band in mind. Unfortunately for the ones who took a fancy to Gabe, he was too shy to actually go through with any of it, and his bandmates were left to pick up his share of the tail. He listened as Carson told him about how she dealt with the attention, raising an eyebrow as she explained that she liked it. He blanched completely when she gave him a method of dealing with it. He felt almost... patronized, though he didn't say it outloud. She could only be what? Seventeen, eighteen? Even so, he smiled wryly around the cigarette in his lips. Removing it, he exhaled deeply. "I couldn't do that."

[/color] he admitted, not giving any further explanation. Disliking fans was one thing. But lying to everyone? Gabe felt it was wrong, and doubted he could pull it off for long.

As soon as she had taken the cigarette, Gabe returned the packet to his pocket, along with his lighter. He watched her take a look around them, as if she was looking for someone. He was about to ask, when she offered to go for a walk. Was she avoiding someone? A boyfriend, maybe? Or a brother? Gabe was about to protest when he was practically dragged by the hand past his tent. He gave an awkward wave in the direction of his band mates, conscious of the fact that more than one pair of eyes from the mob of fans was also staring their way. He gave them another quick wave for good measure, although from this distance, he wasn't sure if they'd even recognize him. His primary concern at the moment, though, was his clammy palm being held tightly by the blonde's. He hoped his hand wasn't too sweaty.

When they stopped for a second, he dropped his cigarette, stamping it out with his shoe. "A night off would be nice." he admitted lamely, without much conviction. Being kidnapped didn't exactly count as a night off in his books, but he didn't want to say so outloud. Still concerned about his hand, Gabe looked around them. Spotting a hotdog cart nearby, he turned to his new companion. "You hungry?" He wasn't himself, but eating would get his mind off the fact he was holding hands with the first girl he'd been in any physical contact with in weeks. And she was prettier than most of the others hanging around the tour. Gabe vaguely wondered what his bandmates and the rest of his friends would think if they saw him now. The thought made him chuckle. Inwardly of course. He wouldn't want Carson to think he enjoyed talking to himself.[/blockquote]
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WORDS 889 TAGGED CAR/ALICE NOTES OH, GABE~

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[carson o'reilly!]

[bg=black][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] "Good, then its settled." she said with a smile. Her eyes searching his own handsome orbs for his potential reaction to the situation. To be honest Carson really didnt care if he had other plans, or didnt want to go hang out, part of her thought she felt like he needed it. Like he needed her to take charge and lead the way, because if he was left to the task he would have some up with an excuse to exit the situation and go hide on his bus. She had hung out wiht his band mates several times, and Gabe had barley uttered seven words to her, let alone remain in the same room very long. The irish lass was determined to get to know him better, and part of her wanted to prove everyone else wrong. He wasnt some kind of defect, and she certainly hoped he wasnt gay, because damn. Look at him, he was gorgeous, and it would be a real shame to loose a guy like that to another dick. Carson was so absorbed with trying to be upbeat and happy she had not even noticed Gabe's sweating hand. Carson may have been beautiful in the eyes of others but she hardly saw it. She felt as though she was average, nothing special, and had to rely on her personality to make people see her beauty. If only she knew what others saw. "Yeah I would be down for eating, but not the shitty tour food." she said with a laugh, finally releasing his hand and giving him a break from the direct contact. "If you really want to get some food, we should go into town, I heard they have some amazing restaurants here." she said with a smirk. She turned away from when she heard her phone buzzing in her pocket. She stuck her finger out, giving him the quiet gesture. "Hey dad." she said in a happy, and chirpy little voice. As she talked she turned her back to Gabe, not really wanting him to hear the details of her conversation. "Aww thats sweet dad, but I'm not really hungry." she lied without hesitation. "No, no im fine, nothing is wrong, just been super busy lately." she said, turning to face Gabe giving him an apologetic smile. "Yeah that sounds amazing, but hey can I call you later im kind of tied up with band shi.. i mean stuff." she corrected quickly not wanting her dad to hear her cuss. "Alright, yeah i love you to, by dad." she said sliding her phone shut and turning it on silent. "So where were we?" she said with a grin. "Oh right going into town?"she asked perking an eyebrow wanting to make sure he was okay with the idea of running off with a girl he barley knew. While he tried to make up his mind she walked towards her bus, because regardless of what they were going to do she was going to need her shades, and card. Although it didnt seem like it Carson was just as nervous on the inside. She had originally agreed to steal Gabe because one of his band mates in particular thought he needed a night out with a pretty girl. Nothing too intense, but just some good chill time that didnt involve hiding on a bus. "So what is it going to be?" Carson asked with a grin. "Oh and im sorry im so hyper, red bull tends to do that to me. " she said with a giggle, before somewhat nervously brushing her hair out of her face.

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[GABRIEL LACROIX!]

I SOLD MY SOUL TO THE OPEN ROAD

Rubbing a hand over his face, Gabe tried to come to terms with reality. Here he was, being kidnapped by a girl, a very pretty girl, and all he wanted to do was crawl back into his bus. There was obviously something very, very wrong with him. He did recognize her now, more because of her energy than anything else. Most parties were dull and he didn't hang around long, but even so, he had people introducing their selves to him, slopping their drinks all over him, and, more often than not, Gabe would be the one in the bathroom, holding people's hair back. Luckily, he had a strong stomach. Thankfully, he didn't recognize Carson from any of the latter situations, although he knew she was acquainted with his band mates. He felt like an idiot for not recognising her sooner, although he knew he had never spoken more than a few words to her himself. Before today, anyway.

He raised an eyebrow as Carson slammed the tour food. The smell of the hotdog stand was so tempting, but he tore his eyes away. There was nothing wrong with the food he'd eaten around the tour grounds, although he knew the food off the venue was far better for him. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair, scratching his scalp. "Uh, a restaurant sounds good." Oddly enough, this was beginning to sound more and more like a date. Had Gabe been roped into this? He didn't know whether to be angry, upset, or impressed that the young woman before him had practically forced him into going out for dinner.

He was about to question it, when Carson got a phone call. Remaining silent, he averted his eyes, trying his best to not listen, but ultimately, hearing the entire conversation anyway. It was impossible not to. Gabe had always had a good ear. His eyebrows lifted as he heard the word 'Dad', and Carson telling whoever it was on the phone that she wasn't hungry. Reminded of his sister somewhat, Gabe fought the urge to chuckle. Her correction made him smile, but when Carson turned back to him, Gabe was flicking his lighter, trying his best to act as if he hadn't been paying the slightest attention. Once again, he was confused between being impressed by this girl, or a little weirded out by her. One thing was for sure, Carson was drastically different to the other girls Gabe had met on tour.

"Yes, I think you decided that for us." Gabe said, his mouth curving into a crooked smirk. He followed her to what he guessed was her bus. He pondered what they should eat for a few minutes while Carson fetched her things. Stopping by his bus wasn't necessary, since his wallet was in his pocket along with his lighter and cigarettes. "Chinese is always good, yeah?" he suggested, though he had eaten Chinese almost constantly since touring. "Or pizza?" They weren't extravagant suggestions, but knowing that his chivalry would make sure he was paying for it, Gabe didn't want to take somewhere fancy because he wasn't exactly rolling in money. That, and the fact he didn't want her to get the wrong idea. This wasn't a date, at least, in Gabe's head. He shrugged at her apology, telling her it was both fine and he wasn't too concerned with the fact she was hyper. It was intimidating, sure, but the fact that almost everyone intimidated Gabe whether they intended to or not meant he had become used to it.

Once Carson had grabbed her things, Gabe led the way to the edge of the venue, crossing the road into the city. He had no idea where anything was, though, so he turned to Carson, expecting to be given directions. "Where to?" Though he would have liked to, Gabe had no opportunity to explore the tour's latest location. There was that one bar that he and Jake had visited a couple of nights ago, but dragging an underage girl there was probably not a good idea. So he stood and waited for Carson to make her decision, resisting his body's craving for another cigarette.

WORDS 707 TAGGED CAR/ALICE NOTES <3

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