pick you up to watch you fall {reserved}

[Chloe Ashley, Roxanne Ashley]

270 Park Ave, New York.
JPMorgan Securities Inc

The girls stared at the intimidating building. Chloe swallowed. Roxanne grit her teeth. They had an appointment with some sort of financial adviser inside, and though they'd been talking about it for months, now that they were here, it was scary. It was real.

The twins had plans for their own business, which started when they were young. Riley, their older brother, was a stock adviser at JPMorgan, and knew a little bit about the business side of companies. He helped them invest in stable and smart brands, and together they made a tidy little sum. Tidy enough to perhaps start getting busy!

They were young adults, two smart girls, ready to take on the world. At least they hoped so. They were here to find out what it would take to make their dream become a reality.

"You ready?" Chloe asked, at last peeling her eyes away from the building to look at her sister.

"Not really," Roxanne admitted, but her trademark reckless grin gave her twin the confidence she needed.

They walked to the corner of the street where the lights were, opting not to j-walk during rush hour in the craziest city on the planet. The light changed, and Chloe double-checked to make sure everything was safe for them to cross. She waited for a car to run the red light before stepping onto the street, but immediately felt her Gifts change. She wasn't sure what the new set was, all she knew was that they didn't belong to her twin.

She looked over her shoulder to where Roxanne was standing, unmoving. The girl wasn't paying attention to Chloe, and instead was greeting a young man about their age.

"Hey," She smiled. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"I'm going in," She told her sister before leaving. Roxanne just waved, before turning back to the newcomer.

"New York, huh?"

[Sebastian Thomas]

Despite the fact that he had always preferred America and the security of civilization it promised, as opposed to all the other exotic corners of the world his family were known to frequent, the one and only thing New York achieved to remind him of was the fact that he missed his home in Lyon much more than he had ever had during his life.

The past month saw an early end to his second year at Oxford, but the year before that seemed to be longer than it actually had been. 9 mostly consecutive months spent in England was more than he could stand. He formed part of the family that didn't particularly like anything to do with the English, and while he loved his country and hometown, and wouldn't have minded studying anywhere in France, it was also a matter of getting away.

As a third generation Jónquèt, since the first World War, he was perpetually obsessed with escaping the influence of his family and making something of himself on his own. As much as he had wanted to stay in Lyon for the entire summer and as much as he wanted to believe or say that something more profound took him to New York City, to Park Avenue on a Thursday morning where the likelihood of running into a pretty but also familiar face was one that he hadn't counted on; he couldn't.

Sebastian was in New York because even the most insignificant things in the world had to be about his cousin, Eiji. Years passed since they were old enough to understand what it took to be better than the other and somehow, the other boy still managed to edge him out in all the ways that mattered. Standing on the corner of E 47th and Park, smoking despite knowing that it was the worst kind of habit, he told himself that if his cousin wasn't in the building down the road, he was going to relocate to New Orleans for an extended vacation.

Just as he was throwing his cigarette stub in the trash can, he looked up to find a familiar blonde by the crosswalk; not his girlfriend, thank God, but the girl he had been seeing for a few good (really good) months a while ago. He smiled as she walked closer, which only grew the longer he kept it unchecked and Sebastian was reminded of two things, the first being that he missed smiling a terrible deal, because it never failed to share the fact that he really was quite handsome; and the second being that he couldn't remember the last girl that made him feel this unrestrained.

"Hey," he said, feeling like a dork but managing to sound appropriately casual, if sheepish to prove it all a welcome coincidence.
"Makes sense, doesn't it?" He agreed, and because he had always liked her more than he should, he reached forward, hands a strange mix of cold and warm as they touched her arms, and kissed her on the cheek.

[Chloe Ashley, Roxanne Ashley]

Chloe continued to the building, but the moment she stepped into the intimidating skyscraper without her sister, she became the biggest coward on the planet. Everyone here was dressed in business attire, and here she was in a t-shirt and jeans, looking considerably less professional. She should have dressed more appropriately for a business meeting! She stalled by walking to the side and pretending to do up her shoe, hoping her sister and Sebastian only had a brief reunion.

Unfortunately for Chloe, Roxanne had no intention of rushing this unexpected meeting.

"I suppose," She replied to the beautiful boy, and she was reminded how his smile was impossible to resist. She leaned in for the friendly greeting, trying not to shiver from his hands on her arms. They weren't chilly, she just felt that way whenever Sebastian was around.

"How've you been?" She asked, "It feels like forever since we... yeah..." There'd been a point in their lives when she could have called him a friend, if they weren't so absorbed in being something more than that. They had spoken without fear of reprimand, with an unguarded honesty (for the most part) that she missed today.

Although it was difficult to forget the reason why they hadn't flourished into anything more than they were now, it was even more a struggle to fight off all the wonderful memories they shared. Sebastian's lovely accent made this busy, important street of New York slow down. The world was less intimidating, and she decided to just stand here and talk with him forever.

However, that decision might not go over too well with Chloe, who had wasted more than enough time retying her shoes in the main lobby of the bank. Her sister had moved on to ask a receptionist where she was scheduled to be for their meeting in ten minutes.

[Sebastian Thomas]

Sebastian would have said he was a nice person if the opposite hadn't been more true. He met Roxanne a summer ago, in an accidental meeting like the one they were in now. Truthfully, he hadn't been interested because she'd displayed exceptional wit or because some part of her had inspired in him change. She'd been pretty and on the second look, gorgeous, but instead of playing it in a way that would have made things easier for him, he'd asked her out to coffee.

He would never claim to be monogamous, not then and certainly not soon, or say that he had a favorite because he was still on good terms with most of the girls he'd 'dated.' Roxanne though, was sweet and funny and endearing. He could remember actually liking her for the time they were together and sometimes, unconsciously, he found himself carrying that thought closer than he should have.

"I'm good," he said and sounding like he meant it as well, "I'm meant to be heading off in a few days but...," he drifted off, mostly to decide if he was going to go through with it; staying, and not leaving.

"I didn't know you would be here."
Which said a lot of things instead of just the one. He knew of The Academy, of course he did, and while it was meant to be an international school, he had preferred to attend one that was much closer to home. Plus, there was always the matter of having to share something with Eiji, and that wouldn't do at all. He couldn't avoid knowing his cousin was in New York, or knowing anything about him at all, really; he knew the other boy had graduated and he know Eiji had no inclination of continuing his studies with The University. Of the few things they had in common and could admit to, it was that they were both high maintenance; he knew his cousin went to Columbia, which is exactly why he would have chosen Dartmouth, had he been in the area.

He hadn't known that The University had moved from Seattle though. The last time he'd been anywhere near that city, he'd thought that they were going to stay there forever. And it wasn't like he'd intended to avoid Roxanne, and while truthfully he didn't know what he wanted with the girl, except for that maybe there was a part of him still that liked her, maybe even thought of her sometimes and if she had a boyfriend and if she had made him wait for as long as Sebastian had to wait for her; he just wasn't expecting her.

The surprise wasn't unpleasant in fact, it made his fingers itch, like he wanted to touch her and be familiar in ways that were over a year old. He grinned, because more than that, he liked the way her whole expression brightened when she smiled.
"You know, I'd ask you out for coffee," he told her and he left it standing alone as it was for a small moment because that was the truth; he wanted to spend more time with her. There was the side matter of her sister though, who he suspected had never been a fan of him.

[/blockquote]

[Chloe Ashley, Roxanne Ashley]

Chloe and Roxanne had that whole 'Sisters' gig figured out. What were the lyrics, again? 'Lord help the mister who comes between me and my sister. And Lord help the sister that comes between me and my man!' There was a careful balance between their understanding. However, today was an important day, and Roxanne couldn't bail on Chloe for a boy.

"I'm at the university," She explained her being in New York, "so is Chloe," and when he mentioned coffee, her expression became slightly pained. "I sort of have an appointment right now..." She gestured to the grand building where her sister was undoubtedly freaking out in, "But I wouldn't mind coffee afterwards."

Roxanne always found it difficult to give Sebastian a solid 'no'. Today she found she didn't want to refuse him anything. It had been what, a year? since they last saw each other. Seattle didn't seem so distant as it had this morning. Memories bombarded her, and she found that Sebastian hadn't changed at all since she last saw him. Yes, perhaps his hair was a little different, but hers wasn't exactly the same either. She remembered how elegant Sebastian always was, with his speech and his every movement. Roxanne had always been a bit crude, in her words and her stare, but Sebastian seemed to find her antics endearing. That might also be because he never failed to bring out her feminine side. When she was with him, she didn't just feel pretty. She felt beautiful.

Meanwhile, Chloe spoke to the receptionist, who informed her that Riley was busy in a meeting and that her and Roxanne's appointment was going to be on the eighth floor. She thanked the unpleasant woman with all the grace and poise Chloe Ashley possessed, which was a lot, and instead of going straight to the elevator, she returned to the front of the building and peered out one of the windows. There she saw Roxanne still speaking with Sebastian, and her eyes narrowed. They still weren't due for another ten minutes or so, but Roxanne knew how Chloe liked to be early for everything. Why was she making her stress like this?!

She crossed her arms and watched the pair, an assortment of thoughts going through her head. Sebastian wasn't entirely right to assume Chloe didn't like him; she had nothing against him as a person, but as a boyfriend or whatever he'd been to her sister, she didn't approve. She was well aware of his girlfriend which he omitted in every single one of Roxanne and his 'dates', which didn't sit well with her. If he didn't have enough respect for the girl he was officially seeing, that didn't bode well for how he'd treat Roxanne if they ever got serious.

And Roxanne knew better than to be friends with boys with girlfriends. So before anything could go too far, Chloe spilled the bad news to her sister, who promptly ended things with Sebastian before she could get too hurt. Chloe could tell Roxanne was a bit upset for a couple days after, but Roxanne was a pretty quick healer when it came to emotional wounds (yet another attribute Chloe envied about her sister). She somehow accepted it as just another life experience, and moved on.

"Come onnn," She groaned, checking the time on her cell phone. Was it too pushy to send her sister a text?