apolla
❛ it's only love, nobody dies ❜
code by g o l d i e l o x x
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Multiple Settings The Preying Seasons | Main
- Thread starter apolla
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apolla
❛ it's only love, nobody dies ❜
VICTORIA ZABIELSKI
Outfit: Click! | Mood: annoyed | Tags: no one yet
Another year in Maple Grove, another pointless festival that Tori had no interest in. At least, she wasn't interested in seeing the happy families running around celebrating, kids getting their faces painted and shrieking about everything they saw. The whole damn town got involved in the founding festival, but in Tori's opinion, if the town was so old how were they even certain this was the right time? Not that her thoughts mattered, considering the festival still happened every year. In her father's words, it was something that brought the townsfolk together, and even some out of towners. Maple Grove was a small town already and didn't need people swarming it, Tori felt, but again it wasn't her call. When she was younger, she remembered being amped to help out her dad, but looking back she knew it was only because she wanted something to share with him. Not because of the festival itself.
Since this was her first festival since coming back to the town almost a year ago and she'd missed the one from the year prior, her father had guilted her into helping with this one. She hated how he still seemed to have some hold over her, even though he hadn't wanted much to do with her her entire life. But he'd tugged at her fucking heartstrings when he said he was so happy to have her back, and wouldn't she want to help him and take some of the burden from his shoulders? She scoffed to herself as she replayed the conversation over and over in her mind, scowling as she recalled how he hadn't even looked at her as he'd asked. He'd been busy wrapping up some paperwork for something else, and even though the word 'no' had screamed out in her mind, it was 'sure, dad' that had left her mouth.
So that's why the blonde currently stood on the edge of one of the performance stages that had been set up, watching as the sound tech guys set up for the band that was going to be playing in a little while. People could take a break from rides, shopping or whatever else they were doing to come make camp in a field, watching whatever band was onstage. When Tori was younger, she remembered dreaming of being on that stage, singing her heart out for all of the town to hear. But despite her father's many promises to make it happen, her dream had never come true. After graduating high school, determined to show the man, she left town and headed to Hollywood. That's where dreams were supposed to come true, right? Countless people fled to Hollywood, wanting to make a name for themselves. Actors, models, singers, dancers, all of the above and more. Tori had been no different.
But real life slapped her in the face and within just a few short months, she was broke, exhausted, and starving. She'd done a few things she wasn't proud of in order to make ends meet, but eventually, she realized that she would either have to keep up that lifestyle or return home. So much like a kicked puppy, Tori returned to her childhood home, tail tucked between her legs. Her father had scoffed as he moved aside to let her in, muttering something about how he knew she'd return. Of course, his daughter's return was in all the tabloids for the town, and he paraded her around for a while, playing the part of a happy father. It all made Tori sick, but then again, what did that make her that she went along with it? Honestly, she didn't want that answer.
Feedback sounded off in her ear, and Tori wrenched the headset from her head as she whirled on the tech people setting up behind her. "Can you not figure out what wire goes in what hole?" She snapped, marching over to the edge of the stage, peering down at the two guys who were likely in their early twenties. Clearly college aged, a part of some company her father hired to make the music part of the festival grand. Well, so much for grand if they couldn't even figure shit out. Dropping her clipboard on the stage, Tori turned and headed for the stairs, descending them to waltz over to the speakers. One of the guys scrambled to get out of her way, knocking over a cup of water and causing it to hit the ground. "You're lucky that wasn't a speaker, or you'd be paying for that instead of your tuition. Can you fix this, please?" Her last sentence had been directed at the other guy, who just nodded and walked around to her side.
He quickly unplugged a wire and then plugged it back in somewhere else, and when Tori lifted the headset back to her ear, sweet silence greeted her. "Thank you. At least someone has a brain around here." She muttered, turning around and heading back to the stairs that led onstage. It was still early in the afternoon, and the band set to play hadn't arrived yet. Snatching her clipboard from where she'd dropped it onstage, she glanced down, seeing that they were supposed to go on at two. A quick look at her phone told her they had less than half an hour to arrive. Just as she was about to tuck her phone back in her pocket, she saw her dad's face and heard his ringtone. "Jesus christ." She thought about not answering, but knew he'd just call again. Swiping to answer, she greeted the man on the other end.
The conversation didn't last long, and in just a few minutes, Tori was tucking the device away and fanning herself with the clipboard. Her eyes scanned the area around the stage. A few people had already set up camp in the field, just enjoying the sunshine or the shade from their umbrellas. Some people had food, some people had drinks, and Tori could hear music playing from a speaker somewhere. Beyond the field was the rest of the festival, set up pretty much all over town, though most of the booths and stuff were set towards the center of Maple Grove. Deciding she could use a drink herself, she tucked her clipboard under one arm and left the stage again, not even bothering to tell anyone where she was going as she headed to find a drink booth.
Since this was her first festival since coming back to the town almost a year ago and she'd missed the one from the year prior, her father had guilted her into helping with this one. She hated how he still seemed to have some hold over her, even though he hadn't wanted much to do with her her entire life. But he'd tugged at her fucking heartstrings when he said he was so happy to have her back, and wouldn't she want to help him and take some of the burden from his shoulders? She scoffed to herself as she replayed the conversation over and over in her mind, scowling as she recalled how he hadn't even looked at her as he'd asked. He'd been busy wrapping up some paperwork for something else, and even though the word 'no' had screamed out in her mind, it was 'sure, dad' that had left her mouth.
So that's why the blonde currently stood on the edge of one of the performance stages that had been set up, watching as the sound tech guys set up for the band that was going to be playing in a little while. People could take a break from rides, shopping or whatever else they were doing to come make camp in a field, watching whatever band was onstage. When Tori was younger, she remembered dreaming of being on that stage, singing her heart out for all of the town to hear. But despite her father's many promises to make it happen, her dream had never come true. After graduating high school, determined to show the man, she left town and headed to Hollywood. That's where dreams were supposed to come true, right? Countless people fled to Hollywood, wanting to make a name for themselves. Actors, models, singers, dancers, all of the above and more. Tori had been no different.
But real life slapped her in the face and within just a few short months, she was broke, exhausted, and starving. She'd done a few things she wasn't proud of in order to make ends meet, but eventually, she realized that she would either have to keep up that lifestyle or return home. So much like a kicked puppy, Tori returned to her childhood home, tail tucked between her legs. Her father had scoffed as he moved aside to let her in, muttering something about how he knew she'd return. Of course, his daughter's return was in all the tabloids for the town, and he paraded her around for a while, playing the part of a happy father. It all made Tori sick, but then again, what did that make her that she went along with it? Honestly, she didn't want that answer.
Feedback sounded off in her ear, and Tori wrenched the headset from her head as she whirled on the tech people setting up behind her. "Can you not figure out what wire goes in what hole?" She snapped, marching over to the edge of the stage, peering down at the two guys who were likely in their early twenties. Clearly college aged, a part of some company her father hired to make the music part of the festival grand. Well, so much for grand if they couldn't even figure shit out. Dropping her clipboard on the stage, Tori turned and headed for the stairs, descending them to waltz over to the speakers. One of the guys scrambled to get out of her way, knocking over a cup of water and causing it to hit the ground. "You're lucky that wasn't a speaker, or you'd be paying for that instead of your tuition. Can you fix this, please?" Her last sentence had been directed at the other guy, who just nodded and walked around to her side.
He quickly unplugged a wire and then plugged it back in somewhere else, and when Tori lifted the headset back to her ear, sweet silence greeted her. "Thank you. At least someone has a brain around here." She muttered, turning around and heading back to the stairs that led onstage. It was still early in the afternoon, and the band set to play hadn't arrived yet. Snatching her clipboard from where she'd dropped it onstage, she glanced down, seeing that they were supposed to go on at two. A quick look at her phone told her they had less than half an hour to arrive. Just as she was about to tuck her phone back in her pocket, she saw her dad's face and heard his ringtone. "Jesus christ." She thought about not answering, but knew he'd just call again. Swiping to answer, she greeted the man on the other end.
The conversation didn't last long, and in just a few minutes, Tori was tucking the device away and fanning herself with the clipboard. Her eyes scanned the area around the stage. A few people had already set up camp in the field, just enjoying the sunshine or the shade from their umbrellas. Some people had food, some people had drinks, and Tori could hear music playing from a speaker somewhere. Beyond the field was the rest of the festival, set up pretty much all over town, though most of the booths and stuff were set towards the center of Maple Grove. Deciding she could use a drink herself, she tucked her clipboard under one arm and left the stage again, not even bothering to tell anyone where she was going as she headed to find a drink booth.
coded by natasha.
apolla
❛ it's only love, nobody dies ❜
ADRIAN BECK
Outfit: Click! | Mood: content | Tags: Mari (
Desert_Blossom
)
Desert_Blossom
) Adrian remembered his last time in Maple Grove, and he remembered it well. Though most of the faces of the wives he'd had throughout the years had faded, Emily was the most recent and still fresh in his mind. The dark haired beauty had been just that-- beautiful-- but she'd never opened up completely to him. Adrian could sense in the beginning that she might not, but he'd really held out hope that she would change her mind as their time together went on. He found out early on that she wasn't the one who would stay with him forever, and he'd felt his heart break a little more with the knowledge. Despite what some people might think if they knew about the Seasons, being immortal and taking wives wasn't easy. At least humans, when they got married, they grew old together and from what he saw, once one died the other wasn't far after. Or they could take that time and find someone new to share their lives with, but it wasn't exactly the same for Adrian and his brothers. While they did get the opportunity every hundred years or so to find someone new, they didn't get to grow old with them. Instead, they just got to watch them die.
In the case of Emily, that's exactly what happened. No matter what Adrian tried, the woman refused to open up to him, choosing instead to spend as little time with him as possible. She'd never forgiven him for taking her away from her life, and she told him that pretty much everyday. She'd died early on because she just gave up, both with her body and her soul. She'd been the first one of the four girls chosen in the 20's to die, though his brothers had shared his fate. Just like every other time. At this point, Adrian wasn't even sure he believed that there were girls out there for them that wouldn't meet the same fate. How could they expect to find their end games when they only went to one town, every hundred years? Adrian wasn't sure how his brothers felt about the situation, but he was just tired.
Still, life went on, and the Seasons had a job to do. Today was the second day of the festival, and so far, Adrian had chosen to enjoy himself. Just like he did every other year. He'd met up with a pretty blonde the day before, and he hoped they would meet up again today. Currently, the tattooed male was just browsing the different booths that had been set up in the main part of town, just looking at the different wares. Jewelry, food, drinks, games, stuffed animals, clothing, and so much more. All stuff that he really had no use for, but maybe his soon-to-be wife would enjoy something. He paused by a booth selling different brightly colored clothing items, and he couldn't help but smile. The world had really changed in the last hundred years or so, and even though it always did, this time it just seemed... more.
Moving on from the booth, Adrian lifted his head to look around at everyone. The world had advanced, and so had the clothing, definitely. Women weren't afraid to show more skin now, and Adrian was pretty sure he just saw a man in a skirt. Not that he judged, it was just interesting to see compared to what they'd seen the last time they arrived in Maple Grove. Though it wasn't like it came as a complete shock; they weren't shut off from the rest of the world outside of the festival, and supernaturals were sometimes more close to humans than they wanted to admit. As a merman, Adrian was most comfortable in pretty much nothing, though he figured public nudity probably still wasn't accepted. And he certainly couldn't get around with his tail, so jeans and a t-shirt it was.
He didn't know where any of his brothers had gone, though he figured he'd run into them eventually. He briefly wondered if any of them had had luck finding their chosens yet, and that thought brought a smirk to his face. The brothers were all intelligent and strong in their own ways, but when it came to women they all had their struggles. Art could be considered closed off, Alarick temperamental as a bull, and Asher too straightforward for his own good. And when it came to Adrian himself, well, he didn't always take things seriously when he should. Even being an immortal hadn't taught him that he needed to be a bit more serious at times, and think of how other people might feel, whether it was in relation to something he said or did or even otherwise.
Adrian had been so lost in his thoughts that he stopped paying attention to his surroundings, and he crashed right into someone. Thankfully, he had pretty good reflexes and immediately reached out to grab the woman, steadying her on her feet before he released her. Unfortunately for the drink and stack of papers she'd been carrying, they hadn't been so lucky. The woman was beautiful, that was the first thing he noticed once he got a good look at her, and despite what he'd done a smile presented itself on his face. "My apologies, ma'am." He told her, slightly bowing his head in an apologetic gesture. Leaning down, he collected the papers that hadn't flown away, and picked up the now empty drink cup. "Well, I guess that's what I get for not paying attention... though it could be worse." He stood again, glancing down at the papers in his hand. "Realtor, hmm? Marissa Locke. Well, it's nice to meet you, Marissa. I'm Adrian."
In the case of Emily, that's exactly what happened. No matter what Adrian tried, the woman refused to open up to him, choosing instead to spend as little time with him as possible. She'd never forgiven him for taking her away from her life, and she told him that pretty much everyday. She'd died early on because she just gave up, both with her body and her soul. She'd been the first one of the four girls chosen in the 20's to die, though his brothers had shared his fate. Just like every other time. At this point, Adrian wasn't even sure he believed that there were girls out there for them that wouldn't meet the same fate. How could they expect to find their end games when they only went to one town, every hundred years? Adrian wasn't sure how his brothers felt about the situation, but he was just tired.
Still, life went on, and the Seasons had a job to do. Today was the second day of the festival, and so far, Adrian had chosen to enjoy himself. Just like he did every other year. He'd met up with a pretty blonde the day before, and he hoped they would meet up again today. Currently, the tattooed male was just browsing the different booths that had been set up in the main part of town, just looking at the different wares. Jewelry, food, drinks, games, stuffed animals, clothing, and so much more. All stuff that he really had no use for, but maybe his soon-to-be wife would enjoy something. He paused by a booth selling different brightly colored clothing items, and he couldn't help but smile. The world had really changed in the last hundred years or so, and even though it always did, this time it just seemed... more.
Moving on from the booth, Adrian lifted his head to look around at everyone. The world had advanced, and so had the clothing, definitely. Women weren't afraid to show more skin now, and Adrian was pretty sure he just saw a man in a skirt. Not that he judged, it was just interesting to see compared to what they'd seen the last time they arrived in Maple Grove. Though it wasn't like it came as a complete shock; they weren't shut off from the rest of the world outside of the festival, and supernaturals were sometimes more close to humans than they wanted to admit. As a merman, Adrian was most comfortable in pretty much nothing, though he figured public nudity probably still wasn't accepted. And he certainly couldn't get around with his tail, so jeans and a t-shirt it was.
He didn't know where any of his brothers had gone, though he figured he'd run into them eventually. He briefly wondered if any of them had had luck finding their chosens yet, and that thought brought a smirk to his face. The brothers were all intelligent and strong in their own ways, but when it came to women they all had their struggles. Art could be considered closed off, Alarick temperamental as a bull, and Asher too straightforward for his own good. And when it came to Adrian himself, well, he didn't always take things seriously when he should. Even being an immortal hadn't taught him that he needed to be a bit more serious at times, and think of how other people might feel, whether it was in relation to something he said or did or even otherwise.
Adrian had been so lost in his thoughts that he stopped paying attention to his surroundings, and he crashed right into someone. Thankfully, he had pretty good reflexes and immediately reached out to grab the woman, steadying her on her feet before he released her. Unfortunately for the drink and stack of papers she'd been carrying, they hadn't been so lucky. The woman was beautiful, that was the first thing he noticed once he got a good look at her, and despite what he'd done a smile presented itself on his face. "My apologies, ma'am." He told her, slightly bowing his head in an apologetic gesture. Leaning down, he collected the papers that hadn't flown away, and picked up the now empty drink cup. "Well, I guess that's what I get for not paying attention... though it could be worse." He stood again, glancing down at the papers in his hand. "Realtor, hmm? Marissa Locke. Well, it's nice to meet you, Marissa. I'm Adrian."
coded by natasha.
MadiRaiCat
Wine Aunt
Jolene
werewolf bride
nine lives
Last edited:
MadiRaiCat
Wine Aunt
Asher
elf king
nine lives
Desert_Blossom
Nobody's Perfect...
Marissa Locke
Growing up, Maple Grove's annual festival had always been Marissa's favorite time of year. Since she was an infant wrapped in her mother's arms while her siblings ran around the fairgrounds without her, the blonde attended every festival for the first nineteen years of her life. The significance behind the special week in the little Maine town was lost on Mari, as it was on all but a select few who'd had the secrets of the town's history passed down to them. To the blonde, the festival was simply a time for the town to gather together, invite visitors from other towns and states, and celebrate Summer. Her favorite season.
The weather was perfect in the seaside town during the summer months, rarely too hot but almost always warm enough to leave the cardigans at home. Yet, the cooler evenings offered just enough breeze to welcome bonfires or the arms of a loved one to keep warm. Sailboats were a constant sight on the horizon as families, the rich, and young people alike all sought to take advantage of the perfect boating conditions. Kids were out of school, parents were hosting backyard barbecues and tourism was at its peak. Once upon a time, Marissa would have described life in the town during the summer as almost magical. But now... it was just another season that reminded her that she was letting life slip by without her.
For the past five years, Marissa had done everything she could to avoid attending the week long festival that consumed the town. The once joyous event now held too many memories that Mari was constantly running from. It had been the place she'd ridden her first roller coaster. Saw her first concert. Had her first kiss with the man she'd one day marry. She and James would spend day after day riding the same rides over and over and walking around the same booths, without a care in the world. There was no such thing as too much cotton candy, or too many turns around the ferris wheel. Life had seemed limitless and endless during those happy Summer days... until it didn't.
The last festival Marissa attended was bittersweet. James had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. The newlyweds still attended the festival each day at the insistence of James, as if he already knew that it would be the last one he would ever attend. Despite Marissa's protests against the idea, the couple still rode all the rides, and still ate copious amounts of cotton candy. They had to walk slower, and James was prone to bouts of nausea, but despite everything, the two found a way to laugh like they hadn't since the word cancer entered their lives. Unfortunately, when the next year's festival came around, James was already lost from the world and Marissa couldn't bear to attend without him.
The years passed, and Mari still couldn't find it in her to join the festivities. She'd successfully found excuses to stay home or reasons to be out of town each summer... until this year. The perfect storm of her niece being old enough to attend the fair, her assistant suggesting that it would be good for business to have a booth during the festival, and some prodding from her family and friends resulted in Marissa having to finally face her demons and participate once again in Maple Grove's festival. Though not without a little help.
Almost immediately upon arrival to the fairgrounds, the blonde realtor found her way to one of the bar stands that had been set up. With her flyers and sweet iced tea in tow, Marissa had convinced one of the male bartenders to top off her drink with something a little stronger. Not wanting to conspicuously carry around booze so early in the day, but not able to stomach the festival without something to take off the edge, Marissa was satisfied with her plan to spike her to-go cup from one of the local coffee shops with something a little extra. Unfortunately, she hadn't been terribly specific in which liquor she wanted mixed in with the sweet tea, and ended up with whiskey instead of her preferred vodka. Beggars couldn't be choosers though, and she paid for her doctored drink, with an extra tip for discretion, and went on her way.
Marissa hadn't planned to attend the festival until later in the day when she was supposed to babysit her niece, Megan, for her brother, but her assistant had forgotten the freshly printed flyers for the booth and asked Marissa to bring them over. Work came first for Marissa these days, so despite her reluctance to spend any more time at the fair than necessary, she obliged. Making her way to her business's booth, Marissa was intercepted by a woman she'd sold a house to recently who was running a boutique clothing stand. Not particularly in the market for the wispy dresses the woman was selling, the blonde did her best to slip away from the lady before she ended up purchasing something out of guilt.
Just as she offered a quick goodbye, Marrisa turned to make her get away and ran right into what felt like a brick wall. Her tea instantly found itself on her instead of in the cup, her flyers went, well, flying, and Marissa was cast off balance at the unexpected impact. Before she could fall though, a strong grip caught her arm and saved her from even more embarrassment. The front of her shirt and shorts now soaked, the blonde was about to chastise her assailant for his negligence, but the words died on her lips when she finally got a look at the man. Tall, muscular, and seemingly covered in tats from what she could immediately see, the man already had a smile on his face as he looked down at her. Marissa's annoyed expression softened in surprise as he apologized with a bow of his head that seemed almost out of place for such a young man.
"Oh, ugh, it's okay..." Marissa uttered as he knelt down to pick up her cup and what was left of the flyers. Her cheeks flushed a little as she recalled that her tea wasn't entirely non-alcoholic, and had to disagree with the man's sentiment that things could be worse. She wasn't able to worry about that long though as the man read one of her flyers as he stood and introduced himself. Realtor, hmm? Marissa Locke. Well, it's nice to meet you, Marissa. I'm Adrian. As much as Marissa liked to tell herself that she was safest and happiest at work or at home hidden away from people, she still was a woman and not entirely immune to the charms of certain men. Particularly those men who weren't from around town, which she was almost certain included Adrian. If this man lived in Maple Grove, Marissa would have been acutely aware.
"Nice to meet you as well, Adrian... despite the circumstances." Marissa replied, offering a polite smile as she tried to ignore the stickiness of her shirt. She took the flyers from Adrian's hand and held them against her chest a little, using them to hide some of her soaked state. "Yeah, a realtor... Are you in the market?" The blonde asked with a small grin, her blue eyes studying him curiously. "Or just passing through?" Either answer would work in Marissa's favor, though she wasn't sure which she was hoping for more.
The weather was perfect in the seaside town during the summer months, rarely too hot but almost always warm enough to leave the cardigans at home. Yet, the cooler evenings offered just enough breeze to welcome bonfires or the arms of a loved one to keep warm. Sailboats were a constant sight on the horizon as families, the rich, and young people alike all sought to take advantage of the perfect boating conditions. Kids were out of school, parents were hosting backyard barbecues and tourism was at its peak. Once upon a time, Marissa would have described life in the town during the summer as almost magical. But now... it was just another season that reminded her that she was letting life slip by without her.
For the past five years, Marissa had done everything she could to avoid attending the week long festival that consumed the town. The once joyous event now held too many memories that Mari was constantly running from. It had been the place she'd ridden her first roller coaster. Saw her first concert. Had her first kiss with the man she'd one day marry. She and James would spend day after day riding the same rides over and over and walking around the same booths, without a care in the world. There was no such thing as too much cotton candy, or too many turns around the ferris wheel. Life had seemed limitless and endless during those happy Summer days... until it didn't.
The last festival Marissa attended was bittersweet. James had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. The newlyweds still attended the festival each day at the insistence of James, as if he already knew that it would be the last one he would ever attend. Despite Marissa's protests against the idea, the couple still rode all the rides, and still ate copious amounts of cotton candy. They had to walk slower, and James was prone to bouts of nausea, but despite everything, the two found a way to laugh like they hadn't since the word cancer entered their lives. Unfortunately, when the next year's festival came around, James was already lost from the world and Marissa couldn't bear to attend without him.
The years passed, and Mari still couldn't find it in her to join the festivities. She'd successfully found excuses to stay home or reasons to be out of town each summer... until this year. The perfect storm of her niece being old enough to attend the fair, her assistant suggesting that it would be good for business to have a booth during the festival, and some prodding from her family and friends resulted in Marissa having to finally face her demons and participate once again in Maple Grove's festival. Though not without a little help.
Almost immediately upon arrival to the fairgrounds, the blonde realtor found her way to one of the bar stands that had been set up. With her flyers and sweet iced tea in tow, Marissa had convinced one of the male bartenders to top off her drink with something a little stronger. Not wanting to conspicuously carry around booze so early in the day, but not able to stomach the festival without something to take off the edge, Marissa was satisfied with her plan to spike her to-go cup from one of the local coffee shops with something a little extra. Unfortunately, she hadn't been terribly specific in which liquor she wanted mixed in with the sweet tea, and ended up with whiskey instead of her preferred vodka. Beggars couldn't be choosers though, and she paid for her doctored drink, with an extra tip for discretion, and went on her way.
Marissa hadn't planned to attend the festival until later in the day when she was supposed to babysit her niece, Megan, for her brother, but her assistant had forgotten the freshly printed flyers for the booth and asked Marissa to bring them over. Work came first for Marissa these days, so despite her reluctance to spend any more time at the fair than necessary, she obliged. Making her way to her business's booth, Marissa was intercepted by a woman she'd sold a house to recently who was running a boutique clothing stand. Not particularly in the market for the wispy dresses the woman was selling, the blonde did her best to slip away from the lady before she ended up purchasing something out of guilt.
Just as she offered a quick goodbye, Marrisa turned to make her get away and ran right into what felt like a brick wall. Her tea instantly found itself on her instead of in the cup, her flyers went, well, flying, and Marissa was cast off balance at the unexpected impact. Before she could fall though, a strong grip caught her arm and saved her from even more embarrassment. The front of her shirt and shorts now soaked, the blonde was about to chastise her assailant for his negligence, but the words died on her lips when she finally got a look at the man. Tall, muscular, and seemingly covered in tats from what she could immediately see, the man already had a smile on his face as he looked down at her. Marissa's annoyed expression softened in surprise as he apologized with a bow of his head that seemed almost out of place for such a young man.
"Oh, ugh, it's okay..." Marissa uttered as he knelt down to pick up her cup and what was left of the flyers. Her cheeks flushed a little as she recalled that her tea wasn't entirely non-alcoholic, and had to disagree with the man's sentiment that things could be worse. She wasn't able to worry about that long though as the man read one of her flyers as he stood and introduced himself. Realtor, hmm? Marissa Locke. Well, it's nice to meet you, Marissa. I'm Adrian. As much as Marissa liked to tell herself that she was safest and happiest at work or at home hidden away from people, she still was a woman and not entirely immune to the charms of certain men. Particularly those men who weren't from around town, which she was almost certain included Adrian. If this man lived in Maple Grove, Marissa would have been acutely aware.
"Nice to meet you as well, Adrian... despite the circumstances." Marissa replied, offering a polite smile as she tried to ignore the stickiness of her shirt. She took the flyers from Adrian's hand and held them against her chest a little, using them to hide some of her soaked state. "Yeah, a realtor... Are you in the market?" The blonde asked with a small grin, her blue eyes studying him curiously. "Or just passing through?" Either answer would work in Marissa's favor, though she wasn't sure which she was hoping for more.
nine lives
Desert_Blossom
Nobody's Perfect...
Alarick Vernon
Typically, Alarick enjoyed Summer. It was the season that followed Spring, and it's beginning meant the end to a large portion of his duties as King of the aforementioned season. He could pass on the responsibilities to Alarick, and enjoy a little more freedom until next year. However, every one hundred years, the month of July carried more significance, and it was during these special years that Alarick didn't particularly care for Summer. The warm season was usually spent dreading the annual festival that the brothers would attend, until they did, and then afterward, trying to convince an unsuspecting woman that she should be happy spending the rest of her life with him. The singular week of the festival was usually the highlight and happiest week of Summer, as well as, the happiest week with the woman who would become his wife.
It was the calm before the storm. Alarick usually tried to find the woman who would become his bride fairly early in the festival, so that he could have as much time with her as possible to learn about her in a more natural environment. Ignorance truly was bliss, because as soon as the woman learned of her fate at the end of the week, things expectedly changed. Whatever relationship Alarick had with her before, was almost always strained once his bride learned he had tricked her into giving up the life she once had. Yes, it was all to keep balance in the world, yet even when that was explained, it was hard to resume the easy going nature of the relationship. If it had ever been easygoing to begin with.
Some years, Alarick was luckier than others. It seemed that in the earlier days, the women were culturally less independent and more submissive. Their lives weren't in their control anyways, as fathers often married their daughters off as a form of transaction, so it didn't matter so much to the young women when they found themselves captive in a kingdom with Kings and mythical beings. In fact, many of Alarick's first brides were thrilled to be married to him and live in such luxury compared to their lives at home. However, as the centuries went on, and overall living conditions for women improved, Alarick's wives became less and less thrilled at the thought of giving up their freedom to a man they'd known for seven days or less.
Rose, the werewolf king's last wife, made their first Summer together unbearable, along with their first Autumn, Winter and beginning of Spring. It wasn't until she was able to watch Alarick preside over his season that she finally accepted her fate. After that, Alarick shared a few decades of general happiness with Rose before she began to grow noticeably older than the werewolf's perpetual young body. It was then that the disdain and resentment that had been present their first year of marriage returned, as Rose realized her life was coming to an end while his would continue on forever. Alarick's once young and beautiful wife fell into despair and her mental capacities began slipping as she drove herself crazy. Not wanting to rub his immortality in Rose's face, Alarick spent less and less time with her, choosing to keep his then widowed (again) brothers company. Adrian and Asher's wives had died already sometime ago, and Alarick too was preparing himself for another loss.
The end of the Spring King's relationship with Rose did not go as it had with his past wives. One night, during the New Moon, Rose finally snapped and in her rage of having her life stolen from her by Alarick, attacked him in his sleep. It would have been easy to put an end to her attack, even with the absence of his usual powers, but Alarick could not bring himself to deny her the release she so desperately sought. So he took it, without raising a single hand to his aging wife. After the attack, Alarick fell into a coma, spending the next six months healing from his wounds. His immortality had saved him, but the New Moon left his body unable to heal as it usually did, and so the scars remained, physically and emotionally. Upon waking up, Alarick found that Rose had died, though no one would quite tell him how, and he was once again alone, with no one but his brothers as family.
Understandably so, Alarick was now not entirely thrilled to start the cycle of finding, wedding and disappointing another wife. Yet, as he walked the fairgrounds and watched the humans interacting with each other, he couldn't help but be reminded of better times. The festival, in a way, acted as a "do-over" button, and Alarick was determined, at least for the week, to see it as a new opportunity and not something to dread. Yet. He'd spent the first day of the festival speaking with different young women, trying to find any kind of spark with one of them, but was so far empty handed.
Times had certainly changed since the last festival, and the women were certainly more outgoing, flirty, independent and headstrong than the former festivals. While this would make things much more difficult in the long run, it also intrigued Alarick. He'd been alive for so long and acquired more knowledge than he had use for, that it was hard to find a bride who could keep him entertained. Maybe this year, he would find a woman who could keep up. Perhaps even match him in ways that more modest and traditional women had not. Speaking of which...
Alarick had been watching a dark haired beauty as she rode the bumper cars, when he heard a woman's voice over the crowd say the most peculiar string of words he'd ever heard. If I gave you one more, you'd be drunker than a backwoods priest at communion. The twang in the woman's voice was unfamiliar, and Alarick couldn't help but look around for the source, quickly forgetting the woman he'd been eyeing a moment before. As he weaved his way through the crowd, ignoring the flirty glances from a giggling group of co-eds, Alarick scanned the crowd. Even before he heard the woman speak again, his gaze landed on a beautiful blonde behind one of the pop-up bars. Part of him hoped that the voice that had piqued his interest belonged to this girl, and he made his way over towards her.
Unfortunately, the young woman had fallen silent as all her customers, or lack thereof, were tended to. Hanging back for a moment, Alarick grinned to himself a little as she poured herself a shot and tossed it back easily. If nothing else, the woman would make a good drinking buddy, he thought to himself as he continued his stroll over to the bar. Taking one of the empty stools, Alarick leaned an elbow on the bar and cocked his head to the side a little. "Feel like sharing one more of those with some company?" He asked, nodding to the empty shot glass the blonde had set down, and offering a mischievous smirk. It was the moment of truth, if the next few words out of this woman's mouth carried that southern drawl, then he had perhaps found a woman of interest. And if not... well, he could always have a little fun with this girl nonetheless.
It was the calm before the storm. Alarick usually tried to find the woman who would become his bride fairly early in the festival, so that he could have as much time with her as possible to learn about her in a more natural environment. Ignorance truly was bliss, because as soon as the woman learned of her fate at the end of the week, things expectedly changed. Whatever relationship Alarick had with her before, was almost always strained once his bride learned he had tricked her into giving up the life she once had. Yes, it was all to keep balance in the world, yet even when that was explained, it was hard to resume the easy going nature of the relationship. If it had ever been easygoing to begin with.
Some years, Alarick was luckier than others. It seemed that in the earlier days, the women were culturally less independent and more submissive. Their lives weren't in their control anyways, as fathers often married their daughters off as a form of transaction, so it didn't matter so much to the young women when they found themselves captive in a kingdom with Kings and mythical beings. In fact, many of Alarick's first brides were thrilled to be married to him and live in such luxury compared to their lives at home. However, as the centuries went on, and overall living conditions for women improved, Alarick's wives became less and less thrilled at the thought of giving up their freedom to a man they'd known for seven days or less.
Rose, the werewolf king's last wife, made their first Summer together unbearable, along with their first Autumn, Winter and beginning of Spring. It wasn't until she was able to watch Alarick preside over his season that she finally accepted her fate. After that, Alarick shared a few decades of general happiness with Rose before she began to grow noticeably older than the werewolf's perpetual young body. It was then that the disdain and resentment that had been present their first year of marriage returned, as Rose realized her life was coming to an end while his would continue on forever. Alarick's once young and beautiful wife fell into despair and her mental capacities began slipping as she drove herself crazy. Not wanting to rub his immortality in Rose's face, Alarick spent less and less time with her, choosing to keep his then widowed (again) brothers company. Adrian and Asher's wives had died already sometime ago, and Alarick too was preparing himself for another loss.
The end of the Spring King's relationship with Rose did not go as it had with his past wives. One night, during the New Moon, Rose finally snapped and in her rage of having her life stolen from her by Alarick, attacked him in his sleep. It would have been easy to put an end to her attack, even with the absence of his usual powers, but Alarick could not bring himself to deny her the release she so desperately sought. So he took it, without raising a single hand to his aging wife. After the attack, Alarick fell into a coma, spending the next six months healing from his wounds. His immortality had saved him, but the New Moon left his body unable to heal as it usually did, and so the scars remained, physically and emotionally. Upon waking up, Alarick found that Rose had died, though no one would quite tell him how, and he was once again alone, with no one but his brothers as family.
Understandably so, Alarick was now not entirely thrilled to start the cycle of finding, wedding and disappointing another wife. Yet, as he walked the fairgrounds and watched the humans interacting with each other, he couldn't help but be reminded of better times. The festival, in a way, acted as a "do-over" button, and Alarick was determined, at least for the week, to see it as a new opportunity and not something to dread. Yet. He'd spent the first day of the festival speaking with different young women, trying to find any kind of spark with one of them, but was so far empty handed.
Times had certainly changed since the last festival, and the women were certainly more outgoing, flirty, independent and headstrong than the former festivals. While this would make things much more difficult in the long run, it also intrigued Alarick. He'd been alive for so long and acquired more knowledge than he had use for, that it was hard to find a bride who could keep him entertained. Maybe this year, he would find a woman who could keep up. Perhaps even match him in ways that more modest and traditional women had not. Speaking of which...
Alarick had been watching a dark haired beauty as she rode the bumper cars, when he heard a woman's voice over the crowd say the most peculiar string of words he'd ever heard. If I gave you one more, you'd be drunker than a backwoods priest at communion. The twang in the woman's voice was unfamiliar, and Alarick couldn't help but look around for the source, quickly forgetting the woman he'd been eyeing a moment before. As he weaved his way through the crowd, ignoring the flirty glances from a giggling group of co-eds, Alarick scanned the crowd. Even before he heard the woman speak again, his gaze landed on a beautiful blonde behind one of the pop-up bars. Part of him hoped that the voice that had piqued his interest belonged to this girl, and he made his way over towards her.
Unfortunately, the young woman had fallen silent as all her customers, or lack thereof, were tended to. Hanging back for a moment, Alarick grinned to himself a little as she poured herself a shot and tossed it back easily. If nothing else, the woman would make a good drinking buddy, he thought to himself as he continued his stroll over to the bar. Taking one of the empty stools, Alarick leaned an elbow on the bar and cocked his head to the side a little. "Feel like sharing one more of those with some company?" He asked, nodding to the empty shot glass the blonde had set down, and offering a mischievous smirk. It was the moment of truth, if the next few words out of this woman's mouth carried that southern drawl, then he had perhaps found a woman of interest. And if not... well, he could always have a little fun with this girl nonetheless.
nine lives
_amaranth_
...coffee_addict...
code by low fidelity.
Last edited:
_amaranth_
...coffee_addict...
code by low fidelity.
Last edited:
apolla
❛ it's only love, nobody dies ❜
VICTORIA ZABIELSKI
If anyone really wanted to get a hold of Tori, they could just call her. She had no doubt that her father had given her phone number out to just about everyone he could, as long as it meant one less thing he had to worry about. Only Tori's father was not the type to not worry, hence the earlier phone call. Even though it had only lasted a few short minutes, that was enough to last Tori the whole day. There were times where she wondered why she'd even come back to Maple Grove, but then she remembered her life in Hollywood and she remembered. Even Maple Grove was better than that. Besides, she only planned on regrouping and coming up with another plan. Tori was a small town girl with big city dreams, and she was determined to make something of herself in this world, and that wasn't something she could do trapped in this town. Anyone who saw Tori could tell that she was a girl on a mission, and most people knew to just stay out of her way.
Summer was by far her favorite season. The ungodly hot weather aside, it was the season of freedom, and that's what Tori craved the most. Freedom to be who she wanted to be. Though if she were being honest with herself, that wasn't her top want in life. Yes she wanted to be herself, whoever she ended up being, but she wanted to be accepted for that version of herself. She was not blind to her faults: she was impatient, impulsive, stubborn as a bull and not afraid to speak her mind. These were all traits that had been pointed out to her her whole life. Traits that her father swore would make her a terrible wife, if she ever even found someone who would want to be tied to her forever. Honestly, his words were hurtful and they had lingered in Tori's mind her whole life.
But fine. She just wouldn't get married. She'd become a career woman while she was still young, and once she was famous she'd have people begging to spend their time with her. Ignoring the fact that she didn't fully believe that's what she really wanted, she just always shoved those thoughts aside. Shit, before she even started thinking about marriage she needed a boyfriend, and she definitely wasn't looking for one of those right now. Her most recent ex had been someone she met during her time outside of Maple Grove, but she'd realized too late he was not the type of man she wanted to be with. He was seedy and shady, dealing in all sorts of underground matters. Of course, she'd only found this out after showing up to his place once while he was in the middle of a drug deal.
That had been the final nail on the coffin, what had made her high tail it out of Hollywood and back to Maple Grove. That didn't change all of the things she'd done before that moment, but that time in her life was dead and would remain buried. Forever. With her headset still in place, she'd left the stage area to find a drink station. They were everywhere around town, to prevent people from getting dehydrated. She didn't need liquor, though she actually rather liked the idea of a shot right about now. Her fake ID was safely tucked in her wallet, though, back in her purse which she'd stupidly left hidden backstage. Fuck. Figuring that she'd settle for a water or even a lemonade for right now, she spotted one of the drink booths and angled her body to head in that direction.
She'd just stepped in line when she heard a male voice, and her eyes shifted from the menu above the booth to a man looking directly at her. “I don’t think this is the weather for such a frown, ma’am. It seems like this whole charade cannot put that satisfying smile on your face, am I right?” She couldn't help but stare at him, her lips slightly parted as though she were going to respond but nothing coming out. How had he...? Well, maybe her facial expression left little to the imagination. But still, not everyone would just call her out like that. Realizing he was probably looking for an answer and she was still staring, she snapped her lips shut and glanced back at the menu to give herself a moment. "This whole event is bullsh-" She started to say, when her father's ringtone started going off again from her pocket.
Her eyes shut for a moment as she pulled the device out, answering it without looking at the screen. "Yes, dad?" She asked, her voice clipped. "No, they're not here yet-- what do you mean, not coming? What the hell do you expect me to do about it? Finding a backup performer was not my- jesus christ. I don't-" She stopped abruptly again, pulling the phone away from her free ear, glancing down at the screen to see that the call had ended. And that was that. Something else was somehow her fault, and she'd never hear the end of it. Shoving the phone back into her pocket, she tore the headset off of her head. "As I said. This whole event is bullshit." She muttered, her words directed at the man from before. The line moved some and she followed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you having fun, though? So I can let daddy dearest know." Her tone implied that she didn't care much at all, though. After a moment, she sighed, looking down at the ground. "Sorry. I probably shouldn't take my shitty life out on a stranger."
Summer was by far her favorite season. The ungodly hot weather aside, it was the season of freedom, and that's what Tori craved the most. Freedom to be who she wanted to be. Though if she were being honest with herself, that wasn't her top want in life. Yes she wanted to be herself, whoever she ended up being, but she wanted to be accepted for that version of herself. She was not blind to her faults: she was impatient, impulsive, stubborn as a bull and not afraid to speak her mind. These were all traits that had been pointed out to her her whole life. Traits that her father swore would make her a terrible wife, if she ever even found someone who would want to be tied to her forever. Honestly, his words were hurtful and they had lingered in Tori's mind her whole life.
But fine. She just wouldn't get married. She'd become a career woman while she was still young, and once she was famous she'd have people begging to spend their time with her. Ignoring the fact that she didn't fully believe that's what she really wanted, she just always shoved those thoughts aside. Shit, before she even started thinking about marriage she needed a boyfriend, and she definitely wasn't looking for one of those right now. Her most recent ex had been someone she met during her time outside of Maple Grove, but she'd realized too late he was not the type of man she wanted to be with. He was seedy and shady, dealing in all sorts of underground matters. Of course, she'd only found this out after showing up to his place once while he was in the middle of a drug deal.
That had been the final nail on the coffin, what had made her high tail it out of Hollywood and back to Maple Grove. That didn't change all of the things she'd done before that moment, but that time in her life was dead and would remain buried. Forever. With her headset still in place, she'd left the stage area to find a drink station. They were everywhere around town, to prevent people from getting dehydrated. She didn't need liquor, though she actually rather liked the idea of a shot right about now. Her fake ID was safely tucked in her wallet, though, back in her purse which she'd stupidly left hidden backstage. Fuck. Figuring that she'd settle for a water or even a lemonade for right now, she spotted one of the drink booths and angled her body to head in that direction.
She'd just stepped in line when she heard a male voice, and her eyes shifted from the menu above the booth to a man looking directly at her. “I don’t think this is the weather for such a frown, ma’am. It seems like this whole charade cannot put that satisfying smile on your face, am I right?” She couldn't help but stare at him, her lips slightly parted as though she were going to respond but nothing coming out. How had he...? Well, maybe her facial expression left little to the imagination. But still, not everyone would just call her out like that. Realizing he was probably looking for an answer and she was still staring, she snapped her lips shut and glanced back at the menu to give herself a moment. "This whole event is bullsh-" She started to say, when her father's ringtone started going off again from her pocket.
Her eyes shut for a moment as she pulled the device out, answering it without looking at the screen. "Yes, dad?" She asked, her voice clipped. "No, they're not here yet-- what do you mean, not coming? What the hell do you expect me to do about it? Finding a backup performer was not my- jesus christ. I don't-" She stopped abruptly again, pulling the phone away from her free ear, glancing down at the screen to see that the call had ended. And that was that. Something else was somehow her fault, and she'd never hear the end of it. Shoving the phone back into her pocket, she tore the headset off of her head. "As I said. This whole event is bullshit." She muttered, her words directed at the man from before. The line moved some and she followed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Are you having fun, though? So I can let daddy dearest know." Her tone implied that she didn't care much at all, though. After a moment, she sighed, looking down at the ground. "Sorry. I probably shouldn't take my shitty life out on a stranger."
coded by natasha.
apolla
❛ it's only love, nobody dies ❜
ADRIAN BECK
It was safe to say that Adrian didn't have choosing a wife down to a science like one or two of the other kings. He went mostly by feeling, by the emotion he felt when he laid his eyes upon the woman he would choose. He'd had wives of all different shapes, sizes, hair colors, skin colors. He honestly wasn't picky, as long as she meshed well with him. He wasn't sure what it was that usually had him making his final decision; all he could say was that he felt it inside. Despite being immortal and despite the fact that he and his three brothers only visited one town every century or so, there was always someone for them to choose from. Adrian had wondered many times what it would be like or what would happen if they chose a different town. Would it really make that much of a difference? Maple Grove wasn't exactly a supernatural town, but it was the chosen town.
Hell, he didn't pretend to know everything. Walking through Maple Grove in the year 2020, he could see how things had changed over the course of time, same as it always did. He liked this ear, though. It was bright, colorful, and fun. It helped that summer was his season, because the 20s had been fun too, just in a different way. But people had become more open in the last century, and Adrian was happy about that. Still with doubt in his heart that he would find his eternal wife this time around, he was ready to mingle and see what Maple Grove had to offer this time around. Looking around, he saw many beautiful women. Mothers, daughters, family members and friends of all sorts surrounded him, enjoying the festival and the warm weather and the time spent with their loved ones.
He didn't expect to run into someone so soon, though. Or rather, have someone run into him. It seemed that neither one of them had been paying attention, though, and he quite literally knocked her drink and papers from her hands. He bent down to help her collect the ones he could, straightening and almost immediately noticing the stain on her pretty top. Glancing down at the stack of papers in his hands, he noticed they were flyers for a Marissa Locke, Realtor. And he knew this Marissa Locke was the woman in front of him, because her beautiful face smiled up at him from the flyers. Introducing himself as well, he handed her back the papers he was still holding onto, the smile on his face widening. There was something shining from within the woman before him, but the light was dimmed by a darkness surrounding her heart. A sadness in her eyes.
"Nice to meet you as well, Adrian... despite the circumstances." He noticed the politeness of the smile as she took the flyers, holding them against her chest. To protect the stain on her shirt? Or to protect her heart? "Yeah, a realtor... Are you in the market? Or just passing through?" Hearing her voice again, he tore his gaze from the flyers, realizing too late that he was staring in the general direction of her chest. Not that that was a bad thing, but he'd learned well enough over his lifetime that not every woman appreciated staring. But when his eyes met hers, she was smiling, her eyes studying him even as his studied her. "I've visited Maple Grove a few times in my lifetime, though I've never thought about settling here." He told her, which wasn't exactly a lie.
Deciding to change the subject, he looked again down at the stack of papers in her hands, a small frown appearing on his lips. "I really am sorry for... that." He nodded towards the stain hidden by the flyers. Looking up and around, he spotted a nearby booth selling clothing. "Let me replace it." He told her suddenly, placing a hand on the small of her back and turning her towards the booth. "You can't walk around all day with a stain on your shirt. I assume you're here to celebrate, same as everyone else, right? Well, what better way to celebrate than allowing the man who ruined your shirt to buy you a new one?" Gently leading her towards the booth, he glanced down at her as they got closer, his eyes lingering on her pretty face again before he spoke. "It's either that, or you can take mine."
His was already hanging open some, revealing some of the ink underneath of the shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing some of the ink on his arms as well. If he were to strip down, she would see he was inked all over, but thankfully for the general public, he left his clothes on. For now. "I'd say you could go home and change, but I'm afraid you might not come back to me if I let you leave." He winked as he released her, heading over to the racks of clothing. "What about this one?" Pulling a yellow item from the shelf, he turned and looked at her, then shook his head. "No, I don't like it. Come, come, Marissa. Pick one. And remember, mine is still an option." He grinned as he turned to face her again, drinking in her figure as he waited for her answer.
Hell, he didn't pretend to know everything. Walking through Maple Grove in the year 2020, he could see how things had changed over the course of time, same as it always did. He liked this ear, though. It was bright, colorful, and fun. It helped that summer was his season, because the 20s had been fun too, just in a different way. But people had become more open in the last century, and Adrian was happy about that. Still with doubt in his heart that he would find his eternal wife this time around, he was ready to mingle and see what Maple Grove had to offer this time around. Looking around, he saw many beautiful women. Mothers, daughters, family members and friends of all sorts surrounded him, enjoying the festival and the warm weather and the time spent with their loved ones.
He didn't expect to run into someone so soon, though. Or rather, have someone run into him. It seemed that neither one of them had been paying attention, though, and he quite literally knocked her drink and papers from her hands. He bent down to help her collect the ones he could, straightening and almost immediately noticing the stain on her pretty top. Glancing down at the stack of papers in his hands, he noticed they were flyers for a Marissa Locke, Realtor. And he knew this Marissa Locke was the woman in front of him, because her beautiful face smiled up at him from the flyers. Introducing himself as well, he handed her back the papers he was still holding onto, the smile on his face widening. There was something shining from within the woman before him, but the light was dimmed by a darkness surrounding her heart. A sadness in her eyes.
"Nice to meet you as well, Adrian... despite the circumstances." He noticed the politeness of the smile as she took the flyers, holding them against her chest. To protect the stain on her shirt? Or to protect her heart? "Yeah, a realtor... Are you in the market? Or just passing through?" Hearing her voice again, he tore his gaze from the flyers, realizing too late that he was staring in the general direction of her chest. Not that that was a bad thing, but he'd learned well enough over his lifetime that not every woman appreciated staring. But when his eyes met hers, she was smiling, her eyes studying him even as his studied her. "I've visited Maple Grove a few times in my lifetime, though I've never thought about settling here." He told her, which wasn't exactly a lie.
Deciding to change the subject, he looked again down at the stack of papers in her hands, a small frown appearing on his lips. "I really am sorry for... that." He nodded towards the stain hidden by the flyers. Looking up and around, he spotted a nearby booth selling clothing. "Let me replace it." He told her suddenly, placing a hand on the small of her back and turning her towards the booth. "You can't walk around all day with a stain on your shirt. I assume you're here to celebrate, same as everyone else, right? Well, what better way to celebrate than allowing the man who ruined your shirt to buy you a new one?" Gently leading her towards the booth, he glanced down at her as they got closer, his eyes lingering on her pretty face again before he spoke. "It's either that, or you can take mine."
His was already hanging open some, revealing some of the ink underneath of the shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing some of the ink on his arms as well. If he were to strip down, she would see he was inked all over, but thankfully for the general public, he left his clothes on. For now. "I'd say you could go home and change, but I'm afraid you might not come back to me if I let you leave." He winked as he released her, heading over to the racks of clothing. "What about this one?" Pulling a yellow item from the shelf, he turned and looked at her, then shook his head. "No, I don't like it. Come, come, Marissa. Pick one. And remember, mine is still an option." He grinned as he turned to face her again, drinking in her figure as he waited for her answer.
coded by natasha.
MadiRaiCat
Wine Aunt
Jolene
werewolf bride
nine lives
Last edited:
MadiRaiCat
Wine Aunt
Asher
elf king
nine lives
Desert_Blossom
Nobody's Perfect...
Marissa Locke
For the past four or so years, Marissa Locke had taken her new last name quite literally and kept the girl she'd once been locked away. It was much easier to reinvent herself than to deal with the pain that the old her went through. She'd lost the man she thought was going to be her future so young, before they even really had the chance to begin adulthood, and that had its effects. Marissa skipped what should have been the fun, adventurous years of her early twenties, and dove head first into working. Without a college degree, her options were a little more limited, but through a friend of her mother's, she landed an assistant position at a local real estate company. Without the distraction of a significant other or social life, Marissa easily climbed the ranks and earned her real estate license, eventually even branching off and creating her own business early last year.
Running a company had kept the blonde busy, and what free time she had was often spent babysitting her niece or nephew and avoiding being set up with guys from town by her sister. According to her family, it was about time that Marissa tried opening herself up again to the possibility of finding new love- a sentiment that Mari did not share. The young woman never wanted to feel the heartbreak she had again, and the only way to ensure that was to never let anyone get close to her. Even casual relationships were too much, and as soon as Mari found herself getting attached to a man in town, she ended things. One night stands were one of the few releases that Marissa could handle though. Visitors offered a fun night or two without any strings attached, the promise that she wouldn't have to run into them again, and the comfort of knowing she couldn't get her heart broken.
Since Marissa had avoided the Maple Grove festival the past few years like the plague, it had never really occurred to her that the fair might be the perfect place to meet strangers who were just in town for the festivities. At least, not until she met the man who introduced himself as Adrian. His smile was contagious, and despite her initial annoyance at having her tea and papers knocked out of her hands, she couldn't help but return it. Marissa's flyers supplied Adrian with her name and profession, which was more than the guarded woman might have shared otherwise, though as his grin widened, she was thankful for said marketing.
When Marissa asked Adrian if he was looking to buy a house or just passing through, she was too busy taking in the sheer number of tattoos he had to notice his gaze trained a little lower than eye level. The man looked to be a walking canvas of intricate ink, which might have been intimidating if not for his warm demeanor. Maybe it was the few sips of spiked tea she'd managed to take before the spill, but this man seemed... radiant. Adrian's eyes lifted to meet hers, and her initial polite smile grew into a genuine one. I've visited Maple Grove a few times in my lifetime, though I've never thought about settling here. His answer broke her trance, and Marissa realized she'd gotten a little caught up.
"Well, if you ever change your mind, you know who to call..." The blonde half joked, pleased to hear that he didn't have any intentions of sticking around Maple Grove permanently, so she didn't have to run away quite yet. Adrian's gaze lowered as he apologized again, and Mari glanced down at her damp shirt too. She opened her mouth to offer her own apology for bumping into him as well, but he continued talking, offering to replace her shirt. "Oh, um, that really isn't..." The blonde started to reply, before his warm hand was suddenly on her back, turning her in direction of the clothing booth. You can't walk around all day with a stain on your shirt. I assume you're here to celebrate, same as everyone else, right? Well, what better way to celebrate than allowing the man who ruined your shirt to buy you a new one?
Marissa frowned for a moment, forgetting that this festival was supposed to be a celebration, at least for most people. "Right, celebrating..." She echoed softly, deciding it better to go along with his assumption than bring up a messy subject. Besides, Adrian was right about her not being able to walk around as she was. Even once the spill dried, she could hardly promote her business or babysit her niece later while her clothes smelled like whiskey. Glancing at the booth, Marissa let the tattooed man lead her over. She was about to insist that she could pay for a new outfit herself though, when he added- It's either that, or you can take mine.
Surprised by his flirty ultimatum, Marissa glanced up at him, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly as she briefly considered the option of relieving him of his shirt. It wasn't like the button up was being put to full use anyways, and Mari was curious as to how far the tattoos continued beneath the cloth... Wait, what was she thinking? An amused laugh escaped Marissa's lips as she realized how silly she was being, and she shook her head, dismissing the idea. "I think I'll let you keep it for now." Mari replied with a small grin, before the outgoing man continued to talk. I'd say you could go home and change, but I'm afraid you might not come back to me if I let you leave.
If not for Adrian's wink at the end of his statement, Marissa may have been concerned about the sentiment of his words and shown him that he wasn't in control of letting her do anything. However, he seemed to be teasing, and he released her right after that comment, so Mari ignored any red flags that might have otherwise been raised. Besides, a part of her also worried that if she left she wouldn't come back, and would later regret leaving this alluring stranger. Even if his choice of women's fashion was questionable as he held up a yellow tunic. Mari scrunched her nose and shook her head, and luckily Adrian also decided that it wasn't a good fit. Running her hand along a rack of clothes, Marissa tried to find something that wasn't entirely out of the realm of what she'd wear. Her shirt had suffered most of the damage, but her white shorts hadn't escaped entirely unscathed, so a dress was the most economic choice for now.
Come, come, Marissa. Pick one. And remember, mine is still an option. Marissa looked over at Adrian at his urging for her to pick something, and she laughed again at his reminder. "I'm starting to think you just want an excuse to ditch your shirt..." She teased, pulling a sundress from the rack and holding it up to herself for a moment. It was simple, yet cute, reasonably priced, and would do nicely in the warm weather. "And as tempting as it is, I think I'd need to borrow it longer than you're willing to part with it." She added as she walked by him, disappearing into the curtained off area that served as a small changing room. It only took a minute or two for her to discard her clothes and slip the new dress on instead.
Re-emerging from the dressing room, Marissa smiled a little awkwardly. "Alright, I think I’m going with this one... But you honestly don’t have to buy it. I should have been paying better attention." She insisted, carrying her other outfit with her as she walked over to the woman who ran the booth. It was the same woman who had tried to goad her into purchasing something minutes earlier. Looks like the lady got her wish. “I’ll be wearing this out, but can I still get a bag?” She asked, gesturing to the clothes in hand she hoped a little stain remover would fix once she did return home. “Should have known better than to wear white.” Mari sighed.
Running a company had kept the blonde busy, and what free time she had was often spent babysitting her niece or nephew and avoiding being set up with guys from town by her sister. According to her family, it was about time that Marissa tried opening herself up again to the possibility of finding new love- a sentiment that Mari did not share. The young woman never wanted to feel the heartbreak she had again, and the only way to ensure that was to never let anyone get close to her. Even casual relationships were too much, and as soon as Mari found herself getting attached to a man in town, she ended things. One night stands were one of the few releases that Marissa could handle though. Visitors offered a fun night or two without any strings attached, the promise that she wouldn't have to run into them again, and the comfort of knowing she couldn't get her heart broken.
Since Marissa had avoided the Maple Grove festival the past few years like the plague, it had never really occurred to her that the fair might be the perfect place to meet strangers who were just in town for the festivities. At least, not until she met the man who introduced himself as Adrian. His smile was contagious, and despite her initial annoyance at having her tea and papers knocked out of her hands, she couldn't help but return it. Marissa's flyers supplied Adrian with her name and profession, which was more than the guarded woman might have shared otherwise, though as his grin widened, she was thankful for said marketing.
When Marissa asked Adrian if he was looking to buy a house or just passing through, she was too busy taking in the sheer number of tattoos he had to notice his gaze trained a little lower than eye level. The man looked to be a walking canvas of intricate ink, which might have been intimidating if not for his warm demeanor. Maybe it was the few sips of spiked tea she'd managed to take before the spill, but this man seemed... radiant. Adrian's eyes lifted to meet hers, and her initial polite smile grew into a genuine one. I've visited Maple Grove a few times in my lifetime, though I've never thought about settling here. His answer broke her trance, and Marissa realized she'd gotten a little caught up.
"Well, if you ever change your mind, you know who to call..." The blonde half joked, pleased to hear that he didn't have any intentions of sticking around Maple Grove permanently, so she didn't have to run away quite yet. Adrian's gaze lowered as he apologized again, and Mari glanced down at her damp shirt too. She opened her mouth to offer her own apology for bumping into him as well, but he continued talking, offering to replace her shirt. "Oh, um, that really isn't..." The blonde started to reply, before his warm hand was suddenly on her back, turning her in direction of the clothing booth. You can't walk around all day with a stain on your shirt. I assume you're here to celebrate, same as everyone else, right? Well, what better way to celebrate than allowing the man who ruined your shirt to buy you a new one?
Marissa frowned for a moment, forgetting that this festival was supposed to be a celebration, at least for most people. "Right, celebrating..." She echoed softly, deciding it better to go along with his assumption than bring up a messy subject. Besides, Adrian was right about her not being able to walk around as she was. Even once the spill dried, she could hardly promote her business or babysit her niece later while her clothes smelled like whiskey. Glancing at the booth, Marissa let the tattooed man lead her over. She was about to insist that she could pay for a new outfit herself though, when he added- It's either that, or you can take mine.
Surprised by his flirty ultimatum, Marissa glanced up at him, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly as she briefly considered the option of relieving him of his shirt. It wasn't like the button up was being put to full use anyways, and Mari was curious as to how far the tattoos continued beneath the cloth... Wait, what was she thinking? An amused laugh escaped Marissa's lips as she realized how silly she was being, and she shook her head, dismissing the idea. "I think I'll let you keep it for now." Mari replied with a small grin, before the outgoing man continued to talk. I'd say you could go home and change, but I'm afraid you might not come back to me if I let you leave.
If not for Adrian's wink at the end of his statement, Marissa may have been concerned about the sentiment of his words and shown him that he wasn't in control of letting her do anything. However, he seemed to be teasing, and he released her right after that comment, so Mari ignored any red flags that might have otherwise been raised. Besides, a part of her also worried that if she left she wouldn't come back, and would later regret leaving this alluring stranger. Even if his choice of women's fashion was questionable as he held up a yellow tunic. Mari scrunched her nose and shook her head, and luckily Adrian also decided that it wasn't a good fit. Running her hand along a rack of clothes, Marissa tried to find something that wasn't entirely out of the realm of what she'd wear. Her shirt had suffered most of the damage, but her white shorts hadn't escaped entirely unscathed, so a dress was the most economic choice for now.
Come, come, Marissa. Pick one. And remember, mine is still an option. Marissa looked over at Adrian at his urging for her to pick something, and she laughed again at his reminder. "I'm starting to think you just want an excuse to ditch your shirt..." She teased, pulling a sundress from the rack and holding it up to herself for a moment. It was simple, yet cute, reasonably priced, and would do nicely in the warm weather. "And as tempting as it is, I think I'd need to borrow it longer than you're willing to part with it." She added as she walked by him, disappearing into the curtained off area that served as a small changing room. It only took a minute or two for her to discard her clothes and slip the new dress on instead.
Re-emerging from the dressing room, Marissa smiled a little awkwardly. "Alright, I think I’m going with this one... But you honestly don’t have to buy it. I should have been paying better attention." She insisted, carrying her other outfit with her as she walked over to the woman who ran the booth. It was the same woman who had tried to goad her into purchasing something minutes earlier. Looks like the lady got her wish. “I’ll be wearing this out, but can I still get a bag?” She asked, gesturing to the clothes in hand she hoped a little stain remover would fix once she did return home. “Should have known better than to wear white.” Mari sighed.
nine lives
Last edited:
Desert_Blossom
Nobody's Perfect...
Alarick Vernon
Over the centuries, Alarick had interacted with millions of people from all walks of life. However, no matter how much he tried, he just never could get used to being in crowds. He hated it, to be honest, but maybe that was just the lone wolf in him. He didn't mind small groups, his pack mentality allowing him to put up with a select number of people, but overall, the chaos of masses of strangers was draining. Prior to the festivals in Maple Grove that the brothers had to attend every 100 years, Alarick would disappear into the woods for a few weeks, to recharge his social battery and prepare himself for the onslaught of interactions that would be necessary to find his next bride. He didn't mind talking to the women who caught his interest so much, but he could do without the hoards of friendly townsfolk that stood between him and them.
The previous day, Alarick had kept out of the fray as much as possible. Lurking in the few quiet areas of the fair, he'd found a handful of pretty women that had potential... but after a half hour or so of talking to each one, he usually was able to tell that they would not be a part of his future. While the werewolf was strategic in his game plan, aiming to find a match within the first day or two, he didn't really have a way to describe how he made the final selection. Some years it was just because the women made him laugh, other years because he found that he wasn't constantly checking the time with them, and once just because he was too tired to keep looking for anyone else. That was 50 or so years wasted, but wasn't like he was running short on time.
After the unfortunate end with his last wife though, Alarick was particularly on edge about picking his bride this year. Or, at least he had been. His standards were very high this festival, and he tried to tell him not to rush into anything. He had a week to decide, he needed to make sure this next woman wasn't going to go off the deep end again... for the sake of the seasons. Despite his caution though, when the voice of a young woman caught his ear, Alarick's plans to not rush into anything were quickly forgotten.
The voice had fallen silent, but after a scan of the crowd, Alarick took a gamble that it belonged to the pretty bartender. At least, the voice had come from that direction and though her dialect was a little, well, unique, it sounded like something that a bartender would say to a customer. Taking a seat, the dark haired man hadn't meant to startle the blonde when he asked if she'd join him for a drink, but she yelped in surprise nonetheless. Goodness gracious! You almost gave me a heart attack! Ain't your mama ever teach you never to sneak up on a lady in thought?
Yep. This was the woman he was looking for alright- in more ways than one. Alarick couldn't help the large grin that spread across his face, and he chuckled, holding his hands up apologetically. "Sorry, sorry..." He replied, not blind to the once over Jo gave him. "I suppose I must have missed that lesson. Didn't mean to startle you." Even if the entity that was considered Alarick and his brother's "mother" had taught them all manners in their younger years, those days were long forgotten. Truly, Alarick wasn't even sure if he had what one might consider a childhood. He hardly counted himself as having a mother even, but he wasn't going to divulge that right now.
Despite her scare, the blonde woman agreed to have one more shot with Al, much to his satisfaction. He was curious about her comment about her father, but decided to save his question for a later time if they continued to get along. She slide a shot of whiskey over to him, and he raised it. "To your father's fine teachings, then." He toasted as she clinked her glass against his. Alarick watched her for a moment as she tossed back the second shot just as easily as the first, before he swallowed his as well.
Savoring the slight burn at the back of his throat, Alarick drank Jo in as she leaned against the counter. He'd been rather transfixed by the way she spoke up to this point, but her looks were just as beguiling. Her hazel eyes were fixed on him, and Al had a feeling that he wouldn't get tired of looking at those eyes should he bring her home with him. Had she not been looking at him intently, he might have let his gaze roam all over her, but he didn't want to be rude. Not if she could potentially be his next bride. So, stranger. You aren't one of my regulars. Can't say I've seen you around these parts before either. Visiting from out of town, or are you bar shy townie?
Alarick leaned forward on the counter as well, mirroring Jo's action, propping himself up on one elbow. "I've never been called bar shy in my life." He smirked. "I'm just visiting for the week." He added, turning to look at the festival for a moment. "Just can't seem to stay away from the festivities." He said, a little sarcastically, before turning back to Jo. "Though it doesn't sound like you're from around here either... You been in Maple Grove long Miss...?" He asked, leaving a silence for Jo to fill in her name. "What brought you here?"
It was a relief that despite all the people at the fairgrounds, the early hours of the afternoon made the bar a small oasis. With any luck, the lull would continue and Al could use the relative quiet atmosphere to get to know the blonde woman. He already had a feeling that his search would end with her, but he wasn't cashing in his chips quite yet. He still hadn't determined if she was single or in a relationship. If the latter, Alarick would likely have to move on. Despite his questionable choices for other things, he didn't want to break up a relationship. He did have some morals.
The previous day, Alarick had kept out of the fray as much as possible. Lurking in the few quiet areas of the fair, he'd found a handful of pretty women that had potential... but after a half hour or so of talking to each one, he usually was able to tell that they would not be a part of his future. While the werewolf was strategic in his game plan, aiming to find a match within the first day or two, he didn't really have a way to describe how he made the final selection. Some years it was just because the women made him laugh, other years because he found that he wasn't constantly checking the time with them, and once just because he was too tired to keep looking for anyone else. That was 50 or so years wasted, but wasn't like he was running short on time.
After the unfortunate end with his last wife though, Alarick was particularly on edge about picking his bride this year. Or, at least he had been. His standards were very high this festival, and he tried to tell him not to rush into anything. He had a week to decide, he needed to make sure this next woman wasn't going to go off the deep end again... for the sake of the seasons. Despite his caution though, when the voice of a young woman caught his ear, Alarick's plans to not rush into anything were quickly forgotten.
The voice had fallen silent, but after a scan of the crowd, Alarick took a gamble that it belonged to the pretty bartender. At least, the voice had come from that direction and though her dialect was a little, well, unique, it sounded like something that a bartender would say to a customer. Taking a seat, the dark haired man hadn't meant to startle the blonde when he asked if she'd join him for a drink, but she yelped in surprise nonetheless. Goodness gracious! You almost gave me a heart attack! Ain't your mama ever teach you never to sneak up on a lady in thought?
Yep. This was the woman he was looking for alright- in more ways than one. Alarick couldn't help the large grin that spread across his face, and he chuckled, holding his hands up apologetically. "Sorry, sorry..." He replied, not blind to the once over Jo gave him. "I suppose I must have missed that lesson. Didn't mean to startle you." Even if the entity that was considered Alarick and his brother's "mother" had taught them all manners in their younger years, those days were long forgotten. Truly, Alarick wasn't even sure if he had what one might consider a childhood. He hardly counted himself as having a mother even, but he wasn't going to divulge that right now.
Despite her scare, the blonde woman agreed to have one more shot with Al, much to his satisfaction. He was curious about her comment about her father, but decided to save his question for a later time if they continued to get along. She slide a shot of whiskey over to him, and he raised it. "To your father's fine teachings, then." He toasted as she clinked her glass against his. Alarick watched her for a moment as she tossed back the second shot just as easily as the first, before he swallowed his as well.
Savoring the slight burn at the back of his throat, Alarick drank Jo in as she leaned against the counter. He'd been rather transfixed by the way she spoke up to this point, but her looks were just as beguiling. Her hazel eyes were fixed on him, and Al had a feeling that he wouldn't get tired of looking at those eyes should he bring her home with him. Had she not been looking at him intently, he might have let his gaze roam all over her, but he didn't want to be rude. Not if she could potentially be his next bride. So, stranger. You aren't one of my regulars. Can't say I've seen you around these parts before either. Visiting from out of town, or are you bar shy townie?
Alarick leaned forward on the counter as well, mirroring Jo's action, propping himself up on one elbow. "I've never been called bar shy in my life." He smirked. "I'm just visiting for the week." He added, turning to look at the festival for a moment. "Just can't seem to stay away from the festivities." He said, a little sarcastically, before turning back to Jo. "Though it doesn't sound like you're from around here either... You been in Maple Grove long Miss...?" He asked, leaving a silence for Jo to fill in her name. "What brought you here?"
It was a relief that despite all the people at the fairgrounds, the early hours of the afternoon made the bar a small oasis. With any luck, the lull would continue and Al could use the relative quiet atmosphere to get to know the blonde woman. He already had a feeling that his search would end with her, but he wasn't cashing in his chips quite yet. He still hadn't determined if she was single or in a relationship. If the latter, Alarick would likely have to move on. Despite his questionable choices for other things, he didn't want to break up a relationship. He did have some morals.
nine lives
_amaranth_
...coffee_addict...
code by low fidelity.
_amaranth_
...coffee_addict...
code by low fidelity.
apolla
❛ it's only love, nobody dies ❜
VICTORIA ZABIELSKI
When she'd woken up that morning, Tori had just laid there in her bed for some time, wondering if she even wanted to get up. She had no doubt her father was already gone, and once she'd managed to drag herself out of bed and to the kitchen she found a note from him stating as much. The note was also a reminder of what her own duties were for the day, and she had scrunched up her nose after reading it, balling it up and throwing it in the trash can. She already knew what she needed to do, because he'd been drilling it into her mind for weeks now. He'd acted like putting her in charge of the music portion of the festival was a favor to her, because he "knew how much she enjoyed music". Well while that much was true, she also knew he wasn't doing this as any favor to her. He hated loud music, and live concerts were right there on top of the list. If he didn't have to deal with it, well, that was just one less thing on his plate. But of course, the man couldn't stop himself from being overbearing, could he?
While being angry with herself for leaving her purse and ID back by the stage, someone called her out on her sour expression and she couldn't help the look of surprise that flitted across her face. Looking at the man addressing her, she felt her heart rate pick up some, which definitely wasn't like her. She wasn't blind to attractive men, and the one standing in the line in front of her definitely fell into that category. But Tori didn't normally feel the quickening of her heart, or the slight tremor that coursed through her body. Telling herself it was just because of his bold words, she snapped her lips shut from where her mouth had fallen slightly open. But before they could get into too deep of a conversation, her phone was ringing, and it was none other than daddy dearest. Once again, the call was short, leaving her feeling as though she was the one at fault for something going wrong at his precious festival.
She could practically feel the venom in her next words directed at the stranger, and less than a minute later she was dropping her head and apologizing. Even the apology had some bite to it, but definitely less than before. Tori wasn't heartless, and she did feel bad for taking her anger out on him. Figuring that'd be the end of it, as usual, she looked back up when she heard him actually agree with her. Once again, a look of surprise settled on her features, though it relaxed into one of amusement when he echoed her sentiment about her father, and a small laugh even tumbled from her lips. Lifting a hand to cover her mouth, she shook her head, removing her hand when she heard him take a few steps in her direction. Yet again her heart skipped a beat and she nearly fell over from that right there.
“You’re fine. I don’t mind listening if you need to vent. Maybe over something much better than water though?” Managing to recover, she tilted her head as she tilted it back some to look up at him. “It seems like neither of us wants to be here so what would you say if I asked you for a drink away from this circus?” Her eyes flicked towards the drink booth, though they landed back on him a second later. It seemed she'd forgotten how to English, and that was definitely a first. “Can I ask what your name is? In that case, we won’t be strangers anymore and you don’t have to feel bad about taking your shitty life on a stranger. I’m Arthur. Pleasure to meet you.”
Tori didn't know what it was about the stranger in front of her that had her shaken and intrigued at the same time. Maybe because he'd called her out like some people who'd known her years still wouldn't do? Or because he seemed to be honest about this festival and didn't want to be here either? Or was it simply because he was incredibly nice to look at? Though that last one didn't seem right, she'd definitely hooked up with some lookers before. So that couldn't be it. Right? Realizing again that he was waiting for her to answer, she shoved all of her questions from her mind and shifted her weight to one side. "Victoria." She told him simply. "But please call me Tori. I hate my full name." A small smile curled her lips upwards, and she closed the distance between them, linking her arm through his. "You're speaking my language, Arthur. Come with me to grab my purse?"
Without waiting for an answer, she tugged him from the line, forgetting about her want for water entirely. They walked in silence back to the stage, where Tori finally released his arm and held up one finger. "One second. It's backstage." She smiled at him again before she disappeared around the back, finding her purse exactly where she'd hidden it. Throwing it over her arm, she walked back around, glancing down at the headset in her hands. Her path shifted some, and instead of returning directly to Arthur, she headed for the soundcheck guys. "Here." She tossed the headset on a table, enjoying the surprised looks the guys gave her. "You can tell my father I quit." She chirped before she spun on her heel and marched back out of the area, finding Arthur where she'd left him. Returning to his side felt natural, but she ignored that as she peered up at him again. "Shall we?"
While being angry with herself for leaving her purse and ID back by the stage, someone called her out on her sour expression and she couldn't help the look of surprise that flitted across her face. Looking at the man addressing her, she felt her heart rate pick up some, which definitely wasn't like her. She wasn't blind to attractive men, and the one standing in the line in front of her definitely fell into that category. But Tori didn't normally feel the quickening of her heart, or the slight tremor that coursed through her body. Telling herself it was just because of his bold words, she snapped her lips shut from where her mouth had fallen slightly open. But before they could get into too deep of a conversation, her phone was ringing, and it was none other than daddy dearest. Once again, the call was short, leaving her feeling as though she was the one at fault for something going wrong at his precious festival.
She could practically feel the venom in her next words directed at the stranger, and less than a minute later she was dropping her head and apologizing. Even the apology had some bite to it, but definitely less than before. Tori wasn't heartless, and she did feel bad for taking her anger out on him. Figuring that'd be the end of it, as usual, she looked back up when she heard him actually agree with her. Once again, a look of surprise settled on her features, though it relaxed into one of amusement when he echoed her sentiment about her father, and a small laugh even tumbled from her lips. Lifting a hand to cover her mouth, she shook her head, removing her hand when she heard him take a few steps in her direction. Yet again her heart skipped a beat and she nearly fell over from that right there.
“You’re fine. I don’t mind listening if you need to vent. Maybe over something much better than water though?” Managing to recover, she tilted her head as she tilted it back some to look up at him. “It seems like neither of us wants to be here so what would you say if I asked you for a drink away from this circus?” Her eyes flicked towards the drink booth, though they landed back on him a second later. It seemed she'd forgotten how to English, and that was definitely a first. “Can I ask what your name is? In that case, we won’t be strangers anymore and you don’t have to feel bad about taking your shitty life on a stranger. I’m Arthur. Pleasure to meet you.”
Tori didn't know what it was about the stranger in front of her that had her shaken and intrigued at the same time. Maybe because he'd called her out like some people who'd known her years still wouldn't do? Or because he seemed to be honest about this festival and didn't want to be here either? Or was it simply because he was incredibly nice to look at? Though that last one didn't seem right, she'd definitely hooked up with some lookers before. So that couldn't be it. Right? Realizing again that he was waiting for her to answer, she shoved all of her questions from her mind and shifted her weight to one side. "Victoria." She told him simply. "But please call me Tori. I hate my full name." A small smile curled her lips upwards, and she closed the distance between them, linking her arm through his. "You're speaking my language, Arthur. Come with me to grab my purse?"
Without waiting for an answer, she tugged him from the line, forgetting about her want for water entirely. They walked in silence back to the stage, where Tori finally released his arm and held up one finger. "One second. It's backstage." She smiled at him again before she disappeared around the back, finding her purse exactly where she'd hidden it. Throwing it over her arm, she walked back around, glancing down at the headset in her hands. Her path shifted some, and instead of returning directly to Arthur, she headed for the soundcheck guys. "Here." She tossed the headset on a table, enjoying the surprised looks the guys gave her. "You can tell my father I quit." She chirped before she spun on her heel and marched back out of the area, finding Arthur where she'd left him. Returning to his side felt natural, but she ignored that as she peered up at him again. "Shall we?"
coded by natasha.
apolla
❛ it's only love, nobody dies ❜
ADRIAN BECK
While Adrian walked around the festival checking out the women (hey, he had a legitimate reason to do so) he couldn't help but marvel over the changes in the last hundred years. The world had definitely grown more colorful over the years, especially when it came to the humans. Though he might not seem the type, Adrian did take time to enjoy the little things in the world, even nature. Even in the coldest of months, Adrian could appreciate an intricate snowflake or the serenity of a fresh blanket of snow. That didn't make winter his favorite season, not by a long shot, but he could appreciate it. The summer months were much more his speed, which was good, considering those were the months he ruled over. A small part of him had always wondered if he was chosen for the season, or if the season chose him. He'd never asked Mother Nature about it, nor had he brought it up with his brothers. They each seemed to fit their time of the year so well, and there was definitely no changing things, so why ask?
He definitely didn't expect to run into someone he would be so interested in right away, though. He could tell as soon as he laid eyes on Marissa that she was someone he wanted to spend more time with. The realtor was strikingly beautiful, and had to have a brain in that pretty head of hers to do such a job, he was sure. He could tell by looking into her eyes that she was more than a little closed off, though, which could go in a few different directions if he chose to pursue her. Worst case scenario, he would choose her to become his wife and she would close herself off to him completely, and die a slow, painful death as she wasted away being his queen. The thought saddened him, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, she could blossom into a beautiful flower if watered properly. The most beautiful flowers survived in the heat of the summer, and he just knew in his heart of hearts she would be that most beautiful flower, if she wanted.
She didn't pick up on anything odd about him having visited a few times, but then again, he didn't expect her to. He watched as her eyes scanned his visible tattoos, and he had to bite his tongue to keep himself from offering to let her see the rest of them. He could feel his grin growing on his face when she joked with him about calling her if he ever needed a place. Leaning forward, he swiped one of the flyers from the stack he'd given her back, his eyes flicking down to the paper again. "This your personal number, or an office number?" He teased, folding the paper and tucking it into his back pocket for safe keeping. After this week he wouldn't be needing her number, but the sentiment and the flirting was there, which was something he felt like he was pretty good at. When he offered to buy her something new to wear, he refused to listen to her as she started to decline, turning her and gently nudging her towards a clothing booth anyway.
He did glance down at her when she echoed his word about celebrating, feeling a glimmer of what she hid behind those high walls. But he didn't press, just decided to keep the conversation light, offering her his shirt if she didn't want him to buy her anything new. He liked the laugh that escaped her as she told him he could keep it, for now. "For now." He echoed her words suggestively, smirking as he released her after adding a little more flirting to the conversation. He moved to the racks of clothing first, almost immediately second guessing the first choice he made as he picked up something bright yellow. She didn't seem to like it either, so he wrinkled his nose as he placed it back on the rack, turning to see Marissa searching the racks herself now. He stepped out of someone else's way, just watching the girl as she browsed the racks of clothing. It was such a simple task, but one that he liked watching her do, watching the different emotions flick across her face.
He laughed when she mentioned he might just be looking for a reason to ditch his shirt, the sound a deep, rumbling sound. "Maybe I am." He crossed his arms over his broad chest, looking at the sundress she picked out. "And how do you know how long I want to part with my shirt?" He asked her, his hand darting out to brush over her waist as she passed him to head into the changing tent. When she returned, dressed in the new dress, he let out a low whistle. "You definitely have better taste than I." He told her, his tone teasing again as they headed to find the woman to pay. He waved off her words about not having to buy the dress, reaching into his pocket to pull out some loose bills. Money wasn't really an issue for the seasons. Not that they could magically conjure it or anything, but Mother Nature made sure that her 'sons' knew how to take care of themselves in any world. He handed the bills to the woman before Mari could make any move to pay.
Once the woman handed over a bag and they were done with the transaction, Adrian placed his hand on Mari's back again, leading her from the tent. His arm slipped a little lower after they'd left, sliding around her waist as he looked around the festival. "So you're telling me, Marissa Locke, that you only came here to work?" Letting his eyes land back on her again, he moved so that he was standing in front of her. "Not to have fun? And if you try to tell me work is fun, I'm going to die right here, on this spot." He chuckled, stepping closer, but not close enough to spook her. Hopefully. "Come on. Tell me where you need to get rid of those, and we're going to actually put a smile on her face." He gestured to the papers in her hand, then looked out at the festival grounds again. "There's a whole world of fun out there, waiting for you."
He definitely didn't expect to run into someone he would be so interested in right away, though. He could tell as soon as he laid eyes on Marissa that she was someone he wanted to spend more time with. The realtor was strikingly beautiful, and had to have a brain in that pretty head of hers to do such a job, he was sure. He could tell by looking into her eyes that she was more than a little closed off, though, which could go in a few different directions if he chose to pursue her. Worst case scenario, he would choose her to become his wife and she would close herself off to him completely, and die a slow, painful death as she wasted away being his queen. The thought saddened him, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, she could blossom into a beautiful flower if watered properly. The most beautiful flowers survived in the heat of the summer, and he just knew in his heart of hearts she would be that most beautiful flower, if she wanted.
She didn't pick up on anything odd about him having visited a few times, but then again, he didn't expect her to. He watched as her eyes scanned his visible tattoos, and he had to bite his tongue to keep himself from offering to let her see the rest of them. He could feel his grin growing on his face when she joked with him about calling her if he ever needed a place. Leaning forward, he swiped one of the flyers from the stack he'd given her back, his eyes flicking down to the paper again. "This your personal number, or an office number?" He teased, folding the paper and tucking it into his back pocket for safe keeping. After this week he wouldn't be needing her number, but the sentiment and the flirting was there, which was something he felt like he was pretty good at. When he offered to buy her something new to wear, he refused to listen to her as she started to decline, turning her and gently nudging her towards a clothing booth anyway.
He did glance down at her when she echoed his word about celebrating, feeling a glimmer of what she hid behind those high walls. But he didn't press, just decided to keep the conversation light, offering her his shirt if she didn't want him to buy her anything new. He liked the laugh that escaped her as she told him he could keep it, for now. "For now." He echoed her words suggestively, smirking as he released her after adding a little more flirting to the conversation. He moved to the racks of clothing first, almost immediately second guessing the first choice he made as he picked up something bright yellow. She didn't seem to like it either, so he wrinkled his nose as he placed it back on the rack, turning to see Marissa searching the racks herself now. He stepped out of someone else's way, just watching the girl as she browsed the racks of clothing. It was such a simple task, but one that he liked watching her do, watching the different emotions flick across her face.
He laughed when she mentioned he might just be looking for a reason to ditch his shirt, the sound a deep, rumbling sound. "Maybe I am." He crossed his arms over his broad chest, looking at the sundress she picked out. "And how do you know how long I want to part with my shirt?" He asked her, his hand darting out to brush over her waist as she passed him to head into the changing tent. When she returned, dressed in the new dress, he let out a low whistle. "You definitely have better taste than I." He told her, his tone teasing again as they headed to find the woman to pay. He waved off her words about not having to buy the dress, reaching into his pocket to pull out some loose bills. Money wasn't really an issue for the seasons. Not that they could magically conjure it or anything, but Mother Nature made sure that her 'sons' knew how to take care of themselves in any world. He handed the bills to the woman before Mari could make any move to pay.
Once the woman handed over a bag and they were done with the transaction, Adrian placed his hand on Mari's back again, leading her from the tent. His arm slipped a little lower after they'd left, sliding around her waist as he looked around the festival. "So you're telling me, Marissa Locke, that you only came here to work?" Letting his eyes land back on her again, he moved so that he was standing in front of her. "Not to have fun? And if you try to tell me work is fun, I'm going to die right here, on this spot." He chuckled, stepping closer, but not close enough to spook her. Hopefully. "Come on. Tell me where you need to get rid of those, and we're going to actually put a smile on her face." He gestured to the papers in her hand, then looked out at the festival grounds again. "There's a whole world of fun out there, waiting for you."
coded by natasha.
MadiRaiCat
Wine Aunt
Jolene
werewolf bride
nine lives
MadiRaiCat
Wine Aunt
Asher
elf king
nine lives
Desert_Blossom
Nobody's Perfect...
Marissa Locke
Marissa was no stranger to flirting. Though she hadn't needed to hone these particular skills until after James's death, they'd become necessary for successfully finding one night stands to keep her from turning into a celibate widow. Since the blonde didn't plan to, nor want to, spend much time getting to know the guys she hooked up with, flirtatious banter at a bar was about all her conversations consisted of. Rarely were any topics beyond surface level pleasantries breached, and when they were, Marissa usually diverted the discussion, or ended it entirely. Pillowtalk was nonexistent, and few men woke up to Miss Locke beside them the next morning. The men came and went, and Mari hardly gave them another thought afterwards. They were attractive, but as a rule, rather dull and forgettable. And as much as she was a stickler for sticking to her rules, she was already on her way to breaking at least a couple with Adrian.
The tattooed man was quite charming in a way that seemed effortless rather than forced, and definitely didn't fall into the category of "dull or forgettable". Marissa even found herself blushing at a few of his flirtier comments, which was another red flag that she was playing with fire. He had some kind of effect on her that she'd long forgotten was possible. And had Marissa not already discovered that Adrian had no intention of remaining in Maple Grove, she would have been heading for the hills alone instead of towards the dress boutique booth with Adrian.
When the blue eyed man offered his shirt up for the second time, Marissa couldn't help but teasingly call him out for it. His deep, rumbling laugh was warm and inviting and not one that Marissa would expect from a man who had spent so much time in the chair getting inked. Perhaps she was prejudiced, but her experience with long haired, tatted men usually wasn't so... carefree. Maybe I am... And how do you know how long I want to part with my shirt? Adrian's reply, coupled with the sensation of his hand brushing against her waist as Marissa walked to the makeshift dressing room made the blonde glance back at him for a moment. Goosebumps prickled her skin beneath her shift where his hand had grazed, and she tried to think of a quippy comeback, but her words failed her. Smiling a little as she simply shook her head in amusement, Marissa disappeared behind the curtain.
The blonde caught herself smiling in the mirror, and she quickly had to remind herself of the rules. No getting attached. For those two minutes she was alone in the dressing room, Marissa was just about able to convince herself that as soon as this outfit business was taken care of, she should just part ways with Adrian. It was safer, and for the best. Even if he wasn't staying in town, he was too charismatic. She'd start to like him and then he'd leave and she'd feel... Well, better not to find out how she’d feel.
Marissa's resolve did not last long though once she exited the dressing room and was in Adrian's presence once more. The blonde tried to ignore the whistle, just responding to it with a playful eye roll, and even was able to concede to letting Adrian pay since he insisted without faltering in her decision to part ways with him. His hand moved to her back once more to lead her from the tent, and Mari thanked him for the dress as she tried to conjure up words of farewell. However, by the time Adrian's arm found its way around her waist, the idea of running away suddenly seemed foolish. What was she afraid of? Having a nice afternoon?
So you're telling me, Marissa Locke, that you only came here to work? Not to have fun? And if you try to tell me work is fun, I'm going to die right here, on this spot.
Mari glanced down at the flyers before around them at the fair, a sheepish expression on her face forming as her gaze eventually turned back up to Adrian. "Well, yeah, but I..." She began, trying to find a way to explain herself without causing the rhetorical death of the man standing before her. He chuckled and stepped closer, continuing to speak and saving Mari from finishing her excuse. Come on. Tell me where you need to get rid of those, and we're going to actually put a smile on her face.
The blonde laughed a little when Adrian gestured to the flyers, staring down at her forced smile in the picture as she mulled over his declaration. A few minutes ago, Mari had decided to do the exact opposite of what she was about to... but it was so much easier to resist Adrian's charms when he wasn't standing feet, or was it inches now, away. "My company has a booth, just down a little further..." Mari replied, glancing back up to Adrian and turning the flyers over in her hand so her now obnoxious picture wasn't mocking her anymore. "I can just leave them with my assistant I suppose." Marissa wasn't entirely sure there was a whole world of fun out there waiting for her like Adrian mentioned, but she'd settle for an hour or two of fun with him at least. It had been a while since she loosened up a bit, and it would help keep her mind off of memories from the past haunting her while at the fair.
"This way then..." Mari smiled, gesturing for Adrian to follow after her as she started walking down the aisle of assorted booths on the way to her own. Having committed herself to actually trying to enjoy the fair now, the blonde allowed herself to expand her earlier tunnel vision to take in the sights and sounds of the festivities around her. She'd been numb to it all before, but maybe now she could find some good in it again.
"So... is this your first time at the festival? Or is it what brought you to town in the past?" She asked, glancing up to Adrian. "We usually get a lot of people in from out of town or state during this week each year... It can be a bit crazy, but it's great for business..." Mari added, gesturing to the flyers as if to excuse her earlier intentions of only coming here to work.
The tattooed man was quite charming in a way that seemed effortless rather than forced, and definitely didn't fall into the category of "dull or forgettable". Marissa even found herself blushing at a few of his flirtier comments, which was another red flag that she was playing with fire. He had some kind of effect on her that she'd long forgotten was possible. And had Marissa not already discovered that Adrian had no intention of remaining in Maple Grove, she would have been heading for the hills alone instead of towards the dress boutique booth with Adrian.
When the blue eyed man offered his shirt up for the second time, Marissa couldn't help but teasingly call him out for it. His deep, rumbling laugh was warm and inviting and not one that Marissa would expect from a man who had spent so much time in the chair getting inked. Perhaps she was prejudiced, but her experience with long haired, tatted men usually wasn't so... carefree. Maybe I am... And how do you know how long I want to part with my shirt? Adrian's reply, coupled with the sensation of his hand brushing against her waist as Marissa walked to the makeshift dressing room made the blonde glance back at him for a moment. Goosebumps prickled her skin beneath her shift where his hand had grazed, and she tried to think of a quippy comeback, but her words failed her. Smiling a little as she simply shook her head in amusement, Marissa disappeared behind the curtain.
The blonde caught herself smiling in the mirror, and she quickly had to remind herself of the rules. No getting attached. For those two minutes she was alone in the dressing room, Marissa was just about able to convince herself that as soon as this outfit business was taken care of, she should just part ways with Adrian. It was safer, and for the best. Even if he wasn't staying in town, he was too charismatic. She'd start to like him and then he'd leave and she'd feel... Well, better not to find out how she’d feel.
Marissa's resolve did not last long though once she exited the dressing room and was in Adrian's presence once more. The blonde tried to ignore the whistle, just responding to it with a playful eye roll, and even was able to concede to letting Adrian pay since he insisted without faltering in her decision to part ways with him. His hand moved to her back once more to lead her from the tent, and Mari thanked him for the dress as she tried to conjure up words of farewell. However, by the time Adrian's arm found its way around her waist, the idea of running away suddenly seemed foolish. What was she afraid of? Having a nice afternoon?
So you're telling me, Marissa Locke, that you only came here to work? Not to have fun? And if you try to tell me work is fun, I'm going to die right here, on this spot.
Mari glanced down at the flyers before around them at the fair, a sheepish expression on her face forming as her gaze eventually turned back up to Adrian. "Well, yeah, but I..." She began, trying to find a way to explain herself without causing the rhetorical death of the man standing before her. He chuckled and stepped closer, continuing to speak and saving Mari from finishing her excuse. Come on. Tell me where you need to get rid of those, and we're going to actually put a smile on her face.
The blonde laughed a little when Adrian gestured to the flyers, staring down at her forced smile in the picture as she mulled over his declaration. A few minutes ago, Mari had decided to do the exact opposite of what she was about to... but it was so much easier to resist Adrian's charms when he wasn't standing feet, or was it inches now, away. "My company has a booth, just down a little further..." Mari replied, glancing back up to Adrian and turning the flyers over in her hand so her now obnoxious picture wasn't mocking her anymore. "I can just leave them with my assistant I suppose." Marissa wasn't entirely sure there was a whole world of fun out there waiting for her like Adrian mentioned, but she'd settle for an hour or two of fun with him at least. It had been a while since she loosened up a bit, and it would help keep her mind off of memories from the past haunting her while at the fair.
"This way then..." Mari smiled, gesturing for Adrian to follow after her as she started walking down the aisle of assorted booths on the way to her own. Having committed herself to actually trying to enjoy the fair now, the blonde allowed herself to expand her earlier tunnel vision to take in the sights and sounds of the festivities around her. She'd been numb to it all before, but maybe now she could find some good in it again.
"So... is this your first time at the festival? Or is it what brought you to town in the past?" She asked, glancing up to Adrian. "We usually get a lot of people in from out of town or state during this week each year... It can be a bit crazy, but it's great for business..." Mari added, gesturing to the flyers as if to excuse her earlier intentions of only coming here to work.
nine lives
Desert_Blossom
Nobody's Perfect...
Alarick Vernon
When one has lived as long as Alarick and his brothers have, it is easy to take time and moments for granted. There is no need to stop and smell the roses, because Al had already smelled millions of them, literally and figuratively. The concept of enjoying something or being excited about something, at least to the werewolf, had lost its luster, with days and experiences just morphing into one long stretch of time. He liked things these days, and preferred things... but the idea of enjoying something, truly enjoying something, rarely entered his thoughts. Alarick just did things, not taking much time to check in about how he felt about them unless they annoyed or angered him, because in the long run feelings hadn't mattered much and more often than not, got in the way. To feel anything good just opened him up to feeling badly about whatever was likely to follow. Enjoyment was fleeting in his long life, the curse of having to watch so many people and the world around him die, inevitably ruining it.
At this moment however, Jolene's question made Alarick consider how he was feeling, and for the first time in a long time, he was having a rather good time amongst the humans. "To be honest, I was dreading this trip, but yeah, I suppose I would say that I'm enjoying town, now." Alarick replied, training his blue eyes on Jolene with a smirk. He absentmindedly spun the empty shot cup she'd poured for him earlier in his hands, needing something to occupy his fidgety spirit while he remained stationary at the bar. The werewolf wasn't necessarily against remaining still or in one place, particularly when out in a more natural or forest environment, but with all the surrounding commotion and his heightened senses, it put him a bit on edge. Not enough though to chase him away from his conversation with the beautiful blonde though.
"Tennessee, huh?" Alarick mused when Jo asked if he'd been there before. "Can't say that I have." He replied, his response mostly true. The last time Alarick had been through the area that was now considered Tennessee, it wasn't yet a state or been given it's modern moniker. And people certainly hadn't sounded like Jolene then either. It would hardly do to try explaining that to the blonde, so it was just easier to say he hadn't been. "But I do like the woods..." He joked, playing off of her idiom.
When Alarick inquired as to what brought Jolene to Maple Grove, she leaned in even more, lowering her voice. Al raised a curious eyebrow, intrigued by this secret that the young woman was going to share with him. Her close proximity also intrigued him though, and he couldn't help but let his gaze trace her features. Her long lashes framed her hazel eyes, and those lips of hers were so very tempting as they were pulled into a smirk. The bouquet of delicious scents wafting off of the woman did not help Alarick in his attempts to resist his more animalistic urges either, and the disposable shot glass crunched as it constricted under his firm grip. And this was all before Jo shared that she was also a badass.
I'm here on a job, a hunt of sorts. I find people that cops can't and deliver them. And there just so happens to be one of those people here in Maple Groves. A wide grin spread across Alarick's face as he didn't even try to hide his fascination with Jolene. This little blonde was just full of surprises. "A bounty hunter, huh? I imagine your father didn't think you'd become one of those either..." He chuckled a little, referring to her comment earlier about her father not thinking she'd be a bartender. "Well, I must say, if you were chasing me..." Alarick whispered, leaning even closer to Jolene, now only a few inches from her."... I might just let you catch me." And with that, Alarick extended his arm over the bar to drop the crunched shot glass into the waste bin, before leaning back onto his stool casually.
Jolene subsequently brought out two more glasses and poured more intoxicating amber liquid into each, much to Alarick's satisfaction. Her gaze met his, and he raised his glass in a silent toast to her before taking his first sip. He smiled, swallowing the bourbon when she offered her name. Jolene. She certainly was from Tennessee. "Well, Jo, I'm Al..." The werewolf replied, taking a second sip before putting the glass back down on the bar. His full name could wait, as half the time when women heard it they were curious about it's backstory and he wasn't quite in the mood for that song and dance right now.
"I imagine since you're here bartending and not out... pursuing other interests... that you are still on that hunt of yours? You think you're close to finding your guy?" Alarick inquired, trying to keep the conversation vague in case anyone passing by were to overhear. "Or does the festival have your schedule pretty busy for the week?" If he had to, Alarick would sit at this bar everyday to get to know Jolene more, but if there was a possibility of her not being cuffed to work everyday, he wanted to take advantage of her time off. He'd noticed her watching the festival patrons earlier, and had a feeling she could use a little fun herself at the fair.
At this moment however, Jolene's question made Alarick consider how he was feeling, and for the first time in a long time, he was having a rather good time amongst the humans. "To be honest, I was dreading this trip, but yeah, I suppose I would say that I'm enjoying town, now." Alarick replied, training his blue eyes on Jolene with a smirk. He absentmindedly spun the empty shot cup she'd poured for him earlier in his hands, needing something to occupy his fidgety spirit while he remained stationary at the bar. The werewolf wasn't necessarily against remaining still or in one place, particularly when out in a more natural or forest environment, but with all the surrounding commotion and his heightened senses, it put him a bit on edge. Not enough though to chase him away from his conversation with the beautiful blonde though.
"Tennessee, huh?" Alarick mused when Jo asked if he'd been there before. "Can't say that I have." He replied, his response mostly true. The last time Alarick had been through the area that was now considered Tennessee, it wasn't yet a state or been given it's modern moniker. And people certainly hadn't sounded like Jolene then either. It would hardly do to try explaining that to the blonde, so it was just easier to say he hadn't been. "But I do like the woods..." He joked, playing off of her idiom.
When Alarick inquired as to what brought Jolene to Maple Grove, she leaned in even more, lowering her voice. Al raised a curious eyebrow, intrigued by this secret that the young woman was going to share with him. Her close proximity also intrigued him though, and he couldn't help but let his gaze trace her features. Her long lashes framed her hazel eyes, and those lips of hers were so very tempting as they were pulled into a smirk. The bouquet of delicious scents wafting off of the woman did not help Alarick in his attempts to resist his more animalistic urges either, and the disposable shot glass crunched as it constricted under his firm grip. And this was all before Jo shared that she was also a badass.
I'm here on a job, a hunt of sorts. I find people that cops can't and deliver them. And there just so happens to be one of those people here in Maple Groves. A wide grin spread across Alarick's face as he didn't even try to hide his fascination with Jolene. This little blonde was just full of surprises. "A bounty hunter, huh? I imagine your father didn't think you'd become one of those either..." He chuckled a little, referring to her comment earlier about her father not thinking she'd be a bartender. "Well, I must say, if you were chasing me..." Alarick whispered, leaning even closer to Jolene, now only a few inches from her."... I might just let you catch me." And with that, Alarick extended his arm over the bar to drop the crunched shot glass into the waste bin, before leaning back onto his stool casually.
Jolene subsequently brought out two more glasses and poured more intoxicating amber liquid into each, much to Alarick's satisfaction. Her gaze met his, and he raised his glass in a silent toast to her before taking his first sip. He smiled, swallowing the bourbon when she offered her name. Jolene. She certainly was from Tennessee. "Well, Jo, I'm Al..." The werewolf replied, taking a second sip before putting the glass back down on the bar. His full name could wait, as half the time when women heard it they were curious about it's backstory and he wasn't quite in the mood for that song and dance right now.
"I imagine since you're here bartending and not out... pursuing other interests... that you are still on that hunt of yours? You think you're close to finding your guy?" Alarick inquired, trying to keep the conversation vague in case anyone passing by were to overhear. "Or does the festival have your schedule pretty busy for the week?" If he had to, Alarick would sit at this bar everyday to get to know Jolene more, but if there was a possibility of her not being cuffed to work everyday, he wanted to take advantage of her time off. He'd noticed her watching the festival patrons earlier, and had a feeling she could use a little fun herself at the fair.
nine lives
_amaranth_
...coffee_addict...
code by low fidelity.
_amaranth_
...coffee_addict...
code by low fidelity.
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