Realistic or Modern Westbrook

[Maree]

Belle


Belle hummed softly as she swung the chair back and forth. She had made the right decision coming up for the ski trip. Even if the trip there wasn't so great. It was turning out to be a great time. The smell of smoke in the air mixed with the cold. It was just so... Peaceful. A nice escape from reality. She could move up here. Live in a cozy little cabin with Oreo. Then again her pooch was lovely but couldn't beat human companionship. Maybe she could talk Drake into running away with her into the mountains. If only.

She was pulled by her thoughts as Drake spoke again. So there was something on his mind! She knew it. It took a few minutes before he spoke again. He sure seemed nervous. Hopefully, it didn't mean that he was going to bring up something bad. She nodded softly as he brought up her visiting her in the hospital. "I do" she confirmed, smiling softly. Oof, that hadn't been a great day. How could she not remember? She was very drunk and managed to get both Drake and Mason to yell at her. It was one of her more interesting ends of a birthday.

When he asked she took her hands from his and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "of course! I would do anything for you" she said. Oh, she had been worried that it was going to be something terrible. He wanted to get better. Oh dear. That must mean that he was still using or had been using? No use getting upset about him hiding that. He wanted to do better and that was all that mattered. "This isn't a cold, is it? Oh, love. We will get you through this" she told him, placing a kiss on his forehead.

Belle pulled out her phone and sent a few text messages to a few of the staff. Just a heads up that some people would be moving in and to get some rooms set up. They still had her old childhood things in the attic that could be used to set up a room for Ari. She figured that Mason wouldn't appreciate her buying all new decor. Even though she wanted to so badly. Some painting wouldn't hurt though? Maybe some new wallpaper? A feature wall with spiderman on it?! interior design was just her favourite thing. "Drake, do you happen to know Ari's favourite colour? I'm not buying things I promise. Just redecorating" she said, flashing her best puppy eyes.

Okay, she wanted to go home now. She probably shouldn't get too excited but she couldn't help it. It had been so lonely living alone that the idea of having people live with her. It filled her with such joy and excitement. She just wanted to channel it into doing something that she loved, decorating. "Sorry. I get a bit passionate about interior design" she blushed. Turning her phone off she shoved it into her bag. Then pulled out a small thermos, pouring a cup of tea. She handed it over to Drake. "It's ginger tea. Should help you feel a little better" she explained. Once he had taken a sip she poured her own cup. Things were going to get better. She would make sure of that.
Winona​

 

[High5ives]

Kanen trudged through the cabin, leaving a soggy trail as he went. His pants were still soaked, dripping water with each step. They were cold too, especially in the places where the water had actually managed to freeze, leaving patches of ice down the legs of the pants. His torso and arms were just as cold, burning just a little bit as he warmed up again in the cabin. Despite all this, Kanen didn’t bother with a warm shower. He didn’t even go through the trouble of changing out of his dripping pants. He just tossed on a t-shirt when he got back to his room, only for modesty’s sake.

He sank down to the floor, leaning his back up against the wall wall furthest from the door. He didn’t feel like doing much of anything at this point. Every time Kanen blew up, this was the aftermath. He wasn’t sad or upset. He was just numb. Emotionally empty. It felt like someone had put weights all over his body, holding him down in place. It was almost poetic. When Kanen blew, it was like a flame lit in his chest, engulfing him, drowning out anything else. And like a forest after a fire, nothing was left behind. A heart like ashes. Brittle, just waiting for a strong gust of wind to blow away into nothing.

Kanen sat there for long time with his back literally against the wall. He didn’t even really think about anything. He just stared at the other side of the room, looking at nothing. Thinking about nothing. Feeling nothing. If anything, Kanen just felt drained. He hadn’t even made it halfway through the day, and all Kanen wanted to do was go back to sleep. Just skip forward to the next day and start again. He could hear everyone else in the cabin getting up and mingling around the place, but Kanen was happy to be left alone. Right up until he wasn’t.

Hunter’s head popped into the doorway right after she’d knocked. She asked how he was doing, and the words hit Kanen like a whip. They stung. Part of Kanen wanted to just tell her. Let Hunter know how damaged he felt. Empty. Lonely. Numb. But at the same time, it felt inappropriate. It wasn’t her problem. Hunter was just some random girl he’d met on a ski trip, and for all Kanen knew, after this they’d never speak again. What was the point?

“I’m fine.” Kanen said. He didn’t move at all though, and his voice fell flat. He didn’t even look Hunter, his eyes just returned to the wall opposite of him. Going back to looking at a whole lot of nothing, for no reason at all. “Nice sweater.” Kanen followed up with. A pathetic attempt at humor. Even as he said the words, Kanen didn’t look at Hunter. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure whether he wanted her to stay or go.

txlos​

 

[PenguinFox]

​

Ian really did not want to be in this position but it clearly wasn't up to him. With his weight Kanen could do just about whatever he physically wanted to do. Throughout it all though Ian kept a calm face, blankly staring the guy down as he growled threats in his face. There were so many things he wanted to say just push a button or two, but Kanen didn't seem the type to not follow through with a threat, and as funny as it could have been, death was not optimal. Instead Ian remained silent, showing no emotion whatsoever, waiting for Kanen to decide to let him go.

In a moment the other girl, who still rudely hadn't introduced herself, was in Kanen's ear. It was then that things started to make more sense. Ian hadn't actually insulted the larger man, besides that first time anyway. His venom had been directed at the girl, yet captain Side-of-beef here was the one doing the menacing. He shouldn't have anymore quarrel with Ian, but calling out mystery girl caused one. Then at her word, he was releasing his death grip. Ian took mental note of this, it could be useful information later.

The second Ian hit the ground Nova had rushed over to him which for the most part Ian was really grateful for, but he also didn't want her anymore involved than she already was. The poor brunette had just gone through a break up, the last thing she needed was threats and yelling like that. Of course though she was more concerned with his state, asking if he was ok, what he was thinking, if he was crazy, the exact questions he knew people were going to ask him. He had to stifle his smile with how much Nova was fussing over him, it had been a while since anyone cared that much. She helped him to his feet where he looked Kanen in the eye. One corner of his mouth curled up just the slightest and he nodded to him. The kind of smile and nod that denoted the two had an understanding. They weren't necessarily even, but the matter was settled for now. He would have done a dramatic bow if it wasn't for the fact that doing so would be painful.

When Nova and Ian had gotten to the door he paused for a moment, looked back to Kanen and the girl whose backs were to him at the current moment, and in one last act of assholery gave a sarcastic three fingered wave goodbye. Once inside and the door shut he finally spoke up. "To answer your questions, in order, Yes I'm okay, I was thinking he should punch me, I have an idea of who he is, and yes I'm a little crazy." At the last he answer he gave her a small smile. He leaned against the wall for support and looked into her eyes. "Thank you." he said softly referring to the worry she seemed to have. He rested a hand over his stomach. "Probably going to bruise huh?" he started to chuckle but it turned into a coughing fit. Seeing worry in those hazel eyes. "Not that I need it, but just in case I do, do you maybe want to go find a first aid kit or something?" he didn't need one, he'd be fine, but he hated seeing that worry. People being worried about or sad for him didn't sit right with Ian. It just felt uncomfortable and wrong. So he sent her off on an errand. He felt kind of bad about it but they had only just met so there was no need for her to be that concerned right? "I promise I'll explain more later. I'm going to go stay near a group of people, safety in numbers as they say." with one last weak smile he slowly made his way over to the gathering of kids. Hopefully Nova would actually come back and not write him off as crazy and never speak to him again, he was getting kind of fond of her, and he was tired of that kind of thing happening to him.

Ian looked over the gathering of the barbeque going on. Couples and friend groups abound. It seemed Stu was manning the grill, which brought a smile to his face. Had the kid ever even cooked for himself let alone other people? At least Ian didn't need to eat now that his stomach was possibly crushed. Bright side. Near Stu was a familiar face to Ian; Ash. Again he slowly made his way over, one arm kept firmly over his abdomen in a protective way. "Hey, how's it going?" he said trying to not sound like he was in some pain. He flashed a grin to the two cooks. "Hey, nice aprons." he was trying to just go back to a normal Ian state, any inspiration he may have gotten from the adrenaline was lost with the anger at that mystery girl. High5ives txlos Winona

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

God, he looked drained. Hunter was well aware that she had only known the guy for twenty four hours, but she knew people well enough to know that. His body was slumped over, back pressed against the wall and arms hanging heavy as they rested upon his knees. Even his words seem to just fall to the ground, no real intention or emotion behind them. He looked as if he would wince if you were to touch him, and seeing someone like Kanen in that state made the blue eyed girl want to run over at just hug him. Hunter wasn't one to hug a stranger though, not unless she was given at least some sort of reassurance that she wasn't going to get pushed off.

With a small sigh, Hunter let herself into the room, pushing the door closed until she heard the affirmative 'click' that it was fully shut. She stepped quietly, as if a loud noise would startle the boy. That thought alone was semi amusing, Kanen being startled. He didn't seem like the type of guy to fear anything, not even the sound of roaring gunshots and screams could make him lose his hard exterior. Noises weren't one to scare Hunter either... feelings were. And hell, maybe Tats felt the same way.

She moved to sit directly in front of him, crossing her legs and setting the warm mug of black coffee on her ankles. And there she sat in silence, just looking at Kanen. It was obvious she knew nothing about him, but that didn't mean she didn't want to. And it was obvious that she had no idea how to comfort him, but that didn't mean she couldn't try. For now though, she was just enjoying looking at him. How his hair fell, how his tattoos looked in the dim, grey overcast lighting that shone in through the window. Kanen looked so calm, so vulnerable... so different than who he had been just an hour before out on the porch.

"What's goin' on in that head of yours, hot stuff?" The tone was semi-playful, but that was glazed over by the softness and care that cooed from Hunter's lips. If Kanen didn't want to talk, he wouldn't. Not like it would make her go anywhere. Sometimes being alone wasn't always a good thing. Testing her waters even more, she moved an inch closer to the boy, her knees barely brushing his legs. It amazed her how comfortable this was, and how eager she was to help. It wasn't like Hunter to want to help a stranger... but something inside was pulling her towards Kanen.

High5ives

 

[High5ives]

Kanen’s body didn’t move, but his eyes flicked off the wall and followed Hunter as she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. When she came to sit across from him, Kanen sat up a little bit, pulling his legs in towards himself to make more room on the floor. But still, Kanen didn’t say anything to her as she made herself comfortable in the room with him. What was there for him to say? Talk about the weather or their favorite sports teams? Yeah that’d be a joy. They could tell jokes and swap stories from the childhood, like a couple of normal teenagers maybe?

Kanen might’ve scoffed at the idea if he wasn’t so tired. But he was. Kanen just took in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. He wasn’t comfortable like this. Most of the time when he blew up, people left him alone afterwards. No one ever came to check on him after one of his little rampages. No one ever saw Kanen when he was like this, looking like a rusted out muscle car. Full of potential, but nonetheless worthless. This was new territory for him. Hunter in general was like new territory.

When she moved closer, Kanen didn’t move away like he normally would. But he was still puzzled all the same. Why the hell was she here? What’d she care what he was doing or how he was feeling? Kanen wasn’t her responsibility. They hadn’t even known eachother for a week, but Hunter was pushing boundaries that others hadn’t dared to approach. Eventually Kanen folded. If Hunter was going to insist on being here, on caring, Kanen wanted to know why.

“Why are you doing here?” He asked, putting his arm down and leaning his head back against the wall. “What do you care? What’s in it for you?” Kanen went on, his brows furrowing, nearly scowling. Not because Kanen was mad or anything, he was just confused. Typically, people didn’t do anything unless they had something to gain from it. What did Hunter have to gain?

txlos​

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

Kanen asked a valid question. Well, a couple of valid questions. Hunter pondered them for a minute, breaking her gaze on the boy to look out the window. Snow was starting to fall again in the softest of drizzles, recoating the world in a blanket of white, making everywhere more frigid and cold. Even this room, inside this fancy cabin seemed cold. With a shiver, she got serious about pondering, but instead of keeping it in her head until she could sort her thoughts and form a sentence, she decided to work it out verbally.

"I'll be honest, I have no idea why I care so much," Tilting the coffee mug up to her lips, Hunter took a sip and promptly returned the mug to it's seat on her ankles. "I don't usually care. This isn't like a normal thing of mine. Usually if someone expresses that they want nothing to do with me I kinda say 'fuck you' and move on. But you," Blue locked back on silvers, her head tilting to the side as she stared at Kanen. Even now, a frown painted on his lips, his eyebrows tightly knit together, she couldn't put her finger on it. "Something about you is very interesting to me." The words were honest and sure as they left Hunter's mouth, even a nod accompanied the statement. "You are unlike anything I have ever come across Tats. You've been trying to scare me off, drive me to not talk to you, but it's not working. I want to talk to you. I want to learn how to piss you off and make you feel better, and I cannot tell you why. I wish I could, it would save me a lot of time thinking, but I genuinely can't."

With a deep breath, and another sip of coffee, she went on. "Nothing in it for me though. Other than getting to know ya. I don't want to hurt you or have you hurt someone for me, I don't want money or some shit like that. I just-" Hunter's mind shut her mouth for her, fingers gripping a little tighter on the coffee mug, her eyes averting down. Very rarely was Hunter shy, it wasn't a look she liked to wear. But if Kanen was being honest in this, not turning on an act but instead just allowing himself to be numb and vulnerable in front of her, she wasn't going to bullshit him with some painted on face either. "I don't know you. Yet. But I want to. So if you would get out of that stubborn head of yours and let me, maybe I could stop bugging you so much."

High5ives

 

[Dede]

Neck Tie

Neck Tie plopped the soapy steak aside. What? It was an unlabelled bottle with yellowish liquid in it, how was he supposed to know that that wasn’t cooking oil? Who keeps dishwashing liquid in the spice rack anyway?!

‘It’s just soap,’ Neck Tie pointed out, ‘We can like. . . rinse it off. . . or something.’ He didn’t see why Casper thought they’d have to throw it away. Personally he’d hate to see such a perfectly good cut of steak go to waste. If anything, there were less bacteria on that piece of meat now that he’d lathered it with soap!

‘I was just trying to. . .’ That was when the figure of Ash stepped into view. ‘Shhh. . .’

He quickly tossed a dishtowel over the soapy steak to hide it from Ash, smiling coyly at her.

She said something about the aprons, to which Neck Tie shrugged innocently. ‘Um, I’m not wearing an apron though.’ He glanced down at those incredibly sexy abs. Small wonder Casper couldn’t resist kissing him.

Well, Casper got a taste of his own medicine as Ash leant forward and planted a cute kiss on his cheek, on account of the instructive apron he was wearing. Neck Tie chuckled and nearly blushed on his friend’s behalf. But then it dawned on him that EVEN BLOODY CASPER had been kissed by a girl. . . which officially made Neck Tie the biggest loser in the world.

While the boy was distracted by commotion happening near the hot tub, another piece of steak was burnt to a crisp. ‘Y. . . Yep! Everything’s fine!’ he assured his future big sister. But the young chef nearly jumped as the fire spat in his face. EVERYTHING’S FINE.

He was enjoying Ash’s company, but his smile soon faded with the arrival of Ian. Neck Tie pretended to be busy flipping the steaks, but he always kept that suspicious-looking male at the edge of his sight. Was this guy hitting on his future sister now, too? His voice sounded weird, again. Like really weird. Something about Ian and the way he ‘befriended’ Nova just rubbed him the wrong way. . . The guy had better not turn out to be a backwoods type serial-killer going around the cabin picking out his next victims!


PenguinFox mikaluvkitties Winona @ everyone else

Daz's atrocious vision of apron tie:

Spoiler

 

[High5ives]

Kanen shook his head slowly, letting it drop down into one of his hands. He lifted his head back a moment later, watching as Hunter’s hands gripped tighter around her coffee mug. It was at least comforting to know that she was just as uncomfortable with all of this as he was. Maybe not as much as Kanen, but she was out of her comfort zone too. It might’ve been a litt unnerveing to see Hunter suddenly acting all shy. She had been so confident before, fearless. Kanen had pulled every trick in the book to scare her off, and none of it had worked. But now, just talking, Hunter seemed to be nervous or something.

When she said that she wanted to know him better, Kanen shrugged his shoulders. “Ask away then.” Kanen responded. He let his body go limp again, slumping down the wall a little bit more, thus ending up a little bit closer to Hunter. Though that wasn’t Kanen’s intention, he wasn’t upset about it. Deep down he probably wanted to be closer to her too. Pride would never let him confess that though.

txlos​

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

Hunter was slightly surprised at Kanen's offer. Was he really just going to 'open-book' with her right now? It'd be nice, but it seemed so unlikely. Nonetheless, she wasn't going to question it. Hunter's body relaxed in it's position across from the tatted boy, her knees now definitely putting some pressure against his leg. He made no attempt to flinch away from it, so neither did she. Instead, she pressed the coffee mug to her lips once before before reaching behind her and setting it on top of the small dresser, turning back to Kanen with soft eye contact and a much needed deep breath.

"Alright. Let's start easy," But what was easy these days? Favorite color? Hobbies? Things that she wanted to know, but not things that seemed fitting for this setting. The guy before her looked like he had years and years of deep talks stored in him, only letting out maybe four or five serious 'feely' talks a year. Tops. The guy just looked like he needed to vent, but not be pushed. So instead, she decided to focus on just what had happened over the past day or so. "Did you mean what you said to that guy out there?" Hunter was referring to the threats she had witnessed Kanen give onto the kid. Though nothing in her voice changed, her face still open and inviting, showing the amount of intent and presence behind her gaze. She was hear to listen, not judge. In fact, she couldn't envision herself judging Kanen. Not yet anyway.

High5ives

 

[High5ives]

Kanen watched Hunter get even more comfortable here in his temporary room, setting aside her coffee and relaxing more. Her being relaxed inherently made Kanen feel more relaxed about this whole conversation. If she wasn’t going to stress about it anymore, why should he need to? She didn’t seem like the type that was going to crucify him for every wrong thing he’d done, unlike some others he’d had the unpleasant experience of meeting Westbrook.

Kanen huffed after hearing her first question. That was what she considered easy? Asking whether or not Kanen had meant his death death threat? “There’s a chain in my car, just like I said.” Kanen responded quickly. It was cryptic, Kanen knew that. It was the first response that came to mind, and Kanen said it without really thinking. It was in his nature to keep things to himself, keep everyone else guessing. But, now wasn’t the time for that. Kanen took another deep breath before he corrected. “In the moment, yes. I meant it.” Kanen started to explain. “But no, I wouldn’t kill some stupid kid just for running his mouth. I’m volatile, but not stupid.”

txlos​

 

[Maree]

Theo


The first day at the ski lodge had been strange. Sure, Theo knew parties weren't Jace's thing. Everyone knew that. But he hadn't seen him at all since the car ride. Was he avoiding him or something? That kind of made him feel sad. So he had started spending more time away from the cabin. It also helped that when he wasn't in the cabin he had a lower chance of bumping into Stu. Despite the fact that he was homophobic and overall rudeness towards him. He still felt the guilt of what he had done eating him up inside. He was never one to be cruel or threaten someone, it just wasn't him. Sure, he didn't like the boy one bit but that didn't mean he felt good about his actions. Every time he saw the boy he felt sick to his stomach. Which resulted in him quickly retreating to a nearby bathroom and trying to stop himself from puking. Going this ski trip had been a huge mistake.

He had been busy in the kitchen, making his own food. He enjoyed a barbeque as much as the next guy but he didn't exactly trust Stu's cooking. That and being vegetarian he didn't really want his vegetables contaminated with steak. He was just glad that he had brought up his own ingredients. This house did not cater for non-meat eaters. The only thing he could have in the West household was alcohol.

By the time Theo was done making his world famous vege tacos he was joined by a couple. He tried his best to ignore them and not eavesdrop but it was quite difficult. The boy looked and sounded like he was hit by a truck. So he couldn't help but be curious. After a few minutes of listening to them talk he decided that the guy must have gotten into a fight. Second day and people were already fighting? Typical Westbrook. The boy left the girl alone, requesting he find him a first aid kit. Which seemed kind of rude but who was he to judge. So there he was, left alone with a pretty girl. It would be rude of him to not strike up a conversation, right?

"I highly doubt the Wests have a first aid kit," He said, giving the girl a small wave in greeting. They weren't the most responsible and he was pretty sure they emptied it out the last party. They had turned someone into a bandage mummy. It was hilarious. Not very responsible. But utterly hilarious. He pushed his plate towards her. "Vege taco? It's probably the only edible thing you'll have all week" he joked, taking a bite out of his. Damn, they were some great tacos. He would offer to cook for everyone but most teenagers did not like vegetables. He, on the other hand, couldn't stand the smell of meat. So that didn't really work out.

The more he observed her the more shaken up she looked. Yep, there had definitely been a fight alright. He had seen Kanen around the lodge and knowing him. He was definitely going around fucking kids up. He made a mental note to avoid Kanen at all costs. But onto more important things. There was a distressed girl in front of him and he just couldn't let that slide. It was his mission to make sure everyone was happy and having a good time. "Are you doing alright? You look a bit shaken up" he asked, tilting his head a little. So he looked similar to a confused puppy
txlos​

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

Hunter didn't think much of Kanen's answer, since even she had wanted to take a jab at the guy. The only thing that surprised her was the tatted boys full explanation instead of just a coy, unclear remark. He was being honest, she appreciated it. That was all she could ask of Kanen at this point - just pure honesty. A slight chuckle went hand in hand with a roll of big blue eyes as she adjusted her position, leaning so that she relied on her right hand to hold up her body. The floor was uncomfortable, and after being in the car for hours just the day before Hunter was definitely a little sore. She tried not to mind though, instead thinking back to her roll wheel of questions.

"Fair enough," A sigh left Hunter's chest as she let her head fall onto her right shoulder. "What can you tell me about all those then?" Tattoos seemed to be a little lighter of a subject, right? That, and Kanen's fascinated her. Tattoos in general did. Hunter just wanted to trace her finger along every single one, look into the detail of them. Truth be told, she really wanted a tattoo of her own, but the thought never stuck around long enough while she had the funds to go do it.

High5ives

 

[txlos]

Nova

​

Ian seemed to be rushing off the minute they had gotten into the kitchen, leaving an anxiety-ridden Nova to her lonesome. Or, what she thought was her lonesome. A friendly voice startled the brunette as she whipped around to find it's owner, a nervous smile appearing on her lips. It was another guy, brunette and brown-eyed. He had a total puppy dog face, one that looked genuinely kind and trustworthy. Even his wave seemed convincingly inviting. He was right too, she doubted that any family that involved Jace and Ash kept any sort of med kit around. Defeat pushing her shoulder down, Nova pouted slightly. Her head was still reeling, and with Ian gone, maybe the new stranger before her could be a distraction.

"I'd love one," Nova beamed, a little more genuinely now as she took a plate from the drying rack and set it on the counter. Though the boy's next question damn near made her drop it. Was she okay? Well, her boyfriend had broken up with her for a dude, some guy she just met got punched in the stomach, and then she was threatened with the fact that she would find new guy's mangled body, so... no. No she wasn't. In fact, all she wanted to do was hop on a plane back to Seattle, sit in her little room in the woods, play her guitar and pretend like Westbrook never even existed.

Not that this complete stranger needed to know all that though.

"Yeah," Nova finally managed with a shaky breath, biting her lip as she felt her face get hot. Her hazel gaze was glued to the plate in front of her, not really wanting to have a breakdown in front of another person who she had only just met. Two in two days seemed like a lot. "It's just been a uh... rough trip so far. Boyfriend broke up with me, Kanen is an ass, and who owns a cabin with no first aid kit?"

Well... so much for not ranting.

Maree

 

[High5ives]

Upon hearing her second question, Kanen stood up and took his shirt for Hunter for the second time that day. Balling up the black t-shirt he tossed onto his bed. Kanen stopped, like he was trying to decide where to start. There was a lot to choose from. Each tattoo had a story, but the unfortunate truth was that each tattoo served primarily to cover a scar. Sure, Kanen had picked them out, chosen the ones he liked, but hiding scars was their primary function. They served a purpose, they weren’t just there to look pretty.

Kanen pointed to on of the tattoos on his wrist. “Working at a club when a man came at me with a knife.” Kanen stated. If Hunter were to look closely, she’d see that Kanen was pointing at a jagged scar, hidden in a tattoo picture of Big Ben. Kanen stared down at her as he said the words. They carried no emotion, just like everything else Kanen had said since she’d come into his room. He was only stating facts.

“Mugger, my second week in Boston.” Kanen went on, turning a little bit to show her a tattoo of a rose on the side of his abdomen. The center of the rose was a particularly gnarley scar, where something had clearly pierced directly into Kanen’s flesh. Poor medical practices from cheap, under the table doctors, had caused the scar to heal over itself several times, making it far worse than it should’ve been.

Kanen turned all the way around, showing her the large skull tattooed onto his back. “A metal chain. Beginning of my second month in Boston.” Kanen said bluntly. In the darkest spots of the skull, there were deeper scars, resembling lashings from where the chain had struck and tore into Kanen’s skin. The wounds had never been deep, but they had been nasty, reopening several times just due to the physical nature of Kanen’s job in Boston.

He’d worked security for some of the dirtiest scum-holes in Boston. Clubs and bars operated by criminals and felons. The pay had been good, but his body paid the price just about every weekend. There was always some pissed off drunk, or gang banger looking for revenge. Kanen knew it all to well.

“Get the point?” Kanen said, turning back around to face Hunter once again. The tattoos weren’t art to him. They were just pretty looking scars. Bad memories he tried to hide from himself, and the rest of the world.

txlos​

 

[Maree]

Theo


Theo frowned as she explained what had happened. His theory about Kanen causing chaos was correct. Even though he wished it wasn't. Also what kind of person dumped their partner when they would be spending a week together in the same house. That was just cruel. If he ever met this boyfriend he was going to give them a piece of his mind. Maybe talk Kanen into fighting them too. He never seemed to need much of a reason to fight someone."God, I'm so sorry," he said, genuinely meaning it. This girl was having a worse time than he was and he was having a pretty damn bad time.

There had to be something he could do?

He hesitated for a moment before wrapping his arms around her in a gentle hug. In his mind, there was nothing better than a good hug when you were feeling down. That might have just been because he was a hugger. Who could blame him? After all, there was scientific evidence that people needed at least eight hugs a day. He would happily help people meet their hug goals. Heh. Hug goals. That sounded funny. It was also a brilliant idea. He could start a hugging business. Where they go around and help people meet their daily hugging requirements. He was so smart. That was an idea to write down for later. With all these brilliant ideas he would be a millionaire in no time.

Theo released her from the hug after a few moments. He didn't want to make her feel awkward. Sadly he was still a stranger to her. Which he would quickly change and be her friend instead. "So what can I do to cheer you up?" he asked, scanning around the room. His eyes fell on three apples on the bench which he promptly picked up and began to juggle in one hand. Another skill he picked up from that summer in clown camp. One of the best decisions of his life. "Name anything and I'll give it my best shot? You would be surprised at the number of random skills I have" he said, letting two of the apples fall back in the fruit bowl. He took a knife to the last apple, carving a rose into one side before sliding it over to her.
txlos​

 

[txlos]

Hunter

​

So maybe Hunter got a little distracted as Kanen's shirt peeled back from his body. Who could blame her? Whether people liked the tatted boy or not, no one could take it away from him that he was incredibly attractive. Although Hunter's physical attraction simmered to the back of her mind as her eyes intently followed where Kanen pointed, and she made sure to listen to every word. Cut down the arm. The thought made her blue eyes squint just slightly. It was right around so many vital veins, Kanen was lucky to be alive. But it wasn't something that he deserved. Another knife-like wound, this one more jagged and gnarly looking. Painful. That was the word Hunter was thinking of. The scar, that tattoo over it, she could almost feel a pinch in her own side as she continued to think of it. Then the worst. Chains.

Hunter couldn't help but physically gulp as her eyes pieced together the scars that the skull tattoo covered, bits of rough and raised skin sticking out to her now. It was a mystery to her how someone as young as Kanen could have gone through this amount of damage, and it almost made her angry as to why anyone would pull a weapon on a kid. No, Tats didn't look like a kid by any standard, but still.

For a moment, the brunette sat frozen, the only moving to pull the sleeves of Kanen's sweater down over her hands. He had too many. And it wasn't his fault, and it didn't make her scared of him, it made her scared of the world. The world always scared Hunter, not that she would ever admit that out loud, but there was too much shit in the world that was done maliciously, intentionally, violently. She didn't even notice her body falling forward a little bit, getting that much closer to Kanen. She didn't notice her weight shift as she practically laid horizontal between his legs, her head moving to rest on his propped up knee. She didn't notice her hand reaching out to touch the Big Ben tattoo on his arm until she came to skin to skin contact. But even then, too many thoughts invaded her mind to make her think much of anything other than the ink that marked Kanen's figure.

"Why don't you like when I touch you?" The question was unconsciously said, falling out of her mouth without her mind's permission. Blue eyes widened slightly as she asked it, but her face quickly regained it's cool composure. Everyone had their reasons for not wanting to be touched, some just didn't like it and other's found it threatening. But Kanen's reason specifically was important to her.

High5ives

​

 

[txlos]

Nova

​

Nova was incredibly surprised at how welcoming and warm this stranger was, how much he was managing to lift her mood. Even the hug, from someone she had just met, was nice and friendly. Nova hadn't actually been hugged since her now-ex-boyfriend enveloped her in the doorway of his very cabin, so it was a nice change of pace. She had forgotten that there were so many genuinely good people in the world. Ian, now this guy, it was wonderful. And she didn't even feel bad about hugging two random guys, considering her newfound singleness.

"You know, there probably is something you could do for me," The brunette's tone was playful as she picked up the engraved apple core, smiling at it. It held some incredibly detail, which was ridiculously impressive. "You can tell me why on earth I left for three months, came back home and thought that Jace West of all people would have waited for me. Or, you can tell me why I was dumb enough to come to this cabin, thinking it was going to be some nice, happy reunion, and now I'm stuck under the same roof as him." How nice of her to give two options, even though they seemed pretty identical. Nonetheless, these truly were the only thoughts running around in her mind at the current moment.

"Shit!" The realization hit that she was already venting to a stranger, had hugged him, and hadn't given her name. She walked closer to him then, leaning against the counter and plucking a slice of apple from the bowl he was dropping them into. The guy seemed chill enough, and Nova was starving. "I'm Nova Abrisst, by the way. I had to go back home to Seattle for a bit but I am back and not better than ever."

Maree

 

[High5ives]

Kanen could only watch as Hunter’s whole demeanor changed. In just a few moments, she had gone from admiring his body, to staring at in shock. He had seen the way she reacted with each short story. The faces she made, The way she squirmed. How she froze. Kanen could practically feel her eyes burning into his skin as she examined him. He could practically see the horror in her eyes. Like she was looking at a fucking corpse. All Kanen felt was disgust. For himself. For the way he looked. For everything that had happened. For the marks that time had left on his tattered skin. Kanen could only imagine what Hunter must’ve been thinking as she studied his flesh. Regardless, she couldn’t possibly judge him any harder than Kanen judged himself.

As she began to lean forward, Kanen noticed. Even if she didn’t. His breaths came out ragged. Kanen tried to keep himself calm, but he hated this. He hated the way she was looking at him. Memorizing every mark in his skin.

When she touched him again, Kanen took in a sharp breath and held it. He trembled. His body fucking shook, ever so slight as it may be. Kanen, the Big Bad Wolf of Westbrook was absolutely terrified by some tiny girl from out of town.

When she asked her third question, Kanen froze. His teeth bit down on his lip, digging into the soft skin. Kanen would rather feel self inflicted pain than answer the question, but, he’d already come this far.

“Because I will get close to you. And I will care about you. And then sooner or later, you will find something you don’t like. And You. Will. Leave.” Kanen said. Choking the words out as he stood there, shaking like a scared child. Vulnerability didn’t suit him. He didn’t dare look at Hunter, instead glaring at the wall directly in front of him.

txlos​

 

[Maree]

Theo

Theo leaned forward slightly as she mentioned that there was something he could do. That was perfect! He loved being helpful. As long as it was physically possible he would do anything. Drive all the way to McDonald's to get her a strawberry milkshake? Done. Make her an apple pie? Easy. He had a big heart and genuinely cared for everyone he met. Well, as long as they weren't cruel to him. So as she started to tell him what he could do he listened. Then she named her horrible boyfriend as Jace. He proceeded to knock over the bowl of apple slices out of shock.

Wait. Jace. His crush Jace. His crush Jace had a girlfriend. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. He had never mentioned having a girlfriend! Sure she had left but HE STILL SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED HER. What the fuck. What the fuck! oh no. Great job Theo you have really dug yourself into a hole now. He dumped his girlfriend after they had a moment. Was this his fault? Did he cause this? This was too much. Was he hyperventilating? He was hyperventilating. Did he dump his girlfriend for him? This wasn't happening. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen. Was he having a panic attack? It sure felt like an attack of panic.

Theo managed to get his panicking under control when he remembered that Nova was still beside him. Watching him freak out. "Jace... Dumped you. Jesus Christ" he said, sitting down in a chair. "He never mentioned he had a girlfriend. God that's fucked up" he muttered, putting his head in his hands. What was he supposed to do now? He liked Jace. And yet here he was talking to someone who just had their heart crushed by him. Was he not a good person? He seemed like a good person and yet? Here was evidence that he wasn't.

"I thought he was a good guy... A decent guy. I don't. Jesus Christ and I like him. I feel horrible for liking him and flirting with him..." he trailed off. This doesn't. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. He looked up at Nova with a small frown playing on his lips. "Nova I'm so sorry. I feel like I've caused this. I didn't know I swear I didn't know" he said, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. Had he caused this pain in such a sweet girl? It made him feel sick to his stomach. This wasn't right. He was a homewrecker. The worst kind of person that existed. "I'm Theo..."
txlos​

 

[txlos]

Hunter

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His words were enough to snap Hunter out of her dreamlike state, blinking a few times as she brought her attention back to Kanen's face. He didn't dare look at her though, instead glaring those gunmetal eyes at the wall in front of him, like he was trying to break it so he could run through and escape. His body was sharp now, muscles flexing and relaxing with unease at her touch. It was as if Hunter was holding a new weapon over him and he was bracing for it. Bracing for some impact, some word that could slice through his skin and cut deeper than any knife ever could. The worst part was, she knew he expected her to bring that blade down.

Hunter adjusted herself, not moving too much but just enough to face her entire body towards Kanen. His words hurt, but not in a way that made her feel directly hit or insulted. His words hurt because someone had done that same thing to him before. Fallen in love, messed with his heart, and ditched town the next day. Someone had thoroughly broken this tatted boy's heart before, and it showed clear as day on his face and throughout his body. The shaking was enough to make the brunette sit back up all the way, close enough to see the distress filling the boys eyes, close enough to see the redness of his lips, close enough to see that he didn't want her this close.

"I don't think you know me well enough to make that assumption," The words were the most gentle of whispers, her palm flattening over his Big Ben tattoo as her other hand reached up to brush a loose strand of hair back into place on the boy's head. How could someone scare this god-like man away from affection, scare him into an almost panic-attack state?

"I've seen you make a death threat, punch a guy in the gut, you've yelled in my face, called me a wanna-be, which by the way, rude," A light laugh accompanied the playful statement as Hunter moved her head just slightly, forcing Kanen to meet her eyes. "And funny enough, through all of that, I still want to be around you. So how about you let me decide if I can't handle big bad Kanen for myself. And who knows, maybe you'll find something you don't like about me and flip the tables."

High5ives

 

[High5ives]

Kanen couldn’t do this anymore. He just wanted to run, to yell, to take off at sprint and never look back. Everything about this whole situation felt like it was ripping him open and displaying his worst insecurities and biggest fears. Kanen could look down the barrel of a gun without batting an eye. He could knowingly step into a fight with 3:1 odds and damn it, Kanen would walk into that fight thinking he’d win. But Hunter was something else entirely. It’s like the moment she closed the door, she turned into another person. Other there, with everyone else, Hunter was like the type of girl that might break your jaw if you said something wrong. But, here, Hunter was so kind and gentle, she’d put Grace to shame.

Honestly, Kanen wasn’t sure which Hunter was the real one. He wasn’t sure if he was being played. If this was just some sick fucking joke. If Hunter had been set up by the others, to see if Kanen could be broken down just like anyone else. Surely Grace and Sawyer has it out for him after the Twitter fights! Maybe Hunter was an actress that Belle had hired just to play with his feelings! What if Hunter just wanted money, or drugs!? What if this was some ridiculous prank set up by Daniel?! Kanen’s mind races, and his heart threatened to pound it way right out of his chest.

Kanen was panicking. What was he supposed to do now? He just needed this to stop! All of it. Now. He was driving himself mad, and fucking hell, Kanen absolutely hated what it felt like to be spiraling out of control like he was now. Instinct took over. Kanen’s eyes looked to the door, then back Hunter. Then to the door again.

Kanen made his move and kissed her.

If he was going to crash here, he might as well go down with flames and fireworks...

txlos​

 

[txlos]

Hunter

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She had done something wrong, she must have. Hunter could feel every inch of the his skin rippling beneath her touch, his body growing warm and uneasy. The feeling shot a deep-set hurt throughout her smaller figure, like she had failed trying to help this broken man before her. Not that she wanted to fix him, people couldn't just be fixed, and she knew that just as well as she was sure Kanen did. But it was a wonder what affection could to do someone. What a hug or a shared nap could do to improve someone's confidence, the way it could just slightly shift one's outlook on life. That was all she wanted from Kanen, someone to talked to. Though Hunter wasn't an idiot, she knew that the tatted boy had been through much more than she had, but she felt like he was someone who would understand her, listen to her. Most didn't understand, so most didn't listen.

Panic of her own began to build in Hunter's chest then, her palms pressing into Kanen's figure as if they were prepping to push off of him when it happened.

He kissed her.

His lips were gentle compared to his hard exterior, his body relaxing by just a fraction, and it made lightening invade every pore of Hunter's skin. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, goosebumps littered her arms and she was so grateful that they were hidden by the massive sweater, courtesy of Kanen. Hunter's hand floated from the tattoo on his arm to the side of his face, pressing her lips back with an equally gentle force before slowly and carefully pulling them away. It was short, but damn was it sweet. Kanen was a mystery that the blue eyed girl sought to solve, someone who interested her, someone she had seen the soft side of herself, someone who didn't call her weak because of it. For a minute, she simply sat there, thumb rubbing back and forth on one of Kanen's upper neck tattoos that was inked behind his ear, eyes searching his for some sign that she had done something wrong and grinning when they seemed free of harsh judgment.

"Tell anyone that I can be a soft bitch and you're dead." Hunter chuckled before dropping her hand away from his face and back down to his arm, her pointer finger tracing idle lines up and down his forearm. She did her best to hide a wide smile, tugging at her lower lip to contain it but failing miserably. Cerulean eyes stayed firmly planted on his though, just continuing to review points of the boy's face. Just aching to know what was going on in his head.

High5ives

 

[txlos]

Nova

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Nova watched with a quirked brow as the guy before her went into this panicked state, his figure loosely waving from side to side, off balance and tense. It wasn't until apple slices seemed to fly down onto the floor that she started to feel genuine concern. She didn't know the guy well enough to determine if he was about to pass out or was just clumsy. Instead of asking, the brunette proceeded to grab the bowl from it's tipped state on the counter and pick up the apple slices that coated the ground, walking them over to the trash can to toss them out, flicking her eyes back to the boy every so often. Had she said something? Was he going to be okay? Well of course he was probably going to be okay, but if she needed to go get a doctor she needed to know sooner than later.

Her heart tugged in her chest as the guy mentioned Jace, saying that is was fucked up and well yeah, it was. Nova loosely hugged herself around the waist, going back to standing next to the boy and leaning on the counter. Tears welled in her eyes as he said Jace had never mentioned her, an emptiness making home in her stomach and that feeling of lonliness creeping into her mind. She had been gone three months, and had never mentioned her to this guy? He seemed to know the blonde boy well, and it hurt like a knife in the back that he had no clue who she was until her name was said. Maybe Jace really didn't care after all, and what a stupid girl she felt like then.

Though hazel eyes shot up to the wavering figure as he mentioned flirting with her ex boyfriend, brows knitting together and fingertips pressing into her sides. How could he have caused this? Who even was this guy? Saying that he liked the beanie boy, saying that he had no idea, saying that he had caused this-

Theo.

Nova felt her stomach churn and her jaw drop slightly. So not only had Jace dumped her, but had been cheating on her too? And this guy, this Theo character, he had no idea that she had even existed. And maybe it was the pain she mutually felt between her and Theo or the raging anger that boiled inside her at the thought of being cheated on, but in a split second Nova reached down to grab Theo's wrist before starting to pull him through the cabin. She hadn't a clue what she was going to do, Nova wasn't exactly know for being confrontational, but she felt that both her and Theo deserved an explanation to all this right? Right.

"I just want you to know that I'm totally not mad at you," The words were a mutter at best, but they were sincere. There was no reason to be mad at Theo, he hadn't any idea what was going on. But there was a reason to be pissed at Jace.

It didn't take long before his door was found, Nova giving three sharp knocks and pulling the brunette boy beside her. If Jace was going to open the door, he was going to open it to two people who he owed a long talk with, accompanied by a damn good apology.

Maree

 

[mikaluvkitties]

Casper​

Casper keened. How could Stu be so dumb? This had to be a joke, right? Or some kind of punishment for kissing Stu or- something?

As Stu began to explain himself, Casper tried to interject, only to be shushed. He glanced to Ash as she approached, and he lit up, waving.

“Hi, Ash!” What could he say except that he liked the older girl? She commented on the pair’s aprons, and Casper looked down, smile wavering a moment as he blushed.

And then she called him adorable He gasped, looking up at her, and then scooted closer, only to be kissed! On the cheek, but still! He touched his cheek, blushing up a storm now as he stared at Ash.

And then he realized she had asked a question, and he blushed harder, looking down.

He wanted to tell Ash how Stu had put soap on the steak, but he’d already been shushed, so instead he nodded, hand still on his cheek.

Another guy approached, and Casper looked to him, still wide-eyed as he said hi to Ash and complimented his and Neck Tie’s aprons. He didn’t know this guy- was he being nice? Mean? Casper didn’t know, so he looked down at his apron, grabbing the edges gently, and said, quiet, “Thank you…”

Dede Winona PenguinFox​

 

[Winona]

Jace


Hiding out in his room did absolutely no good. "Go away!" he yelled, his voice still muffled slightly under the blanket. Jace had assumed that it was just Ash, coming to annoy him and lecture him once again. He groaned as the pounding on his door continued, and finally he threw back the blanket, and his pillow went tumbling off the side of his bed. "Fine! I'm coming!" Jace yelled, and finally rolled out of bed. Hell, why couldn't he sleep in a little bit? It was only-- ... oh.

Okay, so it was later than normal. Whatever. Grumbling, Jace stood up, running a hand through his wild blonde, beanie-less hair, and made his way towards the door. "Okay what the hell do you--" He threw open the door, fully expecting to see his little sister, but instead came face to face with Nova and Theo. Holy shoot.

"I... I... uh... is the food ready or...? What's going on...?" Had Nova really been angry enough to go and hunt down Theo? And by the look on his face, all shocked and... sad or something, had she been lying? Or saying things about him, and making him seem like a horrible person? Look, he understood that it could've been handled a lot better, but the last thing Jace had wanted to do was drag Nova along, pretending to still love her -- or be... oh god, this was a mess.

Either way, he'd done what he thought would cost the least pain in the end. It was easy to tell that he liked Theo, wasn't it? Nova would've noticed at one point or another.

Maree txlos​