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audreyannerp · 5 years

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Lola Leads

(A roleplay between @askaudreyanne / @audreyannerp and @red-rad-and-rod . It doesn’t have a real ending, but, here we gooooo.) - It was finally starting to look and feel like springtime in Michigan. The seemingly sporadic weather seemed to have finally settled on a warmer temperature. There were no more snowfalls coming out of nowhere and the plants were becoming more lively by the day. The grass was green and dusted with flecks of other colors as the flowers began to bloom. A certain freckled redhead by the name of Audrey had been looking forward to this day, more so for her furry friend than herself. Lola, a scruffy-looking mixed breed about the size of a beagle, had been Audrey's Christmas gift to herself. As such, she had never seen the local park, with the weather as cold as it was. Now, however, the young dog trotted happily next to her owner, or rather, a little ahead. She was quite the excitable one and still had trouble walking calmly with her master. It didn't help matters that she was finally getting to see a new setting and was eager to see and smell everything in the immediate vicinity. Though it took an uncountable number of pit stops, the two made it to the park. The young woman found a bench and sat down, reaching into her bag to get out a bottle of water and a doggy dish. After pouring her pet a drink and taking a sip for herself, she pet her dog's floppy ears. “That was a long walk, huh, girl?” The dog didn't respond, but simply lapped up the water vigorously. “Yeah. Can't blame ya for being thirsty,” the redhead giggled. Lola stopped to look up at Audrey, wagging her tail for a moment, before looking into the distance. Before she had a chance to respond, the dog had shot off in a blur of brown and white, taking her leash with her. “Ack! Lola! Come here, girl!”

- "I'm bored" J.C. looked over from his spot, a bench fairly close to one of the two play structures, and scoffed gently. Both Mum and Dad had work today, so lo and behold, he was tasked with watching his little sisters. No big deal, really; might as well do his standard thing and take them to the park to tire them out. Usually made for a fairly easy time afterwards. Seemed like that wasn't the case today, at least with one of them. "Syd, we've only been here for about half an hour, how can you be bored already?" Syd, currently laying on the grass near him, blew a bit of hair out of her face as a response. "You haven't even done all that much; save for surveying the play structure, checking out the swings, and nearly getting sick on the little roundabout. You tired or something? Still a bit dizzy from spinning around super fast." "No." J.C. shrugged, letting out a sigh. "Theeeen I don't know what to tell ya, kid. You can hang with me and have a boring time ooooor you can go play." He looked up to catch a glimpse at the younger of the sisters, Kat, looking like she was having a blast on the swings. "What about the swings?" "Kat's on them, and she's talkin' with another kid. Knowing them, they're gonna be on there for hours. An' there's a line for the rest of the swings...I could just go over, push some of the other kids outta the way, and jump the queue..." Syd looked to her brother, a sort of defeated look on her face, "but if I do, then you'll make me sit on one of the benches and 'think about what I did' and 'how wrong it is'." "Preeeeetty much, kiddo. Laws of the playground, can't exactly break 'em." Syd had a small chuckle at the comment, before starting to focus on something. "Y'see that?" J.C. looked in the same direction. "What?" "There's something coming in our direction....kinda small...really fast...." Suddenly, the ten-year-old let out an excited gasp. Kind of small and really fast? That usually meant... "PUPPYYYYYYYY!!!" - Despite the clear excitement of the child, Lola opted to focus her attention on the young man. She bounded over to the bench and promptly placed her front paws on his knees as she 'danced' excitedly for attention, tail wagging a mile a minute. The dog was scruffy-looking, but clearly not a stray. Aside from the collar and leash dangling from her neck, she was clearly cared for with a healthy weight and a shiny clean coat. What's more, she looked too cute for someone not to take her in. Her markings, shades of brown with a white face and underbelly, were beautiful, while her pale blue eyes practically sparkled, and her cute little pink nose was too much to resist! Audrey followed a short distance behind, putting those athletic legs of hers to work. The redhead dashed past the swing set, quickly addressing the girl Kat was talking to. “Hi, Jenna! Bye, Jenna!” With that out of the way, she continued to call for her dog. “Looooolaaaaa!” - Kat, a little confused, looked to Jenna. "You know 'er?" Jenna laughed, "Know her? I can tell you all about her...." (....) At the sound of Syd shouting, J.C. jumped a little. Jeez, she could be loud sometimes...what was that all abo...ooooh, a puppy. Of course. From what he could tell, they had a leash, tags, and they weren't some hulking looking thing (even if it was, Syd'd still go nuts. Something as big as a Newfie, she'd risk getting bowled over, regardless). Eh, as long as he kept an eye on the two of them, it shouldn't be an issu- wait, why was the dog coming towards him? Ignoring the small "Heeeey!" from Syd, J.C. looked down and gave the little dog a smile. "Heeeey there, little bit." he chuckled, "Who'd you get away from, eh?" Hearing the sound of "Looooooolaaaaaaa!", Syd pointed it the direction of where it was coming from. "Prooooobably the person shouting 'er name?" "Ah, good call." J.C. shouted back, "Over 'ere!" - The canine rested her head on his knee for a moment before she perked up at the sound of her owner growing closer. While she was happy to see her, the dog didn't approach, merely faced her with a wagging tail. “Lolaaaa,” Audrey, started with a lecturing tone, “you can't run off like that. You could get hurt.” Lola lowered her head in apology as her owner took the leash once more. “I'm sorry about her. She's still a bit of a puppy.” Lola looked up at the two of them talking, tail wagging. - J.C. chuckled, giving Lola a little pat on the head, "Mischevious little thing, aren't ya? Worrying your Mummy like that..." He looked to Audrey. "Cute little dog you've got there. Lola, was it? That's her name?" - Audrey giggled. "Thank you. Yes, this is Lola," she gestured, 'introducing' them. She may have left things at that, but the accent got her curious. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're not from around here. Like, not even somewhat close to around here." - "Nnnnnnope!" piped up Syd, moving next to her brother. "We're from WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY across the Atlantic. ....Or...whatever degree of "way" Bristol is." - Audrey jolted slightly, not having noticed the child in the scramble for her dog. Placing a hand to her chest, she let out a wheezy laugh. "I'd say that's pretty far. Also, diggin' the hair. What are you two doing all the way over here?" - "Work." J.C. answered, "Dad works for one of those international companies, and often times, we end up coming with. Kind of like a mini-holiday, I guess you could call it." "Aaaaand 'cos he and Mum each had something they needed to take care of, we got to go to the park with this guy right here!" Syd added. - Lola looked at the child, tail wagging as she looked at her expectantly. "Ahh. That makes sense." She paused, raising a brow. "We?" - Syd giggled at Lola, "Silly puppy..." "Yup," J.C. tossuled Syd's hair a little bit, "This one right here is Syd, aaaand my other little sister should be on the swings..." he looked towards the swing and could see a blur of blonde, pink, and purple. Yep, that was her. Cool, she hadn't moved...save for the back and forth motion of the swing, but..."Yup, Kat's on the swings." "I'm 10 aaaand Kat's 8." Syd added. - "You can pet her, if you want," she smiled at Syd. "She's a friendly dog, albeit rowdy at times." Audrey turned to look towards the swing. "Ahhh. I knew there was a reason I didn't recognize her," she turned back to J.C. "I have a good reputation as a babysitter, so I've gotten to know a lot of the kids around here. For example," she pointed back towards the swings with her thumb. "That's Jenna talking to your sister. She has a baby brother on the way." - Syd's eyes lit up like it was Chrtistmas morning. Giving Audrey a quiet "Thank yoooou", she went about gently petting Lola, all the while quietly going "Puuuuuppy, puppy, puppy, puppy, puppyyyyyyyyyy....." J.C. snickered at his sister before turning to Audrey. "Aaah. Baby brother on the way, eh? That oughta be fun." - Lola rolled onto her back, exposing her underbelly as her tongue lulled out. “Yeah. I don't have any siblings myself, but I do have five younger cousins who were over at our house pretty often. Actually, that's the reason I don't have any siblings,” she snickered. “Enough kids in the house as it was.” - J.C. laughed, "Kind of sounds like our place, at least around the holidays. Syd and Kat can be a handful, but add...I don't know, at least five to ten other kids to the mix- anywhere from two years old to well into their teenage years- and it's...something, alright." "Exhausting?" Syd asked, "Is that 'cos we'll drag you outside to play?" "...To be honest, I'd rather be out with you guys than having to deal with relatives asking a number of questions." he snickered. - "Good golly, Miss Molly! That's a lot of kids! I sure hope the other adults help out, at least a little bit. I mean; I love kids, but even I need a break here and there." She chuckled. "It still is sweet of you to play with them, regardless of the awkward questions with the older relatives. Let me guess... 'How's school? Work? Are you seeing anyone? Thinking about marriage? Kids? What's in your future?' "

- J.C. chuckled, nodding. "Preeeeeetty much. At least with kids, they ask you things like what your favorite dinosaur is." "It's a brachiosaurus." Syd loudly whispered. "It most certainly is. There's usually a 'tag out' system in place, so I do get to have some 'grown up' time...speaking of questions, I....don't think we've actually officially introduced ourselves. I'm J.C., and you are?" - Audrey giggled at the dinosaur comment. “Oh, how rude of me,” she held a hand to her chest before holding it out to shake. “I'm Audrey, born and raised Michigan citizen,” she smiled widely, revealing her large front teeth. “Is this your first time here? I could recommend some good spots to visit.” - "Charmed," J.C. responded, smiling as he shook her hand. "It is...we actually came across this place by accident, so...any help or tips are greatly appreciated." - Taking her hand back, she held two fingers to her head and mock saluted. “Can do! Now, let me just think a moment here...” She put her chin in her hand as she thought. “Well, when it comes to free entertainment, you've already found one of our parks. As for spending a little cash, you can't come to Michigan and not try a Coney Dog. It's a shame you didn't come in the summer, since that's when you can get the best Coneys from Timmy's Coneys. Old Timmy only sets up shop in summer, but there are restaurants you can get them from year round.” - "Aaaah, drat. I'll have to make a note of that...if it's open only during one time of the year, they must be pretty good." "What's a coney dog?" Syd asked, "'Cos all I'm picturing is, like...you put it in an ice cream cone and put regular hot dog stuff on it." - “An ice cream cone? What makes you think- Ohhhhh, coney dog. Nahh. It's short for Coney Island Hot Dog. Basically, they take this specific kind of hot dog and top it with this meat sauce; not chili. It's something else. Anyway, it's usually topped with a heaping helping of onions and mustard. You can get them plain too though. Some people like theirs with cheese.” - "Ooooooooooooh." Syd blinked, "I don't know, I kind of like my idea more." J.C. scoffed lightly and shook his head. Kids could be such weirdos sometimes. "Well, even if we can't get them specifically from Timmy's Coneys , is that something that you'd be willing to eat after we're done here?" Syd nodded enthusiastically. "I think Kat would, too, 'cos it doesn't have green stuff on it. At least, from the sounds of it." "You want to go and ask her?" Syd gave the two a salute and ran off, yelling "PLAY NICE, YOU TWO!" to the pair. J.C. laughed, "We weren't...! Aaaaaand she's gone. Dang, she's fast." - Lola watched as Syd ran off. There goes the person giving her attention... Oh well. She rolled back over onto her stomach and closed her eyes. Audrey laughed as well, taking a seat next to J.C. on the bench. “Your sister seems like a hoot and a half! I'm guessing she keeps you on your toes, huh?” - "Tiptoes is more like it." he responded, smirking a bit. "She's a character, I will give her that." - She chuckled. “I've known kids like that; like real life versions of Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes... You ever read that comic?” - "Oh, yeeeah! I read those all the time when I was a bit younger. Still do, occasionally. ...Although, I read them in French first, then went to English once my grasp on the language improved a bit..." - Audrey cocked her head to the side. Didn't his sister say they lived in Bristol? “French?” - "....Ah, right, right..." He cleared his throat a little, "See, I'm....not originally from England. Syd and Kat's mum and dad are my adoptive mum and dad. Been so since I was around 2 years old. I'm originally from France." - She slowly raised her head and lowered it as she let out a drawn out, “Ohhhhhhh.” Rather than pry for details, she simply smiled and said, “I'm glad you were able to get adopted at a young age. Adapt to your new family faster and all that. I've thought about adopting myself, but I think it's a little early to think about that sort of thing. I don't even have a boyfriend right now,” she laughed. - He gave her a smile back, as a silent way of saying thanks. "I'm thinking of doing the same, honestly. I mean, I'm happy either way- adoption or otherwise., but...kind of in the same boat; just out of school, no girlfriend...all that fun stuff." - “Not often I see a man who openly admits to wanting kids,” she giggled, nudging him with her elbow. “Shame you live across the ocean,” she joked with a wink. - J.C. chuckled, a little bit of a awkward/nervous edge to it. "Haha, yeah. It kind of be nice to have a couple of my own...I mean, there's Syd and Kat, but they're my sisters. Having a kid be your own's a little different." - “Ah, I'm just messing with you,” Audrey smiled, hoping he didn't think she was actually hitting on him. “I would imagine so. Speaking of, I wonder what those two are talking about. With how fast Syd sprinted off, you'd think she'd be back by now.” - "That's a good question...I don't hear any sort of screaming or yelling, so they're not fighting..." He snickered, "Maybe she got distracted and now they're both on the swings?" - Audrey shrugged. “Maybe. I don't mind though. I'm totally free today, so I don't mind waiting... Though I suppose those two don't have to be here for the directions. Would you rather I just tell you where to go and get out of your hair?” - "If you want; you're welcome to hang around if you don't have anywhere to be today. Besides, I think the minute Syd mentions the word 'puppy' to Kat, she'll come running over." - Audrey snickered. “I think I'll stay. Lola loves attention, I love kids, and you seem pretty nice~” - J.C. couldn't help but blush a little. "I, um....I try, heh..." All of a sudden, a more high-pitched "PUPPYYYYYYYYYY!!" came from the playground. Aaaaah, there it was...a "Kat, wait up!!" followed shortly. "Speaking of kids, sounds like Syd mentioned the 'P' word...." - “Sounds like it,” she agreed, making sure she had a firm hold on Lola's leash. Lola had perked up at the sound of the shout and was now wagging her tail eagerly, whining impatiently for what she was sure would be more attention. - Pretty soon, a little blonde girl dressed in pink and purple had joined the pair. She looked to the redhead, smiling. "Sooooo, you're Audrey, right? Jenna's been tellin' me about you." Shortly after Kat had arrived, Syd turned up, out of breath. "Easy, kiddo. Take a sec and rest." he told the smaller redhead. Syd did just that, walking over to the other open space on the bnch and plopping down with an "Oof!" "An' Syd says you've got a puppy. Can I pet her, please?" - “Mm-hm,” Audrey smiled warmly at the blonde. “And you're Kat?” Lola was currently on her hind legs, trying to pull away to reach Kat, whining all the while. “I don't think I have a choice here,” she laughed, gesturing for Kat to come over. - "Yep!" She nodded, skipping a little closer. "Hiiiiiii, puppyyyyy~!" "The name's Lola." Syd piped up. "Hiiii, Lolaaaaa~!" - Lola wagged her tail as she excitedly sniffed at the newcomer. Deciding she liked the child, the dog gave her a few licks. “She's a friendly one, isn't she? I like your outfit, by the way. Pink and purple are my favorite colors~” - "Uh-huuuuuh." Kat giggled, as Lola showed her affection. "Mine too!" - “Neat!” While Audrey was curious as to what Jenna said about her, she decided keeping the focus on the dog would make more sense. “I got her from the local shelter. The people working there said she's a mixed breed, but weren't sure what all is in her. They think she might have a bit of Border Collie in her though.” - "Oooo, Border Collie, eh?" Kat looked to J.C., "That's not one of those super big dogs, right?" J.C. smirked, "Yeeees, and I know what you're asking. You know my answer already." "Dang it." - “I'm guessing you've been wanting a dog? I know the feeling,” she smiled sympathetically. “Lola here is my first dog and I've just recently turned twenty four years old! My family's house could get so chaotic at times that a dog just seemed like it would be too much, despite my asking. Figures my parents would adopt their own dog not long after I went to college.” She shrugged. “Oh well. At least the two get along.” - Both kids looked at Audrey. Twenty-four? "...No way, you look way too young." Syd spoke up. J.C. couldn't help but laugh a little. "Syd, twenty four's not old. Nowhere near it." "You only say that 'cos you're twenty three." Kat added. "Twenty four in August, though. Point is, early to mid twenties is not old." - Audrey giggled, taking 'look way too young' as a compliment. “I sure hope not! I want to be married with kids before I'm old!” - "Human years don't work like dog years, you two." J.C. chuckled. "If that were the case, Syd would be anywhere from 56 to 78 years old." Kat snickered. J.C. looked to the little girl, "And you'd be somewhere from 48 to 64 years old, depending on breed." Syd tilted her head, looking at her sister. "Soooooo, what kinda dog d'you think she'd be? One o' those yappy little chihuahuas?" Kat gave her sister a cheeky smile, "You're probably one of those big, bumbling ones that slobbers a lot." J.C. sighed quietly, seeing where this conversation was going. "Okay, you two, tone it down a bit." - Audrey chuckled. She knew where this was going... and just how to stop it. "My parents have one of those; a little chihuahua, I mean. I should have a video of her playing with Lola on my phone, if you two can get along long enough to watch it." - Ah, Audrey was pulling out the big guns...puppy videos! Dang it, she knew one of their weaknesses! Looking begrudgingly to each other, smiling a semi-forced smile, the sisters slowly side-hugged each other in a "See? Friends!" sort of way. - She could tell the two weren't happy, but they got an A for effort. “Alrighty~ Let me just get out my phone real quick.” Digging through her purse (which she had thankfully kept on before she ran after Lola), she soon pulled out her phone, which had a unique cover. The cover was pink in color, with a pattern of purple hearts and teddy bears, as well as rhinestones scattered throughout. “Oh yeah! I'm still getting used to that,” she showed them the phone. “My cousin made this case for my birthday. Isn't it neat?!” - Syd and Kat were like a pair of puppies themselves, watching as Audrey pulled out her phone. If their ears could've perked up, they would have- the case was so cute! "Uh-huuuuuuuh." J.C. had to chuckle a bit; he didn't really know whether it was the shininess of the phone case or the promise of watching dogs playing together, but the way his sisters looked right now was pretty funny. - Audrey chuckled. “Alright alright. Enough of that. Onto the video~” Scrolling through her gallery, she found what she was looking for, turned up the brightness and volume, then pointed the screen towards the girls as she pressed play. The video started with a view of Lola and a small white chihuahua with semi long fur. The two dogs were sharing a rope toy, each with an end in their mouth. While the chihuahua tugged with all her might, Lola simply stayed still, tail wagging as she watched the smaller dog try to take the toy. “I don't think Daisy's getting that toy any time soon,” Audrey's voice could be heard from behind the camera. “Let's give her a break. Lola, come here, girl!” Rather than drop the toy and come to her master, Lola instead dragged the toy and the chihuahua over to her, resulting in cackles from those off screen. - The once squabbling siblings immediately quieted down and watched the video intently. It almost seemed like the two were in some sort of trance, giggling almost simultaneously. J.C. shook his head, amused at the girls and the dogs. - The video ended and Audrey chuckled. “Yeah. They're a hoot, alright! You want to see some pictures?” - Cue a simultaneous nod from the sisters.

- "Alrighty~" She brought up her photo album for Lola and Daisy and proceeded to flip through it. - Both girls giggled at the sight of the two. "Note to self: when these two start squabbling, find cute puppy pictures." J.C. mumbled, pretending to scribble on an invisible notepad. - Audrey giggled, then snorted. She proceeded to cover up her nose, bashful. - J.C. giggled at...well, Audrey's giggle; it was so cute! - She cleared her throat, as if to clear the awkwardness she felt away, and moved on to flip through the pictures. She had quite a few of them. “I could send you some, if you want. Though I suppose I would need your email for that.” - E-mail? Huh...that...must mean that she wanted to keep in contact?? Not that he minded, of course. It was just...they'd only JUST met. Or maybe it was because if he didn't have them, Syd and Kat would constantly be begging to go back to Michigan, just so they could find Audrey and have her show pictures of Daisy and Lola. "Uuuuuh, sure!" he said, trying not to chuckle awkwardly. First time a pretty girl had asked for his e-mail. "Do you, um...want me to type it in on your phone as a little note, or...?" - She really hadn't put much thought into it when she'd said it, but she soon realized the implications of what she'd said. Oops. Not that she would mind keeping in contact... She thought for a moment, then smiled. “Sure thing!” she said as she opened up her notes app and handed it to him. “If you get an email from 'teddy bear lover,' it's me.” - J.C. gave her a nod and quickly typed in his e-mail address. "Aaaaand if you get a response from...." His...e-mail was a liiiittle embarrasing, he thought. He had made it when he was about Syd's age, so... "...well, this, then it's me." "Bluerangerbaguette714"....seemed like a good idea at the time. He liked Power Rangers, he liked baguettes, and 7/14 was an important holiday in France. "I, uh...haven't updated it yet. Made it when I was about 10 or 11...." he chuckled nervously, face turning a bit pink. - Audrey looked at the email address and had to make a great effort not to laugh. She was trying so hard, her body was actually shaking slightly. “Makes sense,” her voice came out as a squeak. “My dad helped me pick mine so I wouldn't be embarrassed late-her-her-her!” So much for not laughing. “I'm sorr-ee-hee-hee!” - Eeeeeh, he should've seen that coming. Way to go, 10-11 year old J.C. ...Buuuuut at least he could laugh at himself. He joined in on the laughter; a little awkward at first, but it started to sound more natural as he went on laughing. "It is kind of ridiculous, looking back on it." he admitted. - Audrey held a hand to her face, trying to stifle the laughter. “It's not that funny! I just told myself not to laugh and that made it hilarious!” Her laughter did die down to a snicker and Lola looked at the two in confusion. - "I mean, if you imagine something like..." he began to "demonstrate" a few Power Rangers-like poses and trying to say random things in French as epically as he could, "...while thinking of it, then...I mean, that's usually what I think of anytime I read that." - She snickered a few more times at the poses. “As someone who knows karate, that just makes it more hilarious.” - Syd snickered at her brother. "You're a dork, J.C." "The dorkiest~" he responded. "The dorkiest in all the la- wait a sec...karate??" Syd asked, turning her focus to karate. "You knowkarate??" - “Mm-hm~” she nodded. “I may not be the violent type, but karate is good for blowing of steam and is a good confidence booster. I may not be the brightest, but at least I can raise my foot above my head.” She smiled awkwardly. “That's what I like to tell myself, anyway.” - "Show me!!" Syd said, bouncing on her heels excitedly, "Please??" - “Raise my foot above my head? Sure!” She stood up from her seat on the bench and proceeded to do a few stretches before lifting her leg almost completely vertically. “Don't try this at home, kids. Not without lots of practice, anyway.” - All 3 Malones (Syd, mainly-followed by J.C. and Kat in terms of intensity) went wide eyed. "Hoooooly crud!" Syd gasped, awestruck. - Audrey chuckled and brought her leg back down. “Yeah. I've been practicing this sort of stuff since I was a kid.” - "Not to brag, but..." Syd dusted off her knuckles, "I, uh....I do a bit of karate myself." "I don't think what you do is actually karate," Kat piped up, "I think that's more like flailing about." Syd "hmmph"ed, took a few steps back, and demonstrated some of her "moves". - “Hmmm... I'd say that was more... avant-garde karate than traditional karate.” Translation: You're not very good, but I don't want to hurt your feelings. - Syd smirked at her sister. "See? She knows talent when she sees it." - Audrey simply smiled and nodded. Best not to break her confidence. She'd offer to teach her some moves, but she doubted she'd see the trio again anytime soon. - "Whateeeever you say." Kat mumbled quietly, rolling her eyes at her sister. " 'S gonna come in handy when I get a job when I'm older." Syd added. "...What was that again?" J.C. asked. With Syd, it changed just about every couple of weeks. "Circus performer/bodyguard/secret agent...with a penthouse." - "I'm guessing you're aiming for a more physical line of work then? Can't blame ya. I'm a personal trainer myself." - "Oooo, that sounds like a good idea, too! Maybe add that to the list..." J.C. chuckled, "With a physique like that, I wouldn't be surprised." Maybe that was a little too forward? He coughed, and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "Good surprised, though. You, ah...I imagine you're very skilled at your job- helping people with getting into shape. - “My physique? You haven't even seen me out of these clothes,” she laughed, before realizing what she said. “N-not like that!” she stammered. “I meant out of these specific clothes! My workout clothes show more.” - "I, um...I'd hope so? N-not in a weird way! Just....so you don't get overheated or anything; speeding up the dehydration process while exercising is rather risky, and..." His voice began to trail off, "I'm...gonna stop talking now...I...made it awkward..." Syd looked between the two, smirking a bit to herself. Super friendly to each other AND awkward when they think they've made a misstep? Oooo, was Cupid nearby~? - “No, no; it's fine,” she chuckled. “I know what you meant. It's good to dress for your workout; don't overheat or sweat up your regular clothes.” She sat back down and began petting Lola. “Though I know some prefer the less revealing clothes. I used to be the same. Took me a while to get past some of my self esteem issues, y'know? You just gotta get a breathable material.” - J.C. nodded, understanding the "self-esteem issue" thing all too well. Not really wanting to dive into that (mainly because...well, come on, he and Audrey had just met), he focused more on the breathable fabric thing."Yeah. That way it's like...when a person's all done workin' out for the day, they're not dripping with sweat or smelling like an old pair of socks." - Audrey snickered. “Depends on your definition of a workout. That's why we have showers at the gym~” She paused for a moment. “Weren't we talking about stuff to do in Michigan? How'd we get here?” she laughed. - Oh thank goodness, the subject changed. He laughed, "Dunno, that's actually a really good question..." "Can I go back an' play now?" Kat asked. "Go for it." J.C. told her, giving her a small nod and taking a glance at his watch. " 'Bout 30 more minutes, alright? I want to get you guys fed, too." "Can we get those coney dogs??" Syd asked. J.C. shrugged, "Yeah, sure. Probably the only time we're going to be able to get them, so why not?" "Sweet!" Syd gave Lola a quick pet before running back to the playground. "Last one there's a rotten egg!" she called to Kat. The little blonde mimicked her sister's actions, instead yelling "Bye, Audrey! It was nice to meet you!" "What she said!!" Syd shouted back. - “Same to you!” she called out before relaxing back against the bench. “They seemed nice~ I should probably give you directions before I forget.” She proceeded to dig through her purse. “I'm sure I have a pen and paper in here somewhere... Also; while it's not limited to Michigan, it seems to be a northern U.S. thing. If you can find Blue Moon ice cream, go ahead and try some. I can't really describe the flavor, but I love the stuff. If you've ever had Superman ice cream, it's basically the blue part in that.” - J.C. chuckled. "They try. Kind of nice that they're screaming more from running around than fighting. Iiii...don't think I've had that flavour before, but with a name like 'Superman', that might sound like something Syd'll like. May as well try some Blue Moon just for the heck of it, y'know?" - Having pulled a notebook and a pen, Audrey proceeded to jot down the directions. “Yup yup! Always nice to try something new~” In addition to the directions, she jotted down a few other places they could look into while in Michigan. - "Haha, yeah. I should tell that to Kat, or as I call her: 'Little Miss No-Greens'. She'll eat her fruits and veg, yeah, but only if they aren't green. ...Good thing it's 'Blue Moon' ice cream and not...'Green Moon'." Okay, so that was kind of a lame joke, but hey. Glancing over at her writing, he smiled a bit. Not only writing down the names of places, but directions, too! "...Forgive me if this sounds a bit weird, but...you have really nice handwriting." - Audrey chuckled at the green moon joke, then giggled at the compliment of her handwriting. “Not weird,” she assured as she bashfully played with her hair, twirling a short curl around her finger. It was nice to get a compliment on something that wasn't her physique. “I take a lot of notes. Helps me remember things.” - He nodded, "Always good, always good. Nothing worse than having something super important you need to do or get, then completely forgetting to. Like... 'don't forget the milk....don't forget the milk....wait, what was I getting?...Ah, crud! I forgot the milk!" - Audrey snickered. “Yeah. That's why I write everything down,” she flipped through her notebook to show page upon page of notes. “I've had friends ask how I got them the perfect gift, and I'm like, 'Remember how you were talking about that thing three months ago? Yeah. I wrote it down.'” She flipped a page and twirled her pen. “Speaking of, how do you spell your sisters' names? I wanna write them down. Yours too... I'm imagining there's more to your name than a J and a C.“ - "I should start doing that," he noted, "Did it a lot more while I was still in school, but having recently graduated, eeeeh....not so much. Would be good to get back into the habit." At the "more than a J and a C" comment, he chuckled. "I would hope so, otherwise my parents were very lazy. It's short for Jean-Claude: J-E-A-N, dash ,C-L-A-U-D-E. Syd's is S-Y-D-N-E-Y, and Kat's is K-A-T-R-I-N-A." - “A-ha! It's a good thing I asked,” she proceeded to write the names down. “I definitely would have spelled those wrong otherwise. You never know; that Greg could be spelled with two Gs at the end or something.” - "Haha, yeah! Or the 'Christopher' that you pass by every day spells it as 'K-R-I-S-T-O-F-F-E-R." he replied, offering an example. - “Oh goodness. That reminds me of a comedian talking about names who said he met a girl named Amy, but it was spelled A-Y-M-I-E. I think it was Brian Regan.” - J.C. had to laugh, "Or you get a name that has about seven different consonants all piled together, but it's pronounced as 'Jim'." - Audrey snickered. "Okay; now you're just making stuff up." - J.C. gave her a cheeky smile. "Maaaaybe just a little, yeah." - “Your sister was right. You are a dork,” she grinned. - "Now if only being a dork was a profession." he snickered, "I'm overqualified." - “You'd have some stiff competition. I've memorized at least half the recent My Little Pony songs word for word. And let's not forget all the Disney songs.” - "If it's any consolation, I do a meeeean rendition of 'I Just Can't Wait to Be King'...granted, I'm always designated as Zazu, but hey." J.C. shrugged, "Now my 'Winter Wrap Up' can use a bit of work, but..." - He knew My Little Pony too? Nice! Audrey grinned before softly singing one of Nala's lines. “No one saying be there~” - Cue him responding with a "No one saying 'Stop that!' " - “No one saying seeee heeeere~” She jokingly thought that, if he joined her on that line, he must be her soulmate. - He did indeed, laughing a bit as he did so. - Audrey laughed as well, unable to believe he actually did it. “Oh, wow. You're the first guy who's ever sung Disney with me... Well, besides kids... and my dad... Okay; the first adult male who isn't related to me.” - J.C. shrugged, smiling, "Hey, you have to admit that they are pretty catchy, so it's kind of hard not to. ...Well, that and it's pretty fun to sing along to stuff, anyway." - She nodded in agreement. “It's a little different when you're in front of other people though.” She rubbed her arm, smiling bashfully. “I'm usually a bit shy with that sort of thing, but, I dunno, you seem... safe? for lack of a better word. Like, I don't imagine you would make fun of me. Then again, we did just meet, but, eh,” she shrugged. “just a feeling.” - 'Safe', awwww~ That was kind of the way he felt about her, too. His heart felt like it was burning with something. Not heartburn or anything like that, but more like...some warm affection-type feelings. They appeared to be past the level of acquaintance and more on the level of "friends who hadn't seen each other in years"...which was kind of strange, since they'd just met. Best not to question it, though.... He gave her a gentle smile, "It sucks being on the end where you get laughed at. I know from experience, it's...not the best feeling. So I make it a point not to do that to others, y'know? Break the cycle, treat others how you want to be, something along those lines..." - “Woof,” Audrey exhaled, looking towards the sky. “Tell me about it. I was prime bully bait as a kid. Not only did I have plenty to make fun of, I cried really easy, so they always got a reaction.” - J.C. mimicked Audrey's actions, "My main 'points of fault', I say with heavy emphasis on the air quotes, were the fact that I was still learning English, my accent- a lot heavier at the time- my glasses... the list goes on and on." - She sat back up and pointed to her front teeth, which were fairly large in comparison to the rest of her teeth. “You see these? This is after I've grown into them.” She paused for a moment, looking confused. “Who makes fun of a French-English accent?!” she exclaimed as she threw her hands up. “Those are, like, the best accents to have!” - "At least they weren't missing...? I know that's not a lot of help, but..." he pointed to his, "These two are actually fake. Got my two adult teeth knocked clean out when I was a little older than Syd. Took a while to get the implants, so..." he blew a bit of air out of his nose, "Bet you can guess how well that went over with the little buttmunches that were in my class. The real kicker was when I finally got them and sounded like Daffy Duck for a solid month and a half." He rubbed the back of his neck, "That....probably isn't much help, and I don't mean to make it sound like I'm taking the conversation away from you, but...I dunno, that whole 'safe' feeling you said you have with me kind of...extends over from me to you, too." - “Cheese on a cracker!” Audrey exclaimed with a hand to her chest. “That's horrible! How on earth did they manage that; a hammer?!” She waved her hands. “Oh no no no no. It's fine. I'm talking to you, not at you.” - He gave her a nod, a sort of not verbal way of saying "I understand", before continuing. "More like running into a tree...going down a hill on a bike...at near full speed....as part of a dare from a couple of older boys. The bit they forgot to mention was that I had to jump off the bike before it hit." He sighed, shaking his head, "Y'know, part of that was my fault for taking the dare, but...11 year old me didn't want them thinkin' I was a chicken or anything." He smirked, another thought occurring to him, "Althooooough....I knew one of the older kids, so before I went home, I went to his house first and showed his parents- who knew my parents and were good friends with them- what happened." - Audrey grimaced, recoiling at the thought of such a stunt. “I'm sure that was a delight for them to see,” she shuddered before shaking her head to rid herself of the thought. “My dad actually had to have a veneer in high school. He got in a fight, something he never does, because the guy made my mom cry. They barely knew each other at the time, but Dad was smitten with her from day one. Anyway, he was beaten to a pulp and lost a chunk of tooth, but he married my mom in the end so... yaaaayyy...” she waved her hands. - "Ooof..." J.C. had to cringe at the thought, "Buuuut...I guess in the end, it all worked out? Better than my parents. ...I'm...not 100% sure of how my birth parents met, but my current ones...that's a different story. Short and skinny is that they knew each other as kids, Mum was a right pillock to Dad, she moved away, then they re-united in uni and I guess...everything worked out? Apologies, burying the hatchet, all that good stuff." - “Huh,” she shrugged, “Fair enough.” She paused to look down at Lola. “I wonder if she knew we would get along somehow. Like some sort of doggy sixth sense. I mean, out of all the people in the park, she went straight for you.” - He chuckled, "I dunno...I mean, the same tends to happen when people ask me to hold their babies and they're all smiles and whatnot. I don't even do much, other than give them a 'Hey, what's up, little darlin'?' or 'Salut, petit lapin!' and I'm getting this few-toothed smile." He stopped and thought for a second, "I mean...people aren't handing me babies all the time, but...you get what I mean, right?" - Audrey tittered at the thought. “Come, Julia! We must find a kind stranger to hold our baby!” - J.C. started to go into a giggle fit, trying to picture the scenario. - Audrey did as well. Meanwhile... While Edward wasn't the boss, he was well respected in his workplace. He was a hard worker and had been with the company for over twenty years. He knew the inner workings of things and could navigate the building blindfolded. While he may not be the most social, he was certainly polite and was sure to greet the employee from their English branch. “Roger Malone, was it?” the exceedingly tall man inquired, holding out his hand to shake. - New country, new people...at least it's the same company? Albeit, a different branch, but...stiiill the same company, so not all that much should be that different. Kind of wished that Reggie or Eric had come along, that way I'd at least know someone... "Roger Malone, was it?" came a voice. Snapping out of his little funk, the Englishman smiled in the direction it was coming from. Ah! Now time to match a voice to a faaaaa....hoooooly moley, this guy was huge! Was...was that who that voice belonged to? Only one way to find out.... "Aaah, yes! Yes, that's me." he chuckled, "I know I have a few names I was supposed to remember, so I'm going to take a stab in the dark, and say yooooou're..." David? Jack? Not a Sandra, that was for sure... "...Edward?" - "First try; impressive. Edward Davis; yes," he nodded. "I believe the meeting is in," he checked his watch, "about fifteen minutes. So you should have time to learn your way around or stop by the breakroom. There may still be a doughnut or two, if you hurry." - Roger gave him a nod. Sure, this guy seemed really intimidating, but...it wasn't like he was trying to assert his dominance over him? Nothing like "Move it, peasant, there are doughnuts with MY name on it in the breakroom." "Duly noted...perhaps a little stroll around, then, ah...get down to business, eh?" Totally nailed that office small talk. - Edward simply nodded, not acknowledging the awkwardness. He could be awkward himself, when out of his element. “I'll leave you to it then. If you need help with anything, Sandra should be happy to assist. She's pretty easy to spot with her curly blonde hair and large glasses. If you can't find her, well, it's pretty hard to miss me,” he chuckled slightly. - "Curly hair, large glasses...got it. Cheers, mate." he gave him a smile and a nod before heading off. Hmm, maybe this guy would be the guy to stick to during this whole shebang. Seemed like he knew what was up. - Edward did the same and went about his business until it was time for the meeting. The meeting went about as well as one could expect, if a little longer than usual to fill in the newcomer. Statistics were discussed, questions were asked, ideas were suggested, and progress was made. Satisfied, the higher ups dismissed the others to go about their usual business. - The question was...what...exactly was his usual business now? Roger's usual usual business involved bumming around with Reg and Eric for a little bit before getting back to work, but they were back in England. Then he got a glimpse of Edward again. He knew his way around...would he mind if he just shadowed him for a bit? "Aaah, Edward?" - Edward turned around and raised a brow at the Brit. "Yes? Can I help you?" - "Er, perhaps." He cleared his throat, obviously a little nervous, "Would it...trouble you if I, ah...shadowed you for a little while? You're the only face that I can actually immediately place. I don't know if our positions are equivalents to one another, but...it's always good to know a little about a lot?" Translation: Holy cow, I'm beyond awkward around here, please let me just stay under your wing for a bit. - Thankfully, Edward decided to show mercy on the awkward man. “That shouldn't be a problem, as long as you don't go shouting in my ear while I'm trying to work or something.” He made a subtle gesture with his head to follow him before heading for his office. The inside of his office was a strange mix of sterile and welcoming. While he had various degrees on his walls with pens and papers arranged just so, he also had photos and childish nick-knacks scattered about. Seemed he wasn't the only influence on his office. - "Oh! Noooo, no, no, no, I usually keep to myself, anyway. Perhaps a little chatter here and there with a couple of colleagues, but otherwise..." Upon entering the office, the sterility offset him juuuust a tad. Sure, Roger was a rather tidy man as well, but this was perhaps a step up from his level of cleanliness. Then he caught sight of the photos and little "decorations". Resisting the urge to breathe a sigh of relief ("Oh thank god, he's human"), Roger couldn't help but crack a small smile, having a couple in his own little office space back home. Must be a "dad" thing- having a couple little "projects" your kids have done just hanging around in your workspace. "Family man, eh?" he asked, breaking the silence. - “They're my world,” he admitted, smiling softly and making his front teeth even more prominent. Turning a frame on his desk to face the other man, the photo revealed a recent photo of his wife and daughter. The two women shared the traits of red hair, green eyes, and freckles. The daughter had short hair while the mother had long hair. Another major difference between them, besides their ages, was the fact the mother was short and of an average build while the daughter was taller with an athletic build. “My wife, Abigail, and our daughter, Audrey. Quite the family resemblance, isn't there?” he smiled widely, proud of his girls. Edward almost seemed to become another person when it came to his family. - Roger had to chuckle a little; to think that this scary looking guy was a big ol' softie. "They're lovely~" he responded, as he started to dig out his wallet. If they were going to do an impromptu show and tell, then he supposed it was his turn. "Let's see..." Finally getting the wallet out, Roger dug around and found a more recent photo of his family. "Aha!" He handed it over to Edward, "This one took a few tries, since everyone wanted to muck about, buuuut..." In it were him, a blonde woman who was a couple inches shorter (and had a looser sense of dressing; nice jeans and a shirt as opposed to Roger's shirt and tie deal), a young man close to his height and in a rugby shirt, and two young girls: one with hair a shade or two darker than her mother's and dressed a little more "girly"(t-shirt and a skort), and one with bright red hair, dressed more casually: sweatshirt and shorts...and a purposefully goofy smile. "My wife Charlotte, my son J.C., and my daughters: Katrina and Sydney." he said, pointing each of them out. - Edward took the photo and adjusted his glasses as he got a good look. “You still have young ones, I see. One of them pretty mischievous, from the looks of it,” he smirked as he handed the picture back. “Thankfully the more mischievous of my family are my nieces and nephews and not my responsibility... They're nothing compared to their mothers though.” - Roger chuckled, both at Edward's comment on his picture and his "not my responsibility" comment. "Yeeeeah, haha. Could be worse...one of Charlotte's siblings has triplets, who've just turned two." - “Three terrible twos? I'm good with numbers, but I don't have an answer to that. Speaking of multiples; my wife's older sisters are identical twins. Quite literally double trouble, given their natures.” - "They don't either, apparently. Just kind of taking it a day at a time. " he laughed, "Twins, eh? Interesting! My wife's older brothers are twins as well. Fraternal, though." - “Huh. Small world,” he mused aloud as he sat down at his desk and began typing away. “Sorry. We can keep talking. I just feel the need to be productive while we do so.” Working was practically a compulsion for the man. - "Guess so." he chuckled. "And that's totally alright." Granted, as he said that, Roger had sort of...run out of things to talk about other than the weather... - The room was silent for a bit, save for the click-clacking of the computer keys. “...Would it be alright with you if I put some music on?” He usually listened to music while he worked. While this was usually done via headphones, he didn't want to appear as though he was ignoring the man, nor did he want to leave him in awkward silence. - Roger gave him a nod. "Go for it." Hey, potential new topic of conversation! "What, ah...what sort of music are you into, out of curiosity?" - Edward proceeded to take out an iPod from one of his drawers and skim through his music. “It's difficult to pinpoint, honestly. I listen to multiple genres and it can vary depending on my mood.” Now, what might the average person like? “...How about some pop rock?” - Roger shrugged, "Fine by me." - Edward nodded and brought up the playlist. Upon pressing play, Michael Jackson's Thriller started through the iPod's speaker. - A smile started to spread across Roger's face. "Heh. Usually anytime I hear this, it's from Sydney blasting it the morning of October 31st. I find it interesting that it was actually released almost an entire month after Halloween, yet that's what a lot of people associate the song with..." - “Not surprising, given the theme of the song and the accompanying music video. I really appreciate the choreography in that video.” - "Right? To be honest, the one that gets me is 'Beat It'; albeit more so for the whole 'two legitimate rival gangs' thing. To think they were able to not completely brutalize each other honestly astounds me." - “Couldn't have been easy,” he remarked as he typed. “Shame music and dancing can't really solve your problems, like in the movies.” - Roger chuckled, "Yeeeah. If it was able to, my wife and I would have been friends starting in childhood, as opposed to establishing a friendship during university. Long story." - “Actually, if it weren't for conflict, I likely wouldn't have wound up with my wife. Also a long story.” - ...Huh. Interesting... "I mean...I'm up for sharing mine; I'm not sure about you. Though, I am curious. If you're comfortable sharing, would you like to elaborate first or shall I?" - Edward took a look at his watch, before scooting away from his desk and facing his chair towards Roger. If they were going into long stories, he could at least give him his full attention. “I have some time. Go ahead,” he gestured slightly with his hand. - Roger gave him a small nod, found an available chair, sat, and took a deep breath. "Fair enough. Right, let's see...both her and I were born in and spent most of our childhood in Liverpool. It's a fairly sizeable city, however, the two of us ended up attending the same primary school. Her by her own volition, and myself since my mother was the headmistress. Her being a 'rebel' and me being a 'toffee-nose' as she called it, Charlotte wasn't exactly keen on me, or a number of other students. Or teachers, for that matter. She was a...er, perhaps a couple of steps above being considered a 'troublemaker'- enough to the point where she ended up being expelled. Now, after that, there were several rumours that had gone around; saying she ended up in prison, fled the country..." He chuckled, thinking back on some of the other rumors that circulated, "In actuality, she went to another school. Save for perhaps...two or three times in between, neither of us saw each other again until university. We ended up being paired together for a project. I was still considered as a bit of 'teacher's pet', whereas she never really left her 'rebellious' phase. The process itself was akin to pulling teeth, but eventually, we found out that the two of us knew each other...albeit, our last memories of one another were not exactly the best, per se. It took a number of months. but eventually, she had opened up quite a bit and ended up apologizing for the grief she'd caused me as a lad. " He smiled slightly, "After that, we just started hanging out together, and lo and behold, sometime later we ended up getting married and raising three children." - Edward listened and nodded politely as the other spoke. “That's a nice story. Not everyone gets an apology from someone who wronged them, let alone marries them.” - Roger shrugged, chuckling. "I guess she really needed was some time to mature. Same for me, as well. Come a bit out of my shell and all." - Edward nodded. “I know the feeling. Abigail makes sure I don't keep to myself too much. As for our story... how much time do you have? I have a tendency to wax poetic with this sort of thing.” - Roger laughed, "I've got all day, mate. Lay it on me." - “Very well.” Smiling, he began his story. “Abigail... I'll never forget the moment I saw her... It was during my junior year of high school. I was on my way to class when, among the cacophony of locker doors slamming, the squeaking of shoes on the hallway floor, and the incessant chatter of students, I heard the most beautiful sound to ever grace my ears. It was a giggle, soft and pure, conveying the warmth and happiness one would expect of an angel. That's what she was, an angel. And, just as one would expect of an ethereal being, I was only able to catch a glimpse of her as she passed by. Hair the color of the rising sun and eyes that sparkled like emeralds, she was, and still is, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I was completely in awe. I had no idea how a girl as beautiful as her could exist, nor how I couldn't have noticed her until that point. While I've never been able to answer the first question, it wasn't long until I was able to answer the latter. I'd never seen her before because she had only just begun attending our school.” He did warn Roger he could wax poetic. The rest of his story was just as eloquently worded; covering how, though he admired her, he didn't pursue her, how he tried to be happy for her when she began dating a bully of his, the rage he felt when the other had taken advantage of her, the fight for her honor that he lost, and the gratitude Abigail had for his attempt. - ....Man, he wasn't kidding. Edward was practically a reincarnation of Shakespeare- armed with a silver tongue and a talent for creating crystal clear imagery. It was almost as if Roger was there himself, observing from the sidelines. "That was....forgive me for being so emotional, but..." Roger wiped some stray tears from his eyes. "That was absolutely beautiful..." - Edward chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as a blush painted his features. “The story itself or the way I told it?” - "Both. Any of those degrees you hold happen to be an English or Literature one?" - He chuckled once more. “I'm afraid not. My interest in the arts is not something I've pursued outside of hobbies. I was encouraged to pursue a stable career path, in my youth.” - "Aaah. I mean...perhaps having it as a hobby is slightly better than a career? In those fields, I have been told that how much you make- if anything- is all dependent on luck. With your talent, I imagine you would be able to have been noticed fairly easily, but...perhaps it would be more stressful, in a sense. There are deadlines in an office setting, yes, but deadlines in an artistic sense...what if you're in a creative slump but need to produce something the next day and are unable to?" He chuckled nervously, hoping that his 'spitballing' of sorts made at least some sense. "That's all a matter of opinion , I suppose. I-I don't consider myself as one of those types that thinks that being an artist, in any medium, isn't a career..." - “Exactly. I don't think I'd be able to think and create freely whilst simultaneously being restricted by deadlines.” He sighed slightly and smiled. “Besides, I'm quite content with where I am now. I'm not looking for fame. I have a job that provides for my family and I can still engage in my interests as hobbies.” - Roger nodded, smiling as well, "So all in all, it sort of worked out." - “Pretty much.” He checked his watch, brows rising at the time. “I really talked your ear off there. It's almost lunch. Speaking of, I can recommend some good places to eat, if you haven't been here before.” - "Is it?" Roger checked his as well, and eyebrows shooting up as a result. "Ah, so it is. Time flies when you're having fun, I suppose. That would be great, actually! I've been to the States several times, but not Michigan...so I'm not sure what this place does and doesn't have." - "It would be remiss of me to not mention coney dogs while you're here. Other states have tried to make them, but Michigan really is the best place to get one. Though the absolute best place to get one is a little shop only open in the summer, but I know a place that's a close second." - "Aw, drat...but hey, second best is better than nothing I suppose!" Roger paused, "What, ah...what exactly is a coney dog, if you don't mind my asking?" - Edward laughed, or rather, exhaled through his nose. “It's basically a really good hot dog topped with a seasoned meat sauce, onions, and mustard. Not to be confused with a chili dog. While not gourmet food, it's sort of a local specialty that I've yet to see done just right anywhere else.” - Roger nodded as he listened. "Ah! Definitely sounds like something the kids will eat, so if need be, that covers dinner...probably will have one for myself as well- just to say that I've tried it." - “I certainly recommend it. Jackson is serious about its coney dogs, so if you ever want to try one, here's the place... Now I'm craving one, honestly. You want to come with me so I can show you where it is?” - Roger chuckled, "Might as well." - Back at the park, Audrey parted ways with the trio of tourists to take Lola back home. Energetic as she was, a puppy needed her rest. In fact, Audrey had to carry the pooped pooch part of the way home. When lunchtime rolled around, the redhead found herself craving a Coney dog something fierce. She didn't want to come across as though she was following the group, but she figured they would have already eaten and left by the time she got there. Upon reaching the restaurant, Audrey was surprised to see a different familiar face exiting his car. “Hi, Dad!” Audrey called from across the parking lot. What were the odds? “Hi, sweetie!” Edward called back. - Upon arriving, Roger stayed in the car for a brief second to send a quick text to his son. When it sent, he unbuckled his seatbelt and joined Edward, chuckling a bit at the two's interaction. "Ah! Daughter, right?" After Audrey left, it was soon time for J.C. and the kiddos to head on out. As expected, Syd and Kat had worked up an appetite, and started getting into a bit of a "discussion" over what to have. To keep them from going at it the entire time they were walking, the older brother told them that he already had a place in mind. ...Granted, that meant he'd have to deal with the two of them going "Where're we going?", "C'mon, tell us!", and "No, wait, lemme guess, it's THIS place!", but hey- they weren't fighting. Pulling out his phone to check the time, he noticed that he had a text from his dad: If you're in the area, I'm grabbing lunch with a colleague. If the girls can't agree on somewhere, here's the place's address..." The young adult chuckled, texting back You must be a mind reader, we're actually on our way there now. Be there in 7-10 min. - Audrey cocked her head, confused, but smiled. It wasn't often she saw her father outside the office with someone she hadn't seen before, but she saw it as a good thing.

"Indeed I am~"

Edward beamed and placed a hand on her shoulder, always happy to introduce his daughter to someone.

"Hard to believe I helped make this beautiful young woman, isn't it?" Edward laughed.

"Daaaaaaaaddyyyyyyy," Audrey covered her face, but smiled all the same. - Roger chuckled, "Well, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Roger Malone, I'm, ah...sort of your father's shadow today." - Audrey raised a brow, not quite sure what he meant by that. “He works for a foreign branch of my company and has decided to stick close to me during his visit here," Edward explained. "Oohhh," Audrey nodded. "It's funny you should mention that. I actually met three people from England today. Well, two girls from England and one man originally from France..." - Roger raised an eyebrow and had to hold back a small smirk, "Let me guess...one of the girls had bright red hair, the other was blonde, and the man had glasses?" - Audrey blinked. "Yeah. How'd you know- wait..." she started snickering. "You're their dad, aren't you?" - The man chuckled, "Indeed I am." - "What are the odds?" Audrey laughed. "Wait... uh-oh..." Edward looked confused. "Why uh-oh?" "Now they're gonna think I'm following them," she half whined. "I told them about this place, but I thought they would have been here and left by now." "I doubt that will be a problem," her father assured. "Besides, who would be disappointed to see you again?" he smiled and ruffled her hair. "Dad..." she sighed. - Roger smiled slightly. "I sent him a text, he said he'd be here in no more than 10 minutes or so. May be a bit longer since he's got two little munchkins in tow, but we'll see." - "No more, but maybe longer," Audrey snickered. "Ahhh, I'm just kidding." - The father chuckled, "You never know." - Her smile faltered a bit. "Sooo, should I leave orrr...?" - "Nooo, no, no, no, no! You're welcome to stay, I don't see it being an issue at all." He looked to Edward, "Besides, lunch with your children- regardless of age- is always a nice change from grabbing something by yourself." - "I suppose it's like a daddy daughter double day... with a son," she smiled awkwardly. - "In a sense, yes." Roger chuckled, "Should we be heading over to get some food, or would you rather we wait for the other three?" - "It wouldn't be very polite to eat before everyone is seated, let alone before everyone is in the building," Edward remarked. - "Ah, true, true." He put a hand to his forehead and gasped, trying to be dramatic and funny. "A most shameful misstep on my part." - Audrey snorted at this as Edward exhaled through his nose. - Roger chuckled and straightened himself up. Seemed as though goofiness ran in the family... Meanwhile, about 2 minutes away... "J.C., come ON! Where're we going?!" Syd whined. "I told you, it's a surprise~" he said, teasing her a bit. - "-and then Lola just bolted over to them! J.C., specifically. I don't know what her deal was, but she went straight for him. Maybe she smelled the different country on him somehow," Audrey laughed. - Roger laughed, "Quite possibly! I know that there's the belief that animals and children can sense something in people, be that good or bad, so who knows..." "I don't WANT a surprise; I want food!" "Really? Huh, that's a first...fine, I'll tell you. You remember that place that Audrey was talking about earlier?" Upon being asked this, the ten year old started to calm down a bit. "...The one with the hot dogs?" "Well, coney dogs, to be more specific, but yes. And we have a guest joining us...." That seemed to perk the two up a bit. Food AND company... - "Well, she wanted attention from him, so I imagine she sensed good," she shrugged. "She certainly liked all the attention the girls gave her; that's for sure!" - Roger chuckled, "Aaaah, looks like I'm going to be getting the 'Dad, can we get a dog??' question when they get here..." - "Their brother already answered that, I think," she snickered. - "Hopefully, he went with what I told him, and not 'heck yeah, let's go down and get one right now." the father chuckled. "Are we there yet?" Kat asked. J.C. took a quick look at the street signs, then off into the distance, trying to see if the place across the street was indeed the name of the place that Audrey had recommended. "Aaaaah, I think so?" He saw a couple of people standing in the parking lot, one soooort of looking like their dad? He wasn't 100% sure. What he did know was that there was a guy who was huge..."C'mon, let's go check it out." Once they were safely across the street, Syd and Kat's eyes grew huge, recognizing a familiar face. So THAT'S who their surprise guest was! Even before J.C. could recognize who it was, the girls dashed off. Initially thinking that the two were coming to him, Roger, turning his head at the sound of a "YAAAAAAAAAAY!!" from Syd, knelt down and braced for impact. ...Only...they didn't go for him... "Audreeeeey!!" Kat happily cooed, "J.C. was right, this WAS a surprise!" - "Hi, girls!"Audrey laughed, hugging the two. "Didn't think I'd see you guys again so soon!" She smiled apologetically and shrugged at their father. "She has a way with kids," Edward quietly informed Roger. - "Apparently. They blew right past me..." the dad chuckled. Wow, they seemed excited...did they miss Dad that much? Once J.C. got closer, he couldn't help but smile. This was a nice surprise! Upon reaching his father, he put an arm around him. "I'm surprised they didn't knock her over..."

- "She is a strong one," Edward commented. "Turns out your dad and my dad work for the same company," Audrey gestured to the respective fathers. "What are the odds, huh?" - "They do?" Kat asked. Looking to where Audrey gestures, she finally noticed Roger and made a bee-line for him. "Daddy!" While Roger pulled his youngest into a one armed hug (the other arm being around J.C.), Syd, meanwhile, stayed silent and with Audrey, looking at her father...or whoever that gargantuan person was. Was she 100% sure on that? That this guy was really her dad? They didn't look all that alike, save maybe for the teeth. She wasn't scared, per se, more in awe of the size of Edward - Audrey followed Syd's gaze and she soon chuckled. "Tall, isn't he? Don't worry," she leaned closer to whisper, "he's nowhere near as tough as he looks." - Syd merely blinked, as if she was observing something at a museum. "So you said you and Audrey's daddy are here?" Kat asked. "Yup," Roger gestured to Edward, "Kat, this is Mr. Davis. Edward, this is Kat." The little girl looked up, then fell kind of quiet. He was HUGE! She was only 4'3", this guy had to be 11 feet tall at least. Tightening her grip around her dad's hand ever so slightly, she gave Edward a slight nod and a bashful "Hi..." - Edward frowned as he looked between the two girls, believing them to be frightened of him. "It's always this," he sighed, "or begging to sit on my shoulders." - "I'm not scared, really..." Syd spoke slowly, "You're just really tall..." she smiled a bit, trying to convey that she was more amazed than frightened. - "I'm aware," he nodded. "How many retorts do you have to 'How's the weather up there' joke now?" Audrey smirked. "I'm not sure, honestly. Surprisingly, it's been a while since I've been asked that." - "...How IS the weather up there, anyway?" the ten-year-old asked. - "Partly cloudy with a one hundred percent chance of a joke I've already heard." - ...Alright, that was kind of funny...Kat and an equally nervous J.C. (in a more "This is the girl that I think I like's dad?! I know I'd have to watch out regardless, but holy moly..." sense, as opposed to Kat's "I'm but a small bean, pls no.") giggled. - Edward smiled and exhaled through his nose. "We should probably get inside before our lunch break is over." "Ohh, good point," Audrey perked up. "I have the day off, but you don't." - J.C. exhaled through his nose as well, "Guess it's a good thing that you guys were here. These two were close to ripping my arms off from...'hangriness'? I know that's not a word, but you get the idea." - "I suppose the portmanteau of 'hanger' wouldn't really work, lest someone think they wanted to hold clothes," Edward remarked as he held the door open. - J.C. chuckled. The man had jokes...always a good sign. Upon the door opening, Syd practically ran in (giving Edward a 'Thanks!!' as she passed by)- partially to find a seat and partially because FOOOOD. "Sydney, slow down, please." Roger spoke up, "Running isn't going to speed up the amount of time it'll take to get your food." - "Nope. That's up to us," Audrey chuckled as she speed-walked in. "Thanks, Dad!" - J.C. and Roger (and a Kat attached to Roger's leg), followed suit, giving Edward a "Thanks, mate" as they passed by. Even the somewhat nervous eight-year-old managed to squeak out a "Thank you, mister". Syd quietly groaned and threw her hands up- not so much in an aggressive way, more like an exasperated Muppet. "Okaaaaay." - "You're welcome," Edward said just before heading in himself. Rather than several tables, the restaurant had a few very long tables with chairs on either side. "Sooo..." Audrey started, "three on one side, three on the other?" - "Sounds fair." J.C. nodded, "Keeps Kat and Syd from fighting over who gets to sit where." - "Maybe we can go by family? Wait... that's four to two..." Audrey pondered. "Boys and girls?" Edward suggested. - "That works." Roger looked to his youngest, still clinging to him. "You going to be okay? Sitting over with your sister and Audrey?" Kat thought for a second before answering. "If Syd's not gonna be flingin' stuff at me, yeah." Syd scoffed, "Naaaah, too many grown-ups around. You're fiiiiine." - "I could sit in the middle," Audrey offered. "Any fights would have to go through me." - Kat smiled slightly, "That works." - As the group took their seats, Audrey slid off her light jacket to reveal her T-shirt and bare arms underneath. If they were wondering if she had strength to match her flexibility, there was their answer. - J.C.'s eyebrow's popped up as he got a look at Audrey's arms. Knowing that her father was right next to him, he had to resist the urge to whistle. - Audrey eyebrows scrunched together, feeling as though she was being watched. She looked up to see J.C. "...What?" - "Hm?" Ah, crud, he was noticed! Granted, he was looking at a "tame" part of her body, but still! "Ah! Sorry, sorry, I, um...I..." His face going a little pink, J.C. averted his gaze. "I just...caught a glimpse of..." he coughed, "You look...pretty strong." Totally nailed that recovery. - Given her T-shirt didn't really show any cleavage, she believed him. "Oh," she shrugged before flexing her arm. "Yeah. I work out." "She's a pretty one, huh?" Edward smiled at him, but it was threatening and with a piercing gaze; a look that said, 'Don't you dare.' - Feeling incredibly small as he was given the "Dad Glare" (as Syd called it. Roger had a similar one, but Edward's was about twice as intimidating), J.C. slunk a little in his seat, and replied with a "Y-yes, sir." "Betcha she could totally piledrive ya, J.C." Syd noted, as she watched Audrey flex. "..P...piledrive?" "Yeah! Like...SLAM! Right through a table!" Oh, she meant WRESTLING...oh thank god. J.C. chuckled nervously. "Um...p-probably, but...I don't know if she would. N-not that it implies that she's weak or anything! She can...I imagine she holds her own. I, er...I'm...going to shut up now. - Audrey seemed oblivious to her father's 'threat' as she laughed. "Maybe? You can calm down though. I wouldn't try anything like that. I may like to spar here and there, but I only fight fight as a last resort." - J.C. chuckled, trying to have it come of as NOT being nervous. "Haha...good to know." "Aw, we could've tag teamed..." Syd whined slightly. - "Maybe for a play fight. If I gave it my all, I imagine I could be pretty dangerous. I mean, I have won a few karate competitions," she couldn't help but gloat a little. Her strength was something she had utmost confidence in. "I can break boards... cinder blocks... found out I can crush melons with my thighs..." - Cue J.C. sputtering and choking on his own saliva. "...You alright, son?" Roger asked. " [cough] [cough]Yeah! Yeah, I'm [cough] f-fine!" - "Oh jeez! You choked on your own spit, didn't you? Hate when that happens..." "Why did you try crushing melons with your thighs?" Edward asked. Audrey chuckled and absently played with her hair, "Well, I saw a lady do it on YouTube and it made me curious." - " [cough! cough cough] Yeah..." "Sometimes you learn the best stuff off of there." Syd pointed out. - "It's pretty good for how-tos," she agreed. - The little redhead thought for a second."...Soooo if I wanted to learn how to make a glitter bomb..." "Don't get any ideas..." Roger started "I said 'if', not 'I'm going to make one..." - Audrey tittered. "You're such a scamp, Syd." - "The scampiest~" Syd smiled. "So you're saying you're a shrimp dish?" J.C. asked, obviously joking. - Audrey giggled at the joke. "Or a chicken dish, depending on your taste and if you're scared or not." - J.C., Syd and Roger snickered. The only one who wasn't all snicker-y was Kat. She wasn't exactly scared or upset, per se, but more....cautious, mainly because of Edward. - Audrey noticed Kat's lack of laughter. "You okay, Kat?" Edward looked over to the young blonde with a raised brow. He didn't mean to look intimidating in doing so... but he looked intimidating in doing so. - Temporarily snapping out of her little funk, the little girl looked to Audrey. "Huh? Yeah! Yeah, I'm...I'm fine." "You're not sick, are you?" Syd asked, "'Cos I don't want to get whatever it is you've got." The little sister shook her head "no". - Audrey frowned, able to tell she was lying. "If you're worried about not liking the coney dog, you could always just scrape the coney meat off it and just eat the hot dog." - "I think I'll be okay." Ah, good, a slight change in focus. Perhaps she could keep it going and ask her "standard" question when it came to trying new foods: "It doesn't have any green stuff on it, does it? In the meat stuff?" - "Naahhh. You're good. Not a vegetable in sight... Except for onion, but you can get it without." - Kat smiled slightly, "That's doable." - "Good~ Oh, looks like it's time to order," Audrey chirped as she looked over at their server. - "Oo!" Syd chirped, looking over the menu. "In that case, I'll haaaaaaave..." Roger, J.C., and Kat followed in terms of ordering; nothing spectacular- a coney dog and a drink. - Audrey and Edward did the same; though they both ordered two coneys. Edward was a big guy and Audrey needed the fuel for her active lifestyle. - "They do dessert here, right?" Syd asked, smiling expectantly. - "They do, actually," Audrey smiled. "It's sort of a custom to get rice pudding as dessert when having coney dogs." - Aaaaaand there went that smile. Here she was thinking they had ice cream. The idea of rice pudding was not sitting well with her, indicated by a slight "Ick!". "Ah, c'mon, kiddo. You're trying something new for food, you won't do the same for dessert?" J.C. asked. He thought for a second; maybe a little of the "monkey see, monkey do" logic he would use when she was younger would work... "...I'm probably going to have some afterwards, would you be against trying a bite or two? "...I mean, I guess I could have a bite. If you really can't finish your dessert without someone else having a bite of it." Syd answered, trying to play it cool. J.C. smirked slightly. - "You've never had rice pudding?" she cocked her head. "It's really good! Like, I know rice might have a weird texture to some, but this rice pudding is nice and creamy and sweet with cinnamon." "Besides," Edward started, "how will you ever find a new favorite food if you don't try new food?" - Syd raised an eyebrow. "Cinnamon? Ooo, now I'm warming up to the idea~ That's one of my favourite flavours...other than bubble gum, cherry, lemon, and cotton candy." Kat's "stiffness", as it were, started to loosen up after she heard Edward. That sounded like something that her dad said a lot... - "Good~" Audrey and Edward spoke simultaneously. "I almost feel bad getting rice pudding without Mom," Audrey chuckled. "Speaking of, have you talked to her today?" "You should know the answer to that," Edward chuckled. "I called her this morning, just as I always do when we're not in the same house." "I'll catch you forgetting one of these days," she joked. - J.C. chuckled quietly, thinking the whole scenario was pretty cute. - "My mom is hanging out with her sisters today. That's why she's not here," Audrey informed. - "Speaking of, did yooooou call Mum today???" Syd asked, interrogating her father. Roger chuckled, "I had sent her a text earlier; making sure she got to where she was going alright." "You've gotta call her, though!" the ten year old lightly scolded, "It's more important to talk and hear each other's voices!" "I haven't had a chance to, sweetheart. I'll do it when I get back to the office, alright?" Syd gave her father a suspicious look, but backed down with an "...Okaaaaaay....if you say so..." - Edward couldn't help but snicker at this. "This isn't the competition of the dads, Syd," Audrey chuckled. - Ah, and he laughed too! Kat smiled a bit at his reaction. "Mmm, you're right, that's on Father's Day..." the child mused. - Audrey snorted at this. "No-ho it's not!" - "So then why do they have all those 'World's Greatest Dad' mugs?! You don't just get that title wily-nily!" - Audrey shook as she tried not to laugh.

"I don't know," she squeaked. - "They have the 'Dad Games' in Scotland, right?" J.C. asked, snickering and going along with Syd's misconception. "They sometimes coincide with Highland Games, so they combine the two?"

"Sometimes, I guess." Syd confirmed, "But they replace something like caber tossing with ball tossing, if I remember correctly..."

Roger couldn't help but snicker as well. - Audrey was a bit lost. She was certain he was joking, but she was unsure as to what was a joke and what wasn't. If they had wife carrying in Finland, Dad Games in Scotland wasn't that far fetched.

May as well play along so they don't think she's stupid.

"Do they have wife carrying like they do in Finland?" - "...They have that in Finland?" the child asked. - "If I remember right. I saw it on a show about strange competitions from around the world."

Yes, she purposely left out the show was called World's Dumbest. - "Oooooooh...."

"Soooo, do they?" J.C. asked Syd, seeing how long she could keep this up. "Have wife carrying competitions at the Dad Games?"

"I'm...not too sure. I think that's one of the new events being added this year. That, and...you know the relay race where you have to carry an egg with a spoon? There's s'posed to be something similar, except it's with a baby and you've got to carry them to their crib as quickly as you can without waking them up." - Audrey had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

Edward was pretty good at keeping a straight face, so he decided to weigh in while Audrey couldn't.

"I certainly hope they don't carry them using spoons. Dropping a baby is a lot worse than dropping an egg." - "Oh, no, no- they carry them like you normally carry a baby."

J.C. snickered, "You sure they don't just use really big spoons?"

"No, 'cos that's just dumb…" - "Pffckp!" Audrey clamped her hand over her mouth again. - Syd was confused; why was all of this so funny? They'd asked their question, and they were getting an answer. Adults were weird… - Audrey managed to stifle her laughter once more and her father remained straight faced, as usual.

"I'm guessing you four flew here," Edward piped up to break the silence. - " 'Course we did." Syd answered, "It's not like we can just jog across the ocean." - "Your arms must be really tired then," he smirked.

Audrey slapped a hand to her face.

J.C. mimicked Audrey, while Syd groaned. Total dad joke- she should've seen that coming!

Kat, on the other hand, giggled a little. Perhaps that apprehension of hers was starting to diminish.

Edward laughed at their reactions.

"Did you tell these dad jokes before I was born?" Audrey asked.

"No. They come in the handbook you get when you become a dad."

"I believe 'Dad Jokes' is Chapter 5." Roger added.

"...There's not a handbook, c'mooon..." Syd scoffed.

"Do you think we just learn as we go? That'd be ridiculous."

"Do mums get one, too?" Kat asked.

"Theirs is less of a handbook and more of a full encyclopedia."

"How come it's bigger than just a handbook?" the little girl asked. Now she was curious...

"Because their book has all the hard stuff in it. The dad book mostly has jokes and funny faces to practice."

Syd looked to J.C., "He's not serious, is he?"

"Oh, he is." the older brother confirmed, smirking. "When Mum was pregnant with you, they consulted their manuals. They did the same with Kat- you were too young to remember them doing it, though."

The ten-year-old raised an eyebrow, not buying it. "So what about with you, then? Did they consult this 'manual' too? "

"There's a section in the mum encyclopedia all about adoption- Chapters 15 and 16, if I remember correctly."

"...Adoption?" Edward blinked, surprised.

J.C. looked over to Edward, chuckling a bit sheepishly. "Yes, I, um...I was adopted by your, ah...work mate here," he gestured to Roger, "at around 2 years old. Long story. ...Well, not really a long story, but..."

"Ah. Well, I won't pry. Didn't intend to put you on the spot there. Sorry."

J.C. gave him a small smile, "It's no big deal. You ever want to know, I'm open for questions."

"I'm not really sure if I'll ever see you again, so I may as well ask," he shrugged.

"Weeelllllll," Audrey started.

J.C.'s eyes darted over to Audrey, before looking back to Edward. "Ummm...."

Edward raised a brow, awaiting an explanation.

"I went ahead and got J.C.'s e-mail address so I could send him pictures of Lola and Daisy to show to Syd and Kat," Audrey said with a smile. "Don't know if we'll talk much outside of that, but I figured that counted as keeping contact," she shrugged. - "P-pretty much, yeah." J.C. confirmed, "What with being abroad and all. Can't really come rushing over every time the sibs want to see Lola, y'know?"

"Oh. Makes sense," Edward nodded, not too on edge yet. Seemed innocent enough.

"I mean, teeeeechnically we could..." Syd suggested.

Roger laughed, "Oh really? How do you plan on raising money to do so, eh?"

Syd stayed silent for a moment before giving an answer. "...I'll figure something out."

Audrey snickered.

"I couldn't afford that and I have a job." - "...Theeeeen I'll find a way that makes a lot of money."

"Will you let me in on it?" Audrey asked.

Syd steepled her fingers and leaned back slightly. "Perhaps. Once I find it, of course."

"... Please do so legally."

Syd made a facial expression, silently conveying something along the lines of "Dang it...".

"Eh, I can start with a lemonade stand, I guess..."

"I think you need a permit for that now, or something, unfortunately," Audrey frowned. "So dumb."

"A piece of paper that says 'I can do whatever I want' and has your signature on it doesn't count, either." J.C. added.

"Dang it!"

Edward inhaled, about to speak, but Audrey cut him off.

"If you go into an in-depth explanation as to why, I can't guarantee we'll all stay awake."

J.C. had to hold back a snicker.

"...Sometimes I wonder if we're related. Then I look at your mother," he proceeded to look left and right. "But she's not here right now, so I don't know."

Audrey snickered.

"That's what we say about Syd sometimes," Kat piped up, "And we look to Mum, too. Similar personalities."

Syd scoffed, "I'm waaaaay more tame than Mum was when she was my age. Or so I've been told."

"Audrey's pretty much a dead ringer for her mother at that age... but with more muscle."

"And less hair," Audrey added. - Roger chuckled, "Charlotte had pigtails at...well, at least at Kat's age. I think she had them when she was as old as Syd, as well."

"Only real differences are that she's blonde, and that I've never accidently set a building on fire." Syd added. She paused, thinking how off that statement sounded. "It's....not as bad as it sounds. She tells the story better than I do."

Edward's eyebrows shot up at this, as did Audrey's.

Before they could question farther, however, their food arrive.

"Oo, yay~ You guys get to have your first Coney!" Audrey exclaimed.

Syd and Kat stared at the size of the food, trying to figure out how exactly they were going to get it in their mouths. That was one big hot dog...

"So do we just like....go for it?" The redhead asked, "Aim for the mouth and hope for the best?"

Audrey snorted. "Basically."

She and Edward both picked up their own coneys and took a bite. How did they do it? Very carefully.

J.C and Roger followed suit while the sisters observed and tried to mimic what they were doing. Kat ended up getting mostly meat sauce on her first go, but it still managed to garner a smile from the girl.

Syd's expression was a little more telling. It was a bit more extreme, as if she had just tasted the best thing in the world. She said nothing, as meat sauce started to drip down her face.

Audrey snickered at Syd and took another bite. "Good, right?"

The child slowly nodded.

"Don't go all 'wild animal' on us now." J.C. spoke up, wiping a bit of sauce from his own face. "If there wasn't as much in the way of sauce and whatnot on there, I'd say go for it, but I don't think everyone else around us would appreciate getting covered in food.

Syd merely responded with a dazed "Uh-huuuuuh" and went back to chowing down.

Audrey giggled. "Agreed. Though there are worse things to be covered in than coney dog."

"Like ink from a pen that exploded on you, I suppose." Roger piped up.

"Or mud." Kat added.

"Aw, c'mon, being covered in mud's kinda fun!" Syd, briefly snapping out of her coney daze, spoke up. "Besides, people use it for, like, beautifying themselves sometimes. Like on spa days, not just after a rainstorm."

"They do noooot..." the small blonde scoffed.

"Well, yes and no," Audrey clarified. "Mud masks are a thing, but it's not just plain old mud from the ground. It's like, a special kind of mud mixed with special oils and stuff."

"What about mud baths, then?" Syd asked.

"I think it's the same basic idea."

"Mmm. So there goes another money-making idea, then." The redhead took a bite of her dog, "I was gonna dig a hole, fill it with mud, and use that as a space for people to take a mud bath in. Find some oils and put those in as well..."

"If only it was that simple..."

"I don't think you should be worrying too much about money." J.C. noted, "Childhood's meant more for worrying about...heck, I don't know, finding out what happens in the next episode of your favorite cartoon. Or whatever sort of drama will unfold between your dolls the next time you play pretend with them."

Syd scoffed, "But you need money to buy and do things, ya dingbat."

"Thaaaat's...where saving up your allowance comes in." he shrugged.

"Or having someone pay for something for you." the younger sister gave him a cheeky smile, "And give them an IOU, of course."

Audrey snickered.

"Yeah. That's what childhood should be, even if it isn't always like that. People always act as though childhood has no downsides. It can be stressful, I know. But it certainly has its perks."

"I mean, adulthood kinda has its perks too...you get to drive, stay up late, and even do biscuits for breakfast if you're so inclined." Syd mused, "Buuuuuuuuut you do have a point... I think."

"Adults have to pay taxes," Edward replied dryly, causing Audrey to snicker.

"...So do kids." the redhead responded, "You've never heard of the 'sibling tax'? Or the 'Halloween candy' tax?"

Audrey looked confused. "...I'm an only child and so is my dad, so, no."

"The 'Halloween candy' one isn't even really a tax," J.C. spoke up, "she gives up the candy that she doesn't like and gives it to me , Dad, and Mum"

"But I was still the one who went out and got it, so it's still kind of a tax." Syd argued.

"The sibling one is when your brother or sister gets you a snack or somethin' when they go out to a convenience store, and they take a small bit." Kat added. "Like a few Smarties out of a pack, or a sip of a slushie."

"Ohhhh," Audrey nodded. "That makes sense."

"Plus side is is that it rarely rises." the little blonde continued, "For example, Syd usually takes five of my Smarties; no more, no less. Even though there's a lot that comes in a tube."

"Well, that's 'cos they're /yours/ so obviously, you get the most." Syd shrugged, "Basic economics."

"She has a point," she shrugged.

Syd smirked. See? Audrey got it.

"Since when has this been a thing?" Roger asked, "I don't remember ever doing that with my siblings."

"It's fairly recent." Kat answered, " 'Sides, I guess it's kind of a good thing, what with you bein' the youngest out of yours an' all. Your siblings and mine are different in terms of personality."

"Oh jeez, can you imagine Mum?" Syd chuckled, "She'd have 5 other people that could tax 'er!"

"I thought they could only tax you if they helped get you something? Otherwise, I think it's just called sharing."

"Either way." Syd shrugged, "Bein' an only child has its perks, I imagine."

Kat looked over to her sister, appearing offended and assuming that that's what Syd preferred. The redhead looked to her sister and gave her a playful nudge, one that nonverbally said something like "Hey, you're alright; I tolerate ya".

"It does get kinda lonely, though." J.C. piped up, "I was one for thirteen years."

"I've always been an only child. I did have my cousins to keep me company though. Them and the kids we'd babysit," Audrey remarked.

"I was more focused on my studies than socializing," Edward admitted.

"I tried to be," Roger admitted, "But that can be a bit difficult when you're needed either as goalie for your older brother's football game or brought to tea with Mumsy and other school officials."

Syd had to hold back a laugh. Ha! "Mumsy". Who called their mother that, nowadays!? That sounded so old-fashioned.

"You shouldn't be envious," Edward commented a bit quietly.

Roger raised an eyebrow, "I mean, I'm not exactly complaining. Could've settled for not having a football to the face and a black eye or some other bruise with most games, but..."

The only response he got was a light grunt. "Mm."

"Sooo," Audrey started, hoping to change the subject, "you want to order some rice pudding?"

Ooof, sounds like he was hitting a rough subject. Best not to push it. Thank goodness for Audrey and the rice pudding suggestion. "Uuuum, sure! Yes, let's, ah...let's try some of that!"

Audrey smiled and nodded, motioning for their server.

Syd looked to Edward, "Iiiif it's any consolation, she's a real 'witch with a capital B' now. I really don't like 'er." Not sure if that helped, but...

Kat, noticing the change in the other father's attitude, became quiet again.

Edward looked thoroughly confused. "Who?"

"Dad's mum. 'Mumsy', as 'e calls her." Syd clarified. "She's usually nice to him, but she's mean to a lot of other people."

"Oh. Not sure why that would be consolation, but, alright," he shrugged.

Syd shrugged as well.

Kat, meanwhile, continued cautiously watching.

After a moment of silence, Edward felt eyes on him and looked over to Kat.

Was she scared of him still?

Can't have that.

He briefly stuck his tongue out and pulled it back in, looking not unlike a snake.

Wait a sec.

Kind of scary guy?

Making silly faces?

That was pretty ridiculous. Silly, even.

The little blonde smiled slightly, giggling a bit at the display.

"Hm?" Audrey looked over to Kat, then to her father, who looked as serious as ever.

"What's so funny, shorty?" Syd asked.

"Noooothin'." the younger sibling responded, trying to control her giggles.

Edward suppressed a smirk. Once the attention was off him again, he crossed his eyes.

Cue a slightly bigger smile and more giggles.

That's better~, Edward thought to himself, believing that to be enough to calm her down.

The server soon came with their rice pudding.

Knowing the kids were a little unsure of the new dessert, Audrey took the first bite, making sure to look quite pleased with the flavor.

Like a group of little scientists, Syd and Kat watched closely to make sure that nothing adverse happened. Looked as if Audrey liked it...soooo if she wasn't immediately spitting it back out, then it had to be good, right?

Only one way to find out...

After a bit of deliberation between the two, Syd was the first to try the new dessert. Her expression had a couple of flashes of confusion (because of the texture), but was still overwhelmingly positive, indicated by the "Mmm!" she emitted.

Audrey did her best not to laugh at their cautiousness. She smiled as she continued eating. "Told ya."

Kat looked to Syd for confirmation.

"Ish guuuuuuuuh, Kad" she responded, mouth full of pudding.

Slowly, Kat took a small bit of pudding and placed it in her mouth. Her reactions were a bit similar to her sister's but they seemed to be pretty positive as well.

Audrey giggled. "So, what do you two think?" she asked J.C. and Roger.

Roger nodded, "It's different, but I must say, it does have a delightful taste."

J.C., meanwhile, was about halfway done with his. Must've been that good.

Audrey snorted when she looked over at J.C. before covering her mouth and nose.

J.C. looked up, a bit of pudding on his nose, wondering what Audrey was laughing at.

Roger couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Uuuum, son? You've got a bit of..."

J.C. looked down at the little blob on his nose, chuckled awkwardly, and used a napkin to get it off.

"You sure you want to be so blunt about it? I mean, you were a little... on the nose," she snickered, as did her father.

"I guess you could say that all that stuff on your face made you look a little...off-pudding." Roger added. Cue an "Oh god, dad jokes" sort of groan from Kat and Syd.

"How dair-y say that?" Edward jumped in.

J.C. couldn't help but laugh; he always appreciated a good dad joke.

Audrey tittered as she took another bite. "I'm out. Anyone have any puns left?"

"Aw, already? I thought those were some pretty rice puns we had going." Kat piped up.

Audrey snickered. "You sure like to go with the grain, don't you?"

"I'm surrounded by nerds..." Syd said, shaking her head.

"That's pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?" J.C. asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

"...You've still got a bit of pudding on your face, y'know." she said, smirking back. "Might want to get another napkin and dab it off."

"Dab it off?" Audrey proceeded to do the 'dab' movement with one arm out and her face in the crook of her other arm.

"I don't see how this will help."

At that moment, Syd and Kat immediately lost it, collapsing into a fit of laughter (and some pudding dribbling down their chins). J.C. snickered at their reaction.

Roger, however...was confused.

Edward felt the same.

Audrey chuckled, looking at J.C. "Should we tell them?"

"One of these days, maybe." J.C. snickered.

"If only we were still kids. We could use this as leverage."

"Truuuuue."

"Oh well. Maybe Syd and Kat can."

"...Once they stop laughing, of course."

"Why are they laughing, anyway?" Roger asked.

"Sorry, Dad, it's top secret. Those of a certain age are only privy to it." Syd answered, still trying to calm down.

"Ya hear that, Dad? No old people allowed."

"I have baby pictures in my wallet," Edward retorted.

"I'll shut up now."

"Oooohoo, the baby picture threat. Things are getting serious." J.C. snickered.

"I have yours, too, you know." Roger added, looking to his son and raising an eyebrow.

J.C. slunk down slightly.

"And I used to think you were cool," Audrey jokingly told her dad.

"He's kinda funny, I'll give him that..." Kat said, giggling.

"Only kinda?" he grinned, his large front teeth quite visible.

Kat laughed, "Okay, maybe more than kinda...."

"You should see him do the bunny face," Audrey smirked.

"I still have your baby pictures," he narrowed his eyes.

Kat gasped. "Bunnies?? I like bunnies!"

Edward glared at Audrey, knowing he had to do it now.

He let out a sigh before looking around to see who all could see him do this.

Upon deeming the coast clear, he wiggled his nose, then chattered his teeth.

Kat giggled, clapped her hands, and bounced up and down happily.

Audrey snickered and her father smiled slightly, still embarrassed, but pleased with the blonde's reaction.

"How come YOU can't do a bunny face?" Kat asked her father.

"I can do those really funny voices when you want a bedtime story," Roger offered, feigning hurt "Does that not count for anything?"

"It does, it does!" Kat reassured.

"Because not everyone can be graced with my freakish rabbit teeth," Edward commented.

"Dad," Audrey started sternly, "don't make me call mom to ramble about how cute your teeth are."

#Lola Leads #roleplay #compiled roleplay #redradandrod

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supercasey · 6 years

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Twins Theory, AKA I ruin everything with my dumbass theory that makes no sense

Alright, strap in, I'mma light your asses up with my shitty fan theory that's Matpat levels of crazy/probable. I'm dubbing this theory the “Twins Theory” for reasons that will become boringly obvious as we progress.

((Huge props to @bl00dw1tch for making the Nodad Theory, which I'm gonna base a lot of this theory on. I adore that theory and it’s only reason this one exists.))

So I’ll start with just saying it outright- I have reason to believe that Skout and the (current) Nomad are twins/siblings of some sort (I’m going to go with the assumption that they’re twins throughout the theory so get ready for that). ((Putting this under a fucking readmore so I can spare the general public of my rambling))

My reasoning for this dumbass theory? Well, in episode 1 we caught a glimpse of this mystery woman:

Followed soon after with Skout appearing where the woman had been:

Now, the resemblance is absolutely uncanny, and I’ve heard plenty of theories flying around (mostly people thinking that this was an image of something the Nomad desires, aka he wants Skout to stay with him in the woods/marry him), but my favorite by far has been bl00dw1tch’s Nodad Theory, which states that the current Nomad we’re seeing in the show is NOT the original Nomad, and that he’s in fact the son of said Nomad (implying that the vision we see was a childhood memory of some kind). I feel like this makes sense (and it’s honestly preferable to a love triangle between Skout, Toth, and the Nomad. Please RT, I’m begging you, don’t start that kinda shit).

So even if we’re going with everything in the Nodad Theory, it leaves one HUGE question unanswered- why does Skout look EXACTLY like this mystery woman??? Does she just remind the Nomad of his mother? I think there’s a better- if not ludicrous- explanation for this: Skout is the Nomad’s sister/twin.

Let’s start at the beginning: long ago, as we know, El Rey began to wipe out the country/world’s entire population of magic users to feed his magic crown. Along comes a Nomad (perhaps a user of darker magics, I’ll get into my Shitty Father!Nodad rant later), who most certainly doesn’t want to get vored by a magic crown. So he flees to a remote forest, and along the way falls in love with a sweet, southern redhead. After (possibly kidnapping, I’ll get into that later) running away with her to the forest, he accidentally (or purposefully) knocks her up, and oh no, she has twins!

Twins are a handful, but they manage, and I assume it’s around the three or four years old mark that magic would start showing in either kid… but it only shows up in Nomad Jr, not Skout. Well, great. Not only does one of Nodad’s kids have magic, but the other one (seemingly) doesn’t. Now, this is where my theory splits, but I’m primarily going to go with the Shitty Dad AU for a number of reasons:

The Nomad’s Magic has, notably, been quoted to be Dark Magic. This implies that not only is there Light/Good Magic in this universe, but that the current Nomad has been taught to ONLY USE Dark Magic. Seems a bit… messed up, huh?

Why exactly is the Nomad being hunted (BESIDES the fact that El Rey wants to vore him)? Sure, El Rey obviously wants his magic, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they revealed that Nodad was a bad guy long before El Rey started fucking things up.

(FIRST Members ONLY, this bit is based on something in episode 8) Every time someone says “Hostage” in episode 8, the Nomad grabs Skout’s hand, almost like he’s doing it out if instinct. Why does he do that? Was Mystery Woman (his mom) a hostage? Was she kidnapped and forced to have Nodad’s kids? This honestly killed any chance for me that Nodad was a good guy.

Okay, back to the backstory: so Nodad’s got one out of two kids who doesn’t have magic, and as a Dark Magic user, he can’t waste his time watching some magic-less kid all day- not when he has little Nomad Jr to start training. Cue another split decision, because I could see this going one of two ways: either A, Nodad took Skout and gave her away to a passing caravan, or B, Mystery Woman ran away with Skout to escape her kidnapper and raise her only magic-less child in peace. From there, things are up in the air. I imagine during Nomad Jr’s earlier teens/early childhood, Nodad (and Mystery Woman, if it was option A) dies, leaving Nomad Jr to fend for himself.

He of course never leaves the forest- good ole’ Nodad made sure to teach him while he was young to never wander far from home (cue the big DO NOT LEAVE sign). So he stays there, with only one real magic trick up his sleeve from what Nodad was able to teach him before he died… that is, until a familiar looking redhead happens upon him. The reason they don’t recognize each other? They would’ve been separated at a VERY young age, before they could start building any real memories (but if this is the case, how would option B exist? How would Nomad Jr know what his mom looked like? Simple; From old pictures/drawings of her, and from vague memories of her voice, he could very easily build up a fake memory of her), so there’s no chance that they’ll recognize each other (and Nodad would NEVER let Nomad Jr know he has a twin sister out there- can’t risk his son running away to find her).

((Alright, that’s pretty much all I have, but I have some vaguely related rambling down below for those of you who are interested))

If they’re twins, I really like the name Hunter (or Humter if it’s spelled weird like Skout’s is) for Nomad Jr??? I love when twin’s names are alike in some way, and I feel like this name fits him really well- if you don’t agree, feel free to hit me up with alternative names for our favorite Nomad.

The Glowy Chest Thing. That’s fucking weird as shit, but I have an explanation that ties (at the very least) into the Nodad and Shitty!Nodad Theories. Ever heard the quote “Sins of the Father are the fall of the Son?” I wouldn’t put it past RT to pull something like that into the show, especially considering their history with “kids cleaning up their shitty parents messes” ((rvb I’m looking at you)). So basically, because of all the horrible things Nodad (possibly) did in the past, Nomad is now making up for those crimes with good deeds, slowly but surely making amends for his father’s mistakes ((I’ve heard theories that if he does enough good deeds he’ll regain his voice??? Kinda hope that doesn’t happen, since I want him to stay mute, but whatever)).

((Again,this next bit is for FIRST members only. Read this one if you’ve watched the new episode)) My prediction for the next episode (after episode 8): Now that Skout and the Nomad have joined up, I think that Skout is going to try and take him to her old home in order to hide. I think that this, if my theory is correct, will reveal which route was taken. Either the Nomad will unknowingly be reunited with his mother (or knowingly. Cue a tearful reunion), or he will at the very least learn that Skout was adopted by her family (perhaps that’s why she joined Toth and left home??? Did they lie to her growing up and she found out and ran away as a result???), possibly opening the door for the Twin Theory to start being revealed.

This is an insane, probably wrong, theory, but I really freaking like it. I might write a fic for it even, so stay tuned. And if I’m right… holy shit.

#non #nomad of nowhere #nomad of nowhere theory #non theory #the nomad #nomad #skout #toth #bl00dw1tch #this is such an insane theory #but imagine if this was true #this would be pink diamond levels of plot twist #(okay not that big but still holy shit)#non twins au #supercasey theories

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tryingtoescapereality007 · 5 years

Text

Okay so I know this is gonna sound totally weird, but just go with me here. So everybody knows today's Easter, and since my family (not me by any means, just clarifying) is Christian, we all sat down as a family and talked about Jesus and the Atonement and all that shit. Well as we were taking, my stepdad brought up something that made me think. He said that leading up to when they were gonna crucify Jesus and stuff, Satan was really against it, and he tried everything in his power to stop it.

May not seem like anything important, but to my fanfiction shipping ass, it sounded like ship material. And if you think about it, it kinda makes sense. Now I don't claim to be a religious expert by any means, all I have is my years of childhood Mormon conditioning and scripture reading, but I know a thing or two, and by what knowledge I have, this ship makes sense.

Let's start from the beginning when everybody was in heaven and God hadn't created the Earth yet. As some of you may know, God gathered everybody, told them his plan, and then said that he needed a volunteer pretty much to do the whole Atonement thing. Out of everybody there, only two people offered. Jesus and Lucifer. Jesus was the golden boy. He was pretty much like, "God choose me cause I'm a good boy I'll do whatever you say. I love everybody so I'll die for them and shit." But Lucifer was having none of that. He was all like, "No God choose me. I'll take your good plan, and make it better. This way everybody can come back to live here." Now, most people think that Lucifer said this because he was jealous and angry and evil and all that, but he never spoke until after Jesus spoke. Notice that. Maybe that was because Jesus spoke first, maybe it was because he couldn't stand to see his crush go all Katniss on him. Maybe he volunteered himself because he would rather go than have Jesus go. I mean, nobody else but those two stood up. Nobody else volunteered. And despite what it seemed, he cared about those souls in heaven. They were his siblings. He loved them. So, of course, he would see the fact that not everybody would be getting back as a flaw in the plan, a flaw that his plan fixed. And yes it wasn't the best idea but at least his way involved everybody getting back home.

But as you know God picked Jesus because he didn't like Lucifer opposing his plan. And then Lucifer took 1/3of the population and left. Again, most people think that this was because he was evil, but maybe he was just angry. Angry that God had chosen Jesus, his crush, instead of him. Angry that God had rejected his plan so completely, not even considering the idea before rejecting it. Angry that now his crush was going to go die a painful death and repent for sins that weren't his, have to suffer alone, without him. So yeah, he was angry, and he was stupid and reckless. He got some followers and said, "We're leaving this shithole." So they left. He left. And Jesus stayed. Jesus stayed.

Fast forward to when Jesus is on Earth, from a young age Lucifer seemed to tempt him, try to get him to mess up, sin, use his powers for bad, for selfish reasons. But every time Jesus stayed strong and kept on the path. Now some may say that Satan did this because he's Satan, he's evil and just wants to destroy all the good in the world. But maybe that's not the reason.

Maybe he knew that God's plan relied on Jesus' purity, his innocence, his perfection. So he knew that if he broke that perfection if he got him to make just one little mistake, then God's plan would be ruined. He'd have to find someone else, try again or something. Jesus would be free. He wouldn't be bound to that agreement, that promise anymore. All throughout the scriptures, Lucifer never really tempts him to do super awful things like killing someone or anything that extreme, just small things. Like make that rock shine, turn this into food, etc.

Actually, I remember one scripture chapter thing that pretty much was just Satan trying to tempt Jesus into sinning. He tried everything. Mind you, Jesus at this point had been fasting for like 40 something days or more, without food or water, just like praying on a mountain or something. Satan had probably been watching the whole time. And he probably was like, "Okay, enough is enough." And then he pretty much just appeared and was like, "Make this rock into some food, turn this into water, etc. "Just small things. But the food and water thing, why that specifically? Why not a bug, or a plant, or whatever? People say it was because he wanted him to eat/drink it and break his fast, which I think is true. He wanted him to break his fast because he couldn't stand to watch any longer as Jesus just wasted away and refused to take care of himself. I mean, 40 something days seems a little excessive, don't you think?

Also in that scripture, he wanted Jesus to jump off a cliff and see if the angels would catch him. I think he was trying to prove a point. That there was no way out. That this agreement was binding, and even death couldn't stop it. He was trying to make Jesus realize the extent and extremity of what he had naively gotten himself into.

But, unfortunately, Jesus remained pure and got crucified. He went to the garden of Gethsemane and atoned for everybody's sins. He died for all mankind. But then he came back. Three days later he came back and visited the people a little bit before leaving back to heaven. God's plan worked. And now Jesus was his little puppet, his golden boy, his favorite, his "Only-begotten Son". He forgot about Lucifer, no, not forgot, it was worse than that. He hated him.

He hated him. God had made him out to be the enemy, and as far as Jesus knew, his father, God, had never failed him, had never lied to him, so why would he lie about Lucifer?

And God described the place that Lucifer ruled as hell, as a terrible, horrible place where all the bad people went. But that wasn't accurate. Hell wasn't terrible, and it wasn't hot. In fact, it was cold. Very cold. And lonely. And the only people that went there were the misfits, the runaways, the people society deemed "odd" or "weird" or "crazy". The people that didn't conform, didn't follow God's prechosen plan. And since God didn't like that, he sent them down to live with the only other person he knew who didn't follow his plan either, Lucifer, or Satan, as he was so dubbed.

And they say that Lucifer and his followers roam the Earth trying to get us to sin, to do bad things and that everything bad and not good in the world is them, and is because of them, but that's not true.

It's just another lie made up by God.

They do, sometimes, roam the Earth, but they do so in order to warn us, to open our eyes to God's manipulation, so that we don't follow the same path as Jesus.

And Lucifer does roam the Earth occasionally, but only in hopes that he'll catch a glimpse of Jesus, or that he'll be there when the Second Coming happens so that maybe, just maybe, he'll be able to see him one last time, talk to him, and save him.

Author's Note: Okay. So before you, all get all hissy pissy at me, I just want to disclaim a few things. I do not, as stated above, claim in any way shape or form to be a religious expert. I am not. All I have is my very limited knowledge and my imagination. Also, in case you guys are wondering, the references I am using come from the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine of Covenants, the Bible (King James version) and other Mormon-related teachings and lessons. Also, most of this I made up. Like all of this is just me and my thoughts and my ideas and imagination, so don't take any of it as facts. Finally, I do not mean to offend any Christians or Mormons or anybody else who celebrates Easter for religious reasons. I understand the significance of this day to such people and do not mean to offend them in any way shape or form. I'm sorry if what I've said offends you. Happy Easter and goodnight/morning/afternoon depending on what time you read this.

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j0ebay · 6 years

Text

Kiss Me Goodbye... Chapter 1

Warning(s): swearing, violence, this is probably trash tbh

Word Count: 2129

A/N: IT’S HERE IT’S HERE IT’S FINALLY HERE!!!! I literally wrote half of this over the course of two very busy days and pulled the rest out of my ass in an all nighter oops I have a parade today I’m really stoked this chapter is finally out so enjoy and feedback is deeply appreciated!! 💙💙

series masterlist

add yourself to my taglist!!

synopsis chapter 2

an extra thank you to @starksmile for the amazing moodboard!!!

“Now he’s gone. I don't know why and to this day sometimes I cry. He didn’t even say goodbye. He didn’t take the time to lie” -Nancy Sinatra

“You need a refill, George?” Asks the green eyed, burgundy haired woman as she quickly rounded the corner of the counter. Morning rush for her was always such an exciting time, due to her love of people, both newcomers and regulars.

“If it’s not too much trouble for you, Lindsey. You’re always so busy.” The older man replies back, sitting on a bar stool and pushing his empty mug towards her.

Lindsey laughs while picking up a coffee pot and pouring it, causing the dark liquid to pour out.

“Too much trouble? It’s my job to make sure you’re good!” She pushes her glasses further up on her nose. The man sips his coffee while she races around grabbing things needed for other customers.

“Order up!” a voice from the kitchen yells. Lindsey speeds over to the window saying a quick

“Thanks Marty!” before taking the food, putting it on a tray and walking it over to a couple in their mid sixties

“I got a waffle platter with scrambled eggs and a fruit bowl for Miss Kathy and a pancake stack with poached eggs and hashbrowns for the one and only Franklin” She says placing the plates to the respective people and turns the tray into her abdomen, crossing her arms over it.

“Anything else I can get for you folks? More water?”

The two smile at her before Franklin says

“No, Lindsey we’re really great thanks.”

She smiles and nods.

“Alright, you two, well you let me know if you need anything alright? How are the kids doing?”

The two smile at the mention of their children

“Well, Matt is finishing up university and he just got accepted into medical school and Darcy just got engaged to her boyfriend last night”

The young girl grins at their excitement.

“Oh my gosh that’s amazing!”

“How’s your show going?” Kathy asks

“We hear a lot about those kids of yours”

She giggles and brushes the hair out of her face.

“Well it’s not really my show it’s all the kids but, they’re doing great! It’s really amazing to see how far they’ve come and how devoted they are. Plus the show’s actually pretty cool”

They both look at her with amazement.

“You really are devoted, you put in so many hours here and with those kids and then at the shelter too! How old are you again?”

“I just turned 22 a few weeks ago”

She hears the order bell ding again and waves at the couple while walking back to the counter

The blue eyed man rubs his face with his hands as he looks over the files. So much information racked his mind and he was hitting a wall. He directs his attention upward at the sound of a knocking door.

“Yeah what” The man said.

Another guy enters saying “Anderson hasn’t paid up and yesterday was the deadline”

The blue eyed man leans back in his desk chair, sighing and running his hand through his light brown curls.

“‘S Tom back yet?”

The other man shakes his head.

“Okay,” He sits up, resting his elbows in his lap and putting his face in his hands.

“Let me know when he does.”

“Alright, Haz”

The door closes as the other man leaves as the blue eyed man sighs, runs his hand through his hair once more and gets out of his chair and walks out of his office. Closing the door behind him, he looks at the name on the door

Harrison Osterfield

He smirks to himself, reflecting on the amount of power and authority he has. He walks over to the door that says Harry Holland and lightly knocks while already entering the office.

“Hey, mate Anderson didn’t pay up so I gotta go do some form of beatdown tonight. You in?”

Harry reflects the same smirk on Harrison’s face and nods.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been out and about. Let’s do it”

“Hey Lindsey can you help me out for a sec?”

Lindsey snaps out of her thoughts and turns her head to see another volunteer carrying three bags of dog food piled on top of each other. She smiles and walks over from the help desk to the front door grabbing two of the bags and slowly walking them over to the food room. Along with working at the diner and helping out in the marching band, she also helps out at the dog shelter.

“Jeez Lindsey you’ve got some muscle there!” The two girls laugh.

“Yeah well I grew up around guys that we’re pretty much my brothers so I’m kinda used to it”

They both laugh again and Lindsey sits herself back at her desk, taking out her phone to text her roommate.

Lindsey Fuller😋 Friendly reminder I’m not gonna be home til like 9:30-10:00ish cause there’s band so do whatever for dinner and you don’t need to wait up for me 😁

Immediately, her phone buzzes back with

Grace Moore🌷 Thanks for the heads up. Have fun with your kids

Lindsey smiles at the message. She never really considered the kids to be hers but everyone else did so she rolled with it. As she gazes at the clock, then at the door, she decides she has enough time to go over notes on things the kids need to work on tonight.

As the sun set, the boys were getting antsy, Tom wanted his damn money, Haz wanted to do his job and Harry? Harry just wanted something to do.

“I don’t see why we can’t just go right now.”

Tom chuckles, looking at his brother with raised eyebrows.

“You’re always so jittery Harry just shut up and wait ‘til he’s alone”

Harry groans and the two older boys laugh. They see their target walk into the warehouse.

“Let’s go boys” Tom mumbles as the three step out of the shadows and into the warehouse the man known as “Anderson” walked into.

Harrison finds the guy first, alone in the room and blocks the doorway. Harry soon follows, blocking the doorway from the other side. Tom stayed back, wanting to make an intimidating entrance. He does need to make an impression after all. Anderson still doesn’t notice the guys presence until Harrison clears his throat. Anderson turns his head, eyes wide once he catches a glimpse of who made the noise and instantly starts walking towards the other doorway. Harry laughs, leaning on the door frame and saying

“You didn’t actually think we’d let you get away that easily, now did you?”

“I-I”

Tom emerges from the darkness.

“Where’s my fucking money, Anderson?”

The man lets out a labored breath.

“T-Tom. I can explain”

Harrison steps forward, gearing up for what’s about to happen

“You can explain?” Tom asks with raised eyebrows.

“Cause that seems like a waste of my time. What do you think guys?” Harry smirks.

“I’d rather be home right now if we’re being honest”

Tom chimes in again. “And Haz over here? Haz is looking for a girl. He could be out doing that kinda thing right now!”

Harrison raises his eyebrows and tilts his head in agreement. He isn’t wrong.

Anderson stutters as the three of them move closer and closer, closing in on him.

“I-If it’s girls you want, I have a niece about your age and I think you might like her-” “-That’s pretty sick, mate” Haz cutts him of.

“You would be willing to give us your niece, the flesh and blood of your sibling, so you can get out of some fucking money?”

Harrison swings and lands a punch to the man’s stomach.

Anderson doubles over in pain mumbling a raspy

“Th-that’s not what i meant. I-”

He gets cut off by a knee to the gut, knocking him to the floor, groaning.

Tom squats down to his level, taking Anderson’s face in his hands.

“Now, it’s still fairly early in the night and my guys and I, well, we got shit to do. So, you’re gonna make this nice and simple for me. I’m gonna ask you a question and you’re gonna show me yes,”

He stops to forcefully nod the man’s head, squishing his cheeks.

“Or no.”

Tom shakes Anderson’s Anderson’s head, signaling no.

“You understand me?”

Anderson nods his head, sweat dripping from his forehead indicating fear.

“Alright, Anderson. Do you have my money?”

There’s a pause, even more tension fills the air and the man slowly shakes his head.

“No?” Tom asks.

He looks at Haz and Harry.

“Well, at least he’s being honest.”

The three of them smile but then Harry interjects

“But, I mean it’s already a bad idea to take out a loan from the biggest mob boss in London, let alone not pay it back. I feel like lying would make everything worse. Wouldn’t you think Tom?”

Tom shrugs and nods, soon asking.

“So, what should we do with him then?”

Immediately, Anderson starts begging

“Please, Mr. Holland I’ll do anything. Just give me one more week. I can give my brother a call and set you and your friend up if that’s what you really want.”

The three guys roll their eyes before Harrison takes out his gun, pointing it at the man.

“I have an idea” he says, smirking.

The begging intensifies as Harrison cocks his gun.

“You sick son of a bitch. You could’ve given us the money that you owe us but instead, you find out that I just so happened to be kinda not really looking for a girl and you offer up your own family? I’m not even related to those two and they treat me better.”

He says, gesturing towards Tom and Harry with his gun.

“Please, Mr.Osterfield. I’m sorry!”

Harrison sighs.

“If only your niece could see you now”

Bang

“Nice rim shot at the end snares!” Lindsey says as she jogs back from where she was watching them.

“I would just say watch your heights on the sextuplet rolls, a good lot of you are accenting your right hand which is not what we need right now alright?”

She feels her phone buzz in her pocket and takes it out to see

Grace Moore🌷 Hey! Btw there’s a package here for you

Lindsey’s eyebrows furrow in confusion.

Lindsey Fuller😋 Go ahead and open it if it’s actually addressed to me… I don’t really remember ordering anything so it’s either some sort of surprise or a bomb.

She smiles at the message she sent and it immediately fades. She could’ve sworn she felt a pair of eyes on her. She cranes her head left and right, seeing nothing.

Her phone buzzes again.

Grace Moore🌷 It’s from the people living in your old house? They said they found an old scrapbook of yours and sent it along with a note… damn you were an adorable kid

“Ugh” Lindsey says to herself at the last part of the text. She looked around again, still getting the feeling that someone was watching her from a distance.

“Watch that roll snares! It sounds like blulululuah which is a bad thing!” She yells after the marching snare drummers.

Lindsey lets out a big yawn while looking at the time.

“Long night, Lindsey?” One of the drummers asks her.

She laughs.

“I can’t tell if you’re being sincere or if that’s part of the high school humor that i definitely do not miss since graduating.”

The younger boy smiles and says

“Honestly, it was a bit of both but all of us here know you stretch yourself pretty thin.”

She laughs again.

“Yeah, nothing caffeine and a kickass show can’t fix though”

Lindsey arrives at her apartment to see her old scrapbook and a note sitting on the kitchen table.

“Hi Lindsey! We found this scrapbook in a box in the attic, saw your name in the inside cover and decided it would be a good idea to mail it to you! I hope all is well wherever you are!

-Phyllis and Clifford Sullivan”

She flips through the book, reflecting on the memories she and her friends made of her childhood. Two families in particular come to mind right away. Constant sleepovers with the two boys her age, playing cowboy or football with them and exchanging smiles. Along with the memories of the two families, a song comes to mind. It was sung to her on so many occasions by one woman and only one woman. She would push the red hair out of her face and lightly comb Lindsey’s brown and sing

“I was five and he was six. We rode on horses made of sticks.”

Lindsey soon sang to herself softly.

“He wore black and I wore white. He would always win the fight.

Bang Bang.”

TAGLIST

strikethrough means it wouldn't let me tag you. please message me!!

Everything:

@og-baby-ob14 @were-all-gay-down-here @softiespidey @saturn-aka-six @theasexualbunny @random-stuff-18

Harrison Osterfield:

@upsidedownparker @mischiefmanaged49

#kiss me goodbye #mob!harrison osterfield #mob!haz #mob au #harrison osterfield #haz osterfield #mob!haz x oc #chapter 1 #new fic #new series #au #alternate universe

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joysmercer · 6 years

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Grey’s Anatomy 14x14 Final Thoughts

My brain is split into two right now: “I hate Grey’s and how DARE they do this I’m never watching again” and “that episode!”

Let’s ignore the first half for now, and we’ll get back to it later. I have a LOT to say, don’t worry.

The episode opens with Amelia feeling really horny. Kind of random and out-of-the-blue, but unlike other unexpected decisions from this show recently, I didn’t mind this one. I loved seeing this cute, spunky side of Amelia, one we really haven’t seen since…Derek died, really. Aside from this new side of her, Amelia was also really dishing out the sass today, from telling Bello to get her head out of her ass (and hopefully leaving Deluca/Sam out of the picture for a while) to putting Koracick in her place, and I liked it :) Overall, it was a much-needed upward trend for this girl, and I really hope it continues.

Over to Owen, this dude was also dishing out sass. Thank goodness he put those boys in their places before they took out someone’s nose or something. It’s been a while since we saw “Major Hunt” being all commandeering and such, and it’s nice to see that side of him again.

Apparently, being sassy together translates to being sexy together as well (sorry, that was bad phrasing, but idc).I just knew something would happen from the opening elevator scene, and was almost certain it would be in this episode from the ER conversation (“I like a man with authority”/“me too”). And her blurting out her feelings as soon as she saw Owen is classic Amelia. Her “sex speech” followed by Owen’s ““I want you to use me in any way you can think of” will forever have a place in my heart <3 <3 <3 Omelia Will Rise Again! Maybe a double wedding with Jolex at the end of the season?

Aside from the Bello situation, Deluca was not really as intolerable as he was the last episode. This was the first time since Carina’s introduction that we really saw the two of them act like siblings, and I really want more of them interacting!!

But Koracick. Oh my god. This guy got even more sleazy, if that’s even possible. I’m not going to say much more on that subject, except that he’s apparently going to help April next episode and I really hope he doesn’t screw up. April’s leaving, but it better be on terms true to her character, not because some ass screwed her up for good.

Speaking of April. Grey’s anatomy told the entire Domestic Abuse storyline in 2 episodes, but they’re taking their own sweet time solving this Crisis of hers. I was initially glad Hunt sent her home early, because even though the Ear thing was not her fault, this girl really needs to get her act together. But, I said initially happy because apparently, she decided to go home and get drunk instead. Which, y’know, wouldn’t have happened if Arizona (or literally anyone) was paying the slightest attention to her.

Instead, her best friend was off trying to solve the issue of maternal mortality rates (granted, a super important study) but not really making any headway except to accuse her friend of being a bad doctor. great move. On a side note, did anyone else catch that chemistry between Arizona and the OB? Or am I just making it up?

And onto the second (and “ugh”-est) huge development of this episode. Jaggie. WHY SHONDA WHY? Both of them were sooo awkward at Game Night that I wanted to throw my phone at the TV. Okay, I admit Jackson being protective of Maggie was cute, but in a more brotherly way (like Meredith and Alex, except obviously not as deep). But even when they kissed, I just couldn’t see it. No chemistry whatsoever. They’re better as friends. BUT I was super surprised that “perfect” Clive turned out to be married (”you must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband” flashbacks, anyone?). Maggie doesn’t need Jackson, but she certainly deserves much better than a pathological liar. But anyway, apparently these two are canon now, so I’ll be fast-forwarding a lot of scenes in the future :/

And finally, Meredith and Jo’s story. I’m going to ignore the fact that these two have been getting wayy more screen time for their project than any other doctor so far, and just talk about their current positions. It turned out that the old guy died, and the polymer now belongs to - surprise! - Meredith’s family friend! Who, unfortunately, refuses to sell Mer the patent until she saw proof that it worked, which was a risky move on the doctor’s parts, especially with later developments: Marie was not Ellis’s best friend, and they apparently had a huge feud over something. So Meredith just admitted to stealing, to the person she stole from, and gave away her ground-breaking surgical plans, and I just feel really bad for her and Jo. The one good thing about this, though, is that she interrupted Jaggie in her quest for her mother’s journals. I really, really hope that whatever caused Ellis’s and Marie’s fight won’t impact the project, although knowing Grey’s, it probably will.

Okay, onto some smaller plot points.

First of all, how stupid can interns be? They were never formally invited to anything and they still showed up? I’m glad Casey had nothing to do with it, and it was just the two most idiotic, Glasses and Hellmouth. But still. Instead of firing April and Arizona, get rid of these two instead. Also, uh, what the heck is going on with Jolex? I mean, Paul died and all of a sudden there’s a standstill. They didn’t even talk this episode, all we got was Jo smiling in a doorframe. Alex and Kimmy, on the other hand, were adorable and I’m so glad Alex advocated for her while addressing her Grandmother’s fears. Medical Marijuana can do so much good, and it’s a pity most states don’t allow it. Also, addressing what was, I’m assuming, supposed to be the “central theme” of this episode, what is going on with the lawsuit and everything? It just seemed really random and interjected in there just to get Kepner drunk. Which honestly, served no purpose except to make me fast-forward everytime April spoke. And speaking of “central themes,” that might have been the lamest Game Night ever. And Maggie’s sisters didn’t even show! wth grey’s, wth.

In all, this episode was so good at some points (Omelia! Ellis Grey Plot-Twist!) and so bad at others (Jaggie & the entire Game Night tbh). The promo for next week does confirm two things, one of which makes me (kinda) happy, and the other which makes me want to throw up: 1, Koracick and April (probably) didn’t sleep together; 2, we’re in for a lot more Jaggie, and Maggie is apparently spending more time with her boyfriend’s kid instead of her 2 nieces and nephew (seriously, did Zola, Bailey, and Ellis just…dissappear? Brief glimpses of them are not enough, people).

Alright. To today’s news.

I was talking it over with some friends before tonight’s episode, and we realized that both April and AZ have no real storylines, but both are in a position where there is real potential for some amazing plots. However, the writers needed to fire someone apparently, and since these two haven’t really had any development in forever, they were the first to go. Now, I love Maggie (like, a lot more than most people), but if they needed to shorten the main cast, she would be my first pick. Or, just promote Casey to attending (I mean, Jo’s residency is apparently 7 years long, so this won’t be that bad) and fire the rest of the interns. But don’t get rid of two phenomenal actresses who have been on the show, dedicated their lives to it, for more than a decade. And if they did it to get back at Pompeo for her pay rise, that’s just cruel. What’s even more cruel, though, is going after Ellen for somehow playing a part in this. Leave her alone! If ABC had said “Sorry, we can’t afford this, otherwise we’ll have to cut the main cast,” she probably would have reduced her price. I mean, she and JCap are super close. Just saying.

As I was watching the episode, I just kept thinking how absolutely central these two are to the rest of Grey’s. regardless of their lack of stories, nothing would function on the show without them -- we wouldn’t have a Fetal Surgeon, nor a main-character OB anymore, and God knows what will happen to the ER without April around.

I’m really going to miss these two. This was not fair to us, but it definitely wasn’t fair to Drew or JCap.

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stereogeekspodcast · 3 years

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[Transcript] Season 1, Episode 8. We’ve Been Busy With… More Christmas Films, The Three-Body Problem, Chaos Walking, and More

It's the final Stereo Geeks episode of 2020! So, what have we been busy with? Ron caught up with The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two. And, continuing with the Christmas theme, we also checked out The Christmas Setup and Dashing in December.

We also chilled with some audiobooks. Mon finally got her hands on The Three-Body Problem, while Ron read the Chaos Walking book series.

We end the episode with a look at queer romance novel Red, White, and Royal Blue.

Listen to the episode on Anchor.

Read more about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre here.

[Snowflake by GeriArt by Pixabay plays]

Ron: Welcome to the final Stereo Geeks episode of 2020. We continue with our Christmas special in what we've been busy with.

Mon: I'm Mon.

Ron: I’m Ron. We will be discussing spoilers for all the movies and books that we are talking about during this episode. So, if you haven't watched them or read them, please check them out and return to our episode.

So, since we’ve been catching up with Christmas movies, I decided to watch The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two. This is a Netflix movie. I watched the first part a couple of years ago on Christmas Day. I thought, eh, whatever, I’m not going to enjoy this. But, actually it was really sweet and really captured the magic of Christmas.

It’s about a pair of siblings; the younger child, obviously, was the one who believed in Christmas. Her older brother, not so much. And now we take off in the second part and they've both already met Santa Claus, and they believe in the Christmas spirit.

But things have changed a lot since the first film when we met the siblings. They had just lost their father, and they were really struggling to celebrate Christmas without him. Now, in this film. It's been a couple of years later, and they're going to get a new dad. Their mother has met this very nice man, played by Tyrese Gibson, and it seems like certain things are going to be going ahead. But the little girl, she just can't get into it. And she needs Santa to come and bring some Christmas spirit to her life.

But, Belsnickel, a former elf turned human is here to rob Christmas of its joy. Can Santa and Mrs Claus. young Kate and her soon-to-be stepbrother Jack, save the day?

I, sadly, did not enjoy this movie. I really wanted to, and the production values are so much better than in the first film; like, we go to the North Pole and when they're in the Christmas Village, we see all these elves and everything we only got a little glimpse of in the first film. So, those bits I really liked. It was very beautiful, and it really felt like, it’s very magical and stuff.

But, the movie itself. No. It turned into a generic action film with Santa Claus in it.

Mon: That sounds terrible.

Ron: Yeah, I really wanted to capture that feeling from the first film like how you're feeling a bit down and you just want something to reignite that love for Christmas in you, especially when you're a little older. This one just doesn't do that. Like, I like action. That's fun. But this strayed so far away from the Christmas part of it that I just couldn't get into it.

Even the characters. It felt like they were manufacturing their disappointment in everything. Like, Kate is upset that they’re spending Christmas in a tropical city. So, they're like on the beach and stuff. And you're like, Okay, so what? ‘No, Christmas has to be white, and Christmas has to have snow in it’. No, it doesn't. It's so weird. And so, yeah, it just seemed like they were doing this for no reason at all.

And Bob the new dad. He seems really nice. I'm like, why doesn't Kate like him? And he's making this huge effort to be really nice and sweet and getting to know her and all. And I'm just like, you're not even trying. And I realise that Kate is young, but not that young that she should be throwing tantrums for no reason.

So yeah, it was strange. But Kurt Russell as Santa Claus is amazing. I don't know why. When I watched the first one, I was like, there is no way in hell this is gonna work. But he was great. And he's like, really enjoying himself being Santa.

Goldie Hawn as Mrs Claus, which is really fun, because they're together in real life. So, we got like this cameo from her in the first film and you're like, ‘ah, yay, and now you get to see her a bit more. She's very sweet, but I don't know. Like, I've seen Goldie Hawn in so much stuff but this one is not her best work. Whereas Kurt Russell is totally into it.

Julian Dennison as Belsnickel. Now, Julian Dennison is a really incredible young actor. We’ve seen him in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, we’ve seen him in Deadpool 2. I'm beginning to feel a lot like this boy is getting stereotyped.

Mon: Already?

Ron: Yeah. The character of Belsnickel is kind of a lot like his character in Deadpool 2, in the sense that he was betrayed by his parents and he wants to fight back, and he's really a good person at heart but he's doing bad things because he just wants revenge. And I really think that this is not fair because there's a lot more than he can do. I mean we've seen it in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. So, it's just really frustrating to see him being stereotyped in this particular kind of role.

Also, apart from Jack and his father Bob, there aren't really any other characters of color, so for the main villain to be of Maori descent is really irritating.

So yeah, despite the production values being pretty cool and there being some moments where I quite enjoyed the mythos that they've created, I really didn't enjoy this film that much.

The central family themselves, they didn't really work for me, I think in the first one, there was a good foil between the older brother and the little sister, because he was like ‘Santa Claus doesn't exist. Christmas doesn't exist. Why are we doing all this?’ And the little girl’s like no, she's a true believer and she believes in Christmas, and that worked really well together. The brother has like a teensy tiny role in this one.

So, it's all very magical in that sense, but the conflict is so manufactured, and even the happy ending, like, yeah, it's great and stuff but it just could have been done better. It's one of those sequels that feels like a sequel—bigger, better, but not.

I was sadly disappointed. I really, really wanted to enjoy this film. So, I'm sad.

Mon: Oh, that's so sad. Well, that sort of continues in the same vein for the next film.

I was kinda excited when I heard about The Christmas Setup. Apparently, it's a rare occurrence that Lifetime has queer couples in the lead. And The Christmas Setup has gay men finding true love.

So, played by Ben Lewis, Hugo is this lawyer who's been trying to become partner for three years now. Finally, just before the Christmas break, he asks one more time, and the boss kind of goes, we're not too sure you're ready for it. So, he's kind of crushed, but he has something to look forward to. He and his best friend Madelyne, who was played by Ellen Wong, they're off to his home, where they meet his mom Fran Drescher’s Kate.

She is this vivacious, Christmas-loving person—like the house cannot have enough lights, cannot have enough Christmas trees. It's just Christmas everywhere you look. And Kate, unbeknownst to Hugo, has set him up with the other gay dude in their small town, which is Patrick, played by Blake Lee.

Patrick is a couple of years older than Hugo and they went to school together. Patrick was already out in high school, but he was the most popular kid. Hugo, on the other hand, was still in the closet. He didn't come out till he was in college. And so when Patrick meets Hugo, he doesn't actually know that he's gay. He finds out later on.

And it's obvious that Hugo is kind of interested in Patrick, especially once he finds out that Patrick is not down in the dumps selling Christmas trees and needing a tip. In fact, Patrick has already retired, he made this popular app, which even Maddie knows about. And yeah, now he's giving back to the community, he's working with his dad and sending people trees and helping around town.

So anyway, this being a Christmas, romantic film, they find each other, they need to figure out whether they can be together. And in the end, there's a happy ending… If you can call it that.

Wow, I just was so disappointed in this film. I was kinda really excited, like I really was. I know Ben Lewis only from Arrow, he plays the adult version of Oliver Queen’s son. Hugo is pretty much the same as William. I didn't see any difference—like it was like if you transport him from one place to the other.

Ron: Yeah, I could totally see William going through the same thing when he goes back to Star City.

Mon: Exactly. Right? And I wanted to like this character. I really liked Ellen Wong’s Maddie.

Ron: Yeah, she was really nice.

Mon: She was really cool. She bring some natural vivacity which fit with the fact that Hugo is kind of staid from time to time. He's too restrained. And then of course, Fran Drescher, is of course like over the top. Though I thought that she was pretty believable.

Ron: Yeah, she was. She was like this really fun, cool mom who's just up in everything, so yeah.

Mon: Exactly. But the central relationship, while it worked for a bit, after a while it just fell away. Because I felt like they tried to make it seem like this idyllic happy ending. But I just feel like Hugo made the wrong decision because he was pressured into making that decision.

Ron: Throughout the film, I felt like Hugo was being pressured to do things that he didn't want to do. Like, even with the public speaking, he doesn't want to go up on stage and talk. Everybody’s like ‘no, no, go up and talk’. He doesn't want to go up and sing, it was like ‘no no, go up and sing’. Like why are you being pushed to do all these things? Just leave him be.

Mon: Yeah. And he gets this great opportunity which he's been vying for, for years. And in quintessential rom-com style, he sort of decides that love is better than opportunity, which I just can't get behind.

Ron: I didn't think it made sense in this film. Why does he have to give up the opportunity to be with Patrick? Patrick literally has everything right now, he's retired, he sold his app for a ton of money, he can do whatever he wants.

Mon: He can go wherever he wants as well, so why on earth is he pressuring Hugo?

Ron: Yeah, especially that we see them agreeing that it's going to be fine and everything’s going to be okay if it's long distance and then Hugo goes up on stage and sings this song and then suddenly there's like this weird switch that goes off and Patrick is like ‘no, I can't’. Like what? Where did this come from? What do you mean you can't? Like you were literally just saying; what changed in three minutes?

Mon: Yeah, I definitely don't agree with this story at all. I mean, it doesn't capture the Christmas spirit for me, because in the end these guys really don't know each other that well. And you want to say it's all true love and all that, but what exactly is Hugo gonna do in his hometown?

Ron: Is this a relationship that's gonna last? Or is this just a convenient relationship that's happened? I mean, yes, I get that Hugo’s mom was trying to set them up and they already have that experience from being in school together. But are there no other gay around? Why is Patrick Hugo’s only choice? Why is Hugo Patrick's only choice?

That's what pulled me up a bit shot because I was like, there has to be other reasons why these two are together. But if it's not there in the film, then how are we supposed to believe it?

And the thing is that we know that there is some kind of queer community here because Patrick talks about how there's a queer club for youth. There's a whole drag circuit happening; they didn't have that when they were growing up, so he's really happy that things have changed so much. So that means that they have other options. Why are these two together?

Mon: I agree with you. I was just so underwhelmed by it all and really frustrated because if you want to do something different, you want to make a queer film, but you're gonna go down the same road, take the same tropes, then you're not doing anything special.

Ron: Yeah, because then it seems to me like this was a straight film with gay characters in it. And also, why don't we see any other gay people?

Mon: Yeah, there's a hint that somebody in the past may have been in a queer relationship and then what? That kind of validity is required in a story where they're in a small town which isn't accepting them, but no one bats an eyelid. So, what is the point of that? It was like a red herring for the audience. Where does this go? Does this validate anything? No. It has nothing to do with it. I felt like there were two disparate stories which they just put together and said ‘hey we've made something different now. Please applaud us’.

Ron: Like, the ending as well. I actually ended up feeling a bit confused because I was like, hang on. So is he taking the new job, or is he not. And it's just kind of the way it ends, you're like, oh, I guess he's not, but it's not explicit.

I feel like the last act completely fell away. It had no clue what it was doing. They tried to wrap it all up quickly. Everything that had been happening up until that point, just forget about it—pretend it didn't happen because, obviously, it doesn't happen for the characters.

Mon: Even the central premise that this is a Christmas setup. You wouldn't know it, unless you'd seen the name of the film. Because it doesn't really come across as a setup at all.

Ron: I think it would have made more sense for it to be a Christmas setup, had the mother's intentions been a bit more clear. Like, why does she like Patrick for her son? We don't know, we don't even see them interacting. He's bringing a tree for her. That's it. So what is the connection there?

Mon: And what I felt is that set up for the setup was not built up. In the first scene had we realized that Hugo is really lacking in love, okay he's broken up with somebody, but that's okay, That's fine. It happens a lot of times, but it's not like he's feeling this grave loss, or, you know, he's just feeling so lonely. Hence this idea has sprung in Kate’s mind that, ‘oh there’s this guy’.

Maybe Kate’s had some interactions with Patrick which has made her think, yes, ‘he seems really nice. I would love to set him up with my son’. But none of that comes across. Hugo just wants to be home, he wants to get away from work, he doesn't want to think about the pressures of work—the fact that his promotion is not coming—and he wants to hang out with his best friend; he wants to hang out with his mom. And then there's the setup.

Ron: I honestly felt like for the majority of the film, Hugo's story revolved more around his job than his love life. And I thought that this romance that was happening between him and Patrick was just a consequence of them being in this place that they’re both comfortable in during a magical time of the year. But the last act makes it seem like the job was not that important, whereas finding a partner was. It ended up actually being rather jarring as a viewer, if you'd seen the whole thing, because Hugo's final decision just doesn't track with what he'd been fighting so much for from the beginning. And the thing is, I would have understood his decision had we seen him being absolutely and completely miserable at his job. He's not. He really believes in what he's doing. And he really wants to move up in this company. And he's really excited when he gets that call, right?

I'm wondering whether it was that interaction that they have on the roof where Patrick is like ‘lawyers suck’. And he was like, ‘I'm a lawyer’. Do you think that is the part of the reason why he changed his mind? I don't know.

Mon: You’re still trying to do some mental gymnastics to make it all fit and work, but it none of it does. Because at the end of the day, Hugo's magical return home for those few weeks is really dictated by the fact that he's back with his mom, he's hanging out with his best friend, he meets a cute guy, and he solves a mystery. And he saves something that he really loves. Those are great, but this isn't a long-term thing. So, if you take those elements away, what happens? Does Hugo still enjoy being back in his hometown? What is he going to do there? Like does his hometown need a hotshot lawyer? It probably doesn't, but he's worked so hard to get to a great position and he's throwing it all away.

Ron: Yeah, also is Patrick a worthy person to throw it away for?

Mon: That’s what I felt like. Patrick is a really selfish person because he's retired, he has basically nothing to do. So, he's latched on to Hugo—and that's how it came across to me—he's latched on to Hugo, who's a really sweet guy, who's a very smart guy. And that's it. So, he's like ‘no, I won't let you go’. It just seemed to me like it was a very manipulative kind of move by him.

The moment they sort of made an agreement, he just reneges and he makes Hugo feel guilty about it. I don't get it. And then everybody keeps telling Hugo that ‘you belong here’. If Hugo himself doesn't feel like that, then why are we telling him?

And the one person who really should have been telling him ‘you belong here and you stay here’ is his mom. But Kate, on the other hand, she is so happy for him. You can see in every interaction, especially after the cat is out of the bag that he's going away to London. She's the one who's still encouraging him to go and be the best version of himself. Everybody else is like ‘no stay here’. Why?

Ron: I haven't watched too many rom-coms, but in the few that I have seen, this always is the kind of gimmick that they use to keep a character in a place. Like everybody will come and tell them, ‘no you belong here’ or ‘you belong with that person’. I need to see that.

Mon: And we need to feel that, as an audience. We need to really root for them to be here, which we don't know.

Ron: Unfortunately I'm going to choose the job over the guy, sorry.

Mon: How old is Hugo? He's like, early 30s and he's being made partner in a gigantic law firm? Like, to hell with you, Patrick.

Ron: And in New York, like this is a big deal!

Mon: And, he’s being sent to London to expand his horizons. Come on, he’s going to be running the London office, and you give that all up for…Patrick.

Ron: Who you’ve only known for, like, one Christmas week. That's it. No, no.

You know what, I was with this film till the last act. Till that point I was like, oh it’s so sweet, look at how they're getting along. Oh, what's gonna happen? And then the last act happened. I was just like, what, why? It didn't work for me.

Mon: No, I agree with you, It was not a Christmas film.

Ron: I know we’ve talked about the entire film but, going back to the beginning what was with the double entendres?

Mon: Oh, I forgot about them!

Ron: That was so weird, right?

Mon: Yeah, it was really awkward and uncomfortable.

Ron: Yeah, and unnecessary.

Mon: Especially, there was this scene when Patrick has just brought the tree in. And they were framing it in such a way that I felt like they were trying to insinuate something. Hugo’s down on the ground on all fours, trying to fix a tree and Patrick is up top, trying to fix a branch. And I kept trying to think, are they trying to frame it in a particular position to say something? Because we've been so conditioned by all the double entendres up until then, that I thought that they were trying to say something or insinuate something, But it didn't make any sense. I'm guessing it was just an overlong scene where it was just badly made.

Ron: Yeah, it didn't make sense.

Also, despite the fact that Ben Lewis and Blake Lee are married in real life, I could not feel the chemistry on screen.

Mon: No, I agree. I was actually really surprised when you told me that, I was like okay, no.

Ron: They looked comfortable with each other, but yeah that chemistry just didn't come through at all.

Well, moving on to yet another Christmas film.

So, Dashing in December, sees Peter Porte’s Wyatt Burwall return to his ranch to be with his mum during Christmas. His mum, Deb, played by Andie MacDowell, is kind of struggling with the ranch. It's huge. It takes up a lot of money. And it's not really bringing anything in. Wyatt has not been back in years. So, Deb is obviously excited to see him.

But there's a little bit of tension about the ranch and what to do about it, their future, and the future of the horses that they have. And into the mix, we have Juan Pablo Di Pace’s Heath Ramos. Heath has been working on the ranch for a while, and Deb is really fond of him. He's super helpful and kind of almost a stand-in for Wyatt for her.

And we also have Caroline Harris' Blake, who is an old friend of Wyatt’s. And later on, we meet, Carlos Sanz’s Carlos, the former ranch hand, who may or may not be a little bit more important to Deb.

So, [laughing] this movie was an experience in many ways. Considering I had never heard of queer Christmas movies before, this is the fourth queer Christmas film we've seen this year. Each one has been a rollercoaster, in its own way. This was probably the strangest one.

Aside from the fact that the ranch setting is really out there for a queer movie. The characters are really strangely written. And I don't know what they were going for with this. And that ending. Yes, that’s another ending that I'm just not sure about.

Mon: So, Wyatt as a character is generally unlikable. I think they were going with the Scrooge personality for this guy. He's very grumpy at this office party that he's at just before he leaves for the ranch. He has this big project, and he has to take work to the ranch because he needs to finish this deal. And it takes a while—I would say two-thirds of the film—before we realize that his promotion, the project and selling the ranch are all interlinked. So, that goes to show you how good the writing is. #sarcasm

And Wyatt is so invested in selling the ranch because he's paying for it, he's paying the taxes. And obviously, it's not making any money. So, his idea is to basically get it off his mother's hands and sell it to his client.

He goes about convincing his mother in such a terrible fashion. He basically, at the first dinner that he's there, shoves this portfolio of numbers at her. And on the opposite side is Heath, who loves this ranch, he has a magical connection to it from his childhood. And he's obviously really invested in taking care of the horses, taking care of the ranch, taking care of Deb. He does not want to let it go. He also doesn't know how invested Wyatt is in this ranch because he doesn't know about the financial situation. So, Heath basically spends his entire time pushing back against this idea of selling the ranch.

And then there's Wyatt, well, it's his ranch, so he can do whatever he wants. Wyatt is looking at Heath as the ranch employee. Deb is looking at Heath as her son, maybe future son in law. And Heath is just wrapped up in the whole ranch situation. And, among all this, we are supposed to be invested in a love story. Suffice to say it does not go well.

This was so hard to watch, because Wyatt is the worst character ever. I hated this guy. Like, every time he seemed to take a turn where you would end up liking him, he would just do something really horrible. He is a nasty creature.

Ron: There's nothing good about Wyatt. There's no redeeming quality about this man. He is so self-absorbed; he does not see anybody else's point of view. And he's very ‘white savior’. Like, my dude, do you think about the words that come out of your mouth before you speak them?

Mon: And he attacks everyone! So, there’s this dinner scene, which is basically Wyatt’s way of making a special evening for Heath, and somehow Wyatt is the one who ruins it completely.

Ron: That is a complete and utter disaster. And it's all Wyatt’s fault. After that scene, I was like, everybody should wash their hands off this man. Even Deb is disappointed in her son.

Mon: But somehow, the very next scene sees Blake consoling Wyatt, and somehow it's all about Wyatt’s man-pain and not about all the horrible things he just said to the three most important people in his life. I'm just like, what? What is with this writing?

Ron: I have no idea. We’ve got to talk about the fact that Heath is originally from Colombia. There's kind of a weird imbalance because he's also an employee, and Wyatt kind of seems to imply that he can do stuff for Heath to make his life easier. And I'm just like, you do realize that sounds a little bit weird, right? You can give him a job, so he can continue working for you? Aren't you trying to have a relationship? What? It's just that entire scene was so yeurgh.

Mon: One thing I’ll say is, I'm glad Heath stood up for himself. But it's all underdone by the fact that we have to have a happy ending at the end, and it just doesn't work. This entire film was cringe.

Ron: I don't know what they were planning to do with this. They weren’t even trying. Okay, the setting is a bit strange. Why does the family have to have a ranch? I don't get it. It is just so weird because Heath is living on the ranch, but he doesn't have enough space for a Christmas tree and then the water stops working at one point and he has to go and have a shower in the in the main house. I'm just like, this is very upstairs, downstairs. And that's never addressed. So that makes it very uncomfortable for me.

But then his Colombian background is kind of brought in a couple of times but not very much. And, of course, his father ran off with a younger woman. Because let's just throw stereotypes in there for no reason. And why does Heath like Wyatt at all? They have a few conversations which are okay, but there's nothing nice about Wyatt. He's constantly throwing his weight around. He's constantly being condescending. There's nothing nice about him.

Mon: His first interaction with his mom when he arrives; he complains about every single thing. Oh my god! I'm surprised that his mother didn't actually hit him. And she's this long-suffering woman.

Ron: It's the only in that dinner scene later on, where she really looks disappointed, but I'm not sure why she hadn’t thrown him out of the house a long time ago. He's not nice.

Mon: The problem with this film is the structure. We start off with the fact that he's just freshly off a breakup. We also see that he has a lot of work to do. But then we're thrown immediately into, he wants to sell the ranch. But none of that is connected. Structurally, the film doesn't make sense.

Ron: We see him actually working on his whatever he's doing once. And I'm like, all this while, what were you doing? Weren’t you supposed to be bringing work home or something? So yeah, it was really confusing to watch and then, much later on when you see that everything's connected, why didn’t you tell us that sooner?

Mon: Again, the setup for the actual premise is completely hidden, so we're not invested. If you're going to make the character nasty or mean or Scrooge-like, then there has to be a reason why you expect us to be invested in him. And it would make sense if you see him looking at these property taxes and being like, oh my god, how am I gonna do this? And pushing to get more work and a senior position, knowing that, yes, I'll get more money so that I can keep this going. You know if you have that connection, you can sympathize and empathize with this character. Because the ranch is all he has and it’s connected to his father. But we don't get that.

Ron: We know from the beginning that Wyatt hasn’t come home for Christmas in ages. But you only learn why that is much later on. And it’s some kind of sappy reason about why he couldn't live up to his father's expectations, even though his father's been dead for 15 years or something. And I’m just like, what?

Mon: This is a problem with a lot of writing. They forget that there are real reasons why people can't be home for Christmas. Like they have jobs, they work in retail, they work in whatever. They need to finish a project, so you can't do it. That's a realistic but unfortunate reality. Had they included that in, it would have made Wyatt a more sympathetic character, but they don't do any of that.

Ron: I don't even know what Wyatt’s job is! What does he do?

Mon: I agree with you. I didn't get it either.

Ron: I don't get it. He has clients. Okay, what?

Mon: I feel like the creative brief for this film was: we want two gay guys in cowboy hats dancing in one scene. And they made the entire movie around that.

Ron: The same problem that we had with The Christmas Setup, we're having the same problem with Dashing in December. What is the connection between Wyatt and Heath? Literally the only thing they have in common is that they’re both gay.

Mon: There's this scene, right, where Heath’s like, oh you're gay? And Wyatt already knows he’s gay, that means Deb told Wyatt about Heath, but she didn't tell Heath about Wyatt. Which doesn't make sense to me, because isn’t that playing favorites?

Ron: And also, we learn later on that she was trying to set them up. So then why, would you not tell him? Why would you want to spring that on him?

Mon: And that also means that Deb doesn’t talk about Wyatt when he's away. Heath’s been here for at least a few years now. How have they not talking about him and his previous relationships? The guy apparently has a revolving door of relationships.

Ron: It's only after they start getting together that Heath finds out about all these endless relationships and he doesn't want to be just another person in that. Why is all this information coming so much later? Look at the time span. It's what, one week, maybe less? And we’re supposed to believe that these two have fallen in love and they want to be together forever? Like, dude, you literally have no other options in this place. That's why you like this guy.

Mon: I agree with you.

Ron: There are all these weird stereotypes that keep coming in. Like, of course the poor person of color will not have had any relationships, even though he's been out for a while. In the 21st century, how are we seeing this?

Mon: Yeah, I was really disappointed in this. It was structurally a mess. I didn't care about many of the characters, I definitely hated Wyatt, who is our protagonist, and it played out in this series of tropes and disconnected events. It just didn't work for me.

Ron: In the beginning, why do they keep saying the years so specifically?

Mon: Right? I noticed that as well. Every other dialogue was like ‘he's been gone five years’, ‘he joined three years ago’, so and so died 15 years ago’. What is this? History?

Ron: There were so many years thrown at us? I was like, how many years has Wyatt not been here? How many years has he been working with them? When did Deb go see him? I don't know! Way too much information. Nobody needs to know all this. It literally felt like, when you're writing your first draft, you end up being very specific and then after that, you revise it and stuff and realise that nobody needs to know this information. It's like that that stage was missed.

Mon: Calling it the first draft feels authentic, because that's exactly how this film felt.

Ron: There were certain scenes that felt like they’d made alternate versions. And I don't know why it felt to me but it really did. Especially that scene after the dinner with the projector, and Blake is telling Wyatt that everything is going to be okay. This feels very much like they shot something else which didn't work so they put this in because they’d already shot it. And it really just me out of the experience of watching the movie. And then in the end for Heath to be with Wyatt is just so stupid.

Mon: Everybody gets their little romantic happy ending. But I felt this was a bad choice. At one point, Wyatt even tells his mother that Heath can do better than him. But Heath doesn't. I just don't understand.

Ron: We are told that apparently there aren’t many gay people in this particular area. But that doesn't mean that there are no gay people anywhere else. If Heath really wants to have a relationship with somebody then he can go somewhere else. His only choice shouldn't have to be Wyatt. I think that's my main problem with the two films that we're talking about today. It's like the gay characters literally have no other choice but each other. And that feels tokenistic.

We were talking about this in our previous episode about new Christmas films that we've been catching up with. And we had the same problem with The Christmas House, where the gay couple over there, who were at least a bit more settled, and actually fit, were the only gay characters. But is with happy season which he lost his spot. Whereas with The Happiest Season, which we’d also spoken about in the previous episode, you got a feeling that there were other gay people around, that there was a gay community. We saw the gay bar that they went to.

Whereas with The Christmas Setup, they talk about it, but we never see it. So, it feels very much like they don't have a choice, but that's not how these romantic stories should go. The whole point is for you to see that there are lots of people around in the world, and you find the one among those people. In a straight story, that's what would happen. But these stories, they don't give us that choice and that's really not fair.

Mon: What bothers me is that if you're going to say that in this small town, there are no other gay people, there's not much choice, then this being a Christmas movie, the Christmas miracle shouldn't be that these two people are now settling for each other. It should be that they’ve finally found each other. And that means you need to make them both likable, which you did not.

Ron: What kind of name is Heath for a Colombian? It’s literally like they couldn't think of any name so they just came up with whatever they wanted. It really feels like this movie was phoned in.

Mon: That's a really good way of putting it. It does feel like this movie was phoned in.

Ron: But also, I find it really funny that with Tyrese Gibson, Fran Drescher, Andie Macdowell, all the people we watched growing up, are now the parents of these protagonists!

Mon: I guess that tells you something.

Ron: I was really hoping for something fun.

Mon: That's the key ingredient that is missing from these films, the fun factor. It's not enjoyable. Because you're so wrapped up in everything that's wrong with these people because they are not great people.

Ron: And it's drama for drama sake.

Mon: You're so right.

Ron: I don't want to be too negative in the sense that, at least we're getting queer content. But come on, we can do so much better than this. Three out of the four Christmas films that we've spoken about over the last two episodes have had couples who are newish, hoping to have a life together, and all them feel toxic.

Mon: Well said, you’re right. And that worries me because is that the case of all romantic films? You and I, not being experts in the romance category, makes me worry that this is the norm and you and I just don't know it.

Ron: Eww. I really hope not. What kind of message is that sending out? I'm hoping that this is just the beginning, and next year we're going to get all sorts of queer films that will be much more holistic and joyful and actually magical and not like these.

Mon: Here’s hoping.

Mon: Shifting away from anything Christmas, we are going to be talking about some books that we've been listening to. Yes, listening to, because we love audiobooks. And listening to audiobooks frees up time to do other stuff. Because in today's day and age, you need time.

One of the books that has been on my list for a really, really long time is the Three-Body Problem, written by Liu Cixin and translated by his brother, Ken Liu. This book series is a sci-fi and it's apparently being adapted for a TV series. I've been meaning to read this series for quite some time and I finally got it from my library. I read the first part, which is called Remembrance of Earth’s Past.

I like to think of myself as a sci-fi fan. I love sci fi films. I have very little patience with many sci fi books because they don’t try too hard. With this book, I came away really confused. The science fiction elements of it, they're all grounded in real science. Whether it’s actually real, don't ask me. I don't have a scientific background. But it's very much about formulae and stuff like that. They don't just say ‘quantum’ in front of everything.

But I don't know if it's the translation or if it is the intent of the author to make this book about characters who almost always come across as caricatures. It feels like he wrote this book with his tongue firmly in his cheek. But at the same time, not. I just don't know how I feel about this book. I am invested in this story but not in the characters. The characters are so flat, they just don't have any dimension to them.

The funniest thing is, the one character who's pretty much dead inside because she's seen stuff. She, to me, came across as the most multi-dimensional. And she's surrounded by all these male characters who just keep talking. But there's just nothing about them that brings them to life. I think the writer was more invested in creating these labs, this world, rather than creating his characters.

The biggest problem for me with this book was that it starts off with this rather grueling, brutal scene of this almost realistic occurrence. You can imagine a world where there is civil war or unrest, it could lead to an event like this, and is witnessed by this young person, and it affects her.

But then it goes bonkers. Then it becomes all this science stuff. And then there are aliens involved. And I am just like, do I like this book? Or am I just confused? And this book is award-winning; people love it. You definitely know how much they love it because now it's becoming a TV series. How are they going to convert any part of this particular book? I don't know about the two sequels. But this book is so much more about the machines that are working, the information that the machines are giving you. There’s so little of the characters that unless this TV show is going to be all spectacle, and no people, I don't know what they're planning to do.

And I kept feeling like there was supposed to be a political undercurrent. And there is, but it sort of got drowned out, especially in the last act by this weird, insane war that is coming or has come or will come. What even is this? Suffice to say that the concepts of this book worked in small doses. And then not so much. Like the main title of this book is actually a game, but the game has ramifications that go beyond just being a game. Again, there are these little bits which are so much more fascinating. But every time you get invested in it, that's it, the author pulls out.

I just don't know. I think that if you're interested in science and scientific, science-y language, and people doing science. This may scratch that itch, but at the same time it's so convoluted and confused, that you may come across as not being 100% invested in this world. I do wonder if the two sequels do draw you in more but before I can get to that I need a huge break.

Ron: Well, unlike you, the book series that I was listening to, I have no doubts how I feel about it. And that is: I absolutely despise it.

Mon: Oh, wow.

Ron: So, I had no idea of what Chaos Walking is. But they're making a movie out of it. And Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley from Spider-Man and Star Wars are going to be in it, so I thought, I'm gonna go check out the books.

The first book, The Knife of Never Letting Go, I quite liked the concepts. The main character Todd Hewitt is an idiot. I have no interest in this character. He is bland. He is uninteresting. He is very monotone and one-dimensional. He literally just gets to the end on the strengths of other characters. There is one female character in this book who has a fairly large role, but yeah, she's nothing more than damsel in distress and she does not speak for most of the book.

But the world that it's set in and some of the reactions that people have to being there, those I didn’t mind. I like the world-building. It’s just the character brought it down quite a bit. I also found the religious elements really jarring. I get that human beings need some religion and stuff. Why do we automatically have to assume that they're going to be Christians? I'm not sure how that works? It didn't feel like an universal experience was being captured in this book.

But then I got to the next two books and wow did it fall away. The second book was nothing short of a disaster. The Ask and the Answer tries to expand what we know of the world and actually ends up making it so much worse. The female character that we met in the first book, Viola, finally gets her own point of view. But her entire inner life surrounds Todd. Which makes absolutely no sense, because in the prequel to the first book, she lost her parents when she crash-landed on this planet. But somehow, all her inner thoughts are about this boy she just met and who is a loser. I'm so confused.

But then it gets worse. We learn that there is this native species who have been happily living on this world. And the humans that have arrived are basically colonising it. And they have enslaved the native race. Okay, fine. Are you trying to make a statement about what has really been happening with colonisation? Well, maybe the author wasn't reading the same history books I was. Because, my God, I don't know what he was thinking. There is a scene in this book that is so similar to the Jallianwala Bagh incident. And I was just like, you know what, only somebody who has not read this as part of their history would write this scene into his book and do it entirely from the colonisers’ point of view. And we are supposed to sympathize with Todd, who is so sad that these poor natives have been killed in front of him. Oh god, this book is so bad.

The third book is slightly Better than the second. We get a third point of view along with Todd and Viola’s, we got somebody from the massacre who has survived. But of course, he's angry and vengeful and does not care about anything else but trying to kill people. He still manages to be the most interesting part of the entire book, and also appears to be queer, it's hard to tell with this book. But nothing happens in this third book, Monsters of Men. It's so repetitive that there were times when I was actually wondering to myself if I was listening to the same chapters over and over again. Nothing happens. This book could have been one third the length, because so little happens in it. And it keeps trying to tell us that this connection between Todd and Viola is so strong that they’re ready to wage war for each other. And I'm like, really, for this guy?

What is frustrating was that Viola’s inner life is still, in the third book, concerned primarily with Todd, who still does nothing to deserve it. In fact, the longer you read this series, the more horrendous Todd becomes because not only is he self-absorbed and completely clueless about what is happening around him, even though it's happening right in front of his face. But he's so dumb! Like, my dude, what do you think is happening. People are fighting and you're siding with the person who's strongest because that's keeping you protected? And somehow that's supposed to making a good guy. Please don't ask me what this author was thinking, because I can't understand it.

And what’s frustrating is that from the start of the series to the end of the series. Todd has had no growth, but everybody keeps telling us that he has. He has grown so much, he has learned so much. Look at all the stuff that he's doing. He's not doing anything. He just keeps screaming all the time. It is such a disaster of a series. And I'm so annoyed that books like this that are so othering for anybody who's not a white dude or a white woman is the kind of book that's going to be made into a movie, which would probably be a huge blockbuster.

Mon: Well, one can hope not considering the production delays. I'm hoping it's an absolute disaster. And Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland completely washed their hands off it.

Ron: I have no hope for this. I'm just annoyed that something like this is actually even being optioned for film.

Mon: I agree with you. It sounds terrible.

Ron: The first book, I didn't mind the concepts in it, it was interesting. But the thing is that, the moment you start doing the race stuff, and you don't know what you're doing, it becomes obvious. And the second book, like literally that that scene was so reminiscent of Jallianwala Bagh, I was just like, do you not know what is happening in the world, what has happened in the world before it? How can you write this stuff, do you know the context that you're writing about? And to write it from Todd's point of view is just disgusting. Please refer to the show notes for a link.

Mon: Right. Going on to something a little bit lighter, but not sure if it's any better. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I heard about this book on NPR’s ‘Pop Culture Happy Hour’. I have a habit of reading books on recommendation which gives me a wide, diverse variety of books to read. But a lot of times I don't like them. I wouldn't say I didn't like this book. What's this book about and why did I pick it up? This book is about the FSOTUS, the first son of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz, he’s a go getter and he has his eyes on the prize.

Currently, it is a very, very stressful time for his family. They are in the midst of a re-election campaign. And there is another senator who is champing at the bit to grab the big seat. Alex is very smart. He's very intelligent. He has an equally intelligent and smart sister, and his best friend. Everything's going well when they are invited to the royal wedding. And an incident takes place between Alex and his nemesis, the prince of England.

So, to save this PR scandal, Alex and Prince Henry, yes, that's his name in the book, they are told that they have to hang out together so that nobody thinks that England and the United States are at war, because of these two brats. Anyway, turns out the two of them have more in common than they expected. And then socio-political stuff will get in the way of their new found friendship. Or is it more?

This book was an experience. It is so much high drama, and set in a world that is completely removed from anything that we can imagine. We’re talking about people who literally live in Buckingham Palace and the White House.

Ron: Yeah, you're not gonna meet them on the street.

Mon: Exactly. And it’s so far fetched that you could either be completely invested in this world, or you're like, this is ridiculous. This book was like reading a Bollywood film. Everything is overdramatic, everything is high stakes, like every single move they make is the end of the world.

Ron: Oh my gosh.

Mon: A lot of it is told in text messages and emails. Which I guess works more when you're reading it, less when you're listening to it. I would say that the rest of it, because it's so dialogue heavy, it does feel like you're listening to a play when you're listening to the audiobook. That’s quite good. But my biggest issue with this book and why I couldn't be invested in it was because it really came across as fanfiction.

Ron: Oh no.

Mon: I don't know if that was the author's intent. But why on earth did the younger prince have to be called Prince Henry. Why did he have to have sandy hair and have gone to the army and this and that? And I'm like, really? This is like complete and utter fanfiction. I just wish that they had chosen anything different about this prince, because that completely ruined the experience for me, and I just cringed every time he comes on the page.

What I did like is that this is very new age. There are people of different sexualities, different genders. So that was really nice. There's a lot of interplay and banter between different kinds of characters. So that was fun. It's very interactive; the world is very different. I just finished the drama had been dialed down. It’s really dramatic. With everything, the world is ending. I get it, you are FSOTUS and he is the prince of England. Maybe you guys should have talked about it a little bit more.

I was surprised at how R-rated this book is. I thought this was just a YA book, but maybe this passes for YA, I don't know.

Ron: Did the NPR people mention that?

Mon: They did not. I feel like they only read the first few chapters and then they recommended it.

Ron: Oh no!

Mon: Yeah, stuff gets really hot and heavy later on. There's going to be a huge audience who actually loves this book. And I wouldn't be surprised if they are vocal about it. I would actually also not be surprised if it was optioned for a film because it is very visual, in the sense that it's so dialogue heavy, the characters really come alive. And considering the political space that we’re all in and how political we all feel this might be the kind of book which lends itself to a movie for varied audiences. I just don't think romance novels are for me.

Ron: But you gave it a shot.

Mon: I know reading different kinds of things, broadening my horizons. I guess romance is one thing that I will constantly find myself dabbling in and be like, not really.

Ron: It's just not the genre that speaks to us.

Mon: Yeah, that's true. If it's fun, I guess it's okay. But this was not fun because of all the drama. I get it, they're high stakes. It's just, tone it down.

Ron: Did you find that there was anything that you could actually resonate with despite the fact that it's about the FSOTUS and the prince of England?

Mon: Absolutely not. Also, they drink too much. I don't understand. Everybody's always drunk. Stop already.

Ron: But then what is the appeal of this kind of story, if you can't see yourself in it at all? Is it just aspirational then?

Mon: I think so. It's a little bit of a magical Prince Charming kind of book. So, I guess you could call it a Disney fairytale, but for a more representative audience. So, this is not all bad. It's just not for me.

Ron: That's interesting.

Mon: I think that there's not been that much queer content, so people will be hungry for more. And we'll get some good stuff. We've got some bad stuff. And we'll get some stuff which is for particular audiences and not for others. So yeah, I think this is gonna be exciting for some groups.

Ron: Well, it's great to see that we have the kind of career content we do. Just, we need to see who's behind the scenes, because it's not coming across as well as it should.

Mon: Yeah, I think it needs to be a bit more fresh. Because we are so inured to the stereotypes that we've already seen, and the tropes that we've already been faced with in so much pop culture, that just placing queer characters in those same tropes and stereotypes doesn't work. We've all grown out of that, we need more. And there's so many stories to tell.

So, like this book, Red, White and Royal Blue is it's a different take on the regular romance novel. But at the same time, it has its own issues. Every property does have issues and I'm not saying that we need to hold queer properties at higher standard. I'm just saying, we need to move beyond being safe. You can't get a pat on the back just because you put queer characters in your movie or in your book. You need to do more, you need to be more realistic or more fun.

Ron: And it needs to be more representative of the real queer experience and not just queer stories transplanted into state stories.

Mon: Agreed.

Ron: What have you been busy with? Let us know.

Ron: You can find us on Twitter @Stereo_Geeks. Or send us an email [email protected]

Ron: We hope you enjoyed this episode. And see you next week!

Mon: The Stereo Geeks logo was created using Canva. The music for our podcast comes courtesy Audionautix.

[Snowflake by GeriArt by Pixabay plays]

Transcription by Otter.ai and Mon and Ron.

#stereo geeks #chaos walking #christmas #christmas setup #dashing in december #three-body problem #podcast

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mymixofmuses · 4 years

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Lola Leads

(A roleplay between my Audrey muse and @red-rad-and-rod . It doesn’t have a real ending, but, here we gooooo.)

- It was finally starting to look and feel like springtime in Michigan. The seemingly sporadic weather seemed to have finally settled on a warmer temperature. There were no more snowfalls coming out of nowhere and the plants were becoming more lively by the day. The grass was green and dusted with flecks of other colors as the flowers began to bloom. A certain freckled redhead by the name of Audrey had been looking forward to this day, more so for her furry friend than herself. Lola, a scruffy-looking mixed breed about the size of a beagle, had been Audrey’s Christmas gift to herself. As such, she had never seen the local park, with the weather as cold as it was. Now, however, the young dog trotted happily next to her owner, or rather, a little ahead. She was quite the excitable one and still had trouble walking calmly with her master. It didn’t help matters that she was finally getting to see a new setting and was eager to see and smell everything in the immediate vicinity. Though it took an uncountable number of pit stops, the two made it to the park. The young woman found a bench and sat down, reaching into her bag to get out a bottle of water and a doggy dish. After pouring her pet a drink and taking a sip for herself, she pet her dog’s floppy ears. “That was a long walk, huh, girl?” The dog didn’t respond, but simply lapped up the water vigorously. “Yeah. Can’t blame ya for being thirsty,” the redhead giggled. Lola stopped to look up at Audrey, wagging her tail for a moment, before looking into the distance. Before she had a chance to respond, the dog had shot off in a blur of brown and white, taking her leash with her. “Ack! Lola! Come here, girl!”

- “I’m bored” J.C. looked over from his spot, a bench fairly close to one of the two play structures, and scoffed gently. Both Mum and Dad had work today, so lo and behold, he was tasked with watching his little sisters. No big deal, really; might as well do his standard thing and take them to the park to tire them out. Usually made for a fairly easy time afterwards. Seemed like that wasn’t the case today, at least with one of them. “Syd, we’ve only been here for about half an hour, how can you be bored already?” Syd, currently laying on the grass near him, blew a bit of hair out of her face as a response. “You haven’t even done all that much; save for surveying the play structure, checking out the swings, and nearly getting sick on the little roundabout. You tired or something? Still a bit dizzy from spinning around super fast.” “No.” J.C. shrugged, letting out a sigh. “Theeeen I don’t know what to tell ya, kid. You can hang with me and have a boring time ooooor you can go play.” He looked up to catch a glimpse at the younger of the sisters, Kat, looking like she was having a blast on the swings. “What about the swings?” “Kat’s on them, and she’s talkin’ with another kid. Knowing them, they’re gonna be on there for hours. An’ there’s a line for the rest of the swings…I could just go over, push some of the other kids outta the way, and jump the queue…” Syd looked to her brother, a sort of defeated look on her face, “but if I do, then you’ll make me sit on one of the benches and ‘think about what I did’ and 'how wrong it is’.” “Preeeeetty much, kiddo. Laws of the playground, can’t exactly break 'em.” Syd had a small chuckle at the comment, before starting to focus on something. “Y'see that?” J.C. looked in the same direction. “What?” “There’s something coming in our direction….kinda small…really fast….” Suddenly, the ten-year-old let out an excited gasp. Kind of small and really fast? That usually meant… “PUPPYYYYYYYY!!!” - Despite the clear excitement of the child, Lola opted to focus her attention on the young man. She bounded over to the bench and promptly placed her front paws on his knees as she 'danced’ excitedly for attention, tail wagging a mile a minute. The dog was scruffy-looking, but clearly not a stray. Aside from the collar and leash dangling from her neck, she was clearly cared for with a healthy weight and a shiny clean coat. What’s more, she looked too cute for someone not to take her in. Her markings, shades of brown with a white face and underbelly, were beautiful, while her pale blue eyes practically sparkled, and her cute little pink nose was too much to resist! Audrey followed a short distance behind, putting those athletic legs of hers to work. The redhead dashed past the swing set, quickly addressing the girl Kat was talking to. “Hi, Jenna! Bye, Jenna!” With that out of the way, she continued to call for her dog. “Looooolaaaaa!” - Kat, a little confused, looked to Jenna. “You know 'er?” Jenna laughed, “Know her? I can tell you all about her….” (….) At the sound of Syd shouting, J.C. jumped a little. Jeez, she could be loud sometimes…what was that all abo…ooooh, a puppy. Of course. From what he could tell, they had a leash, tags, and they weren’t some hulking looking thing (even if it was, Syd’d still go nuts. Something as big as a Newfie, she’d risk getting bowled over, regardless). Eh, as long as he kept an eye on the two of them, it shouldn’t be an issu- wait, why was the dog coming towards him? Ignoring the small “Heeeey!” from Syd, J.C. looked down and gave the little dog a smile. “Heeeey there, little bit.” he chuckled, “Who’d you get away from, eh?” Hearing the sound of “Looooooolaaaaaaa!”, Syd pointed it the direction of where it was coming from. “Prooooobably the person shouting 'er name?” “Ah, good call.” J.C. shouted back, “Over 'ere!” - The canine rested her head on his knee for a moment before she perked up at the sound of her owner growing closer. While she was happy to see her, the dog didn’t approach, merely faced her with a wagging tail. “Lolaaaa,” Audrey, started with a lecturing tone, “you can’t run off like that. You could get hurt.” Lola lowered her head in apology as her owner took the leash once more. “I’m sorry about her. She’s still a bit of a puppy.” Lola looked up at the two of them talking, tail wagging. - J.C. chuckled, giving Lola a little pat on the head, “Mischevious little thing, aren’t ya? Worrying your Mummy like that…” He looked to Audrey. “Cute little dog you’ve got there. Lola, was it? That’s her name?” - Audrey giggled. “Thank you. Yes, this is Lola,” she gestured, 'introducing’ them. She may have left things at that, but the accent got her curious. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and say you’re not from around here. Like, not even somewhat close to around here.” - “Nnnnnnope!” piped up Syd, moving next to her brother. “We’re from WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY across the Atlantic. ….Or…whatever degree of "way” Bristol is.“ - Audrey jolted slightly, not having noticed the child in the scramble for her dog. Placing a hand to her chest, she let out a wheezy laugh. "I’d say that’s pretty far. Also, diggin’ the hair. What are you two doing all the way over here?” - “Work.” J.C. answered, “Dad works for one of those international companies, and often times, we end up coming with. Kind of like a mini-holiday, I guess you could call it.” “Aaaaand 'cos he and Mum each had something they needed to take care of, we got to go to the park with this guy right here!” Syd added. - Lola looked at the child, tail wagging as she looked at her expectantly. “Ahh. That makes sense.” She paused, raising a brow. “We?” - Syd giggled at Lola, “Silly puppy…” “Yup,” J.C. tossuled Syd’s hair a little bit, “This one right here is Syd, aaaand my other little sister should be on the swings…” he looked towards the swing and could see a blur of blonde, pink, and purple. Yep, that was her. Cool, she hadn’t moved…save for the back and forth motion of the swing, but…“Yup, Kat’s on the swings.” “I’m 10 aaaand Kat’s 8.” Syd added. - “You can pet her, if you want,” she smiled at Syd. “She’s a friendly dog, albeit rowdy at times.” Audrey turned to look towards the swing. “Ahhh. I knew there was a reason I didn’t recognize her,” she turned back to J.C. “I have a good reputation as a babysitter, so I’ve gotten to know a lot of the kids around here. For example,” she pointed back towards the swings with her thumb. “That’s Jenna talking to your sister. She has a baby brother on the way.” - Syd’s eyes lit up like it was Chrtistmas morning. Giving Audrey a quiet “Thank yoooou”, she went about gently petting Lola, all the while quietly going “Puuuuuppy, puppy, puppy, puppy, puppyyyyyyyyyy…..” J.C. snickered at his sister before turning to Audrey. “Aaah. Baby brother on the way, eh? That oughta be fun.” - Lola rolled onto her back, exposing her underbelly as her tongue lulled out. “Yeah. I don’t have any siblings myself, but I do have five younger cousins who were over at our house pretty often. Actually, that’s the reason I don’t have any siblings,” she snickered. “Enough kids in the house as it was.” - J.C. laughed, “Kind of sounds like our place, at least around the holidays. Syd and Kat can be a handful, but add…I don’t know, at least five to ten other kids to the mix- anywhere from two years old to well into their teenage years- and it’s…something, alright.” “Exhausting?” Syd asked, “Is that 'cos we’ll drag you outside to play?” “…To be honest, I’d rather be out with you guys than having to deal with relatives asking a number of questions.” he snickered. - “Good golly, Miss Molly! That’s a lot of kids! I sure hope the other adults help out, at least a little bit. I mean; I love kids, but even I need a break here and there.” She chuckled. “It still is sweet of you to play with them, regardless of the awkward questions with the older relatives. Let me guess… 'How’s school? Work? Are you seeing anyone? Thinking about marriage? Kids? What’s in your future?’ ”

- J.C. chuckled, nodding. “Preeeeeetty much. At least with kids, they ask you things like what your favorite dinosaur is.” “It’s a brachiosaurus.” Syd loudly whispered. “It most certainly is. There’s usually a 'tag out’ system in place, so I do get to have some 'grown up’ time…speaking of questions, I….don’t think we’ve actually officially introduced ourselves. I’m J.C., and you are?” - Audrey giggled at the dinosaur comment. “Oh, how rude of me,” she held a hand to her chest before holding it out to shake. “I’m Audrey, born and raised Michigan citizen,” she smiled widely, revealing her large front teeth. “Is this your first time here? I could recommend some good spots to visit.” - “Charmed,” J.C. responded, smiling as he shook her hand. “It is…we actually came across this place by accident, so…any help or tips are greatly appreciated.” - Taking her hand back, she held two fingers to her head and mock saluted. “Can do! Now, let me just think a moment here…” She put her chin in her hand as she thought. “Well, when it comes to free entertainment, you’ve already found one of our parks. As for spending a little cash, you can’t come to Michigan and not try a Coney Dog. It’s a shame you didn’t come in the summer, since that’s when you can get the best Coneys from Timmy’s Coneys. Old Timmy only sets up shop in summer, but there are restaurants you can get them from year round.” - “Aaaah, drat. I’ll have to make a note of that…if it’s open only during one time of the year, they must be pretty good.” “What’s a coney dog?” Syd asked, “'Cos all I’m picturing is, like…you put it in an ice cream cone and put regular hot dog stuff on it.” - “An ice cream cone? What makes you think- Ohhhhh, coney dog. Nahh. It’s short for Coney Island Hot Dog. Basically, they take this specific kind of hot dog and top it with this meat sauce; not chili. It’s something else. Anyway, it’s usually topped with a heaping helping of onions and mustard. You can get them plain too though. Some people like theirs with cheese.” - “Ooooooooooooh.” Syd blinked, “I don’t know, I kind of like my idea more.” J.C. scoffed lightly and shook his head. Kids could be such weirdos sometimes. “Well, even if we can’t get them specifically from Timmy’s Coneys , is that something that you’d be willing to eat after we’re done here?” Syd nodded enthusiastically. “I think Kat would, too, 'cos it doesn’t have green stuff on it. At least, from the sounds of it.” “You want to go and ask her?” Syd gave the two a salute and ran off, yelling “PLAY NICE, YOU TWO!” to the pair. J.C. laughed, “We weren’t…! Aaaaaand she’s gone. Dang, she’s fast.” - Lola watched as Syd ran off. There goes the person giving her attention… Oh well. She rolled back over onto her stomach and closed her eyes. Audrey laughed as well, taking a seat next to J.C. on the bench. “Your sister seems like a hoot and a half! I’m guessing she keeps you on your toes, huh?” - “Tiptoes is more like it.” he responded, smirking a bit. “She’s a character, I will give her that.” - She chuckled. “I’ve known kids like that; like real life versions of Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes… You ever read that comic?” - “Oh, yeeeah! I read those all the time when I was a bit younger. Still do, occasionally. …Although, I read them in French first, then went to English once my grasp on the language improved a bit…” - Audrey cocked her head to the side. Didn’t his sister say they lived in Bristol? “French?” - “….Ah, right, right…” He cleared his throat a little, “See, I’m….not originally from England. Syd and Kat’s mum and dad are my adoptive mum and dad. Been so since I was around 2 years old. I’m originally from France.” - She slowly raised her head and lowered it as she let out a drawn out, “Ohhhhhhh.” Rather than pry for details, she simply smiled and said, “I’m glad you were able to get adopted at a young age. Adapt to your new family faster and all that. I’ve thought about adopting myself, but I think it’s a little early to think about that sort of thing. I don’t even have a boyfriend right now,” she laughed. - He gave her a smile back, as a silent way of saying thanks. “I’m thinking of doing the same, honestly. I mean, I’m happy either way- adoption or otherwise., but…kind of in the same boat; just out of school, no girlfriend…all that fun stuff.” - “Not often I see a man who openly admits to wanting kids,” she giggled, nudging him with her elbow. “Shame you live across the ocean,” she joked with a wink. - J.C. chuckled, a little bit of a awkward/nervous edge to it. “Haha, yeah. It kind of be nice to have a couple of my own…I mean, there’s Syd and Kat, but they’re my sisters. Having a kid be your own’s a little different.” - “Ah, I’m just messing with you,” Audrey smiled, hoping he didn’t think she was actually hitting on him. “I would imagine so. Speaking of, I wonder what those two are talking about. With how fast Syd sprinted off, you’d think she’d be back by now.” - “That’s a good question…I don’t hear any sort of screaming or yelling, so they’re not fighting…” He snickered, “Maybe she got distracted and now they’re both on the swings?” - Audrey shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t mind though. I’m totally free today, so I don’t mind waiting… Though I suppose those two don’t have to be here for the directions. Would you rather I just tell you where to go and get out of your hair?” - “If you want; you’re welcome to hang around if you don’t have anywhere to be today. Besides, I think the minute Syd mentions the word 'puppy’ to Kat, she’ll come running over.” - Audrey snickered. “I think I’ll stay. Lola loves attention, I love kids, and you seem pretty nice~” - J.C. couldn’t help but blush a little. “I, um….I try, heh…” All of a sudden, a more high-pitched “PUPPYYYYYYYYYY!!” came from the playground. Aaaaah, there it was…a “Kat, wait up!!” followed shortly. “Speaking of kids, sounds like Syd mentioned the 'P’ word….” - “Sounds like it,” she agreed, making sure she had a firm hold on Lola’s leash. Lola had perked up at the sound of the shout and was now wagging her tail eagerly, whining impatiently for what she was sure would be more attention. - Pretty soon, a little blonde girl dressed in pink and purple had joined the pair. She looked to the redhead, smiling. “Sooooo, you’re Audrey, right? Jenna’s been tellin’ me about you.” Shortly after Kat had arrived, Syd turned up, out of breath. “Easy, kiddo. Take a sec and rest.” he told the smaller redhead. Syd did just that, walking over to the other open space on the bnch and plopping down with an “Oof!” “An’ Syd says you’ve got a puppy. Can I pet her, please?” - “Mm-hm,” Audrey smiled warmly at the blonde. “And you’re Kat?” Lola was currently on her hind legs, trying to pull away to reach Kat, whining all the while. “I don’t think I have a choice here,” she laughed, gesturing for Kat to come over. - “Yep!” She nodded, skipping a little closer. “Hiiiiiii, puppyyyyy~!” “The name’s Lola.” Syd piped up. “Hiiii, Lolaaaaa~!” - Lola wagged her tail as she excitedly sniffed at the newcomer. Deciding she liked the child, the dog gave her a few licks. “She’s a friendly one, isn’t she? I like your outfit, by the way. Pink and purple are my favorite colors~” - “Uh-huuuuuh.” Kat giggled, as Lola showed her affection. “Mine too!” - “Neat!” While Audrey was curious as to what Jenna said about her, she decided keeping the focus on the dog would make more sense. “I got her from the local shelter. The people working there said she’s a mixed breed, but weren’t sure what all is in her. They think she might have a bit of Border Collie in her though.” - “Oooo, Border Collie, eh?” Kat looked to J.C., “That’s not one of those super big dogs, right?” J.C. smirked, “Yeeees, and I know what you’re asking. You know my answer already.” “Dang it.” - “I’m guessing you’ve been wanting a dog? I know the feeling,” she smiled sympathetically. “Lola here is my first dog and I’ve just recently turned twenty four years old! My family’s house could get so chaotic at times that a dog just seemed like it would be too much, despite my asking. Figures my parents would adopt their own dog not long after I went to college.” She shrugged. “Oh well. At least the two get along.” - Both kids looked at Audrey. Twenty-four? “…No way, you look way too young.” Syd spoke up. J.C. couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Syd, twenty four’s not old. Nowhere near it.” “You only say that 'cos you’re twenty three.” Kat added. “Twenty four in August, though. Point is, early to mid twenties is not old.” - Audrey giggled, taking 'look way too young’ as a compliment. “I sure hope not! I want to be married with kids before I’m old!” - “Human years don’t work like dog years, you two.” J.C. chuckled. “If that were the case, Syd would be anywhere from 56 to 78 years old.” Kat snickered. J.C. looked to the little girl, “And you’d be somewhere from 48 to 64 years old, depending on breed.” Syd tilted her head, looking at her sister. “Soooooo, what kinda dog d'you think she’d be? One o’ those yappy little chihuahuas?” Kat gave her sister a cheeky smile, “You’re probably one of those big, bumbling ones that slobbers a lot.” J.C. sighed quietly, seeing where this conversation was going. “Okay, you two, tone it down a bit.” - Audrey chuckled. She knew where this was going… and just how to stop it. “My parents have one of those; a little chihuahua, I mean. I should have a video of her playing with Lola on my phone, if you two can get along long enough to watch it.” - Ah, Audrey was pulling out the big guns…puppy videos! Dang it, she knew one of their weaknesses! Looking begrudgingly to each other, smiling a semi-forced smile, the sisters slowly side-hugged each other in a “See? Friends!” sort of way. - She could tell the two weren’t happy, but they got an A for effort. “Alrighty~ Let me just get out my phone real quick.” Digging through her purse (which she had thankfully kept on before she ran after Lola), she soon pulled out her phone, which had a unique cover. The cover was pink in color, with a pattern of purple hearts and teddy bears, as well as rhinestones scattered throughout. “Oh yeah! I’m still getting used to that,” she showed them the phone. “My cousin made this case for my birthday. Isn’t it neat?!” - Syd and Kat were like a pair of puppies themselves, watching as Audrey pulled out her phone. If their ears could’ve perked up, they would have- the case was so cute! “Uh-huuuuuuuh.” J.C. had to chuckle a bit; he didn’t really know whether it was the shininess of the phone case or the promise of watching dogs playing together, but the way his sisters looked right now was pretty funny. - Audrey chuckled. “Alright alright. Enough of that. Onto the video~” Scrolling through her gallery, she found what she was looking for, turned up the brightness and volume, then pointed the screen towards the girls as she pressed play. The video started with a view of Lola and a small white chihuahua with semi long fur. The two dogs were sharing a rope toy, each with an end in their mouth. While the chihuahua tugged with all her might, Lola simply stayed still, tail wagging as she watched the smaller dog try to take the toy. “I don’t think Daisy’s getting that toy any time soon,” Audrey’s voice could be heard from behind the camera. “Let’s give her a break. Lola, come here, girl!” Rather than drop the toy and come to her master, Lola instead dragged the toy and the chihuahua over to her, resulting in cackles from those off screen. - The once squabbling siblings immediately quieted down and watched the video intently. It almost seemed like the two were in some sort of trance, giggling almost simultaneously. J.C. shook his head, amused at the girls and the dogs. - The video ended and Audrey chuckled. “Yeah. They’re a hoot, alright! You want to see some pictures?” - Cue a simultaneous nod from the sisters.

- “Alrighty~” She brought up her photo album for Lola and Daisy and proceeded to flip through it. - Both girls giggled at the sight of the two. “Note to self: when these two start squabbling, find cute puppy pictures.” J.C. mumbled, pretending to scribble on an invisible notepad. - Audrey giggled, then snorted. She proceeded to cover up her nose, bashful. - J.C. giggled at…well, Audrey’s giggle; it was so cute! - She cleared her throat, as if to clear the awkwardness she felt away, and moved on to flip through the pictures. She had quite a few of them. “I could send you some, if you want. Though I suppose I would need your email for that.” - E-mail? Huh…that…must mean that she wanted to keep in contact?? Not that he minded, of course. It was just…they’d only JUST met. Or maybe it was because if he didn’t have them, Syd and Kat would constantly be begging to go back to Michigan, just so they could find Audrey and have her show pictures of Daisy and Lola. “Uuuuuh, sure!” he said, trying not to chuckle awkwardly. First time a pretty girl had asked for his e-mail. “Do you, um…want me to type it in on your phone as a little note, or…?” - She really hadn’t put much thought into it when she’d said it, but she soon realized the implications of what she’d said. Oops. Not that she would mind keeping in contact… She thought for a moment, then smiled. “Sure thing!” she said as she opened up her notes app and handed it to him. “If you get an email from 'teddy bear lover,’ it’s me.” - J.C. gave her a nod and quickly typed in his e-mail address. “Aaaaand if you get a response from….” His…e-mail was a liiiittle embarrasing, he thought. He had made it when he was about Syd’s age, so… “…well, this, then it’s me.” “Bluerangerbaguette714”….seemed like a good idea at the time. He liked Power Rangers, he liked baguettes, and 7/14 was an important holiday in France. “I, uh…haven’t updated it yet. Made it when I was about 10 or 11….” he chuckled nervously, face turning a bit pink. - Audrey looked at the email address and had to make a great effort not to laugh. She was trying so hard, her body was actually shaking slightly. “Makes sense,” her voice came out as a squeak. “My dad helped me pick mine so I wouldn’t be embarrassed late-her-her-her!” So much for not laughing. “I’m sorr-ee-hee-hee!” - Eeeeeh, he should’ve seen that coming. Way to go, 10-11 year old J.C. …Buuuuut at least he could laugh at himself. He joined in on the laughter; a little awkward at first, but it started to sound more natural as he went on laughing. “It is kind of ridiculous, looking back on it.” he admitted. - Audrey held a hand to her face, trying to stifle the laughter. “It’s not that funny! I just told myself not to laugh and that made it hilarious!” Her laughter did die down to a snicker and Lola looked at the two in confusion. - “I mean, if you imagine something like…” he began to “demonstrate” a few Power Rangers-like poses and trying to say random things in French as epically as he could, “…while thinking of it, then…I mean, that’s usually what I think of anytime I read that.” - She snickered a few more times at the poses. “As someone who knows karate, that just makes it more hilarious.” - Syd snickered at her brother. “You’re a dork, J.C.” “The dorkiest~” he responded. “The dorkiest in all the la- wait a sec…karate??” Syd asked, turning her focus to karate. “You knowkarate??” - “Mm-hm~” she nodded. “I may not be the violent type, but karate is good for blowing of steam and is a good confidence booster. I may not be the brightest, but at least I can raise my foot above my head.” She smiled awkwardly. “That’s what I like to tell myself, anyway.” - “Show me!!” Syd said, bouncing on her heels excitedly, “Please??” - “Raise my foot above my head? Sure!” She stood up from her seat on the bench and proceeded to do a few stretches before lifting her leg almost completely vertically. “Don’t try this at home, kids. Not without lots of practice, anyway.” - All 3 Malones (Syd, mainly-followed by J.C. and Kat in terms of intensity) went wide eyed. “Hoooooly crud!” Syd gasped, awestruck. - Audrey chuckled and brought her leg back down. “Yeah. I’ve been practicing this sort of stuff since I was a kid.” - “Not to brag, but…” Syd dusted off her knuckles, “I, uh….I do a bit of karate myself.” “I don’t think what you do is actually karate,” Kat piped up, “I think that’s more like flailing about.” Syd “hmmph"ed, took a few steps back, and demonstrated some of her "moves”. - “Hmmm… I’d say that was more… avant-garde karate than traditional karate.” Translation: You’re not very good, but I don’t want to hurt your feelings. - Syd smirked at her sister. “See? She knows talent when she sees it.” - Audrey simply smiled and nodded. Best not to break her confidence. She’d offer to teach her some moves, but she doubted she’d see the trio again anytime soon. - “Whateeeever you say.” Kat mumbled quietly, rolling her eyes at her sister. “ ’S gonna come in handy when I get a job when I’m older.” Syd added. “…What was that again?” J.C. asked. With Syd, it changed just about every couple of weeks. “Circus performer/bodyguard/secret agent…with a penthouse.” - “I’m guessing you’re aiming for a more physical line of work then? Can’t blame ya. I’m a personal trainer myself.” - “Oooo, that sounds like a good idea, too! Maybe add that to the list…” J.C. chuckled, “With a physique like that, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Maybe that was a little too forward? He coughed, and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “Good surprised, though. You, ah…I imagine you’re very skilled at your job- helping people with getting into shape. - “My physique? You haven’t even seen me out of these clothes,” she laughed, before realizing what she said. “N-not like that!” she stammered. “I meant out of these specific clothes! My workout clothes show more.” - "I, um…I’d hope so? N-not in a weird way! Just….so you don’t get overheated or anything; speeding up the dehydration process while exercising is rather risky, and…” His voice began to trail off, “I’m…gonna stop talking now…I…made it awkward…” Syd looked between the two, smirking a bit to herself. Super friendly to each other AND awkward when they think they’ve made a misstep? Oooo, was Cupid nearby~? - “No, no; it’s fine,” she chuckled. “I know what you meant. It’s good to dress for your workout; don’t overheat or sweat up your regular clothes.” She sat back down and began petting Lola. “Though I know some prefer the less revealing clothes. I used to be the same. Took me a while to get past some of my self esteem issues, y'know? You just gotta get a breathable material.” - J.C. nodded, understanding the “self-esteem issue” thing all too well. Not really wanting to dive into that (mainly because…well, come on, he and Audrey had just met), he focused more on the breathable fabric thing.“Yeah. That way it’s like…when a person’s all done workin’ out for the day, they’re not dripping with sweat or smelling like an old pair of socks.” - Audrey snickered. “Depends on your definition of a workout. That’s why we have showers at the gym~” She paused for a moment. “Weren’t we talking about stuff to do in Michigan? How’d we get here?” she laughed. - Oh thank goodness, the subject changed. He laughed, “Dunno, that’s actually a really good question…” “Can I go back an’ play now?” Kat asked. “Go for it.” J.C. told her, giving her a small nod and taking a glance at his watch. “ 'Bout 30 more minutes, alright? I want to get you guys fed, too.” “Can we get those coney dogs??” Syd asked. J.C. shrugged, “Yeah, sure. Probably the only time we’re going to be able to get them, so why not?” “Sweet!” Syd gave Lola a quick pet before running back to the playground. “Last one there’s a rotten egg!” she called to Kat. The little blonde mimicked her sister’s actions, instead yelling “Bye, Audrey! It was nice to meet you!” “What she said!!” Syd shouted back. - “Same to you!” she called out before relaxing back against the bench. “They seemed nice~ I should probably give you directions before I forget.” She proceeded to dig through her purse. “I’m sure I have a pen and paper in here somewhere… Also; while it’s not limited to Michigan, it seems to be a northern U.S. thing. If you can find Blue Moon ice cream, go ahead and try some. I can’t really describe the flavor, but I love the stuff. If you’ve ever had Superman ice cream, it’s basically the blue part in that.” - J.C. chuckled. “They try. Kind of nice that they’re screaming more from running around than fighting. Iiii…don’t think I’ve had that flavour before, but with a name like 'Superman’, that might sound like something Syd’ll like. May as well try some Blue Moon just for the heck of it, y'know?” - Having pulled a notebook and a pen, Audrey proceeded to jot down the directions. “Yup yup! Always nice to try something new~” In addition to the directions, she jotted down a few other places they could look into while in Michigan. - “Haha, yeah. I should tell that to Kat, or as I call her: 'Little Miss No-Greens’. She’ll eat her fruits and veg, yeah, but only if they aren’t green. …Good thing it’s 'Blue Moon’ ice cream and not…'Green Moon’.” Okay, so that was kind of a lame joke, but hey. Glancing over at her writing, he smiled a bit. Not only writing down the names of places, but directions, too! “…Forgive me if this sounds a bit weird, but…you have really nice handwriting.” - Audrey chuckled at the green moon joke, then giggled at the compliment of her handwriting. “Not weird,” she assured as she bashfully played with her hair, twirling a short curl around her finger. It was nice to get a compliment on something that wasn’t her physique. “I take a lot of notes. Helps me remember things.” - He nodded, “Always good, always good. Nothing worse than having something super important you need to do or get, then completely forgetting to. Like… 'don’t forget the milk….don’t forget the milk….wait, what was I getting?…Ah, crud! I forgot the milk!” - Audrey snickered. “Yeah. That’s why I write everything down,” she flipped through her notebook to show page upon page of notes. “I’ve had friends ask how I got them the perfect gift, and I’m like, 'Remember how you were talking about that thing three months ago? Yeah. I wrote it down.'” She flipped a page and twirled her pen. “Speaking of, how do you spell your sisters’ names? I wanna write them down. Yours too… I’m imagining there’s more to your name than a J and a C.“ - “I should start doing that,” he noted, “Did it a lot more while I was still in school, but having recently graduated, eeeeh….not so much. Would be good to get back into the habit.” At the “more than a J and a C” comment, he chuckled. “I would hope so, otherwise my parents were very lazy. It’s short for Jean-Claude: J-E-A-N, dash ,C-L-A-U-D-E. Syd’s is S-Y-D-N-E-Y, and Kat’s is K-A-T-R-I-N-A.” - “A-ha! It’s a good thing I asked,” she proceeded to write the names down. “I definitely would have spelled those wrong otherwise. You never know; that Greg could be spelled with two Gs at the end or something.” - “Haha, yeah! Or the 'Christopher’ that you pass by every day spells it as 'K-R-I-S-T-O-F-F-E-R.” he replied, offering an example. - “Oh goodness. That reminds me of a comedian talking about names who said he met a girl named Amy, but it was spelled A-Y-M-I-E. I think it was Brian Regan.” - J.C. had to laugh, “Or you get a name that has about seven different consonants all piled together, but it’s pronounced as 'Jim’.” - Audrey snickered. “Okay; now you’re just making stuff up.” - J.C. gave her a cheeky smile. “Maaaaybe just a little, yeah.” - “Your sister was right. You are a dork,” she grinned. - “Now if only being a dork was a profession.” he snickered, “I’m overqualified.” - “You’d have some stiff competition. I’ve memorized at least half the recent My Little Pony songs word for word. And let’s not forget all the Disney songs.” - “If it’s any consolation, I do a meeeean rendition of 'I Just Can’t Wait to Be King’…granted, I’m always designated as Zazu, but hey.” J.C. shrugged, “Now my 'Winter Wrap Up’ can use a bit of work, but…” - He knew My Little Pony too? Nice! Audrey grinned before softly singing one of Nala’s lines. “No one saying be there~” - Cue him responding with a “No one saying 'Stop that!’ ” - “No one saying seeee heeeere~” She jokingly thought that, if he joined her on that line, he must be her soulmate. - He did indeed, laughing a bit as he did so. - Audrey laughed as well, unable to believe he actually did it. “Oh, wow. You’re the first guy who’s ever sung Disney with me… Well, besides kids… and my dad… Okay; the first adult male who isn’t related to me.” - J.C. shrugged, smiling, “Hey, you have to admit that they are pretty catchy, so it’s kind of hard not to. …Well, that and it’s pretty fun to sing along to stuff, anyway.” - She nodded in agreement. “It’s a little different when you’re in front of other people though.” She rubbed her arm, smiling bashfully. “I’m usually a bit shy with that sort of thing, but, I dunno, you seem… safe? for lack of a better word. Like, I don’t imagine you would make fun of me. Then again, we did just meet, but, eh,” she shrugged. “just a feeling.” - 'Safe’, awwww~ That was kind of the way he felt about her, too. His heart felt like it was burning with something. Not heartburn or anything like that, but more like…some warm affection-type feelings. They appeared to be past the level of acquaintance and more on the level of “friends who hadn’t seen each other in years”…which was kind of strange, since they’d just met. Best not to question it, though…. He gave her a gentle smile, “It sucks being on the end where you get laughed at. I know from experience, it’s…not the best feeling. So I make it a point not to do that to others, y'know? Break the cycle, treat others how you want to be, something along those lines…” - “Woof,” Audrey exhaled, looking towards the sky. “Tell me about it. I was prime bully bait as a kid. Not only did I have plenty to make fun of, I cried really easy, so they always got a reaction.” - J.C. mimicked Audrey’s actions, “My main 'points of fault’, I say with heavy emphasis on the air quotes, were the fact that I was still learning English, my accent- a lot heavier at the time- my glasses… the list goes on and on.” - She sat back up and pointed to her front teeth, which were fairly large in comparison to the rest of her teeth. “You see these? This is after I’ve grown into them.” She paused for a moment, looking confused. “Who makes fun of a French-English accent?!” she exclaimed as she threw her hands up. “Those are, like, the best accents to have!” - “At least they weren’t missing…? I know that’s not a lot of help, but…” he pointed to his, “These two are actually fake. Got my two adult teeth knocked clean out when I was a little older than Syd. Took a while to get the implants, so…” he blew a bit of air out of his nose, “Bet you can guess how well that went over with the little buttmunches that were in my class. The real kicker was when I finally got them and sounded like Daffy Duck for a solid month and a half.” He rubbed the back of his neck, “That….probably isn’t much help, and I don’t mean to make it sound like I’m taking the conversation away from you, but…I dunno, that whole 'safe’ feeling you said you have with me kind of…extends over from me to you, too.” - “Cheese on a cracker!” Audrey exclaimed with a hand to her chest. “That’s horrible! How on earth did they manage that; a hammer?!” She waved her hands. “Oh no no no no. It’s fine. I’m talking to you, not at you.” - He gave her a nod, a sort of not verbal way of saying “I understand”, before continuing. “More like running into a tree…going down a hill on a bike…at near full speed….as part of a dare from a couple of older boys. The bit they forgot to mention was that I had to jump off the bike before it hit.” He sighed, shaking his head, “Y'know, part of that was my fault for taking the dare, but…11 year old me didn’t want them thinkin’ I was a chicken or anything.” He smirked, another thought occurring to him, “Althooooough….I knew one of the older kids, so before I went home, I went to his house first and showed his parents- who knew my parents and were good friends with them- what happened.” - Audrey grimaced, recoiling at the thought of such a stunt. “I’m sure that was a delight for them to see,” she shuddered before shaking her head to rid herself of the thought. “My dad actually had to have a veneer in high school. He got in a fight, something he never does, because the guy made my mom cry. They barely knew each other at the time, but Dad was smitten with her from day one. Anyway, he was beaten to a pulp and lost a chunk of tooth, but he married my mom in the end so… yaaaayyy…” she waved her hands. - “Ooof…” J.C. had to cringe at the thought, “Buuuut…I guess in the end, it all worked out? Better than my parents. …I’m…not 100% sure of how my birth parents met, but my current ones…that’s a different story. Short and skinny is that they knew each other as kids, Mum was a right pillock to Dad, she moved away, then they re-united in uni and I guess…everything worked out? Apologies, burying the hatchet, all that good stuff.” - “Huh,” she shrugged, “Fair enough.” She paused to look down at Lola. “I wonder if she knew we would get along somehow. Like some sort of doggy sixth sense. I mean, out of all the people in the park, she went straight for you.” - He chuckled, “I dunno…I mean, the same tends to happen when people ask me to hold their babies and they’re all smiles and whatnot. I don’t even do much, other than give them a 'Hey, what’s up, little darlin’?’ or ’Salut, petit lapin!’ and I’m getting this few-toothed smile.” He stopped and thought for a second, “I mean…people aren’t handing me babies all the time, but…you get what I mean, right?” - Audrey tittered at the thought. “Come, Julia! We must find a kind stranger to hold our baby!” - J.C. started to go into a giggle fit, trying to picture the scenario. - Audrey did as well. Meanwhile… While Edward wasn’t the boss, he was well respected in his workplace. He was a hard worker and had been with the company for over twenty years. He knew the inner workings of things and could navigate the building blindfolded. While he may not be the most social, he was certainly polite and was sure to greet the employee from their English branch. “Roger Malone, was it?” the exceedingly tall man inquired, holding out his hand to shake. - New country, new people…at least it’s the same company? Albeit, a different branch, but…stiiill the same company, so not all that much should be that different. Kind of wished that Reggie or Eric had come along, that way I’d at least know someone… “Roger Malone, was it?” came a voice. Snapping out of his little funk, the Englishman smiled in the direction it was coming from. Ah! Now time to match a voice to a faaaaa….hoooooly moley, this guy was huge! Was…was that who that voice belonged to? Only one way to find out…. “Aaah, yes! Yes, that’s me.” he chuckled, “I know I have a few names I was supposed to remember, so I’m going to take a stab in the dark, and say yooooou’re…” David? Jack? Not a Sandra, that was for sure… “…Edward?” - “First try; impressive. Edward Davis; yes,” he nodded. “I believe the meeting is in,” he checked his watch, “about fifteen minutes. So you should have time to learn your way around or stop by the breakroom. There may still be a doughnut or two, if you hurry.” - Roger gave him a nod. Sure, this guy seemed really intimidating, but…it wasn’t like he was trying to assert his dominance over him? Nothing like “Move it, peasant, there are doughnuts with MY name on it in the breakroom.” “Duly noted…perhaps a little stroll around, then, ah…get down to business, eh?” Totally nailed that office small talk. - Edward simply nodded, not acknowledging the awkwardness. He could be awkward himself, when out of his element. “I’ll leave you to it then. If you need help with anything, Sandra should be happy to assist. She’s pretty easy to spot with her curly blonde hair and large glasses. If you can’t find her, well, it’s pretty hard to miss me,” he chuckled slightly. - “Curly hair, large glasses…got it. Cheers, mate.” he gave him a smile and a nod before heading off. Hmm, maybe this guy would be the guy to stick to during this whole shebang. Seemed like he knew what was up. - Edward did the same and went about his business until it was time for the meeting. The meeting went about as well as one could expect, if a little longer than usual to fill in the newcomer. Statistics were discussed, questions were asked, ideas were suggested, and progress was made. Satisfied, the higher ups dismissed the others to go about their usual business. - The question was…what…exactly was his usual business now? Roger’s usual usual business involved bumming around with Reg and Eric for a little bit before getting back to work, but they were back in England. Then he got a glimpse of Edward again. He knew his way around…would he mind if he just shadowed him for a bit? “Aaah, Edward?” - Edward turned around and raised a brow at the Brit. “Yes? Can I help you?” - “Er, perhaps.” He cleared his throat, obviously a little nervous, “Would it…trouble you if I, ah…shadowed you for a little while? You’re the only face that I can actually immediately place. I don’t know if our positions are equivalents to one another, but…it’s always good to know a little about a lot?” Translation: Holy cow, I’m beyond awkward around here, please let me just stay under your wing for a bit. - Thankfully, Edward decided to show mercy on the awkward man. “That shouldn’t be a problem, as long as you don’t go shouting in my ear while I’m trying to work or something.” He made a subtle gesture with his head to follow him before heading for his office. The inside of his office was a strange mix of sterile and welcoming. While he had various degrees on his walls with pens and papers arranged just so, he also had photos and childish nick-knacks scattered about. Seemed he wasn’t the only influence on his office. - “Oh! Noooo, no, no, no, I usually keep to myself, anyway. Perhaps a little chatter here and there with a couple of colleagues, but otherwise…” Upon entering the office, the sterility offset him juuuust a tad. Sure, Roger was a rather tidy man as well, but this was perhaps a step up from his level of cleanliness. Then he caught sight of the photos and little “decorations”. Resisting the urge to breathe a sigh of relief (“Oh thank god, he’s human”), Roger couldn’t help but crack a small smile, having a couple in his own little office space back home. Must be a “dad” thing- having a couple little “projects” your kids have done just hanging around in your workspace. “Family man, eh?” he asked, breaking the silence. - “They’re my world,” he admitted, smiling softly and making his front teeth even more prominent. Turning a frame on his desk to face the other man, the photo revealed a recent photo of his wife and daughter. The two women shared the traits of red hair, green eyes, and freckles. The daughter had short hair while the mother had long hair. Another major difference between them, besides their ages, was the fact the mother was short and of an average build while the daughter was taller with an athletic build. “My wife, Abigail, and our daughter, Audrey. Quite the family resemblance, isn’t there?” he smiled widely, proud of his girls. Edward almost seemed to become another person when it came to his family. - Roger had to chuckle a little; to think that this scary looking guy was a big ol’ softie. “They’re lovely~” he responded, as he started to dig out his wallet. If they were going to do an impromptu show and tell, then he supposed it was his turn. “Let’s see…” Finally getting the wallet out, Roger dug around and found a more recent photo of his family. “Aha!” He handed it over to Edward, “This one took a few tries, since everyone wanted to muck about, buuuut…” In it were him, a blonde woman who was a couple inches shorter (and had a looser sense of dressing; nice jeans and a shirt as opposed to Roger’s shirt and tie deal), a young man close to his height and in a rugby shirt, and two young girls: one with hair a shade or two darker than her mother’s and dressed a little more “girly”(t-shirt and a skort), and one with bright red hair, dressed more casually: sweatshirt and shorts…and a purposefully goofy smile. “My wife Charlotte, my son J.C., and my daughters: Katrina and Sydney.” he said, pointing each of them out. - Edward took the photo and adjusted his glasses as he got a good look. “You still have young ones, I see. One of them pretty mischievous, from the looks of it,” he smirked as he handed the picture back. “Thankfully the more mischievous of my family are my nieces and nephews and not my responsibility… They’re nothing compared to their mothers though.” - Roger chuckled, both at Edward’s comment on his picture and his “not my responsibility” comment. “Yeeeeah, haha. Could be worse…one of Charlotte’s siblings has triplets, who’ve just turned two.” - “Three terrible twos? I’m good with numbers, but I don’t have an answer to that. Speaking of multiples; my wife’s older sisters are identical twins. Quite literally double trouble, given their natures.” - “They don’t either, apparently. Just kind of taking it a day at a time. ” he laughed, “Twins, eh? Interesting! My wife’s older brothers are twins as well. Fraternal, though.” - “Huh. Small world,” he mused aloud as he sat down at his desk and began typing away. “Sorry. We can keep talking. I just feel the need to be productive while we do so.” Working was practically a compulsion for the man. - “Guess so.” he chuckled. “And that’s totally alright.” Granted, as he said that, Roger had sort of…run out of things to talk about other than the weather… - The room was silent for a bit, save for the click-clacking of the computer keys. “…Would it be alright with you if I put some music on?” He usually listened to music while he worked. While this was usually done via headphones, he didn’t want to appear as though he was ignoring the man, nor did he want to leave him in awkward silence. - Roger gave him a nod. “Go for it.” Hey, potential new topic of conversation! “What, ah…what sort of music are you into, out of curiosity?” - Edward proceeded to take out an iPod from one of his drawers and skim through his music. “It’s difficult to pinpoint, honestly. I listen to multiple genres and it can vary depending on my mood.” Now, what might the average person like? “…How about some pop rock?” - Roger shrugged, “Fine by me.” - Edward nodded and brought up the playlist. Upon pressing play, Michael Jackson’s Thriller started through the iPod’s speaker. - A smile started to spread across Roger’s face. “Heh. Usually anytime I hear this, it’s from Sydney blasting it the morning of October 31st. I find it interesting that it was actually released almost an entire month after Halloween, yet that’s what a lot of people associate the song with…” - “Not surprising, given the theme of the song and the accompanying music video. I really appreciate the choreography in that video.” - “Right? To be honest, the one that gets me is 'Beat It’; albeit more so for the whole 'two legitimate rival gangs’ thing. To think they were able to not completely brutalize each other honestly astounds me.” - “Couldn’t have been easy,” he remarked as he typed. “Shame music and dancing can’t really solve your problems, like in the movies.” - Roger chuckled, “Yeeeah. If it was able to, my wife and I would have been friends starting in childhood, as opposed to establishing a friendship during university. Long story.” - “Actually, if it weren’t for conflict, I likely wouldn’t have wound up with my wife. Also a long story.” - …Huh. Interesting… “I mean…I’m up for sharing mine; I’m not sure about you. Though, I am curious. If you’re comfortable sharing, would you like to elaborate first or shall I?” - Edward took a look at his watch, before scooting away from his desk and facing his chair towards Roger. If they were going into long stories, he could at least give him his full attention. “I have some time. Go ahead,” he gestured slightly with his hand. - Roger gave him a small nod, found an available chair, sat, and took a deep breath. “Fair enough. Right, let’s see…both her and I were born in and spent most of our childhood in Liverpool. It’s a fairly sizeable city, however, the two of us ended up attending the same primary school. Her by her own volition, and myself since my mother was the headmistress. Her being a 'rebel’ and me being a 'toffee-nose’ as she called it, Charlotte wasn’t exactly keen on me, or a number of other students. Or teachers, for that matter. She was a…er, perhaps a couple of steps above being considered a 'troublemaker’- enough to the point where she ended up being expelled. Now, after that, there were several rumours that had gone around; saying she ended up in prison, fled the country…” He chuckled, thinking back on some of the other rumors that circulated, “In actuality, she went to another school. Save for perhaps…two or three times in between, neither of us saw each other again until university. We ended up being paired together for a project. I was still considered as a bit of 'teacher’s pet’, whereas she never really left her 'rebellious’ phase. The process itself was akin to pulling teeth, but eventually, we found out that the two of us knew each other…albeit, our last memories of one another were not exactly the best, per se. It took a number of months. but eventually, she had opened up quite a bit and ended up apologizing for the grief she’d caused me as a lad. ” He smiled slightly, “After that, we just started hanging out together, and lo and behold, sometime later we ended up getting married and raising three children.” - Edward listened and nodded politely as the other spoke. “That’s a nice story. Not everyone gets an apology from someone who wronged them, let alone marries them.” - Roger shrugged, chuckling. “I guess she really needed was some time to mature. Same for me, as well. Come a bit out of my shell and all.” - Edward nodded. “I know the feeling. Abigail makes sure I don’t keep to myself too much. As for our story… how much time do you have? I have a tendency to wax poetic with this sort of thing.” - Roger laughed, “I’ve got all day, mate. Lay it on me.” - “Very well.” Smiling, he began his story. “Abigail… I’ll never forget the moment I saw her… It was during my junior year of high school. I was on my way to class when, among the cacophony of locker doors slamming, the squeaking of shoes on the hallway floor, and the incessant chatter of students, I heard the most beautiful sound to ever grace my ears. It was a giggle, soft and pure, conveying the warmth and happiness one would expect of an angel. That’s what she was, an angel. And, just as one would expect of an ethereal being, I was only able to catch a glimpse of her as she passed by. Hair the color of the rising sun and eyes that sparkled like emeralds, she was, and still is, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I was completely in awe. I had no idea how a girl as beautiful as her could exist, nor how I couldn’t have noticed her until that point. While I’ve never been able to answer the first question, it wasn’t long until I was able to answer the latter. I’d never seen her before because she had only just begun attending our school.” He did warn Roger he could wax poetic. The rest of his story was just as eloquently worded; covering how, though he admired her, he didn’t pursue her, how he tried to be happy for her when she began dating a bully of his, the rage he felt when the other had taken advantage of her, the fight for her honor that he lost, and the gratitude Abigail had for his attempt. - ….Man, he wasn’t kidding. Edward was practically a reincarnation of Shakespeare- armed with a silver tongue and a talent for creating crystal clear imagery. It was almost as if Roger was there himself, observing from the sidelines. “That was….forgive me for being so emotional, but…” Roger wiped some stray tears from his eyes. “That was absolutely beautiful…” - Edward chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as a blush painted his features. “The story itself or the way I told it?” - “Both. Any of those degrees you hold happen to be an English or Literature one?” - He chuckled once more. “I’m afraid not. My interest in the arts is not something I’ve pursued outside of hobbies. I was encouraged to pursue a stable career path, in my youth.” - “Aaah. I mean…perhaps having it as a hobby is slightly better than a career? In those fields, I have been told that how much you make- if anything- is all dependent on luck. With your talent, I imagine you would be able to have been noticed fairly easily, but…perhaps it would be more stressful, in a sense. There are deadlines in an office setting, yes, but deadlines in an artistic sense…what if you’re in a creative slump but need to produce something the next day and are unable to?” He chuckled nervously, hoping that his 'spitballing’ of sorts made at least some sense. “That’s all a matter of opinion , I suppose. I-I don’t consider myself as one of those types that thinks that being an artist, in any medium, isn’t a career…” - “Exactly. I don’t think I’d be able to think and create freely whilst simultaneously being restricted by deadlines.” He sighed slightly and smiled. “Besides, I’m quite content with where I am now. I’m not looking for fame. I have a job that provides for my family and I can still engage in my interests as hobbies.” - Roger nodded, smiling as well, “So all in all, it sort of worked out.” - “Pretty much.” He checked his watch, brows rising at the time. “I really talked your ear off there. It’s almost lunch. Speaking of, I can recommend some good places to eat, if you haven’t been here before.” - “Is it?” Roger checked his as well, and eyebrows shooting up as a result. “Ah, so it is. Time flies when you’re having fun, I suppose. That would be great, actually! I’ve been to the States several times, but not Michigan…so I’m not sure what this place does and doesn’t have.” - “It would be remiss of me to not mention coney dogs while you’re here. Other states have tried to make them, but Michigan really is the best place to get one. Though the absolute best place to get one is a little shop only open in the summer, but I know a place that’s a close second.” - “Aw, drat…but hey, second best is better than nothing I suppose!” Roger paused, “What, ah…what exactly is a coney dog, if you don’t mind my asking?” - Edward laughed, or rather, exhaled through his nose. “It’s basically a really good hot dog topped with a seasoned meat sauce, onions, and mustard. Not to be confused with a chili dog. While not gourmet food, it’s sort of a local specialty that I’ve yet to see done just right anywhere else.” - Roger nodded as he listened. “Ah! Definitely sounds like something the kids will eat, so if need be, that covers dinner…probably will have one for myself as well- just to say that I’ve tried it.” - “I certainly recommend it. Jackson is serious about its coney dogs, so if you ever want to try one, here’s the place… Now I’m craving one, honestly. You want to come with me so I can show you where it is?” - Roger chuckled, “Might as well.” - Back at the park, Audrey parted ways with the trio of tourists to take Lola back home. Energetic as she was, a puppy needed her rest. In fact, Audrey had to carry the pooped pooch part of the way home. When lunchtime rolled around, the redhead found herself craving a Coney dog something fierce. She didn’t want to come across as though she was following the group, but she figured they would have already eaten and left by the time she got there. Upon reaching the restaurant, Audrey was surprised to see a different familiar face exiting his car. “Hi, Dad!” Audrey called from across the parking lot. What were the odds? “Hi, sweetie!” Edward called back. - Upon arriving, Roger stayed in the car for a brief second to send a quick text to his son. When it sent, he unbuckled his seatbelt and joined Edward, chuckling a bit at the two’s interaction. “Ah! Daughter, right?” After Audrey left, it was soon time for J.C. and the kiddos to head on out. As expected, Syd and Kat had worked up an appetite, and started getting into a bit of a “discussion” over what to have. To keep them from going at it the entire time they were walking, the older brother told them that he already had a place in mind. …Granted, that meant he’d have to deal with the two of them going “Where’re we going?”, “C'mon, tell us!”, and “No, wait, lemme guess, it’s THIS place!”, but hey- they weren’t fighting. Pulling out his phone to check the time, he noticed that he had a text from his dad: If you’re in the area, I’m grabbing lunch with a colleague. If the girls can’t agree on somewhere, here’s the place’s address…“ The young adult chuckled, texting back You must be a mind reader, we’re actually on our way there now. Be there in 7-10 min. - Audrey cocked her head, confused, but smiled. It wasn’t often she saw her father outside the office with someone she hadn’t seen before, but she saw it as a good thing.

"Indeed I am~”

Edward beamed and placed a hand on her shoulder, always happy to introduce his daughter to someone.

“Hard to believe I helped make this beautiful young woman, isn’t it?” Edward laughed.

“Daaaaaaaaddyyyyyyy,” Audrey covered her face, but smiled all the same. - Roger chuckled, “Well, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m Roger Malone, I’m, ah…sort of your father’s shadow today.” - Audrey raised a brow, not quite sure what he meant by that. “He works for a foreign branch of my company and has decided to stick close to me during his visit here,“ Edward explained. "Oohhh,” Audrey nodded. “It’s funny you should mention that. I actually met three people from England today. Well, two girls from England and one man originally from France…” - Roger raised an eyebrow and had to hold back a small smirk, “Let me guess…one of the girls had bright red hair, the other was blonde, and the man had glasses?” - Audrey blinked. “Yeah. How’d you know- wait…” she started snickering. “You’re their dad, aren’t you?” - The man chuckled, “Indeed I am.” - “What are the odds?” Audrey laughed. “Wait… uh-oh…” Edward looked confused. “Why uh-oh?” “Now they’re gonna think I’m following them,” she half whined. “I told them about this place, but I thought they would have been here and left by now.” “I doubt that will be a problem,” her father assured. “Besides, who would be disappointed to see you again?” he smiled and ruffled her hair. “Dad…” she sighed. - Roger smiled slightly. “I sent him a text, he said he’d be here in no more than 10 minutes or so. May be a bit longer since he’s got two little munchkins in tow, but we’ll see.” - “No more, but maybe longer,” Audrey snickered. “Ahhh, I’m just kidding.” - The father chuckled, “You never know.” - Her smile faltered a bit. “Sooo, should I leave orrr…?” - “Nooo, no, no, no, no! You’re welcome to stay, I don’t see it being an issue at all.” He looked to Edward, “Besides, lunch with your children- regardless of age- is always a nice change from grabbing something by yourself.” - “I suppose it’s like a daddy daughter double day… with a son,” she smiled awkwardly. - “In a sense, yes.” Roger chuckled, “Should we be heading over to get some food, or would you rather we wait for the other three?” - “It wouldn’t be very polite to eat before everyone is seated, let alone before everyone is in the building,” Edward remarked. - “Ah, true, true.” He put a hand to his forehead and gasped, trying to be dramatic and funny. “A most shameful misstep on my part.” - Audrey snorted at this as Edward exhaled through his nose. - Roger chuckled and straightened himself up. Seemed as though goofiness ran in the family… Meanwhile, about 2 minutes away… “J.C., come ON! Where’re we going?!” Syd whined. “I told you, it’s a surprise~” he said, teasing her a bit. - “-and then Lola just bolted over to them! J.C., specifically. I don’t know what her deal was, but she went straight for him. Maybe she smelled the different country on him somehow,” Audrey laughed. - Roger laughed, “Quite possibly! I know that there’s the belief that animals and children can sense something in people, be that good or bad, so who knows…” “I don’t WANT a surprise; I want food!” “Really? Huh, that’s a first…fine, I’ll tell you. You remember that place that Audrey was talking about earlier?” Upon being asked this, the ten year old started to calm down a bit. “…The one with the hot dogs?” “Well, coney dogs, to be more specific, but yes. And we have a guest joining us….” That seemed to perk the two up a bit. Food AND company… - “Well, she wanted attention from him, so I imagine she sensed good,” she shrugged. “She certainly liked all the attention the girls gave her; that’s for sure!” - Roger chuckled, “Aaaah, looks like I’m going to be getting the 'Dad, can we get a dog??’ question when they get here…” - “Their brother already answered that, I think,” she snickered. - “Hopefully, he went with what I told him, and not 'heck yeah, let’s go down and get one right now.” the father chuckled. “Are we there yet?” Kat asked. J.C. took a quick look at the street signs, then off into the distance, trying to see if the place across the street was indeed the name of the place that Audrey had recommended. “Aaaaah, I think so?” He saw a couple of people standing in the parking lot, one soooort of looking like their dad? He wasn’t 100% sure. What he did know was that there was a guy who was huge…“C'mon, let’s go check it out.” Once they were safely across the street, Syd and Kat’s eyes grew huge, recognizing a familiar face. So THAT’S who their surprise guest was! Even before J.C. could recognize who it was, the girls dashed off. Initially thinking that the two were coming to him, Roger, turning his head at the sound of a “YAAAAAAAAAAY!!” from Syd, knelt down and braced for impact. …Only…they didn’t go for him… “Audreeeeey!!” Kat happily cooed, “J.C. was right, this WAS a surprise!” - “Hi, girls!"Audrey laughed, hugging the two. "Didn’t think I’d see you guys again so soon!” She smiled apologetically and shrugged at their father. “She has a way with kids,” Edward quietly informed Roger. - “Apparently. They blew right past me…” the dad chuckled. Wow, they seemed excited…did they miss Dad that much? Once J.C. got closer, he couldn’t help but smile. This was a nice surprise! Upon reaching his father, he put an arm around him. “I’m surprised they didn’t knock her over…”

- “She is a strong one,” Edward commented. “Turns out your dad and my dad work for the same company,” Audrey gestured to the respective fathers. “What are the odds, huh?” - “They do?” Kat asked. Looking to where Audrey gestures, she finally noticed Roger and made a bee-line for him. “Daddy!” While Roger pulled his youngest into a one armed hug (the other arm being around J.C.), Syd, meanwhile, stayed silent and with Audrey, looking at her father…or whoever that gargantuan person was. Was she 100% sure on that? That this guy was really her dad? They didn’t look all that alike, save maybe for the teeth. She wasn’t scared, per se, more in awe of the size of Edward - Audrey followed Syd’s gaze and she soon chuckled. “Tall, isn’t he? Don’t worry,” she leaned closer to whisper, “he’s nowhere near as tough as he looks.” - Syd merely blinked, as if she was observing something at a museum. “So you said you and Audrey’s daddy are here?” Kat asked. “Yup,” Roger gestured to Edward, “Kat, this is Mr. Davis. Edward, this is Kat.” The little girl looked up, then fell kind of quiet. He was HUGE! She was only 4'3", this guy had to be 11 feet tall at least. Tightening her grip around her dad’s hand ever so slightly, she gave Edward a slight nod and a bashful “Hi…” - Edward frowned as he looked between the two girls, believing them to be frightened of him. “It’s always this,” he sighed, “or begging to sit on my shoulders.” - “I’m not scared, really…” Syd spoke slowly, “You’re just really tall…” she smiled a bit, trying to convey that she was more amazed than frightened. - “I’m aware,” he nodded. “How many retorts do you have to 'How’s the weather up there’ joke now?” Audrey smirked. “I’m not sure, honestly. Surprisingly, it’s been a while since I’ve been asked that.” - “…How IS the weather up there, anyway?” the ten-year-old asked. - “Partly cloudy with a one hundred percent chance of a joke I’ve already heard.” - …Alright, that was kind of funny…Kat and an equally nervous J.C. (in a more “This is the girl that I think I like’s dad?! I know I’d have to watch out regardless, but holy moly…” sense, as opposed to Kat’s “I’m but a small bean, pls no.”) giggled. - Edward smiled and exhaled through his nose. “We should probably get inside before our lunch break is over.” “Ohh, good point,” Audrey perked up. “I have the day off, but you don’t.” - J.C. exhaled through his nose as well, “Guess it’s a good thing that you guys were here. These two were close to ripping my arms off from…'hangriness’? I know that’s not a word, but you get the idea.” - “I suppose the portmanteau of 'hanger’ wouldn’t really work, lest someone think they wanted to hold clothes,” Edward remarked as he held the door open. - J.C. chuckled. The man had jokes…always a good sign. Upon the door opening, Syd practically ran in (giving Edward a 'Thanks!!’ as she passed by)- partially to find a seat and partially because FOOOOD. “Sydney, slow down, please.” Roger spoke up, “Running isn’t going to speed up the amount of time it’ll take to get your food.” - “Nope. That’s up to us,” Audrey chuckled as she speed-walked in. “Thanks, Dad!” - J.C. and Roger (and a Kat attached to Roger’s leg), followed suit, giving Edward a “Thanks, mate” as they passed by. Even the somewhat nervous eight-year-old managed to squeak out a “Thank you, mister”. Syd quietly groaned and threw her hands up- not so much in an aggressive way, more like an exasperated Muppet. “Okaaaaay.” - “You’re welcome,” Edward said just before heading in himself. Rather than several tables, the restaurant had a few very long tables with chairs on either side. “Sooo…” Audrey started, “three on one side, three on the other?” - “Sounds fair.” J.C. nodded, “Keeps Kat and Syd from fighting over who gets to sit where.” - “Maybe we can go by family? Wait… that’s four to two…” Audrey pondered. “Boys and girls?” Edward suggested. - “That works.” Roger looked to his youngest, still clinging to him. “You going to be okay? Sitting over with your sister and Audrey?” Kat thought for a second before answering. “If Syd’s not gonna be flingin’ stuff at me, yeah.” Syd scoffed, “Naaaah, too many grown-ups around. You’re fiiiiine.” - “I could sit in the middle,” Audrey offered. “Any fights would have to go through me.” - Kat smiled slightly, “That works.” - As the group took their seats, Audrey slid off her light jacket to reveal her T-shirt and bare arms underneath. If they were wondering if she had strength to match her flexibility, there was their answer. - J.C.’s eyebrow’s popped up as he got a look at Audrey’s arms. Knowing that her father was right next to him, he had to resist the urge to whistle. - Audrey eyebrows scrunched together, feeling as though she was being watched. She looked up to see J.C. “…What?” - “Hm?” Ah, crud, he was noticed! Granted, he was looking at a “tame” part of her body, but still! “Ah! Sorry, sorry, I, um…I…” His face going a little pink, J.C. averted his gaze. “I just…caught a glimpse of…” he coughed, “You look…pretty strong.” Totally nailed that recovery. - Given her T-shirt didn’t really show any cleavage, she believed him. “Oh,” she shrugged before flexing her arm. “Yeah. I work out.” “She’s a pretty one, huh?” Edward smiled at him, but it was threatening and with a piercing gaze; a look that said, 'Don’t you dare.’ - Feeling incredibly small as he was given the “Dad Glare” (as Syd called it. Roger had a similar one, but Edward’s was about twice as intimidating), J.C. slunk a little in his seat, and replied with a “Y-yes, sir.” “Betcha she could totally piledrive ya, J.C.” Syd noted, as she watched Audrey flex. “..P…piledrive?” “Yeah! Like…SLAM! Right through a table!” Oh, she meant WRESTLING…oh thank god. J.C. chuckled nervously. “Um…p-probably, but…I don’t know if she would. N-not that it implies that she’s weak or anything! She can…I imagine she holds her own. I, er…I’m…going to shut up now. - Audrey seemed oblivious to her father’s 'threat’ as she laughed. "Maybe? You can calm down though. I wouldn’t try anything like that. I may like to spar here and there, but I only fight fight as a last resort.” - J.C. chuckled, trying to have it come of as NOT being nervous. “Haha…good to know.” “Aw, we could’ve tag teamed…” Syd whined slightly. - “Maybe for a play fight. If I gave it my all, I imagine I could be pretty dangerous. I mean, I have won a few karate competitions,” she couldn’t help but gloat a little. Her strength was something she had utmost confidence in. “I can break boards… cinder blocks… found out I can crush melons with my thighs…” - Cue J.C. sputtering and choking on his own saliva. “…You alright, son?” Roger asked. “ [cough] [cough]Yeah! Yeah, I’m [cough] f-fine!” - “Oh jeez! You choked on your own spit, didn’t you? Hate when that happens…” “Why did you try crushing melons with your thighs?” Edward asked. Audrey chuckled and absently played with her hair, “Well, I saw a lady do it on YouTube and it made me curious.” - “ [cough! cough cough] Yeah…” “Sometimes you learn the best stuff off of there.” Syd pointed out. - “It’s pretty good for how-tos,” she agreed. - The little redhead thought for a second.“…Soooo if I wanted to learn how to make a glitter bomb…” “Don’t get any ideas…” Roger started “I said 'if’, not 'I’m going to make one…” - Audrey tittered. “You’re such a scamp, Syd.” - “The scampiest~” Syd smiled. “So you’re saying you’re a shrimp dish?” J.C. asked, obviously joking. - Audrey giggled at the joke. “Or a chicken dish, depending on your taste and if you’re scared or not.” - J.C., Syd and Roger snickered. The only one who wasn’t all snicker-y was Kat. She wasn’t exactly scared or upset, per se, but more….cautious, mainly because of Edward. - Audrey noticed Kat’s lack of laughter. “You okay, Kat?” Edward looked over to the young blonde with a raised brow. He didn’t mean to look intimidating in doing so… but he looked intimidating in doing so. - Temporarily snapping out of her little funk, the little girl looked to Audrey. “Huh? Yeah! Yeah, I’m…I’m fine.” “You’re not sick, are you?” Syd asked, “'Cos I don’t want to get whatever it is you’ve got.” The little sister shook her head “no”. - Audrey frowned, able to tell she was lying. “If you’re worried about not liking the coney dog, you could always just scrape the coney meat off it and just eat the hot dog.” - “I think I’ll be okay.” Ah, good, a slight change in focus. Perhaps she could keep it going and ask her “standard” question when it came to trying new foods: “It doesn’t have any green stuff on it, does it? In the meat stuff?” - “Naahhh. You’re good. Not a vegetable in sight… Except for onion, but you can get it without.” - Kat smiled slightly, “That’s doable.” - “Good~ Oh, looks like it’s time to order,” Audrey chirped as she looked over at their server. - “Oo!” Syd chirped, looking over the menu. “In that case, I’ll haaaaaaave…” Roger, J.C., and Kat followed in terms of ordering; nothing spectacular- a coney dog and a drink. - Audrey and Edward did the same; though they both ordered two coneys. Edward was a big guy and Audrey needed the fuel for her active lifestyle. - “They do dessert here, right?” Syd asked, smiling expectantly. - “They do, actually,” Audrey smiled. “It’s sort of a custom to get rice pudding as dessert when having coney dogs.” - Aaaaaand there went that smile. Here she was thinking they had ice cream. The idea of rice pudding was not sitting well with her, indicated by a slight “Ick!”. “Ah, c'mon, kiddo. You’re trying something new for food, you won’t do the same for dessert?” J.C. asked. He thought for a second; maybe a little of the “monkey see, monkey do” logic he would use when she was younger would work… “…I’m probably going to have some afterwards, would you be against trying a bite or two? ”…I mean, I guess I could have a bite. If you really can’t finish your dessert without someone else having a bite of it.“ Syd answered, trying to play it cool. J.C. smirked slightly. - "You’ve never had rice pudding?” she cocked her head. “It’s really good! Like, I know rice might have a weird texture to some, but this rice pudding is nice and creamy and sweet with cinnamon.” “Besides,” Edward started, “how will you ever find a new favorite food if you don’t try new food?” - Syd raised an eyebrow. “Cinnamon? Ooo, now I’m warming up to the idea~ That’s one of my favourite flavours…other than bubble gum, cherry, lemon, and cotton candy.” Kat’s “stiffness”, as it were, started to loosen up after she heard Edward. That sounded like something that her dad said a lot… - “Good~” Audrey and Edward spoke simultaneously. “I almost feel bad getting rice pudding without Mom,” Audrey chuckled. “Speaking of, have you talked to her today?” “You should know the answer to that,” Edward chuckled. “I called her this morning, just as I always do when we’re not in the same house.” “I’ll catch you forgetting one of these days,” she joked. - J.C. chuckled quietly, thinking the whole scenario was pretty cute. - “My mom is hanging out with her sisters today. That’s why she’s not here,” Audrey informed. - “Speaking of, did yooooou call Mum today???” Syd asked, interrogating her father. Roger chuckled, “I had sent her a text earlier; making sure she got to where she was going alright.” “You’ve gotta call her, though!” the ten year old lightly scolded, “It’s more important to talk and hear each other’s voices!” “I haven’t had a chance to, sweetheart. I’ll do it when I get back to the office, alright?” Syd gave her father a suspicious look, but backed down with an “…Okaaaaaay….if you say so…” - Edward couldn’t help but snicker at this. “This isn’t the competition of the dads, Syd,” Audrey chuckled. - Ah, and he laughed too! Kat smiled a bit at his reaction. “Mmm, you’re right, that’s on Father’s Day…” the child mused. - Audrey snorted at this. “No-ho it’s not!” - “So then why do they have all those 'World’s Greatest Dad’ mugs?! You don’t just get that title wily-nily!” - Audrey shook as she tried not to laugh.

“I don’t know,” she squeaked. - “They have the 'Dad Games’ in Scotland, right?” J.C. asked, snickering and going along with Syd’s misconception. “They sometimes coincide with Highland Games, so they combine the two?”

“Sometimes, I guess.” Syd confirmed, “But they replace something like caber tossing with ball tossing, if I remember correctly…”

Roger couldn’t help but snicker as well. - Audrey was a bit lost. She was certain he was joking, but she was unsure as to what was a joke and what wasn’t. If they had wife carrying in Finland, Dad Games in Scotland wasn’t that far fetched.

May as well play along so they don’t think she’s stupid.

“Do they have wife carrying like they do in Finland?” - “…They have that in Finland?” the child asked. - “If I remember right. I saw it on a show about strange competitions from around the world.”

Yes, she purposely left out the show was called World’s Dumbest. - “Oooooooh….”

“Soooo, do they?” J.C. asked Syd, seeing how long she could keep this up. “Have wife carrying competitions at the Dad Games?”

“I’m…not too sure. I think that’s one of the new events being added this year. That, and…you know the relay race where you have to carry an egg with a spoon? There’s s'posed to be something similar, except it’s with a baby and you’ve got to carry them to their crib as quickly as you can without waking them up.” - Audrey had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

Edward was pretty good at keeping a straight face, so he decided to weigh in while Audrey couldn’t.

“I certainly hope they don’t carry them using spoons. Dropping a baby is a lot worse than dropping an egg.” - “Oh, no, no- they carry them like you normally carry a baby.”

J.C. snickered, “You sure they don’t just use really big spoons?”

“No, 'cos that’s just dumb…” - “Pffckp!” Audrey clamped her hand over her mouth again. - Syd was confused; why was all of this so funny? They’d asked their question, and they were getting an answer. Adults were weird… - Audrey managed to stifle her laughter once more and her father remained straight faced, as usual.

“I’m guessing you four flew here,” Edward piped up to break the silence. - “ 'Course we did.” Syd answered, “It’s not like we can just jog across the ocean.” - “Your arms must be really tired then,” he smirked.

Audrey slapped a hand to her face.

J.C. mimicked Audrey, while Syd groaned. Total dad joke- she should’ve seen that coming!

Kat, on the other hand, giggled a little. Perhaps that apprehension of hers was starting to diminish.

Edward laughed at their reactions.

“Did you tell these dad jokes before I was born?” Audrey asked.

“No. They come in the handbook you get when you become a dad.”

“I believe 'Dad Jokes’ is Chapter 5.” Roger added.

“…There’s not a handbook, c'mooon…” Syd scoffed.

“Do you think we just learn as we go? That’d be ridiculous.”

“Do mums get one, too?” Kat asked.

“Theirs is less of a handbook and more of a full encyclopedia.”

“How come it’s bigger than just a handbook?” the little girl asked. Now she was curious…

“Because their book has all the hard stuff in it. The dad book mostly has jokes and funny faces to practice.”

Syd looked to J.C., “He’s not serious, is he?”

“Oh, he is.” the older brother confirmed, smirking. “When Mum was pregnant with you, they consulted their manuals. They did the same with Kat- you were too young to remember them doing it, though.”

The ten-year-old raised an eyebrow, not buying it. “So what about with you, then? Did they consult this 'manual’ too? ”

“There’s a section in the mum encyclopedia all about adoption- Chapters 15 and 16, if I remember correctly.”

“…Adoption?” Edward blinked, surprised.

J.C. looked over to Edward, chuckling a bit sheepishly. “Yes, I, um…I was adopted by your, ah…work mate here,” he gestured to Roger, "at around 2 years old. Long story. …Well, not really a long story, but…“

"Ah. Well, I won’t pry. Didn’t intend to put you on the spot there. Sorry.”

J.C. gave him a small smile, “It’s no big deal. You ever want to know, I’m open for questions.”

“I’m not really sure if I’ll ever see you again, so I may as well ask,” he shrugged.

“Weeelllllll,” Audrey started.

J.C.’s eyes darted over to Audrey, before looking back to Edward. “Ummm….”

Edward raised a brow, awaiting an explanation.

“I went ahead and got J.C.’s e-mail address so I could send him pictures of Lola and Daisy to show to Syd and Kat,” Audrey said with a smile. “Don’t know if we’ll talk much outside of that, but I figured that counted as keeping contact,” she shrugged. - “P-pretty much, yeah.” J.C. confirmed, “What with being abroad and all. Can’t really come rushing over every time the sibs want to see Lola, y'know?”

“Oh. Makes sense,” Edward nodded, not too on edge yet. Seemed innocent enough.

“I mean, teeeeechnically we could…” Syd suggested.

Roger laughed, “Oh really? How do you plan on raising money to do so, eh?”

Syd stayed silent for a moment before giving an answer. “…I’ll figure something out.”

Audrey snickered.

“I couldn’t afford that and I have a job.” - “…Theeeeen I’ll find a way that makes a lot of money.”

“Will you let me in on it?” Audrey asked.

Syd steepled her fingers and leaned back slightly. “Perhaps. Once I find it, of course.”

“… Please do so legally.”

Syd made a facial expression, silently conveying something along the lines of “Dang it…”.

“Eh, I can start with a lemonade stand, I guess…”

“I think you need a permit for that now, or something, unfortunately,” Audrey frowned. “So dumb.”

“A piece of paper that says 'I can do whatever I want’ and has your signature on it doesn’t count, either.” J.C. added.

“Dang it!”

Edward inhaled, about to speak, but Audrey cut him off.

“If you go into an in-depth explanation as to why, I can’t guarantee we’ll all stay awake.”

J.C. had to hold back a snicker.

“…Sometimes I wonder if we’re related. Then I look at your mother,” he proceeded to look left and right. “But she’s not here right now, so I don’t know.”

Audrey snickered.

“That’s what we say about Syd sometimes,” Kat piped up, “And we look to Mum, too. Similar personalities.”

Syd scoffed, “I’m waaaaay more tame than Mum was when she was my age. Or so I’ve been told.”

“Audrey’s pretty much a dead ringer for her mother at that age… but with more muscle.”

“And less hair,” Audrey added. - Roger chuckled, “Charlotte had pigtails at…well, at least at Kat’s age. I think she had them when she was as old as Syd, as well.”

“Only real differences are that she’s blonde, and that I’ve never accidently set a building on fire.” Syd added. She paused, thinking how off that statement sounded. “It’s….not as bad as it sounds. She tells the story better than I do.”

Edward’s eyebrows shot up at this, as did Audrey’s.

Before they could question farther, however, their food arrive.

“Oo, yay~ You guys get to have your first Coney!” Audrey exclaimed.

Syd and Kat stared at the size of the food, trying to figure out how exactly they were going to get it in their mouths. That was one big hot dog…

“So do we just like….go for it?” The redhead asked, “Aim for the mouth and hope for the best?”

Audrey snorted. “Basically.”

She and Edward both picked up their own coneys and took a bite. How did they do it? Very carefully.

Syd’s expression was a little more telling. It was a bit more extreme, as if she had just tasted the best thing in the world. She said nothing, as meat sauce started to drip down her face.

Audrey snickered at Syd and took another bite. “Good, right?”

The child slowly nodded.

“Don’t go all 'wild animal’ on us now.” J.C. spoke up, wiping a bit of sauce from his own face. “If there wasn’t as much in the way of sauce and whatnot on there, I’d say go for it, but I don’t think everyone else around us would appreciate getting covered in food.

Syd merely responded with a dazed "Uh-huuuuuh” and went back to chowing down.

Audrey giggled. “Agreed. Though there are worse things to be covered in than coney dog.”

“Like ink from a pen that exploded on you, I suppose.” Roger piped up.

“Or mud.” Kat added.

“Aw, c'mon, being covered in mud’s kinda fun!” Syd, briefly snapping out of her coney daze, spoke up. “Besides, people use it for, like, beautifying themselves sometimes. Like on spa days, not just after a rainstorm.”

“They do noooot…” the small blonde scoffed.

“Well, yes and no,” Audrey clarified. “Mud masks are a thing, but it’s not just plain old mud from the ground. It’s like, a special kind of mud mixed with special oils and stuff.”

“What about mud baths, then?” Syd asked.

“I think it’s the same basic idea.”

“Mmm. So there goes another money-making idea, then.” The redhead took a bite of her dog, “I was gonna dig a hole, fill it with mud, and use that as a space for people to take a mud bath in. Find some oils and put those in as well…”

“If only it was that simple…”

“I don’t think you should be worrying too much about money.” J.C. noted, “Childhood’s meant more for worrying about…heck, I don’t know, finding out what happens in the next episode of your favorite cartoon. Or whatever sort of drama will unfold between your dolls the next time you play pretend with them.”

Syd scoffed, “But you need money to buy and do things, ya dingbat.”

“Thaaaat’s…where saving up your allowance comes in.” he shrugged.

“Or having someone pay for something for you.” the younger sister gave him a cheeky smile, “And give them an IOU, of course.”

Audrey snickered.

“Yeah. That’s what childhood should be, even if it isn’t always like that. People always act as though childhood has no downsides. It can be stressful, I know. But it certainly has its perks.”

“I mean, adulthood kinda has its perks too…you get to drive, stay up late, and even do biscuits for breakfast if you’re so inclined.” Syd mused, “Buuuuuuuuut you do have a point… I think.”

“Adults have to pay taxes,” Edward replied dryly, causing Audrey to snicker.

“…So do kids.” the redhead responded, “You’ve never heard of the 'sibling tax’? Or the 'Halloween candy’ tax?”

Audrey looked confused. “…I’m an only child and so is my dad, so, no.”

“The 'Halloween candy’ one isn’t even really a tax,” J.C. spoke up, “she gives up the candy that she doesn’t like and gives it to me , Dad, and Mum”

“But I was still the one who went out and got it, so it’s still kind of a tax.” Syd argued.

“The sibling one is when your brother or sister gets you a snack or somethin’ when they go out to a convenience store, and they take a small bit.” Kat added. “Like a few Smarties out of a pack, or a sip of a slushie.”

“Ohhhh,” Audrey nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Plus side is is that it rarely rises.” the little blonde continued, “For example, Syd usually takes five of my Smarties; no more, no less. Even though there’s a lot that comes in a tube.”

“Well, that’s 'cos they’re /yours/ so obviously, you get the most.” Syd shrugged, “Basic economics.”

“She has a point,” she shrugged.

Syd smirked. See? Audrey got it.

“Since when has this been a thing?” Roger asked, “I don’t remember ever doing that with my siblings.”

“It’s fairly recent.” Kat answered, “ 'Sides, I guess it’s kind of a good thing, what with you bein’ the youngest out of yours an’ all. Your siblings and mine are different in terms of personality.”

“Oh jeez, can you imagine Mum?” Syd chuckled, “She’d have 5 other people that could tax 'er!”

“I thought they could only tax you if they helped get you something? Otherwise, I think it’s just called sharing.”

“Either way.” Syd shrugged, “Bein’ an only child has its perks, I imagine.”

Kat looked over to her sister, appearing offended and assuming that that’s what Syd preferred. The redhead looked to her sister and gave her a playful nudge, one that nonverbally said something like “Hey, you’re alright; I tolerate ya”.

“It does get kinda lonely, though.” J.C. piped up, “I was one for thirteen years.”

“I’ve always been an only child. I did have my cousins to keep me company though. Them and the kids we’d babysit,” Audrey remarked.

“I was more focused on my studies than socializing,” Edward admitted.

“I tried to be,” Roger admitted, “But that can be a bit difficult when you’re needed either as goalie for your older brother’s football game or brought to tea with Mumsy and other school officials.”

Syd had to hold back a laugh. Ha! “Mumsy”. Who called their mother that, nowadays!? That sounded so old-fashioned.

“You shouldn’t be envious,” Edward commented a bit quietly.

Roger raised an eyebrow, “I mean, I’m not exactly complaining. Could’ve settled for not having a football to the face and a black eye or some other bruise with most games, but…”

The only response he got was a light grunt. “Mm.”

“Sooo,” Audrey started, hoping to change the subject, “you want to order some rice pudding?”

Ooof, sounds like he was hitting a rough subject. Best not to push it. Thank goodness for Audrey and the rice pudding suggestion. “Uuuum, sure! Yes, let’s, ah…let’s try some of that!”

Audrey smiled and nodded, motioning for their server.

Syd looked to Edward, “Iiiif it’s any consolation, she’s a real 'witch with a capital B’ now. I really don’t like 'er.” Not sure if that helped, but…

Kat, noticing the change in the other father’s attitude, became quiet again.

Edward looked thoroughly confused. “Who?”

“Dad’s mum. 'Mumsy’, as 'e calls her.” Syd clarified. “She’s usually nice to him, but she’s mean to a lot of other people.”

“Oh. Not sure why that would be consolation, but, alright,” he shrugged.

Syd shrugged as well.

Kat, meanwhile, continued cautiously watching.

After a moment of silence, Edward felt eyes on him and looked over to Kat.

Was she scared of him still?

Can’t have that.

He briefly stuck his tongue out and pulled it back in, looking not unlike a snake.

Wait a sec.

Kind of scary guy?

Making silly faces?

That was pretty ridiculous. Silly, even.

The little blonde smiled slightly, giggling a bit at the display.

“Hm?” Audrey looked over to Kat, then to her father, who looked as serious as ever.

“What’s so funny, shorty?” Syd asked.

“Noooothin’.” the younger sibling responded, trying to control her giggles.

Edward suppressed a smirk. Once the attention was off him again, he crossed his eyes.

Cue a slightly bigger smile and more giggles.

That’s better~, Edward thought to himself, believing that to be enough to calm her down.

The server soon came with their rice pudding.

Knowing the kids were a little unsure of the new dessert, Audrey took the first bite, making sure to look quite pleased with the flavor.

Like a group of little scientists, Syd and Kat watched closely to make sure that nothing adverse happened. Looked as if Audrey liked it…soooo if she wasn’t immediately spitting it back out, then it had to be good, right?

Only one way to find out…

Audrey did her best not to laugh at their cautiousness. She smiled as she continued eating. “Told ya.”

Kat looked to Syd for confirmation.

“Ish guuuuuuuuh, Kad” she responded, mouth full of pudding.

Slowly, Kat took a small bit of pudding and placed it in her mouth. Her reactions were a bit similar to her sister’s but they seemed to be pretty positive as well.

Audrey giggled. “So, what do you two think?” she asked J.C. and Roger.

Roger nodded, “It’s different, but I must say, it does have a delightful taste.”

J.C., meanwhile, was about halfway done with his. Must’ve been that good.

Audrey snorted when she looked over at J.C. before covering her mouth and nose.

J.C. looked up, a bit of pudding on his nose, wondering what Audrey was laughing at.

Roger couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “Uuuum, son? You’ve got a bit of…”

J.C. looked down at the little blob on his nose, chuckled awkwardly, and used a napkin to get it off.

“You sure you want to be so blunt about it? I mean, you were a little… on the nose,” she snickered, as did her father.

“I guess you could say that all that stuff on your face made you look a little…off-pudding.” Roger added. Cue an “Oh god, dad jokes” sort of groan from Kat and Syd.

“How dair-y say that?” Edward jumped in.

J.C. couldn’t help but laugh; he always appreciated a good dad joke.

Audrey tittered as she took another bite. “I’m out. Anyone have any puns left?”

“Aw, already? I thought those were some pretty rice puns we had going.” Kat piped up.

Audrey snickered. “You sure like to go with the grain, don’t you?”

“I’m surrounded by nerds…” Syd said, shaking her head.

“That’s pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it?” J.C. asked, smirking and raising an eyebrow.

“…You’ve still got a bit of pudding on your face, y'know.” she said, smirking back. “Might want to get another napkin and dab it off.”

“Dab it off?” Audrey proceeded to do the 'dab’ movement with one arm out and her face in the crook of her other arm.

“I don’t see how this will help.”

At that moment, Syd and Kat immediately lost it, collapsing into a fit of laughter (and some pudding dribbling down their chins). J.C. snickered at their reaction.

Roger, however…was confused.

Edward felt the same.

Audrey chuckled, looking at J.C. “Should we tell them?”

“One of these days, maybe.” J.C. snickered.

“If only we were still kids. We could use this as leverage.”

“Truuuuue.”

“Oh well. Maybe Syd and Kat can.”

“…Once they stop laughing, of course.”

“Why are they laughing, anyway?” Roger asked.

“Sorry, Dad, it’s top secret. Those of a certain age are only privy to it.” Syd answered, still trying to calm down.

“Ya hear that, Dad? No old people allowed.”

“I have baby pictures in my wallet,” Edward retorted.

“I’ll shut up now.”

“Oooohoo, the baby picture threat. Things are getting serious.” J.C. snickered.

“I have yours, too, you know.” Roger added, looking to his son and raising an eyebrow.

J.C. slunk down slightly.

“And I used to think you were cool,” Audrey jokingly told her dad.

“He’s kinda funny, I’ll give him that…” Kat said, giggling.

“Only kinda?” he grinned, his large front teeth quite visible.

Kat laughed, “Okay, maybe more than kinda….”

“You should see him do the bunny face,” Audrey smirked.

“I still have your baby pictures,” he narrowed his eyes.

Kat gasped. “Bunnies?? I like bunnies!”

Edward glared at Audrey, knowing he had to do it now.

He let out a sigh before looking around to see who all could see him do this.

Upon deeming the coast clear, he wiggled his nose, then chattered his teeth.

Kat giggled, clapped her hands, and bounced up and down happily.

Audrey snickered and her father smiled slightly, still embarrassed, but pleased with the blonde’s reaction.

“How come YOU can’t do a bunny face?” Kat asked her father.

“I can do those really funny voices when you want a bedtime story,” Roger offered, feigning hurt “Does that not count for anything?”

“It does, it does!” Kat reassured.

“Because not everyone can be graced with my freakish rabbit teeth,” Edward commented.

“Dad,” Audrey started sternly, “don’t make me call mom to ramble about how cute your teeth are.”

#Lola Leads #muse: Audrey Davis #compiled roleplay #redradandrod #roleplay

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