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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 2 days

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Her own.

Location // Characters: Aberdeen // Hallie and Sofia

June 2006 - Craig Abbott is no longer among the living. A fact so painfully sad and true, but Hallie and Sofia still manage to share a nice moment, sharing some lovely thoughts.

Status/Notes: unfinished/I always loved the thought that Hallie and Sofia had a real connection back then. Sometimes, some girl talk is all we need in our lives!

***

The front door opened, and Hallie looked right into Sofia Abbott's face.

A friendly face, but undoubtedly weary, too; Sofia's grief was plain obvious. Hallie felt a wave of sympathy but decided to not address it. The three remaining Abbotts most likely had enough people going on about their unfortunate situation, trying to make sure that they were okay, while it should be so clear that none of them was okay, not right now, not in a few weeks, maybe not ever. The least thing Sofia needed was another shallow remark, Hallie figured.

"Hallie, darlin'." Sofia welcomed her with a bright smile. A genuine smile, despite it all, Hallie could tell.

She smiled back, giving Sofia a little wave with her hand. "Hi! I, uh, believe I'm a little early…"

"Well, if you're here to see Lance, you are. He took an extra shift in the hospice but he should be back by five, I think."

"Ah, wasn't sure about that and I couldn't get a hold of him earlier. Now I know why." Hallie bit her lip. "Well, I guess I can come back later-"

"Or you can wait? If you want?" Sofia offered, making a welcoming gesture towards the open door.

Hallie thought about the suggestion. Heading home only to sit around for a few minutes and to come back later really seemed like a bit of an unnecessary hassle, when she could also stay and have a little chat with Sofia. Checking in on the Abbotts had become somewhat of a daily thing anyway, Hallie saw no reason to make an exception today.

"Uhm, as long as I'm not a bother?" she answered with a smile.

"Oh, you're a welcome distraction, dear." Sofia laughed. "I've got cake, too. Ali played chef earlier."

"What? Ali baked?"

"What can I say, we're all grasping for straws these days." The line was heavy with meaning, but Sofia uttered it so casually that it made Hallie wonder if the woman was trying to play it cool for her or if she really felt as alright as she sounded. "And that cake actually turned out amazing, there's just too much of it to eat all by myself. Come, dear. Come on in."

Hallie stepped into the house's hallway, still trying to wrap her head around the mental image of young rising football star Ali Abbott standing in the kitchen, possibly in a cute little apron, waving a whisk around… or whatever one needed to whip up some decent cake batter; Hallie wasn't particularly experienced in the fine art of cooking and baking herself. The house smelled delicious, though, Ali had apparently done a great job indeed.

"I am just looking through some old pictures for the funeral service." Sofia told her as she was guiding her through the hallway to the living room.

Wow. Hallie thought. That had to be tough.

"How's that going?" she asked, dropping her bag next to the door as she entered the living room. When she did, she almost tripped. The sight of dozens of photos spread on the floor took Hallie by surprise and she supressed a gasp.

Well. Apparently, that was how it was going.

"I'm biased, of course, I love them all." Sofia said. "You know what? It's really great that you're here and have a moment to spare, I can use a girl's creative opinion. My sons aren't exactly helpful in these matters."

"Not even Ali? Now that he shows some talent in the creative field, too?" Hallie laughed, crouching down to take a closer look. Dozens of Craigs in front of her, yet they all longed for just one. The real one.

"To be honest, I haven't even asked him." Sofia admitted, offering Hallie a cushion to sit on which she gratefully accepted. Sofia sat down next to her and went on. "Ali is not doing well. Of course he is trying to just keep going, but he hardly ever talks these days."

Hallie could hardly picture a version of Ali who wasn't an extraordinarily lively, happy and chatty little fella. "That's so sad."

"I'm trying to give him some room and let him come to me, you know? Lance as well. It hasn't been easy. To be honest… I don't always know what to do, or what to say to my sons." Sofia swallowed hard and for a few seconds it looked like she was lost in her own thoughts but she eventually snapped out of it. "Oh dear. I'm rambling again, love, I'm sorry."

"No! No, I mean, it's fine." Hallie answered quickly. She appreciated Sofia's honesty. So much, now more than ever.

It was one thing she had always loved about the Abbott family - they told things as they were. No false modesty, no sugarcoating, no glossing over things and no unnecessary drama either.

"That must be so hard for you." she went on. "I mean, I have no idea at all what you're going through, I just… I'm so sorry."

"Aw, nah." Sofia waved it off. "Nothing you should be worrying about."

"I am, though! I mean, I have known Lance for quite a while now, he's my best friend, and I don't always know what to say to him, either. If- if that helps?"

Sofia turned her head and looked at her, and after a few moments, the corners of her lips curled up into a warm smile. "You know what? I think it does."

Hallie felt another tremendous wave of sympathy for Sofia but decided to let the subject go for the time being. She bit her lip and nodded at the photos. "So what's with all of these?" she asked.

"Well, I need some nice photos. We have collectively decided that we're going to turn the house into a… well, let's call it 'Craig shrine'. We're going to create a walk down the memory lane of some sorts. Put up the photos, all his favorite items… so everyone can say their goodbye in their favoured surrounding."

"Like a museum of memories, but more rock'n'roll!" Hallie mused, and she could picture it right away. She liked that idea a lot.

Do not mourn the dead, but celebrate the lives they had lived.

Hallie had no idea where that thought had just come from, but it definitely sounded like something Craig would have agreed with.

"Exactly!"

"Collectively decided, you say?"

"Well, it was Lance's idea but Ali and I loved it. I have talked to Craig's old friends, too, they supported it as well. It's simple, but it's good. He'd love it."

"And what kind of photos do you want to put up?"

"The good ones."

"You might want to narrow that down a bit." Hallie laughed, looking through the masses of Craig portraits and snapshots in front of her. They all looked pretty charming in one way or the other. Not always flattering, definitely not, but they showed Craig as he was - a chaotic and loveable force of nature.

One image in particular caught her eye now. It had to be a fairly old one because it had the characteristic slightly red tinted look to it that many older photos developed over time. It showed a much younger version of Craig and Hallie just realised that she had never seen any pictures of him from back in the days. Craig looked clearly like Craig, but so different at the same time. He was sitting in front of what looked like the old Capitol building, posing for the camera with a light smile and the typical metal fork.

Hallie carefully picked the image up.

"That one's nice!"

"Oh, you tell me." Sofia instantly agreed. "Wanna know what this is?"

"Sure!"

"It's from February 28th, 1984 - the day I met Craig for the first time."

"No way!" Hallie gasped. "That's how it started? That is what he looked like? Did you take this?"

"Oh no, his friend Cyril took it, and he gave it to me a while later. But yes, that is how it started, that is what he looked like." Sofia smiled.

Hallie just remembered the day she had met Craig for the first time, about five years ago. He had looked young, younger than most dads she knew, but he had still looked like a dad, somehow. She remembered the encounter very fondly; Craig had managed to make her feel welcome and her shyness had eased so quickly as he was talking to her like he was talking to an old friend. The little crush she used to have on him for a while was very innocent, Hallie could tell from her nowadays perspective, but it was bound to happen.

It's strange. Hallie thought. Those Abbotts really have a way of knocking you flat, when you least expect it. Her thoughts wandered to Lance for a moment. One way or the other.

She looked back at the picture in her hands. "Gosh, he was a fox." she gasped out.

Sofia let out a hearty laugh. "Pretty much what I thought. He was beautiful. Not at all my type, but gorgeous. The shabby attire just added to it, for reasons I could never quite understand."

Hallie knew all too well what Sofia meant. Some people can simply pull shabby off, and Craig was quite obviously one of them. He had to be in his very early twenties on the picture. If she were to meet that guy, she'd immediately fall for him, too, Hallie was sure of it.

She also wondered if Lance had ever told her about the way his parents had met, but she couldn't recall anything. She had sure been curious, but the opportunity to ask either Sofia or Craig themselves had never really presented itself until now.

"Don't get me wrong." Hallie started. "It's just… I mean, I always wondered what would bring the two of you into the same place."

Sofia gently took the photo out of Hallie's hands, stroking the slightly tattered rim. While she looked at it, her expression changed and Hallie could tell that she was reliving that particular memory once more. Not because she had troubles remembering the details but because she did remember them, and because it was a much happier place than reality could ever be these days.

"It was a Whitesnake concert." Sofia eventually said.

"Whitesnake?! Oh god." The story would be very eighties, Hallie thought to herself. As eighties as it can get.

"I didn't really care about the music, I just went to keep my then-boyfriend company. Left the concert hall to get some beer. Stood in an endless queue for what felt like hours… and all of a sudden, there he was." Sofia smiled. "Smiling at me from one of the little standing tables. Gosh, I don't even know what happened to me in that moment. I wasn't able to take my eyes off him."

"That's so cute!"

"Hallie, I tried, believe me, but I just couldn't. I couldn't help it. I was entirely aware that my boyfriend was inside the hall, and I felt a little bad for staring but truth is that I had never seen a man that gorgeous before. When I saw Craig Abbott, I saw… life. It was like I suddenly saw the life I was missing out on at the time."

"Oh my god, and he wasn't even your type." Hallie breathed out, entirely taken by Sofia's voice and the way she was telling the story.

Once again, her thoughts wandered to Lance. The way she had fallen for him was so different from the way Sofia had fallen for Craig all those years ago. Sure, Lance and her had only been twelve years old when they met; one could most likely not expect a rush of impure thoughts at only twelve. But even now that Hallie was so sure about her feelings, there still weren't any actual… flying sparks. Or anything of that sort. She sure had her moments when she wasn't able to peel her eyes off Lance, his face especially, but she blamed that on his pale blue eyes, as they had always fascinated her, after all, even when she wasn't trying to become his girlfriend.

Hallie tried to find the right words to address what was going on inside her mind, without giving it all away.

"So… you knew right away? That Craig was the one for you?"

Sofia put the photo away, smiled and let out a little sigh. "Well, at least it dawned on me that night that Ethan, my boyfriend, wasn't the one. All those other things… well. It's a little more complex."

"But it does happen, doesn't it? Love at first sight, I mean?"

"You know, Hallie, I believe that the thing we usually refer to as Love At First Sight is actually just attraction at first sight. That happens all the time, sure."

"People keep talking about it, though. That they knew right away, once they laid eyes on their partner. That they were the one for them. And I always figured that those moments are the real deal, you know? Can't get any more real than just knowing, right?" Hallie looked at Sofia for a few moments, and decided against adding something along the lines of 'I always wanted that for myself.'

"That's all easy to say in hindsight, don't you think?" Sofia laughed. "Sounds more like a fantasy to me, though. A nice one, sure, but the reality of a relationship - it's a little different than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Falling for someone is easy. Attraction is a thing. What's much more important, though, is the way someone makes you feel. The way they treat you in the long run. Don't you think?"

"I think so...?" Hallie shrugged, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Craig and I were a good match, I give you that." Sofia chuckled, giving the impression that she had picked up the slight disappointment in her voice. "He was incredibly cute and funny, he had charmed me right away. To answer your question, though - no, I did not know that he was the one for me. How could I have known? I'm not psychic."

"Huh. When you put it that way?"

"I had a good feeling about him, though. Craig being the way he was made our start a lot easier. I mean, one usually doesn't go on dates with someone they can't stand."

"Makes sense." Hallie nodded. "Think I see what you're getting at."

"If it had turned out that Craig and I hadn't gotten along as well as we had, though, I wouldn't have stayed with him, just because things started so well between us. Just because of the idea of us."

"I see. That really makes a lot of sense." Hallie's thoughts now wandered back to her ex-sort-of-boyfriend, Simon. Three weeks of whispering sweet nothings to each other… and that had already been it. What had felt like love at first sight had turned out to be nothing at all.

"Craig had a way of making me feel like I belonged." Sofia went on. "It's hard to put into words. He never took me for granted. He made me feel like spending time with me was the greatest thing in the world. He was so in love with our boys, too, and he never made a huge deal out of the things that many other, older men got squeamish about. Craig never felt threatened."

"Threatened?"

"Well, I was a little older than him, after all. I had studied veterinary medicine, had a promising career that I had never even considered giving up, even when Lance and Ali were born. I always made my own money, I was my own woman and never the average stay-at-home-wife. Men of my time usually did not like that a whole lot, to say the least."

"I think they still don't." Hallie made a face. Well, there were exceptions, though. She could think of at least one.

"Craig loved every bit of it and he always encouraged me to keep going. He was happy on his own, because he had made the right choices for himself, even before we met. It wasn't all… how do you young folks say? It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows but we were good together. And knowing that I was one of the people in Craig's life who made him even happier fills me with joy and gratitude. It sounds cheesy, I know."

"No, it sounds wonderful."

(... to be continued!)

#the way re-reading this writing snippet pulls at my heartstrings just like when I read it for the first time 🫠😭🥲#tbh anything you you write goes straight to the heart anyway #but this one in particular gets there at light speed 😭💖#this entire scene. THIS ENTIRE SCENE UGH #😭💖💖✨️#the way it's written feel so genuine and alive and it creates such a vivid image of what's going on #I need more or your writing in my life #I really do 🫠💖🫶🏻✨️#idiot writing #writing #hallie henderson #sofia abbott

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 2 days

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Hallie and Galahad are bonding. 🥹💖✨

#it's THEM 🥹💖#this little sequence still has my whole heart omg #because it makes said heart warm up every time I look at it 🫠💖✨️#love these two LOTS 🫠💖💖#oc artwork #idiot artwork #original characters #storytelling

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 2 days

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Ali. 🫠💖✨ (That's it, that's the post.)

Well, not quite. I gave Ali a wee make over… or, better said, he merely unlocked another style he can pull off. This lad is a masterpiece crafted by the gods themselves. 🫠😂✨

#crafted by the gods indeed 🫠#aka the visual representation of perfection #if perfection exists - that would be Ali Abbott mkay? that's just how it is #i don't make the rules #the universe does and i think the unverse agrees #and if it doesn’t agree #well you know what - if the universe doesn't agree then i'll make the rules #but i have a strong feeling the universe agrees #I don't know what the hell I'm writing here but I'm going with it 🤣✨️#jeez this man is my everything 🫠💖💖#i love him an insane amount #and I'm not even ashamed to simp like a maniac over him 🫠🤣💖✨️#because he deserves ALL the love #and Sanne deserves all the love too 'cuz she's so damn good at what she's doing 💖🫶🏻#ali abbott #idiot artwork #oc #original character

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 5 days

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Was tagged by @eve-to-adam to do this lil' game (post your lockscreen, the last song you listened to and the last celebrity photo you downloaded). So, here we go! ✨️

Lockscreen

One of my own sketches, featuring my dear lass Delicia, who's one of my OCs. 💖

Song

Nothing to say here, other than the fact that System Of A Down has been in my 'most played' list a lot lately. 🤣🤘🏻✨️

Celebrity photo

For... reasons. 👀🤣

(Tagging: Anyone who is interested in doing this. ✨️)

#tag game

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 14 days

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 20 days

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Wee introduction post!

SO. Let's go.

I'm starting this blog with a little overview of the OCs who are most present in my head these days. I (more or less) recently drew a shiny line up that I still like, after all, so why not use it?

I tried to get their heights somewhat right, give or take a few inches... I'll put their heights into the descriptions, too, though, for anyone (like me) who cares about these details. :)

Avery Constance St. James (*April 1st 1995 in New York City, USA; 5'2 ft / 1,57 m): a small but fierce pharmacist who lost her heart to an irresistably lively Irishman in 2022 (who refused to give it back), and who now juggles being a loving mama and thriving in her usual chaos.

Daryl Louis McKenna (*February 6th 1993 in Galway, Ireland; 5'9 ft / 1,75 m): rockstar scientist (biochemistry) and former drug abusing idiot who recently got engaged to Avery - a special lady he just happened to find when he wasn't looking, and who unexpectedly found his greatest joy in fatherhood.

Dexter Linus St. James (*August 11th 2023, in New York City, USA): a tiny Irish-American hybrid - the son of Daryl and Avery. Named after Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory and Linus Pauling.

Orla Deirdre O'Connell (*October 28th 1992 in Galway, Ireland; 5'9 ft / 1,75 m): an eccentric tattoo artist who appreciates the most beautiful things in life and who believes in love and classic romance like no other. Grew up with three brothers - Malachy (*1980-2006), Kieran (*1985) and her twin Declan, and thus handles life like a lady, but never without the appropriate dash of assertiveness.

Michael Theodore "Mick" O'Loughlin (*December 22nd 1992 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 6'5 ft / 1,96 m): a tall and elvenlike fella who stems from an ancient bloodline of highly fascinating individuals and who may have a supernatural streak to him. Motor mechanic in everyday life and a curious and whimsical guy overall, with soulful green eyes that effortlessly see behind the things others would not even dare to question.

Alistair Lachlan "Ali/Al" Abbott (*May 28th 1993 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 6'4 ft / 1,93 m): an eccentric weirdo, very charming and always a little clueless, with a heart of gold. A former rising football star who had to give up that particular dream to an unfortunate injury, and a surprise teenage dad who loves his friends and longs to meet the love of his life; who waits tables in a restaurant by day and woos ladies - who are willing to pay for his services - by night.

Lancelot Malcolm "Lance" Abbott (*July 27th 1988 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 5'4 ft / 1,63 m): a true force of nature, a capable internist, strong-willed and assertive (some would say stubborn) confident and outspoken, sometimes on the brink of being plain rude. An intelligent and complex person who may be a pain in the arse at times, but who knows what is right and important in life... such as suppressing some long lasting issues, ah, haha, oh well.

Maisie Rose Boyd (*June 11th 2011 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 5'0 ft / 1,52 m): the surprise love child of teenage parents Ali Abbott and Nessa Boyd, who is growing into a sweet and caring young lady these days.

Vanessa Christine "Nessa/Ness" Boyd (*January 14th 1993 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 5'2 ft / 1,57 m): a young and smart psychology graduate who is eager to finally start her career that she had to postpone due to becoming a mother at only eighteen. Gentle and kind, but also very straightforward, never taking crap from anyone and showing bluntness in just the right moments.

Caroline Miriam "Carrie" Anderson (*August 2nd 1987 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 5'4 ft / 1,63 m): a somewhat restless soul, always looking for something while never quite knowing what that something is. One hell of a doctor. Caring, not making any differences between people,and eager to look behind a facade... and entertaining the thought of running her own practice soon!

Dallas Ariston Gray (*October 22nd 1987 in Glasgow, Scotland; 6'4 ft / 1,93 m): a half-Greek, hunkalicious metal lord with a voice from both heaven and hell, a primary school teacher, musician and not quite your average nice guy from next door - the unhingedness may be subtle, but it's so, so there.

Fiona Annabel "Fi" Christie (*March 4th 1994 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 6'0 ft / 1,82 m): a truly delightful creature with many talents, drawing people in with her... everything. A hairdresser and make up artist, a dancer (classic ballet, jazz, as well as adult entertainment) and a gentle soul. Her optimism may make her look naive at times, but

Jean Melissa "Melissa" Carter (*June 1st 1985 in Calgary, Canada; 6'3 ft / 1,90 m): a creative director at a local ad agency... who clicks on suspicious links in spam mails and who forgets to check whether she has enough gas before she drives distances… and strands in the middle of nowhere. May seem scatterbrained but is incredibly loveable and the apple of the eye of her wife, Donna.

Donna Yvaine Christie (*January 3rd 1985 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 5'9 ft / 1,74 m): older and slightly (read as: not so slightly) overbearing sister of Fiona. Has her heart at the right spot but is also used to success and getting what she wants, which makes her a little insensitive and even tactless at times; still often fails to understand that "not doing things her way" isn’t necessarily the same as "doing things the wrong way".

Graeme "Sully" Sullivan (*September 7th 1986 in Perth, Scotland; 5'11 ft /1,80 m): an incredibly creative person all around who has known his goal pretty early in life - making the world a brighter, more colourful place! Owner of a tattoo studio in town - "The Den Of Tallulah Banks" - which isn’t just a tattoo studio, but also a place where creatives can get together and local artists from town can exhibit their works without paying annoying fees.

Hallie Henderson (*April 2nd 1988 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 5'7 ft / 1,70 m): a music journalist, writing for the popular UK/Ireland based magazine "Grot Spot". Interested in pretty much anything, believes in people. Very gentle and caring... and just a little bit weird. Loves life but doesn't close her eyes to the crappy aspects of it. A realistic optimist who is far from naive but maybe a bit too forgiving sometimes.

Jett Jones (*January 15th 1984, in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England; 6'2 ft / 1,87 m): Hallie's friend and fellow Grot Spot writer. A Geordie beauty who never met her real parents but couldn't care less, as the lovely Joneses raised her well. Outspoken and blunt, appears to be afraid of nothing. Never refills the office coffee pot and would most likely survive a zombie apocalypse. Treasures her heart and shares her real name with hardly anybody.

---

And, as a bonus...

1984

Craig Diarmid Abbott (*October 8th 1962 in Liverpool, England | † June 2006 in Aberdeen, Scotland; 6'4 ft / 1,92 m)

Sofia Elena Jacinta Abbott, nee Thomson (*February 11th 1956 in Mexico City, Mexico; 5'8 ft / 1,73 m)

... parents of Lance and Ali, who have their own story back in the eighties!

***

#the Queen of storytelling is BACK 💖✨#and so are her marvelous ✨idiots✨🤣💖🫶🏻#please look at them because they deserve to be seen and loved and cherished #I love them so much #all of them #every single one #💖💖💖#original characters #storytelling #ocs

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 2 months

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I know I have posted this line up before but I added Hallie and Jett today and I feel like posting it once more because I still love it. :D

(Sofia and Craig are a little bonus. I didn't include them in the big file since it's their '80s versions and it wouldn't make sense, timeline-wise, but I think they turned out cute!)

#AAAHHH LOOK AT THEM #It’s Sanne’s idiots #aka my favourite type of idiots ✨🩷✨#now with new peeps aka Hallie and Jett #AND Craig and Sofia #i am SO here for all of them 🫠🩷💘#art #original characters #ocs #friends art #fiends ocs #idiotverse

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 3 months

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Snippet - Her own

Location // Characters: Aberdeen // Hallie and Sofia

June 2006 - Craig Abbott is no longer among the living. A fact so painfully sad and true, but Hallie and Sofia still manage to share a nice moment, sharing some lovely thoughts.

Status/Notes: unfinished/I always loved the thought that Hallie and Sofia had a real connection back then. Sometimes, some girl talk is all we need in our lives!

***

The front door opened, and Hallie looked right into Sofia Abbott's face.

A friendly face, but undoubtedly weary, too; Sofia's grief was plain obvious. Hallie felt a wave of sympathy, but she decided to not address it. The three remaining Abbotts most likely had enough people going on about their unfortunate situation, trying to make sure that they were okay, while it should be so clear that none of them was okay, not right now, not in a few weeks, maybe not ever. The least thing Sofia needed was another shallow remark, Hallie figured.

"Hallie, darlin'." Sofia welcomed her with a bright smile. A genuine smile, despite it all, Hallie could tell.

She smiled back, giving Sofia a little wave with her hand. "Hi! I, uh, believe I'm a little early…"

"Well, if you're here to see Lance... I'm afraid he isn't home. Not yet, anyway. He took an extra shift in the hospice but he should come back soon."

"Ah, wasn't sure about that and I couldn't get a hold of him earlier. Now I know why." Hallie bit her lip. "Well, I guess I can come back later…"

"Or you can wait? If you want?" Sofia offered, making a welcoming gesture towards the open door.

Hallie thought about the suggestion. Heading home to sit around for a few minutes and coming back later really seemed like a bit of an unnecessary hassle, when she could also stay and have a little chat. She had been wondering how the other Abbotts were holding up anyway.

"Uhm… as long as I'm not a bother?" she answered with a smile.

"Oh, you're a welcome distraction, dear." Sofia laughed. "I've got cake, too. Ali played chef earlier."

"What? Ali baked?"

"I am just looking through some old pictures for the funeral service." Sofia told her as she was guiding her through the hallway to the living room.

Wow. Hallie thought. That had to be tough.

"How's that going?" she asked carefully, dropping her bag next to the door as she entered the living room. When she did, she almost tripped. The sight of dozens of photos spread on the floor took Hallie by surprise and she supressed a gasp. Well. Apparently, that was how it was going.

"To be honest, I haven't even asked him." Sofia admitted, offering Hallie a cushion to sit on which she gratefully accepted. She then sat down next to her and went on. "Ali is not doing well. Of course he is trying to just keep going, but he hardly ever talks these days."

"That's so sad." Hallie could hardly picture a version of Ali who wasn't an extraordinarily lively and happy little fella.

"I'm trying to give him some room and let him come to me, you know? Lance as well. It hasn't been easy. To be honest... I don't always know what to do or say to my sons." Sofia swallowed hard and for a few seconds it looked like she was lost in her own thoughts but she eventually snapped out of it. "Oh dear. I'm rambling again, love, I'm sorry."

"No! No, I mean, it's fine." Hallie answered quickly.

She appreciated Sofia's honesty. So much, now more than ever. It was one thing she had always loved about the Abbott family - they told things as they were. No false modesty, no sugarcoating, no glossing over things and no unnecessary drama either. "That must be so hard for you. I mean, I have no idea at all what you're going through, I just… I'm so sorry."

"Aw, nah." Sofia waved it off. "Nothing you should be worrying about."

"But I am! I mean, I have known Lance for quite a while now, he's my best friend, and I don't always know what to say to him, either. If- if that helps?"

Sofia turned her head to look at her, and after a few moments, the corners of her lips curled up into a warm smile. "You know what? I think it does."

Do not mourn the dead, but celebrate the lives they had lived.

Hallie felt another tremendous wave of sympathy for Sofia but decided to let the subject go for the time being. She bit her lip and nodded at the photos.

"So what's with all of these?" she asked.

"Well, I need some nice photos. We have collectively decided that we're going to turn the house into a… well, let's call it 'Craig shrine'. You know, create a walk down the memory lane of some sorts. We'll put up the photos, all his favorite items… so everyone can say their goodbye in their favoured surrounding."

"Like a museum of memories, but more rock'n'roll!" Hallie mused, and she could picture it right away. She liked that idea a lot.

One image in particular caught her eye now. It had to be a fairly old one because it had the characteristic slightly red tinted look to it that many old school photos developed over time. It showed a much younger version of Craig and Hallie just realised that she had never seen any pictures of him from back in the days. Craig looked clearly like Craig, but so different at the same time. He was sitting in front of what looked like the old Capitol building, posing for the camera with a light smile and the typical metal fork.

She had no idea where that just came from, but it definitely sounded like something Craig would have agreed with.

"Exactly!"

"Collectively decided, you say?"

"Well, it was Lancie's idea but Ali and I loved it. I have talked to Craig's old friends, too, they supported it as well. It's simple, but it's good. He'd love it."

"And what kind of photos do you want to put up?"

"The good ones."

Hallie just remembered the day she had met Craig for the first time herself, about five years ago. He had looked young, younger than most dads she knew, but he had still looked like a dad, somehow. She remembered the encounter very fondly; Craig had managed to make her feel welcome and her shyness had eased so quickly as he was talking to her like he was talking to an old friend. The little crush she used to have on him for a while was very innocent, Hallie could tell from her nowadays perspective, but it was bound to happen.

Hallie carefully picked the image up.

"That one's nice!"

"Oh, you tell me." Sofia instantly agreed. "Wanna know what this is?"

"Sure!"

"It's from February 28th, 1984. The day I met Craig."

"No way!" Hallie gasped. "That's how it started? That is what he looked like? Did you take this?"

"His friend took it, and he gave it to me a while later. But yes. That is how it started, that is what he looked like." Sofia smiled.

It's strange. Hallie thought. Those Abbotts really have a way of knocking you flat, when you least expect it. Her thoughts wandered to Lance for a moment. One way or the other.

Her eyes wandered back to the photo. "Gosh, he was a fox." she gasped out.

Sofia let out a hearty laugh. "Pretty much what I thought. He was just beautiful. Not at all my type, but gorgeous. The shabby attire just added to it, for reasons I could never quite understand."

"Don't get me wrong." Hallie started. "It's just… I mean, I always wondered what would bring the two of you into the same place."

Once again, her thoughts wandered to Lance. The way she had fallen for him was so different from the way Sofia had fallen for Craig all those years ago. Sure, they had only been twelve years old when they had met; one could most likely not expect a rush of impure thoughts at only twelve. But even now that Hallie was so sure about her feelings, there still weren't any actual... flying sparks. Or anything of that sort. She sure had her moments when she wasn't able to peel her eyes off Lance, his face especially, but she blamed that on his pale blue eyes, they had always fascinated her, after all, even when she wasn't trying to become his girlfriend.

"Whitesnake?! Oh god." The story would be very eighties, Hallie figured. As eighties as it can get.

"I didn't really care about the music, I just went to keep my then-boyfriend company. Left the concert hall to get some beer. Stood in an endless queue for what felt like hours… and all of a sudden, there he was." Sofia smiled. "Smiling at me from one of the little tables. Gosh, I don't even know what happened to me in that moment. All I knew is that I wasn't able to take my eyes off him."

"That's so cute!"

"Hallie, I tried, believe me, but I just couldn't. I couldn't help it. I was entirely aware that my boyfriend was inside the hall, and I felt a little bad for staring but truth is that I had never seen a man so gorgeous before. When I saw Craig Abbott, I saw... life. It was like I suddenly saw the life I was missing out on at the time."

"Oh my god, and he wasn't even your type." Hallie breathed out, entirely taken by Sofia's voice and the way she was telling the story.

Hallie tried to find the right words to address what was going on inside her mind, without giving it all away.

"So... you knew right away? That Craig was the one for you?"

Sofia put the photo away, smiled and let out a little sigh. "Well, at least it dawned on me that night that Ethan, my boyfriend, wasn't the one. All those other things... well. It's a little more complex."

"But it does happen, doesn't it? Love at first sight, I mean?"

"You know, Hallie, I believe that the thing we usually refer to as Love At First Sight is actually just attraction at first sight. That happens all the time, sure."

"Sounds more like a fantasy to me. A nice one, sure, but the reality of a relationship - it's a little different than that."

"What do you mean?"

"It's easy to fall for someone based on looks. What's much more important, though, is the way they make you feel. The way they treat you in the long run. Don't you think?"

"I guess." Hallie shrugged, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Craig and I were a good match, I give you that." Sofia chuckled, giving the impression that she had picked up the slight disappointment in her voice. "I talked to him the very same evening. He was incredibly cute and funny, too. And to answer your question - no, I did not know that he was the one for me. Had a good feeling about him, though. Craig being the way he was made our start a lot easier. I mean, one usually doesn't go on dates with someone they can't stand."

"Makes sense." Hallie nodded. "Think I see what you're getting at."

"If it had turned out that Craig and I hadn't gotten along as well as we had, though, I wouldn't have stayed with him, just because things started so well between us. Just because of the idea of us."

"Look, Hallie, it's none of my business, of course, and you are still so young; you will meet a lot of people in your life. Times have changed, too, I know that. Speaking from my personal experience, though... you are so smart, creative and so, so kind. You may want to look out for how a person makes you feel. If someone makes you feel like shite, let them go. If someone makes you feel great about yourself, keep them around. It isn't just about romance in the end. You need to surround yourself with people who make you feel good. That's not me saying that you can never argue, that you can never be annoyed by the people around you. Hell, the countless times Craig drove me crazy, in one way or the other..." Sofia laughed and Hallie chimed right in.

"I see. That really makes a lot of sense." Hallie's thoughts now wandered back to Simon. Three weeks of whispering sweet nothings to each other... and that had already been it. What had felt like love at first sight had turned out to be nothing at all.

"Craig had a way of making me feel like I belonged." Sofia said. "It's hard to put into words. He never took me for granted. He made me feel like spending time with me was the greatest thing in the world. He was so in love with our boys and he never made a huge deal out of the things that many other, older men got squeamish about. Craig never felt threatened."

"Threatened?"

"Well, I was a little older than him, after all. I had studied veterinary medicine, had a promising career that I had never even considered giving up, even when Lance and Ali were born. I always made a little more money than he did. I was never the average stay-at-home-wife. Men of my time usually did not like that a whole lot, to say the least."

"I think they still don't." Hallie made a face. Except for the one that now came to her mind once more.

"Craig loved every bit of it and he always encouraged me to keep going. He was happy on his own, because he had made the right choices for himself. It wasn't all... how do you young folks say? It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows but we were good together. And knowing that I was one of the people in Craig's life who made him even happier fills me with joy and gratitude. It sounds cheesy, I know."

"No, it sounds wonderful."

***

Lancie comes home, Hallie realises that he makes her feel all those things Sofia talked about.

/Could it be that she had found him as well? Her own Abbott to keep?/

#Sanne delights us with her writing once again #and also pulls our hearts out because oh my god this whole snippet 😭#i'll never get enough of your writing it's just so GOOD 😩❤️#sofia abbott #hallie henderson #writing #writing bit

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 4 months

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And here we have a I-didn't-feel-like-creating-a-better-design character sh(i)et. 🤡

But I hope you will enjoy it anyway!

(Karla Elkins is my OC and she belong to a storytelling project me and @teodoraioana221 are working on.)

#and then we have herrr #gorgeous queen #i love her SO much #Karla Elkins #original character #oc #original story #character sheet #friends ocs

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 4 months

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And now we have a character sheet for this cocky bastard, too.

(Charlie Elkins is my OC and she belong to a storytelling project me and @teodoraioana221 are working on.)

#it's HIM 🫠❤️#i love him #Delicia LOVES him #still can't get over how deliciously handsome he looks #original character #oc #original story #Charlie Elkins #character sheet #friends ocs

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 4 months

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You know, I really do NOT condone cheating. Cheating is BAD, okay? In this particular case, however, I'm glad it happened, because otherwise this angel-faced idiot wouldn't have been born. 😂

Alvin, Aurnia and Michael, all around the same age here.

Happy 31st birthday, Mick. I know I have been focussing on other characters lately, but I really do love you as much as ever. You truly are one of my fondest creations. 💖

#modern elven family right here #every time i think i can't possibly love Sanne's OCs more than i already do she proves me wrong #and i'm more than perfectly okay with that 🫠😂❤️❤️#mick o‘loughlin #aurnia o'loughlin #alvin macinnes #friends ocs #sanne's ocs #original characters #idiotverse

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 4 months

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I am making stickers of these and I'm living. 😂✨💖

#this brings me life every time i see it 😂💖#Dr Love and Sir Galahad being the most squishable cutiepies in the history of squishable cuteness #lance abbott #galahad the cat #sanne's ocs #friends oc #awesome art #art

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 4 months

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I'm obsessed with him, okay?

#look at this #friends art #fanart #everything looks SO good 😌#jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru #jjk #jujutsu kaisen fanart

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 4 months

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Me, writing about Cecily's childhood: I can't wait to get to the scenes of her adult life! I can't wait to get rid of these years of her life!

Me, writing about a more mature Cecily: I want to go back and write about her childhood! Her childhood excites me, aaaah

#writer struggles #i can relate 😂😂#writing #writer #writing memes #cecily neville #richard duke of york #15th century

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teo-s-ghostly-corner · 5 months

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Snippet - Reconnection, part 2

Location // Characters: Aberdeen // Hallie and Lance

December 26th 2023 - Hallie is back in town over the holidays, to visit her parents... but she makes some room for an old friend, too!

Status/Notes: unfinished/GOSH, these two, goddammit. This snippet goes along with this image:

This was by far the funniest day he had spent with anyone in quite a while, and Lance had spend many funny days, with all kinds of people.

Hallie sure hadn't lost any of her charm and sweetness. This wasn't exactly big news, he had already found that out back in June, after they had met at the Opera House in town, entirely by chance. Having her by his side for more than a few hours however really made it plain obvious, though, and Lance chose not to think about the seventeen years that he had missed out on the Henderson experience. There was no point to it after all, the past was something he could no longer change and he would rather focus on the present.

Which was right there, in the shape of the overly adorable brunette laying next to him and singing along to old tunes they had already enjoyed back in the days.

"I buy my crack, I smack my bitch right here in Hollywood-" Hallie squealed in a high pitched voice, and Lance didn't miss his cue: "Drug money is used to rig elections and train brutal corporate sponsored dictators around the world-" "They're trying to build a prison!" "They're trying to build a prison, they're trying to build a prison, they're trying to build a prison-" "For you and me to live in!" Hallie used a silly and deep voice now, and Lance couldn't hold in a laugh.

The way she was able to alter her voice into pretty much anything still had every bit of potential to amaze him... and, right now, in this particular case, make him giggle. "You sound like some delusional crackhead." Lance choked out between laughs. "Stop talking when System is on, you're ruining my sing-along experience! ... another prison system, another prison system-" "You're scaring Galahad."

Hallie stopped singing along once again and lifted her head from the floor a little, looking at the spot where his chubby British Shorthair had curled up for a little nap.

"Galahad is completely unimpressed. He's sound asleep, you're just being silly, stop dragging your cat into this." she scoffed, laying back down and giving the CD case in her hands another good look. "Damn, I always loved what that man can do with his voice." "The drums were exceptional, too." Lance said. "Even Craig was impressed. I caught him trying to figure out the tabs to Toxicity once-" "And he kept denying it, like the big old classic metal head he was!" Hallie laughed. "I remember that!" "Aye, that was fun." Lance grinned, recalling that particular memory of his father. It was as clear as ever, like it had only happened yesterday. "Too bad John Dolmayan turned out to be a fuckin' Trump supporter." "Yeah, that fucked me up, too." Hallie agreed with a sad little sigh. "It's always such a bummer to see great artists turning out to be arsewipes." "Yep. Have you ever met them, by the way? On the job, I mean?" "Nah, I haven't. Wanted to, but never got the chance. The one story we managed to do on them was done by someone else, I was still an intern back then. The band is, uh... kind of elusive? Steven - that's the guy who did the story - said they are weirdos." "Hm." Lance shrugged. "I'm not surprised, I guess. So, any other cool stories you can tell me from your life as a very busy music journalist?" "There are so many." Hallie laughed. "I wouldn't even know where to start." "Pick a random one, I wanna know!"

Hallie seemed to give it some thought and Lance watched her pursing her lips and wrinkling her nose in concentration, the very same way she had always done it, even as a teenager. He had no idea how she managed to be even more adorable nowadays, but she certainly was. Maybe it was the brush of wisdom, or maybe the little wrinkles around her smiling eyes or the bright and clear sound of her laugh. Maybe it was a combination of many things. Whatever it was, it was amazing. Past Hallie had sure been great, but present Hallie was nothing short of breathtaking. Lance shook his head, trying to get rid of the thought.

"You might like that one - I drank shots with Judas Priest once! At Wacken Open Air in Germany, in 2015." "Fuck off, you did not!" "Oh, I absolutely did!" Hallie laughed. "Granted, it was my co-worker who drank the shots, I just watched, but I had a nice little talk with Rob Halford." "Lucky you. Is he as nice as people say?" "He seemed a little tired, which is probably a thing when you're non-stop touring, but... yes. Yes, he was." Hallie smiled. "You may find it silly but... at some point, I briefly thought of Craig and how much he would love to be there."

Lance didn't know if it was just the situation, but this was quite possibly the most heartwarming thing anyone had ever said to him. He bit his lip and smiled, fully appreciating the moment and taking it in.

"No. Not silly. It's cute." he said truthfully. "That you thought of my dad, even back then... I dunno. It's- I wouldn't have thought-" "Craig really was something." Hallie said, sounding sincere. "Just because we haven't seen each other for so long doesn't mean I never thought about you, Lance Abbott."

Wow. So this is what it feels like when a heart skips a beat.

"Likewise." he merely answered, briefly looking right into her eyes, before he dedided to pick up the subject again. "So, anything else?" "What else could you possibly want? I shared my Rob Halford anecdote with you, I don't do that with anyone?!" "I bet you do. And you should. I'm all ears. Brag away, Henderson, you have every reason to!" Lance laughed. "What about you?" "What about me?" "Don't you have any cool work anecdotes?" Hallie asked, nudging him with her elbow. "My job isn't nearly as exciting as yours." Lance said, meaning every word. "I've got nothin'." "But you're a demi-god in white!" "I don't look all that good in white." he smiled. "Really, there's not a whole lot to tell. Most of the time I'm tired and annoyed, and pissed off by the healthcare system... oh, and every once in a while I write a prescription." "Come on, Lancie, give me something to work with here." Hallie pleaded but he could tell that she was just up for some good, harmless fun. "I want some Abbott's Anatomy drama." "We had that back in June already, they don't call me McDreamy at work." "But they should!" "So, Rob Halford was tired-" "Don't change the subject!" Hallie laughed. "Just tell me a thing you like about being a doctor, and I'll shut up and go back to talking about myself."

"Whatever." Lance groaned, but he smiled. He took a few moments and gave it some thought. "It probably sounds weird, and you may not believe it but I actually like getting to know my patients. You know - see who they are, aside from whatever brings them to me. Not everyone, of course, but some people are really nice and interesting." "Now, that sounds cool. Go on." "It's random, but... one day, during my internal medicine training, I was late and I was just about to go and change into my scrubs when that teenager with tonsillitis got all excited about my band shirt. We talked about music for a while and I ended up sharing my favourite Spotify playlist with him. You know. Those things." "I love that." Hallie smiled. "Thanks for sharing that with me, really." Lance smiled back. "Well... I'm not really a people person and I can't do that all the time, of course, most of it is really boring everyday stuff... but that's really something I like about the job." "Stop saying that." "What?" "That you're not a people person. You are a people person. Not a people pleaser, nope, but definitely a people person. You've always been." "If you say so." Lance laughed. "So, here we go. I shared, and you can go back talking about yourself now." "And I sure will." Hallie said triumphantly. "Before that, though, I've got some news, I think." "Oh?" "I briefly met up with Lucy yesterday. And it looks like some of the old gang are going to try and organise a class reunion." "You don't say." Lance said dryly, not even attempting to fake any bit of enthusiasm. "Didn't they try that years ago already?" "For the 10th anniversary, yep." Hallie nodded. "That one fell through for some reason but they're trying it again." "So, it's going to be eighteen years next year, why don't they just wait until it's twenty years?" "Apparently, Fozzy will be back from New Zealand next year and they want to take the chance before he has the chance to go... wherever again." "Lowell Foster, the world traveller. Huh." Lance scoffed. The memory of his old friend was a quite interesting one, to put it nicely. "They say he has a child in each country." Hallie giggled, clearly amused by what had to be a silly rumour only. Hopefully. "Dear lord, have mercy." "Don't say you don't love the thought of countless little Fozzies runnin' about." "I'm thrilled." Lance rolled his eyes. "Less thrilled about a possible reunion, though. I'll pass." "I couldn't even blame you." Hallie said. "I don't know if I would be going either, should it become an actual thing." "So you're still in contact with Lucy?" "Nah, not really. Not the way I probably just made it sound." Hallie waved off. "Occasionally, maybe... well, to be honest, it's more of a 'liking each other's stuff on Instagram' relationship. But she is in town, too, and we had coffee together. It was quite fun, actually, and that's when she told me about those plans. Aren't you ever curious what everyone is doing?" "Not really. My dear, closest friends and I didn't exactly part on good terms." Lance mused, his mind wandering back to a certain woeful incident, involving his mad ex-best friend, paint and a certain house's front door. "I was one of them, and I still like you? Took me seventeen years to realise, but it's something, right?"

Lance let out a faint laugh. "It's not that. I'm not scared, I don't even hold a grudge or anything, it's just... what's the point of those events, anyway?" "I don't think that's what it's about, I mean... not everything needs to have a point? It's just an opportunity for those who care, y'know? To find out what the people that we spent all those years with are up to, what became of them." "Well, I already know that Fozzy is a world traveller, quite possibly with an offspring in each country." "Fozzy is an idiot." Hallie smirked. "Always has been." "You don't say. I liked him, though... well, at least as long as I found out that he fucked Diana pretty much the second after she dumped me." "You knew that?!" Hallie sounded genuinely surprised. "'Course I knew." Lance snorted. "Surprised that you did, though, without letting me know." Hallie shrugged. "Let's just say I was in the process of falling for you... trying to figure out ways to win you over. With my charm, not with toxic gossip, mind you." "And I appreciate that. I really do." Lance laughed and meant it. "Always liked that you never got caught up in that shit, like some others." "So, how come you never confronted Fozzy about that? When you knew that all along... I mean, you just went on and hung out with him as if nothing happened." "Pf." Lance shrugged. "What was the point? I had other stuff on my mind. I knew he didn't do it to spite me. And, as you said... it was after she dumped me. Nothing to get overly mad about. It's not like she meant the world to me anyway."

Lance gave it a quick thought and eventually decided against letting Hallie know that his and Diana's paths had crossed a few times after school... to say the least. There was possibly a time and place to do that, but that time and place wasn't then and there.

(... might go back to this, brush it up and whatnot, but not now. You know the drill. xD)

A/N: Hallie and Lance are singing along to System Of A Down's "Prison Song", the opener of their 2001 album "Toxicity".

#catching up with Sanne's writing and I'm already drowning in awesomeness #the way you write is not only my cup of tea #it's like the biggest mug i have on the shelf 😂❤️#god i love it ❤️❤️#hallie henderson #lance abbott #hallie x lance #friends ocs #writing

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