Interacting with: Desh @Lady Amalthea

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Amber couldn't help but chuckle at his little speech, even hungover he was a man of many words. She wondered whether she wanted to hear his ramblings when he wasn't fighting the effects of the previous night. Perhaps not. His was a man of many words, but they were poetic words nonetheless. Amber wasn't any good with the arts but could appreciate anyone who was in any of its forms, poetry included. "Guess Ay will 'ave something t' look forward t', aye?" she replies. "Dinnae laugh, not th' best thing t' do when yer hungover,"

"Ah visited India fer a uni trip a couple o' years ago, aye? Ah fell in love wi' th' culchur 'n' land, ah did, 'n' th' art, tis importance 'n' history in yer culchur. That's what ah do, ye see. Ah look int' art, analyse tis history 'n' worth 'n' that, or ah will whin a've settled in 'n' foun' a job. Most hotels onlie want visitors fer so lang afore thay overstay thair welcome, Aye. Ah plan on staying fer a lang time. Fae what a've heard this place is more... Lik' hame than a hotel. Ah mist admit, a'm lou'in th' atmosphere already," she chuckles, not commenting on another standout reason for her leaving Scotland, her feeling that she wasn't safe from her parents judgemental eyes being so abroad. It was probably a stupid ideal to some, definitely not a respectable decision. "Whit about ye? Haes th' Best Exotic always bin yers? Whit made ye want t' run a hotel?"

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Desh held out his hand and nodded it a few times in place of trying to do that with his head, he felt that if he moved his head at all his brain might actually come out at this point it was swimming and knocking around so horribly while he tried to do anything. "I think you are most assuredly correct my dear new guest," he groaned as he rubbed his temples. That was the last time he tried to out drink Claire and Murphy, hell he knew better than to try to out drink Murphy alone he should have figured that his sister would be able to hold just as much as her older brother.

Listening to what she had to say he couldn't figure out half of it. He understood English, well England English. Her accept was ten times as thick as Murphy's. Or maybe it was just the hangover. Either way he sat there looking at her, trying to replay the words his mind over and over again until he was able to get the gist of what she was saying and smiling at her a bit.

"Oh this wondrous hotel was always my dream but it was passed down to me when my beloved father passed away. He is now scattered as ash along the river. Getting the peace my mother never allowed him in life," he said, chuckling a bit and then holding his head again. "Oh horrible idea, I must not inject humor right now," he groaned before looking back over to her. "I want this hotel to be the dream that never came true for my father. I cannot fail."

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"Jus' dinnae give 'em a hard time! Be polite damn it!" She chuckled and rolled her eyes knowing full well that the man was going to do what he wanted to do, just like his little sister always did. Hearing his comment about the tour, Cass felt her eyebrows raising into her hairline in surprise. "The only tour yer gonna give me is the tour of yer bed as ye rest, mate!" She fell back on the bed as she yelled but no sooner had she finished shouting out than she heard the knock and then the crash from outside. She sat upright in the bed suddenly and winced as she felt the pang in her neck muscles.

Scooting forward on the bed, Cass stood up and quickly jogged over to the door and saw Murphy standing there with the door to Tasha's room laying on the floor. She decided that she was definitively not getting involved at this point and slipped back into her room and curled up on her bed and struggled not to fall around laughing. She grinned to herself and shook her head. Just what the fuck had Claire gotten her into? She grabbed one of her fashion magazines that she'd had for the flight and began to flip through the pages and reading articles here and there until Murphy came back from his ass kicking that was due right about now.

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Looking up at Claire again as she pointed over toward the stick of gum and took it, Joel chuckled as she immediately stuck a piece in her mouth and looked back down toward him. He shrugged his shoulders, shifting her upward slightly as he did so, reaching down into his pocket as he kept his other arm around her leg. "I'll spot you this time, you can owe me a drink." He said with a smirk as if he'd gotten the better end of a deal.

Paying for the cigarettes and gum, Joel moved back outside with her, ducking once more on the way out so she didn't get hit. Looking back over at Alc as he suggested they could look around, Joel glanced back up to Claire as she gave her two cents and nodded. "Heading back sounds like a fair plan, I suppose I have to meet the other McMa-" Joel was cut off as the piece of gum was shoved into his mouth, coughing a little before he chuckled, beginning to chew on it. "Danke, Claire." He'd thank her with a grin.

Shifting Claire on his shoulders again, Joel set off in the direction Claire pointed him to, essentially using her as a shoulder-mounted compass as he carried her back through the streets, chewing on the gum she'd shoved into his mouth as he tucked his cigarettes away into his pocket. The walk wasn't too long, even with Claire drumming on his bald head as was customary. And with another duck through the doorway they were back into the hotel, making their way into the dining hall. "Hallo!" Joel greeted, loudly and heartily at the sight of Desh and a woman he'd not met yet, a grin on his face as he seemed to forget Desh's hangover with his loudness.

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Claire glanced over towards Alc as she drummed on Joel's head. "He ain't met Murphy yet, we can't skip that," she laughed. She had hoped that Joel would get to meet Murphy one day, to have them both in the same hotel now was just perfect. There was no excuse now. She figured the two would get along since Murphy and her were so much alike; sure they had their differences but a lot of common ground was there. So she figured if her and Joel got along as well as they did, Murphy and Joel would as well. Least she hoped they would.

Ducking her head down as they came in she looked around the courtyard as they passed through it and perked a brow. There was broken pottery on the ground, a broken bench, a crushed bush, and then there was some spots of red on the ground. Someone had gotten in a fight, the place looked like her mothers garden growing up when the kids got into it. Just not near as bad. "Aww fuck me, someone had a tussle," she said as she turned her head back and forth to see everything she could before they ducked into the dining room.

Looking over at Desh and the girl she tilted her head to the side and waved a bit. "Top of the mornin!" she yelled and smirked knowing it would get to Desh and his hang over before she swung her leg over the top of Joel's head and jumped down. Landing she poked Joel in the side. "So, do I be askin' who got into it out there or do I just assume it was me bro?"

Interacting with: Desh and Claire @Lady Amalthea

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Amber couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the young man in front of her. Desh was hungover alright. Amber couldn't recollect a time a hangover had affected her so much since the morning after her first few parties, uni students were wild. What was it Desh had said earlier when Amber was checking in?

That is the last time I try to out imbibe Irish Siblings

That always ended badly, unless you were a Scot, or a fellow Irishman, Amber knew that from experience, fortunately for her (and her bank account on a few occasions), Amber was the Scot in those situations.

At the mention of his father's death Amber couldn't help but feel sorry for the Indian despite the lack of solemnity in his words. "Ah'm sorry t' hear that," she says gently. Sure, she couldn't sympathize completely as she hadn't lost a parent. As much as she distanced herself from them she wouldn't wish death upon them. She had her grandmother though, her grandmother's death had hit her like a tonne of bricks at the time and even now it hurt slightly. "Ah cannae say a've lost a parent but my grandmother passed when ah was 15. Loved her lik' m' own mother, aye."

Amber turned to see the new arrival, she seemed familiar somehow. Of course, she was the other girl in Cass' picture, what was her name again? Something beginning with a C, or was it a K? Amber offered her a smile before greeting her simply with "Good mornin' t' ye,"

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Location: Hotel
Interacting with: Claire/Desh@Lady Amalthea Joel@Pundii, Amber @SouffleGirl123

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Upon hearing Joel hadn't met Murphy met, Alcander let out a breath through pursed lips and glanced sideways simultaneously. "_{Oh shit}." he said softly. He didn't quite know how to express his thoughts on the topic other than that eloquent display of surprise. This was more serious than he thought. He nodded and gave an accepting smile as they decided to head back, and he walked beside them to make sure they were going the right way. It seemed Claire had a good sense of direction though.

He let out a whistle as they stepped into the courtyard. Looks like Hurricane Murphy and some other variable decided to get into it while they were away. He shouldn't have expected much differently, but the day was still young. At least save some fight for the night time, dude. He shook his head and followed them into the hotel proper.

Slipping into the dining room, he let out the smallest of smiles as Claire effortlessly got off Joel without it seeming awkward. His eyes then fell upon Desh who was clearly still a bit Hungover, and a new girl. He heard her accent, and he half expected her to be the niece of one of the girls. Is this a british invasion? Briefly he smiled a bit at the inner joke his mind would make on India having been under British rule in the past, but it'd be lame to make a "they came back to finish the job" joke.

It seemed she wasn't Claire's family member though, considering her words. "Hi." he told her, giving her a casual wave and amiable smile, his eyes now switching to Desh. "You feeling better bud, or you still feeling like shit?" Alc raised his brows in a question, wanting to know Desh wasn't killing himself over a bad night.

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At the overly warm greetings Desh placed his hands onto either side of his head and groaned a bit. Yes, that was definitely the last time he ever tried to drink with the McManus siblings. He waved a little bit as he lowered his head and rested his forehead against his arms on the table. At Claire's question he nodded a little bit.

"I did not witness the calamity first hand but it came to my ears nonetheless. Your brother by blood apparently decided to poke the bear as it were when it came to a new comer that happens to know our resident doctor and all sorts of mischievous deeds ensued. Last I could hear through the ringing in my ears was that he was being helped up to your room by that friend of yours," Desh managed to mutter out before rolling his head to the side and groaning once again.

"Yes, yes, feel very much like the dung that has passed through the bowels of a ravenous beast I do feel right now," he said towards Alc. "Fear not, I be right as the summer rains if we had any by two days time. Much festivities are to be had but I must say that I will not be tossing back a cold one on the anniversary of your birth but I will be jovial without."

Interacting with: Desh and Claire @Lady Amalthea and Alec @POOHEAD189

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Good mornin’ t’ye too lad.” she replies to the young man, watching him talk to Desh ”He's been workin` his-self th' poor thing, I've tellt him t’ rest, ah ‘ave, he wilnae though,” she butts in before Desh's reply. "Ye do need t' sleep pal,"

She turned Alec upon hearing of his upcoming birthday. "Ye have a birthday comin' up do ye, pal? Well Happy birthday. How auld will ye be?" she asks before retracting back slightly. "A'm sorry, how rude o' me, we haven't properly met. M' name's Amber, Ah'm a newcomer." she says, extending a hand out to the young man. "Pleasure t' meet ye,"

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Location: Hotel
Interacting with: Desh@Lady Amalthea Amber @SouffleGirl123

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He ran a hand through his hair and gave a wistful smile at Desh from both his explanation of the fight, and him letting the cat out of the bag that it was his birthday soon. Desh's words were a tad hard to follow for a sec with the turn of phrases he was using, but he got the jist of it. "I don't think I'll be doing much drinking myself." he said, patting Desh's shoulder and nodding. "Not even sure what I'd be doing for it..." He might want to go Elephant riding, or exploring places he hadn't yet. He'd rather keep it a secret from Murphy though. The guy would insist Alc would get shit faced.

He turned to the new, younger girl. He chuckled. "It's no problem," he said, giving a smile. "Nice to meet you too. Yeah, my birthday is in about a week and a half. I'll be 24. The names Alcander. You can call me Al or Alc, or the full name, either way." He shook her hand, already being able to tell she'd be pleasant to have around. "What brings you to this humble Hotel, Amber?"

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Smirking as they moved into the Dining Hall and Joel listened to Claire, he was not remotely surprised to hear that her brother had gotten into a fight with someone. He had figured Murphy would be like Claire, and from what she had told him that wasn't wrong, they were all fighters, it was one of the things Joel enjoyed about the woman who hopped off his shoulders and he figured he'd like it about her brother too.

Stifling a chuckle as he saw Desh react to their boisterous greetings, Joel was reminded of the hangover the man had when he had met him a few hours ago, it seemed he was still struggling with it, the poor lad. He raised an eyebrow at the story however, chuckling as he gave Clair a firm pat on the back. "From the sounds of things, your brother puts on a better show than you do." He'd tease, giving her a nudge as he glanced over to the other woman as she spoke. Joel's english was good, very good, but he had to pause for a moment and question if this girl actually spoke english.

He did manage to hear and understand enough though, hearing her name as he glanced between her and Alcander. "Twenty-four? Well, ain't you old." He chuckled in an all-too-amused manner, more mocking Claire yet again as he'd glance back toward her before looking back to Alcander and Amber, holding out his hand toward the woman. "I'm Joel, another Newcomer, it is a pleasure, Miss Amber." He'd give her a nod, slipping out of the rowdier attitude Claire got him in, and back to being the polite German soldier for at least a moment.

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"Hey, nice to meets ya. I be Murphy's sister Claire," Claire said as she reached out and shook Ambers hand before stepping back over to Joel and chuckling at bit at Desh's description of his hang over. Leaning against Joel slightly she snickered. "This is what he gets fer trying to out drink me and Murph."

Hearing about her brother getting in a fight made her chuckle even more. Figured as much he was able to have a good old brawl and waited until she was gone and couldn't join in on the fun. At Joels comment she shook her head. "Now don't yas be startin or I'll be takin's ya out behind the woodshed to shows ya just how entertaining I can be," she warned in a light hearted voice.

"Ohs a birthday! Cass's is in two days, wes gots to do something fer her," Claire said as she clapped her hands together and rubbed them. A mischievous grin coming across her lips as she tried to figure out just what she could do to, I mean for, her best friend on her birthday. She stopped though mid planning and looked around for a moment before looking back over towards Desh and Amber. "Where is me bro and bestie?" she asked, sure she would see them when she came back. Did they already leave?

"Your brother last I heard was walking upstairs with Miss Cassandra I believe," Desh groaned as one of the staff members brought him over some tea.

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Lincoln was in agony but it was nothing compared to what he'd been feeling since Tasha had walked out of his life. He shifted himself until his legs swung over the side of the bed and he shuffled forward with a few groans and grunts before getting himself back up and onto his feet. He slowly walked over towards Tasha, the whole two steps it took felt like two hundred, but he made it and reached his hands out towards hers. He wasn't touching her but he held them there as an invitation.

He watched her face, noticing that she wasn't looking at him, and smiled as he watched the little expressions on her face and took a deep breath before answering. "Tasha... I..." Tasha felt her nerves bubbling up as he stepped closer to her and reached out, her hands coming down and brushing against his nearly before she jumped and pulled them back.

An almighty banging sounded at the door and Murphy's voice could be heard calling through to them. Lincoln's face turned to thunder and he had half a mind to tear the door open and give him another fight. "I swear to god I'll throw him down the stairs." He half turned towards the door as if he was going to follow through with his desire. Her head whipped towards the door and she nearly went out the door to beat the shit out of Murphy herself before her eyes fell on Lincoln.

Stepping over and putting herself between him and the door she looked up at him and rested her hand on his shoulder gently. His eyes glanced down to her hand pressed against him before returning to watch her face. "Oh no you don't, you are hurt enough and you aren't going to screw up my patch job," she said in a firm voice. She didn't want him getting anymore hurt than he already was. He could have a cracked rib and she wasn't about to let it get broken. She would deal with Irish later. Her eyes coming up to his as she slowly pulled her hand away and rested it on her hip.

"And don't try to change the subject."

"To be fair, I didn't try to change anything. Your old pal managed to do that all on his own." He let out a laugh laced with an incredulous breath. Tasha couldn't help but smirk, she had to give him that one. He hadn't tried to change the subject, that was on Murphy; which she would deal with him later. He had been so close to admitting everything. Now he had to work his nerve back up again. He stepped back and took his seat on the edge of the bed and rested his hands on his knees. "Look Tasha, I don't want to change the subject. I don't want to beat around the bush but this, admitting this, it could change my life forever. It's not something I'm taking lightly, I want you to know that."

Biting her bottom lip lightly she looked over to him and nodded a little bit. She could tell by the tone of his voice and the way he was acting that whatever his answer was, it wasn't easy for him to get out. "Alright," she said softly. She wanted to go over to him and tell him whatever it was, he could tell her. He could tell her anything but it wasn't that easy, not now. It wasn't like it was before, it probably would never be that way again.

He looked up to her and watched her eyes, waiting to see if she would look at him or not. "Tasha, I love you and I want to see if we could work again. Even if it's only as friends, it would be better than not having you in my life at all."

Tasha found her heat fall into the pit of her stomach and she nearly choked, coughing slightly and then more roughly as she turned away from him. She knew he still loved her, he had told her earlier but to want to get back together with her. That one she hadn't expected. She had figured he wanted closure, to know why she had ended it so he could move on and put everything behind him; to put her behind him. She felt the color drain from her features and she found herself feeling light headed as his worlds swirled through her mind.

She didn't know what to say. She hadn't felt this flipped upside since the night he had proposed. She kept her face down and hidden, nearly the same thing she had done that night when he asked her to marry him before she had finally accepted. A look of pure shock that could be taken as completely distraught or overjoyed. It was hard to tell.



It had consumed his every waking moment for the past month. He had planned this out to the very letter and had been over it more times than he had kissed her lips. He was prepared for this, he was ready and there was nothing that was going to stop him. This was something that he wanted more than anything else and he wasn't going to let his nerves get the better of him now, damn it! Pacing back and forth in his apartment, Lincoln tried to control his breathing as his hands wrung around each other time and time again.

He had the place set up, the staff were aware of what was happening and when, Tasha knew they were going out but not where, not why. It wasn't their anniversary or anything special like that but it was going to be a special day by the end of everything. He was ready. They were ready. He knew this was it, this was the last thing that mattered in his life. She was the last person that mattered in his life and he was going to do this to ensure that he could take care of her in the best way possible. No matter what.

He jumped up and down on the spot a few times, shaking himself out before taking a deep, calming breath. "I can do this." He slapped himself lightly on each cheek and then started towards the door, his hands snatching up his keys and wallet before he made his way down to his car.

He jumped in and drove to Tasha's place. His suit jacket was laid out on the back seat, his shirt was buttoned, his tie was tightened, his dress jeans were chaffing and his dress shoes were pinching but it was all worth it. He ran his left hand over the cleanly shaven skin on his chin and then ran up to make sure his hair was settled well and had dried from his shower. He hazarded a glance into the rear view to check on it and smirked when he saw the curls were sitting practically perfectly (at least in any way a curl can sit).

As he pulled up to her building he almost choked and decided to call a raincheck on the whole thing. A minute of silence and internal pep talking spurred him into action once more and he made his way to her door. Using his key he let himself into the building and then he jogged up to her door and knocked before letting himself in.

"Taser, it's just me. Ready to go?" His voice cracked slightly and he cleared his throat. Keep it together Lincoln!

Looking up from her book, Tasha smiled as she heard the key in the door. For her it was just another night, nothing special about it other than being able to spend it with him. She had actually gotten off work on time and had the next day off. It was a rare event but her boss had been adamant about her taking some time. She wasn't going to complain, she hadn't had a day off in weeks, much less and evening and a day. Getting home she showered and changed before flopping down and getting back to her book while she waited for Lincoln to show up.

Putting her book down as she heard his voice she picked up her purse and stepped out of her bedroom. She was wearing nothing special; jeans, tennis shoes, a light sweater. The usual. Stopping in her tracks as she saw how Lincoln was dressed her jaw dropped. "I suddenly feel very underdressed."

Lincoln beamed when he saw her and he walked over, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her on the cheek. "Well I think you look like a queen. Do you want me to lose the shirt? I'm all for topless dining you know." He smirked and then kissed the tip of her nose before releasing her from his hold. "I just felt like getting pretty for you for a change. I mean, one of us has to be the woman in this relationship, right?"

Way to go Lincoln, hide those nerves with humour. She'll never see through that. Safe to say he was a bundle of energy and nerves but hopefully it wasn't too obvious.

Smirking she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot a few times. "You just want me topless," she stated flatly before handing him her purse and turning on her heels. "Always." He grinned and held onto her purse as he watched her walk away. "Well if you're the woman you can hold my purse while I change," she challenged before stepping back into her room. He opened his mouth to quip back but laughed as her words came out faster than his own. "And no you can't watch," she added before shutting the door and locking it.

Lincoln grinned and then leaned himself against the room door, whimpering outside like a puppy dog and "clawing" at the door as if to get in. "But I've been a good boy!" He laughed as he pushed himself off of the door and left her to get changed, he probably should have mentioned that he was dressing up but he just wanted her to be comfortable.

She made quick work with the change, Tasha had never been one to waste time. Stepping out of her room she looked over to him and gave him a bit of a coy wink. She had put on a pants suit of her own, the jacket slung over her shoulder; even completing the look with a hat. "So, this work?"

"Baby you could wear a trash bag and make it look good. This is sublime." He moved over and slid his hands over her waist as he leaned in and pressed his lips gently to hers. Tasha's arms resting on his shoulders as she returned the kiss and sighed happily. He licked his lips as he pulled away and he couldn't help but stare as he took her in. "You look beautiful as always, Tash. Very strapping and manly." He gave her a wink back and lightly beat against his own chest with a closed fist before he stepped back from her and held her purse out to her. Snatching her purse she stuck her tongue out at him playfully before slipping on her jacket and lacing her arm through his.

"I hope you didn't have pasta for lunch today. We're taking a small trip down memory lane tonight. Hope you don't mind?"

Perking a brow she glanced over to him with an odd expression on her face. "You mean we are dressed up for a food fight?" she asked half seriously, half trying to stifle the laughter.

Lincoln wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. "That's what makes it more fun. No danger in ruining slacks and t-shirts! Where is your sense of adventure?!" He wrapped an arm around her waist and grabbed her right hand with his left before leaning her backwards, balancing her with his hold. He peered down at her and then kissed her dramatically before pulling them both back upright and laughing as he did so. Tasha gasped, reaching up and holding her hat on her head as he pulled her back up, she couldn't help but laugh; he was in good spirits tonight it seemed.

"Come on beautiful, we've got a reservation to keep." He took hold of her hand and spun her around once before leading her out of the apartment and down the stairs towards his car. He opened up the passenger side door and let her get herself settled inside before closing the door over. He ran around the car and jumped into the driver's seat and turned to look at Tasha, her gorgeous blue eyes melting him from the inside out. He had a mischevious look on his face, clearly his nerves were all but gone now that Tasha was with him again.

Tasha leaned back in her seat and got comfortable once she put her seat belt on. Glancing over at him she couldn't help but smile as she reached out and ran her finger along the line of his jaw. "What is with you? Get a raise without having to deal with a promotion today?" she teased a little bit before tapping his nose playfully. Pulling her hand back she rested it over his as she looked away, her fingers lacing with his own as she let out a happy sigh; just glad to be with him right then.

"In a manner of speaking... Tash, you've got a little something in your lashes. Might want to use the mirror in the sun visor to get it out..." He smiled and squeezed her fingers as the laced within his. He loved the soft and gentle smoothness of her skin against his. It was comforting on a level all on its own. It was clear he was prompting her but whether she called him out on it or not was another matter. He wasn't asking her to do anything completely weird or anything, just to check out her eyelashes in the mirror. Nothing unusual about that.

Perking a brow she tilted her head to the side. Shrugging she leaned up in her seat and reached for the visor, tipping it down so that she could take a look in the mirror. As she tilted the mirror down a small envelope fell into her lap. Stopping she looked down at it and picked it up slowly. It was pretty, a small blue wax seal on it. Turning it over she glanced towards Lincoln as she pushed the visor back in place with her free hand. "What's this?"

"A small gift. You're going to have to open it and see, aren't you?" He was trying hard not to giggle, and he didn't giggle often. He loved the look of bemusement on her face, it wasn't often that he could cause it. "It's nothing bad, honest. Just open it and see, please." He nodded towards the envelope and smiled brightly at her. God did he love her.

Looking down at the envelope she looked it over before popping off the wax seal and peeking inside. An odd look came over her face as she pulled out a fine chain with an ornate silver key dangling from the end of it. Resting the envelope down in her lap she cupped the key in her palm before looking back over at Lincoln, utterly confused and it showed on her features. "And this is for?"

"You. It's a present. Would you like a hand putting it on?" He literally looked like the cat that had caught the canary. He reached over and gently took it from her and opened the clasp in order to be able to comfortably put it around her neck. Once it was there he sat back and smiled as he saw it resting there. "I felt like getting you a nice little surprise present, not a crime last time I checked." He gave her a quick wink before grinning at her and starting the car up.

Tasha leaned up while he put on the necklace and grinned slightly. Reaching down she picked it up and looked it over, it was beautiful but she was still very confused what the key was for. She was about to ask what it was for when he turned on the radio. She didn't even have to ask what he was doing now, she knew where this was going; it had become a little bit of a thing with them while they were in the car together.

He put the radio on and let the music play. He smiled as he heard which song it was and bobbed his head along with the beat before breaking out into song, singing to Natasha as he drove. "Sweeeeeeeeeeeet wonderful you, you make me happy with the thiiings you dooo..." He sang along, singing each word and enjoying himself for the entirety of his performance while he drove. It was a very good job that he was more than competent at driving.

Giggling she rolled her eyes at his antics. He was completely adorable when he was like this but half the time she wondered if he was purposefully trying to make himself sound off key. Shaking her head she waited for the song to end, just watching him and giggling softly as she covered her mouth with the back of her hand from time to time as she bit her bottom lip. Once the song came to an end she switched off the radio and crossed her arms over her chest. "Going to tell me what the key opens you ninny?"

He shrugged and stifled his smirk as best he could. "Eventually." He pulled up into his parking spot for his apartment and jumped out before heading around to help Tasha out of the car. "Can't let you get your pretty threads all ruined." Once she was out and sorted, Lincoln held his arm out for Tasha to slip her arm into and they began their walk to the Italian Restaurant that they had had their first date in. Resting her head on his shoulder she smiled as she rubbed his arm some, she loved this little area of town and sure he could have parked closer but she didn't mind the walk, it gave them a few moments alone before they got there; god only knew what was going to happen when they arrived. They had had to break up a fight on their first date.

"Huh, doesn't look like it's open... Wonder where Marco is?" Lincoln let go of Tasha's arm and walked forward, leaning his forehead against the glass of the front door and cupping his hands around his face to peer inside the dimly lit building. He pushed back from the door and turned to Tasha with a frown on his face. "You have better eyesight than me, do you want to have a look inside and see if you can see anyone?"

"What?" she asked, looking confused. The place shouldn't be closed for hours. Looking over at Lincoln she then stepped over and cupped her hands along the side of her face as she leaned against the glass. The place looked deserted, no one moving around inside; which should have not been the case at this hour. "I don't see anyone...wait..." she said as she pulled away from the door and looked over towards Lincoln as she gave him an incredulous look. "White lilies? Okay Casanova, what are you up too?"

Raising his hands up as if surrendering at gun point, Lincoln shook his head. "Not me! I did ask Marco to get me a vase for your lillies but I expected him to be here so I could give you them myself and not have you spy on them through a locked door. One second, going to give him a call." Lincoln wandered away down the street a little bit and pulled out his cell and called Marco. He glanced back towards Tasha and waved to show that it was ringing and he turned away again as he waited for Marco to answer.

Crossing her arms over her chest, Tasha tapped her foot as she watched him closely. She wasn't buying it for one second that he didn't know what was going on. Looking down, the key caught her attention and she started tapping it. "Wouldn't it be weird if this key unlocked the door?" she called out to him while cocking a brow.

Lincoln glanced over his shoulder and laughed. "You can try it if you want to break it. That key isn't strong enough to open a door lock." He smirked and continued talking into his phone quietly so that Tasha wouldn't hear. He knew she wasn't dumb but he could play up the charade a little while longer. He cleared up the last preparations with Marco and then turned and walked back towards Tasha. "I left a voicemail for him. C'mon, we're unfortunately going to have to find somewhere else to eat tonight." He wrapped an arm around Tasha's shoulder and they walked back towards his car. Leaning against him she shrugged a bit, maybe something had happened but still her gut told her something was off.

As they turned the corner his car wasn't in it's parking space. "What the fuck?!" Lincoln let go of Tasha and ran over to where he had left his car. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" He was never one to swear, in fact he hated using it unless the situation warranted it, this definitely warranted it.

Stopping she looked and pulled out her purse, "So, I call 911? Or gonna tell me this is part of whatever romance novel scene you cooked up for our date?" she asked quickly. She knew he hated cussing but this was becoming a little too obvious. Dressed up, a key, no one there, her flowers there, now the car. To her it was like someone coming in, holding their chest. It was pretty obvious he was up to something.

Lincoln had his hands in his hair and was looking around. He turned as he heard Tasha and he shook his head. "Look, I was cooking up a fun night for us, treating you with gifts and stuff but Marco not being there and my car going missing were definitely not part of the plan. Fuck!" He wasn't ready yet, he was absolutely shitting himself and his nerves were building up more and more and more. He had wanted this night to be perfect, like their first date had been. He'd planned it to the finest detail but now? He walked over to a nearby street light and just started to gently bang his head against it in frustration.

"Well plans change, we'll figure something out moya zhizn'," she said as she closed her phone and watched him.

"I don't want this night completely ruined with police and questions and reports. I can call them in the morning and ruin our day off together tomorrow with it instead. Tonight is for us. The car is insured and I know I locked it up tight, I can deal with it later. Now I just need to come up with another way to enjoy our night." He looked around and considered how he could salvage this. Could he still ask her what he wanted to ask her or should he postpone? Screw it. Sighing she slipped her phone back into her purse, she didn't like the idea of waiting to call the police but he was obviously upset by the entire thing and it was his truck.

"Well we're at my place, shall we just go upstairs and order some take out and watch a movie?" He didn't want to call a cab for her so it was the next best thing. "Sorry that I made you get all dressed up..." He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into her neck.

Slipping her arms around him she kissed the top of his head, letting out a slow breath as she enjoyed the feel of him close to her. "Hey, now stop that. You didn't make me do anything for one and two, we will just find the good in the bad," she said, quoting her mother like she always did anytime something went wrong. Reaching up she cupped his cheeks in her palms and smiled at him as she tilted his head back to look at her. "Anyways, I'd rather have a food fight at your place; the shower is right there," she said in a soft coy voice as she gave him a slight wink.

Smiling softly, Lincoln kissed the palms of both of her hands and then held them in his own as he kissed the tip of her nose. "You have a very good point, not one I can refuse easily. Let's go upstairs and order some mediocre food while we watch a really bad movie so we can make fun of it." He slipped his arm around her shoulder and guided her into his building. He gave a polite nod and smile to one of his neighbours who was exiting the building as he walked in - an elderly man named Stan - and let him leave before they both entered. Tasha smiled slightly at the man as she leaned against Lincoln and waited before she walked in.

He was glad to live on the top floor as it meant no noisy upstairs neighbours but he could do without the three flights of stairs to get there when the lift was inevitably broken which it had been for the past three weeks. Oh well, at least he could get some extra cardio in each day. As they made it up to his apartment he unlocked the door and let Tasha inside. It was the usual bachelor pad on a budget but on the cleaner end of the scale.

Stepping in she slipped off her jacket, the full of her back showing as she turned around from the low dip of her haltered dress shirt. Resting it over the back of a chair she pulled her hat off and hung it there as she tossed her purse into the chair. This was not how she expected to spend her evening but she wasn't going to complain. She didn't have to work and she was with him.

"So since Italian is off the menu, do you want Chinese? Thai? Sushi? Indian? Mexican? Cantonese? Burgers? Pizza? You name it, I'll find a place that delivers it... somehow." He chuckled as he took his suit jacket off and moved into his bedroom to hang it up.

"Chinese food for dinner, Goonies for the movie," she quipped as she slipped her shoes off and set them next to the chair. Flexing her toes out a bit as she walked around the room slowly. Taking a breath she thought about the tests she had had to do earlier that day and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath trying to push the through out of her mind.

He spotted the long but thin mahogany box that was sitting on the bedside table on Tasha's side of the bed and he smiled. There was a small ornate lock keeping it shut. He placed his jacket on a hanger and placed it in his closet. He then slipped his pants off before putting on something much more comfortable - sweatpants. He began to unbutton his shirt as he walked into the lounge area.

"You've got some sweats in the drawers in my room if you want to get comfortable." He gave her a wink and began to slowly unbutton his shirt as if he were a chippendale and then laughed as he remembered how uncoordinated he really was.

Looking over towards him she couldn't help but giggle. He was about as sexy as she was when she was trying to be right then, not at all. Shaking her head she walked over to him and fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. "Nope, I want this," she said as her fingers worked their way down, unbuttoning the rest and helping him out of the shirt. He grinned wide. "Okay okay, but you better not spill any Chinese on it tonight!" He called after her as she took his shirt and draped it over her shoulder as she stepped out of the room, winking at him as she left before walking into his bedroom.

"If I do, you'll just have to take it off me," she said with a coy smirk playing on her lips.

"Minx!" He chuckled to himself before jumping over the back of the sofa and landing on the cushion. He grabbed the cordless phone and then pulled open a drawer in the coffee table and pulled out a couple of menus from some local Chinese joints. He fingered through the menus deciding what to have and leaving them out for Tasha to decide as well.

Spotting the box on the bed she perked a brow as she looked over it. Well this was an interesting twist. Tapping the key on her neck she thought about trying the key but decided to wait as she changed out of her clothing and slipped into his dress shirt, a pair of his boxers and some socks to keep her feet warm. Grabbing the box she stepped back out into the living room and smirked towards him. "And what's this?"

Lincoln leaned backwards and watched her walking towards him from his upside down vantage point before twisting his body around and resting his chin on the back of the sofa and looked at her innocently. His stomach was doing somersaults. "Just a little adventure." He gave her a goofy smile as he just lay there, watching her from his perch.

Stopping she cocked a brow and chuckled. "Oh like every date with you isn't already an adventure Casanova," she chuckled as she stepped over to him and leaned down to press a soft kiss to his forehead before flopping down on the couch and resting the box on the coffee table. Tucking her bare legs beneath her she leaned against the back of the couch and propped her head against the palm of her hand. "Does my key open it?"

"Only one way to find out." He gave her a mischevious wink and smirked. He stood up and stretched his back out, leaning backwards and then forward. As he ducked down towards her he kissed the tip of her nose and then walked over to his desk. He grabbed his laptop and then wandered back over to her with a knowing smile on his face. He sat down beside her again and kept the knowing look on his face.

Smiling she carefully took the key off from around her neck and placed it in the keyhole. Turning it she heard the click and then placed it back around her neck. Resting her hands on the box she took a deep breath as she bit her on bottom lip. Slowly she opened it and looked inside. Picking up the flash drive she perked a brow, then her eyes fell on the plane tickets. Grabbing them she took a close look and her eyes widened as she saw they were to St. Petersburg's, her mother's home town.

Tears started to well up in her eyes as she smiled, she had always wanted to go but never had the chance. "Lincoln..." she said breathlessly as she looked over to him, completely speechless right then but it was clear in her glacier eyes that she was overjoyed and touched.

Lincoln reached forward and tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ear and pulled her closer before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. He then placed the laptop on her lap and pointed to the USB slot. "It's not over yet."

Looking down, nearly dumbfounded she took a deep breath as she slipped the drive into the port and held her breath. She had no idea what he was doing, maybe it was what all the trip entailed? Leaning back slightly she watched the screen and waited to see what was pulled up.

The music began to play and the screen lit up with video footage of Lincoln standing in Tasha's room, her singing coming from the shower. Tasha cocked a brow as she watched the scene and chuckled a bit. Lincoln stood with a card that read "To me you are perfect...", the scene changed to Lincoln sitting in his truck while Tasha slept on the back seat, the world dark and twinkling through the windows. A soft smile coming to her lips as she blushed softly, she could feel her face warming because of it. Lincoln sat holding a card that read "...and I wouldn't change a thing about you." Her hand coming up to her cheek as she nibbled on her bottom lip. Another scene change, Lincoln stood in a rainy forest while Tasha danced around in the rain in the background. He held a card that read "Actually that's a lie..." Swallowing slightly, she had to wonder just how long he had taken to put this all together.

The scene switched to the hospital where Tasha is standing at the nurses station with some colleagues having a cup of coffee. The camera walks up to Tasha and Lincoln swoops in kissing her on the cheek before leaving her chasing him away. As Lincoln walks away with his body camera recording those he passes, each person turns and holds a card that states a single word to form the sentence. "I would change one little thing." Her eyes widening a bit that so many seemed to be in on this little thing. Had it been anyone else she might had suspected something at this point but Lincoln had always made it a point to do grand romantic gestures, even from day one so she was still clueless for a time.

Lincoln's bedroom is illuminated in morning light and Tasha's sleeping face lays there while Lincoln kneels down beside her and strokes her hair gently, a post it note sitting between their faces says "I love you. Tasha reached out and touched his face on the screen as she mouthed I love you too." She was so touched by all of it, a few tears slipped down her cheeks as she continued to watch. Then the camera changes once more to Tasha studying hard in her apartment while Lincoln glances over his shoulder at her and smiles brightly. Another card; "Will you..." and then the camera fades to black but the music continues to play. Tasha felt her breath going short and shaky at this point, her hands trembling a bit as the scene faded and she watched earnestly to see what came up next.

Lincoln taps Tasha on the shoulder and holds out a small envelope with the same ice blue wax seal as her necklace was in earlier today. The front of it reads "...marry me?" Turning her head to look over to him she lost her breath as she froze in place reading the note he held up. She just sat there in complete shock for a moment before she looked away her eyes darting around and a look came over her features that one couldn't tell if she was ecstatic or petrified. Slowly she gazed back over to him and tried to say something, anything at that point.

Finally she was able to draw a breath. Her lips trembling as she squeaked out a whispered "y..yes..." Gradually a smile formed on her lips as her head gave a quick bobbled nod and she repeated herself with far much more happiness than before. "Yes," she giggled.

He puffed his chest out and let out the breath that he'd been holding in for the entire video. He was grinning so big and so wide he was surprised that his face hadn't split in half yet. "You will?! YES!" He jumped on the couch and wrapped his arms around her before leaning back and planting so many kisses on her lips and on her face it was amazing that her skin was still attached to her body. Tasha couldn't help but to continue to giggle as she returned each kiss he placed on her lips as her arms wrapped around him; the lap top spilling out of her lap and onto the touch next to them. She didn't care she was just so happy right then.

He was still holding the envelope and calmed himself enough to clear his throat and hold the envelope out to her. "C-care to make it official?" The envelope was slightly weighted, the ring was inside. Looking at the envelope she snatched it out of his hand and pushed him back on the couch as she popped the seal and looked inside. He chuckled as he hit the sofa back and watched her with the most ecstatic look on his face imaginable.

"Oh my god!" she gasped as her eyes fell onto the ring as she turned over the envelope and let it spill into her open palm. "It's perfect," she whispered as she placed the envelop down on the table and took it between her fingers. Holding it out to him she couldn't stop giggling lightly between nervous breaths. "You do it, I can't stop shaking," she admitted as she bit her bottom lip.

He let out a nervous laugh and grinned. "You and me both, beautiful." He took the ring carefully from her and then gently took her left hand and slipped it onto her ring finger before cupping her hand in his. "Well then, how does it feel to be the future Mrs. Brinne-Roberts? Roberts-Brinne? Brinne? Roberts? I don't even care which name you choose really, I'm just glad you said yes! Call yourself Mrs. Clause for all I care, so long as you're mine." He laughed more nervously than before and then held his hand up to his mouth to shut himself up. He hated rambling when he was nervous but no changing that ingrained and annoying trait now.

Reaching up she took his hand and pulled it away from his mouth as she crawled into his lap and curled up. She didn't care that he rambled like this, she loved it about him actually. He was beyond adorable when he got like this. Sighing happily she tucked her head beneath his chin as she looked down at the ring on her finger. "Dr. Natasha Roberts will do just fine," she said in a giddy voice as she tilted her head back and looked up at him, cupping his cheek gently in her hand which now wore her engagement ring. "I love you," she whispered softly as she pulled him closer and kissed his lips.

He lost himself in her taste and warmth for as long as she would allow. As they parted ways to come up for breath, Lincoln stared down at his future and smiled warmly as he stroked her hair down and lightly tapped her on the end of her nose before chuckling. "I love you way more though."



Lincoln remained seated on the edge of her bed and watched her still, the silence making him more and more certain that she didn't feel that way for him anymore but so long as she could accept in her life as a friend then he could deal with that. He'd survived this long without her, to be able to just have her friendship would be a damn blessing right now.

That look was still etched on her face, the same one from that night so long ago. Her breath just as shaky and her hands trembling just as much as she bit on her bottom lip. Her eyes slowly coming back to his, it was like a movie of that night all over again. Trying to find her breath to say something, anything. Could he tell how she was feeling right then? Did he remember the look or was it so gone in the past that he had forgotten how she looked that night?

He knew that face but he didn't want to misjudge. He could just be being hopeful. He was being careful now, so ridiculously careful that Tasha would probably cuss him out for it if she knew. He wanted to get up but he still ached from the fight and didn't trust his legs right then with the nerves flitting around him so much. He took her silence as an answer and felt his stomach dropping. "Well then... Thanks for the patchwork, Doc. If you need some actual payment please just let me know." His face crumpled in on itself as he stood up and he winced from the pain.

Tasha looked over to him and bit her bottom lip. "Lincoln..." she said as she tried to reach out to him. She didn't want him to go. He took a half step towards the door when a knock sounded and then the door fell flat into the room. Tasha jumping slightly as she spun around to look at what had caused the sudden noise and her eyes narrowed a bit.

Lincoln's eyes widened as he saw a topless Murphy standing there looking like he was just as shocked as they were. "Damn it Irish, what the fuck do you want?" she snapped as tried to compose herself. Murphy looked over to her slowly and chuckled a bit.

"Needs me a bit of a wrap up Doc, can't do it meself," he said as he stepped inside and looked over towards Lincoln. "Seems she patched you up right fast," he chuckled. Tasha growled under her breath before looking back at Lincoln. Lincoln glowered at Murphy but said and did nothing.

"Sit down until I can help you down the stairs," she barked, frustrated at the situation. He stopped and did as he was bade, not wanting to piss her off anymore than he had done with his admissions to her. Grumbling she pulled her hair up and into a bun to get it out of the way as she turned her back to Lincoln, a large semi-circular scar could be seen that ran out of her hair line and back into it; one that wasn't there when they were together.

A frown creased his brow as he spotted the scar and he sat down, tracing the line of it with his eyes and wondering what the hell could have caused that kind of scar. He was worried that it was something medical or perhaps she'd been in a fight that went too far or a car accident that had caused it. He'd have to ask her later if she was still willing to talk to him after all of this. Lincoln glanced over to Murphy and bit his tongue.

Bending over she grabbed what she needed, the key that Lincoln had given her so long ago working its way out from under her shirt and dangling there in the light. Grabbing it quickly she tucked it back away before moving over to Murphy and nearly manhandling him to get his ribs wrapped up. "Damn woman, that hurts," he hissed as she spun him around this way and that.

"Serves you right for goading him Irish," she said as she finished up and shoved him right back where he came from. Murphy looked back as she picked up the door from the floor and shoved it into the opening, shutting it in the only way possible now. Murphy snickered a bit as he turned to go back to his room and looked for Cass. Turning Tasha snatched up what was left of her things and shoved them back into her bag.

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Location: Hotel
Interacting with: Desh/Claire@Lady Amalthea Amber @SouffleGirl123, Joel@Pundii

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Alcander played along with Joel's facetiousness, his thumbs on his belt straps as he swayed back and forth with a smug, satisfied look along with a wheezing voice to accompany the jest. "Yeah, I'm gettin' up thar." he replied. In truth, twenty four years old didn't seem like it would feel much different from twenty three. He felt quite touched that Desh even recalled it, especially from the night and morning he's had.

Al raised his brows at the proclamation that it was Cass birthday too. "Oh cool. We could make it a group thing-" as soon as the words left his mouth, he was regretting the suggestion. Merely a minute ago he was wanting his birthday to be a quiet one, but now... No, this might be good. It'll get you out in the open even more. You got all the time in the world to be by yourself. He shrugged to them as if to say his aloud suggestion would be cool with him, but it was no big deal.

Interacting with: Desh and Claire @Lady Amalthea, Joel @Pundii and Alec @POOHEAD189

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"Nice t' meet ya Claire," Amber replied, shaking her hand, "Yer Cass' bud, aye? She told me a bit about ye, haven' talked t' Murphy much yet. Busy fightin' he was," Amber told her, making a mental note of the girl's name, Claire probably wouldn't appreciate being called 'The lass whose name starts with C or K'. It probably helped the one telling her was changing the topic constantly, not that she had anything against her conversation with Cass all. At the mention of someone she knew Amber's face lit up slightly "An' how auld'll she be," she asks, awaiting an answer before turning her attention back to Alc

"24, aye? Gettin' auld, aren't ye? I shouldn' say that, that'll mean ay'll be auld in a year an' a 'alf, dun wan' that," she chuckles. At Alc's asking of her reason of coming to the hotel she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans giving him half a smile. "'Tis a long story, pal. Mainly for my job, ay suppose. Th' culchur here is jus' amazing," before she could go on Joel made himself known to her and Amber pulled her hand out her pockets to shake his. "Likewise," she replies, adopting the man's respectable tone. "Ye enjoying it so far?" she asks him.

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Hearing Claire's light-hearted warning, Joel smirked over in her direction and shrugged his shoulders idly. "Well, you could probably use some practice before your fight..." He grinned, amused by her comment before he turned his gaze over toward the other two. He nodded in agreement to Alcander's suggestion that they make the birthdays a group thing, he may have not known the two particularly well, or in Cass' case, at all, but he always enjoyed a good party, and Joel figured with this bunch around, it would be quite the interesting one.

He turned his gaze back toward Amy as she spoke back toward him, pleased that for once he could finally, very clearly understand what she was saying. Joel had partially expected her to speak and him to revert back to a dumb tourist with no knowledge of the language. But he was getting the hang of it, slowly. He shrugged his shoulders toward her question, chuckling as he glanced back toward Claire. "I am, though thanks to this one I haven't had much time to relax, showed up and got dragged out into the city, I still haven't even seen my room!" He'd chuckle heartily, turning back to Amy as he spoke. "Though everyone seems like good company so far, feels like it'll be fun trip."

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Claire chuckled a bit. Her brother had already managed to get into a fight while she was gone and now was upstairs with her bestie? Oh the temptation to run up there and bust into whatever little moment they could be having right then was nearly over whelming. Though she was quickly distracted by everything else going on. A combined party? That could work. Then Joel's words came to her ears and she smirked.

"Now don't tempt me Mr. Clean, I already's gots a busted rib and I gots a real fight this week. I'll kick yer ass later," she said with a smirk on her lips as she stuck her tongue out at him. "And trust me, if yer room is anything like mine you ain't missing anything..."

"Oh don't be so harsh on my wonderful establishment Miss McManus! Our good gentleman here is in a room on the first floor," Desh pipped in as he pulled the cloth from his head.

"And that means what exactly?"

"First floor rooms are fully refurbished. New everything, wonderful baths, cool air, the works," he said proudly.

Claire's eyes widened and she looked at Joel. "Oh fuck that! I am bunking with you!"

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Lincoln had sat in silence as Tasha helped Murphy, not wanting to say anything to aggravate the matter any further. He'd already done enough with his fight with Murphy in the courtyard. He silently watched as she shoved her things away and then swallowed the lump that had been threatening to close over his throat throughout the whole exchange. "Do you need any help cleaning up?" It was a weird question, stupid really, but it was all he could think to say considering she still hadn't responded since he had completely and utterly exposed himself to her in every way imaginable (except the dirty way because this is not the time nor place).

Tasha shook her head quietly as she finished putting up her medical supplies, she would need to restock at work tomorrow with all the patching she had had to do on herself, the child, Lincoln, and Murphy over the last twenty-four hours. Sighing she stood up and pushed her bangs out of her face before looking back over at Lincoln and sighing inwardly. She knew he was waiting for an answer but she wasn't sure how to put it. She had never expected him to come back into her life, especially not now when she thought she had finally placed that part of her life behind her; how wrong she was.

Stepping over to him she knelt in front of him and rested her hands on his knees. Looking up at him, it was obvious whatever she was about to see was not easy for her. Her eyes were flickering and there was a tremble resonating from her fingers. "You don't know what you are asking from me or of yourself. I... I can't ask that of you and if you knew why you would understand. It isn't something I could ask of you as a husband," she said as she looked away from those eyes of his that threatened to break through every last defense she had. "And certainly not of a friend..." she croaked out as she closed her eyes and swallowed the frog in her throat.

"We ended for a reason." His face crumpled and he turned away from her. He knew this was a possibility and despite building himself up to expect it, he still couldn't fully believe it. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, not again, not now. She knew why they had split up but she never truly told him why, not even that night so long ago....



Tasha stepped out of the cab she had called and told the driver to wait for her no matter how long it took. Turning she looked up at Lincoln's apartment building and swallowed the dried and pained lump in her throat. She knew this wasn't going to be easy but she felt in her heart it was the best thing for him. She couldn't put him through what she knew was coming and she refused to watch it tear him apart. Like with all things in her life she felt it was better to just rip the bandage off instead of picking it. It would be better this way, better in the long run. It would hurt but it was better to hurt for a short time than the rest of ones life.

Taking a deep breath she sent him a text from her phone as she walked up to the apartment as the thunder crackled off in the distance and the rain began to fall. "Can you come downstairs? I'm out front." It was all she sent through to his phone. She couldn't bring herself to go to his apartment to do this, to go inside. She doubted she would be able to go through it if she did. So she stood there in the rain as she tucked her phone into her back pocket, her ring catching on the edge of her jeans causing her to look down at it. She nearly lost everything she was trying to ice over right then. She didn't want to do this but she had to.

Lincoln sat upright when he heard his cell buzzing from his desk as he lay on the sofa relaxing like he hadn't a care in the world, which in this moment, he didn't. He was now engaged to the woman of his dreams and he felt, for the first time in his life, that he had an actual purpose in life. He was no longer just floating around and meandering through. He had something, someone, to focus his attentions on when he wasn't working and it felt great.

He jumped up and saw that it was a message from Tasha. His face lit up and he smiled wide before perking a brow in confusion as to why she wanted to meet downstairs. He looked out of the window and saw the rain streaming down the windows. Odd. He sent a quick message back while he slipped his boots on. "This is a lovely surprise. But, uh, it's pouring outside. Why not come up here?" He wasn't sure why she hadn't just came up and let herself in. A small pit formed in his stomach as he tied his boot laces.

The water drops fell from her lashes as she paced back and forth in the rain, her arms wrapping around each other as she waited for Lincoln to come downstairs. Feeling her phone go off she groaned inwardly as she pulled it out and looked to see that it was Lincoln. "I can't stay, just come down please." she typed out as her hands shook and sent it back to him. Sticking her phone in her pocket she started pacing again. Each moment that passed was more nerve racking than the one before.

Uncertainty washed over him as he received the text but then he figured she must just be having to go into work again and wanted to see him before she went in since he was off duty now. He smiled and sent a quick reply back. "Coming. Be there in two." He pocketed his cell, shrugged his arms into his wool trimmed jacket and then grabbed his keys before heading out and locking up. He practically ran down the stairs and beamed brightly when he saw her. He wondered why she hadn't came into the lobby but figured she must have had a cab waiting. But then, why wasn't she waiting in the cab? That feeling in his stomach returned.

She didn't pull out her phone again, just hitting off the notification and kept pacing. She could already feel her heart aching about what she had to do, her hand twisting her engagement ring around her finger; knowing she wouldn't have it much longer made it all the worse.

He stepped outside and blinked as the water hit his face, he walked towards her and held his arms wide opened to envelope her in a hug as he always did. "Hey beautiful. You rang?"

Turning around as she heard his voice she looked over to him, it was obvious she was distraught just from the expression on her face. As he held his arms out to her she took a reflexive step back. She couldn't let him hug her, she'd cave and she knew it. "Yeah, thanks for coming down," she said as she wrapped her arms around herself; closing herself off to him.

Lincoln stopped in his tracks and blinked, staring at her. Something was wrong. Very, very, very wrong. He withdrew his arms as she saw her closing off and a knot formed in his stomach, his chest constricted and his face dropped. "Uh yeah, no problem..." He watched her carefully, not sure what was happening but knowing that he did not like it one bit.

Tasha could barely bring herself to look at him, her heart aching in her chest. She was glad it was raining, if she let the tears that threaten to spill do just that at least they would be hidden by the storm. "I don't know how to say this so I'm just going to spit it out," she said, her voice cracking and forcing her to pause for a moment. She had to take a deep breath before she continued. "This can't work right now," she said quickly, barely looking at him before she turned her head away.

"What can't work right now?" His voice was emotionless. His face was blank. His arms were hanging limply by his side and his hair was now sticking to his face, his curls straightening out in the rain. None of this made sense, it was just a bad dream. He shifted his hands into his pockets and pinched his thigh. He winced and flinched from the sharp pain and he closed his eyes momentarily as he realised this was happening.

Looking down she wrung at her hands a few times. Looking as the rain drops hit the stones in her ring she slowly pulled it off; nothing had ever felt so painful as the empty feeling left behind where the ring had been. Holding it out to him, she couldn't look in his direction and kept her head down as the damp locks hid her features. "Us."

Lincoln looked down as she slipped her ring off and he frowned, shaking his head as he pulled his hands out of his pockets and wrapped his arms around himself. "No... n-no, nonono..." He hugged himself and took a step back from her as if she were offering him a knife to stab himself in the heart with which was exactly what this felt like - but worse.

"Why are you saying this?"

Tasha swallowed the pained lump in her throat ant took a step forward, still holding out the ring. "Because I have to. It.. it just can't work right now."

"I'm not taking it back." He stepped back again, further away from her and shook his head as he continued to hold himself.

"Please just take it, it isn't right for me to keep it," she said as she reached out to take his hand with her free one so she could make him take it back. She hated this, she loved him and wanted to be with him bit she knew she couldn't.

"No. If you can decide to just end things then I can decide to not take back the ring that I bought for you. Why would I want that thing around? To remind me that I was engaged for a whole week? No. Keep it. If this is your decision then you can live with the reminder." He backed away further from her. He was hurting, badly and now that it was sinking in he was beginning to bite.

Tasha nearly dropped the ring at his words, it felt like he had just ripped her heart out but she said nothing, her fingers just closing around it as she looked down. She knew she deserved it, she wished she could explain, maybe he would understand but she couldn't. He'd just refuse to let her go then.

"Miss! If we don't go soon you'll miss your flight!" the cab driver yelled. Tasha took a deep breath and held up her hand, motioning for him to give her just another moment. Looking back over to Lincoln she wished she could stop this but she couldn't, not now.

"I'm sorry.... Goodbye," she said weakly, a few tears spilling out as they were washed away in the rain.

"Flight? You're kidding, right? Tell me you're fucking kidding..."

Tasha could only shake her head as she slipped the ring into her pocket. She didn't know what to say and was afraid she would break if she did. Turning slowly she wrapped her arms around herself and started to walk towards the cab.

Lincoln stood there in the pouring rain, shaking his head as she turned and walked away. This was an absolute joke, it had to be. He ran forwards and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to turn around. "What is this? Why are you doing this?! Tasha... please..." The tears had held back so far but they were flowing now, his eyes were red, puffy and utterly bloodshot. His voice was that of a broken man and his grip was weakening before his hand dropped from her shoulder as the reality of the situation hit him like a damn tornado.

"Because you're fucking perfect and I'm not!" she yelled, trying not to cry but it didn't work. She had to get out of there before she broke. Pushing passed him she ran for the cab and jumped into back seat.

Lincoln stumbled backwards and fell onto his ass into a puddle on the side of the road as she shoved him. He was dripping as he stumbled his way back up onto his feet and sprinted towards the cab. "Tasha! TASHA WAIT!" The door shut and the cab pulled away, driving off with his entire life in the back seat. He slowed to a jelly-legged jog and then dropped to his knees at the kerb watching the tail lights disappearing into the mass of traffic. His head hung low and he cried, whispering to himself. "_{But you're perfect for me...}"



Tasha lowered her head as her fingers curled against his knees. The scar stretching out some as she crouched down between his legs, trying to compose herself. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Lincoln just sat there, shaking his head as the memories had flooded back to him. It hurt just as much now as it ever did, the only difference was she wasn't running away from him now, she was still here, in front of him. "Why?" His voice cracked as he let the word slip out.

Tasha couldn't lift her head, she just kept looking at the floor. "Because you deserved more," she croaked out.

His fingers reached out and idly traced the scar on her neck. "No. That's not what I asked. Why did you end us?" His voice was soft. Tasha shivered slightly before she stood up and looked at at the floor for a moment.

Tasha gazed over at Lincoln and stepped as far away from him as she possibly could. Her arms wrapping around herself as she looked away, unable to look into his eyes anymore. She knew he deserved to know but it wasn't easy for her; to admit everything she had done. To admit how scared she was, how much pain she went through, how alone she felt since the day she walked out of his life. How much she would have given anything to not to have had to. How she wished she could take it all back but knowing she wouldn't have just so he hadn't had to witness it first hand.

Swallowing hard she slunk down to the ground and pulled her knees to her chest. She started talking, telling him what had happened just before she left him, what had happened the year she was gone from the city. She told him everything, not moving or being able to bring herself to look at him as she did. If she was going to tell him, she couldn't stop; she just had to push through it as if she was ice.



"Dr. Brinne?" a voice said in a muddled tone that Natasha did not pick up on, her eyes looking out of the thinly veiled window and not really focusing on anything. Everything was a fog right then as she wrung at her hands, pulling her fingers slowly. She was trying to remember how to breath, how to blink, how to move. Had she really heard what she thought she had? Could this be real? No, it couldn't be. It was just a nightmare, she would wake up soon.

"Natasha!" the voice called out, this time much more clearly and she turned her head slowly, blinking a few times as her body remembered what breath really was.

"What?" was all she was able to squeak out to Dr. Joshi, her mentor at UCSFMC.

"I was saying we can start treatments today. With any luck we can do the surgery within the next month," he said, repeating himself yet again. It had been the third time in the last few minutes but he remained calm and understanding. He knew the news that he had just delivered her had turned her world upside down. It did everyone and he was genuinely surprised she seemed as calm as she did considering her history and her past.

"Oh..." she said looking down and running her finger over her engagement ring slowly as he continued to speak.

"You don't have to worry, we will take good of you here. Plus you know everyone, they will be very supportive of a fellow colleague. And I am sure your fiance will be as well." Natasha's eyes snapped up and she shook her head. "What?"

"Not here," she snapped in a firm tone as she leaned forward, grabbing the arms of her chair.

"Al...right. Well the only other hospital on the west coast that I would recommend is Justice Memorial. They have the best oncology department on this side of the country but that would mean that you would have to move, do you think Lincoln would be up for that?" he asked concerned. "I can talk to him for you."

"No, don't say a fucking word to him or anyone else about this. You hear me? Nothing. I don't want a hint of this on the gossip vine. If I do I will sue your ass so quickly it'll make your head whip around so fast it'll snap off," she hissed from behind her clenched teeth. Dr. Joshi leaned back and pulled off his glasses. That he hadn't expected but he nodded. He knew she meant what she said.

"Then what do you want me to do?" he asked as he closed her file and tossed his glasses on the folder.

"Transfer my case to Justice Memorial, I know someone there," she said as she stood up and shoved her hands in her lab coat pockets. Stepping over to the door she stopped for a second and looked over her shoulder. "And my internship. Consider this my notice," she added before walking out the door, it slamming behind her.

Natasha ended up wandering the halls for hours the rest of the day; lost in thought and trying to keep her wall of ice built up thick. She couldn't let anyone think anything was off. She couldn't let them know. The last thing she wanted was pity, she had seen people give it to her mother and how it drove her mother crazy during the end. She remembered the pain her mother went through, the pain her father went through, the pain she went through. When she recalled how she felt watching her mother go in and out of surgery, going through the radiation and chemo, watching her fade away to nothing she bolted into a janitors closet and collapsed as she began to hyperventilate. Her breathing labored as she grabbed her chest.

She went to wipe the tears that were streaming down her cheeks and her ring caught her soft skin. Pulling her trembling hand away she looked at it and had to close her eyes. She couldn't ask him to go through this with her, she couldn't put him through that. It was asking more than he bargained for. No one should have to go through something like that, she knew the pain first hand. She couldn't, she wouldn't ask that of him. Dropping her hand to her side she leaned against the wall and wept; balling up in the corner of the dark room which smelled of bleach and disinfectant.



That was just the first of many tears over the next year for Dr. Brinne. The next week she was gone, moving with no word to anyone but Dr. Joshi where she had left to. She didn't want anyone following her, especially Lincoln. She moved to Justice, got a small apartment and with the help of Dr. Chang managed to get a job at the hospital. Granted much of her time at the hospital was spent not as a doctor but at as patient.

She had to wait six weeks before she could have surgery, six weeks of Chemo and Radiation to try to shrink the tumor at the base of her brain. The way it caused her body to ache and burn sent her to sleep each night in tears. Her body wasting away as she looked in the mirror in the mornings. Each day she felt less and less like herself and each day she saw more and more of her mother in her own reflection. The ghost of the woman she had lost years before to the same disease. Each night she would curl up, her fingers wrapped around the key that hung around her neck, each treatment she would sit and run her fingers over the ring box.

Then the day of the surgery finally came. They didn't need to shave her hair away to get to her scalp; it had already fallen away. She remembered looking at the ceiling and closing her eyes; wishing she could see Lincoln right then but knowing it was best he wasn't there. She couldn't have fought through everything seeing the pain in his eyes as she deteriorated. She had never wanted to cause him any pain, for some reason he had thought she had been perfect; she wasn't and now it was etch on her sunken skin. When she awoke she found a pain she never had known possible; thinking to herself that nothing could ever be as horrendous as that moment, that it couldn't get any worse.

How wrong she was. More Chemo and more Radiation only amplified everything ten fold. She didn't go back to her apartment for another three months after the surgery. Complication after complication, another surgery to go back in and try to remove more of the tumor. She felt like she was dying, at one point she wished she would just fade away like her mother did. She didn't want to go through it all one more day. Not one more weak breath. Yet even through everything she went into remission. She couldn't go back yet though, she stayed in Justice for the remainder of her lease, working to catch up on what she had missed, to get her hours back up, to start looking like herself once again.

Eventually she moved back to San Fran and found a small apartment away from where she had lived before. She had regained some strength, some weight and her hair had grown in enough to cover the grotesque scar at the base of her skull. She was transferred back to UCSFMC to finish up her internship, with a note that she had done well in Justice. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the whole truth. She didn't like it but she still didn't want pity. She just wanted to keep moving and in the back of her mind she wondered if she could pick back up where she left off.

That was until she heard through the hospital grape vine that Lincoln had left the hospital; several telling her that he had run off with one of the nurses. Her heart sank but she figured it was for the best in the end. He had moved on. If she ever came out of remission could she really break his heart like that again? Would he have even taken her back if he knew she had returned? She doubted it. From that day forward she tried to move on. One night stands and such became a thing for a while. She tried another relationship but that ended horribly. Then her father died while she visited him for the first time in years, after his stroke he died in her arms and there was nothing she could do to save him. She had had enough.

When she finally finished her internship she was offered several jobs but Dr. Joshi's suggestion that she go overseas seemed to be the best out of a bad situation and she packed up; figuring that she was leaving that part of her world behind her forever. The day she left she had the cab drive her to the Italian restaurant where they had had their first date, wanting to see it one last time. Marco was there and while she didn't really say anything to him, before she left handed him a small box. "If you ever see him again..." was all she said before she walked out. She had bought the ring within the box the day after he proposed, hiding it away to give him on their wedding day but she knew that day would never come now. She didn't figure it mattered anymore and three hours later she was on her way to Jaipur...



Looking down at her hands as she pulled at them, she wondered if he had ever even gotten the ring. If he had, did he know it was from her. Taking a breath she swallowed, having explained now why she had left, why she had disappeared, why she couldn't ask that of him; she wondered if he could understand or if he would hate her. Maybe it would be best if he did, then he could move on. Reaching up she brushed the tears that had managed to push their way passed her defenses as her tongue ran across her dry lips. She didn't know what else to say, she doubted he wanted to hear her voice anymore after all that.

Lincoln stood up when she was done, slowly but winced slightly as he pulled himself up under all his own strength. He watched her, his eyes never faltering as he took in the sight of her. She was nervous. Good. Serve her god damn right. He watched her swallowing the lump that was no doubt threatening to spill up into her mouth. Her hand interrupted his gaze on her face and he saw her wiping away the tears that he had watched rolling down her cheeks. Her lips had dried and the moisture from her tongue was only a passing relief, Lincoln's eyes traced the line of those lips that he had dreamt of every night for the past year.

His nostrils flared as he breathed in, silently and steadily, his eyes still tracing her lips. "You had no right to make that decision for me." His tone was flat but so was his face. There was no hint of emotion there but the lines had been drawn. He wondered if Tasha would read between them or take them as they were intended even if that intent was not entirely clear.

"And what was I supposed to say. Hey sweetheart, I know we planned a life together but hey I have this huge brain tumor and I may die. Even if I don't what I am about to go through is going to be the hardest of my life and you are going to see him wilting away every day, watching me die. But hey, remember how I said I would never put anyone through what I went through watching my mother fade? Yeah, I am just going to let you go through it if you want," she said as she sniffled a little bit and wiped her nose with the back of her hands. She had told Lincoln how hard it had been watching her mother, even when she told him she broke down. Thinking about it now she nearly did. Thinking about the pain she went through made her bones ache and she wrapped her arms around herself. "My body, my choice."

"Yeah, sure, okay but I was just told that it was over and that you were moving away and that was it. I didn't get to know that you were sick. I didn't get to know that you weren't leaving me for nothing. I didn't get to know that you were leaving me for something and something monumental at that. You didn't even give me a chance to tell you that I would hate it, to let you go, but I'd do it and I'd wait for you, no matter the outcome. It would kill me not seeing you, but I would do it because it would be what you wanted." He never moved his gaze, his eyes keeping themselves trained on her face. "You never gave me a chance. My life, my choice but you took that from me."

Tasha's eyes narrowed as she turned to look at him, slowly rising from her spot. Her face went red with heated anger as she lowered her head but her gaze kept right at him. Them she yelled, but it wasn't just a yell. It was a blood curdling scream of words laced with anger, with hurt, and more than that, with down right loathing and hate. "It wasn't your fucking life that was on the line! It was mine! It was my choice! To decide if I wanted to put you through the worry of wondering every fucking god damn day if I was still alive or not. Do you think I needed that worry on myself? Yeah, it is fucking selfish but I don't give a good god damn! I protected you and I protected me. How dare you, how dare you try to play as if this should have been your choice to make! It is easy to say that now, when it is all said and done but you have no fucking idea how it feels when it is right in front of you! I do! I have been there! You fucking prick!"

The tears flowed, the lines of her features contorted into agony as she spat out her spiteful words. How dare he. He came here to find her. He came here to tell her he loved her. He sought her out! Pushing passed him she grabbed a file off her dresser and shoved it into his chest as she pushed him back. "Fine, you want it that way. Here you go. Now you know and you can take the first fucking plane back to the states! Let's see how well this sits now that you know why I am shoving you right back out of my fucking life but never knowing what the outcome is," she spat as she knocked the already damage door down and shoved him right through it into the hallway. Grabbing the door she picked it back up and slammed it into place. Turning around she looked for something, for anything to take her anger out on now that he was out of her sight but there was nothing. In the file was her most recent MRI, the tumor was back.

Lincoln let her shove him through, he didn't fight. She was allowed to be furious and he wasn't going to stop her. He fumbled with the file and stood in the hall, uncertain what to do. He opened it up and looked at it. An MRI scan... he looked at the date and his face fell. He slapped the file shut and threw it down the hallway in a rage. His hands balled up into fists and he turned and slammed them against the dodgy door, knocking it to the floor and he stepped inside, keeping his body weight on it so that she couldn't slam it on him again.

"Hit me."

Tasha spun around and looked at Lincoln as the door fell in. She stood there, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes locked with him, the tears streaming down her face without her moving. She wanted to hit something but she didn't want to hit him right then. Murphy slowly peaked his head out of Cass's room and his eyes looked carefully as he slowly stepped down the hallway to listen. Cass raised a brow but let him go check on his buddy, she was concerned at the screaming but didn't want to put her nose in where it didn't belong. Tasha screamed a lot, she didn't scream like this and he was worried. Tasha was trembling but she started to shake, violently even as her footing became unstable and then her eyes drifted close and she collapsed to the ground.

Lincoln dropped forward and made sure his hands were able to cushion her head as she fell to the ground like a falling leaf. "Tasha! FUCK! SOMEBODY HELP!" He only just barely managed to stop her head from cracking off the floor. Gently placing her head on the floor he scrambled forward like a damn monkey until he was kneeling beside her. He did the normal checks that Tasha had shown him all that time ago. Pulse, airways, breathing, temperature... fuck what else was he to check? He needed a medical professional. Good job he knew where at least one nearby hospital was. Murphy! Murphy would know where to go! "MURPHY YOU FUCKING BASTARD. HELP ME, PLEASE!" His voice was frantic, sure he'd been mad but he never expected her to be affected this badly...

Murphy rushed in, stopping as he looked at Tasha before rushing over to her mini fridge that she kept by her bed and a blood analyzer that was on top of it. He pulled out a small glass filled with clear liquid and a hypodermic needle. Pulling the cap off between his teeth he ran back over to Tasha and Lincoln, cradling her head in his lap as he started to draw the medicine from the vial as he spat the top out of his mouth. "The chemo last time wrecked her body. She has hypoglycemia now. We need to get her sugar levels back up." Grabbing her hand he let the little device prick her finger and waited for it to show him the levels. Seeing them he cursed. "Fucking hell Tasha, you didn't eat this morning did you?" he scolded her as he stuck her in the arm and pushed down the syringe quickly.

Lincoln looked down as Murphy did what he had to in order to make Tasha feel better and he just nodded and watched as he did what he had to. Lincoln obviously didn't know Tasha anymore, that much was clear. They'd been apart so long and so much had happened... He was a fool for coming here. He wasn't going to unpack, he was just going to stay a short while and then get a flight home when he could. She was right to have left him, he shouldn't have forced this all on her.

Patting Tasha's face, Murphy tried to get her to rouse but she wasn't. Tossing everything on the bed he began to check her. She was warm to the touch, more than she should have been. Then he did something odd, sticking his finger into her mouth. "God damn it," he said as he pulled his finger out and looked over to Lincoln. "Can you carry her or not?" he asked as he slipped her head off his lap and stood up, rushing around until he found the keys to her jeep.

"I... what? Yes. I think so." Confusion was plastered on his face and he struggled a little before getting a good grip on her and hoisting her up into his arms. It felt strange to have her so close to him again, to hold her. He made sure his grip was careful but firm and grunted under the strain and effort that it took to move her. She was light but his injuries made it more difficult. He watched Murphy running around and followed his lead out and down towards wherever Murphy was leading him.

"Good, watch the broken step," he said as he ran down the stairs and out the front of the hotel, still no shoes or shirt on. He rushed over to the hunter green jeep with the downed rag top covered in dust and hoped into the driver seat. The back was open, sans the medical supplies there. "Come on English, get in and hold on to her," he said as he started up the vehicle.

Taking great care on the stairs, not wanting to risk causing more damage to Tasha than he already had, Lincoln ran full pelt once he was on solid ground and followed Murphy to the jeep. He juggled his holding of Tasha and got them into the jeep and he kept her curled on his lap so he could hold her in safely. He buckled them in as best he could and looked to Murphy. "Thanks... How quick can we get there?"

"Not long, just hold on," Murphy said as he dropped it into reverse, the tires spinning and then shot it into gear and drove off down the street; shifting gears quickly. It seemed as if he had taken driving lessons from Tasha the way he weaved in and out of traffic. He didn't look over to see how Tasha and Lincoln were doing, just focusing on the road and yelling at anyone and everyone that got in his way.

---

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Location: Hotel
Interacting with: Desh/Claire@Lady Amalthea Amber @SouffleGirl123, Joel@Pundii

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Alcander could hardly keep the very amused smile off his face at Amber's accent. "I'm not 24 yet but I doubt it'll be much different than 23, I bet. Now 25 though, that'll be old as hell." he grinned, his eyes gazing at the group proper and not just one of them. It seemed his joint party idea had taken off. Now he'd just need to know if the Birthday girl was cool with it too. He wasn't sure if it would be a good or a bad thing either way.

The soon-to-be-24 year old blinked at Desh's proclamation of the downstairs rooms being newly refurbished and set up. "What?" he asked aloud. He didn't recall work being done, but then again he was either upstairs or out exploring the city. "Since when?" His question was incredulous as it should have been. He'd been here for over a month without this knowledge.

Then again, living upstairs was certainly an experience. Even bad experiences could be good ones, he supposed. He also enjoyed the view and didn't mind the heat. Still, the shower working consistently would be awesome. All of this was flowing in his mind, preoccupying him from party that was apparently in his future.

Interacting with: Desh and Claire @Lady Amalthea, Joel @Pundii and Alec @POOHEAD189

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"25 is jus' ancient," Amber jokes, her eyes continuously scanning over Alc, particularly the amusement in his eyes. The young Scot wondered what amused him so, however, the conversation of the group kept going next allowing Amber the time ti ask Alc about it

At Claire's mention of the state tthe rooms were in Amber couldn't help but chuckle. "Ye can say that again, Ah've only been 'ere for a couple o' hours an' Ah've already had a few accidents," she chuckles, not adding in the fact her clumsiness was most likely a catalyst in coming across these accidents early in her stay.

"Ye should renovate th' other rooms before Ay destroy somethin' already broken," she says to Desh, turning her attention to Joel without awaiting an answer from Desh.

"It's nice t' know yer enjoying yerself, this really seems like a great place t' be,"