___________________________________ โขโข โโโโโโโ โ๏ธ โข โ๏ธ โโโโโโโ โขโข ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ @Vicier โข ๐ด๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โข ๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โขโข โโโโโโโ โ๏ธ โข โ๏ธ โโโโโโโ โขโข โ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐ โข ๐ด๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โขโข โโโโโโโ โ๏ธ โข โ๏ธ โโโโโโโ โขโข โขโข โโโโโโโ โ๏ธ โข โ๏ธ โโโโโโโ โขโข โ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โโโโโ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ โข ๐ด๐ฃ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ (๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐)โโ โขโข โโโโโโโ โ๏ธ โข โ๏ธ โโโโโโโ โขโข ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โโโโโ ".. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐.. ๐ด๐๐๐๐.." โข "..๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐.. ๐ด๐ฃ๐๐.." "๐ผ๐๐" โข "๐ผ๐๐๐" โขโข โโโโโโโ โ๏ธ โข โ๏ธ โโโโโโโ โขโข ___________________________________ | After having made himself scarce and busied himself upstairs drawing up some new traditional tattoo draw-ups for his portfolio, he'd waited till he'd received an 'all-clear' message from Erin to even start on the bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich he had promised to make her. It was a good thing the walls of his tattoo parlor downstairs were soundproof; otherwise he'd demand that Erin pay for his therapy after gods only knew what went on down there while he was gone. With the reassurance that things had been kept to the tattoo chair where Tyler was promptly passed out in clothed, thank the gods, Ezra simply gave her a look before pulling all the supplies he needed to start on his siโ no; his forearm tattoo. Ezra hadn't bothered to wake Tyler from his deep slumber while he inked his arm, giving himself and Erin time to spill some metaphorical tea and discuss where things would be going for the two lovebirds from here. If the two had even discussed it, or had just... gotten down to business on finally cashing on all the ever-so obvious sexual tension that had been between the two of them for the last couple years. Once finished with the tattoo, Ezra sprayed down Tyler's forearm with the After Inked Ink Seal Spray before gently wiping it down to then wrap it up in some plastic wrap just as an added protection. Turning his gaze over to Erin as he sat back on his stool, Ezra quirked a brow at her with a little smirk. "So.. you ready for yours, then? Figure he's got a lot of sleep to catch up on. He'll keep. You wanna climb up on the table here and lay on the side you're not getting it on, for me?" Chewing, slowly, on the last bite of her second attempt at breakfast that morning; the daughter of Hades took her time in finishing what was in her mouth. Unable to bring herself to meet her best friends eyes for more than a few short seconds at a time as she rose from her perch. Having returned to it only when she was sure that herself and Tyler were decent enough for Ezra to return in the first place. Taking a moment to brush her palms down on her shorts, she crossed them over her stomach. Fingers curling around the hem as she made short work of removing the only article of clothing aside from her underwear and shorts, of course that sheโd pulled back on after her and Tylerโs spicy little encounter. Letting the stolen hoodie fall to the ground as she walked; Erin continued right past it. Arm lifting to wrap across her bare chest, giving herself at least a small bit of modesty not that she really cared about that stuff as she made to do as she was told. Lounging on her left side, with her right side facing up as she eventually managed to situate herself on the table. โ.. I, uhm.. I will pay to replace that chair.. promise..โ Ezra turned his back to her to allow her the time to get the hoodie off and situate herself properly while he set himself up with fresh supplies, filling his spray bottle with new cleanser and opening up a brand new needle out of a fresh package. It wasn't until he heard the creaking from the table stop, knowing that she'd settled in her spot, that he finally turned around to face her, setting up all of his supplies in front of her. A soft chuckle passed through his lips, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. You can keep it, though. I'll never look at it the same again." Another small chuckle left him as he pulled his stool up, sitting down at the edge of the table. Taking the spray bottle and some paper towels, he sprayed her side down and wiped it down firmly before picking up his tattoo gun to get to work. "So.. you excited for the season's first game of Cap the Flag later..?" Ezra tried to hold back a laugh, knowing she definitely was not looking forward to it, but he couldn't hold the corners of his lips curling up in a slight smirk at his teasing her. It was just something they did. Much like a couple of siblings, they constantly teased one another. For all intents and purposes, Erin Chase was most definitely like a faux sister to him. He had to fulfill his 'brotherly duties' by giving her a good ribbing every now and again. โ.. like Tartarus, I am.โ An unmistakable smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, despite however small it might have been, Erin couldnโt help but roll her eyes at the very obvious attempt at poking fun in her direction. Capture the Flag, much like every other physical activity the camp planned out, was simply not her thing. She hated it. With a vehement passion. And thus, whenever had the choice, the one she made was to always sit out on the sidelines, silently cheering for those of her friends who were brave or stupid enough to participate. Either that or she simply hid away in her cabin. Working on her art. It was a win-win in her book. โBut way to segue the subject.โ Chuckling softly, the dark haired girl closed her eyes. A soft, and more than content, sigh passing through her lips as she settled in for her most recent โtherapy sessionโ. "Thought I'd give it the old college try." Ezra smirked a bit, keeping his eyes on his work as he continued to ink her side, occasionally stopping to spray it down and wipe off the excess blood and ink. After just a little over an hour, Ezra had finished up free-handing the Deathly Hallows doe counterpart to Tyler's buck. While his was a blue gradient with the word 'protego', hers was a pink gradient with the word 'always'. Though he couldn't exactly wrap her side in plastic wrap, he did have large, clear, waterproof bandages to cover up her tattoo to keep it from getting dirty. She already knew the procedure. She'd let it breathe in a few hours as he reminded her every so often. Today wasn't one of those times, though. Instead, he sat back on his stool with a small smile. "This is a good look on you, you know," motioning behind him to the boy who he could hear still sleeping behind him, his eyes remained focused on hers. "I know you know, but.. he's good for you. He barely got here this morning and already you feel so much more relaxed, and just your aura alone when he's around... It's cute as fuck, Er." Ezra chuckled softly, folding his arms over his chest with a slight head tilt at her as his smile grew a little bit wider. "You wanna wake up your loverboy..? Wouldn't want him to oversleep.. and I gotta get a picture of your guys' tats together." โ.. I know itโs cheesy as all hell to say, but..โ Hesitating a moment, Erin let her dark gaze drift over her, for the best of wording, brotherโs shoulder. The warm Earthen hues settling upon Tyโs sleeping figure in the chair behind him a moment before she finally tore them away. Bringing her attention back to Ezra as she sat herself up over the table, โEz.. I havenโt felt like this before. Ever. When heโs here, I feel.. complete, and when heโs not.. Well, you know firsthand how I get. But even when heโs not around I-.. sometimes, even for a moment, I consider chasing after him..โ Drawing her lower lip into her mouth, she trapped it between her teeth. The admission hanging between them in the comfortable silence, only broken by the gentle breathing of Tyler as he continued to catch up on the sleep that heโd been missing. It almost felt a shame to wake him up; but she knew she couldnโt let him stay like that. And if he was still tired by the time theyโd returned to either of their cabins, well.. There was nothing stopping him from taking a nap if thatโs what he wanted to do. Finally breaking her eyes from Ezraโs; it was half a beat later that Erin slid herself down from the table sheโd been posted on. Arm once more wrapping across her chest to cover it up as the balls of her feet hit the ground. Carrying her over to where sheโd left the literal love of her life. And reaching out towards him, Erin ran her fingers gently through his hair. Pushing it back and off his face before switching to giving his shoulder a light shake, โ.. Ty.. itโs time to wake up. Ezraโs finished..โ Inhaling deeply, Tylerโs eyes lazily fluttered open before he was taking in his surroundings, his eyes connecting with Erinโs soft hazels. A soft smile spread across his face as he shifted in his seat, stretching himself out with a soft groan that quickly got cut short when he found himself catching Ezraโs gaze. The slight chuckle from the son of Deimos had Tylerโs face burning bright red, averting his gaze from Ezraโs to meet back with Erinโs. A shy smile slowly pulled at the corner of his lips as he stared up into her eyes. โHow long have I been o-โ Catching the shine from the plastic wrap on his arm, he glanced down to look at the new ink on his forearm, smiling wide. โOh. Shit,โ he chuckles softly, peeking over at Erinโs side to check hers out. โWow. I mean, as always, it looks great.โ Tyler peeked around Erin again โ this time on purpose โ following Ezraโs movements as he started putting everything away. โThank you, man.โ โ.. Come on. Ez wants to get a photo for his portfolio.โ Touch having slipped from his shoulder, Erin instead let it linger against his chest. Her eyes holding onto his a few moments longer before she eventually let them fall away, a light blush coloring her cheeks. Motioning lightly for him to follow, she stepped away from the chair altogether. Taking a few steps back before turning around to glance over at Ezra. Watching on as he cleaned up his gear, โ.. anywhere in particular that you want us..?โ Tyler nodded, quickly standing to his feet to follow her lead, stretching himself out with a soft little groan before glancing between the two. With Ezra's back still turned to them, and Erin's now facing him as well, Tyler stepped up just behind her to slip his hands over her hips tenderly. With his hands on her, he leaned in to nuzzle her at the crook of her neck with a shy little grin, lightly kissing her neck before pulling his eyes up to meet the back of Ezra's head to await his answer to her question so he could move accordingly. Tossing away the last of the wrapper trash into his designated waste bin, he then made sure all his cabinets and drawers were closed before turning around to face the couple. Looking them both over for a minute, he turned his head and motioned towards his desk, already moving to get out of their way so they could then follow him. "Over here, and uh.. stand just like that, but Tyler, if you could just extend your arm out so that your ink's together? I think this desk light will light it up nicely." His touch was like fire. Heat rising under the surface of her skin, spreading through every inch of her body with each gentle caress setting her alight. Gods.. how was she going to survive this..? He was driving her insane. Sheโd dabbled, sure. On occasion. And while sheโd never tried heroin, she was pretty fucking sure this was what it felt like. Tylerโs touch was just so inexplicably desirable, and by Dionysus, she was glad to be an addict. Lips parting slightly as she felt his gentle kiss against her neck; Erin found herself reaching her free hand across her body. Fingers curling lightly against the back of his hand. Though at the sound of Ezraโs voice cutting through her current train of thought; she turned her head. Looking over to where he was motioning for them to stand. Over by the desk; tattooโs together. Simple enough. โ.. you got it..โ Dark eyes drawing up to gaze towards the gorgeous blues, hand slipping into his, the daughter of Hades laced her fingers with Tylerโs. Giving his hand a gentle squeeze before she began leading him over to the desk. Turning around to face him completely only once they stood by it; Erin closed what little gap was left between them. The arm giving her even the smallest bit of modesty falling away as she pressed her body flush against his. Her bare chest resting against his chest as she lifted her hand, laying it gently over his shoulder, โ.. hold your arm down by my side.. Mio..โ The dark-haired boy held Erin's eyes for what seemed like forever before he finally came back to life, smiling sheepishly at her as he nodded and complied with what she had asked him to do. Dropping his freshly inked arm down beside her, his other arm wrapping around her, fingers curling around her midsection hesitantly. It was almost immediate-- her correction of his hand position -- gently moving his hand up from her middle to instead cup over her breast, providing her with a bit more modesty than just pressing herself against him. Tyler could feel the heat throughout his face, all the way out to his ears. He started to say something, almost a form of an objection -though what could he possibly object to..?- but Erin's voice and smile, soft and reassuring, stopped him dead in his tracks. "..it's okay, Mio.." He held her eyes for a few quiet moments before nodding, offering a soft smile of acceptance, readjusting his hold on her with a bit more confidence this time. The son of Hermes continued to hold her gaze, though he loved looking into her hazel eyes, it was primarily so he didn't have to meet Ezra's. Erin and Tyler had had plenty moments of closeness before, but never this close. Not like the kind they'd shared today. Gods only knew how much it was killing the both of them to be this close and have to restrain themselves. Tyler didn't know a thing about drug use (Unless you're one of those who considers weed a 'drug'... you fuckin yuppie ) .. but hyperfixations..? ..boy he was fixated alright. It didn't take long for Ezra to grab his camera off of his desk, readjusting the light as he saw fit to best cast it onto the couple and their respective tattoos. Taking a long moment to mentally kick himself in the ass look over their tattoos, he reached back to set his camera down with a shake of his head before returning back to the two demis before him. "I'm not sure who's suffering more from lack of sleep. Tyler or myself," he joked as he gently pulled the tape from the coverings he'd placed over both of their tattoos. "Really should have waited on these until after I took the picture. Sorry guys." Setting all of the coverings aside, he once again grabbed his camera up to take a photo of their tattoos together, counting down from 3.. 2.. 1.. snap..! โข "That's it. Alright guys, uhm.. don't move. Lemme just," Ezra cut himself off then, moving around the two to instead set his camera down on the padded table to grab out the Second Skin wrap once more to cover their tattoos back up. The son of Deimos grabbed up Tyler's Erin's hoodie before wandering back over to her and Tyler. Dropping the hoodie off on his desk, he turned back to the son of Hermes first and began to put a second round of Second Skin over his forearm to cover his tattoo before doing the same with Erin's side. "Alright you two. You're all set.." With that, Ezra gave Erin a slight smirk just before wandering off back to his tattoo corner to finish getting a few things set back in order. Ezra was speaking. She knew he was. She could hear the unmistakable sound of his voice, muffled, as though from a distance. But with her eyes locked so firmly like they were with those of the man holding her, it was like she was trying to listen to him through water. The words were there, sure, but they werenโt really breaking through. And when they finally did, it was only because she felt her friend's hands once more moving against her body. Reapplying another second skin in order to help protect her fresh ink. The seam of her lips parting; it was with effort that Erin tore her gaze from Tylerโs. Her dark gaze falling first to her side before, after a moment, they flicked back up to meet with Ezraโs. Seemingly just in time as, with the wink aimed her way, she felt a warmth flood her cheeks. She was never going to hear the end of this one.. โ.. grazie.. Esdra..โ Despite the fact that heโd seen them before for the love of Zeus; heโd seen them not even ten minutes ago; Erin remained where she was. Waiting until her friend had turned his back before she, reluctantly, pulled away from Tyler. Retrieving the hoodie from the desk so she could pull it on. Attention returning to her now boyfriend as she lifted her hand, tugging the hood back and off her head. Boyfriend.. Gods.. that was going to take a little getting used to, โ.. you, uh.. you ready to go..?โ Tyler couldn't tell you what had him in such a daze. The lack of good sleep, or the events that happened in the last few hours since he'd gotten back home. Both..? Both? Both. Both is good. As Erin moved away from him to retrieve and put his hoodie back on, his arms dropped to his sides while his eyes were fixated on the lamp on Ezra's desk. Why was it so damn bright..? It wasn't until Tyler heard Erin's voice ringing in his ears that he finally came to, zoning in on her hazel eyes as they stared back at him. To be completely honest, he hadn't heard what she said, though whatever it had been, it sounded like it had been in the form of a question. With a gentle nod, Tyler looked around and grabbed up his own shirt and hoodie, slipping them both on one at a time as a deep yawn hit him. Looking between the son of Deimos and the daughter of Hades, Tyler chewed at his lower lip a moment before asking a quick question of "We good?" to which Ezra simply flashed the boy a smirk and nodded over his shoulder, throwing up a departing "peace" sign before turning back to his work and a quick "Get some sleep, Ty," called over the young man's shoulder. Tyler's eyes once again met with Erin's, holding his hand out to her as a sleepy little boyish grin pulled at the corners of his lips. And that was all it took. One look at that gorgeous, gorgeous, lopsided grin of his, and Erin found herself melting faster than ice that had been left too close to the camp's forge. The corners of her own lips tugging up, if just slightly, into a bashful smile. By the Gods, this man.. His smirk - that broad, ear-to-ear smile that lit up his handsome features and the world around him.. it was pure perfection. Extending to his eyes, and reaching all the way down to his soul. She loved it. Anytime he showed her that irresistible Cheshire grin.. all she wanted to do was be his Alice. Hand reaching forward, palm smoothly sliding into place against his; Erin laced their fingers together. Her cheeks taking on a gentle shade of red, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze, โ.. letโs get out of here..โ |
___________________________________ โขโข โโโโโโโ ๐ โข ๐ฝ โโโโโโโ โขโข ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โข ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐ @Apoalo โขโข โโโโโโโ ๐ โข ๐ฝ โโโโโโโ โขโข โ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐ โขโข โโโโโโโ ๐ โข ๐ฝ โโโโโโโ โขโข โ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โโโโโ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ โข ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐โโ โขโข โโโโโโโ ๐ โข ๐ฝ โโโโโโโ โขโข ___________________________________ | Fuck that mud puddle. Fuck that mare. Fuck. The newest filly that Tyler James had tasked his son with breaking was, truly, a rank bitch. They'd spent weeks.. weeks... doing ground work, and today was the day she was going to have her first ride with an actual rider. Aurelio being the lucky winner between himself, Colter and Morrigan who Rock, Paper, Scissor'd for the pleasure of breaking her in. He had held on with everything he had in him, but none of it mattered. In record timing within only minutes of having jumped on her back, he was down in the mud. In the last few years that Reli had been helping his father on the ranch to break new blood that came through their rescue, this was a first that had successfully thrown him within moments of mounting. An hour's worth more of getting back on, getting thrown off - luckily with much better dismounts than the first initial throw - and getting back on to continue the process until both the mare and the boy were covered in mud and sweat, chests heaving and nostrils flaring. He had to admit, even his own stallion didn't have as much spirit in him as she did. The little filly had gained Aurelio's respect by the end of it all. The boy let one of the two Hands that were standing around watching to take her off to go be cleaned up and the other to take care of the tack that would also need tending to, Reli made himself scarce to the bunkhouse where he would rinse off the filth that covered him and change into some fresh clothes. Normally, after work like that, Reli would go on an off-trail โtrailโ ride with Baron to reset himself, but today was different. Today heโd have to go without it. Both of them would. Knowing his stallion, Baron would probably give him a workaround the next time he was able to take him out for missing out on their usual routine. Gods forbid the boy skipped their routine. The horse could be hell on four hooves when he wanted to be. As bad as Aurelio felt for skipping out on their routine, he didnโt feel too bad. With the promise of booze, food and good music.. Who could really feel too bad about anything, really? Not to mention the fact that Kassandra Arvantis was hosting the party. Aurelio and his sister were some of the few Juniors who were even invited to go, as it was mostly a party for the Senior Class of 2025. Once Reli had finished pulling on his Hey Dudes, he quickly stood up from the Bunkhouse table and dusted himself off, making sure there wasnโt a single horse hair on his fit before exiting the Bunkhouse. Pulling out his phone, he quickly sent a text to Colter as he wandered off towards the dirt lot where everyone typically parked their vehicles, making his way to Colterโs truck. Once there, Aurelio popped the tailgate down and hopped up, sitting himself comfortably on the back of the truck to wait for his friend so they could head back down the mountain for the party. โThat's it Eclipse, nice and steady. I already ran you today." Leaning down to pat his friend on the side of the head Colter Burnett smiled widely and then raised his arm to wipe his forehead with the clothed crook of his arm. It was a hot day in California and the boy had just finished riding the trails and checking on a few locations to make sure the guided tours would be safe. It was a routine thing and something Colter normally did when he wasn't the one breaking in the newest horse of the ranch. Not that Colter really minded, he found it to be quite enjoyable and it never took him that long, the horses seemed to have a weird connection to him that he could never really explain. Letting Eclipse walk herself towards the stable, Colter let himself just close his eyes and enjoy the feeling of the sun on his face and the smells of a ranch hit him. He absolutely loved it. And while California wasn't quite Texas it was close enough to home that it made Colter's heart swell and a calmness go over him. A calmness that was broken as he glanced over to some of the hands who were struggling with a filly. Colter recognized the horse as the one that Reli had been assigned to and Colter smirked, it looked like it had probably been quite a breaking session. Wandering over, Colter nodded politely to the hands and then gently pressed a hand onto the filly, right on the neck, eyes locked on the horse's own. โShhh, it's ok. It's all done. You're fine, it's fine. Shhhh." The horse began to calm instantly, and as Colter stepped back with a large smile on his face he just barely heard the younger hand whispering about Colter being a horse whisperer. Not bothering to say goodbye to them, Colter just headed towards the main Ranchhouse, the smirk on his face wider than before. He throws a wave to the two at the front desk and goes towards the back where he and another 6's staff member operate out of. As liaisons they only had or needed the small workspace and Colter very rarely was in the room for an extended time, usually coming in as he did now to check e-mails, return phone calls, and pay some bills. With a sigh, Colter handles his paperwork and then glances down at his phone as it dings. Smirking, Colter stands and gives a big stretch before closing and locking the door behind him and heads back out of the Ranchhouse and towards his truck. He arrived to see Reli sitting on the back and threw an empty bottle of water at him that he just finished. โAyo, ready for the party Junior?" It was a multi-level joke and Colter winked at the other boy before unlocking his truck and jumping in. Aurelio rolled his eyes and nodded, hopping off the tailgate before putting it up, rounding the truck's back end to hop in on the passenger side. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he clipped himself into his seatbelt and adjusted himself in his seat as he turned his deep blue eyes over to Colter. โThereโs never a time where Iโm not ready to get fucked up, Cowboy.โ The younger boy laughed, bringing his phone screen to life before unlocking it to send a quick text to his brother asking if they might still need anything for the party. He would have messaged Kassandra, but gods only knew she was already stressing over the whole event and didnโt need to be distracted. Acting host to a party he knew she would never have headed on her own without influence. He wouldnโt bother her with more bullshit. There was never a time he wasnโt ready to bother his older brother. It was his duty to do so, after all. Once the text was sent, Aurelio dropped his phone into the cup holder below the truckโs radio before rolling his window down, letting his arm hang out from it as he reclined back into his seat. His attention now back on the boy who sat beside him in the driverโs seat. โYou uh.. you participating in any festivities tonight, or are you gonna be a D.D.?โ His hand going to turn on the radio, Colter leaned back and stretched, a quick groan and satisfying pop sounding just as the sound of the Country Top 100 charts came from the radio. He glanced at Aurelio as he put the truck in reverse and shook his head. โIโll have a few drinks, Iโm not afraid of them. But Iโll have precious cargo in the car tonight so Iโll probably stick to one or two depending on the time. You? If you donโt have a D.D Iโm sure me and Niko wonโt mind you โcrashingโ in the back of the truck to take you home.โ His smirk could be โheardโ as Aurelio knew him that well. Looking both ways as he pulled out of the ranch and onto the public streets proper, he listened for Reliโs reply even as his mind started racing. He couldnโt wait to see Niko. It was strange, he had waited for five years. Five and a half really and now even hours without him seemed to make things difficult. He didnโt want to be creepy, or clingy but he couldnโt help his feelings. That feeling that everything just was made better by the presence of the other boy. Reli shook his head and smirked, giving the other boy a quick smack with the tips of his fingers. โI donโt intend on getting that fucked up tonight, but.. whatever happens happens. Supposedly Kaelahโs got somethinโ special for me to try tonight.โ Speaking of Kaelah.. Reli would have mentioned that if anything, he was sure Kas wouldnโt mind if he passed out on the couch and spent the night there at her placeโฆ but knowing Kaelah and her awareness of certain things, it might cause them to have problems later. He wouldnโt, nor could he, blame her though. He was the one who was currently making things complicated between them. With a heavy sigh, Reli sunk back into the truck seat and zoned out into his phone as he scrolled through video reels on Instagram for a majority of the drive. That is of course until they lost service going down the mountain, or when Colter would strike up further conversation with the boy. Nearly two long hours worth of a drive from Zephyros Creek to Naples. Though Aurelio never really minded a long drive, and quite enjoyed them, today he wished it could speed by a little quicker. He was excited to see and hang out with a few familiar faces at the party tonight. There was a brief look of concern as Reli mentioned Kaelah and โsomething specialโ but it wasnโt his place. The two of them, Reli and Kaelah, existed as a conversation that could always be tricky to navigate. It was rocky and not something that Colter, even as one that considered Reli a younger brother, wanted to broach. He noted the heavy sigh and then focused on the road. The more mountainous terrain kept Colter on guard more than the simpler roads leading back into the city, and so for the most part the ride was filled with nothing but the various country songs from the radio. There was some brief back and forth about work, and which horses were doing better than others, some quick discussion about the derby races and which jockeyโs were doing the best, but overall it was quiet. As they reach the city though, even Reli would be able to sense the excitement and restlessness rushing through Colter. The Texan didnโt even pick up on Reliโs desire for the trip to end as he himself was driving a little moreโฆ aggressively than usual. โRight, weโre almost there. If you need anything later afterwards, seriously just give me or Niko a call. We wonโt mind coming to pick you up. Deal?โ He wanted to be clear that Reli could always come to him if he needed and while Colter was looking forward to spending some time with Niko, Reli was important. The Junior couldnโt help but laugh a little, nodding in agreement with his friend. โYes father,โ he mumbled with heavy sarcasm, flashing the other boy a smirk as he dodged a playful swipe at him followed by another laugh. As they started nearing Kasโ house, the dark-haired boy sat up a bit straighter, eagerly awaiting the party that had already started without them. Pulling his phone back out from his pocket, he sent a quick text out to Kaelah, smiling a bit down at his device before shoving it back into his jeans.
Rolling his eyes, but content that Reli got the message, Colter focused on navigating the roads as he honestly never trusted people that drove in the City. It was a feeling he figured that would never leave him. Big cities just made him feel trapped and he much preferred the large open fields of a ranch. But he was adjusting and there were some positive things that came from moving to LA. One in particular invaded his mind just as he turned onto Kassโs road and a goofy smile went to his face as he cleared the daydream and looked for a place to park. It seemed that they were fashionably late, which made sense considering the two hour trip but Colter was still able to find a decent spot and as he shifted into park and turned the truck off he smirked over to Reli. โThanks for driving with Colter Enterprises, do make sure to leave a tip and review.โ Chuckling, he got out and headed towards the party house which was already blasting music. โOh, and over/under for how long it takes for a noise complaint.โ Aurelio rolled his own eyes at his friend, smirking as he hopped out of the truck to jog after him. Of course, Reli was much faster on his two feet than the Burnett boyโฆ racing him to the front door, he placed his hand out to stop his friend before he could reach the door himself. With a slight smirk, he reached his other hand out and held the doorbell for a 2-beat before knocking on the door loudly with his middle finger knuckle. Dun dun-dun-dun-dun ..dun-dun. |
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___________________________________ โข โโโโโโโ โขโข โ โขโข โโโโโโโ โข โ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข @Sugar and Spite ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ณ๐ ๐ป๐๐๐ [ @self ] ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐ @Vicier ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โข โโโโโโโ โขโข โ โขโข โโโโโโโ โข โข โโโโโโโ โขโข โ โขโข โโโโโโโ โข โ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โโโโโ โโ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โข โโโโโโโ โขโข โ โขโข โโโโโโโ โข ___________________________________ | โขโข โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โขโข โ โขโข โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โขโข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. โขโข โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โขโข โ โขโข โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โขโข There had been a solid hour where the son of Poseidon had laid in bed beside a sleeping Lilith Montgomery, quietly scrolling on his phone while watching her sleep every so often when she stirred. When he finally decided she was deep enough in her slumber that he could slip out, though, he climbed out of bed and got himself dressed for the day to hopefully be able to make it at least for the tail end of stable chores. Making sure Lil was covered up with a light sheet and had the movie playing from the beginning for some background noise; because gods only knew how much ruckus would be happening all over Camp today. Hopefully the movie would help with that. Kissing softly at Gelert who immediately got up from his resting spot at the foot of the bed and heeled to Greyson, padding along next to the young man as he exited the bedroom and headed for the front door. Greyson had just emerged from the run between two cabins when he could just make out what looked like Killian carrying someone towards the Infirmary. What in the hell happened at the stables, now? Shaking his head to himself, Greyson picked his pace up to a light jog and attempted to flag Killian down. As Greyson got closer, he was able to identify the injured girl in his arms. It was Erin's cousin Dany. "Hey, what happened? I was just heading over." The son of Poseidon didn't want to hold them long, but he at least wanted to see what had happened and if there was anything he could do to help, though it seemed as though Killian had a handle on things. "I can't imagine you sustained that injury riding Shi..?" Looking between the two before him, Greyson raised a brow slightly. Greyson knew Dany was a fairly decent horseman and always had a handle on Shiok, but Greyson wasn't about to assume it was out of the realm of possibility that the horse might've been feeling a little extra spicy that morning. The horse sure had a lot of spunk in him, especially for a gelding. It was humiliating enough that Killian, and hell.. the whole camp, had to see the tears streaming down her face. Dany turned her head away from Grey as he approached the two campers, shaking her head when he asked his question about her horse, though she didn't make any effort to make any verbal response. The girl simply secured her arms around Killian's neck and buried her face between her arm and the crook of his neck, chewing on her lip as she tried to dry up what remained of her tears quietly. The sound of the familiar voice hit his ears, and Killian stiffened. Fucking great. That was just what he needed right now- just what Dany needed. More of an audience than they already had. Jaw clenching as the son of Poseidon closed ranks with them; he turned his body on a slight angle. Holding her at a slight distance from the other boy as he responded. โSheโll be fine- sheโs with me.โ The bite in his tone faltering slightly, Killian found his thoughts distracted as the woman in his arms buried herself in against him. A softness drawing over his features as he gently adjusted his hold over her. A soft sigh passing through his lips as, like he had before, he attempted to keep his emotions under control. His voice calmer as he once more spoke, his gaze returning to Greyson, โ.. This didnโt happen at the stables; but she did manage to make her way there. Iโll fill you in later, but for now Iโm taking her to the infirmary. Donโt expect me back; Iโm not leaving until Iโm satisfied with her care. I got most of the work done, itโs just the little things left.โ "Alright," Grey adjusted his gaze to Dany as he gently reached over, placing a tender hand on her shoulder. "Rest well, Dany." The young man nodded to Killian as he retracted his hand, stepping away from the two before he began to make his way to the stables once more. Greyson stopped at the stable entryway, staring down at the trail of blood that led out from Shiok's stall and out towards the infirmary. With a heavy sigh, the son of Poseidon pushed past the first few stalls around the corner to the hose, turning the knob to let the water run, pulling the hose out and down the hallway to begin hosing down the stable floors of the blood. 'Hey.' Greyson didn't bother turning his head or even moving his eyes from his task. He knew the voice that was trying to get his attention well. Shiok. "What, Shi?" the young man mumbled, pushing the blood down the hall towards the drain in the center. He could hear the horse behind him moving restlessly in his stall, looking over his shoulder to see the gelding sticking his head up over the gate to meet Grey's gaze. 'Where is she? She smelt like death. Is she dead? Where i-' Greyson cut the hose off then, turning to fully face the horse from where he stood halfway down the hall of stable doors. "Shiok, she'll be fine. I promise. And.. 'smelt like death', really? You've never had the displeasure of smelling what that smells like. Stop being so dramatic." Greyson couldn't help but smirk, reaching over to turn the water off before starting to wind the hose back up on the wall. "She was quite hurt, but we have healers here at Camp that will help her. She'll be fine, mate." Around the corner and out of the view of the gelding, Greyson popped open the large bin where they kept the grain, reaching in to grab a large handful before closing it back up again. Stepping back out in full view of the horse, who all but seemed to have forgotten all about his girl at the prospect of grain, Greyson chuckled as he held his hand out to let the gelding mouth his open palm and take in all the grain he had to offer. Gently rubbing the horse's velvety nose, he looked around to see what all had been done on the inside before he worried about what needed to be done on the outside. Taking a quick peak inside Shiok's stall, it seemed his hay had been replaced, his water trough had been refilled, and his bedding had been changed out as well. And a flake of alfalfa? That had to have been Malia's doing. Girl was always a softy with the horses. Parting ways with the gelding, he went down the line and checked all the stalls to be sure none of them had been missed. Everything seemed to check out nicely. All that seemed to be left was to turn them out to pasture for the day. Greyson trailed back up one side before coming back down toward the pasture let out, unlatching all of the stall doors before sliding them open, though the horses behind each door waited patiently for him as they always did. It was an understanding they'd grown to have, him with each and every one of them; though his godly abilities obtained from his father really helped out with it all, still. Once he'd gotten back around to the front end of the stalls, he stood out of the way and called each of the horses out one-by-one by name. After the last of them exited the stables, Greyson stepped into the middle of the doorway to watch them disappear around the treeline and out to pasture where they'd stay till the late afternoon before being brought in for the night. |
___________________________________ โขโข โโโโโโโ โฝ โ โพ โโโโโโโ โขโข โ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ โข ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ (๐ต๐๐๐๐๐) ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐ฟ๐๐๐ โข ๐๐๐๐๐ โข, ๐๐๐๐๐ & ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โขโข โโโโโโโ โฝ โ โพ โโโโโโโ โขโข โขโข โโโโโโโ โฝ โ โพ โโโโโโโ โขโข โ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐โโโโโ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐๐ (๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐) ๐ท๐๐๐โโ โขโข โโโโโโโ โฝ โ โพ โโโโโโโ โขโข ___________________________________ | โขโข โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โฝ โ โพ โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ โขโข ๐น๐พ๐๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ ๐๐ป ๐ฎ๐๐๐พ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ถ๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ โ The turkey legs. God the turkey legs were ๐ฅ. The carnival had gone off without a hitch. It had been quite a blast, and while Malcolm had spent most of the time alone throughout the festivities, he managed to catch up with an old friend of his he hadnโt spoken to since the previous year. He even shared a few moments with his father before everything was all said and done. Malcolm was probably one of the few teens who wasnโt against spending time with his dad in public. Then again, the fact that his father was his biggest defender when it came to his transition probably was a big percentage of that, but that was neither here nor there. Though the first day of the year was finished, the festivities were long from over. A party set at Kassandra Arvantisโ house would be popping off later that night, Malcolm was still unsure if he was going to go or not. To him, a night in with his newly adopted puppy and his cat Calcifer was all he really needed. Then again, how could he turn away from the invitation to get shit-faced drunk. For free..?! ..okay, maybe not shit-faced, but definitely wouldnโt be holding back on the shots. That is, if he did decide to go after all. For now, the plan was simple. Head home with his third half-eaten turkey leg that heโd saved for his furbabies, take River for a nice walk down by the beach, and return to the house to binge-watch one of his comfort shows, like Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, The 100, Game of Thronesโฆ or maybe Star Wars. Hell. You could never go wrong with Star Wars. Malcolm looked up from his phone, having doom-scrolled long enough on it while his father was going over his lesson plans for the following week, which he was still intently looking over. With a nonchalant suck of his teeth, the boy pushed himself up from the chair heโd been sitting in at the desk across from his dad, stretching himself out before giving him a half-assed grin. โAlright dad. Iโm gonna head out,โ reaching over to snag the paper bowl his turkey leg sat in, he spun on his heels and headed for the door. โDonโt stay too late.โ โDonโt wait up for me.โ Malcolm pushed the door open, pausing just outside of the office as he cast a look back inside. โIโm gonna take River for a walk when I get home. Iโll take Titan with me, too. If you want..?โ The simple nod given in response was all he needed, letting the door close as he stepped away he almost nearly missed the โthank youโ that his father called after him. Shoving his phone into his pocket, Malcolm glanced around a bit as he debated which way he wanted to take to the South parking lot. Only being just outside of the Boyโs Locker Rooms, it would have been much more convenient for him had he parked in the North parking lot. Something he really should have thought about this morning, but oh well. A problem for another day, I suppose. With a heavy sigh, Malcolm pushed forward and headed for the front gate before taking the long walk down the sidewalk to the South parking lot where heโd parked his 2000 Honda Civic. For a 24-year-old car, the thing ran like it was practically brand new. Not that he knew very much about maintaining vehicles, but his father did. Malcolm knew enough to get by. Minor fixes and simple maintenance he could handle. Anything past maybe having to change a tire, changing his oil, or checking fluids? That was his dadโs job. Not that it would be for long.. of course, Malcolm planned to learn more about how to keep up his vehicle, but the final year of his high school career held more priority than anything. Schooling first. He had plenty of time to worry about car maintenance later. The ride home had been quick enough. A quick 10-minute drive, having only hit a single red light all the way home. Instead of going through the side gate to the backyard, Malcolm went through the front door of his dadโs home to let his fatherโs Staffordshire terrier Titan out of his crate. Unhooking the lock bar, Malcolm stepped aside and let the door fall open, the blue-grey dog only stopping just outside of the crate to greet the boy long enough for a chin scratch before taking off to run out some of his zoomies through the house. Malcolm could hear the dogโs nails tearing at the carpet for traction as he skirted around furniture, narrowly missing knocking into them before meeting the boy at the back door. With a soft smirk, Malcolm reached out to grab the door handle, faking out the dog by jiggling it as if he were going to open it. The dog jammed his nose against the crack of the door, giving the young man a severe case of bombastic side-eye, his mouth just slightly dropped open enough to pant in anticipation and excitement. Chuckling, Malcolm finally pushed the door open, and before he could even open it wide enough Titan was forcing his way through the opening and out into the backyard to run more zoomie circles around the enclosed area. With a roll of his eyes, Malcolm headed for his place nestled in the back corner of the yard to go fetch his own puppy dog. Excited puppy noises - mixed yips, whines, and yowls combined with some impatient thrashing about and an uncontrollable tail thwacking against the crate she was held in echoed throughout the small house as Malcolm entered in. Leaving the door wide open, as Malcolmโs cat Calcifer had no interest in the outside world โ thank god โ the boy headed up the stairs to his loft room to greet the feline soaking up some sun on his bed before letting loose the fur missile from her prison. River spent a mere few seconds greeting Malcolm before taking off down the stairs, skipping a few at the very bottom to dart out the door to go play with her favorite playmate donโt tell Calcifer Titan. Giving his ginger cat a few more pets before he ultimately decided to descend the stairs himself, the boy grabbed his leash, Titanโs extra leash, and a roll of doggy bags he kept by the door before heading out to take both the dogs for a walk down by the beach. |