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[alexanderbarnes]

marionstewart​:

@alexanderbarnes​.

LOCATION: pearson specter litt / ventura DATE AND TIME: mar 29, monday / late afternoon

“Wait, keep that open!”

Marion bellows out as the elevator doors are about to pull to a close, and just about manages to sneak herself in by the narrow entrance. A sigh of relief escapes her throat as she looks back down at her watch — only five minutes past 5pm, the usual closing hours — but Marion would be damned if she was going to stay in the building any minute more than she’s required to. Any overtime pay, however exorbitant the amount, would be negligible for all the soul-sucking her corporate job has already dealt. The next best option to salvage what’s left of it would be to leave as early as possible.

She doesn’t factor in the stranger in the elevator, though. Already she thinks to apologize, and a half-assed apology is forming on her lips until she tilts her head, meets the other’s eyes, and realizes that this isn’t a stranger at all. Just about the opposite, really, though — much like in their line of work — that might be up for debate. 

“Alex?” she says, incredulously, “you’re here?” There’s a lump forming in her throat, and though she attempts to collect herself, her next words are hardly tinged with professionalism. “What the hell?”

❖

Alex runs his hand roughly through his hair as he exits the meeting room, polite smile falling the further he gets away from the door. He forgets if this is the tenth or fifteenth interview he’s been too this month, it feel like his hundredth. He hypes himself up before each one and by the end he knows it’s another rejection. The same hand yanks at his tie to loosen it while the other presses the elevator button a few times, he wants nothing more than to retreat into his rented apartment overlooking the ocean as he unwinds. After the divorce settled and multiple failed interviews, LA held nothing for him, and since going back to Boston was not an option he wanted to take, Catalina seemed like a happy medium. If this was temporary or permanent depended entirely on Alex’s headspace which sharply cut back to reality as a familiar voice disrupts his thoughts. 

Just managing to keep the doors open for her to rush in, Alex waits, and waits some more for the acknowledgement to arrive, a quick glance or two are cast her way as shock and surprise ripple across his features but they only last a few seconds before paving the way for the smile that slowly spreads when she recognises him, though he suspects its more her language that elicits that response, “Marion,” he nods in a way of greeting, “I’m here, and you are too? Classy as ever might I add.” 

[alexanderbarnes]

charlotte-roberson​:

˙

Charlotte laughed and shook her head at him. His utter lack of confidence in this arena was genuinely comical. “You were the second opinion. Don’t worry, I won’t stake my reputation on this rug, Alex. I’ll just bill you if my client hates it, sound good?” She smiled, letting him know she was only teasing in case it wasn’t clear. “Neutrals can be really powerful when they’re used the right way. You need lots of texture and visual interest with neutrals. Then, you’re right, an occasional pop of color is really effective.” Her eyes widened slightly at the mention of a blank canvas. Even when she wasn’t the one designing it, the idea of a fresh space full of possibility excited her. “The fact that you had to think about it before you were sure means something.” she smirked. “Yes, minimalistic is the word for that. How you kept a white rug clean and bright is beyond me, that’s impressive. You’re planning on sticking around here for a while, right? Do you think you’ll customize your space anytime soon?”

❖

“Oh good good,” Alex relaxed dispute the obvious fact, of course she wouldn’t go for his opinion, and she shouldn’t either bland walls were the staple of his childhood and that absence of colour followed him through adulthood. A flash of something began in LA but it was gone as quick as it came and Alex was back to neutrals, “Yes of course, go right ahead maybe I’ll learn better design the hard way,” he joked, “No motivator like bills.” Talk of textures and visual went right over his head, there may have been a though to re-design his space but that never came to fruition. “You know I know nothing about that, visuals have never been my strong point, nor has colour. I will forever marvel at how you do all this.” He had seen a couple of before and afters of Charlotte’s renovations, that eye for detail will never be his forte and he didn’t mind one bit. “Easy,” he pointed out with a short laugh, “You live in your office!” A brow raised at her question as his lips curved upwards, “Do I think I’ll customise, or do I think you will somehow convince me to?”

[alexanderbarnes]

for: @cashdcvis location: whisk taker

Alex couldn’t even give himself a second to laugh at the pun. Whisk Taker in any other situation it would’ve done the trick and earned a chuckle and more. A smile begins to form but with nerves shot to hell, he’s a shaking mess, a matador pleading fifth, disingenuous and guilty of everything. The bakery stands a few feet from him while he remains frozen in spot. It was the first of a series of surprises, the change from a restaurant to a bakery, from LA to this island, but with the distance between them intentionally placed, Alex suspects there are more, if only he could move and find out. A thought begins to burn in the back of his head, a question really, what was Alex doing here?  After all these years, why now? As much as Cash had felt like a dream, Alex knows it wasn’t. That passion could not be dreamt even in his wildest dreams. Then what? Was it just to seek out a divorce? Fingers brush over where the wedding band used to be — a habit born out nervousness the cool metal provided comfort and eased his mind, years later it’s still a habit but rather than comfort, the emptiness was jarring. Past and present collided and brought upon a whirlwind of confused emotions, and he thinks the side of a road was no place to have a crisis.

Running fingers through his hair in attempts to smooth it down, Alex steps in. The sweet aroma of freshly baked treats warms him, but all the gathered thoughts vanish and rehearsed speeches die on his tongue when their eyes met. Cash was true north and Alex did little to resist the pull, true then, truer now. “Hello.” It comes out as a whisper, and then quieter still follows a, “Sorry, I probably should’ve called.”

[alexanderbarnes]

charlotte-roberson​:

Charlotte noticed how surprised he seemed to be at her question. Whether that was due to his inexperience in the field or he was simply not expecting anyone to address him while he was out and about was unclear. She nodded thoughtfully as she held her samples up to the rug he’d selected. “I like it. It’s not too bold, it does have a calming effect… I think you might be right on this one.” His amendment let her know that his surprise was likely due to her first thought. She promptly shook her head, waving away the lack of confidence in his style he seemed to have. “Oh no, don’t give me that. We never go with words like bland or boring when it comes to personal style. If you like simple, clean, minimalist design that’s your style. I bet you wouldn’t have any of these rugs in your space, would you? Actually,” She took a step back and studied him for a moment. “You don’t strike me as a person who’d have any rugs in his space at all, is that fair?”

❖

“You do?” It was hard not to show surprise at that, “But do re-asses it before you buy it, even a second opinion, I don’t want you to trust a strange and end up regretting it.” Alex smiled at her words and her easy dismissal of the fact he shared, his personal style was anything but stylish but he’s unwilling to stress on that. “Simple and clean are better words for it I suppose. I’ve never been a person for bold colours. The occasional pop of colour here and there is fine to liven up a place, but overall, I tend stick to neutrals.” Proven by his mostly black and white décor and furnishings that filled his house. The smile turns into a light laugh as he watches her step back and examine him, “Currently, you’d be right. I just moved into a new place so it’s devoid of most things actually, but I’m pretty sure my old place had a rug...” he drifts off in thought and nods to confirm a beat later, “A giant one in the living room, but it was white so...uh, minimalistic would be the word here, right?”

[alexanderbarnes]

Gender & Pronouns: Cis man, he/him

Date of Birth: September 28th, 1981 (39)

Place of Birth: Boston, Massachusetts

Neighborhood: Lafayette Square

Length of Residency: Since March 2021 

Occupation: Unemployed

Face Claim: Lee Pace

BIOGRAPHY

Born to parents who had tried forever for a child, Alexander was a miracle kid. Only kid. A kid whose life was planned out for him. They wanted nothing less than absolute success for their only child, so as he grew, it was always the best schools, best tutors, best everything their money could buy. Academia was the main focus, but sports and even arts were also encouraged, but as a hobby. They wanted their son to be well-rounded, even if it it was merely for culture and conversation making. Alex didn’t mind this arrangement, at least he got to try out a variety of things, but a hobby a week ended abruptly when the first argument broke out. Having lawyers as parents meant arguments but it was the escalation of voices that stopped Alex mid lesson. On one hand was his father with ‘he needs to pick something and stick to it’, and the other his mother with ‘he’s still a kid’. In a household were decisions were based on the outcome of mock trials, Alex knew his fun ended when his father walked in. The matriarch conceded the point; still a kid was not a sufficient reason.

Not given a chance to protest, Alex just did what he had to do. What they told him to do. Honour roll, school paper, student council. He was the child they always dreamt of. Who was he to break that image they held for him? There were nights where he grappled with ideas and dreams of being something different, of being someone else — but come morning all that would be left was ink on his hands and a couple pages full of scribbled out stories. With a career path already picked out, what could Alex do if he lost every debate his parents had staged? Beating them at their own games seemed impossible until he convinced himself that Law was the right choice, falling right into their hands. Law only became bearable with Marion. Meeting her was not fate, with their parents running rival law firms, a friendship was strictly forbidden but strategically encouraged. Alex, however, didn’t complicate their friendship with competition, she had a story similar to his; lawyer parents and impossible expectations, while his parents took a more deceptive route of coaxing her to side with them, Alex stuck a true friendship. They had plans to start a firm and surpass everything their parents expected until she left without a backwards glance and ruined his plans. Hurt at that sudden betrayal, spite carried him forward; at her, at his parents, at the world. With graduation behind him and a new job on the horizon, Alex settled into the next chapters of his life on the other side of the country.

LA was different than what he was used to, his parents feared it would change him, but Alex hunkered down and set about climbing the ranks, proving to his parents that they had nothing to worry about, Alex was still Alex, hardworking and devoid of all passion.

That is of course, until he met Cassius Davis.

Once the worker bee clocking in more than the expected hours, Alex went from building books to building friendships. A feat he thought was impossible. The day he met Cash was ordinary by all means, but the minute Alex laid eyes on them, he knew there was something there. A only child that lacked affection, Cash provided it in bundles. It was a whirlwind of a romance, and going from just friends to something more was easier than breathing, fate had its red thread wrapped around him and Alex was hooked on Cash while they were hooked on god knows what. Still, Alex chased that rush, that high for life feeling, finally there was passion in his life, so what if his hours at work feel short? He had more clients than most senior associates. So what if he lost a few cases? The golden glint from his finger brought about a smile no successful case could. So what if he was getting unfavourable looks due to his lifestyle? His thirties were what his twenties should’ve been.

Voted most likely to succeed in life for his high school year book, Alexander finally, failed to meet an expectation. Up until that last pill, that last shot of alcohol, he was a success. A senior associate within five years, a junior partner within seven, well on his way to becoming a full partner when things came crashing down. It was silent as it was deafening. The higher ups, not wanting to damage the reputation of their firm, did not simply simple demote back to the starting ranks but fired him completely. Word even reached his parents who were nothing but scathing in their  disapprobation of their only son. Slowly, everything slipped through his fingers, career, family, even the supposed love of his life. Once the drug induced haze blew over, Alex was left with broken pieces and was a broken piece himself. Slipping off the ring from his finger one night, he set off without a goodbye, not to the city, not to his friends, not even to his husband.

The next few years went by aimlessly and without much fanfare. Alex jumped between cities, between jobs until eventually heading back to Boston where the only permanent job he could get (with terrible scrutiny), was working under his parents. He moved between people too, gazes lasting too long to be considered casual, coffee dates disguised as work meetings, but before things got serious, he was pulled aside for another wake up call. Being fired for the second time round, by his own parents this time was salt to the wound. There was no mock trail to decide his fate now; it was two against one and like forever, Alex was not given a chance to protest.

What he brushed aside a a fever dream, or at least he wanted to pretend was one, was in fact real. He was married, he was still married. That fact took him back to LA to find Cash, and soon to the resort beach town of Catalina. To confront his past or keep pretending, was the question now.

PERSONALITY

Positive: Romantic | Disciplined | Kind

Negative: Indecisive | Blunt | Sensitive

Alexander Barnes is portrayed by Pace.

[alexanderbarnes]

charlotte-roberson​:

who: open | @catalinastarter​ where: island threadz, lafayette square when: tuesday late afternoon

One of the good things about running her own business was the freedom she had to work anywhere. She could also choose how far she was willing to travel for jobs and frequently did travel to the mainland for clients who simply refused to use any other designer for their projects. While she still had a full client base on the West Coast and would accept new clients anywhere if they could cover her expenses, Charlotte wanted to make her mark on the island. She wanted to be the go-to person for anyone who was looking to create or refresh their space. After a couple of months of small jobs, mostly traveling back and forth for work, she was hired to do a house in Avalon. Her focus on local resources above all else led her to Island Threadz for inspiration. Her swatches and moodboards were in-hand as she studied the rugs hanging above the store. “Excuse me,” She spoke to another shopper nearby. “Can I ask your opinion on something? I’m stuck between these two rugs for a living room that will include all of these colors and textures. Which one would make you feel more relaxed?”

As the late afternoon sun beats down onto the island, Alex takes to the streets dipping into a multitude of shops that litter the square. He’s killing time obviously, not wanting to do what he came here for, playing tourist was so much easier. Lost in thought , fingers brushing over various fabrics as he walks around the space, he startles into reality with a puzzled expression when. he hears someone address him, a look crosses that only deepens once a question is asked. “Oh, uh sure?” Being fully aware of his lack of style in all areas, Alex nods and fills in next few seconds with mutters and sighs as he examines the choices, and points to the most neutral looking one out of the two, “That perhaps?” He didn’t know if a rug, or anything at the moment, could relax him, but it was the easiest on his eyes, “But the again, I’m terrible with anything design related, so if you don’t want your house to look bland and boring, best not listen to my opinions.”

[alexanderbarnes]

[alexanderbarnes]

halt and catch fire edit (4/?) » the threshold (3.07)

[alexanderbarnes]

luciancarterx​:

eethanprice​:

If life had been had been different for him, he would be the opposite or so he liked to think. He’d still be reserved for sure, that trait of his was never going to be replaced, but he wouldn’t have been such a recluse, there would be some sort of a social life, a job that he would be excited for — essentially it would be Ethan’s dream life, but dreams and reality were worlds apart. “Eh,” he said with a shrug, “It is what it is.” 

Instead of dwelling on the heaviness of the ‘could’ve been’  Ethan embraced the lightheartedness of his family’s genetic pool, “It’s a blessing and curse, and if you were to ask my parents to pick one the answer would vary depending on mood…our house was never quiet.” It was bitter-sweet to think about this now, those childhood days versus these current days are worlds apart dwelling on them only lead to heartache, but if given the chance Ethan would go back in a heartbeat. 

“Good idea,” he said on his way back to his room. While Lucian took to finishing his drink and putting his bags away, Ethan got changed into a regular pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt, throwing on a light jumper in case the night was chilly — not that the cold bothered him much, but it was just as precaution. True to his words, two minutes later Ethan stepped out closing his room door behind him. “Lead the way.”

*

Lucian wasn’t at all surprised when the topic came to a natural close shortly afterwards, there wasn’t exactly much they could have spoken about. Plus, it had become pretty obvious they’d both been through very different things over the last couple of years, leading them to have completely different lives. “It is…” They shrugged, deciding to let the subject lie, simply flashing their roommate a grin. 

A nod and they had to laugh a little, not at all surprised by what he had to say about his parents. It made a lot of sense. They could see it being something you’d change your mind on depending on the day. Sometimes it could be chaos, others joy, to be surrounded by family. The latter was a feeling that they’d never really experienced themselves. Family had a slightly bitter taste in their mouth. “That does make a lot of sense. Think I’d be exactly the same.,” they said with a slightly bemused expression. “No, no. I know I’d be exactly the same.” Honestly, they couldn’t imagine  single person who wouldn’t be.

While Ethan was gone, Lucian disposed of their holdall, dumping it on their bed, and then taking a moment to check they had everything else they might need. Meeting Ethan out in the main living area a couple of minutes later, they headed straight for the door, tugging it open and coming out with an enthused, “Let’s go!”

END.

[alexanderbarnes]

aaronhirsch​:

*

“From what I’ve heard, apparently so,” answered Aaron with a very casual shrug, a smile teetering on his lips. “I know I was pretty bad, as was my sister…” It didn’t matter how many times he spoke to other people about it and how some would reassure him, others panic him even more, he was absolutely convinced that Elena’s teen years would be a complete and utter disaster. It wasn’t great really, the lack of confidence he held over the whole thing. But he didn’t actually go out of his way to let anyone know he was feeling that way. What would be the point?

A nod and a smile, and then, “Sounds good.” He left Ethan alone to make his coffee for a moment or two before finding himself wanting to know more about the other man, how things were for him these days. “How’s the new place treating you? The guy I’ve got living next door now is definitely nowhere near as nice…” It was a double entendre really, considering what had been going on between them at one point, but it was true, his now neighbour refused to even speak a lot of the time. 

∘ ∘ ∘

“I don’t think I was bad, or well I hope don’t think I was. Can’t recall exactly.” Ethan tried to remember if he was bad, but nothing in his behaviour struck out as troublesome, at least not like his memories of his siblings; his rebellion, if even that, bloomed late and fizzled out as quick as it came. “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” Ethan reassured Aaron, “You’ve been through it, so you’ll know what to look out for, right? That’s what my parents used to say and they had to raise twin girls.” He doesn’t add the fact they experienced a complete different roller coaster ride. 

Shifting his attention away from the coffee machine, Ethan smiled at the question, if there was a hidden meaning to Aaron’s words, it flew by Ethan completely. “It’s really  good,” he replied. The novelty of a new neighbourhood wore off quickly, but the change rooted deep making things a touch easier. “Yeah, I heard though the grapevine,” he laughed leaning back on the counter, “I have a friend that still lives there and another that visits,” he added in the clarification, “Maybe he’s just shy?” But thinking back to how Charlie described him, nice might be stretching it. “We didn’t start talking right away either.”

[alexanderbarnes]

jackadler​:

♪

“It’s not stupid at all,” Jack says in an instant, brows furrowing in Ethan’s direction. Despite all his tribulations, if there’s anything he’s truly learned it’s that putting down his efforts at understanding his addiction wasn’t as progressive as he thought. In truth, it only made him lower, earning his guilt to consume him in one grand gesture after he fell victim to his self-loathing over the fact. So, it doesn’t take him long to reassure Ethan. “It’s not stupid, I promise you that. It’s…a disease. A chemical imbalance. It happens and it’s hard, harder than anything, honestly. I know I sound like one of the counselors in there it’s true what they say sometimes.” A subtle grin graces Jack’s expression then, his tone wholeheartedly sincere. 

The singer begins walking alongside Ethan then, staring down at his shoes as they hit the pavement. The beach wasn’t too far from where they were, a perk of living on the island, really. The beach was basically everywhere. Jack could already hear the ocean and he feels it call to him. Silently, he hopes Ethan feels the same comfort it brings. “So, what do you do, Ethan?” He asks then, lifting his gaze.

∘ ∘ ∘

Ethan forced out half a smile at Jack’s reassurances. There was a truth to his words, there was truth to all their words but that did not mean Ethan had to listen to them. He knew the real truth, the one he always kept buried, the one that almost buried him. It wasn’t a disease that made him sit behind the wheel that night though, that was all him, he dared anyone to say that wasn’t stupid. But he will concede a point to Jack and the others, addiction in itself wasn’t stupid, others had it way worse and it was about high time he stopped projecting his self-criticalness and own foolishness onto this imbalance, like Jack had put it. “I suppose you’re right. Just a mistake that I’m trying to rectify.”

The weather didn’t call for a jacket but Ethan had worn one anyway, as the sun warmed his back a slight regret began to creep in but he dismissed it, thankful for having pockets he could shove his hands into as they made their way to the beach. “I’m a barista at C4,” he replied, but realising he had used its unofficial nickname, he quickly amended himself with a huff of a laugh, “Sorry, I mean at Catalina Coffee and Cookie Co... C4 is just a moniker we use.” Something he had been almost forced to use to save himself from a not-so-death glare from Adam. “I hope you weren’t expecting something exciting.”

[alexanderbarnes]

wolfeharwen​:

Something about the island felt off. He’d just gotten back from the city a week ago. A lot had changed since the holidays. He lost everything. Just about everyone. Or that’s what it felt like. It was a struggle to even feel like he belonged in his own skin at this point. There was the contemplation of not returning to Catalina but he’d gotten far too used to the routine of running when he felt things weren’t fitting and it never got him anywhere. At least the island was a lot smaller than most cities. Usually his ever present optimistic side would tell him, “it’s easier to make connections here. To keep them. We can do this.” But even that voice was silent more often than not these days. 

The one plus side of the 39th existential crisis of his life is that he finally took the plunge doing something he’s always wanted. One day being suffocated by the weight of being alone, he decided to hit up the local animal shelter. It took all of ten minutes there to decide on a dog. A new companion. A reason to pull himself out of bed everyday. If it weren’t for the pup, Wolfe would still be entombed in house or worse by this point. But instead here he was at the park just across the street from the beach, coffee in one hand as he sat a picnic table watching gleefully as his new furry friend ran back and forth chasing and retrieving one of the at least 20 toss toys Wolfe purchased for the canine. 

The musician is so engrossed with the dog he doesn’t notice when someone sits at the other end of the picnic table. He’s startled when he finally looks over to grab one of his snacks to see a person sitting there. Laughing, he places a hand on chis chest in surprise. “Jesus! How long have you been there?” 

∘ ∘ ∘

Grey clouds in his head contrasted starkly against the picturesque blue of Catalinas skies today, even in the winter months the air held a warmth that Ethan had grown to appreciate. It was because of that, Ethan took to making afternoon walks a habit of his. It helped sometimes, the ocean noises and gentle breezes calmed the looming and glooming of the dark clouds that plagued him — a discovery he chose to exploit after the end of every shift, combined with a lethargy that came from being in the sun and a long walk home made way to a dreamless sleep that Ethan was addicted to. 

Notching another mark on the appreciation board was that today was not a terrible day, Ethan ended his shift with a thankful smile and allowed his feet to carry him along his walking route. Absent mined walking lead to surprising destinations, instead of hitting the sand, Ethan stopped when his feet stepped onto grass. A park was not what he had in mind, but he didn't mind the swap. Registering nothing but a park bench near by, Ethan sat down facing the ocean, not even his head dared to ruin the calmness that drifted through him, giving a break to the auto pilot mode he seemed to be running on for the past god knows how long. 

Today was one for surprises it seemed; when a furry creature wiggled its way to his side Ethan was all surprise and all smiles. Before he could acknowledge it, Ethan heard a familiar voice that made him laugh softly and apologise for the intrusion simultaneously, “I’ve been here five minutes, I think?” he replied facing Wolfe, “Could’ve been longer, not entirely sure. Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

[alexanderbarnes]

luciancarterx​:

*

“That’s… a shame, man,” Lucian concluded with a shake of their head. “But I guess if life had been different for me, I might have been the same.” They’d always been a busy person, someone who had to be doing something at pretty much every second of the day and that often led to little time to even breathe. It was a habit they’d gotten into back when they were in school, those days when they went out of their way not to go home. Things would probably be a little calmer now, now that they’d forced themselves to quit one of their jobs. Of course, there was absolutely no guarantee on how long that would last. 

The laughter wasn’t surprising really, Lucian imagined that Ethan heard it all the time —- how else was someone supposed to respond? “It makes sense, at least,” they answered with an easy smile. “Such a strange thing to carry through genetics, though…”

When Ethan said he’d need to change out of his PJs, they nodded their head and flashed. “I’ll need that long to drink my coffee anyway, so that works.” And then, with that, they took another long drink before heading back to the front door to grab their bag. “Should probably put this away, too,” they added with a laugh, because they’d only be falling over it when they came back in.

∘ ∘ ∘

If life had been had been different for him, he would be the opposite or so he liked to think. He’d still be reserved for sure, that trait of his was never going to be replaced, but he wouldn’t have been such a recluse, there would be some sort of a social life, a job that he would be excited for — essentially it would be Ethan’s dream life, but dreams and reality were worlds apart. “Eh,” he said with a shrug, “It is what it is.” 

Instead of dwelling on the heaviness of the ‘could’ve been’  Ethan embraced the lightheartedness of his family’s genetic pool, “It’s a blessing and curse, and if you were to ask my parents to pick one the answer would vary depending on mood...our house was never quiet.” It was bitter-sweet to think about this now, those childhood days versus these current days are worlds apart dwelling on them only lead to heartache, but if given the chance Ethan would go back in a heartbeat. 

“Good idea,” he said on his way back to his room. While Lucian took to finishing his drink and putting his bags away, Ethan got changed into a regular pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt, throwing on a light jumper in case the night was chilly — not that the cold bothered him much, but it was just as precaution. True to his words, two minutes later Ethan stepped out closing his room door behind him. “Lead the way.”

[alexanderbarnes]

jackadler​:

♪

Maybe Jack needed this kind of company in his life. Someone who understood the tribulations that came with being an addict. It did bring him a sense of ease seeing that similar look of regret flash across Ethan’s face. It reminds him that he’s not quite as alone as he perceives himself to be. It’s why meetings like this exist, it seems, the reminding that you weren’t alone. The corniness of that sentiment does make him feel a little sick, though, hence why he keeps it to himself for the most part.

“You and me both.” Jack says next, a quiet laugh weaving through his words. “I’ve been in and out of these things so many times I’m sure they have my name on a special list somewhere.” At Ethan’s next confession, Jack only nods, his bright eyes looking to where his feet stood on the pavement. “Me too. Really, I would’ve done anything to get intoxicated. You name it. My main vice was booze and cocaine which is embarrassing to admit sometimes. Pills too sometimes. When I tell people that, they picture me acting like Elton John in the early days or something.” Which perhaps wasn’t as far fetched as Jack liked to believe, though it was still a jarring comparison. 

It’s been a while since Jack openly admitted to this. When he attempts to recall, digging deep into his memory, the last time he confessed to having a problem to this capacity was Halloween night with Georgina. He had forgotten how good it feels to simply let it out unscathed. “I was gonna head to the beach, if you wanna come?”

∘ ∘ ∘

Ethan instantly felt terrible for smiling when Jack said he'd been through this, but the smile didn't have any malice attached to it, it arose from being in the same situation. Though how they got here could be different, but the feeling was the binder. Neither was alone through this journey, and now Ethan supposed this is what his sister had meant when she made him promise to stick to these meetings, but of course Ethan knew the loneliness would continue to plague him, this would at least dampen its power.

While he couldn't relate to the drugs or Elton John, to which Ethan quietly chuckled, he understood the embarrassment that came along with the admission of such a thing, "I get that, I did everything to stay a little drunk at all times. It was stupid of me really, getting addicted like I did." That's where his personal embarrassment stemmed from, wasting his life away under the pretense of recovery while seeking comfort at the bottom of a bottle.  

At the proposition, Ethan paused to contemplate, but having nothing apart from reducing his Netflix watch list scheduled for the rest of the day, Ethan found himself nodding, "Yeah, that'd be nice." Usually not one to talk about this situation, Ethan surprised himself by opening up this much, there was a calming presence around Jack that Ethan wanted to be around a little bit longer, just until he didn't feel so raw and open.

[alexanderbarnes]

aaronhirsch​:

*

After rushing around, it took Aaron a couple of moments to relax again, to settle into the conversation and take stock of where he was —- one of his favourite places to come on a morning, a tiny part of his morning routine. The chaos was over and he could get back to normal again. He didn’t actually expect Ethan to ask about Elena, but he soon found himself smiling as he spoke about his daughter. “She’s fine,” he answered, although a laugh followed. “Two months from her thirteenth birthday and I’m well and truly starting to feel the threat of teenage angst looming.” It was all he could really say these days when it came to that girl and it only about to get worse. Not that it ever stopped him from absolutely adoring her.

As Ethan stepped behind the counter, he leant very casually looking over what was on offer in the pastries cabinet. “I think just the coffee’s good,” he responded. “I can deal with waiting. Makes a change to not be running around for five minutes.” Seeing as though he felt that’s all he’d been doing the last couple of days. Life did seem a little more on the crazy side when he was on parenting duties.

∘ ∘ ∘

There had been a time when he was young that Ethan had mapped out his entire life, to the point where he even had coloured coded goals he wanted to achieve once he reached a certain age milestone. The image had long since faded from his memory but he remembered that marriage and kids were written down for his early thirties in sky blue, his favourite colour for his favourite dream. And that's how it remained - a dream. Ethan would no way even entertain that idea now, that was a pipedream now. But he smiled when Aaron spoke of Elena, nodding along, "All the luck to to you, I think teenage years are worse than the baby ones, but I'm only assuming here. But then again, my sisters were horrors as both," he ended with a laugh.

Nodding once at the confirmation, Ethan set about re-making the order.  It would've been easier to re-heat it, but having done that once already, Ethan knew doing it again would compromise the taste. Besides, the day was just beginning he could ice it and resell, and no one would be any the wiser. "Well, that's good because this will take approximately five minutes."

[alexanderbarnes]

luciancarterx​:

*

“It wouldn’t be surprising if you did, although I’m pretty sure my mom spends her days hiding away now…” She definitely wasn’t the extrovert she was, her addictions mostly taking place behind closed doors now if they were happened, something Lucian preferred and could handle better to be honest. When they’d been a child, she’d pretty much been screaming at the world ‘look at me, I’m high, I’m here for a good time!’ twenty four seven. Something that had been proven with both their and their sister’s births. When Ethan went on to explain his own sibling satiation, they found themselves smiling. “Wow. That’s… wow. What are the chances of that happening? Seriously?!”

As his roommate continued, they found themselves letting a breath go very slowly and shook their head. “I think rest’s beyond me at the moment, so it doesn’t seem like the worst idea in the world,” they said with a laugh. “If you can drag yourself away from the TV, I’m up for going out on a hunt for ice-cream.”

∘ ∘ ∘

“Well, I mean so did I...” Ethan confessed, “Pretty much came out of the apartment for my morning runs and work.” It felt all kinds normal back then, leaving his apartment only when it was necessary, having a only a handful of friends scattered about the island, whom of which he barely made plans with, resulted in an almost non-existent social life and silence for company for majority of the time, and looking back on it now nothing much had changed, excluding the living situation. “Wow, is definitely a word for it,” he said. Lucian’s reaction was typical anytime he disclosed his sibling situation; it was all shades of disbelief that made Ethan laugh each time. “My grandpa, on my dad’s side, was a twin, so I guess it runs in the family? Or well, at least that’s the semi-logical reasoning I can give.” 

Ethan smiled at the suggestion, though he did believe Lucian should rest, the coffee combined with the explanation he was provided had him get up from the couch, “Definitely can,” Ethan said with a nod, “Ice cream is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine, one that I’ll never say no to. Give me two minutes to change out my PJs.”

[alexanderbarnes]

luciancarterx​:

*

“Well, that’s siblings for you, they never take your word for things… never.” Lucian had to chuckle over that and the idea of it. Maybe their own relationship with their sister couldn’t compare, but there were a few similarities. As Ethan went ahead and asked his question, they nodded their head. “I do, I have a younger sister… she lives in Lafayette Square with my mom.” At mention of their mom, their shoulders tensed up very slightly, but they did their best to relax again, not wanting to make it too obvious that the subject was one that could work them up pretty easily. “Okay, well, I think I’ll be leaving it for now then. Don’t need anything else to watch.” Even though another distraction would be great.

As Ethan continued, they found themselves smiling, tilting their head very curiously. “And if I hadn’t just got back and it wasn’t the day after Christmas I might have suggested just going there…” they commented lightly, a laugh escaping.

∘ ∘ ∘

“Nope, never.” He laughed along with a shake of his head. To be fair to his siblings, never did he, but they were always more adamant about things than him, and there were two of them so again the twin thing comes out victorious. “Huh, wonder if I ever ran into them?” he questioned out loud, “Sometimes I forget how small this island is.” Six degrees of separation rang true for the residents of Catalina, and even if that number decreased, it would still hold its claim. While Ethan couldn’t stop any obvious change in Lucian’s demeanour, the wanting to not pry into personal things returned, especially not tonight. “I have two younger sisters,” he supplied instead, “And two older brothers, and get this,” he said with a laugh, “They’re both twin sets.” 

Ethan paused in thought, “I’m sure we could go,” he replied, “Or somewhere else that’s open, but I’m sure Jas open for us. We’ll just have to spin some tale to Jas about getting midnight cravings and Christmas sweet tooth hangovers, she’ll let us in.” Ethan couldn’t help but laugh at his own idea, “Unless, you want to rest, then you totally should rest.”