dradriandecker

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cullenkent‌:

“Good God,” he mused. “I think it might be time for me to invest in one of those sturdy wool coats that I see some of the guys on campus wearing. I’ve never been one for heavy clothing, but I have a feeling that I am going to be come one the more winters I spend here.”

“It grows on you.” Or rather, the cold had a way of getting under your skin and hardening you from the inside out. Having spent the majority of his life in Boston, Adrian hardly noticed the cold nowadays. “Though I’d also suggest investing in a scarf and some gloves. It wouldn’t help to lose a finger to frostbite.” 

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drripleyross‌:

“Good for her. It’s a good trait to have,” she grinned. It was nice to know that there were people that didn’t mince their words still. “I think that we’re all plagued by it, but it’s something that we have to seek to break. It’s maddening to try to do so, but the work must be done all the same.”

“She inherited that quality from her mother,” Adrian admitted. A soft smile graced his face whenever he talked about his wife; she’d somehow managed to be both fiery and passionate while also maintaining her care and consideration for others. “You’re right of course. It is our responsibility to evolve, but that’s sort of difficult to do when the culture is the way it is.” 

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hawthornecarson‌:

“You’re very correct there,” Dawson replied, smiling in spite of herself. Most of the time she felt incomprehensibly small. She knew what the root of it all was, however it wasn’t something she was comfortable discussing. “My husband says I need to have more confidence in myself than I do because I am smart. I have a case of impostor syndrome.”

“Sounds like a wise man,” Adrian replied. He’d never know the feeling of not belonging. His wife, Cassandra, had spent hours upon hours discussing the myriad struggles of women in academics to him, and for the most part, Adrian couldn’t relate. As a somewhat older white man, he’d never had to struggle with the concept of the glass ceiling of the ivory tower; opportunities were simply opened to him. Still, he was grateful for those hours that Sandy had spent educating him because it had made him better able to understand the struggles of those around him, and better equipped to raise his daughter. “As I say to my daughter: you’ve gotten this far on your own merit, and whether you were selected to fill a diversity quota -- which I assure you you were not -- you were selected. Now it’s your responsibility to show everyone who may question whether or not you belong that you truly do belong here.” 

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“Breathe,” Adrian said in a stage whisper. If cars could have a new car smell, then teachers could have a new teacher look, and she certainly had it -- that energy that reeked of nervousness. The students would eat her alive if she showed them that face. “You’re going to do great. You’re here for a reason. You are the expert in the room. So, teach.” 

Dawson gnawed on her lip for a brief moment. She still got nervous sometimes before she had to lecture. Her husband seemingly had nerves of steel that she didn’t possess, and she fervently envied him for it. She looked at the person next to her, attempting not to look as grim as she felt. “Do I still have that first year teacher look or am I overreacting?”

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“This is hardly anything,” Adrian laughed. “In fact, it’s nearly summer.” Having grown up in Boston, Adrian was almost immune to the cold. “Winters in Boston are so much worse.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this cold weather,” Cullen mused. He was used to a more temperate climate, one that allowed for beach going most of the year. An indoor pool wasn’t the same as an outdoor one either. He missed the sun beating down on him and the merciless heat. Brontide wasn’t a bad place, but he just wasn’t suited to colder climates. 

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drripleyross‌:

“Tell them that they are mistaken. There’s nothing wrong with correcting someone who is wrong, especially when it’s something that cringe inducing,” Riply replied. “That’s the problem with people is that they love to thrive on assumptions instead of pure facts.”

“Oh, Savannah did. She’s very vocal about those kind of things.” It had been interesting to watch. Adrian had felt a rush of pride at how his daughter had defended herself. “It’s the curse of the world we live in. Can’t say I’m except from that, to be fair.”

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“What exactly does it say of the world when a perfect stranger assumes that your 28-year-old daughter is your girlfriend?”

[dradriandecker]

Name: Adrian Decker

Age: 50

Hometown: Boston, MA

Occupation: English Professor/ Chair of the Department

Face: Toby Stephens

In the grand scheme of things, life for Adrian Decker was average. He was the second born child of three, the son of academics. His father was a scholar of philosophy, his mother studied mythology. Unlike other children whose childhoods consisted of Disney spun tales, Adrian and his siblings grew up on stories of King Arthur and his Knights of the Roundtable. He was ten years old when he first read Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in its entirety and twelve when he was introduced to Lord Byron and the Gothics. From that point on, Adrian was lost. He so desperately wished he’d been born in the time of the Romantics and Gothics.

This love for the Romantics and Gothics followed Adrian through life. In college, he majored in English Literature, determining from his first day that he would go on to pursue his doctorate degree. It was during this time that Adrian met Cassandra. She was beautiful and brilliant and he fell hard. They dated throughout their undergrad years and on graduation day, Adrian proposed. They were married a few months later and shortly afterwards their twin daughters were born.

Life was perfect for the small family. Adrian had secured a position at Harvard University, his alma mater, as an English professor and Cassandra was able to stay at home with the girls, balancing being a writer and a stay at home mom.

On the twins’ seventh birthday, the Decker family did what they usually did – a fun filled family night. They were returning from a quiet dinner, Adrian behind the wheel with Cassandra at his side and the twins strapped carefully in the back, when they were hit by an oncoming driver. Cassandra and one of the twins died at the scene.

A few weeks later, Adrian – now a widower and the father of one living child – returned to work, but life had changed; his love for life had died with the love of his life. From that moment on, Adrian swore to be the best father he could be. He poured everything into protecting his daughter from the dangers of life, but sooner or later, children grow up and move on – even children with traumatic pasts. Adrian has recently accepted a position at Brontide University. It is his hope, in leaving Boston, that he will finally put the past behind him and be able to move on with his life.

[dradriandecker]

Toby Stephens by Steve Shaw (x)