georgcs

[georgcs]

he had been searching for nothing more than a good strong drink. if a good time were to come from it, well... george was not one to say no. finding his cousin, drowning his sorrows in a borderline impressive quantity of alcohol had not exactly been on the cards ; but it would be a bold-faced lie to say he wasn't at least a bit pleased to see tobias. and still conscious? he must remember to congratulate his cousin, even if it was worry and note amusement starting to gnaw at him as he neared the scene.

a hand claps upon tobias' shoulder, the other reaching to bunch the coins into a small pile and slide back towards him. "best not tell me that, cousin. i will undoubtedly take massive advantage of your kindness." george laughs, collapsing into the adjacent seat and spinning to face his cousin. dark brows draw together. "are we drinking to remember, to forget... or just drinking for the sake of it? and to rinse this good establishment dry even before the night really kicks off."

OPEN STARTER | OPEN TO ALL LOCATION | GENTLEMAN JACK'S

It was all coming down, every memory, every affection shared and moment between them. It was no secret that Tobias was born with priveldge and would have it all his life with being an heir to a good and important house and he'd never been told he wasn't enough and never felt it until now. So he took to Gentleman Jack's, drowing his sorrows in countless glasses and bottles paid for with coin he was emptying out without thought. The silence gave way for thoughts coming in his head. His own actions had done this. His own attempt of rebellion made him undesirable to the one that he wanted the most and what should have been a joyous reunion was a moment of sorrow for him now. Yes, he could have the one he loved but in secret. To watch live a life away from him with another.... he hated it.

He doesn't look up at the person that joined him, just puts down more coins and slides it in their direction. "If you want a drink, there's plenty of coin for you to have whatever you want. A gift from me." Bitterly said as he downs another drink and waits for another to appear.

[georgcs]

george wasn't quite sure how it was he felt about the matchmaking. he'd have been more surprised if he wasn't involved, given the.. recent developments. if anything, he felt quite sorry for the poor woman he'd been matched with -- surely, and rightly so, she would want nothing to do with him? but the question posed by lady whistledown had, admittedly, been interesting. however begrudgingly he would bestow the writer that praise. the best thing about it, was his familiarity with the household. or a particular member of it anyway. she was naturally his first port of call. even though it probably should have been the lady he'd been matched with.

"there is?" he asked, incredulous as he pushed the window up just enough to duck his head under and climb through with all the grace of a slinking cat. "far be it from me to break the family tradition of entering and exiting through windows, my dear." realising edith hadn't moved from the bed despite his entrance, george inched towards her with a soft laugh and all but threw himself ( with a degree of self-control, not wanting to crush her ) directly across her, boots hanging off the side of the bed. "well, that is the plan eventually. but i have not decided what i'm actually going to do, yet." head turned, he shot her an innocent smile. "any thoughts? and has anything happened with yours yet?"

who: edith & george ( @georgcs ) where: edith room at the whitlock manor

while edith did not mind who it was that she had been matched with, that didn't mean that she was overall thrilled with the idea of what was happening. she didn't like the fact that her agency had been taken away from her. and she definitely didn't like that george was to be courting someone within her own house. edith cared for both willa and george deeply so she was unsure why she felt the twist of jealousy any time she thought about the two of them together. or why her mind wondered to the kiss that she had shared with him by the lake at the sinclair estate shortly after. she needed to get a grip.

edith had been laying in bed when she heard someone at the window and as she looked up, she saw george. as though she had managed to manifest him simply by thinking about him. "you do realise there is a door right there, don't you?" edith questioned, a laugh falling from her lips. she didn't get up from where she lay on the bed. she figured he'd make himself comfortable anyway. "i thought you'd be spending a lot more time inside the manor so you would know where it was by now."

[georgcs]

ANTHONY BOYLE as JOHN WILKES BOOTH in MANHUNT (2024), episode four

[georgcs]

"maybe," logically, he knew she was right and really, it wasn't the crux of the issue at all. just a spin-off of a spiralling thought process as he tried to grapple with the situation at hand. he should have expected he'd have to deal with it someday ; be forced to face it all, but never in a million years could he have imagined he'd have to do it so publicly. to be surrounded by people like beatrice who seemed to more than tolerate him was only making it worse. george waved a hand dismissively, narrowly fighting off the urge to cover his ears as beatrice showered him with compliments. "i think... i have had it with talking today." he chuckled slightly as he joked, more tempted by the light-hearted offers than he would care to admit. turning to face her fully as her hand held his arm, george shook his head. "you should just go to bed... it is late," a pause, then. "maybe we can talk in the morning."

there was very little that beatrice wouldn't do to make george happier in this situation - she just wasn't sure what to do. it hurt her heart to see him so upset, so beaten up - metaphorically, this time. "i think we all feel a little like that, most of the time. it's - it's a tricky thing, to know oneself." beatrice shrugged. "please stop that." she sighed. she placed the little bits that she had collected on the side so she could turn to look at him. "you are a man of substance. you are a good man. you are a kind, funny, silly man. you are wonderful." and she'd tell him that until she was blue in the face. she wasn't sure, though, what to say as he said he didn't feel much guilt. she didn't know the situation well enough to have an opinion, she thought. "george, i am here for you." beatrice stated, simply. "if you want to talk about it, i'm all ears. if you want me to tell you about all the boring men my mother made me dance with this evening, i can do that." she smiled, softly. "or i can make up some story about a knight and a unicorn and we can ignore this entire night ever happened." although he had pulled away from her initially, beatrice reached out to him and placed a gentle hand on his arm, "i am here for you. whatever you need."

[georgcs]

ANTHONY BOYLE as JOHN WILKES BOOTH in MANHUNT (2024), episode two

[georgcs]

@wonderland magazine

[georgcs]

"remind me never to get on your bad side, then. i am a sensitive soul and anything crueller said to me will surely send me spiralling." there was an element of truth in that statement that george would not like to admit to. he cared little for most other's opinions -- cruel or otherwise, but he would be at the very least a little shaken if edith's ever came to that. "yes! two compliments in one hour, my, my. i am doing remarkably well today -- i should have taken a bet out." it was a mutually beneficial reality, without her he'd likely have wandered off by himself with bran. as much as he loved the dog, his company couldn't hold a candle to edith's.

he shrugged, playing the innocent once more. "that's a silly question edith -- who would not like it if someone did whatever they said?" head shook in playful pretend disappointment at her. george glanced sideways as she spoke, then, quietly enraptured, continued to watch as she brushed her hair aside to make way for the undoing of her dress. his breath caught momentarily in his throat and he cleared it with a light cough. "sounds like a fair deal to me." stepping up, he undid the few tied closures at the top of her gown. george bit his lip and laughed slightly. "do you need my help getting it over your head too, or do you think you can manage that much, my lady?"

"if you think that's the cruellest, then you have not been around me long enough." edith joked. she was not someone who purposely went out of her way to be mean. but she also did not suffer fools and she had a quick tongue. luckily, george had never really had to see that side of her. really, she felt more free when she was around him than she did with basically anyone else. he had broken down the walls that she kept around herself with a smile and a joke and she had no idea how he did it. "you do make a good point ... sometimes." edith laughed, "i am certainly glad that you're not, george. i would simply die of boredom if you were."

edith laughed as george spoke, "of course you'd think that." she rolled her eyes. "you'd love it if i did exactly what you wanted, wouldn't you?" she smirked as she looked over to him. if she had to do everything that someone said, she supposed it could be interesting if that person was george. she crossed her eyes over her chest as she looked across the lake. "at least let me remove this first." edith huffed, referring to her dress. she had a shift on underneath. that would be easier to dry - and hide when they returned back to the others - than her dress. "then you can push me if in you truly wish." she laughed. edith swept her hair to the side around the front and then turned her back to george, "help me undo this thing?" she huffed, a small smile on her lips.

[georgcs]

there was an unsettled feeling in his stomach ( and not just from the intake of far too much alcohol in too little time ) at the expression on esther's face. she was the picture of worry and he wanted almost to shake her out of it. of course she did not care. perhaps she ought to, he thought. "i know that. you are far too sweet for all of this and i am sorry to have dragged you into it." it was the most earnest thing he'd said all day -- how fitting that it was esther to bring it out of him. "goodness, my head will not fit back through that door if you keep talking like that," george turned to face her, dark brows drawn into a frown. "... does miss emily know?" he held such affection for the little girl but it had only just occurred to him she may have heard something -- anything. the very thought had his insides squirming.

esther's brows were furrowed in worry- how could they not be? she had never been one to hide her emotions. that is, she couldn't hide her emotions, her face betrayed her every time. she moved towards the window seat and sat besides him. she was quiet for a moment, mulling over her words, what to say and what not to say. "i do not care what a gossip column has to say about you, george." a pause. "from what i know of you, you are a kind, sensitive, smart, and funny young man. you are good to your family and your staff and, well, that is good enough for me."

[georgcs]

he hummed something akin to agreement, collecting a different bottle from the ground only to discover it wasn't as empty as he'd thought, and downing it in one gulp. he turned to face her then, hands dropped to his side. george sighed. "i do not know that you do know me very well though, beatrice. hell, i could not say i know myself with any degree of certainty." a laugh, the sound completely devoid of mirth -- instead dry and sharp. "though i suppose maybe there is very little to know. i am hardly a man of substance." and he had made his peace with that. george was quite being no one to anyone. it was how he'd initially got away with what he did. "the truth of it is i have felt very little guilt. some, yes -- for i lost a friend in the process -- but not as much as i should." perhaps that was why he'd left the battlefield unchanged unlike so many around them. he was not like them. shoulders lifted and dropped in a shrug. "do you want to hear about it?"

as george started to tidy up, beatrice quickly moved to help him. she kept her distance from him, though. she thought that it was pretty clear that, that was what he wanted from her. even if beatrice was itching to hug him again, to make sure that he knew that everything was okay. "okay, well, that's good." she nodded. she didn't believe him but she thought that if he wanted to tell her, he would. "george, i haven't known you for a long amount of time but i know you well enough to know your heart. whatever happened - i know that, that isn't the man you are. i think you have been punished enough by the guilt you've felt since then." she paused before she spoke again. "do you want to talk about it? what happened?" she wouldn't push but she did want him to know that if he needed to talk about it, to get it off of his chest, then she was there.

[georgcs]

he snorts. "i never really understood that," not that he'd given it much thought. it was just one of those things that came along with belonging to such an old name -- one of many things that george couldn't have cared less about if he tried. he had thought the revealing of his secret would be among that list, but it turned out he was wrong. or half wrong. he is quite unable to make his mind up on the matter, frowning as he tries to discern his own muddled feelings in the silence that falls between cousins momentarily. "how very unfortunate for us all," a smile then, he quirks both brows at tobias. "is it too late to take my mother's name and run away to ireland, do you think?" god knows he's thought about it enough times. tobias is far more astute than he and absolutely right, of course. he laughs. "you would think i'd have learnt that the first time. but there is still something quite... satisfying in it."

“Much better than on ancient roads,” he quips back even though he did actually like their family motto and had used it as justification for his original expedition. Secrets played such a part in everyone’s life and now someone was determined to out them all for the purpose of entertainment. Not that he could blame them. It was a grand idea even if he wasn’t liking it on this occasion. “One thing about him is that he appears that he doesn’t care enough but image is everything and the secrets we keep can destroy that. You included. You have the last name, you’re of his blood. Its how it is.” Defeated sounding but he wondered if his cousin had the same figure, or a similar one, following him around to make sure they behaved. “The wall? You’re never going to win that fight, no matter how strong your fist or true your aim.”

[georgcs]

he stopped abruptly, turning to face her with a frown. "that is the cruelest thing i have ever heard you say." it was a tease, of course -- and he remained thoroughly entertained by it, shaking his head in utter disbelief and laughing. he was perhaps his most authentic self with edith, engaging with his perennially silly side freely and without fear of judgement. but not only in that way. he did not feel the need to think about what he said, how he said it or what he did. it was a decidedly solid foundation they'd built and he would do his best to maintain it, or perhaps even build upon it. "oh, of course. we would not be here right now doing this if i were an honourable gentleman and you the perfect lady. i'd be miserable on the hunt, and you would be miserable standing around with all the other ladies talking about curtains or such like."

george most certainly preferred it that way too. he laughed again, brows rising. "i don't know -- maybe it could be fun?" cheeky grin worked its way across his lips, head tilted at an angle. "i would only ever dare ask you to do things you'd enjoy anyway, but thankfully i am clever enough to know even that would end in disaster for me." if anything, it was much more likely to work the other way around. there was very little george wouldn't do for edith, it was just the sort of friendship they'd developed. "right then," halting at the edge of the lake, he unhooked their arms and turned to face edith. the mischievous glint was unmistakeable in his eye. "just how much would you hate me if i pushed you in first?"

"you, my dear, are about as complex as breathing." edith teased, throwing the pet name right back at him. she was lying, of course. she thought that there was a lot more to george then met the eye. though he did a good job of keeping it all hidden. she wondered if the way he was with her, was how he was with most. she found herself hoping that he wasn't. she liked the idea that she got to keep a little more of him for herself. edith wasn't someone who was a very open book. she kept herself guarded - she had lost too much to let people come and go. but there was something about george where she could let her walls down a little bit more. she didn't feel like she had to protect herself as much. "okay. that we can absolutely agree on." edith laughed, nodding her head. "though i think i definitely prefer it that way. it's much more fun."

it was ediths turn to laugh now, "do you know who you're talking too? in what world do you think i'm going to do everything you ask?" she raised an eyebrow. "you wouldn't like me as much as you do, if i did." edith was fairly certain on that. if george could stand to be around her as much as he was, then she was sure that he would never stand for a woman who would do as he pleased, when he pleased. she liked to think that he liked being around her because she did the opposite of that. "i believe so too. the rest of the ton are simply wrong." she nodded, a smile on her face. her smile only widened as he continued, though. they had a plan. 'my pirate lady'. why did the use of 'my' send a wave of butterflies to her stomach? she ignored the feeling entirely as she answered him and hooked her arm through his. "onwards." she nodded as she continued to walk. and it didn't take them long to come upon the lake which george spoke about.

[georgcs]

george thorpe ; a playlist.

i. menswear - the 1975. ii. the waves - bastille. iii. the stranger - billy joel. iv. do i wanna know? - arctic monkeys. v. better way to live - kneecap feat. grian chatten. vi. welcome to paradise - green day. vii. liability - raleigh ritchie. viii. messy - lola young. ix. parklife - blur. x. the line - twenty one pilots. xi. my life - billy joel. xii. house of fun - madness. xiii. people watching - sam fender. xiv. no 1. party anthem - arctic monkeys. xv. chocolate - the 1975. xvi. tell me ma - sham rock. xvii. teenage dirtbag - wheatus. xix. what's my age again - blink 182. xx. nocturnal creatures - bastille.

[georgcs]

JACK BARAK'S hair ft. wind in SHARDLAKE (2024-)

[georgcs]

he set about tidying the mess he had made - abandoned bottles and tousled furniture -- for something to busy himself with and to give him an excuse to avoid looking beatrice in the eye. he'd seen no disappointment or fear as she entered, but remained afraid he would find it if he looked too closely. beatrice would have every right to feel both or either one of those emotions given the circumstances. "ah, but i am fine now." the distance he'd put between them had worked wonders. he paused then, rolling a nearby bottle back and forth underfoot. "i think... perhaps it is deserved, though? in my case, i mean. i don't speak for everyone named, obviously. but one should expect consequences to their actions, yes? and if one does something that hurts another... it is only fair to receive hurt in return."

if what was said about george was the truth, then there was no doubt that he had done something horrible. but beatrice truly believed that people deserved a second chance. george deserved a second chance - she was pretty sure that she would give him a million extra chances, if needs be. he had a good heart. she thought that, that spoke more about him than anything else. the way that the Ton found out about what he had done, utterly broke her heart. whoever it was, she didn't think anyone deserved that. as he spoke though, beatrice wished that there was more that she could do for him. she didn't want him to feel like he had to hide how he was feeling, especially from her. "you do not need to do that, george." beatrice sighed, "you do not need to tell me that you're fine if you're not." if he didn't want to talk about it, then she would let it go. she sighed, though, as he pulled away from her and moved away. "it's certainly is not boring. but i also wish that whatever entertainment this is bringing that it didn't hurt people who do not deserve it. like you."

[georgcs]

"most certainly not. perhaps we should petition to have the family motto changed to 'decidedly not boring.'" he hums, the sound dripping with amusement and momentarily interrupted by another bout of soft, muted laughter. george is silent then, turning tobias' words over in a hazy mind. it is, of course, a very real possibility -- one of several he perhaps naively hadn't considered. or perhaps he just didn't care who knew ; he'd lasted seven years with no consequences and there seemed no reason to imagine that would ever change. his chest rises and falls in a deep sigh. "i suppose. but i was not under the impression he cared enough to do that -- not for me, obviously," he bit back another laugh at the very idea, "but for his reputation, even. for anything." dark gaze flickers to meet his cousin's, brow drawn into a frown. "oh... yes. at least that i can think of right now. it is just about the worst thing i have ever done," and he didn't even do it successfully. he shrugs, hand outstretched to examine nonchalantly. "i am afraid to say i think the wall won that round."

Hearing the laughter almost startles Tobias but he accepts it and chuckles along with his cousin but does wonder if he could have made the shot in the dark. The idea to ask falls away thinking its probably not the time for it. “Well, at least they can’t say we are a boring house.” He leans back to try and get comfy, back against slightly turned so he could still catch a glimpse out of the window if he wants it. “Oh, I know your uncle knows my secrets and he would have spent a small fortune getting them, maybe your father would have done the same.” That wouldn’t be a surprise. “Hmm, they know some of your secrets but is that all you have hidden?” There’s something cryptic in his voice, hinting that there could be more for the two had hidden. He knew it was true for himself. “And because of that, Lord Thorpe keeps a watchful eye on you?” He looks over George and see the red on his hand that he missed before. “I won’t ask if you won the duel but did you win whatever fight caused that?”

[georgcs]

the second amos entered, george concluded he'd left the door mostly shut in the hopes of putting people off. clearly, it hadn't worked -- but far worse people could have stepped over the threshold, so he let it slide wordlessly. he'd brought a drink, which was certainly a point in his favour. george nodded. "i seem to have already made my way through most of my previous company," he gestured to the empty scattered bottles. "so new company is more than welcome." holding up his own bottle, he surveyed how much was left and emitted a soft sigh. "are you a red wine drinker?" he tipped the bottle towards the other in offering regardless.

amos had ran as soon as he had read lady whistledown. he didn't want to talk to people. he wanted his own space for a little while. what he had read was something which wasn't going to do him any good. he was sure that the words would ring in his ears for days, weeks, possibly even years to come. he had only gone back to the main house when he was sure that he most people would be asleep. he had grabbed himself a couple bottles of his own before he went in search of some solitude within the house. he hadn't even intended to stumble upon george. he scoffed, though, at what the other had to say. "no need, friend..." amos muttered, shaking his head. "i simply thought that misery loves company. so wanted to know if you would like some?" he held up the bottle that was already in his hand. he had come prepared.

[georgcs]

for the first time in his life, george had started to feel settled -- borderline content, even -- with where he was. as ever, he was with the thorpe's very much against his will, but his staunch resolve on that matter was slowly being chipped away. by beatrice and her unwavering warmth and by juliet. he could not in a million years have predicted the impact his cousin-by-marriage would have upon his life. he was not sure he would cope when they inevitably had to part ways. without her, his life would be sadly empty of familiar, easy banter, the inside jokes... but most importantly, of her friendship.

he had blinked and she had crossed the room, gathering him into her arms. george inhaled sharply, out of surprise at the gesture and to prevent himself from breaking down entirely. he was relieved to be met with the familiar pattern of vocabulary -- he had been ordered by juliet more times than he could possibly count. "juliet," he uttered softly, pressing a smile into place as she touched his cheek. "but it is not unfounded and i am sorry to say it." clearing his throat, he wiped furiously at tears that fell despite his best efforts. "as ever, i will do my best to follow your orders -- but i am afraid it may be a little too late for that one. and we both know how dangerous it is when i think."

Mad man. Juliet could not help but try and find her most beloved cousin - the man who consistently gave her comfort, made her laugh more than she could even dare to imagine. George. He had been a godsend, an angel to the Thorpe manor, had kept her company on lonesome nights in her nightgown by the fire, and the two had laughed like little children in the glow of the night. They had found such a companionship in one another - and Juliet felt the blood of fury rush into her veins when she had read the horrific Lady Whistledown. Far past the tears of what had been exposed about her - what had been said about her dear family, including George, it was horrible. There was no part of George that ever could be a madman - he was a funny, gentle, and good soul and Juliet would never allow him to be hurt.

Creaking open the door enough to see that it was him, Juliet gasped softly. "Oh - Oh, my George." She whispered and charged to him, hugging him tightly. "My George. You do not think on any of this. Do you quite understand me? That is an order, and you know I do not take lightly to those who do not listen to me. It is an order." Juliet hugged him tightly, and pulled away and looked at him, hand touching his cheek. "It is all quite cruel - and unfounded. You are family, George. I won't allow you to think on any of it. Do you promise me?"