spencerredding

[spencerredding]

The comparison made Spencer nod though he shrugged. "What if I want to do both?" he laughed. He was no interior designer in the slightest so the chances of him hanging a photo in someone else's home felt slim. But he wasn't going to count anything out at this point; the needs of others and what they expected of him would always take priority to whatever he thought he'd need to do. "I see myself putting up walls a lot more than I see myself hanging photos, so I mean, I guess that's something to consider." he stated. Eyes shifted to the other, nodding as the other said he taught shop. "Oh that's cool. High school I assume?" he questioned. "I took a shop class when I was in high school but it sadly didn't last long. I think it shut down before I even got two weeks into it." he stated. "Most everything I know I was taught by my dad." he admitted, taking a moment to think about his upbringing. Though that moment was nearly changed as the other stated that it was worth it in the end. "I think so too. I'll go ahead and get it I think. Or at least consider it. I need to make sure the budget is there first." @diegoocastro

Diego chuckled, "Think, do you want to hang a painting or do you want to put up a wall or roof?" Why would you need one tool or another? He smiled, "I teach shop, so I have a bit of it all," he had collected over the years. He nodded, looking at the other. "I do the same thing on the side," he smiled at the other. "But really, unless you are like fully building a house or something, I don't think you need an impact driver that much," he admitted. "I mean, if you work as you say you do, it's worth it." Enough work would pay for it back. "They are stronger and quicker, so I say if you keep up working, it will be worth it later," he smiled at the other. "It's a lot now, but it saves time, it's stronger, it's worth it if you have the money," he smiled. @spencerredding.

[spencerredding]

"Thank you." he nodded, the smile on his face growing. Kismet hadn't quite felt like home yet; if he were honest he'd say it felt more like the place he went to escape everything he had known before. And while she was the one that he had came here for, she was also currently proving to him just why he had. To start over. To become the best version of himself; he just wouldn't deny himself the pleasure of getting to know her again along the way. "I feel like I've heard that." he admitted with a smile. "Which I'm thankful for." he shrugged. "I'm just glad I took a leap; I think I'm going to be pleasantly surprised by how much I love this place." he stated. His eyes met hers as she mentioned that everyone seemed to show up for each other and he nodded again. "I can believe that. I had my couch delivered to someone's home and he didn't even hesitate to help me move it outside." he admitted. "Granted I don't think he wanted it anymore than I wanted to move it, but you know that's not really the point." @samaraxcastro

"Good answer," Samara tilted her head slightly, lips curling into a small smile at his words. She watched him as he spoke, noting the shift in his posture. Just like she was, it seemed like they were both clinging to the conversation at hand. "Well, welcome," she said, lifting her drink in a casual toast. "Fresh starts are a specialty around here." Even when she had been gone for as long as she had, it still seemed like a fresh start to return. "There's a lot here that I love," she smiled with warmth as she thought of something for the other, "but most importantly, at least to me, is that people show up for each other." She knew that it could be rare elsewhere, "Has Kismet been kind to you thus far?" @spencerredding

[spencerredding]

RICKY WHITTLE Dream it Conventions 2025

[spencerredding]

"I agree." he nodded, thankful to have something to focus on outside of the fact she was who he was here for. That wasn't stopping him from staring at her as if his entire life was in the palm of her hands - which it was in a sense - but, maybe with some conversation to keep up with, he could manage to keep his composure. "Anyone that can't respect a woman - or really anyone they're dating or trying to impress for that matter - doesn't deserve the time of day." a shrug, but he was passionate about it. Regardless of the fact he'd 'ghosted' her, he could never disrespect a woman. It wasn't in his nature. Her comment made him smile and he nodded. "That's because I'm not." he laughed. "I just moved here. March." he added. "Needed a fresh start and somehow ended up in Kismet." he stated. He knew how that somehow went, but, he wasn't ready to admit that yet. "What's your favorite thing about being here? If you had to pick one?" @samaraxcastro

A smile tugged on the corner of her lips with the way that he repeated her name. There was something oddly familiar in the way it rolled off his tongue, but it was lost on her otherwise how it would be familiar. "Thank you," she replied, the smile still resting on her lips. "Respect is the bare minimum, but I appreciate you that you said it." Her voice was calm as she spoke, "So, Spencer," his name already comfortable with her, "I've been out of Kismet a while, but you don't strike me as someone that's been here for a while." @spencerredding

[spencerredding]

"Well that's confusing." he stated, eyes shifting between the tool and the male. He knew what he was doing and he was no stranger to power tools, but, he had never heard of the impact driver or thought he needed one in his collection. "I do construction." he stated. "Contracted through the real estate company the Home Genies here in town." a pause. "So I could do anything from a remodel to building something new like gazebos or additions." he shrugged. "I've always managed to make things work with a drill but now I'm wondering if I need this. This something you have in your collection or is it a waste of my money?" @diegoocastro

Diego loved to go to the store and look at tools and supplies that he loved to work with. So he was at the store today, seeing if something new caught his eye, and he wanted it. But Diego was one to have one of every tool there was, so he could always get the job done. "It's a tool," he teased. "But it's not much different than an impact driver or an electric screwdriver," he nodded. "Like if you want to do normal work, you just need the drill, and if you want to do more heavy, hard work, you need the driver." It was always silly; the words were so close to being the same. "So what work do you do?" he asked, to see what the other male needed. @spencerredding

[spencerredding]

"I promise I'm not a villain." he laughed. "And before you say 'that's what a villain would say', just know I'm a military veteran with enough skills to end someone with just my hands. Promise I don't want to hurt you." he laughed. He let his hand rub over the top of his head. "I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry." he apologized again. "I'm actually looking for Neptune Oyster." he stated. "I worked on this house today and the family invited me to join them for dinner. I thought I had the right address but it brought me here to this random corner behind us so clearly I wasn't right." he sighed. "Am I anywhere close?" @beatrizxsouza

She instinctively took half a step backwards when she first noticed him, but at his words the tension in her shoulders began to ease. She was alert, but no longer alarmed by his presence. "It was a jump scare moment, for sure," Beatriz managed to joke, "but if you are just lost and not a villain from a horror movie, I can work with that." Her lips curled into a brighter smile. "You're not the first person to get turned around or the last. Everything can look a bit different at night." Beatriz stated, "Where are you looking to go?" @spencerredding

[spencerredding]

𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 @alecxkincade

Moving to Cresthill Meadows had nearly been handed to him. He hadn't really had to give it much thought, instead he just had to pack up his clothes, find a place to live and move here. It had been really simple on his part. Finding a place to live had been easy as well; he'd basically moved to Kismet at the perfect time and had gotten a studio apartment in town. And despite the fact he'd lived here for a few months now, he was still trying to figure out the town and what really seemed to make people happy here, so, he decided to use the day to take a walk around the neighborhood and say hi to the neighbors. Tossing a wave here and there, he moved on about his day.

[spencerredding]

A shake of his head following her question, this time his own brows sewn together. "No, never. Not until I moved here a few weeks ago." he admitted, placing the produce from his hand into the basket he was holding. He had this gut feeling she felt familiar too, and while he'd almost asked if she were Samara, he refrained, though, he was curious. "Sorry to disappoint. I assume you've got that feeling we know each other?" He certainly had that feeling himself, so, he wouldn't be shocked if she had said yes. @makaylahoffmann

There was something in the deep crevices of her subconscious that snapped when she looked at the other. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something told her that he was familiar in some way. That she had known him somehow, someway but could decipher it. Shaking her head, her brows sewn together, "I've never been. And you've never been to Kismet before?" She asked, leaning on the edge of the produce display, her back aching for a moment. @spencerredding

[spencerredding]

The feeling of her hand in his was nearly distracting enough for him to miss her name. Yet, the way his heart seemed to sink to his stomach as he heard it was reason enough for him to pay attention. Samara. She was here. The shock coursing through his body shouldn't have been so overwhelming. She was why he was here to begin with, he just didn't expect to find her so quickly. He cleared his throat, hoping that he could pull it off as something minor like allergies and pulled his hand away - slowly as not to freak her out - before she noticed him suddenly shaking. "Samara. That's such a pretty name." he smiled, pretending like it was the first time he'd ever heard it. "And of course not, I know better. Women deserve to be treated with nothing but respect. You are not a transaction." @samaraxcastro

Her eyes lingered on him, surprised by the softness in his voicce. As a therapist, she found that people always wanted something, even if they didn't say it out loud. Yet, he didn't push for anything and something in that made her defenses lower a smidge. Samara reached out to take his hand as he extended it. Her fingers closed around his hand, one that was warm and very real in her own. "Samara," she said in a calm voice. "And it's nice to meet a man that doesn't treat dinner like a transaction." Samara knew what the dating scene was like, even if she were not actively involved in it. And this? Samara didn't think she'd even consider this a date when he happened upon her table. @spencerredding

[spencerredding]

𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 @diegoocastro

"What do you know about this tool?" Spencer questioned, point towards the tool labeled 'impact drill' before he looked at the other. He had met Diego a few times, even worked with him once or twice on some smaller projects that Spencer had been hired to do since his move to Kismet, so he knew that the other male at least had a small understanding of what kind of tools were what. At least the basics. But while he was standing here, looking for a replacement for the drill he'd broken this past week, he'd been mesmerized by the impact drill, unsure of it's purpose or the need for it in his collection. "It looks exactly like that drill there so I can't seem to wrap my head around it." he admitted. "You ever worked with an impact drill at all?"

[spencerredding]

Spencer hadn't meant to scare here; in fact he'd opened his mouth to speak at the same time that she'd spoken. He wasn't even sure how he managed to find the darkest corner in Kismet Harbor, but, here he was. "I'm sorry, I'm actually just lost." he chuckled a little, taking a step closer to the streetlight. He knew that being of darker complexion often times had him blending in, so if she'd merely seen his shadow or heard him lurking in the shadows there was no surprise that she was freaked out right now. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm just trying to figure out how to get back to where I need to be; I didn't really consider the fact that I'd likely give someone a scare in the process. You alright?" @beatrizxsouza

starter for anyone (cap at 2)

location: downtown kismet harbor

It was late at night and Beatriz was leaving Cedar Grill and Lounge after spending time with some friends. She said she was fine to walk herself to her car and she was. It was only around the block, parked a little further up the street. As she walked, getting ready to round the corner there was quick flash of a shadow figure. A gasp left her lips, echoing through the dimly lit downtown street. She peered around the corner, eyes widening as she searched for who it could have been. While Kismet Harbor was a place that Beatriz found to be typically safe, after the recent kidnapping, she didn't want to take any chances. "Who- who is there?"

[spencerredding]

"There's not much that compares." he admitted, eyes focusing on the other as he spoke. He wasn't one that had attended a lot of sporting events, but everyone he'd been to was just as energetic as the one before and it was truly an experience you couldn't explain unless you were there. That was really the only way to explain it. "Well than that settles it, we exchange numbers and make plans to attend a hockey game or something. I don't have many friends in town yet - I've also only been here for a couple months - so it'd be nice to have someone to go with." he stated. "Spencer, by the way. In case I forgot to introduce myself before." @knoxwallace

THE END

That was always the beauty of sports for Knox. Whether it was a way to make friends or a friendly rivalry with fans of other teams, there was always a way to connect with people. "Exactly, man. There's nothing like it out there. I mean, at least nothing I've ever been into," he shrugged. It was probably the same in other fandoms, but Knox had never branched out much into much else. "Nah? I've always loved watching it. Anything fast paced, I get into it. So, hockey too, yeah, I could get into going out to some hockey games. Any sport I'd be down, though." It didn't matter much if it was his favorite sport or not, he'd find a way to have a good time in any stadium he went to. "Few months now, though. Not very long at this point. Still just getting settled, getting my bearings. What about you?"

@spencerredding

[spencerredding]

"Oh trust me as soon as I get this in my house and get settled I'm calling because this was just an oversight on someone's part." he stated, taking a step towards the other a moment later. He knew that no one was perfect, but what if he'd have not taken matters into his own hands and go looking he'd likely have found himself in the same boat the other had been, and he wasn't the nicest when he was sweaty and hungry, both of which he was right now. "Yeah, I've got a moving truck parked right out front, so I can get it back. Here. Let me help you load it out of there." @berkanxyilmaz

THE END

That answer wasn't what Berkan wanted to here. He had hoped the man had his couch then, but it seemed this furniture place really screwed up and the person he had just spoke to, or someone else at the place, was going to get an ear full once this situation was over with. "Royally screwed up. They'll be paying for it and I advice you give them a piece of your mind as well." At the very least, the man could get a refund for the delivery fee. Shaking his head, he waved the man in. "No. I got it. I've dealt with these kinds of people before." He rounded the couch. "You got a vehicle that can carry this?" @spencerredding

[spencerredding]

THE END

"I am so sorry." Was all that Spencer managed to get out before he saw the girls in the back. "Are you guys okay?" He hadn't hit them hard enough to damage the vehicle from what he could tell, but that didn't mean that he hadn't scared him. Which honestly broke his heart even more. "I wasn't paying attention. I slowed down but not fast enough to not hit you." he sighed, looking back at her. "I'm so sorry, how can I help?" Spencer didn't know the first thing about kids. He'd been around a few of his friends kids back in the military but as far as long term he'd never been around any kids long term and he didn't know the first thing about caring for them. "I feel so bad." @lucianasbentley

[spencerredding]

A smile played on his own lips as he looked at her, eyes focusing on her features. Something in his gut was telling him that she was familiar, forcing him to believe that this was where his mind would be focused for days to come. Yet he couldn't be too hopeful; he'd known this woman for all of ten minutes and he was in no shape ready to jump into anything, even if her presence was onto him like a magnet. "I don't want anything." he paused, shaking his head. "Nothing but your company over a dinner that I'm sure is delicious." he admitted, eyes focusing on her again. "I'm sorry that you aren't told often." Spencer had always had more respect for woman than most people in his life. While he could find himself engaging in plenty of adult activities right along with people, Spencer had always preferred the emotional side of things. The part that would break your heart for the right reasons and not just to scratch an itch because it had been awhile. He hadn't lied before, she was beautiful, and he was deprived, but he wasn't going to be that guy. "I think I can agree to that." he stated, eyes focused on her as he extended his hand to shake hers. "Spencer." he greeted only once his hand was pressed firmly against hers. "Who do I have the pleasure of dining with this evening?" @samaraxcastro

She studied the man sitting across from her, unable to figure him out in an instant. The therapist in her was intrigued, but she pushed that part of herself away to better enjoy the evening as it unfolded. Not everything required an official analysis right off the bat. The way he spoke was clear, it was intentional. Samara had been around her fair share of charmers and those that were smooth talking but this was not that. "No," she said simply. "Not like that." She let the words sit between them for a moment, "Most people don't say things like that unless they want something. You're not pretending." That much she could see. "I stopped believe in fate, too," she added, finding herself thinking about it once more. "But," her lips curled into a faint smile, "sometimes things line up a little too perfectly to ignore." Like this moment tonight. The first moment in a long time. @spencerredding

[spencerredding]

"I am so sorry." Was all that Spencer managed to get out before he saw the girls in the back. "Are you guys okay?" He hadn't hit them hard enough to damage the vehicle from what he could tell, but that didn't mean that he hadn't scared him. Which honestly broke his heart even more. "I wasn't paying attention. I slowed down but not fast enough to not hit you." he sighed, looking back at her. "I'm so sorry, how can I help?" Spencer didn't know the first thing about kids. He'd been around a few of his friends kids back in the military but as far as long term he'd never been around any kids long term and he didn't know the first thing about caring for them. "I feel so bad." @lucianasbentley

Luciana wanted nothing more than to be home right now. Elena was sick and Lucy had been called to pick her up from school and Gabby was fussing in her car seat since she wanted to be anywhere except there; just like her mother currently. They were moving slowly as construction had slowed traffic down. She was getting antsy and next thing she knew, someone bumped into the back of her car. The noise made Gabby start to cry and Elena panic and Lucy was trying to see what was trying to calm them down when someone was at their window. "Hi, sorry." She told the man. "What happened?" @lucianasbentley

[spencerredding]

The mention of Spencer being a fellow new guy made him nod, lifting his glass as if to say cheers to the other one. "One thing about sports that I'll always love." he stated. "It's always bound to have people meet and interact." And that was the truth. Despite the fact that there were different types of fans - some were diehard fans while other's were much less into it - you could typically start a conversation with anyone about sports. Even if it lead to something else at least sports was a good common middle ground. "I haven't been to that stadium either. I'm not big on basketball myself but it seems promising." he stated, referencing the Trail Blazers. "Also apparently people around here really like hockey, so, that's something to consider." a pause as he looked at the other. "How long have you been in town for?" @knoxwallace

"Oh, hell yeah, it's the way to go. I went to a lot of shit when I was living in Los Angeles, but there's so much going on there that it's easy to find something. Not sure what stadiums are around here, but if there's anything, I'd consider buying tickets," he admitted. It was rare that he'd ever regretted being at a sporting event and even if his teams weren't here in the area, he could learn to support a new team. It was one of the few hobbies he had that he could bond with other people over and there was something about the camaraderie of it all that he missed. "Fellow new guy, then. Glad I'm not the only one. I get that, though. It's such an easy way to meet new people when you move somewhere you don't know anyone." It had always been something he'd loved, showing up at games or local watch parties to meet people. Even if he didn't always become a diehard fan of the teams in the cities he'd lived, it was hard not to get caught up in it all when you were living in and around it. "Trail Blazers, okay. I can work with that. Never been to a game at their stadium before. I might have to change that. You up to go sometime?"

@spencerredding