theotanaka

[theotanaka]

Darren Barnet

[theotanaka]

“You’ve jinxed it now, I was only thinking about the amount of people having sex in all these classrooms.” Now he was thinking about people injuring themselves in the woodwork classes or mixing up potions in the science labs.

Fletcher was right, whether it be one extreme or another they really shouldn’t have used the school for this. The town hall or something made a bit more sense. “And anyway, what does it say about us who attended? Are we all trying to relive our youth?” They were all in the same boat.

“I wonder if any cheating scandal will be happening tonight,” he thought out loud, nodding. There definitely would be, Theo was just glad he wasn’t part of it. “Adults do get worse as we get older, I suppose. Or maybe it was just our parents generation? Should we just go with that?” @fletcher-bailey

“I don’t even think mine had a theme.” Nothing outside of ‘don’t do anything dumb or kill each other’, and those were more heavily enforced guidelines than a theme. “My friends and I did sneak away, some of us got pinched, but the rest of us made it out to the football field to hide and hang there. Until they sent someone out for a sweep, and they caught us under the bleachers to drag us back in.” 

Then they were watched like hawks, he recalls. 

“It’s funny, though. We’re given more freedom to wander anywhere we want, but there’s a better chance this place will be left in shambles because of it. Hopefully someone doesn’t get too drunk and try to find the woodworking and shop classes. That could end bad.”

Fletch grimaces at the thought, but he thinks he doesn’t have to worry after himself or his friends. The only one he truly can’t predict is Reggie, but there is security there in that he wouldn’t get himself into too much trouble.

“But a cheating scandal — why do things get messier as people get older? I think I see it a lot more now than I did as a kid.”

@theotanaka

[theotanaka]

Theo knew he shouldn’t have been mildly happy that the brunette was equally as awkward and messy as he was, if just made the whole thing a little bit easier to know he wasn’t alone in being a total dumpster fire. He shouldn’t have come out tonight but the house was too quiet with his sister and his ex girlfriend now gone for good. So he’d hired a baby sitter but maybe fate had brought him here to her.

Theo breathed a small sigh of relief as she dried some of the mark off her dress, at this point he’d forgotten about his own arm. He just wanted to make sure her dress wasn’t ruined. “Maybe we can be messy together then,” it was supposed to be a joke but when he realised how it sounded, he scrunched his nose. “You know what I mean.” He let out a small awkward laugh whilst she handed him the paper towels, that instantly reminded him about his sleeve. “Oh I don’t have a date, I decided to come to this thing by myself.” He finally started dabbing the fabric of his black suit. “Uh. Did you come with one? Because you can have my jacket if you don’t and need it. It’ll still be wet on the sleeve but you can’t see it at least.” @themireyaxcardenas

Mireya swallowed as the man's fingers circled her wrist but she followed along easily just the same, her mind still reeling a bit due to, well, everything. The touch only lasted a few moments though before he was letting go and soon enough they were out in the hall, the sounds of the party muffled behind them once the doors to the gym closed. And still she followed, the sound of her heels clicking against linoleum and the muffled music and voices following them as he led them to his destination--a classroom.

"No! No it's okay, I....god, I'm sorry.." Reya bit her lip, looking around the empty science lab even as her insides twisted a bit. "Trust me....I know all too well the feeling of being a mess right now.." She didn't quite meet his eyes at first as she said it too, instead just looking around for a few moments more before finally focusing back on Theo just as he grabbed some paper towels for her. "Thank you." She used them to dry the liquid still spilled on her arm and hand before dabbing it along her dress, frowning since she hoped it didn't stain. All the while she thought about how she hadn't seen Theo in so long--so of course this was how the universe decided to throw them back together. "Hopefully your date won't be too mad at me for stealing you away? And potentially ruining your outfit." She tacked on at the end as she offered him a paper towel as well to dry off his sleeve.

[theotanaka]

"Exactly my worry. What if she totally takes over? She might come for my job first then wanna buy you out of the bar next, turn it into a unicorn wonderland." The mocktails would be pink, filled with sparkles and fairy floss and the food would be chicken nuggets (shaped like unicorns) only. He could picture it as the words came out of his mouth. "Might be a reality now anyway," he admitted. "Her mom's gone again so it's just us. My sister moved to LA, so I don't have a baby sitter on hand all the time now either." @kaede-yamada

“ We do love you here, but mini you? She’s gonna end up with your paycheck if you’re not careful “ he joked. He wouldn’t have minded if Theo had to bring his daughter in. Kaede had to do that a lot when he was trying to balance a business and raising his daughter. It was why there was plenty of stuff for kids to do at the Reef. “ I’m game. I know Layla always wanted a little sister. I don’t know how likely that is but at least she could always bond with your daughter “ @theotanaka

[theotanaka]

“You read my mind,” Theo nodded his head. “You know, I bet it would be similar to her working with Steve Martin and Martin Short on Only Murders.”

The dark haired male lets out a laugh. “I couldn’t imagine Miss Piggy as anyone else, do we think Kermit is Anne Hathaway? Or Elmo?” @peterbasara

"Oh, man, I fuck with that -- that's inspired," Peter agrees with a bob of his head.

"And, you know, Meryl is the perfect kind of actress to pull that off -- she's not just gonna phone in a performance because she's surrounded by puppets."

He takes another hit from his vape and poses another question.

"Would you have Miss Piggy as the bitchy assistant? The British one?"

@theotanaka

[theotanaka]

He gave her a defeated smile, truth be told, Theo didn't know how or what to feel about the whole ordeal. He still felt like he was being dramatic only for trusting her in the first place. "Thanks,' he replied with a heavy sigh, leaning back into his chair. "Yeah, you're right I really did think that I was doing the best for both of us. I think, you know, growing up in a broken family full of drama, I just wanted different for Amalie." He shrugged. "She's...devastated. At least the first time, you know, she didn't know any different." @thecelestexzhao

The smile Celeste had on her face effectively fell away when Theo finally told her what'd been going on, changing her expression into a concerned frown as she even took a little step closer. "Shit, Theo, I....I'm so sorry..." She bit her lip, unsure really if she should hug him or offer any comfort at all really, since they weren't exactly friends....but she did spend a lot of her time with him at the bar. "Don't put the blame on yourself..it's on her. And you're not being dramatic, for the record. You were doing the best thing. For your kid, and..maybe even yourself?" Not like she could blame him for wanting to give his ex a second chance. "Are you okay? Is your daughter?"

[theotanaka]

"If nothing's changed, yes." Theo answered with an awkward laugh. It had been a while since he was roaming the halls of Aurora Bay high school, but he figured it wasn't entirely easy to change where sinks specifically were, right? Without even really thinking, he'd reached for her wrist to make sure she would safely make it out into the hallway with him. But when it registered, he quickly let go. "Oh, sorry," he said with a sigh, he shouldn't have been so awkward around her - normally he wouldn't have been but with everything going on he was a little bit of a mess.

When they made it to the much quieter classroom, one of the science labs, Theo shoots her an apologetic look. "Sorry," he said again. "I'm kind of a little bit of a mess right now, as you can probably tell." He blurted out. He didn't want to trauma dump at all, but the last thing Theo wanted was her thinking it was anything to do with running into her unexpectedly. Running the tap and grabbing some paper towels. "Just know it's not a you thing." @themireyaxcardenas

Recognition hit her at the same moment it apparently did him, since Reya watched the way angry lines on his face faded away as their gazes met. She hadn't expected to have drink spilled all over her, and she definitely hadn't expected to have it happen to him. "Theo..I--hi." She echoed, face flushed still and only snapping out of it as she finally properly looked down at herself and nodded. "Okay. Yeah. You...know where to go in here?" She asked lamely, glancing to the doors but not knowing her way around the school. Shouldn't be too hard to find a bathroom or classroom with a sink though.

[theotanaka]

"Exactly, it's terrifying." It was only really with his daughter, his sister being sick her entire life was nothing new to him and he had picked both parents up off the floor numerous times as a kid. "It probably is the age," he nodded in agreement. "She's my heart but she drives me nuts. But that's what kids are for, right?" @nicomackenzie

"I mean that doesn't mean much. It's always different when it's a family member. If anyone ever endangered my family, I fear I'd do the same thing." He did. Nico knew that if he ever had to handle a call at his parent's house, he was going to have a fit over it. "But yeah, I mean I wanna help." As much as he could at least. "Is that an age thing? I don't know anything about kids, so I don't know if that's like just cause she's that age." He knew that he'd been a handful when he was younger. He didn't know who he was supposed to complain about that to.

[theotanaka]

"It is a bad thing! I can't have her stealing my thunder." Theo joked, a grin spreading across his face at the thought. He'd let his daughter steal the show anytime, realistically. It wasn't that kids shouldn't be in pubs, that was a little bit outdated in Theo's mind. "You know we should get them together, I should bring her in they'd probably have a great time." @kaede-yamada

“ you say that as though that would be a bad thing. “ while a bar didn’t seem like the safest place for a kid; Kaede often had his own daughter there when a sitter fell through and she was always safe. “ I mean if my daughter was there too I think they would be on pretty great hands with one another. They might end up the thinking the reef is a daycare “ he teased. @theotanaka

[theotanaka]

"I'm being dramatic," Theo admitted, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He wasn't usually like this, it was more disappointment than anything. He wanted his daughter to have the best upbringing possible - perhaps that was without her mother but that wasn't on his mind right now. "She left again. Found her trying to get into my sisters prescription pain meds. Instead of talking about it, she ran." He lets out a sigh. "I was just a little naive, that's all." @thecelestexzhao

Celeste felt her lips tugging into a little frown and she blinked at him, "The couch?" She knew Theo had a kid at home, and she thought he was making things work with the girl's mother, but... "Okay. Dude. I'm not a shrink or anything, but...everything okay? Why are you on the couch? And apparently avoiding home? You got in a fight with your girl or something?"

[theotanaka]

“The council must've given them a big budget. Ours was like, a Night to Remember or something." The most cliche theme his year could've got, it wasn't as fun as this. There were a few streamers and a smoke machine but that was as far as it got. "Nothing like this," he adds with a light chuckle. "I think the most entertaining thing was the fight that broke out in the carpark afterwards, and it wasn't even students. It was the parents. Some cheating scandal gone wild." He sipped his punch, nodding. "You're right, I think some of these classrooms are gonna be absolutely ruined after tonight." @fletcher-bailey

CLOSED STARTER for @theotanaka at the under the sea prom

"My prom looked nothing like this. But I guess they might just pull out all the stops for a twenty one plus party?"

Or something.

Fletcher can just see a handful of teenage punks ripping the streamers and jellyfish decorations down in a lack of class, all for a laugh at the expense of the school. Adults are different. Adults should be easier, assuming the alcoholic consumption is kept under control.

"When I was a senior, they shoved us in the gymnasium and only let out down the hall to use the bathroom, but we weren't allowed to wander. This could go either way with some of the things I've seen unravel in this town."

[theotanaka]

"Curb seemed way comfier than the couch at home." Theo attempted to joke in responded, a half assed chuckle followed after his words. He'd been spending more time at the Reef. It was kind of hard to look at his daughter when she reminded him so much of her mother. Not that he'd ever resent her for it, he just wasn't in the headspace to be the fun loving dad he usually was. "I know, I should go home." He mumbled, holding out the takeaway box of French fries to share with her. "I don't even have an excuse not to go home." @thecelestexzhao

Celeste could tell her coworker was...off, so whenever he needed extra time or anything, she agreed. Still, she was a bit worried about him, so that evening as she headed outside for a smoke break during her shift and saw him still there, Celeste paused, frowning in confusion. "It is.....and isn't it time for you to be home already? Why are you loitering?" She said it as an attempt at a little joke, but there was still concern in her gaze as she looked him over.

[theotanaka]

One minute Theo was beelining to the bar and the next minute he was covered in champagne. This would happen to him when he already didn't really care to be there and his mood was...not the best. But, wallowing at home didn't sound like fun either, so here he was. He looked down at the soaked light-blue shirt he had on, his brows pulled together in anger and then he heard her voice, and saw her face. Recognizing her immediately, and his expression softened. "Shit- Hi, uh, you're fine." He let out a sigh, looking down at her stained dress. "You're not fine, though. Let's go find somewhere to get cleaned up?" @themireyaxcardenas

open - @aurorabaystarter

where - prom

It was curiosity more than anything that brought her here--well, that, and the fact that Gianna had begged her and pouted until she caved, her parents even offering to babysit Mireya's little brother so she could go without worry. So here she was, wearing a fancy dress and actually putting in effort into her appearance for the first time in a long while and...well, feeling pretty. Feeling good, something she hadn't truly, fully felt in quite some time. But, she was also feeling a bit out of place, so she quickly was about to be onto her second glass of champagne when someone quite forcefully smacked right into her and she let out a little yelp, her drink sloshing over herself and someone else- along with the domino affect of stumbling into the same poor victim.

“Shit, I’m sorry. Are you okay?” God she hoped she wasn’t about to get yelled at or threatened to be sued or something equally as ridiculous (but right up the alley for rich douches) just because of a bump and a potentially-ruined outfit. 

[theotanaka]

"Ah, she'd steal the show." Theo mused, his face lighting up when he speaks about Amalie which was very normal for him. She was the light of his life and simply what kept him going, so there was no surprises. "I could just imagine her taking over this place, she'd be the life of the party and she's five," he told Kaede, letting out a low chuckle. "She'd probably actually love it." @kaede-yamada

Kaede was quiet for a moment as he listened to Theo and he was glad to be able to be this sort of network for him. That was really all he wanted the reef to be for people. Because Gabrielle had loved the place so much he wanted to make sure he did his best to keep it a good place. As good of a place as bar could be. “ nothing ever is easy but I’m glad you have a good network here. If you ever need anything you know you can always let me know. Even if it’s having to bring Amalie here,” @theotanaka

[theotanaka]

"It's funny, I'm an ex firefighter so usually I'm great in a crisis, just not when it comes to her - I know that's so common though." He could pull his shit together for any other family member, but Amalie. "I will definitely keep you in mind for that though." The dark haired man gives his friend a nod, shaking his head. "No fair, none at all. She's constantly doing daredevil things and I'm looking at her like, where the heck did this adrenaline junkie, personality come from? 'Cause it's not from me, and two, like, um, can you slow down so you don't hurt yourself." He relayed with a small chuckle. "I got you, anytime." @nicomackenzie

"Which, I don't think there's anything wrong with that either. I mean I don't have children. I don't know if I want them either. It's just interesting to see both sides. I personally didn't fall in love with hockey until I was like a bit older." Nico knew his parents would support him. "Damn, yeah, I mean it's rough seeing someone you love hurt. If you ever like freak out freak out, I am a paramedic, so like I can kind of help calm down." Nico nodded. "Kids don't have any fear, I swear. I see them fall all the time on the ice with no worry." Nico let out a little laugh. "That's true. It'd be stressful in the moment, but a laugh later. Thanks man, appreciate the support."

[theotanaka]

"Maybe you could tell the instructor to use it as a selling point, make sure you get a cut though, maybe negotiate one for me too. We can't sell ourselves short." Theo replied jokingly, a small smile appearing on his face. He then extends his hand, "I'm Theo. I guess at least it was only lip balm and a protein bar, could've been way worse than that." @reese-thomas

Reese couldn't help but let out a small laugh at his quip, shrugging her shoulders as she readjusted the mat under her arm. "Maybe. Hopefully. It would be a pretty good advertisement for them if I just floated down this sidewalk, wouldn't it? If that's the case, then I guess that was a pretty good first session." She chuckled, throwing the protein bar and lip balm back into her bag, mumbling a thank you to the stranger. "I'm Reese, by the way. Figured you deserved a name now you saw the entire contents of my purse."

[theotanaka]

"No worries," Theo replied as he handed her the rogue lip balm and protein bar that had rolled onto the pavement in front of his feet. A wide smile appears upon his lips as he glances over to the yoga studio, assuming that's where she's come from.

"Maybe the yoga's just relaxed you so much that you just can't function now," he suggested, letting out a small laugh. "We can blame it on that anyway." @reese-thomas

open starter @ outside grounded yoga studio

After finishing her bi-weekly class at the yoga studio, Reese was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, her hair pulled back in a bun and her mat rolled up under her arm. Her bag was precariously balancing on her other shoulder, but when she pushed open the door of the studio, it slipped down, colliding with the sidewalk with all of the contents of her bag rolling along the pavement.

Letting out a muttered series of curses, she bent down to hastily grab at what she could, pausing when she saw another set of hands joining her own. She looked up, throwing an embarrassed smile at the good samaritan. "Thank-uh, thank you. I'd be nothing if I wasn't a clutz." She scrambled back to her feet, looking more flushed than she did before as she tried to reorganise herself.