THE FIRST RULE

AARON WOLFE STONE Owner of No Names ''There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.''

[a-aronstone]

jacksonhaywood·:

-

Like any true, competitive athlete, Jackson liked to keep his pulse on the competition. It wasn’t enough to simply be good, if your competition was great. It was a drive that fueled all facets of his life; his athletic successes, his business wins, and even his dalliances with beautiful women. The Fitness Center, at first blush, was hardly an impressive feat. For a small town, it was acceptable enough. A few sturdy tredmills, subpar dumbbells, and one or two noteworthy instructors. But with magic, and perhaps a bit of his old Haywood wealth, the Fitness Center was on its way to renown. Even so, Jackson circled the town, inquiring about No Names. Even ventured a quick peak early in the morning. What better way to learn?

Jackson is primed at the end of the Fitness Center, spotting a twenty-something weightlifter as he lifted a hundred pounds of dumbbells. From afar, he hears the inquiry. About time, he thinks smugly. The mythos around Aaron Stone was something of a curiosity. Unlike Jackson, he was not a man of considerable means. Instead, he bore arms for his nation’s interests. The difference alone would be curious enough, but Jackson also recognized the foothold No Names had in Olympus. After providing an assist, he stalks forward. “Last time someone asked for me, I got punched in chest.” Jackson chides, a gruff smile as he pats Aaron on the shoulder. “From No Names, right?”

It was one thing to see a professional athlete behind a screen. It was another to see one up front. Now, the Stone had gone to stadiums and arenas to see games live, and seeing the pros in person, it was a different experience entirely. He might’ve owned a whole boxing ring at his gym that held skilled fighters, but he saw them practically everyday, day in and day out. He still appreciated the hard work and dedication they put into the craft. He wasn’t going to take that away from anyone, but there wasn’t an expectation versus reality at play. Not like when he came across fighters competing in the UFC, ONE FC, or Bellator MMA since he didn’t see them in person every other day, so when he turned his head to stand face to face with Jackson Haywood, Aaron smiled easily when the visual expectation he had of the guy matched the real world. Although, he did expect a few more inches on his height, but it wasn’t a point of contention. “Ah, well, allow me to break the pattern,” he held out his hand for the other to shake. Normally, he would’ve found the pat on shoulder by someone he didn’t know to be coming off as a bit too strong, but he barely perceived it. Even if he had, there was a bias. “From No Names, that’s right, yeah,” he voiced, pleasantly surprised that the man did his research, but it didn’t register that he hadn’t said his own name yet. “Oh, uh,” he glanced down at the whisky in his hand still before presenting it to Jackson, “I brought over this whisky. Produced in Japan. I’ve been storing it in case of an emergency,” he remarked dryly, “but I think this makes the cut. Welcome to the neighborhood, Haywood. —I like what you’ve done with the place. You gave it a real turn around.”

[a-aronstone]

finnoconnor·:

-

The question caught him off guard. Not a lot did, but he’d never been asked something like that before. It reminded him of Oliver and their brief therapy jaunt when shit had hit the fan for him at the start of the year. From Aaron it was much more rugged and straight forward, though. He appreciated that and it was likely why he found himself walking beside the man to continue their conversation. “The MC, Rowan, and the sister that didn’t snitch to the police on me.” The answer came out easier than he thought it would. He barely had to think about it, because the family he chose had been the only thing stopping him a year prior. When he’d been at his lowest. “Unless it was to save them, then I’d do it.” He’d take a bullet for most of those people and he has. “Afraid of clowns, aye? My favorite villain is a clown, ever heard of Joker?” He was sure the man had, most people were familiar with some version of the chaotic clown from the Batman universe. “More a fight response, I ain’t a frequent flyer. If it’s my time to go at least I’m goin’ out doin what I love.” Likely to be seen as a sad thing to love, but when violence was the most familiar thing since birth it shouldn’t be surprising to most. “Oh you mean I don’t have to try to figure out a ridiculous costume and come to the history shrine? I might slap them just on temptation now.” He laughed. “Besides I think the jump scares are upstairs, not out here. The spookiness is in the whole gettin’ lost and random props.” At least that’s what he hoped it was.

The Stone might’ve asked the question, but he didn’t think Finn would reply to it. The question itself was set up in a way to draw out one’s core motivations and fears, and it was a tricky thing to reveal. He, personally, wouldn’t have answered had it been Finn asking him, and yet, now he felt like it was only fair if he did. Though, there was always at least one obvious answer to these things. He expected Finn to list down the MC just as he, himself, would have said his daughter and family, but what he didn’t expect was to hear how his family ratted him out. “Mm,” he let that information sink in, looking down the bottom of his glass, “You have something to lose, you have something to fear,” he explained his initial point but didn’t touch on anything specific since he felt it wasn’t his place. A huffing laugh then escaped him and went on to add, “Consider yourself lucky you never pissed one off, but yeah, I know of the schmuck. —Do you have a face to the clown or is it the concept of him that does it for you?” He asked, curious if his own assumption of Finn’s favorite version was right. Even if he wasn’t the closest to the guy nor part of his gang, Aaron paid attention and he liked how real the other kept things. “How Shakespearean.” With a straight face, Aaron’s eyes then trailed up to the horns when they were vaguely mentioned before a smile began to fade in. “See, if I were on the receiving end of a slap in the wild, I’d be rethinking all my life choices that got me there instead of giving you the boot, so you might want to go back to the drawing board,” he teased, taking a sip of his drink. It was in hearing Finn’s point about the maze that his stride slowed to a halt because he knew the trick to avoid getting lost in these things. Being tactical was big part of his military service, and he at least wanted a challenge. “I better shut my brain off, then.”

[a-aronstone]

gisele-ramirez​:

+

Gisele faked a pout, “Does it babe?” she rhetorically asked with nothing, but a teasing demeanour. “Cause last time I checked, you said all or nothing when it came down to our lovely foodie adventure.” At this rate, two can play the blame game, but the dancer knew this was all her doing seeing as she was the one constantly encouraging such a habit. In her defence, it was not only rewarding, but the memories and quality time they had together made it all worth it. Squishing his face with her hands, she then pouted at his words before letting go and wrapping her arms around his waist, resting herself on him. “I know…And hey!!! Now I think you’re just saying that to get more free and delicious meals out of me, hmph.” 

“Is that so?” Now she took an interest and thought about making some herself. “Hm, if you do know the recipe then perhaps we can recreate it!” She enjoyed that aspect of cooking or baking, the different culture and flavours, the opportunity to share it with others too. It was a rewarding experience. Gisele didn’t let go as she held onto him like her life depended on it. Aaron’s warmth and overall presence brought comfort to her. After all, he was all she had and in times like this, the only person she trusted with her vulnerability. For everyone else, she preferred to keep them at arm’s length and show them what she needed them to see. He was different and the amount of trust and care she had for him, goes to show that he has a special place in her heart. Gently caressing his face, she hummed and closed her eyes as she basked herself in his affection, before nodding her head in response to Aaron’s question. “Please…” She then met his gaze, “I would like that…A lot actually. I c-can’t…” She stopped to recollect herself and forced out a smile, trying to shrug off whatever shitty feeling she had. “I just don’t want to be alone…” 

The frivolous back and forths they had were always indulging, and in tough times, it made things easier to deal with knowing they could fall back on it. Although, it wasn’t often he was left with only one rebuttal. While his face was being warped by her hands, all he could think to do was admit that he was sucker for her, smiling, which was hard to distinguish until she let go. It never ceased to amaze him the grip she had sometimes. Letting out a quiet chuckle, he wrinkled his nose in a playful fashion, enough for his bunny lines to show, and tilted head in head in a so-so gesture, looking off to the right. “It’s possible for there to be two truths, you know,” he fixed his view back on her while he rested his hands on her hips, amused that she was skeptical of his compliment, but he wasn’t going to deny he was buttering her up. “I don’t compliment you enough, huh?” He made a note of it to himself. “...Well, you could burn water for all I care,” he paused, “and you’d still be three michelin stars, Corazon de Melon.” He used the bit of Spanish he learned without her guidance by going to the best place he knew: music. In this case, he had Pérez Prado to thank because, in the end, he was trying to impress her. Babka was normally a holiday dessert, usually saved for Hannakah and Passover on his mother’s side, but after the shooting and with the new challenges his mom had been facing with his dad, she had been stress baking. It was worrying, but if there was something good to come out of it, it was hearing Gisele open to learning the recipe. A recipe that he actually didn’t know since he stuck with the grill and stove. “I...could find out.”

On her first longing breath, Aaron parted his lips ever so slightly away from her skin only to have his eyes meet with hers. That alone told him all that he needed to know to start looking into planning a night out, but he didn’t move a muscle. Not yet anyway. A soft, “...Good..”, fell right in place, figuring her inclination had more to do with the ‘escape’ part since Olympus was feeling more cluttered than usual after the news, but when she began to stumble again, he pressed his forehead to hers, hands stroking the small of her back. He didn’t say anything this time, and the silence on his end lingered longer than he had planned when her plea reached his ears, lifting head away from hers to get a good look at her. He’d been well acquainted with those words before. They were very similar to the ones that attacked him for his shortcomings once upon a time. Before he even extended his contract in the Marines. Yet here he was hearing the words again, feeling he let her down the past week in the same way he couldn’t always be there for Julianna for other reasons, more legal reasons. There was always some other duty he had to fulfill. It seemed somethings just stayed the same. “Consider it done,” he husked and pressed his lips to hers to lock, trying to seize the moment. Without pulling away, he took a few steps forward to gently nudge her in the direction of the front desk until he had her back up against it. Then and only then, he broke the kiss to lift her up by the waist and sit her on the counter as he went to take out his phone to Google some hotels, holding it at an angle for her to see. “...I’ll do you one better and take the day off tomorrow...How’s that?” He asked, casting a glance before focusing back on his phone.

[a-aronstone]

gisele-ramirez·:

+

Despite Aaron’s comforting words, Gisele was stubborn and refused to break. She’d come this far and frankly, the death of Sutton made her go numb that she was too tired to go through the motions of grieving. Therefore, the dancer simply pressed her lips together and nodded. She kept it simple rather than overcomplicating it by revealing any sort of sentiments that she was suppressing. It was not like she was in the mood to point out the obvious and so, she focused on his response to her inquiry and graciously accepted the vanilla chai from his hand.

“My hero.” she mused as a genuine smile crept onto her lips at the affectionate gesture. She took a long sip of her beverage and felt much better as the taste and warmth were comforting to her. After hearing Aaron’s response, she then reached out to poke his stomach and rolled her eyes playfully, “Ohhhh, don’t you try and pin that on me Mister. You’re the one who owns a boxing gym.” Ever since they started dating, her inner foodie had become more prominent as she was the one encouraging them to eat out and try new things or have Aaron be her guinea pig for whenever she prepared a home cooked meal. 

Bringing the cup back to her lips, she sipped in silence before walking over to the front desk and taking a peek at what he had brought for her. “You had me at chocolate.” she replied before getting a fork to dig in. “Mmm, thank you…And no I haven’t. I’m not really that hungry, so this would do.” Breaking off a piece, she then took a bite and hummed in satisfaction as she gave her nod of approval. “Your mother has my heart. This is so good!” She took a few more bites before washing it down with her warm drink and placing them back onto the table. She appreciated Aaron’s presence as it did put a dent of positivity to her day and to show that appreciation, she immediately engulfed him into a bear hug as she buried her face into his chest and sighed. “This sucks.” she muttered under her breath. “Although, I will add that it’s less sucky now that you’re here.” 

He and Gisele had been at it for months now, trying to keep their relationship hidden, but somewhere in the back of their minds always stood a reminder of the dangers. Though, as time went, there was no denying he’d gotten a little comfortable in their rendezvous that the murder was a splash of cold water. It reflected his worries of Julianna. Of Gisele. How things could change from one minute to the next, even if he wasn’t in a war zone overseas. But if there was anything he was at least grateful for, it was that Gisele didn’t abuse any substances knowing her genetic makeup put her at higher risk...Except maybe sweets, which was an endearing sight in the midst of all the chaos.

Then, for what was a difficult thing to do, he cracked a smile when she gave his stomach a gentle nudge and put his hand on his chest to feign offense. “Oh, that hurts, Gisele...Baby, who’s idea was it to knock out every other five star restaurant in the French Quarter to Bywater?” he quipped in a tender breath with a tilt of his head, raising a brow at her. He wasn’t even going to bring up the times she insisted on having him try her latest food dish. It made him use his own kitchen less and less, forgoing his meal preps altogether, but all in all, he didn’t see it as a bad thing. It was simply a fact. From her meals, he served himself two times some days, and that was on him. Still, he waited until he got the exact reaction he was fishing for from her when he added, “You know, I’m not complaining...How could I possibly complain when I see you cooking, looking like a five course?”

While she took a peek, he turned his back on the desk to lean against. “I thought that was going to be the zinger,” he mused, glancing down. As if he hadn’t been worried before, she let him know she still hadn’t had a bite to eat, and he had to bite the inside of cheek to not say anything about it. On top of everything, she was being honest with him, and he had to appreciate that. It helped that she took a bite of the dessert. It was something in her system. “It’s her specialty,” he informed with a small smile. “That and the cinnamon babka.” He then ripped a small piece of bread with his fingers to pop into mouth, throwing a wink in her direction as he chewed. He couldn’t stop himself when she made it look so appetizing, but he left the rest to her. “I’ve been—” Before he could move an inch to get a better look at the altar, she charged at him for a hug. He straightened up on impact, and by second nature, engulfed her in his arms for a snug hold. It was all he had been wanting to do these past days. A privilege he had today that tomorrow never promised him. “I know…” he breathed, soothing her back before she went on. It was hard not to feel a drop of warmth hearing those words from her. He didn't know what to say after that and pulled away from her just enough to get a look at her, cupping his hands on her neck and face. He wanted to say it. He really wanted to say it, but he was petrified. The last time he told someone he loved them, it ended in a divorce, and he didn’t want that kind of pain again when there was so many stakes in their relationship. He didn’t want to jinx anything, and yet, he thought he was above superstitions. Leaning down to kiss along her jawline, he mumbled, “I have the whole day off...Do you want to skip town for tonight with Spot?”

[a-aronstone]

cainethompson·:

Δ

Caine knew his place and he knew when to keep out of things but this whole fucking thing was heavy. Heavy enough to bring him to the bar, once again, to order scotch and see if he could ease the nerves in his chest. Caine’s used to heavy but then again, so is his liver. But with a new town and a new cops to deal with, it’s a bit harder to get what he would need to help the Club. Beyond that, he has new things dropping on his desk left and right— new potential cases, new petty cases, and just busywork. Which is probably better than no work at all. Sitting down at the bar, the only stool in the house clearly indicating everyone was feeling the same way. Caine ordered his drink prior to Aaron looking over at him, knowing him from the boxing gym he slacked off at. Sure, he worked out for a bit but Caine’s heart was never really in it like other people. “I’m good, I’m good,” he decides on, nodding. “Yeah, well a lot’s changed since the party,” he shrugs, a small hint of grief coming to his features. He hadn’t really known the woman but she had a family and that was sad enough. “How have you been holding up?” he asks, although he’s unsure of Aaron’s connection to the woman.

The need to point out the last time they saw each other didn’t come from anything out of the ordinary. In fact, he never saw Caine on a consistent schedule at the gym, so it was almost expected to see him here and there.  The need to point it out came more as a subtle nod to what had happened that night. It was a way to ease into a conversation without feeling like there was an elephant in the room, and hopefully move past that to get his mind thinking about other things. Thoughts that weren’t so reminiscent of his past nor mulling over Maddox and Eliza. Worried about the unknown frenzy Olympus was in. “That’s good, yeah…” His voice softly coinciding with the other’s words, and even with so few things spoken, many things were said by Caine that Aaron shifted his view to stare at the TV screen again. “...Yeah,” he took a swig with a sigh. He couldn’t say he never saw something like this coming, but he didn’t expect it to be Sutton of all people. “And, yet, it’s all the same. Go figure,” he remarked with a hint of sarcasm at the end. He knew those words held different connotations for his friend and the people that were really close to Sutton, but he wasn’t speaking about that. The town always ran on the same cycle of violence, victims, and pawns, and he wasn’t going to act like it didn’t as if Sutton’s death was some anomaly. It was just hitting a bit closer to home. “Me? Fine...I’m doing fine...unless this game, here, turns out to be anything like the Saints versus Bucs,” he deadpanned and took a sip of his beer.

[a-aronstone]

the-prettier-oconnor·:

-

“Yes, fresh out of the oven,” she smiled and shook her head remembering the group of girls from high school that came every friday just to get them along with a cup of coffee and a bag of sweets each. At the young man’s question, she rose an elegant eyebrow and put both hands on the table. “Where did you heard about that?” Aisling asked with a smirk. It began basically as a joke really, but the first day she opened, she told her customers that if they asked for a “special menu” they would have access to a few things and pastries that where off the normal menu, so to speak. Just a few people knew about it and she told them to keep it as a secret and only whispered it to a few others like friends and family but she was sure it would be matter of time before the rest of the town found out. Still, not many walked inside Mama Kay’s asking for it so this man was lucky or he knew the right people, probably both. Aisling slowly turned around and took a small black meny with white letters. It was not like the normal one, with colorful writing. No, this was more simple, precise, secret. She pointed at it and smiled. “Here you go, the secret menu. All of it available, of course,” Aisling added. 

When he was filled in on the fact the cinnamon rolls weren’t only warm but also fresh out of the oven, Aaron clenched his jaw. The small part of him that was telling him to not get the pastry was now completely thrown out, and he went to take out his phone to check the time. There was usually a schedule with these things, so he asked, “Same time tomorrow?” Word traveled fast in Olympus, but he didn’t hear it through word of mouth. All he’d been hearing nowadays were whispers about the shooting, assumptions, and before that, he was knee deep in work due to Halloween. So it was a pleasant surprise to find Mama Kay’s having a secret menu. “No one,” he answered, finding a bit of humor in it considering the name of his gym, so it might’ve came across as if he was lying to keep the person’s identity a secret. Then again, it wouldn’t have been out of his character to do so either. “Just went out on a limb…” It was a chance he took and further explained, “I know if I opened a joint like this, I wouldn’t pass up the chance to create a secret menu.” Watching her turn around at a slow pace, he looked over his shoulder to check if there was anyone behind him to get this reaction from her before feasting his eyes on the black limited menu. Before going to reach for it, he glanced over at her, “You wouldn’t have coughed this up if I hadn’t been the only one in line, would you?” He then opened the menu to check it out and smiled when he found a pastry he just knew Julianna would be obsessed with, “Peanut butter s’mores pie.” That just sounded like trouble. “Mm, what do you recommend?”

[luvfridge]

Visit Original Link

[a-aronstone]

silasxavery·:

-

“I have enough ghosts, I don’t need to add demons to the list, too.” Silas said with a short laugh. He couldn’t imagine what that would be like but he really didn’t want to find out. “Have you gone through the haunted house upstairs, yet?” He asked taking a drink from his glass and exhaling the burn from the rum. They’d put way too much in his glass that last time. Maybe he just had a face that said he could use a strong drink or something. As much as his night had been a little crazy, he still didn’t want to leave the place unable to walk. “I think we’re all screwed if they keep making drinks this strong. Oof, man.” He shook his head at the stuff but continued to sip it anyways because fuck it. “I was thinking about finding Cleo and seeing if she’ll go through the maze with me but I don’t know.”

Since they were speaking literally, or so Aaron thought, he let out a snorting laugh as he looked to the right and left of the man, “What, you have actual ghosts on your tail, Silas?” He asked, leaning toward the other to try to get a read on him. He went back to his own space not long after and stared down the bottom of his now-empty shot glass to figure out if he should go for another one, but before he came to a conclusion, a question was presented to him. He had to think about it since he really thought the question was leading to the maze instead of the haunted house, so it threw him off. “—-The haunted...house? Oh, yeah, mmhm... I don’t give spoilers, so you’re better off asking the next cat if you want a tip.” Though, it wasn’t as if he really paid attention while he was there since he was busy carrying out someone who was passed out drunk with Cleo. He then smirked with a nod at the other’s comment on the drinks only for his nod to turn into one of approval, seeing him continuing to drink. “See, I’d drink to that, but—” he turned his empty glass upside down. “Take that how you will,” he teased since, depending on the person, flipping the glass like that either meant an invitation to a fight or that he had enough drinks. Then, a brow rose at the other’s uncertainty, “What’s there to think about?”

[a-aronstone]

With all that had happened, with the events that took place, between hosting a Cabin in the Woods type boxing match to Devil’s Night to the drive-by, he didn’t quite have the time to pay a visit to the Fitness Center with its new owner. Before Cleo’s departure, they had been able to set up a blueprint of sorts on what the training could possibly look like for his future student, but now, between her leaving and the Hart tragedy, things had slowed. The MC members seemed to have other things on their mind, so the attendance for No Names had dropped since some were grieving. And he could only assume what else they were up to, but with his daughter now in the care of her mother, he decided it was time.

He had heard of Jackson Haywood before his arrival, even saw him in action, and considered himself a fan. Aaron wasn’t a swimmer, but he was a sports fanatic. He watched things from the WNBA to the NCAA, so the Olympics were a must-watch for the boxer. Summer or winter, it didn’t matter. So when he heard Jackson bought the fitness center, a part of him was eager to meet the guy and see what he’d done with the gym while the other part of him was nervous. He wanted to make a good impression, so he brought over the Single Malt Yoichi Whisky that he had stored as decoration as a late welcoming gift. It was a whisky he really used to drink a lot of before and hoped Jackson could enjoy it the same if the man drank. If he even liked whisky at all. It was a shot in the dark. With the bottle in hand, he set foot in the Fitness Center for what seemed to be the first time in years, and just by that action alone, he caught wind of a few eyes on him. He ventured over to the front desk as he let his eyes roam the set up to then ask, “Hey, any chance Jackson Haywood is in the building?”

@jacksonhaywood​

[a-aronstone]

gisele-ramirez·:

+

Noticing Aaron in her line of sight, Gisele’s expression faltered as she didn’t expect to see him anytime soon. She knew that he was preoccupied with his fatherly duties and if anything, due to recent events she would have wanted him to stay with Julianna over her. “Hi..” she called out as she stood there tilting her head slightly out of confusion. Noticing his hands were preoccupied with a cup and a container that probably contained food, it was there that she realized how Jules was probably with her mother for the week and he was here to finally see her. Nodding at his request, she ushered him inside before locking up the Studio’s doors, changing the sign to state that it was closed.

Silence filled the room as she tidied up the place. Truthfully, it was spotless than ever, but Gisele couldn’t afford to sit and stay still. If she did, her mind would wander and the overwhelming emotions that she was tired of suppressing would just surge right back. “S-So…” Once her voice cracked, she silently cursed herself and placed a hand on the wall for support as she closed her eyes to take a deep breath. Clearing her throat, she looked over at Aaron and forced out a smile, “I see you’ve come bearing gifts.” She then pointed at the items in his hands and chuckled softly, “You know the way to my heart.” At that point she could smell the vanilla chai and figured that the item in the container was some sort of food, just seeing him and the gesture itself was comforting enough.  

The Stone didn’t expect his next visit to The Studio to go like this. Then again, Gisele didn’t expect to have a memorial up for Sutton. It was how things simply were. Before following her inside, he allowed himself a moment to take a good look at the tribute the dancer had paid to her friend, and once he was inside, his eyes were drawn over to the Day of the Dead altar until she caught his wandering gaze when she uttered a faint ‘so’, broken in it’s trail. Though he didn’t make a big deal of the falter, it was worrying to watch her go hard on herself for it. “Easy there, baby...It’s okay,” he crooned. She might’ve been trying to hold it together, not just for him but for her own sake, but it left a bitter taste in his mouth as she tried to swallow her emotions or force herself into new ones for the time being. He didn’t want her making the same mistakes he made that numbed him when it took its toll at some point. Some of the side effects of it still stayed with him, which he was at least staying away from hard liquor this time. In a way, he couldn’t blame her for doing so. He would’ve done the same and latched on to a distraction. In that, they were two sides of the same coin, so he gave into her lead, trying to muster up his own smile to give. Though he couldn’t when he saw her this way.

He almost forgot about what he brought her until his view followed her point to his hands. “Oh, uh, yeah, I have…” he couldn’t smile but it didn’t stop him from dryly remarking, “I had to fend off a couple of baby shower attendees for this.” And he gave the container a gentle shake, making a subtle reference to a certain babka episode in Seinfeld. Without any other words from him, he closed the empty space between them to plant a kiss on her temple before handing her the vanilla chai. “I’d be blind to not see it.” There was a gentleness to his voice while he bowed his head a little to meet her eye level but went on to tease her by giving his stomach a pat, hinting to her he’d gained a pound or two because of it. With that, he went to put the container down on the front desk and opened it only to stand aside to let Gisele have a look. “My ma’s chocolate babka. It’s a day old, but I made sure to reheat it before coming...Have you eaten anything?”

[a-aronstone]

gisele-ramirez·:

location: the studio

time: early evening

Lighting a match, Gisele lit up an array of candles on an altar right by the front desk of the Studio. Although Day of the Dead had passed, she continued to have her candles lit for the rest of the week like she normally did every other year, although this time it was needed more than ever. The Studio had shut down classes and workshops due to recent events, but she had left the doors open for anyone who needed a safe space or counsel for any sort of grief. Losing Sutton hit close to home and her heart went out to Maddox and Eliza, especially when she saw them at the funeral. Grief was a fickle thing and everyone had different coping mechanisms, for Gigi she buried herself in her work and kept herself distracted. For the most part, she planned on opening The Studio within a week or so, at the moment she was working on dedicating a room on Sutton’s behalf. She was waiting on the plaque to be finished and from there, she’d reopen her doors and do what both dancers loved to do. Sighing softly, the thought caused her to tear up and as soon as she felt that gut wrenching feeling, she immediately cleared her throat and shook her head, regaining her composure in the process. ‘Distract yourself Gigi’ and with that in mind, she forced her way outside and tidied up the little memorial that was dedicated to Sutton. Picking up scraps of garbage and loose flower petals, she tossed it to a nearby trashcan and was about to make her way inside when she noticed someone right by the entrance. “Hey…” she greeted with a light smile. “Doors are open if you need a place to hang for a bit, unless you need someone to talk to?…I have time.”

He’d been taking care of Julianna, following Halloween, but he tried calling Gisele every night after putting Jules to sleep since Sutton’s death. Although, some days, he couldn’t because Jules started making a fuss about sleeping in her crib. He tried to trick her by letting her sleep in his bed before carrying her into her crib, but sometimes, it backfired on him, leaving him asleep before he could get to call. So after he dropped Julianna off at her mother’s house once his week was over, he drove to Gisele’s house to check in on her. She had been worrying him with how close she was to Sutton, more than him, and he wanted to see her. No, he needed to see her. Not just hear her. He needed that peace of mind that she was physically fine, but when she wasn’t home, he went to the next best place. The Studio. On the way, he stopped by to get something for her sweet tooth. He didn’t know how to bake, so he went to the next best place. He knew his mother made some babka the other day. Of course, that meant walking out with more food than the babka, but that was neither here nor there.

After he’d arrived, he stayed his car for a moment to check to see if there was anyone going in or out of the building, but it all the seemed quiet, even the streets. It wasn’t until he saw Gisele step out when he picked up the plastic container and vanilla chai to head over. He peaked over at the entrance to scope if there was anyone inside before Gisele’s gentle voice chimed in. “Hey…” He returned the smile at first until he noticed hers fade within every word she spoke. All he wanted to do at that very second was drop what he was holding and bring her into his embrace, but he fought that very instinct since they were in outside and studied her carefully with a softened gaze. A sigh then escaped his lips when she offered to be there for him. She always seemed to put others first, to tend to their needs first, but he was here to be there for her. To be that person she could talk to. Out of the two them, it was clearly hitting her harder. He knew he’d get through it fine after having gone through worse news. At least he thought he was fine...aside from spacing out here and there. It helped that he had already been trying to accept the idea death after what had happened with his dad by reading about stoicism, but it sure didn’t stop him from buying a case of beer, sitting right in his car. “...Can we go inside?”

[a-aronstone]

finnoconnor·:

-

“The fuck you just say to me?” Finn asked with an eyebrow raised. He gathered it was some way of telling him he didn’t believe him. However, he wasn’t lying. Finn rarely felt fear. The only real times he felt it was when he was younger and then in a few close calls when the people he actually gave a shit about. Conventional fear didn’t affect him in the least. “Not much to be afraid of anymore.” He was a grown man with a long history of violence and death, things he was particularly good at. When you ain’t afraid to die, it was hard to be afraid of anything else. “Sure.” Finn lit a cigarette and nodded his head toward the maze. “Let’s do it, I’m sure it ain’t shit compared to half the shit either of us have seen.” He said with a smirk. The man had been to war and Finn hadn’t been in the military but he’d participated in a few wars himself. He predicted they’d end up being more amused than anything. “But if someone jumps out at me I’m deckin’ ‘em so you might want to watch it.”

“It’s bullshit,” Aaron clarified, pointing the bottle to the other, before he went to take a sip. The word ‘never’ was what earned the response from the Stone. Now, he wasn’t going to try to figure out what did to prove Finn wrong, and while the word might’ve only said to emphasize it, he wasn’t going to let it be. There were things worse than death, and he never saw it as cowardice to fear. “Maybe not much, but the question is...what’s stopping you from standing in front of a moving train?” The question even worked in reverse. The Stone could handle the jump scares. Fortunately, his PTSD wasn’t triggered so easily by them. Not when he took the time to prepare for it mentally with it being October. After all, he was functional to leave his military contract when it expired. All that was in the maze were things from movies. They couldn’t compare to the real life horrors, so they were on the same page there. “Oh, you better think that one again. I see a clown, and I’m sprinting,” he joked with an easy smile and waited till Finn got closer to continue heading in the maze. He made sure to walk on the opposite side of Finn to where the wind was blowing. That way, the smoke from the other’s cigarette wouldn’t tempt him. “Play that back, is that...a fight or flight response I hear?” he teased, but laughed at the image. “Better be a K.O if we want to come here next year,” he said dryly to imply the other had to make them forget who it was that punched them.

[a-aronstone]

teagansmaron·:

⭒

Folklores spread like wildfire, just like the majority of things do in Olympus. Her first introduction in the tales of ghosts, or conspiracy theories depending on what you lean toward, happened when Teagan was seven years old as the fellow residents on her childhood block decided to have a bonfire that year. Surprisingly, her parents were cooperating and even bought new costumes for Teagan and now, Natasha, who happened to be in the picture. It’s bliss intertwined in chaos that occurred behind closed doors. However, from that moment on, Halloween happened to be her favorite time because it unleashed a topic of conversation that others safeguarded the other eleven months. The pull of Aaron’s voice causes her to turn from the room that Teagan found when she snuck off for a moment of silence. A hand motions him to join her, although the auburn-haired woman isn’t aware of whether he believes in ghosts or not. It only makes sense that tonight will be the evening they indulge in this topic since every other time, they’ve been focused on his father or the task of picking out flowers for the community garden. “Well…. one of the ways is with an Oujia board,” she suggests with an arched brow, knowing the complications that has and how it can backfire. The person that Teagan is more-so results to just sitting around in the corner with light candles and just speaking about the tales heard throughout the years. Harmless. “Although, that’s more of Natasha’s thing. I don’t speak to them. I just like listening to folklore about Olympus from the 1600s,” she chuckles, clear upon her expression that she’s joking and isn’t pulling any witchcraft powers now. “Nope, nothing which is disappointing. But maybe we’ll have more luck as a force of nature.”

Through no fault of their own, the responsibility they had to their own families seemed to be at the forefront of their exchanges. There wasn’t a moment he didn’t value with Teagan, but a time where they could simply be looked to be a thing of the past. The closest they had been able to get a taste of what was seemed to be at the carnival, but even then, he had Julianna right at his side. And there was a reason children had a way of keeping friends away, so when the Stone was able to get a clear view of the Ouji board, he clicked his tongue at her as if to ‘tsk’ her for the dramatics. “My thoughts exactly...Just about say too, I expected this from Natasha, but from you?” A raise of his eyebrows and a pointed look was thrown her way before a smirk seamlessly eased onto his lips. That sentence alone brought about a nostalgic feeling, even if it made Natasha’s lack of presence more felt. Sitting down across from her, he chuckled at her attempt to get him to play. “C’mon, you could sell me on it better than that,” like Tasha, he razzed and leaned forward to look down at the board for a moment before lifting his back to her. “Mmm, what are the chances you think we’d get the Beaded Lady in a call?” He was humoring her, mixing in the folklore of Olympus she’d been interested in with the spirit board. Though, whether or not she believed the board game actually worked as supernatural connection was still a mystery to him, but since he personally saw it as nothing more than a wooden board, he was nonchalant about the whole event.

[a-aronstone]

the-prettier-oconnor·:

“I’ll be with you in a second!” Aisling said to the next customer. She went to the back to pick up a tray of freshly made cinnamon rolls and chocolate chip cookies to bring it outside where other people were waiting for them. “They’re still warm,” she told with a smile to the couple of kids that paid for a small bag of treats. Taking a deep breath she couldn’t help but smile and look around at the tables. People were drinking coffee and enjoying something sweet and she couldn’t be more happier about it. Her life had been very different and if she wa being honest with herself, Aisling never would have thought that this was going to be her future. She couldn’t complain and was grateful for it. “Alright, what would you like to have today?” she said looking down to a small menu and pointing different items. “The red velvet cake is delicious as well as the lemon and apple pie. Cookies and cinnamon rolls are fresh and there’s a discount here if you take your coffe with any of these cupcakes,” she finally looked up at her customer. “Anything catching your eye?” 

The trip to Mama Kay’s wasn’t the usual one. He wasn’t making a quick trip to walk out of the place with a small black coffee to start his morning. No, he was there to take a table, and normally, if he did that, he’d be with Julianna ordering her favorite cookies. Instead, he stood there alone, trying to process what had transpired. He heard as footsteps neared only to be met by the recent owner of the bakery. He tried to straighten himself out. To not get so lost in thought about things. He’d been down that path many times before, so while he didn’t manage to return the smile, he managed to go on business as usual. Though, it was easy to tell he’d been through similar news or worse. At this point, he just wanted to check on Maddox, have a one on one, and it was a hard thing to do with everyone else in MC doing the same. With them, the club came first. “Hey, uh, yeah, I’ll take a small black coffee and a...”  he looked down to decide on what cupcake he was going to take back to Jules at her mother’s place, but it was only then he began to register what she pointed earlier. “Did I hear that right? The cinnamon rolls are still warm?” Usually, he’d be more careful on what he digested when it came to baked goods, though with Gisele his cheat days happened more often now, so he figured why not. “By any chance, you wouldn’t...happen to have a secret menu, would you?” He’d been meaning to ask ever since she stepped in to take over the bakery.

[a-aronstone]

The funeral of Sutton cemented some things in his head. He couldn’t get the picture of Maddox and Eliza out of his head ever since, and it came with some old memories of watching the wives and children of his deceased comrades while they were being buried. With it, always came the question of why wasn’t it him in the casket? He could only assume his friend Maddox was thinking the same. It was always a haunting sight. The younger the kids were, the more their innocence showed, and it hurt to think Eliza was going to miss out on getting to really know her mom. And she wasn’t even aware of that yet. He’d been trying to drink these thoughts away and more these past few days. He tried to not take it too far with his drinking, but sometimes, old habits were hard to kill. He looked in a clear daze as he took another sip of beer, but his eyes were on the screen, watching the NFL game. Fantasy football might’ve been on the screen of his phone, but he wasn’t paying it no mind as it sat on the counter. He felt someone sit next to him and only turned when a familiar voice broke through to see Caine, a regular at No Names. The guy might’ve been ordering. He might’ve not been and been talking to someone else, but Aaron went to greet him, “Hey, man, how’ve you been? Haven’t seen you since Devil’s Night.” It was all he could think to say in that very moment.

@cainethompson

[a-aronstone]

gisele-ramirez·:

+

“Mmkays babe, it’s a date.” Gisele’s lips curled into a knowing smile as she found their conversation quite amusing. “Oh, is that so?” she rhetorically asked with an arched brow. “If I had known it’d be this easy to get you roped in a class, I would have done it sooner.” The dancer shrugged innocently as she looked away and preoccupied herself by viewing some items. “You know, my pole dancing class is quite a hit. I’m gonna assume you have upper body strength from being in the Marines and owning a gym…It’s clearly a perfect match.” Evidently enough she was teasing him, but she did want to see his reaction for the time being. Tilting her head slightly, it took Gigi a moment to catch on at his inquiry towards his program that she even hummed Ciara’s hit song and did the actual one, two step. “I mean…She did say ‘I love it when you 1, 2 step’…Soooo…” It should be fine right? Her voice trailed off as she plastered on a sheepish smile and giggled, “I’m in good hands and I trust you. It should be fun! It’s been a while since I sparred.” 

“Okay now that’s absolutely adorable!!! I know she’ll definitely be the cutest fairy of them all, brownie points if she has the sass like Tinkerbell.” Having worked with kids, she knew how much of an influence companies like Disney had on them that it was impossible to detach them from their excitement and imagination. It was no surprise that Julianna gravitated towards it. “Yes! Of course, I’ll send you tons. May or may not dress him up, but that entirely depends on his behaviour.” replied Gigi. Spot was practically her child and so, giving him his own experience to bask in such festivities was a must. “Ah, I see…Well I’m sure whatever you come up with will be fine. You’re creative after all.” When Aaron asked about going as Pan, Gisele squinted and used this moment to picture him as the Disney character. “Well since you aim to please, it would make sense if your daughter wanted to match. At the end of the day, it is kinda about her…Plus the two of you together would definitely be a dynamic duo racking up all that candy. Besides, I think you’ll look good in green—make your eyes pop or something.” She was boosting his ego at this point. 

Eyeing a skeleton display, Gisele walked up to it and placed her basket down, before toying with its limbs. “The Winter recitals. It’s a little hectic seeing as many of the students have different ideas, wants and needs. I’m trying to find a common ground.” Some of them wanted it to be holiday themed, others wanted Frozen to come to life and then there are those who wanted a classic like The Nutcracker…The list went on. Putting a stop to refiguring the skeleton, Gigi had it do the peace sign before picking up her basket and returning to Aaron’s side. Glancing up at him, her gaze softened slightly as she replied with, “I don’t know if my mother made it out alive from her lifestyle or is actually dead, but I put her up there hoping that she’s at peace. When you’re in the cartel and I mean really in…Those people are your family. Take away their purpose, they’re still human beings and they do have hearts. So there are some of them that I do pay my respects to…” She sighed as decided to also give him the other reality of it. “Tradition is tradition, so the rest of the altar will be those associated with my father and his people—the ones who were loyal of course. I’m not sure if he’ll be in that week, but his people are, so we are hosting a gathering.” Seeing him try on the plastic glasses, she held a thumbs up of approval before observing his demeanour as he spoke about Julianna. She knew him enough to pick up on his quirks and behaviour, and so on instinct, she gently took his hand with hers once he adjusted her crown and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Hey…I don’t mind talking about her, even if I hadn’t met her. I’m absolutely fine with that. She’s the light of your life and I like seeing you go all dad mode and speak highly of her. But what I also want you to know is that I can stop mentioning her if it’s too much? Just, let me know and trust me, there are no hard feelings…I completely understand.” She wanted him to feel comfortable and not feel the need to walk on eggshells when it came to talking about his daughter. A gentle smile soon graced her lips as she shrugged and proceeded to answer his question about her costume ideas. “I haven’t yet…Who knows? Maybe this year I will. Hm…I’ll let you know.”

“I’m a simple man.” A casual remark. He even conjured up a sweet smile for her to close, but the statement was laughable in itself considering how much he over thought things. Simple. He wanted to be. There was a moment he paused what he was doing when she brought up the pole dancing classes to look at her. He then turned to face her with one steady sweep of his tongue along his lower lip. Skeptical in nature, he eyed her, but he wanted to see if she could get to her point without laughing since he saw where this was going. “Uh-huh...” In a way, telling her to go on. A perfect match, she said. He opened his mouth to say something before closing it with an impressed look. His mind was already thinking of a way to flip it on her. “You know,” he started, practically imitating her as he went to look at the products again, “if you want me to strip for you, you could’ve skipped the extra steps and just asked.” Stripping and pole dancing might’ve not been synonymous, but he took a bit of leeway for the fun of it. He kept scoping the place for any cabin vibes before he looked over at her, thinking she was reluctant to answer when, in fact, she got stuck on his reference. He didn’t say anything, though. Instead turning back to the task at hand, smiling to himself when she spoke, “So?,” he would’ve waited patiently for her finish, but he liked the back and forth they had going.   “I like to hear that...but let’s rewind, you’ve sparred before?"

“Lucky for me, she does,” he breathed out sarcastically in a weary chuckle but showed no true bitterness to the fact. Still, he would’ve thought a sassy toddler would’ve been cute too had he not had one. Julianna had been turning her nose up at many things and was starting to put her foot down with him, so he was trying to get it out of her. The picture he had of Spot in costume was one that brought about an airy laugh, and though it wasn’t a thought that occurred before, the seed was planted. “Oh, that I have to see in person.” If there was a possibility she was going to dress him up, he had to. Then, she threw his words back at him, and he knew she was right. His little one might’ve not specifically asked him to be Peter Pan. She didn’t have the vocabulary for that, but he knew her eyes would light up if she saw him as the character. He just needed to hear it from someone else to give him that push, and it was nice of her to continue on by trying to butter him up to the idea. It was in her roundabout compliment when he really saw how silly it all was. It was just one of those things. “I do look good in green,” he said in a matter-of-fact as if to correct her. Green camouflage was one of his uniforms in the Marines, after all, and that led him to a conclusion on the matter. “And, you just gave an idea.” He closed the space between them to give her a quick peck as a thanks. “Robin William’s Pan it is.”

In the midst of deciding whether or not to get the fog machine, he got a bit distracted and watched her fool around with the skeleton, smiling. “I see...Is the recital going to be an open event?” It was only this year he ever really stepped foot on The Studio, so he didn’t know of its traditions. Her talking of the dead and family, he had to wonder if there were people she left behind in Mexico or Cuba that were still living. People that she held close to her heart. The gang life was known to be short-lived with the lives lead. Aside from the people that were at the top, it was rare to find a member reach an old age, but that wasn’t to say there weren’t any, which took him to another thought. It had him asking himself if she ever was in a serious relationship before. Nevertheless, he let her finish her thoughts and words. It wasn’t the right time or place to ask as he kept going through the Halloween decorations. Really, he didn’t need an explanation of why she put the people of her father up there or the people in the cartel she saw as family. By now, he was able to grasp the position she was in, and he knew first-hand the intricacies and nuisances that life offered with his background in the military. Not to mention, growing up in Olympus. “Mm...Looks like it’s going to be another one of those full house kind of nights, hm? You know, I’d like to hear about them someday...." the ones she left back in her hometown. "Save me a plate?” He asked in good humor. In him being careful whenever he brought up Julianna, he didn’t realize he might’ve been making her feel that way in return, and it wasn’t until she held his hand when he realized he wasn’t as cunning as he thought. A reminder that time had a way of revealing truths between them, whether they liked it or not. He searched her eyes as if she had the answer to his worries with Julianna, but it all fell on him. There were still a lot of things he was still learning on what it meant to be a good father, so the threat of Gisele’s father weighed heavy on him. Caressing the back of her hand with his thumb, his downcast eyes fell on their hands with a heavy breath. “No,” he met back with her,  “you don’t have to stop talking about her. I like that you’re making the effort.” It’s what he would’ve wanted from anyone he was in a relationship. “...I don’t know how you do it, Gisele,” he blurted out in a soft mumble before raising their hands to plant a kiss on the top of her, trying to make light of things with her having the crown on. Again, Spirit Halloween wasn’t the place for this. “Surprise me, then,” he answered after taking of the plastic glasses to put them in the basket and mustered up a smile to give, tenderly chucking her under the chin.

[a-aronstone]

lizstcne·:

Her gaze was focused on her cousin and she would give a lot of money at the moment, just to know what it was that he was thinking about at the moment. What it was that he was worrying about, because he was. Sure, he didn’t use a lot of words around her but Liz had become an expert in understanding the facial expressions on Aaron’s face, even the slightest changes. She had watched him mostly during the days that he had been quiet, after he had returned from Afghanistan. It had been a hard time for him and never had she asked him a question about that but once. And that had been too soon. So she never had done so again and it was okay like that. She loved her cousin, he was more like a brother to her than anything else. And to know that he was worrying about something… She didn’t like it one bit at all.

“And you can cover them up with make-up,” Liz pointed out when Aaron spoke about the hickeys. Although you could also make it worse with make-up… An item of clothing of jewelry was probably the best way to go or just own up to it. “If anyone even dares to think that you are a cheater, you know I will kick their asses,” she promised him. If there was one person who would never cheat, it was Aaron. He was loyal and the way he had reacted at seeing her ex when they were in New Orleans… Well, it had definitely said enough about that. The blonde had to laugh when he pointed Seth out and the car window. She shook her head. She knew how dangerous their gamenight could be, although that was more joking between the family than actual danger. Okay, maybe some physical danger… Who was she kidding here with the Stone family. Liz slowly nodded when he started his answer and she chuckled. “I never even compared us to the Brady Bunch before,” she said, a smile on her lips before she turned serious. “I understand you. You remember how I introduced my ex to each of you once a time so that he wouldn’t get overwhelmed. Well, that was a good idea because when we returned home after the first game night…It was a very intense day for the both of us.” A fun but a very intense day.

Liz was about to take a bit of her churro when Aaron asked her if she had met Gisele. “Aaron, we live in Olympus. Yes, I’ve met her and yes I’ve talked to her about you. No details, no embarrassing things, I just asked how things were going.” She did take the bite of the churro eventually and stayed quiet for a moment before she spoke again, her mouth empty. “She’s a kind woman, from what I’ve noticed so far.”

So many unspoken truths between them. To say there was wedge between in their kinship would’ve been exaggeration, but when he lost temper on her, it was a quick sorry from him, and that was it. He could tell she was careful with her words now. The way she played along by adding to his jesting remarks and antics. Well, she used to do it when they were kids also, but now, it was different somehow. Subtle. But something made the difference. They might’ve been a few months apart, but before the nieces and nephews came along, she was the baby of the family. He should’ve never put her in the position that he had, and it was on him to be the one to reach out now.

“A spoon in a freezer,” he remarked with a rueful roll of his eyes to say he was guilty of that, drawing out the jocular mood for a bit longer before the more serious matters could come. "Noted.” Everyone in town knew of his situation. It was when he stepped into bars outside of town when he noticed the hesitant looks, but he smiled to himself at the idea of her going after someone in town. It was hard to say he didn’t think about cheating with how much him and Nia had neglected each other. There were times she’d think he was sleeping with others and he thought the same of her with how the story usually went with marriages in the military. It was messy, but he managed to give Liz a smile as he went to nudge her shoulder after a swift glance, “...You know I won’t point them out to you.” He took another bite of his churro to chew. “It’s a stretch,” he gave her that with a half-hearted shrug, but with a town like theirs, he wasn’t oblivious to how others saw the Stone family. As if they were the nuclear family with golden children, which always got a laugh out of him since it went to show how skewed people’s perspectives were simply because they weren’t part of any gang. “Was it?” He let his view rest on her. “I can’t say I didn’t notice it,” he admitted with a laugh. “He was such a boot.” A slang term used many times in the Marines. “Easy to dupe. Hindsight 2020, should we feel bad about it?” A question he presented her. While he had an idea of where she stood with her ex, he didn’t know where she stood in making jokes at his expense, so he tread lightly. “...Do you think having a game night with each of us separately would’ve eased into the big showdown?”

“I met her this year, Liz,” he pointed out with a smirk since he had heard of her and seen her around but he never took the time to talk to her until recently. Knowing Gisele, he knew just the answer she’d give, and he wanted to tell his cousin everything. He didn’t know if he was making the right call, and he could go to his safety net, his family, for help. The less she knew, the better. He had to remind himself of that. Round and round, Julianna and Nia went but he forgot to smile. Every time Jules came back around, not even a trace of one. Instead, he went to send Nia a text to tell her he’d meet up with them later, but smiled over at the blonde when she told him Gisele was kind to her. “She is…” It was all this talk about relationships and her ex that had him decide on his next move. Being away from Olympus and on vacation brought a sense of relief from what weighed on them at home, so it made it easier for him to do what he had been meaning to do: reach out.  “Hey...mind going for a walk with me?”