dead end road

banks rainier. twenty two. probationary fire fighter. hazzard.

[banksrainiers]

BASICS

FULL NAME: Banks Halen Rainier

NICKNAME(S): n/a

BIRTHDAY: July 3rd (Cancer)

AGE: 22

HOMETOWN: Hazzard, WV

BIRTHPLACE: Hazzard, WV

RELIGION: Agnostic

FAMILY

MOTHER: Amira Rainier

FATHER: Scott Rainier

AUNT(S): Cynthia Brooks (paternal)

UNCLE(S): n/a

SIBLING(S): two younger (tba)

COUSIN(S): two younger (tba)

PET(S): Huck, a border heeler mix that he ‘adopted’ two years ago

APPEARANCE: 

HEIGHT: 6′1″; athletic build

HAIR: black ; cut short

TATTOOS: one on his chest that he got himself before he turned eighteen

DISTINGUISHING MARKS: he has quite a few scars littered across his body

STYLE: 

pure grunge x hand-me-downs. a lot of his clothes were leftovers when his father moved out because he doesn’t have the time or the money to buy himself new things. work boots and flannel. he is lucky if he can make it a week without wearing the same thing twice unless it’s ruined or dirty beyond repair (but even then, he’s probably stuck with it for another few weeks/months). 

wears a chain around his neck that he keeps hidden under his shirt. it contains an item that his mother gave him when he was younger. 

FAMILY: 

banks lives at home with his mother and two siblings. it’s been that way for most of his life since he was nine and his father moved out, started a new family, and never paid them a lick of attention. his mother worked two jobs when all the kids were younger, that was until banks was old enough to pick up any kind of work that would bring home some money to help keep food on the table. 

his mother judges a lot of what banks has done and continues to do, especially with his inability to keep from losing his temper but she’s never turned him out or turned him away. she’s always the one to remind him who he is underneath it all.

he doesn’t have a relationship with his extended family, because they are all on his father’s side. he tried once, when he was fifteen to reach out in any hope of finding whether they would help his mother and siblings but when they barely treated him as a person, he decided then that they were better off without any of them.

FRIENDS: 

for banks, his friend circle is limited to mostly those that are willing to put up with him. some have been friends for as long as they can remember, growing up together in the same part of hazzard and others are ones that he’s picked up over the years. he’s lonelier than he puts on, acting as if he doesn’t need anyone or want to be around too many people but that’s only because it’s easier than feeling vulnerable and left behind, again.

LIVING SITUATION:

he lives at home, a trailer in hazzard, with his mother and two younger siblings but growing up he always had to share his space with everyone else. when his siblings were older, he tried to move out on his own but his mother needed the help so he came back and stays in his old bedroom once again. it’s always chaotic considering it’s not a big enough trailer for the entire family, usually everyone is tripping over the others and can barely find a moment’s peace when they’re inside.

WORK: 

when he was younger, banks bounced from job to job just chasing a paycheck that was big enough to help the family for that week or two before he moved onto the next one. there was no job too small or too dirty but it wasn’t until recently that he found something that he’s trying to make work and last for him. he’s a probationary firefighter, the rookie in the station, and knows that he has a lot to prove to everyone including himself. most of what he makes goes back home with him, paying bills and debt that he’s racked up over the years on top of what they had to go through to survive after his father left. the rest he puts into his truck and trying to find himself a place to live that he can afford.

SCHOOL: 

he barely graduated school. (it was only because of his mother that he actually went through with it). he was not known for his good grades or team spirit, but someone that was a warm body most of the time that he actually made it into school. detention was more of a second home to him than school was, having to do community service to make up for some of the truancies and fights that he got into while there. he was very much into keeping his own company or that of a few others, by no means popular. it suited him just fine to keep to himself, because he got into less trouble that way.

ASPIRATIONS: 

there’s always small kernel of hope to get the hell out of lockhorn county and never look back, but banks knows that it’s not for him. not with what he’s done to survive, but he figures that if he puts his head down and works hard that he’ll be able to help make that dream a reality for his siblings. they’re the ones that have a life ahead of him that’s got a better chance than he ever will. but beyond that, not that he’ll say it out loud, but he wants to make a damn good firefighter. make something of himself.

RIVALRY: 

it’s his own rivalry with prosper that’s got him locked down in hazzard, unable to leave. not everyone can walk away from a fight without any scars or repercussions. and he’s got to live with the choices he’s made over the years and how the hold on him in hazzard has only gotten stronger. he’s always one to not walk away from a fight whether it’s a neighbor or someone from prosper.

[banksrainiers]

elytis-finch​:

“I don’t know, kids are pretty easy.” He catches Banks’s expression and quickly continues, “I’m not saying they’re angels or anything but mostly they want to be treated like adults right? Answer all their questions, be honest, show them they’re safe and cared for. Maybe I’m simplifying it a bit but…” He shrugs a shoulder, “It’s what I would have wanted.” He shifts in the cart, the grate beginning to dig into him uncomfortably. “I’m no expert, clearly, but have you tried just leveling with them? I know there’s things you don’t want to talk about, and I respect that, I do but.” But what? He owed them the truth? Did he owe Finch the truth? Did Finch owe Banks the truth? He swallows once, his throat going dry once more. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.” Who was he to speak against having secrets when he himself had an itemized list of them? It used to be easier once, hadn’t it? Telling Banks what was on his mind all day, every day when they’d been younger.

They’re just not sixteen anymore. And they most certainly don’t tell each other everything anymore, whether it be fear or shame or both. You know what I mean. He stared up at Banks, the way he always did, his heart heavier than usual. “Yeah, I know what you mean.” He didn’t mean to belittle how Banks was feeling but every time he tried to sympathize with him he came back to a brick wall. He loved Banks but he wasn’t sure if he forgave him. It’s hard to forgive someone who hasn’t apologized for leaving in the first place. “I’m sure they’re just making sure you’re going to stick it out. Some mind game that ensures your loyalty or something. Just keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be giving me a tour of your shiny red fire truck in no time.”

Finch sits up before hoisting himself out of the cart, the grates clattering as he jumps out. “Okay, come on. Your turn, asshole.” He stretches out his long spider-like limbs as he watches his friend from a close distance.

—

Banks could get where the other was coming from, even if he wasn't about to say it out loud or even admit how much that he didn't level with his younger siblings. They knew enough. They also could tell that their mom was at her wit's end with the likes of him, so he was trying to do whatever he could to make sure that he didn't completely ruin all their lives like he'd taken a shine to ruining his own. It's why it bothered him so much when there were people that saw him now and believed that he was anything more than the fucked up kid that disappeared for a few years.

        "I ain't about to believe that they'll listen to me about nothing, just 'cause who I am to them," he admitted with a shrug, even when the other was ready to brush it off. "Maybe others like Clem or you they'd be more inclined to listen to but I'm just their asshole big brother an' they really like to make sure I never forget that." He flickered a thin smile into place, trying to act like he was joking even though he knew that underneath it all that they had questions and reservations of their own. It didn't matter how much younger than him they were, they were smart.

He snorted. "Or they know that they're fully capable to get away with just about anything an' I can't say anything about it or else I'll be out on my ass." Most knew that he'd done something, considering that he was not on a long leash thanks to his parole officer as of late but everything was sealed so they could only speculate. "But sure, you'll be the first one I give a tour of when I'm allowed to do more than spit shine the beast." His fingers tapped against the bar of the shopping cart, even as he held tight to it when the other jumped out so that he made sure that it didn't give way while the other was getting out. Banks gave him a sharp look. "You're joking."

[albtraumer]

Why don't you darken your clothes and strike a violent pose and maybe you'll calm down

[banksrainiers]

elytis-finch​:

“Could’ve fooled me, Rainier. You’re always complaining about the kids and your bad back.” He’s all teeth as he smiles at the other, “Not to mention that sour attitude of yours. You might as well be fifty.” He was teasing of course, between the two of them, Finch was both physically and mentally older. He looked about 12-years old but he also looked like the most exhausted 12-year old so it always aged him another 5 years or so.

We both know that you wouldn’t be able to move this cart an inch. Finch snorts in response, a single finger rising up to point in Bank’s direction. “Your lack of faith in me is absolutely devastating, Banks, it truly is. Here I am, sitting pretty, keeping you distracted from the horrors of life and here you are, insulting me. It really makes a guy think.” Life was a wash of grays but when Banks grinned at him like this it felt like the moon itself painted the night in blues and sparkling whites. He’d do just about anything to keep him here, to clip this moment in time and play it on a loop. It didn’t matter how much time had passed between them while they had been apart, Finch had loved him then, and he’d love him now. “But seeing as you’re right I’ll let it go, for now anyway.”

“Gopher bitch?” Finch sighs before leaning forward again, he places his chin atop his folded arms. “You‘ve always had a way with words haven’t you?” He gives his friend another toothy grin before continuing, “I mean if it’s any consolation, Rainier, you’re a very, very pretty bitch. And I’m not just blowing air up your ass or nothin’, I mean that.” He leans back when Bank’s tries to take a playful swat at him, laughing all the while. When he catches his breath he gives Banks a funny look, his sneaker coming up to nudge his friends arm. “You know I’m just messing around.” A pause and then, “I’m proud of you, you know? For whatever it’s worth. You were always the hero type.”

—

          “You spend any time around ‘em and then you’ll be complaining too. They’re goddamn nightmares,” he retorted, even though underneath his rougher words was a sense of caring and guilt that would power him through even the worst moments. Whether it be the bitchwork that he was constantly signed up for doing down at the station or the parole officer that constantly checked up on him — not to mention the game, which felt more like a pipe dream at this point. “They suck the life out of anyone that spends any time around ‘em. Save yourself an’ make sure you steer clear when they head your way.”

Not that they bothered people as much as they bothered him, or the ones that seemed to have sticks up their asses — both of which didn’t describe Finch who they’d probably idolize. He was everything that Banks wasn’t, a better big brother to them if he was theirs rather than one that abandoned them for nearly three years because he couldn’t contain his temper. It was all kinds of messed up and Banks knew it, as his smile disappeared under the weight of knowing that he didn’t deserve even a little bit of the life that he was fighting to get back.

He snorted. “You wanna give it a go? I wouldn’t mind sitting an’ staring at the stars while you huff an’ puff an’ don’t make this thing go no where,” he replied with a grin, teasing the other lightly even as he pushed the cart a bit more and turned them back in the direction of his truck. “I was saving ya, not insulting ya.” Or so that was the point of his words, but they were always wrong when he sat back and thought about how little he knew how to express himself. 

Banks dropped his gaze towards his arms that rest on the edge of the handle of the cart, holding onto the sigh that he reserved for himself when he was sitting in his truck late at night and kept everything bottled up inside. No one wanted to hear him complain about getting his life back on track, not even his family — let alone someone that had been one of his best friends, once. “You know what I mean. It’s get this an’ get that an’ do it all over again twenty time in an hour,” he muttered under his breath, picking up his gaze when he felt the other nudge him with a grin. “Yeah, yeah. You can keep the flattery to a minimum ‘cause you ain’t gonna get a ride in the truck at the station. They don’t even let me in it yet... soon, maybe.” If he didn’t fuck things up. Banks shook his head. He was far from a hero. And not someone anyone should be proud of, not even close.

[banksrainiers]

pipparossi​:

-

The voice startled Pippa. She jumped back, nearly dropping the flyers she held in her arms as she clutched at her chest. Coming to find that it was just young Banks Rainer, the tension in her body eased. “Banks,” she said his name in a relieved breath. “Hey there.” Pippa pushed her lips into a smile. I’ve got to warn you though, if you have a kitten stuck in a tree — they took all the ladders with them. She let out a laugh, nodding her head at his particular brand of humor before she spoke. “Well, lucky for me I don’t have any kittens stuck in a tree. I’m just here to talk actually. Or share?” That felt like a more appropriate term. To make more sense of her word choice, she plucked a flyer from the stack she was carrying and held one out to Banks. “I was wondering if I could post up some flyers here. If you boys have some kind of bulletin board.” She tucked some of her hair behind her ear – a nervous tick – before she spoke again. “I’m teaching a crochet class at the Community Center this Saturday. And I know it’s not the most macho thing in the world but it’s a real good hobby to have when you want to pass the time, which I’m sure you boys try to do in between fires… I’d love if you could come. And you know, obviously, any of the other fellas here who might be interested and can make it. Do you think you could spread the word? And maybe let me stick some of these up around the station?” She gestured to the flyers in her arms. “I promise I won’t cover your walls with them. Just one or two here and there.” 

—

As long as she wasn’t there asking for help that he couldn’t deliver on his own yet, Banks shrugged as he moved around her to set the box down on the bench off to the side. He had a list of tasks that was a mile long, all that were supposed to be done before his shift was over but he knew that for the most part; it was only supposed to keep him busy and out of trouble. Some days it got under his skin, others — it wasn’t that bad to turn off the thoughts and move on autopilot. Seeing Pippa, it was a change to his normal routine as he nodded and turned back towards where she stood with a stack of papers in her hands. “Uh — I think there’s a board in the front where people can post things. Though I ain’t sure how many people actually stop an’ see what’s on there,” he added, frowning slightly at not being able to even tell what was on there even though he walked past it almost every single day. So much for him being the observant type as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “You want me to come?” He shot her a quick look of disbelief before his gaze fell on the flyers, not sure that she meant it or was just being nice since he was the one that was there instead of someone else more important. Or someone that could give her a concrete answer beyond that it was probably okay. “As long as you ain’t covering up the tv, I think they’d be fine with you posting a few of ‘em here. Though I bet you’d get more traction at the library than here.” He shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”

[banksrainiers]

vinvulpes​:

“But if I left this town in pursuit of fame and fortune who would be left to teach the youth? That just doesn’t seem very fair to me.” He closes his sketchbook to give the newcomer his full attention. He didn’t look particularly familiar, as young as he was, he’s never had him pass through one of his classes. Why’s it free anyways? Is it laced? Vincent makes a face at the comment, especially since it’s made after he takes a sip of his sprite. “Not very discerning are we?” He didn’t think he looked like the type of guy that would lace people’s drinks but he figured it’s better to be safe than sorry. Vin shakes his head slightly, “No, they’re not laced. I just had some extra cash this year and thought I’d put it to good use.” He glances at his bright yellow cooler, the one Dani had helped him pick out years ago.

“My baby brother used to always complain about how hot it was out here. He used to beg our mom for a sprite and she’d always say, we have water, Dani. If you were really thirsty you’d be drinking water not cans full of sugar.” He smiles fondly at the memory, his heart feeling a little less heavy for having remembered it. “Anyways, thought I’d make his dream come true and fill this baby with as much sprite as it could carry.” He pats the top of his cooler affectionately before looking back towards the other.

—

          “I’m not sure they’d give two shits if their teacher came or went, no offense,” he spoke plainly, taking another sip of the sprite before he made a face at the taste. It was definitely not what he needed but the shit was free which was something that he could afford. Everything else that he had on him that night was sure to be taken by his younger siblings once their own cash ran dry. “I guess that’s real nice thing of you to do, you know, sugar up the masses an’ all. I can’t see how anyone would have a problem with that.” His own problems wouldn’t be from the sprite if the others got into it, but it wouldn’t help things neither as he shrugged. “However if you see who little shits that look like trouble, tell ‘em that you’re all out or else we’re all gonna have a problem here tonight. They don’t know how to crash which means they’re liable to go on through the rest of the weekend.”

[banksrainiers]

theonotleo​:

-

They took his shirt, doing their very best to not put any focus into what was beneath it. Despite the curiosity of what time had changed. Theo watched him walk away, and went to work doing just what they said they would. They wrung as much water as they could from it, a step or two away from where they were sitting, then flattened it on a nearby rock to air dry until he chose to grab it again. The whole process had not kept them as busy as they anticipated. Theo sat back down and hugged their knees to their chest so they could rest their head on them while they waited. Ever trying to quiet, or at the very least slow, the thoughts in their head. 

She picked her head back up when she heard the inevitable sound of footsteps approaching and took one of the beers offered with a tight lipped smile. There were plenty of questions Theo wanted to ask. Things that stayed behind her eyes and repeating in the forefront of her thoughts every time they’d seen each other since that night at the Windy Shot. Instead, she fielded the easier questions. Theo always had a knack for filling silence with something, anything, that crossed her mind. Too scared to reach deep, though enough alcohol and that could change fairly quick. But the fear of saying the wrong thing, doing something that would make him leave again, made her continue to go the easy route. Let him choose the pace so maybe, just maybe, she would not be the overbearing idiot she always was. 

“Damn, Banks, you really did take the hero route.” A smirk followed her words and she wiped it away with a drink. “Seriously, though, that’s way more noble and shit than me or probably anyone else is doing it.” Most she figured were in it to get the fuck out of Lockhorn. When the question was turned back to her she pressed her lips together. Anyone else and she’d have a bullshit answer prepared to fly off her tongue. Something they’d expect like a party or a bunch of drugs. Not Banks though, she’d rather say nothing than lie to him. “I owe someone a bunch of money and sooner or later they’re going to come ‘ere to collect. Figure I either win this, die trying, or get real good at hidin’.” Lord knows she couldn’t save a dime for longer than a few days. “Then whatever’s leftover I figure I could try to get a car. Maybe help with some furniture at the new place I’m movin’ into.” It sounded much lamer out loud. Maybe she should have made something up.

—

Banks shook his head. "Nah, it's not a hero route. It's the guilt talking there." The guilt that ran through him daily whenever he saw what was left of his family, having not even heard a word from his father in years. Not even when he got locked up. Not that he expected his old man to show up or do anything, not when he'd made his choice years ago to pick another family entirely and Banks knew it at his core. "There's probably better people in this game than me an' they're the ones keeping their traps shut too." Here he was sharing that he was there only for his family, but he wasn't so sure that he'd make it half as far as some of the others that looked ready to take another dive off the cliff if it would get them one step closer.

Though when Theo spoke about their reasons behind taking the leap into the game, he grew quiet once more as a pensive look took over his face. He'd heard plenty of reasons why people joined up, most of them wanted to make a big splash, Literally, and others wanted a way out of town. It was all worth it to them, to do whatever was asked of them but Banks hadn't heard all the answers yet. Not that he was certain that he would either. "How much do you owe?" His head was already turning, seeing how much that he could wager that he had stashed back at home along with the shit that he was constantly paying back to his mom for the bills that he wracked up. There had to be something lying around that he could give to Theo, help whatever shit she got herself into in the time that he was gone and maybe make it a bit easier for both of them in the meantime.

It was the guilt doing the thinking for him then again and he knew it as his gaze shifted between her and back down towards the water again. "You don't have to answer that. I know I ain't in any position to know what all's going on with you these days." It was more a knee jerk reaction to want to help her without even thinking about it.

[banksrainiers]

clemfontaine​:

.

Clem fractionally ducked her head as his gaze dropped as if she’d be able to catch it again. She couldn’t. Not until he let her. And when he looked back, she grinned—loose and pliable. Relaxed. How often did she let herself relax? An edge of restraint “More evidence,” she started, pressing a finger to his chest and then dropping it. “Gentleman. Feel free to lead the way.” The same as anyone else, I guess. She hummed in acknowledgment. “Oh, so to live like the rich and the famous?” she joked easily, though the idea of going off to live the life of Brad Pitt or Michelle Pfeiffer on 30k was laughable at best. “Buy yourself one of those above-ground pools? Fill it with one dollar bills, then dive in like Scrooge McDuck.” Clem thought about what Riggs said he wanted. A new car, functioning and filled with gas and ready to take him across state lines. Far, far away from Lockhorn County, West Virginia. “Or maybe you’re keen to get a replacement for that truck of yours? Not that I don’t like it, mind you. Don’t think it’d get you very far though if that’s what you’re planning on outta the blue. Y’know, a mad escape with the cash in hand.” Though the thought sat sourly in her stomach. Regardless of anything else that occurred between them, she really did think of Banks as a friend. A good one, even. She’d hate to lose another. Instead of focusing on that, Clem worked to smile again. “You say the sweetest things.” She ran her hand from the one he had on her waist and up the length of his arm, thinking. “And yeah, I’m awful sure about that. Unless you’ve got some other social commitments you’re keen get to that you haven’t told me about. Guy like you, well, I imagine you’ve got loads of conversations teed up,” she teased. “What? A couple dozen people you’re hankering to jab away with? Exchange the same old how’re you doing’s and my oh my what a night we’ve walked into’s.” She paused, then raised her brows curiously. Her fingers moved; she liked the feel of his shirt under her hand. “Or maybe some other girl to say those sweet things to?” She figured it shouldn’t matter so much if there were someone else. They never made any promises. She didn’t intend to make any to anyone, really. But still, she asked. “You’re looking real popular in this little scenario I’ve cooked up.”

—

         "Or-" He countered, even as started to slowly lead them towards one of the less occupied bonfires as he kept them to one side while the others still mingled and roamed between the fire and shoreline. "maybe I can tell that you're gonna get cold on me an' if I move you towards the fire, then you'll warm up faster." Either way, Banks was ready to disregard any notion about what kind of person that he was underneath it all, but Clem hadn't done anything to him to deserve that side of him. As much as he could act like he had his shit together for one night, it wouldn't last. He smirked for a moment before reality sunk in quickly enough that he knew no matter how much money on the line wouldn't be enough to set him or any of his family up for life but it would give them a head start. And it'd be something better than he had for himself. It felt downright ridiculous to think about all the ways that he'd spend the money, mostly when he'd do more to keep it safe for his siblings to use it for college or something for their lives to be better than what they had. It felt that way because there were countless others that stood between him and the cash. Instead he made a soft noise like a snort at the ways that she imagined he'd use the money. "I don't know, I kinda like the above ground pool an' swim in all the dollar bills afterwards," he replied with a shrug, taking a sip of the beer in his other hand as he kept her close and upwards as if she might slip through his hold once more. "It's more for the monsters than me." Clem wasn't like most of the rest there that night, hell she wasn't like most of the rest in town - ones where they'd judge him at his word and call it false. Or say that he was only saying it for the pity and then turn around and use it on himself to get the fuck out of there. Maybe, once. But things were different for him that he struggled to believe that he'd make any kind of future for himself even in the new job. "You did a real good job at cookin' up that scenario but I think you've got me confused with just about anyone else in town." He shook his head then, his grip tightening ever so slightly as his gaze shifted from the bonfire back towards Clem again. "There ain't anyone here that wants to talk to me 'less it's to make sure that I stay out of there way in winning this game." Or they were Theo.

[banksrainiers]

@vinvulpes​

date: july 4th, 1997

location: prosper park

availability: open || @panic-hub 

The festivities were in full swing by the time he was properly set up. There was music playing somewhere in the park out of loud speakers, some pop song he couldn’t put his finger on. He didn’t bother trying to guess it either, why age himself in public view of his students? Instead he propped open his large yellow cooler and took a seat beside it on his matching colored lawn chair. Vin pulls out his sketchbook before grabbing the pen he had tucked behind his ear. He glances up from his sketchbook to the crowd up and down and back again as his hand lazily sketches the mass of people. He used to love the Fourth of July, his whole family did, but this year was different. The tight knit Vulpes had suddenly become a party of one, not much he could do about that. His hand slows across the page for a second to glance over to the drinks and ice glistening inside his cooler.

“Get your free drinks here!” He calls out to the larger crowd and meandering groups passing by him. When someone slows nearby, he smiles at them almost as bright as the sun above them. “Care for a refreshment? We’ve got caprisuns, sprite, and for the alcoholics in Lockhorn county, root beer!” He thought he was very funny, but he’s been told his humor runs better with the ‘dad’ crowd than the youth of Hazzard and Prosper. It never stopped him from chuckling at his own jokes though, as ironic as they were.

—

          “Real funny, really. You should think ‘bout doing stand up,” he replied as he leaned over to grab one of the sprites even though he was going to need a stronger drink to get through the night. There was bound to be plenty to drink as long as he knew where to look which wasn’t most of the booths, at least not yet but it would flow eventually. He cracked open the can of soda as he took a swig, making a face at the aftertaste and knew that it wasn’t going to be enough but it’d help for the time being. As long as the hellions didn’t run to all the sugar, then maybe he’d be able to keep up with them — or need a beer to curb the headache they were sure to give him before the night was over. “Why’s it free anyways? Is it laced?” Maybe he should have asked before he took a sip but Banks simply shrugged that afterthought away.

[banksrainiers]

@rhett-miller​

date: july 4th, 1997 location: prosper park availability: open @panic-hub​

The booth was set up nicely, placed deliberately a few feet into the entrance of Prosper park so they could catch as much traffic as possible. The youth and high school athletics groups had come together to do a bake sale/concession stand during the event. If they were able to raise enough, it meant more equipment and possibly being able to go to training camps for some of them. Rhett was busy making sure everyone was in place and greeting those who came up. Then, of course, making sure Daisy and Colt were staying nearby so he could keep an eye on them. Prosper was a fairly safe place, but it only took one malicious person to change that. It was better just to be safe. 

He stood behind one of the younger players he coached for baseball while they greeted a customer. “Hey, what can we get for you today?” The younger one motioned to the sign behind them to show what they had. “And beyond all that we got here a mess of baked treats and some sparklers for the young or young at heart. All proceeds go to the athletics program here in Lockhorn county.” He finished the pitch with a smile and a quick nod.

—

He was stuck babysitting again, though considering that the monsters were on the loose — the term babysitting was something that Banks held onto loosely as he took to the booths and leave them to their own mess. They’d find him when they needed something whether it was food or money, so he didn’t worry as much as he probably should considering that his mom had been the one to put him in this position in the first place. And he couldn’t complain or say no — not when he owed them all for a long time. 

Banks was only gazing, not really interested in spending money that he barely had when he was stopped in front of an athletic groups bake sale that was surrounded by plenty of others that were indulging on their sweet tooth. He shook his head, recognizing Mr. Miller for a few reasons as he frowned, thinking about his siblings that would want more than sparklers before the night was done. “What’s the cheapest thing you got?” He could dig into his pockets and find a few bucks and some change, but he didn’t have much more than that to his name at the moment. 

[banksrainiers]

@hellweeks​

-

“i’m with you there,” alex agreed, “haven’t thought so much about school shit for four or so years.” that’s how it had gone for alex: she’d dropped out and at the very least then pretended not to look back, and once she did, it was all saving up her own money and shifts at the hot stop, probably from then until she died, or something. it was a fine job, something to do, and she wasn’t even sure what she’d do with a degree if she had one. money’s money, right? “staying,” she answered easily enough, plunking herself down in the seat beside banks and pulling out a pack of cigarettes. “want one?” she asked, offering up the box to him. “so, i miss anything interesting yet?” she added. 

—

He nodded as he took a smoke from the pack before patting at his pockets to locate the lighter in one of them. It didn’t take long to find it and light the cigarette between his lips as he offered up a thin smile in response. “Thanks,” he mumbled as smoke tumbled out around his lips before he leaned back into his seat and kicked out his legs in front of him. “Not much other than a few people stumble a bit too close to the flames but ain’t one of them have made it into the fire, yet,” he spoke with a bit of amusement in his tone as if he was only waiting for someone to drink too much and end up getting burnt because of it. “But I keep waitin’ an’ hoping.”

[banksrainiers]

@elytis-finch​​

.

As they slow to a stop Finch is hit with a pang of disappointment, not because it hasn’t been fun but because it was over. He felt like a child begging for one more trip around the merry-go-round. All that whinin’ that you did an’ all you should have realized from the start is what good hands you’re in. Finch rolls his eyes at his friend, slowing turning in the cart so he’s facing him now. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, shut your trap old man.” He settles back into the basket, eyes bright as he looks at his friend.

He missed him like a lung. He tiptoed around it for so long but looking at him now, it made him hurt. He didn’t want to think about it right now. He didn’t want to think about anything at all. “I’d offer giving you a turn but I don’t know if that big ass of yours would fit in here much less the rest of you.” He raises and drops his brows at Banks playfully, a small laugh escaping him, because this was easier than the truth of how he felt.

He sits up a bit in the cart, leaning forward to prod at Banks’s arm before shaking out the hand he used to poke him, a feigned look of hurt on his face. “Tch, those firemen are no joke. They’re turning you into the man of steel or some shit. If you aren’t careful this cart isn’t going to be the only thing you won’t be able to fit into.” He realizes a bit too late how that sounds but instead of backtracking he sits back in the cart and watches for Banks reaction.

—

          “You’re older than me,” he retorted with a laugh as he leaned against the handlebars of the cart. Banks needed to catch his breath for a moment, in better shape than he had been but no where near the same amount of energy that they used to have as kids. If they wanted to go again, he would — but he’d need a moment to get ready to push the cart across the parking lot once more. “Ha ha, you’re hilarious, asshole. We both know that you wouldn’t be able to move this cart an inch if I sat in there so I’ll save you that kind of embarrassment an’ not ask for a turn.” Banks grinned then, clearly joking and feeling a bit lighter than before as if remembering the way that things used to be between them.

He had friends, a few to name, before everything went to shit and he was gone for years at a time, and still was gone to some. It was hard to remember who he was before everything went down, because he didn’t like that guy as much as he hated the one that got tossed behind bars for a few years. Only his age that time had been what gave him a second chance and a few watchful gazes that thought he could be better than he ever would be — but the rest had no clue who he was underneath the angry kid that he always had been.

Banks glanced down at himself, not liking it for a moment before he pulled his gaze away to not think about what all he was trying to accomplish and how close he came to fucking it all up all the time. All it took was losing his temper once and he’d lose it all, again. “I’m more their gopher bitch than an actual firefighter. They’ve got me luggin’ their shit all over the place an’ do all the jobs they don’t wanna do,” he replied with a shrug, knowing that it would take a lot more than that to make him walk away even if he felt less than human at times. It wasn’t new to him. 

[herhighnessrps]

“People say hate is a wasted emotion, a destructive force you can do nothing useful with. They’re wrong. I’ve gripped rage, I’ve wielded it like a weapon.”

— Laura Purcell, from The Corset (via adrasteiax)

[banksrainiers]

@aceofbeas​

@banksrainier​

Sometimes, she preferred to compartmentalize the truth, especially where he was concerned. Besides, it was a game now, seeing how long they could last without mentioning the disappearing act that had affected each member of their notorious little circle differently. “If you could be anywhere…” She started, hand holding the beer bottle waved out as if Bea needed to tell him that the possibilities were endless, without actually saying it. “With anyone, doing anything, right now, what would you pick?” The question was pulled right out of her ass, but it was a good one nonetheless, or at least if you asked her.

—

Banks stared at the beer bottle in his own hands when Bea’s voice stirred him from his thoughts, only to throw him back into the deep end without any effort on her part. He wanted to laugh it off, joke that he wouldn’t be anywhere else with anyone else doing anything other than this; but he couldn’t. “There you go with the big questions right out of the gate, huh?” He wanted to brush it off, but there were certain things that he missed over the past few years — along with a few people too, including Bea. “Not sure. We both know that I ain’t smart enough to actually make a good decision, let alone a make up one,” he joked before he took a sip of beer, hoping that she wouldn’t press the issue to get him to give up an actual answer.

[banksrainiers]

@parisheds​

@banksrainier​

There were probably hundreds of thousands of adjectives that could have been used to describe her and not a single one would have touched anywhere near sweet. That was the only proper word for what she had done though, even their goddamn dogs had party hats on, hats that were probably hanging around their necks by now, but that was neither here nor there. She was proud of the small, two man party as she led him into the house, hands covering his eyes. “I can tell you’re making a face and I’m gonna have to ask you to stop being so damn grumpy and pretending you hate everything.”

—

          “I’m not pretending. You know I hate surprises,” he replied with a slight growl to his tone despite moving where Parish led him without so much as trying to peek around her hands. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she had concocted for him, considering what day it was and how much he tried to forget it even existed. It anything, Banks would be fine with skipping the entire day completely but Parish had other plans it seemed — the other didn’t care how he felt about his birthday, only that she was going to make sure that he knew it existed. 

[tragicness]

[ ghost // halsey ]

[banksrainiers]

clemfontaine​:

.

“Only a thought? What else’re you thinking then?” Clem paused a beat, her hold on him tightening when she felt a bit dizzy. She hoped he didn’t notice. “Why do you want it to be real so bad?” She knew the money was a big deal, but she wanted to know why it was a big deal to him specifically. What he got out of this, even if he lost. Guess that means I’d better listen to yours or else? “See, now you’re really learning how things oughtta work ‘round here,” she said warmly, then used her grip on his wrist to pull his hand closer. In turn, she took a small step forward. “You mind passing along the message to everyone else? They seem a little slower on the uptake. Been driving me up the wall these last twenty-two years. Seems it’d be beneficial to tag-team spreading the word.” She buzzed with the proximity, as well as the alcohol. And it wasn’t that Clem was a physical person, at least not often. It drove her crazy when people touched her face or neck when she wasn’t prepared for it. She hated when men walked past her in one of the Hot Stop’s aisles and placed a hand on the small of her back as they sidled by. A colleague of her dad’s once tapped his finger beneath her chin as he told her she was growing up into a fine woman; a client of her mom’s squeezed her bare shoulder as they made a comment about the riskiness of the shirt she wore. Bobby Powell put his hands under her shirt without asking at a New Year’s party, laughing all the while. Hands everywhere all the time. The list went on, and she was sure it did for most women. And all those instances made her stomach curdle. But she liked this. This was different. She liked settling his hand on her waist and giving it a little pat, a silent stay put. “Just a bit?” she asked. “What if I were looking for something a little longer than yet?”

—

Banks dropped his gaze for a moment, finding it easier to hide the way that the thoughts crossed his mind without anyone looking for them. Or seeing exactly what was in his head. “I might be thinkin’ if I need to walk towards one of them bonfires to make sure you’re warm enough,” he thought out loud, feeling the hold that she had on him before he lifted his gaze finally. Why did anyone want this to be real? It was the money. The way that it would change any of their lives, right? Though he could imagine there were a few that had made the leap just to prove to themselves that they could do it and would again, seeing the way that plenty eyed the cliff’s edge as if it contained all the answers to the questions that rose up about the legitimacy of the game. “The same as anyone else, I guess.” Banks shrugged slightly, not feeling the best about putting it into words how much he needed it to be real so that he could fix all the shit that messed up with his family. If they were set for a better future, then he could possibly get rid of some of the guilt that he carried around with him. Still, he managed to piece together a faint smile towards Clem, seeing all the ways that she wasn’t the one that surprised him the most by taking the leap and early on too. She was a leader, even if not everyone realized it as her words left him with a small chuckle as he moved slightly closer towards her in hopes that she wasn’t as cold as she seemed despite how quick her hair had dried. “I just know better than to try an’ stand up to you, ‘cause I ain’t ever gonna win an argument with you. I might as well wear a neon sign around my neck to tell the world that you’re right an’ I’m wrong.” A joke, but one that he could take when it came to them as his gaze fell once again but this time to his hand against her side that she’d been the one to put there as he didn’t move away or question it. “You sure ‘bout that?”