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[bbygrvr]

OFSOFTWORDS​

It was odd. Normally River stayed away from people who were rough around the edges out of fear that those edges would end up hurting him in the end. But everything about Bobby was just.. different. It was breath of fresh air. The difference in River’s life compared to before he met Bobby with how it was now with Bobby in his life was huge. But he preferred a life with the other by his side. Looking at Bobby and then at all the dancing students, he frowned. “It’s quite sad how so many bright souls have turned sour due to the things that have happened at Gallagher” he sighed.

                                  he can’t find it in himself to sympathize, his wiring’s out of wack — trauma a rite of passage to an otherwise brutally mundane life, everything that needs to be known about bobby grover could be summed in the fact that he thought blackthorne was fun. but he’ll try, for river, slapping a palm upon his shoulder and giving it a brief squeeze. ‘   they’ll be alright.    ’ it’s not much, but it is the truth, however bland. they’ll get through it. ‘   hell, maybe one of em will sue. make it into a class-action lawsuit. cash out a couple million and retire to san bruno.    ’ though he thinks the student’s lives would be worse off if that actually happened. 

[bbygrvr]

OFCLAIRES​

– “JESUS, I’LL HAVE WHAT THIS GUY’S HAVING,” she mutters to no one in particular, maybe the fourth wall or to some imaginary camera. “ someone spike your drink, bobby d ? ” claire asks, hopping up to slap his hand with characteristic aggression – the smack rings out across the ballroom. that one’s gonna sting ! if he winces, she’ll make fun of him. “ think that’s the first time anyone’s ever called me a star pupil, glad to get that in once before the end of my academic career. how you been ? ” 

                           ‘   i sure hope not, i’ll fucking kill them — i’m twelve days away from getting my two years chip.   ’ he thinks it would have been funnier if he said he’s twenty-four hours away from getting his twenty-four hour chip, but he is actually sober which is the most adult thing about him. his palm tingles, actually reverberates as he shakes off the sting by his side. ‘   oh, but you’re definitely taking steroids, holy shit.    ’ he won’t gift her with an ow, even though, ow ! ‘   i’ve got an eye for it. sixth sense shit. ah, it’s been alright. robbing art galleries. for legal reasons i’m kidding.   ’ 

[bbygrvr]

LISANNACH

            having been the main caretaker of their humble apartment for more than a year now, lisanna’s first attention drifted to the floor and she gestured as such. “bobby, your shoes!” she sighed before waving it off. her daughter was part of the committee, maybe she’ll help clean up if they’re still sober. “she is still alive, as a matter of fact.” and if she mutters unfortunately under her breath, then so be it. she doesn’t have much loving words for her mother nowadays. “how about you just tag along the next time i come? she’s having this grand fête sometime in the summer and i am under obligation to attend.” for the inheritance, if she was being selfish enough.

                            ‘   aw gross.    ’ he eyes the mud-trail he’s left behind. ‘   you know what ? ain’t my fault. was walking in the forest the other day, just after it had rained. there are no fucking pavements in the forest ! like come the fuck on, it’s 2021, it’s time to start urbanizing nature.    ’ sardonic, a bit clever even but told with so much conviction, he almost tricks himself into actually believing in the self-made cause. bobby doesn’t know the deets with lis and her mom, but he hates his mom for what he’s sure is less, so he’s sympathetic to bad vibes. ‘   do i have to dress up ? actually being choked out by this suit right now. can’t say i’m a fan of autoerotic asphyxiation. but yeah i’ll come. i’ve met people who’ve written me into their wills right after.    ’

[bbygrvr]

OFSOFTWORDS​

The second, literally the second he heard that voice he spun around. And there he was. No matter how much time they spent together, he always felt that same warmth. Bobby just had that air around him that made talking to him that much more fun. It was different from the calm life River lived. “But of course. I could never and will never say no to free food. And here I thought you knew me” he teased and then chuckled as a fond smile formed on his lips, just looking at the other. “Thought you’d never ask” taking the cupcake, River then started to eat it.

                              an outrageously theatrical expression of mock offence is quick to consume his features. ‘   ‘course i know you. what’s there not to know. you have the personality of a plank of wood.    ’ meaning bobby still thinks that river’s relentless thoughtfulness and heart of gold morals will get him stepped on. without bobby, he’s gonna wind up dead, so bobby’s gonna stick around like a blood-sucking leech he can’t pluck off. he turns to the sea of people, admiring them like an audience in the crowd. ‘   look at these little runts. so much trauma that’s gonna stick with ‘em for the rest of their lives.   ’

[bbygrvr]

NAOMIPKX

He doesn’t give her a chance to evade or push him away as the peck landed on her cheek. “Hello to you too, Bobby.” His high energy always gave her life. “Excuse you, I came here to my old students and friends. Not just Beyoncé.” A beat. “But I won’t deny that I’m happy to see her in person.” 

                           his grin always looks wolfish but there’s no malice in sight, just teeming energy with no outlet save for the slight bounce in the soles of his feet. ‘   yeah, yeah, yeah.   ’ shoos away the slightest evidence of sentimentality to focus on the important things. ‘   how much you think they paid her to come ? fuck me if her heart was swayed by a fuckin’ powerpoint.   ’

[bbygrvr]

                  @lisannach​​

                               he practically stomps up to lisanna, which leaves the dried mud that was formerly lodged in the crevices of his docs, trailing behind him across the ballroom floor. ‘   hey.   ’ the firmness in his voice wobbles, because even attempting to settle into anything akin to sternness is impossible. ‘   you promised me a date with your mom.    ’ actually it had been an open invitation that bobby had never followed up on, because there’s seven hundred things going on in his brain at one time, and visiting mama harlin hadn’t won the battle royale — until now. ‘   god she better not be dead.   ’

[bbygrvr]

                   @ofclaires​

                              bobby’s going off what he remembers from the burn book, so forgive his insensitivity — but maybe it’s for the best, if he’d seen the footage, she wouldn’t hear the end of it. ‘   claire walsh. star pupil ! defeater of evil, upholder of justice. honorary driver’s ed representation. up top.    ’ plus caden, who’s actually a driver’s ed major he takes it as a win for driver’s ed nation. beaming with pride, a bit out of breath like he’s just ran a 10k marathon, don’t leave him hanging claire. 

[bbygrvr]

                  @naomipkx​​

                                  bobby’s got a spring in his step that if it weren’t for gravity he’d be heading straight to the moon, coming done would be a lost cause — walking with the confidence of a seasoned model in ten inch heels, his halt is perfectly timed to peck her cheek before she can shoo him off. ‘   what the fuck is up naoms ? raise your hand if you only came for beyonce.   ’ he raises his hand. 

[bbygrvr]

              @ofsoftwords​​

                             ‘   what’s a nice guy like you doing in a murder-ridden place like this ?   ’ is his way of greeting, calling out as he strolls up to river, collecting snacks like coins in a mario kart run. ‘   bet you just came for the food. pig.   ’ clicks his tongue between his teeth in mock disgust, but it does a poor job of the hiding the fondness he holds for river. ‘   cupcake ?   ’ looks down at his palms to find two in each, as if he can’t recollect how that could have possibly have happened.   

[bbygrvr]

the bobby g aesthetic ft. summer plans ! the standstill of his life post-gallagher is a bit nerve-wracking, eager to get back into the field whilst acknowledging that this might be the first time in a long, long, time that he’s been fully cognizant of everything going on around him. it makes his heart pound like he’s hitting balls at a batting cage, thud, thud, thud. so he tries his best to take advantage of the excess of free time, spends a lot of it with river. lot of domestic, self-improvement bullshit, like learning how to cook a proper meal, and going for hikes. turns out, surprisingly, to be quite nice, river’s decent company after all. boredom still tears at him, thinks it if were visible it’d be big, gashing claw marks, the way wolves do. so he gets back in the field, a summer cut short, before he can do anything too stupid. him and driving, that’s the great love of his life. in the off-times, the gaps of space that can’t be filled with a film or a job, he talks. to naomi, a lot. endless gabber but not all of it’s trivial, some of it’s actually quite sad. ‘   but that’s just life, eh ?   ’ he remembers saying to her on the phone, before he excuses himself because all of a sudden, he’s gotten a real hankering for mcdonalds, might even go for a big mac.                                                                                                                     ft. @ofsoftwords, @naomipkx

[tomhordy]

What’s a kick?

[bbygrvr]

@ofsoftwords

[bbygrvr]

NAOMIPKX

“We live in Texas, used to live in Nevada before I graduated and decided to move.” Because when news of her fathers surfaced, she packed up her belongings and left with Wren right behind her. It felt like she was running away, in all honesty, she was. No longer having the heart to stay in her childhood home, not with the many memories came with it. “You could do a road trip of your own— Oh, we could do one together!” Naomi suggested, as if it was a good idea. “It wouldn’t be as long as the one with my sister, but it can still happen. We can pull a Vin Diesel and make something explode.

       ‘   you gotta take me to texas naoms. i’ll show you the midwest. ‘m from detroit. decent place, smells like shit.   ’ he’s been to the casinos in reno, doesn’t feel like losing the little savings he has, so he best steer clear of nevada. ‘   i’m down.   ’ he nods emphatically, ‘   as long as i get to drive.    ’ roadtrips are way better than vacations, has to be doing something, always, can’t imagine lying on a beach, that idea of relaxing like that makes him seize up. but a roadtrip, yeah he could do that. ‘   you got my number yeah ? stay in touch. i mean it, don’t be one of those assholes who says they will out of politeness.   ’

[bbygrvr]

CALYPSOMARSHALL

      Something about this all coming from an actual adult ( she’s aware she’s technically an adult herself, but she’s not an adult adult, you know? ) feels very reassuring, like the alumni are parents around to take care of them… Well, ignoring the two alumni who turned out to be traitors. Dark brows furrow at his particular wording, but the general content of what he’s saying does actually calm her nerves a little. “Okay, that’s… Kind of good to hear? I mean, it IS, it’s just…” Calypso’s working herself up again, she can feel it. “There could be others still in the school.”

       ‘   if you were fully relieved i’d call you crazy.    ’ another inkling of support unearths itself, he’s pretty good at this, could be a motivational speaker or something. ‘   yep. they might even follow you along to the internship.   ’ it sounds like provocation but it’s just the truth. ‘   but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. don’t think of it as being on guard all the time, think of it as ... welcoming unpredictability. makes shit exciting yeah ?   ’ paranoia ain’t productive, paranoia blacklists half of hollywood during the red scare, he’s still mourning the movies that were lost ‘cos of mccarthyism ! ‘   just wouldn’t want you to not enjoy berlin. never had anything like that at blackthorne. you guys should consider yourselves lucky.   ’

[bbygrvr]

OFSOFTWORDS

He couldn’t help but to chuckle, knowing that Bobby was right about the way he was looking. He must look like he had not seen a blink of sleep in years, decades even. But with everything going on, it was almost impossible to sit back and relax, to let sleep wash over him and lull him to a moment of bliss. “I haven’t slept either” his voice never once faltered, never changed tone. It was soft, no edges around it. Because he didn’t feel the need to be defensive around the other anymore. “Let me make you something to eat, please?”

          ‘   you a chef ?   ’ comes off a bit aggressive but he actually wants to know, finds it’s mildly fascinating to see what people get up to when they’re not being spies, as it’s often an all-consuming identity. ‘   but yeah sure, i’ll eat anything. not picky.   ’ devoid of a thanks, he always forgets his manners, only because they seem unimportant in the grand scheme of things. he knows neither of them are going to be sleeping anytime soon, but maybe the company can do ‘em some good. settle the heart rate a little bit. ‘   unless you’re too tired. don’t want your face falling onto the stove, though it would make a gnarly scar. wouldn’t fuck with you if you had stovetop rings brandished onto your cheek.   ’ 

[bbygrvr]

NAOMIPKX

The corner of her lips twisted upwards ever so slightly, completely different and unusual from her normal self. Smiling and radiating such positive energy was her thing, it was just.. this took a lot out of her. And there was no need to hide things, not inside of the lounge, not in front of Bobby. “Thank you,” was the only thing that she could say, carefully picking up said drink, not drinking it right away. Because Naomi knew that as she soon she took a sip, she wouldn’t stop, and then the tears would come. The same tears that she kept under wraps when they had rounded up the Brotherhood members. “Flying home after the graduation, my sister is waiting for me. Gonna do a road trip, do some sisterly bonding.” Sisterly bonding that they’ve been doing for eighteen years together. “What about you?” 

       he clacks his tongue between his teeth, a don’t mention it kind of way, can’t get soppy on the last day, just makes everything worse. besides, this ain’t even a goodbye, for all the talk of spies being like blips in the night, one blink and you’ll miss ‘em, there’s a lot of overlap in this field. running into friends on the job just as easily as you’d run into foes. he’s not worried. ‘   ayy, sounds fun. where’s home for ya ?   ’ he asks, road trip’s sound like too much of a flight risk for him, can’t be trusted with too much freedom these days, which is all he’s gonna have after this. ‘   dunno. sort of wanna get straight back into it ? not good at vacations. never know what to do with myself.   ’ 

[bbygrvr]

OFSOFTWORDS

It felt like he could barely breathe. But he remained as professional as possible, focusing on keeping the kids as safe as he could. He didn’t want any more casualties. He didn’t want more trauma to cloud their minds, not if he could prevent it. Sleeping would not take place tonight, that much was clear. No, he would stay awake and keep an eye out. But his guard went all the way down when he heard the familiar voice and saw the familiar frame. “Bobby” he said, voice as soft as always. Just looking at him, he frowned a little. “Are you okay?”

      ‘   why are you frowning at me, you’re the one who looks like pure shit.    ’ that’s his form of concern, taking another few paces forward to really see what he’s dealing with. yeah, that’s the look of pure shit right there. as though he was taking on the burden of every single person who’s ever stepped into this school. being a bit selfish would do river some good, but it’s not in his nature, kind is coded into everything, the way he speaks, moves. thinks it’s fucking crazy to go about life that way, but lately, he’s started thinking that sort of insanity is admirable. ‘   yeah, just haven’t slept. you ?   ’

[bbygrvr]

RIAFLICKE

“Fuck,” the word came out before Ria could even click her brain back from its foggy state. She stepped back from where she collided with him, quickly shaking her head to try and get the last of the sheep from prancing about her head. God, this was embarrassing, and even more embarrassing was that she now had no choice to speak with this man. Between what happened with Alex, seeing the fire with her own eyes, and the general looming cloud around the school, Ria’s walls had been knocked out one brick at a time. It was a rude awakening to the fact that the way that she had been getting by for so long probably wasn’t going to hold up for much longer.

She gave a half smile. If it could be called that. One side of her mouth arced up and her eyes looked at him with no expression to be found. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m a zombie. Sorry - sorry… Uh, I already said sorry.” Moving a hand through her hair, she let out another huff of breath, “No, I’m not good, but I’m, you go where you were going. I’ll continue on my way.”

      he’s being a bit of prick, what with the way he raises his brows in admonishment at the curse that flies past her lips. he doesn’t care, never has. driver’s ed is eighty percent driving and twenty percent road rage which results in a healthy dose of expletives at any given time. there’s nothing worse than a someone stuck in a daze, he’d rather the gut-wrenching theatrics sobs that bring someone to their knees. that’s a productive catharsis. fugue state’s are hard to get out of, a tempting rabbit hole. it’s not his responsibility to pull her out of it, and frankly doesn’t care enough about her to do so. but it doesn’t take a lot to push her towards an acknowledgement of it. ‘   what’cha sorry for ?   ’ he asks, deciding in the moment whether it’ll be a trick question or not. ‘   well you better get good yeah ? you ever watch the walking dead ? zombies are destined to lose.    ’ she’d get herself killed if she went into the field this way. ‘   wanna talk it out ? i’ll put up a good fight.    ’ conversation’s should feel like sparring, it’s a muscle people don’t like to practice but it’s worth it.