Hand on the Helm

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were built for.

[thepromises]

      “So… do you have your, uh, Halloween costume ready yet? I haven’t heard of any parties going on, but someone must be throwing one, right?”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

“I’ve heard quite a few individuals rather hesitant to host Halloween parties due to it falling on a Monday this year... But regardless, I was never exactly one for dressing up in the first place. Yourself?”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Motor Skills || Biff & Freddie

[thepromises]

     “Yeah… you know, it’s a good town as it is. Quiet, and all that. A lot of people look for that sort of thing… but you’re right. I feel like it could, uh, become a really good community, if people were willing to put in the effort and help it along the way,” Freddie said, his smile a little nervous as he thought about how cheesy his words might have seemed, especially to such a man as Biff who had always given off such an elegant, refined air. He let out a small giggle at the man’s joke.

     “Paperwork, huh? I, uh, try to avoid it if I can. The most I do is signing service papers at work - I mean, stuff like that isn’t really my strong point. I like mechanics, doing stuff with my hands, you know? But, uh… I’ll keep an eye out for you, anyway,” he said with a firm nod - and his eyes drifted slightly over Biff’s shoulder, back in the direction of the auto shop. He walked slowly around the man, then turned back to wave. “See you around,” Freddie said, flashing a brief smile before he turned on his heel and walked away, hands shoved into his pockets.

[blaineatscandals-blog]

Okay, ah its never to early for me.  My work has been great.  A lot as of late right now. But come in any time for a drink.  Its been pretty busy.

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Would Christmas happen to be your favorite holiday of the entire year? I’ve heard that the shop offers an outstanding hot cocoa; is that true? Because if so, I think I may just take you up on that offer fairly soon.

[siennapalmery-blog]

     She could practically see the cogs turn in his head as he figured out her innuendo, and the sheer expression of shock on his face made her burst out in loud giggles. Sienna bent at the waist and hugged herself as she tried to stop her laughter - it took her a few seconds to even stand straight, and almost a minute before she sighed happily and dabbed at her eyes and checked her fingers carefully for signs of smudged mascara.

     “Oh, Biff! I tell you, I haven’t laughed so much since I got here! You’re a real sweetheart,” Sienna said, her voice still bubbling with laughter. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, honey, but it just comes kind of naturally to me. I’ll try to tone it down around you,” she promised with a knowing wink. “And I guess you’re regretting that hint you just dropped about personal assistants. I’m not wordy. Or organised. And you definitely don’t want a smutty PA, right Prof?” Sienna aimed a pointed look at him. “But I’ll keep an eye out for you. Who knows, the perfect assistant for you could walk into town any moment! You need to have eyes on the streets to find them.”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Truth be told, he was rather contended with the giggling; such would only serve as the perfect distraction from the dark crimson that immediately spread across his cheeks. Rubbing the back of his neck slowly, he responded with choppy laughter of his own. “Oh no, it’s— that’s fine, really. I wouldn’t consider it discomfort as much as, ah...” He paused with a furrowed brow and a nervous shrug. “I feel as though I need to apologize for being so slow with catching on to that particular kind of... Humor.”

Then, a loud scoff escaped from his lips. “A smutty PA,” he repeated. “If my next assistant were such, it actually wouldn’t be a new experience in the slightest.” His voice grew quieter as he thought about a particular young heiress-turned-employee from Lima, Ohio. In retrospect, he was quite surprised that he was ever productive in the face of her endless shenanigans. Shaking his head, he brought his attention back to Sienna. “Ah, yes. Yes, please. I would really appreciate that. I keep on delaying the search to focus on other work, although that probably ought to be at the top of the list.”

[blaineatscandals-blog]

Hey guys what is everyone up to? I once again been busy with work. Mostly at the coffee shop

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Perhaps it’s a little too early, but I’ve actually been starting preparations for the holidays. How is your work? I imagine a massive influx in customers searching for warm drinks — especially the beloved pumpkin spice flavor.

[yukanagata]

Visit Original Link

[siennapalmery-blog]

     Sienna looked a little taken aback, but gave him an impressed smile. “Wow. Aren’t you the man with all the answers, Prof!” she said delightedly. “Abandoned buildings, empty lots… sound like this place needs a little party action to get it up and running, huh? You know, there’s few things cooler than having a great, all-night party in an empty building where you can just go wild. But don’t worry. I won’t ask you to point me in the direction of any!” she exclaimed, giving him a quick wink.

     Tilting her head to the side, Sienna pouted at his words. “A lot of paperwork on that desk of yours, huh? Don’t you have enough secretaries or aides or whatever to take care of the boring stuff for you?” she asked. “I mean, I agree. The only fun you can have with paperwork is either throwing it all out of the window or pushing it off the desk to have some awesome workplace… fun. I’m sure you know what I mean. I won’t say it because I bet it’d make you blush, Prof!” Sienna giggled.

[biff-mcintosh-a]

“If there are questions to be asked, I’d certainly like to be capable of providing at least one or two answers,” Biff replied modestly. Although he laughed at the idea of the town needing ‘party action,’ he couldn’t deny his agreement. “Given the current state of the place, I don’t believe you’d actually need any special directions to find a decent empty building. But I must admit, I do like this thinking of yours. It’s about time we added a little noise to Fireside.”

Biff shook his head at her next question. “Unfortunately, there’s a large imbalance between the ‘boring stuff’ and the work force available to deal with it. And it doesn’t help that I don’t have a personal assistant at the moment.” His thoughts wandered momentarily toward the notion of searching for another one, something that he had admittedly been putting off for some time. A distraction only came in the form of Sienna’s final words. “Huh?” Biff furrowed his eyebrows, but his eyes widened when he finally realized what was being mentioned. “Oh. Right, yes. Ah... Right.”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Motor Skills || Biff & Freddie

[thepromises]

     “’Dinky little place’?” Freddie repeated, “Sounds like something you’d read in a, uh, traveller’s guide to the state. You know, there’s beautiful scenery and then among it all a dinky little place called Fireside. The kind of thing they mean to sound nice, but it comes off a little.. cheesy,” he said, scrunching his nose up with distaste. “I mean, I agree, it’s a town with… more than meets the eye, you know? The, uh, people are more interesting than your typical small-town folk. Or so I’ve noticed so far,” he said, adding a broad smile so as to reassure Biff that he meant ‘interesting’ in a positive way.

     Feeling a little self-conscious after Biff’s words of praise and thanks, Freddie rubbed the back of his neck nervously but still attempted a gracious smile. “No problem, man. And, uh, my Mom would definitely thank you if you got a proper meal into me somehow. She really hates that I don’t cook for myself very often these days,” he explained, his cheeks darkening a little with embarrassment. “Oh-” Freddie suddenly dragged his phone from his pocket. “-I’ll, uh, send you a message so you have my number. You know, if you ever need to get in touch with me for whatever,” he said, his eyes transfixed on the small business card Biff had given him. It only took him a few seconds to type out a simple ‘Hi’, add a smiley emoji, and send the message off. When he finished, Freddie stuck a hand out to shake Biff’s. “Well, I’ll head off back to work. You, uh, know where I am if you need me, right? I’ll get to work soon as i can.”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Biff tilted his head curiously, listening intently to Freddie’s reasoning. After pursing his lips hesitantly for a moment, he spoke up with a shrug. “I suppose that perhaps I’ve only ever encountered the term ‘dinky’ with such a negative connotation.” All of a sudden, his eyes lit up and his lips curled up into a smile. “Ah, but we could always work to redefine that term, couldn’t we? The whole ‘takes a village’ proverb, only made more possible by the unique individuals we’ve both encountered here.”

The instant the chime of his phone resounded, Biff dug into one of his pockets. Nodding as he read the new message, he responded with an equally short, “Hello!” then slipped the device back. “The only repair shop in town,” he half-joked as he took Freddie’s hand into a firm shake. “And you know where to find me as well! If not immediately visible, just look for a momentous stack of paperwork. Nine out of ten times, I’ll be somewhere behind that. Take all of the time that you need; no rush and certainly no pressure to feel inclined that there is one.” 

[biff-mcintosh-a]

siennapalmer:

     Flustered people weren’t what Sienna usually liked. She felt that if someone was so nervous around her, she obviously wasn’t doing enough to make them comfortable around her, and in truth if they kept it up it could grown to annoy her. She was a straightforward girl: nervousness just didn’t fit with her world view. But Biff’s seemed so genuine that for the moment he seemed more endearing than anything, and she tilted her head to the side lightly and pouted at him, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

     “I don’t know, Biff - every party has to have a little drama, it’s inevitable when you get loads of different people together! And beside - I’m sure you could mediate things enough that there wouldn’t be any stabbings. That’s what happened with Caesar and Brutus, right? History wasn’t my strong point back in high school,” she said with a shrug, her smile growing into a grin. “And yeah, I think my tiny place could only handle a couple of trumpets. And maybe a drum made out of kitchen pots. But hey - a girl can dream, right?”

     “And sure, Halloween gives you a couple of months to get things organised. If you need a hand, you know where to find me! We could even do a couple of little private parties first. Practice, you know? I totally offer up my place. Unless… you can think of somewhere better?” Sienna asked, her tone increasingly playful.

The mention of drama at parties caused Biff to scoff lightly. Such had only brought to mind his experiences with past company events, each having increasingly disastrous aftermaths. Shaking his head, he responded, “I’m ah, not completely certain I’d make for very good mediation. Might have a little experience being Caesar— but we’ll just take some precautionary steps beforehand. No injuries, traumas, whatever other disaster could result.”

He looked away for a moment, taking her final question into some consideration. “Locations that could fit more than a kitchen pot drumkit,” he muttered, “I mean, not that it’s not a good idea, but the poor pots...” It was much simpler to think of party organization when such was limited to a hotel premises. Now that there was en entire town, it took far longer to process every idea that came about.

“I can think of a few spots around Fireside,” he admitted with a nod. “First that come to mind are a few abandoned buildings. With a little work, one or two could be turned into a more permanent location for these kinds of activities. There are also a few open lots that could use some attention, those are perfect for more outdoor-type festivities. I’d offer my own office, but there isn’t much fun to be had among the paperwork,” he added jokingly.

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Motor Skills || Biff & Freddie

[biff-mcintosh-a]

biff-mcintosh:

freddiejules:

     “Well, you know…” Freddie shrugged, his voice quiet. “I live on my own and really, the, uh, only thing I have going on right now is my job. So I have plenty of free time for more… projects,” he said, trying to pitch his voice so that it didn’t come across too eager, but at the same time too casual. He didn’t want Biff to think that all he ever did was work, and spend time alone in his apartment. Somehow he felt that wasn’t the ideal the other man had in his mind for Fireside.

     Brushing off the apology with a wave of his hand, Freddie managed a more confident smile. “Oh, don’t worry about it, man. I can grab lunch on the way back and, uh, this has been a pretty good break for me. You know, it’s not every day someone like you gives me something like this-” he gestured to the mass of the engine, “- to work on. All in all… a pretty good day so far, you know!” Freddie laughed happily, and waved towards the door to indicate that Biff should lead the way out. The man didn’t trust himself to recall the pathway through the winding corridors and back out into the street, and he resolved to pay more attention this time if he was going to be coming back alone.

     As they strolled back through the building, Freddie nodded. “You’re right about the size of the town, but I think it’s… nice. Small towns are good. I don’t even need to use my car - I mean, I drove it all the way out here and it just sits in the parking lot. I keep meaning to, uh, drive it out into the country sometime. Look at the scenery, or whatever, but I never seem to get around to it.”

Biff made sure to send a warm, albeit silent, farewell to each face that they passed while making their way through the halls that they had stepped into earlier. In spite of this, he did his best in remaining mindful of the man beside him. “If such is the case, then I’m very glad that this particular project is one right in line with your interests. There are few things as rewarding as success on work that genuinely catches your intrigue.”

Speaking of work drew out Biff’s ambition, something that came through in the form of quickened speech. “Perhaps that can be another project of yours, yes? Exploring all of the beauties Fireside has to offer. It’s been my discovery that it’s far more than what people dismiss as a ‘dinky little place.’” He grimaced at the terminology. Then while pushing the entrance door open, he shook his head and added quietly, “Or at least, that was not my full impression when I initially stumbled upon it.”

Once they were both outside, Biff walked a few more steps, then turned on his heels to face Freddie. “I really can’t thank you enough,” he spoke as he raised both arms. “I mean, I know that you’ve reassured me over and over again, but it still means quite a lot to me. And I certainly owe you, at the very least, a more proper meal than whatever you’re planning on picking up on the way back to work. That’s a detail we can work out at ah... Another meeting time?”

[siennapalmery-blog]

     The joke took Sienna by surprise - she let out a merry bubble of a laugh and grinned at him, happy to have seemingly brought out a different side to Biff. She remained smiling at him broadly even as he dipped back into his humble ways, but the way he shifted his eyes downwards made her tilt her head to the side as she thought how adorable he seemed. It was all she could do not to pinch his cheeks, but she settled for simple words instead. “Aww! Prof, you’re exactly the kind of guy a someone could take home to meet their grandma. Your awfully dated  ways are just gorgeous!” Sienna announced, giggling again but covering her mouth daintily with her hand this time - maybe his politeness was rubbing off on her.

     “I mean, why have one without the other, right? You’ll have to get us a big brass band, some dancers in swishy skirts, and then some greasers to really get an authentic theme going on. But - you know. Not too authentic. Besides the whole racism and sexism thing, I don’t think I could resist putting the whole thing on Instagram, and I don’t think that would be strictly in keeping with the theme!” Sienna said, raising her eyebrows lightly. 

     “So, come on, Prof - is this thing gonna be a town-wide party or can I steal the idea and try to fit it into my tiny new apartment?”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Once again, Biff found himself fidgeting with the cuffs against his wrist and the lapels of his coat. Nervous laughter escaped his lips as he struggled to formulate a response, his tie seeming to have tightened even further than before. There was no doubt in his mind to the rosy tint that rushed across his cheeks as he barely managed in speech. “Ah, well y— I’m glad that I, uh... I’m quite flattered that you believe so, Mi— Sienna.” 

Clearing his throat, he attempted to focus on the concept of a mass, themed party. “Oh no,” he agreed quietly. “Parties that focus on um, specific motifs always leave out the more... Disagreeable features. Much like how...” Shrugging once, he continued, “You could host something with the uh, Roman Empire in mind, but it would probably be best to leave out the war and bloodshed... Julius Caesar and Brutus and... The like.”

Somewhere in between the mess of words, he had felt — or at least certainly hoped he had felt — the warmth on his face diminish. Unwittingly adjusting the knot at the center of his collar for the second time, he joked, “Do you have enough space for an entire brass band? Trumpets aren’t too problematic, but it would be best to avoid a trombone in the face if possible... I ahm, can’t promise anything, but I can certainly look into the possibility of a town-wide event. Perhaps for Halloween?”

[elodierutherford-deactivated201]

Brows furrowed as he seemed to pull away from the question, amused smile dancing at the corners of her lips as he pushed on. Head tilted in momentary confusion, she let out a gentle laugh as she took a step back, seeming to appraise his ensemble. “You can never be too overdressed, darlin’. Not when you’ve got people to impress.” It was a lesson the former actress learned all too well. Blue eyes narrowed, smile lingering. “You’re sure that’s all you wanted to know?”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

“Those were certainly my thoughts this morning, but I figured that it wouldn’t be too harmful to confirm,” he jested back. While some relief washed over him momentarily, her question nearly threw him off balance. Once again, the curiosity for her opinion on the town rose. It would have escaped him, too, were it not for another exchange on his part. Running the tips of his fingers against the clean trim along his jaw, he continued, “Would it be too bold of me to request for an evaluation of my hair as well? Hopefully my grooming habits are making the look as opposed to breaking it.”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Motor Skills || Biff & Freddie

[thepromises]

     He replied with a slow nod, taking his time to think over how exactly they could organise a festival in Fireside. Festivals, to Freddie, were loud and colourful: full of excited people and delicious food and dancing to music as you went all. All things he failed to associate with his new home. But he didn’t wish to ruin Biff’s plan, and so he smiled reassuringly at the man and tried to look enthusiastic.

     “A festival? Sounds… cool. I guess there’s a, uh, lot of people here who could make it interesting. Just give me a call if you need a handyman to help you rig up stalls or stages or floats or whatever. It’s been a while since I got to do any work with wood,” Freddie said, letting out a quiet chuckle. But even the idea of further work couldn’t drag his mind away from the old fire engine for long and his eyes drifted back over to the dull metal hull, before he sighed quietly.

     “I, uh, don’t want to be rude or anything, but…” he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “… I should probably get back to work, you know? I’ll come over when my shift’s finished to start work on this properly - or at least figure out what things I’ll need, and I’ll start actually working this weekend. Will I, uh, need a key or anything to get in? Or is someone always in the building?” he asked, his words coming out a little faster than he intended. It was these little things that niggled at his mind most of the time, and Freddie wanted to get them sorted out so that he might focus on the job instead of his worries.

[biff-mcintosh-a]

At Freddie’s offer of assistance, Biff found his mind wandering toward the possibilities for such an event. While it was difficult to make out exact shapes, be it the structures or the decorations that would be utilized throughout, he could picture the colors. Throughout every project he had strived to organize, he liked to believe that vibrance was consistent. Looking back at the lackluster piece at the room’s center, however, he was reminded of the biggest challenge to ambition: time.

First came a nod of acknowledgment. “I appreciate that immensely, and will keep you in mind should anything come up with respect to any wood-involving projects. Although please excuse if I’m also rather hesitant to add even more laborious requests on top of your plate. This one is already looking to be quite a heavy load.” After signaling to the vehicle, his eyes suddenly widened into an expression of surprise.

“Oh!” Adjusting his left cuff to take a gander at the watch bound around his wrist, Biff took note of the time. “My sincerest apologies, I didn’t mean to occupy so much of your lunch break. Especially considering the lack of either an actual lunch or a break. There should always be at least one person in the building, but should the occasion arrive that you can’t find any way in, just give me a call and I’ll make my way over in a few short blinks. One of the perks of the town’s rather minuscule size.” 

[joliespencer-blog1]

“I love listening to blues now, and I appreciate some good jazz every now and then.” She said looking at him. 

“I think so, I wasn’t gonna be named Jaclyn at first, my name was supposed to be Bobby.”

[biff-mcintosh-a]

“Two perfect choices, if one were to ask me. I recall you mentioning that you listen to just about every genre of music; any chance you enjoy a little rock and roll too?”

Biff tilted his head curiously. “Is that so? ‘Bobby’ doesn’t seem quite as creative as ‘Jaclyn.’”

[blaineatscandals-blog]

I believe that I do both , to earn some extra money. But my main is the landscaping as well.

[biff-mcintosh-a]

Those sound like two very different, but no less tedious, professions to commit to. For that, I really do applaud and admire your work ethic. Are you still also offering music lessons?

[siennapalmery-blog]

    “Really writing a cheesy sitcom there, aren’t you? Sienna Palmer, PI: just a gorgeous blonde moving from the big city to a tiny Alaskan town that just. Isn’t. Ready. For. Her,” Sienna joked, making each word into it’s own sentence and finishing with a bubbly laugh. Merry as she was, she hadn’t failed to notice that Biff had stiffened up when she touched him - and so she resisted the urge to punch him playfully on the arm. She tossed her hair instead.

    “Aww, honey,” she said, pouting. “You don’t look a day over twenty-five. Which is how old I am, you know, so that does pretty much makes us the same age!” She laughed again, hoping to put him at ease - but Sienna had to admit, the little nervous stutters and pauses that worked their way into his speech were adorable.

    “And yeah, you do kind of act like you’re eighty, but hey - you do you, ok Prof? I think it gives you a little bit of old-fashioned charm. And who doesn’t like a gentleman from the early fifties?” She winked. “Hey, maybe you should throw a fifties-themed party? Then you’d fit right in! And I fully volunteer to help out. It’ll be fun!” Sienna said, suddenly almost bouncing with excitement.

[biff-mcintosh-a]

“Laugh all you may, but it rather sounds like a bit of a hit, doesn’t it? Or at least, I certainly believe so.” There was something in Sienna’s exuberance that made Biff all the more enthusiastic in his response. “My only concern is that a certain group of elderly may be increasingly fearful; perhaps you might expose their underground bingo ring.”

He ran his lower teeth against his upper lip as he shook in repressing a chortle. Her reassurance and flattery then caused a shift in the direction of his glance, as he began staring down at the tips of his dress shoes. “Ah, right. Yes... I’ll continue along with my awfully dated ways,” he finished shyly.

“But uh, a fifties theme, huh?” Biff looked up again, loudening his voice slightly. Further talk of history brightened his tone even more. “Are you picturing jazz and big-band vocalists? Or are you interested in the drive-in movie, rock and roll music scene? Either one is quite enticing— perhaps even both— but oh, the 1950s were as culturally intriguing as they were politically.”

[elodierutherford-deactivated201]

Elodie, headphones in her ears and an Americano clutched tightly in her hand, had almost missed the voice. Tilting her head in slight confusion as he spoke, she pulled the earbud out, letting it fall uselessly to her side. “Absolutely, darlin’. Can’t promise it’ll be any help though.” She warned, half-smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “What can I do ya for?” She asked, taking a sip from her still too-hot cup. But the Texas-native was desperate for the caffeine after the previous night’s shift at the bar - it was worth the sacrifice. Blue eyes trailed to the stack, brow furrowed in momentary horror at the size. Even plagued with a persistent hangover, she did not envy whatever he was diving into this morning.

[biff-mcintosh-a]

“Well, I’ve got this meeting with a group of investors in a few minutes, and I was just wondering if you...” His voice faltered as he reconsidered his question. Perhaps it would be too intrusive to inquire as to whether or not she enjoyed Fireside’s atmosphere thus far. Not only that, but if she would answer ‘no’? Such would only cause a challenge to the confidence that he sought to convince potential financiers in the first place. Shaking his head, he decided to substitute with a sillier train of thought. He clutched onto the stack with one hand, then used the other to motion toward his attire. “Do you think that the vest makes me look over-dressed?”